*Pizza boxes are NOT a training tool.
This story is looking through the eyes of Bai as a way to teach. Just as Bai cannot be Chess do not beleive that either of these two are your dog ,regardless of their similarities.
Through relationships, knowledge, experience, intuition, understanding dog language and thousands of dogs I still can't take all the credit for the amount understanding I have of my boy Bai.
I was incredibly lucky when an animal communicator showed up in my world. What what a wonderful gift it was to use her services, I've learned more about these two boys than i thought possible. Some of the words used to describe Bai, so obviously him, come from Michele, an incredible force.
Bai - a 95-pound bed hog loving the single dog life for sure. He liked Chess, learned from him - mostly he wanted the connection with me that Chess had. He likes to reign as a top dog....of none!
Bai, a beautiful wild child with nothing to lose!! He's young in the mind with a heart of pure gold. He's cheery and cheeky. He's fearless, incredibly agile and loves to keep the world at large with a fierce, forceful, confident and loyal guard.
On paper Bai looks like a machine. A "real" dog. And he is, except he's also got the neediness of a golden retriever.
Imagine a golden retriever x with a malinois (bad ass Shepard), then you have a little idea of the a cool character we call, Bai.
Generally, he’s a long wiggling weirdo who became too much for his original family.
Too big, too agile, scaring people with his big beautiful white teeth at 2 years old. He was possessive of things and resource guarding quite fiercely to name a few of his original unwanted talents.
When I choose, he sleeps in my bed. He still has his own though and is required to use it.
We monitor/manage his resource guarding with food.
Understanding dog language is incredibly important to understanding them, catching the early signs of most built in behaviours after training is for life. It's often nothing more than a check-in every few weeks. Take note of how the dog feels as people walk by (for food resource guarding as an example). Still relaxed? GREAT.
If not, first look at where you maybe be slipping too - as the humans. Are we being consistent in daily interaction? Not following through? Are you a litter mate, or a leader?
Are you just existing in their reality, giving them little to no guidance - let alone leadership?
Leading our dogs through this world is what keeps them proud, safe, excited but in control and enjoying the good life with us more. With out understanding their basic language you may also start to lose their personality through fear, anxiety, aggression, over powering, obsessions, over excitement and so on.
These all lead to the places in which people spend a lot of money on board and trains with the likes of me. Or worse end up not as lucky as Bai the day he was rescued from the vet clinic waiting room, awaiting the call to end his life.
Methods and techniques are a last part of the equation. Finding a trainer that has good technique, great people skill, a high level of understanding of dog body language and the ability to translate it back to the human is key in any type of training.
I haven’t met a regular family yet who’s dog hasn’t had a correction of sorts through time.
Chess would never have stolen food no matter what. Bai boo on the other hand...I left both for 2 mins in the room with my pizza and came back to a rightly fat and guilty dog after destroying 3/4 of my pizza.
I’m HUMAN first THEN trainer, mad and not having even started my dinner, hungrily I grabbed that box and chased him down the house.
Did he love it? He wasn't sure at first, confused a little. Then felt my frustration and knew he was wrong.
Is he fearful of me!? No. Is he scared of the pizza box — I secretly wish LOL
He was more thoughtful after, only recognizikf the need to be smarter as I got smarter. It would never stop him. It would become a game. Fun after a little while.
Chess on the other hand may have become fearful, and/or want to never do it again.
This is a look at l WHO they are. Who they are is how you to mive forward. There are so many aspects to the life of a dog, training is certainly critical. But there are some fundamental factors to know first.
When i take a dog for a board and train I spend a the dirst couple of days building a bond, connection and trust so when the work starts i know a more about who they are before turning around those unwanted behaviours. It does take a trained eye often to see what's beneath that wiggly butt.
But when you have found the perfect fit, you should see a happier dog everyday as they move into a more balanced being.
Bai didn't always have the luxury of being in my bed. We had to establish our relationship first. Right away, as a rescue he was sure of his place in mine and Chess' world.
NO DOGS IN THIS STORY WERE HARMED OR TRAUMATIZED 😜
**do no use your pizza box as a training tool - i highly advise against it…actually.
Both dogs would ultimately have adverse affects if used as a regular consequence or threat. The outcome of each just look different.
In Chess' case and many others the first time, the energy of the frustration thrown his way would have created fear instantly.
Happy dogs!