Pack behavior, vs. individual, or possessive of me?

[Tank's Grandma]

This might be a little long, but to explain it has to be...
Some may remember, I posted once about when we had the boys at Petco, and we had a peky golden lunge at us, the normally well behaved boys got growly and barky for the first time I had ever seen, and it was explained to me, that since it was me, fiance and both dogs, they saw it as the pack being threatened....makes sense.
So Sunday, Jake was due for his rabies shot, and we always take both boys, so we can weigh the other one as well, and any chance to get them out and socialize, we take it, but make sure they go into the vet by themselves. And crazy dogs, they love the vet..
We get there, there is a 110 pound (I heard him being weighed) completely beserk chocolate lab who goes off when we walk in...lunging, barking...and the boys, who were wiggling at the vet tech reacted badly again. We took them to the other side of the waiting room, made them sit and they stopped...meanwhile the woman has NO control over her dog "he just wants to play, want me to bring him over to say hello????" NO!!!! In a few minutes her son comes over, asks if he can pet the boys, yes, they are fine, very happy to say hello.
Yes, I'm getting to the question.
I took Jake in for his exam and shot (during which he was a model citizen, except he gagged on the dog treat and spit it out ) and while we were in there, fiance took Tank outside to wait.
While they were out there...woman with out of control dog comes out of the vet...her dog is still out of control, lunging and barking, but this time it's just fiance and Tank, and Tank doesn't even budge....
So I'm just wondering if the difference in behavior is because of me not being there, and I have never ever encouraged protective behavior..it always gets a big time knock it off... or because there's only the two of them instead of all of us, or even something so simple as being outside instead of inside the vet???

[Judi W]

No, its because they don't have each other egging them on. Trust me, it was not about protecting you, it was just them being brats and feel free to go ahead and cream them for it.

[Tank's Grandma]

Originally Posted by Judi W

No, its because they don't have each other egging them on. Trust me, it was not about protecting you, it was just them being brats and feel free to go ahead and cream them for it.

Okay....we did, and do...I didn't think it was about possessiveness, as I'm the one who works with them the most, but wanted to make sure.
Kind of an extension of showing off when they have an audience?

[Judi W]

Originally Posted by Tank's Grandma

Kind of an extension of showing off when they have an audience?

Oh you bet, and besides it was fun being the gangstas. ........... Remind them that we do not see Segal yelling at people!

[Tank's Grandma]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Oh you bet, and besides it was fun being the gangstas. ........... Remind them that we do not see Segal yelling at people!

Absolutely...they were made to sit nicely, and reminded that Segal doesn't whine like a little girl either....but I didn't want to educate the other hoodlum, the large brown one "who just wants to play". My fiance said she could hardly get her dog in her car with her ramp....
But they did say hello nicely to her son who was fascinated by the fact that they didn't have tails...
There are days when they make me very happy I raised girl children.... but then, there are other days when I don't know how I got along without them

[Carol Burke]

I don't see that they were so out of line. They came into the vet's office and were minding their own business when the Lab started his bs, they responded when you told them to knock it off and sat politely. Being outside and having already been through it with the Lab the element of surprise was gone and the one dog minded his manners as he has been taught to do.

[Tank's Grandma]

Thing is, a lab goes beserk, people go..oh, it's a lab ...my two boys respond with their much deeper barks, in a different situation (not my vet's office thank goodness, they love rotts and my boys) people react differntly, so I would rather my boys be held to a higher standard...fair or not. So, I want to understand the behavior, and how best to deal with it...and at one and two, they are being butt head punks.

[damp]

Yes, I remember your other post, and I do think the dogs “pack up” (or what ever the word is) It’s normal dog behavior but NOT desirable in a modern society.
I would work/walk them one by one... and tolerate they don't take crap from other dogs as long you still have your dog(s) under control.

[LynnS]

I only have one dog and I find Bella in the same predicament once in a while....One of the few things that we (husband and I) feel justified in having a CTJ meeting with Bella is *rising to the occasion*...I do not give a crap what the ill behaved xyz dog is doing .... BUT on the other hand I am the first one to explain to other dog owners why their dogs behavior is not so cute in doggy language....