RE: [PyrNet-L] thoughts on training

["Murden, Deanna" <Deanna.Murden@wl.com>]

Ann, thanks for all of your comments on the training stuff,
It's always reassuring to hear from others, experience is a valuable
thing!

I just had to respond to your first question! Ha! Dominance
characteristics??! No, I don't think so.   Her favorite thing is to run
up to you and flop at your feet on her back for a tummy rub! wagging and
smiling!  No, I think I'm very fortunate that she's a mild mannered
girl.  I've tried to "provoke" her into showing some signs of dominance
just to see.....staring into her eyes at her level, (nothing). Laying on
the floor (she licks my face and then lays next to me). Taking her
dinner away (sad look on face). Taking away tasty rawhide
treat......(sad face, and some exhuberence to get it back).  She's
fourteen weeks now.  I'll be wary she may try for the dominance, but so
far she's not a candidate.

Interesting point also, I posted some questions back in June about her
being the runt of a litter of 10 pups.  Probably has something to do
with her mild manners. 

This thread also has confirmed my theory that pyr's are very intelligent
(i.e. more likely to ask why? when given a command <G> and then "oh!
cause you have food!" or (to scratch belly, rub ears etc.  etc.)), and
they will respond better to a little give and take, than to an absolute
verbal beating!  It's a respect thing, much more so than with other
breeds I've had.  This being my first pyr, I think it's a very cool
thing to experience. 

	And FYI, I've decided I'm not cool with the stepping on the
leash.  Lucy is happy to sit by my side and not make a fuss in public.
Why embarrass her by nailing her to the floor? 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Ann Wetherilt [SMTP:wetheri@emmanuel.edu]
> Sent:	Wednesday, July 29, 1998 10:25 AM
> To:	'pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org'
> Subject:	RE: [PyrNet-L] thoughts on training
> 
> Is Lucy showing dominance characteristics? Our trainer had us do
> "down-stays" quickly going up to 30 minutes at a time when Paddington
> was
> very young, because of his dominance traits, but she didn't recommend
> it
> for less dominant dogs. And even with Paddington, we were instructed
> to
> use very gentle methods, sitting alongside him at first while
> insisting
> that he lie down, releasing after we'd got just a very short period of
> non-resistance, then gradually increasing length of time and distance
> from
> him. We're doing the same thing with Ivy Rose, less  because of
> dominance
> than to allow us peaceful mealtimes without frequent nudges to be
> petted!
> With both pyrs, I've found the "foot on the leash" to lead only to a
> digging in of the heels....or butt!
> Ann W