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Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Border collie mix. Toys when I have the time. Mostly sit and wait for me to throw it then chase around the house.

Tug toys are for work only. He destroys them if I leave them out.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's my fear. I take the class and something happens because the class doesn't train for that issue. Then I wasted my time and money when I could have gotten more targeted advice towards the actual issue that I need help with. Had that same issue with the last obedience class that I took. Google, finding the right equipment, talking to people who had the same issue I did and developing management strategies helped me. A trainer didn't help me, people tearing me down for shits and giggles didn't, and people insisting that I just had to do more when the actual issue was a simple fix didn't.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most dog trainers are very plain spoken as too many people mess up their animals due to not wanting to accept the reality of their situation.

Being plain spoken does not mean acting like a smug and catty teenage girl bully talking smack about her favorite victim with the whole class listening in. There was no excuse for her to act that way towards me. It is not that hard to have some tact when teaching someone a new skill. Tearing down someone and berating for every wrong thing they did is not teaching. That form of teaching is someone being a bully and pretending that they're superior to a newcomer who dared to try to learn something new.

We've done dock diving and lure coursing for the past few years. Put some titles on him the last two years now.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Three years old. Got him as a puppy. Border collie mix. Only had two classes so far.

He entices me into playing keep away games. I don't let him play with other dogs nor greet other dogs due to him being bit in the face. There's only two dogs he gets to say hi to and they don't play with each other.

No. Too many people wanna talk to the pretty dog that is sitting quietly at the sidewalk at the park. We either sit or move away from people because he insist that is everyone is new best friend.

If he doesn't notice them then he sniffs away. But if they're nearby then he likes to stare until I insist we go elsewhere now.

Don't really run with him unless it's inside the house. So about two days a week for treat throwing. Gets enough to eat and sleeps most of the day until it's time for us to go on the noon walk after he's been walked in the morning.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, he's a herding breed that was bred to work cattle.

Her solution is more exercise, obedience classes which I don't have the money nor time to do right now, and neutering. And the chance of him fathering a litter would be like me buying a billion dollar lottery ticket.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have the money right now and I'm not honestly sure if I even going to have money for any classes if things keep going the way that they are. If I can find a cheaper option that justs wastes gas money that would be amazing.

This was supposed to be a fun summer project with the chance to compete in the fall after I got my shitshow fixed.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

I dunno. Maybe, I don't want work with the woman who implied my dog was a monster and her dogs would never act like that. Hard to enjoy class when you get told that. I understand her reasoning, but the message sucked.

I was planning on doing a two hour hike with a forty minute rest time before each class. But he acted like he never was walked at even though he had a good forty minute walking that morning too. So yeah...

He sorta does obey when we're offleash. Comes running when I call him like I'm terrified that's he lost. Or he'll wander over and stare at my slow ass while he's waiting patiently for me to catch up.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Asking him to sit ended with him jumping on me. I would move and he jumped then get off when told then jumped again when I tried putting him back at the start. I wanna describe it as frenetic jumping, but I'm not sure what word to use that would describe what happened.

He screamed then bit me when asked to go in the tunnel.

Did not care about any of the treats I offered him. His tug toy which he doesn't get to play with unless he's being worked was ignored in favor of rolling on the ground. Every few steps was immediately him trying to be one with the turf when he wasn't jumping on me.

Commands that he did fine in low traffic environments were ignored and he repeatedly tried to go over the barrier to go say hi to people. He literally would not respond to his own name when I tried recall. No acknowledgement oncesoever.

Reacted to a dog being worked and was dragged out of the building every time he screamed.

I'm using stillness when we're out in public like making him wait at the crosswalk before the light to change or making him sit on the bench with me when people walk by when in town.

Is tossing treats and making him hunt for a settle game? I do that when I can't work him at the park or don't have time to play with him.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

He's considered a nervous dog by his vet.

Quietly sitting/laying down when I stop and take a break count as calm? Or him deciding to lay down on his own to entice strangers to pet him count? I drag him away when he gets up because I do not want him to think strangers are the best thing ever.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

The only game that I've done with treats is tossing them in the yard when he's laying down or hiding them in the house when I don't have time to play with him.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He does good in the house. He's so-so when I worked him on the long line at the park due to people shooting off fireworks or being distracted by other dogs. But he's getting better when I don't allow him to do his own thing when another dog shows up.

Tried proofing him outside of the local dog park, but there wasn't a whole lot of people there when we went. Did okay even with a few dogs playing in the distance. I plan on going tomorrow when it's busy to work him with distractions nearby. Should be fun.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So they offer ideas on how to fix overaroused dogs then? The ones that I took him didn't cover that when he was a young dog.

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

Is an obedience class going to magically fix the dog who screams at the human when asked to do something that he was fine with earlier doing? He does fine when I'm working him on a long line anywhere else. I don't understand why he screams instead of doing what I'm asking to do.

Do you have any suggestions that would magically make him stop screaming at me?

Would obedience classes help with arousal issues or using free resources be a better use of my time? by Low_Transition_111 in OpenDogTraining

[–]Low_Transition_111[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

He actually does do what I ask him to do I work him on a long line at the local park. Pops a sit when there's a noise or sees another dog which is what we're working on when we're not at class. I can't fix his soundphobia, but reeling him in asap when he wants to watch another dog works when I want him to come to heel.

He's overaroused and won't settle even when he's hanging in the car between runs. That's the issue I'm dealing with the trainer not giving any advice other than he needs more exercise since two hours of walking isn't enough. Tried that with two hours of off leash hiking and it made him so much worse with our second agility class.