Hello all,

We have had Bridey for about 18 months, she is quite a dominant female who needs to know that she is not top dog. Just lately she has had trouble adjusting to being on her own with me or my husband jim and then being with us together.
She is fine with us seperately but when we are home together she paces and can't settle. If one or other of us goes out, she trys to assert her dominance on the one left behind and becomes quite agitated before eventually calming down.
In the evening she lays in front of the fire in the sitting room and if jim is in there with her she tries to round me up to go in there too, she has never been allowed on the couch or upstairs and she eats after us.
She is confused and I wondered if anyone could help us

Is there any particular reason why you feel Bridey is dominant, and in what way are you using the term? :)

When you say she tries to assert her dominance on the person left behind, are you referring to her rounding you up?

Do you know if she has collie in her, as I am wondering if this is where the need to keep the family together comes from. If so, it's a need and a drive and not dominance.

Re the dogs on couch etc - honestly, forget all that. There are so many now who totally disregard all that, but who have well behaved dogs, that I wouldnt get too hung up on it ;)

Lindsay
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Hello Lindsay,

The reason for me saying that she is trying to be dominant is that she is always pressing to get her own way and when she sneaked up on the couch Jim told her to get off and she bit his hand, this was some time ago and that hasn't happened since.
I am using the wrong words when I say 'dominant behaviour on the person left behind' it is more agitation and then when the other person comes back she growls and bounces off them!!
I don't know if she has collie in her, but it is a possibility and I understand what you are saying there. She is a rescue from Ireland and we have no history.

thanks for the reply

what does she do to be dominate?

i honestly dont believe in all this eating after people ,no dogs on furntiture etc, & ive never had any dominance problems. do you do any training fun /thinking things with her? you need to strengthen your relationship with her imo

Hello Michelled,

Thanks for replying. I sort of answered your question in lindsays reply, I think you're right about strengthening our relationship with her. We go for 3 walks a day and at the moment she is more interested in hunting squirrels than playing with the ball that I take.
Maybe it isn't dominance - I had thought it might be fear based - I don't know.
I just want her to be happy and for us to be doing the right thing by her.

Many dogs respond to a sensible sort of "learn to earn" programme. Basically, they have to do something such as Sit to have lead put on, Sit for dinner, etc. It's Ok to have boundaries as long as you are clear why - for instance, if you want dogs of the sofa due to dog hair, mud etc that's fair enough, but if you would rather have them on the sofa that's fine too.

Main thing is that Bridey learns to do as you want, and to be honest I would tend to go back to basics in her training and make training fun for her. A bit of training every day will strengthen the bond and employ her mind a bit. Don't let the on/off sofa thing be a problem - train her to understand words such as Off (never use Down, that is too confusing) and lure her with a toy or food, there's much more to it but that's it basically. After a while the dog will jump off at the word Off and there is no confrontati0n.

Do you give her things to do - stuff her a kong for instance? Often that helps and can get a dog to relax in the home.

Lindsayj
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