What does your dog do when they don't want to do something?

• 03-28-2009 6:41 PM

  corvus Joined on 08-02-2006 Australia (NSW) Posts 2,767 Points 80

  What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  And what do you do then? I was thinking about this after the choke collar thread. Kivi Tarro is a master of passive resistance. If I am trying to brush him or put a harness on him or move him somewhere and he doesn't want to do it, he will often lie down and go limp. If he's really not keen on what we're doing he'll roll over and deliberately go limp on whatever part of his body I need to get to. I was trying to comb out some matts behind his ears yesterday and he flopped about until he had the side of his head I wanted to get to on the ground under my leg. He then did his sack of potatoes trick when I tried to lift his head so I could get to the knots again. It was kind of funny trying to deal with his rubber neck, but his strategy was pretty effective and I ended up offering a compromise and combing some other parts of him and going back to the ears later. He has a similar strategy when I'm trying to get him to go somewhere he doesn't really want to go. I usually guide him with a hand on his side and when he is in a cooperative mood he will happily go where I guide, but sometimes he knows I'm going to kick him out of the lounge room or guide him away from the hare's cage and he'll do this thing where he'll duck away from my hand at the last minute and go a different direction. In these cases we don't compromise because he's gotta go where I'm sending him and I have to come back and try again, this time with two hands so he can't duck away from me. When Penny doesn't want to do something she grumbles. If it's something I need her to do I ignore her. Otherwise I'll let her have her way or compromise somehow. I'm big on compromises with my animals. I'm also big on upping the stakes a little and offering a better reward or a reward for something not as hard and then working up to it.   Mourning Penny. We were going to be young together forever, but I'm glad we grew up together instead.

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• 03-28-2009 7:07 PM

  In reply to corvus

  Liesje Joined on 03-02-2007 Posts 10,629 Points 655	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  If my dogs are stressed, they avoid eye contact and yawn.  *Kenya* UCH Alta-Tollhaus-Krieger Lamb Chop OB1 FO RA CL1-R CL1-F HIT TT TDI CGC *Coke* VPC's Coca-Cola HIT CGC *Nikon* SG UCH ptd Alta-Tollhaus Bono HIT CGC *Ana* Alta-Tollhaus Havanna
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• 03-28-2009 8:19 PM

  In reply to Liesje

  tiffy Joined on 09-10-2007 Tacoma, Wa. Posts 2,864 Points 260	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  Ditto. Tootsie does this also.
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• 03-28-2009 9:52 PM

  In reply to tiffy

  jennie_c_d Joined on 09-10-2007 Southeast Georgia Posts 11,804 Points 370

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  Emma flops. If I want to trim her nails, all four feet land underneath her. She's the Queen of Flop. If I want  her to go somewhere she doesn't want to be, she turns 19 lbs into 1900 lbs. FLOP! Sorry, Ma, not today. I'm not into force, much, myself, so I'll usually just tell her, "Sorry, you gotta do it, heel" for the not going flop. Then, I reward the heel heavily. For the nails, ears, whatever flop, I'll have her sit, then reward her  and do what I need to do.   Ena squiggles, squirms, spins, and leaps when she doesn't like something. We're struggling with this, right now. The other day, I picked her up to put her into the raised tub, and she leapt from my arms. This is DANGEROUS, and scary. Crested legs break, easily. I'm undecided, what to do for that one, besides the obvious hang on better, LOL.

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• 03-29-2009 8:50 AM

  In reply to jennie_c_d

  Kim_MacMillan Joined on 11-21-2006 Eastern Canada Posts 1,911 Points 200

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact Generally the same thing as Liesje's dogs. Gaci will yawn, put her ears back, or avert her gaze. Shimmer in particular will lay down when she's confused or unsure about doing as I ask. Not much fazes Zipper, in truth, and I actually don't really ever ask much of him as I don't have to. His only thing, which I think is funnier than anything, is his aversion to putting his "boy parts" (he's intact) on cold surfaces. It's the funniest thing to watch him comply without actually doing it. He won't lay down on cement/cold tile/etc unless there is a mat or blanket. In agility, for the first while when Gaci still found it quite stressful she would tell me when she was "done" and would go to her kennel on her own. I had to learn to read her to know when she was ready before she gave up so that I could then ask her to go to her bed so she didn't learn that she could just quit when she was ready, but at the same time acknowledging her stress. By pushing just a little longer each time, without going over, she now has not run to her kennel now in a couple of months while practicing agility. Zipper, 6 yo. Gaci, 5 yo. Shimmer, 2.5 yo.

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• 03-29-2009 9:38 AM

  In reply to corvus

  dstull Joined on 09-10-2007 Bovina, TX Posts 143 Points 0

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact     All dogs will do the "flop" if they think it's bath time. Each one needs to first be located (under bed, behind doors, under desk), then they will walk with me to the door of the grooming room where they flop. I have to carry them the final few steps to the tub!!      Several will lie down and try to be invisible if I'm putting wet, muddy dogs in the runs to dry off. Fortunatley, the dogs that try the invisible BC look are usually the dogs that are clean and dry, and as soon as tthe run doors are shut they dash for the house.

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• 03-29-2009 10:26 AM

  In reply to Kim_MacMillan

  BlackLabbie Joined on 01-28-2008 South of Boston Posts 3,380 Points 280

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact Kim_MacMillan: Gaci will yawn, put her ears back, or avert her gaze. Apollo does that, too. -Stephanie Apollo- black Labrador Retriever Molson- buff American Cocker Spaniel Patty- black American Cocker Spaniel "Q: If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? A: A dog, so my wife would love me more." -Oscar De La Renta

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• 03-29-2009 10:32 AM

  In reply to corvus

  micksmom Joined on 09-10-2007 Warren Co, NJ Posts 2,615 Points 200	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact Caleb's a brat- looks at something else and pretends he doesn't hear me.  A firm "Caleb Takoda" gets his attention, tho. All the Angels were busy so they sent me Caleb instead.
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• 03-29-2009 11:00 AM

  In reply to micksmom

  the_gopher Joined on 08-02-2006 New Hampshire Posts 1,911 Points 60

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  If Ari doesn't want to do something because to her there's something else that's more fun, she'll turn her head and I swear she's saying "la la la I don't heaaaar youuuu!".  If she's stressed, she'll yawn and get fidgety.  If it's just something she doesn't want to do, because she's bored - I'll work with her on being more excited and do something quick I know she thinks is fun, and then go back to what I actually want her to do.  If she's stressed, I remove her from the situation that I put her in (because it was too much for her obviously) and work on slowly getting her back to what I want her to do in a higher stress situation. ~Sharon

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• 03-29-2009 11:30 AM

  In reply to Liesje

  Jewlieee Joined on 03-23-2007 MI Posts 7,743 Points 4,510	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact When I pull out the harnesses they all go run and hide. Basically, that just reminds me that I haven't made the harness a positive thing and I get out treats.
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• 03-29-2009 11:46 AM

  In reply to Jewlieee

  Infiniti Joined on 08-06-2007 Chicago Suburbs, Illinois Posts 1,942 Points 300

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact Jewlieee: Basically, that just reminds me that I haven't made the harness a positive thing and I get out treats. I had a similar situation happen with Nike a few weeks ago when I pulled out his leather lead, only to have him run and hide.  I realized that I hadn't been making that leash positive, as it's the one that we use when we're going somewhere to socialize and get him more people experience (which is nervewracking for him since he's still shy).  I felt like such a bad person, super guilty.  We're working on it now. For Nike, if he doesn't like something, he runs and hides.  Honor does the look away "I can't hear you thing", and Eli turns into a rock on the ground.  He'll lay there, glued to the ground.  Honor's the champion of selective hearing, especially when she's gotten into something she knows she shouldn't have. Lisa and: URO1 'PR' AliAK's Vereesa Windrunner RL1, CGC, TDI - "Honor" - Alaskan Klee Kai Victory At Marathon - "Nike" - Shetland Sheepdog URO1 RBIS GRCH 'PR' AliAK's Ain't No Mountn Hi Enf, CGC, TDI - "Eli" - Alaskan Klee Kai BIMBS BISS GRCH 'PR' Alaskai's Nikiski V AliAK, CGC, TDI - "Nikki" - Alaskan Klee Kai Dubby - Holland Lop http://lisa-itsadogslife.blogspot.com/

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• 03-29-2009 11:55 AM

  In reply to corvus

  4HAND Joined on 05-28-2008 Posts 596 Points 35	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact corvus: he will often lie down and go limp.   Ha Noel does that too.Around here we call it "turning jelly blob".Turbo will run away and hide if he sees the towel to dry his feet or if he's not ready to come in from outside yet.Jewel will just do whatever I ask and give me the "How could you do this to me?" look. Tena
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• 03-29-2009 12:03 PM

  In reply to 4HAND

  kpwlee Joined on 06-17-2006 North Carolina Posts 7,217 Points 535

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact  what I am the only one who's dog turns into a mule??  Oh yea he is a mule The funniest is when he is too hyper with guests and you say - come on you're going upstairs - he will go near the guests and turn into a mule - no way you gonna move him becuase he will go somewhere where you can't reach him properly without bothering the guest and he turns into a mule.  It is very funny and not one person has ever done anything but laugh. For baths he just stares at you like - you know I hate this, but I'll let you do it and then he stoically hops into the tub. Can't think of anything else that bothers him LOL

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• 03-29-2009 12:17 PM

  In reply to kpwlee

  mudpuppy Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 5,991 Points 100

  Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact the Danes know full well that no one can move them if they don't want to so they just stop moving and avoid eye contact. the herding dogs generally are eager to please so they don't ever seem to not-want to cooperate. Except about going home, when they are mysteriously slow to move towards the car and have to stop and smell all sorts of things.

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• 03-29-2009 12:29 PM

  In reply to kpwlee

  sl2crmeg Joined on 10-08-2006 New Smyrna Beach, FL Posts 4,603 Points 405	Re: What does your dog do when they don't want to do something? Reply Contact kpwlee:  what I am the only one who's dog turns into a mule??  Oh yea he is a mule My mom's boxer mix does that! If you want him to move he just stands there LOL.
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