 Barked: Tue Jan 22, '13 1:27pm PST |
 | |  | | Well it may not be helpful to this thread, Gus, but re that article....the writing was on the wall with what they were saying in that first paragraph. This to me was a puppy raising issue.
Giant Schnauzers have a propensity towards dog aggression. Some have muzzle policies when it comes to fosters. Some breed advocates say "never ever" bring them to dog parks. Doubtless they can be trouble, but my two intact males have been with many a foster and are ridiculously tolerant when it comes to them. Neither have been dogs who don't "have the stuff"....out there in the street, if there is to be a secure, direct challenge to them by a stranger dog on their territory, they are candidates to have a go. But in the home? Never. Around a fear dog? Never.
This puppy was one they resigned to when young. He was "stubborn" and they acquiesced. I still have a brain spasm thinking here you have this dog who you are hoping is going to be huge, who is on the DDA list....and you are ok with this and then phrase yourself as dog savvy?
Early puppyhood raising responses like this are cliche, irksome and at times tragic. Puppies really don't need to feel that they are on their own coping with the world. Good behavior is very building of security and a sense that they don't need to take the world on their shoulders. I personally don't formalize obedience until the dogs are teenagers. I care a lot more about manners and basic communication....those are my focal points. Dogs sitting is a "me" thing, a handler thing in other words. Whether a dog is sitting or not sitting I don't think is any sort of an emotional issue to them....what do they care?  But when they are jumping all over you, biting your ankles, or when you can't redirect them from a frenzied puppy brain state....these are more emotional experiences. So I worry less about the sits, and more about "let's hold this together, buddy." In my puppy coaching, I stress the importance of learning the art of redirection. That just pays off, for that builds trust and confidence, builds bond, and really helps you to get inside your puppy's head....what works with him....and being able to guide him when he is getting keyed up.
It is inherent in tougher minded breeds oftentimes to test the waters as teenagers. If the dog is not secure, if the dog bears the world on his shoulders, that can really niggle their insecurity side. Or if he is tougher minded naturally, may make him more apt to want to test his strength all the time. Tiller was a ridiculous handful as a teenager, dogs and people alike, but redirection was already a well versed language between us, which kept him out of any "ultimate" sort of trouble, and then he grew a brain.
These people....I don't know if you saw and I am very frustrated that more posters didn't hinge on the one sentence comment from the author....HAD an aggressive Pom in their home, actively. Whose aggression they simply tolerated ("bite to the bone," they said), their point being it was a different matter with a dog of Marley's size. How much does THAT say. They've already raised an aggressive dog, and that they had no sense that they could actually treat that?
The whole sequence to me was a ridiculous debacle.
In terms of answering your question sort of, there very often are subtle messages between dogs going on. Nothing really is acted upon because the puppy is a puppy, not challenging, etc. But with a little age, it comes to a head. Marley likely was living under more dog politico pressure to have made that first launch at the park. That's my best guess. Insecure dog, and due to these people paid a very steep price for their failings.Edited by author Tue Jan 22, '13 1:33pm PST
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) have other issues, but they they absolutely must be able to get along with family members, including the other dog/s. I've never had more than a random squabble here. Some of it is dumb luck, no doubt, but some of it is selection and training, too.
