Australian Shepherds >

Group Thread Listing


Aussie stubborness?

   
Mathilda - FDCh

Silly Tilly		 
 
Barked: Thu Mar 13, '08 8:19am PST 
Help! Tilly is an almost 2 year old Aussie/Lab mix. She really takes after the Aussie, a big herder , high energy etc. but with out the shyness.

I've been training Tilly at Flyball for a year now. She knows all the components individually but when we put it all together refuses to run or goes half way and then just stops.

We have tried everything to break through this behaviour. Finally, our coach has decided that it is just Aussie stubborness.

Can anybody suggest some ways to get past this stubborness? I am so frustrated.
my page | msg me | gift me | become pals
Ginger Bear

Aussium Aussie		 
 
Barked: Fri Mar 14, '08 3:49pm PST 
Hi!

I would not focus on your dog's unwanted behavior because the more frustration and anxiety you put into it, the worse it's going to get. I know it's hard when your Aussie does that. Ginger had the same problem when she was between 1-2 years. Our trainer said that she was going through her "teenage years. " It'll soon pass. way to go For now I would keep pushing her and don't even let your brain think about her discontinuing through the flyball run because dogs will sense when their owner begins to expect a bad behavior from them and that triggers the dog to preform the bad behavior. I was at an agility trial once and before he ran his dog, this man kept telling his wife that he just knew that his dog was going to go to the wrong obstacle. Because this man was so worried and frustrated about his dog going to the wrong obstacle, his dog sensed that and preformed the wrong obstacle. It sounds weird how they do that but we have to remember that dogs communicate totally different from how we do. All in all, focus on the good things that you want from your dog. Hope this helps and that you can continue playing your sport with your dog. smile

Emily
my page | msg me | gift me | become pals
Ginger Bear

Aussium Aussie		 
 
Barked: Fri Mar 14, '08 3:55pm PST 
Hey again,

I know I just posted, but did you have your dog checked out by a vet? There could be something wrong with her. My dog had lime disease without me knowing it last summer and she acted very uninterested in everything including exercise time, etc.

Emily
my page | msg me | gift me | become pals

Mathilda - FDCh

Silly Tilly		 
 
Barked: Mon Mar 17, '08 7:53am PST 
Hi Thanks for the suggestions. Tilly has been seen by a vet and is fine. We have all been so frustrated by this very stubborn dog!!! But maybe it is not that she is stubborn but rather very clever, for why should she do a proper run, when she can put less effort into it and still get rewarded.....

On the weekend we attended a flyball tournament and asked a top trainer in our area for some suggestions. Sometimes getting fresh eyes on a situation is very helpful. She felt that Tilly knows the job but since we have urged her forward after she hesitates and then rewarded her for a completed run that included a hesitation that we have created this habit in her of turning and hesitating mid run...

She made a suggestion of how to retrain. Now if she hesitates she is stopped rather than resent - set up again- and sent once more -so she is learning that we have higher expectations from her now. It seems like a simple fix and will take a while as we must gradually increase the distance but so far it seems she has made the connection and already showing signs of improvement.

Anyways, thanks for the ideas, I really appreciate your input!wave
my page | msg me | gift me | become pals
Elizabeth- Hope Joy- Senn (R.I.P

She is an Aussie- MIx!		 
 
Barked: Tue Nov 10, '09 12:56am PST 
How big is your lab/aussie mix and how much does she weigh? I have a australian shepherd/cur mix and I just want to know how big to expect her to get, because her claws are already bigger than my German Shepherd's and shes not but 4 months old!
my page | msg me | gift me | become pals