Self Tidying Dogs (Dog Training Techniques)

Member Name: Plumptious

Product:	Dog Training Techniques
Date:	10/02/01 (242 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You develop a dialogue with your dog.

Disadvantages: Takes up a good portion of your life.

There's no two ways about it. Dogs are extremely time consuming. If you don't have hours to spare everyday for a dog, it may be less stressful to get a cat. A cat will tend to regard you more in the light of housekeeping staff, although you should be aware that your services as hot water bottle and masseuse will be regularly be called upon.

There are currently two dogs and six cats in my household. I have had other dogs and cats, but will stick these eight furry beings in this opinion.


~~~ EXCUSE ME, SIR ~~~

One of the first things I taught my dogs was "Excuse Me". Now, it may seem like a strange thing to say to a dog, but bear with me. Dogs have a habit of investigating most events, prancing in front of you, and generally getting in the way. When you're loaded down with shopping, the last thing you will be in the mood for is a wrestling match with a 50kg German Shepherd determined to investigate the plastic bags you're carrying.

Fortunately, both my dogs came to me when they were fairly young and hence smaller. What I did was to repeatedly nudge them gently out of the way with my shins, saying "Excuse Me". I shuffled along, keeping my feet on the ground at all times, so as to avoid stomping on any paws. Once my path was completely clear of canines, they would receive lots of praise.

It worked a treat. Now that they're bigger, it certainly comes in handy. As I transport stacks of books, shopping and miscellanea around the house and garden, it's a relief not to have to have them bumping into me. They courteously move aside when requested.

Why "Excuse me"?. Okay, I could have nominated "MOVE" or "OUT OF MY WAY", but I simply find "Excuse me" a more pleasant thing to say. You can choose anything you like.
They don't really care what you actually say. As long as it hasn't too many syllables and can be
differentiated from the other commands in their vocabulary, they'll be fine.

This brings me neatly to a story I once read :o)

A young man spent a few years abroad, working in Jerusalem. Whilst there, he acquired a wife and a dog. When it was time to return to England, they naturally accompanied him.

Whilst exercising the dog on a common near their new home, young wife put him through his paces. The commands were issued in Yiddish, and a group of children watched with interest as the dog sat, lay down and fetched to command.

As the young wife prepared to leave, one of the little boys approached her. "Excuse me," said the boy in awe, "but where did you learn to speak Dog?"



~~~ SELF PACKING DOGS ~~~

My dogs spend time indoors, but also have a large dog house where they will sometimes stay. The word "HOUSE" is already used to refer to the main building, but I needed a word to refer to the dog house. The word I use is "RUMAH", which means "house" in another language. I considered "CASA", but thought that it sounded too much like "COME".

The dogs have no problem with this. It's a command which I have found useful. Rather than having to lead them into the dog house, I simply issue the command if a visitor finds it preferable not to have the dogs around. It is mainly used for when tradesmen come to visit. Most of them are fine with the dogs, but are very busy people on a schedule and find it infinitely easier to work without a canine quality control staff examining everything they put down.

If they are to stay there for longer than 15 minutes, I shut the door to the dog house. They have been trained not to leave without my explicit permission, but they do have their limits. I know that if I were suddenly sent to my room just as someone interesting came to visit, I would only stay there for a reasonabl
e amount of time. After that, it would seem logical to check if it's alright to come out, so I understand why my dogs would do so.


~~~ DISCIPLINING ME ~~~

I'm a chronic snacker. I enjoy eating in the garden and in front of the TV and computer. I also enjoy not having to tidy every scrap of food from the kitchen worksurface every time I answer the door.

With eight dedicated hunters prowling through the house, food theft could be a very real problem. My solution to this has been to not feed my animals from my plate. I know, it's one of the hardest things to do. Mournful round eyes, looking soulfully at you. It's dreadful.

That's why I consider this to be more a question of disciplining myself, and not confusing them.

But if you keep it up, they soon get the message. Human food is for you. You're top dog, and they eat when you say. The food you're eating is not up for grabs until you put it on the floor or in their bowls. Believe me, it makes life a whole lot less stressful.

When carrying my animals, I have also refrained from going up to the kitchen worksurfaces to prepare or to get food. It's my way of not demonstrating how food is obtainable from this surface. They're not daft, they know perfectly well what's up there. However, I have done my best never to make it seem more enticing than it need be and have discouraged any investigation of the area.

Getting this rule enforced has meant more discipline on my part than on the part of my animals. However, I think that it has led to fewer misunderstandings between us. I am quite proud of the fact that even when I absentmindedly leave crispy duck or roast chicken on the counter, it remains untouched. I consider this the ultimate kitchen counter test, as they are fantastically popular with my furry overlords.


~~~ ACKNOWLEDGE LIMITS ~~~

My six cats are served their food on two
huge placemats with rims. These help to contain most of the mess. For anyone unfamiliar with the problem, some cats are messy eaters, and insist on lifting their food out of the bowls onto the ground beside the bowl. This in itself is not a problem, but it inevitably results in some food being left on the ground.

With six cats, I end up with about a teaspoonful a day being scattered. I leave dry food out for the cats. It is always available. The dogs have been trained NOT to eat from the cat bowls. However, it's a little unfair to tell a dog that a stray cat food kibble on the floor is out of bounds. This is how the "VACUUM" command evolved. At this command, my German Shepherd proceeds to nose around the cat bowls. Any kibbles on the ground are his. He enjoys this, there are never enough for them to interfere with his diet, and I am spared from a bit of cleaning.

My other dog, whilst an extremely affectionate and exuberant character, has not managed to differentiate between the floor and cat bowls. No progress was being made in this area, so she now understands that she is simply not to go near the cat bowls. While the cleaning up is being done by the German Shepherd, she gets lots of fussing as compensation. Her limits are catered for, and she's a whole lot happier this way, as it is a rule she can understand.


~~~ CONCLUSION ~~~

I estimate that dogs need the attention a three year old toddler would need. However, they have a thousand times the destructive power of a three year old. Remember that however well trained and exercised they are, they will remain very powerful animals.

Witness my mistake when I imprudently gave them too much protein as a treat. With the unusually high levels of energy, they went on the equivalent of a drunken binge, breaking through the garden gate and completely wrecking four years of work on my garden. These are dogs who will sit at the gate, watching
me work in the garden, until invited join me. They have been trained to sit still whilst I go back and forth, filling their food bowls with various morsels, refraining from eating until the command is issued. They will patiently put up with being scrabbled upon by kittens, and having cats steal the choicest morsels from beneath their noses. They will obey the two year toddler from next door when she tells them to "Sit", even though they tower over her. So I reiterate, no matter how well trained, they remain very powerful animals. If you are considering getting one, bear in mind that like everyone else, their "true" natures will manifest themselves on at least a few occasions during their two decade stay with you.

I have not described the more conventional commands, as you'll be tripping over them in any dog training book. Instead, I have tried to describe something of what I have done to make my coexistence with my dogs easier.

This is the life I have negotiated with my animals. The life you want to share with your dog is up to you, and the way to communicate is through training, which is a two way affair.

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