Dogs challenging you

[Luv2Hurt]

I think some of you may have read my thread on the dangers of large dogs and tennis balls.  Well any way my dog Cody is still obsessed with them even though he almost choked to death on one once.  Well we were at the dog forest preserve today and this place is almost a 2 mile hike when you do the loop and the river is there to swim.  So its a big place!  Anyhow the damn dog will find tennis balls in the middle of a big place like this, almost a needle in a hay stack kind of thing.

Since he exhibits goofy behavior when tennis balls are around and the prior tragic experience of him being within seconds of dying in my arms in the choking event I take them away from him when he finds them.  Well the he will not drop them and he will drop anything else when I comand him to, but not tennis balls.  When I try to pull it out of his mouth he bites down hard on it so I can not pull it out, he is challenging me at this point.  I will do the fingers between the molars thing making him bite his own lip and try very hard to pull it out but there damn mouths are strong.  See though I never give up and never let him win this battle cause he is trying to beat me, eventually with much effort I can work it out.  This has at times come to me rolling the dog on his back and trying still but he never gives up till I get it out.  Must admit a couple times I have lost my cool with him during these stand offs to the point of getting very physical and verbal with the dog.  But he can not win this fight he needs to know that I make the rules, and he needs to follow and that I will always win.

A dog trainer friend of mine who has a HUGE Neo mastiff, alerted me to this behavior and how this was a challenge of dominance.  She recommended using a spray bottle filled with half vinegar and half water.  Now when the dog will not let go of the ball, he gets vinegar water sprayed up his nose and in his mouth, he drops the ball real fast then and sometimes all I have to do is grab the bottle.

[knny187]

question....


even when he/she drops the ball after spraying it with the water bottle....


do you say "good boy/girl?"

[Euro-monster]

hahahaaa there's a dog who needs a good leader....
That behavior should not be allowed and you have to show him who's boss!!

Oh and another thing....plain water up his nose will work just as fine...no need to ad human food to his diet....

[Luv2Hurt]

question....


even when he/she drops the ball after spraying it with the water bottle....


do you say "good boy/girl?"

Good point, I should be praising him at that point.  Lots of times I will be in the middle of the park and have to yank it out of his mouth cause I forgot the bottle so I dont think at that point he should get praise then, but probally when he drops it when he sees the bottle, or gets sprayed, yes for sure. Thanks.

hahahaaa there's a dog who needs a good leader....
That behavior should not be allowed and you have to show him who's boss!!

Oh and another thing....plain water up his nose will work just as fine...no need to ad human food to his diet....

That behavior is not allowed as I wrote, cant you read or understand what you read tuff guy?  Seems for some reason you have a problem with me, I have let your insults and attacks go before.  Now Iam saying to you F*ck off you peice of Euro -Trash. 

[Euro-monster]

That behavior is not allowed as I wrote, cant you read or understand what you read tuff guy?  Seems for some reason you have a problem with me, I have let your insults and attacks go before.  Now Iam saying to you F*ck off you peice of Euro -Trash. 

hahahaa lightenup man...i think you got me confused with someone else?
I have never "attacked" you before. I never even heart from you, before you started posting on the petboard! I was just playing with you ...you should learn to lightenup on this "internet thing"....there's no need for name calling like you just did afterall it's the Petboard for crying out load!!!

[knny187]

Good point, I should be praising him at that point.  Lots of times I will be in the middle of the park and have to yank it out of his mouth cause I forgot the bottle so I dont think at that point he should get praise then, but probally when he drops it when he sees the bottle, or gets sprayed, yes for sure. Thanks.

I had a feeling you weren't.  Sometimes we forget.

See, as his Alpha....he wants to please you.  Even when he doesn't cooperate....when he does finally through other means, he has to know that he's 'good' when he finally does whats required of him. 

In some cases...I look at it as reverse psychology.  When practised over & over...before I know it....they're doing  what I want w/o any debate. 

Just remember....in the end....if you are the Alpha & in charge.....they are going to want to please you at all costs.  And never lose your cool.  Thats loss of control & they can sense it.

[Euro-monster]

Yeah yeah you can be a alpha all you want but sometimes the dog just doesn't want to let go period. Just like luv2hurt explained. Especially when you loose your cool and start to be physical with your dog ....
Thats ALWAYS a sign of not be able to be in control.
And a dog who gets verbal and physical abuse will bite down even harder!!!
In the situation luv2hurt discribes the dog senses his anger and frustration and gets scared and frustrated himself!

In my opinion you don't have to say good boy after a half an hour struggle with your dog over a tennis ball.....he's clearly not getting it anyway so just be glad you got the bal out and got to go home with your dog in one piece...

[knny187]

Yeah yeah you can be a alpha all you want but sometimes the dog just doesn't want to let go period. Just like luv2hurt explained. Especially when you loose your cool and start to be physical with your dog ....
Thats ALWAYS a sign of not be able to be in control.
And a dog who gets verbal and physical abuse will bite down even harder!!!
In the situation luv2hurt discribes the dog senses his anger and frustration and gets scared and frustrated himself!

In my opinion you don't have to say good boy after a half an hour struggle with your dog over a tennis ball.....he's clearly not getting it anyway so just be glad you got the bal out and got to go home with your dog in one piece...

Well, I don't think I would be getting into a half hour struggle to begin with.   I was making reference as I start a pup from an early start.

[Euro-monster]

I was taking luv2hurt as an example...not you...

[Luv2Hurt]

hahahaa lightenup man...i think you got me confused with someone else?
I have never "attacked" you before. I never even heart from you, before you started posting on the petboard! I was just playing with you ...you should learn to lightenup on this "internet thing"....there's no need for name calling like you just did afterall it's the Petboard for crying out load!!!

your right about the name calling being wrong, it take it back and apolagize about that part.  But there is no confussion about an insult you gave me on the pics board, I let it go.  But It was out of line and rude I thought and will admitt it made me mad, hey no big deal I figured I would get a few flamings there, but then the "playing with me" pushed it over the edge and I had to let you know.  I guess Im just not used to how you play, but we are from different cultures and now I understand better. And I hope we can put this behind us.

Also The advice from you and knny187 on this is good and I will use it.  I start out trying to be calm getting the ball from the dog, cause you guys are right.  But he does not give it up.  I must be doing something wrong.  I guess I need to find a way to make giving me the ball enjoyable??  What is weird is this is just over tennis balls, if its another ball even the same size as a tennis ball no problems, wonder why he is so nuts over them?  Another problem is if other dogs approach him when he has a tennis ball he gets agressive towards them, Im just so afraid he is going to try and swallow one again, I cant go through that again.

Another thing Im not trying to come off as some know it all about dogs and training, cause I dont.  My dog as you can see still trys to challenge me and is far from perfect.  But Im trying to do the right things for him.  I remember whe i first got him as a 7 week old pup, the vet told me "dont let him push you around, cause he is gonna try"  That was the best advice I ever got from a vet.

[Euro-monster]

I had to go to the picture board to look up the picture you where referring to.
I did made a comment with a big smiley face behind it so you would know i was joking! You looked great in those pictures and you know it...

I know where you are coming from when we are discussing dogs and their tennisbal obsessions!
My Neo bitch is the same as your dog....she can find them even in high grass!...I can't understand how she does it!  She also gets very obsessed when she see's other dogs playing with them...
She will let go after i will tell her in my most serious voice however there was a time when i had to bribe her to let the bal go .
I bribed her with something she never gets...dog threats....
Oh man what Roma would do to get one of those.....
Try if that works and come back to us ...goodluck...fat bastard...

[Luv2Hurt]

Try if that works and come back to us ...goodluck...fat bastard...

LOL, see now Im getting it     Thanks for the tips and compliment, I guess sometimes Im a little sensitive.