Dog Community

Doggie Day Care & Working Against My Training

Posted : 10/10/2006 4:54:00 PM

I'll try to make this as short as possible but the more I think of this the more mad I get. Bear with me here. The woman who owns the doggie daycare where I volunteer has become a CM follower. I don't believe in his methods & do NOT want this thread to turn into a CM fest. Please respect that. Anyway, as some of you may know Grady & I are going for private training to deal with some of his issues. After the first session I see things changing for the better. It's completely +R & Clicker training. I love my trainer & Grady has come a good way since. We're both having a blast training. One of his things is jumping up on people. Ali & I addressed that in the first session & he's getting so much better. What I'm doing when he jumps is absolutely nothing. No movement, I don't say anything to him & he stops. He hasn't jumped on me in days. When he greets someone I have his leash on or he's on his runner. I step on the leash so he can't jump & he will stop after an attempt or 2. So what I'm doing is working.
Fast forward to today. I was @ DDC spelling Cathy so she could run some errands. Grady & Aspen were there as well. Well, Cathy comes back from her errands & low & behold Grady jumps on her. She pushes him away & says "no". I ask her to do nothing when he jumps. Just play statue & he'll stop. She then tells me that she's the big dog there & she'll do as she pleases. This is totally contrary to what I'm trying to do with Grady. He does not respond well to yelling or pushing OR kneeing in the chest (some of her preferred "training" methods). Am I wrong to ask her to respect MY training methods since they seem to be working better than anything she's tried with him? Actually, it's a moot point because I've been slowly realizing that DDC is not good for Grady & I'm not taking him there any more.

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Posted : 10/10/2006 5:05:58 PM

No your not in the wrong at all. If it were a child she would be more willing to respect your wishes why should it be differnet with a dog? Now the tricky part is getting her to see that without a war. OOh I'd be mad but I think the biggest point i would try to make to her with the least probability of getting her defenses up is that.....you respect other's methods of training (even if you dont) and that regardless if who is top dog around here it will confuse YOUR dog with the method that you are training him with. I guess try not to make it seem as if you are contradicting her authoirty or her training methods but rather you liek to stick to one solution for a problem so as not to hinder the proccess!

:

Angelique

Posted : 10/10/2006 5:19:22 PM

Personally, I only work with dogs who are with my program. I also don't walk, board, or daycare any dog if there is a conflict of philosophies.

The dog daycare worker has the right to manage the dogs under her care as she sees fit, and you have made the choice not to go there because of her choice of beliefs, which is perfectly fine!

Ask your trainer who they would recommend, call another daycare and be very specific as to how your dog must be managed, or find an in-home doggie sitter/walker who uses your chosen methods.

Your dog, your choice.

gradyupmybutt

Posted : 10/10/2006 6:05:39 PM

Angelique, I hear what you're saying & I would tell people the same thing. The part I didn't mention is that Cathy & I are friends. This is what got me so upset. I just needed to vent.

spiritdogs

Posted : 10/10/2006 6:23:31 PM

Annie, I think that, in this case, you do what's best for your family member, and you tell your friend that it isn't personal, but that you plan to insist on others following your instructions when it comes to your dog. If she won't do that, just let it go on a personal level, but keep your dog home.
BTW, for those who don't know who Ali is, she is the author of "Scaredy Dog - Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog". Grady picked himself a good trainer!

schleide

Posted : 10/10/2006 6:59:21 PM

I have to be honest, I think you are both right... You have the right, and obligation I might add, to take care of your dog in the way you think is best for him. You don't have to let other people/trainers do with him what they like... But, if it comes down to it, if you put your dog in a situation where he jumps on a friend of yours, in her place of business, she certianly has the right to get him off of her as she sees fit - it is your job not to let your dog be in that situation if you don't want your friend to push him off and tell him no... On a personal level, I understand your hurt and disappointment that your friend won't listen to you and abide by your feelings on how to raise and train your dog... But, if you feel really strongly, my advice would be not to let Grady get into this situation again with her, so leave him home if you have to...

PS - That's GREAT that you are working with such a fantastic trainer - I am sure you will make enormous strides!!!

Angelique

Posted : 10/10/2006 7:02:56 PM

ORIGINAL: gradyupmybutt

Angelique, I hear what you're saying & I would tell people the same thing. The part I didn't mention is that Cathy & I are friends. This is what got me so upset. I just needed to vent.

Boy, that makes it difficult! Sorry this happened.

I hope you don't lose a friendship over it. If it were me I would simply tell her that in order for your preferred method to have the best chance of success, you are commited to sticking with the principles to the letter.

Although I am a CM hugger myself, I have one friend who has her puppy in a puppy class and even though the

hilosophy is different, I find myself getting after her for not sticking with her trainer's recommendations. I sometimes think she is more into the accessories than the dog.

I'm glad Grady has a good trainer.

ron2

Posted : 10/10/2006 7:09:19 PM

FWIW, I think you are in the right. You have the training method that suits you and Grady and don't need someone botching the work you've done. Obviously, the stepping on the leash has worked for you guys far better than a confrontational method, I think, for two reasons. One, Grady is not associating the limitation with any physical force on your part. That is, he is not computing the physics vector of your foot on the leash. He just knows he can't jump up, even though it is a control. Second, it keeps you relaxed, which keeps him relaxed.

gradyupmybutt

Posted : 10/10/2006 8:00:00 PM

The reason I went to Ali was because Cathy was our initial trainer & her methods were not working.

Anyway, thanks for your input & confirming what I already know. The fact that Cathy is a friend does complicate things but her techniques are not working for Grady & possibly screwing him up more. Honestly, my boy is far more important than the friendship with Cathy. If it comes to the end of a friendship then it never was a good one to begin with. There are other issues involved here. This is just an indication of a bigger problem.

snownose

Posted : 10/10/2006 8:56:51 PM

I have tried ignoring my 7 month old rescue Husky/ Chow mix when he was jumping on me. Bad news, he then followed me and pawed at me, and tried to bite my legs from behind. To him it was a big game and I was just not responding. I tried a different method of blocking his attempt of jumping with my leg, then making him sit, then I walk away. After this he will come up to me, I make him sit again, then I show affection because at this point he doesn't try to jump, paw or bite at me.

tashakota

Posted : 10/11/2006 3:51:16 PM

Oh Annie, I'm jealous that you get to work with Ali! I have tried using some of her techniques from that very book with one of my dogs and it's working to the extent that I work on it. [

] If I worked harder and took him out for the distractions more often, I'm sure it would get better faster. Congratulations on the successes with Grady!

agilebasenji

Posted : 10/11/2006 4:44:19 PM

I think it is her right to run her place as she sees fit. It is your right to take or not take your dog there.

Lets turn this upside down. Let's say you're taking care of her dog. You're a firm believer in clicker training and gentle techniques. She tells you, "When my dog jumps on you, I want you to pinch his toes until he yelps and yell at him." Would you?

gradyupmybutt

Posted : 10/12/2006 7:10:19 AM

Agile, I probably would do what she wanted eventhough it goes totally against what I believe in.

Leslie, she's awesome. She is great with dogs & great with people.

tashakota

Posted : 10/12/2006 2:52:25 PM

I wonder if she'd come to Indiana....

gradyupmybutt

Posted : 10/12/2006 2:56:35 PM

Leslie, I'D come to Indiana to show you what I've learned. ;o)