Sometimes I have no idea what I am doing....

So I was using Reddit.com and posting under their subreddit /r/dogtraining, but I noticed that people on reddit, in the year and a half that I have been using it are growing twice as uppity about dogs and dog training like they know everything.

My recent run in was with my troubles I've been having keeping McCoy from bothering the cats. They kept accusing me of not spending enough time with him, not playing with him or exercising him enough. That corgis are so high energy that you have to be with them playing with them constantly. Which if you own a corgi (which everyone here does am I right? lol) you know that that isn't necessarily true. Some Corgis are fine never being walked (not in my case he needs at least one walk a day or he is cranky), or just playing specifically inside all the time. These people expected me to have competition quality hurdles and poles for him to run between, so that he was "properly" exercised everyday, and that I should spend all this money on these costly name brand puzzle toys, and that his kong was never going to be enough because Corgis are so smart they need so much more. Well this went on for a while and I totally kept trying to defend myself and it was making me really upset, So I deleted my post so no one (mainly the same two people) could keep telling me basically the same thing over and over.

To clarify, so you guys don't get the wrong idea too, I do play with McCoy regularly, I'm currently disabled and do what I can, which is actually a lot despite my back problems. I walk him as I can, I live on two acres and walk him around the perimeter of my yard 4-5 times while playing with him intermittently, ball or most often a Frisbee because its easier to find in the tall grass then a tennis ball. I play hurdles with him inside, I use a rolled up yoga mat or a towel and have him hop those (thats what made them have a big deal about me needing regulation equipment, I scoffed at them because I don't know many people who can just get up and go yeah I am going to buy $300 worth of equipment my dog wont use because its way too advanced, sometimes its a chore to get him to hop the towel because he doesn't really understand, I didn't get him from a reputable breeder and I think he might be a little on the slow side he actually doesn't understand a lot of things even as simple as tipping over a plastic cup to get a treat and they want me to get all these complicated things that I am very sure McCoy wouldn't understand what to do with), we play "tug" ( I put that in quotes because he doesn't actually know how to tug I just drag him around lol), ball in the house. We play until he is tired, which could be anywhere between 15-45 minutes depending on the day, he really isn't as high energy as these people are claiming my corgi should be. Then I am waiting for a bit seeing if he wants to play again and if not then I go do my own thing. Then I am playing again when he is ready, I could play with him 10 times a day or more depending on how long our play sessions are. He is such a well manner dog outside of guarding resources from the cats. Very social, listens fairly well. People love him, and think we are great together (in the real world, not on the internet though).

Usually he naps between play sessions.

Back to the thing with the cats though, he has been after them really bad lately, and they kept telling me it was because he was bored and I didn't pay enough attention, even though I specifically said he was doing it even when we were playing.

I figured out that he was actually guarding me, I had a myelogram done on my back on 6/11, and usually you are good and fine after 24 hours but I had a ton of pain up until yesterday (6/13). It wasn't until I was doped out on pain pills and not really stressing over keeping him from darting after the cats that I realized what he was doing. My cat came over and rub on my fiance on the other end of the couch, and McCoy immediately came and laid right under me in-front of the couch ( I was laying with my legs on my fiance lap) my fiance ignored the cat so she came around the dog and wanted pets from me, and as soon as I extended my arm out McCoy tried to bite her! Not a little play bite, but a full on bite! I managed to swing my arm down between them before he could actually land his teeth on her but boy I would have been super mad. I didn't yell at him or anything, my fiance asked what happened and I said he tried to bite her. So he brought him and put a 15 minute time out in his crate.

I did a little bit of research on this, and I'm not sure about corgis in general, but with other dogs it can happen from spending to much time with them, doting on them all day, letting them constantly lay on you, letting them use you as a hiding spot, etc. So I have started having him not allowed up on the couch, or allowed to lay at our feet. This was one of the things the article I read specifically pointed out because being under me, or on me like that, gives a dog that guards its owner power. I am his power source that makes him feel big and tough because things can't touch him or go near him if something goes wrong because I will stop it. That also mean no more picking him up or letting him hide near me if he doesn't like or feel comfortable around another dog. I have to keep stepping away and ignoring him.

I really did put myself in this position with him guarding me from my other pets because I treated him so much different and never put a personal space boundary on him.

I'm also teaching him to lay in his dog bed when I am relaxing on the couch at the end of the day instead of being right up in my personal bubble.

I personally don't like it, because I got him for my anxiety and I got him to constantly be right there with me, but his temperament with the cats obviously isn't going to let that be a reality for me.

Views: 229

Comment

You need to be a member of MyCorgi.com to add comments!

Join MyCorgi.com

Comment by Vicky Hay on June 14, 2014 at 8:24pm

By the way, my sympathies on the back pain. I also enjoy the same...ugh!! Hope yours clears up soon. Took my last episode about a year, but eventually it did pretty much resolve. For the nonce.

Agreed with others that there's no need for expensive props to exercise the dawg. If you're up for walking (which sometimes helps the pain, even when you think you can barely hobble down the hall), that often suffices. Also I learned to run Cassie the Corgi's energy off by having her chase a ball up and down the hallway and around the backyard. Some days it was excruciating to bend down and pick the darned thing up, though...but SHE learned to put it on my lap if I was sitting down! And eventually I discovered ways to find the floor without fainting from pain -- ask your physical therapist about that.

Also, I hung a stuffed doggy toy from a rafter on the porch. Cassie and Ruby play with that like it was a tether ball. In fact, there's a YouTube video showing a couple of dogs playing with a tetherball -- great exercise.

Comment by Vicky Hay on June 14, 2014 at 8:15pm

Might try a squirt bottle (clean) filled with clean, cold water. When the offending behavior starts, squirt Pooch in the face and say firmly, NO!

Works every time, hereabouts. Very recently, Ruby started jumping up on my legs and on the kitchen cabinetry when I'm preparing her dog food. A couple of squirts brought a quick end to that shenanigan. Charley the Golden Retriever, who's been staying here while his human (my son) is off on vacation, is also learning, through this trick, to quit licking the inside of the dishwasher. It's a longstanding habit with him -- my son tolerates it and then wonders why Charley gets the collywobbles! After just a few SQUIRT-NO's, he seems to be getting the idea.

Maybe it works along the lines of Beth's backing-away maneuver: it breaks the action long enough for you to get the dog's attention and communicate your displeasure.

Comment by Beth on June 14, 2014 at 7:59pm

I agree that he should be on the floor.  If he improves a lot you can try him on the couch, but the second he shows signs of guarding, on the floor he goes.  I do this sometimes with Jack.  

Another thing I do with Jack if he gets out of line is back him up into another room.  Basically you shuffle forward rapidly into the dog's space until he physically turns around (rather than backing up) and leaves.  Then you release the pressure.   Normally we put down Jack's bowl first, then Maddie's.  This works fine because Jack gets a little more food and finishes after her.  But they had been sick and were on small portions several times a day.  I noticed that if Jack finished his first, he simply went over and shoved Maddie aside and started on hers.  NOT ok (and she does not guard) so this morning when he tried this stunt I backed him into the dining room.  He came back in a chastened pup and licked his own bowl.  Normally when they are done eating, they swap and check each other's bowls to see if anything is left.  I allow this because neither minds.  I knew Jack got the message because when Maddie finished and walked away, Jack looked at me (not her bowl) until I said "Ok Jack" and then he did his customary check.  

So for me, with my dogs, if they went after the cat for something like you described, I would back them away until they broke attention from the cat and left.   It reminds them that ultimately, I am the one who controls all the spaces in my home and they must always cede ground to me.  Since I almost never raise my voice to my dogs, a loud "QUIT IT!" also usually breaks off any unwanted behavior.

I agree this behavior has nothing to do with exercise or mental stimulation.  He has decided that he outranks the cat and can tell her exactly where she is and is not allowed.  He needs to understand that even if he has rank on the cat, YOU have rank on them both and won't tolerate such nonsense, even for a second.

Comment by Anna Morelli on June 14, 2014 at 7:14pm

I think the article you refer to has pointed you in the right direction.  You have become something he thinks he owns,  this is not from too little exercise or not having the expensive equipment/toys.  This is from too much attention and too little structure.  With some dogs you can get away with that, in your case he is showing dominance to the cat.  He needs to understand you will not tolerate "YOUR" cat to be treated that way! He needs to hear that from you, not from your boyfriend, since you are the one he is claiming....  Does he know basic commands?  If so, put him on a down stay at some distance and pet the cat for a few minutes. Then, with him still in the down stay, go give him a special treat.  Things like that can help him learn his boundaries.  If needed put his leash on and tie it to something so he cannot dart off from the down position.  If he does not know basic commands, this is a good time to teach him.

Another consideration is that, since you say you got him for your anxiety this may have played into his guarding behavior, but, since he is only doing this with the cat, it probably is not a factor. 

Comment by Holly on June 14, 2014 at 4:38pm

I visit my daughter's (one of whom has four cats) often, usually for several days at a time. For the most part, Sully (my corgi) ignores all cats unless they get too close to me, or the people she cares most about, one of my son-in-laws, or one of my twin granddaughters. Since two of my granddaughters are identical twins, I assume it is due to her preference for those certain people out of all the other family members.

She is being protective, to some extent, since one or the cats is aggressive toward people at times, but I am sure much of it is jealousy, when she sees a cat getting close to one of her favorite people. When we are there I keep the dog close, holding her by the collar if necessary, and I pat her, saying "It's okay." calmly while a cat is in close proximity. In my case though, the cats are more of a threat than the dog, though most of them haven't figured that out yet. I do think it improves over time, provided you prevent any serious aggression where the dog and/or the cat gets hurt. The one stray that bit and scratched me once made Sully jumpy for months but things are better now. Still working on it though. I suspect it will take some time. I do think cat/dog adjustments are easier to resolve than dog/dog aggression issues. I sympathize with you regarding the lazy-dog-syndrome. I specifically sought a "couch potato" as I also have a disability as well. Temperament varies greatly with individual dogs, I have met a few laid-back corgis, but mine is by far the most relaxed one I have met. I tried to get her to exercise more, but she will only cooperate when she gets to romp in deep, fluffy snow. Otherwise, she prefers to sit with me on a bench outside, or lounge in her bed. I think that may be why she was stuck in the shelter for so long. Thank God there is an "ass for every seat" and I am Sully's arse. Good luck with your pup!

Rescue Store

Stay Connected

 

FDA Recall

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall

We support...

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by Sam Tsang.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report a boo boo  |  Terms of Service