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  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Getting better at Petsmart

    I have found that if you ask the clerks in advance to pretend the dog is invisible... to totally ignore her... they are very willing to help. Several weeks ago, Rocket-dog (a.k.a. Ball-a-Far) and I breezed into Petsmart to get a bag of food. I had her on the prong collar and (HONEST) she has been obedience trained. She came completely unGLUED. Meanwhile, everyone was patting her and giving her treats while I was yelling SIT! SIT! SIT! Disaster.

    Went back later that day (with the e-collar discretely hidden under a rakish bandanna) and asked the clerks to ignore her. We walked in, (heel-nick, heel-nick etc.) put her on a down and the two of us just stood there like a couple of Walmart greeters. That was about all she could handle.

    Fast forward a week or two, dog food is low again, we don her e-collar and bandanna, and head back to Petsmart. She couldn't figure out where heel position was (by me or by the cart) but no nicks for that. (You don't teach with a collar, you only reinforce what they already know.) Generally, she did very, very well. I won't say she didn't earn a couple of nicks on a low setting (usually when she broke to say hello to customers) but she was much, much more calm.

    I don't think this sort of thing will help get her Master Hunter title and make it to the Master National... but it might make her a more enjoyable companion in the long run.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    I don't use an e-collar but do use a prong some of the time for Archie and PetsMart is one of the places I use it. There are so many distractions, so much going on. Keep up the visits and be sure to let folks know you are on a training trip and would they please not approach.

  3. #3
    House Broken happy_blackbird's Avatar
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    I hear you! We stopped bringing Ellie into our local Petsmart because the staff just couldn't leave her be, even when I asked them to ignore us and let them know we were training (also, too many intact pitbulls off leash here for my comfort) (I know, they can be very, very sweet).

    Thank you for the info about using the prong collar only for reinforcing what the dog has already learned, not to teach a new behavior. I didn't know this! We're looking for a reputable training to teach how to use the prong collar now and I really appreciate following your progress.
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  4. #4
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by happy_blackbird View Post
    I hear you! We stopped bringing Ellie into our local Petsmart because the staff just couldn't leave her be, even when I asked them to ignore us and let them know we were training (also, too many intact pitbulls off leash here for my comfort) (I know, they can be very, very sweet).

    Thank you for the info about using the prong collar only for reinforcing what the dog has already learned, not to teach a new behavior. I didn't know this! We're looking for a reputable training to teach how to use the prong collar now and I really appreciate following your progress.
    Does PetSmart allow dogs in their building unleashed? That seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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  5. #5
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Ours doesn't. I guess there's no policing that in the parking lot though.

  6. #6
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    TuMicks, from what I've gathered you have at least one possibly crazy happy dog. I don't think we've seen pictures of her

  7. #7
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Meeps83 View Post
    TuMicks, from what I've gathered you have at least one possibly crazy happy dog. I don't think we've seen pictures of her
    Oh, you guys don't know how I envy the gorgeous pictures of your dogs that you put up here. I have tried and just get a deep black blur with two demon-red dots in the middle.

  8. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to TuMicks For This Useful Post:

    Indigo (03-21-2015), Meeps83 (03-21-2015), ronmcq (03-23-2015)

  9. #8
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    Oh petsmart is like Disneyland! Zoey is focused on one thing, the treats at the register. She tries to drag me there as soon as we walk in and forget about waiting in line to check out, the anticipation of getting closer to the register is to much for her to handle. She then plops her big butt down right in front of the cashier and begins her series of tricks, she does like 6 tricks in 5 seconds, its hilarious

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    barry581 (03-21-2015)

  11. #9
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Well... here is a first. I put her on a down (you'll notice she wasn't even wearing an e-collar!) in the brightest part of the afternoon's sunshine. I had no idea how to get it on my computer and actually had to go to the computer store and ask the tech geek to show me.

    But here is the Ram-jet-Rocket-propelled, Ball-uh-Fahr. Don't let the placid demeanor fool you.
    -tumicks-hornpipe-branna-jpg
    On the pedigree she is Tumick's Hornpipe Branna.
    Her "older sister" is Diamond P Slipjig Bridget MH

  12. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to TuMicks For This Useful Post:

    barry581 (03-21-2015), Indigo (03-21-2015), ZoeysMommy (03-22-2015)

  13. #10
    Puppy Indigo's Avatar
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    She is beautiful. There is no way that sweet, gentle puppy did all those things.

 



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