Is she just being grumpy?

[Anonymous]

hi,

have a look through the misty thread – particularly the initial video’s and see if thats what megs behaviour is like

claire x

[Anonymous]

Have looked through the thread and watched the vids. Meg isn’t like that-she doesn’t follow him, just lies in wait and the “attacks” him. She is not predictable either, sometimes she does it other times not.
I wouldn’t mind so much if it were a scuffle but Ollie doesn’t retaliate AT ALL. He does nothing to provoke her and is just walking past…if she doesn’t want him to then she goes in hard….he backs off with her attatched to his neck, even when she has backed him into a corner and his whole body is saying “you win you win, i give up” she is still going in hard. I’m trying to work out what it is she doesn’t want him to do and i’m beginning to think it is coming near me. We have just had another incident where Meg was cuddling on my lap and ollie was on the sofa next to me. Ash came down the stairs and Ollie went to get off the sofa to make room for Ash, Meg attacked hard and as she pushed towards Ollie ripped my trousers! Ollie yelped and I caught hold of Megs collar and bum! ollie got off and I kept meg on my knee for a bit until she calmed down, then i put her on the floor and she went up to ollie and then came back to me and laid down.
I just have no idea what to do for the best, what to say, what to do. In my opinion this is NOT acceptable behaviour but have no idea how to stop it.
Misty’s thread is a great success but I have no idea how you got to that.
I am completely out of my depth and am probably making the situation worse and making loads more work for me to “undo” later.
Any advice?

[Anonymous]

hi,

advice would be …

NO NO NO NO NO snuggling up on the sofa – letting her share “your space” gives her status (and confidence) which she doesnt need 😉 

It does sound like she’s managing Ollie’s space under certain conditions.  Could you add more about a time when you might of expected her to attack but she didnt ? (as you say it seems a bit ramdom)

claire x

[Anonymous]

i thought I was supposed to be promoting her status? See i’m confused and am doing all the wrong things.  If ollie goes out of the lounge for a drink then she gets uneasy when he comes back in..sometimes she will growl sometimes she will look away sometimes she does nothing! Is it me she is trying to keep him away from? I can’t keep them both off the sofa! ollie feels safe next to me and I know she cant get him! He has spent the last 4 years having cuddles on the sofa after tea and won’t settle until he has come up. Having her on my lap I thought would give her more status…AHHHHHH

[Anonymous]

Hi,

bless you 🙂  …. it does – its complicated !!

Meg is a natural to be boss – she probably doesnt need any active promotion to think she’s above Ollie, more just being careful not to cause fights by doing something with Ollie first if you see what I mean.   

You also need to keep her below you and OH.  Sofa = boss peoples bed-like place which means being allowed up is a privilege (not a given right) and being on sofa on boss lap is like shifting her status up even more.

Ollie should feel safe in his bed and retire there unless you explicitly allow him up or you’ll be re-inforcing him over Meg which I doubt she’ll be impressed with 😉  If she goes to annoy him there – manage her.  Also you need to think about your management before you or OH or the dogs move / enter / exit the “pack area” no suddenly moving etc … and manage meg if you think she is likely to attack.  When you get the feel of it more you can also re-inforce Ollie’s correct responses (be careful not to re-inforce ones you think are ‘worry’ – i fall into this trap every time with Wills !!!)

if you are going aaaaaaah – dont worry you’ll have an a-ha moment soon and suddenly ‘get it’ (well i did).

Claire x

[Anonymous]

[quote author=piglet link=topic=13753.msg261447#msg261447 date=1235593303]

Also you need to think about your management before you or OH or the dogs move / enter / exit the “pack area” no suddenly moving etc … [/quote]

What does this mean? I cannot control how OH enters the room, the whole house is the “pack area” as we live in a shoe box! They have no beds downstairs and only come up on sofa when invited. Ollie will stand with his head resting on it until you invite him. Meg is a bt more “i’m on the sofa” ok “i’m off the sofa cos you said so” bounce bounce bounce!
God knows what is going on tonight. Neither of them will lie down on the floor, ollie wants to be on sofa so is sat staring at me, and meg keeps pacing. I’m losing my patience with both of them! RAAAA

[*Lassie*]

https://www.resources.dogclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10235.0

[SuzAndTheDiva]

Well, Honey treats Buster like meg does Ollie  :embarrass: he too is laid back so she can get away with it unless its checked – that includes flying at his throat if he does something she doesnt liek (might just be walking past the sofa  ::) ) I check it and so does my mum – we dont mind her management of him but bullying  :nono: we have learnt to know what fires her up and read the signs that shes about to launch an attack, and we stop it – normally distraction or an ahah – i have never limited her access to the bed sofa etc etc – probably wrong but hey ho works for us –  🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks lassie – a very helpful thread! I’m still very confused as to what approach is right for meg! I take Ollie training by himself every week which must “upset” her no end! But I can’t do anything else! Se stays here with OH but doesn’t do anything special. Going to bed now! Thanks for help everyone!

[Anonymous]

hi,

what i’m saying is u may need to be more aware of what each other and the dogs are up to 🙂

head leaning is still pushing it but as its ollie its probably OK but with meg i wouldnt allow it because she may move it on aaaaaah – this stuff is harder to explain than it is to do !!

claire x

[Anonymous]

Another attack tonight….really am losing the will for all this…..thought she was improving and now all this…..Ollie has a hole on his face now, between his eyes…..what a horrid owner I am….

[*Lassie*]

[quote author=Olliethecollie link=topic=13753.msg262698#msg262698 date=1236715475]
Another attack tonight….really am losing the will for all this…..thought she was improving and now all this…..Ollie has a hole on his face now, between his eyes…..what a horrid owner I am….
[/quote]

What kicked it off, what did you say/do
waffle as much as you like Val and Bev can pick the bones out 😉 but they will need as much info as you can give them

[Anonymous]

Meg was on one side of the lounge, Ollie by me and the sofa, she started a low warning growl and Ollie looked at me as if to say “is that at me?” So I said nonsense to the room, and no need…she stopped growling and came and sat between me and ollie with her ears back, to which I acknowledged her with a face swipe. She calmed and went back to her side of the lounge and picked up her nylabone. All was ok until ash came down the stairs and then she didnt even bother with the growl, just came at him from under the table, pinned him against the sofa by his face, he screamed, i ignored, she backed off, then went straight back in, so I shouted “that will do” to the room, Ollie ran into kitchen and I called meg too me, face swiped and told her not to be silly. Do you think that maybe Ollie has stolen her bone when she has gone to greet ash before and she was telling him not to (in meg’s own special way). This has happened before tho without the bone being there and it is not particularly a high item. She shoves it in his face when she wants to play but he does steal it sometimes esp when she has got distracted by something! I tend to wait until she is back in the room and then take the bone off Ollie and give it back to her. Is it maybe Ash that she is trying to stop him getting too? Why did I get this dog…what did I do to deserve this…

[kizkiznobite]

aw hun….i said to remove resources until i could get to you..

how did it go last night?
what was she like with him when she came home?

[Justine&Rafe]

Oh poor you, you must feel really poo.  But gawd, don’t take it personally (sometimes it seems like they want to rob us of the will to live – but remember the times when they make you feel on top of the world), and don’t forget you have the most amazing people on here to help you through.

Bev will sort them out.

I’m not knowledgable enough to give advice on how to stop it, but in the meantime if her attacks are on the up, you may want to consider separating them during known triggers… Evening cuddles, when OH is around to play… This is by NO MEANS a long term solution, but it will prevent it from escalating before you get some help with them.

I’m not sure if her being so possessive of her bone is a good thing, either… If she is so quick to trigger, then any sort of possessive feeling – over you, OH, bone, toy, THAT bit of the carpet… It seems to me that it could worsen to much lower value items if not addressed.  

And you are not a horrid owner!  Which is why you’re on here asking for help instead of ignoring the issue!

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