Steve K9Pro

K9: Hey Guys info mail going out today.

K9: I bet she will make us all proud!

K9: Yep lots of new info, OH and BEAGLE DEMO lol...

K9: Must admit guys I too am looking forward to this!!! Have lots of new info to share & demonstrate!

K9: yep sure will.

K9: I will have a small stash with me, if there is anything specific you need, shoot us an e mail & I bring it.

K9: Sure I fixed many a broken dog lol...

Thanks Steve - I'm lucky to have him. Who would have known such a gorgeous boy was hiding under all those problems! K9: I knew...

k9: he is lucky to have you Shell, you saved his life. My dogs are not holding any grudges, they knew he needed some help lol.

K9: Beagles can't be trained to ignore their nose, they say. Well young Daisy might prove them wrong eh Huski? Going to be planning something for early 2010 in NSW Shell. Should be so ething special.

Wahoooo I can't wait K9: Was that WOO WOO WOO? Sounds like a Beagle....

K9: Answering for Huski "oh yes I will be demoing the Beagle recall in drive"

K9: Me either! I heard there will be a Beagle on demo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

K9: Look this is a tricky one without getting to detailed, yes & or no. First I don't use check chains at all, I will say that they can work, we just choose not to use them. The training in drive programs I use, I designed myself, after many years of working with dogs, working with other trainers & reading, researching & research & development, I have come up with a start to finish system that we use very successfully. Next I will say this, the method is heavily flawed in that, if you dog has overly weak nerves or very low drive, it wont work. I have built steps into my programs that get the weakest of nerve dogs working in drive but there are always those that trigger into fear based drives before we can trigger our positive based drives & then the training isn't reliable. This is the flaw with training in drive. K9: I have not worked personally with any trainer in SA that trains domestic or pet dogs. I feel the best idea is to go to someone who will get your dog trained, let them evaluate the dog & offer the method they feel best. But of course use the TOT!

K9: Yes and many more things too! K9: Yep sure you can, but keep in mind the TOT isn't the only way to train everything, it is s foundation program that helps teach owners & dogs communication, trust & a reward system plus other things. But it can also be great to add your competition patterns in at meal time, so teach either in or outside the TOT regime then add the moves back in at meal time to practice. k9: I would because it is a great way to teach markers & release & also build drive with self control. K9: This is not the way I like to train, as it gives me very little control over the exercise, meaning very hard t improve or modify the dogs technique when the reward is controlled by the dog. Any time you interfere it will either drop drive or you become the fun police. Does that make sense?

K9: Hey DD, I think the TOT is miles away from your conventional check chain type club style of training, I want the dog to learn drive but also self control. But some clubs are really taking up training in drive & doing well with it. My training in drive programs are even further away form check chain supression methods but many times the dogs cant succeed due to previous training which has taught the dog to stay out of drive because drive > excitement > adrenalin has brought corrections in the past. Other times people are the problems as they see their dogs confidence building & are scared that they wont be able to control it. For dogs with low to moderate drive, you can get away with suppression methods only, for dogs with higher drives, it usually causes an imbalance which leads to other problems. Learning mode is triggered or driven by reward or discomfort, dogs are hedonists (pleasure seeking pain avoiding) meaning that to create behaviour plasticity, you need to provide positive or negative motivation. It has been for a long time thought that the onl real way to teach was to add discomfort, we know more now. lol..

K9: The first thing I would advise as far as training is concerned is to start the TOT, day one when he gets home. This is a great non pressure way of teaching all the things you want him to learn.

K9: well big changes coming soon, so keep your eyes PEELED!!! K9: No but if people asking me to was anything to go by, I would have to! K9: yep I think I have an idea of what you mean. When you taught him to sit & wait etc its often in a process that diminishes drive, such as the "see saw" method of you trying to put the food down whilst you command sit, he gets as the bowl moves down then you move the bowl up & so on. So the food coming out does not trigger food drive but a calm out of drive dog. The problem is that, with out drive you are limited to how much he will want to learn, which will limit how much he will actually learn. I would be changing everything by fasting him one day (ask the procedure for this if you not sure), then g out with some food in your hand & play a game where he has to chase it & he gets a little bit by lunging & chasing it. Then when he is really hyped up throw some food in his bowl & let him dive on it. Progress this game back into a game where he gets tied up first then you tease him with the food, look for him getting driven for the food & merge into my program. There needs to be adrenalin to have drive, let me know how you go.

K9: All good replies & this article may help Head Halters

K9: when you have focus from the dog, in the early stages it only need be a glance. Your not at any stage trying to teach long bouts of attention. K9: The action of looking at the food bowl doesn't mean he is in drive, drive is an adrenalin based behaviour. K9: I am concerned about the term your using "tied down". The tie out or back tie is a leash maybe 6 feet long, the sit action is offered by the dog, not forced due to Alpha pressure, physical ties etc. K9: then he had dropped out of food drive so you wont get the desired result, I would start by moving the food closer. K9: Ok but he isn't meant to sit or be placed into a position, he need only give yoiu eye contact & it must be totally offered, not guided, lured, placed or forced. Perhaps disregard the replies to this post & only use the steps I provided. K9: It was with prompting, you placed him in a sit, his offered behaviour was to roll over, I would have ignored that behaviour teaching him it wont pay, then he will offer something else, be patient, it doesn't have to happen at light speed. This type of learning is instinctual & success is gained via self control & interaction with the alpha, this means it will take some quiet time for the dog to run through the options it has & chose the right one.

K9: Yep thats correct. K9: Get the dog interested in the food, create drive by teasing the dog with the food, then walk away with the food until the dog regains focus. Then put it down. K9: By just behind the dog slightly so it needs to break focus with the food & give it to you. K9: Avoid making a noise, it works best when the dog figures out the right move all o its own. K9: Yes freedom & to partake in the reward. K9: Yep thats all pretty good! Well done. K9: Yep sure can send you our copy of the TOT, send me an email on [email protected] & we will get it off to you! K9: If you havent already, book a place in my workshop in QLD (if there are places left), you will get loads of ideas there.

K9: Yep will have some to show & demo, no problems there, some leashes, collars etc also.

K9: Hi there, two dogs no problem as long as at no time are two dogs lead by one person, this just means one in crate other on leash etc.

K9: Oh yeah, blame the dog.... lol. But but but but she's evil ;) K9: no wonder she goes wooo wooo wooo!

K9: If you could get her to stay with you, you could keep her, but she wouldnt lol.. She looks at me like that all the time. K9: Oh yeah, blame the dog.... lol.