Author Topic: Ranger Can Learn!  (Read 8818 times)

Offline GrumpyBunny

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Ranger Can Learn!
« on: January 04, 2006, 01:17:23 pm »
Last night I accidentally put Ranger in a situation that he was uncomfortable with, and, overall, I was very proud of his behavior. Turns out the big dummy CAN learn, after all!   ;)

As many of you know, I have been working hard to get Ranger over his reaction to certain strangers crowding him and reaching for his head.  To make a long story short, on a couple occasions in the past, he has growled or air-snapped under these conditions - even when he has solicited the attention in the first place...  I have been working with him on presenting his belly to strangers when he wants a pet, and that has been working extremely well.  Not only does he get a treat a for doing so, he gets a belly rub, (which he loves), and it eliminates the possibility of his head being grabbed.  He will now approach ANYONE in the park and molest them in search of a belly rub, whether they seem the slighest bit interested or not.  His comfort level with children has increased about 100%, and it has been MONTHS since he has had an uncomfortable reaction to anyone...

So, enough backstory.  Last night, we were at the park on our daily walk.  Ranger was doing his usual trick of laying down and soliciting attention from people whenever we passed them, but no one had petted him yet.  He also has a new trick - I have no clue where he picked it up.  Whenever we pass a certain bench in the park, he now jumps up onto it and sits there.  He then wants me to sit down too, so that he can climb into my lap, and we sit there together for a few moments looking around the park.  We were on our bench last night resting, when a mother and daughter approached us and said "Can we pet?". 

Now, I admit - I was not paying attention.  I didn't even see them until they were right on top of us.  I said "Sure, but he needs to get down on the ground...."  Well, their English wasn't that good, and they moved right in and began to pet him while he was still on my lap.  They both crowded around him and went right for his head while I was still working on getting out from under him and getting him off the bench.  He let them do this for a bit, then decided that he didn't like this and that Mommy obviously wasn't handling things.  He let out one big WOOF - not a string of barking, or an aggressive bark - just a WOOF.  They stepped back and we both got up.  He laid down on the ground, belly up, and happily solicited (and accepted) more petting. 

Now, don't get me wrong - I don't want him barking at people.  But, due to my own stupidity and lack of attention, I put him in a situation that he didn't like and that he felt he needed to handle (totally my bad, I admit).  And overall, he handled it well.  It was a much less extreme reaction than he would have had before and it showed me that he has learned at least some minimal coping skills.  He reached into his "mental toolbox" of ways to deal with the situation and chose the least offensive one.  Good on him!  (Mommy learned a lesson too, by the way, which is that she must remember to stay focused and in control of situations.  It is my responsibility to be a leader for Ranger and show him that I am in control and will deal with things that he is uncomfortable with.  I failed in that last night.)  So, I guess if even my horrible monster can learn, there is hope for every dog out there!   ;D
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Offline Scootergirl

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2006, 01:22:59 pm »
Good Boy, Ranger! You keep Mommy in line from now on!

And, that must make for some long walks if he flips over begging for a belly rub every time he sees another person!  :D
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Nicole

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2006, 01:26:06 pm »
YAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAY RANGER!

That is so awesome Marsi! Ranger is a super genius. Maybe this whole time, he really knew what was up, but has just been training YOU.

Auntie Nicole is majorly proud of you, Ranger-monster! Keep on rockin' those fur-pants, honey bunches!

Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2006, 01:26:28 pm »
Good Boy, Ranger! You keep Mommy in line from now on!

And, that must make for some long walks if he flips over begging for a belly rub every time he sees another person!  :D
You have no idea.  He is a total freak.  And if no one pets him, it gets more and more frantic as the walk goes on.  You have never seen a dog pout like this before...   
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Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2006, 01:32:52 pm »
Keep on rockin' those fur-pants, honey bunches!
He does.  He keeps on rocking them in the free world.   :P
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Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2006, 03:17:07 pm »
Maybe she'll even let you borrow the evening gown again ;)

No way.  He looks better in it than I do...

He did the funniest thing later in the evening last night - I wish I had been able to get a picture of it... 

He was sitting with his butt on the couch, kind of curled on his side, with his hind feet sticking straight out over the edge of the couch. 

His front two feet were on the floor. 

His head and neck were stretched out towards the ottoman that is about two feet away from the couch.  (By ottoman, I mean a footstool.  Not a long-gone denizen of the Ottoman Empire.) 

His nose was balanced precariously on the edge of the ottoman, dug straight in like he was taking a big whiff of it.  He stayed like that for a good two or three minutes, just chilling.  Also, as I watched him, I realized that he was intently watching TV - the opening credits of some stupid sitcom I was flipping past.

Told ya he was a freak.
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Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2006, 03:29:06 pm »
...some old, dead, Turkish dude you just happened to have laying around your living room. 
You say that like it's a bad thing...   ;D
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Offline Boobearsmom

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2006, 03:45:04 pm »
Quote

He was sitting with his butt on the couch, kind of curled on his side, with his hind feet sticking straight out over the edge of the couch. 

His front two feet were on the floor. 

His head and neck were stretched out towards the ottoman that is about two feet away from the couch.  (By ottoman, I mean a footstool.  Not a long-gone denizen of the Ottoman Empire.) 

His nose was balanced precariously on the edge of the ottoman, dug straight in like he was taking a big whiff of it.  He stayed like that for a good two or three minutes, just chilling.  Also, as I watched him, I realized that he was intently watching TV - the opening credits of some stupid sitcom I was flipping past.

Told ya he was a freak.
Quote

OMG!  Boo does the same thing but only if we're watching that Extreme Fighting show (its something on the Spike Network).  Its almost like she's watching it and planning on how she's going to take us down next. ;)  She'll sit there thru the entire show watching men beating the cr*p out of each other.  Go figure.

Offline chaos270

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2006, 03:55:12 pm »
Kali love to watch TV too.  She will sit with her butt on the couch and her front feet on the floor and stare at the TV.  She doesn't like when there are agressive dogs on TV though.  She goes into protect mode and will bark at the TV.  So let's just say whenever anyone tries to watch Cops she throws a hissy fit.
Erin and the critters
Kali ~ the newf
Lacey ~ the aussie 
Gabby ~ Holsteiner mare
Fire ~ Appendix Quarter Horse/Belgian gelding
Lilah and Hannah ~ Kali's kitties

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2006, 03:59:15 pm »
Kali love to watch TV too.  She will sit with her butt on the couch and her front feet on the floor and stare at the TV.  She doesn't like when there are agressive dogs on TV though.  She goes into protect mode and will bark at the TV.  So let's just say whenever anyone tries to watch Cops she throws a hissy fit.
HAHAHAHA!  Bad boys, bad boys!  Whatcha gonna do, bad boys!

Gypsy Jazmine

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2006, 06:16:14 pm »
Way to go Ranger!!...You good boy you!...I am so very proud of him!! ;D

Kiahpyr

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2006, 06:21:26 pm »
Good Boy Ranger!! We're all so proud of you!

Offline Liberty

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Re: Ranger Can Learn!
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2006, 08:56:14 pm »
Roxy loves belly rubs too, but the problem is that she kind of punches her huge paws up in the air and you have to duck away from them. Any suggestions on how to get her to stop that?
Roxy
Saint/Newf mix