[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: a trainers barking nightmare
- From: Grace Eaton <zgrace_grace@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: sheilaofmiami@xxxxxxxxx, thelist <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 19:04:57 -0700 (PDT)
You need Ceaser Milan!!!
Grace
Sheila Lieberman <sheilaofmiami@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
After buying our first home, a townhouse end unit, in Gaithersburg Maryland,
we got married. After the wedding on Miami Beach and the honeymoon on Little
Palm Island (the first year it was open, we can't afford it now!), we went home
to Maryland to an empty house.
I was finally ready for a dog. After weeks of begging, I got my husband to go
with me to look at a dog advertised in the paper.
He was purchased from a breeder of no repute and then allowed to be torchured
by the 2 todders they had. At 6 months the dog was nuts and the people wanted
out so they advertised him.
I had not had a dog of my own for about 9 years of young adult singlehood. It
was time. This dog indicated that he was bright and desperate. I took him home.
He had seperation anexity and was a nightmare. But we put him in a group class
with my husband who was still uncertain about owning a Shepherd. As things
improved, Mom decided it was time for her to visit without being let in.
She opened the door and Ari barked as he should. But, here is the beginning of
the nightmare, she barked back at him. He barked at her again. And so he was
trained. The more he knew you the more he barked. And barked!!!!! My dad hates
dogs, this became his nightmare too. His visits always began with stifyling the
dog till he gave up.
Now, we moved to a single family, had a stalker and got the Rottie. She did not
take up barking for a hobby, thankfully. But Ari got old and it was time to
worry. So I shopped and shopped, for 2 years I kept my eyes open to breeders,
but I was not at all involved in showing. We decided to go ahead and get the
dog that would replace Ari, before we lost our beloved Ari.
I finally met Mary DeCoursey, on the phone, from an internet ad for her pups.
We got mom and drove 200 miles each way to Lexington, VA to look at the litter.
We picked Dexter and named him on the long ride home. He never got car sick and
in fact slept most of the way.
He took his position in the pack as #3 seriously. He did his best to learn from
the other 2. He learned to bark from Ari. And bark and bark and bark. To make
it worse, it was just too funny to correct. WE WERE INCONSISTANT.
So, here we are at 8 years old, he barks for about 10 minutes if left to his
own desires. The more he remembers you the more he barks. I get headaches from
it now, with my bad back it is easy to trigger the head!
Now, the Rottie dies, and I get Liddy. She sees me going nuts on Dexter for the
extra barking and decides this does not work for her. She DOES NOT BARK
NEEDLESSLY. Nor do her kids so far.
I love Dex, but I will never miss his barking. Liddy does bark a lot, anything
that she hears needs to be barked at. But she stops when requested. The pups
are 5 months now, so they will be guarding very soon. I plan to insist on
silence once the threat has been determined.
This has been an experience!!!!
I do know that praise for silence can be very helpful, but barking is a
reaction, not a response. Reaction is far more automatic and uncontrollable,
but a response is a decision. Dexter's barking is reactive, so he has little
control over it at this point.
Most of my clients think I can make a dog anything, but the truth is I do my
best, and only that. But like the shoemaker's children who have no shoes, my
dogs are the worst clients I have. Yet they are good dogs and I love them all,
especially Dexter.
sheila
Sheila of Miami
Mernydex GSD's
Loving Obedience Dog Training
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Grace Eaton
Sirius German Shepherds
zgrace_grace@xxxxxxxxx
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POST is Copyrighted 2006. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues
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