newf wrote: ↑Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:03 pm
I don’t agree with all the mumble jumble of the so called ‘pack theory’ either, but I will say, dogs are born with a basic nature. That nature is instinctive and is their driver. However, from that base, I believe them to be autonomous individuals that act and learn from consequences both positive and negative.
Because of that, there are some basic truths but, all in all, nothing is for sure with a dog. Contrary to the broad statement, that ‘dogs try to avoid conflict’,
there are many that earnestly look for a good fight. So, IMO, don’t let assumptions cloud corrective action on any behavior if you want to stop a bad one or promote a good one.
In a natural environment physical conflict poses an increased threat of damage to either party, or both. So natural selection has made avoidance of such high on the genetic/learned agenda.
Of course there are dogs that are bred or have learnt to be aggressive but these are not `natural behaviors' . Aggressive initial put downs such as advocated in the `alpha roll' or scruffing for discipline for example, fails to recognise all the previous warnings given in sequence of the far more passive body language warnings before even resorting to this limited form of aggressive action.
I'm actually a strong supporter of pack theory, just not the interpretation put on it by many dog behaviorists. Observation of interactions between animals in a wild state often is the basis of understanding the base line of communication that they form over millennia. The gap between Wolves and dogs may be growing, and our influence can be seen in both the long and short term. But the base line communication is still there, and goes a long way if you let it, as to why Llyod was seeing what he did, his dogs avoiding conflict.
You can train around or through the problem, of course you can, provided you remember to assess correctly the part your presence plays in the solution.
Or you can avoid creating the problem in the first place, with a second or wider entry.
The point, I was making about handling is that the dogs are focused on me and my direction and not the pettiness of making contact with each other or who owns what piece of real a state. To me, some dog owners create problems or allow such events to escalate because they’re afraid of interfering with their dogs behaviors. You don’t lose drive just because you’re charge, you lose drive by creating confusion that never straightens out.
As long as you separate out deliberate possessive behavior from casual position/blocking I totally agree with this
As always the success of your solution is dependent in the first instance of the correct assessment of the problem, or even if there is one.
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