An open exchange with a friend wanting to understand and help her young Black Lab...

Lon A dog's tnet in life; If it looks bad, sniff it. If it smells good, eat it. If it smells bad, roll in it!

12:55pm Ditte

HA! Molly did just that after finding a dead squirrel...ick.

12:58pm Lon

I've learned that action goes back to the wolf in her, a predatory thing about claiming it by putting her smell on it, and it's on her. Wolves do just that if they come across a carcass.

1:00pm Ditte

Really!?! Cool my own little wolf lady :) she sure does NOT have one agrresive bone in her body though!! She can act all bad but then after that she has no idea what to do .

1:02pmLon

Heheh, she and all dogs still have about 2% wolf in them. Even after about 16K years of breeding. It's the core basis of my behavior/training work.

1:03pm Ditte

Yeah! If i wasn't unemployed I would have hired you to do something with her!

1:05pmLon

ALWAYS feel free to ask for help with any issues. I have a few things that can help via email, etc. I firmly believe that what I give away to those in need comes back to me multiplied. I also continue to post articles on YourHub.com in the Aurora, Colorado edition regarding how to be the packleader, alpha dog, etc.

1:06pm Ditte

Thank you Lon! That is very sweet of you :)

1:09pmLon

You're very welcome. Check out my list of 'commandments' on YourHub as to how to establish yourself as the alpha leader...they nearly always help with general issues.

1:10pmLon

I do not refer to the alpha like what we all know as the human version, the guy at the end of the bar being alpha, but rather a calm, assertive leader like Oprah, not Hitler.

1:10pm Ditte

I hear you!!

I think the worst about Molly is that she is terrible on a leash and she doesn't know how to make friends with other dogs. She just stays with me or acts all weird...

1:12pmLon

I have been in control of a pack of about 160 dogs in an open pack, nearly all in one fenced in area of approx. 1.5 acres. It works. :-)

1:14pm Dittte

How do you make a dog like to meet other dogs and wanna play with them... the thing is i think she wants to go to them and ineract with them, she just doesnt know how to do it!

1:16pmLon

On-lead...first and foremost, the person at the other end of the lead is the leader. They have the same emotions as we do about meeting new situations...freeze, fight or flight. When we leash them we have taken freeze and flight away from their choices. I keep control of their energy as the problem FIRST appears...i.e. the ears going back, the tail getting stiff, leaning towards the other dog. That can be done with a verbal "AH" and a 'claw' hand to the side of her neck...fingers replicate an alpha dog's teeth.

1:20pmLon

Then walking past the other while lifting her head to instill confidence but not aggression. Side to side is not a threat in dog language, face to face can be. Allow them to sniff each other...they need to read the temperment.

Wait until both dogs are reaching a calm, submissive state prior to allowing direct interaction. This will be evident via body posture and language in the form of heads lowered, tails in a somewhat loose, lazy wag...not stiff or raised, and a willingness to be side by side instead of one or the other going in chest first.

As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want guidance.

I can be reached at Lon L. Flewelling's Lead Dog Services

www.lead-dogservices.com 720.859.7864

Happy Tails to You, until we meet again!

Lon