Any Advice For Improvement?

[Buddy'smyboy]

Oh and another thing, um, how can I get him to come better? I was out playing fetch with him in the front (on a long leash, one of those extending ones) and he had to stop to got potty but after he finished he started to wander away a little and sniff at stuff as he headed toward the driveway again and completely forgot about the ball. When I called come, he didn't come until I tugged on the leash. I'm thinking it was because he smelled rabbit or the neighbor dogs who were in the yard early that morning. Any ideas on how to solve this problem/ make it less of a problem?

checkout that pesky little recall thread I linked above

here it is again > viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7155

Heh, forgot to check it. Got side tracked going to the eye doctor to get contacts and new glasses before going to the store. We got him a blue soccer ball OMG, he can fit his mouth around it, and it's even bigger than the first one he had

one quick tip though....Unless you are REALLY sure he will come when you call when he is otherwise checking out a dead animal, a really cool smell, another dog, bird, cat, pile of poop etc, don't call him. That just teaches him to ignore you. Go get him and gently lead him away. us plain humans are BORING compared to some of the really cool things out there. IF he does come, be sure the reward is well worth the leaving whatever it was he was checking. rewards can start out as food, and over time become just your praise.

That makes sense. Thanks.

[jacksdad]

first I have to get him from pulling when he sees other dogs. Any advice on that?

sense you know how to research, going to wimp out on you and give you another link viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7266

this is a thread we are helping someone with who has a dog with fear issues. At least from what you have posted so far about buddy, it's probably just a matter of being excited about being out and seeing other dogs, people, smells etc. so if pulling towards a dog is the only issue and buddy isn't doing anything like growling, barking, hackles up, or otherwise behaving aggressively and can break his attention back to you. Most likely you just need to build that focus back on you work.

basically, see dog, call buddy's attention back to you with a watch me command etc making it worth his while with yummy treats.

HOWEVER if you do suspect fear issues, that link is full of info and tips, and in this case, create a fresh thread and go into more detail about what is happening with buddy when you encounter a dog and we will give you a lot more specific help.

[Buddy'smyboy]

first I have to get him from pulling when he sees other dogs. Any advice on that?

sense you know how to research, going to wimp out on you and give you another link viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7266

this is a thread we are helping someone with who has a dog with fear issues. At least from what you have posted so far about buddy, it's probably just a matter of being excited about being out and seeing other dogs, people, smells etc. so if pulling towards a dog is the only issue and buddy isn't doing anything like growling, barking, hackles up, or otherwise behaving aggressively and can break his attention back to you. Most likely you just need to build that focus back on you work.

basically, see dog, call buddy's attention back to you with a watch me command etc making it worth his while with yummy treats.

HOWEVER if you do suspect fear issues, that link is full of info and tips, and in this case, create a fresh thread and go into more detail about what is happening with buddy when you encounter a dog and we will give you a lot more specific help.

Well I'm still dealing with the fish bowl effect of my glasses so I just skimmed through the first page Well, I took Buddy on a walk this evening and we met a woman with her big black lab, Rico. I've seen them while riding my bike before, but this was the first time they met.
The first time we passed on the road they tried to go towards each other and Buddy pulled hard, so I corrected him and body blocked him before we moved on. Mentally, I thought of this as communicating to him that pulling towards the other dog does not get the reward, it gets a correction and moving away from what he wanted to see.

Then we passed them a second time. He tried to get to him, and I body blocked him until he heeled with me as I walked over and we introduced them. There was a little bit of growling and slight hackle raising from both males- this tension was probably increased further since Buddy was noticably larger- so I suggested we walk them down the road before trying again. For safety precautions, I walked Buddy on the left side and she walked Rico on the right.
Right away as we were walking I noticed that she did not seem to be in control of Rico. He was out in front of her pulling her, while Buddy was heeling beside me on a short lead. When we got to the corner, I noticed that Buddy immediately was considerably more submissive, and there was no longer growling from either. I believe this was because Rico was in front, and in control of the walk, not his own owner.
Hold on a sec while I explain my thinking further from the research on canine mind that I've done (I've been doing a lot of research on wild and domestic dog behaviors and problems the passed few weeks). Even though a family may consist of humans and dogs, and while the dog can clearly tell that you are a human, no matter what, there will be a hierarchy. If there wasn't, there would be chaos. So even when there are clearly humans and clearly dogs, in the dog's mind, it is still a pack, and there is still an alpha. Each human should be in an "alpha" position in the dog's mind, while the dog is of lower status. If the dog is in an "alpha" position, then something is wrong, because in human civilization this is not safe and does not work. When a dog thinks it is higher in status over its humans it can lead to behavior problems like growling, nipping, and biting to maintain its dominace, furniture guarding, disobeying commands, and other nasty things (those are also some of the main reasons why dogs end up in shelters too). In wild canine society from which all domestic breeds are descendants, the alpha always leads. So, when you take your dog on a walk and you lead the way you are communicating that you are the leader and they must follow the leader, because the leader knows best for the survival of the pack. Unless the "alpha" human allows the dog walk in front of him, the dog should be respectful of his alpha and let them lead. If a dog openly disobeys and leads his humans, he is communicating to other dogs visually that he is an alpha over a human. So by leading her and not listening to heel, Rico was visually communicating to Buddy that he was above a human, and since Buddy has been trained that he is below humans he instintually acknowledged Rico as his alpha.
OR, on the flip side, I have been studying dog behavior WAY too deeply and am becoming what average weird people would call "weird". I've been on about thirty different websites and studied about a dozen articles on all this canine behavior and instict stuff so maybe I'm thinking like a dog more than most people would bother to do. Regardless, at least I have proven my worth as a researcher
(I'm gonna love hearing responses on this )

[Mattie]

Well I'm still dealing with the fish bowl effect of my glasses so I just skimmed through the first page

Get rid of the fish bowl effect, all you are doing is taking in the information you WANT to take in and ignoring what you don't what to know about. I also find this insulting, members on here have taken the time to answer your questions to help you, they have given their time and knowledge free then you insult them.

Well, I took Buddy on a walk this evening and we met a woman with her big black lab, Rico. I've seen them while riding my bike before, but this was the first time they met.
The first time we passed on the road they tried to go towards each other and Buddy pulled hard, so I corrected him and body blocked him before we moved on. Mentally, I thought of this as communicating to him that pulling towards the other dog does not get the reward, it gets a correction and moving away from what he wanted to see.

A good way to reinforce to Buddy that he has something to fear, stop correcting him, you will make him worse. Ooops forgot, you are in a fish bowl and don't want to read that.

Then we passed them a second time. He tried to get to him, and I body blocked him until he heeled with me as I walked over and we introduced them. There was a little bit of growling and slight hackle raising from both males- this tension was probably increased further since Buddy was noticably larger- so I suggested we walk them down the road before trying again. For safety precautions, I walked Buddy on the left side and she walked Rico on the right.

Another way of reinforcing to Buddy that he has something to fear from other dogs by forcing him to face one, not only have you reinforced this you are bullying him into facing his fears.

Right away as we were walking I noticed that she did not seem to be in control of Rico. He was out in front of her pulling her, while Buddy was heeling beside me on a short lead.

Just because her dog was in front of her doesn't mean he wasn't under control, he may have been under more control than Buddy was. Just having a short lead with your dog walking to heal doesn't mean your dog is under control, was your lead loose or tight, was her lead loose or tight, there is a lot more to walking a dog than walking it to heal.

When we got to the corner, I noticed that Buddy immediately was considerably more submissive, and there was no longer growling from either. I believe this was because Rico was in front, and in control of the walk, not his own owner.

You have forced/bullied him to face another dog so he probably shut down, well done, you have reinforced Buddy's fears.

Hold on a sec while I explain my thinking further from the research on canine mind that I've done (I've been doing a lot of research on wild and domestic dog behaviors and problems the passed few weeks). Even though a family may consist of humans and dogs, and while the dog can clearly tell that you are a human, no matter what, there will be a hierarchy. If there wasn't, there would be chaos. So even when there are clearly humans and clearly dogs, in the dog's mind, it is still a pack, and there is still an alpha. Each human should be in an "alpha" position in the dog's mind, while the dog is of lower status. If the dog is in an "alpha" position, then something is wrong, because in human civilization this is not safe and does not work. When a dog thinks it is higher in status over its humans it can lead to behavior problems like growling, nipping, and biting to maintain its dominace, furniture guarding, disobeying commands, and other nasty things (those are also some of the main reasons why dogs end up in shelters too). In wild canine society from which all domestic breeds are descendants, the alpha always leads. So, when you take your dog on a walk and you lead the way you are communicating that you are the leader and they must follow the leader, because the leader knows best for the survival of the pack. Unless the "alpha" human allows the dog walk in front of him, the dog should be respectful of his alpha and let them lead. If a dog openly disobeys and leads his humans, he is communicating to other dogs visually that he is an alpha over a human. So by leading her and not listening to heel, Rico was visually communicating to Buddy that he was above a human, and since Buddy has been trained that he is below humans he instintually acknowledged Rico as his alpha.

What a load of codswollop, you have 1 dog and have read so think you know all about dogs and their behaviour, rubbish, several on here have multiple dogs, they know a lot more about dog behaviour because they study the dogs themselves.

A pack of dogs is mum, dad and their siblings, the older siblings help take care of the younger ones, as the pups grow to maturity they are kicked out of the pack to fend for themselves, this is what us humans do apart from kicking out the children when they get to maturity although there are parents who do this. Of course mum and dad are in charge, they have to be so they can continue their genes with future generations.

A multidog househould have a group of dogs living in harmony they are not a pack, humans hold all the resources, food, rest, play, exercise etc. we don't have to show anything to our dogs but we do have to be fair and consistant so that our dogs know our rules. It has nothing to do with being alpha.

Nothing is below us, we are all on a level, we all have our rolls to play, when we take any animal on we should do our best to give them as good a life as we can taking into account the species and how they live and learn. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their pets.

OR, on the flip side, I have been studying dog behavior WAY too deeply and am becoming what average weird people would call "weird". I've been on about thirty different websites and studied about a dozen articles on all this canine behavior and instict stuff so maybe I'm thinking like a dog more than most people would bother to do. Regardless, at least I have proven my worth as a researcher
(I'm gonna love hearing responses on this )

This I find really laughable, you think you know all about dogs just by reading on the internet, you know nothing, I know nothing but I do know a lot more than you do.

I won't be replying to your posts again, you are not interested in helping Buddy, you are only interested in yourself.

[Fundog]

Mattie, I think you have been just a bit harsh on this little girl. First of all, new glasses, as I'm sure you know, do take time getting accustomed to. (Mr. Fundog had a dickens of a time adjusting to his new bifocals!) Second, despite her precocity, she is still just a child. I realize that you have been under an extreme amount of stress recently, and that can affect the way you perceive what you are reading. If that can happen to you, then it can happen to anyone, particularly a child who has not yet reached full maturity.

Buddy'smyboy, have you been reading books written by that "other" tv personality who calls himself a "doggy psychologist?" If so, I must tell you that 90% of the users on this forum considers that man's views to be an absolute load of manure. Seriously, we do not subscribe to the "pack hierarchy" theories here, and as many of us have nice, submissive, well-adjusted dogs, without emphasizing our "pack status," then that particular theory really needs to be scrutinized and re-considered to determine how much merit it really has.

For instance, my dogs are frequently fed before the rest of the family, and we don't pretend to eat out of their bowl before setting it down. They go through doors before us, I allow them to walk in front of me (I prefer it, actually), they are allowed on the furniture, etc. etc. But they do not "think they are in charge." They do not think their "status" is above ours. Really, we on this forum have proven that theory to be a load of rubbish, based simply upon the way our dogs relate to us in our respective households.

[Buddy'smyboy]

Well I'm still dealing with the fish bowl effect of my glasses so I just skimmed through the first page

Get rid of the fish bowl effect, all you are doing is taking in the information you WANT to take in and ignoring what you don't what to know about. I also find this insulting, members on here have taken the time to answer your questions to help you, they have given their time and knowledge free then you insult them.

Well, I took Buddy on a walk this evening and we met a woman with her big black lab, Rico. I've seen them while riding my bike before, but this was the first time they met.
The first time we passed on the road they tried to go towards each other and Buddy pulled hard, so I corrected him and body blocked him before we moved on. Mentally, I thought of this as communicating to him that pulling towards the other dog does not get the reward, it gets a correction and moving away from what he wanted to see.

A good way to reinforce to Buddy that he has something to fear, stop correcting him, you will make him worse. Ooops forgot, you are in a fish bowl and don't want to read that.

Then we passed them a second time. He tried to get to him, and I body blocked him until he heeled with me as I walked over and we introduced them. There was a little bit of growling and slight hackle raising from both males- this tension was probably increased further since Buddy was noticably larger- so I suggested we walk them down the road before trying again. For safety precautions, I walked Buddy on the left side and she walked Rico on the right.

Another way of reinforcing to Buddy that he has something to fear from other dogs by forcing him to face one, not only have you reinforced this you are bullying him into facing his fears.

Right away as we were walking I noticed that she did not seem to be in control of Rico. He was out in front of her pulling her, while Buddy was heeling beside me on a short lead.

Just because her dog was in front of her doesn't mean he wasn't under control, he may have been under more control than Buddy was. Just having a short lead with your dog walking to heal doesn't mean your dog is under control, was your lead loose or tight, was her lead loose or tight, there is a lot more to walking a dog than walking it to heal.

When we got to the corner, I noticed that Buddy immediately was considerably more submissive, and there was no longer growling from either. I believe this was because Rico was in front, and in control of the walk, not his own owner.

You have forced/bullied him to face another dog so he probably shut down, well done, you have reinforced Buddy's fears.

Hold on a sec while I explain my thinking further from the research on canine mind that I've done (I've been doing a lot of research on wild and domestic dog behaviors and problems the passed few weeks). Even though a family may consist of humans and dogs, and while the dog can clearly tell that you are a human, no matter what, there will be a hierarchy. If there wasn't, there would be chaos. So even when there are clearly humans and clearly dogs, in the dog's mind, it is still a pack, and there is still an alpha. Each human should be in an "alpha" position in the dog's mind, while the dog is of lower status. If the dog is in an "alpha" position, then something is wrong, because in human civilization this is not safe and does not work. When a dog thinks it is higher in status over its humans it can lead to behavior problems like growling, nipping, and biting to maintain its dominace, furniture guarding, disobeying commands, and other nasty things (those are also some of the main reasons why dogs end up in shelters too). In wild canine society from which all domestic breeds are descendants, the alpha always leads. So, when you take your dog on a walk and you lead the way you are communicating that you are the leader and they must follow the leader, because the leader knows best for the survival of the pack. Unless the "alpha" human allows the dog walk in front of him, the dog should be respectful of his alpha and let them lead. If a dog openly disobeys and leads his humans, he is communicating to other dogs visually that he is an alpha over a human. So by leading her and not listening to heel, Rico was visually communicating to Buddy that he was above a human, and since Buddy has been trained that he is below humans he instintually acknowledged Rico as his alpha.

What a load of codswollop, you have 1 dog and have read so think you know all about dogs and their behaviour, rubbish, several on here have multiple dogs, they know a lot more about dog behaviour because they study the dogs themselves.

A pack of dogs is mum, dad and their siblings, the older siblings help take care of the younger ones, as the pups grow to maturity they are kicked out of the pack to fend for themselves, this is what us humans do apart from kicking out the children when they get to maturity although there are parents who do this. Of course mum and dad are in charge, they have to be so they can continue their genes with future generations.

A multidog househould have a group of dogs living in harmony they are not a pack, humans hold all the resources, food, rest, play, exercise etc. we don't have to show anything to our dogs but we do have to be fair and consistant so that our dogs know our rules. It has nothing to do with being alpha.

Nothing is below us, we are all on a level, we all have our rolls to play, when we take any animal on we should do our best to give them as good a life as we can taking into account the species and how they live and learn. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their pets.

OR, on the flip side, I have been studying dog behavior WAY too deeply and am becoming what average weird people would call "weird". I've been on about thirty different websites and studied about a dozen articles on all this canine behavior and instict stuff so maybe I'm thinking like a dog more than most people would bother to do. Regardless, at least I have proven my worth as a researcher
(I'm gonna love hearing responses on this )

This I find really laughable, you think you know all about dogs just by reading on the internet, you know nothing, I know nothing but I do know a lot more than you do.

I won't be replying to your posts again, you are not interested in helping Buddy, you are only interested in yourself.

First of all, I would like to say that I am sorry for offending everyone who has been so kind and helped me on this website. You have all put great input in to help me and Buddy. And now I have gone and thrown that back in all of your faces. I cannot deny that being so young and a teenager for that matter has not made me cocky. I do not know everything about dogs. I know very little, less than any of you no doubt. Lately I have been feeling so frustrated and angry with everything that has been going on around me in my own life and environment and I have not been acting like me, and I think this was one of those times when I just released it. I'm not trying to make excuses, what I wrote to you guys was wrong, and I accept that. Learning all about dogs because I loved my dog so much was another one of those releases. So you're right, I was interested in myself, because it made me feel better and life easier. But you're also wrong, I did not do it just for myself. I did it because I did genuinely care about and love Buddy. If anything, he's been the only calm one around that I could rely on to remain calm. My mom is crying all the time and depressed. My sister is being lousy, disobediant, insulting, and annoying. My grandma has been in the hospital. My dad... he hasn't even called us. On top of that, my dad doesn't even care about us enough to pay child support because he's too busy having fun with some chick as he cheats on my mom and he won't pay his bills and we have to loose our house. So yeah, my life has been hectic and I've been disrespectful to all of you. Regardless of what's going on in my life, or what I've thought or said, I do still care about Buddy, and I do want to keep training him and making life better for him. I hope insulting you was not too much to keep you from forgiving me, and continuing to give me advice and guidance. Can you Mattie, or anyone else, forgive me?

[Nettle]

Hang on in here, ma'am. Buddy will be your best buddy, and you are being his.

The problem with researching dog behaviour (and kudos to you for doing it) is that there is a lot of nonsense written, and it is very hard to pick the gold from the dross. The only reason we oldies are so sharp at it is that we have been around longer and trained a lot more dogs, not all of them ours and not all of them easy. Theories are ten a penny but experience tells the truth: however you can't get experience all in one go so you have to read with a cynical mind and believe nothing until you have run it through your nonsense filter.

There is no pack stuff between humans and dogs, and hierarchy in a group of dogs is fluid and changing constantly. The dog in front is not the leader - humans love the idea of leaders who go first and get all the best of everything, but social animals don't live like that. The dog in front is at risk - the dog behind is safe. In terms of walking on leads, it is purely a matter of your dog walked nicely and the other didn't.

Good authors to read include Patricia McConnel, Jean Donaldson, Ali Brown. Others will add their choices. I used to really like Ian Dunbar but have just finished picking my way through some of his training booklets and oh dear! I won't recommend him now.

But the dog is your best teacher. Have a read of our pinned threads, especialy those on dominance and pack stuff, and you'll see where it goes wrong.

Most of all, dogs want to be safe. They like us to show them what to do, and they don't care for making decisions. They can only learn at their own pace and if we rush them, we scare them and then they can't learn at all.

Have a good read through our articles and come back with your questions.

[Mattie]

Mattie, I think you have been just a bit harsh on this little girl. First of all, new glasses, as I'm sure you know, do take time getting accustomed to. (Mr. Fundog had a dickens of a time adjusting to his new bifocals!) Second, despite her precocity, she is still just a child. I realize that you have been under an extreme amount of stress recently, and that can affect the way you perceive what you are reading. If that can happen to you, then it can happen to anyone, particularly a child who has not yet reached full maturity.

I didn't realise she was only 13, sorry, her writing is quite mature for someone of that age and I assumed she was an adult.

Yes we do write differently when we are under stress, words get put together differently.

[Noobs]

To Buddy's friend,

If I had done research like you when I was 13 (and if it had been available...was there even an internet back then?) then my childhood dog would have lived his life fully and happily, and not all alone in our back yard with no human contact except when my dad put his food dish out for him.

When I first got my dog over two years ago (he was 8 months old) I went nuts doing research and watching dog shows and reading books. Luckily all the books I got were the right ones, and any bad info I found was just on the internet or on TV - and by that I mean I didn't have to waste money on rubbish books. The downside is that I found the bad info to begin with. There is likely more bad info out there than good. I can assure you that THIS forum is the SAFEST place for you to do research. The folks here will tell you the right books to read, the right websites to visit, and the right methods to use. If anyone here accidentally gives you the wrong info, you'll get the correct info FAST. People here are on the ball.

Now when I say the "right" info, I mean "safe and effective." Lots of methods will work for sure, but many of them will damage your relationship with your dog.

I subscribed to the alpha stuff very briefly. Oh yes, I did all of the following:

- pretended to eat out of my dog's bowl
- made him wait at the door to let me walk through first
- made him get up to move so I could walk by even if he was lying down comfortably and there was plenty of room to walk around him
- took his bone from him and then gave it back in order to prove to him that it was mine and I was just allowing him to play with it
- alpha rolled him when he nipped at someone as a fear response

And so much more!

So what did that accomplish? I succeeded in getting my dog to:

- snap at my hands
- growl when I approached while he played with a toy
- cower when I stood near him
- flinch when I reached for him (even if it was just to pet him)

AND I made all his fear issues ten times worse. He started out only fearing cats and large, strange objects on the street, then it became people and other dogs too! Fun right?

So what did I do? I started over. I got all the right info from people that I trusted (people here) and authors I trusted (Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor, Ali Brown, Jean Donaldson - remember those names).

Since I've dumped that way of thinking and started using safe, effective, positive methods on my dog, I have the following from him:

- polite when food is around - he'll sit for meals and lie at our feet while we eat, no nosing around
- plays with his toys and doesn't take notice of me when I walk by
- very attentive during training sessions
- walks 99% perfectly on leash
- "checks in" during walks by looking up at me frequently
- still flinches when I reach for him too fast (how this breaks my heart) but accepts affection now

I'm telling you all this because I don't want you to go down the same road I did, not any further than you already have. So from now on, I ask that you think of things a different way. Don't "correct" your dog - teach him what you want from him and be patient as he learns. You are not alpha, you are not a pack leader. You are his TEACHER.

So, moving forward...

Your recall issue from your original post... read these:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6555
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6364
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5962
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4310
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5452

You'll see it's the same advice over and over, but the solution really is universal. Sounds like you have a big yard, yes? So you have lots of room to practice.

I don't know if anyone took note of this comment:

Not a big problem, but sometimes he whines a lot when we're not outside with him (he stays on a long leash on the front porch). I suppose just simply correcting him everytime he whines might work.

Don't correct him. Don't make him be out there alone. Go out and interact with him or bring him inside. He needs to be with his family. Please rethink the outdoor dog thing. You're worried about shedding? Brush him every day. It's a great bonding experience for both of you in addition to helping with the shedding issue.

You sound like you have a lovely dog with a few issues you need to work through. And you're having a rough time right now with everything your family is going through (I can relate to more from that list of things going on than I care to recall right now). Your dog will help you through all of the stress your family is going through. Pets are wonderful that way. So make sure you do the same for him, make sure that you deserve the unconditional love he's giving you.

Good luck. Please stick around. You don't even know the possibilities of what you can do for your dog once you're here.

PS to Nettle. Please explain why you wouldn't recommend Dunbar now? I have not read his books, just articles from the dogstardaily website. I'm curious.

[jacksdad]

Buddy'smyboy, very quick, don't have a lot of time right now. because of the info about your self that you shared, I got what was going on/in/with your posts. I am not upset or offended. Divorces play havoc on your emotional state, particularly when as the "kid" your just along for the ride. I have been "that" kid, so hang in there.

[HunniBunni]

Well I'm still dealing with the fish bowl effect of my glasses so I just skimmed through the first page

Get rid of the fish bowl effect, all you are doing is taking in the information you WANT to take in and ignoring what you don't what to know about. I also find this insulting, members on here have taken the time to answer your questions to help you, they have given their time and knowledge free then you insult them.

This I find really laughable, you think you know all about dogs just by reading on the internet, you know nothing, I know nothing but I do know a lot more than you do.

I won't be replying to your posts again, you are not interested in helping Buddy, you are only interested in yourself.

I have stopped posting here due to attitudes like this but I just couldn't help myself reading this. Seriously, you get on to a child about skimming through things, when you haven't even bothered taking the time to find out she is a child, and *truly* wants to help her dog.

It makes me sick to read the attitude you give out over and over, but this just takes the cake. Regardless if this was a child or not, you can tell by the numerous posts that she does want to help her dog. I remember being that age, going through a lot of traumatic stuff as well but having a dog to help me focus on something positive. My dog was my life. If I was spoken to like that by someone I looked up to I would be crushed.

[Noobs]

HunniBunni,

Mattie almost lost her Ellie this week and missed that detail and she apologized. Please, let's just get past this.

[forkin14]

HunniBunni,

No offense but nobody needs you to speak up for them. Mattie has apologized, or did you not see that? Don't come onto this persons thread about helping their dog about your petty need for attention. Buddy'smyboy was not even as "outraged" as you were even when the words were against him, not you, so take that as a sign of maturity. They've put it past each other, no need for you to come on here and make a scene projecting your own thoughts onto this thread that have nothing to do with training.

Sorry Buddy'smyboy for putting yet another post on here that does not involve training help for your dog. Hopefully this will be the last one and I applaud you for your maturity against Mattie's words that she apologized for.

[Buddy'smyboy]

Mattie, I think you have been just a bit harsh on this little girl. First of all, new glasses, as I'm sure you know, do take time getting accustomed to. (Mr. Fundog had a dickens of a time adjusting to his new bifocals!) Second, despite her precocity, she is still just a child. I realize that you have been under an extreme amount of stress recently, and that can affect the way you perceive what you are reading. If that can happen to you, then it can happen to anyone, particularly a child who has not yet reached full maturity.

Thanks, the encouragement is nice. And I was a little off on describing what the problem with my glasses was. It wasn't the fish bowl effect per say, although that did make the lines blur together, it was also because since they were a new perscription they made my eyes hurt and my eyes are so terrible that I can't read without them on to make them hurt less. Unless, I want to squint at the screen from six inches away. Though seriously, the fish bowl effect is CRAZY. I ride my bike passed a mailbox that I know is shoulder height and it looks like I'm way above it and it's only at my knees.

Buddy'smyboy, have you been reading books written by that "other" tv personality who calls himself a "doggy psychologist?" If so, I must tell you that 90% of the users on this forum considers that man's views to be an absolute load of manure. Seriously, we do not subscribe to the "pack hierarchy" theories here, and as many of us have nice, submissive, well-adjusted dogs, without emphasizing our "pack status," then that particular theory really needs to be scrutinized and re-considered to determine how much merit it really has.

I don't know really if it was the "doggy psychologist" guy or not, since I haven't read any books on dogs for as I have stated before we haven't been able to get out and do a lot of shopping lately. Anybody heard of Dog Breed Info Center? That was where I read a lot of it. There were a few other websites but I can't remember any more.
I too thought it seemed a bit strict, but whatever I did with it, he doesn't jump up on people any more which used to be a major thing (and even I don't want to be body slammed by a 90+ lb. dog no matter how much I love him), though if my methods were the "right" ones I'm now totally confused on. Basically what I did was this: Buddy jumps on me, I walk forward into his body making him stop jumping and throwing him off balance- an unpleasant feeling I suppose- and after about three or so days of doing that he stopped jumping up on people (but he still does a jumping dance around them without touching them which is pretty cute to watch ) Is that the "wrong" way to train a dog not to jump, or is it one of the "okay" methods? And if it is one of the "wrong" methods, did I do something horrible to him psychologically?

[Leigha]

I know the website you're talking about, they tend to be very dominance oriented and are about your dog needing to have a strong leader and not allowing themselves to be dominated by the dog.

I doubt that what you've done is going to cause permanent psychological damage to the dog. I don't see what you did as being horribly awful, but could perhaps cause the dog to lose balance and pull a muscle maybe? Generally to deal with jumping dogs we suggest that you turn your back on the dog and ignore. No words, no touching, just turn your back.

Instead of having him doing his jumping dance around people (being someone who has a dog that does this, it's annoying) you might want to teach him to sit and wait before he greets someone. When someone knocks on the door, have him sit several feet away from the door. Get him to sit & stay. Go to open the door, if he stands up and gets jumpy, shut the door, and put him back in the sit/stay. You might have to do this over and over where you can simply open the door an inch, then shut it again. Go slowly, but eventually you'll be able to get him to sit/stay, open the door, and let your guests into the house all without getting jumped on or around.