Thanks Carrie! I wasn't trying to disagree with Candy at all. I was just curious as to how she handles the situation. I know that it comes up all the time at dog parks and ends up with owner on owner aggression!
Trust me, if it wasn't for you and Candy's advice years ago when I first got Duncan, I would have given up a long time ago! But the 2 of you have helped me deal with so many issues with my "problem" dog!
I guess I just have one more question and I have a feeling I know the answer but I'm not sure. I noticed that you talked about the excellent training Dusty has and his focus on Candy despite all the other distractions.... I understand the concept of complete control and the importance of the dog realizing and living with the owner as the pack leader. I guess my question is, at what level if any does the dog make decisions on his own? Or does a dog with a clear leader not do that? I do feel that I am the pack leader and the Alpha dog to Duncan. He obeys every command I give him, including coming when called off leash, down stay, and all the basics of course. But occassionally, in like the situation I described above, he made a decision without my input. I was present and less than 5 feet from him when the other dog came over to him and he turned and jumped on the dog. The whole thing took less than 2 seconds or so. I called him, he stopped, came right too me, with that guilty/submissive look and we left. What does that mean? Is he insecure with his position and has to make sure he is "2nd in command?" (Forgive me, I can't express myself as well as you or Candy about these issues, I'm not as fluent in dogspeak!) I understand what you are saying about the human's need to be the leader but what explains this behavior in the dogs? Perhaps I am not alpha and Duncan just humors me?
I would love to hear both your and Candy's thoughts on this as well as anyone else who has experience with this situation....Thanks!!
EDIT: Carrie, I just reread your response and realized that the paragraph about correction may be the key to some of my problems with Duncan. I, like many other owners, I'm sure, have a problem with correction. I'm not sure what is appropriate to be honest. I obviously don't hit Duncan or raise my voice to him. I did read Jan Fennell's book and I have tried the "ignore" It seems to work at times but in situations like this it doesn't seem appropriate? Is it? For a long time, I never corrected Duncan because his problems only affected me: getting in the garbage, chewing something that didn't belong to him, barking at bicycles, stuff like that when he was younger and we lived alone. I quickly realized that I was changing my life "around" Duncan, instead of "with" Duncan. Small things but nevertheless. Since then I have tried all sorts of things and I think that Jan Fennell's approach and your approach work the best for me but I guess I need more guidance?
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