[Retriever Mama]

Nervous: Update at bottom

Hey all. Just got back from vacation.

Hubby apparently is swamped at the office and doesn't think he can make Remy's obedience class tonight. I'm not sure I can handle him. I don't know what to do. I really want to take him. Especially since they are working on Stay tonight...but I don't want to have rotator cuff surgery tomorrow.

Not sure what to do....

 

[kelli]

If you tire him out BEFORE class, he'll be more manageable IN class.. besides, you both should be in charge of his obedience.. i'm sure it'll be fine and good practice for you.

 

[amazongold]

Yes, I agree with Kelli, tire him out first, then take him. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

 

[Retriever Mama]

I've got about an hour between when I get home from work and when we'll have to leave. Major fetch session coming up!

He is SO BAD at greetings. He gets soooo excited/jumpy/barky for people and other dogs. We're working on it...but the jumpy part? Too strong for me...

 

[MidwestGirl]

Good luck and I hope you still have your arm tomorrow

 

[jzgrlduff]

He is SO BAD at greetings. He gets soooo excited/jumpy/barky for people and other dogs. We're working on it...but the jumpy part? Too strong for me...

You are describing Macy to a "t". What did they tell you in class about how to handle that?

 

[Retriever Mama]

You are describing Macy to a "t". What did they you in class about how to handle that?

In which kind of situation?

For someone coming to our house we give him a chance to sit nicely...when (not if) he starts jumping at the person we grab him by the leash (which we already have on him) and put him outside on the other side of the sliding glass door. Wait out the tantrum. Then let him back in again. Repeat as necessary until he finally calms down and greets the person in a nice sit. He's fine after that...totally will ignore the person after the initial sniff.

For walking and greeting we're going with focus. If we're walking past a yard with a dog in it we're luring and rewarding for focus. If he loses his focus we back up and start again. (We have one road nicknamed "barking dog alley" where it seems every house has a dog on the invisible fence - great for training)

If we're waling and someone is coming - either a jogger or someone out walking - we move Remy to the median strip and get him into a sit and make him stay in a sit until the person has passed.

He's getting better at both of the outdoor tasks, but is still not up to being pet by the neighborhood kids...unless one of them has a future as a tackle dummy.

 

[jzgrlduff]

For walking and greeting we're going with focus. If we're walking past a yard with a dog in it we're luring and rewarding for focus. If he loses his focus we back up and start again.

We do that, too. With us though, it's not dogs we're encountering but GEESE. Tons of Canadian Geese. She wants them, bad.

If we're waling and someone is coming - either a jogger or someone out walking - we move Remy to the median strip and get him into a sit and make him stay in a sit until the person has passed.

Same here. However! She'll be sitting all nice and pretty until the person is actually upon us and then she's all over the place.

 

[patm]

Do you have a prong collar? If you do - use it for class if they allow it. I had a very good instructor who put almost all the dogs in prong collars at first for training - helps alot with a lab - but you have to know how to fit and use it correctly.

 

[Retriever Mama]

Do you have a prong collar? If you do - use it for class if they allow it. I had a very good instructor who put almost all the dogs in prong collars at first for training - helps alot with a lab - but you have to know how to fit and use it correctly.

We do have a prong collar...but that is "frowned upon" (to put it mildly) at our training school. Haven't used it on him yet.

I'm psyching myself up for the class. He really needs this class and he does listen better to his mama. So maybe it won't be so bad....maybe...??

 

[justine]

My trainer doesn't like prong collars either, but have you tried the gentle leader with him? I've been using it with Toby after he dragged me down the street w/ the prong collar and have had pretty good luck.

 

[patm]

You're worried about shoulder surgery and contemplating not taking him - use the prong - just don't say anything about it. If someone says something play innocent - "oh my! how'd that get on there?" Unless they have prohibited prong collars, I'd probably go for it and just tell them you decided to use it for tonight and let it go.

 

[Retriever Mama]

My trainer doesn't like prong collars either, but have you tried the gentle leader with him? I've been using it with Toby after he dragged me down the street w/ the prong collar and have had pretty good luck.

We have one but haven't tried the gentle leader yet. I'm not going to start tonight with him, but maybe we'll try getting him used to it over the course of the week. I do have a harness for him for the car....I may try using that just to get him in the building then switch over to his collar.

I just realized that he'll have to go in my car - which he's never been in. I don't know if I should put him in the back seat (I fear having to corral him from jumping into the front...while driving) or just start him out in the passenger seat?

 

[Bob Pr.]

There are 2 types of Gentle Leaders -- one is the head halter type and the other is called the GL Easy Walk, a torso harness.

MANY dogs HATE the head halter type, maybe 20-35% have such an intense reaction (constant pawing trying to get it off, etc.) or personallity change that it can't be used, about 40% react against it but adapt to tolerating it enough that it can be used, and maybe 20-30% adapt to it without much or no difficulty.

My Puff is in the middle group.

Although I kept the over-the-muzzle strap SO loose that I could almost instantly lift it off or put it back on for only those times when maximum control was needed (it was OFF 97% of the time) it quickly began prematurely aging the hair pigment under the muzzle strap. This aging, whiter color is quite noticeable in my siggy picture below.

We went to the GL Easy Walk and found it equally effective for control when walking BUT FAR more easily tolerated. It takes longer trial and error to get all the adjustments optimum but it's worth it. And I didn't find the pigment aging reaction.

Guess which type I strongly recommend and which I strongly disrecommend?

 

[MidwestGirl]

How did it go?

 

[Retriever Mama]

Good and bad.

Pete actually made it home in time to take him, but Pete was such a wreck from work...I almost wish he hadn't.

Remy was A NIGHTMARE as soon as we hit the parking lot. Crying and whining with excitement to get going. He pulled and tugged and jumped so hard all the way in to the building. Pete just looked at me and said "You CANNOT manage this dog".

in Class Remy did...ok...It was working on Stays which Remy has absolutely no use for. Why the heck would he want to just sit someplace and do nothing? We got a lot of great tips on working with him on that. He did great on the loose leash walking in class. And I'd say he was a bout 50/50 on the keeping his Sit-Stays when another dog or person came by.

We were recommended a harness that hooks in the front for him? Dunno know what that is...

 

[BucksMom]

I would recommend the Easy Walk Harness. I have been using one for my boy for a few years. It is the only reason i still have my arm attached to my body. just kidding. Seriously, if he tuggs it spins him around and he cannot pull at all.

 

[MidwestGirl]

Well I am glad you didn't have to go alone I don't know about the harness.

 

[jzgrlduff]

Remy was A NIGHTMARE as soon as we hit the parking lot. Crying and whining with excitement to get going. He pulled and tugged and jumped so hard all the way in to the building.

Ugh! I dreaded taking Frankie to class every week for that very same reason. They must know where they are, and get over excited to see the other dogs.

It sounds like he did pretty good though! So how many classes has he been to now?

 

[HersheyK's Dad]

If you have arm strength issues, or a dog that is just plain too strong for you, and easy walk harness, Gentle Leader, or Halti could be a great help to you. I used a Gentle Leader with HK for about a month. She hated the thing, but it stopped the pulling completely. After a month, I decided to try her without it, and she had learned the lesson.