Dog Training/behaviour

[bina]

hunting dogs are differnt than border collies; what makes them tick is not what makes a colllie tick...

hvae to see what they like and use that as a motivator; also, attention training (macb, we do this thing with dogs so that they watch YOU all the time for the next command) spaniels maybe always looking forward for the 'catch' so attention training may help) . hard to say from long distance. try using balls and things for attention getters; try working them together or separately, see waht works best; try very very short training sessions several times a day. see waht behavior patterns they have-- do they chase, do they like to play with u, are they curious or do they have their noses to the ground after cats and things. these can clue u in to how to manipulate them. if i recall cockers have a short attention span and not a very 'want to please' drive. collies of course are very flexible and workable although we did have problems way back when with border collie herding us during the heel (kept pushing me sideways towards the group, very annoying).

water may be bad for spaniel ears; they are prone anyway.

u might want to google some spaniel breeder pages, often good breeders will have trainng tips for their specific breed; most dogs are dogs but those with a specific genetic makeup like hunting drive, or herding drive make certain forms of training useless or difficult and a different method is needed.

somtham: cross tying, like with horses. thats a good way to tie up an animal, we use that on untrained horses/foals. i think teaching him to speak on command and then quiet is a good idea, and can be usefull in other situations (u hear intruder noises at night, u say 'bruno, speak' and big german shepherd barks, etc... )

[macb]

In the UK at one time I did have a Red Sherpa van with rear doors and side sliding doors: I had my local blacksmith make me some sturdy cages that slid in and out as I wanted on a runners, as I had four dogs at the time, then they all juumped on board and each new which was his cage so no arguements hehe.

I dont personally think I would want my dog in the back of my truck tethered, but i would consider a cage for the following reason: He has movement inside the cage but its design also protects him from injury if you suddenly break, also he can bark willy nilly:

Bear with me on the training manual I promise it will be put together, baby due keeping me alert at the moment

Edited January 27, 2007 by macb

[macb]

Lets get this Training guide underway starting first with choosing you dog:

This is meant as a guide to folks embarking on a new companion:

When your considering a dog here are points to consider first:

1 Why do I want a dog (A dog is for life not just for Xmas etc)

2. Whats my living accomodation like do I want a dog for indoors or outdoors

3 Will I walk him or take him out with me every where I go

4 What size Dog do I want a toy breed or Robust big dog

5 Dont get confused with Pedigree Certificates unless you are going to Show or breed then dont worry about them, even then if you want to breed you can do so with a dog that has no papers.

6 You see the litter unless you got the pick of the litter which is normally done first between the two breeders anyway as mating Fee, look at the pups see which one is inquisitive and bold. check over the body are the eyes bright, thats how I have chosen dogs over the years.

Well thats a start I run out of time now more soon

[bina]

i can add:

what is your life style: fast paced city, home all the time, country, sporty, couch potatoe, young kids, older, elderly,

it would have been stupid of me to get a basset hound for instance since i like hiking and playing alot... i like quick thinking dogs that can self entertain also...

short hair, long hair,

mature dog, puppy,

do you need a territorial dog like the canaan, or will that cause u grief with your close neighbors?

vet bills: some dog types are more'prone' to all sorts of diseases or need more care in general: eyes, ears fur, whatever.

whe u buy a dog, it is not for your children. you have to want to take care of it, the children will learn from you. a dog for a bar mitzva present is NOT a good idea.

weather: in your area is it hot, or rainy or dry heat: then u have to deal with a heavy shedder in theheat, or wet fur in the rain or slobber on your sofa,

bina

[Rooo]

Thank you for your replies, I have started applying some of what I've learnt here so far.

[Etrigan]

Great thread, thanks for starting it. Just a quick one and it's not behaviour related. Apart from the chemicals on offer at Carrefour or the vets, what's an effective way to keep ticks away from my lab? I use the monthly skin drops, which seems to kill most of the common brown ticks, but he still keeps getting these really small, circular-body shape ticks which can also bite humans.

He's a house dog but is able to escape. He'll even break a locked gate if he's determined enough, so I think he's picking them up from other dogs in the street. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[bina]

do an evening grooming session and just take them off ...its 'quality time' for the dog with a biscuit in the end and u get to actually see that u got the things off...

we actually went back to using a collar, some super strong double strength one dont remember brand name, it seemed to work for our yard (working) dogs, and we put opigal (carambate) powder in their sleeping/laying areas. (outdoor only and no contact with children so safe enough_

non chemicals: i've not had any luck... garlic yeast b12 blablabla... not for a big dog that goes roving.

sorry

bina

[macb]

Yep agree with Bina after all we live in the jungle now my GSD gets groomed I also use a Dog Shampoo for ticks and fleas, but dont shower to often or your takeing Natural oils out there coat.

On a different subject those with Spaniels Cocker or Springer they are proneto ear problems and inffections so a tip if you dont alreadsy do it, when you lift the ear you see lots of hair, advice keep it clipped inside the year because hairs can grow inwards inot the iner eear and cause infections.

All dogs you need to look after there ears a good ear drop for infection is 'Canaurel' Ear drops, you can get it in UK not sure about Thailand. But most pet shop suppliers carry most of the pet medicines and some of them give anti this and that injections

Thanks again Bina I am a bit busy at moment.

Hang in there guys the Training bit will come soon

[OneeyedJohn]

Am I confusing my dogs with different rules...?

The 2 big ones are not allowed in the house......and they know it

The 3 small ones are...

Of these 1 can go up and down the spiral staircase, 1 can only go up, and the last one can't do either.

Looking forward to your manual

[macb]

Insight into your dog

Just some thoughts and info I want pass onto you gathered from over the years:

If you got a puppy get the feeding right 4/5 meals a day dont chastise him to much or heavy handed you and your family need to bond with him, keep him happy with play and toys.

They soon learn if you say nom but a voice to loud can knock him back a few days if you not careful.

In the first year your dog will be making bone they are same as humans when growing kids can grow quickly and mums and dads worry cos they are not putting weight on. You have fast or slow metabolisms, after a year then he/she starts putting weight on and building more muscle.

Important they to have to build characters, and it is true what they say you can read a human by the way there dog reacts, on the lead your dog will feed from the vibes of you he they feel it down the lead, ie if your slow then there slow if your vibrant then there vibrant.

Let them build there own Character, dont do a lot or try obedience when very young it can ruin your dog I have seen it over the years, and to much of this and that bores them and can make them stubborn.

These little bits I am adding are all the build up to Training tips which will follow shortly.

Keep water fresh and plentifull more so here in Thailand

I have not pre-witten this thread just typed quickly to give you more info and tips probably teaching most of you to suck eggs so I apolgise now

Get your pup used to a lead and collar equipment will depend on the size of your dog obviously, the Term Choker (Chain I dont like) because we are not out to choke the dog its called a check chain, whne we are getting into obediencs training and tips I will ask what sort of dog and tell you what size chain, and there is a correct and wrong way to wear the chain and hold the lead.

Well thats it for now time for Brekkie and shower then see wife and new daughter

[bina]

Am I confusing my dogs with different rules...?

if each dog knows his/her rules, then no.

if u change the rules on the same dog, then yes.

dogs know their names, they understand specific commands for specific dog, thats how dogs work as teams etc. its great fun to ask one dog to 'go left' and the other to 'go right' and watch how nicely they split up and turn left and right.

another note: dogs learn easily and someone mentioned that their dogs only understood one language. dogs learn words. they dont care which language. it took my finnish boxer one month to catch on to all new commands (i.e. hebrew). both my dogs also understood commands in english simply cause some commands sound better in english than in hebrew. nala has learned thai commands. dogs learn to read sign /hand commands (for hunting dogs, field work dogs, deaf/hearing help dogs, and also, they watch us and learn cues from us). u can use commands in gibberish as long as u are consistant with the word.

one of the best tricks i love with nala, is i ask her if she is tired and if she wants to sleep. i cue her in by using a two hands together under my head (like a pillow) signal, and she yawns and lays over on her side. i always use the same cue but switch words (tired, sleepy, sleep, snooze) and people are always amazed at how smart she is. she is of course, but mostly she is watching me for my cue to her. like the horses that add and subtract and nod their heads etc.

my mother's poodle has learned to spell. he knows the word movie (jumps on sofa and waits with dad to watch video.) so now mom spells out 'movie' but probably cues him in with out knowing it, so he hears her spell the word out and jumps on the sofa and waits anyway.!!! (my parents, being exnew yorkers speak with lots of hand movement so cues are plenty)

bina

[OneeyedJohn]

Thanks Bina, the signals I like, just like the come on command, I slap my thighs. There must be loads of others.

My 3 little dogs are so little our vet recommended we don't use the injection yearly as they can get cancer from it apparently. Having them spayed is expensive and also dangerous on such small dogs, at least thats what I'm told.

Thanks for sharing your obviously vast knowledge

[macb]

It is easy teaching them I agree with Bina;

But I dont want to start talking about advanced things before the folks have learnt to walk:

It is most important to have good obedience 1st.

If you got a dog will walk to heel off the lead sit and stay lie down and stay recall on commmand, then you can progress from here.

Obedience is the Foundation of Dog all dog training then progress from there;

But dont think you can teach them obedience and once taught forget about it, its like learning to play snooker then only playing once a year and thinking I used to be good at this, they need little refreshers .

And remember two level of voice tones one for commmands and higher bouncey voice for praise.

A commmand or correction must be followed by praise: And it is good if you dog likes tug of war keep a length of robust cloth in your left pocket. When excercise finished over exagerate getting it out your pocket then have a play with your dog praising him, in time he thinks if I do this for my handler I get play.

more soon

REMEMBER YOU MUST HAVE AN OBEDIENT DOG FIRST

[bina]

funny , macb u use a tug of war toy. we were always taught that that is a no no for large dogs since it becomes a game of power unless they already know to let go on command. i prefer a tennis ball or pine cone, or the infamous kong, as a play reward (or even a stick laying around since tennis balls in pockets look funny )

yes, learn to walk before running of course. here are some DOs and DONTS:

my point was just that dogs learn quickly and are amazingly versatile.

1. all sessions should be CONSISTENT and fun.

2. dont do long drawn affairs where the handler is loosing patience and the dog is bored, tired, irritated or whatever.

3. KEEP ALL SESSIONS SHORT, AND SWEET.

4. STOP WHEN U HAVE ACHIEVED THE RESULT OR CLOSE TO THE RESULT U WERE AIIMING FOR.

5.dont keep doing it over and over again after u succeed once or twice in a row. the dog looses his 'umph'.

6.dont show off to others until your dog and you feel secure. some dogs are shy around an audience and with a newly learned command may refuse to 'preform' .

7. always go back to basics if u feel the dog is not responding or forgetting things. make it all fun and interesting.

8.if u are bored for sure the dog is bored. play games. when heeling, do figure eights around barrels or people. revers directions. do a sit in the middle. remember how u learn in a class and how a teacher makes it interesting.

9.NO SHOUTING OR HITTING.

if u are angry or impatient, quit for the day, go and play for a while, try again or try something different. it is rare for a dog not to understand a clearcut request. it is more commonplace that the 'commander' was requesting something in a way the dog didnt understand. "get me the g..d. ball" is NOT a command/request or 'come here come over here right now, i said come now"... that is NOT a request /command.

make sure that everyone in the family uses the same request/command for something. make sure everyone agrees that the dog will do this thing ex: no begging at dinner table means the dog is in his bed until u finish eating; or, the dog is always leashed and heeled unless u are playing with him .

DONT TRY TO DO TOO MANY THINGS ALL AT ONCE. CHOOSE A FEW BASICS: sit, heel, place (bed), down, stay, leave it, or things along these lines, what fits your family best.

macb, i;m looser than u in my training demands cause not everyone wants or needs a dog that heels off leash for instance, in some cases, sitting on command, quiet, down, bed, etc. are more neccessary. for others, heeling, sit/stay etc are needed.

not all of us need or have working/obedience dogs. i find that for most families i;ve helped here, a polite socialized dog is most needed. one that sits at the vets clinic, doesnt jump on people, goes to his place on command when new kids come to visit., shuts up on the quiet command, etc are more important than a perfectly heeled shitzu. for a boxer perfect heeling is needed when a 10 yr old takes her out to walk.

not sure i understaood the connectin between vaccines and cancer???? for small dogs???

bina

[paulsmithson]

We are moving to Thailand very soon and bringing our two dogs with us. After twenty years back in the Uk my command of Thai was sadly rusted so we decided that , in the home we would converse only in Thai from now on.

The male dog goes berserk whenever he hears me start to speak Thai!

The bitch is unconcerned.

When my wife or her friends her speak thai the dog is not nothered.

Thai music does not upset him.

Advice please ??

We are flying our dogs out and intend to use the aircraft kennels we bought for them on the back of our pickup truck when we get to Thailand.

We have a home and one rai in Samut Songkram so we now need to fence it all and then doggie heaven( untill I speak in Thai( lol)

[bina]

what kind of beserk???

does it only happen when u 'speak' to him?

or if u speak thai in general?

its obviously not the language itself since the music etc isnt bugging him.

is he more 'your' dog? so its like u are suddenly 'speaking' a foreign language to him and changing the rules on him?

maybe your body language changes when u speak thai so he cant 'read' u as well as the bitch can? (dogs have different personalites just like us).

try to be specific as to when and what occurs. it will be easier to identify the problem. although this is one ive never run into, and i've met lots and lots of bi and tri lingual dogs.

maybe its like with my kids; they speak to me in english on the phone and my ear is cued to hearing hebrew over the phone so i dont understand what they want from me and it make me beserk (only i dont bark).

maybe its just that u are supposed to be speaking englsih (or whatever language it is u were using with him before) with him and he doesnt like the change.

maybe your thai doesnt really sound like thai and its not english so he cant make heads or tails of it. after all, thai is tonal so he is hearing it properly from your wife, but when u say a word, its not 100% correct tones, so it sounds like gibberish to him, not english and not thai so he doesnt understand u at all.

maybe macb has an idea or three

a definate wierd one for me at least,

)

bina

[macb]

Bina I can see and understand what your saying about the casual training or more relaxed obedience etc, its just my methods are based on 19 yrs of Training Police Dogs: Tug of War method is used to keep the dog near you and of course to assist with sleeve work etc, so that if a Criminal threw a ball he would not run off.

So I think it will good people can see the two types of training methods running parallell and collate from both of us. I used to come across this with Dog TRaining clubs in UK, but I could not get on with there training methods.

Now this Dog going Berserk I think Bina is right lets get a better picture painted of what exactly is happening when he goes berserk what sort of beserk nasty friendly ??? We need a better picture painted for us ie what else is going on???

As you say Bina interesting

[paulsmithson]

Bina/macb

It does not seem to matter what I say in Thai he picks up on it immediately, barks then growls and runs at me. A sharp slap on his nose deters anything worse and then obviously I stop speaking thai as I do love the dog and have no wish to hurt him.

I do have a gruff voice and our local dialect is rather flat in tone. As Thai is a tonal language at first I thought I was over-emphasising the tones but my wife tells me I am not. I am however speaking more slowly than I usual do and taking great care over pronunciation and so I must sound vastly different to him than either my normal self or my wife and her friend when they speak in Thai.

Having spent a lot of time away from home due to the nature of my work he certainly is more my wife's dog than mine, but he does realise that I am in control and he is not the boss ( This is very strange behaviour for him)

Last night I put him into the flight kennels and started to speak Thai again, making sure we were near so that he could hear me. I think I got three words out, quite softly spoken, when he started to bark like mad in a kind of temper.

Both my wife and I think he would bite me IF I did not slap him when he goes for me, or even after that if I persisted in speaking Thai. He does seem quite serious about that.

He is a lovely dog and very protective of both my wife, the bitch ( noun not adjective LOL) and our guinea pig and other pets, but that is against outsiders and not myself. He is 6 years old and I have had no problems previously with him.

There are lots of changes to his environment at the moment with packing etc going on so he would be stressed due to this. He does not react to thai music but then we play all female vocalists,

His reaction when I join in singing "kayup - kayup -kayup- kamasi " would be funny if I did not have to run so fast afterwards ( lol)

[macb]

Bina/macb

It does not seem to matter what I say in Thai he picks up on it immediately, barks then growls and runs at me. A sharp slap on his nose deters anything worse and then obviously I stop speaking thai as I do love the dog and have no wish to hurt him.

I do have a gruff voice and our local dialect is rather flat in tone. As Thai is a tonal language at first I thought I was over-emphasising the tones but my wife tells me I am not. I am however speaking more slowly than I usual do and taking great care over pronunciation and so I must sound vastly different to him than either my normal self or my wife and her friend when they speak in Thai.

Having spent a lot of time away from home due to the nature of my work he certainly is more my wife's dog than mine, but he does realise that I am in control and he is not the boss ( This is very strange behaviour for him)

Last night I put him into the flight kennels and started to speak Thai again, making sure we were near so that he could hear me. I think I got three words out, quite softly spoken, when he started to bark like mad in a kind of temper.

Both my wife and I think he would bite me IF I did not slap him when he goes for me, or even after that if I persisted in speaking Thai. He does seem quite serious about that.

He is a lovely dog and very protective of both my wife, the bitch ( noun not adjective LOL) and our guinea pig and other pets, but that is against outsiders and not myself. He is 6 years old and I have had no problems previously with him.

There are lots of changes to his environment at the moment with packing etc going on so he would be stressed due to this. He does not react to thai music but then we play all female vocalists,

His reaction when I join in singing "kayup - kayup -kayup- kamasi " would be funny if I did not have to run so fast afterwards ( lol)

When you start this Thai language speaking is it when your wife is nearby, something has happened in addition to the THai speaking and he sees the THai language as the trigger. Also when you start speaking Thai is you wife nearby.

What I want you to do is get a whistle and if he starts barking blow it, if he stops praise him and give him a treat.

He is also seeing you as a bit of a threat to your wife as you work away for long periods, he will be used to your wifes voice and mannerisms

[sbk]

OK, my turn

I have 5 dogs. 3 females are 5 years old, 1 female 3 years old and 1 male about 12.

3 of the females (2 5 yr olds and the 3 yr old) get very stresses by fireworks. Shivering, running around, looking for a safe place to hide. One of them usually goes and hides under the desk and then she is ok. The other two (Tigger and Gew, the 3 year old) remain stressed, shivering, whining, following either me or my husband around and attempting to hide but always coming back out. They both remain very stressed long after the fireworks are over. With shivering and panting lasting at least 1 hour afterwards.

I have read to ignore it as to console them reinforces the behavior but frankly, I tried that (for 2 years on Tigger) , and it didn't work. Now the fear and stress of the 3 dogs is transmitting to the one female who is now starting to get a bit scared too. Scruffy, the older male, doesn't like the fireworks but can tolerate them better than the other dogs.

Bar blowing up my neighbor who enjoys his fireworks (tempting!) are there any relaxation techniques I can use on my dogs to help them calm down?

[bina]

sbk

it is very difficult to desensitize the dogs to boom boom noises if u have no control over when to do them (teaching a gun dog or an army dog as macb has experience with usually , at least here, uses food as an associative together with the noise.);

maybe shortening the amount of reaction time after wards? getting them to play a game of ball or something; physical activity usually restores most animals to equilibrium fast (endomorhphines, andrenalin usage, not sure why but have found that useful in other animals as well as, surprisingly, children). it also breaks the habit of 'freaking out' since they are busy playing. their breathing changes with excersice (breathing faster etc so more oxygen)...

just suggestions my wierd suggestions:

we did have this problem daily with what went on up north in israel and many many dogs were severely traumatized as were donkeys horses, goats chickens etc. however, many people told me that the outdoor dogs(not housed inside), and other outdoor animals dealt better in lthe long run as they were able to move away from the noise -- the onces that werent locked up or chained or stabled (even in a pasture, a donkey could run to the other side and in its opinion, it feels it is 'running away' from whatever is 'coming after it'. )

i saw this behavior with our goats and donkeys; the problem is most dogs run away from fireworks etc and get lost; cats go up trees and get stuck. maybe u could find a place they could 'run away' too (like a small room, or keenel box) , teach them to go there when it all starts, and then teach them to 'come out' on an 'all clear' signal. (in sderot and up north the animals learned the falling bomb/alls clear signals very quickly people told me); once they 'come out' they get a game of ball or something.

may sound rediculous but might work, it might shorten their stress time since they are programmed like us to go to a sort of bomb shelter on signal etc. (we felt better when we had a bomb shelter to go to rather then sitting in the house waitng, it kind of gave us a sort of -false i know- sense of security and our kids felt much more secure.

as for the barking to thai dog: how about taping yourself speaking thai conversationally and leave it for your wife to play with in the evening, different tapes every day. or conversations between u and her in thai; so the dog can hear your 'different' voice daily.

macb, we had this problem often with dogs when the male of the family comes home from army duty with gun and soldier clothes; the dogs go berserk. its like, they know the person is the same but not (like an alien imposter as far as the dog is concerened.). my yard dogs bark at me if i come to the zoo wearing 'good' clothes and not my usual 'uniform' of work clothes/hat/sunglasses. i'm not the 'same' person. once i speak however, they quiet down.

macb, good idea with the whistle to break the behavior pattern. just trying to figure out the association of thai/male voice. (was there an other thai speaking male in the house that maybe treated the dog differently?)

bina

[macb]

WEll we are working well here together I think two heads are better than one, apart from the fact I been washing nappies all day (Stop laughing).

!st Bina is right the age of your dogs will make it more difficult to correct the problem now, how ofteen is this neighbour letting his fireworks off?

If you could get the timing right its another distraction that is needed at the same time that he is playing next door.

Play loud music to so as to muffle the fireworks this will also annoy your neighbour hahaha.

As for the barking dog ,good idea playing tapes. whilst dogs do register human scent and remember it, changes in clothing from the norm is correct, even I have had my owon dog/s bark and growl at me cos they think who the hel is that then they catch your scent or hear your voice.

[sbk]

!st Bina is right the age of your dogs will make it more difficult to correct the problem now, how ofteen is this neighbour letting his fireworks off?

If you could get the timing right its another distraction that is needed at the same time that he is playing next door.

Play loud music to so as to muffle the fireworks this will also annoy your neighbour hahaha.

Mostly at night, seems to be random, perhaps whenever he has guests that want to set them off(its also a bungalow resort). The dogs aren't bothered by the firecrackers the boat guys use when the put their boats in the water, but by the big booming ones that farang seem to enjoy so much (yes, my neighbor is also a farang--not sure how his dogs react to the noise tho). These are loud! Music wouldn't even begin to cover it up (and he's too far away to annoy with my loud music anyway

I like the idea of a "safe" room, would it be better to shut the door on them in there? They won't fight, they are generally just too scared to act aggressive in anyway.

[macb]

Dont know about safe room ie cage or kennel trial and error I think: Have get my thinking hat on with this one.

One thing you could try is do you know anyone with a starting pistol?

Have you dog/s on a lead and get someone to fire the pistol at a distance then close the gap slowly but at the time the pistol is fired stroke your dog then reward them for sitting still. this is how we train steadiness to the gun

[bina]

hey macb, i knew u'd say that; its just that most people dont have that sort of stuff around and u need to do the gun work very very slowly everyday... its easier and more practicle just to teach them to go to some 'room' somewhere

1 teach them to go there and settle down (down /stay, or settle (a sort of down w/o a mandatory stay, like an at ease stay). stay with them in the beginning. put on a tape, turn on the t.v., read a book, act as if nothing is happening (as u've already read somewhere else.). whent the stuff stops, jump up, say, lets go play or something happy happy along those lines and get their ball or chicken.

2. teach them to come out on an 'all clear' type signal . the minute they come out, start a game or give them yummy chicken

the idea is that they wont sit in there shivering and panting if they have a positive incentive to come out and 'get their shit together' so to speak. u can use this to shorten their recuperation time and is easier to do.

yes, my bitch does same, every summer the arab villages have their weddings which include gunfire and fireworks. and it might as well be in my salon since we dont use the ac so we used this idea. we tell her to go under the computer table or into my daughter's room (actaully the noisier side of the house, but she feels more secure in there); when the stuff is finished, we say :all done' , dinner time .

we noticed it definately shortened her stress time and helped her deal. its like a child having to get a medical treatment everyday. the treatment is painful but the structure/repetion of what will happen now and after helps him/her deal, especially if a prize is offerred after. (all our kids on kibbutz go to dentist on their own even for drilling as this system was used. very very effective and reduced the crying/shivering/fear of dentist etc a huge amount)>

sbk, try sending them to this 'room' everyday, on command for a short time (10 minutes with a treat etc) this will help them associate the room with 'good' and 'safe' (using den instinct here), like kennel box training. (nero,our male, always went to his box when the fireworks/shooting started).

macb, it would be easier this way since its a group not a single dog and pistol work is time consuming. after all, they dont need to work under fire as your dogs would, just sort of deal with the stress.

what we need here is a follow up list or something: feed back from those that tried stuff that worked, since this is how all of us learn new ideas. like macb said: thinking hats need to be filled with ideas so if something works, we add to our repetoires...

[paulsmithson]

Thanks guys and gals,

I bought a whistle and some dog treats then said Wanjhan---he flew for me-stopped when I blew the whistle then sat when told and was given a treat!!

Next approach was to sit him next to me and start a conversation with my wife sat opposite.

A bark - a whistle then a sit and a treat then he went over to my wife as if seeking assurance that this was OK with her!

The agressive reaction is becoming more infrequent now and with time I am sure it will pass completely.

Congratulations on the new baby macb (think I saw that on another thread about life in Issan).

[November Rain]

macb & bina,

I'd appreciate any tips you may have on something that is not so much a training issue as how to stop an undesirable (but understandable) trait in an injured street dog for as long as she's in my care.

As you may know, I run a dog rescue center. The dogs are kept in 2 locations, most (healthy adults) in the center itself a few miles from my home and about 30 (pups, sick dogs & paraplegics) in my home or garden. Now, of course, I have to try & keep the dogs in my home as quiet as possible, so they don't disturb the neighbours, and, once I've settled them down for the night (fresh bedding, cleaned pens/cages, toileted, dog chew each) they are actually silent all night (unless some disturbance in the soi, which virtually never happens).

I've just had in a soi dog with a broken leg which has been pinned & she has to stay on cage rest for 2 to 3 months, before we can neuter & release her. The first night she was quiet, but last night she started to howl (fairly softly, but still howling) on a few occasions throughout the night. Normally, I would go and comfort a dog doing this, but this dog is so scared of humans that she tolerates me at best. She'll allow me to clean her cage, change her bedding & feed her, but not to touch or lift her. So, I don't think I would be of much comfort to her. Any behavioural tips on how I can stop her doing this? She's quiet all day.

Thanks

[macb]

Well heres a little treat for you all: So I was proud of my dogs , unfortunately the GSD's have gone to greener pastures and the Spaniel was still working with another handler in 2004 but may be retired now.

The dogs name you see here are the GSD's Sammy and Mitch and the Springer Spaniel 'Teal'

This dog below Mitch earned lot of awards operationally and in trials

This was my last operatrional GSD sadly he had three stomach Torsions and had to be put down when 5yrs old

This is Teal he was my drug search dog

See you to can have obedient dogs

[macb]

So that other interested folks can see succesfull results I hope from information given by Bina and myself can I suggest you post your positive thread in red that way folks can see success rates then Bina and I wont be repeating ourselves and boring you folks.......... I you got a better suggestion let us know

[sbk]

Thanks for the tips, not sure a gun would work as they aren't afraid of the firecrackers, just the loud booming fireworks. They already follow me to the bedroom when this happens so I will give that a try. Giving a treat afterwards is a good idea, seems like it might take their minds off their stress.

Cheers for the advice macb and bina!

Just curious, how do you train a single dog when you have so many? I try to train one and the rest come nosing in to see what's going on --thus distracting the dog and disrupting the session.