The only bad question you can ask is the one you didn't ask, so ask your questions. Although our name is "Applewoods Dog Training", we are actually an educational company whose training is via dog training. I appreciate all questions including from the Peanut Gallery-:) Part of my professional background is that of a teacher, trainer and educator.
Roxanne
4. What if the dog follows your tight left turn, or re-positions itself to be at you right leg?
ANSWER: If the dog is going to the right and you do a tight left turn Longe Line correction AND the dog chooses to wisely follow you, great and just continue towards your Point A or Point B. The point of Longe Line work is NOT to make a correction, but rather to teach your dog the wise choice is to remain close to your left side in the safety zone. It also teaches the dog to pay attention to you, no matter what. When the dog goes one way, and you the other, the dog either gets a correction OR chooses to notice you are moving away and they hurry to get caught up and stay in the safety zone by your left side.
My pleasure to answer your excellent questions, Angel.
Roxanne
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From Angel: A couple of questions??
1. For the Peanut Gallery, should they keep from making eye contact or interacting with the dogs? I noticed that for a good portion of the class our dog Gir was just starring at me, whining, and even waving his hands to me. Should I sit away from him or is there certain body language I should portray?
ANSWER: One of the ways we teach a dog to have emotional and physical self-control is to utilize "the Peanut Gallery" as the training distraction the dog learns to ignore when someone else in the family is 'handling, i.e. training the dog via the leash or the Longe Line'. Is it fair to have eye contact with the dog when you are the Peanut Gallery - yes. Is it fair to stare at them when they are working - still yes as the dog will, by Week 3, learn to ignore you and pay attention to whomever is handling them.
What was Gir doing yesterday? Offering his cycle of 'behaviors' that he knows to do so you would rescue him from the new school you just signed him up for. This is normal 'little dog' behavior, especially for a dog that has been trained to believe it is a toy (carried, picked & etc) instead of being treated as a dog fully capable of thinking for itself and learning manners.
I'm not faulting what you have already done in the past with Gir, my intention here is to help you understand where he is coming from. His prior world is gone and he hopes as he gives/ offers/does behaviors that have worked in the past to get his way with you (these are very predictable patterns in each dog), that he will avoid this new school and the lessons he is having to learn.
WHAT IS NOT FAIR TO GIR? Calling him, using his name, or rescuing him when Cayla is working him (via leash or Longe Line). Gir is having to learn that whomever has the end of the leash or Longe Line is who he needs to pay attention to until that changes.
2. Is there anything that should be said to help the dog know they should be laying down (the long down)?
I'm not faulting what you have already done in the past with Gir, my intention here is to help you understand where he is coming from. His prior world is gone and he hopes as he gives/ offers/does behaviors that have worked in the past to get his way with you (these are very predictable patterns in each dog), that he will avoid this new school and the lessons he is having to learn.
WHAT IS NOT FAIR TO GIR? Calling him, using his name, or rescuing him when Cayla is working him (via leash or Longe Line). Gir is having to learn that whomever has the end of the leash or Longe Line is who he needs to pay attention to until that changes.
2. Is there anything that should be said to help the dog know they should be laying down (the long down)?
ANSWER: No, as the dog is learning something new and that is new boundaries specifically set by the handler. These new boundaries are being communicated do the dog in a language it already knows, body language. Please read Woods Wise Words # 3: The Long Down.
3. What should the correction for barking, or whining be for the dog during a long down?
ANSWER: There are 3 choices you have as the handler.
(1) Ignore it as again this is cyclical behavior to get you to change your mind on the dog learning the Long Down lessons.
(2) Get a Tritronic (only brand we use) Bark Limitor and put on dog so dog learns barking is a lesson in futility. We have them for sale for $ 100 here at ADT.
(3) Take whatever physical means necessary to stop the behavior.
(1) Ignore it as again this is cyclical behavior to get you to change your mind on the dog learning the Long Down lessons.
(2) Get a Tritronic (only brand we use) Bark Limitor and put on dog so dog learns barking is a lesson in futility. We have them for sale for $ 100 here at ADT.
(3) Take whatever physical means necessary to stop the behavior.
4. What if the dog follows your tight left turn, or re-positions itself to be at you right leg?
ANSWER: If the dog is going to the right and you do a tight left turn Longe Line correction AND the dog chooses to wisely follow you, great and just continue towards your Point A or Point B. The point of Longe Line work is NOT to make a correction, but rather to teach your dog the wise choice is to remain close to your left side in the safety zone. It also teaches the dog to pay attention to you, no matter what. When the dog goes one way, and you the other, the dog either gets a correction OR chooses to notice you are moving away and they hurry to get caught up and stay in the safety zone by your left side.
WHEN THE DOG goes to your right side, you take responsibility to help them by staying on the dogs right shoulder. THE ONLY WAY to do this is when they are on your right side, you do a small, tight left turn AROUND the dog (continue walking briskly) and keep moving towards your original Point A or Point B. We call this manuever 'picking up your dog'.
LONGE LINE WORK IS ALWAYS DONE ON STRAIGHT LINES FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
Either way, the dog is learning to pay attention as now, you are more interesting than the distraction. The dog learns this either involuntarily (correction) or voluntary (notices you are moving away and hurries to catch up), Either way, the dog learns you are the MOST important thing to pay attention to you. Please read Woods Wise Words # 4: The Longe Line is CRITICAL.
5. How far away should Point A and Point B be from one another during the Longe Line workouts?
ANSWER: The distances are detailed out for you in EC Week 1 Homework. Ideally, you need 50' in all four directions to do a good Longe Line workout. Keep moving where you do these workouts this week and find new distractions (what your dog finds distracting) to work AGAINST and teach your dog to pay attention to you DESPITE the distraction.
Thanks,
Angel
Roxanne
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