Postings by Kato

(Page 1 of 103: Viewing entries 1 to 10)  
Page Links: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  [Last 10 entry]  

Kato Birds!     Barked: Tue Jun 18, '13 7:06am PST  Erm, skin depth doesn't much matter...it's the nerves that detect pain. The dogs sure aren't howling in pain when I give them a good rub down. Dogs are tough SOBs. Watching them play with each other is amazing. How they don't hurt each other is really interesting. The only time a yelp is let out is usually a leg getting caught in an awkward position. Watching my dog run through the thickest of woods and come out covered in scratches but happy as a clam shows that pain sense isn't as simple as thin skin = low pain tolerance. Corrections don't have to be pain. They have to be unpleasant. An aversion. I'm not saying shock collars don't hurt. But you don't have to have them set on a high setting to pain your dog in order for it to work. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kato Birds!     Barked: Fri May 31, '13 6:25am PST  I find that having your dog keep tabs on you is more important than recall and heel. I actually don't even bother with heel. If I want them by my side for a bit, I'll just leash 'em up. But that's just a preference. Reward the dog for checking in with you. Walk around with the dog on the long line (or off leash if in a safe area) and every time they come to you on their own or look at you, reward them with something amazingly awesome. Real cheese or meat. Or if your dog is nuts over toys, use a favorite toy. When your dog looks out for you and you look out for your dog, off leash walking is a whole lot more peaceful. You both gain trust in each other. If you use the long line, I'd suggest only using it for safety. So, don't tug on it to get the dog to come or to get their attention. You want the dog to get used to not having the leash, so those tugs are only going to inhibit it. The dog will get used to the cue of you tugging, which you don't want. You want the dog to keep themselves in check, not rely 100% on you for when it's time to move on. And most important of all, don't constantly recall them when out and about. Off leash training should be 90% fun/walking/exploring and 10% "training." Walking and exploring is still learning, but for actual recalls and rewards, you don't want to annoy the dog to the point where they start blowing you off. Your rewards should be an additive to the fun of exploring, not a hindrance. And remember that rewards aren't all food and toys. The ability to continue to explore is a huge reward for most dogs. So, when you do recall your dog, give them a load of treats and then release them to explore some more. That's a double reward for them and helps instill the notion that coming when called doesn't necessarily mean an end to the fun. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Grumpy Gus Periods

Kato Birds!     Barked: Tue May 14, '13 6:50am PST  Anybody else's dog just have bouts of prolonged grumpiness? For the past 2 weeks, Kato has just been an all out grumpy gus to other dogs. Nothing's changed. It's like he just finds all the other dogs intolerable/annoying. The second they come up to greet him, no matter how, he'll immediately start growling and baring teeth. But, it's not really...erm, serious. I mean he's grumpy, but it's not really a huge warning. I can see through it, and most dogs see through it and don't see it as a true warning either and still hang around him. And nothing really happens. He finally got a little playful with a happy-go-lucky golden last night, so maybe he's snapping out of it, but good god, the drama is getting ridiculous. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Cesar Without the Drama....Like for REAL, lol!

Kato Birds!     Barked: Mon Apr 29, '13 6:42am PST  Loved it. I agree with Missy. When they first showed the dog's reaction in the beginning, I though, "Well, that dog isn't bad at all." It surprised me that they said their dog had attacked their other dog as what was seen in the video, to me, was just a frustrated dog. Eh, I've encountered so many dogs that put up this front, that I rarely see any truly, what I'd consider, dog aggressive dogs. There were a few moments in the video where the dog seemed to have tensed up, and I cringed a bit anticipating a bit of a reaction, but the dog held itself in check, which was great. But in all, I loved it. I use Kato all the time to gauge other dogs. He's great at it. And it is a true asset to have a dog like that. I love it. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > For the Fear of Dogs...? How do you handle people afraid of your dog?

Kato Birds!     Barked: Mon Apr 22, '13 1:54pm PST  I do common courtesies like having the dog walk on the opposite side if going next to people or putting my dog on leash when passing others, but I will not go far out of my way for people who fear dogs. I'm willing to work with you, but screaming at me and my dog isn't helping, and I'm not going to give up my fun to cater to your phobia. I have phobias of my own, but I don't expect others to change their ways to make me feel comfortable. Not saying that all people who fear dogs are this way, but some of the ones that react with hysterics are just over the top. The worst was when I was walking Kato ON LEASH at a state park. Dogs everywhere, and this woman in front of me turns and just flips out upon seeing Kato. She jumps off the trail into the brush and just screams and whimpers. She makes a huge scene and everybody behind me was staring. They must've thought my dog did something when in reality, nothing happened. Those hysterics when in such a setting are just over the top. You may be initially surprised at seeing a dog, but good grief, you don't need to continue on with it. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kato Birds!     Barked: Thu Mar 21, '13 12:42pm PST  I don't really know, but with Kato, sometimes it seems like he thinks he's above the "childish" games. Or at least that's what it looks like to me. I'll toss a treat dispensing toy, and he'll just give me a look like "really? This silly thing again." Then other days, I'll toss the same thing to him, and he'll be like "Oh yay! Finally! I love this thing!" Maybe she was just having one of her more noble days? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Whale Eye

Kato Birds!     Barked: Tue Mar 19, '13 6:11am PST  Just about all border collies and collie mixes I've seen do that. They tend to have very expressive eyes. Kato does this A LOT. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Deterioration of trust

Kato Birds!     Barked: Mon Feb 25, '13 2:12pm PST  Just letting you know that you're not alone! I'm going through a bit of a slump with Kato. I haven't been working with other dogs. I've just been busy working for $$. I haven't done really any formal training in...like a year maybe. Recall isn't horrible, but calling him off a chase is darn near impossible now. Just me slacking off. I feel a bit detached when we hike now. Whereas he used to check in by coming close or even nuzzling my hand, now he barely checks in...a quick glance and then off to roam around by himself. Not as enthused to have me partake in the activities. Maybe it's him, maybe it's me (I've felt rather drained), maybe it's both. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > The bullying is getting old

Kato Birds!     Barked: Sun Feb 10, '13 9:03am PST  Is Moose going up to puppies and doing this or are puppies coming up to Moose and then this stuff starts? Kato will do this to pups that come near him. It seems to me like he's trying to get them to chill out. Although, all the pups he did it too were ones that were very bouncy and spazzy, like here. Any pups that weren't bouncy, he never bothered. Does Moose do the same? Or is it just seemingly random? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kato Birds!     Barked: Wed Jan 30, '13 7:53am PST  Kato started doing this weird thing with the UPS man where he'll go up to sniff/greet the guy but growl while he's doing it. His whole body just reads general curiosity, so I'm guessing the growl is him just being a bit unsure about it? He's seen the UPS guy enough times to where he's not super wary of him. He doesn't bark at him anymore and is content to watch from a distance without getting his feathers in a bunch. But he'll go up to the UPS guy on his own for a sniff and that's when he'll get a bit growly. Tail is wagging, head held maybe slightly lower than his shoulders. It's just kind of weird. He'll do his unsure growl with people, but he always kept his distance. Just curious if anyone has ever seen this behavior before. I'm not really worried about it and neither is the UPS guy, who has seemed to make it his goal to befriend Kato. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

(Page 1 of 103: Viewing entries 1 to 10)  
Page Links: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  [Last 10 entry]  

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the rapid nature of forum postings, it's quite possible our calculation of the number of ensuing forum posts may be off by one or two or more at any given moment.