Training Boi - Mobility Service Dog

[Mini Horses]

The "fear" issues with DH -- think any maybe from his job as a vet???? I mean he does handle various animals, meds, ointments, etc. All day. Dogs do have excellent smell detection. Maybe he becomes a "pack of animals" in a scent sense to Boi.

Just a thought.

Training...my goat learned to turn the barn door handle and push it open...no instruction! Just watched me...go into feed room. Food is a motivator!!

 

[tortoise]

They seem to have bonded over the experience! When DH came in from chores, Boi was wagging his tail, no growling.

whatever I'll take it!

He has been pacing and whining tonight even with his pain meds. Rough couple days now.

 

[tortoise]

He licked his incision open and it started weeping. He started antibiotics today.

Not much training. Nose bump door closed is all. He is making progress on it.

He's not handling crating and short leash walks well. He gave me the furry finger resisting nail filing. Tried some gentler strategies but no luck until I pinned his neck. I'm surprised to be thankful for old school "pack order" dog training I was taught. Most of it is dubious excuses for cruelty, but every once in a blue moon its genuinely useful. This was one of those moments. Nail filing got done, he got his usual reward of tooth brushing

I have a virtual private lesson scheduled with my local trainer to talk out best way forward with his new vocalizing/growling behaviors. I'm eager to get her input!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Boi, boi, boi.... Get with the program dude! Hope your virtual training meeting goes well.

 

[baymule]

I'm interested in the growling and what your trainer says. Why would Boi be growling at your DH?

 

[tortoise]

I'm interested in the growling and what your trainer says. Why would Boi be growling at your DH?

I have some theories but none explain 100%.

1) When he gets home, Baymax barks once. She starts it! Then DS5 runs to the door shrieking, "Daddy's home!!!!". The energy gets so high right before he walks in the door, and is generally much higher when he is home.

2) Teenage fear period. He was fearful of DH for a couple weeks. DH injured a rib which affected his gait. He was changing into camo hunting clothes and later blaze orange - which change his shape and smell. He goofs off with the kids using different voices and accents. All those were triggering fear behaviors in Boi. He is not acting fearful anymore. Edited- he is not acting fearful all the time around DH now. Every once in a while, like once a week he will get a little cautious/startled.

3) Becoming protective of me and the house? This would be disastrous, and this possibility is why we neutered him a year earlier than I had planned.

4) Teenage jerk phase. Maybe its this, he's trying to figure out what gets reactions and found something that works.

IDK. Now he is barking when I get home too. I am not happy with his barking.

The answers would be
1) train settle and desensitize.
2) gently encourage confidence with high value rewards + exposure
3) immediate firm corrections that dont come from me, and his behavior results in losing access to me
4) leash corrections and spatial corrections that come from me, as firm as necessary to get avoidance or submissive body language. That sounds bad in writing - I'm talking about shifting his body weight or changing where he is looking.

But if I'm wrong about what causes it, the wrong response would make it worse! Thats why I'm stuck. I'm afraid of making it worse.

I think the best way forward will be watching his body language each time to pick which response is appropriate at the time. Thats intimidating. I just dont want to mess it up.

 

[baymule]

I have faith in your ability to figure it out and get him on the right track.

 

[tortoise]

 

[tortoise]

I saw hints on his behavior today. He has been increasingly whining and pushy. I expected his behavior to regress during recovery from neuter, but this is a bit much. After he got his cone, I noticed (from him hitting me with it) that he's both clingy and not respecting my space. I laid into him today, smacking the end of the leash on the cone (auditory correction to interrupt the bad behaviors). Then used spatial pressure to keep him out of the roon I was in for the rest of the day, and planty of kennel time too.

Well... whaddya know... he's quiet. Really QUIET. No whining for excessive potty walks today. Just calm and quiet.

There is a little issue here of respecting space, and me being too permissive.

I'm used to Baymax, who is mild and submissive. She can lie on my couch or bed, snuggle and she is fine. She's not trying to be a boss. Boi... cant let him on couch or bed, and really have to be careful to not let him lean on the furniture or lay in the space my feet will be when I stand up. He drags his blanket over to that spot. It reminds me of whn I had three female dogs all rivaling to be the top dog. Position on the bed was part of their pecking order with the most dominant of them nearest the head of the bed and least dominant towards the foot. Boi is similar where the closer he can get, the pushier he gets. If you give a mouse a cookie!

I have training appointment on Friday. I'm eager for her input. She is so good. She has helped me with several dogs so even though she doesnt know Boi well, she knows my strengths and weaknesses.

 

[baymule]

Cone of shame! I have two, one is the biggest they had, the other is just under that in size. When Sentry had his hip surgery he started to lick the staples and I softly said no. He looked at me, looked at his incision and just stopped. He tried one more time, I said no and he stopped. He never did it again.

Trip was another matter when he got neutered. He tried to bite the staff, they were afraid of him. He had to wear the cone in the house and on the porch at night. Poor guy. I took it off so he could eat and drink, walked him on a leash to potty. As long as I was looking at him, I left it off, but He wore it a lot until he healed.

Boi looks so darn cute. My husband thought at first that it was a picture of Carson.