my miniture male doxie is so submissive, he lets our other dog chew on his ears, bite him, make him cry....and all he does is roll on his back. he does this with people too and also other dogs. i just dont want him getting hurt. when he was a baby his right testicle never dropped so we had to have him neutered right away (the dr said someone about it could get cancerous...i dunno) could this be a reason hes so submissive? no testosterone? is there any way to make him not such a scardy cat?
2007-10-23 11:30:46 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Sorry, no; the base is hereditary. Neutering does tend to make a male less male-like often manifesting itself as increased submissiveness due to less testosterone but again, that only subtracts from the base; a dominant male can still be dominant after neutering, just less so. Training can help you manage it and socialization can add to the base.
2007-10-23 14:08:29 · answer #1 · answered by Caninelegion 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lack of testosterone is not a cause of submissiveness. There are plenty of intact males that are submissive and plenty of dogs that were neutered very young who are not submissive. It is mostly just your dog's personality...although a dog with a less-than-outgoing personality can be stifled by bullies just like a less-outgoing child can become withdrawn and submissive if bullied at school.
As for ways to make him "not such a scardy cat." Obedience taught with positive reinforcement does wonders for a dog's self confidence. It is incredibly confidence-building for an individual, dog or human, to learn a new skill. After basic obedience, continuing training classes (rally obedience, formal obedience of a more challenging level, agility, earth dog, etc) can help you keep his confidence up.
Also, do not allow your other dogs to bully him. Rolling on his back is a sign that he doesn't intend to offer any resistance. If the other dogs continue to bite or chew on him after he rolls over, remove them from the room for a few minutes. Depending on how submissive your timid dog is you may or may not want to give the other dog a firm no as you separate them. If your timid dog is very shy, he will probably assume you are yelling at him and this will only increase his submissiveness. Calmly and silently removing the other dog to an area of isolation will still be effective in getting the message across to that dog that bullying and inappropriately rough play will not be tolerated by you.
2007-10-23 12:07:21 · answer #2 · answered by ainawgsd 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
His cryptorchid (undescended testicle) has nothing to do with his behavior. My German Shep had the same condition and we had him neutered and he is not overly submissive. He is more tolerant than my other dogs but will gutterally growl at other dogs who bother him after he has had enough. I don't think you can make a dog not submissive. It is part of their personality. The only thing you can do is make them feel safe enough to express themselves. Once they learn that they are safe and do not have to cower in fear all the time, they come out of their shells a bit. You will have to watch because sometimes overly submissive dogs will take and take and take until they absolutely cannot tolerate whatever the other dog/person is doing to them and then they lash out with a good hard bite. They don't give warning nips. So step in and protect your doxie whenever you see him getting picked on. Teach your other dog that it is not ok to hurt him. And give him lots and lots of love until he feels that he is and always will be safe.
2007-10-23 11:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by wyrdrose 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-10-07 11:54:51 · answer #4 · answered by savitz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should socialize your dog to make him more confident. Take him to meet different people, dogs, and situations, and give lots of treats, especially for any signs of bravery.
2007-10-23 11:53:59 · answer #5 · answered by Carrie O'Labrador 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can help reduce this behavior by increasing your dog's confidence level.
Take the dog out more and socialize, socialize, socialize with other humans and dogs.
2007-10-23 11:59:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋