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notsoape posted:Oh, totally - I've gone back and made a few edits to clarify some points (I think I got a bit confused as to where I was talking about the retrieve in general terms, and where I was talking about solutions to the specific hump that Rixatrix and I both encountered) I think I've managed to confuse you about the name(s). This is Shirley's Retrieve. Rixatrix and I have referred to it quite a bit, as it's kind of the go-to online resource to shape a retrieve. The Denise Fenzi videos are the ones I've linked recently. The dog's name is Kir, and I'm not sure what the handler's name is. Thanks again for the post! MrFurious posted:Well then I guess I linked the wrong thread because that has nothing to do with house training. It's buried around here somewhere, I'll try to find it again later today. Nice. I've always liked this post. Also linked in the OP.
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Aug 22, 2011 17:02
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a life less posted:I think I've managed to confuse you about the name(s). Ah, derpity derp on my part. I even had that link open in a tab! I'll go edit again 
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Aug 22, 2011 17:07
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Okay, I just adopted a rescue dog and I'm wondering what I can do to help with separation anxiety, or if this will just settle down after I've had him a while longer? For reference, he's an English coonhound and probably around four years old. He doesn't seem to 'get' toys or chews. His foster home said he didn't bark when they left the house, and he never barks when I'm around/inside the apartment - just if I head outside. Mind you, I've only had him since yesterday morning so I don't know if just being new and unused to things is making a difference here or not. I'm at work about eight hours a day though I have off until Wednesday. Should I just keep coming/going for arbitrary lengths of time so he knows I'm not going to abandon him? I've been trying not to make a fuss of going in or coming out, and I ignore him when I get back inside, making sure to wait until he's calmed down until I start petting him or giving him any sort of attention. How likely is it that a DAP diffuser would help him chill out when I leave (I can usually also hear him padding around and panting when I stand outside the door)? Citronella collars - my instinct here is these are a no-no in positive training but ...? Any other methods, or do I just have to keep working at it? I really don't want the neighbors to hate me, and he really is a sweet-rear end old dog who I'd hate to have to return or anything.  Should I just try to make sure he's more tired before I go out anyplace ...? Argh, he's so new and I'm just worried I'll stress him out or get evicted or something. Sorry if this post is incoherent and feel free to school me if I'm loving up somewhere (or ask questions if I left something out, ooh god).
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Aug 22, 2011 23:51
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Chexmix posted:Okay, I just adopted a rescue dog and I'm wondering what I can do to help with separation anxiety, or if this will just settle down after I've had him a while longer? For reference, he's an English coonhound and probably around four years old. He doesn't seem to 'get' toys or chews. Pretty common problem in this thread. If you search through you should see lots of advice. Here's something. a life less posted:Sounds like classic separation anxiety (SA) to me. SA is my least favourite thing in the world to deal with since, with it presenting when you're gone, it's pretty difficult to actively train out.
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Aug 23, 2011 00:19
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I saw this guy at the park with a leash-reactive pit this morning. Every time he lunged excitedly or barked at another dog the guy just JERKED his prong collar as hard as he could and yelled no. If the dog kept at it (which of course he did) he would smack his snout or shout NO in his face. I've seen this guy before and even yelled, "That's only making him worse!" but was busy chasing down a lost dog. It was infuriating and sad to watch him jerk the loving dog off his feet, only to make the dog screech louder and lunge harder. I REALLY wanted to go say something, but... I figured he'd react negatively to some young woman coming up all like, "lol you're doing it wrong." How would you guys have gone about it? If I see him again I refuse to keep my mouth shut. (Sorry for any typos, posting from phone.)
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Aug 23, 2011 19:36
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Skizzles posted:I saw this guy at the park with a leash-reactive pit this morning. Every time he lunged excitedly or barked at another dog the guy just JERKED his prong collar as hard as he could and yelled no. If the dog kept at it (which of course he did) he would smack his snout or shout NO in his face. I've seen this guy before and even yelled, "That's only making him worse!" but was busy chasing down a lost dog. It was infuriating and sad to watch him jerk the loving dog off his feet, only to make the dog screech louder and lunge harder. I REALLY wanted to go say something, but... I figured he'd react negatively to some young woman coming up all like, "lol you're doing it wrong." How would you guys have gone about it? If I see him again I refuse to keep my mouth shut. I really doubt there's anything you can say that will make a difference. I'm sure this guy has a firm belief that his dog knows better and needs to be punished for being 'bad'. He probably also thinks his dog is just being aggressive (rather than considering that he might be fearful) and that if he just dominates his dog enough, the dog will learn his place. This will end one of two ways: guy or someone else will get bit (and dog probably put down) or the poor dog will repress his fear and act 'good' for a while...and then probably bite. You could MAYBE try asking if he needs help and say you have experience with dog behavior like that (even if you don't directly) and then if he asks what you would do, tell him without saying what he SHOULDN'T be doing, i.e. don't mention the prong at all. Just launch into a talk about counter-conditioning and Pavlov...but I doubt it'll do anything.
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Aug 23, 2011 20:11
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Mouse got her Puppy CGC foundation award tonight! 
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Aug 23, 2011 20:20
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notsoape posted:Mouse got her Puppy CGC foundation award tonight! Good news abounds today Lola did so well on our hike today, and apparently she's almost entirely made up her issues with my friend K. She didn't bark at her at all when she arrived, walked happily next to her up the hill, jumped up against her back when she had the zoomies, and even let K pet her for a couple of minutes at the top of the hill. When we got home a few hours later, she went over to K (who was sat on another chair), jumped up against her legs and started licking her hand for a moment or two. She also had 100% recall (around new scary/exciting sheep and their crap, people, dogs, weird noises, awesome new location) and was pretty quiet, considering that I couldn't stop and play LAT every single time someone passed - the trail was too narrow. We played LAT a couple of times though, and it worked a lot better than what I did for the first ten minutes, which was to try and bribe her to silence by shoving a hand of food under her nose whenever someone appeared. Apparently LAT, which makes her think, works a lot better for her. She did vocalise (barks/growls) a couple of times, but I honestly expected a lot more.
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Aug 23, 2011 22:03
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Sorry if this has popped up before, this thread is pretty drat huge and I don't come into PI ever, really. I've been running dogs (and cats, parrots, a few rodents, but mostly dogs) for over 10 years, reading up on the latest technologies in say, control-collars, the latest plain science like dog sense of unfairness, general dog anatomy; I've also spent a lot of time working with friends', family members', and friends of family's dogs that have bad behaviors. I don't do obedience training, I just help the owners learn how they miscommunicate to the dog what they want. I've worked with an extremely violent dachshund who was abused all throughout puppyhood to turn her into a super-loving, you-can-touch-her-anywhere dog (she was one of my dogs). Right now I'm working with an aggravated-by-lawnmower bite case with my fiance; he got bit while mowing and now I'm working her through her phobias of lawnmowers and vacuums while touching up a few other issues, with a total stranger. I want to take this into a business. I can't afford to join say, Bark Busters, but I would like to have certification into ethology/dog behavior. Are there any ways to get these certifications done without moving to another state (I'm in Utah), that are still considered "good enough"? I hear of very few certification places overall for NON-obedience work; I don't want to do any veterinary work. Any ideas?
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Aug 23, 2011 22:26
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Culex posted:Sorry if this has popped up before, this thread is pretty drat huge and I don't come into PI ever, really. Your average Joe doesn't know/care about what certifications are out there, they're looking for a person who can make their dog behave. Advertise what you do, and the people who are looking for that should find it, right? Also, judging by this post I would hire someone else to write copy for you.
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Aug 23, 2011 23:06
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Culex posted:Sorry if this has popped up before, this thread is pretty drat huge and I don't come into PI ever, really. My trainer is a certified Dog and Cat Behavior Consultant through the International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants as well as a certified dog trainer through ADPT and CCDPT. Both the later seem to have behavior sub-certifications as well. As far as I can tell, this is what you can get without going full-blown veterinary behaviorist and all the schooling that goes with that. But I agree with wraithgar that getting certifications won't really help you start a business. It might help grow your business and allow you to charge more money later, but most people (including me) don't really know what goes into the certifications and therefore they aren't as meaningful as just seeing real results. Can I ask what techniques you use if you don't do obedience training? Kiri koli fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Aug 23, 2011 |
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Aug 23, 2011 23:33
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(Sorry if this is a double post, I think the SA phone app had a seizure.) Kiri Koli: Yeah I know such things usually fall on deaf ears, but I'd feel awful if I didn't at least try if there's a chance the guy is willing to listen. I planned to do as you suggested, just go up and be friendly, ask if he'd like some help and offer advice on methods I know to work (maybe pretend I used them on Shadow to explain why he's so chill). If nothing else, recommend he read Feisty Fido, or hell, even offer to lend him my copy. Who knows. [Edit: Just so everyone's aware, I know how this guy 'trains' his dog is none of my business and I'm being nosy and awkward, but he was just making such a scene (everybody was looking at him uncomfortably) and hurting his dog so much that I can't stand doing nothing. Who knows, maybe I'll wuss out.] Also, I pretty much had a similar question to the fellow up above. I'd like a degree/certification in animal or canine behavior. I'm not really interested in becoming a trainer, I just love learning about behavior and training methods. Plus it would help me get into the shelter/rescue field. My friend is working on her degree with Animal Behavior College, and she is not happy with it. She feels like she's being overcharged (about $3,000) for a few books and to learn really basic things she already knows. So I'd like to check out other options. Karen Pryor supposedly has some program nearby, but it's closer to $4,000. Argh. Would I just be better off interning with a trainer or something? Skizzles fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Aug 24, 2011 |
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Aug 23, 2011 23:45
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Skizzles posted:(Sorry if this is a double post, I think the SA phone app had a seizure.) Well, good luck with the guy. As far as I can tell, the certifications themselves are just tests (multiple choice, lol) that you pass. I didn't find any information on cost, but I imagine it's not that bad. If you want to take some sort of course or workshop or something, then yeah, it will be expensive. I just looked and my trainer does 'interning'...ha, first time I've seen an internship that you PAY to do... or she can mentor you at her regular rate of $80/hour! I am in the wrong profession...
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Aug 24, 2011 00:04
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Skizzles posted:I saw this guy at the park with a leash-reactive pit this morning. Every time he lunged excitedly or barked at another dog the guy just JERKED his prong collar as hard as he could and yelled no. If the dog kept at it (which of course he did) he would smack his snout or shout NO in his face. I've seen this guy before and even yelled, "That's only making him worse!" but was busy chasing down a lost dog. It was infuriating and sad to watch him jerk the loving dog off his feet, only to make the dog screech louder and lunge harder. I REALLY wanted to go say something, but... I figured he'd react negatively to some young woman coming up all like, "lol you're doing it wrong." How would you guys have gone about it? If I see him again I refuse to keep my mouth shut. First of all, it's probably best not to say anything at all unless somebody asks for help. But...I know it's not the done thing anymore, but it only took three yanks on a prong/pinch collar to teach my previous dog, a husky/chow mix, not to pull, and then he never did it again, ever. Whereas I have been working with treats/clicker for MONTHS with my current BC mix (now 10 months old) and he still hasn't got it and occasionally sees something he wants to chase and drat near pulls me off my feet. Now the trainer I worked with back then also taught alpha rolls and other things that really did not work with that particular dog. But the hard yank on the prong collar? That worked. (Obviously it is not working for this guy, though.)
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Aug 24, 2011 00:35
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Kiri koli posted:My trainer is a certified Dog and Cat Behavior Consultant through the International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants as well as a certified dog trainer through ADPT and CCDPT. Both the later seem to have behavior sub-certifications as well. As far as I can tell, this is what you can get without going full-blown veterinary behaviorist and all the schooling that goes with that. But I agree with wraithgar that getting certifications won't really help you start a business. It might help grow your business and allow you to charge more money later, but most people (including me) don't really know what goes into the certifications and therefore they aren't as meaningful as just seeing real results. Thanks; I've looked at those before and just wasn't sure how legitimate they were. I mostly want certification for myself I guess; that and expecting competition with, say, Bark Busters folks who work in the area I live in - at least I can provide proof I'm not just some nutter who's going to slap on a choke collar and say "tug ahoy!" I've seen a lot of stuff like the Pryor program, I don't want to have to pay thousands of dollars to take lessons as if I am starting on a fresh slate of just knowing what a dog is. I just don't like teaching dogs to sit, stay, roll over: I think the owners should be taught how to do it, because they are the ones that live with the animal and will have the lifelong bond with it. I use the standard psychology-behavior techniques mentioned up in the OPs, mostly extinction, desensitization (most commonly used one for me), conditioning. I guess I work most similarly to Victoria Stilwell, although a little tweaked. No punishment unless it seems absolutely necessary, and definitely no things like rubbing noses in waste, yelling at them. I think it's usually necessary to teach the OWNERS how to work, not the DOG - interspecies communication is difficult, and I try to facilitate understanding so the person knows what their dog is saying, and that they can respond in certain ways. (I do have degrees in Anthropology and Psychology so they help a ton here.) I'll check into those certification programs and see if one might work for me. I'm glad to hear that I don't NEED it; I know my clientele wouldn't generally care, but I am not sure what the state requires for insurance, and what the insurance might require, etc. Thanks a bunch!
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Aug 24, 2011 00:36
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 Also, 'hold' progress -     Woo!
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Aug 24, 2011 14:33
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So Rho and I failed miserably last Saturday at Rho’s first agility trial due to him being too stressed out to perform. It turns out Rho is nervous around large groups of people and becomes sound sensitive when around them. This doesn’t go well together with an agility trial at all and it has also been quite a big surprise for me. We live in the city and Rho’s been around crowds all his life and he’s used to all kinds of sounds. He’s not afraid of the thunder, ambulances etc. and of my two dogs, he’s the first one to go investigate if something falls and crashes, for example. However he apparently gets really upset about groups of people cheering and applauding, so this is something I really can’t ignore, surprising or not. Now obviously I’m not going to run him in trials before I’ve fixed this. Here’s my plan of action, any comments are appreciated since I really want (need!) to make this work. 1)Desensitization to groups of people, obviously. Gradually at first and in a controlled environ-ment (classes, with friends etc), then using busy bus stops other naturally crowded spots. I’ll try and get strangers to feed Rho as much as I can. 2)Desensitization to agility-related sounds. Hanging out around trials and events and probably also recording sounds to play at home. 3)After DS and CC, shaping for demand for loud noises. I’ll try to eventually get Rho to knock down pots and kettles for a reward. 4)Shaping a strong 1-2-3-go! game which will hopefully function as a transition from the some-what chaotic waiting for our turn at ringside to focusing on our run in the ring. Good job, notsoape!
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Aug 24, 2011 14:48
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Culex posted:I just don't like teaching dogs to sit, stay, roll over: I think the owners should be taught how to do it, because they are the ones that live with the animal and will have the lifelong bond with it. This is what dog training classes are, fyi. The owners are instructed how to train their own dogs/puppies. Also, do you want dogs to be your main source of income? Unless you're a really sought after (read: experienced, well qualified and probably published) behaviourist, regular training classes are going to be your bread and butter. I wouldn't turn your nose up at them. In my opinion, you owe it to your future customers to get decently qualified before you get hands on with their dogs. I don't live in your country let alone your state, but no matter how much layman experience you have accrued over the years, there is almost certainly a bunch of pertinent stuff you don't know/ haven't encountered, or maybe even considered. You should study under someone with more experience than yourself who will ask you to critically examine your ideas and methods before asking people to pay money for your services. Behaviourism done wrong can gently caress up dogs reeeally badly, and you don't want to learn on the job.
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Aug 24, 2011 14:52
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^^^ Yeah, in my experience, people around here only pay attention to formal credentials. That's partially why I want a degree/certification in behavior, so people won't just completely ignore my good advice because I lack a ~*pretty piece of paper*~ that cost thousands of dollars.notsoape posted:Awww, way to go, Mouse. She also needs a ribbon for "cutest lurcher puppy ever."
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Aug 24, 2011 16:53
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Successful day: My wife took Charybdis (the dog who is afraid of her own shadow as of last year) for a walk up our road today. Normally, she would drive to the state park and take the dog on the back packing trails but she just didn't feel like driving today. And it seemed like a good day for a challenge. We live on a semi-rural road, with no sidewalks,but plenty of cornfields and dilapidated farm houses. There are a *lot* of dogs kept chained to old barrels in trash laden yards. The kinds of things that, 6 months ago, would have sent Chary into a fit of terrified 'baroos' while she tried to run backwards from the 'monsters'. But not today. Today, Chary trotted merrily past people speeding too closely to pedestrians, motorcycles, tractors, and barking dogs without reacting. She was interested but not fearful- there were no growls, bruffs or baroos and she refocused on Erica as soon as she was asked to. There's a junk yard up the road by the stop sign, with a minimum of 5 dogs at a time chained to gutted rusting cars. The biggest dog was some kind of chow looking mix, un-neutered male and his chain was fairly close to the road. He really wanted to eat them. Chary was fine walking past him TWICE. And, there were little kids and their redneck parents milling around the driveway-all past triggers for Chary. She paid them no attention whatsoever. So proud of the puppy! Also, she chased, caught and ate a grasshopper
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Aug 24, 2011 18:21
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Rixatrix posted:1)Desensitization to groups of people, obviously. Gradually at first and in a controlled environ-ment (classes, with friends etc), then using busy bus stops other naturally crowded spots. I’ll try and get strangers to feed Rho as much as I can. I might forgo some of your other steps and focus a lot on bringing Rho to agility matches to observe. (Can you bring non-competing dogs onto the grounds at your events?) Play tug, set up a jump or play around on the practice jump if you can't bring your own. Reserve pig ears and RMBs etc for crate snacks, and only bring him out for 2-3 minutes max at a time to work with you. As for the 1-2-3-go game... it's awesome -- I really love it. But what I love MORE is focus-front. I can be out somewhere chaotic and loud, and Cohen's barking up a storm (over aroused and all the fun stuff that goes with it). I can line her up, cue her to focus front... just like magic she quiets down and starts shaking with excitement. It's become a really good tunnel-vision tool for sporting events for us.
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Aug 25, 2011 02:53
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a life less posted:I might forgo some of your other steps and focus a lot on bringing Rho to agility matches to observe. (Can you bring non-competing dogs onto the grounds at your events?) Play tug, set up a jump or play around on the practice jump if you can't bring your own. quote:Reserve pig ears and RMBs etc for crate snacks, and only bring him out for 2-3 minutes max at a time to work with you. Pig ears and the like will be refused though, since they take too much effort to eat and Rho won't focus that long. Mushy stuff works better for him, so he gets unhealthy people food when we're working at this. quote:I can line her up, cue her to focus front... just like magic she quiets down and starts shaking with excitement. It's become a really good tunnel-vision tool for sporting events for us.
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Aug 25, 2011 05:52
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My wife and I have been considering teaching our dogs to do some scent work. Until now, we've mostly trained in forest tracking, which has been just for fun. Recently we've started to consider whether we could start doing some mold dog business in the future. I have a basic idea how to move ahead with the training, but I was wondering if you'd have some good reference material to avoid the beginners mistakes and give some more info how it should be done. Don't want to reinvent the wheel unnecessarily.
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Aug 25, 2011 08:14
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So, my 7 month old Presa Canario has started becoming a bit protective of me, which is fine. I'm just wondering how I should be teaching him to stop barking/posturing when I tell him to. When I say his name or call him over, he'll stop barking for a moment and look at me, which I praise. He'll come over if I called and take a treat, then he goes back to barking. After about 40 seconds of barking I can get his attention and he'll sit for me and stop barking, even if the "threat" is still there. If I don't say anything to him, he keeps barking. I think that this is pretty good, but he'll only get more guardy as he gets old. I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks to make sure I can get his attention and call him out when I need to. I don't really want him to stop barking altogether at creepy people when we're doing our 3am walks, I just want him to stop and pay attention to me when I ask. Am I doing it right so far?
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Aug 29, 2011 09:43
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Silver Nitrate posted:So, my 7 month old Presa Canario has started becoming a bit protective of me, which is fine. I'm just wondering how I should be teaching him to stop barking/posturing when I tell him to. When I say his name or call him over, he'll stop barking for a moment and look at me, which I praise. He'll come over if I called and take a treat, then he goes back to barking. After about 40 seconds of barking I can get his attention and he'll sit for me and stop barking, even if the "threat" is still there. If I don't say anything to him, he keeps barking. I think that this is pretty good, but he'll only get more guardy as he gets old. I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks to make sure I can get his attention and call him out when I need to. There are couple different ways to deal with unwanted barking. One is counter-conditioning the stimuli that is causing the barking (search "kikopup barking" for a Youtube series about this). Another is to teach a speak command and use that to teach a quiet. Since you say he is responsive I'm guessing he isn't too reactive, just likes barking and the second approach would probably work well. Here is some starter information. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/how_to_stop_barking.html
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Aug 29, 2011 16:26
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 Hurley update! Two weeks with us now, and he is still doing well. He had one accident in the house so far, but we were busy around the house and did not notice his sniffing/circling. Our fault. We just picked him up and put him outside, no yelling or anything. I've noticed some whining in the crate from time to time. The best way to deal with this is just to ignore it, correct? He will only do that if he is being crated while we do things around the house and he can't see us. It generally only lasts for a minute or two, then he lays down and plays with his kong. He really seems to enjoy car rides. I took him to Pet Smart today to get him a new toy and he slept almost all the way there. Also, I think I've taught him how to not rush toward an opening door now. He will sit until I tell him "OK" about 80% of the time now. I keep my training sessions short, maybe 10-15 minutes a day. Any more and we both get frustrated. Has anyone done those dog training sessions at Pet Smart? Are they worth the money? I really want to get him comfortable around other dogs. epic Kingdom Hearts LP fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Aug 29, 2011 |
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Aug 29, 2011 21:56
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So Bailey and I met a very nice female Great Pyrenees (at an apartment complex no less. Don't those dogs need a ton of exercise?) and things were going swimmingly until Bailey decided that his sniffing and happy tail wagging meant he ought to try and mount the other, much larger, and confused dog. Thank god she was patient and well trained and the guy walking her was chill. Bailey is neutered and as far as I can tell, he was neutered fairly young. How can I discourage that kind of interaction with a female dog? Mind you, he's not around tons of lady dogs, but just having an idea would be nice.
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Aug 29, 2011 23:38
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Dogs hump stuff because it feels good man and  . Even fixed dogs, both male and female do it. Obviously it's not something you want to encourage since 1. It's pretty rude and 2. It might end your dog getting bit.
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Aug 29, 2011 23:55
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get out posted:
The good thing about the training I've encountered at PetSmart is that they do it in the store, so there are lots of distractions, which teaches you and your dog how to deal with distractions. But when I went to Petsmart I had just spent weeks conditioning my dog not to follow a treat, but to sit back and wait until I said he could have it. They do a lot of luring! This didn't work out so well as it really confused Pongo. He would look at me like "This is a trap, isn't it?" He is a puppy and he's now in the intermediate class. The other dogs are older rescue dogs and they are calm. He's 10 months old and he is not calm. I spend a lot of energy getting him to leave those dogs alone--which, again, is good experience, since we have to do that on walks and things also. The training is pretty basic, but if you have questions or specific things you want to train for, they seem to be amenable to helping you work on them.
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Aug 29, 2011 23:59
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Kerfuffle posted:Dogs hump stuff because it feels good man and Yeah the other dog looked at him while he was trying to scruff her like "How are you even going to get up there and I don't like you that way". I'm just sort of...taken back. I've never owned a male dog before Bailey so... yeah.
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Aug 30, 2011 00:49
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I really need help with my brother's dog  I'm beginning to understand why she was given to the shelter to begin with.Though she doesn't nip as much anymore, and is doing a little better with being calm, she's still insanely hyper at times, even after running around til she's exhausted at the park. (We take her every day in addition to walks) But the biggest problem is she can NOT be left unsupervised outside her crate for even a moment, because she chews everything she shouldn't. Example- even given the choice of a rawhide chew, squeaky toy and pig ear, she goes and chews a goddamn CACTUS.  Admittedly some blame falls on my brothers for leaving things out (slippers, video game controllers...) but she'll chew things like rugs and furniture that can't really be 'put away', or will reach up on counters, or my brothers cats knock things down where she can reach, etc. Only when you're not looking of course.But we'd really like to be able to just have the dog out in the room with us without needing to be tethered to us or a table leg, and doesn't need to be watched like a hawk. We've tried putting bitter spray on things we don't want her to chew but it isn't deterring her much. She's really picky about her chewies, and only the most expensive ones seem to hold her interest, and even then only for a short time. What else can we do?
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Aug 30, 2011 05:54
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^ I'll suggest tracking for you as well. From the previous page:Riiseli posted:I'm a big (huge) fan of nosework as a way to tire your dog. Maybe try some form of tracking with the dog.
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Aug 30, 2011 11:10
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Customer Service posted:I really need help with my brother's dog What breed is she? How old is she? And how much exercise is she getting exactly? To be honest, it sounds like she's chewing because she's bored. Chewing is very reinforcing for dogs, similar to dogs that bark at everything and anything. What do you do when she chews inappropriate things? What do you do when she chews appropriate things? You need to keep on with the tethering and crating, because you need to break the habit. Do you reward her when she's being quiet and good, or just correct when she's being 'bad'? How much mental stimulation does she get? Does she get her food in a bowl, or does she work for each piece? You need to challenge her a lot more than you are doing currently. More physical and mental exercise will make her more likely to want to sleep, not chew. And finally, it's possible that she doesn't find a squeaky toy, raw hide or pigs ear all that exciting. Try stuffed kongs - nuked cheese, peanut butter, wet dog food, whatever. Something nice and stinky and easier to lick and eat might be more high value.
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Aug 30, 2011 11:35
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Kerfuffle posted:Dogs hump stuff because it feels good man and Yeah my dog gets pissed as gently caress when other dogs try to hump her. And usually the problem with Great Pyrenees' is they can be insanely protective and generally need a "job" (usually protecting something...) as well as enough space to get exercise, etc. All that's usually not conducive to an apartment complex
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Aug 30, 2011 13:48
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get out posted:Has anyone done those dog training sessions at Pet Smart? Are they worth the money? I really want to get him comfortable around other dogs. It depends on the individual PetSmart. The chain encourages positive training techniques, but not all store trainers are equally proficient. If it comes down to PetSmart vs a private R+ training institution, the private will likely be superior. But if it comes down to PetSmart vs nothing, PetSmart classes have the benefit of teaching your dog to work with you even in close proximity to dogs and other compelling distractions. wtftastic posted:So Bailey and I met a very nice female Great Pyrenees (at an apartment complex no less. Don't those dogs need a ton of exercise?) and things were going swimmingly until Bailey decided that his sniffing and happy tail wagging meant he ought to try and mount the other, much larger, and confused dog. Thank god she was patient and well trained and the guy walking her was chill. Boy was I embarrassed when Cohen decided she was going to try to start humping other dogs as a pup. Definitely wasn't expecting it! All I did was remove her from the situation when she got humpy to calm her down a bit, and rewarded her when I thought she felt compelled to hump but chose not to. Eventually the behaviour extinguished. Humping is often an attention-getting device and an expression of excitement. So try to control his excitement level and reward proper polite dog-dog interactions. Customer Service posted:I really need help with my brother's dog I was reminded of an article by Ian Dunbar when I read your problem. Everyone should read this: Malamute Memories by Dr. Ian Dunbar It's not a matter of teaching the dog what not to do, but to channel his drives into something more productive. You really need to watch the dog like a hawk while you go about trying to break the habit, and actively work to channel it into something more productive. Fraction has good points for your problem.
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Aug 30, 2011 13:52
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a life less posted:It's not a matter of teaching the dog what not to do, but to channel his drives into something more productive. You really need to watch the dog like a hawk while you go about trying to break the habit, and actively work to channel it into something more productive. Fraction has good points for your problem. I did have the luxury of older well behaved dog(s), that did set a nice example. I did also use a crate up to maybe three or four hours a day, for about two weeks, when she was six months old and again, for maybe a month, when she was about a year old and my older dog had a litter and due to our appartment arrangements Naru had to be alone quite a bit (too much). She didn't really try to remodel the appartment that much, when I was at home and with her, but she would bark and play excessively at times. I did scold her for barking (she actually learned to bark silently (only her teeth will snap), which I was fine with) and might have "tossed" her into her crate to cool of a couple of times. At times, if she got too hyper, I would also hold her in my lap until she was relaxed. Mostly I ignored her indoors and we did quite a bit of nosework outdoors, when Naru was little.
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Aug 30, 2011 19:55
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a life less posted:It's not a matter of teaching the dog what not to do, but to channel his drives into something more productive. You really need to watch the dog like a hawk while you go about trying to break the habit, and actively work to channel it into something more productive. Fraction has good points for your problem. Thanks to you both for the info. I definitely know she's bored. (She's a 2 year old shiba mix btw) She's home in her crate 8 hours a day (with breaks) and then she has to be tethered in a 3 ft radius most of the time so she doesn't destroy things. I play flirt pole and fetch with her and take her to the park some days, but otherwise she's with my brother. And after talking to him I think he might be the bigger problem.  I think he expected a low-maintenance dog like my parents have, that would just chill on the floor by you all day with minimal effort. Not a ball of hyper energy that *gasp* actually needs a lot of training and mental stimulation.I told him he needs to meet me halfway at least in regards to training her or we'll have to take her back, but he gets defensive instead of wanting to work with me on it. It's a no-kill shelter and she's drat cute so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would make me feel like poo poo. I don't know what to do, when he cares about her enough that he gets upset at the idea of returning her, but just won't take more than minimal responsibility for her without a ton of nagging. (Sorry this is getting more E/N than anything)
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Aug 30, 2011 21:00
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Riiseli posted:I'm a big (huge) fan of nosework as a way to tire your dog. Maybe try some form of tracking with the dog. I'm really curious about nosework; it sounds like something my girls would both absolutely love. In that video, is the idea for the dogs to eventually follow the human scent to the track, or do you have something sprayed on your shoes to lay a different scent, or? Customer Service posted:Thanks to you both for the info. I definitely know she's bored. (She's a 2 year old shiba mix btw) She's home in her crate 8 hours a day (with breaks) and then she has to be tethered in a 3 ft radius most of the time so she doesn't destroy things. I play flirt pole and fetch with her and take her to the park some days, but otherwise she's with my brother. Pretty crappy situation, but if your brother isn't willing to meet her needs (and you can't because of other commitments - after all, she isn't your dog) then she would be better being rehomed to someone who can burn off all that energy. Does your brother ever take her out at all? It doesn't sound like it. Either way - do you want to keep the dog, and do you have the time to step in and give her the additional exercise she needs?
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Aug 30, 2011 21:19
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Customer Service posted:Thanks to you both for the info. I definitely know she's bored. (She's a 2 year old shiba mix btw) She's home in her crate 8 hours a day (with breaks) and then she has to be tethered in a 3 ft radius most of the time so she doesn't destroy things. I play flirt pole and fetch with her and take her to the park some days, but otherwise she's with my brother. And just to clarify my previous post. My lil' Naru is about as hyper for the breed as you can get within the breed. Which is very hyper. And she still displays this hyper side of her outdoors, but she has also been able to master chilling at home. It takes a bit of time, but it can usually be done. One just needs to find a balance between stimulation and down time. The dog will learn to expect however much exercise you provide them with on a regular bases. Exercise is vital, but if you over do it the dog can build such stamina, that it's virtually impossible to tire them with more. And I'll always, always, stress the greatness of nosework. As far as puppy training goes, we have a small (well not quite that small) visitor at home atm. She's my friend's toller puppy Serene, 6 mos. Name hasn't quite been an omen, but she's better than her mum Harmony. Serene is here mostly for potty training purposes. I have a timer on my cellphone going and Serene sleeps her nights in a crate. And if I feel like she won't manage during the day, she'll spend maybe an hour in the crate, so far she's been fine without it. We've managed it without accidents for now and I'm positive she'll do fine here. It's a whole another matter, when she goes back home, where she has a habit of peeing in one general area. It'd be easier, if one could prevent her access there, but that's not possible. Other than potty issues she's been a good puppy both at home and here. Here she would play almost endlessly with Healy outdoors, but sleeps and chills like a pro indoors. Serene goes to a obedience class maybe twice a week and spends varying amount of time during the week training for hunting trials. Most free nights at home she gets to roam free for an hour or more in the forest with her mum and her "auntie" 13 year old brittany Sally. Which is pretty much what we do here, the only difference it's "auntie" Healy providing the entertainment.
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Aug 30, 2011 21:40
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Fraction posted:I'm really curious about nosework; it sounds like something my girls would both absolutely love. In that video, is the idea for the dogs to eventually follow the human scent to the track, or do you have something sprayed on your shoes to lay a different scent, or? My friend's toller Harmony did her first track, like the one in the video, a few days ago and was pretty exhausted after it and that track was only maybe 100 steps long. And Harmony is a dog that has competed in blood tracking (and gotten a first prize too), where the open class (the first class) track is 900-1000 metres long. Riiseli fucked around with this message at 08:23 on Aug 31, 2011 |
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Aug 30, 2011 21:56
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