Shook up!

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by Rolokris, Jan 2, 2015.

  1. rubyrubyruby

    rubyrubyruby Registered Users

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2014
    Messages:
    265
    Re: Shook up!

    I used the LEAVE IT command a few weeks ago when a rabbit ran out from a bush in front of Ruby. She stopped on the spot and came back to me for lots of praise and a yummy treat I didn't have time to get the whistle to my mouth as I knew I only had a short window of time in which she would respond. If it is not the tone of voice that they normally hear hopefully it will be enough to be effective.

    I would seriously practice the LEAVE IT command at home with food on the floor. I have kids and they drop food on the floor all the time, most of the time it's ok to snuffle up the crumbs but occasionally something gets dropped which is dangerous for dogs. Using these words quickly stops them in their tracks and they know not to touch it. Hope it works for you.

    Chloe
     
  2. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2013
    Messages:
    20,186
  3. andreasjuuls

    andreasjuuls Registered Users

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    100
    Re: Shook up!

    [quote author=Rolokris link=topic=9343.msg134139#msg134139 date=1420228724]
    [quote author=andreasjuuls link=topic=9343.msg134114#msg134114 date=1420226811]
    Arggg can only imagine what an awful experience it was for all of you. Including Rolo probably. Hope you will get better soon.

    It makes me curious to know how you train the dog so he responds in these situations i.e.
    a) does not run off to eat the food in the first place
    b) detrain the resource guarding
    c) handle that specific situation.

    I guess the price for him for running away and not letting go of the lamb is just so big that he and many many dogs would not respond to commands they usually respond to.

    On the specific situation, what type of correction would you apply so this does not happen again? I know that most of us do not like to apply corrections but in a situation like this I am asking myself if it is needed? What does best practice(s) look like here?

    A.


    [/quote]

    No correction. This was my fault not Rolo's. He's a dog, a lab at that. Food is what makes him tick. I didn't shout a recall I was away from the area so I can't blame my recall. He has had guarding issues since we brought him home, I can stroke him whilst he eats his kibble from the bowl, whilst he has a kong, whilst chasing his buster cube even sit next to him as he has a rib bone from the butchers. My husband can't be in the same room as him with a bone. This obviously was more special then anything he has ever had before.

    I suppose I needed to man up. If I had said a firm NO and clipped his lead on straight away none of this would have escalated yes I may have been nipped or even worse a full
    on bite but at least I would have taken charge of the situation.

    I wasn't with him as he entered the area but if I had of been and had got the emergency stop command in use I would have used that but I wasn't and I haven't.
    [/quote]

    Considering he had a good piece of lamb, it was probably difficult to do much about. Hope all is better now
     
  4. Granca

    Granca Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2014
    Messages:
    2,777
    Re: Shook up!

    The 'leave it' command works very well for Tuppence - as long as I have treats in my pocket! She now walks straight past assorted ducks, looking back at me for her treat because "Did you see that? I'm 'leaving', just like you said!" She even did the same when she saw a rabbit run across the field ahead of us today - and she was off her lead then. :D
     
  5. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2013
    Messages:
    14,194
    Location:
    Canberra, Australia
    Re: Shook up!

    A terribly stressful situation! I doubt that many of us would stand a chance against a leg of lamb.

    Working on a magic word is the way to go I think. And the resource guarding - but at home don't give him things that he can't eat quickly (within 15-20 mins) and completely. And don't ever try to take stuff from him in the hope that he will get used to it - it may well sensitise him to having things taken. Anyway, that article that I think Snowbunny linked to has all the good advice.

    You did right to be wary about risking a bite and you did right to take your time. You never want to push a dog to the point where they resort to biting. I would not advise launching in and grabbing him. You did well to take it slow and not try to take the lamb from him. You made the best of a bad situation. It must have been horrendously stressful though. Thank god for wine!!!!
     
  6. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2013
    Messages:
    5,743
    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    Re: Shook up!

    Oh dear, very stressful indeed! I have been quite successful in clicker training for resource guarding, starting with something of very low value and clicking and treating for no reaction as you move your hand closer and closer. Eventually you work your way up to higher and higher value items.

    It's very difficult, though, with a high value treat that the dog finds themselves. My leave it is pretty effective, but if Simba gets his nose or mouth right on the item, his obedience to "leave it" decreases in direct proportion to how "good" the item is, in his mind. However, due to the resource guarding training I can now put my hand on something sticking out of his mouth without him growling or trying to bite. But will he unclamp his jaws of iron on the item?? Hah.... ::) Thus resulting in the rather awkward marching home of me crouched beside the dog with my hand firmly clamped on the sharp, leftover cooked steak bone Simba found by a garbage can....had a couple blocks to go but we made it home. Soon as we got home I dashed to the treat box while he dashed to his favourite chewing spot...at the sound of the cupboard opening the bone was (luckily) abandoned....
     
  7. Dexter

    Dexter Moderator Forum Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2013
    Messages:
    10,038
    Location:
    Dubai
    Re: Shook up!

    Ah Kris,nightmare....I agree with Rachael that you made the best of a bad situation,must have been so stressful,hard enough when things happen on your own but having the kids upset too would have cranked up the stress x
    I've had a couple of bad ones....Dexter sniffing and worrying round a dead cat in the desert which could have potentially been poisoned and running off with a meaty decaying deer leg we found where we swim....which took me about 20 minutes to get because he was playing keep away!we were in company too,it was dreadful,he was crunching it down as I was trying to get close to him.oh and the buried chicken carcass and my assault on a pregnant woman will haunt me forever :-[ so YOU ARE NOT ALONE xxx
    Dex is older than Rolo and his leave it and drop are much better now .....just through practice ,practice,practice .i still struggle if he is too far away from me ,distance dilutes my command so we still need work.After the summer and doing a lot of clicker retreive training I was happy to find a side effect of that was if he finds a big sun bleached bone in the desert he will bring it back to me for a treat.....He used to start crunching....
    If it's been a holiday and I think there might be picnic debris left where we walk off lead I put a long line on him ........it's security that I can ' catch' him if he finds anything untoward.We wouldn't have done any better with the attraction of the lamb ,Dex wouldn't have guarded it but I'm sure he'd have played with me to buy himself time to eat it.......
    Chin up ,fresh start today,they are blummin little buggers sometimes x

    Had to just come back to say Charlie's cooked chicken prepared and seasoned with onion cracks me up ;D
     
  8. Rolokris

    Rolokris Registered Users

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2014
    Messages:
    524
    Re: Shook up!

    Thank you so much for all the great replies. I feel better knowing that most dogs would have done the same around the lamb bone (not the guarding). I am definitely going to charge the magic word and buy myself a clicker to help with the resource guarding and the clicker retrieve.

    I love this site. The advice and support is amazing. Thanks guys.
     

Share This Page