That noise they do is bizarre isn't it - like a cross between yodelling and howling and scraping nails down a chalk board. It gets really loud and pierces right through your head! It's ok til you have guests and you have to explain that these teeth baring aliens are indulging in normal whippet behaviour :teehee:
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Any Idea's What's Going On?
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Sounds like a normal run in the park in our household.
High spirits mostly I reckon. But I wouldn't rule out powerplay.
High spirits mostly I reckon. But I wouldn't rule out powerplay.
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Pack leadership changes more often than people realise,keep your eye on them otherwise you could inadvertently cause some fights.
As you know you are pack leader,and if you keep siding with the under dog it will get hurt.
Dogs dont do under dog,dogs can get killed by other pack members.
You are probably sat there saying i know all this,but you could be causing it.
Always ask yourself is it something i am doing.
I have a pack of dogs in the past i have had nine bitches together,no fights of any kind.
I have spent years studying dog behaviour,and will continue to do so.
When people get it that these are dogs,not kids then things will become clearer.
Good luck sorting it out.
hope they sort it out soon ann lol ,my girls are currently doing this i think wen tia was so poorly poppy was defo the boss but now tia is feeling better shes doing the mouthing thing and trying to hump them all i think shes trying to get bk to top bitch as she was before her illness ,poppy i may add is not giving up without a fight thou lol :teehee:
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Hope you can soon restore the harmony on your walks again Anne.. :thumbsup: :luck:
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if it's only happening when out free running then it's highly unlikely to be a power struggle and simply high spirits. also unless there are other changes in their behaviour towards each other I wouldn't consider it a power struggle even if it happens at home.
generally when the reign of power is beginning to change hands or a challenge is being made, there will be subtle changes in other behaviour...for example one dog may gently nudge or even shove the other out of the way to get through a doorway. One may push in to get attention or try for the others food.a toy may be given up to an underdog or a treat abandoned where it would normally be guarded etc
neck grabbing is mostly just fun and games even if somewhat rough and it's usually the more subtle behaviours which are to be of interest.
despite neck grabbing and general mayhem on a walk the heirachy in our house has remained static for some twelve odd years, although just recently i think Badger is feeling the weight of his responsibilities as top dog.
There is no such thing as fairness in a pack and one dog is the leader....whilst the owner is the ultimate top dog there is a heirachy between the animals...in our house it has always been and still remains....Badger..Woody..Bryn..Parker..Zoe.
we have always reinforced this ranking with Badger always being fed first,treated and greeted first has his collar and lead put on first, always first in and out etc etc. inb a stable pack their shouldn't be constant changes in leadership, that just indicates instability and is generally where problems arise.always always support the top dog BUT not everyone realises which dog is actually the top dog and unless you are certain who it is you need to be careful.
generally when the reign of power is beginning to change hands or a challenge is being made, there will be subtle changes in other behaviour...for example one dog may gently nudge or even shove the other out of the way to get through a doorway. One may push in to get attention or try for the others food.a toy may be given up to an underdog or a treat abandoned where it would normally be guarded etc
neck grabbing is mostly just fun and games even if somewhat rough and it's usually the more subtle behaviours which are to be of interest.
despite neck grabbing and general mayhem on a walk the heirachy in our house has remained static for some twelve odd years, although just recently i think Badger is feeling the weight of his responsibilities as top dog.
There is no such thing as fairness in a pack and one dog is the leader....whilst the owner is the ultimate top dog there is a heirachy between the animals...in our house it has always been and still remains....Badger..Woody..Bryn..Parker..Zoe.
we have always reinforced this ranking with Badger always being fed first,treated and greeted first has his collar and lead put on first, always first in and out etc etc. inb a stable pack their shouldn't be constant changes in leadership, that just indicates instability and is generally where problems arise.always always support the top dog BUT not everyone realises which dog is actually the top dog and unless you are certain who it is you need to be careful.
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Just to add.. many people make the mistake of blaming dominance for too many issues..it is rare for a dog to display true dominance in an aggressive manner..these are usually euthanised.
the dominant dog in the pack will not show any open aggression at all, simply because it doesn't need to..all the indications that it is top dog are subtle ones generally involving body language and perhaps the odd vocalisation.
just as an example Bryn who is third in line to the throne is the next rung up the ladder for Parker,this is of interest to Parker because he has always been a chancer and fancies himself as quite important(although he's just rather portly).
Occasionally Parker will follow Bryn around and nudge him a bit and keep sniffing at him...Bryn being the more senior dog will display certain behaviours..he will raise his lips and show his very important and royal teeth, if Parker doesn't move away( he usually leaves when he sees the shiny white teeth)Bryn will then stand shoulder on to Parker to show his magnificent physique(by this time Parker has usually shrunk into his tiny fat beagle self)BUT if this isn't enough Bryn very slowly and deliberately closes his mouth over Parkers whole muzzle( this is a very slow and considered movement not involving any open aggression).
Bryn literally holds Parker by the muzzle for two or three seconds with no growling or anything from either dog, Parker then drops his head and walks away or simply rolls onto his back to show his under belly (w00t)
All of my dogs display subtle and considered behaviours because they are a stable pack where there is no fairness and everyone has their place.They are all secure and happy because each dog knows where he or she fits in.
the dominant dog in the pack will not show any open aggression at all, simply because it doesn't need to..all the indications that it is top dog are subtle ones generally involving body language and perhaps the odd vocalisation.
just as an example Bryn who is third in line to the throne is the next rung up the ladder for Parker,this is of interest to Parker because he has always been a chancer and fancies himself as quite important(although he's just rather portly).
Occasionally Parker will follow Bryn around and nudge him a bit and keep sniffing at him...Bryn being the more senior dog will display certain behaviours..he will raise his lips and show his very important and royal teeth, if Parker doesn't move away( he usually leaves when he sees the shiny white teeth)Bryn will then stand shoulder on to Parker to show his magnificent physique(by this time Parker has usually shrunk into his tiny fat beagle self)BUT if this isn't enough Bryn very slowly and deliberately closes his mouth over Parkers whole muzzle( this is a very slow and considered movement not involving any open aggression).
Bryn literally holds Parker by the muzzle for two or three seconds with no growling or anything from either dog, Parker then drops his head and walks away or simply rolls onto his back to show his under belly (w00t)
All of my dogs display subtle and considered behaviours because they are a stable pack where there is no fairness and everyone has their place.They are all secure and happy because each dog knows where he or she fits in.
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Your pack sound well settled and all know where they are :thumbsup: .
Hopefully mine will settle, there is no big issue with this
neck grabbing thing i just asked as i wasn't sure what
was going on.
My girls are all young, Sada is just over 2, Kaya 18 mths
and Zana at 4 mths. So they are going to still play about
like this i suppose. Sada my top dog is the calmest and
quietest but she does show who's boss. When she has has
enough she makes it very clear and the other two stop.
She has never shown any nastiness to the other girls,
but she did have a nasty fight with a male whippet who i
had here last year for a little while.
Thank you very much for your imput into this topic.
You have made some very interesting points
)
Hopefully mine will settle, there is no big issue with this
neck grabbing thing i just asked as i wasn't sure what
was going on.
My girls are all young, Sada is just over 2, Kaya 18 mths
and Zana at 4 mths. So they are going to still play about
like this i suppose. Sada my top dog is the calmest and
quietest but she does show who's boss. When she has has
enough she makes it very clear and the other two stop.
She has never shown any nastiness to the other girls,
but she did have a nasty fight with a male whippet who i
had here last year for a little while.
Thank you very much for your imput into this topic.
You have made some very interesting points
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I'm certain your girlies will settle down but just now they are young and they are exuberant and scatty.
Atleast you know that if Sada has had enough,she will tell them and put them in their place.
Try not to physically interfere if they are doing the neck grabby stuff,either let Sada tell them when she's had enough or simply try distraction if you cannot bear to watch
All you can do is support Sada fully all the while she is top dog but later on it may change when the others mature and just be ready in your heart to admit it if there comes a time when one of the others is top dog and you have to favour them as top rather than Sada.( that's the hardest bit of being a pack owner....admitting that your special dog is the underdog no matter how hard we try,there's always one special character in every pack, and it's all too easy to back the wrong horse for our own reasons and this is sometimes why people have lots of challenges between the lower ranks and more instability)
I still think all you have is the two youngsters just being rowdy teens though. (well one rowdy teen and one toddler ) xx
Atleast you know that if Sada has had enough,she will tell them and put them in their place.
Try not to physically interfere if they are doing the neck grabby stuff,either let Sada tell them when she's had enough or simply try distraction if you cannot bear to watch
All you can do is support Sada fully all the while she is top dog but later on it may change when the others mature and just be ready in your heart to admit it if there comes a time when one of the others is top dog and you have to favour them as top rather than Sada.( that's the hardest bit of being a pack owner....admitting that your special dog is the underdog
no matter how hard we try,there's always one special character in every pack, and it's all too easy to back the wrong horse for our own reasons and this is sometimes why people have lots of challenges between the lower ranks and more instability)I still think all you have is the two youngsters just being rowdy teens though. (well one rowdy teen and one toddler ) xx
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I get this with Finn (18 mths) when he runs with his lurcher friend Harvey (15 mths) ... he'll mouth Harvey's neck, and has even pushed him over. There is no aggression in this, at worst it's over exuberant play ... but this has happened at our training class where the dogs free run in a big barn and the trainer has now forbidden them to run together ... so sad for Finn.
Annie
Annie
