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A collection of letters on behaviour -
Dealing
with Over Exuberant Greetings
Exuberant
greeting behaviours are normal. This does not mean
everybody enjoys having the nails of their dog raking
into their leg.
We
want to maintain a good relationship with our dog, allowing
the dog to be confident and secure, yet we wish to be
comfortable and safe. How to achieve both.
Things
to do: Set ups.
This is where you repeat greetings with many people
many times in a controlled setting usually in a small
period of time.
- calming
signal: turn your back on the dog until s/he calms
down.
- pay
attention to your dog when all four feet are on the
ground.
- repeat
entry or approach approximately 20 times
- larger
reward for first non-jump
- work
on one element at a time, such as jumping; crying;
pacing
- use
of a barrier is good during the training phase so
the dog cannot access you
- having
a mat as a target where the dog must stay for the
reward helps
As
well it is advisable to make departures and entries
or approaches as neutral as possible. So no games before
you leave the house, nor any frolicking when approaching
your dog. Give your dog a chance to calm down from the
'happiness' s/he feels over your return before playing,
paying attention towards, or feeding your dog.
Pay
attention to your dog when the dog is calm. Ignore,
or remove yourself otherwise.
Submissive
Urination
Submissive
Urination is a classic example of doing nothing
being the best approach.
To
begin with submissive behaviour is either appeasement,
the dog's attempt to get the owner to calm down, when
the owner is angry or it is an excited response. Therefore
either being angry, or attempting to physically calm
the dog down results in an increase in stress...(excitement
or anxiety).
Let
us begin by teaching an appropriate greeting behaviour...ie.
'sit'
- Next
in a half hour period or less try to enter the house
at least 20 times.
- do
not look at the dog, but be calm and relaxed
- wait
until the dog calms down,
- ask
for a sit then pay mild attention to the dog
- if
the dog urinates ignore,
- if
the dog does not urinate, but does sit, reinforce
- after
the dog calms down exit and repeat entry
We
are attempting to make entry a non-event, with the proper
reinforceable greeting being the 'sit' We are also developing
the dog's confidence level.
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