Thursday, July 30, 2009

Best type of training? I have a dog w/severe hip dysplasia I want to train her ?

I haven't decided the best treatment for her yet. Until I do I still want to keep up w/ her training. any good idea's? I like to combine training w/ play. I need ideas that don't involve a lot of exercise.
Answers:
I agree with the Vet Tech that you should do all you can to make your dog as comfortable as possible- Think of yourself being in chronic severe pain - doing physical things like sit or any motion might make her reluctant to do anything. With that said, clicker training could be a good avenue to keep her mentally stimulated and to teach her very simple tricks. We often recommend some simple tricks for dogs that are laid up for a while due to surgery.
You can't train effectively if she is in pain. At this point it really isn't fair to ask her to do much beyond going out to the bathroom. Get her treated then concentrate on training. House manners can be trained with positive reinforcement, but she should be resting and not further injuring herself on those bad hips.
Would you continue training on an injury? If every step you take was agony, would you be focused and motivated?
Treatment first, training after she is completely healed.
What has the vet recommended? i would think you need for her to have the surgery right away if it is so bad. She has to be in lots of pain. Until surgery, she needs to be kept quiet and not move around a lot. It will only make the pain worse.
Why not do some attention training? Attention training will allow her to be in any position, while you ask her to look at you and reward her for keeping eye contact. While it sounds simple, it can be made more difficult in many ways, and really help your dog focus in on you. I quickly googled it and this page had a good outline. http://www.wagntrain.com/attention.htm.
I'm sure there are many more out there. Another possibility is to do some heeling. In my experience with dysplasic dogs, they have more trouble sitting and getting back up than moving forward. Use a positive method that keeps her happy and you should both enjoy it. If you talk to a trainer who uses positive methods, they would probably have more ideas, and be able to see what your dog can physically do. Good luck training!
My rottweiler also has hip dysplasia I take her for short walks ,I also trained her with low fat treats she always responds to the treats good luck

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