Control Unleashed Discussion Group

Since you brought it up and Koji is a LOT more mature now, I think I'll go dig up my book and start reading again. Work on his issues too. BTW, great blog. I see a lot of things that I could be doing that she did. May need to use her "strange" idea for Koji as I do believe he thinks he gets rewards for "bark, look at mom, get treat". Ugh! Oops

I've also become a better trainer since I tried this last time. Better, not great. lol.

I just saw when I posted last. Feb 2009. No wonder I gave up. Koji wasn't even 2 yet. He wasn't even beginning to calm down yet.
 
marymrumfelt said:
My little one turns two in September... I was hoping she'd calm down around two! Say it ain't so that it's not true... lol
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It depends on the lines. Koji's I believe is slow, that or I neutered him too early and it affected him. So, don't worry, she may still calm down. Koji didn't calm down until he was closer to 3, and finally has more self-control coming up on 5. LOL. But that's his crazy self.
 
k9kreationz said:
It depends on the lines. Koji's I believe is slow, that or I neutered him too early and it affected him. So, don't worry, she may still calm down. Koji didn't calm down until he was closer to 3, and finally has more self-control coming up on 5. LOL. But that's his crazy self.
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I agree depends on the dog and lines. Justice was born mature, Ember too. Birch is getting more mature everyday even at 6 months.

Diva, well, I'm waiting. :lol: Though since she turned 3 yrs she has gotten alot better. Diva is intact and had 2 litters so I highly doubt Koji acts like he does because he was neutered too early.
 
What a fun coincidence this thread was revived, I just started reading the book yesterday! :smile2:

My Kyara is one of those high drive reactive nervous shelties so I hope it will help us. She is 1 year and 6 months and have noticed she matured a lot in the last few months.
 
Meldor said:
What a fun coincidence this thread was revived, I just started reading the book yesterday! :smile2:

My Kyara is one of those high drive reactive nervous shelties so I hope it will help us. She is 1 year and 6 months and have noticed she matured a lot in the last few months.
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That's Great (That your're reading the book, not that she's high drive and nervous, lol)! I'm so glad that I'll have someone to compare notes with!

How far are you? I'm on page 76 of chapter three, reading about teaching the dog to reorient to the handler.
 
I'm just about to start Chapter 2. Hopefully I can get lots of reading done over the long weekend.

I can't wait to start some exercises. :smile2:. We can for sure compare notes and progress whenever you want. You can always PM me for more specific stuff.
 
I do have one question about a behavior of Toby's that frustrates me that I'm never sure how to handle. Maybe it will become more evident the further I get in the book but I'd like to put this out there.

There are times when Toby displays reactive behavior, but I'm not sure of his motivation. Is he just excited/aroused or is he acting the way he is because he's anxious?

For example, he feels the need to occasionally tell off either the old clothes line pole at the back of the yard or the deck lanterns the neighbor has out (poll and lanterns are near each other, both in the back of the yard). He'll just suddenly look up, see their there and rush the fence, growling and barking like an idiot. Then he'll trot away with his tail up and woof a few more times, as if to say "I showed him!" Although he barks at these items, I think the original trigger was kids making noise and playing in the yard, but the majority of the time he does this the kids aren't around. His biggest triggers are mainly noise based and can make him very anxious.

I tend to think the times I'm confused are more excitement based than anxiety based, he tends to be much more tense when he's anxious. But how should I be reacting when he suddenly lunges and barks at something out of excitement?

Should I be working more on his impulse control? Should I be punishing this behavior (meaning taking him by the collar and putting him in time out or taking him inside for misbehaving.)
 
I can really picture this behavior as Kyara does it so often.

I always think to myself, there must be a sound I can't ear that is troubling her. I'm not sure though what's the right thing to do in that situation. All I do is deal with it by getting her attention back to me and if she seems way too excited, I put her in a sit/stay and try to calm her (talking softly, massaging).

Most often, she'll go back to this highly aroused state a few minutes later so I don't think it works. Hopefully there will be calming exercises in the book that can help.
 
Meldor said:
I can really picture this behavior as Kyara does it so often.

I always think to myself, there must be a sound I can't ear that is troubling her. I'm not sure though what's the right thing to do in that situation. All I do is deal with it by getting her attention back to me and if she seems way too excited, I put her in a seat/stay and try to calm her (talking softly, massaging).

Most often, she'll go back to this highly aroused state a few minutes later so I don't think it works. Hopefully there will be calming exercises in the book that can help.
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That's what I do when he's anxious, but this is different. This is more of a learned behavior with Toby, I think.

Usually when Toby is anxious, he'll whine, scan his environment, grind his teeth, he's tense, etc. But in the situation I mentioned he seems fairly relaxed before he reacts, and there isn't really a typical trigger. Usually he's triggered by noise. The behaviorist saw similar behavior from him on our front porch and said she thought it was more excitement than anxiety. That at times he LIKES that excited state so he's learned to work himself into it.

But what do I do to discourage this learned behavior, if that's truly what it is?

Thoughts? Suggestions? :pop
 
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