# Vizsla likes everyone but me



## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

About 5 months ago, I moved in with a family who has a 2 year old Vizsla named Maxwell. The first month or two the dog adored me. He would greet me when I came to the door, snuggled on my lap (while he pretended to be a small dog) and responded when I called his name. Suddenly, things slowly began to change...he started hiding his tail when I came near him, growling and showing his teeth when I went to pet him and not even acknowledging when I walk through the door....The family I live with consists of a mom and a dad, a fully autistic 20 year old boy, two 16 year old girls and the youngest girl who is 13. The dad is of course the master but we all take turns feeding him. Maxwell has never been this way with them and from what I have been told, no one else either. We rotate who takes him for his daily walk and whoever is available will play frisbee with him throughout the day. Maxwell of course, does respond well to me when I give him a treat, but once he eats it...I become chopped liver to him again. I was very surprised last week when I returned home from a trip to California he was very clingy to me from the moment I walked through the door until 2 or so hours after that. I try to pin point if there is something that I may be doing to scare him off but I haven't found it yet. I sometimes talk to him in a high pitched voice but the girls rough house with him and talk to him in a squeaky voice as well and he doesn't act this way with them. I do find it interesting though when we have a storm (which is is deathly afraid of), he will come downstairs where my room is, get under the covers with me and hit my hand with his head so I will pet him and tell him everything is okay....of course I comfort him, but as soon as the storm is over he goes back upstairs.....I don't understand!! I have had several dogs of my own and my family even breaded Basset Hounds when I was younger....this is very very frustrating for me because I have NEVER had a dog dislike me. This has been going on everyday for over 3 months.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Completely ignore him. Don't even acknowledge he 
is there. 

Just walk around confident and sure and wait until he comes to you. Don't make eye contact or call him. Have some treats in your shirt pocket. Sit down in a chair and wait.

When he comes over, again don't look at him, after awhile he may settle next to you. Take out a treat and give it to him. Don't say anything.

It is all body language you are using. You are above him as an Alpha male and he is nothing. He has to earn even an acknowledgement that he exists.

Try it and let me know how it goes. Never get mad at the dog. He's just a dog trying to figure his place in the pack. You are an unknown. Give him every reason to understand.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-dogs-are-not-our-children.html

Good luck.
RBD


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

And again, *RBD* you amaze me how great your advices are. 8)
I did think about the body language myself but I could not put it into words so well or not at all... :-[


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## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks RBD. I will do this and tell you how the experience was....


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

RBD
We all know I own a very dominant male.
When were out hunting in the field I lift up Cash and put him in a dog box that sits a few feet off the ground.
My Husband says "Your Brave."
I tell him No, I'm confident when I do it. There is no hesitation. Just walk up and get the job done.
The dog understands that. Dogs are pros at reading body language its the humans that don't always realise the signs were giving off.


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## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

the thing is- I try to let him know that he is not in control...when he growls at me for no reason when I come near him (I don't yell) but I firmly tell him no growl with my finger pointed at him. He turns his head away and usually walks away.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

samithurston said:


> the thing is- I try to let him know that he is not in control...when he growls at me for no reason when I come near him (I don't yell) but I firmly tell him no growl with my finger pointed at him. He turns his head away and usually walks away.


Only lower pack members growl at each other and get into spats. The higher pack members just ignore the lower. RBD has some great advice - ignore him and don't even look at him or acknowledge his presence.


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## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

I guess my question also is.....why is he doing this?


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

He's testing you. "Are you my leader or my equal?" 

Here is an article for you.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/12/history-and-misconceptions-of-dominance.html


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

RBD
Has given you some great advise.
As a leader you give the dog attention on your terms, not his. Its even small things like passing him in a hallway. Walk like he is not there. He should be the one that moves out of your way. Love and respect are two different things to a dog.


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## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

It's gotten worse....I totally ignored him and today I walked by him (again paying him no mind) and he snapped at my hand!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Is he guarding something? Perhaps his food, bed, or a bone?


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## samithurston (Jul 24, 2012)

No not at all.....and now he jumped on the couch and is laying across me!!!!!!!!! I don't understand it


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Sorry, you're not the pack leader :-[ 

Dogs, sense our energy. If you feel it, then you got it. It's like looking into a mirror that never lies to you. 

We act differently when our thoughts are not congruent with our actions. But dogs know, because dogs don't understand our language however, they really understand our emotions. That is the mirror I am talking about. 
It is like love, you just have to feel it to understand it. It is not about domination or who is stronger. It is the inner strength we all posses that gives us the ability to bid for their cooperation. I am talking about domesticated house dogs, not wild wolfs or raccoons.

Not sure if it makes sense, I am trying to make sense of it myself, because the way I see it, my dog is always right ???

I have a friend. He is sixty eight years old, pack leader of a male, German Shepherd, intact. Never trained that dog, save the children's books he reads to him. He reads those books like he would to a 2 year old child, with emotion and real feel. That dog follows my friend to the ends of the world, literally.

Point is... you have it in you, just have to dig deep and find the pack leader "feeling"... or, fake it until you make it... use a prong collar and walk and walk the beast


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Read "Call of the Wild" by Jack London for how man and dog can relate. It would be interesting to see a video of you and the dog when he goes on the offense.

When you walk the dog is the dog at your left knee behind you? 

I agree with Datacam, you are not the pack leader. Dog's are not that complicated. We make them that way in our own heads.

RBD


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