Re: [PyrNet-L] dominance/aggression

["Mitzi Potter" <Pyrs-R-Us@popline.com>]

My 4 Pyrs act exactly like your Travis. But what's funny is that you
call it "dominant" and I've always called it "submissive" LOL! Why do
you think it's dominant? Because of the "guarding/barking" behavior?
He seems quite submissive to other dogs (like when you walk him) to
me. It's so funny how the same behavior is interpreted differently by
different owners. When my dogs bark and carry on at the fence when a
stranger walks up, I see that as "a Pyr thing". They're just doing
their job. When the stranger walks inside the fence with me my dogs
turn into marshmallows, wagging their tails and rubbing their big
heads into the strangers hand. It just struck me odd that our dogs
all behave the same, but us (as owners) describe it completely
opposite.
Mitzi Potter

On Tue, 12 May 1998 11:10:06 EST, Gerry Kemske wrote:

 >Our Pyr Travis is a dominant beast but does not have an aggressive
bone in
 >his body.  He adores cats and happily shares his sofa and bed with
them
 >when they come to visit.  He also guards the birds that land on our
feeder
 >and the only time he chases squirrels is when they get too near the
birds. 
 >When friends come to visit with their toddlers, and the toddlers
sit on the
 >floor or lawn, Travis curls himself around them.  If they start to
wack him
 >or pull his hair, he gets up and moves off a little way.  With
bigger kids,
 >he really wants to jump up on them and start a rough game of bump
and
 >chase!  We have a large fenced-in yard and he does the normal
bristling,
 >barking and posturing if something comes down the street, but if I
invite
 >one of the many neighborhood dogs inside the fence he is just fine
with
 >them  (I have to say that most are hesitant to come in, what with
our
 >little boy bucking and huffing like crazy).  We also have many
coyotes in
 >our fairly rural area (about 50 miles northwest of Boston); you can
see
 >them sometimes just lying down in families in the pastures.  The
farmer on
 >the end of our street says that his rescued Rottweiler once went up
to the
 >family and exchanged nosings with two of the adults without taking
any
 >further action..  One last thing - our neighbor up the road in a
rental
 >house that changes hands every six months has a wolf which is often
chained
 >behind his house.  He takes it with him when he leaves every
morning.  I
 >noticed one weekend that he had a visitor with a boxer and that the
boxer
 >was playing happily with the tied wolf in the back yard.  I walk
Travis on
 >the road in front of the wolf twice a day, which agitates the wolf
 >considerably, but Travis pays very little notice to it.  The wolf
howls and
 >runs in circles (wagging his tail) but Travis just ignores him.  I
don't
 >know what would happen if they met.  Travis is very dominant but
has never
 >bitten anything, even when attacked by another dog, as he has been
twice on
 >our walks.  He looks baffled and turns away and the other dogs
slink off
 >with my foot in their side and a mouth full of white hair.  If the
other
 >dog tries to play with him, though, he turns into a happy
Lippizanner. 
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Mitzi Potter                                                                              
Pyrs-R-Us@popline.com                                                            
OKC  OK                                                                                   
4 Pyrs, 1 mix, 2 Goldens and a Newf.....and still counting :-)   
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