Dog Training!

[bouncybouncy]

There are always tons of posts about dogs and questions about dogs! With a headline in my local newspaper about a "pitbull" chewing off a babies toes this morning my mind is so boggled!!! Why do dogs have to put up with ignorant humans so much??? (the mother did not hear the baby crying...she was doped up on meds or something!) Humans are so terribly irresponsible and dogs are the blame and get punished!

**** I am not saying it is ok for the dog to chew off toes! The dog should not have had that opportunity in the first place! And that woman most likely should not be a mother either!!!

Sorry...babbling here when I wanted to post a book: I am only on chapter 3 and have already seen the light to some issues I am having with my dog! I can't wait to put this kind of mentality into work for me AND my dog...

The Culture Clash
by Jean Donaldson

It is a cheap easy read...and so far beyond worth it!!!

[MartianDestiny]

I really do not understand what some people are thinking with dogs either.

I just recently adopted a wonderful Cattledog/heeler X Border collie and ran across a women who came up to meet her (we were shopping for new doggie goodies) saying she also had a heeler, weren't they wonderful, etc. I mentioned that she had exhibited some herding behavior including the nipping heelers are known for with another dog and (being excited to meet an "experienced" heeler owner) asked what she'd done to curb the behavior or "program an off switch" at least around humans.

She looked at me in this horrified manner and said essentially "you can't train it out of them, it's what they are bred to do" and then mentioned that hers routinely BIT her CHILDREN while "herding" them .

Ok lady, I understand the first point, but certainly you can set boundaries, and biting a human (genetically programed or not, which it isn't) is one of those boundaries. She then went on to tell me that I shouldn't have adopted a heeler if I didn't want to deal with herding... RIGHT LADY... I don't mind her herding, but I still want her to "leave it" and "come" and "down" when told, regardless of what she's doing at the time or what her genetics are and I certainly don't want her biting because she was "herding" a human!!!

Luckily she has limited her herding to other dogs to this point and is making consistent progress on the command obeying in all circumstances (still have a way to go before it's all circumstances, and when she's in "herd" mode is still one of the problem areas, but we are getting there).

Some people.

[Becky]

I love that book! That was easily the most-shared book amongst staff when I volunteered at the humane association.

[PamNY]

So sad about the pittie and the baby, and I'm sure an easily avoidable tragedy.

I love Jean Donaldson's book; in fact, it's out on loan to a neighbor right now.

Pam

[andtckrtoo]

Man, what a senseless tragedy!! Yes, totally preventable and now the baby will be scarred and the pit will be killed. Both could have been prevented with a little bit of sense.

I have an Australian Shepherd with a high herding instinct. If he bit ANYONE while herding or not, I'd not tolerate it!! If I could not alter his behavior on my own, I'd have a professional help me. Actually, I have two Aussies at home right now - the one I'm doggy sitting for is even worse - he gets fixated on things he wants to herd and it's hard to break his concentration. His owner and our dog hiker club are all working together to break this habit. Crazy people.

I LOVE Culture Clash. It's sitting on my desk at work and gets passed out to any new doggie owner.

[MartianDestiny]

Man, what a senseless tragedy!! Yes, totally preventable and now the baby will be scarred and the pit will be killed. Both could have been prevented with a little bit of sense.

I have an Australian Shepherd with a high herding instinct. If he bit ANYONE while herding or not, I'd not tolerate it!! If I could not alter his behavior on my own, I'd have a professional help me. Actually, I have two Aussies at home right now - the one I'm doggy sitting for is even worse - he gets fixated on things he wants to herd and it's hard to break his concentration. His owner and our dog hiker club are all working together to break this habit. Crazy people.

I LOVE Culture Clash. It's sitting on my desk at work and gets passed out to any new doggie owner.

This is exactly my feeling as well. In fact I'm looking for a trainer experienced with herders in the area to help me with some recall and leash issues. I have a few possibilities, just need to get off my rear and call them.

Off topic a bit:
Your Aussies are so beautiful. I had an Aussie cross (I think with golden retriever or yellow lab) before Luna and was actually looking for another Aussie when I found her. Too bad the rescue you work with is far too far away from me or I'd have gotten one from you!

[LoriO]

My first Aussie was a terrible ankle nipper when she was young. Typical herding instinct at work.

One trick I used to break her of it was to take water, flour and anything hot, tabasco sauce, hot peppers, whatever I could get my hands on and make a paste out of it.

Then I took an old pair of sneakers and socks and put them on. Then I painted the spicy mixture on the shoes and socks. After that I went outside with Bandit and just walking around like I normally would. As soon as she tried to nip she got a taste of all that nastiness and she did a double take. It was nice becuase I didn't have to do anything so she didn't associate me with a correction but she associated herding nips on people as something not pleasant for her.