Sophie showing aggression at daycare

Ellinorianne

I spoke to one of the trainers, she said that Sophie was showing aggression by doing the whole humping and biting thing she's done with me. She said she kind of gets in this zone, it's weird.

Yep, that's what she does. We've really stopped the behavior at home so I was upset to find out it was happening at daycare. I had asked them if there were any issues and was told no, but this trainer said it's been an issue for a while.

She also wanted to know if Sophie jumps at home. NO. Not allowed. But I did tell her that some of the staff allow her to jump and therefore they are reinforcing behavior I'm trying to discourage. They are going to work on training issues, thank God.

Sophie got bigger in the three days she was away. She's crashed out in her crate right now.

Django · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:36 am Post subject:

Is the trainer sure it's an aggression thing and not a dominance thing? (due to the "humping" behaviour)

iris · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:44 am Post subject:

Ellinorianne, Rocky does the same thing with us at home, mostly me. This happens everytime we play. He will try and get your hand in his mouth then he jumps up and tries to do the same thing. Sometimes jumping turns into humping. He does this only with me and not my husband. He gets this look in his eyes and i know its coming. How did you get Sophie to stop at home? Also, i see it as a dominance issue and not as aggression though, i might be wrong though.

Ellinorianne · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:52 am Post subject:

It is most definately dominance and not aggression but it's hard for others to separate the two when biting is involved.

So at home, I just don't let her do it and I show her who is boss. I've had to throw her down, which is much easier than it used to be when she was smaller, she doesn't fight, she submits a lot easier.

It's just a constant battle to stay on top of her and make sure she knows she's not running the house.

Wrench · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject:

I have worked at a doggie daycare and what you should do is tlak to the owner/manager of the daycare and explain that you are really working on these issues and fine at home but have A. been lied to and told there are no problems to find out that there really are and B. That your dog's training is being unraveled at the daycare.

The daycare handlers usually don't allow these bevairos because they start dog fights so if they are being allowed your manager should know that a handler isn't doing their job and therefor a fight can accure and vet bills pile up due to it.

Also though, your employee's or whatever that also aren't helping need to be told firmly how to handle your dog since they do so often...I do this with people because I don't want Wrench acting like a certian way when around people...when recently a girl at my house told me " it's ok" when he was jumping and biting I said " no, it
's not alloweable behavior so this is what you should do when he does that" when she continued a few more times after me showing her and her seeing me do it when he jumped on me or bit at me ( puppy mouth playing) and then she allowed it a continuely again I grabbed him by the collor and put him in his kennel...when she got upset about that I said " if he won't behave and those aorund him handling him won't make him behave then I will put him in his kennel for the next half hour until you leave" basically...she got the lesson then!