Do You Lose Your Temper When Training?

[Guest cloverfdch]

I've shed tears of frustration before... not a good look.

:D I have also, mind you i was 17 years old and training my first dog (Rottweiler/ Cattle Dog x, not the best mix for a beginner). We were in an Obedience class and had been in Class 3 for about a year and kept bombing out on the test to pass into Class 4 (She is now a very well behaved Class 4/ Trial dog).

And i am ashamed to admit i lost it completly with Elvis tonight at Flyball for chasing the dog in the other lane, i tried yelling that did not work, i tried giving a very firm "Drop" command still did not work. I them walked off towards the car did not say a word to him and he actually followed and was a bit curious as to where i was going. I then calmly put him back in his crate and walked off, left him there for a couple of minutes (I was shaking and was so P***ed i needed to calm down). Got him back out, took the distraction away and had a couple of realy good runs with him, but i dont think i will get him up to competition level .

And off topic, Clover was my angel at training tonight, luckily i got her training (Both Obedience and Flyball) over and done with before training Elvis.

*Sigh* He is so frustrating with Flyball but i dont get frustrated when training him in Obedience .

[Guest cloverfdch]

Also Mooper that was very insensitive of that "lady". I would have given her a mouthful then, Good on you for not losing it with her, i would have .

[Mooper]

You watch, next week Jack will be an angel

Edited February 22, 2005 by Mooper

[blacklabrador]

I have to potential to get frustrated sometimes... but I make a point of walking away before it happens. I know it doesn't help the dogs to train angry so I tend to just go "right training over!" and walk away... usually without the nice praise they usually get at the end of training. So I guess TBone knows when he has been a clown once too often.... cause Mama just withdraws her attention!

[ninaandted]

I get frustrated with the "regression" times - especially pulling on the lead. Nina has really been getting the point about not pulling while walking and then all of a sudden there will be the walk from hell. she'll bark, pull to get to anything that passes us and pull the whole walk.

I do get quite angry out of frustration and disappointment because I usually can't find a cause for the difference. I usually pull them up and give us all a bit of time out and get them to do a few "sits" and "drops" until I calm down again because they can do those without any problems and it gives me an opportunity to praise them for something and begin feeling a bit more positive.

I would put my anger down to my inexperience with training and being tired when we're out walking. I wish I didn't get cranky, but it seems to only happen when the whole walk is turning into a disaster!! so I'm watching myself now and giving Nina more opportunities to get things right!

[MonElite]

Yeah - I guess loosing it on my side is just frustration I never hit my dog, even the check of the chain although harder is not doing anything to him.

Once (ages ago) I lost it in the leash free park. Bugger didnt want to come and followed another dog playing. I left him there, walked off, got in the car and drove off. With tears in my eyes of course.

He broke the world record chasing me .

He tried this again about 6 months later. I managed to only start the car.

I have to say that I have not lost it in months if not years - he is just so good

Edited February 16, 2005 by myszka

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: temper comes from frustration, this comes from having high expectations of the dog, & the dog not meeting those expectations.

Trainers that set out a plan, read the dog well enough usually end up smiling, not crying.

If your training with the amount of emotion that will bring tears, this will effect your results, your investing way too much into your steps.

Think about it like I do, mistakes made by the dog are a great opportunity for me to raise the dogs level of training.

If your dog never makes a mistake, you should be either adding more distraction to raise your dogs level of training, or be happy with the level your at...

[ninaandted]

K9 - I like the last part - it gives me a little bit of perspective . I have LOTS of opportunities to raise Nina's walking on a loose lead skills. and you are right too - i'm very emotionally invested in her learning how to do it well - right now!! but i accept that it takes time and realistic expectations of pace. she's getting there.

as I've said in another of my posts - i realise that my end of the lead is the problem.

and I think mooper's experience and also in my experience, sometimes in training groups it is the other humans that are a leetle bit insensitive and judgemental!!!

[poodlefan]

K9:

Think about it like I do, mistakes made by the dog are a great opportunity for me to raise the dogs level of training.

It ain't the dog's mistakes that frustrate me K9, its my own numptiness... why oh why didn't I keep up with my childhood ballet lessons - it would have made learning agility turns so much less painfull.

[soniq]

I got upset at the obedience training I used to go to ... every week we would have a different instructor .. one would tell me off one week for "doing this" and the next week I would get told off for NOT "doing this"

[Mooper]

I got upset at the obedience training I used to go to ... every week we would have a different instructor .. one would tell me off one week for "doing this" and the next week I would get told off for NOT "doing this"

Yep, I've had this with different trainers, too. One trainer will say to verbally correct Jack when he barks. The following week, a different trainer will tell me to ignore the barking and praise like mad when he's sitting nicely.

Now if we get a trainer other than the regular one, I have a chat with them at the start to let them know the method I'm most comfortable with (edited to add: my preference being for positive reinforcement).

I do like K9 Force's healthy perspective. And, as with ninaandted, I recognise that the problem is on my end of the lead as much as it's on Jack's end. I'm learning, he's learning ... and we're both making mistakes but that's all part of the process.

Maybe Jack and I should start wearing "L plates" to training ...

Edited February 16, 2005 by Mooper

[SpikesPuppy]

I have a terrible temper. Mum keeps telling me I got mixed up as a baby and I'm actually the child of an Irish family.

But I can usually feel when it's coming on and I stop training or turn the training to something really fun like a trick or something.

Lately though, I've been getting sooooo frustrated with the new dog.

She's around 12 months old and we found her on the road (most ppl know the story) . Anyway, she is completely untrained (though now knows sit and is learning drop).

That's fine no probs. I can deal with the pulling on the lead, etc. She's not a big dog (kelpie).

The biggest problem is her clingyness to us!!! Sure, it sounds nice to ahve a dog that follows you everywhere, etc but she goes inot a panic when we leave her.

I just get so frustrated at her fear and panic if that makes sense? maybe it's Cabin Fever (haven't been out of the house without her much in ages), but I think it's also because I'm not a miracle worker and I don't ahve the power to just make her understand that it's ok. Wea re not going to do what her old owners did and leave her somewhere and never come back!

Wea re working on it, and now she can be in another room with the door closed or in thebackyard without barking for up to 45 minutes. But it's hard.

Am also glad to know that everyone else is human and also has off days or gets annoyed while training, etc.

[boxagirl]

I don't think I have actually lost my temper, but I do get quite frusterated. I usually keep trying, but if Bondi is really playing up I will end the training session.

[prodigybxr]

I don't think I have actually lost my temper, but I do get quite frusterated. I usually keep trying, but if Bondi is really playing up I will end the training session.

Dont forget to end training on a happy/successful note, even if it means you do a run thru on an exercise that your girl can do with her eyes closed Its definately better to end a training session positively.

Cheers

Jodie

[ricey]

I only ever lose my temper on Dogzonline ; I never lose my temper training Hobbes. He has frustrated me at times, and he knows that . I think now that I'm the one who stuffs things up with my input from my end of the lead. I'm getting better; in time, I will be perfectly trained and not a bad trainer

Peter D

[pawsaroundoz]

Hi there LabLover!

I did lose my temper once or twice with the 'old boy' (Crash), and I soon found out how upset he would be.....with Carlin I have to be very carefull, he is such a 'wuss' and gets worried by so many things but mostly men, which can be a little frustrating at times but I know about it so am ready.

I have always preferred training in the am. so as I don't bring any of the bad vibes I may have picked up during the day to training time.

Anyway, how are you?

Annie and Carlin

[carebear]

I have lost my temper when training Zoe before. Mostly because of her dog aggression. It will be going fine, and she will be ignoring other dogs. And then for no reason she will have a go. It gets very frustrating.

same with lucy.