Is there too much Dominance??

[bentley'smom]

Today bentley and I were at the dog park along with many bigger dogs!! He did great!!!!.. however, this lady came up to me and said..."are you going to let your puppy off leash?" I said yes after a couple of minutes (so that I could observe the other dogs)... She said "great! I just want to let you know that some of the dogs are very dominant here at the park and there comes a point where you have to pull the puppy away from some of these dogs..." I said "what do you mean.." and she continued on to say that if I did not pull him away from some of the dominant dogs he would become very submissisive to all dogs because of bad experiences as a pup... so here is my question... Is there such a thing as too much dominance at one time?? Should I be worried my bentley will be overly submissive because of bad experiences at the dog park (with other dominant dogs).. these bad experiences being stand offish dogs? Also, how do I know when another dog is being overly dominant with my pup?? Please advise!! I was completely floored by her comments...

Stacey

 

[Cindy]

My rescue Rocky (who has since passed due to seizures) was in a home
for a day or two before we got him. They had a rottweiler that really
gave him a good mauling. He was such a big wussie, at 84 pounds he
would let little dogs get the best of him. He would high-tail it and run
like the dickens, looking over his shoulder, spinning around and running
at the same time. It was kind of funny, because some of these dogs
were 12- 20 pounds, he could've easily hurt them, but he was too scared.
Poor baby.

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

Take what the lady in the park says with a grain of salt. I'm sure she isn't an authority on dog behavior nor does she have a degree in Animal Behavior or Canine Behavior. Look at the source and forget it.

Your dog will make the associations your dog makes and react to events in his life as he reacts to them. There is no set pattern or expected response. Every dog is different and will react and respond differently to dominance from other dogs.

Both my dogs have been to many dog parks and have had their fair share of fights with overly dominant dogs and misbehaved dogs with ignorant owners. This has not in any way diminished their ability to stand up for themselves nor has it make them overly submissive in any way. They take each dog individually. Some they react well to; others not so well. I am in control of their behavior so I guide them to other dogs if they are not getting along with a particular dog or I feel the match isn't right.

Generalized assumptions such as those this lady made are unwise and ill-advised and usually come from those with very, very limited knowledge. Don't listen to people like that.

 

[kassa]

Just a quick note on "dominance" and "alpha dogs" which are terms used very loosely by a lot of people, especially to excuse rude canine behavior.

Dominant dogs don't pick fights, particularly with puppies. Dominant dogs are respected because of their innate carriage and dignity -- other well socialized dogs recognize true dominance and yield to it (which doesn't mean they won't play with them, just that they will defer to the dog in question). The concept is true in people to a certain extent -- as a child, there were adults that you had no respect for, and those you did. There were teachers you thought were a big joke, and teachers you respected.

Dogs that create trouble are not alpha dogs. If you're being warned that some dogs in this group are too rough with puppies, I'd be concerned that she's mistaking poor socialization and aggression with dominance, and I'd be worried about those dogs in terms of your puppy's safety.

There are owners who take a misguided pleasure in the "dominance" of their dogs, when it's actually really bad socialization and/or genetic defect. "Oh, he's just very dominant!" Bull. Dogs who go after 3 month old puppies have something wrong with them.

Personally, I'd investigate doggie daycare or a setting in which you can trust the socialization of the dogs your pup will be playing with in its formative weeks, preferably with an experienced eye looking on and interpreting the interactions. I agree with Tulsa Dan that your dog will form associations as an individual based on his own experience, but a lot depends on his own essential makeup. Part of being individual is that some will be far more sensitive than others, and a traumatic experience CAN be scarring at the wrong time for certain kinds of puppies. Whether that's limited to, say, never liking German Shepherds again but otherwise enjoying other dogs or forgetting the whole thing depends on how many positive experiences the pup has had and its overall emotional makeup.

That said, there's a period during adolescence when even the most easy going adult has had enough of the juvenile pup and gives him a good talking to. Well socialized adults will tolerate a lot from young pups, but the day comes when they figure they're old enough to know better and put them in their place. In that period, especially, I'd want my pup to keep the company of well socialized adult dogs who will send the message loud and clear without getting carried away.

Kathryn Saxon
Daisax Boxers