I ask this because a man hit his puppy in front of me tonight, and it really upset me. He didn’t hit him hard, but you could sense his frustration. Ironically, the guy had stopped to talk to me about how I got Batman to be so well-behaved (NOT by hitting him, I can tell you that much), when his pup, a 9-month-old Husky, peed on his leg/shoe. I saw and ignored it, not wanting to embarrass the owner, but he noticed later, yelled at the pup, and hit him on the side.
I immediately cried out, “Don’t hit him! It’s not his fault!”
He looked at me like I was crazy, but then saw Batman lying down calmly next to me, and softened a little, as if to say, “Let’s listen to the person whose dog DIDN’T just pee on them.”
I answered his question on how I got Batman to be so good. I told him that I was always positive, always had treats, and never punished him. Even if he’s being a butthead, I stay cheerful. I hoped that Batman’s calm, attentive behavior (he really was being extra good, as if he knew this poor Husky’s future was at stake) would show him how powerful positive training methods truly are.
I recommended a few trainers in his area, but I wished I had given him a book recommendation. I don’t think he will take his dog to class, but he might read a book, and that could be enough to change his mind. I like The Other End of the Leash by Pat McConnell for general dog people — it’s accessible and an enjoyable read. It doesn’t feel like a training book, but the lessons are profound. Do any of you have other recommendations?
Finally, I’ll end with a story from last night’s CGC class: I was trying a new command to get Batman to circle around and do an attention sit — I was doing it terribly. Batty wasn’t sure what the heck I wanted, and kept running to his mat (Carole, he has gotten really good at “go to your mat!”) in the corner. I didn’t want to confuse him, so I folded up the mat and put it on a chair.
After a few more tries, Batman still wasn’t sure what I wanted, but was convinced it had to do with that mat. So he ran to the chair, pulled the mat down, and desperately tried to unfold it and park his big Bat butt on top of it. It was the funniest thing to watch — I was doubled over laughing at how silly he looked, sitting his butt on a crumpled, upside-down mat, while giving me the most beseeching expression, like, “How about this?! Is this good?!”
Yes, I could yank and crank and spank my dog, and he would probably follow my commands. But there would be no joy in it. No spontaneity. He would never offer me what he did last night with that mat. He would never make me laugh and laugh until my stomach hurt while trying to please me. What kind of puppy is that? Just the thought of raising a joyless puppy breaks my heart.
Batman is hilarious! I wish you were able to capture that on video. But it may bave been difficult given how much you must have been laughing. I’m a big fan! Keep it up!
Thanks, Edmund. It says a lot about Julie’s breeding program that I’m having so much early success with this puppy, given that I had ZERO formal training experience before Batman. He is my first “real” dog (my family had a GSD when I was a girl, but we did not train him formally), so I am learning all of this as I go!
Wow, I can identify totally with your experience. It parallels how we have felt watching parents scream/yell/hit their children; years of therapy are sometimes necessary because of poor parenting skills. The same joy you describe in your approach to successful training translates to the joy found in that most important challenge of raising our children.
Battie now has an intrinsic desire to please, and approaches life with excitement and enthusiasm because of your loving and positive approach to training. It is so obvious that Battie adores you, strives to please you with every action, and enjoys the challenge of trying to figure out what the hell you want him to do! How can anyone punish a dog or child for the inevitable mistakes that occur along the way? No accomplishments can be achieved without taking risks. Battie has the courage to take the risk of making a mistake as he reaches for the goals you have set for him.
I have been enjoyed reading your entries about Batman for months now. You are my inspiration as Dutch and I work together daily. Your relationship is so beautiful: laughter and love, and the discipline you have shown in adhering to your principles are keys to your success with this amazing young dog.
That is really kind — thank you, Beverly. It really upsets me when I see adults hit children, too. It’s just not in my nature to inflict pain on living things.
With dog owners, I find that many people don’t know any better. And some people just like to hit dogs. The man I met was in the former category, which is why I wish I gave him a book recommendation. I’d be surprised if he still has that dog in a year’s time. There was no bond between them. He said he wanted to get a GSD because they are “easy to train.” That raised a red flag with me. I told him, yes, GSDs are highly biddable, but they’re very strong, smart dogs and require A LOT of work. I don’t think any of us would call GSD ownership “easy!”
I think he assumed Batman was naturally well-behaved because he’s a GSD. Batman’s temperament is rock-solid because of his breeding, but he doesn’t “naturally” want to lay down by my side and watch me while another puppy romps by — that behavior took weeks of training to initiate, and will require a lifetime of positive reinforcement to maintain.
That’s the one drawback of having an Alta-Tollhaus GSD! People fall in love with them on sight, but they don’t see the work it takes to do right by these magnificent dogs.
You can’t go wrong with Patricia McConnell. Here’s another to go with your recommendation: Family Friendly Dog Training – A Six Week Program For You And Your Dog by Patricia McConnell & Aimee Moore.
At least Battie was trying to figure out what the heck you wanted (by going to his mat) instead of shutting down and tuning you out. If you are teaching a new behavior in class, keep hold of the lead so that he can not leave your vicinity. This would be a good exercise to learn in your little training room at home with less distractions until he gets it.
I just love that Batman is a thinking dog and you are a thinking trainer!
That’s exactly what the trainer said, practice at home until he gets it! We started yesterday. It took him no time at all to get it at home. We did it a few times in the same place, and when given the cue, he ran to that same spot to do it again, even though I wasn’t standing there anymore. LOL. So, I moved to a different room for the next round. This morning, we tried it on the sidewalk in front of our building to shift context further. He is learning it very fast. He is a thinker, that’s for sure! I love seeing the gears turning in his little Batbrain whenever he is learning something new.
Good for Batman and good for you! Dogs see things in pictures. You taught the behavior in that first spot, so Batman “saw” that cue to be go to that spot and do the behavior. You did the right thing by moving to another location to train the behavior again. By retraining the behavior in many different areas, he will start to generalize. Each time you retrain the behavior it will go faster than the last time. Soon he will learn to generalize other behaviors quicker than the last.
He has a wonderful Batbrain and you and he are giving it great exercise. Keep up the good work! And if all else fails beat yourself with the newspaper! 😉