Elwood

Hi all, I understand that everybody has their own opinions regarding training. I am only sharing what I have learned over the past 4 years of reading,using different trainers and studying different methods. I have learned thru my new trainer that every dog responds to different methods...I can certainly agree as Elwood did not respond to the past 4 trainers who all used different methods. I have learned that yes my behaviours are an influence, yet I had no idea that looking confident, keeping a straight back and using an alpha body language was making my boy scared...this will defiantly work for a pit bull or Alsatian .not Elwood. I found it was as simple as keeping my lips parted and brows high (which is hard to do in a tropical environment full of insects and needing to wear sunglasses)and a very loose leash...there is a lot more to it and changing habits learned from people like VICTORIA Stillwell, Caesar Milan etc who were all wrong for Elwood will take a session or 2 for me to correct those subtle differences. Once more sharing "my experience" may be different to yours. Please accept this and not assume to judge what I am sharing. Personal opinions and experiences are simply just that....personal.

A while ago some of you may recallI posted about Elwoods reactive biting after 6 x attacks when he was 8mths. I had read all of CaesarMilans books,Victoria Stillwell,KarenPryor and had paid over $1500 for 4 different trainers who all specialised in"reactive dog training" and we had tried 2 x obedience classes...this all took 18months to try out each method, with no success. I even took the advice of some of you to try anti anxiety meds..this made the situation worse. Today we completed out first class (90mins) with a new trainer who uses her own pack of dogs to help with the dogs reactive behaviours. Within minutes Elwood was loose leash walking and was a perfect gentleman during the entire 90 mins...no reactions to puppies, Alsatians barking at him, Rottweilers getting in his face etc. I was amazed. Next week Kate will teach me how to mimic what she does. So to all of you who may also have a traumatised dog, don't give up trying to find the method that works for you. I was so excited I could of peed my pants.

Thanks ladies, I looked up all the suggested tools and bought a round tipped metal comb from the supermarket to try before heading out to grooming suppliers. I wet down the dred locks smoothed some Garnier conditioner in wet again and started combing from the bottom of each dred. Even tho most were so bad they were pulling the skin, they came straight out, so much faster than cutting them with the furminator. Great advice,thanks ladies....no more dreds!

Thank you both ladies, Now I have no idea what "Blowing" a coat means?? Her coat is quite thin and doesn't seem to have an undercoat as I've seen on other BCs. Nor does Elwood my boy. I'll stop with the furminator and look up the tools you have both recommended...thank you! "Not swimming" is not an option when you live in the tropics 3 minutes from the beach, they both would get heat stroke just having a quick run during summer. I think a quick daily brush is needed which I'm doing for her to keep on top of the ones I have managed to remove. Can you please explain what Blowing a coat means? Suzy

I did read about that product and realised that Garnier conditioner has the same ingredients which does help

What a talent your BC has there " Dutchborderfan", I think that talent 's 'genetic' , as Elwood is a "ninja master" at the "drop n Roll, Poo Roll"

Regularly I look after a friends BC who has very fine fur. She regularly is covered in dred locks. I of course encourage her owner to wash her thoroughly and brush her daily, yet he just can't seem to get on top of them. The only thing I find to tackle them is a "furminator" which basically cuts them off. I have also tried corn starch massaged into each one. Does anyone have some tips for easier removal and prevention? We both use Aloveen leave in conditioner another shampooing, yet this doesn't help.

For me I bathe Elwood our BC who has thicker fur (meaning each strand is thicker than fine) only when there is a build up of salt on his skin from the beach or if he has been in a creek bed where the mud has oxidised....meaning the mud smells. This is quite important to shampoo off as the bacteria the mud carries can be quite toxic to dogs as I found out the hard way. A girlfriend never bathed her BC only hosed him down after the beach and he always had a lovely coat. Dogs can start to stink if their diet doesn't agree with them. When Elwood was given Hills Science as a puppy, he stank a lot and needed regular baths. Now he is on a totally raw diet, he only stinks if he has been rolling in stinky mud or poo.

Accessable

It's the same here, if the loo is outdoor aces sable I always take him into the stall with me , I've never faced an objection to this.

It is also legal for a bystander to smash a car window to rescue a dog or child if they believe that dog or child is in danger.

Here most people break the law and leave their dogs in their cars, which is really stupid as the heat inside a car with the windows all down can reach 100 degrees C in 5 mins. Most people tho with dogs always seem to be travelling with someone and have the other person hold the dog while they go inside.

I wish I could take him in, he is certainly a lot cleaner than most kids today. Here in Oz it's illegal unless it's a seeing eye dog or alert dog. I was thinking I may be able to make up a vest for him like an alert dog Seriously tho I think the crate idea is best for us.

Hi Alligande, I live in northern Qld Australia which is tropical and we get mozzies all year round. I personally don't like the side effects and cancers that a lot of chemical treatments can cause, so I have gone with natural alternatives as the mozzies here can give our dogs Ross river fever and nasty parasites. I have successfully used a "raw Baltic Amber Collar" for 2 years now and when the mozzies are really bad I use an oil blend that I use on myself as well which is basically essential oils in grape seed oil that a drop on my hands and rub over his coat and belly, they avoid him and move on. Blend is oregano, citronella, neem, basil,and cedar wood. I take off the amber collar when we are swimming at the beach more so in case he breaks it. It also works on my cat. We have not had a flea or tick for 2 years and we get into the bush regularly. If you try one make sure you test the dollar first, there are loads of sites showing you how, yet the easiest is burning a lump and smelling the pine smell, if it melts and stinks like plastic...it is plastic. Good luck !

I agree with the above as well. I just want to add a little about how brains work. Like humans dogs require a neural pathway to be first created for each new behaviour. This then must be strengthened over a min of 21 days of continuous repetition in order for the neural pathway to become " knowledge or habit" . The same things occurs with bad experiences and behaviours, every time we trigger that particular neural pathway, we strengthen it. This is why we use "replacement" behaviours when we want changes in behaviour. It's the same for dogs, you may be triggering a bad experience or behaviour each time you put a leash on him. Remember, we must bend to the world of our dogs and learn how to read their micro expressions and behaviours in order to understand what's going on with them. The funny thing is we think we are the smarter ones , yet they can read us better than most humans can read their own dogs. For a rescue dog, this dog may of had zero neural pathways created relating to the training that all of us would normally give our puppies, He may of been chained to a concrete slab everyday all day for the first 6 years of its life, just like a recuse BC a friend took on. That dog was abused and had very little understanding when it came to basic training , zero instincts that most BC have as well. It took her 1 X year for her to be able to walk her dog on a leash and 18minths to teach her to come as she was so afraid of everyone. Baby steps, create a foundation of basic neural pathways first. Making friends first before "Come , sit stay, drop etc. it could take this dog months just to start a bond with you. Like children, if they are left to electronic devices too often their frontal lobe will shrink, this dogs frontal lobe may be incredibly small, yet can be rehabilitated...it will just take a lot of patience and more time than a dog that had had their brain stimulated at a younger age. As for your shoulders, let me know if you want some help there. I'm a Myotherapist that specialises in body structure and alignment and NLP qualifications. Ps. "4 Cyte" is a fantastic supplement for any pain that may be caused by the hip dysplasia , it's also human grade and great for arthritis too. I would also avoid all processed food and red meat as they all create inflammation. Good luck your new BC is lucky to have you.