JacAbik9

It doesn't matter what you use, as long as your dog is trained to walk on a loose-leash. I use harnesses for restraint-based games, so my personal dogs and some dogs I've trained will automatically pull in any harness. The front-attach harness aren't ideal as they can impact a dogs' gait and structural development. There are some that are designed to allow for maximum movement, but the more they do that the less aversive it is for the dog, so the more likely they are to pull. But my dogs will all walk at heel, on a loose leash with any kind of collar. One of my dogs has had a prong used as an 'activator' though, so when it goes on she gets a bit cray cray and thinks she's going to do some high-arousal biting/obedience. Still won't pull though. Someones comment above about chains, prongs, flat collars etc. being 'damaging' is irrelevant if you've trained your dog.

I've done NDTF and know a few people that have done Delta in the past 2 years - NDTF is still more comprehensive.

There's no research into the efficacy of snake aversion training. Anecdotally, however, it can be very successful when done correctly. The dog must connect the aversive stimulus with the snake, and not with anything else in the environment including the handler (a strong argument for e-collars). What Maddy has said above applies to dogs that have not been effectively trained. Aversion training is avoidance conditioning; the dog associates a snake with an unpleasant stimulus, so will actively avoid snakes in the future in order to - by extension - avoid the unpleasant stimulus. The dog does not associate the presence of the human with the unpleasant stimulus, so the proximity of people has no bearing on their avoidance behaviour. Done correctly, the dog ceases their predatory behaviour and there is no fallout. Concerns about creating a sneaky dog or one that attacks rather than retreats from snakes as a result of aversion training are either misconceptions about the process, or based on experiences with poor and ineffective training practices. Snake aversion training, however, will not stop accidental bites from snakes that were unintentionally disturbed by the dog. My recommendation would be to consult with a professional that has lots of experiences with snake aversion training. There is a definite process that must be followed for it to be effective. You'll have to go to VIC for this, as e-collars are illegal in NSW and they are by far the best tool for the job.

Thanks guys!

Can mixed-breed dogs compete in ANKC sports? I know the AKC started allowing them to compete a few years ago. Thanks!

Training outcomes have little to do with certifications, and everything to do with individual skill and experience. Dogs that attack their owners that severely are very unusual, and I doubt very much that it had anything to do with training methods. If anything, someone using force free methods are less likely to have aggression directed at them because they manage the dog's environment and triggers so carefully. I know many people in the bitework industry that routinely get attacked by their dogs, and they lean heavily into the aversive end of the spectrum. Their dogs are genetically prone to aggression, and some have a predisposition towards handler aggression (like many Dutch Shepherds). Regarding psych drugs; they're a valuable management aid and can be very beneficial when part of a holistic training program. I also assume you mean NDTF not NDTR? I've done the NDTF course some years ago and they don't really endorse any particular 'method'. They try to teach students about them all and then let them decide.

Agree with the above re. your dog being a bully. My suggestions; 1. Do not go to the dog park. The more chances he has to rehearse the behaviour, the stronger it will get. Go to a green space, snap a long line on him and play ball or do some training instead. Take his dinner out to an oval and throw it everywhere for him to hunt for (if there are no other dogs around). Hire a dog walker a few times a week to get rid of some of that energy. There are zillions of other options you can take instead of the dog park. 2. Train. Train and train some more. If you had reliable obedience, you could recall him from his obnoxious behaviour and redirect him somewhere else. Then you could go to the dog park all you wanted! If you're not getting what you need from the classes you're attending, hire a competent trainer. If $$ is an issue, check out youtube tutorials on how to train a reliable recall. 3. If you still insist on going to the dog park without reliable obedience and he's being a dick, go get him and stop him. Do not attempt to call him away if you don't have solid obedience. Protect the other dog, or their owner might decide to. I've gotten pretty nasty with unruly dogs harassing mine, or my client's dogs when their owners failed to do their job. It's better if you handle it. Your dog is engaging in completely normal behaviour for his age, but if you don't deal with it now then he'll just grow into it. You can do it!

I'm always hesitant in general to talk about 'doodles' with other crazy dog people, so I'm quite relieved!

I'm probably going to get crucified for suggesting it, but check out Tamaruke Labradoodles and Taloodles therapy and assistance dogs. I've met and worked with some of their dogs and I've been very impressed. They actually changed my mind about Poodle mixes!

The barking is an expression of his anxiety and stress. You can change that emotional state through counter-conditioning and desensitization; when the older dog sees the new puppy (from a distance at first) good things happen. Instead of telling him 'no', throw a celebration! Tell him what a good boy he is and how brave he's being. Give him lots of affection if he likes that sort of thing. And if you can, reserve his meals for any occasions where he'll see the puppy. So, for example, the puppy is in a play pen in the backyard. You bring the adult dog out and as soon as he even notices the puppy, you start your praise and affection and give him a hand-full of food. Continue this until you've run out of food, then remove him from the area. If he thinks that he gets good things when the puppy is around - and he doesn't get those good things unless the puppy is around, he'll start changing his tune.

It depends on whether you want the inhibition to be contingent on your presence or not. You can condition a dog to get more fun out of interacting with you, using aversive-free methods, assuming the act of chasing is less rewarding than whatever you're offering. Susan Garrett's course is a great way to learn more about increasing the dog's value in you to ensure success. However, if you want to stop the chasing when you're not present, the only reliable and realistic way to create permanent behaviour change is through e-collar training. It still requires management, but far less effort and long term commitment. As anti-force people say, it is a 'quick fix', in that it quickly fixes a problem, permanently. The dog learns that chicken chasing = bad. It will probably temporarily cause some negative associations with the chickens themselves, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Otherwise, you can just use an angry rooster to do the job for you I have a dog in NSW, where e-collars are illegal, that has been habituated to the presence of chickens with long-term exposure. She's a chicken killing husky, that can now roam with chickens off-leash and unsupervised. But that took 2 years, and was a happy accident that we didn't intentionally try to make happen.

Have a goal in mind whenever you take the dog out. It helps to write it down in a journal or something. I personally found this really beneficial, especially when the goals were simple. I'd have 2 simple goals that I know we can achieve, and 1 or 2 more that are a little harder and optional. Ask the dog to do something that you know she can do. Having a little 'win' can help your frustration levels (and hers). Work with a trainer if you're not already doing so. Having an extra set of eyes, and skilled hands can jump start training and make you passionate about progress again. Change your mindset. Easier said than done, I know! But instead of viewing the dog's failure to comply as literal failure, view it as a learning opportunity. If she reacts to another dog, it is an opportunity to communicate that reacting is bad, and walking at heel is good. Instead of trying to avoid other dogs, seek them out to work through your dog's problems. If she forges ahead, internally celebrate because it means you can remind her of what you want her to do. Frustration is a normal part of working dogs. Having a variety of tools in the toolbox can also help immensely. If x,y,z isn't working, you can try a,b or c and hopefully make even just a little progress in a session. I'll add a caution to not label a dog 'stubborn'. What we view as obstinacy is really just our failure to properly motivate a dog. If she doesn't respond to the treats we have, they're not high value enough/she's not hungry enough. If a correction doesn't inhibit her behaviour at least temporarily, it wasn't aversive enough etc. Nobody's perfect, stop being so hard on yourself!

Well that will make it tricky! Ah, the fun of multi-dog households.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I'd recommend booby-trapping the door somehow. The banging sounds like it's self-reinforcing, and if that's the case then you'd want to make it unpleasant somehow. Even just throwing keys at him if you catch him in the act can work. Otherwise, so he doesn't associate you with the bad experience, attaching some tin cans that make noise or fall on him can inhibit the behavior. I hope I don't get crucified for my response, but even Dunbar recommends booby traps!

Play the two-toys game. Throw the toy for her, and when she's coming back in your direction, present another (preferably identical) toy. Entice her with it if she seems suspicious. She should kick it into high gear and head back towards you, at which point you throw it in the opposite direction, so she has to run past you to get it. She might drop the toy she has as soon as she sees the one you have, or she might hold onto it until she's caught the second one on the first few reps. But, after a while she should be grabbing the first toy and running headlong back to you to get the second. It takes a little bit of practice to get the timing right, but if you throw the second toy when she's almost to you on the way back, you can condition her to drop the first toy close to you. She'll become predictable, so you can then add a cue (drop, out etc) right before she lets go. She sounds possessive, so you just need to convince her that you are not trying to compete for the toy, but are instead the epicentre of all the fun and games and the provider of toys. I like to practice this with a chuck-it and a few balls, so it's not technically two-toys, it's five or six. The game just keeps going then. I hope that all makes sense. I've got a bunch of other little tricks I could explain if that one doesn't do it. Let us know how you go with it!

I went through the NDTF cert with the owner, Paul, a few years ago. He's a great guy, loves dogs and is very into motivational training and continuing his own education.