mrose_s Posted June 11, 2005 Author Share Posted June 11, 2005 thanks, I started teaching him "focus" roday and he grasped the concept really well. He is still getting the idea, but so far he figures that if he looks up at me when i ask him to, he gets a treat. And taht brings me to the next breakthrough, usually he is too stressed to be bothered by treats, i will try to reward him and he will just spit them out and keep going. Today he really looked forward to them, they are different from what i usually use (and more expensive) but they are getting reselts also, at the start of our walk we had a lot of problems with dogs, in a ddition to walking past the 5 fenced dogs, there was a woman walking by with her two and also a GSD came out just to say hi, i dodnt want to but i yelled at it to go home, i didnt want buster to start something he couldnt finish. So after all that stress, i took him off the track a little and did some basic obediance, just sitting him and telling him to drop, rewarding him and then off we would go im so happy about today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 Today he really looked forward to [treats], they are different from what i usually use (and more expensive) but they are getting reselts ..... after all that stress, i took him off the track a little and did some basic obediance, just sitting him and telling him to drop, rewarding him and then off we would go im so happy about today Fantastic news, mrose_s! And I'm really glad you worked on finishing the "session" on a high note - sounds like you're doing a good job and have a clever dog! One suggestion which might help though ... can you work your desensitisation program so that you don't have to go past all the dogs behind fences? In other words, walk to a point (before your dog starts stressing) and work your focus and treat exercises, then go back home. Repeat, say, 10 times. No reaction, keeping focus? Great. Walk again, but go a little farther to a point (before your dog starts stressing) and work your focus and treat exercises, then go back home. Repeat, say, 10 times. I think you get my gist ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 They correctd her for aggresssive behaviour via the leash, praise for when she was not aggressive. Worked for them, they had her meeting strange dogs not a problem. But with me if I give her a leash correction she often gets more aggressive. I have found the most effective thing to be getting her attention on me with food, keeping her focus and attention and heeling. However, I cannot get her to meet strange dogs on lead. She can live with other dogs, always has. Even new adult dogs (providing they don't react to her being narky) she is playing with in a few days after they come to live with her, just requires careful supervision (and hosing if she is difficult) for the first few days. She loves to play with Diesel, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrose_s Posted June 11, 2005 Author Share Posted June 11, 2005 Fantastic news, mrose_s! And I'm really glad you worked on finishing the "session" on a high note - sounds like you're doing a good job and have a clever dog! One suggestion which might help though ... can you work your desensitisation program so that you don't have to go past all the dogs behind fences? In other words, walk to a point (before your dog starts stressing) and work your focus and treat exercises, then go back home. Repeat, say, 10 times. No reaction, keeping focus? Great. Walk again, but go a little farther to a point (before your dog starts stressing) and work your focus and treat exercises, then go back home. Repeat, say, 10 times. I think you get my gist ... thats a good idea except that to even get out of my street i have to pass dogs, so it would mean a lot of time just walking up and down my street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 My personal take on the situation at the moment: I will manage Zoe's aggression the best I can. She will continue to be a pet and I will do tricks and maybe some more scent detection work with her, and trial any agility ideas I have on her at home. Chalk it down to a leaning experience. Learn as much as I can especially about dog-dog aggression and hope to find some ways of dealing with it before it becomes too much of a problem in case I ever have this problem again. Enjoy Diesel who is dog friendly! Hope to trial him in obedience. I don't think he would be great at agility. Get a kelpie and give agility another go, hope I don't have aggression issues but if I do hopefully I have learnt ways of dealing with them and fixing the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 I want to do agility with Bondi, she is unsure of anything new though. At the start I think she would do abit of growling, but otherwise I think she'd be ok as long as no dogs come and jump on her. And once she is over the initial meeting, she'll be great. I was just wondering are most agility clubs welcoming of aggressive/fearful dogs? Would they make extra effort/precautions to help (eg. control dogs rushing up etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 thanks, I started teaching him "focus" roday and he grasped the concept really well. He is still getting the idea, but so far he figures that if he looks up at me when i ask him to, he gets a treat. That's awesome news M-rose. Now you just need to practice using "focus" in different places and different situations. Hopefully at some point he'll be able to focus on you even when other dogs are nearby, because he knows that he'll get a great treat for it. It's a shame that you need to go past the other dogs to get out of your street, because Erny's right. When desensitising your dog it's best to keep your dog in situations he can handle, so he doesn't get more practice at being aggressive. However, I cannot get her to meet strange dogs on lead. Hey Kavik, I too have given up on making my dog greet strange dogs on lead, he just finds it too challenging and stressful. I figure if he ignores them, that's about as much as I can reasonably ask for - and it's perfectly sufficient for obedience and agility anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 Boxagirl, I think Bondi would be fine. Despite Zoe's aggression issues, which I told the clubs about right away, I have never been told not to come back. I have seen it as more of a problem than the club has. Some are better when it comes to helping than others. The main problem will probably be that there are some dogs which come rushing up off lead. Unfortunately all you can do is control your own dog, you can't control everyone else's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 Erny: QÂ "... can you work your desensitisation program so that you don't have to go past all the dogs behind fences?"Â M-rose:Â AÂ "thats a good idea except that to even get out of my street i have to pass dogs, so it would mean a lot of time just walking up and down my street. " I can understand, M-rose ... bit if that what it takes? It's not like I'd suggest it be a forever thing - just bit by bit by bit ... And perhaps your dog will become keen to "move on" .... so getting further and further beyond the same old boring section might become, in part, your dog's reward for not aggressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrose_s Posted June 12, 2005 Author Share Posted June 12, 2005 ok, but when you say walk it about 10 times, do you mean in the one day or over 10 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 It doesn't have to be 10 times in one day, or in one hour or whatever. It's a "rule of thumb" thing. If you've been able to work at a point 10 times over without your dog reacting, then you should be ok to move the distance in a little. If you only do it once (for example), your dog's good behaviour might be a once off rather than the behaviour actually becoming modified. Does that make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haven Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 (edited) I was just wondering are most agility clubs welcoming of aggressive/fearful dogs? Would they make extra effort/precautions to help (eg. control dogs rushing up etc) Sorry Boxagirl I can only tell you from my (bad) experience. My GSD was extremely fearful of new things when I got him and it took me nine months of going through every obedience club in my area to find an obedience club that would allow us to join. Of course, with their help and advice my dog is much happier and healthier today, has passed advanced obedience and now does agility and trick training Where are you from? Edited June 12, 2005 by haven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrose_s Posted June 12, 2005 Author Share Posted June 12, 2005 i walked him today 3 times i tried over and over to go back, and he got so good, looking ahead, listening to me, no whining and pulling only a little, and thenhe got excited gain so i turned around and he caught me of balance, ran over to the fence and bit a dog before i pulled him back. they both had their heads through the fence thoug and it was only a nip really, and even despite that... : he still had a breakthrough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 Just checking - you were walking him on a leash, weren't you? What kind of collar was he wearing? I'm just wondering how he managed to get over to the fence with you on the other end of the leash (he looks big from the avatar, but not huge enough to pull you round!) But if you have trouble controlling him on a regular collar, perhaps try an easywalk harness, halti or prong collar? Well done with the breakthrough though. Hope all the hard work pays off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 M-rose .... good on you. Pity about the "win" your dog got, but hey, life's full of ups and downs and we just have to get up and on with things and work to avoid the little errors along the way. Sometimes it's a case of two steps forward and one step back (although little fairy steps forward only are better). Great about the break through - and in a relatively short space of time too. Be happy for very little degrees of improvement and try not to go too far too fast (although sometimes it's very tempting, isn't it?!) I agree with Amhailte .. a prong collar (if you're not in Victoria) or headcollar for easier control is a good idea. Keep up the good work and keep us in touch with your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 M-rose, how's Buster doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 I think this needs a BUMP - M-rose? About Buster? How's it happening?? We're sitting here with interest (and fingers crossed!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Where are you from? Im in WA. My obedience club (perth dog obedience) has agility (but at a different place than obedience) so I think ill go and watch a lesson, and if alls good join up. LOL i just know Bondi will do "puppy zoomines" and she will continuously charge through the tunnel (lol shes obseesed with tunnels) I think agility would improve her confidience heaps, so im going to give it a try. (plus shes super fast and agile, and i think obedience somewhat bores her) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haven Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Yes agility has helped heaps with my dogs confidence! When we first started he was such a scaredy on the catwalk and wouldn't go through the tunnel with a bag on the end. Now there is no stopping him! He goes over the catwalk like a steam train not matter how high it is, zooms through the tunnel and can go over the a-frame when it is almost vertical! At parks, off lead, he will go up the stairs, down the slide, up the stairs, down the slide, he never gets enough and the big grin!!!!!! I used to have jumps set up in the backyard but he would tear around and jump them on his own all day and I was worried he would hurt himself. It's really the only thing he loves to do. Sure wish I could carry agility equipment around in my pocket to use as a reward!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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