The “Constant Testing” PIB is a result of the law of the jungle; the strong survive. This is a necessary canine attitude in a kill-or-be-killed environment and dogs believe it instinctively. Since a human domestic environment isn’t the wild, dogs have toned down this attitude considerably, yet it still influences their behavior. The rough and tumble play dogs engage in is not just entertainment, but tests of each others strength as well. Another manifestation of this PIB is the need to challenge authority, especially if any weakness is detected.
Many customers have said, “I told my dog to stop, but he (or she) didn’t listen, so I gave up.” In giving up, these people told their dogs that the humans didn’t have the strength to win a challenge and therefore weren’t qualified to be the boss. This frequently occurs prior to the walk and the dog bursts out of the door convinced that its human wants the dog to be in charge. Then the human confusingly tries to take control when the dog sees another dog (or cat, squirrel, car, person…etc.). This is one of the major sources of stress for dogs; humans that behaviorally signal that they don’t want to be the boss, and then try to control the dog.
A dogs need to test the strength of their human pack members is instinctive and they can’t help it. This is why people who have an objection to being their dog’s boss experience so many behavior problems with their dogs. They don’t know when they are being challenged or tested and don’t realize when they fail in the eyes of their dogs.
The rules for being a pack leader are;
1) Take action to gain control.
2) Persist until the other pack member surrenders.
Testing the strength of pack members is necessary for survival. If the human surrenders first during testing, the dog is in charge. Dogs can’t see it any other way.
Once a dog becomes convinced it is the leader, its only source of behavioral information is instinct, which is appropriate for a pack of canines in the wild. A dog is not required to take instructions from followers, and is instinctively driven not to do so. When the dog encounters a situation that raises its emotional level (confrontation, sighting prey, excitement, etc.) people don’t matter. Only the dog’s instinctive instructions are important. The obsessed attention PIB kicks in and the dog often becomes uncontrollable.
morning Mike,
ReplyDeleteWow, the blog looks great!
OK...so I admit it...I'm one of the ones who said I give up on the looney bulldog!!! : )
We did a morning session and guess who felt well enough to come out in to her pen to be an accidental target? Yup, the piggie and her constant companion, one of the cats.
So, I had Sunny out and worked her over to the pen. She started quivering in excitement but held. Had to use "the look, a little bump, and a little "fang" and she held eye contact and relaxed. The cat came up to the fence to rub against it about 4 feet from us. Sunny broke eye contact, but a slight bump and she came right back. So then, we entered the crate gauntlet. Stopped a couple of times to check her and then moved about 10 feet out from the crates. The wooly bear crate was double secured this morning with safety...never say I can't learn : ) and there was complete silence on all fronts as we worked. The 4 in the crates just stayed down and quiet. We rewarded and did a tummy rub and did the tidbit leave thing and called it a lesson.
We are thrilled and will look forward to the next steps.
Karon and Sunny.
If anyone reads any comments I'll be posting, Mike here convinced me with some very easy techniques and some solid reminders and this girl is NOT the easiest thing to work with.
Thanks Mike!
Karon,
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to pat yourself on the back. You were open to new techniques and philosophies and you're doing the necessary work. Tha's what determines the rewards.