I need some sounding boards here:
Things are going fabulous at our house! We have been walking Dieks and Haz at night together and they are very neutral towards each other. No issues being near each other in the house without possible contact, so we decide to do some drag leash intros in the back yard. We have had them back there together leashed and engaged with no issues this week, we thought this might be the next step. Long lines on after a tiring walk and Haz the energizer bunny tears off to run a few laps- no big to Dieks. They meet up in the middle of the yard, play bow from D, acccepted from Haz and they run a bit- no play biting or wrestling. They stop and start sniffing each other near me, Dieks is a lot taller than Haz and he smelled Haz's opposite ear- over his neck and that did not sit well with Haz. He hackled up and was given a correction, We engaged the dogs separeately then, let them back to play for a minute and ended on a high note.
My question is, Did I correct the right dog? I really don't think Dieks was trying to posture or take a dominant stance, I think he was just smelling without thinking because he looked pretty surprised and hopped back when Haz got upset. So, do I correct the reaction, or do I correct the innappropriate body position?

"Dieks is a lot taller than Haz and he smelled Haz's opposite ear- over his neck and that did not sit well with Haz. He hackled up and was given a correction, We engaged the dogs separeately then, let them back to play for a minute and ended on a high note. My question is, Did I correct the right dog?

QUOTE: "I really don't think Dieks was trying to posture or take a dominant stance."

I do. I would have (mildly) corrected Dieks.

No big deal, but yes, that's dominant "language."

JMO! I will be interested to see what others say.

Thanks Connie! After thinking about it more, I'm sure Haz can read dog body language better than I can But everything about his sniff seemed so relaxed that it just seemed more like a dumb move than a dominant one (Then again, zero dog fights or posturing under my belt, so I'm def. still learning..)
Haz is very soft, so the correction was nothing to shake a stick at. I don't think any damage was done (verbal ah-ah Haz and he was next to me in a down looking sad) But I felt weird correcting him for telling Dieks he didn't like that.

This fake "sniff move" is one of my young dog's favorites. He does it with my females, who are wise enough to look at me like "you handle it". They know he is a young, cocky butthead. I do correct and redirect him.

Thanks for the heads up Melissa! Sounds like our boys are about the same age, so Dieks is probably in that cocky butthead stage too Hopefully I can show Haz that I won't screw it up again and correct the right dog this time! He is only 2 1/2, so H&D may be a handful together (A fun handful though!)

"Sniffing the opposite ear - over his neck".
Body language with dogs is everything.
The fact that the dog "looked pretty surprised" just means that he wasn't necessarily ready to back his "game".
Ditto with Connie on correcting Dieks.
Was the other dog wrong for reacting? Yes, according to your rules but don't allow Dieks to instigate this behavior.

 Quote: bob scott

"Sniffing the opposite ear - over his neck".
Body language with dogs is everything.
The fact that the dog "looked pretty surprised" just means that he wasn't necessarily ready to back his "game".
Ditto with Connie on correcting Dieks.
Was the other dog wrong for reacting? Yes, according to your rules but don't allow Dieks to instigate this behavior.

I'll be on top of it Bob. Thanks! I can think with the surprise reaction D. likely had had an "Oh Sh- he will try and take me" moment

 Quote: amy vandeweerd

Thanks for the heads up Melissa! Sounds like our boys are about the same age, so Dieks is probably in that cocky butthead stage too Hopefully I can show Haz that I won't screw it up again and correct the right dog this time! He is only 2 1/2, so H&D may be a handful together (A fun handful though!)

Vigo is 15 months right now & intact...think the combo makes for a pain in the butt. Training, training, and more training! My girls have been around him since puppyhood and that probably makes it easier than introducing two adult dogs.

P.S. The command I use when I see him act like this is "Cut it out, you d!ck". I said it to him so many times that I have forever cemented the language into his vocabulary. Oh well

Dieks is 15 months, just neutered in July. I like the command I would steal it if my parrot (aka 3 year old) wouldn't say it constantly With the boys less than 2 years apart, I may learn a lot!

My three terriers are all spade and neutered. However, sometimes my Bindi likes to remind the other dogs she was here first, this is her house and she is letting them live here. Especially our last addition Terra. Cody can get really reved up and I have to keep a close watch on him. I do not tolerate any of that stuff only because it can get out of hand. I just stop it. For my dogs I either send them to their mats to cool off or say, play nice. It is funny because Cody (little black parsons russel mix, who would love to bite and wrestle the dogs stops, and begins grooming them, all the while looking up at me with those black eyes, grooming harder and harder. I try and distract them. It is usually over in a matter of seconds. I have learned that some behavior is play, some is just a reminder of whose boss and other times, a fight can start. Even these three crazy terriers can get going and it is hard to stop all three, so we try and nip that behavior in the bud.
and by the way I wouldn't feel stupid for asking any question, how are you going to learn? And the people on this forum are very willing to help out.
sharon
Bindi is the first dog we had, she is in the center, Terra is on the outer left side, and my Cody is on the right side of this picture.