JACK DAY 6

(Body language. That's Jackie's pissed off but I am not about to do anything look. Leon looks the other way in submission. The empty food bowl and the toy that you can not see are both triggers for Jack.)

What does day 6 mean, it's been six days since Jack put his teeth on Leon! It's important to note, physical examination by a vet is important when your dog starts to act out unexpectedly. Jack is actually just bringing his jerkiness to fruition, but he has been checked for those things (such as thyroid) that can cause behavior to escalate into aggression. Jack is a remarkably healthy dog, but has always been behaviorally challenged.

So as I mentioned, Jack has had a few steps back in his obedience lately. Truth be told, I had so many other things to deal with on Jack, I never fully addressed his resource guarding with dogs that he knows, mainly my Leon. He guards Leon from his dog friends, certain food, certain toys, and if he could get away with it.....me. So now we have come to a zero tolerance policy and started to keep toys ET out that would set Jack off before. The training for open has begun to set off these triggers in Jack. If I stopped Open training, this would not mean that triggers disappear. I may not be able to change this completely for Jack, but I am betting I can greatly improve it for the whole family unit.

Why do this? Why not manage it by simply keeping these things away? It really depends on the dog and what they do. Jack is a bit unusual in that he really digs his heels in about these things. Changing a behavior with him is slow and challenging. The thing that made me think this was very necessary is the day he went after Leon when Leon picked a piece of scrap paper off the floor. I had begun to see Leon's personality get flatter and flatter. Jack was totally trying to break rules that were not to be broken, and this began affecting all of us. So it became time to take on this particular quirk in the personality.

We have eliminated his need to guard and eat socks and/or seaweed for about a year now. His house training peeing, submissive and excited peeing is under control. His marking has re-emerged as he has been restricted more. This is classic Jackie. He has stopped trying to charge or posture at strange dogs on and off leash UNLESS they are running directly at us. He is able to be brought onto the beach in a perfect heel around people, where he used to circle, buck, and twirl to get away. We also managed to get Jackie his Companion Dog title.

Now if I absolutely had to keep Leon and Jack separate during the day, I would. I am not about to fail Jackie. However, if I ask myself if I have gone far enough in Jack's training, I would say no. I know there is room for improvement in Jack's training especially as we strive towards Open and Utility titles. Beyond that though, Jack happens to get lonely if he is kept separate during the day. I think we can improve this relationship again, and at the point I see progress halt, I will give up the ghost.

The problem with Jack is the very inappropriate OVER reaction that can lead to injuries and to fights. He is unable to wield the power of intimidation well without being a bully. The trick is going to be to be able to stop him at the tripping point, or/and prevent the tripping point from happening in the first place.

Jackie is the first dog where it has been absolutely necessary to institute the rules of subordination within the household:

• Allowed on designated dog beds only, no furniture.


• He is the last dog to be fed.


• He is the last dog to be allowed outside or back inside.


• Zero tolerance for any reacting on leash. Jack is that special sort of dog where you hear people saying "he is so better off leash than on". The problem with that statement being, that you probably have a real problem on your hands if your dog will not obey you on leash.


• He sleeps in a crates outside of the bedrooms.


• NILIF (nothing in life is free) is instituted.


• Must have an hour a day of free time with owners to play and exercise.


• Training every single day for both his Open training, and for resource guarding issues.


• Training for some portion of the day with Leon to firm up their relationship again.


• Possible half hour of free time (but not unleashed or muzzled time) with Leon having fun.


• Jack needs to be given rest time of a couple of hours a day away from everyone.


• No longer putting disputed items away when Jack is out.


• Jack is not to bark or dash at door when owners come home.


• Jack is to be brought back into down command if he barks when guests, clients arrive.
  

****Not that he is aggressive in situations with people, but he is incredibly nosy and totally thinks it's his job to greet. The problem is this all comes to self control and reliability when in a command. It also speaks to training him beyond what he is able to handle real life situations better. So now it's my goal that we don't need to scan the house for the food piece or special toy that will put Jackie out of Whackie. It also promotes self control in the ring if he thinks that piece of straw is suddenly his, and another dog goes for it when in a group down stay.

Then there is a training plan that goes with the above. Jack has a half hour of heeling or longe line work a day (this week). He also has his reps of retrieving to do. Separate from the dumbbell, I have also been training him to fetch and give food in the hopes that this sort of thing becomes less novel for him. I am doing various yielding work exercises with him as well.

The muzzle and training collar attached to lead are being alternated. As his body language becomes less tense under restraint, AND he acts stops acting out with these on, then the freedom increases again. It's no joy to do this. It takes a bit of self control on the handler's part, especially when they love their dogs dearly. I miss Jack in the bedroom, but I know this feeling of "over entitlement" is in fact contributing to the acting out on Jack's part. If he was a dog that would bark at the other, and then when that dog retreated the incident was over, that would be one thing. Once the blast off point is reached though, there is nothing the other dog can do to appease Jack. Therefore, it's a matter of quality of life for our other dog as well. Jack totally tries to direct Leon's every move, and watch out if he makes the wrong one. That is unacceptable to me. The fact that it has suddenly blown out of control so easily is a sign that more training needs to be done.

Obedience is a great tool in getting this done. My goal is always to change the behavior, if possible, without having the dog in a command every minute of the day. I will try to discuss this as I go along. Sometimes it means I break out of my routine and take advantage of a situation that I see.

First things first, to get Jack to act well under these situations under restraint. Then we can begin to think about removing the restraints again and back to off leash behavior. Some dogs are so miswired that this does not become possible. In the amount of improvement that we have seen in Jack, however, I do believe that it's just a matter of more work. There are those dogs that just require way more work than other dogs. As long as improvements continue under that work, you are on the right track. With that in mind, I have started using some different methods and techniques with Jack during the exercise which SEEM to be making a difference with the high value resources. I say SEEM, because all bets can still be off when the equipment comes off. Or a dog can figure out the way around it, but normally that means you have let them in some way.

The good thing about Jack is that he is predictable in this. The problem comes in if you don't see what he is going to guard (piece of paper comes to mind). The answer is not to have Leon stop playing with everything. The answer is also not to force Jack into an untenable position that he can't handle. He is a pretty readable dog as well. If he is about to make an aggressive display, he tail twitches very fast (different than a happy wag). His pupils normally dilate as well. He will get flat while walking with his head low to the ground. Leon's demeanor will change to extreme fright and watchfulness. Under restraint, I want Jack's demeanor to start to form into the dog I know he has been and can be even under duress of being around food products and toys that he wants no one else to have.

Then we will see what we can do next.