The dog doesnt have rage.

My sister bought him as a puppy without looking into the breed and then couldnt cope with him because he was so escitable and she had a baby on the way. Can we discuss this somewhere else if you are interested please.

I would actually disagree that happy and excited are different words for the same state of mind.

The problem with the dominance theory is that everyone clearly interprets it in a different way.

So what are these Domination techniques ?

As you say, we all interpret it in different ways. Things I have heard of people using/my dad was told to use on this working dog are;

-not letting the dog through the door first (good safety technique before a walk but not really practical for every time the dog goes out for a wee etc)
-pinning the dog if he does something wrong (he thinks its a game)
-ignoring him if he wants to play
-ignoring him when hes excited to see you
-ignoring him if he wants to be stroked
-ignoring him if he barks
-not allowing him on furniture
-not allowing him upstairs
-not allowing him to pull on the lead

and others i cant remember off the top of my head

Soooooooo if someone you like comes to see that you havent seen for a long time would you not say taht you are both happy and excited to see them? The two come hand in hand in that situation no? Is the dog not allowed to feel those same or similar emotions?

I agree he shouldnt jump up, I was simply saying that the way he was being told to not jump up is not working.

Ok it doesn't mentions smacking him on the head with a newspaper though.

The thing is it is pointless to have a list as long as your arm of things the dog can't do but how long is the list of things it can do.
Basically every time you stop an unwanted behaviour you have to replace it with a desired one. Dogs need rules but like kids you can't just keep saying no don't do that. they have to things they can do to release their energy and channel their natural behaviours.

Not having the opportunity to see whats happening so not able to `read` the dog, I`d take a guess that he is desperate to please and so desperate for attention that he will take whatever he can get - and sadly dogs do take negative attention when there is nothing else on offer. What has he learned about jumping up ?
That it brings attention - negative attention yes, but still attention.
So the dog has indeed `learned` from what`s being done, just not what the owner actually wants, but in the absence of proper training in a way which will motivate and guide him toward a preferred behaviour, what choice has the poor lad got but to keep repeating the one thing he knows will get attention of some kind

Im sorry but I have to agree here, bad behaviour get's result's, if your dad ignored his bad behaviour and rewarded the good, the wee dog might be good to get the reward's if you get my drift.

Thats excatly the same as what i said earlier on... about the sniffing needing to be channelled. He is a working dog and was bred to flush game/retrieve game. I have tried to explain all this to my dad but you havnt met him or been his daughter for the last 22 years. Maybe if you tell him he will listen to you. All I get is frustrated.

No, I don't really do excited sorry, if I went to see a friend that I hadn't seen in years, if she jumped all over me hugging me and kissing me, knocking me about etc. I'd have to say something rude

I understand you think it's not working, and it's not likely to, the dog need instructions, he needs to know what he can do, he wants to please he just doesn't know what to do in order to please, because no one is telling him in a way he understands.

Why are you apologisin for agreeing? everyone seems to think that I am on my dads side in this conversation?! Ive already said I dont agree with how its being done!!

Can we go back on subject now??!!