Okay, deep growling..when moving Tobias?

[Quercus]

I don't call it bribing…but some do. In the beginning you use a treat to lure the dog off the furniture while saying "off". Then you switch to using the command "off" without showing the treat, but rewarding with a treat as soon as the dog responds (actually I use a clicker to mark the behavior because it makes the training faster, then I treat). Then continue to reward the behavior most of the time until it is SOLID, really solid...then you can start to alternate rewards.

People who don't like positive reinforcement training call it (mistakenly) bribing the dog.

It certainly is effective to startle the dog to the ground, but if the dog is growling in fear it certainly won't fix the problem.

I have said before that with my own dogs, in which I know their bite thresholds, if I get a complaint about moving, I just move them...done. But if I felt like I was dealing with a dog that would escalate the confrontation to the point of biting, I certainly wouldn't want to make the situation any worse. At that point I would train the dog to get off the furniture on request, with their cooperation...not force.

[Quercus]

@lvoss:

Calling the dog off the couch or sleeping spot is not necessarily bribing. I often reward my dogs for good behavior and use treats as part of training but they are not "bribes", the treat is not shown nor offered until the dog has done the task asked. I do believe in rewarding good behavior since when dogs are rewarded for good behavior they are more likely to offer it in the future.

Right, once the dog understands what you want, you should not need to show the treat. And that should happen VERY quickly. At first, you might need to show the treat to get them down…but often you can just use a happy voice, or some other attraction to get their interest.

[Quercus]

<>
This isn't really a new way....it is really, really basic positive reinforcement techniques. Reward behavior you want to see more of, don't reward behaviors you don't want to see more of...keep behaviors you don't like from being able to occur, and train incompatible behaviors to those undesirable behaviors (i.e. sitting while greeting is incompatible with jumping while greeting)

[lvoss]

@Quercus:

Right, once the dog understands what you want, you should not need to show the treat. And that should happen VERY quickly. At first, you might need to show the treat to get them down…but often you can just use a happy voice, or some other attraction to get their interest.

I should clarify that I teach hand targeting to my dogs as one of the first things they learn after name response and then use that instead of luring but it is the same technique. I just really like the utility of being able to direct my dogs with a finger and it is very handy in agility when I need get them to me.

[Quercus]

@lvoss:

I should clarify that I teach hand targeting to my dogs as one of the first things they learn after name response and then use that instead of luring but it is the same technique. I just really like the utility of being able to direct my dogs with a finger and it is very handy in agility when I need get them to me.

Yes, that is a great way to do it. That is one thing I LOVE about positive training, you can find a whole number of ways to attain the same end goal.

And you bring up a good point, Lisa. If the dog has even a little basic obedience, like here, or come, or a even just history of being rewarded for compliance, it makes dealing with a situation like resource guarding a) less likely to happen and b) easier to change.

[Mantis]

I do know it works when one dog is guarding YOU from the other dogs, when your on the couch.

I have always found that this behavior is one basenji not wanting to give up the power seat that is touching mom. I have wathed many times the dogs try to push the other one away from that close spot. I never get the impression that they are guarding me.

Interesting.

[Quercus]

It isn't guarding like…I am worried about mom, so I'd better protect her. It is guarding as in...this is MINE...my resource...I want to place myself closest to the primary resource....so I would say that your assessment was right on. But in my way of thinking, it isn't about power. It is about a preferential status place next to the resource....which I suppose is semantics. But power is really a human construct....but in the end, power in humans IS about controling resources.

[Mantis]

Ah I see, Mr Miyagi….:D

[hdterry]

Jojo will do that when she is in her bad and I move it with my hands but if I just scoot it with my foot (hard wood floor) she is fine…I just chalked it up as Jojo being a B...

[hdterry]

Jojo will do that when she is in her bed and I move it with my hands but if I just scoot it with my foot (hard wood floor) she is fine…I just chalked it up as Jojo being a B...