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  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    June 19, 2023 at 3:59 pm in reply to: Body Language
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    @Allie @Jared @roseandbeau
    Hopefully this is more helpful.
    Lacey is a high energy (“high strung”?) dog. But, I’ve always seen her as a confident, (fairly) submissive, hard dog. I guess I’d love to see her a bit more “relaxed” … but I also really love her energy, too.

    I rarely ever see her tail mid-range downward with a loose wag – but a mid-range, curled upwards with a looser wag. Of course, I’ve seen her heightened emotional states (fearful & nervous/excited, etc.) … but I’m more curious as to why she carries her tail higher, nearly all the time – and if it’s something I need to be mindful (concerned is too strong a word) of.

    So, just 2nd guessing myself & making sure that I’m not missing something ….

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    People tend to anthropomorphize their dogs – and there is no convincing them that dogs don’t possess the same range of emotions that humans do. And since many people also believe that since they’ve “had dogs,” that they “know” all there is to know about dog behavior – its a just brewing up a recipe for disaster.

    So many of the dog attacks that are reported – the owners usually say that there was “no warning” because the dog “never displayed any aggressive behavior” – when in reality, they either missed the signs – or completely misinterpreted them.

    Ex: my brother-in-law had 2 dogs in the home … and one dog attacked the other, nearly killing it. They decided that the aggressor had (at some point) been trained to fight, so they had the dog euthanized, because it was dangerous. The dog was under 1 yr old when they found it on the side of the road, and they’d had it for 6 (?) months when the attack occurred. They now have 5 dogs – with 2 *more* dogs who don’t get along … 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Then, my best friend’s daughter owns a pack of 30 snow touring/racing Huskies. All are kenneled together, in groups of 6, in appx. 15′ x 15′ (?) kennels. One night, one of the dogs attacked another dog in its kennel & killed it. The attack apparently took place over several hours (their security camera caught the entire attack). They also had the dog euthanized for being dangerous.

    Both of these attacks supposedly “came out of nowhere,” and were “completely unprovoked.”

    Both families believe that they know all there is to know about dogs. Neither have any education about dogs. And neither would ever listen to me, so I don’t even try to discuss those incidents.

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    I agree with Jared in that there’s a lot to unpack here … I also agree with most of what Davida said, and 100% with Allie.

    For me, knowing that this rescued dog had healed cigarette burns, is a bit telling as far as his relationship with his (then) human, Tya. He had suffered some pretty severe abuse at human hands, and while dogs can be very forgiving, he’s gonna remember that abuse. My guess is that, Tya, probably felt terrible for Hercules’ previous abuse, and allowed her human emotions to vacate some common sense & dictate how she treated him … which was probably with “kid gloves.” She probably didn’t know quite as much about “dog” as she may have errantly believed (as many “dog lovers” believe they do, when adopting a mature and/or previously abused dog).

    I’ve said this to people a thousand times (usually, after hearing, “I know Cyndi, I’ve had dogs” … my first thought – while biting my tongue – is “well, bless your heart.”) … Yes. Dogs are sweet, goofy, loving, talented, intelligent, amazing creatures – but dogs are also animals. At the start and end of every single day, a dog is an animal. Respect their animalness. They don’t possess human emotion or human cognitive reasoning skills. They have dog emotions (some emotions, of which, they share with humans) & dog rationale, so please stop anthropomorphizing them.

    That said, this owner, clearly, *did. not.* set up clear boundaries or strong leadership with Hercules, and allowed him to rule the roost – – – so he did … with a massive iron paw. In lieu of strong leadership, a dog will always fill in the gap & establish their own rules … including the leadership of their humans.

    Dog attacks do NOT come out of nowhere; there are always signs … Always. Tya said that Hercules had begun/been displaying some resource guarding-type issues and we don’t know how (or if) she had been dealing with it. She obviously had allowed the Hercules on the furniture & to sleep in bed with her – so Hercules pretty much had every right to expect that *he* owned everything in the house & was the leader in the home, not Tya. Then, the addition of a new puppy probably added a whole other layer to the dominance aggression that Hercules had been displaying. Being disciplined by another human in a home (perhaps and “uninvited” friend, in Hercules mind?) that Hercules “owned” – and, set up, as Mike said, a perfect storm of events.

    I think there may be even more to the story, which we don’t know, from this small article, and it’s hard to definitively diagnose a case of fatal/near fatal dog aggression without knowing the full circumstances.

    We all know that bad news stories sell – but, bad news stories about dogs like Rottweilers, Dobermans & (mostly) Pit Bulls sell even more; and that is really sad, because both are great dogs. Sadly (in my experience), it’s mostly the uninformed, unprepared & untrained people who tend to adopt these breeds of dogs. The end result is overly sensationalized news stories that promote fear, and the ultimate banning of these breeds in apartment complexes, neighborhoods, counties, cities, states & other countries.

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    March 9, 2023 at 12:57 pm in reply to: ID the Aggression
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    What a great video! I have often wondered about teaching a dog how to walk backwards and liked your demonstration. I tried working with Lacey on walking backwards based on this video, but, thankfully, I only have Lace to consider. I did think to myself while initially watching it, that it seemed like a recipe for disaster (with the two doggos in such a small space [the hallway]) … but I loved how (and how quickly) you diffused this situation. My first impression was also dominance aggression as I watched one dog get her face a little too close to the treat you were giving the other dog.

    Thanks again, this was awesome!

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    March 8, 2023 at 9:55 pm in reply to: Recommendations for a diamond tip Dremel?
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    Glad you found something, Allie. Mine came from Amazon, but were specifically for crafting purposes, not for dog nails …

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 7:47 am in reply to: How to handle leaving a DT community you no longer agree with
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    Hi Marina. I struggle with the same need (“obligation”) to explain myself to others about my actions or the personal decisions I make for my own edification.

    You’ve made a personal and (in IMHO) wise decision to join K9-1, for your benefit as a trainer, and for the health & well-being of your dog’s & client dogs; and we welcome you here. You, and any dog you train, will only benefit from the education you receive from Mike, and the wisdom & experience of the other trainers here.

    I left a DT community from England and have had to unlearn some pretty harmful/dangerous training techniques. And while it was mostly money wasted – it turned into a valuable life lesson to not, out of desperation, get swept away by a slick presentation in a webinar.

    In addition to the great educatiin I’m receiving at K9-1 – I am also learning that not every decision made for my, or my dogs’ benefit, requires an explanation (thank you, Allie). Sometimes all that’s needed is a determined spirit & a graceful retreat. Walk away, shake the dust off & don’t look back.

    The APDT won’t bend to your explanation of what they’ve misinterpreted (re: LIMA); and they won’t end their quest to ban the use of certain tools, either. So … just my opinion … focus your attention toward furthering your education; immerse yourself in this community & rest in the knowledge that you’ve found an amazing dog training “home.” I think you’ll find yourself time & wisdom ahead in the end.

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    January 23, 2023 at 10:39 pm in reply to: Nerdy Dog Training Moment of Gratitude!
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    Lacey still remembers all of the hand signals I taught her when she was little – even after having not used them for about a year ….

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    January 19, 2023 at 1:25 pm in reply to: The Humanity of Wolves (ipso facto, of dogs, perhaps moreso)
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    Very interesting & informative video … Thank you so much for posting this.

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    November 26, 2022 at 3:22 pm in reply to: Great 45-Min. Vid: How Animals (dogs included) Experience the World
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    Very interesting talk … and new perspective on Lacey’s world.

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    October 26, 2022 at 1:37 am in reply to: It’s funny because it’s true
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    One of our faves, too. And yes, completely true!

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    October 19, 2022 at 2:46 pm in reply to: Heart Medicine!!!!!!!!
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    Great Job Stormy!
    This is the level of control I’m hoping to eventually attain with Lacey. She thinks that all wildlife are “open season” for chase. Where we lived in Missouri, we were living the Park Life” with all manner of critter (deer, raccoon, feral cats, birds, ground hogs, rabbits, squirrels, fox, bats, etc.). Where we live now, we have ground squirrels, birds, skinks & fence lizards. She’s very curious about them, and if I let her outside – she will give chase. And, it’s always “fun” on the on-lead dog beaches – because, if I am not careful about keeping her in heel or at least really close to me while we walk, she could easily dislocate my shoulder.

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    I, literally, just read this last night. Good stuff. I’ve often wondered about this very thing. My hubby likes to mess with Lace a little. I have hoped that she knows how much he actually really loves her. This article gave me a little hope that she does.

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    June 19, 2023 at 6:42 pm in reply to: Body Language
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    @Allie Taking her bone from her doesn’t happen often, 1) because she only gets a meaty bone about every other month) – and 2) I usually only take it when I’m in the process of preparing her food. So, since she would much rather have her food than her bone at that particular time …

    But, I’ve also trained her to give up her bone to me (“drop it” or “give it”) when she goes outside to potty (I don’t want her taking bones outside). Her response is that when she needs to go potty, she automatically brings me her bone. So, I *can* (literally) take the bone right out of her mouth if I want to (I’ve done it) – but I don’t usually *have* to – make sense?

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    June 19, 2023 at 6:18 pm in reply to: Body Language
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    @Jared
    All good things to consider.
    Lacey is a little over 2 (we’ve had her since she was 11 weeks old), and is an only dog (we also have 1 cat). Other than a flying leap from a 10 foot loft (while we out of town visiting friends), landing on the wood floor below, when she was 7 months old – there are no injuries that I’m aware of. She was rushed to a vet, had x-rays and no injuries were found. She bounced back very quickly; although I also know that she could develop residual injuries in later years. However, she has not been protective of the area where she landed (her left side). I give her butt/tail scratches all the time, and she would have let me know if something was painful.

    I control all of the resources – where she sleeps … when/how/where/how long we play … her food (what/when/where/how she eats), all the way down to the bone she chews. I can give her a meaty bone & (literally) take the same bone right out of her mouth when I decide that she’s done (whether or not she’s eaten all of the meat) – and, she always gives it up without protest.

    Thank you for reminding me that it’s only a problem if it’s a problem for me. I needed that reminder. It isn’t problem, per se … but, a curiosity …but it’s mostly an awful lot of me 2nd guessing my understanding and whether or not I’m seeing/doing things correctly. I hope that makes sense.

    @Allie
    Thank you *very* much for bringing some much needed clarity … I really think I’m probably just driving myself crazy focusing on the wrong things … also thanks for reminding me of that stream … I’ll watch it again (it’s been a while).

  • Cyndi Cross

    Member
    June 17, 2023 at 5:36 pm in reply to: Body Language
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    Hi Rachael!
    THANK YOU very much for taking the time to read, look & respond.

    I know I was kind of cryptic 🤨 … but decided that “a picture is worth a thousand words” … and I didn’t want to influence any opinions, based off of what was happening when those pictures were taken – but maybe there just isn’t enough information for anyone to offer an opinion.

    I’ve been reviewing some old Q&A’s where Mike talks about body language, and saw a pic of Allie’s dog, Stormie (with her tail down & relaxed) … I started 2nd guessing myself on the type of dog Lacey actually is (“dominant” vs “confident”) & whether or not I truly understood canine body language. I almost sent the question directly to Allie or Mike, but decided to post in the forum instead. I just want to get either correction or confirmation on my understanding of body language – and possibly give the newer members a learning opportunity.

    So, the pictures:
    1) fishing with daddy
    2) watching dad get ready to water the plants
    3) daddy watering the plants
    4) intently watching dad do something (I don’t recall what)
    5) first thing in the morning (I’m still in bed)
    6) in the gazebo

    Does this help?

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