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Feb 2016
8:12am, 3 Feb 2016
2,993 posts
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Helegant
Baroness, I;ve tried door-shutting as well, but he has worked out that I'll open it for him if he waits 
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Feb 2016
8:51am, 3 Feb 2016
5,071 posts
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BaronessBL
Luckily (and I don't use it much to ensure it continues to work) Wanda associates the words bye bye with the fact that I am leaving her and going away as I always say bye bye when I leave her at home if I have to go out. Similarly I say night night when I go up to bed. So a couple of times on a walk when she has clearly had no intention of coming back I've shouted, 'Bye Bye Wanda' and she has been back at my side in a flash. Saying Night Night on occasions when I have shut the back door when she won't come in before bed has also worked ... but as you rightly point out Helegant, dogs (and children) are smart enough to realise that first time you make the threat and don't carry it out means that you can never make the threat again. At the moment Wanda is nervous enough of being abandoned (or more likely, never being fed again!) not to test it!
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Feb 2016
9:37am, 3 Feb 2016
8,581 posts
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Sharkie
Jess can STILL (in spite of all our work ) be alarmed by head on approaching dogs on lead. Much less than she was but if we are near our house there's more likelihood she'll make a fuss. It's over very quickly 'LEAVE IT JESS!' - but sounds much worse than it is.
Once in the great outdoors and off lead she is now more or less a model citizen. She hates being left so will race to catch up if you just carry on walking. She recalls well outside too. Last week she played chase with an Irish wolfhound.... then later a Bichon Frise. Owners were brilliant and sensible which of course makes all the difference.
On the other hand last week I also had a woman tell me Jess was a 'disgrace' 'should be muzzled' and that I was frightened of her. Nice, eh.
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Feb 2016
9:54am, 3 Feb 2016
2,468 posts
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Alice the Camel
I'm not sure who is training whom here!
Charlie's doing well for a little pup who has only been with us for a week. He's going into the utility room at bedtime without a fuss and sleeps through until around 6.30am. He's starting to get better at weeing on demand in the garden although there are still accidents. I'm not sure I'm doing so well, he sits at my feet and barks from time to time and I've no idea what he's after - toilet, food or playtime. I rush him out into the garden and then we both stand there in the wind and rain looking at each other and wondering what we're doing out there.
I wonder how Nick and Dobby are getting on?
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Feb 2016
12:38pm, 3 Feb 2016
2,994 posts
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Helegant
Alice, I think it is a shared education process. We know what we want and where our boundaries are, and we help the dog to learn that, sometimes by negotiation. As with children I think we learn to understand each other's needs. Jet can sit and give me the long hard stare and I usually know what he wants. Sometimes I will translate for Mr who finds it harder to read 'dog'. Jet's delight when we understand him is comical. Mr's less so.
Jet acts as pathfinder/chief-sniffer when we are out walking, when he knows where he is but he stops at junctions to check which way we want to go. Otherwise he walks just behind my heel. I see that as co-operation and best use of skills. It's one the things I like about dogs.
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Feb 2016
12:56pm, 3 Feb 2016
8,585 posts
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Sharkie
Jet always sounds a credit to you - and your ability to communicate in 'dog' , Helegant.
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Feb 2016
1:14pm, 3 Feb 2016
2,996 posts
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Helegant
Thank you Sharkie. You might not say that if you met him though...;-)
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Feb 2016
5:38pm, 3 Feb 2016
13,177 posts
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LazyDaisy
It really is a two way process, Alice. You want your dog to trust you and have confidence in you so he will obey your instructions. If you're inconsistent, or he thinks you aren't understanding what he needs, he will learn to disregard you and do his own thing.
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Feb 2016
5:55pm, 3 Feb 2016
2,551 posts
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Red Ant
Very interesting reading, there are definitely a few things in there that I think I need to do with Dexter!
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Feb 2016
7:31pm, 3 Feb 2016
2,997 posts
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Helegant
I've blogged about finding a husky running loose on the road today. No collar! Please, if you do nothing else, make sure your dog is tagged and chipped. All ended well as the owner and dog were reunited, more by chance than anything else.
And... I had a call from the dog warden a few minutes ago who had picked up one of the notes I left on local cars and wanted to know what had happened to the animal. I'm glad they are on the ball.
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