Ok, so I'm going to have the temerity to try another post on this subject. I seemed to irritate someone last time I tried to contribute. I've cross-checked my opinions with someone I know who has far more experience with dogs than I do and I'm writing this as I lie on the floor half watching telly with one of our border collies asleep alongside me (she's keeping me warm, but she probably thinks it's me keeping her cosy).
I don't think it's acceptable to have a "family" pet which would ever deliberately nip someone - no matter what, barring protecting the family home or a member. A pet dog's "personal" space must always be able to be invaded by a family member. Imagine, for example, if the invader of the dog's space was a child - perhaps an innocent visitor.
As I said before, this dog needs some serious re-training and if it was mine I would start by removing its "crate". It needs to recognise it place in your family, but having now read of its stress I recognise that this will require care, patience and time.
I wish you good luck - for you, your husband and your dog.
Ok, so I'm going to have the temerity to try another post on this subject. I seemed to irritate someone last time I tried to contribute. I've cross-checked my opinions with someone I know who has far more experience with dogs than I do and I'm writing this as I lie on the floor half watching telly with one of our border collies asleep alongside me (she's keeping me warm, but she probably thinks it's me keeping her cosy).
I don't think it's acceptable to have a "family" pet which would ever deliberately nip someone - no matter what, barring protecting the family home or a member. A pet dog's "personal" space must always be able to be invaded by a family member. Imagine, for example, if the invader of the dog's space was a child - perhaps an innocent visitor.
As I said before, this dog needs some serious re-training and if it was mine I would start by removing its "crate". It needs to recognise it place in your family, but having now read of its stress I recognise that this will require care, patience and time.
I wish you good luck - for you, your husband and your dog.
I appreciate you've gone off to discuss this,b it I have to say that removing he one thing the dog has a safe zone is a terrible idea. The dog is stressed, it retreats to its zone, if you enter you get told off, but leave him be and he will calm, but remove that and he can't retreat, so the stress escalates and causes more issues, in fact I'd lay money on him biting more seriously next time if he had no zone.
The issue with your theory is that you are still basing it on dominance, mastering our dog and making them find thier low rank in the pack, which has been disproven time and time again, even Milan is starting to make fluffy noises about how there maybe other ways (mainly because he wants the uk market again).
Neither of my two we have now guard their safe place I can easily interact with them because they know often the interaction means they get a tasty kong, but we have had dogs (rescues) who prized their place of safety much higher than a kong and we respected that.
We all live with these animals and have to some times just respect them and their quirks as they respect us and ours. It's a negotiation I find and we have happier dogs if they are allowed to be themselves.
I don't like dominating them, and even with my approach they are good girls who behave nicely and have manners when they meet other people and other dogs. They really don't need dominating to make them behave.
Like others have said it sounds like the humans are to blame...definitely try to talk to your husband and sort out a compromise, sadly not many places will even try to rehome a dog who they have been told is a bitter.
i really hope you can sort something out.
personally i would keep he dog and get rid of the husband ;-)
Me too, and if you're not careful it might be that the husband will use the dog as a weapon against the wife.
Comments
I don't think it's acceptable to have a "family" pet which would ever deliberately nip someone - no matter what, barring protecting the family home or a member. A pet dog's "personal" space must always be able to be invaded by a family member. Imagine, for example, if the invader of the dog's space was a child - perhaps an innocent visitor.
As I said before, this dog needs some serious re-training and if it was mine I would start by removing its "crate". It needs to recognise it place in your family, but having now read of its stress I recognise that this will require care, patience and time.
I wish you good luck - for you, your husband and your dog.
I appreciate you've gone off to discuss this,b it I have to say that removing he one thing the dog has a safe zone is a terrible idea. The dog is stressed, it retreats to its zone, if you enter you get told off, but leave him be and he will calm, but remove that and he can't retreat, so the stress escalates and causes more issues, in fact I'd lay money on him biting more seriously next time if he had no zone.
The issue with your theory is that you are still basing it on dominance, mastering our dog and making them find thier low rank in the pack, which has been disproven time and time again, even Milan is starting to make fluffy noises about how there maybe other ways (mainly because he wants the uk market again).
We all live with these animals and have to some times just respect them and their quirks as they respect us and ours. It's a negotiation I find and we have happier dogs if they are allowed to be themselves.
I don't like dominating them, and even with my approach they are good girls who behave nicely and have manners when they meet other people and other dogs. They really don't need dominating to make them behave.
Me too, and if you're not careful it might be that the husband will use the dog as a weapon against the wife.