# An Update on Calvin (Wibo Son) and Motivational Training



## Jenn Schoonbrood (Oct 31, 2008)

I've been away from the forum for some time. With getting married and the merging of two lives, there's not a ton of time for dog training. Added the fact that I basically wanted to kill Calvin (ideally in various horrible ways) for the first couple of months he was here, and I didn't feel much like talking.

But things have been looking up with Calvin, and I decided to post this update for the various folks who've PMed me asking about our training progress. :smile:

_First of all, Calvin is my one year old Wibo son, custom-raised for about 7 months by Jessy Bains and Tony Pallotta at Caledon K-9 in Ontario, then shipped out to me in April. He came with no obedience, no out, and had just had lots and lots of bite development and suit work done. My goal was to train him using Ivan Balabanov's Obedience Without Conflict method, combined with Michael Ellis style methodologies, and I wanted a completely clean slate._

Personality-wise, Calvin is a great dog. I could go on and on about what a great learner he is, how calm his nerves are, and how he's settled in as a pet. On the other hand, he's definitely got a propensity for handler aggression (though he "likes" me, so gives me leway - more on this later) and he came with significant "out issues".

To Jessy and Tony's credit, they did a great job raising him. But even just "lifting him off the bite by a flat collar" created aggression and conflict in him that I was at a loss to deal with initially. On the bite (tug) he was calm and steady. But upon giving him an out command, he'd flash angrily in his eyes and switch into a monster, disrespecting hands and body, growling, and doing everything he could to take the tug away. He wanted NO part of any "Game" LOL

I put up with it for about a week. Then, many hand bites and a ton of frustration later, I figured I'd either send Calvin back to Tony, sell him, or drown him or something. Not seriously on the drowning thing, of course. Anyway, I did none of those things. Instead I just left Calvin be, focused on my wedding and moving into our new house, etc etc.

Shortly after our wedding last month, I revisited Calvin and began doing lots of motivational work with food. He LOVES food and focuses completely. I kept any sort of biting out of the equation. He did great... Until I tried to play the basics of fetch or Frisbee with him again. I tried to out him less than positively once or twice, and he'd get ANGRY. I seriously think if he liked me less, he'd have hurt me. I concluded he'd either have to learn to out positively, or he'd have to get a new handler. If someone else wanted to deal with handler aggression in a conflicted dog, they'd be welcome to it.

So I set out with Mike tonight to really give a positive out a last ditch effort. Compulsive outs are NOT an option with this dog. Not only does it create a dangerous situation for me as the handler, but it sends his bite to crap as he tries to release frustration (created by confusion) through chewing. And he is NOT a chewy dog by nature - he just fights the out until the absolute end.

Anyway, I had Mike handle him because my hands/arms are just not strong enough for the following. We tied Calvin to a tree for safety, and Mike sat in a chair such that he could play tug with Calvin, but his hands were out of bite range if Calvin decided to fight the out. Mike gave him a bite, and after some vigorous play, we outed him. It was about 10 minutes of holding onto the tug while Calvin resisted, and then purely by accident his grip slipped and we gave him a release and re-bite. Same general idea for the next two or three times. By the middle of the 15-20 minute session, Calvin was releasing after a few seconds and was happy to do it, anxiously awaiting his release and re-bite. We put him up on the best note imaginable - he'd outed easily, downed, and waited expectantly for his release-rebite. It was a point we didn't think he'd reach tonight.

The best part was, his bite IMPROVED. We are now on the verge of losing the conflicted chewyness created by Calvin's association with the out command.

The plan moving forward: All obedience work is going to be done with food for now. Sit/down/stand/recall to front/attentive heeling are all easily done with food and Calvin works comfortably in that state. Bite sessions will be restricted to this seated biting game until he's outing happily off a tug from anywhere he's tied. Then we'll untie him and let Mike play the game with him in accordance with Balabanov. When the dog has an element of comfort and is no longer dangerous to the person playing with him, and will out happily without conflict, I'll take over and begin applying the game to obedience. Naturally, we'll have to teach Calvin to out off a sleeve/suit comfortably too, but obedience is the focus for the rest of this year. We'll move on when his and my relationship has been strengthened and I have control over when he bites/doesn't bite the tug, all stationary positions, and heeling.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

> Not seriously on the drowning thing, of course.


Oh I beg to differ!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

YOU ROCK GIRL!
:-k I'm thinking that Mike has something really great going for him here! 
Respect doesn't have to come through power. 
I've said it hundreds of times.
Why pick a fight with a dog that loves to fight! ;-)


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## Christopher Jones (Feb 17, 2009)

I enjoyed reading your post, and hearing someone elses experiences with similar bloodlines that we have. There are a number of things you said which sounded like you have been watching our training sessions. :-D


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Glad to hear that you guys are making headway with him. Hope to see him on a trial field maybe not soon .. but soon enough!


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## Jessy Bains (Oct 31, 2008)

Glad to hear you guys are making good progress with him.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Go get'um . Keep it up.


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## Sam Bishop (May 8, 2008)

Good for you - wondered what you guys were up to. Rous and I have our own outing issues to deal with...don't think we'll be brevet'ing this year](*,)


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

E-collar and a big fat tug on a long line with a big fat reward from you. : )


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## Sam Bishop (May 8, 2008)

Is that advice for Calvin and Jenn or me and Rous??? LOL - considering he doesn't feel the prong collar at all when he's fighting, the E. collar is certaintly a nice option I also got a big lecture from my club about how BORING I was - LOL - and how pathetically quick I was to get frustrated and give up Duly noted!!!!


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

It was for you. The best thing would be to post a video of you and what you are doing now.

I am having a bit of a problem with Soda PoP and the recall off of the decoy.

She is adamant about staying on.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Sam Bishop said:


> Good for you - wondered what you guys were up to. Rous and I have our own outing issues to deal with...don't think we'll be brevet'ing this year](*,)


Hey Sam you got still over 2 months until the Langley trial. Don't be so darned negative! :-({|= What are you doing to reward Rous on the out and recall? 

Keep yourself a short distance and have a high value reward if you are working recalls. (we are using a SchH sleeve for that) The out in the guard is all about the timing of the decoy. If Rous outs and takes a guard "BOOM" decoy gives a rebite. Try to take all the reasons away why he wouldn't want to out, which is giving him fast quick no pressure rebites like Jenn and Mike are doing with Calvin.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Then again, I used the same methods and Buko went and told me to go **** myself on the whistle recall....a first at the time.

Just bust out the e-collar. It is not gonna kill the dog, and you can put it on baby levels at first until you realize that your dog isn't a pussy. LOL


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