This is under the rant section because ... well, I'm about to rant.

 

Since walking Chena in the off-leash area didn't work out so well, I had to find another way to get her some good exercise. Sure walking is fine but she needs a better work out than what I can give her in a walk. She needs to jog by my bike! I bought the "walky dog" bike attachment and wow, it's great! 

 

What's not so great and here comes the rant, is the stupid people at the "off-leash" park.

 

There is a bike path that is on the outskirts of the off-leash dog park.  The bi-law does state that bike paths (regardless of where they are) are actually "on-leash" areas. In other words, no off-leash dogs allowed on the bike paths. Not only do the people at the dog park ignore this bi-law, they walk on the path and let their dogs chase us, run up to us and interfere with us while we are on the bike!  Mostly the dogs are trying to run up to Kachina, who is attached to the bike. NO SHE DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY AND I DON'T CARE IF YOUR DOG ONLY WANTS TO SAY "HELLO" .... I'M ON MY BIKE A$$ H#$%S - GET OUT OF MY WAY.

 

You'd think that would be an easy concept to comprehend. Nah!  The other day, Kachina and I were on the path - it's a quick way for us to get to Fish Creek park by bike - and this guy was walking his two dogs (one a Great Pyrenees mix and the other a beagle mix) and the big one ran straight for Kachina.  I had to stop as the dog cut in front of my bike and Kachina got out of her harness and proceeded to give the dog a correction Kachina style. I laid the bike down and ran over and got Kachina, mean while dopey owner is kicking at his dog or swiping at it with the leash. Oh effective ... not.

 

I grabbed Kachina and left. I didn't say anything and wonder if I should have? I don't know. Would it actually do any good?

 

Another time, we were minding our own business riding along and there was this herd of poodles. Hmmm herd of miniature sheep. Hey, if I had it my way, I would have let Kachina have a herding lesson but knowing how dog owners can be, we declined the offer and continued on the bike ... . Okay we tried to continue on the bike but these little things kept chasing us and trying to attack Kachina.  You know, if she actually got hold of one of the little dogs, she'd be the one in trouble. Stupid owners!  In that case, we just sped up and out ran them.

 

The stories go on. There was the time when this little terrier cut in front of the bike, causing me to slam on the brakes and tried to attack Kachina as I held her back and kept yelling "Shoo" to the dog so it wouldn't get near her.  Dopey owner didn't even bother to call his dog.  Damn! I didn't say anything that time either. 

 

Frustration builds. I hate cutting through the dog park but there isn't much choice if I want to visit Cathy or go to Fish Creek Park.  New strategy needed. Cattle prod for protection? Hmmm don't want to hurt the other dogs ... but maybe I could use it on the owners?  Note to self - bring bail money.  Okay plan B.

 

Once again having to cut through the evil underworld I saw a gathering up ahead - people and labs on the path. Oh great! So I yelled out:  "Watch your dogs, mine bites!"  Hey, the clearing of the red sea .... hmmm I think I'm on to something.  One yahoo let her dog go too soon and it started to chase us and then Kachina went GGGGGGrrrrrr and the owner called it back.  Hello, what part of .... my dog bites makes you think that if your dog catches up to us all will be cookies and milk? Bah! 

 

I haven't been there since last week (last incident). I have to be in battle mode and just haven't felt like it.   But ... I'll be back. 

 

 

Well I've learned a lot and am finally having some success with Kachina and her dominance issues.  I gleaned all that I could from training books, various web sites & DVDs (already mentioned in earlier blog). Information is a good thing.

 

So the latest tool that I've acquired - and now I can say that I've tried them all - is the "Remote Trainer" or electric collar. Some people claim that tools such as prong collars and remote trainers are cruel training methods and to that I say - any tool, when used improperly, can be cruel. A flat collar can injure your dog's neck just as much as a prong collar. The thing is that when you are using a prong collar, you don't need to give as strong of a correction.  With a remote trainer, you do have a choice of settings which can deliver a correction no more harsh than a choke collar (with out the choke). 

 

Naughty Kachina LOL.  She was into fence fighting, trying to bite the lawn mower tires, chasing horses (or anything else) and dominating any dogs she could get her paws on.

 

Fence Fighting in the yard: Every time I let her out she would run down the center of the lawn and bark, announcing her arrival to the other dogs in the area. From there, she would run to the back fence and see if she could get something going with Teko. If he wasn't out or interested, the bichon/shitzu's next door were always good for a fence fight. 

 

I tried blocking off the areas where she would go. That works to some degree.

 

I tried leashing her and walking out with her.  That works until I take her off leash.

 

I tried giving her a correction (scruff her, dominant roll thing, spray water at her ...) - it all works ... once. The next day, or next time I let her out ... she'd do it all over again.

 

I spoke with a dog trainer who works with the remote trainers and he suggested that when using the remote trainer - I give her a "continuous" correction so that she associates her behavior and the fence with well ... land mines.  I tried it and it does work beautifully.  I do find though that I have to reinforce it from time to time and now she may run up to the fence and engage for a moment and then she must remember because she stops when I call her or say "no". 

 

Progress!

 

The remote trainer is an excellent tool for eliminating behavior such as chasing horses or trying to bite the lawn mower tires.  These behaviors need to be exterminated because if they are not, the dog can be injured or killed. It is a life and death situation.  

 

We went out to visit Cathy's horses and when they started running, Kachina wanted to chase them.  I gave her a fairly strong correction (hit the boost button which took the correction from a level 2 to level 4).  I did this twice and she left the horses alone.  I wonder if I'll need to reinforce this next time.

 

With the lawn mower, I just had to use the "nick" button a couple of times and she left the lawn mower alone.

 

I found it interesting how quickly the dog learns that "no" means "no". You can be especially effective when using a remote trainer because when you call the dog and she doesn't come, you can give her a correction - where as before, without the remote trainer, if you call her and she doesn't come ... it's too late by the time you catch her.  The dog quickly learns that the leader can correct her and control her from a distance using "magick".

 

It's a good tool. I bought the Innotek 300 and so far, I'm impressed.