Maxx's two week intense training

[Lab_adore]

Despite having a million things to do around the house this break, I am prioritising some intense training for Maxx. I've read so many threads and ideas that now I'm quite confused but here we go. Any and all suggestions will be gratefully received!

Day 1 yesterday and I did a lot of engaging with him, calling him to me and playing 'find it' and other games. I think it was @Jelinga who noticed in one of our videos that we don't have a consistent word or phrase for calling him. We use 'here Maxx' or 'Maxx here' or '"Maxx come here" amongst others. So I have chosen a simple "come" and told OH to only use that. So I did a heap of asking him to sit and stay in a room while I went to another room and called "come" and he would come running (because he knew I had a treat).

He will also do '"down" with just a hand single so am trying the relaxation protocol but he quite happily lies down and stays when there aren't any distractions. I still don't quite understand how this will help when the family arrives on Christmas day where he will dutifully go nuts and jump up and around and mouth everyone who tries to pat him.

At the rugby park today at first he ignored '"come" or the whistle as he was intent on sniffing every blade of grass; but I noticed once we had him engaged he happily ran back and forwards between us every time we called.

More of the same today (Sunday).

 

[Stacia]

@Lab_adore. sounds as if you and Maxx are having a good time. A trainer once told me, never recall a dog unless you know he will obey, so if the dog is engaged in sniffing grass, wee etc, wait until he finishes and looks up and then call

 

[HAH]

What a brilliant plan @Lab_adore , I’m planning to do the same with revisiting the Relaxation Protocol; I think in my mind, this gives them a baseline of behavior that we can build in the tricky stuff (like someone else doing the distractions etc) so that by the time they’re 12 it’ll be easy...

My challenge is always ideas for games, so if it helps I got this pdf from the morning of ‘Leash Off, Game On!’ Training we did a couple of weekends ago:LOGO hope you can see it... the ‘Whip it’ games are hard on joints so best kept to a minimum for our youngsters but otherwise there are some ideas here that might be helpful

 

[Lab_adore]

Thanks @HAH

 

[Oberon]

Great job! Fantastic that you’re already seeing results with the recall.

 

[Selina27]

Great idea @Lab_adore , I'm looking forward to following your progress.

What works for me with Cassie when visitors arrive is giving her a small kong, that way she has something in her mouth to bring them as a greeting, I think in general if they have something in their mouths they don't jump up. By the time she's then taken it to her mat and finished it she's accepted that we have people in the house and is much more settled.

I'm no dog trainer but agree with @HAH that something like the relaxation protocol gives them a baseline behavior that in time leads to them making the right decision (for us) for themselves. This is just based on my experience with Cassie.

 

[Lab_adore]

That's a good idea @Selina27

It's going well. Not. OH left the latch off the shoe cupboard and Maxx got in and chewed a boot. Not the twin of the brown boot he chewed a little while back. It was a black one. So now OH has no boots and we are down about $500 in shoes including the brand new sheepskin slippers.

Then today on his walk he was leaping and lunging and behaving worse than he ever has. I am at the end of my tether with him and we have no time to train today as we are frantically getting everything ready for Christmas day here tomorrow.

AARRGGHHHH

 

[Atemas]

I am prioritising some intense training for Maxx.

Unless we have company, I use tea time as a time for training. Red has to ‘work’ for all her tea. It takes 10 minutes each day but we can pack in quite a lot. This time of year it’s all in the house. I do a lot of things that are in the LOGO. Keep going with Maxx - you will get there and honestly the training will pay off. Lots and lots of repetition - in the nicest possible way, it’s almost like programming them - the behaviours become automatic. Also reminder to selves, anything you don’t want him to have, keep shut away

 

[Atemas]

I am at the end of my tether with him

Takes each day as it comes - what happened yesterday forget. Plan your training so it’s realistic and just in build it into the day.

 

[Selina27]

Lots and lots of repetition - in the nicest possible way, it’s almost like programming them - the behaviours become automatic. Also reminder to selves, anything you don’t want him to have, keep shut away

@Lab_adore , this is good advice, for sure.

Consistency is the key, just keep doing it and in time you will get there. He's still young.

And yes, there will be setbacks and days when you think it's hopeless, but in time there will be more good days than bad!

 

[Leanne]

I wonder if he’s a bit bored? He sounds so incredible clever that he might be trying to use his brain

How about hiding his food? That shouldn’t take up any time at all and if you shut him in a room and then hide it all around the house it will keep his brain busy for a bit as well as slow down his eating?

On the weekends when Mas is at home he needs so much more stimulation in order to not be a twat. On school days he’s fine because he’s got constant stimulation if that makes sense?

 

[Lab_adore]

Thanks guys and great advice. I think he may be bored and also hot and bothered. We will persist and it will be better after Chrissy when we have more time. Right now I'm watching an empty box slowly slide out of the room with great stealth

 

[Leanne]

I also wonder if your training is short enough? Mas training is literally 1 or 2 minutes long most of the time - a quick couple of down and ups before he gets his food or before I throw his ball

 

[Lab_adore]

Well I don't know if it was the heat, or if the training has kicked in, or it was another dog who was pretending to be Maxx....but after an initial mad bounce when everyone arrived yesterday he settled and only jumped up a couple of times. And then it was only to the two nephew-in-laws who he knows will play a bit rough with him. Honestly hubby and I could not believe it but we weren't complaining! My sister, who is very afraid of big dogs, gave him lots of pats. I did hear her say ''oooh he does smell doggie doesn't he?' well DUH. Anyway, a great day and the training continues. A big walk tomorrow early, before it gets too hot, will be a big test.

Thanks again for your great advice!

 

[kateincornwall]

Good boy Maxx and yes , run with the good and don't stress over the bad too much . Its like a roller coaster , this training lark , Reuben was the devil incarnate yesterday on our walk , so I slipped his lead on and that was that . Today, he has been the opposite , but that's just today, tomorrow is never a promise ! x

 

[snowbunny]

Good boy, Maxx! Sometimes they just get a bit overwrought with changes. The first walk out of the car from our trip back to Andorra, my lot were crazy, pulling on the lead and bring awful. There was a time I would have not let them pull, believing it would wreck my LLW, but now I am better at saying it’s becayse they’ve been cooped up in the car for hours, they’re in a completely different environment - OMG PEOPLE!!! - and not in a place where they can be expected to think.
We saw the rolling eyes, the lack of understanding from other people. Heard the comments as they walked away.
Today, we saw some of the same people as we were walking THREE Labs on beautiful loose leashes, with Ginny hopping along behind. One said, “Wow, they’re a bit better behaved today”. I just smiled and nodded because there would be no point trying to explain. People think dogs are robots; they are trained or they are untrained. It’s not like that in the slightest.
Keep doing what you’re doing; Maxx will get there and you can be smug inside, even if you don’t get any overt recognition. We’ll all be here to tell you you’re doing amazingly!

 

[Lab_adore]

Thanks everybody for your words of encouragement. However we have FINALLY decided to take Maxx to a training school. Yesterday morning we were at the river and there is only one exit and we were both guarding it while Maxx swam and zoomied on the beach. Then......three Labradors appeared at the top of the path and he barreled past both of us, up the steps and he was off up the path and exploded into the group of three dogs and four humans

The owners of two of the dogs - lovely, calm pups they are - have recommended a training school where they took theirs and had great success. OH has always been against it but he finally said yes. Unfortunately they are closed until the 3rd Feb but we will be taking him then. I feel great relief as we clearly need some help

I'm way behind in reading posts as we have been so busy but I hope your four have settled in Andorra @snowbunny

 

[Granca]

Maybe that incident was a blessing in disguise now that you have a recommended training school to look forward to!

Did Maxx have a chance to play with the dogs? The ‘barrelling in’ episodes can be very frustrating - Wispa still does that sometimes if other dogs appear unexpctedly when she’s off lead, but then can settle very quickly. It doesn’t give a good impression of what’s really a lovely dog, though!

 

[Selina27]

That sounds good @Lab_adore that OH has agreed to training school something to look forward too with Max.

 

[snowbunny]

You have to remember, he's still a baby, too! Not that I don't think training is a good thing (obviously!) but I wouldn't have expected Luna to do anything different at Maxx's age.
Hopefully the school (R+, I hope!) will give you some structure and ways to see the light