Thank you Bob..It makes a lot more sense now in my mind.....and makes everything easier too.

Yesterday I wrote how the day before I delt with Ziva when she had this hyper behaviour coming out of the crate before feeding and how I handled it....last night it happened again but this time a notch higher:


I tried to put her in the crate to have her calm down.....this time it was impossible to do without confrontation and probably biting .....she was curling up her lips...holding my arms in her mouth with pressure and fighting standing on her hind legs....she did not growl, the bitting was not yet threatening....but I did not want to confront her...thing Willie had said on our first meeting that we would do everything to avoid....and remembering traits from her breed I did not want her to think that she was treated unfairly....Not knowing what to do I stopped trying to have her go in the crate. As soon she realized that she was not going back in the crate she stopped showing me the teeth and stopped fighting, she sat....I marked that, I just stood there (she was on the line), she soon lay down, I marked that, and marked it a few times.....when she stretched herself on the side, head on the floor I marked it and I walked to the door that we take to go to the garage where she is fed due to her food aggression....she followed, sat at the door, waited to be told to go through etc..... The entire episode lasted no more then 3 minutes in total. Not knowing what to do I figured marking her good behavior will not give her what she wanted without her doing something for it....Let me know how you would have handled that please.

Today I am starting tethering, I was suppose to start yesterday and forgot.....she is laying on her blanket beside me as I type this but it is a constant reminder...she wants to play and enjoy this somewhat new freedom.

I have a question for Willie: How many time a day and for how long each time do I tether?

Cheers eveyone, hope you all enjoyed you holiday yesterday!!

Tethering: twice this morning of a duration of one hour, and just now 18min was as much she could take lol....totaly restless....We just returned from a 40 min walk I thought she would want to rest.....will try again later. She has 2 toys depending of her mood and 1 raw hide that she loves....but now all she wanted was my sleeve and the leash. She is back in the crate sleeping and it took only 1 min for her to go to dreamy land...

Any tips?

I am wondering if you have any way to really exercise your dog. I am thinking that if she was tired she would be less into fighting with you.

Well Betty, we walk 3 to 4 times, 3 miles walks, + play time in the garden at least 3 times of about 20 to 30 minutes each....she is barely 6 months, she can't run until she'll be 15 months....I am open to ideas.....Ziva is a LGD with an exceptionaly high prey drive with dominance tendencies....the fighting is less and less....things have changed dramasticaly since we have gone through bootcamp and pack structure.......By all means all suggestions are welcome.

oh btw, tethering, 40 min. and she was very nice....

Yesterday second feeding: filmed it and sent it to Willie, Ziva actually lay down coming out of the crate to be leashed and taken to the door to go to the garage....she sat and waited to be told "ok" to go through. Last feeding and this morning she sat to be leashed and the rest was like discribed here above.

walks are the same as the previous days. Nothing else to report.

cheers

 Quote: Solange Boivin

Well Betty, we walk 3 to 4 times, 3 miles walks, + play time in the garden at least 3 times of about 20 to 30 minutes each....she is barely 6 months, she can't run until she'll be 15 months....I am open to ideas.....

Upbeat reward-based training (marker training is what I highly recommend) in short sessions that make the brain work and that reward the work ..... terrific drain of excess energy when added to the regular play and walks.

I have had a crazy few weeks!!
Thanks to everyone who has continued to coment on Solange's posts.
Solange and I have been in close contact and I have been skyping and reviewing videos with Solange.
I am pleased with the progress they have made in such a short time.
Solange is really learning fast and everyone's input has been soo helpful!

Connie I don't know if what you mean with Upbeat reward-based training means what Willie calls Loading the Mark.....I have been doing 150 marks a day divided in 3 sessions with Ziva.....is it what you mean? Anyways, since I have been doing that Ziva's attention on me and respond to the word "yes" has gone up a great deal.

Which makes our walks a lot more enjoyable as she is constantly trying to do things that will call for a mark. The jumping on walks now is pretty much history, she doesn't try to start a game on every walk....we're Thursday and I corrected her only 3 times this week. It last 2 attemps, I have been marking when she has 4 on the ground and that seams to suffice for that behaviour....As you may recall I do not take any more toys on walks either, we're migrating, she is happy do do so and she does her business in the designated areas.

To follow up on Willies's post, yesterday Willie read to me my firsts posts dated May 11th and we both saw that Ziva has changed, that (I) have changed and that the progress have indeed been positively fast. Willie lifted the Boodcamp yesterday. YEAH!!! now Ziva is in the crate when I can not supervize her. She is on a 20 foot line all the time though but at least I can interact with her in a different fashion. She is a happy puppy, wagging tale, and this happy look in her face. She looks at me for guidance and can anticipate some of the things I want. She is not obsessed with the cat as much and stop much faster when I say "leave it" and wait for the treat when I say "yes" for what good behavior I mark......What a change in our lives.

I will continue to report because I get new home works all the time from Willie to continue the progress. Like now for the next 2 weeks I have to bridge the behaviour marked with a word for example: when she sits on stops even though not being correctly positioned by my side, I mark it "yes, good sit" and eventualy will name that command with a "sit" Maybe I will let Willie explain this, my english being at fault.

From Willie's point of view the episode of May 27th when Ziva refused to go in the crate showing me teeth, like me she did not see it as a threat and dominance situation from the dog but more like Ziva saying "Come on, I don't want to go back in the crate,,,,I'll come down....let me show you" and if fact when she realized I did not forced her to go back withing the moment she realized that she sat and within a secon lay down...she did calmed down which is what was expected of her.....I also will let Willie explain her thoughts on that, if she wants to.

I also have to mark any signs of attention from her on recall...a head turn for example....and give her 3 sec to come. If she doesn't come after I mark the head turn, I throw the treat and pretend to be busy doing something and try again in a few moments....if she comes give her the "jack pot" (me positioned low claping my hands and greet her coming in a fun playful way)

I have to do the tethering as many times I can but only 10-15 min at the time to avoid her getting bored and having to face a situation where a correction would be in order or any confrontations.

I have to find a word that would indicate to the dog to focus on me and to look into my eyes.

I will make a flirt pole like I have seen in the video on youtube Bob Scott shared on an other thread.

Ziva this morning was greated for the first time with me using a happy voice "hey you, good morning!!" For the past 3 weeks I had to be aloof and not talk to her nor touch her except the "good girl" and the "yes"....this morning when I greeted her at the crate like this, when I opened the crate door I bent, she came out of the crate tale wagging and this happy soft look in her face. She pressed her head on my shoulder and her chest against me and we had this moment of hug......It lifted my heart. I can see that Ziva looks at me differently now, she looks at me for guidance and anticipates marks and treats when she does things.

Thank you all for investing your time in writing me comments and encouraging words. It made the difference in my growth to become a better dog owner.....and I hope it will continue during Ziva's upbringin. She will be 6 months next week and I know I will face situations still that will be new to me and that I will look for guidance and suggestions from you the more experienced and expert.

Bye for now and thanks again everyone