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Excellent thread. Hopefully this will encourage more intelligent discussion of the training methodology. 
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Nov 11, 2010 06:45
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 03:42 |
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Instant Jellyfish has the right idea; a shock collar will simply do the opposite of help and make the dog even more agitated because OH MY GOD SOMETHING SHOCKED ME IT MUST BE YOUR FAULT. So basically, it will exacerbate the situation and make things worse. A shock collar is and always should be a last resort after you've tried absolutely everything else; it's a training tool, yes, but not a very good one, and should only be used by people who 100% know what they're doing (i.e trainers, not you or I). 'Go to your mat' is an excellent strategy to begin with. I'd train the terrier mix while the Cav is somewhere else (in another room or crated) so that you can focus solely on his issues. Also, re-read this thread to get a better idea of how to apply counterconditioning; it's been explained several times in beautiful detail by awesome posters.
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Jan 7, 2011 02:20
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That thing I sent posted:So first off, you guys were right - Spirit only needed another day to overcome her setback before we were back on track. She's doing pretty well - just this morning we were walking back to my building, and when my neighbor came out she immediately trotted over to my side and sat down without needing to be prompted! Progress! Sorry, I have nothing to add for your 'bitch im sittin what' issue aside from what MrFurious and a life less have said, but I just wanted to say that I love reading the thread for updates like this.  It's just really gratifying to me that we can all learn and help dogs in this way etc (I'm very gay I know).
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Jan 28, 2011 20:35
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Congrats on a fun and mostly successful class, Psyche! Kiri koli posted:She has a Watch command that I need to work on more, but I think it bores her. Are there any fun focus games that people know of? It sounds like she knows 'watch' pretty well, from what you said, but distractions and new situations are definitely more interesting to pay attention to than you. What're you using for high-value treats? I really can't lay enough praise on uncooked hot dog slices: seriously the best. That being said, I use my 'Watch' command a lot in various situations, all the time, so it's become one of our stable stand-by commands. I use it a lot on walks, alternating between asking for a 'Sit' or a 'Heel' and then a 'Watch' or just asking for 'Watch' right off the bat. Keeper gets a tiny piece of hot dog for looking at me immediately, and as the walk goes on I ask for increased staring time. Doing that enough on walks has led to a fairly good focus, but now I'm stepping my training up by walking him in a heavily populated downtown area and asking for 'Watch' as distractions happen, like buses going by, loud people, honking cars, etc. We're still working on this training because I don't always have the time to take him downtown, but after each session I notice a marked improvement in his focus for the 'normal' walks. In addition, when we're at home and I have an extra set of hands to help, I play the 'cup game' to charge up his focus. The 'cup game' is the traditional test of doggie intellect; you put two dixie cups upside down on the ground, put a piece of hot dog under one (without letting the dog see where it went, of course) and point to the one with the hot dog piece. The dog will usually always go directly where you point; one of the key differences between canines and other intelligent animals. Anyway, I have Tobie hold Keeper's leash opposite the pair of dixie cups and I ask him for a 'Watch'. Then I point to the cup, tell him 'Find it!' and he rewards himself! It's actually worked out very well for us, because Keeper's figured out that when I ask him to focus on me, it can mean a variety of things that can happen, so he focuses in tight and waits for the next command, knowing he'll either find a tasty treat or be given one. It shakes up the routine for variety's sake, but doesn't confuse the command or change its meaning. 
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Jan 29, 2011 18:18
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busydelicious posted:PS - He is housebroken. Has his own little area that he'll straight out bolt to when he has to go. It's just that it doesn't seem to matter after the first poo when he starts to freak out. Wait, just clarification here, is this 'little area' that he uses actually inside your home or outdoors? Because if you're using potty pads I would cut that out right now and rely on conventional crate housebreaking, since that could be a biiiig part of your poo-while-gone issue. Potty pads = not housebroken, fyi.  If not then ignore this and just continue following a life less's advice. Other than that, I would caution you to avoid thinking that a move to a new unfamiliar place and a new strange dog will help him; it may actually set him back if you haven't put in the correct associations to help him adjust, so you'll want to step up your training. You mentioned wanting to get him into a class after he's neutered, but honestly he should've been in classes this whole time. Six months is a long time to wait for that, IMO. You can start sessions at home now to begin the effort, but training needs to be first priority with puppies, and it sounds like you waited quite a bit. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Mar 29, 2011 |
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Mar 29, 2011 19:48
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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 |
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May 29, 2011 15:37
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 03:42 |
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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.
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May 29, 2011 17:58
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