Dog behavoir question

[DjEclipse]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've posted on these forum. We have a 3 year old Coton dog named Ollie.

Ollie seems to listen to me as I was the one that pretty much trained him, taught him tricks etc. since he wasa puppy. My GF is the one that spoils him more (though I spoil him more than enough), if she is on the couch he will be right on top of her cuddling. he does it with me as well but not as much.

For my question.

I have noticed that when ever we are having an argument, even if our voices get raised slightly. Or if there is an instance where my GF is upset about something, he will always come to where we are and stand right behind me. If I move 2' to the left he will do the same.

I've always wondered what that meant so I figured I would ask.

 

[smkie]

sounds to me like he is frightened and staying close to you for reassurance and behind you because it is the most non confrontational place. Also the reason for behind you and not her, is he sees you as the head of house, the one to answer to. No one could use raised voices in our house because Mary my lab mix would quiver and go sit in the bathtub. We sure didn't know why the bathtub.. One thing for sure, "your scaring Mary" ended a whole lot of out of control child and teen behavior. No one wanted to frighten her.

 

[DjEclipse]

sounds to me like he is frightened and staying close to you for reassurance and behind you because it is the most non confrontational place. Also the reason for behind you and not her, is he sees you as the head of house, the one to answer to. No one could use raised voices in our house because Mary my lab mix would quiver and go sit in the bathtub. We sure didn't know why the bathtub.. One thing for sure, "your scaring Mary" ended a whole lot of out of control child and teen behavior. No one wanted to frighten her.

Thanks for the quick reply. What you said makes sense, I never thought it would be fear though. Maybe we can end some arguments early for the sake of not frightening our Dog.

Come to think about it he stands behind me in other situations as well. If I am out for a walk and run into a friend, he will often stand behind me sometimes sitting. I hope Ollie isn't afraid in these situations as well...

 

[Maxy24]

Yeah, sounds like fear. Phoebe is the same way when uncle raises his voice, even if he's just telling a story in which he was mad, she doesn't hide behind him though, she's scared of him, she starts pacing and throwing calming signals and if he then interacts with her she often rolls over like she's scared. I don't know if it's just because she's sound sensitive or because a raised voice is often followed by getting hit.

 

[DjEclipse]

Yeah, sounds like fear. Phoebe is the same way when uncle raises his voice, even if he's just telling a story in which he was mad, she doesn't hide behind him though, she's scared of him, she starts pacing and throwing calming signals and if he then interacts with her she often rolls over like she's scared. I don't know if it's just because she's sound sensitive or because a raised voice is often followed by getting hit.

Ollie has never had a hand laid on him. He doesn't know what it is to be hit.

What are calming signals?

 

[smkie]

HEre is a pretty good explanation I think.

Calming Signals

EVEn if you didn't raise your voice your dog would probably know your upset by the way you smell. He sounds like a sensitive dog, and there is not one thing wrong with that. Smart too to know where to go that is probably the safest place of all behind the one person he knows that loves him and will protect him.. Give him an ear rub from Smkie.

Ttouch is also a wonderful way to help your dog.

 

[Maxy24]

oh no, I wasn't suggesting that was why your dog was doing it, it just might be why Phoebe gets scared.

Yeah, calming signals are a way that dogs try to diffuse tention. It's basically a way for a dog to say "I don't want to fight you, I am not challenging you, there is no need to be mad at me" so they do the opposite of what an aggressive dog would do. They show their belly, lift a front paw to show they are not tense, lick their lips or yawn to show their jaws are not clenched and lips are not tightly puckered, hold themselves low, avoid staring at you, especially in the eyes to show they have no interest in a challenge, they may even sniff the ground to accomplish that.

 

[DjEclipse]

Thanks for the reply's and the link, it was a good read.

Smkie you are right, he does know when we are upset, even if voices aren't raised he always seems to know. I'll give Olie an ear rub for you when I get home

So now that I know when he sits down behind me he is afraid, how do I show him that things are ok and not to be afraid in certain situations. He will sometimes do this when meeting people, even people that he has met before and got along fine with he will hide behind me when meeting them again.


On a side note he is a very instinctive dog. We'll be upstairs, the windows will be closed (curtains as well), tv on pretty loud and all of a sudden he will run downstairs and bark out the front window.

I'll go down to see what he is barking at and sure enough there will be some animal (rabbit, squirrel, another dog) out there on the front lawn. How the heck he knows this is beyond me, he can't smell the animal as the windows are closed, I can't see how he can hear anything with the tv being on, yet he knows every time.

 

[milos_mommy]

It's not a bad thing for a dog to be shy. I'd just let him make friends with the new people at his own pace, don't force him to come out from behind you or let them go after him to hold him or pet him. When he does decide to make friends, you can give him a lot of praise too, let new people give him a treat, etc. You want him to know new people = good things, but he might always be tentative about approaching strangers or even someone he's not very used to spending time with.