Update after meeting Willie today:

One or two more weeks with this routine. On Friday we will evaluate and see if we can introduce new things into the routine.

As of today I am using the prong as self-correction it went very well. First 2 min. she tried to take the leash in her moutn and shook her neck but it lasted jus a little while. The pulling to the ditch and dead stops were limited to where the leash came straight and added presure. She tried it twice and did not bother to repeat it. She would stretch till the leash came to that point but did not persist by digging her front paws in the ground to go further. At the meeting with a barking terrier behind its fence she leaped once, got to the end of the leash and looke stunned lol....she did not repeat it, she walked looking at the dog but did not try to reach for him.

Today I had the leash attached to the 2 rings of the prong and an other leash to her flat collar for security. Eventually I will have the leash clipped on the 3 rings. Willie had said to use the martingale as safety....I forgot to put it on.

Willie saw how Ziva got taken to the garage for her feeding....and was very happy of how she behaves. Sitting at the house door, waiting to be invited to come through, at the garage door the same and on the return. We will continue to feed Ziva this way and in October we will discuss how to modify the feeding ritual.

For the dog next door and any barking keep doing what I am doing....go out, see what is the reason she is barking, praise her "good girl" and call her to come back with me. I will no longer call her from a distance.

This weekend my step-son and husband are to ignore her like the prevous weekends. Next week we will talk about that in a next meeting.

Next Friday we are to meet again and we will talk aboout Marking, Distraction Training, the Lay Down when excited and how to handle the visitors

Voila.....Willie said she will come on to read and reply. She admited not to have come on Leerburg for a while.

I will let her tell you how she saw Ziva and what are her thoughts about the dog and her progress....I think she is pleased lol

Bye for now

"At the meeting with a barking terrier behind its fence she leaped once, got to the end of the leash and looke stunned lol....she did not repeat it, she walked looking at the dog but did not try to reach for him."

I don't know if I'd take that route again at this stage. Unless .... is there more distance possible? Enough so there's no lunge and stink-eye?



Thank you for updating, Solange.

As for the dog next door.
I got possession of a 7 month old Australian Shep that didn't even know her own name. I spent a lot of time with her on a long line and she tried a couple of time to take off running.
The SPLIT second before she hit the end of the lead I gave a calm "NO". It took only a few lessons where that calm "no" would stop her in her tracks. It was simple proofing with distraction after that.
If you know the dog next door is or will be out then she is put on a long line. Even if your dog gives you the head turn or eye contact when you call but refuses to come, she's again learned that obeying is at her choosing. You can't give a command if you can't back it up, good or bad
Again, I offer suggestions when your working with Willie. Please go over any and all suggestions with her so they don't conflict with her methods.

Of course I go over with Willie about what I read here and what new things I do on my own inititiative. She likes me to try new things and strongly suggest that I consider new ideas from board users.....regarding the recall in the garden and the head turn Willie had me mark the head turn and even an ear twitch because Ziva would not come at all when I would call her before and it was to reinforce her to acknowledge me....she had not specified to do this when the dog next door is a distraction.....I just did it like how she had said in that situation also not thinking that in fact Ziva would probably not come as fast in that situation.....What you suggested Bob makes a lot of sense and under high distraction it is in fact better if I go close to the dog and handle that situation differently. Yesterday Willie talked about her dogs barking at the fence and how she handles it and ask me to handle it this way and it is how you said pretty much. Willie and I talk every 2 or 3 days and I send written repports or questions to her regularly. If she doesn't not agree about something she quickly responds.

For any barking at the fence I used to go out, show the dog that it was ok that I was there and in charge.....but now I handle it alsways the same way....which is: go close to her, tell her "good girl" for annoucing either an intruder human or animal, then I have to reinforce the "NO". Righit now because she responds well to the words "leave it" I use that. and I take her away.

The Terrier, my mistake, I should have gone the other way....I will avoid that now.

Hoppefuly Willie will read these updates and suggestions and reply so we can all see her point of view.....this is all valuable information.

cheers!!

With the dog next door, yesterday the behavior changed.....Ziva doen't have that vicious bark as much, there are pauses where they both are just sniffing. Any ideas?


With the prong the excitement at meeting pedestrians and children during our walks has dropped enormously. I get the odd paw dance and head turn....no more reaching and wanting to jump.....her ears stay more alert as before they would go back like when she gets happy excited, she doesn’t have that look in her face that says.....Yeah,,Party, lets go!! but more like, Hello.

Yesterday the greeting with my husband what a bit like a circus....but this morning she controled her excitement, she lay down and staid down while he pet her....that was the first.....she got 2 rewards for that good behavior the petting and a treat.

Yesterday a little moment of dominance attitude. for the past 2 days I have noticed that she doesn't like when I refill the holes she dug up. She would get excited....Last night as I was taking her out for the last potty of the day before retireing for the night I filled a hole in the gravel in the back yard in the area where we have the table and chairs....she was further on the line, as soon she heard the rocks moved she came charging at my feet first....I said "NO" she jumped for my arm....she did not bite me but I fell her teeth on my arm....there was this challenge look in her eyes....she was staring at me....I staid cool and calm, we came in, she got in the crate without a treat...willingly but when I closed the door she kind of charged it with a growl.

Hum....that ends 1 month of not have had confrontations.

Can't wait to read comments.

bye for now.

bump

 Quote: Solange Boivin

Yesterday a little moment of dominance attitude. for the past 2 days I have noticed that she doesn't like when I refill the holes she dug up. She would get excited....Last night as I was taking her out for the last potty of the day before retireing for the night I filled a hole in the gravel in the back yard in the area where we have the table and chairs....she was further on the line, as soon she heard the rocks moved she came charging at my feet first....I said "NO" she jumped for my arm....she did not bite me but I fell her teeth on my arm....there was this challenge look in her eyes....she was staring at me....I staid cool and calm, we came in, she got in the crate without a treat...willingly but when I closed the door she kind of charged it with a growl.

Hum....that ends 1 month of not have had confrontations.

Can't wait to read comments.

bye for now.

Solange, I worked (online only) with a very Dear & Determined lady & gentleman who attempted to rehabilitate a young female Akita who had been surrendered by her Original Owner for being "too difficult to live with" -- All I can say is that this man & wife LOVED their rescue Akita and put in two full YEARS of consistant Handling, Management & Training lessons ... But in the end, they were simply WAY out of their Depth when it came to themselves staying SAFE with the particular dog in question.

IMHO, it would be one thing for Willie to work with Ziva in PERSON, but it is another thing for someone lacking any experience in working with a Dominant & Aggressive LGB to pull this off without a Serious Mishap at some point -- Maybe I'm just too much of a worry-wort, but there is definitely a right time to do a real Face the Facts cost/benefit analysis of your Level of Expertise vis-a-vis Ziva's "degree of difficulty" here...

Just sayin', Solange, no offense

If this dog continues down this road (with a trainer that is lacking the level of experience needed to deal with this dog)...this dog will surely end up PTS, as she will get too far down the road for someone to want to take on her rehabilitation. It is also not fair to this dog ......dogs NEED strong proper leadership with limits, boundries & consequences to their lack of respect of the leader & the rules.

She just got away with that little display of lack of respect & temper tantram without you getting hurt & without consequence for the dog's behavior. Sticking her in her crate without a treat is NOT A CONSEQUENCE for that kind of behavior. I suspect that she suprized & scared you with this display. The next time she will be even stronger & more confident in her display. Are you really ready to deal with this?!

JMO, but I believe that you are in WAY OVER YOUR HEAD with this dog.

ETA....It is not determined, by an experienced trainer in person, whether this dog actually IS dominant or aggressive. I suspect that it may just be a total lack of leadership & respect for boundries & limits not being properly set & consequences for the disregard for the rules.

Big ditto to this being over the owner's head (I mean without help).

As Anne already said, "dominant and aggressive" .... these aren't really adjectives to apply via the internet.. JMO! These are adjectives that, once stated, follow a dog (to the dog's detriment) whether they are apt or not.

Strong dogs of all breeds can and do challenge a weak leader (or any leader) as they grow. In this situation, the leader allowed the dog to "win."

That's a huge problem to me (JMO), but not necessarily a reason to label this young dog dominant and aggressive.

Now this needs an in-person, not an internet, eval. Willie will agree, I feel sure.

All JMO. (And again, D and A or just strong and testing a power-grab, this is still a situation the owner can't fail to address, and now, with in-person help.)

Again, all JMO! Not a LGB expert.

Edited by Connie Sutherland (06/11/2013 11:43 AM)
Edit reason: edited