# Interesting insight on Jenna



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

We met with a behaviorist today. He had lots to say about our "adolescent working dog" (Brandy) and how we could make progress but a lot of her wild child tendencies would calm down on their own in another two years.  

But then he said something about Jenna that we never thought of. Jenna still looks down most of the time, where most dogs look up at our faces. He said that's because people probably never paid attention to her before, so she grew to read people's body language from their knees and lower. 

It broke my heart! Thinking about this sweet girl trying to follow people around, being loyal even though no one even thought of talking to her ... it just makes me so sad. 

Imagine never making eye contact because no one cares enough to look back. And yet you still love them and try to be next to them. 

For those of you who may not know, Jenna is nearly 9. We adopted her last summer. Her former family dropped her off at a high kill shelter, flea-ridden, matted, and very despondent. 

Now we know why she had no idea how to cuddle or show affection. We're working on this daily!


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Aww, poor baby


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

How lucky Jenna was to have found you! Affection and attention can cure so many problems-I'm sure she'll come around!

Peggy


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## mblondetoo (Jan 9, 2006)

Our rescue Tabitha doesn't look at our faces all the time. I hold her chin and say "look at me", and then it clicks to her. She is focusing more on us and seems happier. She is a wild child too but is becoming more our dog each day. We have wondered, if a lot of what she does, is for attention.

I'm so glad for Jenna that she has someone who cares so much about her.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

So did you get advice on how to improve that? Is there stuff to do to make it better?

Rick


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Our newest Golden,Katie is like that. We have to lift her head to get her to look up. She is getting better,but will look down if we look back. I've been told that staring into a dogs eyes is a challenge to them,but I think that applies to dogs you don't know.It can take years before they can be confidant enough to look you in the eyes,but when they do,the love in those eyes is endless.
Some of our "kids" had to learn that it was OK to watch us and some had no problem.Katie is learning that we love her and will not punish her for looking at us.She still has a way to go,but she loves a face snuggle now.
She also ducked her head if you reached for her.I'm sure she was slapped on the head a lot,I am reaching out to her and rubbing her head a lot.She still ducks,but not all the time and not as far.
She has stopped being scared when she burps now.When we first got her,when she burped she would run,shaking,to a corner and cry.Now she lifts her head and burps right at us with a smile. We act all excited and thank her for the burp.I'd rather it come out that end then the other. 
Shane


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## Brinkleysmom (Dec 17, 2005)

Jenna was so lucky to find you. I worry about these poor things that people drop off because they are either moving and cant take them with them or they just tire of them. These babies give unconditional love no matter what. They have so much to offer. Im sure she will do well having you to take care of her. Good luck and many happy moments.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

RickGibbs said:


> So did you get advice on how to improve that? Is there stuff to do to make it better?
> Rick


We're signing Brandy up for his training. He's going to give us tips for Jenna for free, since he says she should be pretty easy.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

shaneamber said:


> Our newest Golden,Katie is like that. We have to lift her head to get her to look up. She is getting better,but will look down if we look back. I've been told that staring into a dogs eyes is a challenge to them,but I think that applies to dogs you don't know.It can take years before they can be confidant enough to look you in the eyes,but when they do,the love in those eyes is endless.
> Some of our "kids" had to learn that it was OK to watch us and some had no problem.Katie is learning that we love her and will not punish her for looking at us.She still has a way to go,but she loves a face snuggle now.
> She also ducked her head if you reached for her.I'm sure she was slapped on the head a lot,I am reaching out to her and rubbing her head a lot.She still ducks,but not all the time and not as far.
> She has stopped being scared when she burps now.When we first got her,when she burped she would run,shaking,to a corner and cry.Now she lifts her head and burps right at us with a smile. We act all excited and thank her for the burp.I'd rather it come out that end then the other.
> Shane



I am so happy that Katie found you. How long have you had her now? I got a kick out of the burping story. It's funny how these very tiny things, that non-dog people just wouldn't understand, are so huge for us! Guess when you hang around these guys long enough, you start to think in their terms. Shane, I truly admire you and Lee.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Thanks for the kind words. We found Katie,or better,she found us last May. We first saw her at the end of April, we were sitting out on the swing on the front porch watching the rain and lightning.I saw her running a few yards away,changing direction at every clap of thunder. I was still weak from my hospital stay and was trying to get back my strength.
I recognized the lost look she had,so I got out my raingear and umbrella and went looking. I looked for quite a while,but she had disappeared.POOF she was gone.
I found out several days later that a neighbor had taken her in.We looked all over the place for her people,Lee called all the Vets and animal control for all the surrounding counties.I contacted the Air Force Base,the Perry Fairgrounds and a lot more people.
Nobody came forth to claim her.
The neighbors asked if we could take her,so we did.We had her checked out and got her all the shots she needed.She has a partially paralyzed esophagus,when she eats,each bite of food pushes down the one before.As soon as she is done eating,Lee or I rub her throat as she streches her neck upward.As we rub,we can feel the last of her food go down and we are rewarded by a big burp.This is why we make a big happy deal of her burps.
She is finally no longer afraid to come to us when she needs help and just the otherday,she got me to follow her to the goodie box where she asked for a treat with a small gentle bark.
She has been my Angel,my constant reminder that somebody else has it worse than I do and that if you persist,you can overcome anything.
Shane


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Brandy's Mom said:


> We're signing Brandy up for his training. He's going to give us tips for Jenna for free, since he says she should be pretty easy.


Sounds like your trainer knows what they're doing. So is that a confidence thing?


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

RickGibbs said:


> Sounds like your trainer knows what they're doing. So is that a confidence thing?


What he said was that Jenna probably looks at us as her 'saviors' and her aggression is possibly mostly because she doesn't want any other dog to take this away from her. Once she learns that she's safe forever, he says she'll do better. Don't get me wrong, she's already tons better than she once was. 

Shane, in some way, I believe that these needy dogs find us when we need them most. I can guess that Katie probably helped you during your recovery. The lengths that you and Lee go to in order to help her eat are amazing.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I love rescue stories. These girls are learning they are loved, they are wanted. HOney was adopted, not really rescued in the true sense that we pulled her off the street. HOWEVER the Humane Soceity did rescue her--she was an hour from being gassed when they took her from the county pound.

She was a little shy at the very first--of course there were 3 other dogs already established here. But it didn't take long for her to figure out she was wanted, loved and had a forever home.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

It can take a while,but when they finally understand that no matter what they do,they are home. The moment they grasp that they are here to stay and that you are not going to throw them away because they need help or because they burped, well you can see the difference.
Katie isn't still convinced that this is her forever home,but she is close.
It took Amber about 5 car rides and she knew that she was safe.Amber had been returned to the pound 7 times in the course of about 8 months.As soon as they found out she had heartworms,back she went.Talk about heartbreaking.
Rescued dogs seem to understand what you have done for them and the older they are when you get them,the longer it takes to make them understand that they are home forever.
Shane


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

You are so right about that moment of discovery when the rescued dog realizes that he or she is welcome to stay. I've seen this with two of my rescued dogs, although Dottie never seemed worried about her status in that way. She did, however, avoid all eye contact and look down a lot, much like Jenna.

She was found running loose in Texas, dragging a nice leather lead (but no tags). She knew most of the basic obedience stuff, and it seems like the person who'd trained her had worked in a harsh manner. Dottie didn't wag her tail, either, which seemed unusual for a dog that was such a clown. But she was not like the dogs rescued from dire conditions; those often seem so much older than their actual age---even when they are still puppies.

It took a few years for Dottie to get to the point where she is happy to make eye contact. I think the obedience classes we took helped with bonding, and the agility class was a real watershed; since then, she really keeps an eye on me to see what I want her to do. This is vital, because our unfenced back yard often has surprises like squirrels, rabbits, opossums, deer and the occasional cat. 

Katie's story is inspiring; she is so fortunate to have found her true home with the people who love her. And with Jenna, the quality time she is spending with you will heal her scars. It's important to bond with her and not ask too much of her too soon. You're making up for a lot of lost time with her, and you are doing a great job.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I love the feeling of community here. When I read about others' rescue dogs, it really helsp me understand and learn what to expect. The Jennas, Katies, Dotties and Honeys of the world are so darned special. I believe they really teach us so much about ourselves.


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## margarite martin (Apr 19, 2005)

How cute!! I like the burping story, reminds me of my little baby (lacey) she burps too and is not one bit shy about it!! Tooooo cute!! I would love to see a picture of Jenna. Coincidence that this is also my daughter's name. Would also like to see a picture of Katie (shanes and lee's golden).


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Here's a picture of Jenna and Brandy (Charlie's curled up in back). It's taken a couple of months after we brought Jenna home. She was NOT interested in cuddling but figured there must be something positive about being on the couch.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

That picture really says a lot.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

shaneamber said:


> Thanks for the kind words. We found Katie,or better,she found us last May. She has a partially paralyzed esophagus,when she eats,each bite of food pushes down the one before.As soon as she is done eating,Lee or I rub her throat as she streches her neck upward.As we rub,we can feel the last of her food go down and we are rewarded by a big burp.
> Shane


I hope you don't mind my asking but does she also have any hind end weakness.
Cathy


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Hi Cathy, Yes she does,she has trouble on bad weather days and getting up can be difficult those days.As she gets exercise, we've seen an improvement and on the bad days we give her a cherry flavored baby aspirin.(she thinks it's candy) She has gotten much better since we've had her.
I don't think she got much exercise at her old home.Her and Jesse go full bore for hours on end inside or out and it seems to have helped.
Here's a photo from when we first got her.
















She is such a sweetheart,
Shane
BTW these photos are taken at 1.3 mp


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Aww she's a cute old girl! For rear end weakness, teaching her to beg and stand on her hind legs will help a lot. Start by luring her into a "beg" and let her put her paws on your arm if she wants, after a week or so start holding your arm out of the way. Then repeat it luring her to stand still on her hind legs, that'll take another week or two. Glucosamine/chondroitin is a really good supplement as well ...


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Shane, those photos make it look like Katie and Jenna could be sisters!


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

shaneamber said:


> Hi Cathy, Yes she does,she has trouble on bad weather days and getting up can be difficult those days.As she gets exercise, we've seen an improvement and on the bad days we give her a cherry flavored baby aspirin.(she thinks it's candy) She has gotten much better since we've had her.
> I don't think she got much exercise at her old home.Her and Jesse go full bore for hours on end inside or out and it seems to have helped.
> Here's a photo from when we first got her.
> 
> ...


She's beautiful and looks remarkably like my girl Sasha! 
Again, I hope you don't mind my being so nosy but does her hind end weakness seem to be joint related or muscle weakness.
Cathy


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

You're right about the sense of community; you are also right about how these precious Goldens have a lot to teach us. 

I thought of another thing that might help Jenna. Early on, we began giving Dottie little jobs to do. They were very easy at first; she did things like take the TV remote control from my wife Karen to me. We graduated to things like having her bring me a Coke from the kitchen (Karen would stick the can in a coozie for Dottie to carry. Now, for guests, we have turned it up a notch, having her deliver bottles.). And we are having her take laundry that needs to be washed from upstairs down to the laundry room, one shirt or pair of pants at a time. We don't make her take it all; rather, she is participating. For example, I might be putting a load of clothes into the wash when Karen discovers another shirt that needs to go into that load. She'll have Dottie take it to me. It sounds like I should say "she'll have Dottie bring it to me," but I say "take" because that is the command: "Take it to Mom. Take it to Dad." Punctuated with "Upstairs" or "Downstairs."

It seems like there's always an epiphany regarding this kind of thing. Ours was right after Karen underwent foot surgery in May 2004. She was preparing to scoot up the steps the second night after the procedure when she noticed Dottie looking at her crutches. She offered one to Dottie and told he to take it upstairs to me. Dottie got ahold of the top part and began working out how to maneuver the crutch upstairs. It took a couple of different approaches before she settled on the right one, and she brought that crutch right up to me and laid it down, wagging her whole body and then running back downstairs for the other crutch.

So, we had nightly ritual for the rest of the time that Karen used crutches. Dottie also helped us out a lot by running notes back and forth while Karen was recovering.

These kinds of things build a dog's self esteem. Goldens love to please, and in general they have a great work ethic. Your trainer can help you with ways to encourage Jenna to do small tasks; it is very important to start out with super-easy stuff and work your way from there.

You can also work with any kind of particular habit she may have. For example, we fostered a Golden a couple of years ago that was smart as a whip; in her first home, she was seen playing on the children's swing set, making up games for herself while she was stuck in the back yard alone. When she went to her new home, the people told me more than once that she liked to pick up the TV remote. I told them "Terrific! You are halfway there!" Retrieving the remote and running notes are small potatoes for that dog. And she needs to be challenged.

I thought about the task things for Jenna because she reminds me of the Dottie that first came to live with us: eyes downcast, no tail wags, etc. Now, Dottie not only wags her tail, she wags her whole body to the point where she destroys anything that was carelessly left on the coffeetable, just the way she is supposed to do!


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Wow! What an inspiring post! I'd love to teach both Jenna and Brandy to work around the house. They'd both love it. And they could use the mental stimulation. 

Brandy already steals the remotes. But right now getting them back usually means bribes, and a bit of chasing. Typical adolescent. 

Jenna's only "job" is protecting our shih tzu Charlie from being pestered too much by Brandy. When it sounds like Charlie is fed up, Jenna blocks Brandy with her body. 

I'll definitely start working on other tasks. Jenna's NOT a chewer so I feel I can trust her with laundry, etc. 

THANKS for the great ideas!!!!


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

Oh yeah, you are halfway there with Brandy! Whenever she picks up the remote, you can offer praise and hold out your hand, telling her that she is doing it right, Yay! Our experience has been that Goldens respond well to this kind of approval, and they'll come to you. When Brandy comes to you with the remote in her mouth, keep pouring on the praise and telling her to "Give." When she gives the remote to you, it's party time, and she definitely gets a nice treat.

Next time, perhaps the next day, surprise her by offering her the remote and telling her to "Take it" to whomever is close by. Point her with your body. Her eyes will probably light up when you actually give her the remote, and when she takes it to the person, have that person do a gentle "Give" command. When she gives the remote, Woo Hooo, more praise and treats!

With foster dogs, we've done this kind of thing to deal with any undesired chewing behavior. We are always quick to offer a Nylabone as a trade for a shoe or whatever. We never discouraged a dog from picking something up; rather, it was "Thank you for that shoe! Here's a nice Nylabone for you!"

This is more than a parlor trick. There will be a time when you need a screwdriver or a hammer or whatever, and someone else in your house can do two things at once by having Brandy or Jenna carry the tool to you.

They will both love doing these things. Dottie particularly loves carrying a tightly folded pair of jeans. She also loves carrying the mail back to the house--this is a natural for a Golden.

The key to remember is that it takes a while. Dottie doesn't always get it right, especially with something new, but each time is a learning experience. And it's a lot of fun. We don't push our two; we give them little things along the way.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

JefferyZone, This is excellent info!!! I've already worked with Lucky on some laundry pickup this morning. Since he is inside so much...some work around the house would be good for him. He's done pretty good...I just need to get the training consistant in my brain and then consistant with him.

Before he'd pick up a sock, run with it and then give it back when I called. Now I'm calling him to a sock on the floor, letting him grab it and calling him to the basket. I'm actually putting a wash cloth in his mouth and having him drop it in the basket. he loves it. In truth, I was just experimenting the concept. I need to take the time to read everything through again to make sure its done in a commensense way.

Thanks! This is an excellent way to help a bored dog who wants to do more.


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

That is a great idea! It's natural for Lucky to want to pick up a rag or a sock. So, you are working with his natural tendencies. Having him take it to a basket is excellent. We've done a bit of this with recycling, with limited success. It involves having Dottie or Barrington carry a plastic bottle or piece of paper over to the recycle bin and drop it in. We need to work on that one some more, though. We haven't gotten very far past the point where they want to parade around carrying the bottle or piece of paper or whatever! 

But it's all a lot of fun, and you are right, it helps stave off boredom. Plus, it really builds their confidence. It is amazing how quickly they grasp what you want them to do. I enjoy watching Dottie figure something out; you can tell that the wheels inside her head are turning.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Aww that's great that your dogs help you around the house! Dogs love having jobs and will make up their own if you don't give them some


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I'm anxious to try this! Brandy knows the "leave it" command and expects a treat for anything she drops. Of course, being an adolescent, she pushes the limits first. It's still much more fun to run and play before she decides to drop something. 

But I think Jenna will get the hang of it pretty quickly, once she understands what we're asking.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Brandy's Mom said:


> I'm anxious to try this! Brandy knows the "leave it" command and expects a treat for anything she drops.


Well, for Lucky he expected to "go to bed" if he didn't drop something...but thats not going to be a good idea for training purposes. So thats done with. Now that I'm putting a sock in his mouth he does a run around the room thing but so far has come back. If I have some kibble, he'll drop the thing in the basket. If I don't he'll hang over the basket and let me pull it out.

Like I said...I'm just going to have to think it through, but I know he'd do this.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Katie and Jenna could be sisters.
Cathy,I think it's joint related.Arthritis more than likely.We give he a baby asprin when she is stiff,but on really bad days we give her 50mg of Novox,Once in the morning and another in the evening.
Both help a lot.
I had a Golden that would help me work on the race Jeeps.He learned the difference between a rachet,a combo wrench and a screw driver.Hammers were the first thing he brought me,but the best thing was getting me a tall neck Bud from the cooler.I'd leave the top open with just the cap sticking out of the ice and he'd grab one and bring it to me.
My wifes handicap aid dog(a Flattie),knew the difference between the 4 different remotes and would bring the cordless phone handset when the phone rang.He was amazing,the most fantastic dog I've ever known.
Shane


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Okay so I've tried handing Jenna and Brandy the newspaper, laundry, remotes, etc. and they won't take them from me! Brandy won't even take the dish towel, which is one of her favorite things to steal. 

How do I get started on this time of training????


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## mblondetoo (Jan 9, 2006)

Has she ever been told not to touch any of those items or has she been yelled at for stealing them? She may think it's a set-up!
While I was on crutches, it was hard to move around easily because of the gate across the hall for the dog who was with me. My husband would hand her things like envelopes (after they were opened!) or small newspaper since she loves paper. he would then say take it. I would call her, all excited to bring it to me. She would prance with around the room with her treasure but eventually it made it to me. She would either get a treat or lots of praise. She is not perfect about dropping it but the focus is to get it from point A to point B. Make it simple and go slowly, she'll get it.


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

That's interesting. One approach we used with foster dogs was to quickly trade them something like a nylabone for whatever they'd just picked up. For example, the dog would pick up a sock, and we'd say, "Yay! Thank you for the sock! Here's a trade for you!" When the praise started, the dog would turn toward us, and he or she would be happy to make the trade. We were careful to avoid any games of chase with the dog. We refused to allow a dog to dictate the rules of any game. If the dog didn't want to make the trade, we'd make a point of ignoring the dog...and for a Golden, being ignored is unbearable.

We never had a foster dog long enough to make the next steps, which involved giving the dog something and having the dog take it somewhere. But with Dottie (and Barrington), the way we started was to first play a game which reinforces the basic recall command. Karen and I stood about 50 feet apart, and we each had yummy dog treats. Our dog would be sitting with Karen when I'd call. The dog would come running, and in a flurry of praise, I'd give the dog a treat. When the treat was gone (usually in a split second), Karen would call, and as the dog took off toward her, I'd say "Go see Mom!" And then Karen would reward the dog with a treat and say "Go see Dad!" So, we went back and forth like that for while. 

So, we reinforced two things: the recall and the send. We took these things into the house, and practiced sending Dottie or Barrington to each other. It was sort of like hide-and-seek, and the person who was sought out always rewarded the dog with praise and a treat. As this became established, we started giving them short tasks, such as taking a regular envelope to a person three feet away. This helped with the send as well as the "give."

Perhaps Brandy isn't sure of what to do when you offer her that favorite dishrag. After all, you have probably le her know that you are not happy when she picks it up. She might be wondering why you are offering it to her now. Perhaps you should back up and wait for her to pick it up on her own, and then proceed from there.

It's probably best to establish the "send" and the "give" before you start working with actual items. But as you see from our experience, these things can be developed in parallel. Another thing we were doing as we were working on the send was to have Dottie take the mail back to the house. We started out by having Karen at the top of the driveway. I'd remove the mail from the box and give Dottie a couple of easy-to-carry items, telling her to "Take it to Mom." She'd blast off up the driveway, where Karen was waiting for her with a treat and/or lots of praise.

As you establish the basics, you can graduate to having the dog deliver things to a person who is in a different part of the house, out of the line of sight. The practice with the hide-and-seek game etablishes that.

So, it will take a while. We've established that any time Dottie or Barrington is holding anything besides a chew toy, they are working.

Shane's experience with the Golden who fetched specific tools and his wife's Flat-Coat who distinguished the separate remotes and even delivered a ringing phone are excellent examples of the kinds of things these dogs will do when encouraged.


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

Mblondetoo is right on the money. It's the slow and simple approach that works---and once you establish the basics, you can work on more difficult tasks.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

When I had kibble anywhere near me Lucky would smell it and not try to pick up all the fun stuff like socks as he was more interested in kibble. 

Now for him, I just waited. He sat in front of me for more time then he liked. Then when he got irritated I directed him to the sock and when he picked it up I was "yes, yes, yes" and ran to the basket before he lost thought and he followed. He'll drop it too quick...not quite getting it in, but he gets the treat anyway. I think the concept will click at some point.

Now for me I had lots of opportunity to work with Lucky as....he is always picking up stuff. Always. In the past however, I called him over and had it given to me. I'm just redirecting now.

Quite frankly I was looking at Katieanddusty's clicker site and it seems I need to work on the basics using the same type of method (sit, stay, focus...especially focus) before I can expect much in advanced learning using rewards.


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

You are doing great with Lucky. And you are right: Katie's ideas about establishing the basics are essential to making the next steps. 

When we were taking our first obedience class, Dottie would reach a point of being fixated on the treats. This happened early on, and we realized that we needed to focus on keeping Dottie engaged, and we also had to back off on the treats and substitute praise. I think this was vital to turning the corner with her.

Suzanne Clothier describes a method she calls "buck-naked" training. The idea is, you should have your dog's cooperation even if you are buck-naked, without any training equipment or treats, on a mountain top in Tibet. The only question I had about that was, wouldn't you bee too cold to worry about anything besides finding shelter if you were in that situation?  

She does have a point, and after a while, you can graduate to working without treats, or perhaps the occasional treat. I think this also has to do with how treat-motivated a dog is; every one of them is different.

Suzanne Clothier's site is http://www.flyingdogpress.com. She's posted some excellent articles up there.

-Jeff


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Brandy is very well trained on the idea of exchanging, but it's related to the 'leave it' command. And I've done the recall exercises with her in obedience classes. 

I'll try starting with the envelope idea. The problem is that my husband isn't very interested in training exercises so I don't usually have a partner to help.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Appreciate the insight Jefferyzone. I've been working on my praise too. And saying YES YES with it always. In the past I did it out of my own reaction. Petting and hugging doesn't really do it for Lucky. But playing and rompping (he likes it rough not sweet) does... I'm not sure my praise was the right praise int he past.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Just because you train with treats doesn't mean your dog won't perform without them. I can leave treats at the crates 200 yards away, go to the agility ring, run agility, and go back to get the treats.

The key to training without punishment is to find out what your dog likes and use that I like to make a list of the things the dog likes in order of how much he likes them. You need stuff higher up on the list when you're training a new behavior or are in a more distracting environment. For both of my dogs, verbal praise is near the bottom. I use verbal praise with them when they are obedience-trained to reward laying quietly in the house, also for jumping in the car, going in the crate, things that they have already been trained to do. I also use verbal praise after every obstacle in agility, I always praise but only sometimes give a treat. Both of them really like to be petted, so I use petting to reinforce things like staying at the start line and on the table in agility. But when I'm training any behavior, or working in distracting environments, I will have treats or toys somewhere in the vicinity. For Boo's first fun match for agility, I had his ball in the ring. I will later have it near the ring, but the eventual goal is to leave it at the crates.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I am sooo proud of my girl! I was walking with Jenna yesterday when we encountered a young, male Newfoundland who was off leash. He kept trying to get in Jenna's face, sniff her rear, etc. He was just being playful. At some 60 pounds, he appeared only half grown. 

In the past, Jenna would have snapped and snarled at him, perhaps even lunged at him. 

But she just tried to keep walking. When he kept following us down the street, she finally gave him a very mild warning growl. But that was it. Her tail kept wagging!!!! 

For Jenna, this is HUGE!

She also learned the "look at me" command this weekend.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I was told that dogs respond different ways to praise, alot of times Maggie wont even take treats, if you pet her and say good girl, yeah, yes..etc she just looks at you, but if I use alot of body language and act like a goof ball she gets so excieted!!!


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

I knew Jenna would come around because of all the love and care you have been giving her.She is going to be something very special someday and it's because of what you've done.
Congratulations on a big step forward,
Shane.
BTW At 60 lbs a Newfie is just about 4 months old I would guess.Most weigh close to 175-200 when full grown


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I figured he was young. They are such a gentle breed. 

Thanks for the kind words Shane. We measure Jenna's progress in very tiny baby steps.


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## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

Brandy's Mom said:


> I am sooo proud of my girl! I was walking with Jenna yesterday when we encountered a young, male Newfoundland who was off leash. He kept trying to get in Jenna's face, sniff her rear, etc. He was just being playful. At some 60 pounds, he appeared only half grown.
> 
> In the past, Jenna would have snapped and snarled at him, perhaps even lunged at him.
> 
> ...


YEAH Jenna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And YEAH for her mom too!!!!!!!!!!:dblthumb2


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

YAY Jenna!


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## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

You and Jenna are both doing a great job!!!


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I feel like celebrating! It's been 11 months since we adopted Jenna. The last few days have been so inspiring that I had to share! 

To recap: When we first brought Jenna home, she had impeccable house manners but was extremely aggressive toward Brandy, had severe separation anxiety, never looked up from the ground, never smiled, and hated to be touched (except for loving to be brushed). 

She's been steadily making improvements. It might have gone faster if we'd known what we were doing but we'd never dealt with a troubled dog before. I'd say she's been a happy dog for a few months now. But this last week, she overcame the last few hurdles. 

A few days ago, she finally started asking to be pet and leaning against our legs. *But the best*: she's actually started wrestling with Brandy for more than a few minutes at a time. 

*Today, we saw her turn in circles, jumping and barking with pure joy, as they played. We've never seen her display that kind of absolute happiness before. And we're particularly thrilled that it was shared with Brandy.* 

We didn't think she'd ever act like a normal golden. Happily, she's proven us wrong!


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## a_and_b2004 (Jan 8, 2006)

it is great to hear of her sucess!!!! thank you for being such a great mommy!


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

Wow!!! what great news! you really have worked hard to get here - congratulations on the happy doggie family you have!


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## Oralia Schatzman (Jun 12, 2006)

Thank you for sharing your joy at Jenna's breakthrough, it's contagious! It's heartbreaking when these beautiful creatures are neglected or worse. When Bentley came to me, he'd just lost two families within two months. I suspect that he was probably a backyard dog who had little socialization. It took time, patience and treats but he now responds to “look at me,” wags his tail, plays with his babie and acts goofy on purpose, none of which he initially did. He still hangs his head and often just places it between my legs or my husband's, loving just being scratched, petted or stroked.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Thanks. I don't anticipate that it will be entirely smooth sailing from here on out. But it's a giant leap into the right direction.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Oralia Schatzman said:


> Thank you for sharing your joy at Jenna's breakthrough, it's contagious! It's heartbreaking when these beautiful creatures are neglected or worse. When Bentley came to me, he'd just lost two families within two months. I suspect that he was probably a backyard dog who had little socialization. It took time, patience and treats but he now responds to “look at me,” wags his tail, plays with his babie and acts goofy on purpose, none of which he initially did. He still hangs his head and often just places it between my legs or my husband's, loving just being scratched, petted or stroked.


Oralia, how long have you had Bentley? How sad that he'd lost so many families but how lucky that you found each other! You know if he's acting goofy that he's one happy boy.


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