March 2007 - April 2007
My 9 week old new Aussie Puppy - FIND YOURSELF WICKED aka MUMBLE. Don't laugh, my nephews named him. grin Each of my nephews is given a turn at naming the new lambs. They just didn't understand that it didn't apply to new puppies! They had just got done watching the Disney movie - HAPPY FEET and you guessed it..the lead character is Mumble. The name stuck and so here we go!
He comes from strong working lines. He already is the most dominant dog I've ever come across. Besides growling, biting & snapping when he doesn't get his way, he also humps anything he thinks he can! Dominant to the core. So, if you want to come near Mumble..be sure to wear your chain mail! grin This was the FIRST thing we worked on.
The first day with Mumble was spent waiting in the airport in Nebraska and flying in planes to Phoenix AZ. ..He.slept all day. Made my job easier while flying. He flew under the seat in cabin. In between flights, I took him outside to play alittle bit. We really didn't have any problems at all, except for one security gaurd that thought I was bringing an opossum on board! sheeshhh...someone ought to get out more often!
The next day I spent getting to know him. He was attached to a twelve foot line and it pretty much stayed on until bed time. I tried to establish some routine in his life. Get up, go out and potty. Go for walks, take nap, get up, eat...go for another long walk and play sessions, another nap and eat some more - you get it.
What my goals where: get him to recognize his name and a come here whistle, and to follow me. Only his name was vocalized. I did use a grumble sound when he was doing something I didn't want, but I tried to keep that to a minimum, as I don't like correcting a pup all the time..I want to see him doing things in a positive way. Too much correcting takes out the curiosity in a dog. They won't want to do anything. But, I was on vacation in AZ so I got to spend all my time with him. I made sure to be more proactive and have a constant set of toys around or going for walks.
When he was awake, I would call his name, then give a tug on the leash until he looked my way. Then I'd say his name again with the whistle tune...while he was in motion coming to me. Then I spent a lot of time just walking with him. Getting him to follow me. Here is where he put up a fuss. He didn't want to go anywhere. He'd collaspe and not want to move. So, I would add some pressure to his lead and wait until he had to get up. When he did get up, he usually tried to scramble back to the RV. So I just waited until he was finished and turned and looked at me. Then I praised him. I don't want him thinking he can pull harder onto the line. I want
him to feel the pressure, stop & give to it. When he stopped his fussing and looked at me, I turned and walked the other way. For the most part, he trotted right behind me. I didn't blame the little guy, as the RV was something he was familiar with.
Over the next 3 days, that is all our routine was. Doing some name calling, walking, & lots of playing. I took a rag & taped it to along dowel rod. After all, he has to be comfortable with me
carrying a stick (stock cane) in my hand..so I make it really fun.So he gets to chase the rag around and then I can use the dowel part to simulate a low heeling grip. He also loves to play with empty water bottles, too.
By the end of four days, he was finally trusting me and walking when asked. He was also coming to his name & whistle tune..when he wasn't too occupied with something else. Remember, he is still attached to his long line, so he has no choice but to come. He was just turning 9 weeks old at the end of these four days.
Now he was showing more confidence, so I could start some more workwith him. I still worked on name recognition and whistle tune, and working on walking with me. Now the problem wasn't the starting up, it was the finish. He would see the RV from about 50' away & want to run past me to the RV. When he did this I just stopped and let him feel pressure on the line. I waited for him to stop wanting to get to the RV and look at me. At that time I praised him and eventually, he started to come to me. By the time we left the RV park, he was still running past me, but didn't put any pressure on the line...so the line wasn't holding him back, but he was starting to get some self control. My goal is to eventually get him to stay by my side...but we do this in little steps.
I also started to work on some confidence boosting exercises. They were not anything specific...just whatever came along that he wasn't sure about. At first it was the dog bathing tub the RV park had.
That was a nice set up..they had a fenced in kennel run, a couple of grooming tables, a forced air dryer and a nice stainless steel dog bathing tub..complete with stairs for the dog...all under a
permenant canopy..plus supplied lots of doggie poop bags..what a nice RV park. Anyways...he did not like the tub or getting wet from the hose. So, I waited until he became alittle hot. It was Phoenix and in the 80s so it didn't take much. I thought being hot, he would really enjoy the cool water. I would extend the hose out on the floor and get him to sniff it & play with it..then get it to dribble some water out. By the second day of about 2xs a day play sesisons, I was able to squirt him down on the ground, and it took another day for me to be able to water him down inside the tub.
Another confident builder was the 5' piles of sand the RV dumped by our lot. It took about an hour for me to get him to want to climb to the top of one of the sand piles. Even to roll off them and back up. Over the next day, he'd want to run at one as we walked past it. I was building up his drive & desire to want to do things.
Not only does this build his confidence, it also, builds his trust in me, that I wouldn't put him in danger or get him hurt. With that trust, I have to realize we are a pack of two. Him and I. With
packs, strangers aren't just allowed in...the PACK leader gets involved. So I never let anyone just come up to the puppy or let the puppy just want to run up to strange dogs or people. I encountered and intercepted everything first..then if I chose to let Mumble interact I would. BUT..he didn't make the first choice, I did.
Since the RV park was located next to a landing field, it was a flight training school, he got used to airplanes landing & flying low overhead. It is also home to an International Airplane school..so LOTS & LOTS of planes. Then a gang of Harley Davidson riders took residence in the back..so we had Harleys going up & down the lanes all day. Then all the diesel trucks, everyone with a camper had one. Then we got a chance to see B-29 bombers flying in & out, as they took off & landed. they where at the airport giving rides every hour for a few days. Mumble got to the point where he'd hear the Harleys and want to run to the road to see them...after they went by I would let him walk in behind them. He now hears loud roaring noises and goes to them in confidence.
Anything that looked like he wasn't sure with, I let him stand & stare at it until he looked to me and we walked off...or I was able to let him go sniff it. Anything he isn't sure of, he doesn't
startle from or run off...he stops, looks, and walks into it with confidence.
I also started to get him to mirror my actions. I started with the sand pile, & started digging. So naturally, he started digging. When I sat down, he sat down. When I walked he walked, when I
stopped he stopped. This set up for the next things to do.
I started getting him to go up to all sorts of things. A camper, a hose, telephone poles..garbage bags...whatever...and get him to walk right in & sniff it. He is learning to follow the direction his
nose is pointing in.
Now, I put a small rope around his belly, & then out through his front legs. When I moved the rope to one side, I waited for his nose to follow the rope. When his nose moved,
his weight shifted and I got him moving his legs in the direction of pressure. I started getting him to move from pressure in all sorts of directions. Then I started with my hands on his body. Getting him to move off a touch. Move his hind legs, his fore legs, his neck, etc. Picking up feet and holding them in the air for me.
I am still not really telling him any words..other than his name. I am also NOT using ANY food or play drive excitement to get him to work with me. I'm getting him to work with me, because I asked him to and he wants to. WE do play, but it isn't connected with training. He loves to play tug, and retrieve, but that's play.
Our confidence building exercises have lasted an hour or more. When I really worked on pressure with the rope..those lasted not more than 5 minutes. I always made sure he was wanting more and wasn't thinking this was boring or wanting to do something else. I made it fun and interesting for him.
After about a week in Phoenix, we started the long drive home in the RV. BUT...what creative excitement I had at the rest stops. All sorts of new stuff to play on and with! From huge boulders at one rest stop in New Mexico, to hills and creeks at another rest stop in Missouri!
So, now we are home and he is showing a lot of stalking behaviors with my rag on a dowel..which is really cool to see...he isn't chasing it anymore, but trying to herd it around pretty neat to
see. He has also been introduced to my pack of dogs. He's learned which ones he just doesn't run up to, only when asked...& which ones will tolerate him being the dominant little cuss he is. Though I suspect that won't last long..grin.
For Quigley, he has learned do not come near me at while I am down on the ground and if your toy comes in my vicinity, it is MINE.
For Becca, well, she will NOT let him come near her at all...in fact, as soon as she sees him, she is growling. And does he grovel and does his alpha roll. Not infront of her, but in the doorway. She is relentless with him. To this day, March 2008, she still growls at him, and he is not allowed to come up to her. Usually, when I introduced a new dog to her, she left the newbie alone after about a week of chasing it around and dominanting it....not so with Mumble.
For Didgeridoo, well he'll play with Mumble when Didgeridoo wants him too. He's not his true buddy, so he does let Mumble know the order of things, so there is some growling between the two.
As for Huca....well, she doesn't growl at him. And for her lack of assertiveness....he is RELENTLESS with his play with her. Now I have two jobs on my hands. One is to get Huca to be more assertive and the other is to get her more confident so Mumble doesn't just chew her to pieces. It's getting there.
Today he met the sheep for the first time. Just through the boards. Those that know LIlly..will chuckle.. Lilly did her foot stomp thing and Mumble just looked at her & barked trying to get in
the stall for more.
Tomorrow will be more of the same. More hand pressure, work with the stick and rag, name & whistle, confidence and seeing sheep and ducks without fear.
Jean