Captain Oats & Eddie

[Aprilthe1st]

Hi Everyone,

 

I wanted to post an update about my BCs, Eddie and Oats; you guys had all given me such encouragement a few months ago. Well now the boys are 7 months old and doing Ok!

 

There is agression between them, but very little, and it's always Eddie that is dominant over Oats. Any arguments they get in are over in about 5 seconds literally. They have had about three nasty confrontations in the last few months.

 

Two odd things they do repeatedly though I wanted to mention. I think they are funny but I'm curious to see if any of you might have a guess as to why they are doing them.

 

1. Captain Oats: I have two steel bowls in the kitchen, always filled with water for them. Actually lately I have stopped keeping the bowls filled because Oats picks one up, water and all, and takes it and places it on his bed. (The kind of soft bed that looks like a doggie armchair). Then he gets the other bowl, and does the same thing, takes it water and all, and deposits it in Eddie's bed. It's a mess but the most curious thing and he is quite pleased with himself! And he does it daily. Even when the bowls are emtpy, he does the same thing. Thoughts..?

 

2. Eddie: Maybe this is more reasonable behavior, or at least if not reasonable, explainable. Maddie is my daughter. Maddie and Oats will be playing "tug" in the kitchen. Eddie, in the other room with his knuckle bone, or sitting by the pool doors in another room.. where ever he happens to be, will come into the kitchen, get between Oats and Maddie, gently, take the tug toy, usually an old dishrag, and take it from them, place it into another room, and then go back to what he was doing in his own space. Maddie will go get the dishrag, start playing with Oats again, and Eddie does the same thing... comes from where ever he is, gently takes the rag, places it somewhere else away from Maddie and Oats, then goes back to his own spot. He's done it a few times and Maddie was so surprised she didn't say anything to him, and Oats didn't protest at all. However, I've since stopped him because I don't want him to think it's ok to take anything from Maddie, gently or not, I feel he is still being bossy.

 

There are still a few problems that are slowly getting better. Oats walks very well with me, and behaves appropriately, except when he sees cars. He doesn't want to chase them, he is afraid of them. I'm not sure what to do about that. He is a little nervous driving with me too but he is getting more comfortable every time so I am hopeful. Eddie loves driving in the car.

 

Eddie is the aggressive dog, and more afraid of the cars than Oats is. Eddie is also more stubborn when we are walking. I don't walk them together yet, because they are both still learning and so am I.

 

I've been walking with my brother and sister in law and we have been passing the leash back and forth every now and then as we walk. At first both dogs showed the same behavior. If I was not the one on the end of their leash, they kept turning and looking for me, or stopping altogether. They are getting better at that too. Actually, if my brother and I walk with Oats in between us, we can leave him offleash for two or three minutes at a time and he stays between us, about a head behind. After that length of time, he seems to get distracted and wants to wander. Still I think he is doing great.

 

Oats is allowed at the Doggie Daycare now, because he plays and acts appropriately with the other dogs.

 

Recently my sister rescued a second Bernese, a 2 year old female, and Oats is great with her. Eddie tried to get bossy and look menacing to her.. she looked at him as if to say.. "And..?" She gave him a low growl and that was the end of Eddie being bossy to her.

 

My brother has a new ValleyBull pup, 3 months old now. Oats liked him immediately, and the puppy liked him back. Eddie however, seems afraid of what the puppy is going to do next, he was quite nasty to him the first time they met, and a little better the second time. The third time he was much better, but I still wouldn't leave the puppy alone with him. He is definitely unpredictable. And I am nervous when Eddie is around other dogs so I am sure I'm not helping matters with my tension.

 

For as much as Eddie is the more aggressive dog when it comes to dogs, he is the more affectionate and lovey to people.

 

These are the issues with them now. Health wise, they are excellent. Oats is about 55 pounds, Eddie 50.. They are so funny, and full of personality.

 

Thanks for reading!!

April

[afrancis]

Hi Everyone,

 

1. Captain Oats: I have two steel bowls in the kitchen, always filled with water for them. Actually lately I have stopped keeping the bowls filled because Oats picks one up, water and all, and takes it and places it on his bed. (The kind of soft bed that looks like a doggie armchair). Then he gets the other bowl, and does the same thing, takes it water and all, and deposits it in Eddie's bed. It's a mess but the most curious thing and he is quite pleased with himself! And he does it daily. Even when the bowls are emtpy, he does the same thing. Thoughts..?

 

2. Eddie: Maybe this is more reasonable behavior, or at least if not reasonable, explainable. Maddie is my daughter. Maddie and Oats will be playing "tug" in the kitchen. Eddie, in the other room with his knuckle bone, or sitting by the pool doors in another room.. where ever he happens to be, will come into the kitchen, get between Oats and Maddie, gently, take the tug toy, usually an old dishrag, and take it from them, place it into another room, and then go back to what he was doing in his own space. Maddie will go get the dishrag, start playing with Oats again, and Eddie does the same thing... comes from where ever he is, gently takes the rag, places it somewhere else away from Maddie and Oats, then goes back to his own spot. He's done it a few times and Maddie was so surprised she didn't say anything to him, and Oats didn't protest at all. However, I've since stopped him because I don't want him to think it's ok to take anything from Maddie, gently or not, I feel he is still being bossy.

 

Hello April,

I don't think I was around when you were here last but I do have some comments, which I'm sure you probably suspect already, about Oats and Eddie's behaviour.

1. This is very funny! I think poor Oats is trying to establish what belongs to whom. By placing one bowl in each of their beds, he is i) being democratic ii) avoiding conflict. Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing (sp?) here, but I think it is classic and, more than that, classic smart bc. That being said, I might try placing the bowls in two different locations so if one chooses to drink, the other can go elsewhere and drink at the same time without either feeling threatened, at least until they get things sorted out.

2. I think in this scenario Eddie is determining that Oats and Maddie can't play unless he says so. More than this, he is displaying his displeasure at Oats having quality time with a human without his participation. I think it's a good idea to discourage this now before it manifests in other, more emphatic, behaviours.

 

I'm sure others will have more (and no doubt more insightful) suggestions about what's going on here and I'm curious to hear the responses.

 

IMO, I think that you're aware of the dynamic going on between Eddie and Oats and are doing a good job with them, both together and independently.

 

Keep up the good work!

Ailsa

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I think that's great that you know your dogs and working with them and their separate personalities. For situation #1 - I think it's pretty funny. I don't really have much of an explanation for it besides what Alisa said. I used to have plastic bowls for Daisy and when she was a pup, she would play soccer in the kitchen with them...full of water. Needless to say I had a super clean kitchen floor. I switched to ceramic and she stopped because she couldn't move them. BUT, she did start trying to get the paw print that is on the bottom of it out. It's really funny to see a dog "digging" in her water dish, she's out grown that as well and only occasionally sticks her paw in it. Maybe try heavier dishes? Situation #2 - I think that he might be kind of bossy. Telling them he doesn't want them to be playing. Good idea to stop that one. Someone might end up getting nipped...? As for Eddie being stubborn on leash...what do you use to walk them with? Just their collars or do you use a harness or anything? Daisy has some malamute in her and has this crazy urge to pull, so I got her a gentle leader. Kind of a head harness and it works wonders with her!

 

Good luck!

Julie