Hello again I have another doggie question for everyone.

My dog (AMBER) has been doing great with training and has come along way since the last time I talked to everyone on here. Last week I started to take her to the local park to continue working with her and she has been doing great until tonight.

A few things actually happened tonight. Two minutes into the training she was yawning, which I been told, that means she is board with what we are doing. Another problem I am having is her body language. She is continuously staring down the passing dogs on leashes. Some of the dogs she is staring down are either pulling the heck out of their owners and not listen to their handler or the passing dog just does not care at all about Amber and her continuous staring habits. Another thing is when she returns to me in a finish position or I just have her sitting next to me she is trying to lean on me. I push my leg up against her body and give her an off command. 90% of the time she does move away however the other 10% of the time she just falls back into my leg and I push my leg into her and give the off command again.

I have been given Amber pops with the choker when she is staring or acting up and I tell her enough and MOST of the time she does it. However tonight a Great Dane walked right by and the Dane charged us both and she went nuts. (All dogs are on leashes in this park, however the Great Dane was dragging the owner over to us) I gave her a pop and a firm NO and placed myself in front of her gave her a few commands so she was doing doggie sit ups and she did them but was not looking at me not even once she was trying her hardest to look at that Great Dane. I am not concerned about other peoples dog they are on a leash. She did calm down a little bit after the sit-ups however she still wanted to go after the Dane she would try everything in her power to look around me and I wouldn’t let her look around me, I kept blocker her view.

A friend of mine that is a Schutzhund dog trainer back in New York told me in an e-mail to use more rewards with toys and treat. Well she has plenty of toys however she could care a less about them. Food she is great with however she knows the food is there however when her brain is on overload (like with the Great Dane incident tonight) and thinking about something else she could care a less if I have an 8oz. Steak sitting in front of her. I was also told to train her before her mealtime. So I began doing that.

I thought about getting a pincher collar instead because I was told she sound like she needs it, because when I give her pops on the regular choker chain she ignores the pops. It doesn’t affect her at all. I thought if I got a Pincher maybe with a good firm correction with the pincher she might wake up a bit and start listen but I am not 100% sure if this will work. Does anyone have any ideas?

Aubrey

You mentioned that you take her to a park. Is this a dog park? If it is, stay away from dog parks. When you take your dog frequently to the same location, they'll start to see this location as "their" territory. So, when they see a strange dog in that same location, they'll keep staring at it, wondering what the heck that dog is doing there.

This is why your dog pulls when she sees a strange dog, she wants to go check this dog out. Same goes to those owners who you described (the ones who get drug around by their dogs, and who keep staring at your dog). Also, this indicates that these owners don't have full control over their dogs, even with a leash attached.

This means that if their dog decides to attack, the owners will loose control of the situation. Don't know if you've ever seen a dog fight in person, but they're very vicious and extremely dangerous to break up. You'll have to see it in person to realize just how ugly and scary dog fights/attacks can be. Dogs who ignore your dog at the park are probably very young dogs.

When your dog saw the Great Dane coming at you, your dog was so distracted by this, that a nice piece of stake won't even make her snap out of it, just as you said. It sounds like you're better off using a pinch/prong collar. Choke collars aren't as effective as pinch collars, and pinch collars stop a dog from pulling on the leash. Some dogs with a harder temperment will continue to pull, even with a prong collar on. These dogs require a correction for pulling.

Also, if you do get a pinch collar, the amount of force that was used to correct with a choke collar will now have to be reduced. It won't take you long to realize that pinch collars are great training tools, when used properly. How old is your dog, by the way?

Yawning is a type of avoidance behavior. This is due to the stress your dog was under when she was put into that type of situation.

Michael, Close. Yawning would be a calming signal. I'm sure Aubrey's dog was giving other calming signals but they went un-noticed. Being as the dog is in close proximity of a lot of other dogs and the calming signals his dog was giving to others in the area were not working, that is when the dog started to intently focus on the strange dogs as he felt an attack was possible.

Howard

it seems your in the wrong place to train with your dog.

start training inside, in places your dog is comfortable in, once Amber is doing well in those areas, start training in places with slightly more distractions.

It's all about buld up. start form the start, take it slow, and work your way up to the dog park over time.

best of luck

ted

also, switch to a different collar. Chokers do more harm than good in my experience.

good luck

I agree.....

Howard,
I suppose it depends how you want to look at it. If I asked you where you were when you jumped off the bridge You could give me at least 2 answers and both would be correct. In the case of the dog and the yawning I see it as a dog exhibiting a calming behavior, why? That's right, because he's under stress and needs it. In human psychology it's called a coping device.

Julio Martinez ~ Amber is 13 months old.


Ok reading everyones responces if Yawning is a stress reduction should I take her out of this situation? Am I placing to much stress on her? What should I do? She does not act this way at home or in the community.


I would like Amber to eventually become a therapy dog. I cannot do this if she is going to act out around other dogs, she will never pass her CGC. The trainer I been working with started her off with no distraction at all back in March. Then we brought in distraction while in or around the house, “NO” problems. Then I began walking her in the community outside the house with “NO” problems even with passing dogs on the street. Then last week Rick (dog trainer) wanted me to start bringing her to a local park where there where other dogs to distract her. As I said she was doing great until last night. She just would not listen and then the Great Dane incident really threw her off course.


Now there is a Dog Park at this park however Rick (dog trainer) told me not to let her run free in the enclosed dog area so I have not done this. Also one of Ed’s articles stated the same thing Rick told me. So I have followed this rule to the “T”. DO NOT LET THE DOG IN THE ENCLOSED DOG PARK AREA.


Last night when Amber and I went on our nightly walk in the community (before bed) I saw one of my neighbors who is now retired Marines that use to work and train Military dogs. He told me something completely different than what ED said in an article and what my dog trainer has been telling me. He told me that I should let Amber defend me because that is what she was doing. He said that Amber felt that the Great Dane was a threat to us so that is why she acted the way she did and that this behavior is normal. He told me I should allow this behavior to continue. Well I am not looking for an attack dog I am looking for the opposite kind of dog. Now this is a contradiction of what my dog trainer stated and what Ed has writing in his article.


All I know is I am trying so darn hard to get this dog to where I want her to be. I felt like last night I possibly took three steps back in her training.

I don't know nearly as much as everyone else here, but I have learned that if you let your dog decide what she can and cannot do, then she will become Boss (a/k/a ALPHA). Your dog should not attack unless you tell her too.

That is why you stand between her and the other dog, you are boss, you will protect her. And you said you wanted a therapy dog ... so I personally wouldn't go there.

just my wooden nickle's worth.