Yes, it has been posted. He has NOT earned the right to free rein. He has NOT earned the right to free access.

Drag line, tethered to you, etc. etc.

I'm pretty sure I have brought this up more than once.

And when he has been allowed to grab something he cannot have (HANDLER ERROR!), the child does not get it back.

The food dish ..... no free feeding.

He has a crate, right?


As Steve said: He can't have access to things he can't have. This is management.

Toys too are yours, not his. They aren't left out.


Please ask more more questions about pack structure. It has been getting buried among some of the fun training.

sorry about my last post, you've already answer it

Your right Connie, i did what you said for a little while and he seemed to beginning to listen more and i suppose i then relaxed, my fault this, i will get onto it. I accept it is handler error. You are right i have got caught up with the training. I will start again.

Thanks again everyone

As to getting the dog to bring you the tug
I wouldn't use the tug as a retrieve article. As much as he values it use it for a reward. Why would he bring you something that he holds in high value?!!
In time he will realize that bringing you the tug is rewarded by a game of tug. Until then it's a reward not a retrieve article.
"Back chain" the retrieve with a dowel rod, piece of broom handle, whatever. Mark and reward with the tug.
Marker training, marker training, marker training!

 Quote: Bob Scott

As to getting the dog to bring you the tug
I wouldn't use the tug as a retrieve article. As much as he values it use it for a reward. Why would he bring you something that he holds in high value?!!
In time he will realize that bringing you the tug is rewarded by a game of tug. Until then it's a reward not a retrieve article.
"Back chain" the retrieve with a dowel rod, piece of broom handle, whatever. Mark and reward with the tug.
Marker training, marker training, marker training!

Also, you could use the ball to backchain the retrieve, as this is the item you will be using for fetch. Ball for fetch, food and tug for OB.

Just a suggestion...

Hi All
Been a little while since my last post. I have been doing a little reading on pack structure a dominant dogs, i have also been very luck, in that the director of the company where i used to work has a number of dog, mostly used for hunting, who has some leerburg dvd's. He just borrowed me dealing with dominant and aggressive dogs, which i am now watching.

Connie said it would be better for me to post questions on pack structure first. Get the GW right.

But first let me give you an idea on how our house is set up. It is a terraced house, which means there are houses connected to either side, no garage or basement. The dogs cage is in the living room with us.

So here goes:

1. I walked him yesterday and he turned towards me when i got nearer home and began, biting and pulling on the lead, with what i would call little playful growls. I told him no, but he carries on, i gave a small correction, which seemed to arouse him more, but he did stop, this happened another couple of times before i got home. When i got home we dried him and i took him off his lead, as soon as he was off his lead in the lounge he began this kind of behaviour, but in the house!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yp1wlZSJVg

It certainly felt like he was trying to challenge me. It took a while before i could get him back on the lead, as if i went to get hold of him, he would run under a low coffee table, where he would snap out if i tried to get hold of him.

So here is what i did:

i put his food out and gave him five minutes to start eating it, he didn't so i threw it away. I put him on the lead for the remainder of the evening and he then just lay down and went to sleep. evening was then no problem.

This morning my partner gets up for work and lets him out of his cage. Fine at first until i tried to stop him jumping on the couch to get to the window to look out when my partner was going. I grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him back down and told him no, this repeated 3 times and on the last time i got hold of him he turned with a little nip, half hearted, but thats what he did.

I got his lead to put on him and he would then run back under the coffee table and would look out with a challenging look, you have to see it to understand, but i could see the defiance in him.

After the kids had gone to school i got him on his lead and took him a walk, this went well, until a bike came to close, when he tried to get it. If bikes are on the other side of the road, he will look intensely, but my no is usually enough to stop any kind of lunges, as i have used corrections when he tried to get the bikes, again not overly firm, but enough to think twice, but the intensitiy in the look is still there.

On return i gave him his food, which he walked away from, so i put it in his cage with him and he ate it straight away, this is the first time ever he has been fed in his cage??

I feel like i have lost some trust from the dog as he is staying away from me more at the moment, i think this is because he knows i am going to put him on his lead and he does want that.

Please help me correct my mistakes, and let me know how you would do this. It is difficult to leash him all the time, as i am away from home two nights per week. But all his exercise carries on as normal when i am away.

Should i carry on doing what i am doing, is he just having a tantrum, because he doesn't like being leashed. Also when i correct him he seems to get more angry, but my corrections are probably not firm enough, so do you think, he is thinking i can take that no problem, or is it the prongs?. The reason i ask this question is because i used to use a check chain and he would continually pull. My friend with the hunting dogs told me to take him to him which i did and he corrected him a lot firmer than i did and he didn't challenge at all, he lay on the floor straight away and then did everything he said. He said that i am nagging him with my corrections. Suppose i am worried about hurting him.

Anyway lots of question, hope you don't mind.

Many Thanks
Brian

JMO, but the video just looks like that stupid herding games that collies seem to love to play, it doesn't seem at all agresive to me. I may be wrong not having had much to do with these breeds. I think you may be surprised how tough dogs really are, your friend was able to get control because he showed he was the boss and the dog gave up and did what's expected. Be firm with your dog and always be consistent, never say I'll let him go just this once. It's harder to re-establish control than it is to get it right from the start so you may have to be a little harder for awhile before he gets the point that you run the show and not him. You could maybe even try one of those herding schools that teach your dog to herd sheep etc, great exercise and it'll give him something to think about?

Hi Brad
Thanks for that mate, no i dont think that is being overly aggressive, it just seemed co-incidental that he did it as soon as he got off his lead and in the house, it was like he was challenging me. Your probably right, dogs are tougher than i am giving credit.

Thanks Brad

I have got him tied to me now for the rest of the day, even though the kids will give me a hard time when they get home, saying how mean i am. Never mind, hopefully they will thank me in the long run.

Are you still playing with him outside? Or just walking him? He sounds bored and frustrated.

RE: Jumping on the back of the couch. Tell him no and remove him once. He gets back on, put him in his crate for a few minutes.

Actually, I'd do that with any behavior I didn't like, tell them no and redirect once, if that doesn't work a time out in the crate.

Also, how consistent are you being? I'm seeing a really confused dog in what you're saying. I also think you're reading too much into this if you think he's dominant and aggressive. He's a teenage working breed dog that needs tons of structure, guidance and exercise. Or he'll be a brat (which he is doing)

Re bicycles: if one is coming too close to you, it's your job to move him away to a spot where he won't react. Move him away, have him sit and wait for the bike to pass.

 Quote:

Please help me correct my mistakes, and let me know how you would do this.

Umm, tether him too you. No freedom in the house. Train him. Exercise him. Set him up for success. There is nothing really new that hasn't already been covered in this thread.