Steve K9Pro

K9: yes but I pictured the noises in the distance but the bell on the dogs collar... not so obvious.. Dap Defuser is a plug in device that emits Dog Appeasing Pheromones, it is a relaxant that has been showing some strong results.. K9: yes, & there lays the problem with Internet advice. Your initial description left out the humping & marking, but did say he is barking to find company? This would be a stress issue if the marking etc wasnt present... There could be other signs that would give us more direction, hence the advice, read the dogs body language...

K9: if he is humping and marking, this rank issue may be also driving the barking...

K9: sorry, you actually didnt say he was deaf, you did say K9: He may feel the vibes off the bell, other than that you could try a DAP defuser, he only has smell left...

K9: I would say that you have a pack problem, when you bring another dog into the pack it upsets the apple cart, many people think as long as there are no fights, its all good. But pack problems often start off subtle & become dramatic through some of the symptoms you desribe. I would suggest you do start the TOT if you already havent. If you have make it much more challenging. He will growl again btw... Start that & the NILIF with all dogs & watch closely for the change in behaviour to swing back towards normal & reward that change..

K9: You need to read the body language of the dog & see what it is saying, but from what I read the dog is probably a little stressed alone... I would suggest that you get a few little cat bells, wear one when your with the dog, when the dog is put outside attach the bell to the dogs collar or to another dogs collar. Playing some music in the yard can help too....

K9: Thanks Haven! Mooper, I have spoken to sime people about an ACT workshop, we havent set anything as yet, it would definately be next year though, I have only a few places left this year, & thats just 2 hour lessons.... It is very busy... If your on our ACT list, you will be notified, if not, best send us an email!

K9: as fast as you open the tap. Some people also attach a hose to them that ends in base of water dish, the dog walks over & the waterdog fills the bowl. Taps can be turned on just to dribble out... or squirt if you like?

K9: lol, does anything? They are pretty rugged...

K9: we from time to time stock something called the Water dog, its a sensor operated device that turns the tap on like a bubbler when the dog walks up to it.. You can put the bucket underneath..

K9: From the article </h2> or it has been subjected to our Digging Holes cure ;)

K9: Yes well, if you hold the dogs head under the water long enough, it will fix all its problems wont it? ;) My God...

K9: The beauty of this day wont be in just solving problems, but stopping many before they start, understanding what drives them & of course the best ways to solve existing problems with pet dogs, working dogs & sport dogs... Of course we will also be running though the steps in hearing problems, diagnosing them & then solving them... Covered will be my four quadrant program, TOT, leash pulling etc etc... Should be a great event!

K9: you might want to read your previous post to me, backing off has slipped into your vocab... Lowering intensity = backing off... K9: sensitive dogs usually are sensitive to the way the correction is applied, not the intensity... K9: just be a little cautious of the evidence that you must be doing right, in the above example, every dog at some time gets tired or bored.. K9: maybe its just me, but I was under the impression you asked for an answer, I gave you one in which you replied I hit the nail on the head, & now your telling me what is going on lol, K9: or,,,, you were putting the dog under too much distraction for its level of training... There are many sides to the dog training coin... I dont teach things under distraction nor do I increase levels of correction, I would rather decrease distraction until the dog is ready... Preventing the dog from resorting to licking me through submission as it feels that is what I require to cease correcting it... I am really glad your dog is working well for you...

K9: Ok, but think of it this way, you were either over correcting or correcting at the correct level as you say you were getting changes I will not suggest you were under correcting. If you were at the correct level, backing off will stop the behaviour changes, ie no training will take place.... You need to re focus on the reward side of training & use a correction that is at the correct level. Backing off will teach the dog the licking is stopping corrections...

K9: I would be building her communication skills between you & her, TOT, NILIF with some obedience training to help her know what is expected... Need to really be focussed on what she likes & use that as her motivator..

K9: Give me enough notice & I will be there.

K9: no problems, ignoring an already established behaviour may not be the solution, it may take a little more careful observation & solving the reason the dog feels ovberly submssive that it needs to show the Alpha submission through licking (grooming).. Some dogs do like to show their (lower) position, but if its constant it should be looked at.. Perhaps the command style (too assertive or harsh), body language, some negative event paired to the dogs name etc etc...

K9: Of course biting isnt the last straw, dogs have very few ways of communicating, many people are ignorant to the more subtle ways but will always react to a bite, so what options do many dogs have.. I could get any dog to bite me, & I cant get just about any dog to not bite me....

K9: Keep in mind that this is a form of submission, your dog is feeling excessive Alpha Pressure, old rule in training is that you dont add pressure, to pressure.... No corrections, no bitter sprays... Thats only more pressure...

K9": what you did was good, there is no doubt about that... We cant always control every aspect of life..

K9: I cant tell you the outcome, I wasnt there... It isnt the ideal way to train.... There is a lot of room for error. Like the other scenario, I try & put together programs to take the guess work out, when you experiment, you put the guess work back in & you may get results that vary from excellent - undesireable..

K9: I wouldnt be doing it on a long line, I wouldnt be doing it if the dog needs a reminder...

K9: the dog would already need rto have been trained using the drive techniques. You recall the dog with the command that the dog thinks will earn the prey item. The dog recalls you give the prey item. The dog learns leaving the defence trigger after a recall command will earn prey item...

K9: very hard to give an answer to a hypothetical situation. What is the trigger, what is the trigger doing? Why is the dog in defence?

K9: Sorry, I wasnt meaning your a lazy trainer, just meant I have seen a lot of Pro Trainers who have either been told or shown different, revert to varying the reward type as it seemed to give the same or instant results, but they only found failure later. Not you.. K9: No such thing as a sure thing, but these are problems I have seen come out of these actions. K9: yes but typing it here wouldnt be "practical". K9: no, getting the ball is the dogs problem, not your problem, you already have it, let her run full speed & give her the sit command as you raise the ball. The ball will draw her focus & slow up her drive so she may focus, when she sits drop (not throw) the ball to her, showing that speed & power are not the answer... Focus is.. K9: no the commands (cues) are triggers, the reward is drive satisfaction. IE: Giving the command alerts the dog that there is an opportunity to earn prey success, if the dog can carry out the excercise it will win. I dont remove the reward at all? I said move the ball higher, not get intermitant with the reward. K9: I wont use the item as a motivator (trigger), then I lose the power of the training when I havent got the motivator to show.. By clear headed I mean the dog knows what it will receive for what command, not one day food the next a ball.. K9: I like to use a saying, make it the dogs problem & it will solve it. I would have put this Lab into high food drive, then make it the dogs problems to get the food, I would help by offering a hint (command). Then let the dog solve the problem, jumping on me wont solve it, following the command will... Dogs can be quite smart when they are allowed to think for themselves...