Gaining confidence!!

[catrine01]

A new behavior has just developed in our 4.5 month old girl, Gabi. She used to run away from the Big Boy Golden next door who would bark at her. I was a little worried about her courage. She would run back to the front porch and beg to go back in the house. Just this past week, she has changed her tune toward him. Now she gets all perked up (hair up and tail straight out) and runs over to her edge of her yard and barks right back at him (and her bark is more ferocious sounding than his might I add). He stops barking and just looks at her. I don't think he knows what to make of this little black bear. I think her confidence is building more each day. Anybody else have this happen around this age?

[brinabear]

Our girls sound alot alike. Meeka would be afraid of the trash trucks at our fence, she would run and want to come back inside. I would go out by the back fence and sit with her and pet her telling her it ok its just a truck(it comes every thurs). Last thursday she didnt run and acually barked at it.
Brinabear

[lopezjohn49ers]

Reassuring a frightened dog just reinforces their fear. The barking is less likely confidence so much as fear aggression. As far as your 4.5 month old now barking at the neighbor's dog, she is probably just starting to feel territorial. You might want to curb this since it is likely to increase and become a habit that is annoying to you and the neighbor.

[catrine01]

Gabi is not experiencing fear aggression. She merely barked back at a dog who has been barking incessantly at her for weeks. She has been heavily socialized with people, dogs & cats and loves them all. She has never shown any bit of aggression to me or anybody else. As a matter of fact, Gabi has been playing with the neighbor's dog since she talked back at him. I think your reponse was a bit of an overreaction.

[trish603a]

Originally Posted by catrine01

Now she gets all perked up (hair up and tail straight out) and runs over to her edge of her yard and barks right back at him

well normally when dogs hackles stand up and her tail is straight out that is not a "friendly" behavior. but as far as the fear aggression issue goes, i think johnlopez49ers was talking to brinabear. i too believe she might be becoming territorial of her property as well.

[catrine01]

I guess you needed to be there to see. She was feeling confident and playful.

[rottcrazed]

Confident dogs do not hackle, posture and bark.

Canine body language is something you should search on this site.

Kristi

[catrine01]

Sorry . . . but she walked right by him tonight as he barked. I think I have a girl developing confidence.

Sorry I even posted.

[brinabear]

Catrine01 I know exactly what you mean by playful, my Meeka does not have fear aggression, you have to see them to understand. I am very aware of a rotts body language, i have had rotts for a long time and know them very well I am not reinforcing the fear, but having her face it and get over it, and she is fine.
Brinabear

[trish603a]

please don't be sorry that you posted. the reason why we all come here is to get information and share stories about our great dogs. the way you described her actions to me and a few other members made us think she was posturing and showing her hackles and barking. was that not the case? it is hard to accurately say what a dog is/is not doing unless you are there and see it.

[catrine01]

I've been raising Rotties, German Shepherds and Weimariners for over 25 years now. I know something about dog's behaviors. My little girl barked back, he shut up and stared at her all confused; then she walked over to him to play. Yeah, she looked all tough as any Rott does, but then she got playful. Before she would run to the front door to escape him. I give her credit for her courage. This is new just this week. Last night, I had her out again, he barked and she walked right past him, ignored the barking and did her business. She is not afraid of him anymore. He used to intimidate her, but not now. I know she is getting more sure about her place in this world as she is going everywhere I can possibly take her. She is not the barker, my neighbor's dog is. She barked a set of barks one time and is now done with it.

[lopezjohn49ers]

Catrine01, I apologize if my response seemed like an over reaction. It was not meant to be. I simply have experience with dogs fences fighting. We have dogs on two sides of our property and there are days, that they all seem to be riled up, and all the barking is annoying. I was just trying to point out that at this young age, you might want to discourage the behavior to ensure peace in the future. I understand your pride in a young pup gaining confidence. I wasn't trying to diminish it.

[catrine01]

Its fine; no worries. I probably wasn't clear enough the first time when I described what happened this week. She really is my girl (now that my kids have left the nest) so I am so in tune with her behavior, good and bad. I just needed to defend her as she is my pride and joy these days, and she is developing so nice. I love the "quiet confidence" my rotts have exhibited. They are different than the German Shepherds (altho I loved them just as much). The last Rottie (boy) I had never showed any fear - ever; so when Gabi showed me her fear of the large boy dog next door, I was concerned. I hoped one day, she would get over it and lo and behold, she did. Even this morning, he was out barking again at her and she just ignored him.

Thanks!

[trish603a]

i know what you mean about their quiet confidence. sometimes my eight month old girl surprises me! sometimes when i am out walking zoey the neighbors dogs will bark, it startles me, but she just keeps trotting along, head held high. if she can go out and walk by a barking dog, ignore, AND do her business...then you have reason to be proud.