huski

I use a treat pouch (always placed at my back). I also have a training vest, put treats in my pockets, have treats placed remotely, sometimes the reward is visible etc. IMO there is no problem with using a treat pouch as long as your dog doesn't see it as a cue and becomes dependent on it. There are plenty of things other than a treat bag (even more subtle) that dogs can and do cue off. I learnt that the hard way :laugh:

LOL I rarely ever bath my dogs! Daisy would be lucky enough to have a bath every few months :laugh:

It can be really hard to give everyone attention in a big class but if I spot someone struggling I make a point of finding time for them even if it's after class. Classes that are too big can be a major downfall of club training IMO. Especially as you never know how many people will show up each week.

I've seen it and done it myself! You don't need to be a hard ass to train dogs, but if the instructor was any good they would show the owner how to get the best out of her dog which in my experience goes a long way to helping the owner feel more confident. I find more people struggle in my classes to reward their dogs than correct them, it's always fun making the big tough guys 'have a party' with their dog :laugh: A little OT but in what suburb do you have your obedience classes? Hey Boronia I have PMd you :) Bec

The other thing I want to add is that if you do your research on breeds like huskies and mals many owners and breeders tell you they aren't trainable. I have lost count how many husky owners tell me that they don't bother training their dog because it's a husky and can never be taught to walk on a loose leash (bred to pull) and will never recall because huskies are 'notorious for having bad recalls and you should never let one off leash'. Maybe this owner has been told similar things about about mals and is at training because she thinks it's the right thing to do but doesn't actually believe her dog is trainable.

I've seen it and done it myself! You don't need to be a hard ass to train dogs, but if the instructor was any good they would show the owner how to get the best out of her dog which in my experience goes a long way to helping the owner feel more confident. I find more people struggle in my classes to reward their dogs than correct them, it's always fun making the big tough guys 'have a party' with their dog :laugh:

Woohoo!! Go Rach :D Beagle owners FTW :cool:

Hey Anne where are the awards being held again?

LOL thanks Shell! Good luck to everyone nominated :) I wish I could have been there, alas I have an engagement party to go to!

There are some things Daisy does that don't particularly bother me but I know if I let her do it it's contributing to her overall behaviour. She has definitely made me tougher :laugh:

I wouldn't say it means she thinks she is the 'pack leader' per se, but she thinks she controls all the resources and she has learnt what works to get what she wants. I don't feel bad for my dogs when I implement new rules, because I don't enjoy living with dogs like that. I have a dog who is VERY pushy and unpleasant to live with unless I manage her appropriately.

She doesn't sound that bad to me TBH, I think the behaviourist will help provide you with direction but it's likely she will also recommend containment as the best immediate solution.

I agree with P - I would be having a one on one consult at this point over attending a training club.

As long as it takes for them to go crunch, crunch, swallow :laugh: I make them last longer by cutting them and stuffing bits into everlasting toys.

I know what you mean Kavik. I wouldn't select a puppy exactly like Mish again, but I know a lot more now than I did then and even with the faults in his temperament (which overall is lovely) I know enough now to manage and raise him in a way that would give us both a different outcome. That's why I think education for pet owners is so important.

I don't think dogs should attack other dogs full stop, but it still happens. My dog luckily never injured any dogs he attacked but then again, he wasn't badly injured when he was attacked as a pup either, it just did lots of mental damage. I don't think it's 100% genetics/temperament related because I truly believe if I had him from a puppy now he would not be put in a position where he could learn he had any reason to be aggressive and therefore would never develop aggression. He doesn't have great nerves and was attacked in his first fear period which I think made it worse. He is great with puppies and other dogs once he is familiar with them and aside from having weaker nerves I can't fault his temperament, he's never displayed aggression to people and is a wonderful dog to live with. I would never breed from him even if I thought he was worth breeding from and even if he wasn't DA because I don't like his nerves.

No, what I said was that my dog will never be the exact same dog he could have been had he not been attacked badly as a puppy and developed fear aggression as a result of those attacks. And then I said if peopled liked that their dogs were aggressive as you suggested, no one would ever hire trainers to help them with it - behaviourists see people with aggressive dogs every week, if they liked that their dogs were aggressive they wouldn't seek help to fix it. I don't know why people take their dogs to dog parks when they know their dogs will attack other dogs, with my dog it was a case of being young and inexperienced and having no idea that his behaviour was bad until it got much worse. The people at our local dog park also had dogs that would attack other dogs and there was an attitude amongst the regulars that it was normal and acceptable behaviour. This was a long time ago and as new dog owners we had no idea how to read dog body language, had no real understanding of dog behaviour or even knew the first thing about training dogs even to a basic reliable level. I think some people are plain irresponsible but I also think it can be plain ignorance and a lack of understanding and knowledge about dog behaviour.

My pleasure! Glad I saw your post so we could fix it for you :) I order heaps of stuff online and I hate bad customer service (whether online or in real life). I always make a point of thanking the person/business for good customer service and I tell lots of people about it too. Most recently I had great service from Happy Paws Training Treats and a non-dog related business

How ridiculous. I would give anything for my dog not to be DA, and even after a lot of training and behaviour modification (he hasn’t attacked another dog in more than five years) he will still never be the dog he could have been had he not developed fear aggression. I know a number of people with DA dogs and no one I know actually likes it. Is awful having to manage a dog that can be aggressive. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s quite rare to come across a truly rank aggressive dog, by far most aggression is fear based. If people liked that their dogs were DA, we would never have any clients and neither would any other behaviourial trainers.

I know with my dog he is more likely to attack dogs that are submissive. If he was confronted by a more dominant dog he would urinate all over himself. Again I think this is behaviour he learnt in a way because it's what happened to him.

How great was that! I watched it after it aired. loved it

Personally I don’t think sports like obedience can really test the original purpose of working breeds. I think they can show the dog has certain qualities but it’s not the same as testing their original purpose. Of course I know doing obedience isn't testing my dog's original function (except maybe for when we train scent work exercises LOL) but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it or that my dog doesn't enjoy it (even if she makes direct eye contact me with... LOL). With my dog, she actually needs an oulet for all her natural energy and drive, as IMO, she has very strong breed qualities and instincts. I don’t compete in sports like obedience for any reason other than I enjoy it, and my dog does too. I selected my next breed because it has qualities that will suit what I want to do (obedience, agility, etc). I won’t consider competing in those sports as a display of the dog’s original purpose though. I do think it’s sad if a dog is intentionally bred not to display qualities that the breed is supposed to have. I know of beagle breeders who intentionally breed for and select beagles with the lowest possible scent drive so they are easier to handle in the show ring. Why even bother in the first place if you are trying to breed away from one of the most important qualities of the breed?

Maybe, though it's exactly what my dog has done and it's definitely not prey drive. He has done the same thing to adult dogs too.

No problem with doing it as long as it is recognised that it is not a test or example of breed function. And to recognise that by breeding, and selecting as part of that breeding, for dogs that do this, may potentially result in changes to a breed. Well it certainly isn't for my dog sports dog who is a scent hound :laugh:

No it doesn't but it's something that my dog did pretty naturally in training. Shes trained to be engaged and in drive so will naturally look animated when working (as opposed to walking next to me looking ahead). I haven't taught her to prance or hold her head high so what she looks like is just what she looks like when in drive. I personally can't imagine training a dog not to make direct eye contact in heelwork, but then I love the look of more 'stylised' heelwork.