The Dog Training Failure And Regression Thread, A place to wail, rant and gnash your teeth Options

[jackied]

Twix has been doing better on walks recently, and we've been doing some mat work at home so I went to agility full of confidence (and armed with the mat). We hadn't been to agility for a few weeks for various reasons.

He was dreadful! Despite it being the quietest session we've ever attended he went completely insane every time he glimpsed or even heard the only other dog present. Arrg!!! And the mat actually seemed to make him more stressed - I put it away after a bit.

He was really good in the actual doing agility part, though, and was amazingly friendly with the trainer, so I'll forgive him .

[KB Merlin's Mum]

Twix, you

[simbasmum]

Oh Twix you norty boy

I think it happens Jackie. Just recently i've been telling everyone just how much better Simba's been with her 'people at the door' problem. So, on saturday my quite-nervous-of-dogs friend visited and Simba reverted back to her loudest of garring, then later someone knocked on the door and when I went to answer it I obviously brushed past her too close when she was FAR too overstimulated and got a set of teeth in the back of my ankle from her redirecting. She hasn't done that for ages, can only think that because she hasn't done it i've maybe let our 'be calm' routine slip a bit, which maybe the weeks gap with agility has done with Twix?

[KB Merlin's Mum]

Just at thought. This thundery weather really affects Toby and his stress levels go through the roof.

Might this go some way to explaining some of the norty behaviours?

[simbasmum]

Possibly actually, I guess with nervous dogs they are quite sensitive to things like that.

Simba's been like a coiled spring the past 2 weeks, she's either totally hyper or a bag of nerves, has been back to bolting or not wanting to walk when we're out too - then the 'door incident' happened which will be a result of this plus the overstimulation of the door and a visitor, which when I don't remain aware enough causes redirection. She's also recently come out of being in season which always affects her mood negatively.

We have always found that we get periods of regression with her though and we go back to the training again and each time it seems to last longer in between the 'bad' bits.

[Rossingleton]

Even though our problems are nowhere near the level of yours, Maya has slipped back a bit on her 'won't move during walks' behaviour over the last few days while it's been close and humid. I had thought it could be the DAP diffuser running out but indeed it could be the weather. Maybe if lots of dogs are having behaviour wobbles we could put it down to that?

[jackied]

With the agility I think a contributing factor was that some of the things in the arena were in different places to usual.

[simbasmum]

With the agility I think a contributing factor was that some of the things in the arena were in different places to usual.

Oh that old chestnut. It has MOVED, something is different.... the END OF THE WORLD IS NIGH!
Twix and Simba have that one in common

[ceri1]

Maybe it is the weather. Beans has been woofing at passers by (real and imaginary) a lot recently. However we are also having a new kitchen fitten so Rosie thinks the end of the world IS nigh

[muttlover]

My dog has been frightened when it rains recently. And wants to go home if it rains on a walk (not normal for him!). I think he is worried it's going to thunder - as we had some the other night. Maybe they can feel the pressure in the air, as you say.

Doesn't sound like it's all backwards for Twix as you are saying he's been so much better recently.

[lilacwarm]

we had a i need to run into the house from the garden moment today! the reason? a pigeon landed on a branch in the garden and it snapped.. one not happy dog!

[jackied]

a pigeon landed on a branch in the garden and it snapped

Deeply traumatic for any dog, clearly

[simbasmum]

we had a i need to run into the house from the garden moment today! the reason? a pigeon landed on a branch in the garden and it snapped.. one not happy dog!

Last night, Simba bolted on her walk because a butterfly flew towards her face. Serious business are butterflies

She's terrified of almost everything when we're out, yet put her in a room and get someone to knock on the door and she turns into some kind of gremlin

[ebd]

Empathetic to all you fellow 'regressers'...

You know the saying, 'Pride goeth before a fall'?

I've been on a high with Fat Grabby lately, and have been walking around looking something like this -->

Last week our Familienhund class was doing a 'taking public transport' exercise, and (to everyone's utter amazement) Grabby was an angel. Not a peep out of him, he sat politely on the bus, wasn't fazed at the train station, even managed a perfect walk-behind getting off the high train step.

And before class, while doing our 'calm down' excercise as we got out of the car he was composed, quiet... again, me looking -->


And then it all went pair-shaped.

Today's activity was a RallyO course. Now Grabby usually enjoys RallyO, can do most the exercises individually, and usually can concentrate on a course. But today... barkbarkbark-Idon'twantto-barkbarkbark-youcan'tmakeme-barkbarkbark-Idon'twantto-barkbarkbark...

For the entire lesson.

There are some days I just want to

Back to square one...

[woofgang]

Last night, Simba bolted on her walk because a butterfly flew towards her face. Serious business are butterflies

She's terrified of almost everything when we're out, yet put her in a room and get someone to knock on the door and she turns into some kind of gremlin

I sympathise with Simba. We get cockchafers in the garden at night and they fly straight towards me and I panic too.