Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Any time new episodes of It’s Me or the Dog are airing on Animal Planet in the US, Victoria will answer questions about that episode later that week. Post your questions to Victoria about the most recent episode here anytime.

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thomas444
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by thomas444 »

Hey Victoria

I love you're show soooo much!!! :D
But my dog rouge keeps growling at me and I'm on my last string :o and im not in charge of the house im the youngest of 5 so I can't take him to vet to get him checked or anything like that and the rest of my family won't go with it!

They love him to bits and they will just say its my fault and that I've provected him and I never hit him (exept a smake on the nose) And my family all belive in the "punishment" method and I don't belive in that.

Rouge is quite old so I wonderd is that was why but he dosent growl at anyone else in the family.

Is there anyway I can get him to stop!?!

I'm realy on my last string!!! :cry:

I attached a pictuer of him.

Thomas Spence Northampton U.K
Victoria
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

Hello everyone!

Thanks for joining me tonight - I'll be here for the next hour trying to answer as many of your questions as I can.

Let's get started!

Victoria
flybyeyoda
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by flybyeyoda »

BoardHost wrote:Victoria will chat live in this thread on Monday night, March 22nd at 9pm EST about the most recent episode of It's Me or the Dog - Man vs Manny.

Victoria helps a couple whose possessive poodle has taken control of their household and is threatening to ruin their once happy marriage.
flybyeyoda
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by flybyeyoda »

hey
Victoria
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

thepennywhistle wrote:First question: I must be being dense today, or have missed an important comment, but I do not quite
understand Manny's motivation when he looked to be happily greeting and licking friend Geri, and snapping
at her at the same time. It just looked so contraditory. Clearly he wasn't intending to make contact, or
she'd have lost her nose. Was this "I like you, but you're still too close to mom', or the issue of sofa
ownership, or something entirely different? Sorry to be so slow, but I'm confused, and I'd like to understand
a bit better just in case I should encounter this sometime.

Secondly, that was an enormous crate for a small poodle. Was that for ease of access and speed while in the
bed, or is that the crate size you prefer relative to the dog if you must use one?
1st question - he was just excited. It wasn't an aggression thing at all, but instead he was so excited to see her that he couldn't contain himself and it ended up as inappropriate behavior.

2nd question - the crate was just a space to put Manny in momentarily if he aggressed. It wasn't for crate training or a bed. If it had been, then yes, the crate size should be relative to the size of the dog.
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

GoofyDog2 wrote:I watched the show last night and I have a few questions.

1. I have always heard that a crate should be a safe place where a dog will go willingly to feel comfortable and safe, and never to be used as an aversion or "punishment". But in this case Manny was corrected for unwanted behavior with a verbal "Uh-Oh!" or "No!", and then picked up and put into the crate which was completely enclosed in opaque fabric. I would think that would frighten the dog. I'd be frightened if someone picked me up and locked me in a dark, unfamiliar room. :shock:

2. I was surprised when you shrieked loudly to stop the dogs from fighting, but the camera was on Judy so at first I thought it was her. Then, later, you advised the use of a whistle, blown loudly, as an aversion. But we never got to see how the dogs reacted. :wink:

3. I fully agree with your initial statement that these dogs needed both owners to show leadership, and enforce rules and boundaries, and especially for Judy to stop reinforcing the dogs' unwanted behavior by protecting and cuddling. Judy clearly showed signs of major stress, and she seemed to make good progress after your visit. :)

4. When one of the dogs showed too much excitement about meeting another dog on the walk, I think you advised just walking the other way without saying anything to the dog. Shouldn't you tell the dog that you are changing directions, rather than just pulling him around with the leash? Or is the idea to have the dog pay attention to you without verbal cues? :?:

Jolly good show! :D
Thanks!
Your answers:
1. As I said in the above post, the crate wasn't being used as a bed or a common place. Manny had to be shown that when he aggressed, Judy actually put her away from her. Now if Judy had put her on the ground, Manny would still have charged at Louie. The only way that Manny would get this is if he was removed into a space.

If a crate is being used as a den or bed, it should never be used as a part of discipline, but this crate was used as a temporary training tool and is now no longer there.

2. Are you asking what the dogs' reaction was? If so, they stopped their behavior immediately. For some dogs (not all), such a noise can be an effective, safe way to break up a fight because it cuts above the noise and emotion of the fight and acts as a really powerful interrupter.

3. Judy did a great job of turning herself around and becoming a more responsible and effective owner. I'm very proud of them all.

4. I do give a verbal cue as I turn the dog around, but then I don't talk to the dog as I'm walking away. Then, when I want to turn around again, I give another verbal cue.
mustlovdoggs
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by mustlovdoggs »

Victoria, If all dogs come did not work, what else would you have tried?
I wished I was the person my dogs thinks I am.
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by flybyeyoda »

Victoria I am 16 years old I want to be a dog trainer. I am very impressed by what I see with you. I am planning on attending Animal Behavior Collage when I graduate. Can you make any suggestions of what I can do now. I watch all your shows several times DVR is great.

Elizabeth
dandykins
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by dandykins »

I think (though I could be wrong) that Manny was a rescue, wasn't he? And I remember Shayna was the one starting many of the fights on the couch and during walks. We have two resident dogs in our own home, and we generally have one foster, which means our dogs often see a new dog every week or so. Any tips on how we can make them feel less anxious about the new arrivals? We do the usual stuff - let them greet the newcomer one at a time in the yard, then everyone, then do the house walkaround, and feed everyone separately - but we're still figuring out how to make our dogs feel a bit more secure with the situation. Our oldest dog that we've had for the longest, for example, is a 2 year old gordon who usually is VERY social with other dogs but has taken to barking at and charging new comers and mouthing (without actually biting.) It doesn't look like playing.

Do you think there's something to the theory where the "top dog" (besides the two-leggers of course) in the house is walked first, fed first, let out first presents good boundaries and alleviates some stress?
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

dontpugme wrote:Great episode! I've molded my saturday agenda so that i don't miss episodes (but sometimes it doesn't work :( ).

My parent's and i were surprised at how similar this episode was to "Boys vs Girls" with Junie B.

I was very surprised when i heard that squeal, but it works very well. My mom thought it was Judy and my dad thought it was one of the dogs. I recognized your shriek, and my parents were very surprised to figure out it's source. My dog was sleeping at our feet. He got startled and looked confused and gave us a good laugh.

I had to put laundry in the dryer and i missed the part where you worked on Manny's behavior at the front door. Can you please explain.
My husband hadn't seen this episode until last night, either, and he jumped a little when I shrieked on camera as well, so your dog and parents weren't alone!

Regarding Manny's behavior at the front door, he really wanted to greet everyone, but he had to learn that if he jumped up and snapped (which was not aggression, by the way), then he would be removed - a negative consequence for him. If he was calm, then he could continue greeting. That smart little fella learned this very quickly.
Victoria
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

kevsmom wrote:Hi Victoria

I think you missed your calling. You should have been an opera singer. I'm really glad you became a dog trainer though. I missed the first half, but stilled enjoyed it. I thought that the "all dogs come" would confuse the dogs. How is it that they picked up on that so quickly?

Carol
Hmmm, I don't think I'd have been much of an opera singer, though I still do love singing.

The all dogs come command wasn't that confusing for them. They learned quickly that when they heard those 3 words, they were going to get something good from their owners. Same concept as any other obedience command that I use to help cut through the emotional responses and get their brains working.
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by GoofyDog2 »

Dogs can react strongly to loud sounds. My dog is generally very calm and does not react much if I drop a pot or make a loud noise when working on something. But if I sneeze, he comes up to me and acts very concerned and tries to paw me and even climb up on me. He's 80 lb so not easy to push away, but if I tell him I'm OK, and give him a treat, he'll settle down. Do you think he senses something may be wrong, like dogs who sense and alert to epileptic seizures or the presence of disease?
GoofyDog
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

Petsittingbyliz1 wrote:Victoria,
Every time I see an episode, even a rerun I pick up important tidbits so I thank you. I love your book and your method of training dogs.

Regarding the latest episode, you quickly explained the 'art' or dog fighting. You distinguished between wanting to oust them vs just wanting to end a fight. Most of the time they never draw blood you said but they certainly are able to is also what you said. Can you elaborate on that.

I also would like to know about the whistles you gave the couple. I have often thought of getting one for any fights that may escalate, as I am a pet sitter. I wonder if a regular whistle is sufficient or if I need to get a dog whistle ( I do hate the idea of the dog whistles as they seem inhumane.)

Thank you for your time and advice. Also any advice you can offer to a pet sitter would be greatly appreciated.

Liz
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the kind words. I know they show the old episodes quite a lot, and I'm glad they continue to help in some small way.

Even though the fighting looked really bad, none of the dogs were injured. They certainly could've hurt each other, but since they didn't, that showed an incredible amount of restraint and that none of the dogs wanted to actually damage the other. That's an important thing to ascertain in any dog fight.

Regarding the whistle, any sound that's an interrupter of behavior will work. You don't need a dog whistle. And it's not to make the dog fear you or the noise, but rather to cut through the emotion and interrupt the behavior - so while some people might consider them an 'aversive' technique, I like to view such noises as interrupters rather than aversives.

I started my dog career as a dogwalker and dogsitter, and got to sleep in some pretty amazing houses way back when in London. Fun job most of the time! :wink:
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by dontpugme »

I you use commands like "all dogs sit" and "all dogs come," do you think dogs understand that if they hear "all dogs," all of them have to respond to the command?
--dontpugme
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Re: Episode 210 - Man vs Manny - March 20

Post by Victoria »

doggy style wrote:Great show. It never ceases to amaze me how simple, yet so effective your techniques work. Im sitting there saying, why didnt i think of doing that.Its so obvious yet we humans dont think that dogs will comprehend.and im sure your clients tend to think so as well. Are your tv episodes worse as in behavioral issues versus your private training sessions or do they even out? And how would one get a private session without the cameras.And if all else fails squeal at the top of your lungs! can you train me how to do that!
Thanks, Doggy!

A lot of times during the filming of the show, I'm thinking on my feet trying to figure out how to solve a problem on the fly. It can be daunting, but such situations can also produce some head-slapping moments for myself as well!

I'd say a lot of the people in the episodes are a bit more extreme than my average private clients. The dogs are often about the same, but the guys who find the families for the show do a good job of finding families who not only have problem dogs, but are also interesting human cases as well. I'm not trained to deal with people's issues, but I often find that they must first be addressed before we can get down to what's causing the problems with the dogs. That's the biggest difference.

Right now I don't have time for private clients due to the show, but I am building a network of great positive reinforcement trainers so that people around the world can get the help they need. See here for details: http://positively.com/dog-training/overview/

thanks!
Victoria
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