Jan Fennel - books/methods

gettingready

I have read Dog Listerner, now I am on this one:




They are nice to read books but there is not much in them in terms of "instructions", is there?

Or am I missing something?

I understand the bit about eating first before feeding the dog (and I quite like crackers LOL), the bit about ignoring the dog for 5 min after coming back home - those 2 are fine.

But - saying "thank you" to a dog barking if someone knocks on the door... ermmmmmm. Zara does not shut up to "thank you" she dows not shut up for ages if someone knocks/buzzes the intercom. Regardless if I let them in or not. So?????

What is the 4th rule? Something about walking out of the door first and something else on walks?

Who is up to scratch with this "system" and can enlighten me?

Thanks a million

gettingready

And that whole "amichein bonding" - very mixed thoughts all over the net as far as that is concerned....

Anyone comments from dog people on here?

Frugalista

We had Jan out to "consult" on one of our dogs approx 10 years ago. Cost a fortune and was pretty much a total waste of money .

Turned out his behavioural problems were due to him being hypothyroid (thanks Dr Jean Dodds) but when I told her, Jan still insisted her methods had worked and mentioned him in one of her books as a "success story"

We couldn't get our head around the "Amichien" thing either, although the "eating from their bowls" and door etiquette did produce some results.

She is a very nice woman - but as mad as a box of frogs :rotfl::rotfl:.

We didn't continue with her methods :whistle:.

lostinrates

I know nothing about this method, but one of the local trainers I was thinking of finding more about with the aim of 'setting up' dh with for the puppy (I am hoping to take a back seat' mentioned this. So was planning on reading up on it to see if it's something we could work with. Anyone got any more positive feed back, or is this one off the list?

gettingready

As I said, read one of her books, half way through the other.. and TBH - very, VERY mixed feelings...

I can not see much difference between her and CM - in the "I am the boss" way of "working" the dog ideology. Bit different methods but still...

CM may use physical punishement to get his way but JF psychological ones (ignoring) are quite cruel to me too.

Hmmmm

krlyr

Probably some alright stuff in it but lots of it I don't like. Like you say GR, pyschological abuse if not physical. Her method often involves completely ignoring a dog for days or even weeks, including dogs with behavioural issues that could be worsened by the lack of interaction (she doesn't allow you to take them out for walks during this period either!)
I've heard from a few people who have trained using her methods (bear in mind that you just sign up, pay your money, do her courses and become an approved "trainer" - franchise scheme that doesn't require much dog knowledge/skills) and they've all said that you have to stick to her method *completely* or she won't allow you to use her name. So if you liked x and y bits but disagreed with z method, you have to suck it up or split from her completely. Screams money-grabber to me, why would you not accept that some trainers found slightly different methods worked for them?

I'm not keen on anyone who calls themselves a dog whisperer/listener anyway, gimmick phrase that puts me off completely.

gettingready

Yup.. thanks everyone... I will finish reading the book - I read CM books too. Does not mean I will use what I do not agree with.

Zara does not jump on me when I come back home, she "wriggles" like a snake and asks for cuddles - why would I ignore her when I am happy to see her too?

Going out first - does it REALLY matter?

Food first - that actually I will use as she is a greedy cow (LOL) for everything apart for dog food. I already feed cats on the worktops and stand by and watch them finish or she will have it. She will not take food from them (if I am there to watch or not - does not matter, she lets them eat in peace) ever but sits/lies down and waits for them to finish so she can do the "washing up". BUT cat food is not good for her (weight) so need to clear up after them myself.

But she is a pain when I eat - biscuits especially.. (hmm, me bad) so now I eat one over her bowl (on the worktop - bowl not me) and then give her her food and she eats it all.

Before I used to just leave her food and she would pick on it whenever.. Now we have meal times.

But that is possibly the only useful (for me) thing...

gettingready

I was hoping to find something about dealing with the dog agression but.. considering Zara is not well, I will see how she is when better as I believe the reason may be her being in pain (althout on metacam) and uncomfortable so will see how she is when she is better my fury baby...

pawsies

Not a fan for similar reasons to krlyr.

Whenever I watched the programme regardless of what the dog's issue was they just had to ignore it!
Glad she's phased out a bit but taken over by a worse trainer. I wonder what CM thinks of her and her of him?

krlyr

If you want some good reading on dog aggression/reactivity I'd say

Patricia Mcconnell - Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Reactive Dog
Jean Donaldson - Fight!: A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-dog Aggression
Emma Parsons - Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book)
James O'Heare - The Dog Aggression Workbook
Grisha Stewart - Behaviour Adjustment Training

elsien

I think I got as far as the amichien thing, thought "what a load of doggy pychobabble" and gave up at that point.
I did all the going through the door first, but that was mainly so I could see if it was safe to loose mutt onto an unprepared world! Ignoring her when I first came in was also necessary as she got so overexcited that she was all teeth otherwise.
And having followed all the tips, mutt was still an unsociable sh1te/complete nervous wreck. What worked for us was old age, when she got too knackered to misbehave much. So give it 12 years and Zara should be fine.:D