BASIC TRAINING ..... first the dog has to like you.. and at that .... food is a good place to start... not hard cookies but nice mushy wet food-- yesterday both megan and i were at the same game... she with a dog returned for training from tehir "cov19 sitterr" and me stitch back here from janine who has at home work to do and he needed to run.. MEG AND I....without consulting each other we were both doing the esame thing ... she.. couple spoonfulls and the dog wor eqat them ann run off.. then would come back for anotehr spoonfull and take off again... and every time he got the next spoonfull , you couold hear megan "good job" with great enthusiasm... the dog finally followed her into the pond where he got lots of good job's and 2 handed pat/scratch.. ------- me-- stitch... turn loose... i did get 2 spoonfuls in him before he ran off to see who was where.. and he wouold not come back -- HE WAS A LITTLE JUMPY... darting around obviously did not hqave any ancHor... finally he came by andgot anothere 2 spoonfulls before leaving-- a few more trips before he finally decided staying around me got him good boy rubs and scratching plus food... it was 45 minutes before he just lay down next to me....in teh donkey cafe-- and ignored teh goats who wer slipping and sliding aroind in the feeder... which is usually exciting to a dog.---- no WAY DO I THINK I COULD SEND HIM IN WITH THE GOATS.. BUT THE CONVERSATION HAS STARTED, by having him choose to be next to me. key with both meg and i was.. the dogs were both loose... we both had spoons and wet food... and waited for teh dogs to choose.
it would have been quicker to put a leash around their neck and force the issue, but we have learned....... ask !! STARTING WITH NOT PICKING UP THE PUPPIES ALMOST FROM BIRTH... IF YOU WATCH ALL TEH REST OF TEH DOG CAMERAS ON EXPLORE.ORG, TEHY USE LEASHES FOR CONTROL... WE TRY AND GET CONTROL BY THE DOG'S CHOICE AND RARELY USE LEASHES AROIUYND HERE MUCH AT ALL... IT CERTTAINLY IS AN "EMERGENCY BRAKE" INN HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATIONS... BUT AROUNDHERE... USUALLY LOOSE.
NEVER DID I THINK 104 YEARS AGO THAT THE PERIMETER FENCE THAT THE USDA INSISTED I PUT UP --- AT GREAT EXPENSE-- WOULD BE SUCH AN ASSET IN TEH SERVICE DOG TRAINING. HAVING TEH DOGS LOOSE INB A CONFINED AREA TEACHES THEM TO THINK AN D CHOOSE. JUST AS HAVING THE PUPS LOOSE IN TREH KITCHEN AND CHOOSING TO SIT IN THE LAP OF SOMEONE SITTING ON THE FLOOR. WE DONOT ALLOW YOU TO PICK UP A PUP AND PUT IT IN YOUR LAP..... NOT WITHIN SIGHT OF ME !!!
I DON'T THINK TH E LEASH BIT IS QUICKER IN THE LONG RUN - I SEE SO MANY DOGS BEING EITHER PULLED OR RESTRAINED BY A LEASH...
A LEASH SHOULD NEVER BE TIGHT... IF IT IS YOU ARE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE DOG THAT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE... EVEN STANDING AROUND TALKING TO FRIENDS... DON'T STRANGLE THE DOG !!!!!! THE LEASH SHOLD DROOP. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THEY ARE BEING OBNOXIOUS TO THE DOG..
"BUT TH EDOG WILL JUST PULL... I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO ABOUT IT" WELL GIVE THAT LEASH A YANK AND INMMEDIATELY RELEQASE TENSION...IT ONLY TAKES A FEW OF THESE AND THE DOG WILL STAND QUIETLY NEXT TO YOU WITHOUT "HITTIN " THE END OF THAT LEASH.
ALSO NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL YOUR DOG TO YOU FOR A GOOD TREAT.SNACK, OR LOVING PAT.. WITHOUT MAKING ANY OTHER DEM,ANDS ON THE DOG ... AT THAT MOMENT.
I WONDER AND WATCH
"'''XXXX COME, XXXX COME.... NOW SIT AND WAIT WHILE I PROVE I CAN DOMINATE YOU BEPOFRE I GIVE YOU A COOKIE"
WHILE THE DOG THINKS " YOU JERK"
