I know I just posted this in the "ask an owner" forum, but I'm desperate for help. =x Sorry for repeating this again.
I'm hoping you all can possibly help me.
I've had my pet for over a year or two now. It's a long distance ownership; and it can get rougSo. I JUST posted my intro, and I'm jumping right on it, lol. I hope nobody minds too much?
I'm hoping you all can possibly help me.
I've had my pet for over a year or two now. It's a long distance ownership; and it can get rough but we talk A LOT. The two of us are very close. I do not use harsh trainings, I more use gentle guidance and soft touches to help train.
I wont lie. He was abused by another previous owner of his; quite a bit actually. Points as of where she'd degrade him, and make him do things, he wasn't comfortable or wanting to do. Being the obediant good boy he is however, did as he was told despite his dislikings. Then after awhile, she sent him an Email saying that he was the worst thing ever, that he was worthless and a nothing, then she just vanished. Popped off the face of the Earth. Then, I found him. He isn't one for such harshness in an owner, he just wants love. I've already dealt with his previous owner, and now she's completely out of the picture. ((thank goodness...))
Anyways. I've been working on him for over a year now, trying to help get him to be a bit more assertive and stronger. We've communicated and such, and he's got...Like this...Wall. He freaks out, and clams up with just about everything I do.
The previous owner used the clicker-training. Everytime he'd give a reaction to her stimulation, "Click-click." I have NO idea how t get around this training, it's so far embedded into his brain that even the simple clicking of a snapple-top drives him nuts.
Please help me? I'm looking for training tips to possibly help him get over the clicker training, if there is any possible way. And I'm looking for other training methods to help make him a stronger person, possibly.
I appreciate any help I get. So, thank you in advance everyone.h but we talk A LOT. The two of us are very close. I do not use harsh trainings, I more use gentle guidance and soft touches to help train.
I wont lie. He was abused by another previous owner of his; quite a bit actually. Points as of where she'd degrade him, and make him do things, he wasn't comfortable or wanting to do. Being the obediant good boy he is however, did as he was told despite his dislikings. Then after awhile, she sent him an Email saying that he was the worst thing ever, that he was worthless and a nothing, then she just vanished. Popped off the face of the Earth. Then, I found him. He isn't one for such harshness in an owner, he just wants love. I've already dealt with his previous owner, and now she's completely out of the picture. ((thank goodness...))
Anyways. I've been working on him for over a year now, trying to help get him to be a bit more assertive and stronger. We've communicated and such, and he's got...Like this...Wall. He freaks out, and clams up with just about everything I do.
The previous owner used the clicker-training. Everytime he'd give a reaction to her stimulation, "Click-click." I have NO idea how t get around this training, it's so far embedded into his brain that even the simple clicking of a snapple-top drives him nuts.
Please help me? I'm looking for training tips to possibly help him get over the clicker training, if there is any possible way. And I'm looking for other training methods to help make him a stronger person, possibly.
I appreciate any help I get. So, thank you in advance everyone.
__________________
We all know that, Deep down he's loving the attention.
Warning: I am NOT a psychologist. I do not know what I am talking about. If your pet is really badly off, I suggest you both go see a real psychologist.
That said, Pavlov was really on to something. We think, "Oh, we're humans, we're not just going to develop Pavlovian reactions to things." But...WRONG! There was a period of time (when I was exchanging a lot of dirty e-mails, heh) where I'd start to get turned on by the sound my MSN messenger made announcing I had new e-mails. I never made a conscious effort to get over it, but eventually the reaction got worn away when I just started getting a lot more non-dirty e-mails than dirty ones. I kept hearing the "ding" sound but never getting "rewarded" for it, so the association died away.
If your pet sort of perks up when he hears the clicking noise but it doesn't actually cause him distress, you could try just playing clicking noises for him and then not doing anything usual afterwards. I wouldn't recommend it if the clicking noises are causing him distress though.
And as for helping him get through that wall, again, perhaps a trained psychologist might help. Other than that, just keep loving him. It's hard work. Really hard work (*blushes* I'll say it was too hard for me, at one point, and that I really regret my weakness now) but I know it's worth it.
Oh, thanks so much dear, for all of that. I will try to see if I can start off with small things, tiny clicks.. He DOES have a strong reaction to the clicker still.
I really never thought about it that way really, I kinda just stayed away from any click sounds at all. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Heh. Funny how things can sit right under your nose like so.
I really appreciate you bringing this idea to light. ^^ *smiles cheerfully*
__________________
We all know that, Deep down he's loving the attention.
I also want to point out I am NOT a person that is a trained psycologist (SP?). But also try associating the clicking sound with someting pleasant. Maybe when the click happens you give him a gentle caress or dare I mention it a hug. But give him the loving attention to remove the evil of the past. But take it slow, and easy and hopefully he will break the fear of the clicker.
NifoKitty
__________________
Who wants to pet the lap kitty? A fun loving snuggle kitty who loves to be cuddled and stroked.
I was thinking about what you said, Nifo, before I posted my answer. But then I wonder...for someone who's been at the mercy of being controlled by a clicker, would it really be a great idea to keep it that way, even if a positive spin is put on it?
No doubt, LunarSolstice could probably train her slave out of a fear of the clicker if she reassociates it with something overtly positive instead of with something completely neutral but...that still leaves us with a human being who's having random, possibly very intense (if my MSN messenger reactions are anything to go by) reactions to a clicker. Dunno if that's the greatest state of affairs.
It's a personal thing, of course. I guess as someone on the less submissive end of the submissive spectrum, the thought of being controlled by a clicker kind of makes me shudder. That's not to say, though, that there aren't people who'd eat up being trained to respond to a clicker. I guess if I were in that situation, I'd ask the boy in the original post what reaction he WANTED to have when hearing a clicker and work towards that.
I was not telling her to train her pet to respond differnently to the clicker. I just made the comment that if the noise is associated to something good that her pet would not freak out as much. Instead of freaking out with the opening of a snapple bottle or the sound of heels on the floor. To give the peace of mind that if the noise is heard that Bad things won't happen. But I won't argue with what you said, becuase it is true. I just don't think I explained myself well enough before. That the sound should be desensitized to the pet.
NifoKitty
__________________
Who wants to pet the lap kitty? A fun loving snuggle kitty who loves to be cuddled and stroked.
*nuzzles NifoKitty gently* I didn't mean to sound argumentative. Heh, I just saw you're new here and I'm sorry if your first experience on the forums seemed like someone was pouncing all over you (the bad way). I was just giving my thoughts on what you'd said because your idea occurred to me, too.