(VICT) Clyde-Harness issue etc
- From: "bcpaws4me" <bcpaws4me@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Vi-clicker" <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 09:55:15 -0800
Ridge I had one of those harnesses years ago for Met- but it did not have
enough adjustability for his weird shape really. I loaned it to someone and
then the dog got parvo- no way did I want to chance that...
Anyway what I was taught to do with Met and the GL may work for Clyde. You
want to make the harness a good thing. He is showing he is not ready for a
lot of the riggers of work just yet. Anyway what you want is to associate it
as a good thing. I would sit in a chair holding the harness- just holding it
not even attempting to put it on him. Remember anything he does not like you
don't want to use your come command for but instead go and get him so that
it does not diminish its reliability. Sit with the harness and some nummy
bites and the clicker- right now I would click and treat if he just sniffs
at it. Little by little you raise the requirements to get that click and
treat. I would eventually try feeding him i nthe harness. But it sounds like
he is a ways off from that yet. Remember Slow is Fast. If you do things too
fast that he is uncomfortable with it takes longer to get to point B or c in
the longrun than if you work on babysteps. I know its great to have a dog at
your side but all in due time Smile
I wanted to point out one thing also about your ID for Clyde. Remember right
now he is not covered by any of the federal laws such as the ADA. That comes
into play when he is fully trained. It is the state laws that allow us to
take our dogs in training (as the trainer) into public for training
purposes. I had an employee at Bi-Mart tell me that I could bring Thane in
there now but I know that neither Thane nor I are ready for that. I will
take him with me to get my meds at their pickup window- but that is all. He
needs the time to mature, time to be able to gain more self control when it
comes to other people and I need the time to better figure out how to work
with him. I was telling my mom the other day that Met was only 3 months
older than Thane when we started going to school and many stores together.
Looking back, some of it he was not yet ready for but other things he did
really well with - like school. I was telling her that just because Met was
ready for a lot by then does not mean Thane will be. I have also only had
Thane about 1 3/4 months too. I had Met since he was 6 months old. Sure
there are some things Thane and I could probably do right now, but I want
his foundation skills impeccable first. He is much different than Met was.
Thane is a greeter and an excitable *jump on you* type of greeter so I
choose to wait. Waiting can be the difference between a dog washing out and
one succeeding. I've seen it a lot on the lists I am on and despite how
wonderful it can be to have a dog at my side I have chosen to wait so that
he will be at my side for years rather than months. I want my dog
comfortable with every aspect of working life before I step forward and take
him anywhere that pets are not allowed. This is a decision I have made in
how to work with Thane and though many choose to start earlier than I do,
its really boiled down to *is this dog really ready* Are there any signs he
is not- such as not wanting to wear the harness...
Now on another note- are you sure there is not something uncomfortable about
this harness on him in how it fits. If he did wel lwith the other harness I
would look at that. I used that harness for a very short time with Met
because he was resistant about it. He did fine with everything else I wanted
just not that harness. I decided that in some manner that harness was not
comfortable...
Just another thought there on it if it is in fact only that harness...
Karyn and Thane
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