On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 18:25:26 -0400 DaveR whittled these words:

Trust me I have been trying hard to do the exercises. The dog does not
cooperate. First, he pulls me in the direction he wants to go when I
stand still. He does not "move forward and back, around and in front
of me." He does not move toward me, or away. He turns to look at me
and I praise him lavishly but he doesn't react. He'll stop pulling
after awhile but then he'll just sit down. The dog is not settled and
paying attention to me. He is sitting wondering why we aren't moving
so he can go on his walk. I stood for 15 minutes. He is not following
the rules!

I haven't read Jerry's stuff in years but I quit when I saw his entire
view of the relationship is adversarial. Talk of the dog having "secret
plans" and jerking your chain. He describes training as psychological
warfare which might not be so inaccuate but it is unbalanced by any sign
of affection or warm regard. I didn't care for the disrespectful way
he refers to other dogs, and the tone in which he stated that he doesn't
"touch" other people's dogs.


I don't remotely claim "perfection" in training. But in my relationship
building and in the end results I'm delighted with how my Tsuki developed.

You might get something useful from seeing the journal on him.
http://dogplay.com/MyDogs/puppyreport.html

And mull over the fact that most of us who have been to obedience classes
go back when we have new dogs or puppies. There is always something new
to be learned and always an advantage in an outside eye.

In communicating with your dog two things are critical (1) your awareness
of what your body is telling the dog and (2) your timing in relationship
to what you do or do not want the dog to do. Making you conscious of your
body language really requires someone pointing it out to you at the time
you are doing it. And making your timing appropriate also requires
feedback at the time it is occurring

--
Diane Blackman
http://dog-play.com/
http://dogplay.com/Shop/dogplayshop.htm