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Post by Aussienot on Jan 1, 2005 23:40:17 GMT -5
Finn's 'public training martingale' like the one in the picture is an Australian brand - Black Dog www.blackdog.net.au/collars.php Scroll down to the botton of the page to the Training Collars. Finn wears the Heavy Duty style, with the extra snap in the loop and no buckle. Black Dog are a really good quality brand. I noticed they have some US suppliers listed on the web site, or you can order straight from them. You'll get a break on the exchange rate, but with postage it should end up at about the same price as shown. I haven't used the chain loop ones. I think they would work ok.
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Post by Aussienot on Jan 1, 2005 23:04:31 GMT -5
Before I was lucky enough to get a pinch collar for Finn, I used a Martingale (the kind also known as a Limited Slip Collar). I put him through almost all of his basic ob using a martingale, and it's what we usually still use in the group classes and in agility. They are definately worth exploring as a middle ground between flat and check.Here's a picture of the style I am talking about. You can give a correction, but because the link is at the top and worn at the top of the neck behind the ears it's not going to cause trachea damage. It's a whole neck correction too, similar to the pinch but much softer. Both of my dogs wear wider versions of this type collar as their everyday normal collars. I like them because there are no buckles to break, they are handy to hold onto if no leash is available, and if I need to correct, I can. I like the look and feel of them too.
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Post by Aussienot on Jan 2, 2005 16:22:16 GMT -5
Now you've got it! JRTs are typically high drive dogs fueled with boundless energy. You can't extinguish the drive, you can't fight it, but you can learn to use it to shape behavior. The key to training is directing all that drive into the things you want him to do.
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Post by Aussienot on Jan 1, 2005 16:03:16 GMT -5
Yes, if it had been the other dog, I'd be missing a few toes.
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 31, 2004 21:02:36 GMT -5
Had something odd happen last night. Sailor, the soft as butter, submissive, timid-tending-to-fearful Labrador, was asleep at my feet. She was having an active dream or nightmare - rem, leg twiching, whimpering, heavy breathing.
Suddenly she turned her head slightly and bit the only thing in reach - the end of my tennis shoe! She has a really soft mouth and no bite pressure, all she got was bit of rubber. Then she turned her head back and continued to dream but in a quieter, less dramatic way.
I swear she was sound asleep the whole time, and she would be mortified if she knew what happened. I have never heard of dogs sleepwalking, but wonder if asleep activity is unusual. Anybody else ever seen dogs do things in their sleep?
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 31, 2004 17:18:16 GMT -5
In dog training, step one is to guide or shape the desired behaviour. Step two is teach the desired behavior on command. Step three is to proof under gradually increasing levels of distraction.
A low level distraction for proofing is to walk around the dog while he holds a command, or make funny noises. A medium level distraction is to have children playing nearby, or throw a toy near the dog. A high level of distraction for a herding dogs like Toby is movement - having a bike ride by, or dogs walking by on leash. And the highest level of distraction for almost any dog is being off leash with wildlife to chase or other off-leash dogs to play with.
You can't go from the Teaching stage - where you are now - directly to High level distraction- because you have not built the foundation of response. You and Toby can get there, but you have to work up to it. If you want a reliable recall, Toby should not be off lead. Always keep a leash or a long line on him. Get a 30 foot line, and let him drag it around. Be prepared to jump on it quickly if you need to.
Start working him on recalls with low level distractions, like people walking past 50 feet away. Gradually build up the distraction level - 40 feet, 30 feet etc. Move slowly and make sure he's 100% reliable at each stage before increasing the distraction.
When transporting a dog, you should always have the dog restrained by a seat belt harness or a crate. It's much safer for the dog, and should there be an accident, having an unrestrained dog in the car can cause your insurance company to put you at fault even if you weren't. You can also teach the 'Wait' - he can't jump out of the car until you give the release command. It's one of the things that can save your dog's life.
On your last point, sorry to sound harsh, but if he runs off, it's Your fault. You gave him the choice, and he chose wrong. When you catch him, or if he returns by choice, DO NOT CORRECT. He'll think he being correct for returning, or allowing you to catch up. Correcting him teaches the exact opposite of what you are trying to teach.
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Post by Aussienot on Jun 20, 2004 23:18:38 GMT -5
That's what this board is here for, to share ideas and learn more about training. Welcome, I hope to hear more about your training philosophy and tactics in future posts.
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Post by Aussienot on Apr 20, 2004 18:15:54 GMT -5
When I first moved to Aus, I had a wee bit of trouble with the metric system. The first time I went grocery shopping, I coped with the finding the new store, dealt with driving on the left, even made my way through the new brand names. I proudly queued at the Deli counter, waited my turn and when the clerk asked what I wanted, I pointed to my cheese selection. Then she asked "How much?" Stunned silence as I suddenly realised I had no idea the unit of measure (kilos? centimeters? cheesethingaliters?) nor any clue of the desired amount. In despiration, I held up my thumb and forfinger in a rough indication and said, oh about that much. Slunk away, cheese block in hand rueing my lousy American education. [It was 250 grams that I needed by the way, but later realised the Finger-Size Indicator is pretty much a universal system of ordering]. Loey, it wouldn't take you too long to pick up the metric system once you are immersed in it. If you need it for everyday transactions, you learn it by necessity. And once you understand metric, converting it back to Imperial is easy. Funny though, Australians still talk about people's height in feet and inches, not meters and centimeters, and baby weights are announced in pounds, not kilos.
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Post by Aussienot on Apr 19, 2004 18:43:48 GMT -5
Heartbreak, you ask good questions. Depends on how you define it.
"Socialisation" for a puppy in my definition means careful planned trainer controled exposure to a range of people, situations and animals. This is good and is the foundation for training a confident focused, and well-rounded dog.
Letting puppies romp around together in a puppy class is not 'socialisation'. It is simple pup play; and will have no lasting positive impact on their adult behavior.
There's a thread under Aggression on Dog Parks that discusses the point of socialisation quite a bit. Willow's excellent post on the topic should be required reading for all puppy owners.
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Post by Aussienot on Jan 30, 2004 0:39:53 GMT -5
I hope it is worth it. I've wasted a lot of time if not, as I just spent several months of all the free time I had obtaining my RNSW Canine Council Obedience Instructing Certification.
I'm not professional, the club where I train and instruct is non-profit and all instructors volunteer. I hope we all agree that training is good and worthwhile. Necessary, even.
I believe it's essential to have someone coach you. Someone who can carefully watch what you are doing with your dog, and catch small movements and actions that you may not be aware of. Small changes in where you place your hands, your footwork, your leash handling.
Hopefuly this person knows more than you do about how to train dogs; and more importantly, knows how to teach you to train dogs.
Beyond that I don't think there is a blanket answer. One-on-one training with someone you respect is ideal if you can find this kind of trainer and can afford it. Many can't.
Group classes in the best case are good for teaching the handlers the basics. Most dogs won't learn much in class and the real learning happens at home when the owner works with the dog.
The good thing about a well run group class is that the dog learns to focus and work despite the distractions, but that comes from the groundwork done outside of class.
Plus a group class provides social interaction and encouragement for the owner and makes training more fun.
In worst case group classes are worse than not training because dogs interact without control and dogs can become anti-social for life.
My advice is yes, find a training plan. Look for a good, well run class and listen to what the instructor is saying and what methods are used. If you like what you see, join. If not, keep looking.
There are also many, many good books and tapes you can use in the meantime.
Off my soapbox now.
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Post by Aussienot on Apr 4, 2004 19:18:17 GMT -5
I'm going stale for lack of ideas. When I'm rostered on as Instructor, I like to make my group classes interesting and fun, not just heel up and down the field for 30 minutes.
Any good ideas for games that can be done by intermediate dogs - on leash? All have the basics down on leash. I've done relay races and rally obed.
Does anyone have good games or exercises they've tried, or know of a website or book with class structure ideas?
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 21, 2004 17:08:03 GMT -5
The thing that drove me to find this group of people was Finn hitting (de)sexual maturity, going through his big bad butthead phase. There's even a name for it: sibling rivalry. He and Sailor had been the best of play buddies, spent all day together and slept together; but once he figured out he could physically torment her, he did.
I got help from a professional trainer to work out a pack structure that got Finn under my control and protected Sailor. It was a lot of work, and really emphasised NILIF, doggy boot camp, boundary control, that sort of thing.
I can have the two of them together in the house while I'm watching, and having establised that I can, in reality I don't very often. Finn has completely gotten over it, and could accept re-integration; but Sailor just doesn't enjoy their time together. She will stay near him if I make her, but if I let her choose, she bolts to the far end of the house. She's ok if there's a barrier between them, so I set up time when they can, by mutual choice sniff and talk between the fence or screen door.
I separate them when I'm at work, and when I'm home it's one in the house, one outside. Every so often, we " dog Flip". {Inside dog runs to their designated room, outside dog runs to a designated room, inside dog runs out. I didn't realise this complex sequence of actions had become a command until one day I said it and noticed they were doing it on their own!}
It's a controlled, enforced peace, not the "happily ever after" I had envisioned for the two of them, but certainly workable. You've layed a good foundation with your two, and while it may not be what you imagined two dogs would be like, it can still be a good structure. Don't stress over it too much and don't lose faith in yourself.
I too, felt family disapproval, but luckily from a distance. My mother, who owns a passive little floormop, thought my training was a bit heavy-handed, and my strict household rules like "four on the floor" were harsh ("You mean he has to 'work' for dinner?"). We had agreed to disagree on dog owning tactics.
Last Christmas, she met Finn. (her words, "I had no idea he was SO much dog") She realised there was a loving purpose to all this, it was kind, not cruel, and now she asks, and sometimes takes, my advice. Getting your family to follow a set of rules will be the hardest part!
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 20, 2004 15:51:37 GMT -5
Dogs don't 'generalise' things. Just because he is house trained in your house does not mean he is univerally house trained in every house. You'll have to re-train him for every new location. It's like housebreaking all over again but should be much quicker.
Make sure you are cleaning the spots with Nature's Miracle. You need an enzyme based cleaner - other simple cleaning products may remove the visible spot but won't remove the smell that tells the dog to "go here".
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 21, 2004 17:42:04 GMT -5
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Post by Aussienot on Dec 16, 2004 18:22:38 GMT -5
If your four year old was unmercifully physically tormenting your three year old, would you step in and stop it? Of course you would.
In this case, the three year old was playing with your dog in a way the dog could not endure. I don't mean your son was trying to hurt her intentionally, but since he was sitting on her I imagine there was other physical stuff happening to her.
I suspect there were plenty of " dog language' warnings that she was being pushed beyond endurance. I suspect she moved away from him a few times, gave him the steely-eyed stare, perhaps air licked, or lifted a lip.
Seriously stressed, she tucked her tail between her legs, did the "sensible" thing and retreated to her safe place, the kennel. Faced with Fight or Flight, she chose flight. He followed her in and continued to torment her. Possibly she growled.
Having not heeded her many subtle warnings, she did the only thing left to her and bit. It would have been ideal if "Lassie-like" she just took it with good grace, but dogs in real life have very rudimentary coping skills. So the last creature in the house I would "fault" is the dog. If there have been no other displays of unstable temperament, I'd be very reluctant to call this dog 'bad'.
The families who have the best relationships with children and dog closely actively supervise the interaction between them. The children need an adult who can set up positive games, read the warning signs and avert trouble. The dog needs protection from children who don't know how to treat the dog. It's not a skill that we are born with, the children need to be taught, and a three and four year old can't be expected to remember and use judgement.
There are two questions to be answered. First, is your home suitable for a dog at this point in your life? If so, is Emma a suitable dog. Unless the whole family makes some changes in how you treat her, it does not sound like a suitable environment for any dog. Wrestling games are out, manhandling the dog is out, and all play time with Emma should be supervised.
You've probably had her for 7 months or more and it would be emotionally difficult to take her out of the house. But this needs to be unified family decision. If you cannot convince your husband to give her a real chance and your not all committed to change, then please responsibly rehome or surrender her.
And if you are not able to make these changes, then please don't even consider another dog until your children are a little older.
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