Our one year old Lizzie has almost finished her private lessons with a trainer and in many ways she is doing much better. We have learned sit, down, stay, drop it, leave it, working on heeling and sitting when stopped. She is now friendly or at least tolerates adults and young adults and even elementary kids.
She still barks and lunges at children and especially dogs. This week we took her to the beach and she immediately saw two little dogs and started her ridiculous act....I admit I lost it with her. I am so tired of rewarding and redirecting and treating and so forth. I had a bag of tennis balls in my hand and I actually popped her with them. She looked shocked and walked on past the dogs. I know, I know....it was wrong. I am just so frustrated.
Later, we took her out into the water and taught her (yes, she didn't know how) to swim. While she was in deep water another dog approached. A big friendly lab. She couldn't do anything because she was so freaked out about being in the water. I went over and petted the dog, praised him and gave him a treat while she watched. I want to see if us approaching other dogs will help her realize they are a good thing when friendly.
The trainer says she is so smart that she figures out ways to get around what we are asking her to do. I don't want to punish but I can tell when she knows what we say and chooses to ignore it. The trainer said that she is so attached to us that we need to leave when she is being bad and that is punishment. True.
Getting frustrated and need some encouragement. I was so jealous to see other families and kids and dogs playing on the beach while we had to stay apart and make sure she didn't react.....ugh!:crazy:
Oh yeah, our last training session was a DISASTER. She went after every dog in Petsmart and barked and scared people. We had to leave. It is like she forgot everything we had worked toward. I know her schedule has been off because of boarding and vacation but this is just so disappointing.
She still barks and lunges at children and especially dogs. This week we took her to the beach and she immediately saw two little dogs and started her ridiculous act....I admit I lost it with her. I am so tired of rewarding and redirecting and treating and so forth. I had a bag of tennis balls in my hand and I actually popped her with them. She looked shocked and walked on past the dogs. I know, I know....it was wrong. I am just so frustrated.
Later, we took her out into the water and taught her (yes, she didn't know how) to swim. While she was in deep water another dog approached. A big friendly lab. She couldn't do anything because she was so freaked out about being in the water. I went over and petted the dog, praised him and gave him a treat while she watched. I want to see if us approaching other dogs will help her realize they are a good thing when friendly.
The trainer says she is so smart that she figures out ways to get around what we are asking her to do. I don't want to punish but I can tell when she knows what we say and chooses to ignore it. The trainer said that she is so attached to us that we need to leave when she is being bad and that is punishment. True.
Getting frustrated and need some encouragement. I was so jealous to see other families and kids and dogs playing on the beach while we had to stay apart and make sure she didn't react.....ugh!:crazy:
Oh yeah, our last training session was a DISASTER. She went after every dog in Petsmart and barked and scared people. We had to leave. It is like she forgot everything we had worked toward. I know her schedule has been off because of boarding and vacation but this is just so disappointing.