Training RALPH Pt.2 RALPH comes to dog school, (2007), 59pp (A4 format) $20 or $30 for set of Training RALPH and Training RALPH Pt.2
Many group training classes have unruly adolescent dogs enrolled. Their behaviour can become quite stressful for everyone. In this book, Kaye discusses how instructors can handle unruly dogs, and how classes can be reorganised to be less stressful.
CONTENTS
Ralph comes to dog school
Ralph is your dog
For instructors
Ralph is in your class
Training techniques for unruliness
What went wrong
Organizing group classes
What doesn’t work
Take home message
Case Studies
Case study #1
Dog barks and lunges when another dog gets too close
Case study #2
Small dog is chasing and aggressing at other dogs.
Case study #3
An unruly 9 month old Weimaraner.
Training concepts and terms:
EXTRACT
Chances are Ralph has already been to dog school – perhaps more than one. You may be one of the dog owners who dines out on stories of Ralph’s creative sabotage of his teacher’s efforts. But somehow I doubt whether you really find it funny. Or you may be an instructor who has had Ralph – many Ralphs – in your class. In either case, there are ways you can make Ralph’s training more effective and less stressful. Many of these techniques are discussed in the companion volume to this book, Training RALPH, and dog owners can practice them at home.
However, training at a dog school, with the distraction of other dogs is more of a challenge. You might now be ready for this, but take care how you choose your school. Some classes are organised in ways that result in over-excited and highly stressed dogs. However, as training methods change, so too do ways or structuring classes. Instructors are starting to recognise signs of stress, and to work out ways of minimising it. I talk about how to achieve this in this book.
Reviews
"Kaye's books bring hope to the frazzled and often despairing owners of the typical RALPH. She calmly breaks down seemingly insurmountable training objectives into clearly manageable exercises,
always using positive, humane, reward based techniques.
Having been helped previously by Kaye to manage a much loved dog with multiple behavioural problems I can testify to the value of these methods. And now, once again involved in the training of a young RALPH, I have turned to Kaye's books with their concise practical information that is based on a deep understanding of canine psychology.
Particularly impressive is that part 2 is aimed at obedience school instructors. Rarely do we see practical ideas on how to safely manage classes containing the typical adolescent canine troublemaker. Kaye's books should go a long way to ensuring instructors provide real help and preventing the massive dropout rate from dog school by disillusioned owners of difficult dogs."
Fiona McNaughton
