- Avoid circumstances that elicit the
aggression -- at least temporarily. Later you'll be able to work on
desensitization, but only after you've gotten the dog's cooperation, not
resistance.
- Maintain an aloof attitude toward the dog.
This is accomplished quite easily by crating the dog (or isolating it
from the family in a small area with a baby gate). This crating will be
90% or more of the time for a few weeks. This seemed to make Gypsy much
more willing to do ANYTHING I wanted her to when she was out -- she was
so thrilled to have ANY attention that she was beside herself.
- Two-three times a day for 3-5 minutes
maximum practice QUICK sits and downs for food. (If you don't know how
to train this, go to a class.) You are working for speed and attitude
here -- so reward correct behavior generously with praise and food. If
your dog has fear problems, ignore or minimize the need for corrections.
Don't make these training sessions a chore -- they should be fast and
fun, not a battle. When the dog is IMMEDIATELY and CONSISTENTLY and with
ANTICIPATION obeying the commands, she is ready for the meat of the
NILIF program.
- At first, privileges are still restricted,
but you'll gradually be able to add privileges. Don't rush things -- if
you have a bad day, just go back to the prior level where things were
successful and start over. Don't go from confinement/isolation to full
house privileges in a day -- keep doors shut, start with limited amount
of "free time". (This step is my modification to the program, but it
worked for me, so I recommend it.) Gypsy got 20 minutes her first day --
twice.
- NILIF -- Nothing in life is free. This
means the dog must PERFORM to get anything it wants. For Gypsy, because
we were trying to reduce dominance that was already present, I chose to
use the "down" command because it requires her to throw herself into the
most submissive posture available. I have since started peppering "sits"
into the program, just to keep her paying attention -- but the dominance
problem is long gone, so I'm less concerned with how submissive she is.
"Wanna cookie?" -- nothing in life is free, so the dog must "down" on
command for the cookie. (BTW -- when you start introducing NILIF, carry
food AT ALL TIMES -- you're still rewarding the dog for submitting -
this is NONCONFRONTATIONAL. Reward for a LONG time, then wean off food
sporadically, but still praise the behavior.) "Wanna go outside?" - dog
must "down". "Wanna drink of water?" -- that's right. You're catching
on. The dog gets NO freebies. She must *earn* everything -- food (you
should see her slam her body on the floor for dinner!), play, petting,
water, going out, going for a r-i-d-e, getting T-R-E-A-T-S, coming
inside. Gypsy even has to "earn" the right to work on the agility
equipment ... partly because I think it helps her attitude ("Ohboyohboyohboy,
Alpha-mom made me down, I must be about to do something Good"), and
partly because she's so excited to be there that she needs the extra
control.
BTW -- there are other non-confrontational
ways to establish dominance. Ignore a dog when it tries to initiate play
-- and as soon as it gives up, you initiate the game yourself. Alpha
dogs decide when the pack plays, and when it hunts. And I *do* like the
idea of teaching a puppy or a dog to roll on its back and accept petting
... but it doesn't have to be a battle.
I support this method wholeheartedly. Gypsy would be dead by now if I
hadn't found out about it. So -- it stays in my sig. And whether it
works because it changes their behavior and not attitude, or because of
the isolation in the beginning or the improved obedience -- I don't
really care. It worked for me. I hope it helps a few other people too. I
consider it just one more "tool" in my training and behavior
modification "toolbox" -- it's not a magic bullet for all problems. I'll
happily share it with anyone else who cares. And lots of those who
don't. :)
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