Chickentrain's Dog Q&A

[black_cat]

Do you know how to prevent posting when stacking a dog?? I’m having a real issue with it. He’s fine when I set his front legs, but starts posting like crazy when I set his back legs.

 

[berryncherry]

Off leash seems fine but the other dog (husky) looks really uncomfortable. The BC seems to be having fun but it looks like he’s pushing boundaries lol

He is a lot more reactive on leash. How do I fix that? Some say to use a prong collar, but I’ve heard others tell me that it would be cruel. What methods would you all prefer?

To me, from the short clip, this looks like aggressive behavior. You need to disregard the wagging tail because it's not at all unusual for dogs to wag their tail while being aggressive.
He may look as if he's being friendly, but the husky is very clearly telling the border collie to back off and yet he ignores that and continues to be pushy. The husky is being tolerant, but another dog might not be so patient with him.

Ok, got it!

 

[black_cat]

He is a lot more reactive on leash. How do I fix that? Some say to use a prong collar, but I’ve heard others tell me that it would be cruel. What methods would you all prefer?

I've heard 'play a game with the dog' as a solution- when he's reacting, put yourself between him and the other dog and play the touch game, where you have him touch target your hand (finn loves this game at any time of day), which helps him refocus on you and ignore the other dog.

I have no idea if this actually works, though

 

[Geena]

Do you know how to prevent posting when stacking a dog?? I’m having a real issue with it. He’s fine when I set his front legs, but starts posting like crazy when I set his back legs.

I don't know if I can be much help to you, as I have always taught my dogs the free stack.

A couple of thoughts and ideas-
I went and looked at some of Finn's pics and while he is a lovely boy, he's rather straight in the shoulder, so his legs are not going to sit well under him like a dog with a nicely laid back shoulder. Just something to keep in mind.

First be sure you're not overstretching, overstacking or fussing with him too much. Usually if they are posting it's because they are uncomfortable or unbalanced.

Have you trying walking him into his front or lifting his front and dropping it into place, instead of hand stacking?

After you fix his rear do you come back to the front again?
Have you tried baiting him forward? throwing the bait?

 

[Geena]

He is a lot more reactive on leash. How do I fix that? Some say to use a prong collar, but I’ve heard others tell me that it would be cruel. What methods would you all prefer?

Ok, got it!

A prong collar might work, might just amp him up even more. I've had several dog aggressive dogs, it's pretty common with dogs from the herding group.

In my experience it's something you manage rather than try to fix. As I think I said before, you would probably be better off teaching him to ignore other dogs rather than trying to make him get along with them.

If he's being very reactive you are too close, start from much further away, where he can see the other dog, but is not so ramped up. Get him to focus on something else, a toy or ball, play a game, do some obedience.

 

[black_cat]

I don't know if I can be much help to you, as I have always taught my dogs the free stack.

A couple of thoughts and ideas-
I went and looked at some of Finn's pics and while he is a lovely boy, he's rather straight in the shoulder, so his legs are not going to sit well under him like a dog with a nicely laid back shoulder. Just something to keep in mind.

Yep, he has no type. His hocks? pasterns?? are quite long as well, rather than shorter like most dogs from the sporting group, which makes it tricky for me to get him in a stack that looks right for him and for his breed.

First be sure you're not overstretching, overstacking or fussing with him too much. Usually if they are posting it's because they are uncomfortable or unbalanced.

I have been setting his hind legs too far back, and tried to fix that today with a bit of a better result.

Have you trying walking him into his front or lifting his front and dropping it into place, instead of hand stacking?

I have tried walking him into his front and it often ends up with one leg set nicely and the other not. I have not tried lifting up his front and dropping it because I'm worried that as he grows it will get much harder (the vet says he'll be around 90 pounds, he's currently 51) I have noticed that his front legs look nice until I set his back legs. Example from yesterday: (his hind legs were much too far back, but I didn't realize at the time. However, when I set his back legs further forward in a more correct position, I still have a posting issue)
Front legs, no back:

With back legs:

After you fix his rear do you come back to the front again?

No, I haven't tried that. Should I?

Have you tried baiting him forward? throwing the bait?

I"ve tried baiting him forward with some success, but never fully eliminating the issue.

 

[SpotTheCat]

Yep, he has no type. His hocks? pasterns?? are quite long as well, rather than shorter like most dogs from the sporting group, which makes it tricky for me to get him in a stack that looks right for him and for his breed.

I have been setting his hind legs too far back, and tried to fix that today with a bit of a better result.

I have tried walking him into his front and it often ends up with one leg set nicely and the other not. I have not tried lifting up his front and dropping it because I'm worried that as he grows it will get much harder (the vet says he'll be around 90 pounds, he's currently 51) I have noticed that his front legs look nice until I set his back legs. Example from yesterday: (his hind legs were much too far back, but I didn't realize at the time. However, when I set his back legs further forward in a more correct position, I still have a posting issue)
Front legs, no back:
View attachment 2807341
With back legs:
View attachment 2807342

No, I haven't tried that. Should I?

I"ve tried baiting him forward with some success, but never fully eliminating the issue.

I haven’t seen Finn pictures for ages he looks huge!

 

[Geena]

Yep, he has no type. His hocks? pasterns?? are quite long as well, rather than shorter like most dogs from the sporting group, which makes it tricky for me to get him in a stack that looks right for him and for his breed.

I have been setting his hind legs too far back, and tried to fix that today with a bit of a better result.

I have tried walking him into his front and it often ends up with one leg set nicely and the other not. I have not tried lifting up his front and dropping it because I'm worried that as he grows it will get much harder (the vet says he'll be around 90 pounds, he's currently 51) I have noticed that his front legs look nice until I set his back legs. Example from yesterday: (his hind legs were much too far back, but I didn't realize at the time. However, when I set his back legs further forward in a more correct position, I still have a posting issue)
Front legs, no back:
View attachment 2807341
With back legs:
View attachment 2807342

No, I haven't tried that. Should I?

I"ve tried baiting him forward with some success, but never fully eliminating the issue.

He's in that gangly stage, such a cutie

One thing I've learned about dog training, through my own many, many screw ups, is that what we are trying to teach them is not necessarily what they are learning from it.

It's quite possible, if you've been overstretching him, that you have inadvertently trained him to post. Maybe don't stretch him hardly at all until he relearns to keep his front legs under him and then gradually move his rear legs further back later?

 

[black_cat]

I haven’t seen Finn pictures for ages he looks huge!

He is!!

 

[black_cat]

He's in that gangly stage, such a cutie

One thing I've learned about dog training, through my own many, many screw ups, is that what we are trying to teach them is not necessarily what they are learning from it.

It's quite possible, if you've been overstretching him, that you have inadvertently trained him to post. Maybe don't stretch him hardly at all until he relearns to keep his front legs under him and then gradually move his rear legs further back later?

Frick!! I hadn't thought of that. Thank you!