My dog has some anxiety issues and I posted a week ago about my roommate being too rough with his training- saying it’s “what Ceaser would do”.
He decided last night that my dog liked his tennis ball too much so he took it away from him and wouldn’t let him touch it. He’d put it right in front of him and if the dog went to get it he’d say ‘NO’ and put his hand on it. This made the dog growl and ‘cry’ (the little yelpy noise). I tried to avoid confrontation at first and just got out his rope and played with his rope with him instead.
My roommate say on the couch and threw the ball back and forth between his hands, making a big sound and trying to get the dog’s attention. He got it eventually and the dog kept lunging for the ball and my roommate kept staring him down. The dog was growling/barking and my roommate flipped him over on his back and grabbed his neck and stared him in the eye. I barged in then and said “I’ll take him”- and the roommate said “I’m not hurting him or anything
Caesar isnt the best person to listen to for dog training. NILF works much better for creating a loving dog.
Your roommate is just a jerk though-he’s not listening to anyone’s training method-he’s just bullying. Dogs have a short attention span, incredibly short. After the initial punishment everything he did was just teasing. The dominance stuff as punishment is even worse as he was teasing the dog then punishing him (harsh punishment at that) for getting excited when he thought he was being played with.
You need to take control of the roommate. Dont let him ‘train’ your dog until he knows how. Sign up for obedience classes and make the roommate go with you. They will teach you him how to properly handle the dog.
This is all for the safety of both the dog and the roommate. Not sure about others here, but my dog is very well behaved normally; however, he would probably take someone’s hand off for that type of behavior.
_
Edit: You mentioned that your dog goes to him. Abused children also tend to latch on to the abusing parent over the other one. Dont worry though, any issues that this caused can be fixed with proper training after the roommate is gone.
Your roommate is nothing more than an abusive bully. Please find a new roommate as your dog is getting the wrong messages. If your roommate was to take a child’s toy and tell the child he couldn’t have it, and played with it in front of him, what would the child do? He’d cry and become mistrusting and insecure. Dogs are not much different; your roommate is cruel and if he acts that way around you with the dog, what does he do when you are not home? He’s lucky your dog has not bitten him yet-holding a dog down like that is animal cruelty. Guess who would get sued if your roommate got bitten?
I suggest confronting the roommate and explaining that his behavior will no longer be tolerated and if it continues, you will ask him to leave (or you will leave).
Good luck.
I don’t think your roommate should be allowed in the same room as this poor dog!
If you keep letting this idiot bait your dog, your dog is the one who’s going to pay for it. The guy’s begging to get bitten and when it happens, your dog will be labeled vicious – through no fault of his own. It’s your job to protect this dog – do it!
A dog with anxiety issues needs his confidence built up with positive reinforcement, he doesn’t need this idiocy.
Your roommate needs to butt out of your dog training. I can’t believe he’s doing this, based on “it’s what Cesar would do.” I don’t care what anyone would do, my dog training is my choice. It sounds like he’s trying to show off or prove he’s a great dog owner for some reason. It’s your decision to train your dog to assess some problems. I’m going to validate you here, partially because I had a roommate who decided to alpha roll my dog for running away (this dog was abandoned and never runs from me from the instant I got her), which I don’t agree with as well. 🙂
EDIT: I’m also with dogjudge – there’s a HUGE difference between being the leader/pack leader/dominant/whatever it’s cool to call it now and being a tyrant and a bully. Your dog doesn’t sound too obsessed with the tennis ball if you can distract him. If you haven’t done basic obedience with the dog, I suggest you do so. It’s a ton of fun and builds up your confidence as well as your dog’s. Good luck.
Your roommate was right. Your dog should be taught not even attempt to go after an object unless permitted. I don’t even allow my dogs to go to their food bowls until all are down and I say “Get it” I don’t necessarily agree with his methods but, his logic is right on.
Geez your roommate sounds like a jerk. He was deliberately taunting the dog to make him aggressive. That is NOT what Cesar does at all. He just stops dogs from BEING aggressive by making them submissive, he does NOT encourage dogs to be aggressive just to take them down. IF the dog was being too intense on his tennis ball then yeah take it away for awhile but put it out of sight to reduce the anxiety.. DON’T taunt the dog with it to increase the anxiety. Personally I think you deserve a medal for not knocking your roommate out. I liked that you tried to redirect the dog in another activity.. now if you could do the same for the idiotic roommate you would be all set. As for your roommate saying he is not hurting the dog.. just because physically that may be true.. it is by no means correct in that he IS hurting the dog by taunting him into being aggressive.. something I am sure you really don’t want occurring.
Gee I would have a hard time not going out and buying 27 tennis balls and leaving them everywhere just to irritate the roommate..
Your dog was showing no interest in the ball!! Your roommate deliberately lured him back in when your dog was happy playing with you, after he had given up on the ball! That shows that the dog is not to focused on the ball and easily redirected.
Your roommate is seriously mental and misguided and that is NOT what Cesar would do. You don’t roll a dog over and grab his neck for simply wanting a ball. He is punishing him for normal dog behavior and your dog is going to develop a serious issue if you continue to allow your dog to be treated this way.
He is YOUR dog and you need to be in charge of his care. Don’t let the roommate near the poor thing.
The dog needs to have one person telling him what to do. By what you have described the dog must be very confused.
It’s not helping with any issues. you as the owner need to take control of the situation.
If it’s his toy then let him have it. You shouldn’t take it away from him and say no because then they will get very confused and chew up your whole place. if they’re chewing on something they’re not supposed to, then you do what your roomate did, only not so annoying. it doesn’t hurt dogs to grab them behind the neck though. unless they’re old.
If I was your dog, I would have anxiety too, being around somebody like that.
There is something wrong with that person.
One of the most knowlegdeable people on this site has give you some really good information.
Dog Judge is so right. I’d take his advice and run with it anytime.
Just so you know, I think your room mate is a Moron!
Your roommate is a jerk. If I were you I would start looking for another place to live
Your roommate is a moron.
I have had to deal with problems resulting from people “alpha rolling” dogs. It is a dangerous method that often creates problems or makes existing problems worse.
St Lady is correct. However, your roommate went about this training in the COMPLETE wrong way. And it should have been done with your help and permission.
Here’s why. What if you are outside, and the ball goes rolling across the street. You cannot have a dog so obsessed with a tennis ball that he runs out into the street to get it!
I am a little concerned about your dog’s behaviour about getting what he wants. I am not there so I don’t know if the growling that you are mentioning is more “talking” or actual threatening growling. How your roommate dealt with it (I think I said this in your last question) is WRONG. It doesn’t really matter if he’s not hurting him, the fact that he was submissively peeing means that this method of training is not right for your dog. A dog that submissively pees is being punished at too high a level – you’ve essentially gone overboard, he gets it and he is telling you that well before the peeing.
I think you should do this tennis ball training. We just did it last week in obedience class. 7 dogs laying down had to stay laying down when the tennis ball went flying by. Each dog had to stay laying down when she bounced the ball right next to them. There are two things going on here – a stay – that you are obviously in control of otherwise the dog pops up and goes after the ball, and leave it – where the dog is not allowed to touch the ball.
If I were you, I would begin with leave it and then work up to the staying – you can’t do all that your roommate was doing and then get mad the dog doesn’t know what in the world is going on! – besides in Cesar’s latest blog is says “Don’t Punish – Teach”
Yeah I would have done the same thing, putting the dog in the crate.. ONLY cause I wouldn’t want my dog to see me beat someone silly.. Why is this idiot still allowed near the dog??
When people come to our house, we have rules, you do NOT wrestle with the dogs is a big one.. And people know that if they even start, that I am going to be on them.. YOUR DOG, YOUR RULES.. You should never ever let anyone do anything with or to your dog, that you don’t feel comfortable with.. That goes for idiot roommates, trainers, vets and anyone else..
You did the right thing.
You’re roommate is VERY lucky that I don’t live there. He would be dealing with ME much more than the dog.
Your roommate is a moron. He thinks that because he’s seen something on TV he’s now an instant EXPERT. If all it took to truly learn to train dogs is to watch TV, America would have the best trained dogs in the world.
Ask you roommate if he can read. Point out to him that there are disclaimers all through the Dog Whisperer program about NOT trying this at home.
YES he is hurting the dog. Alpha rolls, which is what he did by flipping the dog over, etc., can create some REAL interesting behavior problems. It can create dogs that are MORE aggressive and fearful rather than less.
The entire ball thing to me is your roommate showing that he thinks he’s being dominant. The alpha roll is also. What your roommate is showing me, is that HE IS A BULLY.
Thankfully you are moving.
That being said, I’d still warn the roommate and let him know that under NO terms is he to touch your dog.
sounds to me like your roommate is trying to get your dog to be afraid of him. which isn’t a good thing. this could come with a risk of fear biting. you need to put your foot down and tell your roommate that when either you or your boyfriend are home that it should only be the two of you who discipline your dog. when you are not at home make sure the dog is in its crate and tell the roommate to leave him there. your roommate is instigating a showdown with your dog which is very childish and he needs to back off.
Your roommate sounds like an idiot. This is your dog and only you should be deciding what is best for your dog. Flipping the dog on its back inorder to make them submiss to you can cause injury to the dog if done incorrectly. Your roommate is not a trained professional and should not have done that. Your roommate is going to end up causing your dog to have more issues and your roommate could end up getting bitten. Which if I were your dog, I would have bitten him right in the butt.
Well if it were me your room mate would be an ex room mate right away. He’s tormenting the heck out of the poor animal so yes he IS hurting the animal.
Ceaser may have a way with animals, but too many people are wathcing his show and getting all sorts of wrong ideas how to work with a dog. Right at the start it says don;t do it without expert supervision. Why because idiots like your room mate get it wrong, so very wrong. Much as I enjoy the dog whisperer program I really wish they would take it off TV as it’s doing more harm than good for a lot of poor dogs. What works for Ceasar should be done by him and not by a load of Ceasar wannabe’s.
The best thing you can do for your dog is get away from this moron. Glad this nasty situation will soon be over for you both. You know the poor animal is not in a good situation. Get him out of it before he snaps and I do mean literally.
Both you and your dog deserve better than being around this nasty piece of work.
Good luck to you and your dog.
no you did it wrong