HAVE HAD MANY COMMENTS ABOUT CLARK ANE THE LEASH ON PUPPY HILL YESTERDAY
I AM GLAD PEOPLE POINTED IT OUT---.. NOT BECAUSE IT WAS WRONG... BUT BECAUSE IT WAS MORE AN UNFORTUNATE HAPPENING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SO WE CAN FIX IT.-- AND... WE CAN FIX THAT-- IT HAPPENS MANY TIMES-- JUST NEEDS SOME THINKING THRU TO CORRECT IT.
THE LEASH STORY-- THE BASIC PROBLEM WAS PUTTING A REGUAR LOOP LEASH ON CLARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REST OF THE LITTER.. WHICH CONFUSED THINGS....THE REST OF THE MISBEHAVIOR WAS THE PUPPY DOING WHAT PUPS DO WHEN THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE HOURS ON LEASH THAT IT TAKES TO GET THEM TO TOTALLY SUBMISSIVE TO A LEASH. BEING IN WITH HIS LITTERMATES REALLY CONFUSED THINGS... SO THE USUAL INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HANDLING A PUPPY ON A LEASH-- JUST WERE NOT WORKING.
SHE GOT IN A BIND BECAUSE HE BEGAN BACKING UP-- SHE - TRYING TO BE KIND- LOOSENED THE LEASH AND FINALLY LET HIM GO. WHICH ... ONCE IN THE MESS, WAS CORRECT. SHE LET HIM GO... HE THINKS HE GOT RID OF THE LEASH PROBLEM BY BACKING UP....
MEGAN OR I WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE PUT A LEASH ON HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE----
SO LOOKING AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.... ONCE HE BEGAN TO BACK UP-- HE WAS TIGHTENING THE LEASH HIMSELF . WHEN THAT HAPPENS... AND IT IS TYPICAL PUPPY BEHAVIOR-- BEST SOLUTION IS TO BACK HIM INTO A CORNER WHERE HE CAN NOT GO ANY FURTHER BEFORE YOU TRY AND REASON WITH HIM....
THERE WERE NO CORNERS IN THE FIELD ( LIKE THERE ARE IN THE HOUSE WHEN I WORK WITH LEASH TRAINING...).
AS TEH LEASH TIGHTENS.. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE SITUATION OF WALKING TOWARD THE PUP-- BECAUSE YOU ARE THEN "CHASING" HIM IN A FRIGHTENING SITUATION... SO SHE LET HIM GO.-- WHICH WAS THE BEST SOLUTION OUT OF A MESSY DEAL.
THE PROBLEM THAT THAT WILL BE-- AND IT WILL BE A PROBLEM--- IS THAT CLARK NOW THINKS "IF I BACK UP FAR ENOUGH I CAN GET RID OF THE LEASH "--- AND THAT WILL STAY WITH HIM FOR A LONG TIME... EVEN WHEN I DO WORK WITH HIM TODAY... AND THAT NOTE WILL GO ON HIS CHART... DOGS WILL GET OVER IT..
HORSES DON'T RECOVER FROM THAT SITUATION. IN HORSES IT IS CALLED "FLYING BACK"-- WHERE A HORSE SOMEWHERE IN HIS YOUTH WAS TIED TO SOMETHING AND BACKED UP WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE HALTER/ROPE BROKE-- AND HE GOT LOOSE. IF THAT HAS HAPPENED, HE WILL--- TOTALLY AT RANDOM-- DO IT AGAIN--- A HORSE WITH HAS A BAD CASE, WILL DO IT WITH EVEN THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE ON THE TOP OF HIS HEAD BY THE HALTER... I HAD A HORSE LIKE THAT ONCE... HARVEY...-- WHEN I FIRST GOT HIM I DIDN'T KNOW HE "FLEW BACK" AND TIED HIM-- GIVING ME 1200 POUNDS OF MUSCLE ROARING BACKWARDS AND SNAPPING THE HALTER.
FROM THEN ON , I JUST DROPPED HIS LEAD TO THE GROUND, AND HE WOULD NOT BUDGE... BUT TIE HIM TO ANYTHING AND YOU WOULD THINK HE WAS BEING ATTACKED BY SOME LION.
SO WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE OF THAT REACTION WITH CLARK...HERE IN THE HOUSE I WILL SET HIM UP SO HE "FLYS BACKWARDS" INTO A CORNER....AND I WILL KEEP THE TENSION ON HIM UNTIL HE RELAXES AND STEPS FORWARD RELIEVING THE PRESSURE... BUT THERE WILL HAVE TO BE PRESSURE UNTIL HE STEPS FORWARD... WHEN THAT HAPPENS HE WILL LEARN INSTEAD OF REACTING.
.. WITH A DOG WE CAN FIX IT...---- WITH A HORSE... NEVER.
*******I DON'T KNOW WHO CANNED THE PHRASE "HORSE SENSE"--
PROBQBLY THE SAME PERSON WHO SAID "HUMAN INTELLIGENCE"
*******
ON WE GO....
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LAST NIGHT AT MAIL CALL--OUR GUEST... RICHARD... MADE AN OFFER I AM N OT SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS UNTIL AFTER MAIL CALL TONIGHT.
WHICH WILL MAKE MAIL CALL PRETTY INTERESTING TONIGHT.
*******
I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS THE DAILY DOT.... BU T HERE IS THE WHAT AND WHY OF CHARLIE AND EXPLORE.ORG .
Hi Carlene! Thought you might appreciate this explore.org article on the Daily Dot
INTERESTING READING
