How many times in a day...........

[Jordan]

........do you say good boy! or girl.

I think it must be 100's, too many to count thats for sure.

I know with Domino getting so much training that racks up the numbers but it amazes me how little other dog owners praise their dogs yet are constantly telling them off. One neighbour asked me when we were standing chatting why had i told Domino he was a good boy as he hadnt done anything!!! Eh yes thats why!!! He was waiting patiently for me to finish chatting.
 

[Adrianne]

All the time ...Cupar was quite impatient about going outside when he was younger - he would whine and jump around ...praising him for calm behaviour and reacting to him sitting to ask repeatedly means that now when he wants to go out in the fields he sits tremendously still and stares ...which gets him what he wants a lot quicker than bossing us around.!
I make an effort to praise what I like ..especially if it is 'nothing'

I mentioned before - you are a natural trainer. x 

[kimthecat]

I say it a lot but I also hand out a lot of treats too !

 good point  that people tend to tell off their dogs but ignore good behaviour and take it for granted .

[Kimmikins]

I say it far more than I used to, thanks to the advice and tips I've learnt from all of you lovely people. You're spot on when you say that a lot of dog owners chastise far more than they praise, and it's such a shame. I've learnt that I rarely have to tell Sara or Scrumpy off now, only for the more serious oopsy moments - everything else I ignore the unwanted behaviour and heap praise on them for the good behaviours.

[Adrianne]

im glad that you mentioned not having to tell the dogs off...I never tell mine off, if they ever do anything..which is rare, that I don't like , I see it as a dog behaviour not a naughty behaviour...and we all have different ideas on what would be naughty or not
I sometimes think that when I say that to clients, that they think I am all 'anti telling off' - the image of canine behaviourists still seems to be 'incense sticks, tamborines and beads and sandals' with some people. I don't use the word 'no' but I do give a little 'ahh ahh' as a distractraction /correction in order to gain their attention and then give them something else to do.
I cant remember raising my voice ...and it is a pet hate of mine when people shout at dogs..especially when they shout a command - that just makes me laugh, as if saying it louder will change the dogs mind or suddenly make it understand!

I notice similarities between owners and dogs tho - hyperactive owners / hypersensitive and stressy do tend to have dogs that behave the same.. calm owners generally have better behaved calm and happier dogs...but you see that in the children in the homes too.

[kristina]

Of course once again Adrianne your so right on this and hands up here the day Xena zapped off across the field I was cross with her and she got well told off the first good telling off she has ever had but you also told me many weeks ago not to be afraid of telling her off when needed,I felt she needed it that day.As for good girl well a thousand times a day it seems to me and I chat to her all the time especially when I am road walking people look at me like I'm nuts but I don't care about that and I have noticed that so many people do not talk to there dogs as in the training school no one apart from myself talk to them.When asked to walk round or do anything I am constantly saying to Xena good girl,well done,clever girl,no one else does that??Also I feel that different dogs need to be guided in different ways depending on the breed,spaniels are easy so laid back easy to train,shepherds to me are easy lots of dogs are easy if you put the time and effort into them and they learn to trust you.Xena I feel has a streak of independence about her that could be the collie thing I don't know but she is definatly a girl on her own terms and we have to compromise many times but it works for both of us,sometimes it's about who has the upper hand so to speak when it comes down to whats best for her in on my terms like her safety which is my main concern.I have followed your advice all along and I have to thank you it's all been so rewarding and well worth the hard work it's all starting to pay off now she is a good girl and will now just get better I feel.Kristina

[Kimmikins]

I'm going to join you, Kristina, in putting up my hand to some reactive, scared, bad dog ownership yesterday. I flipped my lid at Sara Not when she (eventually!) came back, but my throat was sore when I got home from how loudly I'd shouted...nothing mean, only recall, but she was having none of it. And why would she?! I was a complete lunatic!

We took her to a different local park which was fenced in - we let her off to explore and run off some energy why we bobbed on the see saw. Suddenly, she stopped and locked onto something...another dog had come into the area the other side of the fence and we hadn't clocked it. I couldn't get her focus quick enough and she was off. I was absolutely terrified that she'd jump the fence (which she'd be able to do, easily, it was only a little over waist high and she can clear a 5ft fence) so my instincts took over and I yelled for her to come back. And the more she refused, the louder I got...not a good afternoon yesterday.

I need to proof myself so that my instinct is to do something else, not shout. Clearly Tim and Sara haven't been training me in enough different locations and with distractions

[Adrianne]

no one said it was easy ... we react like primates because that's what we are!
and the odd 'growl' at your dog wont hurt ... they will get the message.. they just don't learn anything more from it about what you would like them to do.. but we are only human and our superiors forgive us!
I see people yelling at their dogs daily.

..but change the environment and change your expectations... xx

[Kimmikins]

We did actually discuss that on the way home...I remembered those expectations after I'd seen the effects of a new environment, lol! We went without treats too, Tim was convinced we wouldn't need them....I convinced him of this error in judgement on the way home

Today, she was much better. Big long walk, splashy muddy puddles and she only growled at one dog, who had already started barking at her anyway so the little cavalier started it!

[Adrianne]

they keep us on our toes ..it makes you wonder what they must think of our behaviour.