Dominant Behavior
We took our typically loving and sweet corgi Miles to a corgi meetup today. He was there for an hour doing his typical doggie socializing with no issues. All of a sudden he started herding a younger Pem (they were chasing each other) and then Miles ran into the younger dog rolling him on the ground and they both were snarling and agressive (but mostly my dog). The owners of the other dogs flipped out and started yelling at my dog and it ended. I leashed up my dog and left. Anyone experience something similar? We don't have this problem at home when Miles plays with our other dog, Any advice?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on
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When my two play with each other, they always sound like someone is getting beat to death. They snarl and growl, but never hurt each other. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if they're fighting or playing...
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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That's normal and most definitely not dominant. Mine routinely sound like they're out for blood, but it's all just sound. That's the way healthy dogs play.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Mine sound like they are killing each other when they play, even my girl who is quite submissive.
Moreover, it is very normal for an older male to roll a younger male who is feeling a little too big for his britches. If an adolescent dog is being too bouncy in play, Jack will flip it over on its back a few times just to remind him who is calling the shots.
If there was no blood drawn, chances are if no one intervened they would have gotten up and shaken it off and gone back to what they were doing. At worst, the younger dog would have briefly retreated and come back a little wiser for the experience. It sounds to me like just very high-key play. When Maddie chases Jack, he sometimes snarl-barks so loudly that it even startles her. That makes her stop, then he fraps a few times to release pent-up energy, and then all is well in their world again.
I think the other owner seriously over-reacted.
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Permalink Reply by Michelle on
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Back in the day my two would get ssssoooo carried away. They sounded like they were going to kill each other, both always came up with a smiles on their faces......so pleased with themselves.....Corgis ya gotta love em! GGGRRRROOOOWWWLLLLL ^-^
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Permalink Reply by Vee Luther on
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My two are VERY noisy and sound so ferocious. Adding a new pup this week has been pretty interesting. No 1 dog lets the pup climb all over him, No2 dog makes big noises and rolls the puppy who now plays mostly with the No 1 dog and keeps his distance from No 2, unless they are playing tag. then the puppy chases everyone in sight. For the first few days, i watched them pretty carefully but now theyare all dong well and making a lot of snarling, growly, and occasionally ylipping noises.
It does sound to me like the other owners over reacted to the noise.
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Permalink Reply by Valerie Helmbreck on
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Pack bahavior can be tough to read and when dogs unfamiliar with each other meet up, one dog can display dominance in a a manner than humans don't understand. Play is one thing -- and it may include vocalization and some rough and tumble action or chasing, but snarling is aggressive and can get out of hand very quickly -- and with devastating consequences. It was probably a good idea that the other owners intervened. I don't think they overreacted. They were protecting their dogs. This isn't to say Miles isn't sweet and loveable; but it's tough for a group of dogs who don't live together to instantly sort out leadership issues. Which is why the humans must firmly in control of these kinds of play situations. Is Miles neutered or intact? He may need to stay on a leash at meetups -- for his own safety and that of the other dogs.. One of my males, a real soft, submissive and sweet one, gets a little panicked when other dogs get in his face. And he reacts badly -- snarling, snapping and generally being a bit of a jerk. I have to be very careful with him when he meets other dogs.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I have a bit of this with Al, ordinarily fine, but occasionally he's very suddenly gone after another dog, apparently without provocation of any sort, and without warning. No damage, so his bite-inhibition is good, but it looks scary. I do not understand it so I have to be very watchful of him now. It's usually happened when offleash and the humans are distracted. May be a case of resource-guarding (food, ball). Our breeder advised me to watch this closely, stamp this behavior out, don't let him get into a situation where this can happen and he can fail.
Example: yesterday, I was worried about Al's behavior vz Zeke, my pal's dog, but Al snapped at GWYNNIE (ours, I'd not seen this before) when I was getting the food out at the trailhead. So I yelled at Al and crated him; he had a much delayed breakfast. He was fine offleash on the trail but I leash him now at stops with food or around other dogs. Henceforth, I'll put him on sit-stay while I'm getting food ready.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberlie on
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My corgi never barks but she is always growls and grunts, snorts and snarls when she plays heavy (you can tell is excitement because of the wiggle but and big corgi smile). I have never had someone get mad at me or her. i get the opposite reaction, people tend to think that there dog is playing to rough and mine doesn't want to play anymore, and they try calling it off and i have to say it is fine, if she is being bugged or your dog is playing to aggressive she will yip 2 or more times or bark. One yip means they are squishing her (she loves to get under the big ones and play, but sometimes gets sat or laid on lol) or they stepped on her. Your dog could of got into a heavy play or it was part of the pack hierarchy lesson for the young pup. That other owner needs to learn that dogs communicate differently that humans, and each dog may communicate differently than another, some dogs growl in anger and aggression, mine growls in excitement, some growl to show hierarchy, some growl to ask for space.
If you shelter your dog from these lessons they may never learn all the ways other dogs communicate. And if they don't learn they may not back off when need be and that’s when you get a really fight on your hands. My aunt learnt that the hard way. she would pick up her dog every time, not cookie doesn't listen to the other dogs communication and gets in fights or starts fights.
While walking in the river valley yesterday we passed a older dog and Adora was in an accident mode, dog growled and she persisted to get in its space, the dog head butted her onto her side and had it's mouth open just over her neck but not touching, while growling, in a pinning kind of mode. Me and the owner were on guard, but then Adora submitted fully by rolling over belly up and the dog closed it's mouth sniffed her butt, while she still laid submissively then Adora got up sniffed the dog (with manners this time) and then they ran off playing for almost and hour. And me and the other owner never got angry, nervous, or mad. Its was just a case of one claiming it's space and saying I’m alpha. I saw it as another lesson she learnt.
I think when this happens owner have to communicate also.
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When Al was younger, I got SO tired of wiping all the blood spatters off the floor, walls and ceiling. They just ripped each others' throats out again and again and again, bits of ears and teeth and various body parts all over the place.
Even our big tomcat got into it: Al puppy once had the cat belly-up on the floor, jaws around his throat, the cat had his paw on Al's eye and could've blinded him in a blink, never opened a claw.
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