Getting a dog to enjoy water....

[cj-sharpy]

Can I just say (I know I'm jumping in to a pissing contest here) that I do follow both of your posts closely and I take 99% of what you both say with to heart.

I'm not some wooly hippy believing in auras or shakras or what ever but I do think dogs can pick up on our feelings.
If we are confident I think they know, if we are meek I think they know.
I've seen it happen with my own little mate.
When I got him I was fearful of his reactions (never scared of him) and I fully believe he knew this.
"Dads worried about this person getting to close so I'll make sure he doesn't."
I found a good trainer (sort season haha) who didn't train Max at all. She gave me the knowledge and the tools to understand him, read him and ultimately train him better.
None of this had as much effect as when she told me to relax and assured me I COULD do it, I COULD help him.
So what changed? My energy that's what.
I approached every situation with the mental picture in my head that I was in charge here, he would walk past that lady cos I say so, he would leave the little dog alone cos I said so, he would accept strangers when I said so.
An did it work. Yes it did. He's a million times better now because MY energy changed. And with it the way I approached a situation.
So now I have a calm collected (and still a little grumpy) old dog who is more than happy to lie at my feet in public and no longer has his own 6ft kill zone.

Yet.........while walking a few months ago we were approached by two guys. He was absolutely fine as I took him to one side of the track and had him sit as normal. It's was when I started fearing this guys, when I started thinking "they are after Max (there's been a spate of bait dogs and fighting round here) rant he changed. I didn't change anything physically. He reacted the moment I became afraid.

So do I think dogs react to your energy?
Yea I do.


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[Smokeycat]

Positive energy is a term used to describe a set of conditions that aid in dog handling. It does include body language but also tone of voice, inflection of the voice and body chemistry (smell). All of these aspects can be sensed by a dog and being stressed (or negative) during a training session tends to cause many dogs to stop learning. So unless you have the correct mindset (positive energy) any form of training becomes difficult if not impossible for real progress to be made. I've seen the difference that just stopping to take a deep breath and release the frustration can do to save a training session, positive energy is real and powerful.

 

[Boxergirl]

There are also other things that factor in though. I mean, you don't just feel afraid or nervous and nothing else happens. Usually a feeling of nervousness elicits a tension in your body and a tightening of the leash, which signals the dog that there may be somthing wrong. Little things like that, which most people aren't aware that they do, can contribute and are not just energy. It's body language more than unseen energy, I think. Did that make sense? Kind of like when you're learning to ride a horse. They tell you that before you make the turn to look in the direction you want to go - because simply by turning your head your body language and pressure change, signaling the horse what's going to happen.

 

[PrinceLorde13]

If you could define "how to have good energy with my dog" I'd love to hear it. And I mean actually define it, rather than the usual "you either have it or not".

Do you mean how you stand, how you breath, how you hold the leash, where, when and when not to reinforce? Where to place the reinforcer? Where to position your body in relation to your dog to set you both up for success?

If this is what you actually mean, then it's definable, teachable skills. If not, then it's a bit wooly for me and if you can't tech or define it why are you advising it?

Yes, in the example above, if a handler is nervous going into a ring at competition then the dog may pick up on it, but that's to do with your dog reading your body language and probably a previous history (classical conditioning) with something changing. If the dog is picking up on body language then that;s to do with all the points listed above.

Let's try to give advice which can actually be implemented, based on the application of physical skills and good science rather than something reproduced from and entertainment show on NatGeo.

Medical Definition of ENERGY

1
: the force driving and sustaining mental activity <in psychoanalytic theory the source of psychic energy is the id>
2
: the capacity for doing work

That is a definition from Merriam-Webster, take note of 1
If you are honestly going to say you don't think people have a different energy depending on their mental state I have trouble believing you are human. The "energy" here is a manifestation of conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings that present in all the ways you mentioned. Try as hard as you like but if the energy within you is off it will present in the ways you said, body language, how you hold the leash, how you walk, the tone of your voice, the way your dog feels around you, nobody is good enough to consciously control all those aspects of themselves and have none begin to present just too much control from out unconscious. And dogs are spectacular at picking up on those ques from their owner when well bonded. Which is why you should be in a good place mentally if you expect the same from your dog. As far as implementation well now you're getting into human psychology and that's up for heavy debate. This "energy" is more about people training then dog training

 

[Boxergirl]

I think we're all saying the same thing. I also think that Cesar Millan has coined phrases that have been soured simply because he uses them and there is so much debate about him.

 

[cj-sharpy]

Cesar is a marmite topic, you love him or you hate him, the mere mention of his name brings my trainer out in sweats. I think he is more like Season and she is more like Glasgow.
Both correct in their approach and both capable of achieving their goals. Its up to the individual to cherry pick the bits they like and to figure out what works for them and their dog.
If you have ever trained a person then it works the same, I've had apprentices that work hard cos they want to do a good job and respond to praise and some that work as much as they need to cos i'd dock their pay. Do I prefer to be kind and reward good work with free breakfast on a friday or an extra smoke break, yes of course, but sometimes they need to know whos boss and that bad behaiviour has consequences.

 

[season]

And speaking of energy. This pic gives off beautiful positive energy. Make it a beautiful day folks!


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[PrinceLorde13]

That def just put a smile on my face!

 

[season]

Could u feel the happy energy?


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[PrinceLorde13]

Still feeling it, how could you not!

 

[season]

Touche'!


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[Nik]

season - the pic with the bunny is uber creepy. lol ;-)

But, update - we went to the beach the other day and didn't give him an option about going into the water. He did much better. We didn't go far in, not swimming depth, but he started choosing to occasionally wade in of his own free will. Huge progress.
He is a little confused about the waves and foam though.. thinks they are something to attack. He kept pouncing on them and trying to bite them. He didn't seem upset about it though. lol

 

[season]

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