Ripley
- Thread starter Rits
- Start date
@Rits what the ? is it with people that insist on their suggestion when obviously you have said no? You have a great puppy and I know those moments of frustration, but just like you told @Ddski15 all it takes is time and lots & lots of practice. Asha was a totally different puppy but these time frames of behavioral changes are pretty spot on. LOL instead of loving people and wanting to jump & play Asha lunged at them barking. If they were part of the group she was fine and friendly, but a new person walks up or by, there she'd go again. That was Star Puppy as a youngster... 
You and Ripley are doing awesome!
You and Ripley are doing awesome!
Ugh I hate it when people swear those are the best things out there when in reality, the dog isn't in a natural position with them.
Rits
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I don't get it either with the unsolicited advice. It's one thing if we were constantly struggling but she barely started pulling and she kept raving about the head collar. I specifically asked my instructor at our orientation night, since we see progress with the martingale, if I could use it even if Ripley will most likely pull initially. That I'd like to work through it. Thankfully our instructor said absolutely and that she would let me know if we need to move up to something more. She doesn't care much for the head halters either but they work for some people.
. My husband said thank you, got her attention again and walked away. She was then pet by a male store worker after she was given permission. I don't want to discourage her letting us know about something like that, and the fact she refocused was great and had a positive experience with a male shortly after. 
We were told by our conformation instructor who has the corsos that they'll be going through all kinds of phases with hormones, behaviors, and fear periods but to keep up with the training in all situations so she learns to understand what's neutral and how to redirect her attention back to you once you show that you have it under control. And I always keep what Marcy said to me in the back of my mind. "One thing you gotta have with these puppies is PATIENCE" It rings true every time I begin to feel frustrated!
Oh yeah! Ripley is definitely going through periods. We had her at the store the other day. My husband and Ripley were working on heeling and were at a sit in an aisle, then a man came up behind them and was marveled by her and spoke up "what a gorgeous dog!!" Ripley whipped her body around, stepped forward and gave big dog barks. She wasn't too fond of someone sneaking up on them, especially not a man with two big gun cases in his hands
. My husband said thank you, got her attention again and walked away. She was then pet by a male store worker after she was given permission. I don't want to discourage her letting us know about something like that, and the fact she refocused was great and had a positive experience with a male shortly after. We were told by our conformation instructor who has the corsos that they'll be going through all kinds of phases with hormones, behaviors, and fear periods but to keep up with the training in all situations so she learns to understand what's neutral and how to redirect her attention back to you once you show that you have it under control. And I always keep what Marcy said to me in the back of my mind. "One thing you gotta have with these puppies is PATIENCE" It rings true every time I begin to feel frustrated!
Kaiser2016
Well-Known Member
Sooo hard to be patient with these devils
Ya, I remember all the flack I got when our rally instructor saw Kaiser on a prong BEFORE class. I would put him on a martingale for the class, but she lamented the use of the prong at all. Well gee lady, just last week you were upset that he was pulling me and now he's not pulling but your feelings are hurt just seeing my torture device. Don't you just hate people sometimes
Man, I do not miss those days! Lectures from all sorts of know-it-alls who can't even make their own dog SIT on cue!
HAHAHA! Asha still hasn't learned neutral, but at least I can get her to stop barking and put attention back on me. The other day Reckless woofed in her sleep and Asha exploded barking.
LOL, the Dober-Puppies or the pure positive teachers?Sooo hard to be patient with these devils
Rits
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I hate the pics of me bc of my weight (PCOS 
) but so many great pics of Ripley taken by Planet Canine at our last night of lvl 1 Obedience. We chose to end classses by meeting up out in public to do our training with distractions. Shes doing really awesome for a 6 month puppy!! Towards the end she was done with it all and laid flat out on her side in the middle of the store, giving the biggest doberman groans
But she has completed 6 weeks of puppy class and now 6 weeks of basic obedience! 
We are continuing training in January at Indiana K9 with an instructor that competes, to focus on more competition obedience aimed skills, along with getting a better heel. This instructor grew up with dobermans and has aussies now so fingers crossed we gain even more knowledge with someone experienced competing with high energy breeds! Whew... training really never stops
Down stays
(ignore my husband; he joins in for about 33-40% of class since this is mostly my thing. This is not one of them)
Down stay in a new area
Heeling with a cart. For how excited she was that night, she was doing SO well with the cart considering she was only on her flat collar!
I was in the middle of applying pressure here for the little bit she foraged ahead to remind her the correct position next to me. Most of the time she had loose leash pressure and I was joking we need to walk around with a cart everywhere now to set her pace.
Returning to our dogs from a stand stay (I chose to test her and go around her like I would in OB and she stayed!)
Recall
) but so many great pics of Ripley taken by Planet Canine at our last night of lvl 1 Obedience. We chose to end classses by meeting up out in public to do our training with distractions. Shes doing really awesome for a 6 month puppy!! Towards the end she was done with it all and laid flat out on her side in the middle of the store, giving the biggest doberman groans
We are continuing training in January at Indiana K9 with an instructor that competes, to focus on more competition obedience aimed skills, along with getting a better heel. This instructor grew up with dobermans and has aussies now so fingers crossed we gain even more knowledge with someone experienced competing with high energy breeds! Whew... training really never stops
Down stays
(ignore my husband; he joins in for about 33-40% of class since this is mostly my thing. This is not one of them
) Down stay in a new area
Heeling with a cart. For how excited she was that night, she was doing SO well with the cart considering she was only on her flat collar!
I was in the middle of applying pressure here for the little bit she foraged ahead to remind her the correct position next to me. Most of the time she had loose leash pressure and I was joking we need to walk around with a cart everywhere now to set her pace.
Returning to our dogs from a stand stay (I chose to test her and go around her like I would in OB and she stayed!)
Recall
jazzies mum
Hot Topics Subscriber
I can't believe her focus at 6 months! 
Fantastic achievement!
Fantastic achievement!
Kaiser2016
Well-Known Member
If heeling next to a cart works like a charm then I’d be taking her on all the grocery outings! 
- well done! 
Kaiser gives this two thumbs up
- well done! 
She’s doing an amazing job for a 6 month old puppy. Great focus! Good girl, Ripley!
Rits
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Thank you. It certainly isn't perfect. I could never wean Java off the prong, all her life... no one ever had suggestions other than alternative tools that weren't enough of a correction. So I've been trying my absolute hardest to do it right this time on teaching the right position before correcting for the wrong position too soon. I did some research recently on how to wean/phase off the prong. With the prong on they learn how to turn it off very fast, that's why it works so well. But then they become collar wise. I used it for the first time the other day we went for a walk in public, wearing her flat at the same time and switching from prong to flat, leaving a pull tab on the prong for a reminder. We walked on the prong first then switched to the flat at the end of the walk. Once on the flat, rewarding for correct position and for giving in to leash pressure. It went so well I'm excited to keep working on it again. Otherwise at home we have been doing focus games and push heeling (she pushes her nose into my hand) to teach correct position but she needs more time and work with this with distractions. Slowly but surely... Everywhere I read from top trainers is that correct heeling is one of the hardest things to teach and can be one of the more boring things for our dogs if we don't keep it fun. So no wonder I'm seeing just how difficult it is and had trouble in the past finding anyone able to help.
Lizbeli
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Thanks that actually gives me some ideas to try with Jasper. He does know the “touch” command where he pokes my hand with his nose. I never heard of push heeling so Ill do some research on that. I have a new martingale collar that I was hoping to transition him to. I can definitely tell the wheels are turning in his head when I give him verbal cues if he steps ahead of me.
Rits
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Down stays (2 different times)
Ripley is making progress on her greets! She REALLY wants to but she hasn't been jumping EvErY time someone at class pets her head. You can really tell she's thinking when people approach and she's about to burst at the seams as she sit stays so this is really challenging for her but it's huge progress! She actually doesn't care for any face petting and will tip her nose up or lean her muzzle side to side to avoid it. Not fearfully, just like "no thanks". Working on sitting for greet at home too with my parents and she amazingly kept all her feet on the ground tonight. Ahhh progress bit by bit!!
Took her to Stock and Field (Walmart sized Farm store) to work with her and it was jam packed since they are going out of business (bummer for us). She's not that cute puppy anymore so NO ONE wanted to pet her. Which is ok! Ripley is learning then that people aren't treat dispensers there to serve her. The next day at class our instructor started doing greets where she ignores the dog and is there to shake our hand instead so they learn not everyone wants to see them. Again a challenge for her but she kept her sit stay after the third attempt.
As if we don't have enough things to do we signed up for a CGC class starting at the beginning of Feb while we finish up Obedience class. I'm nervous but asked my instructor for the CGC class to be honest if we should sign up or not, as I don't want to jump in too soon. At the same time, I also realize I can't wait until she's perfect or we won't get anywhere without trying. The evaluator is in our obedience class with her puppy so she feels that we are ready enough and will work on the naughties!
Besides the greet, I'm hoping her loose leash heeling that I've been working so hard on at home, backyard, out in public, in class etc will finally come together and click enough for the test as we can't use a prong ... @Ravenbird I remember you being challenged by that. What collar did you end up using and how did that work out for you?
Ripley is making progress on her greets! She REALLY wants to but she hasn't been jumping EvErY time someone at class pets her head. You can really tell she's thinking when people approach and she's about to burst at the seams as she sit stays so this is really challenging for her but it's huge progress! She actually doesn't care for any face petting and will tip her nose up or lean her muzzle side to side to avoid it. Not fearfully, just like "no thanks". Working on sitting for greet at home too with my parents and she amazingly kept all her feet on the ground tonight. Ahhh progress bit by bit!!
Took her to Stock and Field (Walmart sized Farm store) to work with her and it was jam packed since they are going out of business (bummer for us). She's not that cute puppy anymore so NO ONE wanted to pet her.
Which is ok! Ripley is learning then that people aren't treat dispensers there to serve her. The next day at class our instructor started doing greets where she ignores the dog and is there to shake our hand instead so they learn not everyone wants to see them. Again a challenge for her but she kept her sit stay after the third attempt. As if we don't have enough things to do we signed up for a CGC class starting at the beginning of Feb while we finish up Obedience class. I'm nervous but asked my instructor for the CGC class to be honest if we should sign up or not, as I don't want to jump in too soon. At the same time, I also realize I can't wait until she's perfect or we won't get anywhere without trying. The evaluator is in our obedience class with her puppy so she feels that we are ready enough and will work on the naughties!
Besides the greet, I'm hoping her loose leash heeling that I've been working so hard on at home, backyard, out in public, in class etc will finally come together and click enough for the test as we can't use a prong ... @Ravenbird I remember you being challenged by that. What collar did you end up using and how did that work out for you?
Rits
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I hope we are finished!! Around Christmas time when she was 6 months, everything but her tips were done. So I tried BRS but didn't like that they pulled her ears forward like a relaxed 7 so went back to posts but with no adhesive, only tape around the ears. Just something to keep them upright all the way through. I had been testing them off and on but still wasn't happy with the tips. They weren't perfect and I made it this far dang it haha. So I broke out the skin adhesive again and posted them up for 8 days total (2 changes, 4 days each). Really happy with how stretching them up tight straightened them out. I've left them out because she was bathed on Sunday before her show this upcoming Thursday so I will leave them out until we get back Saturday. Largely because with this Torbots I don't really care for like I do the Ostobond. It's a bit more difficult to get off even with unisolve. I didn't want to mess with all of that before our show so down they will stay.
Thank you for the compliments. She's maturing into a beautiful young lady and looking less like a puppy in the face. I've noticed her face and body changing a lot this month as her hormones come in.
Her mind seems to be maturing too and coming back around in our training. Let's hope that continues
So don't be surprised when they do great then go stupid again and you have to back up and restart a few steps. 
Regular old fashion choke collars are allowed & that's what I used. I tried a martingale but it was just like a flat collar to Asha. I would like to know more about push heeling! Can you tell me more or is there a link for explaining? Actually now *IF* we are in working mode, like prep up, "pay attention now, we are doing OBEDIENCE", Asha is pretty good to do most everything in a fur saver or no leash (at home). I have a little routine of fronts and excited voice that announces we are going into OB mode and it's time to pay attention. I'd have to go back to see, I think Asha was 10 months when the CGC class ended & we took the test. If there had been any kind of untoward distraction in the middle of the test that collar would have been useless. Asha did well, but I admit we got lucky.
It's been a couple of months since a real class, so I've been on my own. The other thing I was going to tell you is when we stopped going to the AKC Ob class and the Nose Work exercises - both in town at parks with other dogs, I completely gave Asha 2 weeks off with no training AT ALL (except keeping her in line at home). I played with her & we took off-leash hikes as always but nothing else, not even 5 minutes. It really did refresh her and I could tell when I started doing OB exercises again - she was more eager to please and sharper on everything. You probably remember I went straight to CGC about like you are doing with Ripley. I think she will have a much easier time of it than Asha. And like I admitted, it really was by the skin of our teeth. More maturity would have made a prettier picture.
I'm trying to narrow my training down and focus on obedience & tracking with fun centered around tie back and tugs and hold & barks for future club work. I occasionally do some nose work (it's fast & furious) for a fun game (she LOVES it) but have put it on the back burner for tracking (slow & methodical). Asha's brain & action wants to go fastfastfast and the slow concentration exhausts her!
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