New here, with an odd behavior

    • Puppy

    New here, with an odd behavior

    Hi everyone!  I'm Bella.  I have a three year old male neutered weim, named Duke.  He is the quirkiest silliest dog I've ever owned, and we love him to death.  I'd always had border collies, so we researched weims a lot before we actually got him, and thought we were up to the challenge.
     
    So anyway, I'm a stay at home mom,  and I don't know if that has reinforced this odd behavior since he's with me all the time, but now it's getting a little tiresome, and I don't know what to do. 
     
    He is gentle with the kids and very submissive around the 18 month old, but lately, he has been driving us nuts!  He will lay on the floor on his back in a submissive position, showing his belly, but when anyone sits next to him or stands next to where he is laying (including the 18 month old) he will roll onto his side and push his legs against us, almost like he is trying to push us away.  It didn't really bother me too much until he started doing it to the baby beacuse it knocks her over!  I'm also worried that his claws are going to scratch her face accidentally.  I don't know why he does it!  At thanksgiving, he nearly knocked my mother-in-law over when he did it to her, because her feet slipped out from under her!  It was funny for awhile, and shame on me I should have tried to stop him when i first noticed the behavior, but now I'm at a loss.  Does anyone know why he's doing this?  It's odd because it seems like a dominant behavior, but it's occuring from a normally submissive position.  Any thoughts?  Has this behavior happened to anyone else??
     
     
    Thanks!
    Bella
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yeah my dog does that sometimes too. She is not large enough to actually knock anyone down or be annoying so I've never thought much of it. I don't see it as a dominance thing.... with our dog it always looks like she is stretching, but likes to be touching us at the same time.
     
    Anyway..... obviously it is a problem in this situation, and I think you can address it like many other unwanted behaviours - simply stand up and leave the area, ignore the dog for 30 sec or so. Make it clear to the dog that when he does this, the people all stand up and leave him. That's my guess!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Wow, oddly enough Conrad does this too. If he's laying down and goes over for bully rubs, you'd better be wearing your protective eye gear because his limbs just go all stiff and flaily and if he makes contact with a paw, he'll push you with all his might. I honestly think it's a reflex because Conrad is very eager to please and gets very distressed if you get upset with him, and I've tried really conveying my disapproval when he does this and he just can't seem to stop. I just have to get up and walk away and pet him from a better, less exposed position.