Comments for Natural Dog Training

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Burl

Burl — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:11:34 +0000

I am really missing something here and I know too many who think likewise… If our dogs could not roam the house as they please, I would not have them. If you really want to know how energy flows while in a confined space, spend a few nights there yourself and I think that will answer the question.

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Christine

Christine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:36:01 +0000

By-the-by…they each have their own crate as well as extra pillows on the floor for them. Diva and Duncan are pretty good at finding a spot on the floor. Bodie is the one who insists on getting on the couch with me (it’s how he grew up). Sometimes Duncan or Diva will try to get up but not as often as Bodie.

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Christine

Christine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:31:50 +0000

I’ve always enjoyed having the puppers on the couch with me (never on my bed and not in my bedroom), so I am struggling with this one. I’m working on keeping them off the couch but I just can’t always resist them! So I guess more clarification regarding the necessity would be helpful. I know it’s been in previous posts as an NDT “No No” but more info on how their NOT being on the couch with me helps energy to move would be helpful. Thanks Kevin!

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Heather

Heather — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:48:10 +0000

Thanks Kevin! I did figure the climbing on the couch was not a good thing…my husband will be happy to hear it is not a negotiable point…we normally don’t let him on the couch but this was a spontaneous thing, and it sounds like for the purpose of connecting via struggle. The struggles are a bit discouraging sometimes! The last thing I want is to struggle with him, so it’s ironic that way.

By his place, do you mean his pen (our baby-gated corner, which we use like a crate) or on his mat in the room with us? And this may be a dumb question, but how does the energy move when he is confined to his place?

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by kbehan

kbehan — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:09:33 +0000

Heather, it’s very important that your dog has his “place.” His place can’t be in your lap because then he has no place since both you and he can’t be in the same place at the same time. NDT isn’t about dogs wanting to be in their owners’ laps, it’s about the dog wanting to be in its place in order to be part of a smooth functioning group. So for now, I would say Happy isn’t ready to lay at your feet without it turning into a struggle because struggling over space is how he interprets being connected to you. This is his earliest imprint and it must heal because it is going to only generate friction. He has to learn how being in his place makes the energy move, not that by getting you to spark that gets the energy to move. Hope this clarifies.

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Heather

Heather — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:10:58 +0000

I may have answered my own question – I think that my indecisiveness is actually the problem. I bet if I just make the decision that I’m going to allow him to nibble my sleeve to fulfill that need, and trust in his good nature as Kevin says (keeping my confusion out of it), seeing what actually unfolds instead of thinking about what might or might not happen…we will both get unstuck (and move onto the next thing that I get stuck on…)

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by Heather

Heather — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:31:11 +0000

Happy lately is on a mission to eat my arms, or more accurately to just gnaw or nibble on some part of me of his choosing…not of MY choosing. I am sensing that my efforts to direct his mouthing to toys, and even hands when gentle, made about as much sense as if I had told my kids to hug their teddy bears instead of me…and that now asking him to give me all his energy via pushing without also allowing him to connect emotionally via mouthing is causing what I am perceiving as him being on this mission to eat my arms. And although the “circuits fried” jumping/grabbing is not common, a different jumping/grabbing (I feel that it is different, an observer might not notice the different “energy”), one that is a manifestation of this conflict and that can be resolved completely in the moment via pushing followed by mouthing, is increasing in frequency.

I am still hearing the same voice in my head that I do when my kids ask for ice cream before dinner…”this is a dangerous precedent to set!” Yet my heart says that the way to move forward with Happy is to let him mouth my arm/sleeve, that this mission he is on is something that I am not going to be able to “redirect”. Last night he laid at my feet and chewed his bone…then let out a big groan and crawled up onto the couch and onto my lap and just wanted to nibble my sleeve…when I tried to give him an alternative, even a finger, he then wanted my whole arm (only when covered by the shirt he wanted) and was more persistent – if not that, then the sock. The same shirt (literally the same one but not on my body) he wasn’t interested in.

In my mind that little voice is telling me that he should not be able to climb onto my lab and commence eating my shirt. But he seems driven to do so. I know that I could put him off of the couch and into a long down on the floor, and when the family is there that’s where he is, but in this situation where I’m asking him to give me all his energy, my gut tells me mouthing like this is something he needs to be allowed to do to move on in his development, as I fought him so much on it as a young puppy.

I was thinking of wrapping my arm in his favorite fleece PJ top so his teeth wouldn’t bruise my skin…but my husband is worried that Happy will start eating everyone’s PJs…

Comment on On Damasio and the Feeling Brain by Burl

Burl — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:56:31 +0000

4 legged cheerleader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYvI_vtYeA8

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by kbehan

kbehan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:12:41 +0000

To build her drive for food, secure to a bungee rope of flexible sapling, and this will increase her capacity to focus because you’ve reduced so many variables. Then invite her to jump up on you and take some food. Massage her neck and then step back and excite her. Step back in invite to jump up, give food, massage and step away with praise. Eventually while massaging push her gently back and see if she exerts herself to sustain contact. She soon will. Also, don’t play toy with her but once she gets a good push for food, put toy on ground slightly out of reach and repeat all of the above. Finally you will be able to tease her with toy, put it down and she will push for food over toy and rather than having toy. She’s now learning to discriminate without the toy frying her circuits. Good luck.

Comment on Why Are Dogs Attracted to Human Beings? by AZdogerman

AZdogerman — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:50:52 +0000

Just got back from pushing, yeah, she hardly pushes at all and is not very focused on me. She would push a little and I would release the push and let her eat then she would avert her gaze or go sniff around then eventually she would become interested in me again. I spent most of the session observing our behavior and with just the food our energy was much more subdued. I’ll keep on working at it. She doesn’t wolf down her food much at all, however my parents feed her two “snacks” in the afternoon, in the house, just put in her bowl, she doesn’t wolf in there either. I think I’ll start to feed her all her food in one meal by pushing in the park. It would be nice to have the same intensity as she gives to the toy in the near future. I am a little confused now though, should I avoid the tug-toy completely until she pushes well or incorporate it somehow? Like tease with the toy then let her push? Thanks.