 age and dominance
#206301 - 08/19/2008 10:53 AM |
Webboard User
Reg: 08-16-2007
Posts: 2365
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 Offline |
|
this has probably been hashed over 10000 times, but i suck at searching.
....just curious.... i've noticed (not on this board necessarily) people pointing to 'dominant' behaviours in what i think are fairly young puppies (16 weeks old, say, sometimes younger). sometimes these 'dominant' behaviours are things like nipping (in a puppy, what a shock).
it astounds me to think of a 16 week old puppy making a play for dominance....am i wrong in that?
i know dominance is an over-used term, but not even getting into that....at what age would it be normal for a dog to start showing signs of dominance?
would the very few truly dominant dogs display this behaviour from the start? in other dogs, which are maybe displaying some dominant behaviours b/c of leadership issues, would they do this from puppys or would it come out once the dog was older and more mature?
i'm not having any issues or anything, just intellectual curiousity. my apologies for probably treading well-worn ground 
Teagan!
 |
 Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#206302 - 08/19/2008 11:15 AM |
Webboard User
Reg: 06-06-2008
Posts: 5062
Loc: WA, USA
| Offline |
|
My understanding is that truly dominant dogs, show it from a very young age.
They dominate their littermates as young puppies.
I've known people, masochists apparently, that selected their dog for it's dominance, and were able to spot it in the dog when it was a young, 8 week old pup.
I have never personally witnessed it, every true dominant dog I've encountered, was as an older, 2+ year old dog.
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#206305 - 08/19/2008 11:37 AM |
Webboard User
Reg: 12-08-2005
Posts: 1271
Loc: Stoney Creek , Ontario, Canada
| Offline |
|
http://leerburg.com/flv/video.php?id=19
Hey Jennifer,
Have you seen this video?
Although Ed is using it more to describe pack structure, it still shows how young puppies can show dominance at such a young age. Yes its more them showing dominance to their litter mates, but it does show that aggression can be seen in even young 8 week old pups!
Don't complain....TRAIN!!! |
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Wendy Lefebvre ]
#206306 - 08/19/2008 11:41 AM |
Webboard User
Reg: 08-16-2007
Posts: 2365
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| Offline |
|
i'll watch it at home, thanks wendy.
what about more middle-of-the-road dogs, that might, when given the chance, display dominant behaviours without actually being dominant? does this come w/maturity or is it also seen at a young age (alyssa, that makes sense what you're saying)? with respect to an owner-dog relationship.... (my apologies if it is covered in the video).
ETA - i guess it's just that of all the things i can think of to worry about with a puppy, dominance isn't high on the list. but obviously it comes up at some point, in some dogs/some situations.
Teagan!
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Wendy Lefebvre ]
#206307 - 08/19/2008 11:41 AM |
Webboard User
Reg: 06-06-2008
Posts: 5062
Loc: WA, USA
| Offline |
|
Ed also points out in the video that some of the puppies have to make a big, exagerated show of dominance, but one of the puppies doesn't, because it is the truly dominant dog.
The others just know to leave it alone.
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#206311 - 08/19/2008 12:56 PM |
Webboard User
Reg: 09-22-2007
Posts: 2531
Loc: S. Florida
| Offline |
|
what about more middle-of-the-road dogs, that might, when given the chance, display dominant behaviours without actually being dominant? does this come w/maturity or is it also seen at a young age
I don't know if this example fits what you are describing, but when I took my then 9 week old pup to the vet for the first time, the vet tech (who also trains dogs) sat in the middle of the examining room floor and just observed my pup. She had not met her before this. After sniffing around the room for a few seconds, Chula saw her sitting on the floor and ran up to her and planted her forepaws directly in the middle of her back. The tech said that this was dominant behavior. At the time it seemed like not very significant behavior to me, but I will say that it is very characteristic of her personality, and could be observed at a very young age.
She is not dominant in the context of that other lengthy thread, but she's no shrinking flower either! I prefer to say that she has an 'outgoing' personality... 
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Lynne Barrows ]
#206312 - 08/19/2008 01:06 PM |
Webboard User
Reg: 06-06-2008
Posts: 5062
Loc: WA, USA
| Offline |
|
People like to attribute everything to dominance.
I had someone this past weekend tell me my dog was dominant, because she peed on the training field. 
The someone has an extensive background in SchH, to boot, and I had to chuckle at how quick the someone jumped to my dog being dominant, not knowing anything else about her, other than that she peed on the field.
And here I thought it was because all the jumping and lunging got things moving.
(Danke doesn't have a dominant bone in her body. She's tough, but she's wasn't born to lead.)
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Lynne Barrows ]
#206315 - 08/19/2008 01:15 PM |
Webboard User
Reg: 08-16-2007
Posts: 2365
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| Offline |
|
that's interesting. i think i would've expected that for a lot of dogs physical and mental maturity would be important.
mind you, i liked neb b/c he seemed like a middle-of-the-pack sort of puppy, but in spite of that, i have a hard time wrapping my head around MOST puppies being dominant. but i suppose not being dominant doesn't mean that there aren't ever rank issues/behaviours (not to get into that other lengthy thread, heh). i guess - when i first got neb, a couple of time i carried him on his back (stomach up), not even thinking of what it might mean, just that it was a comfortable (and cute, i admit it....shameful) way of carrying him - even at 7 weeks, he protested. but is he dominant....nooooo. and at his age (almost 18 weeks), how could he be?
Teagan!
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#206317 - 08/19/2008 01:17 PM |
Webboard User
Reg: 08-16-2007
Posts: 2365
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| Offline |
|
I had someone this past weekend tell me my dog was dominant, because she peed on the training field.
i take it back....neb is clearly D-O-M-I-N-A-N-T (and costing me in wine). LOL.
(Danke doesn't have a dominant bone in her body. She's tough, but she's wasn't born to lead.)
that, to me, is a lot like teagan
Teagan!
|
|
Top
|
|
Re: age and dominance
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#206318 - 08/19/2008 01:22 PM |
Webboard User
Reg: 09-22-2007
Posts: 2531
Loc: S. Florida
| Offline |
|
|
|
Top
|
When purchasing any product from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. it is understood
that any and all products sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. are sold in Dunn
County Wisconsin, USA. Any and all legal action taken against Leerburg Enterprises,
Inc. concerning the purchase or use of these products must take place in Dunn
County, Wisconsin. If customers do not agree with this policy they should not
purchase Leerburg Ent. Inc. products.
Dog Training is never without risk of injury. Do not use any of the products
sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. without consulting a local professional.
The training methods shown in the Leerburg Ent. Inc. DVD’s are meant
to be used with a local instructor or trainer. Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. cannot
be held responsible for accidents or injuries to humans and/or animals.
Copyright 2010 Leerburg® Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos and content on leerburg.com are part of a registered copyright owned by Leerburg Enterprise, Inc.
By accessing any information within Leerburg.com, you agree to abide by the
Leerburg.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Previous Topic
Index
Next Topic.jpg)
