Willie,

You mention a modified version of the Volhard test. Could you expound on that a bit?

Thanks!

 Quote: Willie Tilton

Thank you Connie.
Well this is great news!!
Keep up the program and make sure you don't waver. This is often where owners back slide. Everything is going well so they let up and relax. Then all goes back to the way it was.
Good job maintaining your focus and sticking with the program Solange!!
The temperament test will be given on Saturday. She needs to go to town for some of the supplies.
I pup stays on track we will introduce the flirt pole in the next few days.
With an adult dog we would wait...but this IS a 5 month old pup. She needs to play.
Please feel free to ask questions and make comments. I REALLY don't want people to think this thread is just for Solange and I.

Definitely and I apologize to have gone off track a little bit with this post. I'll figure out the signature things in time. But if you want to see Ziva, you can click where at the bottom it sais LINK TITLE GOES HERE. and it takes you to my FB wall.

Here it is 6h40 a.m. Last evening and this morning Ziva is complaining in the crate.....Since she goes in it from 10 weeks old she never complained. I don't know if my thinking of it is a human way of thinking but it looks that she starts to feel that she is no longer in control and has lost all of her privileges. I put a blanket on the crate so she doesn't see me but of course she can hear me and smell when I am cooking.

I did not get the party good morning greetings today neither. Yesterday she did not heeled well on the walks, she either pulled trying to pick up every tweeds she saw and jumped wanting to play....she had "Come on, lets play" written all over her face.....bitting the leash. We'll see how she behaves today. It doesn't take her long to eat either, When she is finished she ask to come out of the room.

I will stick to my guns, do not worry....My step-dad had a heart surgery 2 days ago and it did not go entirely as planned so my husband won't be here for a few more days. Alone it is a lot more easier to tolerate her fussing in the crate. Even though she gives up fussing and laydown it is repetitively. He is soft hearted and I would have to pesuade him to stick to the plan. Some time that could be harder and could be demanding lol .Our house is small, very small and there is no basement so the crate is right there in the dining room beside the living room.....

I will get the prong and nylon choker collars. Because there are no dominant dog collar here in France Willie will show me how to make one....I think I will need to get an extra ring and a clip....is that so? And a 20 feet nylon line. I need to go back to previous PM and posts to make sure I don't forget anything.....my head is a little full right now and so much has been said. I have many notes....I will ask if I am not sure about something. Also Willie you asked me to read other articles....let see...the one about crate training....and the one on obedience?

This morning while I was out with her potty she seemed to have gone bigger and higher on legs holy....but she looks a bit to whide, I think due to the fact that she doesn't move as much I need to may be give her a bit less to eat....

In many cases things have to go worst before to get better...I am ready to face this possibility. I am confident that it could very well end up positive rather than negative and finish like... "And they lived happily for ever after" But if not...one have to be realistic here....I will be able to say I did EVERYTHING I could have done and not look back and say..."What if I would have done this or that" More I get to know Willie more I can see and feel her hability and expertise...I feel that I am coached very well. One coach can recognize a good coach. She is very thorough and if I my add she has a great personality and looks fun to be around. Just thought to throw that in there

I'll give an update this evening on how the day went.

Enjoy your day everyone, here the sun is out finaly after 2 days of rain. The house won't smell like wet dog lol.

À plus tard
Solange

Hi again

Just back from our first walk....and a question will follow this update. Well for the first 10 min or so I had a 65lbs energy bag at the end of the leash....all fun and game though, jumping, biting the leash, my sleave, taken off in a sprint and quick got to a dead stop, I had to brase myself she weighs more then half of my weight. But she slowly calmed down to a full well behaving dog heeling when we got about 15 min from getting back home. I lengthen the walk by 15 min. BTW she behaved for the first time, I meen stayed in the sitting position all the way with no reminders, when we came accross joggers in 2 different occasions. She definitely got treat for that. That is good

The question is, should I still give her treats on walks for heeling properly, sitting on stops and peeing where I take here instead than on the sidewalk and for the "drop" like in exchange for what ever she picks up? I do but not sure if I should.

Looking forward to read the comments.

thanks in advance

I typed up a nice long response and I lost it.
This week is sooo jammed packed for me I'm running from one appointment to another.
I will type up the volhard info as soon as I can. Thanks for asking!!
The walk is great news!!!!!!! Solange you handled it great. Ignore the hyper energy till she settled down. She is just a baby. Yes. Reward the good behavior with treats. You are doing perfect.
Ignore the fussing in the crate. You are right about that. It will go away soon.
Solange is walking to town to get the other supplies we need. Town is 3 miles one way. I'm totally impressed by that.
I'm having her make a dominant dog collar for emergency purposes to use with the prong collar. I have had prongs fly off and we can't have that happen here.
If the world had more dog owners like Solange it would be a better place. She found a trainer, and is doing everything she can to follow my direction. She is also realistic about this dog and the issues they are having.
The breeders notes she sent me........if you know how to read between the lines do touch on the temperament issues the dog is having. I'm interested in the reason the breeder put this dog with Solange.
The breeder is Dutch though and the translation to English might not be the best.
I have Solange forwarding me notes on every article I recommend and then we discuss It over Skype.
Thanks for all the compliments Solange!! You are doing a great job and your pup is lucky to have you.
I have to run. I will pm you the times I am available for Skype today. It will be in the afternoon my time.
Hugs!!!!!!

Walk #2, she minded me all the way, were gone 35min. Did her business in the designed area. Went to town to get the line...guess what they were out OMG...will try again tomorrow morning in an other store further though. Will take the bus from town to get there....

Thanks for the reply Willie. Did lots of thinking while walking lol...And I feel strongly that we are going to make this work...it is not the will and desire that is missing anyways lol. Thanks for the words of encouragement but hey I could not do any of this without a good trainer and glad I met you...thanks to all that suggested that I contact Willie lol.

Ok that covers it I think for now, next chapiter is a skype meeting with Willie.

ta-ta for now

Day 5 in bootcamp: The fussing in the crate yesterday was less and less, even though I give her water regularly I noticed that she was thirsty and that some of the fussing was probably asking to drink....but none the least some of it was plain saying "Hey I don't like not being able to play and go where I want..." Actually they are 2 different sounds. The clear yapping for water or potty and the gruffy one for wanting out to be free. When she yapps, even though I know it is for a necessity I wait till she settles down before to let her out so she doesn't get the idea that she can yapp thinking that she will be let out. Am I right to do that? The idea for her being in the crate and me controling her life these past few days is to show her as well that I am a faire leader....I don't want to send the wrong message here.

Last night she settled for the night early and did not want to go potty when I suggested it before myself going to bed and stayed quiet till 6h30 this morning.

As I told Willie on a PM yesterday Ziva got a hold of a ball in the laundry room where she is feed and after she had finished eating I went to retreive her and she came to the door, sat down waiting for the treat. I gave her the treat before to leash her up....Mistake!!! she then ran for the ball and I went to put the leash on her and as soon as she heard the click she gave a little growl....very small one but it was there. she reashed for the leash with her nose no teeth and not directed at me. She did not bite it but I saw she was not in agreement to be taken away from her toy....So lesson learned on this one, always leash her before giving her the treat when I go to fetch her after feeding.

This morning of course the ball was gone and I leashed her before giving her the treat.

On our little walk in front of the house before feeding her, she was sweet, trying to make eye contact, jumping a bit but not badly, she heeled well and sat at all the stop I made without reminders. She has not pulled neither to lead me to the laundry room, she sat in front of the door so I could open it, I walked in, she waited that I invited her in (with 1 reminder), then the rest you know.....sit, unleash, ok word.

She has gone back into the crate with a fuss of about 5 sec. and that is it. I took her blanky out of the crate....out of boredom she started to eat it and swalowing the pieces. She has a thick coat and it is hot here, she doesn't mind I don't think.

Will update later, I have read and taken notes and forwarded them to Willie on the article Dealing with a Dominant Dog. Lot of it is also mentioned in the articles GW with adult dog and GW with puppies.

I will try to get the line this morning so I can give the test either later today or tomorrow.

Enjoy your Saturday, here it looks it is going to be a mixt of sun and clouds.

ciao a tutti

Just a little bit of sharing off topic if I may....I am learning sooooo much lately and adding to what I know already...I was thinking that after this adventure with Ziva....what ever the outcome, I might go and get my dog trainer diploma and volonteer in shelters with the formal obedience with dogs and help them to be suitable for adoption. Thank you Willie, you don't know HOW MUCH you are giving me.

Walk #1 this morning we had a pleasant walk, 1hr. She had a lot of energy but somewhat controled....the sprurs where shorter and not as often....she got the leash in her moth for a long time and seemed content with that and did not jump.

voila

Well, It sounds like you are doing everything right so far!!
YOu cant control the environment perfectly. Do your very best and go from there.
I am not at all surprised at her reaction to the ball. She will continue to test you throughout this process.
Just as a reminder to anyone who reads this, in this situation you want to take the dog away from the item, not take the item away from the dog.
Later we will take items away from her, but in this case not a good idea.
good idea to take the blanket away, and great on making her settle down befor taking her out to potty or water.
That way she will learn that she has a right to let you know her needs, and you will a fair leader provide them.......BUT on your time and discretion, not hers.
We eventually want to wean her of holding the leash in her mouth...its a control thing. try to keep her from having it in her mouth, but don't make a huge deal of it just yet. you could offer a ball or toy to carry...just don't play with it.
Good job!!!

I just want to take a min and say that Solange's situation is a perfect example of why I recommend that people take a really knowledgeable friend or professional to pick out a puppy. ONe who isn't the breeder.
Solange did the best she did and went to an established breeder that had a good record, but I feel that if you are going to pay a lot of money for a dog and/or go a long distance that you have a professional evaluate the pup. The exception would be someone who breeds and trains AND had titles, or other measurable proof that they are a competent dog evaluator and trainer.
I think it is important in all circumstances, but if there isn't someone local to you that you can take the dog back to the moment you have trouble, it leads to huge problems.
You are left with having to get rid of a dog that you love but isn't suitable, and loosing gobs of money.
I also recommend that when you get a puppy you find a trainer to guide you through the process of raising the puppy. NOT a chain store puppy class place. I recommend private trainers.
Thank goodness that Solange is doing the best and going the extra mile for this puppy.

Since basically,you two are the only ones discussing this...why don't you take it to a PM.