XPost: rec.pets.dogs.behavior   
   From: les@rcn.com   
      
   Me again...the original poster of Q...........   
   The freedom of running around in the yard is wonderful to him. He plays   
   with his toys, and animals abound in the thickets. He never barks, so he's   
   not a nuisance. (in fact I wish he's bark once as a normal territorial dog)   
      
   My dog has done basic obedience, and I'm sad to say is not up to the same   
   par as my old beloved dog who mastered basic, advanced obedience,   
   obstacle course training, and protection work. I'm, needless to say, quite   
   disappointed by my new one-year old who has a completely new set of   
   bad behaviors I never had to deal with before. ( Yes, I know, some will say   
   this is normal behavior and any dog who doesn't act like this is ABnormal.)   
      
   But, I think a canine behaviorist can rationalize an alternative behavior.   
   The idea   
   of channeling him into a "sandbox" is along the lines of what I would   
   expect.   
   IMO, it probably makes sense, but I still wonder if rechanneling is as   
   healthy   
   as extinguishing the behavior. Afterall, I would still be encouraging   
   something I really   
   don't want him to do !! And that's assuming he understands one spot is okay,   
   and another is not. After working with him in classes, he doesn't seem as   
   sharp   
   as my previous dog. This makes me wonder if anything I do will make an   
   imprint   
   on him. I think some of his history I have to overcome is his abusive past.   
   (someone hacked his tail off.....a home-docking job ??)   
   I found him at a Humane Pound, and he was a stray. He had 3 types of   
   intestinal   
   worms, and was a skeleton. He has found a good loving home, but this digging   
   is   
   about to drive my wife nuts in regard to her garden.   
   So that's the scenario. I want to keep everyone happy and sane.   
   I'm still trolling for ideas. Thanks.   
      
   Dr. B.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)