Thanks a lot William, for your detailed, descriptive and accurate reply. You are a diamond ;-)
Most of what you say makes a lot of sense to me. The idea that it could be the sound of charging that trigs him is a very good idea. It is a lot easyer to work at a problem when you know what is causing it. But there is one thing in your set of method that sounds a bit odd in my ears. One thing that I have experienced a lot of times is to be very aware of what you are doing when looking a dog (and most animals) directly into their eyes. I have learned that a direct stare is a challenge in the dog's natural language. I use this sometimes when he shows any kind of unwanted aggression. After a brief moment he realises that I am the alfa, and looks away. According to my logic the look at me procedure is similar to say "challenge me". Sounds like "looking for trouble", if you see what I mean. Please elaborate a bit on this. Tim Mostly harmless (just plain Norwegian) Never underestimate the power of stupidity in large crowds (Very freely after Arthur C. Clarke, or some other clever guy) > -----Original Message----- > From: William Robb [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 7. februar 2006 05:27 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: PESO: Another Dawg Picture > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tim Øsleby" > Subject: RE: PESO: Another Dawg Picture > > > > > > > > Ok. Here my rant is over. Do you, or other fellow PDMLers, have any > advice > > here? Is there any method I can make him used to flash photographing. > > He may not like the whine of the charging circuit, BTW. > > Anyway, start with some simple calming techniques. I've found a very good > one is to stroke the dog down his side, right from his cheek to his hip. > They find it very calming, and so might you. > You are mimicking what the bitch did to him after he's had a meal when he > was still nursing. > It's a very powerful bonding method. > Anyway, once you have the dog in a calm state of mind (it helps if he > tends > to be calm anyway), put a command to this behaviour. I don't know what the > Norwegian translation would be, but in English, I use the word "settle", > as > in "settle down" to indicate I want him to drop back into the trance that > I > put him into with stroking his side. > His tendency when you are doing this will be to sit down. > As he sits, tell him to sit, and praise him for doing it. > Tell him "settle", and "good sit" and any other soft gentle verbal praise > you can think of (use the language of your choice, it's the thought that > counts), and stroke his side. > After you've been playing this game a few times a day for a couple of > weeks, > you will find that your dog is a lot happier to do things for you, and you > can start desensitizing him to the flash. > > I'd use food as a motivator. > Start by seeing if it is the light or the noise that bothers him. > It won't change much, but it's good to know what triggers our dog's > behaviour. > Start by pointing the flash away from him, perhaps even put it into a sock > to muffle the output, and sit down beside him. > Stroke his side for a while, make sure he is calm, and have a helper > trigger > the flash some distance away from him, and pointing it away, especially if > it is the light rather than the noise that is setting him off. > If he reacts badly, tell him "no, Settle", and wait for him to calm back > down. Don't say anything to him at all while he is acting out. After he is > calm again, resume stroking his side and telling him he is a good dog. > At some point, he will stop reacting badly to the flash. > Once he stops reacting badly, but not before, reward him with food. > Once you are using a food reward, start a new game as well. > This is a fun game, and really easy for the dog. Less easy for the person. > You really have to be attentive to your dog for this one. I find even > having > a radio turned on is too much of a distraction for me. > Stand in one spot in your house, perhaps beside a table. The dog should be > on leash. > Have a bowl of treats on the table. > All the dog has to do is sit in front of you and look you in the eye. > He does that, you tell him how wonderful he is tickle his ears for a > moment > or two, and give him a treat. > I suppose it is easiest to pop the treat into his mouth, and then tickle > his > ears. > Once you have the dog in the habit of looking at you, put a command to it. > Tell him to "watch me", then praise him for doing it. > > Easy, watch the dog, and wait for him to look you in the eye. Treat him, > praise him, tickle him, and wait for him to look you in the eye again. > Repeat as needed, until his tendency is to look at you. Keep verbally > encouraging this behaviour, even as you wean him off the treats. > Dogs like to be acknowledged when they do what they are supposed to be > doing.. > > Teach him to "stay" as well. > > After the dog is sitting reliably, and you can stand beside him while he > sits still, take a short leash in your right hand (I work the dog on the > left side, alter your method to suit), drop your hand, palm towards the > dog, > in front of his nose and give the command "stay". Pivot in front of the > dog > so that you are "toe to toe" with him. Stand in front of him for a moment, > then pivot back beside the dog. > Count to two, then praise the dog for staying. > Build up your time slowly until you can stand in front of him for a minute > or so. > Use your settle and watch me commands gently if required. > If the dog starts to move, tell him "no" in a command voice. If he stops > moving, pivot back beside him immediately, count to two, and praise him. > If he moves, take a few steps backwards away from him and call him to you. > Praise him gently for coming when called, take him back to where you were > working the stays, and do it again, for not as long, and keep working on > the > time. > Once you have a one minute stay, then take a step out, and pivot in front. > Go back to very little time, and start building the time up again. > Once you are at a minute, you can start to take two steps, drop back in > duration, and work the time up again. > Repeat this method until you have the dog sitting reliably for a few > minutes > with you right at the end of a six foot leash. > > In a few weeks, you should have a dog that trusts you completely, will > calm > down more or less on command, will sit and stay for pictures while you > walk > back to the camera, and will look you in the eye while you are shooting. > > http://pug.komkon.org/01nov/2Rotties.html > > William Robb > > > > >
