Daves Development

[DTrain]

I answered a question on another thread from a fellow member about my dog Dave. The subject matter has me thinking. Many of you are aware of the difficulties I have had with Dave, he is coming along slowly but, is there something in Dave's history that could offer some clue as to why and what he is today. You may have the answer. I am not a breeder so I know little on the subject. I had mentioned that I have been with Dave literally from the moment he was born. Dave was born to a litter of four puppies. Two days after he was born we discovered that two additional puppies still remained inside his mother dead. We did surgery and almost lost her, she took four days to recover enough to return to the puppies. In the meantime we had to feed the puppies by hand, We held up little hope for them but they made it. After four days mom was producing milk and went back to the puppies but she was on medication that I no longer recall. She would not leave the puppies and we had to hand feed her. Moving ahead. Dave was the smallest and shyest of the puppies. At twelve weeks two puppies went to ranches, we kept Dave and our Vet kept his sister Ruth on the farm. We lost track of the ranch puppies but both Dave and Ruth were very difficult to house train, they would go in their crates. They have been very difficult to train anything except stock work. Dave and Ruth both look and act much younger than they are, they are both two and healthy. Dave is fearful and reactive. In public he is hard to manage and sometimes will not take even a simple recall command. On the farm he is confident and eager. I wonder if there is any connection between how Dave started out life and the way he is now. Thanks.

[Wendy V]

Perhaps he is just not suited for public work?

[herdcentral]

What are his parents temperaments like?

[Debbie Meier]

DTrain,

 

It's a bummer your having problems with Dave, just reading your post brought some thoughts to mind. You said that Dave was convident on the farm but not out in public, is it possible that it's not confidence you are seeing but rather focus. On the farm he can focus on him work, out in public he may not be focusing which would be unsettling to him. I hate to relate it what we feel like, but do you ever walk into a Warehouse store where there are boxes stacked up to the ceiling and the aisles are tight, I get this unsettled feeling and find it difficult to focus or see anything due to seeing everything? I just want to get out of there, I find myself drawn to the outer row, back and front.

 

There are two directions I would go, either leave Dave to do farm work in a setting he can focus in, or be sure that when I took him out in public that he understood his job and was required to focus on it, hard to do when he is being walked with the other dogs, I'm thinking that he needs one on one attention.

 

This past weekend at a trial a friend of mine had her dog out, he was all over the place, his mind was everywhere but on the job at hand, which was being with her mentally. Once she got him with her mentally he calmed, relaxed and could do what was asked of him. Before she got him to focus he was pulling on the leash, trying to take her to the trial field, just being obnoxious.

 

I've found dwelling on the past might give you and idea of what has made him the way he is, but the longer you look there for an answer the longer it will take you to help him now. I think your answers are in the present not the past.

 

Deb

[ziggzmom]

DTrain,

 

It's a bummer your having problems with Dave, just reading your post brought some thoughts to mind. You said that Dave was convident on the farm but not out in public, is it possible that it's not confidence you are seeing but rather focus. On the farm he can focus on him work, out in public he may not be focusing which would be unsettling to him.

 

Deb

 

Hi,

 

You might want to read the book 'Control Unleashed'. Lots of people have had success helping their unfocused, reactive dogs using the methods outlined in the book. Here is a link so you can see if it sounds like it might be helpful....

 

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...p;ParentCat=180

 

Janet

[DTrain]

Deb, you mentioned Dave's job in public, that rang a bell with me. That same thought has crossed my mind a few times. Dave often appears to be on high alert. When he is in the truck he seems to be constantly scanning for other dogs, bikes etc. and often when he spots something he barks and jumps etc.. He will do the same thing with other people and dogs when we are walking. I though about this further. Dave will sometimes appear upset when he does something wrong ( perhaps my imagination ) but when he does this I will call him off his work to get him to re-focus. He will often stop and come directly to me. I have been trying an experiment over the past couple of days that seems to be getting positive results. When I see Dave's alert level go up I call him off by saying the words It's OK, I wanted to use a different word than his work word. This seems to be working, perhaps not the most brilliant training but if it works for Dave I am not going to argue. I am separating Dave more often from the other dogs and I find when we are alone he is much less inclined to be on alert. If I can find a job for Dave to focus on outside of work this may be to his benefit. Thanks for getting me thinking.

His parents, I have Dave's father and an older brother. The brothers have the same mother but different fathers. Mom is a great dog with good work focus and very friendly. Dave's father is an outstanding dog from excellent stock but his older brothers father was a bit aggressive. He has been gone for a couple of years from a long term health issue. Dave's older brother was much like Dave when he was young except he was not aggressive with people. He will still go on alert with other dogs sometimes and I have noticed that this sets Dave off. Perhaps Dave does think that fending off the world is his job.

I have read Control Unleashed, oddly enough Dave tore up the first few chapters along with my copy of Click to Calm, the only books he has ever wrecked although he did attack a Canadian Tire catalogue once. Go figure, I will keep working on it.

[bc4ever]

Dave often appears to be on high alert. When he is in the truck he seems to be constantly scanning for other dogs, bikes etc. and often when he spots something he barks and jumps etc.. I have read Control Unleashed, oddly enough Dave tore up the first few chapters along with my copy of Click to Calm, the only books he has ever wrecked although he did attack a Canadian Tire catalogue once. Go figure, I will keep working on it.

He rides in the truck? Trucks have tires? Maybe he doesn't like riding in the truck.