For the first session, he really wanted us to focus on making Ninja believe and respect that we are the leaders of the pack. Frank thinks that this might be a reason for his behavior (from what we described his behavior to be and our daily routines). So we basically practiced and learned training techniques on how to let Ninja know that we are in charge and in control and that he can relax and not worry about every little thing. He's been doing really well with the training so far. In 2 weeks, Frank will be coming back for an update on Ninja's progress with the leadership training and to address the main issues: fear/aggression towards strangers and other dogs. He will be bringing one of his own dogs to the next session so he can get a first hand look how Ninja reacts. Then he said he would like to go to a local park with lots of people and dogs and see Ninja's reactions to people/dogs in public and go from there.
Im really happy with everything so far, the next session will really put us up to the test, so we'll see how it goes!
Our next session is tomorow at 1pm - IM EXCITED!!!
Ninja has been doing very well on the attentive training and off-leash training but, still having some trouble on-leash heeling. Weird huh? I have a 30 ft. leash and at night time I will drop the whole lead but hold on to the end so he literally has 30 ft. to go on his own, but he always stays next to me, but more often he is a few feet behind me. But when we go on normal walks with the 6ft leash, he still fights to get in front of me. It takes a good 10 minutes or so of walking in different directions to make him walk next to me.
Tomorrow Frank will be bringing his male dog Toto to see Ninja's behavior to other strange dogs. I hope to learn A LOT this session and hopefully boost my self esteem about how to control him in certain situations. I will update you guys tomorrow afternoon on how it goes!
your enthusiasm gives me hope that calling the behaviorist to confirm our appt in a week will actually be a very good thing. Let us know how Ninja and you do!
You're gonna do great tomorrow Romi! I'm sure Ninja will too. I can't wait to hear all that you learn. Please, take detailed notes and less us know everything! :-)
Wow!! Go Ninja! I think after the summer, we'll probably do the same. There is a doggie daycare that has behaviorists on staff. So it might be a really great opportunity for us.
Thanks guys Im definately looking forward to it! I will do my best to give you all the information word for word Dave!
Barbara - That sounds like a really fantastic opportunity for you guys! Although, since it is a doggie daycare, I assume the other dogs there are other peoples dogs right? If something were to happen to another dog, would you be responsible or the daycare and vice versa?
No matter on how much we have worked with Niko on leash pulling we finally found the trick. Walk her between me and Chad and walk so close she cant get infront of us. It was hard because I kept looking back to see if she was still there! Cant wait to hear how the training goes!
Thanks for that tip Rach! I will definately try it on the night walks when John is around.
So, just finished our 2nd session with Frank.
So he took his dog Toto around the corner and told us to come out. He has these training aids he called "Water Bombs", basically a sandwich bag that is half filled with water. He said he would walk by with his dog and if Ninja reacted to throw the water bomb next to him. So he did his walk by and John threw the water bomb and it instantly got Ninja's attention. So that was cool. So we did this over and over with Toto walking by Ninja. We only needed to use the water bomb that 1 time. Then we started walking together and one of my neighbors was walking his overly excited American Eskimo dog. So Frank was like "this is an excellent oppurtunity" So we start walking by and Ninja started to growl so John threw another water bomb and got his attention back to us and we kept walking. (We used LOTS of praise when using the water bombs). So then we walk by again and everything is cool.
Then Frank wanted to let Ninja and Toto get close and get introduced to eachother. At this point, Ninja was full on avoiding Toto. Back turned to him and everything. Frank said that he will be letting Toto get close to Ninja and if we feel any tension or growling to correct right away. Surprisingly, Ninja was very calm. He let Toto smell him without a problem. He didn't even bother to sniff Toto though, he just stood next to him, i think still avoiding. So, i was very shocked to see that calm reaction from Ninja. Lots of Confidence boosts for me!
Then we worked on some more loose leash walking, I had told Frank that Ninja does extremely well on the long leash, but tends to still pull ahead on the short leash. So he told me to try a new technique called "chasing the tail". Basically, you try to get behind the dog and make sure his attention is somewhere else other than on you and you correct and move on. After about 3 corrections, Ninja was all eyes on me! It was great, also, during the short-lead walk, he was right next to me and looking up at me contantly. It was awesome! Its going to take a lot more practice, but im positive that he will be able to get this down!
Frank thinks that Ninja seems a lot more cooperative and in the "follower" state of mind when on lead - he seems more calm and submissive. When Frank was doing some excersises with Ninja when he would praise him, again, he was able to pet and touch Ninja, no problem. But off lead, Ninja is more guarded and growled at Frank a couple of times. So Frank thinks that Ninja doesn't COMPLETELY see us as the leaders of the pack yet, but he said he saw a pretty great improvement since the last time he was here 3 weeks ago. So thats a good thing!
I asked him if he thought Ninja was an aggressive dog. And he said no. He said that he thinks Ninja is learning to relax and that is why he is doing so much better on-lead. He is trusting us as leaders and he's not worrying about everything else going on around us. He told us that he thinks Ninja is ready for public places with lots of people and dogs. So he recommended a couple of places and just told us to bring 2-3 water bombs and see how it goes, and after a couple trips, we probably won't even need them. If he starts reacting to another dog or a jogger passing by, water bomb him. This will also help with his socialization skills too. He said that he noticed that Ninja was more dominant in the house, so he suggested to keep doing door bell exersises and keep inviting people over. So he learns that we are the leaders inside the house and outside the house and learns to trust us more and see us as leaders 24/7 regardless where we are. He can't really say if Ninja will ever be the kind of dog that welcomes strangers and new dogs happily, but he is sure that Ninja will learn to respect strangers and other dogs as long as we keep up with all the training and exersises consistently.
I am feeling really good! I was really shocked at the way he let Toto come up and sniff him without a problem! Before he would growl like crazy if a dog got 5 feet from him. I definately got a huge boost in confidence seeing how Ninja let Toto sniff him. Im eager to go on more walks now, whenever I want, not worrying about an off leash dog or people. I feel like a LEADER! haha.
I am supposed to call Frank in about 1-2 weeks to give him an update on Ninja's progress. He said the next time we meet, he would like us to meet him at a park with lots of dogs and people. We were supposed to do that this week. But he didn't want to overwhelm Ninja all in 1 day. So, im really excited to start socializing him again, I hope everything works out!
This is going to be a long process but im really enjoying it. It makes me happy to know that everytime we train, Ninja is little by little learning to relax and enjoy. Im learning a lot about myself too! Its really such an amazing feeling for me to see him overcome things too! So all the time and work I put into it really pays off when he overcomes something, which gives me more confidence and hope for his future.
That sounds so great Romi. Ninja's come a long way in such a short time. It's wonderful that you have so much confidence in what you're doing. Glad you found a behaviorist that works for you and Ninja.
Sounds like Ninja is making a lot of progress! It also sounds like Frank is very good with him and you guys... I'm so happy for you and Ninja... this will make his life so much more comfortable!
Thanks guys! Im really proud of my little man! Im definately happy with Frank as my behaviorist and super stoked that I found him! He seems to really put Ninja's comfort before anything else, which is awesome! He is also very thorough and informative and explains everything to the T for me.
Barbara - You should really look into it! I think Mika definately has it in her to make the adjustment...I'll be looking forward to hearing about her progress in the future!
BTW, For some reason I always feel super exhausted after a training session...Brad did you and Jen get this way after your behaviorist would visit?
I am always beat after training. Piggy and Miko too. Even though they aren't really physically exerting themselves. I think it is all the focus you devote to the moment.
I'm a bit late, but I just wanted to congratulate both Ninja for doing so well, you for doing even better!, and you for being patient and having it pay off in finding the right behaviorist for you and your situation. I have no doubt the sky is the limit for your little man! :-) Keep up the good work and keep us informed. I can't wait to hear more success stories. :-D
Thanks Dave! Actually, we just ate lunch with my Dad, and he came inside a little bit to watch some golf with John. Usually Ninja doesn't even get on the couch if there is a stranger on it. But he seemed to not mind my dad and got right in between him and John. Lots of praise for that! Once my dad looked him in the eye, he started to growl, but we corrected him for that and he stopped and jumped off. Baby steps!
Luis Diaz - I will answer that for Romi ... the "BAH" noise emulates the growl of displeasure from the alpha. Its kind of like the "ssssshhhhttt" that Cesar Milan uses. Its a corrective measure to be used at the moment the animal does something you don't like.
Usually this is followed up with a re-direction and praise.
Luis - not yet, i've been meaning to get video of it while training (i was supposed to send a video clip to dave on the attentive training) been lagging a bit on that, but I will get one up soon *promise*!!!
Comments
So did Frank do anything regarding your roommate and Ninja? Did he have any input on that issue?
I finally got to read all this, I'm so stoked it went so well! Seems he really helped.
For the first session, he really wanted us to focus on making Ninja believe and respect that we are the leaders of the pack. Frank thinks that this might be a reason for his behavior (from what we described his behavior to be and our daily routines). So we basically practiced and learned training techniques on how to let Ninja know that we are in charge and in control and that he can relax and not worry about every little thing. He's been doing really well with the training so far. In 2 weeks, Frank will be coming back for an update on Ninja's progress with the leadership training and to address the main issues: fear/aggression towards strangers and other dogs. He will be bringing one of his own dogs to the next session so he can get a first hand look how Ninja reacts. Then he said he would like to go to a local park with lots of people and dogs and see Ninja's reactions to people/dogs in public and go from there.
Im really happy with everything so far, the next session will really put us up to the test, so we'll see how it goes!
Ninja has been doing very well on the attentive training and off-leash training but, still having some trouble on-leash heeling. Weird huh? I have a 30 ft. leash and at night time I will drop the whole lead but hold on to the end so he literally has 30 ft. to go on his own, but he always stays next to me, but more often he is a few feet behind me. But when we go on normal walks with the 6ft leash, he still fights to get in front of me. It takes a good 10 minutes or so of walking in different directions to make him walk next to me.
Tomorrow Frank will be bringing his male dog Toto to see Ninja's behavior to other strange dogs. I hope to learn A LOT this session and hopefully boost my self esteem about how to control him in certain situations. I will update you guys tomorrow afternoon on how it goes!
Let us know how Ninja and you do!
Barbara - That sounds like a really fantastic opportunity for you guys! Although, since it is a doggie daycare, I assume the other dogs there are other peoples dogs right? If something were to happen to another dog, would you be responsible or the daycare and vice versa?
Cant wait to hear how the training goes!
So, just finished our 2nd session with Frank.
So he took his dog Toto around the corner and told us to come out. He has these training aids he called "Water Bombs", basically a sandwich bag that is half filled with water. He said he would walk by with his dog and if Ninja reacted to throw the water bomb next to him. So he did his walk by and John threw the water bomb and it instantly got Ninja's attention. So that was cool. So we did this over and over with Toto walking by Ninja. We only needed to use the water bomb that 1 time. Then we started walking together and one of my neighbors was walking his overly excited American Eskimo dog. So Frank was like "this is an excellent oppurtunity" So we start walking by and Ninja started to growl so John threw another water bomb and got his attention back to us and we kept walking. (We used LOTS of praise when using the water bombs). So then we walk by again and everything is cool.
Then Frank wanted to let Ninja and Toto get close and get introduced to eachother. At this point, Ninja was full on avoiding Toto. Back turned to him and everything. Frank said that he will be letting Toto get close to Ninja and if we feel any tension or growling to correct right away. Surprisingly, Ninja was very calm. He let Toto smell him without a problem. He didn't even bother to sniff Toto though, he just stood next to him, i think still avoiding. So, i was very shocked to see that calm reaction from Ninja. Lots of Confidence boosts for me!
Then we worked on some more loose leash walking, I had told Frank that Ninja does extremely well on the long leash, but tends to still pull ahead on the short leash. So he told me to try a new technique called "chasing the tail". Basically, you try to get behind the dog and make sure his attention is somewhere else other than on you and you correct and move on. After about 3 corrections, Ninja was all eyes on me! It was great, also, during the short-lead walk, he was right next to me and looking up at me contantly. It was awesome! Its going to take a lot more practice, but im positive that he will be able to get this down!
Frank thinks that Ninja seems a lot more cooperative and in the "follower" state of mind when on lead - he seems more calm and submissive. When Frank was doing some excersises with Ninja when he would praise him, again, he was able to pet and touch Ninja, no problem. But off lead, Ninja is more guarded and growled at Frank a couple of times. So Frank thinks that Ninja doesn't COMPLETELY see us as the leaders of the pack yet, but he said he saw a pretty great improvement since the last time he was here 3 weeks ago. So thats a good thing!
I asked him if he thought Ninja was an aggressive dog. And he said no. He said that he thinks Ninja is learning to relax and that is why he is doing so much better on-lead. He is trusting us as leaders and he's not worrying about everything else going on around us. He told us that he thinks Ninja is ready for public places with lots of people and dogs. So he recommended a couple of places and just told us to bring 2-3 water bombs and see how it goes, and after a couple trips, we probably won't even need them. If he starts reacting to another dog or a jogger passing by, water bomb him. This will also help with his socialization skills too. He said that he noticed that Ninja was more dominant in the house, so he suggested to keep doing door bell exersises and keep inviting people over. So he learns that we are the leaders inside the house and outside the house and learns to trust us more and see us as leaders 24/7 regardless where we are. He can't really say if Ninja will ever be the kind of dog that welcomes strangers and new dogs happily, but he is sure that Ninja will learn to respect strangers and other dogs as long as we keep up with all the training and exersises consistently.
I am feeling really good! I was really shocked at the way he let Toto come up and sniff him without a problem! Before he would growl like crazy if a dog got 5 feet from him. I definately got a huge boost in confidence seeing how Ninja let Toto sniff him. Im eager to go on more walks now, whenever I want, not worrying about an off leash dog or people. I feel like a LEADER! haha.
I am supposed to call Frank in about 1-2 weeks to give him an update on Ninja's progress. He said the next time we meet, he would like us to meet him at a park with lots of dogs and people. We were supposed to do that this week. But he didn't want to overwhelm Ninja all in 1 day. So, im really excited to start socializing him again, I hope everything works out!
This is going to be a long process but im really enjoying it. It makes me happy to know that everytime we train, Ninja is little by little learning to relax and enjoy. Im learning a lot about myself too! Its really such an amazing feeling for me to see him overcome things too! So all the time and work I put into it really pays off when he overcomes something, which gives me more confidence and hope for his future.
Yay for Ninja!
Barbara - You should really look into it! I think Mika definately has it in her to make the adjustment...I'll be looking forward to hearing about her progress in the future!
BTW, For some reason I always feel super exhausted after a training session...Brad did you and Jen get this way after your behaviorist would visit?
I am always beat after training. Piggy and Miko too. Even though they aren't really physically exerting themselves. I think it is all the focus you devote to the moment.
I'm lost though...what is BAH noise?
BTW Did you guys see the youtube shiba that says, "I Love you?" Kind of humorous.
Usually this is followed up with a re-direction and praise.
John