Bob, the dog nazi
Marigold started her training yesterday, with Bob the dog nazi. He's been training dogs for over 35 years, and let's just say that he's much better with them than he is with people. He's trained presidential dogs (namely the Reagans' dogs), has been published several times, and has supreme confidence in his ability.
So Brian and I forked over a ridiculous amount of money to have this guy come to our home and whip our little Mara into shape. And that's when the fun started....
He was good, no doubt about it. His presence made Mara calm and she looked at him like he was a GOD. Any time he moved, she moved with him (on the leash or not). She never took her eyes off him.
And when it was our turn to try the commands and behavior things he'd taught us, she basically gave us the finger and did her own thing. It's so frustrating!!
All in all, I think it went well. Even today (24 hours later), she seems slightly improved. Granted, we've got a long road ahead of us, particularly because we've been doing so many things horribly wrong to this point (as Bob so gently pointed out to us).
I, personally, am going to have a hard time with the training because for the next month, I'm supposed to:
-ignore the dog unless I'm telling her to do something.
-not play with her unless we are playing fetch outside (once a day for thirty minutes)
-not pet her unless she is responding well to a command
-stop talking to her completely unless i'm praising her for following a command
It sounds harsh... but the logic behind it is firm. The dog has to learn to become part of the pack, which means she has to "lose her celebrity status in the house," as Bob explained. He also said that "she is not a baby and shouldn't be treated like one." That was directly pointed at me because I speak in gentle tones to her. I'm supposed to greet her in the same way I greet my husband. A hello, quick kiss, and that's it. The whole goal is to keep her calm ALL THE TIME.
Which sucks, because I'm not calm all the time. Sometimes I want to play and run and jump and roll around on the floor with her (which we've been doing...I figured it was bonding!). Until she learns her role in the house, though, I am not allowed to do any of that anymore.
*sigh*
I really hope this guy is right...I mean, it sounds kind of mean to stop giving her so much attention so abruptly. But, he is the expert. He explained that this is going to help Mara understand us better. I sure hope so.
Training a dog is really freaking hard work!
So Brian and I forked over a ridiculous amount of money to have this guy come to our home and whip our little Mara into shape. And that's when the fun started....
He was good, no doubt about it. His presence made Mara calm and she looked at him like he was a GOD. Any time he moved, she moved with him (on the leash or not). She never took her eyes off him.
And when it was our turn to try the commands and behavior things he'd taught us, she basically gave us the finger and did her own thing. It's so frustrating!!
All in all, I think it went well. Even today (24 hours later), she seems slightly improved. Granted, we've got a long road ahead of us, particularly because we've been doing so many things horribly wrong to this point (as Bob so gently pointed out to us).
I, personally, am going to have a hard time with the training because for the next month, I'm supposed to:
-ignore the dog unless I'm telling her to do something.
-not play with her unless we are playing fetch outside (once a day for thirty minutes)
-not pet her unless she is responding well to a command
-stop talking to her completely unless i'm praising her for following a command
It sounds harsh... but the logic behind it is firm. The dog has to learn to become part of the pack, which means she has to "lose her celebrity status in the house," as Bob explained. He also said that "she is not a baby and shouldn't be treated like one." That was directly pointed at me because I speak in gentle tones to her. I'm supposed to greet her in the same way I greet my husband. A hello, quick kiss, and that's it. The whole goal is to keep her calm ALL THE TIME.
Which sucks, because I'm not calm all the time. Sometimes I want to play and run and jump and roll around on the floor with her (which we've been doing...I figured it was bonding!). Until she learns her role in the house, though, I am not allowed to do any of that anymore.
*sigh*
I really hope this guy is right...I mean, it sounds kind of mean to stop giving her so much attention so abruptly. But, he is the expert. He explained that this is going to help Mara understand us better. I sure hope so.
Training a dog is really freaking hard work!
posted by GirlRy at 12:00 PM
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