Sampson and the sofa

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ZaraD
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by ZaraD »

NaomiH wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:38 pm Hi Zara D

Many thanks for the information - I've just looked at the websites you suggested and I've found a trainer close to me who might be able to introduce Sparky to horses!

I don't know much about dog breeds (being a fellow first time owner) but giant Schnauzers look gorgeous!

Naomi
Your welcome and thank you they are a beautiful breed https://positively.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 12#p158412

Hard work, stubborn (almost diva like :lol: ) vocal, sometimes lazy but all the hard work and effort is worth it :D

The behaviourist I use is really good and she helped me massively with make dog aggression, his fear of gates , barking , leash pulling . All these issues have now either improved massively or gone , were still working on male aggression and fear of gates.
NaomiH
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by NaomiH »

Just looked at Sampson's photos - he is beautiful!
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Nettle
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by Nettle »

Dogs aren't really "stubborn" :wink: If they don't do what we want, we haven't made what we want worth doing.

When de-sensitising to livestock, have your body between the dog and the livestock rather than having the dog out "on its own" and you in the background. Makes a huge difference. If the dog is still reactive, you are both too close to the trigger. Space is very important with animals.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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ZaraD
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Location: Staffordshire, UK

Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by ZaraD »

Nettle wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:33 am Dogs aren't really "stubborn" :wink: If they don't do what we want, we haven't made what we want worth doing.
Ok , interesting so Sampson's not being stubborn, I just haven't made It worth his while? How do I get him more interested? Or more worth his while?
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Nettle
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Sampson and the sofa

Post by Nettle »

Raise the rewards and vary them. Every time we ask a dog to do something it hadn't planned to do, the dog asks us: "What's in it for me?".

You can if you like describe a typical "stubborn" and the team here will analyse it for you. Between us we'll come up with some interesting alternatives that might help others too.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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ZaraD
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Location: Staffordshire, UK

Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by ZaraD »

Nettle wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:32 am Raise the rewards and vary them. Every time we ask a dog to do something it hadn't planned to do, the dog asks us: "What's in it for me?".

You can if you like describe a typical "stubborn" and the team here will analyse it for you. Between us we'll come up with some interesting alternatives that might help others too.
Ok so the reason I say stubborn is because the main problems I have is that he won't get off the couch. When he first came to live with us he would get on the sofa I'd say off and he listened then after a while he decided off meant stay on the couch and me and mom have not done anything and I mean nothing for him to not listen to him I tried with the one thing in the world cheese but he still ignored me so I then sat on the floor and made it seem as if the floor was the best place to be and he started getting off so I thought great then again after a while that didn't work and decided that he doesn't care what I say or what he'll get as there's nothing better than the sofa :roll:

For a small while he did just lay on the floor by his own but that has stopped too to him the sofa is God.

Apart from this I have no real issue with him as he's making massive progress on his other issues like with the fear of gates which I think I figured it out he went crazy when he saw a shock collar in our local pet store so I picked one up and he went nuts and was pulling frantically in the other direction to run away so I think his previous owners used one to keep him in the garden and he must of got shocked whenever he went near the fence\gate. But he's making massive progress going past gates as long as I have loads of cheese.

Most giant owners I spoken to have said it's the breed there divas and stubborn.
I also made a breakthrough with his hatered of rain I figured it out that it wasn't the rain he hated it was the rain touching his head so asking as he has his coat on and his hood up he's happy to go for a walk in the rain :D
JudyN
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by JudyN »

My alternative for 'stubborn' is the dog saying, 'Thanks for the suggestion, but actually I'm quite happy here if it's all the same to you.' And at the first sign of confrontation or even bribery, they dig their heels in. Maybe you can create a stubborn dog if they come to think that whenever you ask them to do something, it's something they don't actually want to do. I'd happily get off any sofa for £100, but if I was focused on the fact that I liked the sofa and you wanted me to get off, I might just refuse that £100 because I don't like being manipulated or pressurised.

If I want Jasper off a bed or sofa and I've a feeling that he won't get off when asked (he usually does) then I'll call him happily from the other end of the house. Then when he comes he gets a treat, or a game of 'find the treat' or whatever so he's actually forgotten that he's been duped again.

On the other hand, he will often get on OH's sofa just after we have our tea, purely because he knows OH will give him a treat for getting off. He doesn't even wait to be asked :lol:

Remember that using the term 'stubborn' suggests that we think the dog should do what he's told purely because we ask him to do it. It goes back to all the hierarchy/status rubbish.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by Nettle »

JudyN posted same time as me :D and saved me the explanation of 'dogs should obey us just because' - thanks JudyN

Okay, so getting off the couch......

First make sure he has something as good or better than to get off onto. Are you expecting him to get off the couch and lie on the floor? Why would a dog want that?

Then teach on/off in a variety of places, indoors and out, with huge rewards for 'off'.

Leave treats for him to find randomly on the terrifically comfortable bed you have as an alternative to the couch.

Don't expect him to keep off the couch when you aren't there.
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ZaraD
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by ZaraD »

Thank you to the both of you,

I knew he wouldn't like just the floor so I brought him this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/ ... %28online-

But Sampson tried it once but after fidgeting for about 20mins he got up and never went on it again so I tried throwing treats I know he highly values but that did not work he ate the treats near the bed and then just kind of rocked it with his paws to get the treats to move until they moved of the bed :roll: . I was hoping that since it looked like a sofa he might like it but no :wink:

So then I tried this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/merch-groups. Fortunately he loved it but then decided it was to good for the living room so dragged it upstairs to my room and that's now his bed and everytime I take it back to the living room he grumbles So when he's seen I have moved it as to say oh great now I have to take it back upstairs :lol: maybe I need to try something else similar to this that's comfy but comfy for the living room. Maybe I should go back to pets at home and try a few and see which one he goes back to a few times?
Last edited by ZaraD on Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lotsaquestions
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Re: lurcher behaviour problems!

Post by Lotsaquestions »

I've found its best to have lots of different beds laying around for dogs. Merlin has a raised bed, a quilt that is folded over, a standard dog bed, a plastic dog bed, a cooling mat, and the sofa. He swaps between them when he wants.
ZaraD
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Re: Sampson and the sofa

Post by ZaraD »

Also can I ask out of interest my neighbour also has the same problem well use to have with his Dalmatian and he did excatly what you said nettle threw treats on new bed and the Dalmatian is happy on his bed now but what I wanted to ask is his Labrador was not like this as his Labrador is happy to get off everytime he's told and is happy just lying by his feet and other owners I spoken to of labs and a few friends who have other gundogs have said the same that there labs listens straight away and will always get off if asked is this because there a lab or is it to do with that there big suck ups and just always obey ? Just very interested :D
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Nettle
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Re: Sampson and the sofa

Post by Nettle »

Plenty of Labs get back on the furniture too. But having said that, they are one of the easier breeds to train because their bred-for tasks involve close co-operation with humans and therefore there is a genetic bias.

I'm another fan of lovely comfy dog beds in each room the dogs are in. After all, most people have comfy furniture in every room :lol:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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ZaraD
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Re: Sampson and the sofa

Post by ZaraD »

Hi all

Just got back from pets at home ok so i layed out some of the beds to see which one he liked most of them he just either sniffed or ignored them until I pulled this one out and helayed straight down on it :lol: http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/ ... ne-only%29 It's suppose to be an online exclusive but they had one as an example the one they had is not for sale though but he loved it so I ordered three one for the living room , kitchen and the conservatory, the only other room he's allowed in is my bedroom were he sleeps but he already has his bed in there.

I can't wait for them to arrive, he took an interest in the Easter eggs but I said no Sampson there not good for ya :wink:
JudyN
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Re: Sampson and the sofa

Post by JudyN »

That looks nice :D Though you do realise he might just have liked it because of the smell of the last dog to try it out? :wink: :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
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Re: Sampson and the sofa

Post by Lotsaquestions »

£240 each! My word! I think £30 is our limit, and recycled duvets are free! :lol:
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