Normal dog behaviors ...

These two posts are from a yahoogroup called ClassicalHomeopathyPets and these posts were written by the owner of the group. She is a classical homeopath and treats the pets for a living.

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First of all, dogs in the wild WILL NOT SOIL THEIR DENS!!!! So the fact that our dogs are domesticated has nothing to do with this fact! They won't soil their dens in the wild and they will not soil their dens in domestication! It is not because it will make US mad! It is because that is the way Mother Nature made them! This is why one of the symptoms of chronic disease is for an animal to soil in their house!

And while having several species is part of the domestication process we have put them in, it should not take away from the way in which they are treated! We OWE IT to our dogs to RESPECT THEIR SPECIES! And treating them as something else, expecting them to behave in a manner that is acceptable to us but goes against their NATURE is not only ignorant and wrong, but shows little respect for the animals who give us so much!

Taking a walk on the beach with your friends and bringing your dogs along is fine.
In these circumstances no one is in anyone's territory! They are on leash and their guardians and human alphas are there! The dogs are under control and HOPEFULLY the humans will be paying attention to possible threats to the dogs. My point is with your friends bringing their dogs to YOUR HOUSE and forcing YOUR DOGS to accept their dogs' behavior IN THEIR DEN!!!!!

I really don't know HOW much clearer to put this!

As to exercising Tollers or ANY OTHER BREED for that matter, at shows, this is another thing we make them do FOR OUR BENEFIT! While my Genny enjoys traveling with me, I am sure she couldn't care less, nor is she capable of understanding that she took WB, BOW at three shows this weekend! She was happy to be with me, sleeping on the bed with me and sharing time away from the rest of the pack having one on one time with me and her pack sister!
Taking her out on a flexi so she can relieve herself I am sure is not her idea of perfect, nor is it for me to crawl out of bed at 5 AM in 28 degree weather to walk her around a small piece of grass! This is something that I do for MY benefit and try to make it as pleasurable for her as possible. I KNOW that it is not going to negatively affect her to be exercised ON A LEASH for 3 days, instead of running around the acreage she has at home.
When I feel that going to shows too often starts affecting her mental well-being and physical conditioning, then WE STAY HOME!!!!!!

IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE for you or anyone else who goes to shows to turn your dogs loose so they can exercise! If your dogs need exercise that badly, then don't go shows for a whole weekend! Do one day shows!

You don't have the right to IMPOSE your dogs' behavior on ANYONE, no matter how well manner YOU THINK your dogs are! You don't know the fears, prior experiences or other issues the rest of the dogs around you are dealing with! Nor the capabilities of the other owners to control their dogs, avoid fights or protect themselves and their dogs!

I do NOT appreciate people who like you, have their dogs running loose because they need the exercise or they have obedience titles! When I am away at a show and have to exercise my 200 lb Great Dane who was attacked by a black dog as a puppy and has never forgotten it, I don't appreciate some IRRESPONSIBLE JERK with a dark coated dog, allowing it to run free! It puts my dog in a very stressful situation and me in danger! Holding a 200 lb Great Dane who thinks is going to be attacked again by a dark coated dog is not fun!

I don't appreciate having to put my dog in the van and drive him three blocks away from the hotel we are staying at, because irresponsible, selfish owners are allowing their dogs to run loose in the common exercise area of the hotel so he can relieve himself without any stress and me not have to worry that I'll be back in a hospital with my back because I was dragged by my dog who was being chased by some jerk's dog running loose! That has happened to me more times than I care to remember!

If you must exercise your dog several miles a day, then get a bike, take him to an empty lot somewhere and run him around the lot until he drops! But don't turn him loose on MY or anyone else's dogs because you don't have the RIGHT to do that and it is IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR like the one you describe that has forced many cities to ban certain breeds!

And, BTW, if your dog shows mental or physical symptoms because he is not running several miles a day, I suggest you mention it to his Homeopath, because part of HEALTH is being able to ADAPT!

NO DOG is beyond biting! It is their way to survive! It is a responsible owner's DUTY to make sure they understand dog behavior and to not put them in situations where in their minds, their safety is being threatened. When owners do irresponsible and stupid things that is when our dogs get in trouble! You have NO CONTROL over a dog running loose, I don't care how much you think your dog is trained and obedient! If something threatens him he will react out of SURVIVAL! If you are too irresponsible to think ahead to those circumstances that may make your dog feel the need to defend himself, then you shouldn't have dogs!

So you can disagree with me all you want, but we will NEVER AGREE TO DISAGREE on the responsibilities that we, as supposedly EDUCATED dog owners have to our own dogs, the rest of the dogs out there and to the general public!
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Definitely introduced everyone in a neutral place! the front yard or the sidewalk. Then play it by ear. I realize you have no choice and you can't ban your family from your house. Give your dogs some space!

I usually have a house full of people around the times for the local dog shows. My dogs know that the back two rooms are 'guest areas' and when my friends have their dogs, that is where they are at. They have access to an enclosed area in the back, so they can exercise their dogs without interfering with my dogs' space. I usually keep that area of the house off limit to my dogs and my friends' dogs by putting up a high child gate and it works fine. My dogs know the strangers are here for a short time and they seem to tolerate them well. However, they are never happy to have other dogs in the house! Tweet