Training and Rumour - our journey
Jul 14, 2014 21:33:43 GMT -5
via the ProBoards App
Andreina, hooligan, and 1 more like this
Post by mandy2 on Jul 14, 2014 21:33:43 GMT -5
My journey with Dobermana started when I was in my early 20's. We owned a red male from a backyard breeder. We loved him until his dying day and knew we would always have a Doberman in our home
We have owned four Dobermans (or they owned us) through Monica since our first boy!
Tory was our first Monica dobe and the beginning of a long friendship begun by purchasing our first purebred dog
Over the first three years of Tory's life we learned obedience the practical way taught to us by Monica. We did over thirty weeks of training, finishing three levels with Monica. We showed Tory, did agility with her and showed her through to her championship. Because of the dedication of ourselves as pet owners and Monica as our friend and breeder, Tory was a well balanced happy family pet who accomplished a lot during her life.
My next few dogs were loved by us as our family pets but did not receive the same kind of devotion from us as to their training and because of our lack of commitment to our entire dogs being, their lives were not as enriched as Tory enjoyed. This was not due to lack of love, but rather life, and many large changes in our family structur, however, as owners of this beautiful breed, we need to remember that love is not always enough to have a well balanced happy dog!
So, on to rumour. She started her young life very similar to Tory. She attended ukc shows, was well socialized, and then my life became very busy. Other than the basic sit, down, stay, she was no longer being socialized enough, there were walks but they were few and far between, and the mindset that I have a huge backyard and throwing a ball is exercise had set in.
Now for some breeds this is totally acceptable, however our dobes are working breeds, they require exposure, direction, love, and most of all training!
After we moved from Ontario to Alberta rumour was extremely out of sorts. She started having behavioral problems that I have never dealt with before.
There were many hour long conversations with Monica about how to help us to help rumour. She kept referring me back to the training she taught me, but I did not have the confidence in myself that I knew how to help rumour. So our journey began.
Behaviorist vs practical training
I hired a behaviorist to come to my home to help us with rumour. So began treat training only. No discipline, no negative words, a flat collar, no chain slip collars ever, only positive reinforcement through treats and total ignoring of unwanted behavior. Now the behaviorist called the first part of training deference. I ask her to sit, wait for her to sit, (no matter how long that took, and do not touch the dog because that is too aggressive ***sigh****) show treat, bring treat to your eye, get the eye contact, give treat. This was easy, rumour figured it out right away and we had this down pat. In the house this works.
Now add high value distractions - other dogs, kids on bikes, joggers etc....do you think she wanted to sit, look me in the eye, and then take a treat? Easy answer, NO.
Our dogs are from working lines and have high drive! That is what we love about them. That treat is not even remotely interesting regardless of whether you stuff it in her mouth when these other distractions are here. And the fact she was wearing a flat collar gave me no control at all! all. Is there a place for treats in training? Absolutely! Once they have learned what is expected from them. In this scenario rumour was going to fail every time. And she did for eight weeks.
Again another call to Monica and again she coached me to go back to what I know. Chain slip collar, immediate correction for unwanted behavior with the leash and collar and high praise when she was doing what was asked correctly
Again, I did not have faith in myself as I felt it had been too long since I trained a dog let alone one who was having problems.
I took her to a trainer that trains in a practical manner using the same methods Monica taught me and was given a lot of praise for my timing of corrections and willingness to give praise to her at exactly the right time as she did what I was asking for right!
Rumour is a work in progress with me right along with her! But I can honestly tell you that using the new treat methods used by many new trainers although being a nice, sweet, and none confrontational way is not practical and is not understood by our loyal, loving, protective dobes.
The practical way does not have you beating your dog, or taking away their spirited loving selves, it teaches them to respect you, the leader of their pack, gives them the guidance they crave and allows us to live with and love a well balanced dog!!!!!
We have owned four Dobermans (or they owned us) through Monica since our first boy!
Tory was our first Monica dobe and the beginning of a long friendship begun by purchasing our first purebred dog
Over the first three years of Tory's life we learned obedience the practical way taught to us by Monica. We did over thirty weeks of training, finishing three levels with Monica. We showed Tory, did agility with her and showed her through to her championship. Because of the dedication of ourselves as pet owners and Monica as our friend and breeder, Tory was a well balanced happy family pet who accomplished a lot during her life.
My next few dogs were loved by us as our family pets but did not receive the same kind of devotion from us as to their training and because of our lack of commitment to our entire dogs being, their lives were not as enriched as Tory enjoyed. This was not due to lack of love, but rather life, and many large changes in our family structur, however, as owners of this beautiful breed, we need to remember that love is not always enough to have a well balanced happy dog!
So, on to rumour. She started her young life very similar to Tory. She attended ukc shows, was well socialized, and then my life became very busy. Other than the basic sit, down, stay, she was no longer being socialized enough, there were walks but they were few and far between, and the mindset that I have a huge backyard and throwing a ball is exercise had set in.
Now for some breeds this is totally acceptable, however our dobes are working breeds, they require exposure, direction, love, and most of all training!
After we moved from Ontario to Alberta rumour was extremely out of sorts. She started having behavioral problems that I have never dealt with before.
There were many hour long conversations with Monica about how to help us to help rumour. She kept referring me back to the training she taught me, but I did not have the confidence in myself that I knew how to help rumour. So our journey began.
Behaviorist vs practical training
I hired a behaviorist to come to my home to help us with rumour. So began treat training only. No discipline, no negative words, a flat collar, no chain slip collars ever, only positive reinforcement through treats and total ignoring of unwanted behavior. Now the behaviorist called the first part of training deference. I ask her to sit, wait for her to sit, (no matter how long that took, and do not touch the dog because that is too aggressive ***sigh****) show treat, bring treat to your eye, get the eye contact, give treat. This was easy, rumour figured it out right away and we had this down pat. In the house this works.
Now add high value distractions - other dogs, kids on bikes, joggers etc....do you think she wanted to sit, look me in the eye, and then take a treat? Easy answer, NO.
Our dogs are from working lines and have high drive! That is what we love about them. That treat is not even remotely interesting regardless of whether you stuff it in her mouth when these other distractions are here. And the fact she was wearing a flat collar gave me no control at all! all. Is there a place for treats in training? Absolutely! Once they have learned what is expected from them. In this scenario rumour was going to fail every time. And she did for eight weeks.
Again another call to Monica and again she coached me to go back to what I know. Chain slip collar, immediate correction for unwanted behavior with the leash and collar and high praise when she was doing what was asked correctly
Again, I did not have faith in myself as I felt it had been too long since I trained a dog let alone one who was having problems.
I took her to a trainer that trains in a practical manner using the same methods Monica taught me and was given a lot of praise for my timing of corrections and willingness to give praise to her at exactly the right time as she did what I was asking for right!
Rumour is a work in progress with me right along with her! But I can honestly tell you that using the new treat methods used by many new trainers although being a nice, sweet, and none confrontational way is not practical and is not understood by our loyal, loving, protective dobes.
The practical way does not have you beating your dog, or taking away their spirited loving selves, it teaches them to respect you, the leader of their pack, gives them the guidance they crave and allows us to live with and love a well balanced dog!!!!!