posted 12-23-2003 09:12 PM         

- after 3 mos of having Moxie (10yo/f/21"/48#),I got her when she was 6,(she pulled an alpha dog manuever on me when I came home late one night. (AND since I knew I was running late - a quick call to a neighbor and she was out at her normal time and had done her business.) I walked into the house and got a cold black stare from her, no greeting, no nothing. Well I ignored it, and went on my routine of getting in. While I was changing clothes, she promptly jumped on my bed and peed, right in front on me! and stared at me while doing so! I was aghast, but again didn't want to make a big deal out of, so I picked her up and put her outside, pulled the comfortor up, dumped it in the wash, and ran back outside to get the remainder of the groceries. When I got back in - Moxie's standing in the house - defiant as ever. She had gone straight through screen door. We had words - which meant that I pulled my best DiNero "Are you messin' with me?" and then I tossed her in the bathroom (toilet seat down) and closed the door. About an hour later I let her out and ignored the livin' daylights out of her AND she ignored me. The next morning we both woke up and acted like nothing happened.
- More than once, when she's been visiting friends with me - she's peed on their bed. A few dry cleaning bills there. Every time we go to Petsmart - squat and pee. You can see the look in her eyes - "I like this place, I chrisen it mine."
- When she realized that Buster (14yo/m/25"/80#), my other Airedale, was staying with us and not just visiting - I had just brought Buster back from his first grooming with us - she promptly squatted and peed all over him (actually underneath him - he's bigger than she is.) And you could see the look of revenge in her eyes. No kidding. It's plain as day - she means it as a statement of she's not happy and this is her place.
- When she's chasing the 'damn varmits' out of the back yard - she'll go barreling out of the sliding glass door (sans the screen door) like the russian's have invaded and this is war. One of her first tactial manuevers is to squat and pee to announce this is her land.

Well, if you've made it this far, I would take a guess that your 18mo -teenager- Lab is testing his alpha boundaries. My mode of discipline is putting the dogs in the bathroom when they've been bad. Luckily for me Buster is naturally a very good boy and has never been put in there. But, Moxie on the other hand has spent a few evenings in there. Dogs by nature are pack animals and don't like being separated from the pack. And since Moxie is just small enough - for added measure I pick her up and put her in there.

Oh, and I also a proud owner of a Sharper Image handheld steam cleaner - which can travel with me. I'm not sure who's winning this one - but she's worth it.

Hope there's some advice in the above for you somewhere.

[This message has been edited by katchatu (edited 12-23-2003).]

posted 12-24-2003 04:14 AM         

The vet says he's marking his territory, and agressively at that since he knows he's siring a litter, and Char is HIS.

He said even if we fixed him he'd still do it, and Granvel won't allow him to be fixed. He's too good of the breed and dog to do that too....

Char got the idea to hike her leg up and try it one time...she got a soft spankin, and she's never done it again. But knowing Char, she was just being silly and wanting attention, she'll usually try everything Smokey does at least once.