# Dogs/pups dominating objects.....



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

James, still trying to figure out how to re-word the possession thread, it was not framed well, I don't think.

I will address another portion of your posts in that thread now, since it kinda went sideways, from what I was really interested in, but is still interesting...this is more interesting to me than trying to re-word the original post about possession...which I will do sometime.

I used a literal definition of possession, that included *dominate*, and you addressed that part of it..so here goes..this should be fun, and thought provoking...You said that you have not seen a dog try to dominate objects, except to hump it, which you interpret as a sexual, social neurosis...I say you may HAVE seen dogs dominate objects. Humping or not...

James said:


> *You bring up a good point. And I am going to have to think about it. Because I get what your saying. And right now, I really do not know. My initial thought about dominating an inanimate object.... That seems to be a bit out there for me. Unless I do not understand what you mean about dominating something. But I have seen dogs sexually relate to inanimate object. But I do believe that's a social nuerosis.*


I will use the literal meaning of Dominate as I see it in dogs over stuff (objects, people, or decoys)..not as in the sense of a dominant pack member...

*Dominate:*

1. *to control*, rule, or govern *(someone or something)*
...
3.* to predominate*, permeate, or characterize.

*Predominate*

1. to be the stronger or leading element or force.

4. to have or exert controlling power over

6. to dominate or prevail over.

Hopefully it is pretty clear from above descriptions, what I mean by Dominate...

Aside from just "fighting" I think we can all agree that some people WANT their dogs to try to or actually dominate the decoy / helper / suspect / person, at least some people would like to instill that in their dogs, that the dog is the stronger and leading force, that he can exert controlling power over, that he can prevail over and control the decoy/helper/suspect/person... in some sports or activities this is probably more prevalent, than others...some dogs fight, some dogs try to fight and dominate. some dogs bite and do neither in reality..I feel comfortable saying all of this.. any decoys should agree with this too.

so lets just say some dogs DO dominate the decoy/helper person while biting and fighting them, trying to control them...and agree on that.

First things first, I dont think most times we see a dog humping something, that it is "sexually relating" to it. It can also be a display of dominance...I was not even referring to the Humping part of dominating, but that is one for sure...so I'll give my opinion on that part too...

I have been to people's homes that have owned what some might call a dominant dog. One time I purposely gave one of these dogs a challenging look, and he raced over and wrapped me up with both paws and started trying to hump me, to exert his domiance over me in my opinion... I have also seen dogs hump visitors while they were sitting in a chair...this may be a social oddity, or neurosis as you call it, but it is not sexual in my opinion..it stems from the desire to dominate...I have seen female dogs hump males, males hump males, etc etc...so I dont think it is a sexual thing in some cases...

I used to have a little yorkie, he had HIS blanket....the full sized blanket usually was balled up and put next to the dogs bed, by him....If you were to take his blanket and drag it around, or if you moved it to another part of the house, he would grab it, drag it back to its spot, ball it up, wrap it up and hump it for a short period, but not in a sexual way, (in my mind) he never got erect or ejaculated in his blanket. I saw it more, like him telling the blanket to stay were he put it...and after putting it back, he wanted to exert his dominance over it.

there was a great video of a police or military dog on here (that I could not find), that took the decoy down and humped him. I have had dogs bite the sleeve, and wrap me up with thier paws and hump me...I doubt they were trying to have sex with me....

here is lame video of a dog humping a sleeve..all I could find on short notice, not quite what I mean, but it is what it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9KGDKDsRcE

When I used the word dominate, I think you have seen it...even with inanimate objects. I used it as is try to control, or exert controlling power over, or prevail over...not as in a dominant pack member...

My pup does it all the time, usually with objects that are large, too large for him just to use his mouth to bite and control.

When I move the big garbage can, the pup climbs it, tries to hold it with his paws, and bite it, to stop it from moving.

If I pick up a shovel to shovel snow, he climbs on top of it, wraps it up with his paws/body, and tries to stop it from moving and uses his mouth on it.

If you toss a large sleeve on the ground with a string attached to it, he will bite it, but also climb on it, cover it with his body, to try to stop it from moving, same thing if I put it on and hold it low enough, he will climb on it, grab it, wrap it up and try to control its movement with his body...

Give him a basket ball, which he cannot bite, he will climb it, wrap it up and try to bite it, if you try to kick it he will cover it and try to stop it from being moved.

if I drag a blanket around he will not only bite it, or try to pull on it, he will climb on top of it, and use his body to try to stop it from moving.


This is what I mean by dominating a inanimate object, I might be off the wall, batshit crazy but that is what I am seeing, I think...

Daryl also thinks he has seen his dogs dominate objects as well...anyone else ever see things like this that would lead them to believe the dog is trying to dominate something???

Or anyone see a dog humping people, things, other dogs, that is NOT sexual in their opinion??? This is not what I meant, but dominate, but also I dont think it is sexual in nature...


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

its not sexual?


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

I believe there are different types of domination including sexual. I presently have a four month old that is very dominant very much like his sire. It's definitely not insecurity, don't mess with his food (no problem with me, besides I wouldn't tolerate it) & even water bucket if he is there first. My experience most dogs will share water. But to add to this thread others may see different dominance. By the way this pup is unbelievably confident around other dogs so much so I have to protect him as it's almost suicidal, and I have great expectations of him.


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

Just re-read Joby's writings & would add that many of those instances would seem to be guarding instinct.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Steve Estrada said:


> Just re-read Joby's writings & would add that many of those instances would seem to be guarding instinct.


well this pup is possessive as well...

I have noticed this behaviors with things that are too large for the pup to easily handle..or control with his mouth...

Again I was not really talking about dominance...but the activity of dominating something..


I can agree with the guarding behaviors, but have also seen this behavior from a distance while the pup is for lack of a better term, wrestling with the object. With no one close enough to warrant guarding, in my mind..

We can all agree that dogs will try to dominate their prey using more than their mouth...if the mouth is not enough to accomplish it...

If there prey is an object, it would seem natural for a dog to try to dominate that as well, would it not? just thinking out loud here....


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Kind of looks like OG, when he pauses from pawing at it and scooping it toward his scrotum.


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

My first AB, Cajun, would knock people down and hump them. If they stayed standing he'd still wrap them with his legs and hump away. If they struggled or tried to remove him he would grab a body part in his mouth firmly enough to leave bruises but not break skin and growl loudly. He would do this to anybody but me that tried to handle him or gave him a command. Super stable though, just did not tolerate other people trying to handle him. He did not do this to objects and was not trained for sport.

My new pup, Ultra, at 11wks I gave her an old pillow to play with. I would smack her with it toss it around get her all riled and she'd grab it, wrap it up, grab as much of it as she could fit into her mouth, bite the crap out of it shaking her head and growling.. and hump it furiously at the same time. She began humping my adult male AB, Cuda at around the same time while roughhousing, and also a 7 month old female mal while playing at 13wks. 

Nothing sexual with either dog.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

I get what your trying to say. Hmm. New thought for the Jimbo...it will take at least 18 months before I can actually use this to my advantage... I am a Sslllooooowwww learner.LOL

Also, back to the sexually relating to inanimate objects. I get what your saying, And I believe that about humping things. or even simply mounting them. But what I was refering to was more of a lack in Social skill. I do think there a dogs socially exposed to humans only and not thier own kind can sometimes start sexually relating to toys and humans. Not a thought of my own, I read it in a Dr. McConnell book.


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Damn phone has a character limit on everything... wanted to say also that the behaviors you describe your pup doing Joby I see both my dogs do but I don't see it at an attempt to dominate the objects, for the most part they are just trying to pin it down so they can rip it apart. Basketballs, Jolly Balls, plastic garbage bins, tires etc they want to control the objects movement(prevent it from getting away)/possess it and destroy it. But not dominate. Cuda(3.5yo male AB) does not hump any objects but will try to hump "weak" people.

The only time the pup(19wks now) wraps and humps and does try to dominate is like with the pillow, if she is riled up about being bopped and it getting away, she will leg wrap/pin the rag and her rope toy etc but only to try and keep it from getting away, no humping or vocalizing. She wants to possess/destroy. But if it "fights back" she will "dominate" it.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Jennifer Marshall said:


> Damn phone has a character limit on everything... wanted to say also that the behaviors you describe your pup doing Joby I see both my dogs do but I don't see it at an attempt to dominate the objects, for the most part they are just trying to pin it down so they can rip it apart. Basketballs, Jolly Balls, plastic garbage bins, tires etc they want to control the objects movement(prevent it from getting away)/possess it and destroy it. But not dominate. Cuda(3.5yo male AB) does not hump any objects but will try to hump "weak" people.
> 
> The only time the pup(19wks now) wraps and humps and does try to dominate is like with the pillow, if she is riled up about being bopped and it getting away, she will leg wrap/pin the rag and her rope toy etc but only to try and keep it from getting away, no humping or vocalizing. She wants to possess/destroy. But if it "fights back" she will "dominate" it.


Jennifer...I think we are in full agreement...actually...

Dominate in my mind equals exert a controlling force over...

The humping thing was not brought up originally by me, I was only addressing that I did not think the humping was sexual in nature...

If the pup is *humping* his pillow on top of the other "controlling" behaviors, and it is NOT sexual, and is not Dominating the pillow, in your opinion, what do you think it is? Humping is a more classical indication dominating something, as far as dogs go...


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## Christopher Smith (Jun 20, 2008)

Joby I think this is just play behavior. They practice dominating with the object. 

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Christopher Smith said:


> Joby I think this is just play behavior. They practice dominating with the object.
> 
> Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk


I can agree with that 100%, if by practice, you also mean "attempting to".


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## Christopher Smith (Jun 20, 2008)

Joby Becker said:


> I can agree with that 100%, if by practice, you also mean "attempting to".


The dog is no more attempting to dominate the object than a child playing with a cardboard box attempts to fly to the moon.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

My mothers labradoodle/maltese mix is a social non dominating type of dog. However she will hump her pillow. She only ever does this when she is travelling and staying in a place that is not her own home. Everytime she comes in contact with the pillow in this situation she humps it, almost obsessively. Never does it at home though.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Sara Waters said:


> My mothers labradoodle/maltese mix is a social non dominating type of dog. However she will hump her pillow. She only ever does this when she is travelling and staying in a place that is not her own home. Everytime she comes in contact with the pillow in this situation she humps it, almost obsessively. Never does it at home though.


THIS to me is what James was talking about...still not sexual in my opinion...but certainly some type of neurosis..


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

Yes I thought it must be some sort of a neurosis associated with being out of her normal routine. Maybe an automatic response for releasing some sort of stress or tension. Not deliberately sexual.


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## Randy Allen (Apr 18, 2008)

The last dominant dog I had the pleasure to have in my life never humped anything be it man, beast or lest of all an inanimate object.
She just was.
Nobody or thing (with any sense) screwed with her and gave her plenty of leeway. She rarely bared her teeth nor had to posture for her position. 
She just was the equal to and better than.

The one oddity in her life came when visiting a friends home who also kept dogs and she seem to single that house hold out.
For some reason she felt it necessary to go around pissing and shitting all over the house.
Very odd that.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Christopher Smith said:


> The dog is no more attempting to dominate the object than a child playing with a cardboard box attempts to fly to the moon.
> 
> Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk


then we dont agree, which is fine with me...

again was using the literal definition from the start of this whole topic...which is basically, exerting a controlling force, not using it as a social definition....which was stated from the beginning...


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## Randy Allen (Apr 18, 2008)

Sorry Joby, I didn't start from the beginning and get a complete understanding of what your quarry was about.
And I'm still not sure really. Honestly
No dominate dog I've ever had felt the need to 'dominate' so to speak.
The closest my last became was getting frustrated as a pup because those damn blowing leaves wouldn't pay attention to her obvious advantage over them!
When they wouldn't behave she'd chew them up and spit them out but they kept misbehaving. Damn leaves!

How does domination or attempted domination of any dog toward anything inanimate or other NOT translate into a social agenda on it's part?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My daughter's Chi dog drags his pillow around the house to be where the people are at. The little ahole is always humping that pillow in front of everyone. I think he's just an exhibitionist.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Randy Allen said:


> Sorry Joby, I didn't start from the beginning and get a complete understanding of what your quarry was about.
> And I'm still not sure really. Honestly
> No dominate dog I've ever had felt the need to 'dominate' so to speak.
> The closest my last became was getting frustrated as a pup because those damn blowing leaves wouldn't pay attention to her obvious advantage over them!
> ...



I was not even speaking about dominant dogs. Just stating in my opinion, I have seen dogs dominate objects...as described by the defintition of dominate...as in control, exert controlling force over..where as plenty of dogs do not attempt this...they just bite something..really not stating a correlation to this and the social trait of dominance, but more of an activity that the dog does...

I think that if we can agree some dogs will try to dominate the "prey" (especially large prey) with controlling force, (other than just biting it) and we then can also agree to some dogs, objects ARE their "prey", it is a forgone conclusion to ME that a dog can dominate an object...

I am not stating a dog views an object as part of the social hierarchy of dominance..the same way it would view dogs or humans...

Just thinking out loud here, stating my opinion, not really trying to sell anyone else on it...

It was said to me in another thread that someone never thought a dog would try to *dominate* an object...(which came out of the defintion of possessive), not as in dog dominance...and I was trying to illustrate the reasons why I think dogs can and do dominate objects..

As far as dominating goes, as a trait, you plainly can see, and if you are a decoy/helper type, you can plainly experience a dog that brings its traits into the bitework, or a dog that tries to dominate you...even if he is not really a "dominant" dog type in a social setting.

Although more dominant dogs, do this I "think"

and NO I am not saying a dog dominating an object will translate into a dog dominating a helper, before we go there LOL....

just really was a comment I got fixated on, because I did not agree with it...that is all...got lots of time on my hands right now..


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## Randy Allen (Apr 18, 2008)

As I understand it:
Outside of the primate species the canine is one of the most studied of social mammals.
And from what I think understand of them is that unlike us they are almost entirely social in their actions both overt (those we can directly observe) and those we don't really understand, but as an almost entirely 'social' animal the canine is always making some statement inre to it's standing within the hierarchy of the social structure.

How that fits with what the original guestion was, er uhmmm I don't know. lol
Somehow it seems to belong.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Randy Allen said:


> As I understand it:
> Outside of the primate species the canine is one of the most studied of social mammals.
> And from what I think understand of them is that unlike us they are almost entirely social in their actions both overt (those we can directly observe) and those we don't really understand, but as an almost entirely 'social' animal the canine is always making some statement inre to it's standing within the hierarchy of the social structure.
> 
> ...


with that in mind, I am hopeful this dogs traits on objects will translate to his opponents


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

Seems like pillows are quite popular items with some dogs for whatever reasons.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Joby Becker said:


> with that in mind, I am hopeful this dogs traits on objects will translate to his opponents


And if only blow up dolls could transform into supermodels, like in 'Wierd Science'.

I could be convinced that object domination is a form of "creative visualization technique", as used in athletic training, martial arts, and similar practices. And who's to say humans don't perform object domination?


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Daryl Ehret said:


> And if only blow up dolls could transform into supermodels, like in 'Wierd Science'.
> 
> I could be convinced that object domination is a form of "creative visualization technique", as used in athletic training, martial arts, and similar practices. And who's to say humans don't perform object domination?


he could also sprout wings, that would be fine..he is still a clumsy and reckless oaf...


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Who is? Ozzy is, without a doubt. Like a bull in a china shop, except in the presence of toddlers.

This one at age two, from running top speed into a fencepost after a ball (newly discovered "drive").










This one later, must have run into the corner of the dog trailer (I think).


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Joby,

I do think she was dominating the pillow. But I do not think she is dominating her other toys simply because she uses her paws/legs/body to help pin it down so she can tear them apart better. That is all these two want with most of their toys, to destroy them. With a few exceptions like Cuda has a soccer ball that he popped, he pins it to the ground or the porch or floor or wall or your leg etc opens his mouth as wide as he can and uses the floor/ground/wall etc to shove it into his mouth as far as it will go, then he shakes it and walks around shaking it then pinning/shoving into his mouth and shaking and so on and so forth, he doesn't destroy it or use his feet.

While I understand what you are saying, that based on the definition you listed, the dogs are "dominating" the objects by controlling or attempting to control the object .. I don't agree with using the word dominate so casually. Lots of dogs play in this way with toys. Clients dogs that are weak tempered thin nerved or just low energy low drive house pets will (by your definition) "dominate" their toys and other objects. 

The puppy "dominated" the pillow because it "fought back." She is a feisty little thing, loves to rough house. I used the pillow so I could rough house with her without getting torn up by those needley puppy teeth. I would smack her with it, in the head, on the side, in the butt, wrap it around her face while she was biting it etc, just trying to let her get out some of her nuttiness and tire her out. She started wrapping it with her feet while biting to keep me from moving it away, and I would shake it around and such, as soon as I let go of the pillow and it hit the ground she would rebite/push into the pillow and fill her mouth with it, wrap her little legs around it, and hump away. After she would hump it she would shake it , flip it around, and pounce on it, standing on it. She would only hump it if we had just played with it. If it was just sitting on the floor she would not randomly go hump it.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Jennifer Marshall said:


> Joby,
> 
> I do think she was dominating the pillow. But I do not think she is dominating her other toys simply because she uses her paws/legs/body to help pin it down so she can tear them apart better. That is all these two want with most of their toys, to destroy them. With a few exceptions like Cuda has a soccer ball that he popped, he pins it to the ground or the porch or floor or wall or your leg etc opens his mouth as wide as he can and uses the floor/ground/wall etc to shove it into his mouth as far as it will go, then he shakes it and walks around shaking it then pinning/shoving into his mouth and shaking and so on and so forth, he doesn't destroy it or use his feet.
> 
> ...


gotcha...thanks for getting back to it...would you still say the pup was dominating the pillow, even if it never humped it...cause basically your description of the behavior is identical to what I am talking about, minus the humping...

bottom line is YOU have seen what you would call a dog dominating an object...and I have seen what I would call it...according to some we are both nutty  most likely....

Something I got stuck on, and I am just glad that me and Daryl are not the only nutty ones that have seen some things that lead them to believe that it happens sometimes..

just thinkin out loud....

I just took the little guy out and let him bite the plastic lawn chair, he climbed up and bite the armrest.. pulled him off of it, and let him go back to it, and he climbed up in it, and started biting the top of the backrest, hugging it...tipped it over, climbed back on top and started wresting with it..and I never touched it....LOL...did not help me abandon my craziness... 

maybe I AM just silly.....


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## tracey schneider (May 7, 2008)

this is an interesting thread... I have a bunch of dominate dogs m/f and a bunch of humpers... not sure what I think to be honest on the inanimate objects. Possibly an arousal/ excitement getting those juices flowing? Dominate? I really dont know as Jen has said, Ive seen some pet pets also do it. Interesting discussion to say the least.

t


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## Randy Allen (Apr 18, 2008)

Jenn,
So you've made this inanimate object a large part the dogs social sphere. 
I'm still waiting for some example or explaination of a dog doing ANYTHING that isn't part of a social statement from the dog.

All actions of a dog have a social context in their minds.


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

Several of my cattle dogs will sytematically destroy any fluffy toy or pillow. One used to go wild for fluffy toys particularly if they had eyes. She would pounce on them, hold them down and completey destroy them. If she knew where I had hidden one she would eventually figure out a way to get it and destroy it.

I have some great photos of one of my cattle dog puppies happily amidst one of pillows that she ripped a part. I thought it was fairly normal behaviour.

I have only seen the pillow humping behaviour in my mothers dog and strongly suspect that was a reaction to being out of her normal routine.  Unlike me and my dogs my mother has a very set in stone routine with her dogs.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

What struck me as more than a little odd in this thread is the number of people who seemed to allow these mad little humpers to have special objects they could go to town on with some even dragging these objects from room to room to enjoy in the company of family. I'd be tempted to snatch them up and throw those objects right in the trash.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Get it on video. The dominating, not the humping.


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Joby yes I think she dominated the pillow, but that it was specifically because of the rough play, she was all riled up and angry.  If she had not humped it but still been in a tizzy yes I would still consider that domination, as she did not try to tear it apart just pin it, wrap it, bite and shake in a rather violent manner. Very different behavior from normal play/destruction of toy. In normal play, the dogs get obsessive about demolishing the item, but not worked up in the same way, not "angry" (for lack of a better word)

Nicole I would never allow a dog to become obsessive about humping an object, and agree its abit "off" to allow a dog to do it. I know people that encourage it in their small breed dogs! 

This pup only did this 3 times, all 3 times after rough play, and I let her do it because honestly I was curious about the behavior and wondered if she'd do it again. Put the pillow on the floor without rough housing and she'd bite it/play with it but not hump it and without getting worked up.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Nicole Stark said:


> What struck me as more than a little odd in this thread is the number of people who seemed to allow these mad little humpers to have special objects they could go to town on with some even dragging these objects from room to room to enjoy in the company of family. I'd be tempted to snatch them up and throw those objects right in the trash.


100% agree but I can only suggest when it's not my dog. It's a Chi dog also (bass plug with feet). I'd toss the dog WITH the pillow. :lol:;-)


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Jennifer Marshall said:


> Nicole I would never allow a dog to become obsessive about humping an object, and agree its abit "off" to allow a dog to do it. I know people that encourage it in their small breed dogs!


I think that lady with the vagina biting dog probably was one of them. When you described your pup (sans the humping), I envisioned something along the lines of what you see in this video at .39 and 3.01. Maybe not exactly the same, but similar?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEvgvWR9MAc

To back this up a bit so there's some context to this session, I posted a compilation of this work before (1st session and 2nd sessions on this sleeve) to cover her outs on this sleeve. This video is of the entire first session so there's considerable fractious behavior occurring on her part. We weren't so much concerned with that, our only goal was to see if she'd out while the helper retained possession of the sleeve. She did. At .39 he had forgotten that we'd be taking that approach and turned it over to her so you can see what she does once she got it. That happened again at 3.01 as well.

Anyway, when you and a few others were talking about young dogs thrashing about an object this came to mind. Dominate isn't the descriptive that comes to mind when I watch her in this video or when I work with her on other objects - possession to the point of overwhelming almost bordering on consumption is what I am struck with (not necessarily what you see in the video here but certainly along those lines). That is to say deep biting, using her body to press it down almost to the point of smothering what she has. More specifically a single isolated element of the prey sequence that has been described previously.

I've had dogs that dominate others and the behavior in those circumstances was different - socially confined rather that object specific and maybe that's where the line in my head is drawn. Possibly though, for others it's exactly as dominating shows itself in dogs who work in this capacity.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> 100% agree but I can only suggest when it's not my dog. It's a Chi dog also (bass plug with feet). I'd toss the dog WITH the pillow. :lol:;-)


Ahem, well....

Yeah, I'd probably be employing Jeff's neck snapping standards to those MFrs and tossing them out of the window with that special "object" in a trash bag as I drove down the freeway or some country road less traveled. Weird compulsive behavior brings about the urge in me for double slappin' at the very least. Neck snappin' comes next. :evil:


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Jennifer Marshall said:


> Joby yes I think she dominated the pillow, but that it was specifically because of the rough play, she was all riled up and angry.  If she had not humped it but still been in a tizzy yes I would still consider that domination, as she did not try to tear it apart just pin it, wrap it, bite and shake in a rather violent manner. Very different behavior from normal play/destruction of toy. In normal play, the dogs get obsessive about demolishing the item, but not worked up in the same way, not "angry" (for lack of a better word)


from reading this I would say we are not far off at all, and basically agree. You are just putting a specific qualifier, the rough play on it, fighting back or anger (for lack of a better term) .which is fine with me...makes sense in my head...

I have seen this in a few other cases besides this pup, and even adults, which is why I posed the question.. 

You say becuase it fights back, or is rough play, or angry (FLOABT) pup...Which I can totally get behind... I would add that I think a large object could be looked at as "fighting back" with the puppy (for lack of a better term) by resisting being easily controlled, giving him a hard time, so to speak...

I would think frustration could play a big role as well.

This current pup seems pretty angry at a lot of things, for lack of a better term, and is pretty much riled up all the time, and always plays rough...

currently he is angry and fighting with his food bowl


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Nicole Stark said:


> Dominate isn't the descriptive that comes to mind when I watch her in this video or when I work with her on other objects - possession to the point of overwhelming almost bordering on consumption is what I am struck with (not necessarily what you see in the video here but certainly along those lines). That is to say deep biting, using her body to press it down almost to the point of smothering what she has. More specifically a single isolated element of the prey sequence that has been described previously.


I can get down with this as well, since this whole topic is a spin off of a thread about possession. 

*possessive*
manifesting possession or the desire to own or *dominate*

*dominate*
to have or exert mastery, *control*, or preeminence

synonyms to *dominate*
conquer, overpower, pacify, *subdue*, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish

*subdue*
to bring under *control *especially by an exertion of the will :

*Possess*
to seize and take *control* of : take into one's possession
to enter into and* control* firmly : *dominate *

*Possession*
the act of having or taking into *control*

*Control*
to exercise restraining or directing influence over 
to have power over 

I am comfortable with the word dominate, I guess it is just because we are DOG people, that the term dominate does not come as naturally for some..


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