APPLYING STRESS ....??? - Page 2

Ruger1, First it is impossible for anyone here to absolutely know what was going on at your session. As much as I despise breeder/ trainer bashing from anyone who is not present or does't know the involved parties, I have to say from what I have read in your posts, I would find another trainer. One of my biggest pet peeves, and one that I hear so many new owners/ handlers complain about, is that they don't understand why certain things are done with and to their dogs. It is, IMO, crutial,that the trainer explains what they are doing and why. It may be after the session, but you should leave feeling confident and understanding- not confused and uncomfortable. I would keep looking. :-) JMO- Theresa

I must admit,
It didn't make sense to me either.

But then again a lot of what I read here about training makes no sense to me.
I could not imagine my dog's being (trained) by anyone other than myself.
Helpers yes they come in very handy, but not for handling my dogs.

There are good strangers and there are bad strangers, this must be taught first by socializing.
I assumed that was why this was done, but it still makes no real sense.

Phil may have hit it on the head for all I know.

Moons.

I agree with Theresa that the object of training should be clarification, not just 'see how pretty I can make your dog look'.

That said...

Ruger, did the trainer take the leash from you to test how much of Prince's aggression was the dog himself vs how much was 'coming down the leash' from you?

Hi Ruger,
Don't be afraid to ask questions at your club.
If one of my clubmembers or helper wants to do something with my dog that I am not comfortable with, I always ask why. There is nothing wrong with that, and they should have no problem explaining to you the "whys."
They should also understand that you are not trying to question them, but honestly want to understand.
Best Wishes
Stacy

Why make a stressful situation for a dog more stressful? If you are the one having problems with Prince being aggressive towards other people then you should be the one handling him so he respects you telling him not to be that way and not have  someone else handling him. A muzzle isn't a bad thing to use so everyone around can feel safe and you can be more confident when training.No reason to put pressure on him at this point in his training.Try to keep it a positive thing and not stressful to where he is going to hate every time he goes to training. Good luck with your training.Prince just needs to know the rules..

FHTracker.....Yes, I think that was the reason....IMO ...I told the trainer that because of the way he lunges at people it makes me a little uncomfortable....If I had to assume what the trainers reasons were, I would say to see if Prince would show aggression to her while handling him and to see if he would respond to the other women getting into his space...I personally was happy that he did not show aggression. He really just went along with the program....There was a part of me that did see it as unfair,,,,but, I have to be honest, I was interested in what his reaction was going to be....

Phil...I hear you...However, if he would have reacted in aggression to what he thought was unfair, would that not have been interpreted as aggression???...Being that he did not react could we interpret that as being able to take an uncomfortable situation without freaking out???

Sheesh... I think trainers assume that pet owners understand what is second nature to them..lol...

                                    

                                                                   Thanks for the posts   Ruger1

             LAVK-9....Bottom line is your right...I need to handle him and that is going to take all the confidence I can muster up. He needs a serious correction from me to let him know to respect me. I am too soft on him.......Thanks for the post..

                                                                                                Ruger1

ATTA girl Ruger1! You hit the nail on the head. Also try to be conscious if you are inadvertently rewarding the behavior like trying to soothe him when he really needs to be told to mind you. You need a confidence boost, is all! 

Perhaps the trainer sees that the dog is nervous and fearful (the lunging at non threatening peope) and feels that some of it s coming from you?  Because you are a bit uptight about what he might do.

If you are raising an "attack dog" then don't let others take the leash.  However, if you are going to have the dog primarily as a companion, accompanying you here and there, and out in public, you do need to seek professional help SOON.  A dog this nervous is going to get you in trouble.  I'd say research a good trainer in the area who will work with you on desensitizing techniques (similar to what they were doing).  Yes, your dog WILL benefit by getting out from behind your apron strings and realizing the world is not really that scarey.

Having said that, it sounds like the dog may well have a sharp/shy temperament and there will only be so much you can do.  YOu have a PM   

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