|
Sylink posted:EDIT: What does poisoning the name mean? A poisoned cue is essentially a cue that means something else to the dog than it does you. For example, "come" may not mean "drop everything you're doing and come right here" to your dog. Instead it may mean, "come if you're not doing anything better" or "come after you smell that dog's butt", or it may just become white noise that the dog tunes out. It can also mean a cue that the dog thinks of as negative. For instance, if you call your dog to come, and he doesn't, and you get angry and lash out at him when he finally does come. Now he may remember that negative feeling when you want him to come, and opt not to. When a cue is poisoned (most people's recall cue is) it's recommended you start training a new one from scratch. Like, we're talking back to the beginning puppy-level stuff with a new word or phrase. With the new phrase you'll essentially never let your dog think that "here" or whatever means anything other than "drop everything and come right here" because you'll always be controlling the dog via a leash enough to not let him get reinforced elsewhere, but not controlling so much that you're ever making him come via compulsion.
|
#
?
May 28, 2011 18:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 05:26 |
|
|
Does anyone know of any good impulse control games to play with dogs? As part of my 'Lola you must learn to be civil to other dogs' thing, I'm doing impulse control games with Lola again, to further cement her 'leave it' and ability to work around distractions. We already do 'It's Yer Choice' (we're up to her leaving low value food on the ground whilst off-lead and indoors) and stay/release when we're playing fetch outdoors, but I can't really think of any others. I also don't know how to advance It's Yer Choice past increasing the value of the food on the ground (and tossing it past her, etc); it's going to be very hard to do the walk-over-food thing because as soon as it's there, she'll look at it once or twice and then move about two to three feet away, and is very reluctant to come closer. I guess I could bring Jess in and let her eat the food, but I don't want to overload Lola and make her too competitive, so I don't know if it would be a good idea or not, and how to work up to that level.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2011 21:18
|
|
|
This article helped me a great deal, especially the "chill out" game when playing tug of war, or any situation where you're holding a valuable toy during a game really. http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/LoweringArousal.pdf
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2011 21:26
|
|
|
Fraction posted:I also don't know how to advance It's Yer Choice past increasing the value of the food on the ground Question! I have started to dream of getting Pi to pass his Schutzhund Beigleithund (BH) test. I used to think I could never build him a solid enough obedience routine with him being quiet, but it seems that as he's gotten older, I've gotten to be a better trainer and our working relationship has gotten better, this is within our reach after all. However the problem will be the bit where he's left alone tethered to a wall and has to calmly wait a couple of minutes while people and a calm helper dog pass by. I must stay out of sight. The people are not a problem, but the helper dog is. Pi will not shut up if a dog passes by. How do I teach Pi not to bark at passing dogs when he has to wait without me in sight? Here's a brief description of what the BH test is about : http://www.kaltersberg.com/Obedience.htm
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 08:24
|
|
|
Okay, my dog seems to have gone through some real changes lately. Six months old, border collie mix. Neutered on May 1. Cryptorchid, so two incisions, he had to wear a cone for a week (actually, 3 cones, since the first one wasn't big enough and he broke the second one). Now...he won't come. He will get to within an arm's reach and then shy away. Sometimes he will behave as before, i.e., coming right to me. Other times he wants to turn it into a chase-me kind of situation. He will get closer if I'm holding his leash, but he won't let me put it on him until we are AT the door. (During his recuperation, he had a leash on always, unless he was in his crate. He only likes the leash because he knows it means WALK, so he was very happy when we decided he was recovered, and now he doesn't want to have a leash on, basically ever again.) He has also started being a lot more aggressive toward the cats, who he has lived with since he was 8 weeks old with not a lot of problems. (Basically, one cat treats him as a cat toy--a live, more or less annoying toy, but something to be manipulated. The other one just hates him and growls whenever he gets too close according to her definition at the time, which could mean the same room.) He is now annoying them a LOT more. In short: He doesn't trust us anymore, and he's gotten aggressive. I have pretty much been trying to keep on training as usual, and sometimes that works. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do when he doesn't come. If I really want him, I can get him with a toy, but I don't want to teach him to turn every recall request into puppy play.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 08:38
|
|
|
Rhymes With Clue posted:If I really want him, I can get him with a toy, but I don't want to teach him to turn every recall request into puppy play. If you have trouble getting his collar on in the first place, teach him to put his own head through the collar using the bestest of treats as a reward. It's ok to lure the behavior at first. 6 months old is a typical time for a pup to start testing his boundaries and gaining independence. I'd probably leave a long line on him for now in order to be able to reinforce his recalls.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 08:56
|
|
|
Flesh Forge posted:This article helped me a great deal, especially the "chill out" game when playing tug of war, or any situation where you're holding a valuable toy during a game really. Huh, for some reason I actually had this fav'd - as 'article on impulse control'. Thanks for reminding me I had it! There's another article I remember glancing at once that taught you how to instill a chill out cue for your dog so that in new situations it looks to you to play - but for the life of me I have no idea where I read it. Rixatrix posted:Using food, you can work your way up to putting food on her or even throwing it at her. You can also work IYC into other training, which in my opinion is something you should do pretty quickly anyway. Use lower value distractions and ask her to perform a trick (something easy she knows, like sit or a hand touch) before rewarding her with a higher value treat. Working IYC into your training rather than keeping it up as a solitary exercise will prevent your dog persistently defaulting into "leave it". It's something you really don't want - you should aim to get her to default into "leave it while offering other behavior to earn reinforcement". Yesterday we were doing 'with me' around the food on the floor (cue to walk generally to heel) so tricks are a natural progression from that! Can't believe I didn't think about it durr, thanks!
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 10:52
|
|
|
My first chance to post a question in the training thread! Hooray! Keeper (almost 5 yr old neutered Pom, 'retired' show dog) is an excellent traveller, so I take him a lot of places with me, usually 3 or 4 trips a year, some for business, others for pleasure. He hops right in his travel bag, is quiet during flights, and never has an accident in a new place. He's calm and well-behaved as long as I'm with him....BUT. If I leave him alone in a hotel room or at a friend's house, he can't settle down and yips/whines when I leave. I don't think he barks the whole time I'm gone, just while I'm leaving, but just to be sure, I don't usually impose him on a hotel or other people. It's also distressing to me to think about my little buddy being so freaked out when I leave him somewhere that's foreign and new to him. He's also more reactive to strange noises before/after these incidents, so I think my leaving puts him on high alert mode and he can't calm down even when I return. Honestly, I haven't really tried any solutions to solve this, mostly because it happens only when I travel, and usually I'm too concerned with business or family issues to try to work on it. I did try giving him a chewie when I left for a while, but he ignored it, so maybe it wasn't high enough value? He's also been crated at times during this, and it doesn't seem to affect his behavior whether he's crated/not crated. Here's what I'm thinking of trying for my next trip in July: 1.) Get some human food that Keeper goes apeshit for and stuff it in a Kong 2.) DAP diffuser or DAP collar 3.) Leave him in a tight enclosed space or his crate 4.) Develop a routine at home before I leave for the trip (fill Kong, toss Kong in crate or bedroom, say 'Okay I'll be back soon' and leave) so he'll know what to expect I'm also considering using the hotel's concierge service to hire a petsitter or drop him off at a daycare, so I guess I would use these techniques in combination. Is this a good plan? How else can I make my dog feel more comfortable in a strange place when I'm not there? Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 15:39 on May 29, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 15:37
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:My first chance to post a question in the training thread! Hooray! Have you tried leaving the tv or radio on? We crate our dog and put a blanket over her crate (at home we leave one side open but away we cover it all up) and then leave some noise on and that quiets her right down. She's a pretty nervous barker, but if she can't hear anything but white noise, she settles down. Plus, she knows from experience that barking/whining in the crate doesn't get her any attention. She'll also refuse anything but the best treats when we're away. If you do set up a leaving routine, make sure you vary the time. Come back sometimes in just a few minutes so that Keeper doesn't learn that the routine signals you being gone for a long time. I think crating is a good idea, if Keeper likes his crate. You can also put in a dirty shirt so it smells like home, like they do with puppies. 
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 17:37
|
|
|
TV/radio seems to have no effect on him, but I'll try it in conjunction with the other stuff, thanks! Maybe the combination of background noise, high value treat and established routine will be the trick. Another problem I suppose is that Keeper doesn't really like his crate. He'll 'load up' without a problem and can be left crated without freaking out, but he doesn't choose to go in his crate on his own, and he isn't left crated during the day. Ever since I got him I've been doing crate games and feeding him in there, so he doesn't have a negative reaction to being crated, he just doesn't seem to want to do it on his own. I've never seen him go in there without a toy or treat tossed in, and he usually only stays to devour the treat and then leaves to go back on the sofa or snooze in his bed. To be fair, over the past few years I haven't spent much time trying to condition him to willingly go in because he isn't destructive and doesn't need to be crated during the day, but I have a tendency to think he won't ever really like the crate because he was a former show dog and spent many many hours crated without ever being conditioned to it. (He was in the care of a handler who had multiple dogs and apparently didn't spend much time with him out of the ring.) Would it be fine to leave the crate out of the equation and just try confining him to a smaller room? I'm also thinking this would be an appropriate time to stuff a Kong with french fries and cheese and let him go to town.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 17:58
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:TV/radio seems to have no effect on him, but I'll try it in conjunction with the other stuff, thanks! Maybe the combination of background noise, high value treat and established routine will be the trick. I don't think Keeper not voluntarily hanging out in the crate means he doesn't like it. It's just not one of his favorite spots. It's just a personal preference thing for dogs, I think, and mine prefers other places to her crate as well. If he's not showing aversion to going in, then he probably likes it fine and it isn't adding stress, which is the important thing. You can try a smaller room though, maybe like a bathroom. Both the crate or a smaller room may not decrease his anxiety, in which case they're pretty equal and you'll have to add other things to get him over your leaving.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 18:31
|
|
|
Fraction posted:Does anyone know of any good impulse control games to play with dogs? As part of my 'Lola you must learn to be civil to other dogs' thing, I'm doing impulse control games with Lola again, to further cement her 'leave it' and ability to work around distractions. I would recommend you check out Control Unleashed by McDevitt. I've not picked it up yet for myself, but I really should. And you should too. It's right up your alley. Rhymes with Clue posted:In short: He doesn't trust us anymore, and he's gotten aggressive. Most six month old puppies are assholes. I feel you. Keep up with what you're doing, make sure he's well and truly exhausted when you exercise him, and supply time outs for inappropriate behaviour. With the cat thing it's especially important to control his arousal level. Captain Foxy posted:Is this a good plan? How else can I make my dog feel more comfortable in a strange place when I'm not there? I found myself in a similar situation to you. My dog was crate trained when she was younger, but wasn't required to use the crate as she got more trustworthy, so I stopped the upkeep on it. Then we started up a few classes where it was infinitely easier to crate her while I helped set up/tear down/listen to the instructor, so we started crate games again. So, on top of crate games, testing out crating during classes was really helpful. When I first started I had Cohen crated while I helped teach a beginner's agility class, and she was barking and generally being an rear end. The next week she was better (and I thought to cover the crate) and the week after she was no trouble at all. Now I can go to an event and trust that she'll be just fine hanging out in her crate in strange high energy environments like events. She improved hugely over the course of a month or two of fairly lazy training. So, while this second bit of advice might not be terribly useful, if you can start pushing your boundaries in unfamiliar areas it'll probably be able to be generalized pretty effectively as long as the crate remains constant. Taking a class for fun and using a crate might be good practice for you and your pup. a life less fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Jun 8, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 21:12
|
|
|
Rhymes With Clue posted:Okay, my dog seems to have gone through some real changes lately. Six months old, border collie mix. Neutered on May 1. Cryptorchid, so two incisions, he had to wear a cone for a week (actually, 3 cones, since the first one wasn't big enough and he broke the second one). I've got a BC mix too. Mine is REALLY sensitive to negative poo poo that happens. Once during agility training, someone took her picture as she came out of a tunnel and the flash startled her. It took WEEKS for her to go through a tunnel semi-confidently. If I have to catch her to give her a bath or put on flea meds, she acts all butt-hurt towards me for days. I've never had another dog that was even close to that sensitive about actual or perceived slights. I suggest changing up your going-out routine enough to make attaching the leash a non-issue. Say you want to go out in like 5 minutes. Grab a handful of high-value treats, and go through all the tricks and commands that the dog knows (sit, sit-stay, shake, lay down, etc.), and end with a sit-stay. That's when you pull out the leash, and attach it. Then let him drag it around for a few minutes, and THEN you go out. If your pup isn't coming or paying attention - that's when I'd do my "crazy-silly walk" away from the puppy. It's practically irresistible to most puppies; they're going to come see what you're doing. You might look nuts, but it's better than chasing a dog that's way faster than you are. As far as the cats go - my main question is how sure are you that it's actually aggression? I think it's more likely to be just a puppy going through an annoying phase, or is deciding that it's fun to herd and/or annoy the cats. Make sure the cats have plenty of puppy-free perches and hidey holes. I'd also get a squirt gun or squirt bottle that has good distance and aim. A shot of water to the head is usually enough to shut behaviors like that down quickly. If you're not already thinking about a dog sport, maybe now's the time to start researching a casual intro class near you. It's great for that hyper, annoying puppy stage, even if you don't intend on doing it seriously when the pup grows up. Another thing to think about is tether training. It's great for teaching good behavior (like do not annoy the cats, don't chew on the laptop cord, chewing on your toys is good), as well as having the side benefit of creating a whole new association for the leash.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2011 21:46
|
|
|
After hemming and hawing for the last 3 weeks we're pretty well settled into our new place and probably adopting a dog next weekend. (Sneak peek. Fun fact: after meeting him and leaving we couldn't remember his fking name: wallaby? wildebeest? wilfred?) Since he's housetrained, doesn't chew, or bark, we can skip to the fun training! What should we start with? I'm thinking a "sit" and "wait" combo for meal times, and "touch" and "out" (with a bell by the door) for learning to indicate when he's gotta whizz. I almost taught him to sit in the middle of a busy Petsmart, he was half-squatting and really focused on the treat. I think he wanted to still be on all fours just in case the treat made a run for it. How do you tip him over the edge into a true sit?
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 04:29
|
|
|
I’m sure that this question has been asked multiple times, but I’m going to ask it, as am getting a bit to my wits end. My wife and I have 2 dogs (both rescue), an 8 ½ year old golden retriever, and a 1 ½ year old staffy cross border collie - Stormy (we think that's what she is anyway). We LOVE taking the dogs for long walks on the weekend (like 1 hour or more) and the dogs love it to. The golden retriever is generally well behaved on the walk, with the exception of when he sees other dogs he doesn’t know (then he gets excited, but it isn’t anything we can’t control). The staffy on the other hand is almost always pulling, lunging at smells, on 2 hind legs leaning against the collar when she sees another dog or person she wants to go and see. It make walking her really unpleasant, and my wife and I basically take turns with who is on ‘Stormy Duty’ I’ve tried many many different methods to try and get her into line. I’ve used treats to keep her next to me / reward proper behaviour going up and down my driveway (low stimulous), have tried the ‘stop’ method every time she pulls, given her continuous ‘jerks’ while she’s pulling to try and make it unpleasant. The treat method ‘works’ the best in that she’ll behave while a treat is around, but as soon as she receives the treat, she’s off in a flash and pulling again. It’s probably also worth noting that she’s usually a bit better towards the end of the walk because she’s tired, but even then she’s usually pulling at least a little. Anyway, would love some help on what I should be doing here, or what I’m doing wrong as we absolutely love stormy and love walking the dogs, but it can really be an effort in patience sometimes.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 08:19
|
|
|
On It's Me or the Dog she does something similar to the "stop" method, she just changes direction when they start to pull. They do it a million times, but eventually the dog learns that the human is the only one who knows where the walk is going to go, not the dog, so they eventually kind of loosely follow your lead.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 15:22
|
|
|
drat Bananas posted:After hemming and hawing for the last 3 weeks we're pretty well settled into our new place and probably adopting a dog next weekend. (Sneak peek. Fun fact: after meeting him and leaving we couldn't remember his fking name: wallaby? wildebeest? wilfred?) I think some of the more useful cues beyond the basics are drop [whatever is in your mouth], leave it, stay, stand, paw (for nail trimming, etc), target (for moving your dog without physically manhandling him) and sit until or a down until which is essentially a sit/stay with the stay part being implicit. That is, when I say sit, sit there until I release you. There's really no set list of "must have" cues though. Re: tipping over the edge into a true sit, I would probably just wait him out, or reexamine where your lure is. Dogs pretty naturally pop into a sit to keep their eyes on something over their heads. So maybe shift where you're holding the lure a bit. I put the lure on the dog's nose and they move it up two feet or so, so their head and butt follows. Or if you think you have your position correct and he's still butt-hovering just wait him out. Eventually he should get tired and sit since it's an easier position to hold. Just remember to always make training (even the basic boring stuff) a fun game. PotatoManJack posted:I’m sure that this question has been asked multiple times, but I’m going to ask it, as am getting a bit to my wits end. First off, you might want to consider using a head halter. They can be enormously helpful in making the walk more enjoyable for the handler, which means the dog gets out more and burns off more energy, which results in an easier to handle dog. I think of it as power steering for dogs. But, with that said, it's a tool, not a crutch. I disapprove of people relying on halters for prolonged periods of time. Like all tools, they need to be used in conjunction with proper training. Also of note, if the dog lunges while in a halter and twists their head you risk them injuring themselves. You must be hyper vigilant of potential lunging triggers and preempt them gently. [Edit: I think the goal, when putting a head halter on the dog, is to get it off them as soon as possible. That is, the head halter sets you up for more successful training, and the training will enable you to get your dog back on a traditional collar eventually.] I don't particularly like the "be a tree" method (the "stop method") for teaching a dog not to pull. Nor do I think that leash pops are effective for most (if not all) dogs. Take a look at this post I made about loose leash walking. I prefer to use food to build up a history of reinforcement in the correct position. The mistake I see a lot of people making is that they don't reward their dog often enough. When first starting out you should be doing it every 2 steps, only slowly increasing duration when your dog is doing well at the previous duration. Also, don't use food as a lure/bribe. Use it as a reward. A piece of food in your hand, waving in front of your dog's face is a bribe. A treat kept in your pocket out of sight and brought out when the dog is already in position is a reward. Sometimes bribes are necessary when the situation gets out of control, but should never be relied on. And lastly, most handlers aren't particularly good at being preemptive. If you see a potential problem coming up, markedly increase your rate of reinforcement for good behaviour. As in, if you're passing a yard with a dog in it, instead of rewarding every 4-5 steps, reward every 1-2, depending on how much your dog might react. You want your dog not to have the opportunity to practice bad behaviour, while at the same time rewarding the much harder to do good behaviour with distractions. The reason you're seeing a decline in the behaviour after you give a treat is probably because you're not rewarding often enough. Dogs are smart. Once they put in their "work" and get paid, they often run off to have their own fun. So you can make them unsure how often they'll be getting paid (maybe one treat will immediately follow another every once in a while). Or you can turn their work into play. Don't be afraid to get silly and play with your dog when you're out. Stop/start walking while talking silly to your dog and be fun and unpredictable. This way you'll not just be relying on treats as a reason to pay attention to you, but play/praise as well. a life less fucked around with this message at 16:07 on May 30, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 15:23
|
|
|
PotatoManJack posted:The staffy on the other hand is almost always pulling, lunging at smells, on 2 hind legs leaning against the collar when she sees another dog or person she wants to go and see. It make walking her really unpleasant, and my wife and I basically take turns with who is on ‘Stormy Duty’ Like a life less said, you'll probably want a head halter for her. I have a staffie cross, and as long as her muzzle is long enough to hold it, a halti (or similar) will make walking her *so* much easier. It's very hard for a dog to pull when you have control of their head. Leash corrections, by the way, will not work on the vast majority of staffies; they just don't give a poo poo. (Leash corrections don't work on most dogs as it is, but they work on staffies even less.) You really don't want to do what I did with my staffie-beagle and give leash pops and end up with your dog having a super strong, muscled neck from pulling against it regardless. How much exercise is Stormy getting, each day? Staffies are pretty agile, and since she's mixed with border collie she's going to be needing a lot of exercise--upwards of an hour a day off-leash, really. If she's getting short walks during the week and then 'long' walks at the weekend, that could be why she's pulling so much when you start out. Does she like to fetch, or play tug? If she does, try playing that for half an hour, indoors or in your yard, before you take them out. You could also try popping her in a harness and taking her for a jog each morning or night for half an hour, if she doesn't like to play (which would be odd, giving her breed mix). Tiring your dog out physically is a third of the battle to achieving good LLW skills - you're asking a lot of a mentally immature dog to walk perfectly loosely at leash when she has so much energy she wants to kill by moving. You could also give her meals only out of kongs and other similar food dispensing toys, and/or do daily training with her, to help tire her out mentally, too. Also, you might want to look at the value of the rewards you use; kibble and plain biscuits aren't going to cut it. If you don't already, try using things like microwaved hot dog, cheese, freeze-dried liver, etc. The stinkier and messier the better! If she's not particularly food motivated, you could also try using toys - staffies tend to go crazy for tugs, and something like a real fur tug (which you periodically reward her with for a couple of minutes of tug-play) could keep her glued to your side. Every dog is an individual, and they like different things! Between correct training (a life less's post), more physical exercise and more mental exercise, you'll find it a lot easier to walk her.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 16:00
|
|
|
I haven't seen any PIers recommend a prong/pinch collar recently (instead of a head halter). Is this out of vogue? They're not the solution for every dog problem, but I know they can be very effective when used appropriately. Halters scare me because I can easily see how a dog who gets frantic or tangled could easily injure their neck. I've had much better results with a prong collar than with halters. Leash-training my Beagle puppy was a pain in the rear end. On a flat collar, he'd pull as hard as he could, and enter what I think of as his Beagle Mode - nose to the ground and deaf to anything else going on. Positive reinforcement with treats and praise didn't compare to the fun he was having sniffing, but the pinch collar made all the difference. Specifically, I use this one with Jax http://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Training-Collar-Large-Blue/dp/B000A6BD5K/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1306783615&sr=1-2 for obedience training, and for the occasional walk. I like it because it doesn't scream "prong collar" when you see it on a dog, and I rarely have to even give him a light correction. He absolutely loves it and associates it with training (=treats!), walks, hiking, and getting to go in the car, so I'm pretty sure he'd recommend it as highly as I do.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 20:56
|
|
|
MoCookies posted:I haven't seen any PIers recommend a prong/pinch collar recently (instead of a head halter). Is this out of vogue? They're not the solution for every dog problem, but I know they can be very effective when used appropriately. Halters scare me because I can easily see how a dog who gets frantic or tangled could easily injure their neck. I have very little experience with prong collars myself. Like halters, they can be misused and the dog abused if not used carefully. And, like halters, I feel like they should be put on the dog with the intention of getting the it off the dog (and the dog into a regular collar) ASAP. The main issue with prongs is that I see a lot of people using them for reactivity. Using an aversive to treat a fearful or aggressive dog is absolutely the wrong approach, in my humble opinion. However, prongs can be good tools for general impulse control, and drive building in SchH and other protection type dog training. I worry that used carelessly the nature of a prong collar can elevate a merely uncomfortable dog into full blown aggressive displays. I see too many crossover trainers who used to use prongs and have moved away with them to feel comfortable recommending them myself. However, they exist for a reason, and many people use them with success. As with everything in dog training, there is no One Right Answer.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 21:28
|
|
|
a life less posted:As with everything in dog training, there is no One Right Answer. I managed to answer my own question with regards to the Schutzhund BH test. If I train a solid enough down-stay around those specific distractions, I should be able to leave Pi waiting no prob. I feel kind of stupid now 
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 21:47
|
|
|
How do I handle it when I take my dog out to train at the park and OTHER dogs jump on me to get to my treats? It's hard to work on "watch me" when there's a gigantic lab trying to rip a bag of treats out of my hand.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 01:52
|
|
|
Emasculatrix posted:How do I handle it when I take my dog out to train at the park and OTHER dogs jump on me to get to my treats? It's hard to work on "watch me" when there's a gigantic lab trying to rip a bag of treats out of my hand. Kick the owner directly in the face. I put a lame little "I'm training!" vest on Luuka and most of the people at my local park keep their dogs away from me when it's on. The ones who say things like 'oh well my dog can't read' I normally say 'well I assume you can, and if you can't control your dog it shouldn't be off leash' and then they stay away because I'm a grumpy bitch.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 02:41
|
|
|
I wasn't sure where to put this, here or in the new puppy thread. It seems like most of my (and my dog's) issues are behavioral, though, so hopefully this is appropriate--and not too terribly e/n. I adopted a ~1yr old chihuahua mix (formerly Bernice, now Nimbryxion Rose) on thursday, after much time deliberating and learning all about dog stuff. The first day she was home, it turned out she was sick with a small infection related to her shelter spay and so had been very laid back and quiet and, well, sick. I took her to the vet, got antibiotics and for the previous couple of days Brixie has been a fairly normal one year old dog. Running around, being happy and...well, lots of other negative behaviors. These include: -Peeing on the floor when I let her out of her crate if I don't get her out fast enough. -Speaking of the crate, Brixie won't go into her crate voluntarily. I have to bribe her, though when she's in she goes through very little crying before settling down. I am trying the frozen kong thing, but she does not seem interested in it. The crate seems to be a bad thing for her. -Recently started humping, specifically me. Don't know what that's related to, though I suspect either boredom or rambunctiousness related to boredom. I haven't been taking her out nearly enough, I know this, but she hasn't gotten her rabies shot (because of the infection, the vet wanted to hold off on that) and I've been slightly reluctant to get her out and running around and meeting other dogs and doing all that other stuff that would exhaust a young dog. -Brixie is picky, but eating. Likes people food, come to think about it she's a beggar. Don't think that's too much of a problem because it's ignorable to me--I only give people food for special treats, though you folks could correct me if I'm wrong. Sure I'm missing stuff, but I think the point has been made. I've read an absolute ton, not just here but a couple of LJ communities who advocate positive training and all the good stuff. I get the concept of positive reinforcement, it's a stupidly simple concept to get. But I'm so frustrated and angry because Brixie is Just. Not. Getting. It. She responds well to food, but I know I'm using it more as a bribe than a reward. Squealy happy voiced praise sometimes works, but not that well. I've tried, like for the humping, to take her to a bathroom for a timeout totally stone-faced, but she's not getting it. I take her out of the bathroom and it's back to humphumphump. I don't know. I'm at the point where I just put her into her crate just so I don't start doing the wrong thing and spoiling my tenuous relationship with her further. I know I'm not helping the crate issue but...I'm just....I'm so frustrated. I'm beginning to think she deserves better and should go back to the shelter. It might be an overreaction, probably is. It's only been a couple of days. I've read the thread, and maybe that's my problem. There's so much information. I guess my question really is...will this pass? Will she be a sweet wonderful dog I'm proud to take out? I don't mind working on her behavior, but right now it's so hard to. Does she get...easier? Smarter? I don't know what the right word. And...because PES. Brixie being held by my boyfriend while I signed adoption paperwork: 
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 03:21
|
|
|
Sharks Below posted:Kick the owner directly in the face. A vest like that may be a good idea for Comet, although in my area you get lots of idiots that say things like "it's your fault for bringing treats!" My dog may have issues, but at least he doesn't jump on people for food. Speaking of Comet's issues, I'd like to report that he had his final day of training this weekend. We took him on an off-leash walk around tons of other dogs, including lots of large energetic males (some of whom jumped on me for treats, and he would have lost his poo poo over this a year ago). All of our work on desensitization and increased control really paid off- he look to me for guidance every time he was getting nervous, and I kept him moving and focused. He didn't even come close to attacking a single dog, and he had a really good and relaxed time. We did so great on a Saturday afternoon at a huge park filled with dogs, that our trainer pronounced him rehabilitated!
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 03:24
|
|
|
Emasculatrix posted:How do I handle it when I take my dog out to train at the park and OTHER dogs jump on me to get to my treats? It's hard to work on "watch me" when there's a gigantic lab trying to rip a bag of treats out of my hand. It's really not very safe to bring food to a dog park, just for that reason. Your dog might be the best trained dog in the world, but you don't know if one (or five, or twenty) other dogs who will guard food are going to decide that food needs to be fought over. Even if they don't jump on you, they might fight among themselves or with your dog.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 03:51
|
|
|
Meniscus posted:Chihuahua stuff I'd give it a little more time. It is completely normal to go through a "buyer's remorse" period with your dog, and it will take her a little while to settle in and act like herself (give her a month or so). I really don't know how to fix humping, can you redirect her onto something loads more interesting when she starts? Maybe a game of tug or fetch, or a delicious chew treat? If she keeps humping give her a time out, and if she quits and plays something else reward, reward, reward! You really don't want to ever use the crate as a punishment place for time out. If you need to give her a time out take her into the bathroom and close her in there for a few seconds. And for initial crate training try easier to access treats than a frozen kong. It might just be too difficult for her to work on the kong right now if it is frozen. Try just filling it with peanut butter and cheese or something to get her used to chewing and playing with it, then later move up to frozen and difficult kongs. If she still won't eat it give her any kind of treat she will eat in the crate, feed her meals in the crate, and play lots of games in and near the crate. You can google "crate games" to see some ideas. She's a cutie, I'm sure things will get easier once you get a feel for each other.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 04:07
|
|
|
Flesh Forge posted:It's really not very safe to bring food to a dog park, just for that reason. Your dog might be the best trained dog in the world, but you don't know if one (or five, or twenty) other dogs who will guard food are going to decide that food needs to be fought over. Even if they don't jump on you, they might fight among themselves or with your dog. This gigantic park has a cafe, so I think in this case it's up to the owners to decide whether or not to bring their dogs. In the meantime, what's the right way to stop a strange dog from jumping on you? Do I just put up my knee or what?
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 04:20
|
|
|
The best way is to know the dogs you're around, and avoid the ones that are out of control, although if you go to a busy park filled with a changing variety of strange dogs, obviously you can't do that. If a big dog is jumping up on you, it imo is pretty likely that the dog is not trained in any way at all, as that's the very first thing you'd be working on if you were training him, because, y'know, having a 90 pound mastiff jump up at your face isn't really too fun. I don't think there is a 100% sure-fire safe way to disengage from a big uncontrolled dog that wants to get in your face, particularly if you have something he wants (e.g. treats). e: regarding Brixie the adopted chihuahua mix, please keep in mind that adolescence in dogs ranges from six months up to around two years, during which time many dogs become difficult and their training responsiveness goes down, sometimes a by a lot. ... and drat, you've only had the dog for 5 days, adpotees can take months to really settle in and adapt to a new home. Flesh Forge fucked around with this message at 05:34 on May 31, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 05:14
|
|
|
Meniscus posted:I wasn't sure where to put this, here or in the new puppy thread. It seems like most of my (and my dog's) issues are behavioral, though, so hopefully this is appropriate--and not too terribly e/n. First, breathe. As others have said, it takes a significantly longer amount of time for a dog to settle into a new home. It's stressful, which is probably heavily contributing to her "just not getting it" -- learning while under stress is difficult, to say the least. I think she'll be a very sweet good dog once the both of you settle down and start to learn how to communicate with one another. To me, that's probably the most important thing in the world: listening to your dog, and having them listen to you. I believe that you get to that point via positive training. But it takes time! So, to touch on your specific issues: Peeing on the floor. I would probably just pick her up and spirit her away outside once you remove her from her crate. That's what I used to do with my pup in the beginning. The housebreaking will come with patience and consistency. The crate. As others have said, look into crate games. This three part video will give you an idea of how to start. No bribing, no coercion. Most dogs don't automatically love their crate without some time spent reinforcing them for being in it. Plus, playing crate games helps work on self control. Humping. Humping is an attention-getting device, more often than not. You're on the right track -- increasing her exercise should help. I would also set up a tether station and use it for time outs. Attach a leash to a coffee table or somewhere central and easily accessed. If you see her starting to get too excited and suspect humping is imminent, try to calm her down a bit. If that doesn't work, slap her on the tether and walk away for a minute. Then when you come to release her, engage her in more appropriate play. Walking and the rabies shot. I'm of two minds about this. The first is that it's wise to be very careful with a dog who hasn't had its first round of puppy shots. The second is that rabies is so rare nowadays that restricting her exercise because she hasn't got her shot is totally overkill. If she bit someone/thing then it would be important to have the rabies shot documentation to back you up, of course. Taking her out would be an executive decision on your part. People food. People food for special treats is fine. Just figure out what level of begging behaviour you're comfortable with and train accordingly. My dog lays in front of me in the hopes of getting a bit of bagel, and I don't mind. My boyfriend's Chi stands on her back legs and puts her front on the chair or your lap while eating, which I detest. Figure out what works best for you (and potential house guests). Chihuahua. These dogs were bred to be companions, not rocket scientists. They're sharp little dogs and can be very well trained, but it doesn't come as naturally to them as it would, say, a Cocker Spaniel. So take it slow and try not to get so overwhelmed right off the bat. Frustration. It's really easy to get frustrated with your dog. We pour all this time and emotion into them, and when you feel they don't respond in kind it can hurt quite deeply. But you need to remember that frustration, anger, or other visible signs of your unhappiness will only exacerbate the situation. Try to take a few deep breaths and put a bit of extra energy into sounding chipper and happy. It'll be worth it.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 14:10
|
|
|
Emasculatrix posted:This gigantic park has a cafe, so I think in this case it's up to the owners to decide whether or not to bring their dogs. In the meantime, what's the right way to stop a strange dog from jumping on you? Do I just put up my knee or what? I tend to just turn my body and give the offending dog my back. I try to catch them before they get too interested -- if I see them starting to get interested in my bait pouch I'll turn and start walking away. Sometimes a verbal reprimand may be necessary, but I'd not use that often. This is the reason why I avoid the types of dog parks where people and dogs are just milling around. There are too many opportunities for the dogs to behave badly. If I go to one, I'm moving constantly. I find this also cuts down on unwanted begging. Huge congrats on Comet's progress. It sounds like you're doing everything right! I'm very glad you were able to find some face to face help locally.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 14:15
|
|
|
PotatoManJack posted:Stormy Just a hunch, but are you in the UK? If so, advice about prongs is moot as (afaik) they're still illegal here.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2011 14:31
|
|
|
They're not illegal, but they're not easily available (eBay is about it). The police and prison services aren't allowed to use them any more, perhaps that's what you were thinking of. Prong collars or check chains will both get you some disapproval from most of the non-reactionary dog community in the UK. Between the dog's age and the mix of breeds, you've got a handful. I adore border collies but they'd be a nightmare if they weren't so sensitive. a life less and Fraction's advice is very good, though. Good luck. Filboid Studge fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Jun 1, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2011 13:50
|
|
|
I have a pretty important question about what I may be able to do to train my dog to not want to kill any cat she sees. My dog is a female Rottweiler approximately a year and four months old. Amazing temperament, intelligent, obedient. About 90 lbs currently. She seems to have a high drive to hunt, or to protect her territory. Around my house there are many wild cats and I suppose her hatred for them started that way. Many times when she would be let outside there would be a cat or two to chase away or several cats sitting in another yard for her to bark at. One cat did not get away in time and I'm afraid that may have reinforced her instincts. So here is the problem. My girlfriend has two cats, and we will be moving in together eventually. So either she gets rid of her cats (I couldn't make her do that) or I get rid of my dog (I'd die first). Clearly those are unfavorable options. What can I do to get my dog to calmly interface with her feline friends? Sidenote: When taking walks she will sometimes focus on squirrels or birds that are nearby so intently that she does not listen to the commands I give her. So maybe the problem is non-dogs in general? She has a miniature schnauzer buddy she plays/lives with and there are no issues. Maybe this is just because she is still young? Any help is greatly appreciated. Not sure what else to put. I hope this thread makes sense because I am more than slightly scatter-brained/stressed at the moment. :-/. edit: I hope this *post* makes sense. See what I mean about the scatter brained-edness? The BLT fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Jun 2, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 03:38
|
|
|
The BLT posted:I have a pretty important question about what I may be able to do to train my dog to not want to kill any cat she sees. Unfortunately, your dog has a very high prey drive. That she's caught and killed a cat is worrying for any future dog-cat interactions; if you and your girlfriend move in together, it's likely the animals would never be allowed in the same room, and have to be kept in separate areas of the house. Has the cat lived with a dog before? Is it nervous or confident? If the cat stands it's ground, you might be able to desensitise your dog to it - whilst your dog is wearing a muzzle, is tethered so she can't reach the cat, etc, for a long while. If the cat is likely to run, I don't think there's anything really you can do - it will just trigger her prey drive more and she'll want to Get The Thing. Other posters may have better advise but personally I'd just keep them separated at all times, because I think it's too risky given that your dog has killed a cat before.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 10:40
|
|
|
The BLT posted:I have a pretty important question about what I may be able to do to train my dog to not want to kill any cat she sees. At first I thought you were going to be asking about how to get your dog to stop trying to kill the cats outdoors. Tackling that would have been easier. Unfortunately even with impeccable training I would never trust your dog to be left unattended around cats. There's simply too much at stake for if and when someone slips up -- they're not paying enough attention, a car backfires and startles a cat into running in front of the dog, the cat comes too close to the dog's food bowel, etc. I started writing up basic how-tos for desensitization and counter conditioning, but honestly I'm deleting it because I think the risk of injury to the cats is too great for me to internet-advise you. If anything, find a dog training facility in your area (ideally a positive-reinforcement based one) and ask if a trainer can help evaluate your dog and give you some face-to-face advice on how to proceed.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 14:02
|
|
|
Meniscus posted:And...because PES. Brixie being held by my boyfriend while I signed adoption paperwork: People have already given some great advice here, and just nthing that it does get better, I promise. I was a wreck when I first got my dog.  Also, on the humping. I find Koji does it when he gets really wound up or stressed. For example, he tends to do it around the time a new foster gets in (not to any of the dogs he knows, usually) or at the in-laws' place, areas of high stress. He also gets this HUGE stressed smiley face and pants while he does it. We usually catch him before he does it, and call him off, but sometimes it's just time for a time out and I'll even go sit with him in a quiet corner of another room until he calms down. Then it's back out for play/interaction time. If it happens again, it's another calm down time. Brixie looks very cute, btw.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 17:16
|
|
|
Fraction posted:Has the cat lived with a dog before? Is it nervous or confident? If the cat stands it's ground, you might be able to desensitise your dog to it - whilst your dog is wearing a muzzle. The cat currently lives with another dog. It is a very confident, cool cat, that kinda acts like a dog most of the time. Good suggestion for the muzzle, for some reason it never even occurred to me. I think I just never wanted to have to put one on my dog, but under these circumstances I think I can live with myself. a life less posted:I started writing up basic how-tos for desensitization and counter conditioning, but honestly I'm deleting it because I think the risk of injury to the cats is too great for me to internet-advise you. I'm interested in hearing how you would get her to not want to kill the wild cats, especially if it is easier, that might be a good stepping stone. Also, if you could continue and write me out some of that information I'd appreciate it. I definitely would never let her be alone with the cat and I would definitely do anything in my power to avoid an incident. I know my dog very well. Besides, just reading the information is no guarantee I will use it. Any information on good training techniques will be useful one way or another, whether I use it for my current dog, or my next puppy who may be raised in similar circumstances. I have taken her to training classes before and what the trainer suggested was only the beggining of a solution. To take a blanket that the cat has played with or slept on and introduce it to my dog to get her used to it. Then eventually add a stuffed animal to it. Then eventually the cat. That was it in a nutshell. Does that sound at all likely to work. Thanks to both of you for the help and information!
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 18:07
|
|
|
a life less posted:At first I thought you were going to be asking about how to get your dog to stop trying to kill the cats outdoors. Tackling that would have been easier. Do tell. We just moved to a nice quiet house away from tons of dogs and our first visitor was an outdoor cat (or stray) that came over to peek in our window. Luckily I saw him before Psyche, but we've added it to the list of things we can now work on. I think her reactions to cats are a mixture of fear and a small prey drive (she likes to chase squirrels but does so without getting super upset, just excited most of the time). I imagine I know how to go about this, but I never thought about it from the prey angle, so any advice?
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 18:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 05:26 |
|
|
I don't really have much advice as I haven't worked on Kaidan's prey drive all that much but I usually just get his focus using "look at that". We started off using it to deal with his arousal when he'd see other dogs on leash and I started using it with prey animals recently with a lot of success lately. If he happens to see them before I do he still gets excited, tail up and ears perked, but he doesn't tug at the end of the leash anymore. If I notice them first I tell him look at that, he looks then looks back at me for his treat. I normally have him sit as well so that we can wait until the animal leaves so we don't need to walk by them. I know WolfensteinBag has had a lot of success managing Buddy's prey drive but I'm not sure what methods she used so hopefully she'll chime in.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2011 19:08
|
|
