Cavalier trait or littel dog syndrome

[Alana]

Ha so true about the BFF and visiting!

If you know of any Cavalier owners around that you could have a play date with it would be beneficial because they have similar temperaments. Whenever I take Bella to a play place for dogs she goes straight for the Cavaliers, she feels safest with them, mind you she doesn't have a problem with other breeds. If there are big dogs playing she will watch but not join in because she knows she will get squashed! She usually goes around and meets everyone until she finds a friend that plays with her the way she likes. I suggest a dog play group with people you know that have nice dogs to start with.

[Soushiruiuma]

I always have my "entourage" with me. This is certainly not guarding behaviour, cavaliers are just adore their owners.

[JessieAndMe]

I always have my "entourage" with me

Too true.

Jessie is a huge sticky nose, he wouldn't know how to mind his own business. Thank goodness we live in a quiet little court.
He follows me around from room to room, and where it's a room that he isn't allow into (the toilet) he waits outside, lays against the door
and apparently tries to look underneath to see your shadow.

He isn't too fond of bikes, scooters or motorbikes though and will bark and growl until they are out of sight, it must be anyone in motion
where he can see them, as cars don't phase him, as long as they don't park in his driveway or out the front of his house. He barks only
at select people when they come to the door, he doesn't like the postie wearing his helmet, but happily welcomes the Auspost delivery
guy bringing eBay goodies.

I've got more photo's than I can remember of Jessie perving out the window (like NurseSophie89's Lola)

[NurseSophie89]

Too true.

Jessie is a huge sticky nose, he wouldn't know how to mind his own business. Thank goodness we live in a quiet little court.
He follows me around from room to room, and where it's a room that he isn't allow into (the toilet) he waits outside, lays against the door
and apparently tries to look underneath to see your shadow.

He isn't too fond of bikes, scooters or motorbikes though and will bark and growl until they are out of sight, it must be anyone in motion
where he can see them, as cars don't phase him, as long as they don't park in his driveway or out the front of his house. He barks only
at select people when they come to the door, he doesn't like the postie wearing his helmet, but happily welcomes the Auspost delivery
guy bringing eBay goodies.

I've got more photo's than I can remember of Jessie perving out the window (like NurseSophie89's Lola)

Funny you should say that, Lola HATES motorbikes with a passion and goes nuts at them. I always thought it was the noise though, as she'll start to back when she hears it before shes seen it.

[alfiesmummy]

I did think it was strange as i know other cavaliers and they all follow there owner but the behaviourist swears, when i called her its guarding behaviour. I have no problem with his behaviour whatso ever. I quite like my little shadow ))

The bit about Alfie not liking other dogs i really cannot figure out why?? We bought Alfie at 13 weeks old. I can only think that he missed the socialiastion time. Since having him we have took him to training classes. Alfie is whistle trained and knows this different whistle tones, similar to a gundogs. He walks the heath everyday and sees other dogs everyday. We do an hours off lead walking a day over the heath, so it cannot be lack of excercise. He is much better off lead with other dogs than on lead. When off lead he only barks and chases a little. On lead when another dog comes he goes nuts! I have taken to Alfie to every dog show walking last summer. Every show that you can take a dog to, he has gone. It seems like it had gotten worse beginning of winter when the shows stopped but the walks over the heath have continued. He lives with a springer spaniel and he is absolutely fine with her. My husbands springer is not bonkers at all. She is very calm, esp for a springer and gun dog trained. Alfie is actually more bonkers by miles than my husbands springer!! Thanks for all your advice xxxx

[Kate H]

Being OK with other dogs off-lead but not on-lead is very normal, because off-lead dogs know that they can run if anything goes wrong. On-lead, they can't run, they are likely to get tangled round their owners legs, and are sitting targets for getting attacked. It may be something as simple as having been roughly bowled over as a puppy that makes Alfie nervous when on lead - his barking is warning off rather than being aggressive. Oliver has been attacked three times from behind by staffies when sitting quietly on-lead at bus stops. He now barks furiously at any dog who simply resembles a staffie, especially if he doesn't see them coming (and he's shortsighted, so that includes most black, brindle or black and white dogs!) - I call it 'getting his swearing in first', but it's really warning the other dog off. Introduced on-lead to friendly, well-behaved staffies, he's perfectly friendly, also with staffies when loose in the park.

Kate, OLiver and Aled

[alfiesmummy]

I wanted to thank everyone for replying to my thread. I have been reading a book called the Dog listener by Jan Fennel. I have taken some tips from her book. Since writing the thread i never saw any hope of getting Alf into the show ring again because of his dislike of other dogs. Today i have managed a full 5 hours at a dog show and Alf has not been a problem with any dogs. When i saw the signs of him going off on a barking fit, i got a piece of chicken out and got him to sit and i rewarded him with the chicken! It took his mind off of barking! Within half an hour i didnt have to use the chicken anymore, he was fine! He even had a husky bark at him and he ignored it! I have also used the same approach with the chicken, with barking at the door and the fence and slowly the barking is decreasing! I would suggest to anyone who was going to shell out £150 for a behaviourist, not to bother and buy a copy of this womens book and watch her youtube videos!
From reading what others have read on this web site, i dont think Alf has little dog syndrome. He is doing what cavys have been breed to do.

Many thanks for all your help xx

[Kate H]

Please use Jan Fennel with extreme caution! A lot of what she says has been disproved by more recent research. All this stuff about alpha males and dominating your dog was based on research done with wolves in captivity who were living not in family groups but in unnatural groups of unrelated wolves who had - as all groups of animals do - to sort themselves into some sort of hierarchy in order to relate with humans at close quarters, which they would never have to do in the wild. The most modern dog training methods are based on motivating your dog to co-operate with you, not bullying him into compliance. What you are doing with Alf (and I'm delighted it's working) is distracting him with something he values more than the need to bark at other dogs - ie chicken! Nothing to do with domination, but a good example of making it worth his while to do what you want. Training is a matter of exchange and mart - you ask Alf to do something, with a reward, and he decides it's worth his while to do what you want (and also worth getting your approval). Part of the improvement is also no doubt due to growing up. However you do it, I'm glad it's working, so that you can eventually relax and enjoy Alf without always being on the look-out for other dogs.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[alfiesmummy]

Thanks for that! I have used the ignoring for 5 minutes when you come into the house (its so hard!) and it has stopped both my dogs jumping up. I am not sure how her ideas of thanking the dog for barking at the door works, so when people come round i put both dogs into there crates and i greet people. Once there in and quiet i let the dogs out again with the 5 min rule for all! This seems to work too.
Yesterday i was so thrilled with Alf. The behaviourist said she was unsure whether Alf would go into the show ring again! I was so pleased as you can imagine and sorted out in 30 minutes! Thanks for all your help and advice x

[NurseSophie89]

Lola now has this other new thing shes started doing to me which is kinda like a cuddle but not really. If i ask her for a kiss sometimes she'll push her little face into mine really hard, or else into my shoulder. Almost like shes nuzzling right into me, too damn cute!!!