Is my dog the only one???

[vegas]

Hi

I have a 5 month old cavalier king charles and she HATES it when i try to lay her on her back to rub her belly.

If i pick her up and put her on her back her legs all go stiff and point up and her eyes look like she sow a ghost.

I thought dogs loved getting their belly rubbed???

(can i just ask if its normal for a dog not to eat when anyone is around???, when i leave her food she just leaves it unless i put it in her crate and shut the door, then when i return 2 mins later its gone).

 

[puppy go luckii]

im no expert but with tha research ive done b4 i got my dog those r signs of a sumbissive dog.. i think lol..

 

[Renee750il]

That sounds like a puppy that doesn't feel secure and relaxed yet. Whatever you do, don't try to roll her over to rub her belly anymore. Try to avoid petting her directly on top of her head, too. Speak very softly to her, talk baby-talk even, and when you pet her, start with just a very gentle touch on the side of her shoulders. Let her lay in your lap, and lots of soft, gentle voices. Give her bites of food out of your hand. Let her learn that you are going to take care of her and love her; that will allow her to learn to trust you.

Are you working on basic things like 'sit' with her? That's a very good way to build her self confidence, as well as playing games with her.

Once she's more relaxed and self-confident you should see a great change in her. She should even start eating her food right away, too.

 

[bubbatd]

This is part of the puppy submissive test....putting a puppy on their back should have started at 3 to 4 weeks....obviously this wasn't done and the poor baby doesn't understand. I agree with Renee, go slowly. I wish you had read " How to raise a puppy you can live with " It spells out so much ... and though I've mentioned the book many times here, there are no reponses.....it's not only for the breeder but for the new families. These puppies go through phases that need to be accessed at an early age by the breeder. I guess that's why my pups were worked with at least 10 minutes a day socializing alone......add cleaning, lovinging, feeding etc etc with 10 or more pups, you know now that litters are a full time job to do it right!!

 

[avenlee]

Just to add, as I read your original post: you lay your dog on her back to rub her belly? You should be able to just sit next to her and pet her. I guess I'm confused with the you placing her on her back to rub her belly? At 5 months old, she might be scared of you. You need to allow her to feel safe. She's a baby and I've said it before, just like human babies (that still sounds funny when I type it) they will learn the most in the first year.

 

[Renee750il]

Grammy, I missed the references to that book somehow. Who's the author?

 

[Love4Pits]

I agree with everything above. i would'nt put her on her bsck unless she shows you her belly on her own. She may not eat around you because she is afraid of you from you putting her on her back. that is a very dominent move

 

[vegas]

She knows how to sit, stay, shake hands, lay down and jump on command (and come also) but i doubt she is scared of me, because in the morning when my girlfriend opens the bed room door she always runs in and starts licking my face and any time i come home she runs and jumps all over me, i can't leave a room without her following me.

So should i put her on her backfor a minute a day???

 

[bubbatd]

Renee..."How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" is by David Neil and Clarice Rutherford. It's now in it's 3rd edition. It was my "Bible" when I raised puppies. Book starts with how to be a reponsible breeder ( and when NOT to breed)) goes into the breeding and whelping then a week to week of what to expect and what to do at each stage. Then goes on to the new owner and what to do the first year. I bought them by the dozen and made sure the new owners had one even before they took the pup home. I see that Amazon has a good price new and used. You can get a paper back for about $6.00,,manybe less. I don't have the 3rd edition , so even though I don't breed anymore I going to buy one. Look it up and if you agree with me, post it as a suggestion anywhere on this forum !! I followed this book to the letter and ALL my pups were well socialized,practically house broken etc. when they left me....with raves from their owners.. Amen...I miss those days!!!

 

[BigDog2191]

That sounds like a puppy that doesn't feel secure and relaxed yet. Whatever you do, don't try to roll her over to rub her belly anymore. Try to avoid petting her directly on top of her head, too. Speak very softly to her, talk baby-talk even, and when you pet her, start with just a very gentle touch on the side of her shoulders. Let her lay in your lap, and lots of soft, gentle voices. Give her bites of food out of your hand. Let her learn that you are going to take care of her and love her; that will allow her to learn to trust you.

Are you working on basic things like 'sit' with her? That's a very good way to build her self confidence, as well as playing games with her.

Once she's more relaxed and self-confident you should see a great change in her. She should even start eating her food right away, too.

Uh-oh, I started petting Rocky on top of the head like... the hour I got him...

 

[nohea]

Vegas, don't force her to go on her back for any amount of time. If she wants her belly rubbed she'll roll over and make it evident what she wants.

 

[Kesh]

Dominance issues

Have you properly socialized your puppy by taking her to socialization and obedience classes. This puppy sounds like she is testing her dominance over you. You are the pack leader and should be able to turn her on her stomach without much resistance. This should have been exercised at a much earlier age, but should not be ignored now. Otherwise, you are going to find yourself with a dog that knows that you are submissive to her. It is hard to watch your dog unhappy, but she needs to know who is in charge right now. She is not going to grow up and think for herself-what she likes and dislikes as a human. You are responsible for that and you are also responsible for showing her you are alpha. If you watch puppies play and dogs play with each other they often show hierchy by pinning each other down...that is what you were doing in your dogs mind and she didn't like it. It is not that she doesn't like to have her tummy pet.

If you don't have her in classes, I would enroll right away. They are fun and important.

 

[Renee750il]

Uh-oh, I started petting Rocky on top of the head like... the hour I got him...

Don't worry too much about it, BigDog - Rocky sounds like he's a very confident pup and doesn't have the same lack of confidence problems as the little Cavalier does. Typically though, dogs enjoy being approached from an angle that they can see your hands from much more than a "blind" approach. Definitely something to remember when you're meeting a strange dog!

 

[Renee750il]

She knows how to sit, stay, shake hands, lay down and jump on command (and come also) but i doubt she is scared of me, because in the morning when my girlfriend opens the bed room door she always runs in and starts licking my face and any time i come home she runs and jumps all over me, i can't leave a room without her following me.

So should i put her on her backfor a minute a day???

Just because she might be frightened by one thing you do doesn't mean she's necessarily afraid of you. She sounds like she wants and needs your approval. Like Nohea said, don't do the rolling over thing at all. As she gains confidence, you might start teaching her the trick of rolling all the way over - 360 degrees - and making a game of it, treats and lavish praise. Bet she'll learn to love those belly rubs after that! Just remember, with this dog, you'll need to keep things light and fun. She sounds like she's very emotional and will be very responsive. She just needs a lot of positive reinforcement and confidence building.

And be very, very, very consistent. This is a dog that's going to need to know what's expected of her. Consistency. She'll do everything in her power to please you - as long as she knows what it is . . . and isn't.

I've got the same thing with Shiva sometimes - all 130 pounds or so of her! She has no idea whatsoever what she really is - a Monster fully capable of world domination, or at least control over her world, lol! Kharma is doing her dead-level best to keep Shiva from figuring it out; Kharma has plans of her own for world domination. Thank goodness we've got Bimmer to quash those two!

 

[smkie]

That is just not a normal position for a dog..and if not learned early early it takes a long time before they figure out what it is we want "i am sure we are a mystery most of the time"..victor absolutely flipped out the first time i tried to hold him "baby style" . Now he drapes in my arms and falls asleep! Give it lots of time, little lessons .not the big one all at once..start first just rolling over on the floor..and talking sweet..then holding the head only in your lap while rolling your dog onto their back..later working more of the body up into your arms..then they will "learn" to love what our people selves find so wonderful.