# Letting dogs correct other dogs



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Do you let your dogs correct each other? 

Chaos will head right for the other dogs if she thinks they are eating something. This morning, I got up later so Jax ate late. Chaos had already eaten her breakfast but made a beeline for Jax while she was eating. I watch her closely and constantly have to make her leave the room and leave the other dogs along. 

This morning, Jax let out a low growl as Chaos headed for her. THAT was more effective than anything I've been able to do! She left the room and did not lay there and stare at Jax while she was eating.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

It is not a clear yes or no. For me, it depends on which dog, the other dog involved and the scenario. 

Kaiser is allowed to correct other dogs because I have seen him be fair and always uses the least amount of force necessary. He's never put his teeth on another dog.

Raven is not allowed because she over corrects and can be a bully so she isn't allowed to make that decision especially with dogs that aren't Kaiser. 

In general, I'll allow mild corrections like a growl or showing teeth as long as the other dog is responding appropriately but I rarely allow things to escalate beyond that before intervening.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Yes for my oldest. She keeps all of them in line and they respect her, she makes my job easier. Robyn is learning from her and sadly someday when the oldest one goes, Robyn will take over. I watch the two GSD's..I step in if I think that the correction is getting out of hand. Usually its Robyn correcting Midnite, Tannor correcting Midnite, or Misty correcting Midnite...Midnite gets corrected a lot and he still doesn't get it completely I have never seen Midnite correct anything...in his mind everything is play time and there are no need for corrections


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

llombardo said:


> Yes for my oldest. She keeps all of them in line and they respect her, she makes my job easier. Robyn is learning from her and sadly someday when the oldest one goes, Robyn will take over. I watch the two GSD's..I step in if I think that the correction is getting out of hand. Usually its Robyn correcting Midnite, Tannor correcting Midnite, or Misty correcting Midnite...Midnite gets corrected a lot and he still doesn't get it completely I have never seen Midnite correct anything...in his mind everything is play time and there are no need for corrections


Sorry, but that gave me a chuckle. Silly Midnite.

I also let older dogs correct (as long as it's fair). It's just so effective! They easily teach something that takes me forever to get accross.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

My male yes. My females not as much. He is very restrained, but very fair, but very clear. 

Here is from Tuesday night, Jäger about to correct a younger male. He's being "submissive-ish" (laid back ears, but maintains eye contact and close quarters) but not fully so, which is why Jäger is showing his teeth. Notice the border collie has completely put his back to him as a show of submission, and my female Katya is submitting (averted eyes), but still trying to make her way to the nachos (of which someone was treating Jäger with). She's a dominate bitch but will submit to many males if only in the female sort of "I'll let you believe I'm submitting" way lol









Escallation b/c the younger male wouldn't fully submit and avert eyes. Note in this pic he has turned away, and submissive licking









Here, you can see Jäger posture when the younger male makes eye contact, and be neutral when he is submitting.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

It depends on the dog. Riley was never allowed to correct anyone because he took it too far. With Zena correcting, it really depended on WHO she was correcting whether she was allowed to correct or not. Shasta isn't big on correcting but when she does, she does so appropriately. It really depends on the dog.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

At this point, I've kind of just had it. It's constantly telling her no and having her leave the room where she then lays down and stairs at the other dogs. It's not that she isn't getting treats. It's that she's eaten hers and then wants theirs. She's not food aggressive. The cat was eating out of her bowl the other day and she was letting him! She's just kind of a pig. But when Jax gave her a warning, she immediately left the room and didn't lay there and stare at her. I think maybe I need to let that happen a few times.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I don't let Onyx take control in correcting the others. She is the ultimate party pooper. Karlo and Kacie are not allowed to play if Onyx is around. NO fun to be had on her watch!

When Onyx plays it is growly noise constantly, but she does love to play one on one. 

When I feed Kacie(outside) and she comes back to her bowl for more, Onyx(inside) goes off bigtime....it's all noise and show, she sounds and acts extremely aggressive~in fact she just did this as I type. 

She's not food aggressive, but likes to be the police of everything. I feed Kacie outside because she always takes her RMB's away from the bowl and eats very slowly.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I went through this with Delgado and Jazzy, he would constantly be in her face bugging her and I constantly had to intervene and tell him to back off. It was a never-ending cycle of frustration until finally she snapped and actually bit him one day; he yelped and jumped back in shock as did she as I don't think she actually meant to bite him. I scolded both of them and separated right away. There was no damage done at all, but his respect for her increased that day and it's been much more harmonious ever since.

Same thing with the cats, Koda and Delgado get along very well but one day Delgado nipped him and Koda hissed and swatted him really good right on the nose. It shocked Delgado as Koda has never hurt him before, again no damage was done but he learned the boundaries of how far he could push 

I think fair corrections are warranted and should be tolerated, unfair corrections shouldn’t. Koda I would trust to correct, but Zazu and Jazzy's corrections are mostly based out of nervousness and fear and that can mean they overreact so I make sure to the best of my ability that I intervene before they feel the need to do the correction themselves.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

onyx'girl said:


> but likes to be the police of everything.



Jax definitely likes to police everything! I do have to keep on top of her and not let her run the show but in this case I let her get away with it.

And what upsets me the most about this is Jax had never been aggressive about her food but this was a concern for me because of Chaos's behavior. I was concerned that her constantly having her nose where others are eating would cause food aggression. So hoping this correction ends this.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I do think dogs learn boundaries with other dogs better when the other dog sets them. As long as the correction is appropriate and the other dog listens, I don't see anything wrong with allowing it but also monitoring so things don't escalate.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

gsdraven said:


> It is not a clear yes or no. For me, it depends on which dog, the other dog involved and the scenario.


This is how I feel. 

Sinister corrects the cats, I love that and he is much more effective than me correcting them. When he hears them being naughty (cat fight, clawing furniture, clawing the wall, making a noise that sounds like they are destroying something) he will get up and go over there and either bark if they are on a counter or a higher place, he will karate chop them with his paw or he will go put his mouth over their head. The mouth over the head method is the most effective, the cats always end up with a very wet head. :laugh: He never hurts them and I know he never will, 2 of them are his best friends and they are the 2 that are the naughtiest! 

Sinister only corrects dogs when they get too close to him when he is eating. He doesn't snap at them or growl he just yells and moans. 

My friend and her dogs are living with me, her female ACD mix, Rue, is a real B! I do not allow her to correct my dog because he isn't doing anything wrong when she does it. It's more like she is just being bossy and rude. When he comes to greet me when I get home she snaps at his face and won't let him come to me. I HATE that, he is my dog, not you! I correct her right away and send her to her bed. She does this whenever he comes to me or to my friend, it is worse when she is by my roommate and he comes over to get attention from her, she growls, shows her teeth and then snaps at him. She also guards her food dish so that no other animal can come into the room. She also goes after my roommate's other dog. She redirects her frustration on which ever dog is closest to her.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

hunterisgreat , what a great set of shots ! , perfect read on the dynamics --- the more I see of Jager "jake" hunter the more I like him.


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## DWP (Mar 31, 2011)

*Some*

We haev two females. 9yrs and 3yrs. When Kana was little, Paison was quite the disciplinarian. Never bit, but would make sure Kana knew she was not suppose to chew the shoes, chew the plants, eat others food etc. Now Kana is dominant, but they never get crossed. As for other times, I don't like it when Paison won't let me drink from the toilet and Kana is always making me go outside to watch her poop.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

gsdraven said:


> I do think dogs learn boundaries with other dogs better when the other dog sets them. *As long as the correction is appropriate and the other dog listens, I don't see anything wrong with allowing it but also monitoring so things don't escalate.*


Totally agree! It would depend on the dogs and the situation for me, as others have mentioned, but what Jamie said above describes my dogs exactly. They get along extremely well, are not guardy with us or each other, but will each warn off the other from time to time. Both of them respect the warnings and do not push further, so I've never had any fear that things might escalate. 

Keef is more likely to yield to Halo than the other way around, but even she knows not to try and take away a prized treat like a bully stick. She tends to want whatever he has, even if there's a virtually identical one nearby (like Nylabones or Orbee balls), but she'll wait until his attention is momentarily diverted to snatch it away, or she'll try to trick him into walking away from it, the little snot! :laugh:


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

LaRen616 said:


> This is how I feel.
> 
> Sinister corrects the cats, I love that and he is much more effective than me correcting them. When he hears them being naughty (cat fight, clawing furniture, clawing the wall, making a noise that sounds like they are destroying something) he will get up and go over there and either bark if they are on a counter or a higher place, he will karate chop them with his paw or he will go put his mouth over their head.




I wish Bianca would have done that. I always tried to get her to "break up" the cats when they would get in trouble or when the boys picked on Harley my tiny female (they'll neck-bite her and not let go), but I never was able to get her to do anything. She got upset when I yelled at the cats to knock it off even though I never yelled at her. :crazy:


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Not in my house. Elsa wants to be the ultimate regulator and she takes it way too far. She has no sense of doggie manners herself.


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## barbas929 (Sep 21, 2010)

Keef is more likely to yield to Halo than the other way around, but even she knows not to try and take away a prized treat like a bully stick. She tends to want whatever he has, even if there's a virtually identical one nearby (like Nylabones or Orbee balls), but she'll wait until his attention is momentarily diverted to snatch it away, or she'll try to trick him into walking away from it, the little snot! :laugh:[/QUOTE]

Sounds like my house with the boys...Jr being a ylw lab(alias: hoover)will wait for the right moment to snatch Quince's whatever...but would never attempt a bullystick


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

I allowed for corrections...absolutely. I did not allow bullying at all. There is a difference.


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