Hi everyone
So sorry for such a long silence....but I am very busy with meeting with Willie and David regularly, doing my homeworks lol.....training, and more training, reading and looking at videos from Tylor Muto....btw he has fantastic stuff. And I have made a new friend....a French military dog handler that is willing to give me a hand.....Finally, you see us, David, Willie and myself very happy to have help on site.
So let me see....what happened since my last post.
Ziva had a 2 days down period, acting like her old self after 3 weeks straight of superbe behavior. She went up the leash when I went to get her from that famous corner in our garden. Usually she would greet me with the body language and look that said. "hey Mom....I heard something"...and I would say..."What is it girl? Let see"....but on that particular day, the look she had in her eyes and her body ment more like " What the Hell are you doing here, in MY corner" and as soon I grabed the leash she went up it. My reaction was totally different then what she was used to. Normally, Not prepared to either correct her or not ready to pick a fight I though I might lose I would take her in, into her crate. That day, I got fed up with this Missy Queeny attitude and I reacted like if I had bear for dinner the meal before. Now. I know that the following might allert some readers. I also know that what I will describe is not suggested ....probably not to a 117 lbs woman with a 80 lb dog and I want to mentioned that I am not a fan of this method....and I know that there are risks involved. But please keep in mind that I have been living with Ziva's tamtrums for months....and that intimidated I am no longer. I am a trained athlete that visualized techical moves all her life , and I use visualization for many other things and what I am about to say I visualized it over and over till it was perfect in my head.
So Ziva is in this corner and go up the leash, all teeth bitting the leash....not me....trying to intimidate me. David, Willie and I came to the conclusion that if Ziva would have the intention to hurt me, she would have done it before....Anyway so that being said....I say "FOOWY"....and start to walk toward the house....I can feel she is having a fit at the other end of the leash....bitting it....as we get by the door, I turn around to face her. As soon that I do that she goes up the leash again.....In my head I am boilling but my body language is calm but definitely determined to put an end to this......I lift her with my left hand, with my right I pick up her rear end (she is as tall as me when up on her hidden leg) and I smack her on the ground. I have my left hand in the flat collar with my forearm agains the side of her head in case she wants to come at me with her teeth....I have one leg on each side of her gody, I am sitting kind of on her and my right hand on her shoulder to stop her from trying to either get up or roll over. she is not on her back per say but more on her side. Then I heard a voice I did not recongnized....it came from me and I had my most mean look...I shouted "FOOWY You bitch!!! you are are at the bottom of this pack.....do you get it?....that is where you belong...."....from the moment she touched the ground, she avoided my eyes, she turned her head toward the ground, she did not make the smallest attempt to get out of this situation, When I saw that she was calm and submissive I calmly allow her to get on her belly if she wanted to by releasing my grip and my weight off her I took my eyes off her too.....I pet her saying in a soothing voice "good girl....that is how it should be"......then we moved on to our usual activities. She chose to come in on her own, and go into her crate on her own...she stayed there quite a while the door open.
et Voila....I can not say that I am proud of having done that.....but I had to take some control and that day, that moment that was IT for me.....
Since that day I have a dog that will try to get away with stuff by steeling them like the dish rag.....or getting on the couch (not much) thinking that because she is white on white leather she is not noticeble lol.....but I have not have any more serious tantrums.
With Willie and David we have been talking a lot about finding a canine sports club...it is hard to find a sport club that will accept Kuvasock.....but the angle that is looking over me and Ziva sent us another help. 2 weeks ago I met a French military doghandler....and guess what? yes he is interested to help me with training Ziva With his help if we can start her in some good obedience and good control and a descent base in some sport we might be able to ask for a trial at one of these club and they might not have much to refuse us....I am a dreamer....I have proved it by wanting to keep Ziva when it seemed that Hell went loose.....What the heck!
So with this Sergent, on Monday we took Ziva to the soccer field and initiated her to the sleeve. He was impressed that on the second attempt she longed for it and bit it really good.....he said that she weighs a lot more then his Malinois lol.....He also showed me and explained to me while setting up the field for tracking for his working dog how he set the field for odor....the time needed for the oder to set....cold odors, hot odors....very interesting.....We talked about obedience.....he liked what she could do already. Sound promessing I think anyways.
Ziva's progress:
Ziva can focuss on me for pretty much the entire 45 min of our walks...some are better than others but mostly very good.....During our walk I work her hard (to use David's expression) on sit, stand, down, anywhere as long that the level of distraction is to a minimum....she is responding very well. Her reaction to pedestrians on the SAME sidewalks then ours are an aknowledgement only.....the dogs behind fences are also just an aknowledgement (with some mild reaction) On that note, for the past 3 days I use a fur saver chocker instead than the prong....she was very easy maneuvered with the prong but when a situation with a high level of distraction occured she would not react well....the self correction was easily misunderstood and redirected on me.....so with the flat chain chocker I set it tight around her neck/ears and a little lift upward to kind of take some of the air out of her suffice to take the drive down and have her focussing on me instead of what ever......it worked so far with the Jack Russel (know as Jack Ass) that wants to come through the steel gate to get at us....it worked for a stray black Lab male this morning....it worked for the little Welsh terrier that was a hight distraction a few weeks back....and today to my surprise when I took it out without the intention to go for a walk, she got up and tried to put her head in the loop.....I think she is doing very well.....she is still very excited when she sees my husband but I think. no, I am sure that it is because he doesn't know how to act with her......That is my next big task....is to have him understand and participate in a more appropriate way.....he strated....little by little....we'll get there.
I just interruped my typing to play some tug....she was getting rough with the cat.....5 min of tug/obedience and she is back in....laying down on the floor, the cat grooming himself a bit further.....like if he did not existed.
As soon that she looks like to be restless and soon will be getting into mischief.....I take the tug out....for 5 min....she let it drop as soon as I say "OUT" to end the session.....I do that about 4 times a day.
Today I have met Willie and David....my homework are to practice the heel positions in the hall way closed to the wall so she would get the right position faster....then I might do it on a box....let see where this might take us...fun it will be for sure. Also I must work on recall David's way lol....Nice fellow and so resourcefull....love them both.
Her guarding instinc is coming out more now with puberty....she barks quite a bit....so I am marking "No talk" and it is better....she is well advanced with marker training....she knows now what "yes" means.....she is a smart cookie lol
I had a very nice compliment today....David said "Ziva did not want to be a leader but did not see a fit leader in you before so she had to take over...now that you became a good leader to her eyes she can be a dog and do things for you" I am not quoting....but that is close to what he said.....aint' that great....I feel very happy about that. I know once that is acheived things will develop in a more coherent and easy way.
On a personal note....I am back lifting weight to keep up with my pup lol....
Well I think that covers the last 2 weeks.....I will try to come on sooner next time...I will notify Willie and David that I have written this in case they would want to add or correct any of it.
Cheers evryone and I hope I will be reading your comments. Keep well
Re: One month down the road with my Kuvaz Puppy
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Re: One month down the road with my Kuvaz Puppy
More than great!
BTW how did you put up yours?...tell me in pm when you have a chance. please.
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