Dog got me last night..

[sangha]

Hmmm, Ok, that is a different way of looking at it.

You're saying the dog doesn't remember how the trash got on the floor, but does remember that I'm going to get angry if there is trash on the floor when I get home.

I'm not sure I buy it, but I am intrigued.

Easy enough to test your hypothesis. Probably not right away but after I test it, I'll post the results here.

Next time the dog gets in the trash, the next day I'll put trash on the floor...if I come home and the dog slinks around, your theory will be confirmed, but if she doesn't, this myth will be busted.

See any glaring flaws in this experiment?

Yes. My statement that your dogs' response when you come home is due to the trash being on the floor may not be true in your specific case. It could be that you have a "tell" that the dog picks up on, like a facial expression, etc.

The proof that punishing the dog hours later doesn't work is that the dog gets into the trash. If your approach worked, the dog wouldn't be going in the trash

The best to prove my case is to get yourself a remote cam (your computer may be good enough) and a remote-controlled horn. Set the cam up so you can monitor the garbage can, and put the horn in the trash. Leave the room, and monitor the cam. When the dog approaches the trash can, give him a good blast on the horn

You should be able to train your dog to not go into the trash in one day using this method. It is highly effective which is why noted dog trainers, like Cesar Millan (who uses physical discipline) and Victoria Stillwell (who is strongly opposed to the use of physical discipline) highlight this training method on their shows.

The dog only gets in the trash like once a year...something overcomes her conditioning, but I swear...she knows she is in trouble. She's a border collie mutt, exceptionally intelligent.

Anyhow, this is a good post, if you handled discussion like this instead of immediately going on the attack, you would better get your point across instead of turning people off right away and accomplishing nothing.

I can understand why you would think the dog is "overcoming her conditioning", but the truth is, if she were "conditioned" to not go in the trash, then she would not go in the trash. The truth is, your dog is conditioned to not go in the trash UNLESS SOME UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCE(S) ARE PRESENT.

Maybe there's something particularly tasty in the trash those days. Maybe, the dog is particularly hungry on those days. Maybe the dog was particularly bored that day. Maybe, maybe, maybe. It could be any one of a million things. It would be easier if we could read thier minds.

BC's are not just extremely intelligent They are also very active. They need both physical and mental stimulation. A shortage of either can lead a dog to misbehave.

IOW, there could be a million reasons why you're dog occassionaly gets into the trash. The only sure way to train your dog not to go into the trash is to teach your dog that going into the trash is A Bad Thing. That is best done WHILE the dog is going into the trash'

Basically, your dog is going into the trash because your dog is getting rewarded (with whatever it pulls from the trash) for going into the trash. Punishing the dog doesn't prevent the dog from being rewarded for it's bad behavior. No matter what you do to it hours later, the dog still got some kind of "reward" for going in the trash.

Even if the dog did know WHY it was being punished, the best you can do hours later is send a mixed message that the dog will be both rewarded (by the garbage) and punished (by you) for going in the trash. Mixed messages like that can confuse a dog.

 

[roomy]

I guess the answer is to not have any trash

 

[roomy]

or furniture or hands

 

[sangha]

For some, the answer is to learn about their dogs

For those who can't learn, the answer is not to have any dogs.

 

[roomy]

For some, the answer is to learn about their dogs

For those who can't learn, the answer is not to have any dogs.

Your parents must have beat you bad, maybe they shouldn't have had you?

Never mind you are my bitch now Mongo.

 

[sangha]

I have an 11 yo Chow mix bitch. She follows me around wherever she goes.

I call her Princess