0n (30 Sep 07) PETER COGGON wrote to CINDY HAGLUND...

 PC> Hello Cindy.,

 -=> Quoting Cindy Haglund to Peter Coggon <=-

 CH> We suspect Abbie wsa mistreated too. We are advised by that dog guy
 CH> that you should NOT milly coddle a dog who shows fear. This only
 CH> reinforces the fear. Think about it. I'm guilty of this. :(

 PC>   My mother did give comfort to Rusty when he was a pup due to what
 PC> he went through from birth in August to October November being in
 PC> a SPCA hospital.  He was a mess and they did say he could possibly
 PC> die due to what he went through...but she looked after his stiches
 PC> and other surgery, and yeah she milly coddled him, he was so sick.

 ME TOO I a big one on comfort. But see dogs are not children as
humans .. according to Cesar. They think in the heare and now. So if
we commfort them when they get hurt then they learn to react in fear
everytime that hurting stimulus is presented. :( If the dog hurts him
or herself and we take care of the huert, wait for them to be calm and
THEN we comfort them.. that's okay. :) We're rewarding them for being
calm. And they learn to be calm and simply avoid that hruting stimulus
next time. (As in if they step on a pricker, they learn fast not to
stop on those things- but they won't FEAR them see... which is
healthy.

It kinda goes with kids too. SOmetiems we need to confort them in a
reassuring way that they're okay.. this is positive but if we bet all
mushy woushy we instill fear. :( And fear is counterproductive to
learning in any animal; humans included.

I guess how it goes is that dogs don't understand "you're okay". But
they do understand our body language and calm energy. :) THAT they
learn from. If we're coalm that is. If we're fretful, they learn fear.

......

 CH> Ignore the fearful and reward the behavior that is good behavior (just
 CH> being friendly calm assertive is what the dog nees.). Being a calm
 CH> assetive person helps our dogs be calm submissive (relaxed). I know
 CH> this is true because I have seen it with our Abbie. :)

 PC>   I am doing this now, and it was worse, it seems over time he
 PC> is coming around, but I still wonder.  He really waits on the coldest

 I think Cesar would ask if you're being consistant and if you're
coalm . He says dogs read our energy and you can't hide fear from
them. They smell it. (The adrenalin I guess)...  If we put out calm
they'll be calm.

But I agree with you some maladaptive behaviors are
so set in that it would take a professional's patience to rehab them.
Alsso the presence of other calm energy balanced dogs.


 PC> day for the plow to turnaround at the top of the street to make
 PC> a pass... just goes nuts in the yard, then runs inside to get warmed
 PC> up, and waits if it is garbage day.

Do you feel apprhension? The dog senses that. If you ignore it he
will be able to.  CM illustrates this when he talks about Oprah
Wimfry and her dog. While she is very assertive calm with other people
she's very soft hearted to her little dog and he'd become very
aggreressive/protective when they met other dogs on walks. SHe
anticipated his attacking and this put him on edge.

He rehab'ed her dog by having him gropued with other dogs who were
balanced. They soon correccted his aggression in a positive way. He
learned to relax around other dogs.  Maybe this would work wrt the
snow plow. :) If he sees how other dogs react to it? That is if they
don't reaact at all.
................

 PC> Just loud engines and big trucks and like, that set him off.
 PC> Just like a switch inside...I see his whole face change.

Here's a chuckle to share. My sister has a big chestnut tree outside
the front of her hosue. She tells me everytime a chestnut hits the
house their new dog Rookie (a male weimeriner (SP) barks. So I guess
you can't ignore that but to tell him to stop and be calm about it.

.....


 CH> Abbie however still dislikes getting into her harness/leash. She must
 CH> have had a very traumatic puppyhood. :( I can't imagine!

 PC> When I bring that out...Rusty knows the deal.   Also where to stop for
 PC> the treats as per training school.

 I never liked the treats. I think they do that just to make mon ey
cuz you'll buy the treats at the pet store that offers the class. IMHO
the treats are good for starting a lesson but after that I think if
you use them all the time the dog only obeys for the treat rather than
obeying YOU. And what happens one day you don't happen to have a treat
on hand? You know? I'd think a silent command is the best and just
knowing they're being good (absense of correction) they repeat the
good behavior. CM: "In the pack dogs don't go rewarding good behavior. It's
expected of them." Affection however is something we give when they're
good becasue well , we're human! :)

I do like how CM says it's okay to be human you know, just remember
your dog isn't. They like affection but it's counter producitve at the
wrong time, he says. (As in when they're afraid.)

.......
 CH> At first we'd go after her and reassure her .. this only increased her
 CH> running away. We'd then get annoyed which only made it worse.
 PC>  CH>
 CH> So my sister who has also read the book I am obessed with, suggested
 CH> IGNORE HER SHYING away behavior. When she seees you getting Cosmo
 CH> ready and getting her harness too, she KNOWS what is next. Don't go
 CH> after her. Call her, then wait a minute. She'll come. And she does.

 PC> Tried the ignoring, and correctional stuff...now looking before he
 PC> is too old and dead before I figure it all out.

 My hubby says what seems to work is when we go to the door. That does
seem to work. She acts so stupid !! sometimes! We get annoyed with her
and that is what stalls her so we try to be calm about it. She acts
like we're going to hit her or something. :( I'd never hit her. When
she coems finally we just put it on and get on our way out the door
saying nothing. Just the fact she's going for a walk is the reward.
Absense of what she seemed to exptect at the moment too I think maybe.
  ....

 CH> Some days she comes right away if we stand at the door. Other days I
 CH> thinks he wants to make a game out of it I swear. I think she likes us
 CH> to go after her. lol. Silly girl. She's very happy go lucky and loves
 CH> to be good. :) She's a real sweetie.

 PC> Yes... Rusty does have a game, and also a time to be and want to be
 PC> left for a quiet time and place where I don't bother him.  His cat
 PC> is also there with him.

It's hard for us to be consistant which explains how they aren't but
we try. Ah yeah we do... :) I think if we do the going to the door
every time she'll get the pattern and it'll get easier. I hope.

   .....

 CH> One other thing she does I wonder about. Have an of you see a dog do
 CH> this? :) Sometiems she lays on her side and moves her front paws
 CH> together like she's praying for something. :) It always gets us to rub
 CH> her tummy or give her a chew stick. We think that is what it is. But
 CH> it is cute ! It's her way of talking to us I guess. And how she will
 CH> come lick my ankle when I'm on here and she wants to go out or it's
 CH> supper time. I guess you might say she has ME trained. lol.

 PC> My dog used to do that, and reach for my hands and hold them and
 PC> direct them to where he wanted to be scratched.

 :) yeah she does that! :) She also gets up on the back of the couch
where I am reading and wil put her paw on the book! to get my
attention. I have a feeling that's not right for her to do so I ignore
here for a bit until she calms down then I pet her.
....

 PC> For food and things...it is a bark, or a nawing sensation on my arm.
 PC> Or he takes my hand and pulls or lets go and goes to where he can
 PC> show me what he wants.  He has a lot of things to do to communicate.

 CH> Well we're supposed to leaders of the pack all the time.
 CH> Incosnistancey makes them neurotic. So I always make her wait  when she
 CH> comes to get me to do something.

 PC> Oh ...

 That's the part we can train ourselves to do. Wait a minute  gee
sounds cruel but we're expected to be the leader. They want us to.
Well of course some dogs are natural asseritve calm leaders - they can
do that with the cat and other dogs! Not us. We need to be their
leaders. They do too. CM says and he explains it nicely. A well
behaved dog is a happy dog! and a happy dog is a happy owner.
....


 PC> Thats whenever...I get out first or he does, or I open and invite him
 PC> out.  He does wait.

 He does see you as the leader. I think sometimes though they do
forget their manners, as when new people come about.
................

 CH> Some might say : what difference does it make if the dog is in front.
 CH> they know they're on a leash and who is holding it. hmm. Debatable?

 PC> aaah I have tired it both ways and sometimes we both tried to squeeze
 PC> thru together....now thats fun.

 :) That had to be funny!

..........

 CH> see if that works. Pay no attention to the dog when he reacts to the
 CH> nose. Only after he calms down reward him with affection. I think that
 CH> is what CM would advise. :)

 PC> Tried that...one trainer even tried with a collar with those hooks in
 PC> it, and he still went after the source.  They all tired...last one

I know that collar yeah. I had to use it on a big dog I dogsat last
summer. She didn't like that collar at all but after a few days she
knew I wouldn't let her lead so she behaved better.

There's this other collar show dogs have to wear. It's very effective.
It fits right behind the ears/jaw and is held up. This gives you total
control of the dog's head therefore the rest of him/her, in leading/guiding.


 PC> had Rusty hungup like the gallows trying to stop it.   Just didn't
 PC> work...so I just keep him calm and the guys driving the trucks
 PC> help out too..many know the old guy now.

 yeah. CM says many owners get frustrated and give up and I agree
because I've 'been there' IE: we had one dog who would not heel for
beans. I mean you could pull her right up off the ground ..

Oh wait! I just remembered something that should help all of us. Pay
attention to your dog's body language. And look up ahead. If you see a
distraction pull on the leash/say no ..BEFORE he/she gets all excited.
Once they start going nuts it's very hard to stop them. I make Abbie
sit down if she gets too excited (or I walk really fast with her)...
until the distraction is past or we're past the distraction.
This seems to help.

....

 PC> My signature is also on the SPCA form.
 PC> When they asked what and why about him for adoption I said he would


>> CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE <<

cindy

--- PPoint 3.01