Aidan3

Does he say that?

That's a good question, I suppose it would depend on how they handled it maybe?

If only

Plus, even responsible breeders can breed the odd aberration. I don't think they need feel ashamed about that. Genetics and behaviour are both complicated and there are big unknowns about heritability of behavioural tendencies. They do their best, but they are only human. Problems will crop up from time to time. Haha, yes I had some concerns about making that comment. I'm referring to the entire population, of course. Some breed clubs and breeders are doing a very good job of breeding dogs fit for a purpose and finding them homes that suit them. We're going to get roughly 5% of dogs falling well outside the target range even with the best practices.

I have heard of this before, and it makes me wonder, how carefully do they select these dolphins for the program, and what % of the selected dolphins end up being successfully trained? It's a great question, and in the absence of published behavioural tests I can't really answer. Thinking about this from a practical perspective there would have to be a cut-off, but they wouldn't do it if they ended up washing out a high percentage of dolphins (too expensive). Mind you, I think most of the problems are on the trainer side rather than the dog side and the trainer side is the side we can improve most readily. Breeding better dogs seems to be a bit of a lost cause when it comes to behaviour (responsible breeders the likes of which we see here are in the minority).

Killer whales are not dogs, the expectations are different. They perform in a tank under controlled circumstances. I don't see too many in peoples backyards, or being taken for a stroll down the street.. I'm very careful with the analogy, it becomes a bit of a straw-man argument. The demands for both animals are different, but I would not say that pet dogs have more demands than trained marine mammals. They are just different demands, and different animals. I can tell you that the US Navy has taken wild caught dolphins, trained them in the open ocean using only reward contingencies, and had them operational on long and relatively complex missions inside of 3 months. The animals are free to hunt on these expeditions but this does not affect task performance. I don't want to set up an unnecessary comparison between dolphins and dogs, or professional dolphin trainers and pet dog owners; but I think we can all improve on our abilities to use +R to train dogs.

Good work, well written and provides an engaging angle.

Yes, I know the feeling! It's part of the problem though, all your normal cues go out the window and the ones that come up when he is reacting take their place.

A rolled up hand towel can be gripped with the molars, but most dogs need to be taught to do this consistently. A ball on a string is usually held with the front teeth, I guess if the rope and ball were VERY sturdy it would be possible to do damage. Some dogs have unusual chewing habits. One of my dogs has very worn down teeth because at different times she has chosen a house-brick, a hardwood burl, and a 6' garden sleeper as her favourite toys.

Positive punishment occurs when something is added (positive) that reduces or diminishes behaviour (punishment). By definition, you cannot teach a new behaviour via positive punishment. You can teach a new behaviour via negative reinforcement and in some cases both actions occur. The prong correction is both a punisher and a reinforcer; it punishes (reduces) one response and reinforces (increases) another.

So JoeK keeps telling us, anyway

I didn't think the suggestion was to go to a SchH club so that a prong could be used, I thought it was because the OP has a working-line Malinois?

It's always best to start with controlled set-ups if you can, avoiding known triggers. Failing that, I'd probably just do a U-turn and find some space when you encounter this particular dog. Try to keep calm, it's "just behaviour" after all.

Only on club grounds. Aren't we talking about on club grounds???? Starinais and I had suggested working on public land adjacent to the club as a means to socialise the pup without breaking any rules.

Only on club grounds.

That's what I have done and have recommended to clients. I even suggest taking a membership with the club, seeing as you're benefiting from their services, but there is certainly no obligation.

Win what? If you came to my classes I would expect you to abide my rules. I don't write them down and I don't have to. If I said "no clickers" and you refused to stop using your clicker I would ask you to leave and there is nothing you can do about it. The day a court upholds someone's opinion on their sovereignty to do whatever they like on my grounds is the day I take down my shingle.

I would certainly suggest separating them when unsupervised. Are you confident with being able to recognise when a fight needs to be broken up, and how to achieve that?

They could just as easily conclude that people with poorer mental and physical health, or those who suffer from pain, seek out the company of pets to provide social support, as suggested by the experimental data in McConnell et al. (2011). I agree. Correlation does not prove causation and often confuses effect and cause...or finds correlations between two effect of another, unnoticed, cause. I found the article while trying (with no success) to locate a study I remember hearing of that showed that 'elders' with pets lived longer than those without pets. Science brainwashing says you MUST not throw out evidence that goes against your biases. Us dog lovers are inclined to look for evidence that shows our dogs are good for us. But we shouldn't discard other evidence. That's why I was particularly interested in the quasi-experimental data of McConnell et al. I've never seen anyone tackle this question using anything other than observational data.

http://www.ashgi.org/color/Aussie_somatic_mutations.html

They could just as easily conclude that people with poorer mental and physical health, or those who suffer from pain, seek out the company of pets to provide social support, as suggested by the experimental data in McConnell et al. (2011).

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-ofp-mcconnell.pdf Friends With Benefits: On the Positive Consequences of Pet Ownership Allen R. McConnell, Christina M. Brown, Tonya M. Shoda, Laura E. Stayton, and Colleen E. Martin Online First Publication, July 4, 2011. doi: 10.1037/a0024506 "Social support is critical for psychological and physical well-being, reflecting the centrality of belongingness in our lives. Human interactions often provide people with considerable social support, but can pets also fulfill one’s social needs? Although there is correlational evidence that pets may help individuals facing significant life stressors, little is known about the well-being benefits of pets for everyday people. Study 1 found in a community sample that pet owners fared better on several well-being (e.g., greater self-esteem, more exercise) and individual-difference (e.g., greater conscientiousness, less fearful attachment) measures. Study 2 assessed a different community sample and found that owners enjoyed better well-being when their pets fulfilled social needs better, and the support that pets provided complemented rather than competed with human sources. Finally, Study 3 brought pet owners into the laboratory and experimentally demonstrated the ability of pets to stave off negativity caused by social rejection. In summary, pets can serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive psychological and physical benefits for their owners."

DAP diffuser may be worth a try, as might a tryptophan supplement (e.g Troy "Behave" paste), but I would suggest that given her age she probably just requires a lot more mental and physical stimulation. What activity is she getting currently?

And every other breed or cross that might pose a threat. There are many precedents for the slippery slope.

They're out there. They just don't normally do it for long.