Jill

I wouldn’t believe, had I not seen for myself:

Cy and I were playing ball on the back patio. Oliver came to beat Cy to the ball. It was a dominant move. Next throw, Cy got the ball. He put it down and growled at Olly to say back off. That was fine. But then he picked it up & leered at Olly on a follow-up. I told him quite passively, to forget about it and leave it alone. ….. (Oliver, not his ball)

Cy put the ball down and ever so gently pushed it 8″ towards Oliver, and stood sideways. AN INVITATION TO SHARE!!!!

Now that is a PROFOUND transformation from originally being intolerant of some small dogs!

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Natalie:

Wow… I’m completely floored! Unbelievable. So glad to hear it. I’ve been too nervous to chance it with him and other smalls dogs when toys are involved. Great news. Thanks!

I’m so proud of him 😃

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Jill:

Oh….

You should know that all day every day, while home or away, I have toys and bones out for the dogs

No separation of dogs with gates with this crew. They’re all familiar already. All issues resolved.

Most don’t start off agreeable to this, particularly with resources available (bones, toys, beds, bowls) they all learn my number one rule is peaceful cohabitation.

Cyrus is one of my well-trusted regulars. Very reliable.

In fact, after the ball incident, Oliver has taken to sleeping in Cyrus’ bed with him.

My cat now greets him too. And if you remember, Cyrus once had my cats back in his mouth while guarding a bone. My cat trusts him. He (Cyrus) has to have made an internal transformation, for this trust to be regained.

Cyrus ‘s very reliable. It’s a matter of reading initial signs to evaluate energy and intention. Then state your expectation.

He’s quite compliant and agreeable to following rules. He does the work in his brain on his own, once he knows my expectation.

If you’d like help to learn how to read the situation, and how to declare your expectations, I’d love to assist. It could mean a broader life exposure and earned freedoms for Cy.

I’d actually thought that you’d already incorporated that into his repertoire.

I also have a parade of small grooming dogs in the mornings, before going out to train. He meets n greets new and familiar dogs almost daily. He’s an ambassador of friendliness and kindness.

I apply no effort with him at all anymore. I just passively state my expectation.

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Natalie

I would absolutely love for you to share that with me. When he was growling at your dog the other day when we got there I was really worried but you seemed unconcerned. Not sure how to read the signs. Growling makes me think he’s going to bite since he’s done it twice before.

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Jill:

We don’t want to take his voice away or prohibit him from a conversation with other dogs. He was in the right there.

Oliver was overly zealous about his greeting and relented at Cy’s face. Cy actually asked me for permission first. You probably missed that. It was one small glance. By me not saying no, he knew I allowed it. Then I confirmed the process was acceptable verbally when he glanced again to check in w my reaction to him. He wants to make sure he’s not gone overboard.

He has the right to claim his personal space, and also to not give up his bone, ball, bed, bowl, to another dog. There’s no fighting permitted. But he can definitely say back off.

Greater success comes from allowing him to live up to his allotted freedoms. He earns those through proven good behavior. When we stop limiting good dogs from earned freedoms, they flourish. They easily follow rules, when they know they have control over needing less of them.

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Natalie :

Insightful. I will be more mindful of those things.