Positively | Victoria Stilwell | Forum

Thanks to both of you! I obviously know she doesn't understand human situations like "we have company," but I only object to the behavior if other people are over to observe it. I will definitely try the re-direct! At the moment, she's very happily working a puzzle toy while Rose looks on,...

So, um, this evening, Lily started humping a couch pillow. Is she, um, having a wank? Or is she displaying some sort of dominance behavior? And is there something I can do to discourage her from doing it when people are over?

Good point, Erica! So then one more question: this "take a few days" bit, does that mean I should take time off work and keep a hawk-eye on Lily, or just that when I'm home, like say over the weekend, that I should keep a sort of casual eye on her? I'll happily take the days off if I need ...

Thanks for this, Mattie. My 5-year-old terrier mix rescue (she looks like a Brussels Griffon but we're not sure) has been weeing in the house, though the shelter told us she was house-trained. She actually exhibits traits I associate with proper house training, like going right away when we take her...

I work with several people who have service dogs, and they tell me that they have gotten quite good at firmly, politely telling people to stop patting the dogs because the dogs are working now. It's easier for these folks because they're obviously actually in need of the dogs-- folks in wheelchairs,...

Thanks Runlikethewind. I actually think Lily's house trained-- the shelter had her listed that way, and she exhibits normal potty-trained behaviors like going as soon as she's let out, but the two of them were pretty wound up that first night. I think Rose probably started it by marking her territor...

Anyone?

In my training class, one of the things she had us do was teach polite doggy greetings-- we turned our own dogs around and then each person walked by and let his or her dog sniff everyone else's butt. Rose only needed that to happen a couple of times before she figured out that that's what was expec...

Hi all! We've just adopted a terrier mix from the shelter, 5-year-old Lily. She and Rose, our Yorkie rescue, are doing pretty well together, but adjusting is... a process. So a couple questions: First off, neither of them is being particularly house trained, which I know is really mostly nerves and ...

Good point, Ari's person, but yes, the dogs are supervised when they go out, and we didn't see anything happen. She's been perfectly normal (for her) otherwise-- normal walks, normal play behavior, normal mealtimes. It's weird because it's just that back door, so it certainly seems like something ha...

Oh, I should add that she doesn't seem to be injured, either-- my first thought. She still happily jumps up onto her favorite chair and gallops delightedly across the house. So it's not apparently physical.

I have no idea what's happened, but Rose is suddenly phobic about the back entrance and stairs! She stayed out for an hour this evening, to scared to come in and too scared to let us catch her and bring her in. She's been fine with the back door before and we don't think there's been anything releva...

Also your dog's background would help. Some dogs are nervous for perfectly good reasons, like having experienced people mostly as big ol' meanies!

It's amazing stuff, isn't it, Bendog? Imagine what these guys have gone through, and just for them to trust us to do things like scratch their ears is nothing short of a miracle, but when they start to do normal dog things... wow. Just wow. It's hard to explain to someone with a "normal" d...

Wow, JD, it never rains but it pours! I'm so glad he's with you, though, getting such good care, the poor guy.