Tag Archives: who is training whom?

April 7, 2019 · 10:23 am

Consequences

This is the man who ignored me, saying it was a good idea to put 94-pound Amber on the no-pull leash yesterday in areas of high traffic and lots of stimulation. Amber did what puppies do, leaping around to try to get to the wonderful things and people around her.

At the craft show on the square, people were upset when the shock collar worked and Amber cried out. At the yard sale, he didn’t put the collar on correctly, so the shock didn’t happen. Since it didn’t happen, she went after what she wanted – a small doggie – resulting in my husband face surfing on the ground….

We started training last night again with the no-pull collar and leash combination, figuring out what we did wrong at the yard sale. Amber walked around with us calmly, happily with no problems. I’ll keep doing this on a daily basis. Then we’ll also try again in places with very few people, making sure the walking assembly has been put on correctly. We’ll build up again to the vet’s office, and other places we need to have her out of the car.

I will, however, continue to SUGGEST that we NOT let her out of the back seat in places with lots and lots of wonderful things for a dog see, smell, and try to get to – regardless of our ‘hopes.’  Hopefully, this stubborn man will listen…

He’s doing much better this morning, even though he still looks quite impressive. He’s resting, napping, and watching TV today.

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July 28, 2018 · 10:43 am

Amber is a Wonderful Challenge

This is Amber, our 16-month-old, 92 pound (the last time we took her to the vet to weigh her on his scales) yellow Labrador Retriever ‘puppy.’ So far, all we’ve heard about labs being very puppy-ish through two years is true.  Amber likes to try to scrunch herself up so that she can sleep in Molly’s bed here in the office. (There is a larger bed just on the other side of my desk – complete with chew toys – but she and Molly like this one best.)

 

For comparison, here is Molly (our elderly cocker spaniel/schnauzer cross) sleeping in the same bed as I type. (Amber went out to play in the rain.)  As you can see, this bed gives Molly a good bit of spread-out-room.

Our latest battle of wills involves Amber going in and out. When the door opens in either direction, Amber is like a bull charging at a red target. She runs right over Molly or the cats, plus us, if we’re not careful. We’re trying to get Amber to sit and wait until we say, “OKAY” before she goes in or out. This is a real test of wills. We have to start getting her to sit before we even touch the door, then keep watching and making her sit until the door is open. If we’re successful, she sits until we say ‘okay’ and everyone lives through the action. Otherwise, not so much.

We WILL prevail, but it may take awhile…

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March 7, 2018 · 10:11 am

One Year!

Today our 91-pound yellow Labrador Retriever ‘puppy,’ Amber, is one year old!

 

Amber at one year – 3/7/2018

 

I sang the birthday song to her, but she just sniffed my jeans pockets to see if I had any treats.

Our lives have really changed since we got her 10-1/2 months ago –

Amber has trained US more than we’ve trained HER. She has taught us to

  • always get up with an alarm clock, even on weekends, to take her outside
  • feed her twice a day, being careful to not upset her tummy
  • put probiotics in her food to help with her digestion
  • put drops in her water to help keep her teeth clean
  • allow her to walk right up into my husband’s chair during the evening for a good snuggle
  • make me jump out of MY chair when she looks expectant and get on the couch so she can snuggle with ME
  • keep treats in our pockets at all times
  • keep her shock collar and zapper charged up all the time (even though we mostly just need to warn her with some sound now)
  • keep her supplied with chewy and/or squeaky toys in every room
  • become a gated community, with gates at the office doorway, doorway between the dining area/kitchen and living room, and at the utility room doorway
  • respond to a loud, close bark to take her outside
  • accompany her when she goes outside so that she doesn’t eat anything that catches her eye
  • understand that all bets are off – training ‘gone’ when visitors are here
  • realize that she loves people and will get into the vehicles with the UPS, Fedex, or mail people
  • understand that anything left anywhere within reach is fair game for a good chewing and/or destroying
  • acknowledge that she is the center of our world, around whom all things are planned
  • realize that in an argument with a 91-pound puppy, be careful what you wish for

Amber is the proverbial bull-in-a-china shop. If your drink is on the table, she won’t usually bother it with her nose, but her wagging tail will get it every time. She’s a sneaky pete. If you wanted to eat something later, don’t leave it on the counter in the kitchen unless you have the gate closed. It WILL mysteriously disappear. A bounding dog is a strong signal to get out of the way….

An exhausting, wonderful start to what we hope will be a good, long relationship. We’ll be grateful if her brain someday catches up with her exuberance.  Happy Birthday, Amber!

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February 13, 2018 · 10:20 am

The Battle Over “OUT!”

We thought we were doing a good thing when we taught Amber to bark when she wanted to go out, or was outside and wanted to come in. Soon we realized we had created a monster who LOVES ordering us around. She just comes in and then barks to go out again – and loudly enough it hurts your ears! My husband thinks it’s hilarious when I’m concentrating at the computer and Amber comes up to me and then makes me jump straight up in the air out of my chair with a loud “WOOF!”

Since we have now ALSO learned that letting her out alone results in all kinds of things leaving the garage, the front porch, and other surrounding areas and showing up in the front yard – either in one piece or damaged beyond repair, we are now TAKING her out. It’s now 10:10 a.m. central time and she’s been out 4 times already.  This is a battle. We’re trying to get things done and we’re never sure if she REALLY needs to go out or is just pulling our leg. While it’s a problem concentrating or bringing something to completion, it’s also good in that it forces us to get up and moving. I’m also trying to play with her a bit while we’re out, taking a ball or something with me for her to retrieve. It’s good exercise because I make it a point to go out past the shop to my garden in one direction, and then all the way across the top of our part of the ridge line to my greenhouse and then back to the house. Just in CASE she doesn’t demand it on her own, we have an alarm set to remind us that we should go out again.

We’re having ‘discussions’ now about how many times it’s reasonable to take her out. Obviously, Amber would essentially enjoy being out most of the time. When it’s cold and wet outside with a gusty wind, we are less happy about staying out there with her for very long, telling her to ‘hurry up!’ and wanting to come right back in.

‘Discussions’ with a 91 pound lab puppy aren’t very productive…

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January 6, 2018 · 11:42 am

Power Trip

Amber will be 10 months old tomorrow. She is still basically a ‘bull-in-a-china-shop,’ lumbering around, knocking things over, running over Molly, messing with the cats, and knocking US down if we’re not paying proper attention. We’re told by people in the know that she will continue ‘puppy-hood’ for another 14 months, until she’s two. Oh, joy.

We ARE making distinct progress in several areas, though, and she is adapting to life in the Lewis household better and better. Molly and Amber now will sleep on the same dog bed in the living room in the evenings – unless Amber sits on top of Molly. The cats no longer freak out and disappear if Amber is in the house, although there is hissing and spitting from time to time if Amber tries to pick up a cat with her nose.

I told you recently that we’re trying to get Amber to bark at the door when she’s ready to come in from being outside. We actually had to start with getting her to bark at ALL. Now we may have created a monster.

This morning she came and responded to my, ‘do you want to go “OUT?” We went to the door, she smacked her mouth soundlessly a few times and then finally barked. She actually barked to come in, though it was a pretty pathetic bark. I opened the door, told her “GOOD GIRL!” and gave her a cookie. A few minutes later, she came and sat beside me, looking at me expectantly. I said, “SAY IT!” and she smacked her mouth again soundlessly, finally barking and getting to go out. A couple of minutes later (it seemed) we heard a bark, let her in, praised her, and gave her a cookie.

A couple of minutes ago I was concentrating on the computer. Suddenly a huge “WOOOF!!!!” errupted from the dog, who was sitting beside me.

I jumped straight up about two feet out of my chair, tried to say “Good Dog!” on the way down. I let her out, and sat down again, only to hear a loud “WOOOOFFFFF!” from outside the door. I let her in, gave her a cookie and sat down again.

When she said, “WOOOOOFFFF!” 30 seconds later, I finally began to see that she was definitely enjoying a power trip, working the system in order to get another treat. I got her a chew toy, told her it was too soon to go out again, and told her to get into her “PLACE!”

So far, this is working. What does a person DO when her dog is smarter than SHE?

 

 

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