|
LittleJ,
Following around vs. umbilical can be confusing I know. With umbilical, it's an exercise to make the dog think, and teach him or her to watch where you are going so they don't get underfoot. It's a patience exercise when you're doing it while watching tv or on the computer, and they have to follow you without pulling in every direction. You can combine it with walks, or exercise for both of you when you do it "obstacle course style" where you're weaving in and out of posts, over benches, etc. When your dog is just following you around really closely all the time and doesn't ever just go off on his own, this could start being a problem, and you might notice separation anxiety or possessiveness over you. My dog does follow me sometimes, especially when we just get home from work, but he does go off on his own to play with a toy, or lay down on the floor near my husband when he's on the computer in the office. And then he takes a break to chase the cat around for a while, and he's back. But constant following isn't necessarily a good thing. You may also notice that your dog follows you around a bit more once you start doing umbilical, but again, it shouldn't be a constant thing. To work on that, you can try practicing sit stays, and work it up to having your dog staying with you being able to walk around your house and back. You can actually do more umbilical believe it or not, along with the obstacle course stuff, because then it's following on your terms, and you'll start to be more alpha in your dogs eyes. As for the no touching thing, it's hard, but it actually may surprise you to find out how often we pet our dogs, and how it may be excessive. So try not to touch your dog at all at first. Then, don't touch, except maybe if he's behaving well, give him a chest rub (see Brad's video on how to do this). They love them! Good luck!
Lynne
|
Forums
