huski

Yes, obviously we see a lot of dogs with behaviour problems, but we also see many owners that just want to learn how to build a better relationship with their dog and don't actually have any real problems with their dog. The people who seek professional advice are the owners who are already quite dedicated to their dogs, the owners we don't see are the ones who aren't motivated enough to get professional help and there's no question there are many people out there who let their dogs behaviour get worse and worse, or just have it euthanised or rehomed. I can't say I run into all that many people like that when I take my dogs out, but when I do, I usually just nod and smile and carry on with what I'm doing. By telling you to book a consult so we could see her in person and pinpoint what is going on :) ;)

I think for every owner that overreacts, there are also many that just don't care and won't do anything even if they know their dog has a serious behaviour problem.

I think our society has changed over time and things that were previously acceptable (such as letting your dog roam the street) are no longer acceptable and in many instances against the law. So, what we require of and need our dogs to do has changed. Many training and behaviour problems people have with their dogs are things that could have been prevented if the dog was raised differently from puppy hood. There is no question in my mind, that educating dog owners to help them raise their dogs properly would make a huge difference to the common problems many face down the track. Sometimes when people face these problems they seek professional help, sometimes they let the behaviour get out of hand and fail to manage the dog properly, sometimes they rehome or euthanise it or sometimes they just live with it (often times making themselves and their dog miserable). If the biggest problem dog owners had were over thinking or overreacting to problems I don't think you would see so many people struggle with dogs that have behaviour and training problems. I also think DOL is not necessarily representative of the entire dog population, people on DOL are generally more invested in their dogs and learning about dogs than the average pet owner. Personally I would much rather see a dog owner 'overreact' and get professional help with a potential problem, than a dog owner who brushes over potential issues until the problem becomes so bad they can't ignore it any longer.

Hey Mike Echo did you contact Ruffwear or whoever you bought it from about the hook wearing the material? This happened once out of the hundreds I've sold and when I contacted RW they said they had a batch of faulty hooks that had sharper edges. They replaced said harness and there was never any other probs after that. They are usually great with replacing faulty items. However I personally wouldn't use the Webmasters for really heavy duty stuff like bite work for eg - they just aren't designed for that purpose, so we make more heavy duty harnesses to use for that stuff.

DOLer Cosmolo aka Underdog Training :) Thanks! I already had Underdog in mind, looked at the website again and I am pretty sold. It's probably dumb but I feel like I've let Didi down and done something wrong, I can't understand why this is happening, kind of a kick in the teeth when I've put so much work into her hopefully a consult can shed some light. Don't feel bad Terri, you are responsible for recognising a potential problem and doing something about it before it could get out of hand.

Understanding development phases in puppies isn't about being permissive and excusing away behaviour. It's important to understand how puppies learn and the best phases to teach certain behaviours and expose them to new environments and experiences. It's not ok for pups to display undesirable behaviour but it is relevant and important to recognise different learning phases.

Have you had any experience with the Ruffwear DoubleBack harness? The Web Master looks really nice but I'm worried she'd still be able to squirm backwards out of it because there's nothing stopping it from slipping forwards, if you get what I mean. Yes, I have had a lot of experience with both. I haven't yet met a dog that can back out of a Webmaster. If she can squirm out of that, she will be able to squirm out of the Doubleback as well.

Definitely a Ruffwear Webmaster! :)

Random but this thread reminded me of the way I sometimes chuck a toilet roll in wisdoms toy bucket in the house. She is so delighted when she goes to get a toy and finds a good old toilet roll in there lol.

Go on DD! Get a Mal, you know you want to ;) :laugh:

Hey Stitch we have published a couple of blog posts on this topic just recently. the most recent one (including a video that shows one of our pups at 10 weeks and then again at 6 months) is here; http://blog.k9pro.com.au/distraction-proof-your-pup/ The blog post above also has a link to an article describing how we socialise pups and raise them to have a neutral value for distractions like other people and dogs. ETA: Socialisation (IME) is about exposing your pup to new experiences and giving that experience a value. A pup with the best genetics can still develop too high a value for other dogs, people etc which can create issues later on with a dog that is over excitable around people and other dogs or too invested in those things because they've learnt they are highly rewarding.

Glad you guys like it too! Love the saying, thought it was definitely worth posting here too

Awesome to see you have a good day with Justice Snook!

Very sorry to hear that PD, run free Doof

:)

I would be looking at adding K9 Showstopper to meals as it's a coat and skin optimizing supplement. The Showstopper tru colors shampoo is also awesome.

We have a shipment of Dogpacer treadmills about to leave now, hoping they will arrive by the end of the month. They will be priced well under $1000. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions! :)

I agree it can definitely impact badly on owners, and I do believe there are occasions where PTS is justifiable or sometimes the best option for keeping others safe. However I find it difficult morally to justify PTS by saying the dog is happier, or better off, or that there are worse things. I don't know how we can really ascertain with certainty how the dog will feel or what choice they would make if given one. That is just my personal POV though, it is a morally grey area for me. Snook I know how important Justice is to you and how much he helps you and I can only imagine how much harder it would make it for you to deal with your depression etc when things are hard with him. Sorry again to hear this has happened

HO What an awesome update, progress like yours is only possible when you follow the program and put the work in, well done

Oh I wasn't implying she was, I am just saying I don't believe PTS is always the better option. I didn't think we were talking about dogs that were severely abused, but dogs with behaviourial problems. Personally it would have to be an extreme case where I would feel the dog was suffering so much to the point where they would no longer want to live any more.

Daisy was so naughty. She didn't get the nick name Evil Beagle for nothing! When she was a pup she would steal food off our plates as we were eating. She wasn't affectionate and wouldn't have cuddles or sit with us. She growled and bit me when I tried to move her off the lounge when she was about 5 months old. When I took her to obedience club, as a 5/6 month old puppy, she wasn't only the worst behaved dog in the class, but on the field, of oh about 80 dogs? She wouldn't take treats, lunged on the leash, barked at all the other dogs, completely ignored me etc. The instructor to me to pick her up and put her in heel position and she growled and snapped at me. They freaked out and didn't know what to do or why my little beagle puppy was so horrible and untrainable :laugh: One time we were at a DOL meet and a DOLer bought a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. There were other things sitting on top of the box of donuts (which was closed). Daisy walked up, stuck her nose under the lid of the box and stole a mouthful of donuts. As I took it off her and turned to put it in the bin, she did it again. In front of everyone (for those who missed it the first time). I really don't have any naughty stories for Wiz, I know better now how to manage young dogs/pups so they don't get the chance to do anything naughty! The naughtiest thing she would do, when living at my old house, was pull frogs out of my pond and then bring them over to me to give to me. While it was still alive and kicking as she held it in her mouth. No thank you She also likes carrying heavy things and when I found a house brick in the middle of my lawn I panicked thinking that the naughty kids next door had chucked it over the fence, as there is no way she could carry something so heavy. Sure enough not long after I look out the window and see her lugging around a huge house brick in her mouth

I struggle with this because I just can't agree that death is 'far from the worst thing' that can happen to a dog. If we could ask the dog if it would prefer life, or death, how many do you really think would say 'I'd rather be dead please'? I understand why people choose PTS for dogs with behaviourial problems especially aggression, and I think especially in situations where there is a high risk that even with management the dog could hurt or kill a person or another dog or itself, PTS is an option that may need to be considered for the safety and well being of other people/animals. I am not in any way saying PTS is wrong or a bad choice, but I would struggle to accept it as the best option for the dog in every case. It is a horrible decision to have to make, and I feel for anyone in that position.

It isn't something I would suggest, but I think a lot of things can be lost in translation too so without actually speaking to the trainer/behaviourist we can't be sure exactly what they recommended or the context in which it was given. If the owner isn't getting results with this trainer, though, and they are following their program to a T, then I would be inclined to look at another trainer or behaviourist.

Lol I agree with you. It's easy to speculate but many things can be taken out of context or misunderstood and none of us know the trainer or why they recommended what they did. Personally I don't train anything at clubs, I would use a club for proofing only. Advising people not to ask their dog to work in a high level of distraction straight away is common sense. It's really dog training 101. Distraction and proofing comes later.

He's not a trainer Huski, he's a 'behaviourist'. I'm not sure why that really matters? Trainers can be qualified behaviourists. Being a behaviorist doesn't mean you can't also be a good trainer.