Just got back from an afternoon over lunch with friends. They have a pretty grumpy Westie called Whiskey and he always bullies Lady a bit over treats. He's known her since she was about 1 year old. We take a couple of small stuffed bones; one for each of them to work on while we have pre-lunch drinks. Whiskey normally bullies Lady and steals her bone from her so we have to see fair play a bit. Lady is usually very submissive in any dealings with other dogs, except to say that recently as she approaches her 4th birthday in September she has been becoming a bit more confident and even ignoring other dogs if she thinks something more interesting might be around the corner. Well today we were having drinks in the garden with the two dogs at our feet each with a bone. Lady gets up and approaches Whiskey (out of sight under the table) then comes back and gets on with getting the stuffing out of her bone at my feet. Whiskey gets up and comes over to get Lady's bone and she lets out a snarl that would put anyone off. Whiskey a bit none plussed at this makes another approach to find a small black lab making a full throated growl and rush and snap at him and he took off at speed. Lady back to bone as if nothing had happened. It was only later we found she had both bones and had also eaten both. Whiskey treated her with great respect for the rest of the day. So what do you make of that then? Just a firm statement of keep off my stuff then normal but self assured interaction the rest of the day. She seems to have suddenly decided to stick up for herself! 8)
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! Whiskey learns some manners under the table while whiskey is drunk by the humans on top of the table! Go Lady!
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! Good for you Lady, greedy Whiskey has hopefully learnt his lesson - don't mess with Lady ;D Helen xx
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! Good for lady! Well, a dog that knows Norman has back up ...
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=1997.msg16770#msg16770 date=1373833809] Well, a dog that knows Norman has back up ... [/quote] Heehee. Good on ya, Lady Sounds like the tables have turned.
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! So - this time she stole Whiskey's bone? Ha - revenge is sweet...
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! Most unexpected I have to say. She's such a shrinking violet normally! ;D Like on our walk this morning she went flat and rolled over with every dog we met, but when it comes to food - watch out! However, she doesn't guard her food with me at all. So there you are.
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! good on ya Lady! wee question actually about this as it sounds like my weekend bbq experience!...Cuillin doesn't guard food with me or any humans, or with Brodick (he can take stuff off her whenever he fancies, which I'm quite surprised about as she keeps him firmly in line on everything else!), but we were at a bbq on Saturday and a small dog on our group who wandered up to her when she had an Antos Cereal Hedgehog (high value to Cuillin ;D) got the Lady Treatment, a growl, rush, and snap (well described David!). Now, I got her in bother for this, mainly because there were some non doggy folk there who looked petrified at what seemed like a Dog Attack....shouuld I have? when I say trouble she got a very firm Ah Ah, while having her collar held....
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! No expert here, but I think there is a big difference between one dog keeping another in line (our experiences at the weekend) and an attack. Lady's growl, rush and snap didn't make contact with whiskey and she didn't pursue him when he backed off, and later they were just fine together so there was no "unfinished business" to attend to.
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! thanks David, our wasn't an attack either, but you know when folk don't have dogs, they think the slightest growl is an aggressive display.... someone shrieked 'she's attacking her' as Cuillin defended her treat :. hope you didn't think I meant Lady attacked! Cuillin seemed to do exactly the same as Lady, and she was fine with the other dog after too, quite waggy, so I think I should have probably just let it go as an 'oi geroff me grub you' statement from Cuillin..I get a bit confused as to when you are meant to step in and when you're not with dog stuff sometimes....
Re: Small Black Dog Sticks Up for Herself! [quote author=debsie link=topic=1997.msg16922#msg16922 date=1373892710] I get a bit confused as to when you are meant to step in and when you're not with dog stuff sometimes.... [/quote] I know what you mean, I generally stay out of it unless one dog has backed off and the other one is still giving it some agro. I figure that way they establish their relative pecking order and some manners and they can all get on with having some fun. I could be completely wrong though!
