Dear Alecia: I have a doxie that when I call her she lays over and does the submissive thing. It is so much harder to pick her up from this angle without hurting her back. How can I stop her from doing this? Sophie came from a horrendous puppymill – she is your typical stubborn dachshund. She is not fearful in any way of us so not sure why she is doing this submissive thing. –Lynn
Dear Lynne,
You are speaking to a fellow Dachsie parent, so I so get it about the stubbornness of the breed. My rescue pup (9 years now) Indie has opened my eyes to the extremes dogs can be personality wise. Tough as nails and braver than braveheart one minute and then as submissive as they come.
Having a challenging start like a puppy mill can be hard for any pup to let go of and I am sure you are learning from Sophie that Dachsie’s are really sensitive beings. One thing that Dachsie’s can do well is manipulate with their stubbornness or submissiveness. So what you don’t want is to give in to it. What you do want is to help her out of it.
So the first thing I would recommend is that when she roles on her back in submission, simply walk away. It may be hard the first few times but walk away and don’t feed any energy to it. From this Sophie will realize she cannot manipulate you if that is what she was doing.
Second thing you can do if this issue was coming from her challenged beginnings is to use two Bach Flower Essences. These essences can go directly into her water, are all natural, inexpensive and totally work to change emotional patterns that we (humans or animals) get stuck in. You can find online or at any health food store. I would suggest:
Star of Bethlehem which releases old traumas and Chestnut Bud which helps one let go of old stuck behaviors and establish new ones. Drop 5 drops in am and 5 pm in her water for 18 days.
I have witnessed miracles with the essences and I love them because they are so gentle, non-toxic and simply work.
I would start here and write me back and let me know what is happening and how Sophie is doing. From one Dachsie mom to another, stay strong, love her but don’t allow her to manipulate you with the submission behavior.
And for all of you pet parents that have pets who are fearful of loud noises and fireworks pick up a bottle of Rescue Remedy before the 4th and put 10 drops 2x a day in their water all the way through the 4th.
Wishing you a Happy 4th of July and Hugs to little Sophie! Alecia
Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.
The former host of the award-winning GrassRoots Aspen TV Series, The Whole Animal-An Alternative Approach to Animal Care, Alecia takes a natural approach to dog training and health care. Her work has been featured on Fox and Friends, The Sandra Glosser Show, NY 1, and in Aspen Magazine, DogTipper.com, The New York Daily News and Woof Report.
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