Hand holding, general support and best of all a place to brag about the successes. Share with words. Share with photos. Share with video. This is your home place for the next 14 weeks. Let the retrieve journey begin.
Mabel has been doing fine with her retrieves, but it has caused avoidance behavior in other areas. Today I was doing leash work with her and she was avoiding me. I did throw chains, but she won't come back, even if I hit her. After our throw chain session she was cowering and would creep alongside me in submission. This is concerning for me, as she seems as if she doesn't remember anything we've worked on for a long time. Advice is appreciated.
Heeling stick work is going fine. I still need to introduce the jumps.
This is normal behavior for a soft dog. As we apply pressure in doing the retrieve work, she is going to continue to display avoidance behavior. The fix is to work through her breakdowns, but at the same time make sure you are doing off time with her to reinforce the relationship. Going for Walk's just you and her, playing with her, just you and her, increase your Quiet Times (how many are you doing with her each day?), etc. You have to balance the increase of this new 'pressure' with increased relationship building time/activity between you and her. Also, work harder to change your tone of voice/pitch when you do have yo correct her for failing to obey. This may be a big shift for you as you are need that softer voice as the corrections happen.
As you already know, the real pressure begins with Week 3. So don't be surprised when she increases her avoidance behavior as this RC continues.
As hard as this seems, she will in time, figure out that her avoidance behaviors don't change the fact she has to obey regardless. Does all of this make sense?
Yes, this makes sense. This is a relief, I was worried I was breaking her. Thanks. I haven't been doing quiet time as much as I should, but I do it at dinner and occasionally while I do my school.
You CAN break a soft dog, it is done by increasing 'pressure' without balancing out the relationship. Soft words, quiet praise, time with just the two of you doing nothing, silly games go a LONG, LONG way to help a soft dog understand the 'pressure' is part of the relationship. Takes a light touch, soft words, quiet gentle pitch of voice and being CCC and PIC to get a soft dog through to the next level. While Mabel isn't a 'Kimber', she is that soft dog which is new to your family. And just like Kimber had her own challenges, so too does a soft dog.
Every dog, like every handler, has their own quirks, perks and idiosyncrasies. As a trainer, the excellence in training comes in recognizing THAT dog and with THAT handler and coaching the two to success. It's a juggling act.
Margot always said, "Some people can train their own dog. Some people can train only one breed of dog well. Some people can train their own dog and also train someone else's dog. But it is a rare combination of trainer that can train their dog, train someone else's dog and train another person to succeed with their own dog. EVEN more rare? A trainer that can do it all AND train another person to BE a trainer like them."
Yup, I'm that rare and more rare combination. Hang in there girl, you are learning volumes and THIS IS HOW YOU GET BETTER. Not in the easy training, but when there are challenges and road blocks and stumbling blocks, THAT is the place a person grows, exponentially, as a handler.
This week is going good and we are making the jumps but improvising with other materials until I can get the parts tomorrow. Kratos is improving with fetch more and more every time we work him.
Sooo sorry I haven’t been as good about doing the updates. It will calm down now for me and I can have a minute to keep up on this. Roxanne you now know what’s going on with us here. We will attempt in the morning after assessing chris and his state. GOOD news fever broke so probably not what we thought it was.
How is the retrieve Lesson 2:Open on Command going this week? How is the Bar, Broad and High Jump training? The Heeling Stick work?
ReplyDeleteDumbbells are ordered.
ReplyDeleteMabel has been doing fine with her retrieves, but it has caused avoidance behavior in other areas. Today I was doing leash work with her and she was avoiding me. I did throw chains, but she won't come back, even if I hit her. After our throw chain session she was cowering and would creep alongside me in submission. This is concerning for me, as she seems as if she doesn't remember anything we've worked on for a long time. Advice is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHeeling stick work is going fine. I still need to introduce the jumps.
Alice,
DeleteThis is normal behavior for a soft dog. As we apply pressure in doing the retrieve work, she is going to continue to display avoidance behavior. The fix is to work through her breakdowns, but at the same time make sure you are doing off time with her to reinforce the relationship. Going for Walk's just you and her, playing with her, just you and her, increase your Quiet Times (how many are you doing with her each day?), etc. You have to balance the increase of this new 'pressure' with increased relationship building time/activity between you and her. Also, work harder to change your tone of voice/pitch when you do have yo correct her for failing to obey. This may be a big shift for you as you are need that softer voice as the corrections happen.
As you already know, the real pressure begins with Week 3. So don't be surprised when she increases her avoidance behavior as this RC continues.
As hard as this seems, she will in time, figure out that her avoidance behaviors don't change the fact she has to obey regardless. Does all of this make sense?
Yes, this makes sense. This is a relief, I was worried I was breaking her. Thanks.
DeleteI haven't been doing quiet time as much as I should, but I do it at dinner and occasionally while I do my school.
Alice,
DeleteYou CAN break a soft dog, it is done by increasing 'pressure' without balancing out the relationship. Soft words, quiet praise, time with just the two of you doing nothing, silly games go a LONG, LONG way to help a soft dog understand the 'pressure' is part of the relationship. Takes a light touch, soft words, quiet gentle pitch of voice and being CCC and PIC to get a soft dog through to the next level. While Mabel isn't a 'Kimber', she is that soft dog which is new to your family. And just like Kimber had her own challenges, so too does a soft dog.
Every dog, like every handler, has their own quirks, perks and idiosyncrasies. As a trainer, the excellence in training comes in recognizing THAT dog and with THAT handler and coaching the two to success. It's a juggling act.
Margot always said, "Some people can train their own dog. Some people can train only one breed of dog well. Some people can train their own dog and also train someone else's dog. But it is a rare combination of trainer that can train their dog, train someone else's dog and train another person to succeed with their own dog. EVEN more rare? A trainer that can do it all AND train another person to BE a trainer like them."
Yup, I'm that rare and more rare combination. Hang in there girl, you are learning volumes and THIS IS HOW YOU GET BETTER. Not in the easy training, but when there are challenges and road blocks and stumbling blocks, THAT is the place a person grows, exponentially, as a handler.
Roxanne
You are amazing! We are so lucky to have found you. Thanks for the advice.
DeleteDo you still need me to measure Mabel's dowel? I am not sure how to do that.
ReplyDeletePlease put Kimber's dB in her mouth and take a photo so I can see that fit.
DeleteI can do that.
DeleteThis week is going good and we are making the jumps but improvising with other materials until I can get the parts tomorrow. Kratos is improving with fetch more and more every time we work him.
ReplyDeleteCorbin,
ReplyDeleteThat is great news!
Excellent updates..just waiting to.hear from Chris
ReplyDeleteSooo sorry I haven’t been as good about doing the updates. It will calm down now for me and I can have a minute to keep up on this. Roxanne you now know what’s going on with us here. We will attempt in the morning after assessing chris and his state. GOOD news fever broke so probably not what we thought it was.
ReplyDeletePraying for all of you, Angela
ReplyDelete