Should I let Jax do my dirty work? Dog/puppy interaction ?s

[gritsar]

Jax, our older GSD, is now a year old. Kane is four months old.
When DH and I are home alone, we rarely close the bathroom door while we are taking care of business. We're both mature adults.
The dogs know they are forbidden to step over the bathroom threshold. We taught them that young. So, Kane thinks it's fun to sit in the bathroom doorway and bark at me. He's so ferocious! The first time he did it I thought it was cute, but after that I started correcting him.
The thing is if I correct him, Jax corrects him. As soon as I say "Kane! Nein!", Jax grabs him by the back of the neck and forces Kane's head down to the floor. So now I'm having to correct Kane for barking and Jax for doing my job, correcting Kane.
I remember seeing on some dog behavior program that it's not a good idea to let an older dog correct a pup. Is this fact or fiction? Where are my favorite dog trainers at?

 

[Dar]

I could be totally WAYYYYY off in left field but I have always allowed my older dogs "train" my younger ones but the younger ones still know that I am boss.

My oldest dog is great on recall with the pup I just brought home today we are using a coupler and attaching the dogs so that when my older one is out going pee and I call her to come back the pup will be right there too. We did this with my other pup and it works great I call the oldest one, then the middle "child" and they both come running, so hopefully it will be successful with the new pup

 

[Cara]

My Lab mutt is that way with the other dogs. I'd also heard that it was bad, but she has never been anything but submissive to me. I figure unless it comes to that, she is just fine (and actually very helpful).

 

[gritsar]

That's what I figure. Jax is helpful to me in that he's taught Kane a few good habits and Kane has been helpful in teaching Jax a few things, like waiting until I tell him it's okay to go out the open door. Kane picked that up right away, but Jax has patience issues.

 

[Cara]

Kodiak likes to put the other dogs out if they don't go out when I tell them. She admonishes them if they don't listen by a growl/bark and grab of the scruff. The other day she really helped me out. Our pointer has a tendency to run off, he's not in any danger (the nearest road is 12 miles away) but nevertheless it is aggravating. I called him and he kept running, so she intercepted him and rolled him, at which point he came straight to me.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Yes and No.

It's best for puppies to stay with their mother longer than the 8weeks most folks do. The lots of folks who have Service Dogs recommend that the pup stay with the mom for at least 12 weeks if not 16. This allows mom to teach them some disipline. Like "Cesar" says, dogs are pack animals they learn from the pack. If mom is a well behaved dog, she will make her puppies so. (my dog even trains the cats, lol)

It's good for Jax to teach Kane, but not really disipline him like he's doing. Doing so is showing dominance. These are going to be big boys. Kane, may turn on Jax one day and it's not going to be pretty.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Personally I wouldn't allow it. I never allow a dog-to-dog correction of dog of mine or a dog I'm training to correct or be corrected for something I am teaching. I might allow a dog-to-dog correction if the interaction had nothing to do with me. However you are the one asking for a certain behavior and IMO it isn't Jax's place to correct and enforce. As someone else said prior to me, allowing this behavior might turn real ugly if Jax one day over corrects Kane and Kane is decided that's his moment to show Jax that he's not a puppy any more. Yikes. I would seriously nip all behavior like this in the bud--Right Now.

 

[gritsar]

Thanks.

 

[Cara]

Quote:
That can happen in any circumstance. Most grown dogs will show dominance over a puppy, and at some point that may be challenged. Unless you prevent all interactions between the two one of them is going to be dominant.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That can happen in any circumstance. Most grown dogs will show dominance over a puppy, and at some point that may be challenged. Unless you prevent all interactions between the two one of them is going to be dominant.

I spent alot of time observing Kane and his littermates before deciding on him. I wanted a personality that complimented Jax's. Based on what I saw and what Mrs. Breeder told me, I picked Kane.
You'd think at 90 lbs. and being older Jax would be the dominant one, but for the most part he's very submissive. Kane is my handful, dominant one. Love em both.