Heres Tyler cooling Aries off after a super hot recall training session in the back yard. Not only does Aries look adorable in this video, but the video also brings up an important reminder. We - the humans in charge - are responsible for keeping our dogs energy levels in check. Often, when dogs fight, or become obsessively fixated on their own shadow, a laser, or the stream of a hose, it is because whatever anxious or insecure energy theyre holding onto escalates to an unmanageable level. What we see -- and often misread as cute or as our dog just having fun -- is the manifestation of an uncomfortable state of mind. German Shepherds have a tendency to behave in this way, so Tyler and I talked about using the potential for excitement around the hose as a tool for teaching Aries self-control, and helping him strengthen his recall by using it as a distraction. We are not quite at this level with Aries yet, but it is good to set goals! Pretty soon, I hope to see Aries in a calm down-stay with the hose running in front of his face, and coming when called in spite of the great desire to stop instead and play in the water. Of course there are also simply fun, play-in-the-hose moments, which are fantastic. And some playtime in the hose is a great reward for a job well done on a hot summer day!
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 22:26:48 +0000
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