Calming Signals - The Art of Survival by Turid Rugaas

[Polmaise]

Because some-one doesn't know something ...doesn't mean they are stupid.
They just dont know!
I remember watching ''who wants to be a millionaire'', when it was first screened, the question was ''easy'' for me,,because it showed a picture of a 'stickleback'..........But if you aint seen one ,you have to go with what you are told,or its a guess?..unfortunately..some people dont know a stick ,from thier backside?...but they sound and appear as if they do.
The individual has to seperate the 'mince from the tatties'

[trekmoor]

Or just maybe they are simlply doing something that stands out as an obvious way to train, and that some of them haven't read her books its just a natural way, anyone who spends time working with dogs would be able to see that if the dogs stressed it want be able to deal with the training properly

Until I saw her mentioned on here a year or two ago I had never heard of this lady. I still haven't read any of her stuff but then I'm not a scientific sort of person. I like to do my own looking at dogs and come to my own conclusions. Dog training doesn't have to be rocket science unless something in your own nature wants it to be. Socialising pups is mainly common sense stuff and a pup that hasn't seen much of the world is likely to be a bit fearful in some situations. A human child would be likely to be a bit fearful too.

Wullie

[James]

I agree Wullie, I do feel that too many are looking at making it seem far more difficult than it needs to be. I dont know why that is, I have my thoughts but thats all they are.
All these "new" ways and idea's into how a dog "thinks" always make me think of an old keper friend that has sadly passed. He always did his job with 4/5 spaniels around him, they were the one's that other lads had given up on or just gave to him as they didn't get on with them. He always made me chuckle at the reasons people gave when handing them over, he was a type of keeper that stood out because he was a calm sort of bloke. Never seemed to lose is temper, and even when things didn't go right he would almost sit back, have a think and before you know the day was over with the bag filled. The reason I bring this up is that he was the same with the dogs, they all seemed to be working away, always in a good distance with little or know handling. Around the pen always at his side, and the only time I saw him scruff them was to put on the back of the feed trailer. He never sat down and wrote a book, and I dont think he could if needed too either ( like me). He simply trained his dogs that came from all sorts of back grounds full of "problems" yet each one turned out to be a bloody good dog for him. Im sure he would be the same now if he could. So after training dogs the same way for well over 40 years, I would have loved to see someone try to tell him that dogs now think differently and see what he would make of it.

[trekmoor]

I would have loved to see someone try to tell him that dogs now think differently and see what he would make of it.

Dogs don't think differently and probably never will . Only people change according to fashion , to "new" ideas and to what may be politically correct at that point in time.

Wullie

[Polmaise]

Clickers were invented after my Grandad was training dogs !
Some old hands, in the new age of Political correctness world profess to use them.

A rabbit pen to Grandpa' was the outdoors. some today ,who preach the old world, use such things.

Scruffing, ie chastise! (not lifting over a fence or helping a dog into a tractor)! is condoned publicly by some old school'? yet practiced on a daily basis?..

Calming signals,is the OP. Greyghost was extremely good at reading and interperating these,even if she did ram it down yer throat!
Turid Rugaas, may be from the same camp? You may never know unless you go?

[trekmoor]

So you agree then ? Dogs don't change their mental attitudes, it's people that change theirs ?

Wullie

[Polmaise]

People change their mental attitudes about dogs,Dogs change their attitudes to suit the people.
If they dont?

[arwesa]

some of this reminds me of my youngest lad, he will swear he 'hates' certain things ... despite having never tried them.

I agree with pol... try something then critique...

I didnt think anyone had said anything about dogs having changed

[RoseHolly]

This made interesting reading tonight. I know that it was a few months ago. It interested me to read -

'Sitting down/lifting one paw
I have only rarely seen dogs lift their paw as a calming signal, but on a few occasions it’s clearly been used to calm another dog. '

Currently we have my Brother in Laws Lurcher x lab living with us, she is not socialised, loud and quite boisterous, Its been interesting to see that when she gets whiney and barky, My girl goes and sits in front of her and sort of pats her face with her paw, it looks like she is trying to hypnotize her, closing her eyes with her paw!! She sits and waits until she stops barking and then walks off as if her job is done