I have been reading 'Think Dog!' this week and I'm fascinated by the brass training discs that are described that can be used to stop unwanted behaviours.

Do any of you know of this technique, if you have was it a success? I would love to know.

Properly used, keys work just as well and are much cheaper unless the dog runs off with them <g>

Christine

Or unless you happen to drop the keys by accident !!!! <g>.

Training discs were invented because they don't sound like ordinary everydsay sounds. They MUST be properly introduced to the dog, and the dog conditioned to them, because they are supposed to signal "non-reward" as i am sure you know from reading the book.

This is why the dog must be conditioned. Then he/she will "get it".

I have seen them used just to make the dog jump and leave whatever he was doing but that is wrong. Have also seen them thrown at or near the dog to make them scared which is also wrong. And, if you get a "fear" reaction, you have done it wrong and the dog hasn't been conditioned.

My opinion is that discs are one of the tools that should be used as a last resort, but when they are used properly on a conditioned dog they do work very well. I believe there is a video obtainable on how to use the discs, but the conditioning and use is also explained in the video "Dog in the Human Pack" from Crosskeys.

By the way was there anyting specific you wanted to use them for?

Best wihses
Lindsay

Our 5 month old pup is very possessive over things that he considers to be his, or things which he 'steals' and won't give back.

We saw a behaviourist about a month ago, which has been of some help as he is no longer possessive over his food. Now when we approach his bowl we are met expectantly with a waggy tail (as nice things are always placed in his bowl) rather than with a growl.

However the possessiveness over other items does not seem to be improving. We were told to tempt him over to us with a treat and get him to leave the object that he is not allowed - this works with limited success. Yet when we are practicing taking his toy of him in exchange for a treat and then giving it straight back he will happily give it up. I suppose I was expecting more immediate results, although the behaviourist said that it will take some time - but surely if it was going to work, a month would be long enough? Or am I being impatient?

At the same time we are sticking rigoruously to establishing him at the bottom of our 'pack' with all of the ususal exercises.

When I read about the training discs being especially recommended for possessiveness I thought I'd get some input from here before speaking to my behaviourist.

I have used training disks on one of my boys for a behavioural problem, they were used in conjunction with a clicker so that the disks were used for behaviour we didnt want and the cliker for the stuff we did want. They were suggested and introduced to the dog by a behaviourist and they have worked well with the dog. once i had got the hang of the disks they were really easy to use and got an extrodinary reaction, although my mother finds them impossible to use. even know i still tend to carry the disks with me and when hes doing things we dont want all i have to do is get them out and give them a gingle and he will emidiatley stop, so we know longer have to throw them down.
We have had comments on why dont we just use keys but the problem is that they hear the keys everyday in just picking them up or opening doors and so on, the difference is that they disks are not a sound commen to everyday life, and when not in use they are easy to keep quiet. the noise the disks makes is also consitant whilst keys make a range of noises which arnt the same every time the move.
So in breif we have had sucess with the origional problem and may use them with the other dogs if the need requires.