I hope you'all don't mind, but I had another question, and I'd like to receive the differing opinions, too.1.)What about a puppy growling and wagging his tail while he plays with a toy off to himself. No one is anywhere near him, but he is playfully growling. Is that ok?
2.)And what about playing tug-of-war with him? He growls when I play that with him. I usually stop several times, tell him to drop it, and then make him sit. Once he obeys, I throw the toy so he can retrieve it. He usually brings the toy back to me, and sits in my lap and plays with it.
3.)If the puppy acts very excited to see the kids, and is jumping and licking with his tail wagging, does this mean he considers them to be above him?
4.)If puppy sits on kids laps and chews on toys, what does this mean?
Colby will most of the time allow the kids to do whatever to him. He gets a little cocky every now and then, but usually will go back to his humble self very easily!
We are still reading through material, and doing lots of research. Thank you all for posting your opinions. I acknowledge that everyone will not hold to the same theory. So, I appreciate learning the different schools of thought.
Blessings,
Rebecca
IMO, the way to have a good puppy who respects you is through training - tugging on a rope will not undo that. (Also, good for you for using the game as an excuse to practice "sit," and using playing again as a reward! That is a fantastic way to use positive reinforcement to shape a desired behavior!)
Puppies jump up and lick kids because kids are awesome to puppies. They get excited with them, they usually have some food on their face or hands for puppy to clean off, and they're just plain great playmates - that's why puppies get excited to see kids. The bond between kids and dogs is so cool to see in action. (Again, this is where I don't buy into the idea that dogs are constantly plotting ways to gain dominance over every being.)
