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Old 05-15-2008, 08:23 PM
Tarnador Tarnador is offline
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Join Date: May 2008
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Hi Mary,

I agree with everything Todd says - it's good sound advice.
I would like to tell you how I handle my rottweiler/pitbull, named Bobbi. She is 9 months old and I have three other dogs. She is by far the most dominant, and I have to come down harder on her than the others every single day because she is so dominant. This means that she has to obey every command, no matter how small, I can't let her get away with anything. She used to jump up at the kids and nip them but I squirted her with water every time and she no longer does this.

I have also taught the children how to act around her, which I think is important with your grandchildren. They must never get on the floor and play with her as she will treat them as being lower status and they could get bitten. Children can also learn to be alpha dog, my 12 year old daughter is a natural and can handle both our big dogs, however my son is not as assertive and I have to keep an eye on him, as he projects weaker energy.

Regarding feeding - I like to mix dry food with my hands so that it has my scent, she has to wait patiently. In the beginning I used to have a biscuit in my hand and pretend I was taking it from her bowl, she would have to sit and wait while I ate the biscuit first. In this way I am Alpha dog and eat first. I put her food in front of her but don't allow her to eat - at first this was difficult as she used to lunge for it - so I had to remove it and start over. Now she won't touch the food until I give her permission. My kids now feed all the dogs.

It's important that you have control over your dog's food in this way and that you are able to take it away at any time. another method is to give your dog just a little food and whilst she is eating, keep adding little handfuls of dry food to her bowl. Please be careful with the grandkids around. Good luck
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