AFG Sallies

[Rainey_angel81]

Your area sounds a lot like around where I work. Everyone knows the dogs though and most people get scared away by Nina slamming against the fence at them or Merlin crashing into the storm door.  

[Krissim Klaw]

Rainey_angel81

Krissim - I disagree with using the clicker for 1 reason. Timing. If you're off by even a smidge, you end up marking for the wrong behavior. Unless your reflexes are really good or if taught by someone else, it's the wrong training tool to use. In a class of 5, usually only 1 person is skilled enough to use it. When I teach a SAR class, I have to individually take clickers and do it for them. I've had dogs who learn half-sits or to pop up immediately because their owner is too early or too late.

Wow really, I thought the clicker would be something most people could pick up pretty easy. One of the great things about it is you are able to mark a behavor in the split second it is happening.

I don't know, maybe I was just lucky or a quick study, but I had no problem picking it up once I learned the basic concept of it from reading a couple books. I never had anyone formally show me how to use it but have still had great success teaching my dog everything from sit, down, stay, stand, go in your crate, drop it, watch me, come, speak and things like loose leash walking. It has been such a big help in building up his confidence when walking around other dogs without feeling the need to growl and bark like crazy to keep them away.

Initially I used it on my cat first (yes he was my test subject before I even got the dog) and was amazed to find I had him offering a sit within the first 5-10 minutes of doing it with him. Really should do should follow through with teaching him a cue for sit and other tricks since he seems like he has been so sedate lately.

Sure, sometimes you mark the wrong behavoir but in the big scheme of things that doesn't matter as long as you are marking the proper behaviors more often than not. I mean in the begining of shaping many responses you are marking for behaviors that aren't anything you want but just steps in that direction. I have just found clicker training so amazing compared to any other method I have tried.

How would you suggest the average person to go about training? Also would you mind pming me the dominance reduction program you are going to type up too? Not really having that issue but I would love to read the info also. Always valued your knowledge when it comes to dogs. ^.^  

[FogSage]

We had some b***h drop a couple of kittens off on our road and take off. My aunt even saw her, and they made eye contact, but apparently the woman didn't care. I found the kitties this afternoon. One was a beautiful and affectionate Maine Coon, while the other was a shy white short-hair. Both were female, appeared to have their claws intact and were too young to be spayed, so perhaps they have half a chance. I'm afraid we can't get involved with them. We already adopted two dogs that were abandoned, which makes four dogs to two kitties, which would mean big trouble. I can only hope they'll be okay. They're probably in the pasture where I found them, which should be full of bugs and mice.  

[shoki_de_nai]

Well, how old are they? I don't think leaving them out there is the best idea. Best case scenario if someone doesn't take them in, they manage to live and become feral cats. Feral cats can cause problems, especially since they're both female.  

[FogSage]

shoki_de_nai

Well, how old are they? I don't think leaving them out there is the best idea. Best case scenario if someone doesn't take them in, they manage to live and become feral cats. Feral cats can cause problems, especially since they're both female.

There's no other choice. Sending them to the vet and putting them up for adoption would be a waste of time, because there are plenty of pets out there for the taking without having to go all that way. We can't take care of them, my sister won't, my mother won't, our neighbor's won't, so it's either they die or they live as feral cats.  

[Rainey_angel81]

FogSage

shoki_de_nai

Well, how old are they? I don't think leaving them out there is the best idea. Best case scenario if someone doesn't take them in, they manage to live and become feral cats. Feral cats can cause problems, especially since they're both female.

There's no other choice. Sending them to the vet and putting them up for adoption would be a waste of time, because there are plenty of pets out there for the taking without having to go all that way. We can't take care of them, my sister won't, my mother won't, our neighbor's won't, so it's either they die or they live as feral cats.

Kittens are adopted more often than grown cats or dogs.  

[FogSage]

Rainey_angel81

FogSage

shoki_de_nai

Well, how old are they? I don't think leaving them out there is the best idea. Best case scenario if someone doesn't take them in, they manage to live and become feral cats. Feral cats can cause problems, especially since they're both female.

There's no other choice. Sending them to the vet and putting them up for adoption would be a waste of time, because there are plenty of pets out there for the taking without having to go all that way. We can't take care of them, my sister won't, my mother won't, our neighbor's won't, so it's either they die or they live as feral cats.

Kittens are adopted more often than grown cats or dogs.

Not around here they aren't. Everybody and their cousin has dogs and cats, and few of them are neutered or spayed, simply because people are irresponsible. Hell, all you need to do is say the word "kitten" and a dozen people are at your side, asking you to take some from a newly born litter.

No, it would do no good at all.  

[Rainey_angel81]

Krissim Klaw

Rainey_angel81

Krissim - I disagree with using the clicker for 1 reason. Timing. If you're off by even a smidge, you end up marking for the wrong behavior. Unless your reflexes are really good or if taught by someone else, it's the wrong training tool to use. In a class of 5, usually only 1 person is skilled enough to use it. When I teach a SAR class, I have to individually take clickers and do it for them. I've had dogs who learn half-sits or to pop up immediately because their owner is too early or too late.

Wow really, I thought the clicker would be something most people could pick up pretty easy. One of the great things about it is you are able to mark a behavor in the split second it is happening.

I don't know, maybe I was just lucky or a quick study, but I had no problem picking it up once I learned the basic concept of it from reading a couple books. I never had anyone formally show me how to use it but have still had great success teaching my dog everything from sit, down, stay, stand, go in your crate, drop it, watch me, come, speak and things like loose leash walking. It has been such a big help in building up his confidence when walking around other dogs without feeling the need to growl and bark like crazy to keep them away.

Initially I used it on my cat first (yes he was my test subject before I even got the dog) and was amazed to find I had him offering a sit within the first 5-10 minutes of doing it with him. Really should do should follow through with teaching him a cue for sit and other tricks since he seems like he has been so sedate lately.

Sure, sometimes you mark the wrong behavoir but in the big scheme of things that doesn't matter as long as you are marking the proper behaviors more often than not. I mean in the begining of shaping many responses you are marking for behaviors that aren't anything you want but just steps in that direction. I have just found clicker training so amazing compared to any other method I have tried.

How would you suggest the average person to go about training? Also would you mind pming me the dominance reduction program you are going to type up too? Not really having that issue but I would love to read the info also. Always valued your knowledge when it comes to dogs. ^.^

It would depend on the dog more than the person. The most common and seems to be the most effective training has been treat or positive based training. The only thing wrong with it, is that the handler becomes a giant treat dispenser and the dogs should want to work for the person, not for the treats.
For the more dominant dogs, you want to keep away from treat based training and go for something more like placement/praise or a correction based training such as the koehler method.

There are those who are really good at clicker training and those who are not. It's more of a personal opinion. I know my agility instructor would only choose certain people to do clicker training with, just because again, most people are so fumble fingered that holding a treat and a leash in the same hand are already too much.  

[Af Mas]

Uh...s**t sweatdrop

I had a bunch of Psych articles in my email inbox that I needed for my research study, and while the emails are still there, the link to the articles are all gone, and I need them, like, by Friday. I think they worked before, but not anymore, so it's my fault for not getting right on that. It's not a total loss, since now it's just a matter of finding those articles again, but that's a huge pain in the a** sweatdrop  

[Hunter Morda]

Oh dear.... the code I was working on doesn't quite work, and I'm not sure why. *Sighs and investigates the code*  

[Lyrim]

I was sick last week, finally feeling a little better and getting back online again. I don't quite know what I had but I was sick as a dog (no offence to the k9s here) and just didn't hardly get out of bed. I'm doing better now and was out roamen round some earlier today and getting some air. Bit too cool for skinny-dipping down at the stream but not so much so that the brisk air doesn't still feel great on your skin. wink  

[Eddily]

Oh joy. My car wouldn't start again yesterday, so once we got it started, we took it into a shop. Found out today what was wrong, the battery was basically dead, the gas tank needed replacing cause it was leaking, and something about the brakes. My dad said it would cost 500-600, but that's an estimate, hopefully we'll know tomorrow how much it is exactly. At least I get it back tomorrow, so I'm not without it for too long.  

[Hunter Morda]

If the battery goes flat again, get them to check the alternator. As for the other parts, it's interesting that the gas tank was leaking... normally they don't leak unless something major has happened to it. And the brakes do wear out slowly.  

[Leyla Giselle]

FogSage

Rainey_angel81

FogSage

shoki_de_nai

Well, how old are they? I don't think leaving them out there is the best idea. Best case scenario if someone doesn't take them in, they manage to live and become feral cats. Feral cats can cause problems, especially since they're both female.

There's no other choice. Sending them to the vet and putting them up for adoption would be a waste of time, because there are plenty of pets out there for the taking without having to go all that way. We can't take care of them, my sister won't, my mother won't, our neighbor's won't, so it's either they die or they live as feral cats.

Kittens are adopted more often than grown cats or dogs.

Not around here they aren't. Everybody and their cousin has dogs and cats, and few of them are neutered or spayed, simply because people are irresponsible. Hell, all you need to do is say the word "kitten" and a dozen people are at your side, asking you to take some from a newly born litter.

No, it would do no good at all.

Wow, you're just heartless. :/ If it was me, I'd take them in, dogs or no dogs  

[Leyla Giselle]

I want to curl up and die
that is all