Originally Posted by
porshiepoo
Yes it is possible, I think it's a case of going back to basics.
Remember though, there is a natural order of things in the canine world and in a pack enviroment your own bitch may be wheedled out to make way for the younger ones.
I myself have used the method of putting a dog to the ground and holding them there until they stop fighting me - it works but you have to be 100% sure that you're strong enough to do it and not going to feel guilty and let the dog go before it's had an effect.
When you get ready to take the dog out what happens? Does she get all excited, jump all over, end up making you more tense and annoyed?
If you start a walk off all tense like that then you'll have an awful time of it. The dog will pick up on your tense, nervous or excited energy and react to it accordingly.
I make no attempt to talk to my dogs when I'm getting ready to walk them (only been doing this recently and it works), I put a lead on them and don't leave the yard until they are calm and relaxed and waiting for my move. You'll probably already know what your dog looks like when it's calm and submissive - tail down etc etc.
If my dogs even attempt to pull when they're out, I stop, and don't move forward again until they're back with me. It is my responsibility as pack leader to take the lead, not theirs. Again, I don't even speak to them.
I learnt the hard way that talking to them is a sure fire way of setting them off as my tone of voice always got higher and higher.
Be assertive in your walk. Head up, shoulders back and walk confidently. (I'm sure you already do all this but i'm just trying to put across what I do).
It sounds as though your own dog is happy with the situation as it is? Maybe it's actually you who dislikes the thought of her losing her status more than the dog does?
It's hard to stand back and look at things from a canine point of view cos these are our babies but we have to do that in order to understand where the dogs are coming from.
What do you do when she barks outside? Do you bring her in cos you're worried what the neighbours will say?
It really does sound to me as though the young un needs boundaries and limitations.
There are books to read that could help but you would need to decide for yourself whether you agree with their methods.
I personally like Jan Fennels methods and Cesar Milans methods but there are people on here who disagree with both of these. It's down to your own preference.
All I can say is that both of these people have had a huge impact on how I treat my dogs and I have seen tremendous improvement in all areas, although we still have work to do. I have lost pets due to fights and had to rehome in the far past because I didn't understand how to interact with my dogs on a level that they would understand.
Whilst my dogs still aren't perfect I can understand them by them body language and get across what I'm asking of them without expecting them to understand the english language.
If you don't like the methods of either of these people though you could try a general dog psychology book, of which there are loads.
I think one of the biggest mistakes we make as pet owners is to assume human psychology will work, it simply won't. It will just make the owner more upset and the dog more fraught.
I really hope you maange to work this one out. :)
