2nd Free Interaction

In this video I let Huuney come in on GSD who is tethered and he has to get himself out of frenzied state in order to accommodate her arrival. What’s interesting in this video is that toward the end, the GSD begins to growl which indicates that deeper levels of physical memory are coming to the surface, and then in response and to accommodate this influx, Huuney begins to zoom around and we can see that her hackles have raised on her topline however the dogs successfully work through this. This is an important point to stress, just because two dogs can play with each other at “50mph” doesn’t necessarily mean they can play at “80mph.” So at each stage of escalation, until they get comfortable at “200mph” we can’t say that they truly “know” each other. But because they are so physically sensual with each other and immediately upon rushing together, it’s merely a matter of time.

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Published September 6, 2011 by Kevin Behan
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6 responses to “2nd Free Interaction”

  1. Alexo says:

    This is great. My dog has been able to do this kind of play only with two dogs, both intact males.
    With other dogs, sometimes she makes them chase her, but as soon as they get to close to her, or they touch her, she will snap and pin them down with a lot of growling and noise.

    A lot of times when meeting other dogs, she lays down submissively, and when they get close, she snaps.

    I just began doing the push, and making her bark. She only barks when on top of something (bed, sofa, chair) not when she is on the floor, and pushes for a ball or tug toy, not for food.
    She only eats when another dog is nearby, or one of the cats eats next to her or is walking around her.
    Bella is pushing nicely and jumping on me with the tug toy or the ball.

    I came to your website and training theory because my 18 month old female border collie has reactivity issues. She is fear aggressive and snaps when somebody gets to close to her. She is horrified of children and either lunges at them to make them go away, or runs away as if she has seen the devil.
    She also lunges at bicycles, runners, and big trucks or buses.

    Do you think the pushing will help with her fear aggression?
    Thanks for posting these videos.

  2. kbehan says:

    Yes, pushing will build her confidence, as for example when trucks/skateboards are going by, but there needs to be an emotional makeover in addition, for example, she shouldn’t be up on the bed as this contributes to the problem.

  3. john says:

    is this for two canines the same as connecting with prey,,i understand its drive or play drive, but whats the difference between this drive to connect and the drive to connect with prey,
    i can see two canines connecting like this and if left unrestricted heading off to cause mayhem elsewhere,,would that be the ultimate goal for a connection like this,,

  4. kbehan says:

    It’s exactly the same for all interactions. If the prey animal can reflect projected emotion back at the dog via its own predatory aspect, then the ping/ponging can continue and the raw emotion can elaborate to higher and higher levels of intensity until “nuclear fusion” occurs and they achieve one mind, what we otherwise call a deep emotional bond. If it collapses along the way, it then triggers various instincts or habituated behaviors. If handler and dog bond according to this process, then this reduces exponentially the chance for mayhem and dog can be induced to always choose the path of highest resistance, i.e. resisting the overwhelming effects of instinct.

  5. Annie says:

    I saw this happening today in the park as I was playing tug with Luke. I have to be very aware and in a zone with him, otherwise I lose a finger…and I’m learning to guage his limit….but as we were playing today, I was suddenly startled by the appearance of a very small boy of about 4 years old, next to me, whose mom watched from 50 feet away. Luke was so engaged with the toy, and the game was so energetic, that neither of us sensed the presence of this child until he said softly, “Can I pet your dog?” Well, there we were; Luke couldn’t have looked more dangerous, drooling and lunging at the toy….I immediately shoved it into my bag and commanded him to a down position, while I spoke to the little boy about dogs. To my amazement, once the child began to interact with Luke, he rolled over onto his back and became so sweet and soft. For about 15 minutes, this little boy and his mom (joined by a little sister and another young boy), surrounded Luke and petted him as he swooned and licked quite a few ears. This is the first time I have actually seen him switch gears and go from being extremely driven to being soft and compliant . After the children left, Luke stayed in his mellow mode, chewing on a stick. He had no desire to return to the game of tug. I credit the NDT methods and Kevin’s groundwork with Luke. I have been so nervous about allowing him to interact with young children, but in this situation, so sudden and surprising, I had no choice, and it worked out for the best.

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Books about Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behan

In Your Dog Is Your Mirror, dog trainer Kevin Behan proposes a radical new model for understanding canine behavior: a dog’s behavior and emotion, indeed its very cognition, are driven by our emotion. The dog doesn’t respond to what the owner thinks, says, or does; it responds to what the owner feels. And in this way, dogs can actually put people back in touch with their own emotions. Behan demonstrates that dogs and humans are connected more profoundly than has ever been imagined — by heart — and that this approach to dog cognition can help us understand many of dogs’ most inscrutable behaviors. This groundbreaking, provocative book opens the door to a whole new understanding between species, and perhaps a whole new understanding of ourselves.
  Natural Dog Training is about how dogs see the world and what this means in regards to training. The first part of this book presents a new theory for the social behavior of canines, featuring the drive to hunt, not the pack instincts, as seminal to canine behavior. The second part reinterprets how dogs actually learn. The third section presents exercises and handling techniques to put this theory into practice with a puppy. The final section sets forth a training program with a special emphasis on coming when called.
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