[dakotajo]

as you know I have been using the pinch collar for Dakota's massive pulling issues. I don't want any feedback about how bad the collar is, I am just a little confused on some opinions on when to take it off or leave it on. Some people are telling me to take it off right after walking or any training etc... which I've been doing,and others are telling me to leave it on or they will become collar smart and only behave when it's on so.... she has become quite collar smart and is really good walking as long as the pinch is on her unless we see another dog the she doesn't care what collar she has on she still lunges towards the dogs. This is the biggest issue while walking is when she sees other dogs she gets way too excited and out of control and I mean this dog sees/plays with her friends at least once a week plus sees other dogs at training class and still acts the same way every time like she HAS NEVER seen other puppies before! I guess with the pinch collar I can at least get her attention enough to sit and relax a little. We have no dog parks and I'm kind of iffy about those, maybe taking her to a doggy day care once a week or something?? So my questions:

1. Leave the collar on or off? I'm home all day so she's supervised

2. Doggy day care? will she eventually grow out of this overly excited behaviour??

 

[TooneyDogs]

All collars come off when at home....it's a safety issue...not a training issue.
Day care depends on the dogs reaction to other dogs. There was a Victoria Stillwell (It's Me or The Dog) segment on TV recently about a boxer at daycare. The owners thought their dog was having fun....turned out the dog was overwhelmed/highly reactive/stressed. Reactivity to other dogs needs training.....daycare by itself doesn't do that.

 

[dakotajo]

she's definately not stressed or unhappy seeing other dogs, she expects them ALL to play with her. She is a very extremely happy 10 month old, I just worry that she will come across an aggressive dog and get bit, although she does back off when they growl. She'll let other dogs, even ones she just meets eat and drink out of her bowls. She shows absolutely no aggression

 

[Allie3985]

Collar off. To beat the "collar smarts" you can try puttting it on and do a little training in the house (stuff that you don'r really need the collar for) and then randomly doing the same thing with it off. Also try going for a walk with it off but only go up and down the sidewalk in front of your house, or if that is too much try just walking in and out of your front door. Try this with the collar on, and then again randomly with the collar off. This will keep the dog guessing and help you ween yourself off of the collar too! I'm not saying anything about using a pinch one way or the other, simply that it should be faded out the same way that you fade a food lure. You don't want to always have to be dependant on it.

Are you working on impulse control/attention exercises at home? I'm sure that you have heard this a million times but working on attention and slowly adding distractions will help out a lot. With my coonhound I started using a clicker because when I would take her to class she would have little "tantrums" when she wants to chase another dog (usually small ones that look like squirrels ). I have found that when she starts throwing a fit and I actually get her to give me a glance, if I click she goes "Oh! A treat!" and focuses on me again. It sounds trivial, but having that precise marker for the instant that she does what I want works wonders for her. She knows exactly what she did right and she also knows exactly what the click means, that there is a reward coming.

 

[dakotajo]

I could try that, I definately have to work on her focusing on me alot more. She's great out in public with the noise, kids, strollers, skate boards, couldn't ask for better in that respect it's just the other dogs, especially puppies. I should also mention that when she does get to play with the dog, she runs over to me and licks my face [when I'm sitting down] like "Thank you for letting me play!!"

 

[Allie3985]

I know what you mean. My cattle dog who has rock solid stays came with me to teach puppy class on Tuesday and she acted like I didn't exist and that there was no such thing as a down stay. LOL It was actually kind of cute watching her try to be sneaky and crawl to a puppy when she was supposed to be in a down stay, especially while we were playing pass the puppy! She couldn't stand it that I got to play with the puppies but she didn't! As frustrating as this can be I guess we just have to look at these things as opportunites to proof our stays or attention.

Can you go a little early to dog class and stand at a distance from the other dogs so that your dog isn't overly excited? This would be a perfect time to work on attention, and when you are having success move a little bit closer to the other dogs. If your dog starts having a fit just move further away again. Baby steps!

 

[dakotajo]

to tell you the truth I think the room is too small for 6 dogs. Every chance she gets she's lunges to see the other dogs. I think I'm going to look for a different trainer also, she doesn't agree with a pinch on a puppy and yet my hands where just burning from all the pulling doesn't she see that? She has a smaller thinner dog, physically easier to handle. The martingale does nothing for Dakota and this is what she wants us to use. I'm thinking Dakota is not one of her favourites, Dakota is well.. vocal and after about a half hour of training she doesn't care for treats and rolls around on the floor and I can't make her do nothing. This trainer has also told us twice now that she will smack our hands if we hold the leash wrong, I mean really!! We aren't children and we are all older than her! and she didn't even say thank you when I handed over my money and I knew in my gut this isn't the trainer for us. An hour is just too long for this dog. She does well with sit, stay, down etc.... but we have to work on longer periods of time but for other things it's like she understands sentences better than one word commands?? For example, the other day she was pacing in the house and I had to get my work done and I told her " I have to work, go get your chicken, play and lay down" and she cocked her head sideways at me and then ran off got her squeeky chicken and played

 

[Allie3985]

You should definately try to find a trainer that takes more of an interest in your dog and respects your personal situation and decisions. In the mean time get what you can out of the class you are taking since you already payed for it .