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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 9:24 pm

Chris said Riggs would test me. Well, Chris promised Riggs would test me. I thought I would share my pain, and also the lessons I am learning already. Of course, you're all also going to see me get taught a lesson or two, but hey, them's the breaks.

I want Riggs to lie down before I open the crate door. Riggs wiggles back and forth and paws at the door when he sees me coming, and the first few times blasted out of the crate as soon as I unlocked it. Tail going a mile a minute. Not good - well the happy tail is fine, the blasting out is not.

So, I started to tell him to down. He looks at me and keeps on wiggleing. "down" Wiggle. "down" wiggle. "DOWN" sit. "down" wiggle. "D-O-W-N" sit and look at the top of the crate. lather, rinse, repeat.

I've held his toy where he can see it, a treat, waited, walked away, come back, everything I can think of.

After four days of this, I am finally getting a down after only 5 or 6 times. I open the crate the second he hits the floor and freezes for .1 second.

Now, I can't correct him because he's on one side of the door and I'm on the other. Once the door is open he blasts out, and the battle to get him back in to make him lie down (because I can enforce the command with my hand on his collar) is a battle of wagging tail, licking dog and the giant mittens that dog calls feet.

He will down the second I tell him to after his butt has cleared the crate door.

So, what's the secret? In the evenings I have time to go back and forth 15 times instead of telling him to down 500 times, but in the morning I don't have the time to do it. If I really wanted to 'teach him a lesson' I'd just say screw it and go to work, but I'd feel guilty the entire day and I am sure I'd come home and have to clean the crate and the dog.

I'm open to suggestions, hints, redicule, whatever. :wink:
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
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Postby SisMorphine » March 7th, 2006, 9:31 pm

The only thing I can say is don't repeat yourself. If he doesn't do it right after you say "down" the first time stand and wait until he downs. Or walk away and try later.

At least that's the advice we give in class. :|

I'm no expert, by any means, just my 2 cents.
"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France
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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 9:36 pm

i agree, if you have to say it more then once, walk away. too bad he cant come out.. if he knows the commands he should perform them or he cant come out. for every time you repeat a command give demo a dollar.. watch how fast you stop repeating the command.. riggs is smart, he knows that the more you say the command the more he doesnt have to obey, because eventually he will throw you abone and you wll let himout.. so far he has you trained pretty good :twisted:
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Postby SisMorphine » March 7th, 2006, 9:37 pm

Maryellen wrote:i agree, if you have to say it more then once, walk away. too bad he cant come out.. if he knows the commands he should perform them or he cant come out. for every time you repeat a command give demo a dollar.. watch how fast you stop repeating the command.. riggs is smart, he knows that the more you say the command the more he doesnt have to obey, because eventually he will throw you abone and you wll let himout.. so far he has you trained pretty good :twisted:

Yay I got one right!!

*Does a dance*
"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France
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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 9:37 pm

in the morning, get up at least a half hour earlier to work with him on this, this way you wont be late for work.
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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 9:37 pm

SisMorphine wrote:The only thing I can say is don't repeat yourself. If he doesn't do it right after you say "down" the first time stand and wait until he downs. Or walk away and try later.


Yup, I tried that. Like I said, I can do that at night, but the morning does not work like that. He also has temper tantrums when I walk away, and barks and whines which means I have to wait even longer because I don't enter the room until he is quiet for 30 seconds. (I time it)

I went and got him a heavy duty nylabone, the butcher is out of femurs. I couldn't find anything but veal bones in my freezer. I'll have a femur next week sometime.

Normally I am a 'one command' person, but that is with leash in hand. :|
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 9:40 pm

patience little butterfly patience.... if he doesnt do the command walk away andtry later.. if you have to bathe him oh well.. he is super smart, and he is playing you big time.... he knows what you want, he is just toying with you.... :dogRun:
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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 9:45 pm

Yeah, no kidding.

the "I don't hear you because I am looking at the top of my crate" routine is just adorable :rolleyes2:

then we have "look, I'm sitting, isn't that good enough for you?"

don't forget "If I smack my face on this door enough times, you'll feel bad and open it"

the favorite "I'll scratch and the door and whine until you worry that I'll break a toenail down to the quick"

and the ever popular

"I'm so adorable, look at my big brown eyes and cute black nose, don't you want to let me right out?"

:doh:
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 9:47 pm

Maryellen wrote:he knows what you want, he is just toying with you....


no sh!t sherlock :shock: :D

I need to go find a 'tear my hair out' emoticon
Michelle

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Postby Purple » March 7th, 2006, 9:55 pm

Image
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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 9:56 pm

:boohoo:
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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 10:38 pm

Maryellen wrote::boohoo:


:o :o :fastRoll:
Michelle

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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 10:42 pm

one hour and counting. I've been in there 6 times so far...

I'm screwed if I have to do this tomorrow morning.

aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh
Michelle

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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 10:43 pm

implement hard NILIF starting now.. maybe that will work.. males are always more stubborn, and he has taken an inch already from you, so he knows what he thinks to expect...
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Postby mnp13 » March 7th, 2006, 10:45 pm

with the exception of this crate game, he's on perminant NILIF... or perminant for now :wink:

it's driving me nuts... I guess Ruby has completely spolied me.
Michelle

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Postby Maryellen » March 7th, 2006, 10:50 pm

use it with the crate too..
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Postby Chris Fraize » March 7th, 2006, 10:53 pm

Never give a command you can not reinforce! Can you reinforce the down command with a door between you and him?

There is a hint for you! Enjoy!

Safe training,
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Postby pLaurent » March 7th, 2006, 11:53 pm

Never give a command you can not reinforce!


That bears repeating! :)

Give a command 50 times, dog rapidly learns he need obey only on the 51st.
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Postby mnp13 » March 8th, 2006, 12:05 am

Yeah yeah yeah...

now go back through all the training posts I've written and count how many times I've said that myself. :rolleyes2:

it only pertains to other people. not me. so there.

So, Chris called me when he read my post - I answered the phone "hello, this is the owner of a psycho insane Pit Bull who is making me completey crazy" he laughed at me.

He gave me a bunch of different ideas to try to get this taken care of.

The one I am going with is the 'offer' one. Let him out of the crate, and down him for a toy/food/whatever as soon as he comes out. After a week of this he will start to offer the behavior to get the reward.

Funny thing, the little snot gave me most of a down when I went in his room after I got off the phone. He's got such a smooshy little face though, I just want to baby him and turn him in to spoiled brat Ruby the second. lol (and now Chris is tearing out his remaining hair :o )

He came out and downed for his tug before his tail even cleared the door. I'll let you know how things go... the ongoing saga of Michelle and Riggs.
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
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Postby Chris Fraize » March 8th, 2006, 12:16 am

"His remaining hair"...So cold. So cold....
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