APPLYING STRESS ....??? - Page 1

                   Sorry pushed send too soon......Anyway, as some may already know my male Prince is stranger aggressive. I took him to his second obedience class with the Schutzhund trainer yesterday.Up until now we were attending an AKC training group.  She asked me to bring his muzzle to class so we could try letting her handle him. She knows that I am very sensitive about Prince not being "strung up" or anything like that...not that she would do that ,but she knows that I would probably faint dead away...She walked up  asked for his leash and walked away with him. She and another women were walking and putting" pressure" on Prince. He kept looking back at me I felt so bad for him. He DID NOT growl or show any signs of aggression at all. After the stressful ordeal I removed the muzzle and we ran and played with his new ball on a rope..Prince was happy and playful as usual.The trainer thinks he needs more of this type of interaction...????....I would enjoy ant comments or thoughts ......

Why are you not handling your own dog?

                Shadylady...I handled Prince all through class for the obedience work. After class she asked me to hand him off. They did not physically hurt Prince in anyway, however, I felt he was being pushed and stressed. I assumed they were testing him in some way..?????????             Ruger1

What do you mean by "putting pressure" on the dog? What did they do specifically do? Perhaps he is very protective of his handler and they wanted to see how he'd behave without you too close. I know that my boy is very protective of me, but if I hand him to someone else and I disappear he is a different dog and will readily accept others around him - just not when I'm around.

             VanessaT....The trainer walked with him and  made him heel and sit...... Then she asked another woman to walk up super close to Prince. This other woman would walk up and crowed his space and shoved him a bit....nothing serious....I repeat...nothing aggressive or mean in any way.....Just testing him I guess. Honestly I really do not know.....When I said "putting pressure' I meant putting stress or testing......
                                                        

             Phil......Many on the board have a great deal of respect for your knowledge. I want to know why you feel that way, even if you are a lil  at times....

                                                           Ruger1

Bump...

I don't see stress, but perhaps a form of socializing situation for the dog.

I would expect a dog that is worth his salt, to defend himself to what he very well "could" have interpreted as unfair treatment.  After all, being on leash, he was forced by a stranger to endure pressure from another stranger,,,,,,,,,not fair.  BTW, his issue is not reacting to strangers when being held by another stranger, his issue is dealing with strangers while "you" are holding him.  So, in fact what they were doing was not simulating the problem you are having.  Waste of time, and unfair to the dog.  Nothing was accomplished,,,,,,,,with the exception of massaging a training director(?)'s huge ego.