• penmar

    Member
    October 7, 2010 at 12:06 am
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    Appreciate your thoughts.

    Plan to neuter in two weeks when schedule permits.

    Have always fed quality protein source food with no corn and few grains, and given a fish oil cap every day since he was a pup.

    Never any history of rough handling. All obedience has been clearly teach first, then practice, then proof. E-collar (experienced user) for field work. Pressure has never been an issue in obedience or field work.

    Already has reliable “place” command, so have been trying your suggestion of feeding on place. He complies with no problems. He’s also never had issues with his bowl once it is empty. I have also been putting him in down, placing food down, calling him to me (away from food), then sending to place to eat. So far, so good. Some reluctance to come at first, of course, but complies.

    Trained him to wear muzzle in case I feel the need for it or need to examine his body for injury, etc., though I feel no need for it during obedience. Again, never any issues during obedience or field training (I see the aggressive act following the broken “down stay” as the culmination of an escalating situation that started with his resistance to me pushing him over on his back, and not the result of our “normal” obedience training. I believe his resistance to being pushed over relates more to the resource guarding — his body and place being the “resources” in this case.)

    Have been slowly getting closer with feedings on leash. Can now put the bowl between my feet as he eats. Not sure what I want to do next, because I’m sure if I continue, at some point I’m likely to cross a line and ellicit a growl or more; I then feel that I will have to correct.

    I could maintain the leashed feedings with me at his side (leash gives me control over him) and just be content to manage the situation as-is for the rest of his life. Or I could try to further countercondition.

    Curious about your possible “extinction technique”? Are you referring to flooding (as in your video)? Also, what is the “calming signal” instead of a growl that you mentioned?

    I feel we have made a lot of progress, slowly but surely, but want to continue in a good direction.

    Any thoughts for this “level 10 desensitizing” work?