I finally have my Skype training session tmrw with Jeff Gellman of SolidK9 training. Super nervous, but looking forward to being taught different ways to build a better relationship with Harry, and knock the nonsense!
On a sad note, walking boot for my broken foot til Nov 9th the earliest, and the doc thinks I have tendon issues in the hip to knee area, that causes my lower body pain. So if Jeff can't help me, I will sadly have to think about sending Harry back to the breeder, as my health is more important than his nonsense ways.

But I am willing to do a few Skype sessions, and have him booked for the vet at the end of Nov for a thyroid test like you guys suggested. So now we just have to get him manageable for the vet! Tho he is on the sedate right away list.
My Skype is at 2pm, made a list of must ask questions!

Should I just leave Leerburg? I am not feeling like the give a poop button is ever pushed with me.
Skype was great for all that asked. More structure, walk through the nonsense, thanks Mike, called that. And yard work, set up a hillbilly course.
Not cranky, but feeling left out here, maybe I do need to f off.
Love you all, take care! If I don't fit, please remove me.

Hi, Becky, you certainly fit in. I think this is merely a misunderstanding. It also happened already to me that a topic wasn't answered. Sometimes people maybe overlook something or don't have an answer because of lack of experience what concerns the particular topic. So don't leave! Would be a great mistake.
Hope your Skype session was a success. I myself don't have the slightest idea how something like that works.

So Becky,

Everything is adaptation when all is said and done. To quote that cinematic Marine, Clint Eastwood, Improvise Adapt Overcome.

I think I blew my knee out yesterday. Mobility is an issue. The dogs are still here looking for me to interact with them. In the past I have done limited distance stuff with the mutts, so they can be sent and recalled, and get toys and follow basic commands, all in the realm of getting exercise and paying attention to me, bonding, and doing stuff to occupy time.

If you aren't mobile, get you a long line, get you a chair in an open space, sit down and work with the dog. Been there, done that. No claim it is easy or pain free but it is an adaptation. No where does it say you can't sit and train.

I think it is presence. Being around a dog, and just casually directing it is a bonding opportunity. As a committed couch potato, I routinely work the dogs in the house to strengthen and reinforce their interactions with me and their compliance with my commands.

You'd be surprised at how many distractions you can deal with in the house, and how many offer the opportunity to train or reinforce compliance.

Getting back to me, because when all is said and done it is always about me, Sam must sense something is amiss because he has not moved more than a yard or so away from me this morning when not engaged in morning obligations. A blessing and a curse, when attempting to stand without worrying about an inadvertent shoulder check.

Becky, you got to keep on keeping on. Manage pain. Set goals. Work with the mutt. Get rest. Skype on. Just keep going.

Another useless epistle. Mea culpa.

Becky,

All too often I write stuff in which I really wish I had much been clearer.

Most of my post was a self exhortation. A kind of get your butt in gear Mike and get on with it.

About the only thing that I offered up was the chair and long line. As it happens, I took my own advice and worked with Sam and Titan though because I have a fenced in area, the line went away after about fifteen minutes. Got me off the couch and limping into the yard.

Often there is a bias toward outside training and the presumption it is the only way to train. It seems to me that any interaction is training in one way or another. I know for the next few whiles there isn't gonna be much by way of real mobility in my interaction with the mutts. It should present a good opportunity for coming and going stuff, and focusing on me for stuff.

I was trying to work on trading places stuff, where Sam and Titan are sent to different sides of the lawn and then have to switch sides. Started with them pretty close to the chair facing off. Somewhat disappointing at first but some signs of the dogs getting it after awhile. Increased the distance twice between them twice. Of course Titan was pretty good, and Sam kept checking on me. Frustration can't be apparent. The dogs want to achieve. It would have been much easier to have walked to spots, sat the dogs, and then work on switching them but there in the chair sat I.

Anyway, as I noted, it is all about me. No shortage of hubris here.

What Mike said about "outside training" is often the case being do it my way or the highway.

I've seen and belonged to groups like that and it's not fun.

Here on LB you get a lot of different view but nobody says "I'm right and your wrong" because everyone had legit ways of doing things and we only offer choices based on what works for us as individuals.

I often find it hard to comment when it may not be what an individual is following under another trainer and that can be confusing to new trainers.

Everyone is always welcome to ask questions about their own training here but not all will be comfortable giving answers.

I guess I just find everything frustrating.

Jeff had the same view as all of you, tho Harry will be getting his thyroids checked to rule that out, it's just bratty nonsense behaviour.
And he doesn't think it's the tools, or the training.
Mike called that clearly to me before. I wish I could put my boot up and sit in a chair! But Harry doesn't want to work on formal training in the home, unless you want to force train and hit the stim. He is a brat on a long line too.
My homework for the next 2 weeks is basically to go through the motions, up to every hour, of working him through his leash issues, flood him in the highly reactive places, and play the keep moving game. Continue each session until he breaks the nonsense, do a bit of formal work, some 180's, than crate til the next session. It's a chore, with the limited foot function, but we got 7 sessions in today. 6 yesterday.
This is day two, he settles down after the first 3 or 4. Than he is fine maybe a little vocal, but a whiney vocal. . Mornings it's square one. But Jeff believes if we keep at it, he will eventually just fall in step. Corrections are minimal, just a tap tap on the remote with forward movement, tho I find it works best if I face him, and back up, making him walk towards me while he is fighting the leash. He stops quicker. Just by doing this, he went from longer than 20 min or more freak outs to maybe 5.
He also has begun looking at me at thresholds, and plopping his arse down faster. His barking is becoming less deep, more of a oh crap rather than the back off lady.
In 2 weeks, we re evaluate. Any progress for me is good progress. But we are not allowed to leave the yard. Training must occur in the home or the yard.
Within an hour, we fixed his reactiveness to a 180. As I turn, I tap. Working level not correction level.
His working level is a 50 on a e collar, and a 45 on a dogtra. But Jeff thinks he is a hard dog. That's why after every spazz he acts like nothing happened. It's not that the tools bother him. It's the authority that does.
Didn't mean to step on toes. Some people don't fit some forums. I always feel like the outsider. life as a bushed hermit in a nutshell!
It's a tough case here, as marker training was used for 5 months, but it cannot safely be done even in my yard. And it never changed his state of mind for things he deemed threatening.
Thanks, going to pull that stick out of my arse now!

Mike, you always humble me. Hence the stick, lol.

I have to admit, in the house on our third session today, I lost my cool when he threw himself on my foot and than clawed my arm. I grew bulk strength and whipped that leash back, he flew off his feet, and hit the ground. And tried to take off running. I admit I felt good. That was the first oh crap look he has ever given me.
After that it was just noise. He didn't rear up again the rest of the day, and had minimal pressure on the prong following that too.
Would that be a come to the Lord moment you guys refer to. Cuz I am sure he was praying I wouldn't do that again!

Becky,

There are different come to the Lord moments I suppose. I had a dog bite me pretty good once and I taught her 75 pounds of GSD to fly, and that was that. Not proud of it but that one instance led to 13 years of great dog.

Some dogs need a real check-up to get their full attention, and others are tuned in to the program with the first treat.

Sounds like the dog got to see the amped up Becky and what might be the result of testing you too much. Some dogs want to dominate and will test the water until either you or it becomes subordinate.

In my opinion, a higher drive dog has to earn the relationship and title of pet. I use aloof attitude and uninviting demeanor when a dog is not earning its props. I don't reward bad behavior by thought, word or deed, and reward good behavior profusely.

So yup. I think it was a wake up moment. Build on it. A sharp voiced Hey can remind the dog of the moment.

And the whole idea of a prong collar use is to control and guide the dog if it doesn't respond to commands but by using the gentlest of reminders. Initially it might require some tough pops to get the dog's attention but the goal is to use pops sparingly and have the dog self correct. I think.

Train the dog today for the dog you want tomorrow. Sounds easy but it ain't. You are up to it.

Maybe the event is an empowering moment for you.

Anyway, another day and more opportunities.

All my goals in your post Mike.

And this am, prong on, left him to have coffee, than remote collar, he flattened, gentle pressure to a sit, eye contact, good, release, sat at every threshold, good, release, potty, muzzle switch. Back to place while I dealt with the kids. So far, he only had threshold issues at the crate, just breaking a sit. Nothing minor to warrant any cotrections, just a nope and a closing the crate door before I allowed him in. Since he is doing well today, I worked him once. The next one is now, than on the grooming table. I prefer him in a sound mind on there, so will do extra sessions tmrw.
Plus I want to reward today's mind with a good groom.

Keep em coming Mike. Perhaps a daily morning wisdom to read with my coffee! Totally not kidding!