Advice Needed

[kaylynn143]

Sorry this is a long one, but I don't know what else to do.

I have been taking my dogs to doggie day care for the last year. They both seem to enjoy going and playing with other dogs.

When I first started taking them I would drop them both off for the day. When Harley sees dogs playing exuberantly with each other she seems to take the playing as fighting and starts to 'correct' the dogs by barking at them and trying to push them apart. (She is a very alpha dog who is very pushy) Donna, the daycare attendant, would only have to say Harley's name and she would stop, but Harley worries more about what everyone else is doing and tries to make them 'behave'. After a couple months they started tag teaming the other dogs and I stopped taking them on the same day.

Things for Harley are improving (she is playing more and refereeing less); however, Merlin has started taking over as the fun police on the days that he goes. If he has a leash attached to him he behaves alot better, but Donna is getting concerned that Merlin is not enjoying himself much and the other dogs are getting pushed around too much by him.

When I talked with Donna tonight she said that there is probably nothing that I can do as far as training or socialization that will improve the situation for him. She said that is just part of his personality that has been drawn out further by being around Harley. When he is playing he starts to get excited (over stimulated) and worked up to the point that he plays too roughly for the other dogs and doesn't stop or tone it down when the other dogs can't handle him. He doesn't get mean or hurt anyone, and I don't ever want to get even close to hurting anyone.

Donna thinks that his prey drive is what triggers the negative behavior. Between his core personality (affectionate, bullheaded, goofball) and his possible bad genetics (his history is unknown) and just being a rottie she is not sure if he will be able to continue going to daycare. She kept saying that it isn't do to my training or any lack of training/socialization, but... I feel as if I have let the dogs down.

Any suggestions on what I can do to try and get the dinamic duo to stop policing the world? They are both great with people and do well with other dogs for a short periods of time (few hours or so). I just don't know how to get it across to them that they don't need to worry about what everyone else is doing and that they can relax and enjoy live.

[emccausland]

i am sure someone else may have better advice then this. but have you thought of just keeping the dog with other dogs that know him, and his personality???

[Judi W]

You might want to review the posts on dog parks. It is much the same. Not all dogs belong free-lancing in a group of other dogs.