Vindictive vomiting?

[mks61]

Ours for a month now, Sophie a 17 month old mutt (Weimaraner/Pointer Mix) vomited on our bed... On my wife's side. She is convinced it was a deliberate act. I doubt it. But I thought I'd throw it out there for others to comment on. The dog is very energetic but otherwise well behaved. I've heard of pooping and peeing vindictively but not vomiting! Any comments?

Cheers,

Karl

[KOPsarah]

hi mks61, and thanks for your post.
As a rule dogs cannot vomit voluntarily however if the vomiting is not sudden the dog may choose the area it vomits. Regardless of whether or not your dog chose to vomit in that area the main concern is that your wife feels that the dog is dominant over you both or does not respect you both. I would recommend that you and particularly your wife go through the alpha training with your new dog.

Following the alpha dog training will definitely help show the dog its position. It is also important to remember the key points of dominance.

In a wild dog pack the dominant pack member controls :
-access to food
-access to favoured sleeping areas
-any interactions with lower pack members
-access to favoured items such as toys

In order to show your dog her position as bottom of the pack you and your whole family can take advantage of these keys points. For example

1) She must be the last to eat at every meal and should never get treats from the table.

2) She should never walk through doors before you. A good way to practice this is to walk around the house and make her sit at each doorway and wait.

3) If she is lying in the hallway or anywhere you have to get past make them move.

4) When you arrive home completely ignore her for 15 minutes. Don't look at her, talk to her or pat her. After this go to her and give her some quiet attention only as long as they are relaxed and calm.

Only interact with the dog on your terms. If your or someone else is petting the dog or playing with it and it becomes aggressive or badly behaved immediately remove your attention from the dog by either removing yourself from the area or moving the dog to another area. You should do this without displaying any emotion such as anger just be a calm but decisive pack leader and the dog will appreciate knowing where it stands. Similarly you can assert your dominance by not allowing access to beds and couches or by only bringing out favourite toys when you want to play and removing them when you are finished.

I hope this helps and I really think it will improve you and your wife's relationship with your new dog. Let me know how you get on.