Did your dogs always obey you?
Dakota is a very, very good dog, and for the most part quite obedient. She was always gracious enough to allow us to believe we were alpha, but we weren’t, and she’s pulled rank in the past a couple of times.
But now that she’s gotten older, and it hurts for her to walk and get up, and her hearing and sight are going, we don’t make her do much of anything any more.
Yesterday we had 4 of the grand kids here, ages 3, 5, 7 and 11. We were going to take them to eat.
The kids and I went out the door. Rick started to come out when suddenly Dakota was there, trying to force her way out on to the deck too. When she was younger and stronger she would have won. She did it to me once when I took Dutchess to the vet with out her. Well, I tried to take Dutchess to the vet without Dakota, but that wasn’t happening! Dakota just over powered me, some by force, and some by sheer force of will! So I had to take Dakota too.
But that was years ago and she’s never done it since, until yesterday, and boy was she adamant. She was coming out.
Rick finally prevailed and got her back in the house, but she was not happy. It was so odd.
Suddenly, before Rick got there, the kids and I got rushed by a large boxer. Scared the absolute crap out of me, especially with all the defenseless little kids scattered about.
Old Dakota knew the dog was there and she was ready to come out, hobble / fall down those steps some how and lay her life down for those children.
Fortunately the dog turned out to be a friendly, goofy dog. He just rushed around trying to say “Hi!!!” to everyone at the same time. He tried to jump i the SUV to go with us, too.
Oh, my Dakota. How we will miss you. I’ve had a lot of dogs, but Dakota is my ideal of a dog. Obedient, but smart enough to know that there are exceptions to every rule, and when to make that exception. Gentle but protective, too. She is kind of like Jesus…loving and kind, until it came time to kick some ass.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
9 Answers
When they see me holding the treats they’ll always enthusiastically obey me. Without treats they’ll look at me for a moment then decide whether or not they would like to comply. If I want them to obey immediately without ‘bribing’ them then I’ll have to raise my voice and sound angry then they’ll do it while looking apologetic.
With the first dog my first husband and I got, I tried an experiment on her. My husband brought a 2 year old to our relationship from his previous marriage, and I was learning how to be a mom. I had a theory that you didn’t need to yell or threaten to get a kid to do as you said. You could talk in a conversational voice as long as they could be 100% sure that there would be unpleasant consequences that would follow if they didn’t do what you said.
I tested this on my Snuffer dog. She used to get on the couch even though she wasn’t supposed to. I used to yell at her to get off the couch. Then I tried quietly telling her to get off the couch. She ignored me, of course, so I responded with a swift swat to the butt and pushed her off the couch.
It took 2 more times of this, and I could just walk by and quietly say, “Get off the couch, Snuffy,” and she would. Instantly!
It actually worked with the kids too, when they got to The Age Of Hard Headedness.
@Dutchess_III I agree with your method. The only times I need to use angry tone with them is when I really am busy, out of patience, and don’t have the time to play nice. To this day I still find it ridiculous that some people complain to you that you abuse your pets when you swat them, etc. Words won’t work all the times, sometimes you just have to show them with (appropriate) physical action. I can’t do what you did to my cats, though, they’ll avoid me when I get a bit physical with them, which is why sometimes I feel like I treat them better than my dogs.
Right? Like if they’re out in the street! There are times when the tone of voice is needed. AND I MEAN NOW!!! I pulled it out on two of my grand daughters yesterday, ages 5 and 7. We were at the park and it was time to go. I called out to them that we were leaving, come on.
A moment later I realized that they got off of one toy, and were proceeding to climb up another instead of coming so I pulled out the thunder! They about broke their necks getting off and coming to me. Gramma doesn’t yell very often, but when she does you betta lissen.
I needed to get my bread maker out of a cabinet but Dakota was laying on a rug in front of the cabinet so I got stalled out until she moved.
Same thing when I vacuum. If she’s laying on the rug I’ll go all around her, and get back to it when she moves.
My male doesnt like me to open the front door when my husband is gone. On occasion he has nipped when I told him to stay back. Irritates me but he’s protective.
I knocked the shit out of a dog who snapped at me, then called animal control to come get him goodbyedogass.
I have had a number of dogs that were very good dogs. But not one of them listened to me ALL the time. I had one (a husky mix named Sherman) that if I told him to sit and stay, he would…regardless of what was going on. If the other dogs were playing with a toy, he wouldn’t budge until I told him. Yet this fine, intelligent, well behaved dog ran off one time with me hot on his heels yelling for him to stop. He was gone for 7 days and then turned up on his own. He wasn’t chasing anything…he just wanted to run and explore. My current dog (a small terrier mix) is probably one of the most intelligent animals I have ever seen. He knows certain words and can express himself in very amusing yet distinct ways. I can walk him without a leash (we live in a very rural area) and he behaves perfectly. Yet if he doesn’t want to do something, you won’t make him. He is like an old man in a little dogs body.
No. I never really distinguished myself as the Alpha. Bad habits formed!
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
