two years of hard work pays off!!

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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woodster
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:06 am

two years of hard work pays off!!

Post by woodster »

It's been a long time since I've posted anything but I just wanted to update you on our progress! For those who dont remember woody is a cavalier king charles who had some issues with aggression. This being my first dog I'll admit I had no idea what to do and went about it the wrong way. Who would have known I was making it worse? I had to find a compromise that would work for both of us.
Woody doesnt like it when I lift his food bowl (even when empty) so i found a great way to do this was make it into a game. He sits and i break apart a treat and spread them around the room and tell him to wait. When I say "Go!" he collects his reward and I go into the other room and get the bowl. He goes mad for it, its his favourite part of the day!
His aggression issues unfortunately were fueled by me I think. Now I know better! If he guards something just leave him to it, he's a bit of an attention seeker when he's bored so when he sees I'm not interested he soon loses interest too. Being a bit stricter with the general rules; what he's allowed to do and what he definitely isn't has done wonders. He now knows his place within the household and is much more obedient. I do often catch him barking at the treat jar though! Some things will never change.... :roll:

I would just like to thank everyone for your help and advice to help me change my behaviour as well as his. For all those who are having problems at the minute, don't give up! With a lot of treats, hard work and patience you will get there in the end.We're the best of pals now and its hard to think where we were 2 years ago! :D :D
JudyN
Posts: 7018
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: two years of hard work pays off!!

Post by JudyN »

Well done :D I read your post earlier but was thinking about you just before tea, when OH and I noncholantly chatted to each other in the kitchen while Jasper destroyed a wooden spatula I'd been flipping burgers with that he managed to pinch off the worktop. Curbing the instinct to confront a guardy dog is over half the battle!
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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