Do you make sure your dog has enough exercise?
I do indeed. We go for long walks in the park, do working trials and I throw balls and do trick training.

Do you use "calm Energy" when handling your dogs?
I actually try to be enthusiastic most of the time. To be honest I often think I must sound like a complete nutter when I'm training my dog. My voice changes from a low sharp tone to get my dogs attention to a high happy one when he is paying attention.

I do believe that the worst thing you can do in training is loose your temper. I believe it is worse than any physical violence.

Have you ever used Foot tapping for attention?
Actually no but mainly because I like to touch my dog's body to get his attention and the foot would be too low - or it would leave me hopping along on one foot of course.

Have you ever used Foot tapping for correction?
I don't really believe in physical corrections for dogs. However interestingly not for the reasons that most people do.

Personally I doubt they work. I was one of the kids who never allowed smacking to work on me and just got worse with it. Dogs are tough. Hugely tough. Much tougher than humans which can be pretty tough. I don't believe that physical violence that I would be prepared to use on my dog would ever work. If physical violence works I tend to think that it is because of the underlying emotions. So why not dispense with the violence altogether?

Have you ever used "tsstg" for attention
I have, I also use a whistle to attract my dog's attention.

Have you ever used "tsstg" for correction
I've used it to get my dog's attention so that I can get him to do something else. I fail to see how a word could possibly be a correction to be honest.

Have you ever used the "hand bite" for attention
The what? I've tapped my dog to get his attention before. My dog has occasionally run at me with his mouth open before. I doubt anyone could mistake that for a hand!

Have you ever used the "hand bite" for correction
Nope, see above. Additionally I fail to see why I have to pretend to be a dog. Dogs may live with dogs, they also live with HUMANS we co-evolved together. I'm meant to be the smart one in the pairing. The idea of dealing with a dog is that we out think them so they do what we want because it is also WHAT THEY WANT. I have a dog because I want it to be fun...

Do you use prong collars
No. Without training my dog is perfectly happy to strangle himself on his collar (I correct this of course). I doubt a prong collar would work.

Do you use the illusion collar, or other NONslip slip collar
Nope

Have you ever used flooding to overcome your dogs fear
Probably not what you mean but when he was a puppy I took him everywhere with me. I guess that was flooding. Also if he's spooked by anything I lead him gently to at at his own pace to see that there really is nothing to fear from that plastic bag.

Have you ever pinned your dog to the floor
Um, yes. Quite often. I've also grabbed him and rolled over on my back which is I guess really bad for dominance? I have to clip his nails occasionally and I want to know that he won't object to any of this.

To be honest I doubt Jet would bat an eyelid if Ceaser pinned him. However it wouldn't happen as there is NO WAY I would let him anywhere near Jet.

Have you ever pinned your dog to the fllor for any reason other than aggression
I would never pin my dog for aggression. He's never shown any aggressive signs anyway. Which is nice.

Do you alpha roll your dog?
If I ask him to roll over or play dead he alpha rolls himself. Does that count? It's even better as he does it from a distance.

All joking aside I don't really like CM. I find him dull. He always does the same things. There is NO way I would let him anywhere near my dog which I guess means I'm an anti?

I was at a puppy class once where we were told to grab our dogs necks until they stopped struggling. Now I live on the 3rd floor and my dog was really used to being carried around. So he just flopped down. I thought he'd done really well. But no, apparently he was showing dominance by refusing to sit up. I have no idea how he was meant to know he was to sit up straight rather than flop down.

I left the class fairly soon after that and certainly didn't let any of them near him. (They also told me my dog was going to turn into a bag of nerves in a couple of weeks as he was a collie - never happened, oh and they were APDT trainers).

No---it is interesting that of all the choices the one people have chosen as being important is the walking.

rune

Brill post thankyou for taking the time to respond

Its a same no other CM fans apart from scarter have replied

I walk duds several times a day, quite long walks, not just for the pees n poos, but because he loves it,i also wanted to put the calm approach too but it wouldnt let me, a few times when we ve been walkin, ive "gone into the zone" and been really relaxed, and he has too, On occasions we came across really yappy snappy dogs off lead and ive tensed up , he reacted immediately and laid down wouldnt budge till they passed, on 2 occasions the little bu**ers bit him, luckily he has a thick coat n all they got was a gob full of fur, so yes some of cm s techniques work.

Thanks for your reply!! esp as a newbie, as these CM threads can get heated!!!!!

I love the feeling of just me & the dogs walking & thinking.

Obvisley CM does adovcate Lots of Exercise & Calmness! Both of these do lots of good for dogs, & CM has done some good it piushing these two things forward to the gen public.

Of course all good owners would be doing this anyway, without CM, & we have all for years!

Do you make sure your dog has enough exercise?
I make sure they have mental and physical exercise at the levels needed for the breed and animal

Do you use "calm Energy" when handling your dogs?
Nope, I try and understand the dog and why it is doing what it is doing - understanding means I dont get angry. I get excited when I need to - and of course sometimes I am nervous - but I make sure and train my dogs not to anticipate an attack just because silly mummy is a bit jumpy

Have you ever used Foot tapping for attention?
I tap my foot on the floor to point out where a dropped treat has gone. I tickle my dogs with my feet when they are closer than my hands - No dog will fear any part of my body
Have you ever used Foot tapping for correction?
Nope - it wouldnt be 'correction' it would be punishment - which dress up in any words you want that is kicking the dog
Have you ever used "tsstg" for attention
I have a 'CM's gonna get you' game where I tsst, hand bite, foot tap, giggle, roll on floor and get covered in doggy kisses

Have you ever used "tsstg" for correction
Nope - I have a non reward word to let the dog know it has done something that is not going to get rewarded for - but its information not correction

Have you ever used the "hand bite" for attention
Nope, I may gently stroke the head to see if the dog is paying any attention to me or totaly focused on another thing - but I wouldnt try and startle it
Have you ever used the "hand bite" for correction
Nope

Do you use prong collars
No they are cruel and stupid ways for bullys with no imagination

Do you use the illusion collar, or other NONslip slip collar
No they are cruel and stupid ways for bullys with too much imagination

Have you ever used flooding to overcome your dogs fear
No, I try and get out of a situation before the dog is too stresed

Have you ever pinned your dog to the floor
Sort of - I train them to let me touch them all over and hold them so a vet can safley look at them even when it hurts (thankfully I did that!)

Have you ever pinned your dog to the fllor for any reason other than aggression
See above - to pin a dog for aggression is cruel and stupid

Do you alpha roll your dog?

I think the whole concept is flawed! I have trained my dogs to let me see their tummies so I can check wounds and put cream on

Sometimes Ben rolls over and shows his tummy if he thinks I am angry - I always make sure I lighten up and let him know I am not angry with him - he is a soft wee sausage

I agree with the exercise , and the calm energy. And having watched people go to him as a last resort having been kicked out of behavioural classes what can you say against the guy? ok maybe hes a showman, even a bit smarmy, maybe he annoys you acting up to the camera? the fact is that he gets results, and if the dogs are so scared of him , why do they look at him so adoringly and lick his face , the owners testify to his success so job done.

Don't believe everything you see on tv though!
Here, the dog world is a small one and I know of several trainers who are very unhappy because tv programmes made out that the dogs they were helping with were bad dogs and the owners desperate when in fact the situation was nothing of the sort.
In fact it was the owners, desperate to get on tv, that were the problem. I never ever believe that CM has last resort dogs, and it is only he who can help them, because many of us work with problem dogs and frankly I've not yet seen a dog on CM that I didn't think was not worked up by him beforehand and the programme seriously edited.
As for face licking - dogs may do that to appease, not because they like someone

Wys
x

PROVIDED this thread does not descend into idiocy, I will deign to grace your interesting thread with my presence, Mish !!

To answer the poll:

Do you make sure your dog has enough exercise?
You bet !! Exercise is THE most important thing you can do for and with your dog. We walk miles with Tai every day, plus many miles of cycling across fields and along towpaths whenever we possibly can.

Do you use "calm Energy" when handling your dogs?
Always.

Have you ever used Foot tapping for attention?
No. I use a knee nudge, but normally I get Tai's attention with a tsst or an oi.

Have you ever used Foot tapping for correction?
Ditto above.

Have you ever used "tsstg" for attention
Yes

Have you ever used "tsstg" for correction
Yes

Have you ever used the "hand bite" for attention
No

Have you ever used the "hand bite" for correction
Yes, although I very rarely need to.

Do you use prong collars
Absolutely not, and never ever would.

Do you use the illusion collar, or other NONslip slipcollar
No

Have you ever used flooding to overcome your dogs fear
No, because thus far he has never been frightened of anything. Except swimming. He loves the water, but hates to be out of his depth. So with gentle encouragement via the use of throwing sticks for him to fetch, we encourage him to go out of his depths. If this is flooding, then I flood.

Have you ever pinned your dog to the floor
No, although I have Hal.

Have you ever pinned your dog to the floor for any reason other than aggression
Absolutely not.

Do you alpha roll your dog?
No, because I don't like the expression "alpha roll". To me, the so-called alpha roll, is pinning.