Steve K9Pro

K: K9: cool, its okay I bring my dogs right?

K9: lol there is a different pic there now, you can guess..... TOT works well on my dogs, but you have to make sure your the leader, not the temptation lol...

Velcome.....

K9: dogs are welcome, the topic can be open, any dog problem, anything to do with training, behaviour, over coming problems, socialisation, you name it we can cover it. There are a few threads on here from previous workshops, take a look, I cant remember anyone not satisfied with them.

K9: It would take a dog that had solid foundation work as a puppy with the toy bto ignore a live bird. It wont cause you any issues....

K9: lol, Im happy t run this workshop anywhere, I havent run it for "other than" pro handlers in the past, largely at the request of some trainers near by.. I just finished the page here.

K9: yes & green dogs too... I gave these guys fully trained dogs & that was easy, then we switched to totally untrained dogs with problems & thats where they learned.

K9: I just finished with 4 handlers from overseas, & recorded all the little but important steps I taught, Im now going to transfer this into a "handlers" day in which I teach how to "handle" the dog effectively. This makes for a very intense day all on its own.. Im going o workshop it in 2006 in which I have people come & handle dogs other than their own. Show them how to get pack drive through Alpha pressure..

K9: Great post SARDOG, again another reaosn to put in the groundwork or foundation work, this means that your drives are solid before moving to the next step. Some info on focus I would like to add. I train so that I have focus & control, a key element to this is how you use your voice. Speaking slowly to your dog is a quite flat tone can stabilise a dog thats having trouble getting its focus, raising your voice will elevate drive, knowing this & being able to control your voice is a way to vary the dogs drive levels, just like having your foot on the accelarator of a car.. Equally its a damaging to a training program as it is helpful if you dont recognise how it works & use it effectively. Drives are drives, you raise your voice at a dog going into any drive & that drive goes higher, some examples, dog going into prey drive goes further (higher) into prey. Dog nervous of your on the edge of avoidance means dog goes into full avoidance & runs away. Dog about to show dog aggression through defence drive lunges & becomes more aggressive etc etc... These are just some examples why focus & control start with the handler & flow on into the dog. This also a vital step in the teaching section of each command, using a verbal marker is in my opinion a valued way of letting your dog know that he / she has got it right, the tone of your voice will mean more than the words & timing you use. In practice you may be making drive for the toy spinning in the manner I do or another way, you be verbally encouraging the dog, when it comes to to stop making drive & get focus, you change your voice to a lower, slower tone that is clear & concise, this allows the dog to pull itself out of drive peak & focus on the action it needs to complete. I feel that an excellent way to trouble shoot your training is to video or have someone video your training sessions, then go back & only look at your performance. Correct any mistakes your making, look at the smallest details, then & then only work on the dog.

K9: its a learned response but the word itself probably lends itself to great control of your voice, the word is short & sharp. A dog in good pack place will understand this a correction, which it can be.. Much different to the word "give" which ends more softly.

J: K9: sure just send me an email [email protected]

K: K9: yes I did, you can see it fitted in that pic too. One of the 4 things you need to work a defensive dog is control, prongs give you this immediately (as you know lol) L: K9: if when you meet her, you walk & talk like a leader, it will all come back fast, however, the learned experiences that she has or doesnt have when yuour not there will be longer lasting... N: K9: the dogs feel so much security in the correct pack position, this is often underestimated as a driving force. When the light comes on in the dogs head that your the leader, pack drive kicks in & they are all over you...

K9: Here is a pressie for you Jaygee, the first day I met Jeddah, 15th April 2005... Look at the expression on her face then compared to now.... The closed mouth of stress..... Then

K9: I find that if you weave left & right, the dog ends up flipping over, but you van now give satisfaction quicker with your dogs, so no spin, just hold you, turn once, give. Hows that, for someone in your "delicate" condition...

CF: K9: thats the idea, too many people get lost & loose hope. CF: K9: thanks for the kind words, when time comes along I will write more. Jaygee: K9: She's more than that! lol.. J: K9: lol... just refer to it as dust in your eye, works for me.. J: K9: no thanks required, my success is only based on your application of what I give you to work with. J: K9: yes, because she has a firm pack position & pack leader to guide & look after her, & tell her when its ok to play... J: K9: I think that too, where is Poodle fan when you need her? lol.. J: K9: & this is a must! You must always mark your forward steps, or sometimes its easy to think you have made none. *************************** K9: recognition is very important, so I would like to congratulate Jaygee on her & her families dedication & continued efforts, this is what made the difference, I only spent maybe 30 - 40 minutes in total with Jeddah on my leash, the rest was done by the dogs pack.... There is a section of the vrain, located just at the base of the skull ablove the spine in humans. Its the thing that tells us what we want, or think we want to hear. Lets say that you are thinking of buying a white Holden, this part of your brain will bring more of those to your attention. Im sure people have had this happen? When you believe something is so, like your dog cant be fixed, you have to over rule this section of your brain with trust & dedication. This is not easy, but it must be done to get success. Knowing this tells me how much effort that Jaygee & family put in, and, the results paid off...

I have just added a page to my website of the story of a dog aggressive Dobermann that was headed in the wrong direction, with dedication from the owner & my programs we were able to make a big difference to this dogs life, both now & in the future... Any one who would like to have a read it's here...

M: K9: it will take you longer if you wanted him to bite than if you hadny taught him this. M: K9: he doesnt have to be dominant over you, rather just ascertive. M: K9: 5 - 9 months, but its more watching for him being outgoing & independant. M: k9: lol.... read the Victorian workshop thread, no one there was talking about money? fofl...

& yes Julie, post your thoughts...

K9: remembering that drive is a subconscious level of training, (subconscious reaction to stimuli) corrections bring things back to a conscious level... Your lose the drive edge when you give corrections...

M: K9: you need to be aware of the development period your dog may be going through before doing any type of testing, see www.k9force.net/develop.html There are tests that can determine these levels as early as 6 weeks. M: K9: wait until your dogs temp is firm now.. then you can enhance the genetic nature of the dog, just know that you cant build what isnt there.. M: K9: could have been many things, the sound of the bark could help me tell you.. M: K9: Brisbane is no problem, set it up & I be there. lol. There are some protection trainers in Brisbane, some I have met & wateched work a dog, & I cannot recommend them. Others I have spoken to on the phone & or net & I have some good feelings about them, but to recommend someone, I need to meet them face to face, so I cant help..

LL: K9: That would be great, but if you dont mind I have added some thoughts to.. LL: K9: corrections from the handler may not come, but the dog not getting the toy or a delay in getting the toy teaches the dog thats wrong. If the drive program you use is solid, & your start with a puppy, corrections from the handler often arent needed. Remember that corrections reduce drive so they should be avoided if possible, you could see Sunda how even verbal corrections from handlers had such a negative effect but when I had same handler smile & clap & run backwards it had positive effect. Dogs are taught how to achieve drive satisfaction, step by step, when the handler doesnt make a mistake & ask for something not trained yet, mistakes arent often made by the dog. Most traditional training is designed to stop a dog from doing something, so corrections are a neccessary evil if you like. But this is not so with training in drive...

J: K9: yes you can increase guard drive but test first with a stranger see if you need to. J: K9: have started the DVD, will finish it one day lol, book I have wriotten 50 page manual on how to train with the e collar, thats it for now... J: K9: yes.... but not very effective, your better to use guard drive.. its easier triggered under stress. J: K9: this is because what you call her protective side is in reality her defensive side (survival mode). Difficult to control how much or how little effort the dog wants to put into saving its own life. This is just one reason we dont train dogs in defence drive a lot. J: K9: In reality you would be trying to change the positive association she has with people, which given her breed is part genetic, & that only possible with high element of stress. It would be more achieveable & fair to train her to trigger more easily in guard drive at your home. Given your amount of interest in this, I suggest you consider booking a lesson, two hours in private consult with me will make things very clear. Having that said, we are booking Feb 06 at the earliest now.

FS: K9: lol, the dogs are the easy part, its people that I struggle with at times.. lol, but everyone was so nice. FS: K9: Well Im sure your mouth is watering with the prospect of how much can be built over the three weeks I recommend. The dog will have drive & that may not even increase much or any at this age, however the drive the dog has is raw, unfocussed, once the drive becomes focussed you can begin training the steps. FS: K9: yes I agree, there is a large difference in performance when the dog is working because it "wants to" rather than "has to". The clear head elevates drive & removes issues... SARDOG: K9: nothing I said was at all an exaggeration, anyone reading this should take any opportunity they can to watch these Search & Rescue Dogs work, just watching will teach you & inspire you... S: K9: that would be great, just give me plenty of notice... S: K9: yes well, thats the word.... ;)

LL: K9: I sent an email to Julie, thanking them too. Their dogs are trained to a level of excellence that impressed me no end. Anyone that gets the opportunity to see them work their dogs should make the trip. I have also asked would Julie & or Andrew like to speak at my next Vic seminar... LL: K9: yes the 8 or 9 out of 10 score I gave Leanne on handling was well deserved, there was a lot to be observed in her vocal tonation techniques... watch the video you will see...

K9: old saying, "best handler makes the worst dog look good, worst handler makes the best dog look bad..."