Hepl! Teaching "snarl" command

[tigerlily46514]

oh, i would too!!! I SO AGREE!!! I just said that, to encourage that particular young guardian of a border collie, that she IS on the right track, to be teaching her dog to do things!! I like to see young ppl spending time, investing energy, into training their dogs. I wish more young ppl DID get into this. Certainly, here on DTA, there ARE a ton of young ppl who invest into training their dogs, and many who just blow me away!!!!

but, borders are notorious to become handfuls if they don't get to use their minds....certainly, not *all* borders, but, a great majority of that breed can and will become lil monsters, if no one gives them a chance to use their minds. Some breeds are known for having a better tolerance level of being able to handle boredom without going completely nutters, but, BCs, in general, seem to have less tolerance for boredom than some other dogs are able to handle gracefully.

 

[running_dog]

Ummm! What dogs consider rewards? I was just thinking about this the other day, like how we think that working collies and lurchers are trained with minimal rewards but actually they get MEGA rewards because to them every time they get to herd or chase is the greatest reward they could ever ask for...

You all need to get your dogs to snarl at me for that thread derail!

 

[tigerlily46514]

Rdog, i will jump on the derail train with you, i SO AGREE!!!!!!! oh, i think you are right, my dog loves nothing better than a chance to herd ANYTHING....anything at all....or run. To run at full speed, IS my dog's greatest joy. I do believe, nothing at all makes my own dog happier, than running free at full speed.

just got back from the very huge huge cemetary (good place to let gangsta dogs run free, imo, IF IF IF no one else is there--IF there are visitors, i leash Buddy and just walk around instead. HOwever, those ancient cemetaries never have visitors)
and my dog got some full speed runs in for today. I try Every Day to have him run at his top speed. This very ancient cemetary is also great place, being entirely fenced in, to practice long distance recall. Buddy rocks at that.

I also use empty fenced in school yards for this, too. (of COURSE i bring doggie-doo bags, to either location!! and i always leave place as clean as i found it, of course).

 

[laramie]

Tigerlily46514, I absolutely and completely agree with you on that. A dog should not feel as though he's getting punished for growling and I know that's not what causes a dog to be aggressive. It's just another way for them to express themselves and we would be horrible owners to take that away from our dogs. I simply meant that inexperienced trainers need to be careful to not to reward an aggressive growl meaning to shape it into a trick unless they want the snarl to be aggressive. I was also confused at why you still seemed to think that I was punishing my dog for growling when I had said that it's my instinct to stop it, not the way you understood it. I know of a lot of people and other dog owners who, if they heard a dog growl, would think it's vicious. And my dogs are not vicious, so that's why I wanted to stop it. I realized this was wrong when Sparrow was maybe a year old. I took her in Petsmart and we were in an aisle where a couple had their Boxer pup who was in the Petsmart training program with the trainer directing them on which type of halter to get. We let the two meet and the Boxer started to "box" playfully at Sparrow. Sparrow growled at the pup and I corrected her. The trainer told me that this was okay and was how she let the pup know that how she was playing was not okay. I may have done it two times after that on accident before I could catch myself. And, hallelujah, Fairley didn't actually bite the child. She backed away as much as she could and nipped. That was the first incident and I've learned so much since then.

Sara I do agree (now that I've learned) that I should reward a growl by taking the dog away from whatever is stressing it. I meant rewarding him as in giving him a treat when trying keep getting a reaction that may be negative and stress the dog. I would never keep a dog in an uncomfortable situation in order to keep getting a reaction simply to teach a menial trick when there are much more pressing matters, such as the dog being so freaked out. The same goes for taunting your dog constantly to get a reaction because some people just keep pressing for it. I know quite a few people who, if they tried to teach this trick, would do pretty much anything to get the desired reaction. I just wanted those people to know that this is not okay and there is a difference between ticking off your dog to get the reaction versus some other means of getting the reaction that isn't harmful. I do also think that the post on what dogs consider rewards would be very helpful and interesting. When I said reward, I meant it as a synonym to a food treat. Before you brought it up, I had never given any thought things such as the removal of the dog from the situation as a sufficient reward.

 

[running_dog]

Tigerlily - Zac would probably accept a nice roadkill sample as an equal alternative to a good run. I've often thought I should scrape up one of the skins and keep it handy for a jackpot moment... somehow it is one reward that I haven't got round to trying yet

 

[tigerlily46514]

Rdog, you are too funny!! and maybe a lil braver than i am...certainly, my dog could live on roadkill, and probably be healthy, but, something in me hesitates to allow him roadkill.....but, i am beginning to think, to your lil Homocide Specialist, getting a chance for a better look at the 'crime' might just be the top reward of all!!

we should all chip in and get Zac his own lil forensics lab!! but wow, can you imagine Zac's face, if he did some trick, and got some roadkill??? wow oh wow, i bet THAT trick would become his favorite trick of ALL!! rofl!!

 

[running_dog]

Don't worry, Zac's an investigator not a scavenger - he doesn't like raw meat , he just sniffs ecstatically for clues - like any good sleuthhound.

I love the picture... now Zac would look a great Sherlock Holmes... trick ideas fermenting in my brain... ho hum...