[Fenris-wolf]

This is where I'll be keeping track of Sisko's Progress?.

I should have posted this a few days ago, but a few days ago Sisko did very good at LAT training. He saw a Boxer and Pitbull in our apartment complex and was able to stay calm and he even to focus on going potty!!!!!!!!??

We haven't done training in like 3 days because Sisko hasn't been feeling well. He goes to the vet on Monday.

 

[Asta's Mom]

Oh hope Sisko is feeling better - LAT is an incredibly useful game.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Thank you. Yeah!?

 

[Mufar42]

Yay Sisko! Good job.

 

[Poodlebeguiled]

Sounds like he's ready to learn. Way to go! I sure hope he'll feel better soon.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Yay Sisko! Good job.

Sounds like he's ready to learn. Way to go! I sure hope he'll feel better soon.

Yeah! Thank you☺. The only thing that I'm having trouble with is him being consistent in his good behaviors, like, not chasing the cats, staying out of our faces while we're eating, sitting so I can put his leash on, and sitting while waiting to go out the door and he still don't have a solid sit, lay down and heel, we practice everyday, but we're still going through the exact same things everyday along with some new things. Should I not add new things yet until he's mastered the other things? Should I be worried? I already am ? it can be pretty frustrating. The one of the things that Sisko has gotten pretty good at is leaving treats alone, and he's doing really good at LAT, and he's pulling less too.

I signed up for Zak George's free 30 day dog training too, but we've fallen a bit behind because of Sisko not feeling well. Thank you.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Sisko is starting to feel better after going to the vet??

 

[PeggyTheParti]

What's wrong?

 

[Fenris-wolf]

What's wrong?

Sisko's sheath was a bit stuck and itchy and swollen and he couldn't leave it alone, and he was having difficulty going potty from it. The vet didn't find anything in it, so she gave us some NSAIDS and Quadritop ointment and if he doesn't get better in 42 hours we need to take him back, but he's getting better??

 

[Fenris-wolf]

I told him that the NSAID was a treat instead of medicine. ?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Ha! Whatever works, right? I just told Peggy her icky new Glandex powder was a treat and she licked it right up. Shhhhhh. Don't tell

Hope Sisko continues feeling better.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Ha! Whatever works, right? I just told Peggy her icky new Glandex powder was a treat and she licked it right up. Shhhhhh. Don't tell

Hope Sisko continues feeling better.

Yeah, that's right! Oh, that's so funny ? she was like ''yay a yummy treat!'' I'm glad it worked. Lol I won't tell ?

Thank you!

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hope Sisko continues to feel better. I don't pretend to have good training advice but my instinct is to say pick one or two behaviors a day to focus on. They're all important so it can be hard to decide what to focus on but I wouldn't add anything new til you get some solid responses on some he's already learning.

Try not to let it get to you, there's nothing to worry about . You're both smart, so you'll get there. Make sure that each session ends on a success, and they don't need to be long sessions.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Hope Sisko continues to feel better. I don't pretend to have good training advice but my instinct is to say pick one or two behaviors a day to focus on. They're all important so it can be hard to decide what to focus on but I wouldn't add anything new til you get some solid responses on some he's already learning.

Try not to let it get to you, there's nothing to worry about . You're both smart, so you'll get there. Make sure that each session ends on a success, and they don't need to be long sessions.

Thank you! Okay, that sounds good, I'll try it. I'll stop adding things too. Yeah, it can be very hard to decide on what to work on. I signed up for Zak George's 30 day free training to give me an idea on how to do everything. We're still might have Sisko take private classes, but he's been doing better.

I'm not going to lie, it can eat away at me so much! I'm learning not to let it though. Thank you very much for your kind words rose n poos!? Okay, thank you!

Sisko has gotten better with some things. It can be so hard sometimes because Sisko and I had the best time training when he was younger, but then life happened and we went off the training rails like a train and we ended up ??. Now Sisko doesn't seem as into training as he once was.

 

[Mufar42]

Its his age, I went thru the same with Renn, now he is back on track and since my neighbor with occasionally loose pits has moved we have started walking. Renn barks at strangers, yesterday (nice neighbor and dog people ) were walking and they asked to approach Renn. I said no as he has been barking when someone does that so it would be better if you let him approach you. Well at first the guy stepped toward me and Renn barked, I told him it was ok and immediately told him to heel and the 3 of us walked together. We walked about 3/4 of the block and they were going a different direction and I asked would you mind if I bring him closer, they didn't and he now was more curious though apprehensive and he went up to them sniffed then did a few little bounces and into a play bounce after the lady petted him, so the man came closer and he did the same. But he showed he was happy, not aggressive. I'm looking forward to coming in contact with more dog people who will work with me as he learns hey this is pretty cool.

 

[Starvt]

I think there's a lot of differentials when it comes to making a good training routine, the biggest being the individual dog's personality.
When you say he doesn't have a solid sit, down, or heel; what do you mean? That he doesn't obey a high enough percentage of times you give the command? That he doesn't respond fast enough or hold it long enough? Or is it situational (that he doesn't obey in a wide variety of places or distractions)?
Keep in mind that the basic behaviour is easy enough to teach, but that you need to work on each variable separately or you risk moving beyond his capability- which can end up resulting in either giving up, or getting used to not complying. So if he has a basic sit (always include a release so that he knows there is a specific "start" and "stop" to each command) then work on either duration, or speed, or distance, or new situations/ places or increased distraction.
Organize your training sessions to suit Sisko and yourself. I have found that Raffi doesn't like to repeat the same command too many times in a row, and he likes learning new things. So one day I might decide to work on distance for his place command for example. We always start with some attention/ focus to get him in the right mind frame. Then we might do a few easier 'old' commands, like a short sit and a hand touch, then place, then release and brief heel work, then place, recall, place, release and sit-down- sit, touch, place, release and heel work, then maybe a new skill or trick (recently taught him 'step' to put both front paws on a raised surface), back to place, release and sit, touch, then play with his favorite toy.
I try to vary something each time I give a command (once he has learned it to a basic level) so that he generalizes the command/concept- basically that sit means sit no matter which way he or I am facing and no matter where we are or what is around us. Obviously that is a constant work in progress!
Keep in mind to, that baby steps are still progress, especially with the heel. Can you take two steps with him in heel? Awesome! Try to get to three steps, or to move it from the hallway to outside, from the backyard to the front, etc.
You want to challenge him a bit, but still keep it at a level where he can succeed.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Its his age, I went thru the same with Renn, now he is back on track and since my neighbor with occasionally loose pits has moved we have started walking. Renn barks at strangers, yesterday (nice neighbor and dog people ) were walking and they asked to approach Renn. I said no as he has been barking when someone does that so it would be better if you let him approach you. Well at first the guy stepped toward me and Renn barked, I told him it was ok and immediately told him to heel and the 3 of us walked together. We walked about 3/4 of the block and they were going a different direction and I asked would you mind if I bring him closer, they didn't and he now was more curious though apprehensive and he went up to them sniffed then did a few little bounces and into a play bounce after the lady petted him, so the man came closer and he did the same. But he showed he was happy, not aggressive. I'm looking forward to coming in contact with more dog people who will work with me as he learns hey this is pretty cool.

Maybe Renn and Sisko are related somehow ??

I'm glad they moved and y'all can go for walks now. I love pits and everything, but no dog should be running loose like that. When we were still living in Jacksonville, FL, there was a neighborhood that we lived in that had Australian Shepherds and the owners would let them run loose, they were friendly, but shouldn't have been loose.

That's awesome??! Yeah, I bet! I've only run into 2 people who worked with me and Sisko on calm greeting. I hope I can come into contact with more people who will work with us too.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

We just got home from Peggy's weekly class and I can confirm that she has a much lower threshold for repetition than the other breeds we've worked alongside. She gets a very clear, "Okay, what next??" vibe and then it's off to make her own fun if we don't come up with something.

Meanwhile the heelers and retrievers have been in a down-stay for five minutes and still have their eyes glued to their handlers.

So be gentle with yourself! As much as possible, turn training into a game (for your own sanity and Sisko's).

Peggy, for example, LOVES working on "Let's go!" (i.e. a quick change of direction while in heel). We practice at home, off-leash, and it's her absolute favourite. She loves studying me to anticipate the next change of direction. Throw in some quick stops, too, and she's in heaven.

It feels like a game, but translates beautifully to real-life.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

I think there's a lot of differentials when it comes to making a good training routine, the biggest being the individual dog's personality.
When you say he doesn't have a solid sit, down, or heel; what do you mean? That he doesn't obey a high enough percentage of times you give the command? That he doesn't respond fast enough or hold it long enough? Or is it situational (that he doesn't obey in a wide variety of places or distractions)?
Keep in mind that the basic behaviour is easy enough to teach, but that you need to work on each variable separately or you risk moving beyond his capability- which can end up resulting in either giving up, or getting used to not complying. So if he has a basic sit (always include a release so that he knows there is a specific "start" and "stop" to each command) then work on either duration, or speed, or distance, or new situations/ places or increased distraction.
Organize your training sessions to suit Sisko and yourself. I have found that Raffi doesn't like to repeat the same command too many times in a row, and he likes learning new things. So one day I might decide to work on distance for his place command for example. We always start with some attention/ focus to get him in the right mind frame. Then we might do a few easier 'old' commands, like a short sit and a hand touch, then place, then release and brief heel work, then place, recall, place, release and sit-down- sit, touch, place, release and heel work, then maybe a new skill or trick (recently taught him 'step' to put both front paws on a raised surface), back to place, release and sit, touch, then play with his favorite toy.
I try to vary something each time I give a command (once he has learned it to a basic level) so that he generalizes the command/concept- basically that sit means sit no matter which way he or I am facing and no matter where we are or what is around us. Obviously that is a constant work in progress!
Keep in mind to, that baby steps are still progress, especially with the heel. Can you take two steps with him in heel? Awesome! Try to get to three steps, or to move it from the hallway to outside, from the backyard to the front, etc.
You want to challenge him a bit, but still keep it at a level where he can succeed.

Sisko doesn't obey a high enough percentage of times and he doesn't respond fast enough too. He also likes to think that down is sitting and will be like:?? he is also more likely to listen faster if I have treats? .I'm about to take a little training outside like, sit and down. I just got Sisko a bully stick and he loves it, so I made it into his training treat.

Okay, thank you! Sisko still needs to learn to sit no matter which direction I'm facing. Okay, thanks!?

 

[Fenris-wolf]

We just got home from Peggy's weekly class and I can confirm that she has a much lower threshold for repetition than the other breeds we've worked alongside. She gets a very clear, "Okay, what next??" vibe and then it's off to make her own fun if we don't come up with something.

Meanwhile the heelers and retrievers have been in a down-stay for five minutes and still have their eyes glued to their handlers.

So be gentle with yourself! As much as possible, turn training into a game (for your own sanity and Sisko's).

Peggy, for example, LOVES working on "Let's go!" (i.e. a quick change of direction while in heel). We practice at home, off-leash, and it's her absolute favourite. She loves studying me to anticipate the next change of direction. Throw in some quick stops, too, and she's in heaven.

It feels like a game, but translates beautifully to real-life.

Nice?. woo ''own fun''? ?? Sisko doesn't make up his own games, but my Aussie Dax would?.

Thank you for you kind words? I will! It used to be a fun game, now Sisko only works really for the treats and even then. My mom thinks he's like that because of training getting derailed and he was free to do as he pleased, that doesn't mean being a destroyer of the apartment are getting into things, he just got anything he wanted without doing anything for it while I was sick and no one else trained him. I think I will try ending our training sessions with play.

That's awesome?? y'all are like a team!! I envy you! For right now Sisko only really likes high fives. I don't feel like Sisko and I are a team yet.