Hello rather a long post.. I'm sorry.

Some of you have been following my thread as I have had many problems with the introduction of my ESS puppy to my other dogs. I had one trainer who was not suitable, now I have bought in another through the recommendations from this forum and I obtained her details from the list of APDT.

Here are her training methods:

All teamwork or one to one training is based on the latest effective reward based behavioural techniques, especially clicker training.
NO check chains, throw can, physical coercion or corrections.
Harsh methods are never used and dogs learns to do as you ask without you resorting to confrontation or aggression. Your dog is never taken from you and you are involved in the training at all stages. very happy with this.


The trainer bought in her old sheep dog Griff whom she has worked with for 12 yrs. she has competed with Griff and has shown him and other dogs since 1968. Griff who is very good at reading other dogs and puts his back to the other dog or turns around etc, either way the trainer can read what is going on...between the two dogs..
She very slowly introduced her dog to my Lab... my Lab on the lead got rather stressed very quickly so we took our time,,,,, eventually my Lab calmed down no more licking lips and staring eyes etc.. and she followed Griff around the garden sniffing where he had been... all seemed ok....

When Griff trusted my Lab Sophie he came up to meet her as he likes girls ... and my Lab just went for him and told him to back off... everyone was shocked including the trainer......
It has turned out that my Lab is not giving out any real warning signals. which is unusual for Labradors... I was told that dogs have stress levels.. example from 0 - 60 and my Lab went from 0 -60 in a second without any good warnings...no real signals for other dogs to read.... the trainer seemed to think, because of my lab's past she has learnt that there is very little point to give signals as many dogs don't listen ( she was attacked as a puppy because some stupid dog owner allowed their dog to attack my pup and then new neighbours allowed their dog to go at my dogs at our gate and so many other naughty dogs on and off over the years... so she is now starting as she means to go on, which is making it very difficult for my puppy to read... My Lab goes in for the telling off pretty much straight away... hence she bit the puppy on the nose... unlike my terrier who is very tolerant of the puppy..... hence the puppy is to have daily contact with my terrier who will teach the puppy GOOD puppy behavior.

I have a load to work to do with my Lab in the next 3 weeks till the trainer comes again. I can e mail or telephone at any time for back -up. Here is my home work.

. get Lab used to her lead so she doesn't get aroused, excited or anxious when it is on her. ( so, I am putting it on her through-out the day when walking around inside and out. )

. Practice calling my Lab away from the puppy or any other dog she meets/sees. ( my Lab is more than happy to walk away from the damn puppy )

.Teach my Lab to relax around other dogs... ( not so easy! )

Therefore a lot of lead work, a lot of work alone with my Lab and new walks where other dogs go.. I just have to pray some idiot doesn't have a naughty dog off the lead who comes to attack my Lab... sadly as we have just moved i do not know anyone with a calm dog who I can ask to bring around or to go on walks with...

I must admit I am up-set my Lab is so stressed, so I will get this sorted for her sake and the puppy's..

mean while the puppy is in the puppy cage when my Lab is around so they can see each other and when puppy is asleep Lab is allowed to walk about freely..unlike my poor terrier who has to be with the puppy 90% of the day and she is looking at me as if to say " what the hell"


I really hope you all approve of the trainer and her behaviour advice. I am interested to hear what you all think.

ewelsh

Sounds good, from what I can tell!

Did she actually give you any exercises to help your Lab relax? Have you checked out the 'Look At That' games and Grisha Stewart's Behaviour Adjustment Training (BAT), yet?
Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) | Official site for BAT: dog-friendly training for reactivity (aggression, fear, frustration) by Grisha Stewart, MA

This, to me, sounds like the best thing for you to work on. It's one thing getting your Lab to recall away from other dogs, but if he doesn't want to be around them in the first place, and when he is put in that situation he chooses 'fight' rather than 'flight' regularly, then the recall is just a management tool, not something to help him view other dogs in a positive manner.

But her ethics and principles sound brilliant, and she seems to be very motivated in helping you, not just getting her pay

sounds good to me

Thank you Grandad & thank you rottifan that link was really good, I will try that out today.. as the trainer had not given me tools to get my lab to relax just yet,,,

I have been walking her every day in places where I know dogs have been but no one is around so she can have a good old sniff and then walking her on the paths where SHOULD we meet another dog it will be on a lead...!!!! which happened yesterday and Sophie froze and stared so I gently crossed the road,,, and carried on the other side of the road, this I feel is a gentle way of introducing her to other dogs as she is so stressed lately...

I feel I am to blame as I admit I am tense now which I know is travelling down the lead..................... how can I stop this????? I don't want her to bite some other dog again............. as I hated it when other dogs bit my Lab when she was young....

Sounds really good, glad you're getting sorted out.

It's awful because people expect Labs to be brilliant, sociable dogs, and yes, they are, but they are all individuals and they all have their limits as to what they will accept, just like any other breed of dog. I can bung my two in the back of a car with strange dogs, or chuck strange dogs in with my two, but meeting those same dogs in their own home is an entirely different prospect, and they will ALL react differently.

Really pleased for you, and well done, a lot of owners wouldn't bother even finding out what needed to be sorted out!! Never mind putting in such a lot of time and effort to get it sorted

Oh thank you sleeping lion.. I needed a pat on the back to be honest... I was so affraid of doing it wrong or making it all worse for my dogs...
I know I need to put a lot of time in to my Lab and your right they are all individuals............. she is such loving dog only 4 yrs old and this puppy has knocked the stuffing out of her.
Part of me feels I have made a massive mistake having this puppy as all our lives were just perfect before, but the puppy is here to stay! I'd never give a dog away because I couldn't be bothered to put the time in into making it work, no dog is nasty or has problems they learn them, so I must find a solution... and one day they will all be able to live together with-out baby gates...

thanks again and I am so glad everyone thinks this trainer is good.

Just watched that video and looked great, I also noticed at one point the dog was wearing a thundershirt which I have recently used with Flynn and have had great results with. He was scared of new places and didn't like going out in the dark, after two weeks of using the thundershirt he now goes out after dark and to new places with no problem at all. Still doesn't like fireworks which we've had go off recently but once the thundershirt is on lies down and goes to sleep - quite amazing really.

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"