Pushing Benefit

[El Fug]

One thing I noticed the very first time I worked with TC on the pushing exercise was that on our way back to the house he settled into a picture-perfect heel. This was a revelation, for as well behaved and "obedient" TC generally is, he's always been quite the leash-puller ever since I picked him up from the shelter just over a year ago. We're still working on it --- and it's definitely more of a challenge when I'm walking both dogs --- but at least I feel like something is getting through to him.

[Lee Charles Kelley]

It's very cool to read about this unexpected side-effect of the pushing exercise.

Sang wrote a response to one of my blog posts recently about a similar phenomenon where before he did the exercise with his dogs, when he took them out the back door, they would always run down the hill, looking for other dogs or adventures of some sort. "Thanks for letting us out, Dad! See ya later!"

Now, as soon as he opens the back door and they rush outside, instead of running off, they circle around him as if to say, "What are we going to do together?" He has to actually tell them to do their business...

LCK

[El Fug]

I would certainly welcome the "side-effect" that you mention. My dogs tear out like banshees the second I open the door. TC practically leaps down the flight of stairs and does a full-speed squirrel patrol; V is just generally excitable and starts barking and running around and such. I've tried a lot of different strategies related to this behavior --- mostly Cesar-inspired dominant style --- but nothing has really worked. I'm hoping as we get more involved with the NDT methods that whatever it is inside of them that responds to this trigger gets somewhat quelled.

[Lee Charles Kelley]

Originally Posted by El Fug

I'm hoping as we get more involved with the NDT methods that whatever it is inside of them that responds to this trigger gets somewhat quelled.

I think "quelling" what's inside of them would still qualify as something based on Cesar Millan's methods: putting a lid on the dog's energy. What you should be hoping for is that whatever energy is inside of them gets redirected back to you as an emotional connection, which will lead them into "obedience."

LCK

[El Fug]

That was simply inexact and lazy usage on my part. I should have written "slaked" or "satisfied" or something along those lines.

Please remember, though, that for a lot of people, myself included, our introduction into the world of doggie behavioral management came via Cesar's show. And, even though I've grown to dislike many of his methods and interpretations, his show was something of a revelatory event for me the first time I saw it. Before seeing his show, I had always humanized dogs as a reaction to what I saw from people who treated dogs like "dogs," ie, they treated them like a piece of property to be sloughed off in the backyard. Here I was seeing someone who loved dogs but rejected the idea that they were little humans. That in itself was pretty powerful.

(Now that I've gotten that off my chest, Cesar bashing may resume with its usual gusto.)

I do get your point though, Lee. It's the redirecting or channeling of their energy that makes NDT such an interesting methodology to me. As a matter of fact, I just fed my two beasts using the pushing exercise! Good boys.

[neilsattin]

Remember also that Sang has been working at this consistently with his dogs for awhile now. While you can get immediate results (like the heel you described) it can also take some time/consistency/repatterning before you see a change like "bolt out the door goes away".

The point is simply just reassurance that just because you don't see the magic happen instantly doesn't mean it won't happen eventually.

But you know that, I'm sure.

[kubo]

This morning I did some Pushing outside and was actually able to redirect Mochi's energy to me when he saw a cat!! wooohoo! baby steps but it works!!

[Sang]

Yep, it's true. Lee is right about how my dogs just hang around me now when we go out the door. And their "charge" to the door and going outside is SO much less. In fact, my mother came by last week to drop something off at the house. Since she was here and I hadn't gotten home from work yet she thought she'd do me a favor and let them all out for a potty break. Apparently, they came out of their crates, went upstairs, and then just laid down. Then, when she went to take them outside, they each just walked out with her. She commented to me later on how surprised she was, because in the past they used to get SO excited to go out that door, and when the door would open, they would charge out. Like Neil said, I've been doing this consistently with all 3 of my dogs every day for just about every meal they get. There are the rare times I'm rushed and can't do it. Shame on me for not making the time in those moments But, it's become a regular habit, and it's really paying off.

I can totally relate to your dog's drive to chase squirrels, so I'll share another story. My hound/pointer mix was always a squirrel chaser. We used to live in a neighborhood called Oak Park because of all the Oak trees. Needles to say, LOTS of squirrels. And when she was a puppy, she had free reign of the backyard to chase them. You can imagine how much of a charge the squirrels put in her, as she'd always chase them and never get to have that energy resolved.

We now live on a hill covered with trees, and no fence. Not as many squirrels as in Oak Park, but squirrels appear nonetheless. After doing the pushing with her consistently for a while, the coolest thing happened. One day I was out there with her and a squirrel ran by. Now, she wasn't far from me and the squirrel ran by on the hill, so it didn't cross directly in front of her path, but in the past just the sound of something running would have made her take chase. So what happened this time? She looked up, saw the squirrel, then immediately looked at me. As soon as she looked at me I got excited and took off running. She chased after me instead of the squirrel, and then we did some pushing and she was satisfied. She circled around me, we played some more, and then we went inside. Now, some people might tell me something along the lines of, "Yeah, but I bet your dog doesn't have as much energy as mine". Well, this is a dog that used to need an hour of frisbee play and intense exercise EVERY day. Which I made sure she got, otherwise she wouldn't be able to get to sleep at night. But she was NEVER satisfied. Always excited around the house, pacing around. She could never settle down. Once I started doing NDT with her and the other dogs, she and the other 2 are SO chilled out and relaxed in the house. And they all sleep like babies. Amazing.

[Sang]

Originally Posted by kubo

This morning I did some Pushing outside and was actually able to redirect Mochi's energy to me when he saw a cat!! wooohoo! baby steps but it works!!

Kudos! That's awesome!

[donnieo]

Sang;

Your story about your squirrel-chasing dog definitely gives me hope. Jinxsie is mad about the squirrels, and I have yet to get a really good redirection in when she sees them. I always try to redirect her before she gets too excited but if one bolts past her she goes nuts right away. I've been trying to run the other direction and get her to give me a "hup", but so far it hasn't really worked. I think I just need to keep pushing with her and maybe fast her for a day before I try the conflict training again. I have been able to get her to push when there are other dogs around or cats, but the squirrels seem to be the biggest challenge.