# NILF Training



## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

have any of u tried this was wondering how u all feel about it thx


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

I think to a greater or lesser extent any trained dog has been through this. 

It is a good way to make your pup / dog realise that you are the be all in life and if they want anything they have to do it through you. 

I started it in ernest when my pup started to exhibit growling and snapping when being handled. (basic nervousness from a puppy at handling rather than phsyco dog ). We then did not allow her to have any food unless she was being handled at the time. 3 days later anyone could pick her up. 

So I think it works, but like all types of training it can be taken too far!!!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i think, as humans, we are part of NILIF training....so why not dogs? 

it's not cruel to challenge your dog and teach commands..

my dogs sit and then have to look at me before they eat.....

they have to not pull on a leash....

nothing in life IS free, so it seems to me it's something children and dogs need....

plus, it's mental exercise for them and us....

we use it often with our dogs....except for the couch....but if we say excuse me, they know to get off.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

We use the basic principles but not the hard core NILF techniques.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> We use the basic principles but not the hard core NILF techniques.


can you give me an example of what you would consider hard core?

'cause i don't think we're hard core....too soft and lazy....LOL...but everyone's definitions are different.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Well I know some people won't even pet their dog without them working for affection. That seems a bit much to me. We do however require them to work for couch privileges.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Well I know some people won't even pet their dog without them working for affection. That seems a bit much to me. We do however require them to work for couch privileges.


you have danes. how much work does that require LOL.....one foot and they're on the couch....

i know what you mean, though...i think, for us, at least....there are some important commands they absolutely need to have.....taking a walk is fun for them...that means no running away, returning upon command and no pulling...or it becomes a tedious exercise for them.

i don't want them jumping all over the poor ups person.....so they have an invisible line between them and the door....although the pug has not done very well as of yet....

we probably wouldn't even be doing NILIF had it not been for dances with food....he's incorrigible....the corgi mix has always been very polite...


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

We've used the NILF philosophy with respect to sitting before getting a treat or before the food bowl is placed in front of them We probably use it in other ways but it tends to carry over to other behaviors for the dog once they learn. Oh, they also have learned to sit to be hooked up with the leash before going outside. All of our dogs have been rescued so from the beginning we have always wanted to control these situations and to have them recognize that we control what the dog wants. Affection for us is a whole other story, no need to sit or perform some trick in order to receive affection. For us I think we have gained their respect from being fair, consistent and loving leaders. 

I've had two siberians who dipped their heads sadly and walked away even if you raised your voice to say no firmly.  With them we had to be even more careful with any correction. Not sure if they had previously been treated harshly in some way but we adjusted how we spoke with them when a correction was needed. The other five just accepted the corrective word no, learned from it and moved on with their usual zest for life.

I like a siberian with a lot of zest, playfulness, and happiness about life, the last thing I have ever wanted to do was see a siberian looking downtrodden. A positive approach to NILF has worked really well for us.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

stajbs said:


> I've had two siberians who dipped their heads sadly and walked away even if you raised your voice to say no firmly. With them we had to be even more careful with any correction.


My Thor is like that. We have to be very careful on correcting him. Even when we are asking him to do something if its in a stern voice he gets upset and confused. You have to stay very positive with him all the time.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Both of our Danes are like that too. We don't really correct them much at all because it only takes a few times for them to get something right. Danes are sensitive souls, how I wish Emmy and Shiloh learned as quickly! They are total knuckleheads!


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

It was tough the first time I saw Jewel or Silva hang their heads and appear sad or confused when told no with a corrective tone. We're not talking yelling or bellowing either, it was almost as if the word and the tone broke their little hearts. We learned that a simple lightly spoken "uh ah" or "leave it" etc. worked best. Geez the first time I told Silva no I swore if she were human she would have cried, Jewel looked similar. I remember going back to them immediately and distracting them in some positive way like you would re-direct a 1 or 2 year old toddler. 

RFD, we had a 5 year old boy we rescued, he was with us for seven years until he passed, his name was Thorn. He had lived primarily with sled dog folks most of his life. Not that I think he was mistreated but his ability to trust was almost nil. He was more used to being in harness than having a leash hooked to his collar and going for a walk. Well, he was a darned stump puller on a leash. lol Probably why he excelled in weight pull and also made a great wheel dog on our rec team. The first few times I tried to walk him, he put his head down, dug in and pulled soooo hard. It truly was like a tug of war and he was the winner. Any leash correction I gave and he became paralyzed. He just froze. Well that wasn't working. He was not especially food motivated either so it was a challenge to walk him. Walking him was never easy but it did improve as the years went by. 

Life lesson for us: not all dogs of the same breed behave the same, and you definitely better factor in their previous environment(s) and history if you wished to have a successful positive relationship. It got so that any challenge that came along we would sit back and say "okay, what did we do wrong, what can we change to improve or eliminate this problem." That is truly the challenge I love about sharing my life with dogs.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Up until my dog was 2, she thought her name was 'NO'! 
But now she is out of her teenage rebellion years she is almost perfect.
Just like kids.
I dont know if it is a herding breed thing, but they do read your body language a lot more than you realise. Mine will react to what my body is saying as opposed to what is coming out of my mouth. You can't fool them.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

RawFedDogs said:


> My Thor is like that. We have to be very careful on correcting him. Even when we are asking him to do something if its in a stern voice he gets upset and confused. You have to stay very positive with him all the time.


That's how Rocky is. Today he wiggled while I was brushing him and I just said 'ah ah ' and he froze. He absolutely can't stand to be scolded or have your voice raised at all and we've had him since he was 8 weeks old. It's just in his nature. Everything has to be 100% positive all the time with him. 

Chelsy, on the other hand, is a true Lhasa......you can scold her until your eyes bleed and she totally ignores you :biggrin: Good thing she is one of the worlds only sweet Lhasa's.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i'd love to use positive training with bubba...although i cannot raise my voice at all....he's very sensitive and his feelings get hurt so easily...

but food...which is what drives this boy....i just can't do it in his training.

when he went through the grate fear, we used food to help him get past them..now he stops and there is a look in his eye...and it ain't fear...it's where's the food.

i now stop.
and then say, come on, bubba, let's go..and he goes...like i don't know what he's up to...smart dog....very smart dog...

when he misbehaves, we have gestures....or i will put him on a leash if he is too excited...

like teaching him about the no pug zone between the rug and the door....if he doesn't sit and is doing back flips, i just put his leash on and put my hand on his behind and he sits. he's not happy, but he sits. it's better than yelling at him.

hissing like a snake, though....i just discovered that sound....stops him in his tracks LOL


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