Better Late Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Our leash skills are coming along very well. Bonnie is starting to respect the leash and the fact that I'm attached to the other end of it! We just got home from a great walk on a long line where she (mostly) tolerated kids on bikes, and she didnt even bat an eyelid at the workmen with whipper snippers and leafblowers. True to form though she did try and eat the AusPost delivery man, but we're working on it! Her Jafco basket muzzle arrived today and I'll get some positive association happening before we test it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Well done Better Late Bonnie is going very well... my girl isn't fazed too much with the AusPost del. man BUT she would LOVE to chase & catch our postie. I think it's the bike. We have been working very hard to with LAT which seems to working as long as I see the postie first. If I don't, he is hers usually although today she completely ignored him when he wizzed by. I was wrapped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I love my boy because he learns things I don't know I'm teaching him. I have people with kids coming to the house for work so our greetings are very important. I've taught him to sit and then when I've got the ok from people we go up and touch each person. I do this because often people say they're ok but when a big snorty bulldog comes up to them they're not that calm. Yesterday a car with three people turned up, they've been a few times so I released Jake without formally walking up to each person. Determined to get his reward he galloped up to each person and gave them a nudge and then screeched up to me and sat and started looking meaningfully at the peanut butter jar. I had to reward him because it's what he's been trained to do but I think I'll have to make sure he's always on lead to touch because I can understand people being slightly intimidated by being charged and nudged by a flying bulldog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 How is everyone doing? My big goofball has been coming along in leaps and bounds. We haven't had any reactions at class for a long time, and we've had polite calm greetings with 2 different dogs there :) Her barking at home has also improved heaps...in the next week or so I will take her for a walk at a busier time of day (have been doing 5am) and see how we go. Obviously I won't be trying for a greeting, I just want to be able to see another dog on our walk and not have a reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Aah the see another dog and not embarrass owner trick... We are trying some new things with Jake and he's trying some new stuff on me. We have started touch pad training at home and he's been trying complete indifference at training. I have some lovely fast tricks at home and then at training he just wanders off, pretends he can't see the touch pad or mat and lies down and cracks a snore. So last week we did no training at home and put another dog in the room when we were at training. We also decided that instead of correcting him for having a lunge we would just wait him out, some pressure on his harness but leaving his collar loose. Success, he came and asked each day for his trainng sessions and actually unpacked his bag of training gear. He was all excited and did all his tricks at training and he only went nuts three times and twice he was able to call himself off and refocus on training. Out and about I am trying the self calming if it's not going to bother other people. He's part frenchie and when frustrated he "talks", today he yelled "hey there" at a dog across the road. He also had a flat out go at his arch enemy border collie for about ten seconds but then just stopped, looked at me walked into heel and started doing LAT with absolutely no tension in his body. I do love the Jake experience, every day is unpredictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I feel like Jake could do a comedy sketch! He sounds amazing, hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Yea. He's such a character, I think Bulldogs are a laugh a minute their thoughts are so transparent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Jake is certainly not stupid, and is great at working things to his advantage :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Finally went for a walk at a normal hour to test our progress. No barking at dogs on the other side of the road - both walking and those barking from their yards. There was one bark back at a dog who was barking and running it's fenceline, but we were on the same side of the road as it. That's definite progress for us, she used to bark back at every dog that barked at us, proximity be damned. And she didn't even tense up when dogs were walking towards us on the opposite side of the road. Very proud dog mama today :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajtek Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Yea. He's such a character, I think Bulldogs are a laugh a minute their thoughts are so transparent. They are :D I just love the book "so your dog is not Lassie". I've applied the principles (especially bribing) to the three. It worked well :) Only 2 left now so it's easy. Edited March 29, 2015 by Kajtek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) At the moment we are having some "discussions" about getting into the crate in the car. I have a van and a very large wire crate that has a mattress in. He's happy to be in there. So I always lift him into the back of the van and then he walks into the crate and then he gets a treat. He's now decided that unless he actually gets to see the treat he's not going to get in the crate because I tried to downgrade the treat from peanut butter to kibble. So basically I just sit and wait until he gets into the crate. Clients came round to find us sitting in the back of the van ignoring each other. They parked their car, we had a chat then we went inside. Finally they asked what we had been doing when they arrived? Actually we had been practicing getting into the crate without prior sighting of peanut butter and we had been sitting there for 30 minutes because I thought that would be a quick training session before work started. You need a lot of time and patience to outwit a bulldog. Edited March 29, 2015 by hankdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajtek Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 You need a lot of time and patience to outwit a bulldog. That + a really good bribe. Their 'what's in it for me' attitude is awesome :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 You need a lot of time and patience to outwit a bulldog. That + a really good bribe. Their 'what's in it for me' attitude is awesome :laugh: Told you Jake was not stupid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 My kids had the same attitude so it could just be me. I do think they are not very "need to please owner" motivated. I sort of feel bad because all my previous dogs were so well behaved and all they ever got was an "attaboy". Jake gets so much and he's the nortiest dog I've ever owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) Hankdog just picturing Jake & you sitting it out in the back of your car. 30 mins later. Gosh Jake takes stubborn to a whole new level doesn't he. You have the patience of a saint :laugh: . I understand what you are saying when you say Jake gets so much more. I feel the exact same way. Everything seems to always be about Stella here. Cause she is 'special needs' a bit like your Jake that it does seem to be that way. Its always Is Stella OK? Oh good girl Stel. Cause we go that extra mile with them. We have a lot emotionally invested in making sure they are the best that they can be. I have never owned a stubborn dog though. I think that would be extremely challanging. Stella is the complete opposite. She is so speedy fast with everything & very biddable. So I used to be the one left floundering to keep up. Lately though I feel a certain amount of change. I have had to lift my game with her big time & its working. Slowly but working. Hard to explain. Stella is a very weak nerved girl & that part of her will never be great. I have really improved my ability to read her though & that IMO is key. We can be out somewhere now & she is beginning to unravel I can usually interrupt her head space & bring her back without her redlining. If that makes sense. Where as previously I would of tried to sooth her & we usually never worked through anything. I have firmed up emotionally. On the outside anyway :p Also find if I ask her to do simple tasks when she is emotionally starting to kick off or becoming reactive, it distracts her. It gives her something else to think about & she comes back down quicker. She is a very intense girl. Her mind NEVER stops. So I'm quietly taking that as progress :D Edited March 30, 2015 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajtek Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) My kids had the same attitude so it could just be me. I do think they are not very "need to please owner" motivated. I sort of feel bad because all my previous dogs were so well behaved and all they ever got was an "attaboy". Jake gets so much and he's the nortiest dog I've ever owned. No, no it's not you (unless it's me too) Parenting 3 of them has taught me the value of bribes. Mine are very well behaved most of the time. I recognize their need to be paid for 'services rendered'. They let me know if payment is inadequate :D Edited March 30, 2015 by Kajtek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Yes, he definitely does the maths on what reward is required. No flies on him. I do wonder if bulldogs are smarter, they certainly get what they want for minimal energy expenditure. BC has Stella been better on the Prozac do you think? I've been trying to reduce Jakes dose but I'm going to have to put him back up as I feel it's just not safe. It just took me 45 minutes to walk around the block, less than a kilometer because he kept throwing tantrums at imaginary dogs. I had forgotten the bad old days when he did that. He's also back to having a huge startle response to loud noises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Yes hankdog. I believe Prozac is helping Stella. Definitely. I wasn't sure at first but persisted with 20mg daily. I have been able to reduce her Xanax from 1.5 mg, 3 times a day to 1mg, twice a day. Very pleased about that. Of course we do still have our moments when my girl well & truly has a melt down then I give her a little more Xanax to take the edge off... I find with Prozac she is able to bounce back from a scary noise or reactive moment a lot quicker. She also is less reactive & noticeably calmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Well we just barked our way through the Attenborough bower bird show so tomorrow is back to one Prozac a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I have tried to cut back Stella's Prozac on occasion with a very noticeable reactive down hill slide. I would never of believed it actually. Very blatant difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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