Finally identified the source of the problem!

[thepennywhistle]

Hi all,

Things are improving for us, and I'm so excited I just have to share it with someone!

I have 4 collies. My neighbor has pit bulls. There has been warfare between them for nearly 3 years. They used to get along, but there was an ugly incident that resulted in my dogs charging the fence screaming in hostility, while one of the pit bulls stalks the fenceline
stiff-legged, staring, tail straight up, eyes hard and hackles raised. She has a doggy door,
and is at the fence in a heartbeat any time I let my girls out. Her owners hate my dogs,
the rest of the neighborhood is displeased over the noise, and I was so frustrated. I'd tried the 'leave it' command, 'quiet', praising any rare moment of silence, pulling my girls in with the first bark, but none of it was working. I do believe my dogs have the right to pee, and so the noise continued.

The motivation was confusing for me. There was a problem with the pit bulls grabbing a half-grown kitten from the feral colony I manage and using her as a tug toy, literally pulling her apart. She was saved by the man on the other side of the house vaulting the fence and literally tackling one of the dogs to make him let go. (I took the time to grab a broom and use the gate.) There was much angry shouting that went on, and the kitten was screaming in pain, so it was a high drama scene. And after that, my dogs went after the pit bulls. I didn't now if it was dog aggression, if they were protecting me, if they were reacting to my emotions towards the neighbors. I have to admit I did harbor some resentment toward the dogs.

I now know it was me! It was my fault all along, and I've figured it out and I'm on the road to fixing it! A few days ago I was feeding the colony (my dogs in the house), and the dominant female next door came over and gave me the angry eyes. On a whim, I tossed her a bite of the cat food. She stared at me until I left, but the next day she was there while I fed the cats, and her eyes seemed softer. I tossed her a bit of cat food again. (Her owner said I could long ago, so I'm not feeding someone else's dog without permission.) The next day there was a wag -- a friendly one! And I smiled at her, too, and tossed another kitty kibble treat to her. I realized that I wasn't so angry with her anymore.

The next morning, I let my collies out, they looked at the other dogs, said the equivalalent of 'good morning' and there was peace. Blessed quiet, happy dogs, happy me. It was wonderful!

Major happy dance here, and major lesson. I was trying to 'fix' the behavior of my dogs, when it wasn't their fault at all. They were reflecting me, and *I* was the one that needed fixing. I won't forget it, either.

Thanks for listening! I just had to share with someone or I'd burst!

p.s. The kitten was claimed by the man who saved her, spent thousands of dollars in vet bills, and she now lives happily ever after, primarily in his lap.

[Fundog]

WOW! That's quite a break-through. I'm still confused as to how the whole thing was *your* fault, though. I would be more inclined to cast blame on the owners of the pits. Afterall, it was their dogs starting all the problems, not yours. Regardless, I'm glad you were able to resolve the situation.

Great news about the kitten. What a horrifying thing to witness!