Boone-My Anatolian Unicorn

[Baymule]

I think Boone is doing real good. He has more stimulation in 10 minutes than he gets all day when y’all go to town. Good boy.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I think Boone is doing real good. He has more stimulation in 10 minutes than he gets all day when y’all go to town. Good boy.

Thanks for your input. I was really feeling concerned and defeated that he was going to suddenly become dog aggressive as he matures and I would be forced to wash him out for his own protection

 

[SageHill]

I absolutely LOVE what you did with the jerk (Don't Touch My Dog). LOVE it tens times and over more. You showed Boone that you have his back - that is HUGE.
I get where you're coming from with the other idiot dogs - you handled it perfectly, and Boone saw that too.
Definitely what @Baymule said as well!
You're doing great - biggest tip I can give you is "don't carry the angst from previous things" just be ready for things so you react properly (which you are). In herding I tell my students you made the correction - it's done, leave it where it happened. RELAX --- works every time.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I absolutely LOVE what you did with the jerk (Don't Touch My Dog). LOVE it tens times and over more. You showed Boone that you have his back - that is HUGE.
I get where you're coming from with the other idiot dogs - you handled it perfectly, and Boone saw that too.
Definitely what @Baymule said as well!
You're doing great - biggest tip I can give you is "don't carry the angst from previous things" just be ready for things so you react properly (which you are). In herding I tell my students you made the correction - it's done, leave it where it happened. RELAX --- works every time.

God bless you guys. You have no idea how much your thoughts reassure me. It really helps that you think we can do this and that I’m on the right track

 

[SageHill]

Oh one other thing that worked well with my dogs - and you sort of did it knowingly or not - have the person greet you first. Shake hands if you, arm around a child’s shoulders. Always the great you first or you greet them before they say hi to Boone.
I did this with my dog Daisy who had a bad experience with a rotten 3 yr old who was petting her then slammed her head with his fist - hard. She barked and I corrected her (she was all of maybe 12 wks). Wrong - should’ve corrected the kid. She went on to work in pediatrics and PICU and I always started with people greeting before dog. Worked like a charm.
Also, laughter can fix scary things. Laughing at the issue and not the dog.

 

[farmerjan]

I'm with the others. I think you are looking for trouble where it isn't. I do not have near as much experience with service dogs... except that I know many are raised in families... with ALL kinds of stimulation and encounters and all that ... for something like 18 months... before they are considered for service dog programs... You are asking a PUPPY... YES, a very LARGE puppy... to act like a mature thinking service dog...

STOP and think about it... he is being protective of you..... He is doing what his INSTINCTS are telling him because he is an L G D...... protect his charges in his care... you are part of that... YET... he is still not going all out and going totally crazy and getting away from you and going nuts... Let's face it... he could EASILY yank his lead right out of your hands and be gone after another dog, or bite a person that is invading what he considers his/your space... He hasn't liked it, he has growled, he has BACKED AWAY from that one jerk..... and he has not gone "over the edge".... yet he could have. That says that he is still listening to you.....

You need to stop trying to find something that will "wash him out" of the service dog job you have put him into.... Like @SageHill said... make the correction, and go FORWARD.... don't keep second guessing him... and yourself.
Making yourself sick with worry and angst, is accomplishing nothing except to communicate it to him that you are not "okay" with him.... QUIT..... put it behind you and get up and start each day..... don't overthink the day before. Analyze if there was something different you could do... and either accept it was right, and go on, or understand what you need to different, and do it the NEXT TIME. Stop thinking he is going to fail at this job...

You have him in a very secluded situation at the farm for most of the time... then when you go to town it is a long ride, he is very tightly "controlled" on a lead... and expected to spend hours being still and quiet... and he does not have this kind of containment at home.
Now on this trip, you are in traffic beyond most people's imagination... plopped into houses with other people... and dogs.... and remember, the houses you are visiting BELONG to the people/pets/dogs living there, you and Boone are the interlopers.... and you want him to be a perfect statue listening only to you when all the smells and sights are INTERESTING... to a PUPPY..... I realize that he is a service dog... but you are not giving him enough credit for his devotion to you even when he wants to just "explore" some of this life... and then wants to protect you because you are "his responsibility " .

I am sure there are alot of things I do not understand about a service dog... and the training... but I have been told that like a "seeing eye dog" that a friend had many years ago... when the harness was off... they were allowed to BE A DOG... all the rough housing, play, etc. that they wanted... but when the time was over.. they put on their "service hat" and it was different. Every dog has a different disposition, and you know him best... but..... believe in him more. Let him be a playful puppy... even with his size... and certain behavior is never acceptable... but let him "chill out" some too...

You are lucky to have him.....

 

[SageHill]

I'm with the others. I think you are looking for trouble where it isn't. I do not have near as much experience with service dogs... except that I know many are raised in families... with ALL kinds of stimulation and encounters and all that ... for something like 18 months... before they are considered for service dog programs... You are asking a PUPPY... YES, a very LARGE puppy... to act like a mature thinking service dog...

STOP and think about it... he is being protective of you..... He is doing what his INSTINCTS are telling him because he is an L G D...... protect his charges in his care... you are part of that... YET... he is still not going all out and going totally crazy and getting away from you and going nuts... Let's face it... he could EASILY yank his lead right out of your hands and be gone after another dog, or bite a person that is invading what he considers his/your space... He hasn't liked it, he has growled, he has BACKED AWAY from that one jerk..... and he has not gone "over the edge".... yet he could have. That says that he is still listening to you.....

You need to stop trying to find something that will "wash him out" of the service dog job you have put him into.... Like @SageHill said... make the correction, and go FORWARD.... don't keep second guessing him... and yourself.
Making yourself sick with worry and angst, is accomplishing nothing except to communicate it to him that you are not "okay" with him.... QUIT..... put it behind you and get up and start each day..... don't overthink the day before. Analyze if there was something different you could do... and either accept it was right, and go on, or understand what you need to different, and do it the NEXT TIME. Stop thinking he is going to fail at this job...

You have him in a very secluded situation at the farm for most of the time... then when you go to town it is a long ride, he is very tightly "controlled" on a lead... and expected to spend hours being still and quiet... and he does not have this kind of containment at home.
Now on this trip, you are in traffic beyond most people's imagination... plopped into houses with other people... and dogs.... and remember, the houses you are visiting BELONG to the people/pets/dogs living there, you and Boone are the interlopers.... and you want him to be a perfect statue listening only to you when all the smells and sights are INTERESTING... to a PUPPY..... I realize that he is a service dog... but you are not giving him enough credit for his devotion to you even when he wants to just "explore" some of this life... and then wants to protect you because you are "his responsibility " .

I am sure there are alot of things I do not understand about a service dog... and the training... but I have been told that like a "seeing eye dog" that a friend had many years ago... when the harness was off... they were allowed to BE A DOG... all the rough housing, play, etc. that they wanted... but when the time was over.. they put on their "service hat" and it was different. Every dog has a different disposition, and you know him best... but..... believe in him more. Let him be a playful puppy... even with his size... and certain behavior is never acceptable... but let him "chill out" some too...

You are lucky to have him.....

YES!
I’ll add, if someone has to lock their dog up where you are staying, don’t feel bad about it! The people probably already guessed that would be needed.
When people visit here, some are afraid of dogs esp big dogs - I have no problem putting them up and or using a bark collar.
Enjoy your stays and relax that’s what this trip is all about!

 

[canesisters]

Huge amount of new experiences + almost no de-stress free play time ... for DAYS & all he did was bark & make eye contact? GOOOOD BOY!!!!!
I couldn't have done that with my Birdie & she was 8yrs old & showed signs of having had really good training somewhere back in her past.
Yall are doing great.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I love you guys

 

[peteyfoozer]

I hope to clarify one thing which I think has been misunderstood. I AM so lucky to have Boone. But please don't think he isn’t allowed or encouraged to be a puppy, and to play and enjoy life. He roughhouses with Fen every morning, and does zoomies and goes wild during chore hour. Even when he’s working, I try to make sure it’s fun for him and he has his fan clubs and groupies who fawn over him with treats and belly rubs at our regular stops in town. His restriction while we are on this trip are not by choice. I thought he’d be able to at least run loose in back yards if not play with other dogs, but circumstances weren’t favorable. At both stops we were surprised to find they don’t have adequate fencing to keep him safe. Where we are right now , the neighbor tore the fence down just before we got here, to build a new one . The kids thought they were doing it next week. I had planned to play with him at the beach, if he enjoyed the ocean, and brought my 50’ check cord but with his recent reactivity it wouldn’t be safe.
I’m over the moon with his resilience and acceptance of new people. My concern was his uncharacteristic response to other dogs. It surprised me because he’s always been dog friendly or neutral. He was never aggressive before and I am hoping his behavior was because of all these changes = “trigger stacking”
My concern is not because he isn’t behaving like an adult Service Dog, but that he IS behaving like an adult Anatolian Shepherd. Baymule knows what I mean, as she has working LGDs. With the pitbull and shepherds, he wasn’t exhibiting normal breed dog barking. He was escalating to “eliminate the threat” mode. Had the pit gotten loose, or my cousin and I been unable to hold Boone back, it could have had tragic results for the pitty. LGD’s aren’t wired like other breeds, and what I am training him to do runs counter to his instincts and that’s what has me twitchy. Just considering using him as a Service Dog is asking a lot of him, but he’s all the things you said. He’s a remarkable pup. Which is why I call him my Unicorn.
I’m hoping the fencers return tomorrow and finish the fence so he can play outside. Meantime, I ordered some non slip socks for him so he doesn’t hurt himself on these slick floors while playing with the kids inside.
I am planning to go by the local dogpark with my honorary son. and sit outside with Boone, away from the dogs, just short of where he is triggered, and try and slowly shorten the distance to help manage his reactivity. Matt can help me physically if anything were to go awry. (ie: loose dog) I don’t have these opportunities at home or even in town, and I need a fairly controlled environment for this kind of problem, so I want to take advantage of it while I can.

I really appreciate all of you. Your input, your friendship, your support, your grace, your experiences and your willingness to share mean more than you can possibly imagine. It may not seem like much to you to offer, but it’s like a lifeboat to a drowning man to receive it.
You are a stellar group of people and I am so glad to know you!