Growling at towel-off
#389769 - 03/28/2014 08:42 AM |
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The mud has arrived on the farm. Lately toweling off Pinker before he comes in has become essential.
We were doing pretty well (this is a dog who did not like to be touched initially) but the last few times he's been growling as I do his hind feet.
I bopped him on the nose the first time, but that didn't seem to help.
My question is ---- do I go back to markers as rewards for non growling or just become more firm with my corrections?
For those who don't know him, he's a heelerxchihuahua, much more heeler than chihuahua, and he can bite HARD.
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389773 - 03/28/2014 11:22 AM |
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Any chance that he is in pain & that is causing the change. Leg, hip, back? I'd be sure he is not trying to tell me something, other then he just doesn't like it or feel like it, before I went to corrections, verbal or otherwise.
With my dogs I just tell them to 'knock it off' & keep doing what I am doing. But having a special treat ready as a reward for 'allowing' you to towel him off, can be a good motivator to just stand & deal with it.
I have a dog that is hypersensitive & hates his feet touched, wiped, nails trimmed etc. Treats helped him stand & deal with it as a pup..( 1 nail, then 1 foot at a time as a young pup)
Once he learned as a puppy that growling or trying to bite at me, didn't get him anywhere..he learned to just stand there because he gets to have his ball when I'm done with clipping nails, brushing etc. He will do anything for his ball. This dog was like this from day one with me, at 7 weeks old, he never liked his feet touched. Still doesn't like his feet wiped either. LOL (He is also a dog that had serious HA issues when coming into maturity & has a lot of it in his 'lines')
Sometimes you get further with honey then vinegar.
MY DOGS...MY RULES
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389791 - 03/28/2014 06:47 PM |
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I suppose I just wasn't towelling often, there was so much snow the dogs were clean. Novel touching (like with a towel) is scary, or over his "personal distance" limit or something.
He's not in pain, he's just ..... peculiar.
Today-no growling, just a feeble air snap, ... it wasn't serious. I just kept toweling away....I think if I ignore him and just act like business as usual he will give it up.
Perhaps he just wanted to remind me who he is....... He's been so normal lately that I've been taking "liberties".
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389792 - 03/28/2014 06:54 PM |
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Moderators please move this to general dog conversation......
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389796 - 03/28/2014 07:09 PM |
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I suppose I just wasn't towelling often, there was so much snow the dogs were clean. Novel touching (like with a towel) is scary, or over his "personal distance" limit or something.
He's not in pain, he's just ..... peculiar.
Today-no growling, just a feeble air snap, ... it wasn't serious. I just kept toweling away....I think if I ignore him and just act like business as usual he will give it up.
Perhaps he just wanted to remind me who he is....... He's been so normal lately that I've been taking "liberties".
Paws and the face are the top two "please don't touch me there" areas for many many dogs.
It sounds like he is beginning to accept it, but still, I'd marker train it gradually. Just like clipping claws or applying eye drops, I'd start with a touch on the area and a reward.
Reminder: For me, these "procedures" rewards are high value. "Procedures" involve warm bacon, for me, even if it's frozen cooked bacon, heated to warm in the microwave to be odorous and wildly appealing.
You know more than most of us how advantageous it is for the vet and for the dog if we, the owners, put in the time to marker train our dogs to accept "procedures" on their most sensitive areas (and they are not really universal ..... paws and the face are usual, but there are individual areas too).
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389797 - 03/28/2014 07:14 PM |
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P.S, This isn't a symptom of peculiarity.
This is very common ..... along with the face (and ears .... the head, I should say).
What Anne says here is what I do too, at whatever age I acquire the dog:
"I have a dog that is hypersensitive & hates his feet touched, wiped, nails trimmed etc. Treats helped him stand & deal with it as a pup..( 1 nail, then 1 foot at a time as a young pup)."
"One nail" is exactly how I do a paw-phobic dog, to start training him to accept the paw-handling involved in claw-clipping. Then a MAJOR reward, very quickly (it's ready before we start!) -- and it's over for that entire day.
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389798 - 03/28/2014 07:24 PM |
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Just wanted to add .... You did terrific work with this little guy back when he was extremely anxious about so many touching and proximity issues.
You'll do terrific work on this too.
You know how to marker train now, and the Pinker knows how to "marker learn."
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389820 - 03/28/2014 09:57 PM |
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Ditto on all the above!
When my brother got his 110 lb Presa at three yrs old he was told no one could do the dog's nails without hog tying and muzzling him. The groomers and the vet wouldn't touch him unless he was knocked out. Not an option for my brother just for a nail trim.
He's now on his back and snoozing away after a month of marker work when his nails are done.
Brother still "randomly" marks and rewards any and all the behaviors in the nail trimming. Touch, rub, lift, rub with clippers, click clippers in the air, etc.
Any behavior uncomfortable to the dog, the dog NEEDS to know it will always be rewardable!
That shouldn't be any different the a good rub down with the blanket on the feet.
RANDOM mark and reward forever. Why shouldn't it be a good experience for the dog?!
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389849 - 03/29/2014 11:45 PM |
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Well, I gave him a piece of kibble today, and even that seemed to make the whole thing go easier.
I'm going to take your advice, Bob, and reward good efforts.
And Connie -- he is peculiar, really. But you should have seen him help me move this 900 lb steer today. We walked the steer 1/4 mile, me with a feed pail in front, Pinker behind, from one building to another, past the sheep, past the front lawn (only a few holes in the lawn!).
He IS a cattle dog. When I need controlled help, fine movement with precision, he is the go to guy.
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Re: Growling at towel-off
[Re: Betty Landercasp ]
#389851 - 03/30/2014 12:00 AM |
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RANDOMLY! You want him to know the possibility always exists for any part of the feet toweling. If he gets rewarded all the time then the reward looses value. Same as if a kid has total access to a cookie jar. The cookies start to have less and less value.
With marker training I'm betting you could even teach him to lift his foot for you.
old dogs LOVE to learn new tricks |
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