Jumping and leash pulling are two of the major concerns for pet parents. Every time the dog meets someone new, the dog displays behaviors of dragging their owner and jumping on the new friend. Even my own dogs love to jump.
Positive trainers often suggest turning away from the dog, and sometimes this method works, but there are flaws with this way of training. The more excited the dog, the more they fail. And the more they fail, the more engrained the habit becomes. Here are some of the major flaws that limit my students' success.
One of the main reasons for failure is that with this method as with any other, it must be consistent. Consistency is something we all fight with day in and day out, and I honestly believe that whatever method you choose, there must be consistency. Now here is the catch...it's not just you who has to be consistent, but every single person who meets the dog. The likely hood of this is pretty grim. Many of my students have learned to tell each person they meet to turn around when the dog jumps. Wonderful work guys! However, almost every one of the students, who stick to the criteria like an army Sargent, come back saying that it isn't working. The visitor will nod and agree that yes, they will turn away as soon as the dog jumps. Never having any practice with this method, the plan soon goes awry. And who can expect any different when these people with kind intentions give your dog attention!
Ignoring the dog is not only hard to maintain with other visitors, but it is also very frustrating for both the dog and any human involved. It is not rewarding. Whoever and whenever I train, I want to give both dog and human (even myself!) as much success as I possibly can. This method has way too much room for error on both the dog's and human's side! You're leaving the option of jumping and being ignored way too open. Ignoring the dog should happen when my new method goes awry and you don't want to reward the bad. Not as the main way of training the behavior!!!
The next problem is that these trainers only reward the dog in a sitting position. The first problem with this is that in the sitting position, the dog's hind legs are poised just right to act like a spring toward the greeter's face. Just like a rabbit looks like it's sitting before it springs, we are positioning our dogs in the same manner! The next problem is that if you only reward sitting, you've left an "open to interpretation" position for the dog. When they are standing, they have only been rewarded for jumping, not for keeping all four feet on the floor. Chances are, if you're in a store, or walking down a side walk, your dog will encounter people while he is in a standing position. Walking through a crowded area now becomes a nightmare as people randomly reach out to pet your dog on the way by.
Teaching the dog not to jump by ignoring the jumping behavior, and requiring a sit, are not bad things! In fact, with the method I am about to explain to you, you should be using these criteria. Some dogs will learn just fine with only these methods, but others need a little bit more clarity.
The very first thing I do is work with the dog on moving without jumping. I want to give the dog success at this. With the dog facing you, shift back and forth, when the dog takes even one step, click and drop the treat on the floor. Using the floor delivery will help encourage the dog to stay on the floor. The goal is to click and treat before the dog has a chance to jump. Also, I reward dogs that pay attention, so sniffing along the floor ignoring you does not count. As the dog starts to understand the game of moving and getting treats, you can ask for more. Step a little farther to the side and pause before you click and treat to get longer times of feet on the floor before reward. Once the dog can move with you without jumping, it's time to desensitize the dog to exciting movement.
Click and treat for small movements first, gradually make them bigger. For example, raise your hands away from your body, click and treat. Do bigger motions till you can throw your hands in the air, and the dog will not jump. Next do sounds, first make high pitch sounds of "hi Fido!" very quietly. Then gradually, with more excitement, be louder and louder. Then add the hand motion and the sound, but remember when you put these together to make them small together and gradually work your way back up.
The next thing I teach is a "rest" command. I teach the dog to rest it's head in my hand as I offer treats, that way a visitor can pet the dog's back. I will also use this to teach my dog to rest her head on a bed in hopes that we will be able to visit at a nursing home or hospital. With the rest behavior, you want the dogs jaw to rest in your palm without grabbing their face. Do not hold on. Offer your palm and lure the dog forward till their head is above your hand, lower the treat so that the weight of the dog's head is rested in your palm. Reward multiple times in order to lengthen the time they rest. Once the dog offers the resting behavior, simply add time between treats until they stay there until you release them.
Remember, not jumping is like teaching any other command and behavior, such as sitting or heeling, so train it with success. They do not know what you are asking, so remain patient. The more success you give your dog, the more fun you and your dog will have.
As we say in agility : "one of you better be having fun, and it better be the dog!"
Monday, October 28, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Bathing Tips - New Puppy or Dramatic Resident Dog?
Hello there, maybe you're like me - you've had many bathing experiences. Some you might want to repeat, and others, well - we've all had the ones we'd rather forget about. Or maybe you're new to this? A new puppy or rescue dog, you're checking prices at local dog salons. There must be a reason that many people, if not most, take their dogs to someone else to have them groomed. The good news is, whoever you might be, and whatever category you place yourself in, you're not alone. I don't blame you for looking for a salon, because let's face it, bathing at home can be a disaster and it's a guaranteed mess. But with a few tips, you might find it's not so bad. My goal is to have a trauma free, minimal mess bath - and these are the things that help me achieve that with my five month old Border Collie and five year old Aussie.
The best recipe, I always say, to avoid disaster is to be completely prepared. The times that have been a horrible mess have been the times I was dashing to find a towel, trying to find dog soap while holding a dog in the bath, or trying to wrangle the dog to stay in the tub while I get the last of the soap out! Compared to that, being prepared is bliss. So here's a list of tips, many in the order I would go about doing them. Many of these you can also apply to grooming at the "do it yourself" dog grooming stores. I happen to love those, because who couldn't say that they'd like to leave the mess?!?
1. Prepare all the necessities before you get the dog.
~ Dog Soap - Don't use human soap, it will not be good for the dog's skin...Also, having conditioner is a wonderful way to lessen the trauma of brushing afterwards!
~ Towels - lots of 'em. One for your lap to dry your hands on as well as to use as a shield when the dog shakes with shampoo flying!
~ Treats - reward often. Praise the dog too. If you have a helper, and the pup tends to use her teeth too hard on your skin, put the treat in a shallow Tupperware. This works well with children who want to help.
~ Leash to tie the dog into the tub
~ Large cup or dish to dump water onto the dog - or one of those bathing attachments. (I'm searching ebay for one of those!!!)
2. Plan where family members and other pets will be. When you finish bathing the dog, they will be very excited. Some puppies will run around, acting spazzy. If you have young children, have them sit on a couch so that the dog can not jump up on them or bite them. This is not time for chase. With other pets, it's important to make sure that they can escape the excited wet dog. It's best, if the other dog does not like excitement, to put him in another room with the door closed, as well as the bathroom door closed, just in case one of the dogs get out of the room, there's still a door between them. It's not a pleasant way for a resident dog to get use to the new puppy when the pup is jumping on them or biting them.
3. Why tie the dog into the tub instead of holding the leash or having a helper hold the leash? I like to tie them in for a few reasons. The first is this: Holding a dog into the tub when they don't want to be there is difficult, and the frustration you feel will travel right through your hands, through the leash, down to the dog. Face it, they already don't want to be there, and your frustrated emotions are not going to impress a good feeling upon the dog. The second reason: If you hold the leash, you will not be able to keep it completely still. Every time the dog pulls, they will feel the give in the leash. This will encourage the dog to keep fighting in the hopes of getting free - it's very rewarding. They will give up more quickly if it's tied. I just tied my leash to the facet short enough that the dog couldn't jump out.
4. Check the water before pouring it on the dog. Do not try to fill a tub full and have them lay down in it. This is even more threatening. If they thrash around, there's a chance they will go under, terrifying them even more!
5. Don't use too much soap - the more soap the longer the dog must stay in the tub. If you're worried they won't handle it well, soap up only one part of the dog, so that you can rinse that area quickly if you need to get them out.
6. Use messaging and calm quiet words to keep the dog nice and calm.
7. After you finish the bath, take the dog on leash to go outside. With all the stress of the bath, they may not realize they need to go potty, especially if they get "a high" from being wet. Keeping them on leash is important. Most dogs will go roll in dirt or sand, rub against bushes or trees, or even roll in the grass after a bath. If they are that excited they may not listen to you when you call which could be disastrous if they get out of a fenced area.
8. Take your dog's collar off until they are completely dry. Hotspots can occur when moisture is held close to their skin.
I hope these tips help you out, whether your a long time dog owner, or brand new to all this fun. Keeping all these things in mind has certainly increased the amount of good experiences for me and my two loving fuzzballs.
The best recipe, I always say, to avoid disaster is to be completely prepared. The times that have been a horrible mess have been the times I was dashing to find a towel, trying to find dog soap while holding a dog in the bath, or trying to wrangle the dog to stay in the tub while I get the last of the soap out! Compared to that, being prepared is bliss. So here's a list of tips, many in the order I would go about doing them. Many of these you can also apply to grooming at the "do it yourself" dog grooming stores. I happen to love those, because who couldn't say that they'd like to leave the mess?!?
1. Prepare all the necessities before you get the dog.
~ Dog Soap - Don't use human soap, it will not be good for the dog's skin...Also, having conditioner is a wonderful way to lessen the trauma of brushing afterwards!
~ Towels - lots of 'em. One for your lap to dry your hands on as well as to use as a shield when the dog shakes with shampoo flying!
~ Treats - reward often. Praise the dog too. If you have a helper, and the pup tends to use her teeth too hard on your skin, put the treat in a shallow Tupperware. This works well with children who want to help.
~ Leash to tie the dog into the tub
~ Large cup or dish to dump water onto the dog - or one of those bathing attachments. (I'm searching ebay for one of those!!!)
2. Plan where family members and other pets will be. When you finish bathing the dog, they will be very excited. Some puppies will run around, acting spazzy. If you have young children, have them sit on a couch so that the dog can not jump up on them or bite them. This is not time for chase. With other pets, it's important to make sure that they can escape the excited wet dog. It's best, if the other dog does not like excitement, to put him in another room with the door closed, as well as the bathroom door closed, just in case one of the dogs get out of the room, there's still a door between them. It's not a pleasant way for a resident dog to get use to the new puppy when the pup is jumping on them or biting them.
3. Why tie the dog into the tub instead of holding the leash or having a helper hold the leash? I like to tie them in for a few reasons. The first is this: Holding a dog into the tub when they don't want to be there is difficult, and the frustration you feel will travel right through your hands, through the leash, down to the dog. Face it, they already don't want to be there, and your frustrated emotions are not going to impress a good feeling upon the dog. The second reason: If you hold the leash, you will not be able to keep it completely still. Every time the dog pulls, they will feel the give in the leash. This will encourage the dog to keep fighting in the hopes of getting free - it's very rewarding. They will give up more quickly if it's tied. I just tied my leash to the facet short enough that the dog couldn't jump out.
4. Check the water before pouring it on the dog. Do not try to fill a tub full and have them lay down in it. This is even more threatening. If they thrash around, there's a chance they will go under, terrifying them even more!
5. Don't use too much soap - the more soap the longer the dog must stay in the tub. If you're worried they won't handle it well, soap up only one part of the dog, so that you can rinse that area quickly if you need to get them out.
6. Use messaging and calm quiet words to keep the dog nice and calm.
7. After you finish the bath, take the dog on leash to go outside. With all the stress of the bath, they may not realize they need to go potty, especially if they get "a high" from being wet. Keeping them on leash is important. Most dogs will go roll in dirt or sand, rub against bushes or trees, or even roll in the grass after a bath. If they are that excited they may not listen to you when you call which could be disastrous if they get out of a fenced area.
8. Take your dog's collar off until they are completely dry. Hotspots can occur when moisture is held close to their skin.
I hope these tips help you out, whether your a long time dog owner, or brand new to all this fun. Keeping all these things in mind has certainly increased the amount of good experiences for me and my two loving fuzzballs.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Peace or World War 3? Dogs and cats - keeping the peace.
Dogs add so much fun and pleasure to our lives. Cats keep us guessing, and entertain us with their individual personalities. When we put them together, they can combine all these wonderful qualities, or they can become a headache or even world war three! So how do we make sure that we get the best of both worlds, and maintain a peaceful home?
Bringing a new dog into the home can cause friction, and when it comes to cats, they hate change. Even if the change has already occurred, these tips may be what you need to create a home of peace.
The very first step is to teach your dog a few helpful behaviors. My favorite is the positive interrupter.
The positive interrupter is a sound that you condition your dog to respond to, no matter the circumstance. I use kissing lips and a whistle. Choose one sound, you can add another later if you find it's important for a new situation. I personally use kissing in the house, and whistle out in the field where my dogs need a louder sound. I do not use my dogs' names, as they hear it far too often, and also because you must reward every time you make the sound.
After choosing the sound, make it and reward the dog. I enjoy using a marker in my classes, and teach my students to make the sound, click as soon as the dog turns its' head toward them, and encourage the dog to run towards them for the treat. By clicking the instant the dog turns its' head, the dog will turn more quickly each time. Having the dog run towards you for the treat is very important! Do this in low distraction areas, gradually using it in more difficult situations. The harder the situation, the better your treats must be in order to maintain the same energy.
The energy in running towards you will be crucial in recalling the dog when near the cat. Use this to keep intense focus when working near the cat.
Having a perfected leave it is also helpful. Teach leave it in a completely positive manner. If your dog does not want to leave it, then chasing the cat will be more rewarding than listening to you. You must be more rewarding than any interaction with your cat. Also remember to take the time to perfect your leave it command with distractions and distance before attempting off leash work with your dog and cat together.
As with any situation, you must control it well from the start and not allow the dog and cat to practice undesirable interactions! This will only make matters worse. A few tips for keeping the situation under control :
1. Keep the dog on leash, and do not be in a hurry to do off leash work. When you do want to take the dog off leash, do so gradually. Let the dog drag a long line first, then a 6 foot leash. Remember to use a harness when connected to a long line for safety purposes!
2. Give the cat space. Use a baby gate to keep the dog from entering the cat's space for a time, or close doors to prevent the dog access.
3. Put the cat's litter box, food, and water in a place they feel safe. Do not expect the cat and dog to share a water bowl. Many cats will refuse to drink where the dog can get to them, they are vulnerable. And the dog may not appreciate the cat near the water. Also, you do not want your dog to have the habit of eating cat food. Being high in protein, cat food is one of the ultimate junk foods to pack on the pounds for your dog.
4. Do not force any interactions. Dogs do not need to actually be in contact with something to work on socialization, they simply need to be within hearing or seeing range of the object or animal. Let the dog and cat get very comfortable at a distance. (cat eating treats on couch while dog chews on bone across the room ect.) - make sure it's a very pleasurable time for all involved! The more positively they can associate time together, the more quickly they will learn to tolerate and even enjoy one another!
5. It does not matter if the dog is on leash or not, always provide many escape routes for the cat! The last thing you want is for either of your pets to feel at all trapped. If your dog happens to be scared of the cat, make sure that the dog can escape! With this situation, do not hold the dog, or keep it still with the leash. If he wants to run, let him...work at a comfortable distance.
As always, remember that basic obedience can help keep the peace. Not only will your dog know behaviors to help control him, but your dog's energy will be more controlled. The more calm and relaxed the better. So use both physical exercise and mental exercise to help your dog manage his energy.
Bringing a new dog into the home can cause friction, and when it comes to cats, they hate change. Even if the change has already occurred, these tips may be what you need to create a home of peace.
The very first step is to teach your dog a few helpful behaviors. My favorite is the positive interrupter.
The positive interrupter is a sound that you condition your dog to respond to, no matter the circumstance. I use kissing lips and a whistle. Choose one sound, you can add another later if you find it's important for a new situation. I personally use kissing in the house, and whistle out in the field where my dogs need a louder sound. I do not use my dogs' names, as they hear it far too often, and also because you must reward every time you make the sound.
After choosing the sound, make it and reward the dog. I enjoy using a marker in my classes, and teach my students to make the sound, click as soon as the dog turns its' head toward them, and encourage the dog to run towards them for the treat. By clicking the instant the dog turns its' head, the dog will turn more quickly each time. Having the dog run towards you for the treat is very important! Do this in low distraction areas, gradually using it in more difficult situations. The harder the situation, the better your treats must be in order to maintain the same energy.
The energy in running towards you will be crucial in recalling the dog when near the cat. Use this to keep intense focus when working near the cat.
Having a perfected leave it is also helpful. Teach leave it in a completely positive manner. If your dog does not want to leave it, then chasing the cat will be more rewarding than listening to you. You must be more rewarding than any interaction with your cat. Also remember to take the time to perfect your leave it command with distractions and distance before attempting off leash work with your dog and cat together.
As with any situation, you must control it well from the start and not allow the dog and cat to practice undesirable interactions! This will only make matters worse. A few tips for keeping the situation under control :
1. Keep the dog on leash, and do not be in a hurry to do off leash work. When you do want to take the dog off leash, do so gradually. Let the dog drag a long line first, then a 6 foot leash. Remember to use a harness when connected to a long line for safety purposes!
2. Give the cat space. Use a baby gate to keep the dog from entering the cat's space for a time, or close doors to prevent the dog access.
3. Put the cat's litter box, food, and water in a place they feel safe. Do not expect the cat and dog to share a water bowl. Many cats will refuse to drink where the dog can get to them, they are vulnerable. And the dog may not appreciate the cat near the water. Also, you do not want your dog to have the habit of eating cat food. Being high in protein, cat food is one of the ultimate junk foods to pack on the pounds for your dog.
4. Do not force any interactions. Dogs do not need to actually be in contact with something to work on socialization, they simply need to be within hearing or seeing range of the object or animal. Let the dog and cat get very comfortable at a distance. (cat eating treats on couch while dog chews on bone across the room ect.) - make sure it's a very pleasurable time for all involved! The more positively they can associate time together, the more quickly they will learn to tolerate and even enjoy one another!
5. It does not matter if the dog is on leash or not, always provide many escape routes for the cat! The last thing you want is for either of your pets to feel at all trapped. If your dog happens to be scared of the cat, make sure that the dog can escape! With this situation, do not hold the dog, or keep it still with the leash. If he wants to run, let him...work at a comfortable distance.
As always, remember that basic obedience can help keep the peace. Not only will your dog know behaviors to help control him, but your dog's energy will be more controlled. The more calm and relaxed the better. So use both physical exercise and mental exercise to help your dog manage his energy.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
A Class Success!
Hello World,
I'm back with La Bamba to share more adventures! As one of the most loyal and helpful dogs, he's assisting me, whether it's helping in classes with reactive dogs like he did last night, or relaxing at my feet to keep me company like he's doing now. I'd like to share what we did last night in the hopes that it will encourage someone, and give new training ideas.
Let me give you a good picture of the class first. The class room is a small room with stools along the walls. There were three dogs last night. Leela - Border Collie mix who barks and lunges at the end of her leash. Ellie - Weimaraner who is working on focus. Lucy - Yorkie who is terrified of dogs, especially big ones.
I took Rusty to work with me, forgetting which class I was having. It was Rusty's first night back, and he had a stuffed bone to chew on, so I consider leaving him in the kennels during class. However, I decided to just try bringing him in. Before he broke his foot, he came to work with me as my demo dog on a regular basis. He was always a bit whiny and made it harder to teach. But he could also be very helpful. He would wait in his room until I needed to show my students how to do a behavior, and return there when he was done. I was slowly getting him use to the idea of me working and treating other dogs. That's certainly not his favorite part!
With a room full of dogs with different issues, I'm not sure what made me certain that bringing him into the room would be a good idea. A 6th sense? Whatever the case, Rusty joined me in class. Right away, Leela started barking, Ellie started to fixate, and Lucy was under the chair. I've been working with my students on "leave it" and the power of a positive interrupter. I immediately started reminding them of what they already knew, and they set to work.
Through all this Rusty was being a perfect gentleman. He had a gentle leader on, which I think calms him because of the pressure points on the nose. He's always a bit more relaxed when it's on. I had him in front of me, his back to the students. I kept rewarding with small bits as he stayed focused on me and quiet! I hardly had to pay attention to him, he maintained the position perfectly.
My goal was to keep the situation as calm as possible, giving these dogs every chance to succeed. With Rusty turned away and laying down, there was nothing threatening about him. The dogs began to relax and pay attention. I calmly had Rusty scoot backwards while in a down. (Those freestyling moves come in handy!!!) It caused them to react a bit, but everyone regained their composure quickly.
At this point, Lucy started coming within a foot of Rusty from behind. She has not approached a dog in the many many weeks I have worked with this team. They previously went through this same class, so I have worked with them at least 8-10 weeks. Rusty was wonderful, not turning and looking at her. I was making sure that he focused only on me, not making eye contact with any of the dogs.
The dogs were doing wonderfully, working on loose leashes, and redirecting well to their owners when they got distracted by Rusty. I kept talking to them, watching their body posture and tones to make sure they were relaxed. With this intensity of work, the last thing you should do is just listen to the answers your students give you. You must evaluate them, because the dog will be evaluating them by posture and tone. These observations are more likely true than brave words.
I began to move Rusty in small movements at the front of the room, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of focus maintained. The key to success is not to change anything too quickly. So we started with just having Rusty standing, then moving a few steps and standing some more. By the time we gradually made this transition, Rusty and I could walk across the front of the room with everyone maintaining good, focused behavior.
Moving slowly around my students, I continued to have Rusty back up wherever he went. This kept his eyes on me, and I could move him any which way I liked side to side. Whenever I saw any tension, all I had to do was tell Rusty to rotate towards one side or the other to provide more space. By moving around slowly, and creating more space I was able to give each dog breaks from the intense training by moving on towards the next dog. It was my goal to not push any dog too far or too long. Don't push them to breaking point.
Now for successes! I was able to back Rusty up towards Lucy who was sitting on her owner's lap. Lucy, of her own accord got up and sniffed Rusty! What a good girl! Wonderful break through for her. Leela was able to stand within reach of Rusty, on a loose leash while focusing completely on her owner. Ellie was able to focus on her owner within reach of Rusty, and quit doing the yo - yo effect on the leash!
All this took was
1. keeping Rusty completely engaged on me so he didn't look at the other dogs.
2. moving him backwards in the least threatening manner.
3. working up from the least exciting behavior (down) to higher intensity behaviors (moving among the students)
4. watching both dog and student language to make sure that no one is being pushed too far too fast.
5. Using lots of reassuring, calm speech as well as praising the students for their work as you see the little victories. ("there, now she's relaxing!" - Leela the instant I saw her body relax and she gave more attention. "She's checking him out! Way to go" - Lucy when she was looking more inquisitively with a forward body posture. "That's it, that was a quicker response and turn around" - Ellie turning quickly to listen to the positive interrupter rather than hitting the end of her lead.) (praising the students for their timing and calm verbal.)
6.Always encourage the owner, and help them see the victories!
I was very happy with the progress we made, and Rusty was such a star for me! What set Rusty up for success? Lots of exercise before we went, calm rewards, and my relaxed posture and voice. We went to the river and played for a while before class, and exercise takes the edge off of reactive dogs. I couldn't have asked him to do any better!
The biggest thing that made this a success - and something to always remember.
Work with the dogs and students, not against them.
I'm back with La Bamba to share more adventures! As one of the most loyal and helpful dogs, he's assisting me, whether it's helping in classes with reactive dogs like he did last night, or relaxing at my feet to keep me company like he's doing now. I'd like to share what we did last night in the hopes that it will encourage someone, and give new training ideas.
Let me give you a good picture of the class first. The class room is a small room with stools along the walls. There were three dogs last night. Leela - Border Collie mix who barks and lunges at the end of her leash. Ellie - Weimaraner who is working on focus. Lucy - Yorkie who is terrified of dogs, especially big ones.
I took Rusty to work with me, forgetting which class I was having. It was Rusty's first night back, and he had a stuffed bone to chew on, so I consider leaving him in the kennels during class. However, I decided to just try bringing him in. Before he broke his foot, he came to work with me as my demo dog on a regular basis. He was always a bit whiny and made it harder to teach. But he could also be very helpful. He would wait in his room until I needed to show my students how to do a behavior, and return there when he was done. I was slowly getting him use to the idea of me working and treating other dogs. That's certainly not his favorite part!
With a room full of dogs with different issues, I'm not sure what made me certain that bringing him into the room would be a good idea. A 6th sense? Whatever the case, Rusty joined me in class. Right away, Leela started barking, Ellie started to fixate, and Lucy was under the chair. I've been working with my students on "leave it" and the power of a positive interrupter. I immediately started reminding them of what they already knew, and they set to work.
Through all this Rusty was being a perfect gentleman. He had a gentle leader on, which I think calms him because of the pressure points on the nose. He's always a bit more relaxed when it's on. I had him in front of me, his back to the students. I kept rewarding with small bits as he stayed focused on me and quiet! I hardly had to pay attention to him, he maintained the position perfectly.
My goal was to keep the situation as calm as possible, giving these dogs every chance to succeed. With Rusty turned away and laying down, there was nothing threatening about him. The dogs began to relax and pay attention. I calmly had Rusty scoot backwards while in a down. (Those freestyling moves come in handy!!!) It caused them to react a bit, but everyone regained their composure quickly.
At this point, Lucy started coming within a foot of Rusty from behind. She has not approached a dog in the many many weeks I have worked with this team. They previously went through this same class, so I have worked with them at least 8-10 weeks. Rusty was wonderful, not turning and looking at her. I was making sure that he focused only on me, not making eye contact with any of the dogs.
The dogs were doing wonderfully, working on loose leashes, and redirecting well to their owners when they got distracted by Rusty. I kept talking to them, watching their body posture and tones to make sure they were relaxed. With this intensity of work, the last thing you should do is just listen to the answers your students give you. You must evaluate them, because the dog will be evaluating them by posture and tone. These observations are more likely true than brave words.
I began to move Rusty in small movements at the front of the room, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of focus maintained. The key to success is not to change anything too quickly. So we started with just having Rusty standing, then moving a few steps and standing some more. By the time we gradually made this transition, Rusty and I could walk across the front of the room with everyone maintaining good, focused behavior.
Moving slowly around my students, I continued to have Rusty back up wherever he went. This kept his eyes on me, and I could move him any which way I liked side to side. Whenever I saw any tension, all I had to do was tell Rusty to rotate towards one side or the other to provide more space. By moving around slowly, and creating more space I was able to give each dog breaks from the intense training by moving on towards the next dog. It was my goal to not push any dog too far or too long. Don't push them to breaking point.
Now for successes! I was able to back Rusty up towards Lucy who was sitting on her owner's lap. Lucy, of her own accord got up and sniffed Rusty! What a good girl! Wonderful break through for her. Leela was able to stand within reach of Rusty, on a loose leash while focusing completely on her owner. Ellie was able to focus on her owner within reach of Rusty, and quit doing the yo - yo effect on the leash!
All this took was
1. keeping Rusty completely engaged on me so he didn't look at the other dogs.
2. moving him backwards in the least threatening manner.
3. working up from the least exciting behavior (down) to higher intensity behaviors (moving among the students)
4. watching both dog and student language to make sure that no one is being pushed too far too fast.
5. Using lots of reassuring, calm speech as well as praising the students for their work as you see the little victories. ("there, now she's relaxing!" - Leela the instant I saw her body relax and she gave more attention. "She's checking him out! Way to go" - Lucy when she was looking more inquisitively with a forward body posture. "That's it, that was a quicker response and turn around" - Ellie turning quickly to listen to the positive interrupter rather than hitting the end of her lead.) (praising the students for their timing and calm verbal.)
6.Always encourage the owner, and help them see the victories!
I was very happy with the progress we made, and Rusty was such a star for me! What set Rusty up for success? Lots of exercise before we went, calm rewards, and my relaxed posture and voice. We went to the river and played for a while before class, and exercise takes the edge off of reactive dogs. I couldn't have asked him to do any better!
The biggest thing that made this a success - and something to always remember.
Work with the dogs and students, not against them.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Busy Dog Games
Hello Fellow Dog Enthusiasts!
I have had so many people ask about how to keep their dog's mind busy. It's not an easy feat. However, it's so important, that I've compiled a list of my favorite treat ideas and games. Your dog doesn't need to gain weight while playing these games, and it's a concern of many of the pet parents I work with when I mention "treat games". You'll notice that with these games I suggest to use the dog's food. Many dogs also tend to inhale their food, and are not satisfied after they eat. What better way than games to keep your dog busy, lean, and happy? Check out these ideas, and let me know if you have any favorite games that I can add to this list.
The Mad Scramble - If you have multiple dogs, it’s important to only have one dog in a room for this game. This game will slow your dog down if they scarf their food. Toss the food over a wide area allowing them to fall randomly. If you have a hard surface floor, toss them all and let them cover the floor. You may want to double check when your dog has finished picking them up, just to make sure you aren’t leaving bate down for the ants!
I have had so many people ask about how to keep their dog's mind busy. It's not an easy feat. However, it's so important, that I've compiled a list of my favorite treat ideas and games. Your dog doesn't need to gain weight while playing these games, and it's a concern of many of the pet parents I work with when I mention "treat games". You'll notice that with these games I suggest to use the dog's food. Many dogs also tend to inhale their food, and are not satisfied after they eat. What better way than games to keep your dog busy, lean, and happy? Check out these ideas, and let me know if you have any favorite games that I can add to this list.
Busy Dog Games
It’s
highly important to keep both your dog’s body and mind active. By
giving their minds and mouths a job to do, you can help your dog be a
more well behaved companion as they expend all their energy and need to
chew on an object of your choice. Why not use their daily meals to keep
them entertained? Here are some ideas I use to help keep my dogs’ minds
busy.
Filled, Frozen Kong
- Kongs, and other toys that can be stuffed, are a wonderful way for
your dog or puppy to relieve stress and the need to chew. Using the dogs
meal, I mix it together with a small amount of canned dog food, mixing
it until all of the pieces are well coated. Then I stuff the kong, and
make sure I pack it well with a spoon. Into the freezer it goes. It
freezes in about an hour, or you can prepare it the night before to keep
them busy in the early morning hours.
Frozen Bowl
- Another great frozen treat, this one is great for traveling because
it lasts even longer than the frozen Kong. After stuffing the Kong,
place it in a ceramic bowl. Put treats, dog food, or even toys in the
bowl. Fill the bowl part way with water, leaving room for it to expand.
To make the water more desirable, pour in some chicken or beef broth, or
mix in a scoop of your dog’s favorite canned food. Freeze overnight.
Frozen Dog Food Ball
- A great way to keep your dog from inhaling his bowl of food, this
frozen treat ball is easy to make. Taking your dog’s meal, mix it
together with plenty of wet food, enough to coat all the pieces well. If
there’s not enough, it won’t stick together. For best results, use a
smoothly ground canned food. Next, find a ball the size you want this
treat to be, and form aluminum foil half way around it. You can also
form a half ball with your hands if you prefer. Now you have a “bowl”
to put the dog food mixture into. Pack it all together well, rounding it
with your hands. Next you’ll need something to put it on in the
freezer. You can use a cookie sheet with wax paper, or something else it
will come off of easily. Roll the ball onto it, out of the aluminum
foil. Freeze hard.
Trail of Treats
- let your dog find the treasure, following the clues with this fun and
always changing game. With your dog in another room, drop a trail of
food leading to a bowl with a jackpot of food in it. You can gradually
put the food further apart, so that your dog has to hunt for the next
one. Try different ways of hiding the bowl. Remember to start easy so
your dog succeeds. Then gradually hide it in harder places, like under a
blanket or behind a chair!
The Muffin Tin Challenge -
Can your dog figure out how to get the food? In this fun, homemade
game, all you need is a muffin tin and balls for each hole. Sometimes
it’s fun to use different balls with unique textures. Put treats in each
hole of the tin, cover with the balls. Then cheer your dog on as the
push and grab the balls. As they learn that removing the balls is the
key to getting the treats underneath, you can test their sense of smell
by randomly placing the treats, instead of filling each muffin hole.
The Mad Scramble - If you have multiple dogs, it’s important to only have one dog in a room for this game. This game will slow your dog down if they scarf their food. Toss the food over a wide area allowing them to fall randomly. If you have a hard surface floor, toss them all and let them cover the floor. You may want to double check when your dog has finished picking them up, just to make sure you aren’t leaving bate down for the ants!
Fetch the food -
toss food away from you and tell your dog to “take it!” Even if they
won’t fetch toys, if they love food, they’ll become masters of fetching
treats. And who knows? Perhaps after learning to take food, they’ll be
willing to take treat filled toys, and then before they know it they’ll
be out playing fetch with you!
Hide and seek
- This is a game of fun for two or more people, so get the family
together for a new game of hide and seek. Kids love to play this
constructive game with the family pet. Keep the dog in a room, and allow
the “hider” to grab a handful of food and go hide. Let the dog’s nose
do it’s work to find you, or call softly to help them on their way. When
they find you celebrate with them and offer them the food you have.
Remember to only reward gentle behaviors when they find you. Put the
food on the floor if the dog is over aroused, so that the dog won't bite
your fingers.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Intermediate class
I have the wonderful pleasure of training for Petsmart. It's more than I expected it to be, especially when I have dogs like Gunnar and Shelton come along. They are a reminder of why I train with petmart, why I train at all.
Gunnar
Shelton
If you ever loose sight of the goal of training, all you have to do is come join this class...What a small class with big hearts.
My biggest, most important goal, is to help my students make a special bond with their dog, because when all the behaviors are pushed aside, the bond is what really counts. That bond is also the most difficult thing to teach! How do you talk about something that is is indescribable? These teams have somehow gotten a hold of that bond. And as they practice and train, their dogs' eyes light up and I hear trills of laughter, and at that moment all is well and beautiful. And my heart is full.
Gunnar
Shelton
If you ever loose sight of the goal of training, all you have to do is come join this class...What a small class with big hearts.
My biggest, most important goal, is to help my students make a special bond with their dog, because when all the behaviors are pushed aside, the bond is what really counts. That bond is also the most difficult thing to teach! How do you talk about something that is is indescribable? These teams have somehow gotten a hold of that bond. And as they practice and train, their dogs' eyes light up and I hear trills of laughter, and at that moment all is well and beautiful. And my heart is full.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Mysterious Bond
I long to tell you of this strange bond between dogs and humans...something that some have and others don't. But as long as I've thought about it, I simply can not explain it.This beautiful, unexplainable bond I have with dogs - my heart longs after it, and longs to show others the way to experience it too.
I don't experience this bond with all dogs, but a fair share of the ones I work with have had some sort of resemblance to this bond. I KNOW which ones have this certain quality about them, and I'm drawn to them. The only way I can explain it is, it's something in their eyes that tells me we have the bond. More often than not, it happens almost immediately. Usually by our second class I know which have the bond.
It is said that the eyes are a window to the heart - and it is true in both humans and in dogs. It's not cuteness that draws us together. I don't care how cute the dog is. I care what tale their eyes tell. With this instant bond comes a instant reaction. They know what I'm asking, and they are willing to give it all.
It's not about the treats with these dogs. My approval matters more than anything to these few. As an example...
I have been working with a little Aussie named Annie. She's about 4 months old. She adores her owners, and she is their world. It's amazing the love between the three. But she doesn't know how to listen to them. They are doing everything right. They listen to each word I say, they practice at home and pay attention in class. But when they hand me the leash that little dog changes.
In week two we start loose leash training. They were doing everything I had advised, and I was even coaching them as they were working with her. I took the dog, looked her in the eye and knew in that instant she would do whatever I asked. I preceded to heel her all the way down the isle, and she pranced in perfect position as though a well trained freestyling dog. I did not lure her, I only talked to her and gave her a treat every little bit. when I got to the end of the isle, I wrapped her up in my arms and told her how each step was fabulous and thanked her for working with me. On the way back to her owners, she pranced with even more precision. This dog had never been introduced to loose leash walking and here was heeling. We hadn't worked together hardly at all at this point either. The connection was that instant that her will and mine met, and we both knew it.
Another dog I work with is a German shepherd - again a four month old, named Hansie.
Hansie is a hipper little girl. She's out of control, nibbles on everyone, but has this intense desire to be loved and has a need to be shown that love. I knew when she first came into the training room that she had this bonding quality about her. Out in the store she always behaves rather badly for her owner, and I've been working with him on rewarding her in more rewarding ways. People want to just hand the dog a small treat and call it good.
When I take this little girl, her eyes light up and she listens with both huge ears. Just like Annie, Hansie will do anything for me. She heels for me, she listens and focuses. And I do the same for her - I love on her, and I tell her in a rich, strong, loving voice how amazing she is. And she's content.
What is it in these dogs that causes this bond? And what is it with me that they know how to bend their wills to fit with mine? Or perhaps it's a coming together of both our wills? A working together instead of against. And their eyes? Perhaps it's complete trust I'm seeing.
I want all my students to experience this bond. If I can have it with a given dog in just a few seconds time, can't they have it with their life time partner? It's a strange, and extremely satisfying feeling. I don't feel I've done it justice in my description, but as I learn more about this bond, I'll be sure to share.
Here I know that this is the job I was made for. I was made to share this bond with others. And in that realization, I feel joy and peace.
I don't experience this bond with all dogs, but a fair share of the ones I work with have had some sort of resemblance to this bond. I KNOW which ones have this certain quality about them, and I'm drawn to them. The only way I can explain it is, it's something in their eyes that tells me we have the bond. More often than not, it happens almost immediately. Usually by our second class I know which have the bond.
It is said that the eyes are a window to the heart - and it is true in both humans and in dogs. It's not cuteness that draws us together. I don't care how cute the dog is. I care what tale their eyes tell. With this instant bond comes a instant reaction. They know what I'm asking, and they are willing to give it all.
It's not about the treats with these dogs. My approval matters more than anything to these few. As an example...
I have been working with a little Aussie named Annie. She's about 4 months old. She adores her owners, and she is their world. It's amazing the love between the three. But she doesn't know how to listen to them. They are doing everything right. They listen to each word I say, they practice at home and pay attention in class. But when they hand me the leash that little dog changes.
In week two we start loose leash training. They were doing everything I had advised, and I was even coaching them as they were working with her. I took the dog, looked her in the eye and knew in that instant she would do whatever I asked. I preceded to heel her all the way down the isle, and she pranced in perfect position as though a well trained freestyling dog. I did not lure her, I only talked to her and gave her a treat every little bit. when I got to the end of the isle, I wrapped her up in my arms and told her how each step was fabulous and thanked her for working with me. On the way back to her owners, she pranced with even more precision. This dog had never been introduced to loose leash walking and here was heeling. We hadn't worked together hardly at all at this point either. The connection was that instant that her will and mine met, and we both knew it.
Another dog I work with is a German shepherd - again a four month old, named Hansie.
Hansie is a hipper little girl. She's out of control, nibbles on everyone, but has this intense desire to be loved and has a need to be shown that love. I knew when she first came into the training room that she had this bonding quality about her. Out in the store she always behaves rather badly for her owner, and I've been working with him on rewarding her in more rewarding ways. People want to just hand the dog a small treat and call it good.
When I take this little girl, her eyes light up and she listens with both huge ears. Just like Annie, Hansie will do anything for me. She heels for me, she listens and focuses. And I do the same for her - I love on her, and I tell her in a rich, strong, loving voice how amazing she is. And she's content.
What is it in these dogs that causes this bond? And what is it with me that they know how to bend their wills to fit with mine? Or perhaps it's a coming together of both our wills? A working together instead of against. And their eyes? Perhaps it's complete trust I'm seeing.
I want all my students to experience this bond. If I can have it with a given dog in just a few seconds time, can't they have it with their life time partner? It's a strange, and extremely satisfying feeling. I don't feel I've done it justice in my description, but as I learn more about this bond, I'll be sure to share.
Here I know that this is the job I was made for. I was made to share this bond with others. And in that realization, I feel joy and peace.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Monsters in the house
I now know why I have a herding dog... and one that is exercised like crazy. There are days like today when I feel as though I'm loosing my mind. The reason being, is that as of late I've learned the definition of two words - needy and affectionate. Here are the definitions I found that seemed so very true to the words...
Needy - Wanting or needing affection, attention, or reassurance, especially to an excessive degree.
Affectionate - Having or showing fond feelings or affection; loving and tender.
Until now, Rusty has been what I would consider affectionate. Very loyal, loves to snuggle, needs a pat on the head every now and again. More often than not, time spent together has been as important to him as petting and loving on. So, out to do agility, biking, a walk, or a cuddle on the couch. I love that he lays right beside me or on my feet. But since he broke his foot...
A Monster has come out!!!
He's no longer affectionate. He's very needy. Instead of a walk (since he can't go out for one) he wants me to pet him - constantly. He cries at my from his pillow begging me to be near. I understand! He's lonely, and he hates being down. But his affection need levels have sky rocketed so badly, that I want nothing more than to keep him on his pillow, on the floor, quiet, and invisible.
Anyone who knows me should know that I constantly talk to and love on my dog. There's no "poor Rusty" in this house! My job now is to figure out a way to give him the affection he needs while maintaining my own sanity. Not an easy job. It's much easier to just holler at him to be quiet and ignore him, but I can't do that. Those big brown eyes know that I'm a sucker! I love that dog to pieces and he knows that. So, on to filling his needs and mine at the same time.
Needy - Wanting or needing affection, attention, or reassurance, especially to an excessive degree.
Affectionate - Having or showing fond feelings or affection; loving and tender.
Until now, Rusty has been what I would consider affectionate. Very loyal, loves to snuggle, needs a pat on the head every now and again. More often than not, time spent together has been as important to him as petting and loving on. So, out to do agility, biking, a walk, or a cuddle on the couch. I love that he lays right beside me or on my feet. But since he broke his foot...
A Monster has come out!!!
He's no longer affectionate. He's very needy. Instead of a walk (since he can't go out for one) he wants me to pet him - constantly. He cries at my from his pillow begging me to be near. I understand! He's lonely, and he hates being down. But his affection need levels have sky rocketed so badly, that I want nothing more than to keep him on his pillow, on the floor, quiet, and invisible.
Anyone who knows me should know that I constantly talk to and love on my dog. There's no "poor Rusty" in this house! My job now is to figure out a way to give him the affection he needs while maintaining my own sanity. Not an easy job. It's much easier to just holler at him to be quiet and ignore him, but I can't do that. Those big brown eyes know that I'm a sucker! I love that dog to pieces and he knows that. So, on to filling his needs and mine at the same time.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Another adventure!
Another day, another challenge, another adventure....it certainly has been one of those days since Saturday when Rusty broke his foot. I can't wait to see how this month goes, we've got a lot ahead of us.
Saturday, Rusty broke his foot. We had it confirmed by a vet yesterday. Poor guy is now on bed rest, except when he needs to go outside.
Now let me tell you a little bit about this aussie of mine. He's a very active, 44 pound dog who loves to run. We've been going into the field next to our home to practice agility - working on speeding up our weave poles, doing running contacts, jumping at odd angles. And playing Frisbee and ball. And after we're done with that, when we get home we do some trick training. Then we go back and play some more in the field. Add taking a walk or running by my bike, and you get the picture. He's strong, he's healthy, and he's very active.
The newest challenge to our training, is coming up with things he can do without getting up! I refuse to see this as a detriment, no we're going to go full force ahead. It's not going to be easy, and I'm sure there will be days when I need some encouragement. Regardless, I know this is an opportunity, and I'm going to take it.
Now the next part of my plan is to figure out how to make him more mobile. Rusty and I can't stand to be apart. And with him not being able to walk, I've ended up lugging him around the house with me. If he gains any weight from being down all the time (which he will!) it's going to make it that much harder to take him with me. He actually needs to put on a couple of pounds, he's getting too thin with all that running. It's not that he can't stay - he stays on his pillow very well. It's that I can't let him stay! The last thing I want for him is to be tired, alone, and quiet. That's not my crazy La Bamba. And beyond that, I can see the hurt in his eyes when I walk away.
Whatever it takes, we're going to figure out how to get him up. He can walk on his hind legs with his front ones on my arm, but that's pretty hard on his back, so we need another way of getting around. He also knows how to limp, so we'll try that too. I wonder what he'll think of doing that with his let bandaged up! So my ideas are to come up with a cart for him to push around, or one that he can fit into. I'm even going to go looking at thrift stores for a stroller so we can go on our walks.
Some may think it's crazy. Others may say to just tough it. But I want to over come it. It's not about training - though we'll have some fun with that along the way. It's about the special relationship we share. I just care that much, and so does he.
Any ideas for activities and games he can do while laying down would be appreciated. He's a thinker, and I can tell he's bored. He's got toys that dispense treats, I actually just got him a new one. However, he's so smart they don't last more than a few minutes, and on top of that, he's going to get fat!!! I'm going to have to find some really low calorie treats to give him!
Saturday, Rusty broke his foot. We had it confirmed by a vet yesterday. Poor guy is now on bed rest, except when he needs to go outside.
Now let me tell you a little bit about this aussie of mine. He's a very active, 44 pound dog who loves to run. We've been going into the field next to our home to practice agility - working on speeding up our weave poles, doing running contacts, jumping at odd angles. And playing Frisbee and ball. And after we're done with that, when we get home we do some trick training. Then we go back and play some more in the field. Add taking a walk or running by my bike, and you get the picture. He's strong, he's healthy, and he's very active.
The newest challenge to our training, is coming up with things he can do without getting up! I refuse to see this as a detriment, no we're going to go full force ahead. It's not going to be easy, and I'm sure there will be days when I need some encouragement. Regardless, I know this is an opportunity, and I'm going to take it.
Now the next part of my plan is to figure out how to make him more mobile. Rusty and I can't stand to be apart. And with him not being able to walk, I've ended up lugging him around the house with me. If he gains any weight from being down all the time (which he will!) it's going to make it that much harder to take him with me. He actually needs to put on a couple of pounds, he's getting too thin with all that running. It's not that he can't stay - he stays on his pillow very well. It's that I can't let him stay! The last thing I want for him is to be tired, alone, and quiet. That's not my crazy La Bamba. And beyond that, I can see the hurt in his eyes when I walk away.
Whatever it takes, we're going to figure out how to get him up. He can walk on his hind legs with his front ones on my arm, but that's pretty hard on his back, so we need another way of getting around. He also knows how to limp, so we'll try that too. I wonder what he'll think of doing that with his let bandaged up! So my ideas are to come up with a cart for him to push around, or one that he can fit into. I'm even going to go looking at thrift stores for a stroller so we can go on our walks.
Some may think it's crazy. Others may say to just tough it. But I want to over come it. It's not about training - though we'll have some fun with that along the way. It's about the special relationship we share. I just care that much, and so does he.
Any ideas for activities and games he can do while laying down would be appreciated. He's a thinker, and I can tell he's bored. He's got toys that dispense treats, I actually just got him a new one. However, he's so smart they don't last more than a few minutes, and on top of that, he's going to get fat!!! I'm going to have to find some really low calorie treats to give him!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Hypocrite or Human
How often do you find that someone can say something that you totally
agree with, only to find yourself fighting against that very advice? Are we all hypocrites?
As a dog trainer, taking your own advice can be hard. I tell my students over and over how to train, how to interact with their dogs, how to handle situations. Then I go home. And I change. Is it that I'm only putting on a facade? Is it the same in other areas of my life?
I have to answer no. I truly agree with what I teach. However, putting it into action is one of the hardest things to do. My mind has been taught a different reaction than what I actually want to do. Do you find yourself wanting to be positive with your dog, because you know it really is your fault, yet you still act disappointed in your dog? If your dog doesn't behave well it's a 99% chance that it is your fault. So why get mad? But I still do.
I understand why people, who don't believe the way I do, call Christians hypocrites. I call myself one. I see it all the time in the body of Christ. But please here me out....Don't you do the same thing? If you're an agility enthusiast, after agility runs you know that if there were mess ups it was your fault. Yet you find yourself less than enthusiastic with your dog. You give them a pat and a few treats and call it good. You know that's not right, but that's how you feel. I'm the same way! In more than agility. I know that judging someone is wrong. Yet I feel it well up in me. Just as I must make myself reward my Rusty boy, I have to make myself give others grace...even when I don't feel they deserve it.
Think about anything in life. You know what you should do, and you know what you want to do. Sometimes what you want to do wins, even though you feel bad about it later.
I am no different than you. I'm not an amazing saint. I simply allow grace to cover me, and beg God to help me win in the moment by moment battles. God is what is different, not me. As I surrender, he gives me more of him and I find there's less of me. And when there's less of me, there's less heartache. There's less struggle. There's less guilt. It's not that I'm gone, only that I'm more like him, and when I'm like him, I'm like I was made to be.
Even if you aren't a dog person, I hope you understand. It doesn't matter what in life you struggle to do. Do you realize that you shouldn't be mad but still are? Do you struggle to get out of bed? To work in the house? So do I. It's the same thing. Living as a Christian doesn't mean you have "more important, Godly things" to do. It means you do the same chores, you endure the same grumpy customers, you struggle in the same world. However, you do it with someone by you who will never leave. You do it with someone who knows every struggle of your heart. You do it with someone who gives you the power to be who you were made to be.
I'm not a hypocrite. I'm simply human.
As a dog trainer, taking your own advice can be hard. I tell my students over and over how to train, how to interact with their dogs, how to handle situations. Then I go home. And I change. Is it that I'm only putting on a facade? Is it the same in other areas of my life?
I have to answer no. I truly agree with what I teach. However, putting it into action is one of the hardest things to do. My mind has been taught a different reaction than what I actually want to do. Do you find yourself wanting to be positive with your dog, because you know it really is your fault, yet you still act disappointed in your dog? If your dog doesn't behave well it's a 99% chance that it is your fault. So why get mad? But I still do.
I understand why people, who don't believe the way I do, call Christians hypocrites. I call myself one. I see it all the time in the body of Christ. But please here me out....Don't you do the same thing? If you're an agility enthusiast, after agility runs you know that if there were mess ups it was your fault. Yet you find yourself less than enthusiastic with your dog. You give them a pat and a few treats and call it good. You know that's not right, but that's how you feel. I'm the same way! In more than agility. I know that judging someone is wrong. Yet I feel it well up in me. Just as I must make myself reward my Rusty boy, I have to make myself give others grace...even when I don't feel they deserve it.
Think about anything in life. You know what you should do, and you know what you want to do. Sometimes what you want to do wins, even though you feel bad about it later.
I am no different than you. I'm not an amazing saint. I simply allow grace to cover me, and beg God to help me win in the moment by moment battles. God is what is different, not me. As I surrender, he gives me more of him and I find there's less of me. And when there's less of me, there's less heartache. There's less struggle. There's less guilt. It's not that I'm gone, only that I'm more like him, and when I'm like him, I'm like I was made to be.
Even if you aren't a dog person, I hope you understand. It doesn't matter what in life you struggle to do. Do you realize that you shouldn't be mad but still are? Do you struggle to get out of bed? To work in the house? So do I. It's the same thing. Living as a Christian doesn't mean you have "more important, Godly things" to do. It means you do the same chores, you endure the same grumpy customers, you struggle in the same world. However, you do it with someone by you who will never leave. You do it with someone who knows every struggle of your heart. You do it with someone who gives you the power to be who you were made to be.
I'm not a hypocrite. I'm simply human.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Another challenge, another lesson!
Rusty is always teaching me lessons about training, and tonight was no different. I was reminded again just how important it is to have precision in shaping. Making a shaping exercise precise as well as understandable and motivating can be a bit of a challenge. I had to sit back and think, try again, and cheer my dog on to keep him trying as well.
It's been a while since I first trained the "say no" command, and it was my goal to have my dog shake his head in an emphatic no. Our practice petered out when his emphatic no turned out to be a snake dance with a lot of whining. We decided to try again, and tonight I was able to start applying some recently learned lessons.
The first question I should have asked was "what do I want out of training this trick, and what do I want the end result to look like?" After trying unsuccessfully to fix the problem, I finally came back to that question and actually answered it! What a thought... Here's what I came up with.
I want my dog to gain confidence and enthusiasm, and I want him to shake his head no. (No snake charming here)
The next logical question of how I was going to get there, and well, that took a little bit of thought. I needed a way to cause the large shakes of the head to happen a very high percent of the time. Rusty needed to know exactly what I wanted, and an easy way to do that behavior.
I'm training this the very same way as I did last time - using two chairs with targets at nose height. The dog touches one target, then the other, and receives a treat on the opposite target. Easy right? Well in theory yes, but when you are precision challenged when it comes to using the clicker at the right Milli-second, and providing the treat at just the right angle, it can get very interesting. I am challenged in both those areas. I know how to use a clicker, but when a half a second delay can ruin what you're doing, it's hard to get it right.
In order to give Rusty confidence about what he was suppose to do, I found that I had to click for direct hits to the targets, instead of rewarding the attempts that were slightly shy of hitting them. The more I rewarded the attempts, the more he became confused and lazy about swinging his head far enough to hit the target. My biggest challenge was not clicking a moment too soon before he really touched the target. I was anticipating his moves, and he began to anticipate the treats at the other target. I started listening for the hits, which really helps. His whiskers made noise going across the targets and sometimes he hit the chairs hard enough to make noise! Those hits were highly rewarded...there's the enthusiasm I was looking for.
Now it's just a matter of making sure he knows that those hard swings to hit the contacts is what I want, and then we'll start fading the targets...again.
The lessons I learned tonight were many, but here are the main ones.
1. ask the "what do I want out of this" and "what do I want the final product to look like" questions before you start working! Just saying that it should look like he's saying "no" and that you want him to do it on command isn't enough! The dog doesn't understand what "no" looks like. And your goals need to be more about your dog and your relationship with your dog than anything else.
2. If the behavior starts to look fuzzy ( not sure if it's quite "on") then it's probably not what you want. Take a step back and understand what you need to tell your dog in order for him to understand it. Think from his point of view, or have someone pretend they're the dog - are the clicks clear enough and precise enough?
3. Fade targets and change it slowly! Make sure the dog knows the last step before moving on. If you go to the next step and it starts to look "fuzzy" then your last step wasn't clear enough. Was your dog 80% + successful? Do you even know how successful he was? You can go through the steps quickly if your dog truly understands each step. Otherwise, you both need some practice with marking behaviors.
4. If you go too far, and the behavior isn't quite right it's "Yay! Good dog, you're still trying even though my signals are not clear enough!" More than likely, you're the one signalling this other behavior. Go back to the last step to give your dog confidence, using jack pots to tell your dog how amazing they are. Then take a break and write out that next step.
In all honesty, it's hard to remember these things. That's part of the reason I'm writing them down. Just like I said to write out that next step in your shaping exercise, sometimes it's helpful to write down exactly how you should train. Drill these things into your mind, because it certainly isn't the dog's problem that we forget the fundamental basics. It's hard to do these things when you're frustrated, because we often revert to the way we were first taught to train, whether by other people or by natural consequences.
I'm always telling my students, I'm not there to pick on them about being positive and using markers correctly, or anything else. I'm simply there to encourage them and remind them. I tell them the theories of how to train positively. But it's more than hearing it. It's learning how to do it moment by moment. I'm afraid I still need others to do this for me, and I need to make the effort to seek out those who will. We're all learning, and all growing in our training skills! The eyes watching are certainly better than the eyes doing.
Well, that's all for tonight. I hope that anyone who comes across this will be reminded what training is about, and encouraged. Remember, it's not "me or the dog" it's "love the dog, forget the trainer".
It's been a while since I first trained the "say no" command, and it was my goal to have my dog shake his head in an emphatic no. Our practice petered out when his emphatic no turned out to be a snake dance with a lot of whining. We decided to try again, and tonight I was able to start applying some recently learned lessons.
The first question I should have asked was "what do I want out of training this trick, and what do I want the end result to look like?" After trying unsuccessfully to fix the problem, I finally came back to that question and actually answered it! What a thought... Here's what I came up with.
I want my dog to gain confidence and enthusiasm, and I want him to shake his head no. (No snake charming here)
The next logical question of how I was going to get there, and well, that took a little bit of thought. I needed a way to cause the large shakes of the head to happen a very high percent of the time. Rusty needed to know exactly what I wanted, and an easy way to do that behavior.
I'm training this the very same way as I did last time - using two chairs with targets at nose height. The dog touches one target, then the other, and receives a treat on the opposite target. Easy right? Well in theory yes, but when you are precision challenged when it comes to using the clicker at the right Milli-second, and providing the treat at just the right angle, it can get very interesting. I am challenged in both those areas. I know how to use a clicker, but when a half a second delay can ruin what you're doing, it's hard to get it right.
In order to give Rusty confidence about what he was suppose to do, I found that I had to click for direct hits to the targets, instead of rewarding the attempts that were slightly shy of hitting them. The more I rewarded the attempts, the more he became confused and lazy about swinging his head far enough to hit the target. My biggest challenge was not clicking a moment too soon before he really touched the target. I was anticipating his moves, and he began to anticipate the treats at the other target. I started listening for the hits, which really helps. His whiskers made noise going across the targets and sometimes he hit the chairs hard enough to make noise! Those hits were highly rewarded...there's the enthusiasm I was looking for.
Now it's just a matter of making sure he knows that those hard swings to hit the contacts is what I want, and then we'll start fading the targets...again.
The lessons I learned tonight were many, but here are the main ones.
1. ask the "what do I want out of this" and "what do I want the final product to look like" questions before you start working! Just saying that it should look like he's saying "no" and that you want him to do it on command isn't enough! The dog doesn't understand what "no" looks like. And your goals need to be more about your dog and your relationship with your dog than anything else.
2. If the behavior starts to look fuzzy ( not sure if it's quite "on") then it's probably not what you want. Take a step back and understand what you need to tell your dog in order for him to understand it. Think from his point of view, or have someone pretend they're the dog - are the clicks clear enough and precise enough?
3. Fade targets and change it slowly! Make sure the dog knows the last step before moving on. If you go to the next step and it starts to look "fuzzy" then your last step wasn't clear enough. Was your dog 80% + successful? Do you even know how successful he was? You can go through the steps quickly if your dog truly understands each step. Otherwise, you both need some practice with marking behaviors.
4. If you go too far, and the behavior isn't quite right it's "Yay! Good dog, you're still trying even though my signals are not clear enough!" More than likely, you're the one signalling this other behavior. Go back to the last step to give your dog confidence, using jack pots to tell your dog how amazing they are. Then take a break and write out that next step.
In all honesty, it's hard to remember these things. That's part of the reason I'm writing them down. Just like I said to write out that next step in your shaping exercise, sometimes it's helpful to write down exactly how you should train. Drill these things into your mind, because it certainly isn't the dog's problem that we forget the fundamental basics. It's hard to do these things when you're frustrated, because we often revert to the way we were first taught to train, whether by other people or by natural consequences.
I'm always telling my students, I'm not there to pick on them about being positive and using markers correctly, or anything else. I'm simply there to encourage them and remind them. I tell them the theories of how to train positively. But it's more than hearing it. It's learning how to do it moment by moment. I'm afraid I still need others to do this for me, and I need to make the effort to seek out those who will. We're all learning, and all growing in our training skills! The eyes watching are certainly better than the eyes doing.
Well, that's all for tonight. I hope that anyone who comes across this will be reminded what training is about, and encouraged. Remember, it's not "me or the dog" it's "love the dog, forget the trainer".
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