Ok I'm totally lost here but since Sunday we have been really strict with Max and hes behaving like a good little shepherd. We did start a new regime with Max on Sunday what we have termed not letting him get away with anything. But the amazing thing is that he is actually LISTENING. Usually in the garden he races up and down the fence when passers by go past and barks at the neighbours. We have stopped this by shouting (well barking) at him to get in the house and when he does the right thing playing with the ball with him. I don't want to seem a little premature on this but he hasnt run up and down the fence or barked at our neighbours since Sunday (whoopeee). I think that Celias programe is now beginning to pay off at last ! :d

Tim
I am soooooooo pleased for you !!! :D :D Let's just hope he keeps it up
Fingers Crossed

Bethx

I'm so pleased for you Tim. Finally, all your hard work is paying off.

Well done Max and well done you :)

Fiona
x x x

But what will you do with yourselves when he's the perfect puppy! :D :D
LynnT

Get another one :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D I wonder if the Mockodile is looking for a new home?? :D

Fiona
x x x

bet your neighbours are nearly as pleased as you about it :rolleyes: well done and long may it continue.

Well its been a week now and Max seems really calm - we think its to do with a combination of the feeding regime we have him on and just not giving him a chance to get wound up. When he does we try and anticipate him and he seems less likely to repeat the behaviour, his concentration on us has improved 100%. A few months ago you could shout at him till you were blue in the face but now we are able to stop him in full flight in his tracks first time. :D

long may it last. do you think the reason was that he hads no direction!- no leader ???? or was it something else.

Or perhaps it because he has his photo on the photo site and thinks he is a star :) He does look a lovely dog.
Gina

LOL Gina

Dizzy I'm not sure about the leadership thing but the family sat down and discussed it and we came up with the idea that Max isn't getting any feedback on his negative behaviour. Up until a week ago we have "Ignored bad behaviour" which simply doesn't work. Now we are giving Max a negative correction - which is in the form of being ordered into the house. I think the feeding programme has given us the the concentration on us and now we are able to correct or anticipate when he his going to start pulling faces and barking.

In essence when he does the wrong thing (barks at neighbours/passers by or runs up and down the fence) he is ordered in the house in a loud barky manner. When he just ignores them he gets played with, with a ball or one of his toys - giving him a contrast between wrong and right. This has decreased the bad behaviour and he gets to play with a ball or toy much more. But we couldnt have done this without getting him to concentrate on us at meal times. We still have a long way to go such as integrating him with dogs and getting him to understand that some dogs are friendly.

Also this week he has never been in the garden on his own so hasnt had the chance to practise any bad behaviour. I'm thinking that a month of this intensive training will make Max a much calmer dog.

For instance when Max heard our neighbours dogs barking he would reply instantly without thinking. Now he just listens and looks to us for a cue. He has been doing that for a long time so it will take a lot of practise at the right behaviour to get it ingrained. But after a week of training we've had about two barks in the garden which is really good going for Max considering what he was like just two weeks ago.

Anyway fingers crossed, thanks to Celia (we are hopefully goin back to celia to do some work with other dogs) and thanks to everyone on the forum for their support in our months of trial and error :d

As Max seems to have been on Champdogs forever now, I've lost track of how old he is? We shall miss hearing about his escapades but what a success story! (so far, touch wood!) :D
LynnT

He still gets up to some funny tricks even though he is a lot calmer - we're thinking of taking him to a local Dog groomers I'm sure that will be bundles of fun :rolleyes:

Did you have any luck with the giant tennis balls?
LynnT

As a matter of fact I didnt - was it you who said your local shop sells them ?

Dare I suggest that you ask John if he has any to spare ;-)?

Yes, it was me. They are £1.99. I really don't mind getting a couple for Max and I even have a spare shoe box at the moment to send them in! I think Max deserves them at the moment!:D
And I think John may have some emotional attachment to his!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :D
LynnT

I've sent you an email Lynn hope you dont mind :D

You are sure right about that Lynn!

We won't go into whether you prefer purple or orange, John!

Thanks Lynn we got the balls earlier this week. We opened the box on the kitchen table and Max hopped up and pinched the bright yellow one and ran off with it - I think he was impressed. So far he's keeping it with him and carrying it round everywhere he goes lol :d

Pleased to hear it's still in one piece, Tim! Did he have the chews?
LynnT

Yessss Lynn thanks - he loves those type of chews but pssst he has just burst one of the balls LOL it now has fours sides LOL :D oh well - so were keeping the other one in a cupboard and not letting him get it too often just a quick 5 minute play and back in the cupboard lol :rolleyes:

Oh well! At least it was his constant companion for five minutes!:D

Oh please please pleeeeaase take a camera if you go:D

Perhaps the teenager is starting to mature into the adult :D :D :D Hooray, you're through the worst....well, maybe. Probably at least one more good blow from his arena. I'm just so happy for ya.
toodles

Awww at Max - when he met one of the grooming girls he gave her his paw (telling her I'm in charge here) LOL :d

Seems we still have a way to go with Max - he was muzzled at the Grooming parlour but decided to snack at one of the grooming girls while she was doing his back and took an instant dislike to one of the girls, wouldn't let her near him - heaven knows why - unfortunately I couldn't be there to correct him but all ended well. He's now a lovely clean boy smelling of Calvin Klein Doggy fragrence - training is ongoing :rolleyes: