Dominance

[Lou78]

Reading this thread has brought back so many memories for me as this was exactly Ollie when we first got him nearly 5 years ago. The growl-and-bite response particularly. I never thought it would end!

He would sit on "our" spots on the sofa and then go absolutely bananas, snapping if you tried to move him. He hated the groomers and vets would just be hysterical. We struggled to groom him (just brushing) ourselves as anything other than his face was a no-no and risked a snap.

I am still nervous of having to move him, although he hasn't snapped in a long time. He knows now when to move. We had started saying "I'm coming" when we were going to sit down and then move him. Now we only need to say the words and he moves himself. Again, this was more accidental than a deliberate training tactic but seems to work!. He will still resist being picked up if it is for something he deems "unpleasant" (like a bath!) but we have to just grit our teeth as it needs doing and once he is in the bath, he is totally fine!

The bad grooming experience you mention, also rang true. They are so sensitive, aren't they? I always felt that Ollie was a bit traumatised after a groom! His previous one just stressed him out more than he already was i think.

We changed groomers about a year ago and they are very patient and tolerant with him. I was totally honest when i approached them as to what his behaviour would be like. He is there quite a long time as they do him in gradual stages and will do a little bit and then leave him alone for a while and then go back and do a bit more and so on. He does still have to be muzzled to have his nails clipped but i hope eventually he won't need this. When we first started taking him there we took him every two weeks just for a brush, then a little trim, then a bath, then built it up slowly until he was able to be bathed and fully groomed in one go. They are very experienced groomers and good with anxious dogs.

The upside for us is that he doesn't fear being groomed now by us at home and we manage to brush him ourselves, even do a little trim! He even offers you his legs to do them and we can even do his belly and inside his back legs which he used to hate. This has taken a good year or so to get to this point though and i always do it in the same order; face, front legs,chest, belly, back legs. He knows what to expect then.

I think Leigh suggested playing with him and this has definitely helped with handling. He will lay on his back now totally submissive to be tickled. At one time, if he ended up on his back he would scrabble like an upturned crab to stand up! Again, this has taken time and gradually building up to gain his trust.

He was even ok in the vets up to him last going although that time it was for his anal glands being drained so don't think he was massively happy (who would be!)

A previous vet told me once that he was overly dominant but as someone (Leigh again i think) pointed out on here, such aggression is borne out of fear and anxiety not so much dominance. In any situation, once he is calm, he is the most lovely boy and you would probably say the same about Jasper.

I can't honestly say how we "changed" him. Just continuous repetition of what is acceptable and what isn't seems the way forward and reward the good. Ollie is our first dog so I am by no means an expert. We are lucky he is very "treat driven" so can reward like that. We have never had him at formal training or behaviour classes. He was 1 year old when we got him. Even at nearly 6 years old, he still needs keeping in check now and again but the growling/snapping is far less than it used to be. I didn't really notice until my husband said, "he doesn't growl now, does he?" and i was like "oh yeah!".

Regarding the photo you posted, Jasper looks lovely and alert! I don't see that as dominance; just a normal Schnauzer pose to me!

Sorry for going on! Just thought it might help to know how we found things. It is so easy to feel isolated with these problems so hope this allays some of your worries and you can get Jasper sorted. x