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Old 06-12-2011, 14:39   #35
Vicky
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Originally Posted by AMERICANI View Post
All of mine (with aggression problems toward each other) are Csvs.. I do have one mutt male. They all grew up together as pups.. So you you are saying there is still a chance of them never getting along together? I do not have any 3 Csvs that can be together right now, and I am very eager to try something.. I'm just waiting for something that makes sense lol..
I think you should always have the ultimate goal of having all your dogs living together peacefully, but the key is to understand it may not be possible, so you don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself and your dogs. Effective (i.e. Long lasting) training is a slow process and while at times results can be quick, training against instinct takes time. For example, it's in my husky's nature to chase anything small, furry, and quick, but we taught him the cat is off limits. The only way I felt comfortable bringing a cat into the house, though, is after 3 years of training to establish a "no chasing" command.

The problem with using the "quick fix" of dominance training is that, like it's been said, you're only treating the symptom, not the cause. What ends up happening is you "break" the dog. Sure, she'll behave, but her personality will be changed. She will lose the confidence to make decisions for fear of correction, and that's no way for a dog to live. You want to slowly desensitize to the stimulus in a way that keeps them from escalating in the first place, so they learn to be more calm on their own, because it's rewarding.

Honestly, you can read, read, read about methods that can help, but if you're confused at all about how to proceed, the best thing would be to find a positive personal trainer who is accustomed to sensitive, willful breeds. If you go to Victoria Stillwell's website, positively.com, she's started a group of trainers all specializing in positive reinforcement training. It might be a good place to start looking.
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