Anyone sent their dog off to training camp??

marshallka

With all that has happened recently with our dog it has bought it to a head that we really struggle when we have to take our dog to the vet for treatment. We have to wrestle a muzzle onto him and he growls at the vet just by looking at her. We have been like this for 8 and half years now and I have been looking at these places that take your dog for 3 weeks and train even the most untrainable dogs so they state.

We have tried other means of training and nothing has worked on our border collie, we have had a one to one therapist etc but still that did not work, calming herbal tabs and we have talked to our vet about calming medication (not herbal as nothing works there) and they will not prescribe anything. He is just very hyperactive and can growl and walking him on a lead is sooooo stressful as he just constantly whines and barks pulls etc and it actually sounds like he has been run over. We cannot let him off the lead at the moment as he has damage to his eyes (which he did to himself by being hyper) and he often cuts his paws when walking on pavements cause he just wants to get there like yesterday!!.

These places that i am on about are where they take your dog, train them and return them to you a different dog and you get insturctions etc to carry on at home. The one I am interested in actualy says if they cannot do it then you pay them nothing. Its over £650 for the 3 weeks but I think that is a small price to pay for this. I am not after a miracle cure but just to be able to do the simple things. I realise that no dog is perfect but like I say, we really have got one hyper dog here.

Anyone ever tried this with theres?? My vet receptionist mentioned dog borstal for ours yesterday:eek:. We have to take him to the vets again tomorrow and then he may need another op next week and its me that needs some sedatives just for taking him:eek: Although they sedate him he is just too hectic to get a needle into. He has to wait outside the vets til they are ready for him as his barking and whining is too much for them to hear anything.

foreign_correspondent

I wouldn't do it personally - I think how the owner and dog interract together is the key bit, and sending him off to someone else will not develop that rapport and relationship - however, I have no personal experience of them, so that is just my opinion, hopefully someone will come along who has some first hand experience they can share which I am sure will be more useful!

Good luck!

tiff

I agree, my BIL in Ireland sent their dog away for training. When she came back she was still as mad as ever (Lab) and only obeys the kennel owner who trained her. They spent a lot of money on this, completely wasted. Maybe a dog behaviour person would be better?

Kataratarina

a kerry blue

thats the most accurate picture of him:

http://www.anti-dockingalliance.co.uk/BTerrierKerryBlueFordpup.JPG

Kataratarina

sorry wrong post

cheepskate_2

tiff wrote: »

I agree, my BIL in Ireland sent their dog away for training. When she came back she was still as mad as ever (Lab) and only obeys the kennel owner who trained her. They spent a lot of money on this, completely wasted. Maybe a dog behaviour person would be better?

Got to agree,
Anyway it's not the dog that needs training , it's the owner

I wouldnt be happy sending my dog away for intensive training, who knows what sort of methods they use.

Have you looked at his diet as some foods can cause them to be hyper.

marshallka

cheepskate wrote: »

Got to agree,
Anyway it's not the dog that needs training , it's the owner

I wouldnt be happy sending my dog away for intensive training, who knows what sort of methods they use.

Have you looked at his diet as some foods can cause them to be hyper.

I understand what you are saying about the owner but we have had a dog psychologist with him on a one to one and she just said he needs anti anxiety meds to calm him down. She was at a loss with him. We have another dog, a lhasa and when I have spoken to bark busters they say they would need to see him too as he could be half the problem. I must say that our lhasa is actually the boss over the border and he did treat him as his pup from when we had him.

We were advised by the vet some years ago to get rid and that he was just too much so it is not all us but we have persevered with him to yet. It was actually our vet that suggested the dog borstal thing. I am at my wits end with him now with all these vets visits. I don't need the comments "you are the problem". I am wanting help for the situation and not judgement.

We have changed recently to James well beloved and another one that pets at home have suggested. This was only recent though so have yet to see if this has any change.

May ring some more behavourable therapists.

WolfSong2000

if he's a collie it's possible he's not getting enough mental stimulation...I've seen this with collies and they do essentially go crazy from it (one had been locked away in a barn for a few years, tied to a long chain). Not saying yours is this extreme by any stretch, but not many people seem to realize how much physical and mental stimulation collies need. You need to work on making sure your dog knows his place in your family pack...you say your other dog is definitely the boss, but does your collie view you in the same way? If not, this could be part of the reason for his anxiousness and aggressiveness. Try working on simple obedience commands at home, and if the dog is not responding, throw some keys *near* (never at) the dog to get his attention, then calmly repeat the command (you should have tried 2 or three times before resorting to this). Praise him when the dog does something good, no matter how small, and try and ignore the bad behavior.

Once you've got basic command skills down, work in some games - maybe agility, to help with the exercise the dog needs (both mental and physical). If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me

Frugalista

I have to agree with the above posters who say that the dog will probably behave for the trainer - but not necessarily for you. There is more to training than just getting a dog to know "Sit" or "Heel" - there are all kinds of subtle signals that your dog will pick up on, that you may not even be aware of. Also your body language, demeanour and "energy" will all be relevant.

I think you would be better to go on a residential training course (or even "Dog Borstal") where the trainers can teach you to teach your dog and both of you can learn to understand each other. HTH .

marshallka

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

if he's a collie it's possible he's not getting enough mental stimulation...I've seen this with collies and they do essentially go crazy from it (one had been locked away in a barn for a few years, tied to a long chain). Not saying yours is this extreme by any stretch, but not many people seem to realize how much physical and mental stimulation collies need. You need to work on making sure your dog knows his place in your family pack...you say your other dog is definitely the boss, but does your collie view you in the same way? If not, this could be part of the reason for his anxiousness and aggressiveness. Try working on simple obedience commands at home, and if the dog is not responding, throw some keys *near* (never at) the dog to get his attention, then calmly repeat the command (you should have tried 2 or three times before resorting to this). Praise him when the dog does something good, no matter how small, and try and ignore the bad behavior.

Once you've got basic command skills down, work in some games - maybe agility, to help with the exercise the dog needs (both mental and physical). If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me

He will sit, he will stay, he will come back at command but he will NOT go for a walk without making these awful noises and has since a pup and also growling at people that talk "nicely" to him. We can but if a stranger does then he waggs and then growls at them. He is obedient to a point but on the lead and outside the home on the lead he does the whining and spinning and pulling and at the vets he is just goes beserk. He is great with all of us and we understand about the stimulation things but we do constantly try. He is not left alone much at all and is great when left alone and has never ever chewed anything. Its just these two simple things of being able to walk him and getting him to not growl at people and other dogs. We do muzzle him at the vets but getting the muzzle on is a nightmare.

If you actually heard the noise he makes when he is on the lead you would understand what I mean. The vets cringe when they hear it too. I know its excitement too but its contant on the lead. It makes walking him a chore when it should be a pleasure.

Mojisola

marshallka wrote: »

I understand what you are saying about the owner but we have had a dog psychologist with him on a one to one and she just said he needs anti anxiety meds to calm him down. She was at a loss with him.

I would try another behaviourist/psychologist before doing anything else. Different people have different techniques and a range of experience.

I think an expert needs to work with you and your other dog as well as your collie. The way you all interact in vital in changing his behaviour. Could something about the other dog be setting off his anxieties? Does he behave differently when walked alone? Has he ever had a stressful experience while out walking that might have set a pattern?

It's a shame the vet isn't willing to use some calming medication for a trial period.

Well done for continuing to work with him. Some people would have got rid of him before now.