Nuggetbowl

Sardines in springwater or soya oil - 2 kippers on kibble for dinner 2-3 times a week or so. He loves it. Also a raw egg on kibble at least once a week.

Agreed Erny. A case of too much too soon for Mr Nugget. We will continue the recall training on lead and at home. He will continue with socializing with dogs on the morning walk as he knows the dogs there very well We are joining an obedience club in the new year.

Thanks Erny. I guess it is hard to find just one dog in an area especially on a regular basis. Good idea on the attention. We have used NILIF techniques to establish leadership so we are the alpha leaders. He has to perform a command before he gets anything - food, attention, walks. I've also started doing the TOT with giving him dinner. I'm not sure how he perceives his place in the house but I hope it is in balance. How can you tell? We take him on 2 walks a day. Both can involve socialising with other dogs. We do training in the house before we leave, we do heeling and sitting on command on lead on the way to the park. We go to the off lead park and he socializes with other dogs there. In general he comes on command, but when new dogs are there, he HAS to go say hello and hardly ever comes back on the first recall. This can involve me going over to collect him especially if the other owners are not happy. He also ran away under the park fence the other day - so I am really reluctant now to take him off lead. Yet he loves the dog park and gets lots of exercise playing with the other dogs....

Thanks I guess we have already been doing this over the last few months. He is regressing at the higher distractions point but is always reliable at home and in areas with minimal distractions. Other dogs are his total distraction and always seem to win over treats. Everytime we are at the dog park off leash, I call him over every now and again, when he comes, I treat and praise, I put him on leash occassionally not when I call him to come but just when he is nearby and release him so he doesn't think that putting on the leash is the end to good times. I try not to go to him and always make him come to me. Sometimes this doesn't always work! He will follow me usually when I am running away from him. All this is good 85% of the time. The other 25%, he is running around with other dogs usually new to the dog park and will not come to me on the first call.

SO back to square 1. Training at home without distractions and getting a long line for the park?

We have problems with this too. He is fine at home without distraction or in parks without distraction. The minute he sees something interesting at the dog park though, off, and he chooses when he comes back.

Gave the boy a raw egg today shell and all. He was a bit confused at first but ate up the whole egg and some of the shell.