It's been a big *sigh* week with Nico, and I can't tell if things are going normally (first puppy) or if I'm doing everything wrong.
So many things here, that I feel like this is a rant post more than anything.
Nico's just about 9 months. I feel like recently there's no engagement between us. I've taken to watching some Leerburg videos and feel positive about the future, but still...
He is 200% driven by the ball. We have great games of two ball once or twice a day. I've also slowly gotten him into tug. We've gone from no drive to won't drop it and sometime I need to end the game.
Besides that though, he acts like he's being tortured by everything else we do. He won't stay on a place. He's gone back to jumping on people like he's 8 weeks. He's starting to not want to go in his crate. I feel like sometimes I have literally no choice but to use aversives when he literally won't look at me, won't respond to me, will totally ignore me, and even if I were give the leash a pop he'll go right back to (enter situation here...i.e. smelling urine on paw), but I HATE doing that. It feels like if I'm not constantly luring him with a toy or food all day that he won't comply half the time (have tried to wean him off food rewards some time ago). Even when I DO wave a giant piece of cheese in front of his face, he'll not always listen.
He did test positive for Giardia beginning of March, and as a result we had to cancel all classes and our private trainer appointment (they have a facility). We did just manage to get him back in with the trainer I wanted, just for a walk program to curb his ridiculous barking and pulling when walking by other dogs, since there are no other dogs around in that case. He's still positive after three treatments, and the vet has suggested stopping treatment since stool is relatively normal, he's eating alright, and seems to have plenty of energy.
It's the opposite of what I wanted at this point in his life. He hasn't been allowed in any classes for two months. I've desperately wanted to do more obedience, try nosework, anything that would help satisfy his working line side. I've called and asked around about Schutzhund type training, since I've wanted to do formal obedience as a beginner, and either no one can help, have club schedules during my workday, are too far away (apparently there are none in RI), or in the case of one breeder, wouldn't even point me in the right direction because I didn't end up buying from her - yes, she actually told me she wouldn't tell me where she trains.
It just feels like everything's against us, and while I have a general dislike of displacing blame on others for just about anything in life, it feels horribly unfair.
When he was a younger puppy we had a great foundation of training with 95% positive training, clicker training, etc., and I feel like I'm losing him. I see, of course, clips from Michael Ellis videos of dogs that are training at facilities like those I'd like Nico to train at, and it doesn't resemble anything I see now. The dogs are happy, excited, dying to do whatever their handler asks. It doesn't matter if we've gone on a hike, played ball, whatever that day - Nico always seems unhappy unless we're in that activity.
Just now as I'm typing he's been getting up frequently from his place where his bone was, and will NOT go back even though he knows I have peanut butter as a reward. I call his name (which we've trained a lot to give me eye contact) and he's absolutely refusing to look me in the eye. I literally have to drag him back away from chewing something he shouldn't.
I just feel like something close to a total failure in training him. He never seems happy or engaged unless we're playing ball. Everything seems physical now instead of engaged mentally.
I had tried to start low-level e-collar training à la Lou Castle, and he's apparently ridiculous sensitive - if we're inside with little other stimuli, he responds to a 2 or 3 out of 100 on the Educator collar. It stressed him out, and I've decided to hold out until we have a better connection.
*Siiiigh* I understand this sort of post comes with constructive criticism. Please give it to me!
Should I reset my training? Go back to continuous reward schedule with food for now? But what do I do when he's bratty, biting on the leash I've put on since otherwise he's jumping up every two seconds to do something he shouldn't? I try to engage him frequently throughout the day. Should this just be 5 minutes per time and then train relaxation most of the day? What do most puppies this age do in the house? He'll sleep almost right away in his crate, but feels like a cop out.
/endenormouswalloftext
So many things here, that I feel like this is a rant post more than anything.
Nico's just about 9 months. I feel like recently there's no engagement between us. I've taken to watching some Leerburg videos and feel positive about the future, but still...
He is 200% driven by the ball. We have great games of two ball once or twice a day. I've also slowly gotten him into tug. We've gone from no drive to won't drop it and sometime I need to end the game.
Besides that though, he acts like he's being tortured by everything else we do. He won't stay on a place. He's gone back to jumping on people like he's 8 weeks. He's starting to not want to go in his crate. I feel like sometimes I have literally no choice but to use aversives when he literally won't look at me, won't respond to me, will totally ignore me, and even if I were give the leash a pop he'll go right back to (enter situation here...i.e. smelling urine on paw), but I HATE doing that. It feels like if I'm not constantly luring him with a toy or food all day that he won't comply half the time (have tried to wean him off food rewards some time ago). Even when I DO wave a giant piece of cheese in front of his face, he'll not always listen.
He did test positive for Giardia beginning of March, and as a result we had to cancel all classes and our private trainer appointment (they have a facility). We did just manage to get him back in with the trainer I wanted, just for a walk program to curb his ridiculous barking and pulling when walking by other dogs, since there are no other dogs around in that case. He's still positive after three treatments, and the vet has suggested stopping treatment since stool is relatively normal, he's eating alright, and seems to have plenty of energy.
It's the opposite of what I wanted at this point in his life. He hasn't been allowed in any classes for two months. I've desperately wanted to do more obedience, try nosework, anything that would help satisfy his working line side. I've called and asked around about Schutzhund type training, since I've wanted to do formal obedience as a beginner, and either no one can help, have club schedules during my workday, are too far away (apparently there are none in RI), or in the case of one breeder, wouldn't even point me in the right direction because I didn't end up buying from her - yes, she actually told me she wouldn't tell me where she trains.
It just feels like everything's against us, and while I have a general dislike of displacing blame on others for just about anything in life, it feels horribly unfair.
When he was a younger puppy we had a great foundation of training with 95% positive training, clicker training, etc., and I feel like I'm losing him. I see, of course, clips from Michael Ellis videos of dogs that are training at facilities like those I'd like Nico to train at, and it doesn't resemble anything I see now. The dogs are happy, excited, dying to do whatever their handler asks. It doesn't matter if we've gone on a hike, played ball, whatever that day - Nico always seems unhappy unless we're in that activity.
Just now as I'm typing he's been getting up frequently from his place where his bone was, and will NOT go back even though he knows I have peanut butter as a reward. I call his name (which we've trained a lot to give me eye contact) and he's absolutely refusing to look me in the eye. I literally have to drag him back away from chewing something he shouldn't.
I just feel like something close to a total failure in training him. He never seems happy or engaged unless we're playing ball. Everything seems physical now instead of engaged mentally.
I had tried to start low-level e-collar training à la Lou Castle, and he's apparently ridiculous sensitive - if we're inside with little other stimuli, he responds to a 2 or 3 out of 100 on the Educator collar. It stressed him out, and I've decided to hold out until we have a better connection.
*Siiiigh* I understand this sort of post comes with constructive criticism. Please give it to me!
Should I reset my training? Go back to continuous reward schedule with food for now? But what do I do when he's bratty, biting on the leash I've put on since otherwise he's jumping up every two seconds to do something he shouldn't? I try to engage him frequently throughout the day. Should this just be 5 minutes per time and then train relaxation most of the day? What do most puppies this age do in the house? He'll sleep almost right away in his crate, but feels like a cop out.
/endenormouswalloftext