Training when I'm NOT there...

M

MoonshineDad

Forums Enthusiast
So here's an odd situation.

Dancer is a rescue. She bonded immediately to me and me alone. She likes my fiance...but respect and like are two totally different words. When I'm at home Dancer is an angel. She basically is not two feet from me. Listens like a champ.

Well.....I go out the door and it's like a babysitting gone terribly wrong scenario. She won't come inside for my fiance. She just looks at her play bows and takes off for the next 2 to 3 hours. She will not listen to my fiance. She will flop over on her back and push her away with all four paws. (This I actually find quite funny but I'm tyring not to laugh for fear of a woman's temper) She will grumble and groan whenever my fiance is cleaning her feet after going for 2 hour mud romp when she won't come inside.

I told her to use a long leash when letting her out and if she doesn't come inside reel her in. Well dancer found a way to pull out of it. She chases my fiance's chihuahua sheltie mix around the house as well which really is upseting my fiance...

I'm at a loss of how to fix this because it doesn't happen when I'm home. This dog is PERFECT when I'm home. I actually didn't believe my fiance at first when she told me this was happening but then she took pictures. Last time I wasn't even out of the neighborhood and Dancer leapt off the couch and up onto the table after I walked out the door.

Another problem is I'm not sure if I trust Dancer 100% with her...she's VERY VERY fearful and I have to be with her constantly if something is happening she doesn't like. We've been to two behaviorists already for it and they are at a loss because the dog is perfect only with me and whenever I'm around perfect with anyone else. When I'm not around she'll charge, snap, bite, growl...she has never bitten my fiance simply flopped on her back and pushes her away with her feet. I'm in desperate need of some advice on this it's getting bad.
 
What a little stinker! LOL

Get a martingale collar and keep her using a long line..to reel her in...

Your fiance is going to have to start doing alot of the feeding and treating...making the dog say "please"..sitting or some other behaviour. A little NILF goes a long way in helping the dog know that your fiance is co boss in the house. Also if she could do some training..either while you are there or alone...maybe just something small..like shaking a paw...something fun for your dog too.

Shelties usually pick a person to be closest to...so that part is normal....but, doggy has to know that other humans in the house are still boss.

woofies

Julie
Clancy & Abby
 
I would question the competency of your behaviorists.

It seems like all animals will always view one person to be more in charge of them than say someone else in the family. And all animals will react when around a stranger. So she will always mind you better than your fiance.

The dog is viewing your fiance below her in the pecking order. Your fiance should probably start off by being the one who actually feeds this dog. She should start with hand feeding some of her kibble before actually giving her the bowl. Your fiance should also make her do tricks for treats etc.

When you leave the house put a harness on the dog. You need to buy something that she can't slip out of. Your fiance needs to be able to control the dog. Attach the dog to a long leash or rope. She will need to pull her up and reel her in. The dog needs a little tough love. Your fiance needs to show the dog she is in control without yelling and being calm. This is something your experts should have shown her how to interact with the dog. Do short practice sessions. Pick one bad habit at a time. If she wants her not to run around the yard, then start with the leash method on this habit first. If she is getting totally out of hand, then put her in a crate. If she can't behave she loses all privileges. It is always harder to change a bad behaviour than to stop it in its tracks. So this might take some time. Just be consistent.

The dog is smart enough that she knows what she can get away with. She idiolizes you so she will do whatever to please you. Your fiance is just going to have to instill a little respect.

The biting and growling is this at other people or is she really trying to bite your fiance? Mine runs around growling, just because I won't let her bark. She uses her growling as a way to get my attention, usually someone is out front and she wants me to come and see.
 
She gives a good warning before ever snapping. She's never had tooth to flesh yet, but I don't put this past her if she's pushed. I have not allowed anyone to push her though. She does excellent and will allow anyone to touch, manipulate ect. when I'm there...it's when she's alone that she feels threatened.

As far as biting my fiance she's snapped once and this is when she was cleaning her feet from a mud romp but she did not make contact and my fiance put her immediately in the crate afterwards and she didn't come out until I came home. Dancer is an aussie she's around 40lbs and that experience shook my fiance up a bit.

I will go out and get her a harness for now we have a martingale on order but no stores around here carry them.
 
MoonshineDad said:
She gives a good warning before ever snapping. She's never had tooth to flesh yet, but I don't put this past her if she's pushed. I have not allowed anyone to push her though. She does excellent and will allow anyone to touch, manipulate ect. when I'm there...it's when she's alone that she feels threatened.

As far as biting my fiance she's snapped once and this is when she was cleaning her feet from a mud romp but she did not make contact and my fiance put her immediately in the crate afterwards and she didn't come out until I came home. Dancer is an aussie she's around 40lbs and that experience shook my fiance up a bit.

I will go out and get her a harness for now we have a martingale on order but no stores around here carry them.
Click to expand...

I missed the part where this is an Aussie and not a sheltie.

You are talking about a fairly sized dog. Warning means that she will eventually bite someone. And I've found that timid dogs are more apt to bite than even aggressive dogs. But maybe it's because you are more on guard with an aggressive dog? Your fiance may want to have you put on a muzzle when she has to deal with the dog by herself.

An Aussie is a very high energy dog. Kind of along the lines of a border collie without the stare. No wonder your fiance's dog is intimidated when Dancer chases her around the house. This dog needs very long walks or possibly someone to take her running. She would also benefit from structured play. Such as agility or a very controlled form of frisbee. Releasing some of that energy will help tremendously with her behaviour problem. After the age of two you might start seeing a drop in her activity levels.
 
Yes, I've owned aussies before its a long story as to how we ended up on the sheltie board.

As far as the exercise Dancer gets 6 miles of walking BEFORE i go to work. She is also a frisbee dog we work on that on a daily basis I take her out and have sprint training with the disc coupled with endurance training with running along side my bicycle. On days when it's too cold to ride we usually go for a jog. I do this to keep her in shape...if I didn't have the 6 mile walk, sprint training and some form of paced run this dog would eat my home lol. I'm a jogger by nature since the military so I'm not sure exercise is the problem. She does have intense prey drive hence the chasing of my fiance's small dog. The other two aussies I've owned have both been raised by me so we didn't have these type of behavioral issues. They were working lines however so that drive was certainly there. They were also disc dogs.

Hopefully she'll do better when it's on season and I'm able to work with her with the disc more, but I'm at a pretty scary point as far as my fiance's safety.
 
I agree with what others have said about NILF. It sounds like Dancer needs to be working for her food and her rewards need to be coming from your fiance.

I know from experience that Aussies tend to be one person dogs :wink2:. Apollo is my husband's dog, no doubt about it. But he will actually mind me better than he minds Freddy because I do the feeding and all of the training except for frisbee stuff.

My routine with Apollo was first to establish a default behaviour for everything he wants. For him its Sit, but it could be Down or whatever. I only cued the behaviour a few times and after that I expect him to offer it when he wants something. He must sit for meals, for cookies, before he can go outside, and before he can have a game. If he gets too wound up playing and starts barking and throwing his toy at me (which is not uncommon :lol:) he must calm and sit before the game continues. I think a basis like this would go a long way towards Dancer learning respect for your fiance.

Your description of Dancer reminds me a lot of Apollo. Apollo has TURBO drive and even with loads and loads of exercise he is still a live wire. He rolls on his back and kicks as you mention Dancer doing, although when Apollo does it it is to burn away excess energy. Might this be why Dancer is kicking and rolling around? Even the amount of exercise she is getting could be a drop in the bucket if shes really drivey.

If you're still uncomfortable with the way Dancer is acting, I know there are quite a few folks on the disc dog email lists that are very familiar with the kinds of behaviours you're seeing, there may be someone local who can help you with Dancer without the big price tag a behaviourist can carry :yes:
 
Last edited:
Ok, All the posts were pretty long, so I only just skimmed them.

Bottom line, I think, is your fiance has to take control of some of the training. I've got similar issues with my pups and my son. They don't respect him, or anybody else coming to the door, for that matter. My pups don't jump on me, interestingly enough, unless I invite them. But they will chase Ryan all over the house, nipping at his heals.

We are working on techniques to teach the boys to respect ALL humans. I'll let you all know how that goes.
 
Hey Barb, keep us posted on the respect for all humans training. I am going to end up doing training with Teddy the Terror and he respects me already.:cool: I am questioning this as well, how do I get him to respect my FIL and MIL?
 
I do not have any experience with Aussies, but it sounds like tehluhlah gave some fantastic advice.

BTW....it was great to see your name pop back up on here Moonshine :wink2:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top