Do I accept behaviour others would not?

[kb]

Mark I meant to say - that when it comes to stealing things and so on (which she is quite likely to do), we always exchange, rather than force to drop.

Her recall for my husband is very good, but I am a little anxious so I use treats still on offlead walks for good recall.

But I do spoil her also - I have to admit and I wonder if this is part of the problem?

[Jan/Billy]

so I use treats still on offlead walks for good recall.

Me too 

[LouiseAS]

Hi kb,

I sometimes feel the same as you.  We took on Jakey knowing he was a grumbly growler and could bite.  In the first 3 weeks of having him he bit my oh twice, Meg and me.  

He has settled in now and is nowhere near as bad but we have learnt what sets him off and to look for signs that he's not happy.  Sometimes he just growls for the sake of it and sometimes he means business.  I bought "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson and read it which helped me to understand his behaviour and learnt that he wasn't being bad just a normal dog.

Some people including my own family think we're mad, others think we're doing a great job.

Honey is a beautiful dog and if you love her and are prepared to put up with and work with her little oddities then good for you.  I don't believe that anyone's dogs are perfect.

[silkstocking]

I would not give the bone back if she is growling maybe this is givig her the wrong message.

She's growling because she fears you are gonna take her bone away, by doing so you are reinforcing her fears and she's very likely to guard it even more the next time and so on and so on.

I'm not sure about taking it away and giving it back, maybe someone else can advise on that??

I'd never attempt to remove a bone from Billy, but I don't feed them in the first place ( Just my way   )

I ask for bones or hide chews back and then give them back after a few seconds and telling them what a great treat they have, it does help prevent possessiveness and guarding as they learn that they will get it back 

this is what ive always done to, no swapsies!! they think its a game and sometimes, they even bring me their bones just so i can take it from them because they love all the praise they get when they give it to me!!

[Mary]

I would not give the bone back if she is growling maybe this is givig her the wrong message.

She's growling because she fears you are gonna take her bone away, by doing so you are reinforcing her fears and she's very likely to guard it even more the next time and so on and so on.

I'm not sure about taking it away and giving it back, maybe someone else can advise on that??

I'd never attempt to remove a bone from Billy, but I don't feed them in the first place ( Just my way   )

I ask for bones or hide chews back and then give them back after a few seconds and telling them what a great treat they have, it does help prevent possessiveness and guarding as they learn that they will get it back 

I have always taken food from Lottie from an early age and given it back a few seconds later with lots of praise just to prove to her that she can trust me and she's absolutely fine with that.   However, she would growl if I tried to remove something that she had found that was extremely tempting to eat (i.e. a cooked chicken bone) and she knew she shouldn't have it.  I will still approach her, usually with something equally as tempting (but she's never tempted ) and it will then become a battle of wills .  She locks her jaws so tightly and will NEVER let go.  I would have to try and prize her mouth open which is near on impossible.  If I do manage to she doesn't turn on me but becomes submissive and I will praise her.

[silkstocking]

so I use treats still on offlead walks for good recall.

Me too 

I can't see there is anything wrong with that to be fair. I dont have to give mine treats to come back, but I often do!!

[lillyella28]

Cleo is also spoilt by me i try not to as i know she takes advantage but it is soooo difficult, as i love her soooo much  , since my partner left we are together all the time and I work from home so i have learnt to read her and in her own little she thinks she is my protector.

[kb]

My dad tells me that she doesn't know she is a dog

And I have to say that he would be the type that would say a dog has to know it's place in the pack and so on. He is strict with her and she adores him - at mealtimes she will never go to him for food (not that we encourage begging), but she will sit beside my mum, because being the softee that she is, she always slips her share. I don't mind - once a week at granny's, that's what grannys do . But i think she does things for him becuase she is afraid of him, not because she sees him as the leader of the pack. If he as much as points a finger at her, she goes and lies down.

But I don't like to see this submissive side of her - but as soon as she sees him she is up on his knee licking his face. They only see her once a week by the way. She stayed with them for a few days while we were at my sisters and they said she was an angel.

It makes me feel like she takes the mickey out of me sometimes, but I don't like to reign by fear.

I have talked myself into a state of confusion

[kb]

Lisa - I am pretty sure Honey would come back without treats too, but I obsess a little that she won't  (the old OCD you know )

[Jan/Billy]

My dad tells me that she doesn't know she is a dog

And I have to say that he would be the type that would say a dog has to know it's place in the pack and so on. He is strict with her and she adores him - at mealtimes she will never go to him for food (not that we encourage begging), but she will sit beside my mum, because being the softee that she is, she always slips her share. I don't mind - once a week at granny's, that's what grannys do . But i think she does things for him becuase she is afraid of him, not because she sees him as the leader of the pack. If he as much as points a finger at her, she goes and lies down.

But I don't like to see this submissive side of her - but as soon as she sees him she is up on his knee licking his face. They only see her once a week by the way. She stayed with them for a few days while we were at my sisters and they said she was an angel.

It makes me feel like she takes the mickey out of me sometimes, but I don't like to reign by fear.

I have talked myself into a state of confusion

OMG!!! You've just described my dad and Billy's relationship  

[kb]

What does the behaviourist say about that, Jan?

[Jan/Billy]

What does the behaviourist say about that, Jan?

I haven't mentioned it but my dad ( he has Billy when we go on holiday) always says Billy is hard work but is a very good boy   He only ever stays with my dad though once or twice a year, but when my dad visits Billy greats him better than he greets me 

[supaspaniel]

I would not give the bone back if she is growling maybe this is givig her the wrong message.

She's growling because she fears you are gonna take her bone away, by doing so you are reinforcing her fears and she's very likely to guard it even more the next time and so on and so on.

I'm not sure about taking it away and giving it back, maybe someone else can advise on that??

I'd never attempt to remove a bone from Billy, but I don't feed them in the first place ( Just my way   )

I ask for bones or hide chews back and then give them back after a few seconds and telling them what a great treat they have, it does help prevent possessiveness and guarding as they learn that they will get it back 

I have always taken food from Lottie from an early age and given it back a few seconds later with lots of praise just to prove to her that she can trust me and she's absolutely fine with that.   However, she would growl if I tried to remove something that she had found that was extremely tempting to eat (i.e. a cooked chicken bone) and she knew she shouldn't have it.  I will still approach her, usually with something equally as tempting (but she's never tempted ) and it will then become a battle of wills .  She locks her jaws so tightly and will NEVER let go.  I would have to try and prize her mouth open which is near on impossible.  If I do manage to she doesn't turn on me but becomes submissive and I will praise her.

Harmy used to run off with a dead bird or rabbit he had found, so I had to do swopsies then and be really interested and say how clever he was to have found such a thing to get him to bring it

[supaspaniel]

What does the behaviourist say about that, Jan?

I haven't mentioned it but my dad ( he has Billy when we go on holiday) always says Billy is hard work but is a very good boy   He only ever stays with my dad though once or twice a year, but when my dad visits Billy greats him better than he greets me 

Any dog to anyone looking after one who doesn't have a dog of their own will be hard work
My parents have mine for me on occasion and they love it, but it is hard work and they say exactly the same thing

[Jan/Billy]

Any dog to anyone looking after one who doesn't have a dog of their own will be hard work
My parents have mine for me on occasion and they love it, but it is hard work and they say exactly the same thing

Yeah. When I lived at home we have a JRT who was an little dream    So Billy is comparrison is like a huge bomb! 

dad says as much as he enjoys having billy he enjoys handing him back so he can get his life back