phermes1 wrote:If any of my dogs stir up trouble, they get their butts kicked. Plain and simple.
IMHO, I think cutting off the air supply is an excellent way of getting your point across without causing unnecessary or permanent damage to the animal.
You are not going to fix an aggressive dog with sugar cookies and squeakie toys.
Not when the dog is stressed and ready to fight. A dog ready to fight is not mentally prepared to learn anything. There is a difference between training a behavior and suppressing a behavior. If all you want to do is suppress aggression, work the dog over, It will learn that if it is aggressive when you are around, it will be hurt. It will stop fighting when you are around.
Apparently we have a serious philosophical difference about dog training methods, with Ceasar Millan being referred to as an authority who uses choking and dominance rolling a dog. Millan has a successful show. I- its on TV. He can refilm until he gets what he wants 2-There are as many experts who refute his methods as being cruel and only effective short term as there are who believe he is right. The following url leads to a criticism of his methods. It is a good read and something to think about.
http://www.4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm.
I don't expect any of you to change your training methods. They work for you and you are happy with the results, or you would change. But there are other ways to teach dogs that work too. Different is not automatically wrong.
MY suggestions had to do with avoiding the situation (removing the dog from stress) and training new behaviors. If the dogs fight each other every time they meet, why expect any other behavior from them if you haven't taken the time to teach proper behavior. Why don't they know that when the leash is off, the hunt starts. After a few times, it isn't the dogs fault. It's the trainer. If they are good dogs, take the time to teach them how to behave. Nobody even really knows why these two dogs fight.
A comment was made about my beliefs being something to do with a generation difference in thinking. As I am probably older than most of you, this is a mistaken assumption. I've worked with some trainers, some dogs, and read some books, shot a few birds over dogs.
I think this conversation has gotten too heated to be productive. My fault. I used the wrong euphemisms to describe hitting and hanging out to dry. I am going to go shovel snow off my roof.