With the high power dogs how do you train them to be calm?
I like this I think if you've got a pup with a tendency to be a fire-breather, noise etc. and you never let them develop that particular talent, you can have a high drive, quite, and a calm dog in the same animal. Seems to me every uncontrollable fire-breather that I've ran were sort've allowed to run loose, and never taught to manage their intensity at a young age; then when it was time to steady them they were so out of control that you could only ever try to maintain the intensity. However; I've seen friends buy dogs with tendencies; which they know to be in a line; but they were no tolerance with the trait and never let it develop. Much easier to not let it develop than try to fix it; I'm not of the opinion such things can't be fixed after they are ingrained; they can only ever be maintained, which usually requires someone who knows what they're doing. It's pretty exhausting, for everyone involved.I'm not sure you can change a dogs day to day personality, but I certainly believe you can mold proper behaviors and expectations during training and testing atmospheres.
excellent excellent excellentthis may provide useful insight.
my high drive dog will never settle and be calm, what can i do? (link) from the michael ellis school for dog trainers
And he's 7 years old. Can you believe it?I have a fire-breather.... right now he's sleeping at my feet as I type. Been there all day. Perfect house dog.... almost totally submissive in the house. If I look at him crossways, he almost cowers wondering "what the heck did I do wrong now....??"
Hunting he is the perfect gentleman in the blind.. but always attentive and watching for birds. I've gotten lazy... I don't watch like I used to because 99 time out of 100 Deuce will alert me to birds coming in. He has made more retrieves of birds that we would have never bagged without a dog than I can count. He doesn't give up... relentlessly searches on a hunt and will chase a bird forever. I've been warned that I need to watch him because on a hot day he would probably fall over dead from heat stroke before he would ever give up.
At a hunt test, he is full throttle. If the only place I saw him was at a test I would think he is impossible in a hunting blind or in the house. But, he's a GMHRCH.. 1000 point NAHRA dog and in any venue 1000 points says something. At a test he's like punching the throttle on a Ferrari.... oh what a thrill!
Someone already said it.. dogs are situational, just like us! I'm amped up and nervous at hunt tests too... calm and relaxed at home... and hunting.. well, hunting is hunting.
My next dog, I don't want it any other way. Give me a firebreather!
I think leaving him to cry, and ignoring a dog when he's doing an undesirable behavior; is the worst thing you could do; first it's gonna drive you nuts, second he doesn't learn that what he is doing is wrong. When he cries; You need to address it, grab him by the muzzle and tell him NO_QUITE, and be consistent that you correct him every-time he makes a noise; you don't like. Some dogs don't even know they are making sound, it's never been addressed that they shouldn't and it just becomes natural for them to be vocal. The dog needs to learn that it's unacceptable, or he'll just continue to do it.I've done a lot of searching through these threads and the internet in general. It seems as though I should just completely ignore the dog when he's whining...i.e. don't look at him, touch him, etc. Any suggestions?
The only thing I've done that works with this type is to tire them-out mentally. Basically I get a chair and a drink, and I put psycho dog on a down stay and he is made to stay there until he calms and until I decide he can get up. It's sort've like asking a sugar-high kid to sit and be still, .Takes a bit to get them solid on it; at first it's physically and mentally exhausting for all parties involved. But eventually it starts to stick and the dog will take less and less time to calm. Plus side this simple mental exercise of making a psycho dog stay; completely wipes their energy (sometimes your as well ). Eventually psycho dog is on a down stay for entire training sessions; with birds and other dogs going every which way. Then we get to the upland field and if dog goes psycho he goes on a down stay again, doesn't get up until he's calm (I don't care how long it takes). Requires a bunch of handler patience(to not kill psycho dog); when he is unable to stay on a down; but it's worked for a couple heavy offenders. Even got a psycho fire-breather his HRCH title, dog couldn't sit but would calm on the down. I remember months of having that dog down out in the middle of a field as others ran; continuously having to put him back on his spot and back in the down; before it stuck that you cannot get up, your not getting birds, after you get birds; you still have to down; I'm not putting you away excited; and I'm more stubborn than you -So you might as well calm down. Dog was 6 yrs. old at the time; I wish I had had him as a pup it would've been so much easier, to control earlier.any advice on how to hunt him at a preserve? – he just gets too high – can it be worked out or should I just keep him off farm pheasants until he has matured a bit more? -
Thanks
JJK