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Not about Milo, for once
As many of you know, my boss (at a small, busy grooming shop) recently adopted a 4 year old whippet named Xena. Xena was terribly nervous and unhappy the first few days, but has come around nicely and greets everyone who comes into the shop, plays, and is basically a normal dog.
While all is quiet, Xena sleeps in a bed underneath the register. When someone comes into the store, she recently has been getting up to check it out, and following around the other dogs while they play. She's got a very solid stay.
Twice, Xena has growled at another dog. Both times the dogs were small terriers, a JRT and a yorkie, very high energy, bouncing around, friendly, but totally wound-up and a bit dominant. The first time, she was already in her bed and we just removed the other dog. The second time, she was up and going to check out the other dog, and when the other dogs started wiggling and bouncing, she growled.
My boss wanted to know what she should do. I told her she shouldn't reprimand her, just to tell her to go to her bed, guide her there, and not let the other dog near her spot. She's got to have somewhere to go to get away from the little pesty ones. She's already learning "go lie down" and if we put her there and tell her stay she won't get up.
I was wondering if anyone had any other tips and if that was the right thing to say/do?
Also, she is super, super, super sensitive. Yesterday she got up to approach an unfriendly, very large pit mix and Kathy quickly put her hand up and said quite loudly "No Xena, Stay!" and Xena looked like her poor little heart was going to break into a thousand pieces. We quickly praised her for going to her bed and she forgave Kathy for raising her voice after a few minutes but you could tell she was totally distressed by the harsh command. If you tell her to go lie down, she looks totally insulted and unsure and then if you tell her it's okay to get up, she slinks over to you like you tore her heart out and stomped on it. I think maybe she only got told to go lay down before when she was in trouble? But hopefully with lots of rewards for doing so she'll learn it's not a bad thing.
As many of you know, my boss (at a small, busy grooming shop) recently adopted a 4 year old whippet named Xena. Xena was terribly nervous and unhappy the first few days, but has come around nicely and greets everyone who comes into the shop, plays, and is basically a normal dog.
While all is quiet, Xena sleeps in a bed underneath the register. When someone comes into the store, she recently has been getting up to check it out, and following around the other dogs while they play. She's got a very solid stay.
Twice, Xena has growled at another dog. Both times the dogs were small terriers, a JRT and a yorkie, very high energy, bouncing around, friendly, but totally wound-up and a bit dominant. The first time, she was already in her bed and we just removed the other dog. The second time, she was up and going to check out the other dog, and when the other dogs started wiggling and bouncing, she growled.
My boss wanted to know what she should do. I told her she shouldn't reprimand her, just to tell her to go to her bed, guide her there, and not let the other dog near her spot. She's got to have somewhere to go to get away from the little pesty ones. She's already learning "go lie down" and if we put her there and tell her stay she won't get up.
I was wondering if anyone had any other tips and if that was the right thing to say/do?
Also, she is super, super, super sensitive. Yesterday she got up to approach an unfriendly, very large pit mix and Kathy quickly put her hand up and said quite loudly "No Xena, Stay!" and Xena looked like her poor little heart was going to break into a thousand pieces. We quickly praised her for going to her bed and she forgave Kathy for raising her voice after a few minutes but you could tell she was totally distressed by the harsh command. If you tell her to go lie down, she looks totally insulted and unsure and then if you tell her it's okay to get up, she slinks over to you like you tore her heart out and stomped on it. I think maybe she only got told to go lay down before when she was in trouble? But hopefully with lots of rewards for doing so she'll learn it's not a bad thing.