Mini successes

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Mini successes

Post by bendog »

I hope no-one minds but my dogs can be quite frustrating at times and so I thought it might help to post the small things that go well.

Yesterday bendog got in a little scrap with two little yappy lapdogs that live near us whilst my boyfriend was walking them.

The owner of the dogs went mad understandably (although Ben never actually bites, its more just pawing frantically and making a lot of noise!) because Ben was unfortunately off lead at the time. My boyfriend saw the dogs first and called Bendog back to put a lead on him, but the situation was that Ben was behind a car and couldn't see the 2 dogs, when he started to return to my boyfriend he went around to the other side of the car, saw the dogs and ran over to them.
(worth mentioning that Bendog really hates the dogs concerned, and that my boyfriend had gone out without a squeaky toy or treats!)

Anyway, it upset my boyfriend, and it upset me, because Bens been doing really well lately and it is scary when he goes nuts because he's like a different dog. So anyway good news is today my boyfriend phoned me and said he'd taken Ben on the field and they'd met a little Westie. He said he put Ben on a lead and gave him the squeaky toy and he was FINE! My boyfriend was even able to talk to the owner of the Westie for a few minutes with Bendog not paying any attention to the other dog.

So it looks like the encounter yesterday hasn't set him back too much, though obviously I'll continue to be careful.

Even better news is that it sounds like it was Poppy's first real positive CLOSE encounter with a dog thats not Ben or Sash and she also did really well.
Fundog
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Re: Mini successes

Post by Fundog »

That's cool about Poppy's first "new dog greeting." 8) For some reason it escaped me that Bendog is not too keen on meeting other dogs.... he sounds so perfect in every other way. :?
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Re: Mini successes

Post by bendog »

Yeah, Fundog. He WAS perfect, the not liking other dogs thing suddenly appeared when he was around 4 or 5 years old. I'm not really sure what set it off, he used to be fine, never enjoyed playing with other dogs, but was happy to greet them off lead, have a quick sniff and move on. There was a lot of upheaval in the family (deaths, people moving out, new people moving in etc,) so perhaps that made him more anxious, I'm not sure.

Now theres a few dogs he will go for as soon as he sees them, others he will sniff and greet nicely for about 10 seconds and then go for, and others he is fine with. Problem is guessing which is which so I avoid letting him meet any dog except for ones I know well, and distract him when we do pass dogs, which seems to work fine.
bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Re: Mini successes

Post by bendog »

Ben did some lovely loose lead walking last night.

And Poppy is FINALLY getting there with housetraining. She's fine at night, and when I'm in on my own watching her, but add a lot of noise and people assuming someone else is watching her and it all falls apart.
bendog
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Re: Mini successes

Post by bendog »

Ben and Poppy learning to crawl. Only with a food lure though.

And I'm really pleased with Poppy's recall at the moment. She chased a bird, but came straight back when I called her today. :D
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minkee
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Re: Mini successes

Post by minkee »

It's such an ace feeling when they listen to you under distraction :D Way to go Poppy!
bendog
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Re: Mini successes

Post by bendog »

Thanks Minkee, yes I'm really lucky to be able to let her off safely so young with no real distractions in terms of dogs or people. It's a field, and not fenced, but big enough that she'd have to run a LONG way to reach the road. A bigger dog might do it easily, but Pops is still so little and doesn't stray that far from me anyway. There are often other dogs there at popular walking times (though less so in winter since it's like a bog!) but there are usually ways we can stay a good distance away, either on the other side of a ditch, or by taking a different exit off the field, so they are easy enough to avoid.

I really am chuffed with her recall, wouldn't trust it in a new place, or with other dogs/people/cars nearby, I keep her on lead on the canal for example even though I let Ben off.
But I've been rewarding her EVERY time she comes back to me on walks, whether I've specifically called her or not, and it seems to be paying off.

I'm really proud of how good Bendog is with the toddler as well. I obviously have to supervise, but really, I'm more worried about the toddler hurting Ben than him hurting the toddler!
Neither Sash or the puppy can be trusted around him, Pops coz she tries to play and nips, Sash because she could really bite, though Sash is much better lately and ignores him mostly.
Ben is the most popular dog in the house with most people because he's just no bother to anyone.
bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Re: Mini successes

Post by bendog »

Took Pops and Ben in the car to the chemist yesterday just to escape from the house.

Ben used to be so scared on busy roads (which I think was the reason for my very first post in this forum) and I'm glad to say he was perfect. Sat outside the chemist with me and Pops whilst boyfriend went in and was calm as anything. Poppy was a bit worried but she didn't bark at any people and just carried on eating cheese from my hand even when a kid went past on a bike.
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