Not In This House

Beautiful Orin sat on his chair last night. He's such a lovely boy, affectionate and getting more obedient as he gets older. That head of his is so masculine, it could simply never be classed as feminine, could it. That was another remark made on the very insulting post last week, that males now have feminine heads and that bitches are masculine, not in this house! I do tend to agree that a lot of bitches are pushing it for size and strength, you should be able to tell the sex of a GSD simply by looking at it. Even large bitches really should be feminine - they are in this house! lol

I've never had a male sulk when things don't go his way like Orin did when he was younger. The first couple of times I used the blaster on him he didn't want anything to do with me for hours after that. Well last night Zeus' sulk make Orin's seem unnoticeable. One of the reason for not having a LSH is that I'm crap at brushing, but hoping to get some pics of Zeus today I decided to brush him yesterday afternoon. Zeus stood on the bench for me for a few mins before getting bored. With distraction and delaying tactics he grabbed a toy and ran round and round the garden. Scared I'd laugh I walked into the house and grabbed a lead. I called him over ... "Collar," good boy! I went back out and told him to get onto the bench. He was great, but as I went to do his ridiculously hairy tail and knickers he put his teeth on my hand. Now don't misread this, he is NOT biting, if he was biting he's break the skin and more, but he is objecting and I can't have that. I pinched his lip and swore at him, I carried on brushing and again I felt the teeth on my hand, again there was no pressure just contact, just Zeus saying don't do that. I may be old school but my reaction is instinctive and I pulled him off the bench and raised him off his front legs. I discussed with him why this was not happening, put his feet back onto the floor and carried on brushing him. From his stance I could tell he was upset, but I can not have an adult size male GSD objecting with his teeth. Ok there was no pressure, but somewhere this dog has learned that if he uses his teeth he gets his own way, not in this house! To be fair this is the first time we've fallen out in months, we did have words several times in April, and maybe in May ... but I still find no reason why this dog is a problem. Bad behaviour, which is quite expected from puppies/teenagers, jumped on is instantly sorted with him. 

When I'd finished brushing him I quietly told him he was a good lad and took the lead off. He ran into the house and into his crate .. and that is where he stayed! He came out for his dinner and went back in. Whilst I was cooking he lay there with a ridiculously rejected, hurt, sulky expression. When I called him he slinked over to me, I quietly stroked him and he went back to bed. This morning he was still sulking, this was the GSD sulk of the century, though of course he came for his toast!  I don't ever want my dogs to be afraid of me, all I ask is respect. It feels like Zeus is really trying to make me feel guilty. It's like his bubble has been burst, I'd really hurt his feeling, but you know what? He can just get over it! Ross did the same to me twice as a young male, I'm not having it, they get away with a lot here, there is very little formal training, they have a fun easy life, but rules are still rules. 

Anyway by mid-morning Zeus had decided he quite likes me still, the sulk of the century is over!