[mylittlebella]

I'm so proud of Bella...she does better and better every week. She learned how to stay and laydown and she's actually getting it. I can't believe how much these classes have helped. She listens to me (most of the time at least) and she's actually getting this stuff. It helps when you have a good trainer. She's awesome and if anyone is in Miami, I highly recommend her.

 

[Caesar's Mommie]

Awww thats great!

 

[littlepeanut]

Aww!!! I'm so glad to hear the classes are going so well!! Keep up the good work Bella!!

 

[sheila2182]

Originally posted by mylittlebella@Feb 4 2005, 09:46 AM
I'm so proud of Bella...she does better and better every week.  She learned how to stay and laydown and she's actually getting it.  I can't believe how much these classes have helped.  She listens to me (most of the time at least) and she's actually getting this stuff.  It helps when you have a good trainer.  She's awesome and if anyone is in Miami, I highly recommend her.

<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=33337

[/QUOTE]

How's Bella doing with her training? Kirbie finally started his yesterday,but it was more going over all the information etc. I cant wait for next week.We get to do something!!

 

[020202]

I've been watching for Bella's updates also. I remember she was giving you fits before the training. Is there much improvement? Stories to share? Proud mama moments?

 

[ButterCloudandNoriko]

Awwww! That's awesome!!! Bella's cute and smart!

 

[saltymalty]

That's wonderful. We started puppy classes yesterday. The most important things we learned were: 1. never use their name when giving a command otherwise they will learn that their name means "treat" and you want them to associate action with treat; and 2. you need to do a "dominance hold" on them often when they are puppies. A dominance hold is when you pin the puppy either on the floor, or against your body, until he/she stops struggling. Wait a few seconds and then release the dog. You should not use force to pin the dog, but gentle pressure. Has anyone else heard of this? I can say we've done it a few times since yesterday and our puppy hasn't bitten any of us once since.

 

[sheila2182]

Originally posted by saltymalty@Feb 13 2005, 01:27 PM
That's wonderful.  We started puppy classes yesterday.  The most important things we learned were: 1.  never use their name when giving a command otherwise they will learn that their name means "treat" and you want them to associate action with treat; and 2. you need to do a "dominance hold" on them often when they are puppies.  A dominance hold is when you pin the puppy either on the floor, or against your body, until he/she stops struggling.  Wait a few seconds and then release the dog.  You should not use force to pin the dog, but gentle pressure.  Has anyone else heard of this?  I can say we've done it a few times since yesterday and our puppy hasn't bitten any of us once since.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35122

[/QUOTE]

I forgot you were going also!
Yup, they told me the same thing.The training were we go is based on Karen Pryor (sp?) She is excellant,she wrote Dont Shoot The Dog.That is the other book that has been recomended on here.Kirbie is a little older 10 1/2 mon. But he is so small I put him in Puppy Class.I have been working with him already,just wanted to make sure we were on the right track!! We will be all able to share how things are going!!

 

[jmm]

Dominance is not established by force. I think dogs should learn to be handled, but holding a dog until they stop struggling is not going to assert your dominance. In pups, I will on occasion do a "Mamma dog" and grab their scruff and growl at them if they're too out of control or I don't like their behavior.

 

[saltymalty]

I have to be honest, I was a bit put off by this manuver. But the key is not to use any kind of force, you don't want to hurt the pup. I have been holding her against my chest, like a hug where one hand is on her head, the other on her tushy. She doesn't squirm at all, and it seems like she kind of likes it because she usually starts licking my chin. Maybe it is just a coincidence that she hasn't been biting. Our instructor called this the "mama dog move" because dogs will lay their heads and paws across puppies when their behavior gets too out of control.

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by JMM@Feb 13 2005, 02:32 PM
Dominance is not established by force. I think dogs should learn to be handled, but holding a dog until they stop struggling is not going to assert your dominance. In pups, I will on occasion do a "Mamma dog" and grab their scruff and growl at them if they're too out of control or I don't like their behavior.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35129

[/QUOTE]

I agree with you Jackie. That technique taught in the class sounds somewhat like the alpha roll which is now out of favor with most trainers.

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by saltymalty@Feb 13 2005, 01:27 PM
That's wonderful.  We started puppy classes yesterday.  The most important things we learned were: 1.  never use their name when giving a command otherwise they will learn that their name means "treat" and you want them to associate action with treat; and 2. you need to do a "dominance hold" on them often when they are puppies.  A dominance hold is when you pin the puppy either on the floor, or against your body, until he/she stops struggling.  Wait a few seconds and then release the dog.  You should not use force to pin the dog, but gentle pressure.  Has anyone else heard of this?  I can say we've done it a few times since yesterday and our puppy hasn't bitten any of us once since.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35122

[/QUOTE]
I had always been taught to use their name before giving a command because it gets their attention and let's them know you're talking to them... such as... "Catcher (get his attention) Sit". Versus saying "Sit" out of the blue.

I'm not sure I agree that the dog would associate their name with a treat. They don't get the treat until they do the action; i.e., "sit", "stay", etc. Saying their name only gets their attention so they will do the action... they don't get a treat for responding to their name; only for the action.

 

[saltymalty]

I thought the same thing too...but this was a point that the trainer kept stressing. She said that they will go through their whole routine once you call their name, but if you give the command only (without name) they will learn what that particular command means. This is my first dog, so I didn't really know what to expect. It made sense at the time, but now I am wondering if I wasted my $125! I will say that there were other much larger dogs in the class (2 german sheppards) so the trainer had me and the owner of a Chihuahua in a separate gated area for "play". I was kind of surprised that they put together a class with larger and smaller dogs. Now the GS's were both really nice puppies, but one swipe of the paw and mine would have been history.

 

[sheila2182]

I forgot to mention that they told us.. Do not use your dogs name as a reprimand.Do not say..Kirbie NO.Use other words for reprimands,such as Enough,EH-EH,Uh ,HEy etc.Teach them a specific word that means STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING>Instead of saying Kirbie NO ,..say Kirbie Enough etc. They said your dog/puppy should always associate his name with good things only. So you are right in what you said Kallie?Catchers Mom

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by sheila2182@Feb 13 2005, 03:31 PM
I forgot to mention that they told us.. Do not use your dogs name as a reprimand.Do not  say..Kirbie NO.Use other words for reprimands,such as  Enough,EH-EH,Uh ,HEy etc.Teach them a specific word that means STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING>Instead of saying Kirbie NO ,..say Kirbie Enough etc.   They said your dog/puppy should always associate his name with good things only. So you are right in what you said Kallie?Catchers Mom
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35140

[/QUOTE]

Sheila, what I had heard was not to say their name in a bad tone... like ... CAT... CHER!!! But I have never been told it is wrong to say their name to get their attention... even if you need to say a reprimand.

In my household, with two dogs, I almost have to say their names or they don't know who I am talking to. If Catcher is across the room chewing on a chair leg, I can say "no" all day long and he doesn't know who I'm talking to, he is so busy with that chair. But if I say, Catcher, get away from the chair, he will.

Actually, with that particular problem I usually make a very loud noise and he'll run away from the chair ...... He's gotten to associate the loud noise with my not wanting him to chew the chair...

All these training methods are intersting... looks like there is... and I hesitate to say this.....more than one way to "skin a cat"

[gosh where in the world did that phrase come from!?!]

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by saltymalty@Feb 13 2005, 03:29 PM
I thought the same thing too...but this was a point that the trainer kept stressing.  She said that they will go through their whole routine once you call their name, but if you give the command only (without name) they will learn what that particular command means.  This is my first dog, so I didn't really know what to expect.  It made sense at the time, but now I am wondering if I wasted my $125!  I will say that there were other much larger dogs in the class (2 german sheppards) so the trainer had me and the owner of a Chihuahua in a separate gated area for "play".  I was kind of surprised that they put together a class with larger and smaller dogs.  Now the GS's were both really nice puppies, but one swipe of the paw and mine would have been history.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35139

[/QUOTE]

I can sort of see in theory what she means but I've never seen it happen. When I went to training class with my first Maltese, Rosebud, we spent a lot of time getting the dog to respond when we said their name... to get them to look at us and make eye contact when their name was said. Because that is how I was taught so many years ago, it just stuck with me. I do that now and really like to have that responsiveness... once I say their name and they look at me... I have their attention and then I can talk to them....

 

[MalteseJane]

In the obedience class we went to, they also said to say their name first to get their attention before giving a command. The problem in that class was also that all the other dogs where big puppy dogs. Alex was not a puppy anymore and was a dwarf compared to the other ones. So he was always watching his back. A lot of things that they teached in that class were also obsolete to us since we already were over the housebreaking part and things relative to puppies.
Now since Alex is an only dog, I don't have to say his name each time I yell at him for doing something he shouldn't, he knows perfectly well who I am talking to and he will give the evil eye. Like "what do you want with me", "live me alone".

 

[jmm]

Jonathan is the ring leader for barking when it starts. I trained the dogs to be quiet by having them come to me and sit. Now when Jonathan is barking and I call his name, Mikey comes blasting to me all excited and sits down LOL

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by JMM@Feb 13 2005, 08:34 PM
Jonathan is the ring leader for barking when it starts. I trained the dogs to be quiet by having them come to me and sit. Now when Jonathan is barking and I call his name, Mikey comes blasting to me all excited and sits down LOL
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35168

[/QUOTE]

Oh, how cute... I can just picture that!

 

[saltymalty]

We went to our second training class today...we had a different instructor this time. Apparently the one last week was only a fill-in. Boy did we get gyped last week....this trainer is wonderful. And she did agree with everyone that we should be using the pup's name when we call her! K&C's Mom....you were right about that one! We actually learned how to do a down and restrained recall. We had so much fun this week and now we cannot wait to practice what we have learned. One other great tip she gave was to train them on an empty (or almost empty) stomach. That worked wonders. We used her kibble as a "treat", although I'm not sure we should be doing that....but it worked. Next week we are going to bring liverwurst as her treat for class.