Re: Help! he’s driving me mad!!

[kizkiznobite]

ok – listen up cos i keep repeating myself here

[font=Verdana]the message is – ‘the best place to be is around my feet – sometimes i will tell you to go play, have a pee, run and chase, but even so the best place to be is still around my feet, but i am happy for you to not be there at this moment in time but when i call you you will come back cos the best place to be is around my feet’

when the dog realises he/she has a choice and decides that the best place to be is elsewhere – then if you allow it to continue/happen then he/she will make the choice to not be around your feet and will hunt, play, because he/she has decided the self rewards of freedom are better and will also use it as a means of controlling you for attention. ie the dog is also learning to push your buttons.

when this happens in the nutty stages of life – ie when the sexual instinct is strong or a hunt has been very successful and he/she has actually found out there is a reward greater than what you got in pockets – then take it all back to criteria 1, when fluent criteria 2, when fluent criteria 3, when fluent criteria 4 – then and only then test it at criteria 5 – it is a pain in the butt – the dog will work to avoid you managing him/her, he/she will make you cross, frustrated, guilty to the point where you wished you could stay in bed and forget his/her’s exsistence, the dog will make you feel that you are depriving him/her of exercise, playtime. the dog will look at you and be saying ‘this is serious neglect’.  TOUGH – he/she will survive – and the more you deprive then the faster you will get the recall back because the dog will realise that he/she has to do this to get that final reward. ie being allowed to run/hunt/play but under management from you.

most car accidents involving dogs are due to a bad recall, most livestock being injured/chased are due to a bad recall, most dogs shot for worrying livestock are due to a bad recall, most dog fights are due to a bad recall. most dogs running off and getting lost are due to bad recall.
you cannot stop the genetics kicking in – but you can manage them and for anyone reading this that is about to get a puppy – you will reduce the possibility of going through this if you do not take the puppy out off leash until you have:

recall to criteria 4
location to criteria 4
leash to criteria 4
leave it to criteria 4
STOP to criteria 4

and if that takes 6 weeks or 6 months so be it. brose had a fluent and reliable recall without hesitation to 95% by 20 weeks – yes i know, i am a trainer she is a superstar but if ever the day comes that she fails a recall i will shoot us both.
Now – manic maud  >:D just so you know that i do know what you are up against – if i can do this with her – and it took me 9 months – then you lot can do this with pups.

any questions????

bev has now finished her rant ;D