Not being narky, but perhaps I have posted my request for positive, gentle
training techniques in the wrong group.

I didn't get many replies (fewer still with the requested positive
techniques), and there seems to be an entrenched view in the group that
certain methods are the be-all and end-all of dog training.

They are no good to me. I wouldn't wish to be desensitized to the cruelty of
a lot of common training methods. You may not think they are cruel- I
understand that and I understand why.

I kind of understand why people put blinkers on and cling blindly to what
they're familiar with, but I dont understand why, as rational beings, we
often tend to avoid using reason to follow a train of thought to its logical
conclusion.

It doesnt hurt to have an enquiring mind. We're all capable of continual
learning, and thats a good thing! We dont have to have all the answers, and
we *can* change our mind! If we open it up..

I dont get the feeling that this is a group of dog lovers, so much as it is
a group of dog *owners*.
That's okay, I've just been barking up the wrong tree is all

Regards,
RRR (its ok to hug your dog!

awww
i spent ages writing you a reply and then hit the back button on my mouse
by accident and lost the lot. sorry

basically you need to get them to meet on common ground, i know the
circumstances here so bear with me is there somewhere in the house your
current dog doesnt spend much time in?
i know it sound cuckoo but i have to go through this whole routine evry
time i have a foster dog or stray here. let them meet on even grounds,ie
dont have one on lead and the other off, dont give a treat to one and not
the other.

are they both male i dont remember reading what sex they were, if they are
both male and not castrated i would get that done pronto, you would be
amazed at the difference.

dont take your eyes off them even when you in months of having them
together. they may squabble just like kids but keep watch as its so easy
for it to get out of hand.
seperate beds,bowls leads every thing.
if they choose there own space away from one another thats fine let it
happen but watch out ~ my young dalmatian will upset the others by trying
to sit on them when they are in their rest space. shes a little monkey!

most importantly is to play it by ear,and relax think about your face
and body language.
if your uptight then both dogs will sence this and will both be on guard
ready.
hey and have fun,its great to make friends.

"dallygirl" wrote in message
lkaboutpets.com...

is there somewhere in the house your
current dog doesnt spend much time in?

We only have a small house, kind of open plan- my current dog spends most of
her time in the living room or the garage (which opens into the house- from
her bed in the garage she can keep an eye on everything going on in the
house). She has been spending time in my room since her surgery, but
normally it would just be the garage and living room.

i know it sound cuckoo but i have to go through this whole routine evry
time i have a foster dog or stray here. let them meet on even grounds,ie
dont have one on lead and the other off, dont give a treat to one and not
the other.

I wondered whether meeting at a park might work? Perhaps my dog would meet
her as a potential play mate rather than an intruder? Its at least an hours
drive from the airport, so I thought if I get a friend to come with me and
drive us back, I could spend some time on the back seat with the new dog.
The friend could drop me off with the dog at the park, then pick up my dog
and bring her to the park for the meeting, that way I have help on hand too
(she's a good friend!

are they both male i dont remember reading what sex they were, if they are
both male and not castrated i would get that done pronto, you would be
amazed at the difference.

They are both female- desexed. My dog is a big softie- she is quiet, doesnt
bark or like too rough play. The other dog is used to entertaining herself
outdoors, and from the info I got tonight seems to be starved of attention
(apparently tries to stop the lady's son from going back inside after he has
been playing with her- actually grabs him around his waist with her paws and
the mum has to get her off him). My son is 18 and actually looking forward
to having a dog that wants to play out in the yard, so maybe that wont be a
problem.

dont take your eyes off them even when you in months of having them
together. they may squabble just like kids but keep watch as its so easy
for it to get out of hand.
seperate beds,bowls leads every thing.

I plan to buy another dog house to put in the garage with the present one.
It will mean though that they are both in the garage together at night. If
that becomes a problem I can always allow my current dog to sleep in the
living room. (The cats will make room for her ;-)

most importantly is to play it by ear,and relax think about your face
and body language.
if your uptight then both dogs will sence this and will both be on guard
ready.

Yeah, I got some practice this morning at acting calm when I most certainly
was NOT. There was a beautiful big rottweiler at the park this morning- a
huge boy. Who, without the slightest provocation decided to try and savage
my poor girl. I've never witnessed anything so viscious up that close. The
only thing that stopped him (he didnt respond to his owner) was his owner
crash-tackling him to the ground and pinning him down with his body while I
calmed and reassured my dog and got her out of there. I didnt say anything
to the guy because I was just focused on settling my dog, but damn, even at
an off leash park a dog like that should be leashed :-(

hey and have fun,its great to make friends.

I am excited to be getting her, and I know I'm going to have to put a lot of
time into her (into *both* of them) but I'm nervous nonetheless! I'm more
concerned with my dogs reaction to her than I am with any problems I might
have with her. I know it will work out in the end, because it just HAS to.
Hopefully I'll be able to past back in a months time that I was being
totally paranoid and neurotic over nothing :-)

Btw, we plan on slightly changing the new dogs name- from Lara to Zara. Is
that a no-no?

Thanks for your input Dallygirl,

RRR

on 2005-11-29 at 14:59 wrote:

Not being narky, but perhaps I have posted my request for
positive, gentle training techniques in the wrong group.

or maybe you are looking for something that does not exist?
or maybe you were unclear about what, exactly, you *are*
looking for?

They are no good to me. I wouldn't wish to be desensitized to
the cruelty of a lot of common training methods. You may not
think they are cruel- I understand that and I understand why.

i leave it up to my dog to decide whether or not something is
cruel. for example, i frequently come across advice to use
noise distractions because they're supposedly more humane than
physical corrections. well, that depends on the dog. some
dogs are so sound sensitive that any noise that's sufficient
to distract them is also sufficient to scare the hell out of
them. *that* is cruel.

I kind of understand why people put blinkers on and cling
blindly to what they're familiar with, but I dont understand
why, as rational beings, we often tend to avoid using reason
to follow a train of thought to its logical conclusion.

i haven't a clue what you're referring to, but i don't have
any particular training methods i'm in love with. i prefer to
let my dog be the authority on what works best for her. some
of the methods i've seen described as "gentle and positive"
would actually be cruel for her. i trust her when she tells
me those things are "bad," instead of blindly adhering to a
method just because it's supposedly "gentle and positive."

It doesnt hurt to have an enquiring mind.

as long as you don't, as they say, leave your mind so open
that your brain falls out.

We're all capable of continual learning, and thats a good
thing! We dont have to have all the answers, and we *can*
change our mind! If we open it up..

yes, and to hell with critical analysis?

I dont get the feeling that this is a group of dog lovers, so
much as it is a group of dog *owners*.

you couldn't be more wrong. after several years here, i get
the impression that all the regulars love their dogs dearly.

That's okay, I've just been barking up the wrong tree is all

perhaps, if you'd been clearer about what you were actually
looking for, instead of a vague description of what you aren't
looking for, your search would have been more successful.

Regards,
RRR (its ok to hug your dog!

and to kiss them on the lips, but what does that have to do
with dog training?

--
shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/

no i dont see a problem with changing from lara to zara, just keep
consistent.
and a smelly bit of cheese can help , zara here (or come) and reward
instantly with her treat but remember to call your other girl to or the
green eyed monster may step in

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:12:47 +1000, "RhodesianRidgebacksRule"
, clicked their heels and said:



I plan to buy another dog house to put in the garage with the present one.
It will mean though that they are both in the garage together at night. If
that becomes a problem I can always allow my current dog to sleep in the
living room. (The cats will make room for her ;-)

waitasecond..... you are wanting "postive" and "kind" answers to
problems, but your dogs are left in the garage with dog houses? Do
you not see the irony in your methods of choice and how you have your
dogs living, vs people who actually build an appropriare relationship
with their dogs, which allows the dogs to live like family members in
the entire house?


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

on 2005-11-29 at 07:11 wrote:

waitasecond..... you are wanting "postive" and "kind"
answers to problems, but your dogs are left in the garage
with dog houses?

but she hugs her dog! meanwhile, i'm a dog abusing thug whose
dog sleeps on the bed with me.

--
shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 07:32:36 -0500, shelly
, clicked their heels and said:


but she hugs her dog! meanwhile, i'm a dog abusing thug whose
dog sleeps on the bed with me.

I knew that!

I'm a dog abusing thug who takes my dogs on vacations, let's them
sleep on the bed except overnight ( where they have their tempurpedic
dog beds on the floor instead), spends time taking them to flyball and
agility and field training so they can have fun, let them nap on the
couches (where they have their own throws) while we watch TV, obsess
over feeding them the best that I can for them, spend oodles of tine
with them, and never once do I seem to be "kind" enough to shove them
in the garage!


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

In article ,
RhodesianRidgebacksRule wrote:
I dont get the feeling that this is a group of dog lovers, so much as it is
a group of dog *owners*.

You're focusing on the second word. We tend to focus on the
first (*dog*). Putting human expectations on a dog isn't
love - sorry. Loving a dog's dogginess is something else
entirely from what you seem to be expecting.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Make it a Sony-free holiday.

on 2005-11-29 at 07:37 wrote:

the best that I can for them, spend oodles of tine with them,
and never once do I seem to be "kind" enough to shove them in
the garage!

yes, well, apparently spending time with your dogs, and
working with them, is indicative of an abusive nature. WTF is
up with that?

--
shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/