I recently adopted a mix lab and what I and several people believe, a little bit of pit bull blood in the 3 year old female dog. She is extremely sweet, intelligent, already taught and mastered her simple commands in a day (i.e. sit, stay, down) and knows her boundaries in the house without making me tell her twice. She is also very attached to me, I think, but I am not certain because she was a stray and alone for quite awhile or because of our bond.
When I try to pet my sister's dog in my house, she would get between us and give him a hard "stare" in which the other dog quickly backed down. I had pet other dogs at the dog park in front of her and she did not do the same although she stays extremely close to me.
Until recently, she has been very good staying home waiting for me when I step outside the house. But now and then, when I am about to go out the front door, she would rush in front of me and out the door if it opens even though we just had a very long walk earlier. I would have to wait until she calms down before I can go out again just to come back to the front door and find her laying by the door waiting on me.
Today, after coming home from work, I decided to move the trash around the building instead of through my living room to put it in the back patio. On the way, one of the neighbor's kids started asking me questions (as all kids do) and we chat a little bit as I wanted to give him his toy back which he left behind in my patio (yes, these kids were playing in my patio when they really shouldn't.. but that's okay. I'll tolerate it as long as they didn't touch or destroy anything). I didn't hear any barking and did not notice my dog was watching me the whole time by the patio door.
I went back through the front door as usual to find her on her back and showing her belly. I also found one of my blinds ripped down, looks like it was not really chewed but ripped as I only see one spot with her teeth marks and it's still wet. She has never chewed or destroy anything in the house while I was gone for work. She also never soils in the house while I was gone.
It is my fault as I changed my habit too quickly for her by going a different route. Also, I should have started leaving my worn clothes or a blanket or something for her anxiety as it seems apparent she is growing very attached to me. That I will start to try and fix when I go back to work on Monday.
In the meantime, I have other dog owners who tells me that she did that to be "protective". My dog does not bark - ever - for reasons I do not know why but I know she physically can as I heard her bark twice out of play but never again since then. She is not a good watch dog at all - she wags her tail at strangers and snuggles up to them. However, I am being told that because this is a kid, not an adult, who is almost as tall as my dog, my dog sees him as a threat or a competitor for my attention, thus ripped out my blinds. In my opinion, I think it's more of a separation issue. I have seen very severe cases where dogs have crashed into the patio door or destroy everything in the house. I am fortunately that it's only the blind that took the fall and I luckily happen to have an extra lying around.
What do you think? Was she really trying to protect me or was just panicking? I have left her alone before inside and outside the house but she never did this.
When I try to pet my sister's dog in my house, she would get between us and give him a hard "stare" in which the other dog quickly backed down. I had pet other dogs at the dog park in front of her and she did not do the same although she stays extremely close to me.
Until recently, she has been very good staying home waiting for me when I step outside the house. But now and then, when I am about to go out the front door, she would rush in front of me and out the door if it opens even though we just had a very long walk earlier. I would have to wait until she calms down before I can go out again just to come back to the front door and find her laying by the door waiting on me.
Today, after coming home from work, I decided to move the trash around the building instead of through my living room to put it in the back patio. On the way, one of the neighbor's kids started asking me questions (as all kids do) and we chat a little bit as I wanted to give him his toy back which he left behind in my patio (yes, these kids were playing in my patio when they really shouldn't.. but that's okay. I'll tolerate it as long as they didn't touch or destroy anything). I didn't hear any barking and did not notice my dog was watching me the whole time by the patio door.
I went back through the front door as usual to find her on her back and showing her belly. I also found one of my blinds ripped down, looks like it was not really chewed but ripped as I only see one spot with her teeth marks and it's still wet. She has never chewed or destroy anything in the house while I was gone for work. She also never soils in the house while I was gone.
It is my fault as I changed my habit too quickly for her by going a different route. Also, I should have started leaving my worn clothes or a blanket or something for her anxiety as it seems apparent she is growing very attached to me. That I will start to try and fix when I go back to work on Monday.
In the meantime, I have other dog owners who tells me that she did that to be "protective". My dog does not bark - ever - for reasons I do not know why but I know she physically can as I heard her bark twice out of play but never again since then. She is not a good watch dog at all - she wags her tail at strangers and snuggles up to them. However, I am being told that because this is a kid, not an adult, who is almost as tall as my dog, my dog sees him as a threat or a competitor for my attention, thus ripped out my blinds. In my opinion, I think it's more of a separation issue. I have seen very severe cases where dogs have crashed into the patio door or destroy everything in the house. I am fortunately that it's only the blind that took the fall and I luckily happen to have an extra lying around.
What do you think? Was she really trying to protect me or was just panicking? I have left her alone before inside and outside the house but she never did this.
