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03-07-2009, 06:43 AM | #1 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York
Posts: 490
| My Yorkie bit me Sadie has always been very predatory around my cockatiel's cage. She lies in wait for him so if should get out, he would be history. Poor thing, I can hardly take him out anymore. Lately, it's gotten worse. Now when I go anywhere near his cage and if I try to feed him, she goes ballistic. She jumps three feet in the air and usually comes down with her teeth clenched on my clothing. Today, in one of her flying episodes, she bit the back of my thigh, drawing blood!! Anyone have this type of issue, or can give some training tips! I'm going crazy.
__________________ Donna, Sadie, Joey and Nicky (and Buddy the cockatiel) |
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03-07-2009, 07:20 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa
Posts: 12,552
| You need to CLAIM the bird as yours. You are the pack leader and the dog needs to know that it cannot mess with YOUR things.. When you go to the bird cage and she gets predatory, snap at her and let her know to back off, the bird is yours. do this repeatedly till she gets the message. Then gradually work into actually taking the bird out of the cage. Repeating the same lesson as necessary. If you sare able to get the Dog whisperer, I reccomend that you watch a few episodes. They are also available on DVD at thedogchannel.com |
03-07-2009, 07:32 AM | #3 |
YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kansas
Posts: 261
| The submissive position for a dog is on their back. You may need to place your baby on her back in this situation, hold her there until she calms and knows that you are in control. Word of caution. I was told this is only to be used when your dog is showing agressive behavior that way they know your the one in control. I had to do this with my chow once and it never needed to be repeated. With him being a large 90 pound dog and me (at the time) only weighing 20 pounds more than him I had to make sure he knew I was the one in control and not him. If he really wanted to he could have had my lunch but it really worked. Like I said though, don't do it if it's not necessary, and only to correct agressive behavior just as the mother would do to a misbehaving pup. I hope this helps.
__________________ - Jennifer Joshua Jenna Kissy Natasha |
03-07-2009, 07:45 AM | #4 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York
Posts: 490
| Thank you both very much. I am going to try both methods. She has to learn who is in charge (we won't really tell her it's her, lol).
__________________ Donna, Sadie, Joey and Nicky (and Buddy the cockatiel) |
03-07-2009, 08:09 AM | #5 |
Princess Poop A Lot Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado
Posts: 6,728
| Please Do Not Use the Alpha Roll Please read this article. The Alpha Roll is an outdated training theory and it has caused many problems with dogs. You are just putting more fear into your dog and Yorkies bite more when they are in fear aggression. I believe you need to do positive training with your little one as I know many Yorkie owners have birds and Yorkies even though it is the natural instinct of your dog to go after these critters. HISTORY & MISCONCEPTIONS OF DOMINANCE THEORY [ABOUT THE ALPHA ROLL] Note: The information in the following article came from an interview with Dr. Ian Dunbar, who spent nine years studying the social behavior of dogs during the study mentioned below. In an earlier version of this article, Dr. L. David Mech was credited with the 30-year study. This was a mistake. The researcher who conducted the study was Dr. Frank Beach. An effort has been made to correct this error. However, if you know of a place where the original article was published, please notify the editor and request a correction. The original alpha/dominance model was born out of short-term studies of wolf packs done in the 1940s. These were the first studies of their kind. These studies were a good start, but later research has essentially disproved most of the findings. There were three major flaws in these studies: These were short-term studies, so the researchers concentrated on the most obvious, overt parts of wolf life, such as hunting. The studies are therefore unrepresentative -- drawing conclusions about "wolf behavior" based on about 1% of wolf life. The studies observed what are now known to be ritualistic displays and misinterpreted them. Unfortunately, this is where the bulk of the "dominance model" comes from, and though the information has been soundly disproved, it still thrives in the dog training mythos. For example, alpha rolls. The early researchers saw this behavior and concluded that the higher-ranking wolf was forcibly rolling the subordinate to exert his dominance. Well, not exactly. This is actually an "appeasement ritual" instigated by the SUBORDINATE wolf. The subordinate offers his muzzle, and when the higher-ranking wolf "pins" it, the lower-ranking wolf voluntarily rolls and presents his belly. There is NO force. It is all entirely voluntary. A wolf would flip another wolf against his will ONLY if he were planning to kill it. Can you imagine what a forced alpha roll does to the psyche of our dogs? . Finally, after the studies, the researchers made cavalier extrapolations from wolf-dog, dog-dog, and dog-human based on their "findings." Unfortunately, this nonsense still abounds. So what's the truth? The truth is dogs aren't wolves. Honestly, when you take into account the number of generations past, saying "I want to learn how to interact with my dog so I'll learn from the wolves" makes about as much sense as saying, "I want to improve my parenting -- let's see how the chimps do it!" Dr. Frank Beach performed a 30-year study on dogs at Yale and UC Berkeley. Nineteen years of the study was devoted to social behavior of a dog pack. (Not a wolf pack. A DOG pack.) Some of his findings: Male dogs have a rigid hierarchy. Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it's more variable. When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow their constitution, but the females have "amendments." Young puppies have what's called "puppy license." Basically, that license to do most anything. Bitches are more tolerant of puppy license than males are. The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age. At that time, the older middle-ranked dogs literally give the puppy hell -- psychologically torturing it until it offers all of the appropriate appeasement behaviors and takes its place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing. There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through psychological harassment. It's all ritualistic. A small minority of "alpha" dogs assumed their position by bullying and force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator. The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do so would lower their status because... Middle-ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and want to advance over other middle-ranked animals. Low-ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know their position, and they accept it. "Alpha" does not mean physically dominant. It means "in control of resources." Many, many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to physically dominate. But they have earned the right to control the valued resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers important. Thus an alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place because he simply couldn't care less. So what does this mean for the dog-human relationship? Using physical force of any kind reduces your "rank." Only middle-ranked animals insecure in their place squabble. To be "alpha," control the resources. I don't mean hokey stuff like not allowing dogs on beds or preceding them through doorways. I mean making resources contingent on behavior. Does the dog want to be fed. Great -- ask him to sit first. Does the dog want to go outside? Sit first. Dog want to greet people? Sit first. Want to play a game? Sit first. Or whatever. If you are proactive enough to control the things your dogs want, *you* are alpha by definition. Train your dog. This is the dog-human equivalent of the "revoking of puppy license" phase in dog development. Children, women, elderly people, handicapped people -- all are capable of training a dog. Very few people are capable of physical domination. Reward deferential behavior, rather than pushy behavior. I have two dogs. If one pushes in front of the other, the other gets the attention, the food, whatever the first dog wanted. The first dog to sit gets treated. Pulling on lead goes nowhere. Doors don't open until dogs are seated and I say they may go out. Reward pushy, and you get pushy. Your job is to be a leader, not a boss, not a dictator. Leadership is a huge responsibility. Your job is to provide for all of your dog's needs... food, water, vet care, social needs, security, etc. If you fail to provide what your dog needs, your dog will try to satisfy those needs on his own. In a recent article in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) newsletter, Dr. Ray Coppinger -- a biology professor at Hampshire College, co-founder of the Livestock Guarding Dog Project, author of several books including Dogs : A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution; and an extremely well-respected member of the dog training community -- says in regards to the dominance model (and alpha rolling)... "I cannot think of many learning situations where I want my learning dogs responding with fear and lack of motion. I never want my animals to be thinking social hierarchy. Once they do, they will be spending their time trying to figure out how to move up in the hierarchy." That pretty much sums it up, don't you think? Melissa Alexander mcalex@connectexpress.com copyright 2001 Melissa C. Alexander
__________________ Cindy & The Rescued Gang Puppies Are Not Products! |
03-07-2009, 08:45 AM | #6 | |
Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa
Posts: 12,552
| Quote:
Just let the dog know that EVERYTHING is yours should be enough. Food is not given until they are calm, set it down and make her wait until you tell her she can eat it. , toys are yours and should be given to you whenever you ask for them. The sofa is yours, the doorway is yours. You will have a much calmer dog once she knows that everything is yours. | |
03-07-2009, 08:49 AM | #7 | |
Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa
Posts: 12,552
| Quote:
Yes, the only time this should be used is if the dog is threatening YOU. However dogs do not sit around and think about how to out manuever you. Everything is in the now. They do not think ahead, they do not think in the past. They simply react to the NOW. | |
03-07-2009, 09:11 AM | #8 | |
Princess Poop A Lot Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado
Posts: 6,728
| Quote:
I agree with you as they do react to the Now for the most part as they are dogs and they do what is bred into them. Many times they can be refocused to change the Now. An abused dog will react from the past as I have seen this time and time again in the rescue dogs that have come through my house. If they were beaten or yelled at alot they will react entirely different than the ones that were not.
__________________ Cindy & The Rescued Gang Puppies Are Not Products! | |
03-07-2009, 09:51 AM | #9 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,421
| Quote:
Thanks for sharing that article.
__________________ Shaunna with Missy (my princess) & Dora (my tomboy) | |
03-07-2009, 10:18 AM | #10 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | You know, normally I am not a fan of the alpha roll, but I think in the case it could be appropriate. Presumably the dog is not afraid of the bird - its predatory instincts are out in full force, to the point of injuring the owner. The alpha roll says "I am your boss and I am very angry with you." Dogs really don't like being alpha rolled, so this degree of negative reinforcement might make sense here, since it is VERY important to you that the bird be safe. The normal problem with the alpha roll is that the owner misinterprets fear-based behavior as aggression-based behavior (they can overlap). So if a dog is growling at strangers, punishing your dog may prove to it that indeed, bad things happen when strangers are around, and they ARE scary and dangerous. This will probably exacerbate the behavior you are trying to squelch. Anyway, you don't HAVE to alpha roll your dog in this case, but I would be very, very strict. Make your dog lie down when you walk towards the cage, stay lying down when you open it, stay down when you pet the bird, etc.
__________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. |
03-07-2009, 02:36 PM | #11 |
YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kansas
Posts: 261
| Very interesting article on the subject. I'm going to look into it further because I always try to remain open about things. I do believe in trying to work with other methods prior to a situation presenting itself. But if it happens the time to correct them is in that moment IMHO. Her dog bit her just as mine was trying to do at the time. My dog was rescued from a bad situation and had not had the training or care that he needed prior to coming to me. It was SO not his fault. I was working with him on this behavior and then one day he bit my friends daughter, then later tried to bit me again and that's when I did it. My vet at the time told me when and how to do it. I did not want to gamble on him biting someone again and have to put him down because I easily could have lost him the first time. I did it and had no further instances of agression. If an agressive situation presents itself I would do it again. I know I could get bit but I'm willing to risk it especially since they are trying to bite me anyway. It really did work without lasting negative effects and did not have to be repeated. My vet said I may have to do it a few times but it only took one time. It may not be for everyone but in certain circumstances I believe it's appropriate if it's done correctly. I have only ever felt it was appropriate one time in my life so please don't take this as me saying do it whenever you want to assert yourself. I totally respect that other people have different opinions, and experiences than my own on this subject so research it and do what you feel is appropriate. Whatever you do I wish you luck.
__________________ - Jennifer Joshua Jenna Kissy Natasha |
03-09-2009, 10:54 AM | #12 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| This will not do ... Yes the pup is acting on instinct when it lies in wait for a small animal and get excited when it sees it move But your pup should Never Ever lay its teeth into you for Whatever reason and this needs correction right away You have to correct this on two fronts with desensitization training and corrective training and you can do both at the sametime Take your biter and put her in the same room as the cage You might wanna start with the cage empty with the pup there open the cage ... and when she doesn't react .... give her a treat if she does say NO.... and close the cage and start again after that do it with the bird in the cage ...just go to the cage first she barks? You say no and walk away do it again ... she barks... again walk away repeat until you get the right response slowly but surely shell get theidea that when she is quiet ... and not jumping she'll be rewarded I don't know abouther other habits ... watch her mouthing things and people ... if she has been known to play nip you need to address that too
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
03-09-2009, 02:47 PM | #13 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York
Posts: 490
| Thank you, I've been trying to desensitize her by keeping her on a short leash while I sit at the kitchen table and the bird remains in his cage. When she simmers down, I give her a treat. I see this will be very gradual process. She doesn't nip in general, except she will go after my smaller Yorkie and "play" rough and then nip.
__________________ Donna, Sadie, Joey and Nicky (and Buddy the cockatiel) |
03-10-2009, 06:24 AM | #14 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| I'd try to get rid of the leash It might be hindering her progress .... as she pulls on the leash it gets her more and more excited Let her come into the room with you and as she gets excited calmly try and distract her when she sets her sights on something other than the bird ... praise her
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
03-10-2009, 04:04 PM | #15 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York
Posts: 490
| Okay, but she becomes like Cujo when the bird is around. Completely possessed, like she's a wolf in the wild. This dog has some prey instinct!
__________________ Donna, Sadie, Joey and Nicky (and Buddy the cockatiel) |
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