It was in my mailbox today. Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. (*golf clap*)
Second, who has recommendations for dog training books? Strider is apparently even younger than his rescue foster thought and is a total doofus. He needs training before he puts on that 20 lbs. he needs. Sheesh.
Daily Strider Tidbit: He has what I'm now calling the Strider Boing: It's a move where he leaps straight up in the air, all four paws off the ground at once with his spine parallel to the ground (so he's not on his hind legs, if you see what I mean). He gets a good 30 inches of vertical air under those paws. This move is usually accompanied by a basso profundo BOOF! and can be seen in moments of great excitement, like when Brownian motion occurs or the planet is circling the sun.
Max is exhausted but happy. I need to go rub his belly now and reassure him that he's the best boy EVER. I never thought I'd see the day when a 110+ lb. German Shepherd mix looked small, but here we are.
7 comments:
Have you tried either of the books by the Monks of New Skeet? They raise German Shepherds and I raised my dog based on their principals. I like to thing he's a pretty well-behaved little guy, too. At least for a GSD. One is called "The Art of Raising a Puppy" and I think it would apply to any age, really. There is another one I can't remember. Google it. These guys are great.
I really, really strongly like the Sirius method of dog training. We ended up with an extra DVD, if you'd like - it's very basic puppy stuff, but it teaches sit and such. Drop me an email and I'll send it out.
It's not perfect for every dog, but it works on the assumption that dogs will figure out what you want if you guide them through it and give them something they want. Our dog likes cheese, buffalo bites, and fish-smelling treats from Costco. Our dog is a Great Dane we've had since she was 5 weeks old and she's doing very well at her training - we're even getting in some off lead work now.
wendryn at gmail dot com, in case it doesn't show up.
Thought I'd chime in here, as the mommy of two rescue doggies: one 95 lb and one 50 lb in a 500-square-foot apt. (Thank goodness for off-leash hours in our large park!)
Puppy preschool is great. Even if your dog is not a puppy per se. It gets him socialized with other dogs, so he learns to behave in the company of other dogs, and you have a pro guiding you through basic obedience.
My favorite dog book is "The Other End of the Leash." It's not a training book, but is written by an animal behavioralist who gets into the reason canines and primates get along AND the things that primates do that cause canines to be confused. Entertaining and definitely worth the read.
I like the New Skete books -- and I really like Karen Pryor's Clickertraining approach.
Don't Shoot The Dog - Karen Pryor - theory and practice behind her clicker training. I actually think everybody should read it, dogs or no dogs. It's great stuff.
I recommend Cesar Millan (of National Geographic Dog whisperer Fame).
He has the books (Cesar's Way, Be the Pack Leader, etc.), the audiobooks (available on iTunes), the DVDs (both showing you how to teach and control your dog, as well as how to fix your dog's issues), as well as the weekly TV show on Nat Geo. Oh, and there's the blog and the website and the yahoo listserv, too. The listserv is fantastic; the show's producers are members and you'll get instant help on dog issues. :-)
(No, I'm not being paid to recommend him. Cesar's methods just helped me with my beagle and my basset/coonhound from puppyhood to now, a full year later. Cesar's methods got me to get them to stop chewing on the furniture, eat their food, walk on the leash like well-behaved dogs, ride in the car like civilized beings, behave at the vets, interact nicely with other dogs and people, and so forth. I'm even considering getting a third dog. :-))
I'll third the Karen Pryor books/methods ... clicker training is fun, although with very dominant dogs, sometimes they're *seeking* a power struggle, rather than getting excited about a good way to know if they're doing what you want.
Any chance of pics of your boys?
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