Zoey's training

[susanwrites]

I just read through your entire thread of your Zoey and her training. Thanks for posting it. I'm at the beginning of the training journey with my Zoey that I adopted last month. This thread reminds me to stick with it. Your Zoey is a beautiful girl.

[Nickyb]

Originally Posted by Mary Beth

Maegan and Zoey did great together. A+ students! I see where Maegan had Zoey's complete attention, praised her and how happy Zoey looked when she was praised and yet Maegan knew when to insist and was able to get her in the proper sit position and then promptly praised and rewarded. What I am so impressed with is how fast and far Zoey has come. In class, she is calm with other dogs. Then at camp, she can enjoy playing with other dogs. Best of both worlds.

Thanks Mary, I appreciate your responses throughout this whole thread, you made some key points that I'll share with Maegan to further her confidence in handling Zoey! The stress levels have gone down dramatically, I can finally breathe easy. I don't mention but on leash during our walks, we've encountered a few off leash dogs, some barking behind her fence, charging on leash etc etc and she has been progressing beautifully. My stress is now on my money situation, I'll be switching her off the Blue Buffalo sensitive stomach and putting her on Kirkland for the time being. She had hook worm so I put her on this food, cleared it up and just kept her on it but $60 for a 24lb bag is starting to burn a hole in my pocket when added with training. I will go back to normal BB once the training settles down though.

Originally Posted by susanwrites

I just read through your entire thread of your Zoey and her training. Thanks for posting it. I'm at the beginning of the training journey with my Zoey that I adopted last month. This thread reminds me to stick with it. Your Zoey is a beautiful girl.

Thanks for reading! WGSD's melt my heart, my last dog was a WGSD Princess and your dog is just beautiful, thanks for adopting also! The biggest thing I've learned is to stick with it. It's a constant battle but even though I've learned a ton so far, I still have a long ways to go.

[Stroid]

Great posts Nickyb your Zoey looks so much like my boy Jake, also a Mali/GSD mix rescue. Your posts encourage me in my training. Good luck..here is my boy Jake

[Nickyb]

Thanks Stroid for reading my thread and glad I could encourage you, your boy Jake looks ALOT like Zoey, maybe long lost siblings! HAH

Quick update:

Zoey did great last Saturday at training, Maegan handled her most of the day and Zoey did fairly well considering I left and watched somewhere where she couldn't see me. She had some anxiety and was constantly looking for me, even though she's attached to her mom All and all a good day. K9 camp went great yesterday, Steve had her in the intermediate training class that they do on Thursday morning and although she did great, Steve thinks she could use another beginner class solely because of her dog issues and not obedience.

We've stepped up our obedience/tricks at home also due to the freezing weather here, we can only play for so long in 0 degree weather! The biggest improvement is her focus, some major improvement in locking eyes with distractions around. Once it warms up, I'll take her to a mall parking lot to further our work.

[Moshamoon]

Hello Nickyb,

I also just read your entire thread. I have a 2 year old gsd, and she used to "beat me up" when she was younger (mouthing, jumping, etc), and have seen slow but consistant improvement. I did have her since she was a pup, but your thread inspires me that there is hope as long as you keep on it. Love your details, and subsequent updates/improvements. Good luck with Zoey (I almost named my pup Zoey, and Mika's father was an all white gsd like your Princess).

Sarah from the Vineyard, MA

[Nickyb]

Hey Moshamoon, thanks for reading! There is definitely hope, some dogs just take more time. Princess learned everything so fast she was basically human where as Zoey is a slower paced experience, but then again, I had a lot more time to train Princess when she was a puppy. Zoey's a good name too


Update:

I'm very proud of Zoey and how she handled herself this weekend. Zoey and I were walking our normal route yesterday which we go through everyday that passes through a schoolyard. Were walking and we see these two jack russels chasing a ball around a corner off leash.. oh great so Zoey and I walk away in a different route then normal.... low and behold yap yap yap yap yap yap right behind us so I turn around and they are right there on both sides of us growling and snapping. At this point Zoey is in a sit showing no signs of aggression. That's when one of the dog goes for zoeys leg, I counter it with a light kick to the body... then the other one decides to growl and try and strike, that's when i kick it in the face/chest a little harder then the other one. That was enough for their owner to rile them up but WTF this is the second time the SAME STUPID JR's were off leash and tried to attack my dog, luckily for them, it was the owners son handling them so I didn't flip out on him... some people are just stupid.

Training went great on Saturday, I really tested her by getting closer to other dogs, having her lay down closer to them and etc.. She did great but there was a DR GSD in the class as well that we got a bit to close for his liking, he started to act up and Zoey did a bit for the most part but a quick correction and a step forward and back to a down, she was fine. He did this again to her in which case I simply called her name and she didn't even flinch.

I stayed after class since the protection class is right after obedience..... I just wanted to watch, or so I thought A few dogs go out and hit the sleeve while I'm talking to everyone and since it was free for the first time, I decided to give Zoey a shot at it. All we did was work with the bite pillow since it was her first time and the first time Steve swung it around Zoey just looked... next time SHE TURNED ON! The drive this dog has is a bit ridiculous and I felt like shes done it before. I don't think well continue with it just yet as I want to work her obedience and manners but I would LOVE to harness that energy and drive she has for some type of bite sport.
Were also picking up a treadmill for her to drain out more of that energy she has

[Nickyb]

Another quick update, finally ordered Zoey a decent muzzle https://www.bridgeportequipment.com/...x?productId=93
so we can do ALOT more socializing out of k9 camp rather then that being the only source. She did great again yesterday, apparently she gets along great with a very annoying GSD there. He was laying down for a couple minutes when she ran up and pounced on him which turned into nothing but play. Her prey drive still fires up when another dog runs by her but were working on that. Also measuring her for a X-harness so when spring hits, we can take out the long board and have her pull me

[Mary Beth]

Great Zoey is getting a social life outside of K9 camp. And the muzzle for now is a wise precaution. I don't know about the pulling the long board - Zoey may have ideas of her own. When I had my Husky, I got a harness for her and a sled. She loved pulling it when it was empty, but sat right down and refused to move when there was someone on it

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by Nickyb

Hey Moshamoon, thanks for reading! There is definitely hope, some dogs just take more time. Princess learned everything so fast she was basically human where as Zoey is a slower paced experience, but then again, I had a lot more time to train Princess when she was a puppy. Zoey's a good name too


Update:

I'm very proud of Zoey and how she handled herself this weekend. Zoey and I were walking our normal route yesterday which we go through everyday that passes through a schoolyard. Were walking and we see these two jack russels chasing a ball around a corner off leash.. oh great so Zoey and I walk away in a different route then normal.... low and behold yap yap yap yap yap yap right behind us so I turn around and they are right there on both sides of us growling and snapping. At this point Zoey is in a sit showing no signs of aggression. That's when one of the dog goes for zoeys leg, I counter it with a light kick to the body... then the other one decides to growl and try and strike, that's when i kick it in the face/chest a little harder then the other one. That was enough for their owner to rile them up but WTF this is the second time the SAME STUPID JR's were off leash and tried to attack my dog, luckily for them, it was the owners son handling them so I didn't flip out on him... some people are just stupid.
...............................

You mean that your dog just sat there while you were fighting off the attacking JRT's? Wow! That sounds like great control!

What do you think your dog would have done if you missed with your kick and a JRT (ortwo) latched onto your leg (could happen with a hyped up JRT!)? Would the dg have sat there while the dog was hanging onto your leg (or arm)?

I just don't think tht my guy would have sat around while another dog was that serious in their attack (and so close and also threatening me!).

[Nickyb]

Originally Posted by Mary Beth

Great Zoey is getting a social life outside of K9 camp. And the muzzle for now is a wise precaution. I don't know about the pulling the long board - Zoey may have ideas of her own. When I had my Husky, I got a harness for her and a sled. She loved pulling it when it was empty, but sat right down and refused to move when there was someone on it

Well we have a flat school right down the street from my house which would be perfect for learning. I'm still debating whether I should get a mountain board instead since it has brakes!!!!! It will be a learning experience for both of us but I think it will be fun.

Originally Posted by codmaster

You mean that your dog just sat there while you were fighting off the attacking JRT's? Wow! That sounds like great control!

What do you think your dog would have done if you missed with your kick and a JRT (ortwo) latched onto your leg (could happen with a hyped up JRT!)? Would the dg have sat there while the dog was hanging onto your leg (or arm)?

I just don't think tht my guy would have sat around while another dog was that serious in their attack (and so close and also threatening me!).

Yes, I told her to sit and to leave it which she did. She didn't want to by any means though, when they swarmed us, her eyes were wide open, shaking and doing the typical Malinois teeth chatter. If I hadn't told her to sit and leave it, she would've bit and shook em because 1)they were viciously barking and running up on us and 2) it's the second time and boy did she remember them.

I kicked the first one when he lunged for Zoey's leg, if i had missed, he probably would've got Zoey and she would've attacked. She is VERRRYYY protective no matter what size the dog is if another dog is threatening us. I did have some tension on the leash so I can't say she was 100% in my control, but she was obedient and trusted me to handle it.

I hate the fact that it was a JRT since Maegan has a JRT and I want them to get along, this only sets us back. I honestly wouldn't mind if Zoey went after them, I like the protective traits in her but I also want her to realize what is a threat and what isn't, not just all dogs.

I've been going back and forth trying to think if I made the right choices then, a part of me says of course, she didn't attack them but another part of me says, Nick... it's the second time it's happened with the same pair of dogs, Zoey was on leash while they were running loose... maybe have her not attack but a fierce reaction would suffice as well, scare the living daylights out of the owner so he'll think again about having his 2 JRT's off leash.