I'm needing some help

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Shepherd103
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

Thanks to everyone for their replies. :D
Last edited by Shepherd103 on Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Shepherd103
emmabeth
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Re: I'm needing some help

Post by emmabeth »

You would need to teach him to trust you, that he IS safe regardless of the distractions. This is not something you can easily do whilst working, you would need to work on this first before you take him with you (and you would need to be 100% sure he actually IS safe where you ask him to stay).

However, am I right in thinking you would be asking him to stay, unsecured (ie not tied to anything) whilst you remove your attention from him to deliver the paper which presumably risks the resident dog escaping and of course, risks your dog breaking his stay if scared or he sees something you haven't proofed your training against.

I would not recommend you do this - what if whilst your back is turned he breaks his stay and causes an accident chasing a cat, or he is scared into running, or someone walks by him and scares him (the number of children I have come across who will kick a dog merely because it is within range is frankly horrifying and of course if the dog reacts, HES the one in serious trouble).

All in all, I don't think it is really reasonable to take your dog with you doing your paper round if you have to leave him unattended at any point (And tying him up will be no better he is still at risk). He is currently likely to be fearful of other dogs barking at him (sensible!) and you cannot train on the job, on your own.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Shepherd103
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

Thanks Emmabeth for some advice!
I'm thinking of walking him in the area to get him used to it.
Thanks
Persevere, hang on till the end. Don't quit, keep going!
Shepherd103
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Nettle
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Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Nettle »

I'd strongly recommend you don't take the dog on your round. Take him for a proper walk at another time. You are setting BOTH of you up for a really nasty incident, and you can't undo it once it's done.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Shepherd103
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

I have created one of my own training methods, which works really well for me and my dog. We tried it out yesterday, and he went very very well. I taught him to sit and to wait, he already knew what the commands meant, so it was fairly easy.
Thankfully most of the letter boxes were well spaced out, so we weren't stopping every metre or so. I would get to a letter box, I'de ask him to sit and wait and I would deliver the paper. About and hour and a half later I was dropped off to the end of a road, which was my last part of the run which was just the left side. There was 3 dogs, and this was going to be the real test. Since he had been walking for an hour and a half and running in the rugby feild most of his energy was gone, and it helped as he had not much energy to use on negitave behaviour. He was brilliant and he was alittle uphappy for a few seconds that he couldn't play or meet the otherdogs, but I quickly gave his mind something, so he sat and waiting, and I kept his focus on me. I was able to drop the lead and I trusted that he would stay, and he did. We came up to a property with a builder fixing a gate, since he is a little nervous around strange people, I asked him to sit and wait 5-6 metres away from the letterbox, and the builder was amazed that he stayed and waited and when I came back and picked up the lead I spoke in a happy voice " Lets go!" and I gave him plenty of praise. We had the odd dog on the run, which tried to cross the road and their owners were yelling and shouting at the dog and my dog was sitting and waiting :lol: But I have worked with Shep since I got him, on basic obediance and he is very well trained, I'm so happy that I have solved another area in his training! Thankyou for all your guys concerns, as I did pay close attention to them, If he wasn't going to cope and be obediant I would take him home and do the run by myself, Shep didn't carry papers, but he did and good job pleasing me!
Thankyou all again! :D P.S Now and then my papers flew out of my hands, and I could drop the lead and he would stand still, while I got the papers- the weather was very windy, but we still managed it! :D
Persevere, hang on till the end. Don't quit, keep going!
Shepherd103
Shepherd103
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

All I said was One verbal command " sit" and one verbal command "wait ", and he listened.
I didn't have to keep my hand up and say " Wait, wait, wait, wait!" or even " Wait, wait!" just one verbal word for each command. I am so happy with the successful training yesterday.
Persevere, hang on till the end. Don't quit, keep going!
Shepherd103
emmabeth
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Re: I'm needing some help

Post by emmabeth »

Its great that your dog is obedient, but I think you have missed the point of what Nettle and I were saying.

By asking this of your dog, to sit and wait whilst you are busy and not paying all your attention to him, you are putting him at risk. If that loose dog had gone up to him and attacked him, that would be YOUR fault, and it would likely ruin the behaviour you have trained, and his trust in you. If you say he must sit and wait, and then something horrible happens to him, how do you think that will affect your relationship with him?
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Shepherd103
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

If a dog is loose, I will hold the lead. Even if I wasn't asking him to sit and stay there will be times on a walk a dog is loose normally without their owners. I trust him and he trusts me, he is very obediant and I am very happy with his progress.
If a dog attacked my dog, the owners would be at fault for not having their dog under control and unsupervised. Depending on where I am, If a dog is around, I have him with me, beside me sitting and waiting with me holding the lead, so I still have control.
Last edited by Shepherd103 on Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Persevere, hang on till the end. Don't quit, keep going!
Shepherd103
emmabeth
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Re: I'm needing some help

Post by emmabeth »

But YOU are putting your dog in a position where his safety and health are at risk. It doesn't matter what other owners do or do not do, there will always be irresponsible idiots - your dog is YOUR responsiblity first and foremost, and leaving him in a sit stay on the street, when y our attention is, even if only for a moment, on something else, is putting him at risk!

It's great that you know how to stop a dog fight, but its a bit too late once your dog has trusted you to comply with a cue... and then he has been hurt. The damage is done by then!

You can't close a thread - I'll decide if a thread requires closing and this one is still relevant and useful for other posters.
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Nettle
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Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Nettle »

I know how to stop a dog fight too, but what is far more important as a life skill is that I know how to avoid them starting. My dogs trust me because they know I will always put their safety before anything. Because they trust me, they are well-behaved.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Shepherd103
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:15 pm
Location: Te Puke, New Zealand

Re: I'm needing some help

Post by Shepherd103 »

He is right beside me all the time and my mum said I have train him to be good while I'm doing my paper run, and I have to obey her (which puts me in a difficult position)
I have been walking him more often in the area, which is great and he's getting used to the area much better and getting to know the dogs.
Can we please close this. There's nothing I can do until another few years when I leave home and I take the dog with me. And I'm finding it all a bit frustrating. I've been doing alot of work with my nana's boxer who is such a stressed dog and I've been keeping her off lead in a enclosed paddock and we came back half way off lead which is good- so I'm quite tired.
Please close this topic.
Thanks
Persevere, hang on till the end. Don't quit, keep going!
Shepherd103
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