Day "Who knows what" (LONG CATCH UP)
I haven't gotten back in touch
with Steve about the training because I have just had so much on my plate---that
and I'm just
embarrassed at the outlook it seems I have with Bodhi and my
apartment.
...I have
a 500 square foot apartment and it just seems like its too small to be
successful at training. The way I understand it is this: you bring the dog
right to the "trigger point", right before he freaks out, give him a treat and
the start over....
I feel like my
apartment is too small to work with Bodhi on men being in my apartment because
once they enter the apartment the human male is already WAY to far inside the
"trigger
zone".
...Brandon
(my boyfriend) and I have been taking the Caesar Milan approach to dog training
by having the very controlled 45 minute walk and enforcing a more
"pack-like"
atmosphere throughout daily
life.... Off-leash my control is very variable depending on how far away I am
from Bodhi, how close the intruding human is, and what they look
like.
...He
was fence fighting with some dogs on the other side of the dog run and I grabbed
his back end (hips) to pull him away and he turned around bit me on the
arm.
...I obviously
don't know how Bodhi has associated the event psychologically, but when he fence
fights with the dogs on the other-side of the run I step in between the fence
and Bodhi and shoo him
back.
...However,
when someone has crossed the trigger line (or something, Bodhi goes into a rage
with cats too), he
is in such a "zone" I don't think he hears me or even knows I
exist.... Point is,
I don't think
positive or negative reinforcement at this zone will get through AT
ALL.
...As
I mentioned, I
don't know how comfortable I am physically correcting Bodhi in these situations
anymore (though I think me
grabbing his hips in this stage is probably way different than a collar
correction).
...I
never had to be negative, I just gave treats when he would be good and if it
looked like we were getting close to that trigger point we would back off until
eventually a man on
a bike or a jogger could run by me half a foot
away.
...To refresh
the minds of those that are curious as to why Buggy is on meds and not the dog
that is being trained for aggression, its because
Buggy is a feral
dog and has a heightened fight
or flight response because of it. Anytime Steve would come over to train Bodhi,
Buggy would be
barking obnoxiously
from the corner while expelling his anal glands and having his eyes "Bug" out of
his head.... He still doesn't
want them loving on him, but he is fine being in the same room with a stranger
(though I'm not sure about at my house).... As of a week ago Brandon has taken
an active role in the dog training too, and now Buggy will let Brandon approach
him, put the leash on him, love on
him....
...Its
not that I'm lazy, I'm willing to do the work training, but I feel like I've
maxed out my capabilities, my skill set. I also feel like I might be a key
variable as to why Bodhi acts the way he does. Maybe if I was removed from the
situation and someone else could work with Bodhi on being close to men in an
apartment, or other confined space it would make a difference.
Well its obvious I haven't posted in a long, long
time. I have no idea what day in my training it has been. My trainer, Steve,
has contacted me to see if I'm still with the living. I am. I haven't gotten
back in touch with Steve about the training because I have just had so much on
my plate---that and I'm just embarrassed at the outlook it seems I have with
Bodhi and my
apartment.
Negative:
Here
is the thing. I have a 500 square foot apartment and it just seems like its too
small to be successful at training. The way I understand it is this: you bring
the dog right to the "trigger point", right before he freaks out, give him a
treat and the start over. Ideally, each time closing in the distance required
to bring him to a "trigger point" and the ultimately eliminating the "trigger
point". I feel like my apartment is too small to work with Bodhi on men being
in my apartment because once they enter the apartment the human male is already
WAY to far inside the "trigger
zone".
Positive:
Initially
Steve also was working with me on problems with Bodhi barking at men, and
sometimes women, out in public. In general, I'm happy to report that is very
successful. Brandon (my boyfriend) and I have been taking the Caesar Milan
approach to dog training by having the very controlled 45 minute walk and
enforcing a more "pack-like" atmosphere throughout daily life. As far as all
that goes, Bodhi is doing great. Sometimes he barks, but it can be controlled
in a millisecond. More often than not, there is never a problem. If Bodhi is
running in my apartment complex's off-leash dog run he will act crazy if he sees
a man, but on leash I have 100% control. Off-leash my control is very variable
depending on how far away I am from Bodhi, how close the intruding human is, and
what they look like. This is not a problem I'm so concerned about at the moment
though.
Negative:
I'm
also a bit nervous on being so rough with Bodhi. Steve had me using a pinch
collar and yanking up on him as a correction. This is also how I trained Bodhi
as a puppy. I don't mean yank painfully; in day-to-day life I just have to make
the pinch collar make a
bit
of pressure and Bodhi responds. I never have to be excess. OTHER THAN WHEN
PEOPLE ARE WITHIN THE TRIGGER ZONE. Bodhi will go crazy. He acts like a rabid
dog. I'll pull up on the leash and he'll be choking himself and flip-flopping
all over the place, but he's still in the zone and ready to attack. Before
Steve asked if I ever though Bodhi would re-direct and bite me. I said he would
never do that.... now I'm not so sure. He was fence fighting with some dogs on
the other side of the dog run and I grabbed his back end (hips) to pull him away
and he turned around bit me on the arm. It was very inhibited, but did bruise
(did not break the skin). He looked shocked, but it still happened.
What was my wonderful response to the
situation? I smacked him in the face. Brilliant. I was so upset with myself,
I can't believe I did that. I've been testing Bodhi's response to a pretend
smack to the muzzle since then and he isn't shying away (like an abused dog) or
getting aroused and ready to bite. I know, however, that responses like that
are exactly what makes dogs bite their owners in the future. I obviously don't
know how Bodhi has associated the event psychologically, but when he fence
fights with the dogs on the other-side of the run I step in between the fence
and Bodhi and shoo him back. This takes a good minute before I can gradually
push him back with my body language. I know me getting bitten was my own fault,
mostly, but it still worries me.
My
coworkers and friends that Bodhi is on good terms with just can't understand my
dog acting this way. They see him as the loving and caring, snugly dog that I
know him to be most of the time. However, when someone has crossed the trigger
line (or something, Bodhi goes into a rage with cats too), he is in such a
"zone" I don't think he hears me or even knows I exist. I don't think that when
he's like that any amount of correcting, or yelling, or pulling on collars, or
hitting, or shock collaring, or giving treats, or anything would make ANY
difference. Point is, I don't think positive or negative reinforcement at this
zone will get through AT ALL.
So the key is
to not let Bodhi get to that point, right? Easy enough outside, like I've
mentioned, I pretty much have that under control, and I can correct a situation
before it escalates. If I see him posturing in a way that I know he's getting
upset, I fix the situation; either by correcting Bodhi, or correcting the
situation. I just don't know how to do that in my house. Once someone is
inside, they are already way to close to Bodhi for his comfort. As I mentioned,
I don't know how comfortable I am physically correcting Bodhi in these
situations anymore (though I think me grabbing his hips in this stage is
probably way different than a collar correction). AND having a stranger over
would definitely put Bodhi in this frame of mind.
I know that my success with Bodhi on leash
outside is because I've been able to close in that trigger zone, slowly. I
never had to be negative, I just gave treats when he would be good and if it
looked like we were getting close to that trigger point we would back off until
eventually a man on a bike or a jogger could run by me half a foot away. I
don't know how to duplicate this in a small
apartment.
Positive:
Buggy
is on meds. Does this make me happy? Not entirely, but it's working and
that
makes me happy. To refresh the minds of those that are curious as to why Buggy
is on meds and not the dog that is being trained for aggression, its because
Buggy is a feral dog and has a heightened fight or flight response because of
it. Anytime Steve would come over to train Bodhi, Buggy would be barking
obnoxiously from the corner while expelling his anal glands and having his eyes
"Bug" out of his head. How am I quantifying the fact that I think the meds are
working? Buggy has been going up and smelling strangers, which he would NEVER
do. He still doesn't want them loving on him, but he is fine being in the same
room with a stranger (though I'm not sure about at my house). After months and
months of living with my and my boyfriend, he would hardly let Brandon pet him.
As of a week ago Brandon has taken an active role in the dog training too, and
now Buggy will let Brandon approach him, put the leash on him, love on him....
its great.
Negative:
If
I don't get Bodhi under control with these issues fast Buggy is going to have
the same issues. Buggy will start barking anytime Bodhi will, but so far hasn't
even initiated the barking.
Positive:
I've been using a Treat-n-Train, which is a
whole different blog entry (this one is getting out of
control).
I'm going to contact Steve in the
near future about having our third session. He was very helpful in identifying
when I need to correct Bodhi and showing me how to determine the trigger zone.
I think he's a wonderful trainer, and I wish I was a better dog-owner because of
it. I've mentioned something about this to him before via email and he assured
me that wasn't what it was about.... but I still feel like it is. I just feel
like when Bodhi doesn't get this its because of a fault of mine. I'm not seeing
something or not identifying something that will fix the situation.
Conclusion:
I
feel like I'm the weakest link in this situation. I wish I could send Bodhi
off to a doggy boot camp and have them return him to me a pleasant dog I can
trust when people come over to visit. Its not that I'm lazy, I'm willing to do
the work training, but I feel like I've maxed out my capabilities, my skill set.
I also feel like I might be a key variable as to why Bodhi acts the way he does.
Maybe if I was removed from the situation and someone else could work with Bodhi
on being close to men in an apartment, or other confined space it would make a
difference. I just HATE how all that sounds. I don't want to not be able to
fix Bodhi, I don't want to (and will not) give up on Bodhi, but I'm so
frustrated. Its hard to feel like things can and will change. I just don't
know what else to do.
Posted: Wed - March 22, 2006 at 07:42 PM