# Mercy playing with her squEAky football!



## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Mercy is going ape over her new spike squeaky football toy!


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## Thalie (Jan 20, 2008)

She really seems to like her new squeakie. We are a squeak squeak family also (at least the two younger ones are) but some toys have to be outside toys only because of the noise. Mercy must be really soft on her toys because that kind of squeakie would not last here. Good girl, Mercy, enjoy your new toy.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Watching the video I see Mercy just engaging you in play. This is puppy play style that isn't cute anymore because she is adult size and can hurt you. 

You are giving her mixed signals you are telling her to stop but still squeezing and making highly arrousing noises with the football and your voice. All the no's and stops don't mean a thing if you are still engaging her in play. She sees them as chatter and part of the play pattern. 

This sounds easy (it isn't easy) but if you do not want her to play like that when she does stop playing immediately and remove yourself so she cannot continue. (you have to change your responses to her) Stop the chatter and just ignore her. After a minute or so go back and try to play again. If she starts up with the feet and hands stop again. This time don't play again. Go do something else for awhile.

This will take some time to fix as it is a long term habit. Remember to reward her for lots of good behaviors when she does them.

This isn't Mercy's mistake it is yours. That is okay we all make these kind of mistakes like letting our young pups jump up to greet not thinking how hard it will be to change that habit with a 70 lb dog. 

I also notice you repeat commands/cues often which again just become chatter instead a cue. Not on purpose but you have let Mercy decide on which time you say a cue she can comply.

These are owner mistakes and I do make them myself. We are NOT always aware that we are giving these mixed signals. 
Watch your video again. When these things are pointed out we can see them and then try to be more conscious of exactly what we are doing.

I absolutely agree with Sally's Mom and if she is showing aggression I would seek out someone that will work with you on how to teach her without corrections for this problem.

Remember Mercy does have a right to protect herself if she is uncomfortable in a situation if you have not protected her yourself. So is she really aggressive or have you put her in situations where she has felt the need to protect herself because you have not?

One more thing........
If God let you have Mercy then God wants you to perfect your handling skills and do it right. This is a two way street. He has given you a gift for you to learn to work on yourself as you go forward in your journey to help others. Part of that journey is taking the time to find joy in learning how to train Mercy. You have to work on your handling skills so that Mercy can blossom to the best of her potential in order for her to do what you want her to do out in the world, so she can spread love and hope to others.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I watched the video, and one thing that stands out to me, is that the minute before she goes after your sleeve and hand, you repeat something like: mercy loves her toy over and over again, quite fast and high pitched. That is what I do with Liza if I want to hype her up, like outside when I want her to chase me or play fetch. 

I move backwards, hold the toy she wants and talk to her: you want to have it? you want to have it? And then all of a sudden throw or run. It's gets Liza going too, but as I throw the ball away from me, she flies after the ball and brings it back because she likes that kind of playing. Mercy wants the toy too, but you have it in your hand, so she goes for your sleeve or hand to get the toy. I don't see that as aggression, she is playing. 

Same idea when she is on the couch. You talk to her like she is a human being, in full sentences. I just say:Liza, off! And Liza knows exactly what I want and that I want it now. 

I agree with SolInvictus that you talk too much to her. It is hard for her to hear the commands through the rest of the sentences. The moment someone shouted 'He!' She stopped and went away. 

By the way, I love how engaged she is in that toy. And she has a soft mouth, in my house toys like that don't last five minutes, sadly...


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

I did not watch the video (audio on my computer is funky), but it sounds like you might want to google "learned irrelevance" and see if that is what applies here (I'm basing this off what other people picked up on):

How Learned Irrelevance Affects Dog Training by Pat Gray | Critters 360


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Is that you talking,or your husband? Who ever it is,they keep going on,and on, making her more excited.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

You say in the video that you don't understand why Mercy goes after your hands and feet when she gets amped up......she is playing with you, I do not see ANY aggression or dominance, just a playful pup who may be getting a bit confused as to why you won't give her the toy. Or, and this may be more accurate, the way you are teasing her with the toy is the way dogs tease each other when they want to play tug with their toy. Do you play tug with her? I find it a GREAT game to play with your dog to build your bond. Oh and you don't have to win, let Mercy win....it is great for her confidence and your bond!


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

solinvictus said:


> Watching the video I see Mercy just engaging you in play. This is puppy play style that isn't cute anymore because she is adult size and can hurt you.
> 
> You are giving her mixed signals you are telling her to stop but still squeezing and making highly arrousing noises with the football and your voice. All the no's and stops don't mean a thing if you are still engaging her in play. She sees them as chatter and part of the play pattern.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I can understand what you are saying and I will work smarter with my girl. Other times she does that, I or my husband will move her into another room for a timeout.

I certainly don't want to put Mercy in a situation where she feels she needs to protect herself where I haven't. I might have perhaps done that by accident, but keeping her safe is actually something of upmost importance to me. The world sadly is not as safe as we would like it to be. I get nervous when I see other dogs misbehaving around her. I know that I need to act more swiftly if a bad situation presents itself.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

goldensrbest said:


> Is that you talking,or your husband? Who ever it is,they keep going on,and on, making her more excited.


It's me talking. My housemate's son yelled "Hey!"


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

I watched the video. You are wondering why she is all stirred up and then starts to mouth. She really doesn't seem to get too stirred up, it just appears to be a response to your constant talking and repeating of phrases in an excited manner. And after the other person yelled, hey, she quickly knew she needed to calm down. And then you started the excitement again with the "here's your squeaky football." I think she is confused. And there really is no way she can know what you mean by, Mercy, don't get on the couch. Just too much verbiage is going on. She is a lovely dog. And really appears to me to quite calm and wanting to be compliant. If I constantly spoke to my three the way you do, I would have bedlam around here. You need to try to limit the amount and way of communicating you do with her. If she gets on the couch, tell her "off", go get her and remove her from the couch. If you want her to sit, tell her sit, once, and if she doesn't comply, put her physically in a sit and them praise her calmly and simply. Like I said, she is lovely, and really doesn't appear to me to be doing anything other than responding to your speech and actions.


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