Behavior issue

purplelori · 05-18-2011, 09:42 AM

Hi-
Wally has been going to doggy daycare the last few days as we are having a new (taller, non-see thru) fence put in so he quits leering at the neighbors and hopefully barking at their dogs. Yesterday he got a bad report card. It seems if he sees 2 other dogs barking and wrestling he feels he must go break it up--Wally the Referee. Unfortunately, the other dogs don't appreciate it, and apparently they then start fighting. He did it 3 times yesterday! They are going to try putting him in with the more 'mellow' dogs today--and the fence will probably be finished by Friday, but what can we do? He doesn't do it when we take him to the park, but then he's not there for hours and hours. Hope he figures it out, I'd hate for him to not get to go play!

Erin251 · 05-18-2011, 09:48 AM

sweet for the new fence. hmmm not sure about wally though. hopefully the more mellow dogs will help him be more mellow too. tell us how he does today

Doreen · 05-18-2011, 12:08 PM

awww.... poor Wally.... he's just trying to help, LOL.

superpimp · 05-18-2011, 12:27 PM

Maybe it is not your dog that has the problem:
He sees two dogs playing, he wants to join in.

Is one or both of the other dogs fighting with him?

I assume this happened more than once during the day, was it the same two dogs that he tried to "break up?"

purplelori · 05-18-2011, 12:41 PM

Kevan picked him up and got the report. I believe it was 3 times with different dogs--which would mean it was the behavior, not the dogs that bothered him. I'll have to call them and see how he's doing today so I can get the scoop directly from them. Kevan made it sound like all he was doing was breaking up the action, and the other dogs would then basically tell him to butt out!

Spyglass Sally · 05-18-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplelori

Kevan made it sound like all he was doing was breaking up the action, and the other dogs would then basically tell him to butt out!

Sounds like the police on a domestic call. Tough position to be in, Wally.

Maybe he need a partner.

purplelori · 05-18-2011, 03:19 PM

Well, I just called the day care to see how he was doing, and the guy said better than yesteday. He had a little fight this morning, but has been mellower since. I asked if it was the same dog, and he said no--he thinks maybe Wally is feeling propriatory since he's been there off and on for several years--thinks he's in charge. (JUST like you said Sally!) He'd better watch it, or he's going to end up on probation again, and that will be a drag! The guy said they are just keeping a close eye on him as with his breed it can escalate from small scuffle to bigger deal rather quickly. I do appreciate their letting us know--but have NO IDEA what we could do about it other than not take him for a while. (He has to go this week--they've taken out the gates today!)

superpimp · 05-19-2011, 07:25 AM

At the doggie day care I've used on occasion, they have kennels for dogs to be isolated if they can not get along with other dogs. Is your guy of a dominant or submissive nature?

purplelori · 05-19-2011, 09:15 AM

I'd say dominant. He's very self-assured. I rarely see him lying on his back letting other dogs sniff, but he's not usually aggressive. When I talked to them yesterday, I told them he was there so often this week (every day since Tuesday) because we were putting in a new fence in the backyard, and the guy said that can throw them off too--changes are not always appreciated. (when he got home, and into his yard he ran up to the fence and just stared at it like 'where the heck did that come from?') He's definitely getting tired, so maybe he'll just spend the day snoozing today, with no altercations. I know they have crates there as they use them for the boarding dogs, and for when a dog needs a time-out, but it would be nice if he just behaved himself.

Scooby · 05-19-2011, 10:29 AM

Definitely sounds like a dominant guy! He probably wants to join in with the other dogs, and they feel he's intruding their space, and thus try to fend him off. Or so it seems. I've found with boxers that their behavior may be taken the wrong way by other dogs. The way they jump and swing with their paws may seem like aggression to some dogs and they feel threatened by it.
Scooby had that problem a lot!