I took 2 videos (same day different sessions) of Ziva OB sessions in the soccer field. My husband, who is a big distraction filmed them. After viewing them both I saw many errors like, timing in giving the reward, saving the dog with gesture when I know she knows the verbal command...and the biggest the lack of focus from Ziva...a bug flying around her head, my husband being close to us on a turn....so since yesterday I am doing focus work....marking eye contact more than before. I thought she was looking at me a lot than I realize she does but only on our walks.....so I do it whenever, wherever......let see if it will get better.

She got initiated to tracking on Monday. Hope to be able to do that again really soon....we have to be 2 and I am alone....tricky lol.

Looking for ideas how to make OB fun and not so regimentary which apparently where I fall in. Sad to admit. I am a visual learner....any videos to suggest anyone?

thanks in advance



NOTE: This one question moved to http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33706&page=1#383434

Edited by Connie Sutherland (09/26/2013 12:17 PM)
Edit reason: note added

I moved the above post for a better title for this new topic.


http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33706&page=1#383434

And to go back to the post before the moved one:

 Quote: Solange Boivin

I took 2 videos (same day different sessions) of Ziva OB sessions in the soccer field. My husband, who is a big distraction filmed them. After viewing them both I saw many errors like, timing in giving the reward, saving the dog with gesture when I know she knows the verbal command...and the biggest the lack of focus from Ziva...a bug flying around her head, my husband being close to us on a turn....so since yesterday I am doing focus work....marking eye contact more than before. I thought she was looking at me a lot than I realize she does but only on our walks.....so I do it whenever, wherever......let see if it will get better.

She got initiated to tracking on Monday. Hope to be able to do that again really soon....we have to be 2 and I am alone....tricky lol.

Thank you Connie

Tracking sounds like a great activity for her!

Hello peeps ;

I have changed my approach on how to do OB with Ziva and today was by far the best session ever. I never seen her drop to a DOWN so quickly and come on a recall running with so much haste to get to me. It was great to see her hears up most of the time and having her eyes on me. She would jump up to me when she would get the mark. It was the best engagement I ever got from her yet.....I am not only happy but defenitely hopeful lol.

Changing the reward to a toy was the best things I could have done. I keep food treats for in between marks. The toy is the ultimate reward and she wants it. Thanks to my friend Remi, the French military dog handler to help me with this....Along with Willie and DAvid, he is a Godsent to Ziva and I.

When he comes he brings his retired army dog, a Malinois named Dhax and Ziva and him have a blast running freen playing together in the field. She gets tired fast, not having endurance training. In her territory (our garden) both dogs are still friendly, Dhax is totaly a gentelman and do not want to take to much space and allows Ziva to act with dominance behaviors such as putting her upper body on him.....I tell her "NO" when she does that......what do you think?

When Remi and Dhax come we go for a walk and Ziva is learning to behave even though we are accompanied.

Around the house she behaves a lot better.....she has changed and is becoming more settled and more obedient. The recall in the garden is 95% better, the bullying to get in the kitchen is on its way out....less reminders needed and no more insisting....she had started to refuse to go in her crate...that is just about unexistant now, She has the line on only when outside, no more inside, The barking is less and when she does she stops when told. I started last week to stay at the door way of the garage when she is fed (4 feet away from her)...so far no signs in her posture that shows that she is intimidated by my presence and she doesn't look at me neither, she takes the time to eat at a slow pace.....All good stuff is happening.

Things to work on are still the same: Greeting people with 4 on the ground, and paying attention to me when meeting dogs.

cheers!!!

Amazing how that works isn't it!
Many people said a bite dog couldn't be taught obedience with markers if the decoy was on the field. "You need control and and that means corrections"
BS!!! The schutzhund club I belonged to taught with no physical corrections. Even a less then bright dog can soon realize that getting to bite the decoy is the reward for obedience.
Same when I was teaching my GSD for cadaver search.
Often times starting ANY training with food reward is a good idea because a "toy" can send the dog out of control. Yes and no. I started with the "toy" in plain sight and that made him crazy.
I stood there for 3-4 mins the first time and he just spun in circles. Once he settled down and realize the only way to that reward was indicating on the target scent. From there his learning the indication took off like a rocket.

Yes Bob....Ziva and I are enjoying our time out in the field a lot more now....YEAH!!!

Greetings,

It's been a while since my last update on Ziva...coming on, I realized since the date of my last message a lot have happened. Ziva and I went through the ringer, or what is the saying....to hell and back? Dogs react to their environment....and Ziva's was not the most calm and serine for about 2 months due to personal difficulties I was dealing with. Adding to my stress she became very hard to handdle and I, being pulled in every directions, was incompetent in trying to be a good leader. To a point, having her best interest at heart, I had made arrangements, back in October, to send her back to the breeder.....I spent one week crying my eyes out and struggling the fight between reason and heart. During that week, she did what dogs do best, communicating. She, made me understand the importance and how to focus and what were the priorities. Her reactions to my anticipated grief of parting with her and her understanding of the pain I felt by my other challenges created a bond between her and I that became undoubtedly strong. Result: the day before taking the road for Belgium I changed my mind.

Since then I made major changes in how I control her environment to minimize the stress on her caused by personal difficulties. The changes in her behavior were instantly. In result, Ziva and I became a strong team, we understand each other like clear water. Her capacity to communicate with me is so easy to understand and vice and versa. She came to trust me and do not need to take charge anymore. She is more obedient, and I see that she is HAPPY. We don't do things together because we have to do them or because they are part of our daily routine, we do things together because it is fun.

The pics I added to my signature are the reflection of our new life. The one with me, with my eyes puffy from 7 days of crying night and day was taken the day I realized that sending her away was not what I should do and she is totally happy about it.....the other one was taken on her first BD on December 3rd.

Voila, Even though many tell me that having a dog in this particular difficult episode of my life just add to my troubles....my answer is that without her it would be even more difficult. She is an angle sent to me to find the strenght and reasons why one have to fight to have a happy life and that true love and friendship come in furry 4 legged packages.

I won't be adding to this post. Ziva's training will go acordingly to what a Kuvasz was breed for and that does not include major obedience. She never will be a top competitor in obedience lol...all that is and will be expected of her will be to have good maners and self control. In 2 years, I will probably add a new pack member to our pack and practice a canine sport and I will chose the breed accordingly. Ziva will be loved for who she is, my friend, my companion and my protector. She shows strong guarding behavior....nothing vicious, but she warns me on anything she thinks is worth bringing to my attention.....that is what Kuvasok do....

Once again EVERYONE'S help on this board was appreciated and totaly useful....I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and patience. Even though, looking back on the past 11 months, sometimes it was very hard.....thanks to your support it was possible.

Aurevoir and keep well

Solange and Ziva