Serious problem

[icvanstra]

(BTW, because I'm, new to forums; is there some sort of forum ediquitte on posting questions like this on someone else's post? If so, sorry!)

In general threads can have a life of their own and can drift from the original post. Also, it is normally better to create a new thread when asking a new question. If a question/thread seems to have been hijacked (the netiquette term for it) then a Moderator can move it to it's own thread/post.

[Sugars Mom]

Thanks so much to everyone for all the responses! It will help a lot!!

I've been using Leave It to not only leave something alone when she is heading to it, but also to drop it when she takes something (like a sock). She learned "leave it" pretty early on, so that wasn't a problem and she would drop it with that command. She is just now learning the "drop it" but that one is still inconsistent. I will start using drop it with the leave it so she gets the point. Also, she does not get free run of the house. She stays where ever we are in the house.

I've been using the technique for getting eye contact with holding the treat away, then reward when she looks at me with great success. I'm also doing "sit" and" look" to get the eye contact, then giving a treat when she looks at me when we are walking, and she is doing really well....unless there are distractions. She can get SO focused on things she sees that even food doesn't redirect her. Funny how much eye contact I get when she wants to come up on the couch with me tho...

Again, thanks for all the help everyone!!

[Raven]

I must chime in here....

Christie, knowing Thor as you do, I could have supplied the definitive video in eye contact. A piece of meat in each hand--waving them around, placing them in front of his nose--and all while his father has pulled in the driveway and is walking through the door nonetheless. And there's the boy: not budging, eyes-to-eyes with me.

In regard to "leave it," it can work on many levels (for different things). Point taken about just leaving temptations available for dogs to "do wrong," though that said, one of my rescues ended up being trusted to leave anything alone...including the bags of snacks that the husband had a habit of leaving out while we were at work all day. (The main point here, I guess, is that people are harder to train than dogs!)

When I first got Thor, he had habits of taking things (thief!) and had a particular penchant for things that dangled (even if just to run them through his open mouth as he passed by). His "leave it" was further reinforced by "take it...leave it" and then given another prized object, which he would have to take it, then leave it, then another object.

At a certain point along in this, I purposely would place objects that he liked (articles from the laundry or even the laundry basket) in areas that I would be and could keep my eye on. Once he saw it and immediately left it alone ("Is this a trap?"), BAM--reward galore; if he started to chance it, BAM--"leave it"...which he would, and rewarded.

About a month ago, he got his very first beef marrow bone. He didn't know what was coming, of course, but had to do some serious work for it. (I'm sure he was thinking that after reciting the Gettysburg Address all that was coming his way was a fragment of a morsel of something that was once a tidbit.) Anyway...he clearly was puzzled with this prize ("Do I hide it? Do I take it around the neighborhood to show off?")

Then he was told to leave it. ("ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDIN' ME, YOU CRAZY LADY?!!!!") But he did...and the picture I took of him, with that first, prized, out-of-this-world beef marrow bone nestled just in front of his paws, is titled: Grin And Bear It. He looks like the person who was given a pink-slip at the moment Public Relations was taking a photo for a new corporate campaign. (i would not have put "us" in this situation if I'd felt that his "leave it" wasn't strong enough...or he'd have a super-great prize while I had no way "out.")

Anyway, with Sugar, you didn't say if she's had a negative experience (or negative consequences ensue) with someone reaching for her. If she has, it's a trust issue, which can be also be dealt with. If she hasn't, she's learned that the reinforcement she is seeking by retreating is greater than not retreating. ("Reaching toward/for/near" two of my rescues were big issues that were overcome.)

Does she follow you around the house/yard? Concerned about your whereabouts? Does she look for you if she finds that suddenly you are not in her sight? (Does she lead you around? Cross thresholds before you?)

Just my two-cents.

[Sugars Mom]

We got her at 9 weeks, so who know what happened before we got her, but I don't know of any negative experiences...it seems that she is either unsure of (doesn't trust?) someone who reaches to pets her (reacts like that with some people, sometimes, but not everyone, and not all the time) but sometimes does it with me too and it's more like she just doesn't want to be touched at that time for some reason. The not wanting to be touched is different from going out of reach if I was wanting her to come to me and she didn't want to end the fun.

She follows us around the house for sure, and if laying in one room, if we move to another room, she will get up and lay in or at the door of the room we moved to. She does want to be around us.

Outside, she is more entranced by the outside world for the most part, but definitely is aware of where we are without it being obvious that she is paying attention to us. I've never hidden from her to see if she looks for me but when walking off leash, she will always follow me when I keep walking along the trail, that is, she notices when I get ahead of her and races up to where I am.

She can be very distracted and quite intense with her focus on things happening outside (if she hears kids, or other noises, or sees our cat - inside the house or outside - and will be mesmerized when she finds a walnut shell fallen from our tree. She loves to fling it up in the air and chase it and carry it around). She will bark at the window when she hears or sees something and it can be difficult to get her to stop. Very focused and intense and if I can just redirect that in a positive way!! I am working with her on getting the eye contact and attention from her when distractions are around her, but obviously we are still working on it.

I would characterize her as wanting to be around us, but not caring a ton about affection, like petting, rubbing, etc. Its not that she is hates it, but rather it just isn't something that is motivating for her to want to have happen. Although, she LOVES sitting next to us on the couch in the evenings, and we'll rub her soft ears, pet her, etc and she is totally fine with that. During the day, she will curl up at or on our feet after giving us the mot amazing eye contact I must say, while hoping to be able to jump up beside us.

I do not let her go ahead of me out the door, she goes behind me to wait for me to open the door on her own, but the rest of the family is not as diligent on that. On walks, she will try to go ahead of me when she gets excited, but I correct her and for the most part she is pretty good at walking beside me...again, it's the distractions we are working on for her to pay more attention to me, then on other things.

[Kristie E]

I don't know about anyone else but Gwen does what I call "drive bys" for petting or affection... she is there one second and gone on to the next thing... all before you can blink your eye.

[Dutchringgirl]

I don't know about anyone else but Gwen does what I call "drive bys" for petting or affection... she is there one second and gone on to the next thing... all before you can blink your eye.

That had me laughing sooo hard!!! I never thought to call them "drive bys" Thalie and Sadie do the same thing! Thalie will quietly walk up next to or in front of me and just stand there waiting, ill give her some lovin and then as quietly as she came.... she goes. Sadie on the other hand dosnt know how to be quiet yet, she flops up to me and looks for love

[Kristie E]

lol, I should get Gwen on video some day. She wiggles so much her tail and butt going ninety miles an hour. Thank the stars she is not a tall dog otherwise she'd be a table clearer like our Dane is. (one day Izar cleared two shelves at petsmart )