Last night, I took Laney to the dog park. She played around only for about 20 minutes before some larger dogs showed up that she didn’t know. Then, she was nervous; and other than being at my feet, she would only go visit other people. No running or playing with other dogs. So, unlike most nights, I decided to wait it out, hoping that she’d either get used to the new dogs or that her best friend Sandy would show up to make her play. Instead, we ended up walking out with the last of the dogs, Laney finally playing with another small dog who likes to run. But somehow we were the last to make it to the gate. And Laney decided she didn’t want to leave. By then it was dusk. Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned before, Laney isn’t motivated by treats or food. So absolutely nothing worked to get her to come to me, or even just close enough for me to lasso her with the leash. Soon it got dark, and I kept trying everything from wearing her out by letting her run (this has worked before) by me following her, she chased me, getting down low in a submissive stance (though this only made her confused and had her barking and running in circles), and just waiting her out (where she only got bored and sat down, but never close enough for me to catch). I’m sure it didn’t help that it was so dark out. She seemed nervous on top of everything.
So finally, my brother-in-law, God bless him, had to borrow their neighbor’s dog to come rescue us. Once Nick the big Golden Retriever showed up, Laney went right to him to check him out. And my brother-in-law quickly snatched her up. We finally left that place at 9pm, after an hour and a half of being there by ourselves in the dark.
We will never be the last ones to leave again. And you can bet that we’re going to go back to more “come” training. Though, all dogs seem to ignore commands at the dog park. Laney’s just the most stubborn one when it comes to going home.
Anyone know any good Cesar Millan episodes? We don’t get the National Geographic Channel, but I’m thinking about getting the DVDs.
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10 comments:
That sounded like a great ADVENTURE Laney! I'm not usually motivated by food either, but Mom and Dad get me Rollover and it's just Yummy! I'd do quite a lot of things for a piece of Rollover.
Glad you made it home safe!
WOW... that sounds like something that would happen to us!
We're glad you had someone to help you. Addie is not treat motivated either.
I bet you could find some local training to help Laney out.
Have a great day!
Staci (Addie's mom)
Bolo - Mom has gotten me all kinds of treats to try. I haven't heard of Rollover though.
Addie - Well, I recently graduated Intermediate Training. That obviously hasn't helped with my come command at the park!
Angela -
Cesar Milan is, in my book, simply a genius. I can't think of a specific episode that would address your issues but I'd say give him a try; he'll help you overall. You could also try his books. I can't remember if you said Laney was your first dog or not, but Cesar's over all philosophy could really help if she is.
Having a dog that won't come to you is one of the most frustrating things there is. My male shepherd was like that and I tried everything I could think of in the beginning. I often wanted to sit down and cry. I can say, thankfully, that he got better about it.
Here's a little something for you to maybe help in the mean time - it's your attitude about yourself in relation to your dog that is most important. You have to be the leader and you have to believe that about yourself. Little things like which one of you goes out the door first matter - you should always be the first one out the door.
Finally, does Laney heel? Sometimes my dogs don't do so well with come but they always (well, almost always) heel whenever I tell them to.
If you want to discuss anything more, feel free to email me at cinjinn at hotmail dot com. I'm not an expert by any means, but I am on my third shepherd - each one a strong-willed individual.
cjh
Hi Laney
I agree with cj. You have to be the leader of the pack or the alpha dog. I know it is frustrating when your dog won't listen to you, especially if the situation is scary or dangerous. In puppy school we were taught to give the dog time outs to show who the boss is. We would have to hold the dog close to us & not let him/her move. Whenever your dog isn't listening to you, take him out of the situation & keep doing it over & over again until she knows who's boss. Your not doing your dog any favours by letting him be the alpha dog. It just causes behaviour problems. Your dog will love you more for being the alpha dog in his life.
I hope this helps.
Love Ruby
Freedom is nice sometimes, I'm a great "escape" dog!
ViVi
OMG, mom got an email yesterday from a person who wants to give her Cesar's DVD set for free! We're going to pass on it but we'll send you the email and you can respond and maybe it can work for you, Laney!
maggiesue710 at yahoo dot com
Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch
Maggie and Mitch - That would be so great! I sent you an email. Thanks!
CJ - Our trainer worked with us a lot on heel. But that was simply with walking, which Laney does pretty well anyway. Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it!
Wow! That's some day! Yeah "come" and "down" aren't my favorite commads!
Shadow
You like like a pretty cool dog, love the Superman Suit (or is it Underdog? I didn't get a ood look!) Are you a beagle/shar-pei mix?
Sarah
Sarah - Yes, it's a SuperSuit; and yes, I'm a Shar Pei/Beagle mix! Thanks for stopping by!
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