I can get her to go round the back of me and sit to my right. she does it reliable in the house and on a lead on way to woods. Nearly does it reliably in the woods following a recall from a distance. Who is this obedient dog.
She will heel nicely for short distances at running speed and when returning from woods on daily walks.
Still mardy in the evenings, probably best avoided. she needs to rest on her own sometimes.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Agility
We have been going to agility this summer. Willow is quite good at it. More details to follow.
We have also been running regularly, which is a great way to tire a dog like this out; maybe too much sometimes.
We have also been running regularly, which is a great way to tire a dog like this out; maybe too much sometimes.
Monday, April 17, 2006
More Gnashing!!!
I bought a book by "AGGRESSION IN DOGS: PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT, PREVENTION & BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION - Brenda Aloff". Some funny language in it but seems like a realy good source of sensible ideas. And good explanation of what is going on in the first place.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
logs!, willow, logs!
I have set up more jumps in the woods. Willow loves to jump over them. She goes over then back without a second command, but will stop in a down and then jump back if you catch her first. She really seems to enjoy this activity and will come from a fair distance if you go near one of the known jumps and shout logs! or similar. If I can stop her just bouncing over every object in the area in a random order she could be a fantastic agility dog. I saw some videos on the web the other day that showed a dog doing an obstacle then stopping right on the end of it (they must put thier paws on the end part to score). They were like statues until the handler called them on. Will Willow ever be like this? I doubt it but maybe.
Another thing I do is hide behind trees, they don't have to be big enough to hide me, but Willow find this a bit distressing and barks at me to follow her and stop messing about. If I persist she comes to me, which I think means she accepts my behaviour, and has given up thinking she can influence it. We have a good old game from time to time with me running between trees in the opposite direction to where she wants me to go!
Another thing I do is hide behind trees, they don't have to be big enough to hide me, but Willow find this a bit distressing and barks at me to follow her and stop messing about. If I persist she comes to me, which I think means she accepts my behaviour, and has given up thinking she can influence it. We have a good old game from time to time with me running between trees in the opposite direction to where she wants me to go!
Running - mixed results
Willow can run with me and can heel beautifully most of the time (off lead). I can make her down and go and wait and heel. The only thing is if you loose concentration too long she can dissapear off for minutes. This worries me because there are sheep in some of the fields near the woods I go in. I have tacken to making her heel with me near the sheep field, and go on after. She likes the game. When she does dissappear no end of shouting gets her back. Maybe she is not too far away in a down (her universal reaction to unknown shouted commands). I still need better recall from her, even when she is having fun. Unfortunately when she is in the woods she cannot see the point of eating, so although in classes she is a foodie, other times there is no reaction. She will come if you call and threaten to throw a stick. I am trying to teach her the touch command where in order to get something she has to come and put her nose to the palm of my hand. Hopefully if she does this at home she will still do it in the woods despite the non-interest in food.
More classes
We went on holiday for a while after christmas, and Willw missed 4 or 5 weeks of classes. In the first class back it was clear that she had regressed a bit, not in her tricks etc but in her attitude. Last night (the second class back) was much better, she was attentive and enjoying herself. She could do some distance work, and her recall is getting stronger.
More Progress
Willow can sit, down, find, come here (in most contexts but not all). She can do sit and down on hand signals. She still misinterprets sit as down when in the woods, and despite getting "up sit" right at times is very nervous of doing it either because she doesn't want to, or because she thinks the more we say things the more we want her to submit. She can "up sit" really nicely in training classes. She has lost a little of her "oh if I must" swagger about coming when called in class, but it takes enormous encouragement in the woods.
In the house she can fetch reasonably well, and we can enforce the right behavious if her can't be bother to get it, or goes back to the wrong place, or hides or whatever. she still hides every stick she gets in the woods, although Maggie tells me that this morning she got willow to return the same stick several times. Adam is so keen to do the right thing that he picked up a stick the other day to carry about when maggie was trying to get willow to "find" her stick.
The growling has reduced alot these last two weeks. Willow get sent away, or the lead put on and a few tricks performed if she growls. Maggie drys her outside because the enclosed utility room seemed to trigger more extreme reactions. We are both very observant of the growling and teeth showing. Generally growling is not dangerous, but leads to teeth showing which is not far from teeth showing with treatening noises which is one step from gnashing. We now do not tolerate any growling, we distract in the ways mentioned above if it happens.
In the house she can fetch reasonably well, and we can enforce the right behavious if her can't be bother to get it, or goes back to the wrong place, or hides or whatever. she still hides every stick she gets in the woods, although Maggie tells me that this morning she got willow to return the same stick several times. Adam is so keen to do the right thing that he picked up a stick the other day to carry about when maggie was trying to get willow to "find" her stick.
The growling has reduced alot these last two weeks. Willow get sent away, or the lead put on and a few tricks performed if she growls. Maggie drys her outside because the enclosed utility room seemed to trigger more extreme reactions. We are both very observant of the growling and teeth showing. Generally growling is not dangerous, but leads to teeth showing which is not far from teeth showing with treatening noises which is one step from gnashing. We now do not tolerate any growling, we distract in the ways mentioned above if it happens.
More Gnashing
Willow let herself down again the other day. She has been reasonably behaved since and we don't really know what to do. It's hard to trust her totally really.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Continued great progress
Well we have been doing well. Willow reliable lies down and will run off like a whippet when you say so. People are amazed (are are we) at the speed. She continues to be high energy and the more walks the better. Her temprament is much improved since she spend two weeks in prison with other dogs. She barked herself hoarse. During her stay a friend with dalmations took Willow out walking and she was fine with the other dogs. We offered to reciprocate, which may be a lot to handle.
Adam went to a friend who adores him. She says he follows her around alot, which is what she does to Maggie. He went away just recovering from worm (long visible round worms - yuk) and came back slimmer and fitter with reports of having done several hikes of up to 6 miles up hill and down dale. We probably overfeed him, but he pesters so much we assume that we underfeed him. We also find he likes to stop very frequently to sniff things, so he is a slow walker. This is unlike Willow who probably run 10 miles for every one that I walk.
I took her running and walking (for Adam) today, and of course she still wants more. The agility class should be running again, so I will try to get in. The generic dog training classes actually worked out well, she got socialised and learnt one or two new tricks. She was bored though and her attention focused more on the door than on me. Treats helped with this and a fair few times she really wanted to work. The class was full of snappy, barky types and the dogs were occasionally agressive too!
I am teaching her to jump over things, as well as the heal on the way back from the walk; no chance on the way out. I am trying to make her look at me before I release her from a down, and teaching her to look when I say "look". so far so good. She might have a few agility abilities by the time we start. There is an agility class on Sunday morning in the summer at a place I like to go sailing and running, so that might form the basis of regular days out.
Adam went to a friend who adores him. She says he follows her around alot, which is what she does to Maggie. He went away just recovering from worm (long visible round worms - yuk) and came back slimmer and fitter with reports of having done several hikes of up to 6 miles up hill and down dale. We probably overfeed him, but he pesters so much we assume that we underfeed him. We also find he likes to stop very frequently to sniff things, so he is a slow walker. This is unlike Willow who probably run 10 miles for every one that I walk.
I took her running and walking (for Adam) today, and of course she still wants more. The agility class should be running again, so I will try to get in. The generic dog training classes actually worked out well, she got socialised and learnt one or two new tricks. She was bored though and her attention focused more on the door than on me. Treats helped with this and a fair few times she really wanted to work. The class was full of snappy, barky types and the dogs were occasionally agressive too!
I am teaching her to jump over things, as well as the heal on the way back from the walk; no chance on the way out. I am trying to make her look at me before I release her from a down, and teaching her to look when I say "look". so far so good. She might have a few agility abilities by the time we start. There is an agility class on Sunday morning in the summer at a place I like to go sailing and running, so that might form the basis of regular days out.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
New dog club
I have a new dog club a junction or two down the motorway. £5 per lesson for just an hour, but the trainer seems ok. No agility at this place or even proper obedience, so it may not do forever. Willow learns very well in these classes, much beter than me in fact, but it is getting her attention that is hardest. she knows where the door is and strains to get out at times. she generally sits with her back to me which is not supposed to be a great sign! Anyway at least I'm able to try that route again, it seemed to help before.
Biting the hand that feeds you!
A couple of weeks ago we went down to the south where my family is from. We took a caravan so that Maggie and I have somewhere to sleep when the house is full. During the journey we had a bit of an incident, and I got bitten.
Willow decided to go from the boot of the estate to the rear seat while I was giving Adam a comfort break and would not go back. Brainless me thinks well ok I'll put Adam in the bed with Willow and then get willow out via the rear seat. I forgot about the jealous guarding and she went for Adam. I fended her off and got bitten, not badly on the right hand. Willow turned into a monster and was barking and snarling at me and could not be cowed by threats. of course when i told her out! she got out of the car and looked up at me as if butter wouldn't melt. Grrr!
She has been fine since and is showing signs of seltting down.
Willow decided to go from the boot of the estate to the rear seat while I was giving Adam a comfort break and would not go back. Brainless me thinks well ok I'll put Adam in the bed with Willow and then get willow out via the rear seat. I forgot about the jealous guarding and she went for Adam. I fended her off and got bitten, not badly on the right hand. Willow turned into a monster and was barking and snarling at me and could not be cowed by threats. of course when i told her out! she got out of the car and looked up at me as if butter wouldn't melt. Grrr!
She has been fine since and is showing signs of seltting down.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
The clocks go back
Willow is still growling at us. She is terrible some evenings. She is ok if you leave her alone.
She went for another dog this morning, the other one growled at her so she let rip with gnashing etc. She got very close to the other dog but did not bite her. I made her go down and kept her down for a bit and she was ok after that. Of course the other dog had gone by then. I have started to use the same tactic when she barks at me to go on during a walk.
I am still going ahead with agility training commands; if she can do the training then I want her to be ready. The doubt has to be her attitude with other dogs. A lot of agility is done off lead, and currently she might be a liability. Anyway it can’t hurt for her to learn some of the non-obstacle stuff, and I can use logs etc in the woods to teach her basic obstacle concepts. This will all be useful when we go running.
We have been out running recently a couple of times. On Wednesday we went on road (well pavement). She was OK but still pulls. She has to be on a lead of course for safety and so-on, but she gets to go a little faster than the standard walk. Mostly she goes the right way around pedestrians, but she went across me at one point and nearly gave good reason for amusement to the group I was trying to go round.
The clocks have gone back. Great to have an extra hour, but the evenings are now darker an hour earlier. I bought a big torch, it’s very powerful and might allow me to continue going in the woods, I suppose willow will have to stay on the lead though. Adam will be fine so long as I light his way.
She went for another dog this morning, the other one growled at her so she let rip with gnashing etc. She got very close to the other dog but did not bite her. I made her go down and kept her down for a bit and she was ok after that. Of course the other dog had gone by then. I have started to use the same tactic when she barks at me to go on during a walk.
I am still going ahead with agility training commands; if she can do the training then I want her to be ready. The doubt has to be her attitude with other dogs. A lot of agility is done off lead, and currently she might be a liability. Anyway it can’t hurt for her to learn some of the non-obstacle stuff, and I can use logs etc in the woods to teach her basic obstacle concepts. This will all be useful when we go running.
We have been out running recently a couple of times. On Wednesday we went on road (well pavement). She was OK but still pulls. She has to be on a lead of course for safety and so-on, but she gets to go a little faster than the standard walk. Mostly she goes the right way around pedestrians, but she went across me at one point and nearly gave good reason for amusement to the group I was trying to go round.
The clocks have gone back. Great to have an extra hour, but the evenings are now darker an hour earlier. I bought a big torch, it’s very powerful and might allow me to continue going in the woods, I suppose willow will have to stay on the lead though. Adam will be fine so long as I light his way.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
general synopsis
Recently Willow visited Lewis She travels well and she enjoyed the drive. It was a surprise when she got there to have three other dogs there, and all the people and cats. We put her in a crate for some of the time and I think she preferred it there!
She is always looking for ways to be boss, it's hard to keep on top of her. At the same time she seems quite timid about some things. You can take her for a walk and she runs all around you and gets in mud up to her belly, but when you take her out last thing at night she appears not to want to get her feet wet on the grass!
She now seems to be cat proof; so much so that she has been spotted sleeping on the same sofa as one of the cats. No she isn't allowed on any sofas, but its hard to remeber to put all the encylopeadias, boxes and bongos back when you go out sometimes.
Adam (our 14 year old springer) seems to be safe; he has certainly backed off alot. He hasn't reacted badly to her possessiveness and take over attempts. He is pretenting to be unaware of her at the moment!
She is always looking for ways to be boss, it's hard to keep on top of her. At the same time she seems quite timid about some things. You can take her for a walk and she runs all around you and gets in mud up to her belly, but when you take her out last thing at night she appears not to want to get her feet wet on the grass!
She now seems to be cat proof; so much so that she has been spotted sleeping on the same sofa as one of the cats. No she isn't allowed on any sofas, but its hard to remeber to put all the encylopeadias, boxes and bongos back when you go out sometimes.
Adam (our 14 year old springer) seems to be safe; he has certainly backed off alot. He hasn't reacted badly to her possessiveness and take over attempts. He is pretenting to be unaware of her at the moment!
Dog training classes
I have taken willow to training classes 3 times and now the class is going to stop until an unknown date after christmas; 3 months! I have heard about a club in Barnsley, but that is too far (culturally not in miles). Might try it anyway.
Last night willow went for another dog, she didn't acctually bite but was v aggressive. I stopped her with the lead. The trainer was there next to me and took over. she waited until willow did it again and the said no! Leave it! then she go the lead under her foot and said lie down! and forced her down gently just using the lead. Willow did not know what hit her! she sqeualed from the shock of being told what to do, and even worse me abandoning her to the other end of the hall. she settled eventually and after that seemed better. she is in a good mood tonight, and lying at my feet at present as I type.
The other thing we did last night was have a very beginers level agility class. Willow loves it, she keeps looking at me and even follows orders mostly. she learnt the words "tyre", "tunnel" and "over" and had good practice at waiting before jumping over stuff. because she is so fast and bright I think this will be a good future sport for us. It is not undemanding on the owner's fitness, and it will keep her occupied. I am going to build some gear at some point. Anyone who knows me will laugh because I go climbing, running, sailing, cycling, I walk the dogs for 45 mins a day, I am learning Spanish and I do lots of DIY in the house we bought recently and the flat I am trying to sell. I have a dinghy in the garage that needs fixing and last weekend I half built a dog run. So when will I have time to make dog jumps? Vamos a ver.
Last night willow went for another dog, she didn't acctually bite but was v aggressive. I stopped her with the lead. The trainer was there next to me and took over. she waited until willow did it again and the said no! Leave it! then she go the lead under her foot and said lie down! and forced her down gently just using the lead. Willow did not know what hit her! she sqeualed from the shock of being told what to do, and even worse me abandoning her to the other end of the hall. she settled eventually and after that seemed better. she is in a good mood tonight, and lying at my feet at present as I type.
The other thing we did last night was have a very beginers level agility class. Willow loves it, she keeps looking at me and even follows orders mostly. she learnt the words "tyre", "tunnel" and "over" and had good practice at waiting before jumping over stuff. because she is so fast and bright I think this will be a good future sport for us. It is not undemanding on the owner's fitness, and it will keep her occupied. I am going to build some gear at some point. Anyone who knows me will laugh because I go climbing, running, sailing, cycling, I walk the dogs for 45 mins a day, I am learning Spanish and I do lots of DIY in the house we bought recently and the flat I am trying to sell. I have a dinghy in the garage that needs fixing and last weekend I half built a dog run. So when will I have time to make dog jumps? Vamos a ver.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Growling
Things that make her growl:
giving her food and not immediately scuttling off to let her eat
going too near her when she is mardy
Adam (our harmless 14 year old Springer) going near her when she is mardy
giving her tidbits (yes really)
touching her when she is in her bed, or my car, or anywhere else she has recently decided is hers (or is it just when she is relaxing)
giving her food and not immediately scuttling off to let her eat
going too near her when she is mardy
Adam (our harmless 14 year old Springer) going near her when she is mardy
giving her tidbits (yes really)
touching her when she is in her bed, or my car, or anywhere else she has recently decided is hers (or is it just when she is relaxing)
Running
Willow and I have been running. We went for the first time about two weeks ago. I let her off the lead and she was strange in that she kept looking back when I was ahead as if I wasn't with her. I had to call her to get her to realise it ws me in the strange garb and moving differently.
She did her running off trick, she went for 3 or 4 minutes, long for her. I was worried she wouldn't come back; but she did.
Tonight I ran with her on the lead, it's much better. she pulls all the time and I have to pull back just to stop her unbalancing me. I can pull each time my hand goes back and this keeps it under control. She really is incredibly strong and fast, and I will have to work quite hard to keep her excercise levels up.
We also had about 10 minutes of tuggie, which I won. she thinks its no fun if i just sit there so she keeps offering the tuggie. Will this get the agression out of her system or just wind her up? who knows but for now it is good interaction so I'm happy enough.
She did her running off trick, she went for 3 or 4 minutes, long for her. I was worried she wouldn't come back; but she did.
Tonight I ran with her on the lead, it's much better. she pulls all the time and I have to pull back just to stop her unbalancing me. I can pull each time my hand goes back and this keeps it under control. She really is incredibly strong and fast, and I will have to work quite hard to keep her excercise levels up.
We also had about 10 minutes of tuggie, which I won. she thinks its no fun if i just sit there so she keeps offering the tuggie. Will this get the agression out of her system or just wind her up? who knows but for now it is good interaction so I'm happy enough.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
The Story so Far
We have recently got another dog as company for our original dog Adam. The new dog called Willow has been rehomed because the last owners were going to have children and beleived that Willow did not have a suitable temprament. She growled at them alot and was threatening towards a young relative.
She was getting 10 mins walk in the morning and 30 mins of mad dashing about (off lead) in the evening. She would not come to them when called, although she never went off completely. Going near her food, bed or the back of (her) car caused snarling with teeth out and touching her was generally fairly offputting due to the same behaviour. She could sit and lie down on command but nothing else.
She was getting 10 mins walk in the morning and 30 mins of mad dashing about (off lead) in the evening. She would not come to them when called, although she never went off completely. Going near her food, bed or the back of (her) car caused snarling with teeth out and touching her was generally fairly offputting due to the same behaviour. She could sit and lie down on command but nothing else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
