living with the Shiba traits!
well its been a couple of months now owing Mischa, and im starting to notice the lovely little things that seem to keep all us owners perplexed!! like agressiveness to other dogs when they get too close, mouthing when excited (which i think is quite cute) and not wanting to walk next to me but be just in front all the time, and deciding when they want to be obedient or not!!
i have been reading through some old posts on these topics and now feel quite normal because alot of you have had or are having the same issues hahaha,
but its all good news and challenging!!!! who wants a normal dog anyway!!! i have got some more tips from the shibashake website which is very good and also i am watching less of 'the dog whisperer' thesedays as i was hooked, ( a bit like i was on Amway a few years ago!!hahaha) but now realise that Mischa is a dog not a robot. lol i guess i got tunnelled vision there for a while hahaha.
well the weekend is not far away so looking forward to another long walk in the countryside (in the rain again! as it is England)
i have been reading through some old posts on these topics and now feel quite normal because alot of you have had or are having the same issues hahaha,
but its all good news and challenging!!!! who wants a normal dog anyway!!! i have got some more tips from the shibashake website which is very good and also i am watching less of 'the dog whisperer' thesedays as i was hooked, ( a bit like i was on Amway a few years ago!!hahaha) but now realise that Mischa is a dog not a robot. lol i guess i got tunnelled vision there for a while hahaha.
well the weekend is not far away so looking forward to another long walk in the countryside (in the rain again! as it is England)
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Make sure to enjoy every minute of her. And post LOTS of pictures.
i hope i dont get the chewing thing, as she is 3yrs now! but iguess i'll deal with it as and when.. i dont think we get that t.v show in the UK yet but i'll look out for it.
I have a feeling shibas are chewers at any age...
I have a feeling you will love Victoria Stillwell, she is AWESOME.
You are right about Victoria, she is amazing. I have so much from her that has helped in my dog training techniques. Now if only she would show me how to get a Shiba to listen for agility training...
:P
Kristin-How do you do the down? Other methods on down DO NOT work for Niko!
Moto Destructo Studios has a nice ring to it Jess. What a great choice!
So you sit on the floor with one knee proped up like a tunnel and you have the dog on one side and a treat on the other and they have to go into a down position to crawl through to get the treat. So as they go down to get the treat you say "down" and they praise them with the treat and love once they have completed the task.
Shiba's are so smart Miso figured it out in about 10 minutes, now when I say "down" he just lays down...probably because he just wants the food and praise and doesn't want to have to crawl under me to get it!
LOVE it!
Jess: LOVE the name! I think its perfect.
My new trainer taught me a new way to teach down without luring and it's pretty effective.
Basically you tether your dog to something and sit in front of them. Then you wait for them to do something...if they put their nose to the ground click and treat...if they go into play bow stance...click and treat...basically anything the dog does that is close to being in a down or in the process of going to to a down, click and treat. It is important to throw the treat close to them, but far away enough that they have to get up to get the treat. After a few reps - your dog will start thinking how to get the treat - it is important not to say anything or do any gestures...just wait for them to figure it out. When they finally get into the down click and throw 2-3 treats to them to make it extra rewarding. After a few times they should have it down. Then you can start adding the word "down" - but don't repeat yourself - say it once and wait for them to do it. It can take 1 minute or 10! - It worked great for my dogs - they were able to go in a down by just my voice in 10 minutes!
And Victoria Stillwell is an amazing trainer! I have learned a lot from her.
Jesse
I love learning from her.
http://www.clickertraining.com/
Karen Pryor is really the top of the mountain for that. They have video demonstrations and great descriptions. Seeing it done really makes it clear.
Be sure not to associate a command right from the start, let her take it in with no spoken word first and the associate the established behaviour with a command. Kuma does down both verbally and with just the gesture.