Trained VS taught ?
We rescued our Rottie about nine months ago and found she's about the most stubborn dog we've had. The balance, I'm a pig-headed old kraut myself. We understand each other just fine. My thought. I got...
Forum Discussion
xteacher wrote:Jerrybo66 wrote:
I guess this is a moot subject but the other day I was giving her hell for eating the other dogs food. After a minute or so she bared her teeth to me. How do you correct a dog while laughing. Her thought. "ok I'm bad, get over it".
Dogs are pack animals and therefore look to their pack leader for guidance. The fact that your dog bared her teeth at you when you corrected her shows that she doesn't respect you as her pack leader. When a dog feels a lack of leadership, they often make the move to become the pack leader (normal animal behavior). This behavior is unacceptable and dangerous in a household situation. Please don't let children around her when she's eating. I would also feed your dogs in separate rooms or in their crates (use a closed door or baby gate to keep the rottie from getting to the other dog's food since she finishes first). Your other dog deserves the freedom to eat in peace and safety.
It's a very common and very dangerous misconception that dogs should always be corrected for baring teeth or growling.
The very last thing I ever want to do is to teach a dog to not give a warning. I never want to take away the only means a dog has to say "hey, this makes me uncomfortable." If I do that I very likely end up with a dog who skips a warning and goes directly to biting/attacking.
It is unacceptable and dangerous to have a dog who does NOT give a warning when he/she feels uncomfortable.
It's fine to work on correcting whatever caused the warning to be issued (and is, in fact, what one should do).
