A question for Butch - regarding Nervous Presa

[SarahC]

Hello Butch and everyone else,

I wanted to ask Butch specifically about a nervous Presa. Female 2 1/2yrs old - nervous - does recover rather quickly - but confidence is low or non existent - always looking to either myself or my husband for constant reassurance -

Question?
Since she is not a good candidate for hardly any kind of competing let alone regular guarding of property and home I wanted to know if it is possible to at least do OB? Go to the shows and get the OB titles? She knows the OB commands - but I am having difficulty keeping her attention - she gets bored real quick. I haven't really wanted to use food as a motivator but she loses interest with toys. I would like to achieve some really advanced OB titles if possible and I am not afraid to put in the work. I just need some guidance. What kind of OB routine should I start out with and for how long? Should I start at home or should I start at a park where there are distractions? Will doing OB build her confidence or help?

Thanks - I don't mind other opinions -
SarahC

[ButchCappel]

Sarah,
Not an uncommon problem with any Mastiff blood, and yes, the OB routine can help. I think all dogs with this problem are helped with any kind of work because it gives them structure. With a routine of Agility or OB or even PP they begin to see a place where they know what is going to happen, and they learn to react in a positive, successful manner.

On the attention problem, before you go to food you might go back to what the cavemen did, simple praise! In tests with heart and blood monitors it was found that physical praise from the owner can elicit the same response as food in all dogs, and even dogs that are not hungry all the time are praise sensitive all the time. Keep the training session short and quit the minute enthusiasm begins to fade.

Start with any OB routine you'ld like, just keep it consistant and let her get security from the "routine" as she accomplishes things. Again limit time to the dogs attention span, but don't forget you can manipulate that a great deal with how you praise, and your own attitude.

Train at home or in a park? Is the last question and I think one of the most important. About 15 years ago I went back to the basic system I learned as a child. For 20 years I had read, studied, and tried every system, technique, or idea, anyone could come up with, then realised that for me the old way was the best way, it is also the basis for what some call the Khoeler method.

In your case the training in a quiet secure enviroment gives the dog a chance to learn the action but also use it as a source of consistancy when the enviroment gets a little shaky. What I mean is that once learned and then put into action in a place with a distraction, the dogs insecurities can be helped by giving it something to do that it is secure with.

Like, "those crazy people are acting strange, and
I don't know what to do about it, but I DO know what to do to get mommys' attention, and I will do it now because I don't know what else to do." ( I hope this makes sense, cause it is what I know, I think, but don't know if I can type it)

Learning in a distraction free area also gives the dog more chances to get the reward, which is a building behavior, vs a correction, which, for an insecure dog can cause more conflict.

Hope that is understandable and helps a little. If not let me know and I will try again.

[josebrwn]

Sarah,

In addition to Butch's comments, I want to suggest that instead of training for an American style Companion Dog trial through AKC or UKC, you might look into the German Begleithund, also known as "BH", or simply "B". The title is offered by the USA and DVG, and there's a list of DVG clubs nationwide here: http://www.dvgamerica.com/

I say this because you will probably have more progress by training your dog in drive, and the BH is a far more "drivey" environment. There's a great video out of Leerburg you should get, called "Training Drive & Focus, with Bernhard Flinks": http://www.leerburg.com/101e.htm

Sometimes the SchH clubs are a little weird about newcomers, especially if you tell them what kind of dog you have before they meet you. It'll help to say you are working towards the BH, and to let them meet the dog. But I looked at a half-dozen clubs before finding one that I liked and that worked out for me, distance-wise, mainly.

Also, everything you learn towards the BH will work towards the CD as well, but you'll find doing OB indoors will pose challenges you didn't anticipate and your dog might not go for it. Silent, low-key OB routines in a 40x40' room just aren't a Presa's forte..

Hey you asked me about spring-poles? Dunno, never used them. ask Butch!

;)