Something every dog owner should read!!

[bckrazy]

NO DOGS ALLOWED
Don’t let your dog on the furniture with you. No couches, no beds, no loveseats. “All four paws on
the floor, all the time” By letting dogs share furniture with you, “you’re telling them they’re equal
to you in the pack” In their mind, they’re confused!

So... sitting on furniture tells a dog that they are equal to you in a pack? What about dog beds? What if I sit on the floor, does that mean we're on the same level? Does that mean that in the wild, the alpha dog in a pack sits on a really comfy high-up boulder and none of the lower ranked dogs are allowed on their boulder?

Unless a dog is guarding furniture, or refusing to get off when told to, I find the whole "furniture conspiracy" complete BS. My dogs don't enjoy sprawling out on the couch because that makes them DOMINANTALPHARAHH, it's because it's super fluffy and comfortable. If they are on the couch, but they're laying spread eagle on their back in a submissive position, does that make it ok?

Should I just buy a whole zebra carcass, and tear into it while growling at my dogs to keep them away until I'm done? I'm not going to force my dogs to watch me eat before feeding them... making them sit and wait with their bowls on the floor for several minutes without flinching is adequate for me. Ugh, dominance theories are tiring and trite.

[happylabs]

I don't really agree either. I guess it all depends upon what you want to get out of your dog. Mine is a companion. I haven't ever really seen a need to make her see that I am dominant, she basically understands that.

[pomtzu]

I don't really agree either. I guess it all depends upon what you want to get out of your dog. Mine is a companion. I haven't ever really seen a need to make her see that I am dominant, she basically understands that.

Agreed!

[Catty1]

bckrazy, here is another bit that was posted by kayiyacreekkennels on the furniture thing:

This doesn’t say that dogs are never allowed on the furniture, but they must never be up there uninvited and must always vacate when told to do so or issued the off command.

As she said, she writes these out for clients - and these will be people that are having TROUBLE with their dogs, and not realizing that they aren't showing who is in charge. A lot of PTrs have worked things out with their pups, but that doesn't mean guidelines like this aren't needed...first-time owners, especially, may need it written down in black and white.

bckrazy - the sarcasm about the zebra really wasn't necessary. JMO Suggestions about eating first, and being the leader of the pack, have been suggested in PT before by other people.

If you know people having trouble with their dogs, this may be a good thing to print out for them.

[sasvermont]

My closest friend here in Vermont has a doggie about 10 y.o. now. Its a Springer Spaniel. Abby, the doggie, has full run of the house, but must wait to be invited into a certain room or on a chair etc. The dog also waits until she is told it is ok to eat her food from her bowl. The dog sleeps in a crate on her own, and will swap off to sleep in her doggie bed later in the day. But her preference is her crate. Abby is a wonderful pupster. She knows sooooo many tricks and knows her toys by name. She is in love with her Dad, the leader of the pack and is totally out of sorts when Dad is out of town!

My friend and her husband have always spent much time with their dogs, including training them to remain dogs. I, on the other hand..... read next paragraph!

Oh, by the way, whenever Abby stays with me, I let her sleep with me (invite her on my bed to sleep with me....) hehehehehehehehehe.... my friends don't understand why I would want a smelly, warm doggie in my bed. Abby loves to cuddle.... but she loves her DAD more than anything.... He's the leader of the pack!

Am I right? Are they right? Nope! We just think differently about doggies and where they may or may not go. Also, because Abby stays with me so seldom, having dirty sheets is no big deal for me....but to have smelly sheets day in and day out, wellllllll.... I don't think so.

[Varga]

Even with problem dogs, I still don't see that sort of mind frame as being very helpful. Not that it's harmful per-say...But basically just... pointless. >_>

I dunno. I guess my major grief about the whole "dominance theory" is that it makes the whole dog/human relationship seem so .... forced. There is just no need to make it so complicated, you know?

I mean. What is a problem dog anyway?
Most "bad" dogs I've met, have been dogs with a bad past. Improper socialization as a puppy, bad experiences with people, other dogs, other animals or something else.
And then there are the "problem dogs" which are just dogs who are entirely not suited for the people who own them. Like having a Border Collie, and then expect you can get away with a 20min walk around the block a couple of times each week.

And to be fair. She/he did title the thread "Something every dog owner should read!!". Not "Something every owner of problem dogs should read".

So yeah. Just saying.

[Karen]

Exactly, and she didn't say "Something every dog owner should read and follow to the letter regardless of the dog's temperament!"