Sometimes you get the perfect training day handed to you. Yesterday was such a day for us. We ran into four cats and two dogs! As you know, a primary purpose of my training is to teach me to walk past dogs without barking. But cats are even worse for me! There is one in our neighborhood who taunts me, and I want to chase them all!
Even though I was able to walk past Mom's friend at a great distance, I had a difficult time looking at her, so this week, she has spent a lot of time practicing "look" on walks. Since there is no way I can do it with a distraction if I can't do it without one, she has been practicing just asking me to look at random, particularly with low level distractions, like smells. I have been doing a lot better and know now when to look. However, it is still hard with distractions.
When the first cat bolted in front of me, Mom knew she had her training cut out for her. I started to leap and whine. She asked me to look but I couldn't do it. So she just kept walking. As I started to calm down, she asked again. I couldn't do it. She kept walking. On the third try, I was able to look at her. She gave me a big reward. When we saw the second cat, it was stationary, so Mom asked for a look. I was able to give her one at the beginning and another one when the cat was out of sight. Each cat, I got a little faster. By the time we got to the park and saw the dog, I was able to look at Mom almost the entire time we walked past him. That was a piece of cake!
When you are working with your reactive dog, remember that you may not always get a response. It's really hard! Sometimes, we just can't focus. So be patient. Ask again a few steps later. When your dog finally does it, reward!!! Each day, your dog will respond a little sooner and for a little longer. Keep building on that.
Whew. That was tough. I hope I have an easier day tomorrow! Love, Bammie
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Bammie Training Challenge: Day 16
Whew. This has been a tough week of training. I can now do some sit and down stays, which are improving with every practice (except when that old attention hog Chubbs tries to jump in and steal my treat), and I have now moved mostly to outdoor work. I can do heels outside, though not always the first time I have asked, and I can do a pretty good look when there are few distractions.
One area where I am still struggling is going to my bed. I am a little afraid to do this, so Mom had to sit on the bed with me and just praise me for being there. This lasted for a couple of days, and last night, I was finally able to stay on the bed in a sit stay for a few seconds. I use the bed all the time, but staying on it when told is very scary!
Today was a really tough day today because my Mom moved my training plan to the next level: greeting people and walking past dogs! Whew. First, Mom had a friend come over. She kept me on a leash while explaining to her friend (the great Courtney Baxter) that she couldn't pet me until I was sitting. Courtney did a really good job of ignoring me for a couple of minutes while I barked and pulled on the leash. My mom asked me for a sit during this time once or twice, but I couldn't do it. Finally, I did it, and she came toward me!! Yay! I jumped. She stopped and waited for me to sit again. After two or three tries, she was able to pet me while I sat. Once we repeated that three or four times, I was released from the leash and got to enjoy a bunch of petting and kissing. She had great tasting legs and toes! Yum!
Then, I went to the park with my mom's friend Kim Pegram and her dog, Sheldon, who is in her basic manners class. Sheldon was so well-behaved sitting in the shade while I tried to pay attention to my mom. I could only look at her a couple of times, so she made sure to give me lots of distance from Sheldon! I was on one side of a soccer field and he was on the other as we walked past. But I stayed calm and didn't pull on leash, so she rewarded me and ended training. She's always saying that it's important to end on a good note! If she had pushed me harder, I may have had a reaction, which would have been a setback for the training. As it was, I did very well.
I hope I get a break tomorrow! And I hope you are enjoying training with your dog! Love, Bammie
One area where I am still struggling is going to my bed. I am a little afraid to do this, so Mom had to sit on the bed with me and just praise me for being there. This lasted for a couple of days, and last night, I was finally able to stay on the bed in a sit stay for a few seconds. I use the bed all the time, but staying on it when told is very scary!
Today was a really tough day today because my Mom moved my training plan to the next level: greeting people and walking past dogs! Whew. First, Mom had a friend come over. She kept me on a leash while explaining to her friend (the great Courtney Baxter) that she couldn't pet me until I was sitting. Courtney did a really good job of ignoring me for a couple of minutes while I barked and pulled on the leash. My mom asked me for a sit during this time once or twice, but I couldn't do it. Finally, I did it, and she came toward me!! Yay! I jumped. She stopped and waited for me to sit again. After two or three tries, she was able to pet me while I sat. Once we repeated that three or four times, I was released from the leash and got to enjoy a bunch of petting and kissing. She had great tasting legs and toes! Yum!
Then, I went to the park with my mom's friend Kim Pegram and her dog, Sheldon, who is in her basic manners class. Sheldon was so well-behaved sitting in the shade while I tried to pay attention to my mom. I could only look at her a couple of times, so she made sure to give me lots of distance from Sheldon! I was on one side of a soccer field and he was on the other as we walked past. But I stayed calm and didn't pull on leash, so she rewarded me and ended training. She's always saying that it's important to end on a good note! If she had pushed me harder, I may have had a reaction, which would have been a setback for the training. As it was, I did very well.
I hope I get a break tomorrow! And I hope you are enjoying training with your dog! Love, Bammie
Friday, July 12, 2013
Bammie Training: Day 7
Hi, everyone! I'm still at it. Like every training program, we had to make a few changes. Mom was sick this week, so I missed a couple of days. I started learning how to go to my spot on command, and this one was definitely hard for me! I hated staying on my spot. I can do a great sit-stay while Mom walks away, but she had to keep blocking me on my spot and even had to go get a leash. I typically listen well enough that she doesn't have to break out the leash for training, but not this time. I kept trying to run off my spot. This is definitely not my favorite command! So Mom has changed things around to practice that a little more.
Why stay on spot? Well, I need to learn a little bit of impulse control. Sometimes, I need a place to go when I am told to get off the bed at night. Sometimes I need to calm down around people and need a place to go instead of their laps. Ultimately, this command will be used to send me away from the door. This is obviously a skill that could keep me from doing some of my favorite misbehaviors. Obviously, I'm going to hold out on this!
The rest of my training is going well. I am able to heel outside now while on walks, which is the natural progression from doing heels in the house. I can do a couple of steps with a treat lure and no distractions. I will slowly be expected to do it without treats and with greater distraction (though there will be treats for that).
I was doing well with looking at Mom on command, so she started adding in distractions. When there are distractions, I don't respond as well to my name, but I do respond to "look" with a hand signal. So Mom started using that command.
We went off the script mid-week when an outdoor soccer game offered me the opportunity for some social training. I'm bad at this, so Mom was going to spend more time training before throwing me in the deep end, but she decided to brave my hyperactivity and start practicing. While I did make some mistakes, I did really well sitting for pets from some people I really really wanted to greet. I only dove at three faces. Not bad for me!
While the game was going on, I also had to learn to settle down. For awhile I was running, but then my parents wanted me to lie down with them. They sat and shortened my leash, but I wouldn't lie down. Finally, my mom realized that I might not know that I could lie down in this context to relax since I am always so wound up. She gave me a down command. I happily did it and was able to relax. I just didn't know that I could! So remember that with your dogs: in a new context, they might not understand that you want them to behave like you do in the house. Tell them what to do and reward for it. I got treats just for staying in a down and getting pets. It was nice to know what to do. And get treats!
I'm having a lot of fun with my training, and I think I'm getting better. I hope you are enjoying your training as well. Love, Bammie!
Why stay on spot? Well, I need to learn a little bit of impulse control. Sometimes, I need a place to go when I am told to get off the bed at night. Sometimes I need to calm down around people and need a place to go instead of their laps. Ultimately, this command will be used to send me away from the door. This is obviously a skill that could keep me from doing some of my favorite misbehaviors. Obviously, I'm going to hold out on this!
The rest of my training is going well. I am able to heel outside now while on walks, which is the natural progression from doing heels in the house. I can do a couple of steps with a treat lure and no distractions. I will slowly be expected to do it without treats and with greater distraction (though there will be treats for that).
I was doing well with looking at Mom on command, so she started adding in distractions. When there are distractions, I don't respond as well to my name, but I do respond to "look" with a hand signal. So Mom started using that command.
We went off the script mid-week when an outdoor soccer game offered me the opportunity for some social training. I'm bad at this, so Mom was going to spend more time training before throwing me in the deep end, but she decided to brave my hyperactivity and start practicing. While I did make some mistakes, I did really well sitting for pets from some people I really really wanted to greet. I only dove at three faces. Not bad for me!
While the game was going on, I also had to learn to settle down. For awhile I was running, but then my parents wanted me to lie down with them. They sat and shortened my leash, but I wouldn't lie down. Finally, my mom realized that I might not know that I could lie down in this context to relax since I am always so wound up. She gave me a down command. I happily did it and was able to relax. I just didn't know that I could! So remember that with your dogs: in a new context, they might not understand that you want them to behave like you do in the house. Tell them what to do and reward for it. I got treats just for staying in a down and getting pets. It was nice to know what to do. And get treats!
I'm having a lot of fun with my training, and I think I'm getting better. I hope you are enjoying your training as well. Love, Bammie!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Bammie Training: Day 1
Hi, everyone! I started my 45-day training challenge yesterday. I thought I was keeping you up-to-date on my progress so you could see that with just a few minutes of training per day (5 minutes last night), you can meet all your training goals. My mom runs a business and is in graduate school, so if she has time for this, you will, too! Keep in mind that I have taken a basic manners class and have started learning most of the basic skills. However, the plan is still to start simple and progress to more difficult behaviors, just as your training program should.
I have already learned to sit, but my mom wants me to learn to sit still when people approach me. One of my main weaknesses is that I love to jump on people. My mom wants me to learn to be patient and accept pets without jumping. In order to do that, I need to first simply learn to sit. Thus, last night, my first training lesson involved 10-15 second sit-stays. I did this with no problem. I have learned a release command already, so I knew I was waiting for the wait. Mom could even take 2-3 steps without me moving and then walk back to me. If I had broken the stay at any point, she would have just put me back in it (with no treat) and given me an easier challenge, such as making me sit for less time or taking fewer steps away from me.
My mom also practiced down with me. I have learned that, but I only do it in certain contexts, and my down-stay isn't very long. She only had me stay 5 seconds or less on those down-stays.
My other main weakness is that I jump and sometimes bark when I walk past people and other dogs. If I am to take Chubbs' place as the demo dog in Mom's business, I have to walk calmly past people and dogs who aren't necessarily happy to see me. In order to do this, I have to first be able to get in a heel position and walk politely with no distractions. Then, I will practice with people alone and calm dogs, gradually increasing the level of distraction. As anyone who has taken my mom's basic manners class knows, the first step to teaching a moving heel is teaching a stationary heel. I need to learn how to be in that position until Mom tells me it's OK to leave. I did very well. We practiced four times, and I never tried to push ahead. Mom did not use a leash with me, but she recommends using a leash with dogs who might break the heel before released. It is important that the dog not leave the heel position until told if you would like to turn it into a moving heel, which my mom does.
If you have any questions on how to teach any of these behaviors, email my mom at melinda@pawspartners.com. It is difficult to describe how to teach heel, but if enough people are interested, we can make a video. Happy training!
Love, Bammie
I have already learned to sit, but my mom wants me to learn to sit still when people approach me. One of my main weaknesses is that I love to jump on people. My mom wants me to learn to be patient and accept pets without jumping. In order to do that, I need to first simply learn to sit. Thus, last night, my first training lesson involved 10-15 second sit-stays. I did this with no problem. I have learned a release command already, so I knew I was waiting for the wait. Mom could even take 2-3 steps without me moving and then walk back to me. If I had broken the stay at any point, she would have just put me back in it (with no treat) and given me an easier challenge, such as making me sit for less time or taking fewer steps away from me.
My mom also practiced down with me. I have learned that, but I only do it in certain contexts, and my down-stay isn't very long. She only had me stay 5 seconds or less on those down-stays.
My other main weakness is that I jump and sometimes bark when I walk past people and other dogs. If I am to take Chubbs' place as the demo dog in Mom's business, I have to walk calmly past people and dogs who aren't necessarily happy to see me. In order to do this, I have to first be able to get in a heel position and walk politely with no distractions. Then, I will practice with people alone and calm dogs, gradually increasing the level of distraction. As anyone who has taken my mom's basic manners class knows, the first step to teaching a moving heel is teaching a stationary heel. I need to learn how to be in that position until Mom tells me it's OK to leave. I did very well. We practiced four times, and I never tried to push ahead. Mom did not use a leash with me, but she recommends using a leash with dogs who might break the heel before released. It is important that the dog not leave the heel position until told if you would like to turn it into a moving heel, which my mom does.
If you have any questions on how to teach any of these behaviors, email my mom at melinda@pawspartners.com. It is difficult to describe how to teach heel, but if enough people are interested, we can make a video. Happy training!
Love, Bammie
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Chubbs' Retirement
I hardly ever write on my dogs' blog, but I have a sad announcement. Because of his recent health problems, Chubbs will no longer be accompanying me on lessons with my clients. While Muggsy was the inspiration of the business, Chubbs has always been its lifeblood. His calm demeanor has made him irreplaceable. He has played with puppies, corrected rowdy adolescents and walked calmly along beside me while numerous reactive dogs have learned to tolerate others. Dogs who have wanted to kill other dogs have learned to tolerate Chubbs, and one reactive dog even wanted Chubbs to be his boyfriend (Chubbs would like to interject at this time: Hey, I'm very good-looking. And awesome.).
I have so many stories of Chubbs behaving flawlessly in training lessons. I also have stories of his success as a therapy dog. One of the reasons Pawsitive Partners can be so successful in reactivity training is that I have lived with a reactive dog. While it may seem odd to specialize in aggression and therapy dog training, I have been successful as a therapy dog trainer because I went through all the steps myself with the fabulous Chubbs.
Chubbs was a local celebrity in the South Bay. Children would run out of the local libraries, yelling "Chubbs is here! Chubbs is here!" People would even come up to me on the street when I was with other dogs and say, "You're Chubbs' mom, right?" Everyone knew him and loved him. He had a special gift for figuring out which type of comfort someone needed. When visiting group homes, he would buddy up to the one kid who was sitting at the back, not talking to the others. Watching these teens come out of their shell while calmly petting Chubbs will always rank among the most moving moments of my life.
Chubbs has presented me with many training challenges but so many more rewards. Training has not been the same without him tagging along. I don't know how long before my training lessons feel normal. Maybe that won't happen. But in the interim, I will be training Bammie to be the new demo dog. As he is a little dog-reactive himself, this will be a challenge, but the majority of the entries on the blog from here on out will be more about that. As I have the next month off from teaching, I will be giving Bammie a 30-day training challenge and begin to groom him into the next face of Pawsitive Partners. Chubbs will begin to enjoy a life of even more relaxation, and I will do all I can to make sure the rest of his life is as fabulous as he is.
Love, Melinda
I have so many stories of Chubbs behaving flawlessly in training lessons. I also have stories of his success as a therapy dog. One of the reasons Pawsitive Partners can be so successful in reactivity training is that I have lived with a reactive dog. While it may seem odd to specialize in aggression and therapy dog training, I have been successful as a therapy dog trainer because I went through all the steps myself with the fabulous Chubbs.
Chubbs was a local celebrity in the South Bay. Children would run out of the local libraries, yelling "Chubbs is here! Chubbs is here!" People would even come up to me on the street when I was with other dogs and say, "You're Chubbs' mom, right?" Everyone knew him and loved him. He had a special gift for figuring out which type of comfort someone needed. When visiting group homes, he would buddy up to the one kid who was sitting at the back, not talking to the others. Watching these teens come out of their shell while calmly petting Chubbs will always rank among the most moving moments of my life.
Chubbs has presented me with many training challenges but so many more rewards. Training has not been the same without him tagging along. I don't know how long before my training lessons feel normal. Maybe that won't happen. But in the interim, I will be training Bammie to be the new demo dog. As he is a little dog-reactive himself, this will be a challenge, but the majority of the entries on the blog from here on out will be more about that. As I have the next month off from teaching, I will be giving Bammie a 30-day training challenge and begin to groom him into the next face of Pawsitive Partners. Chubbs will begin to enjoy a life of even more relaxation, and I will do all I can to make sure the rest of his life is as fabulous as he is.
Love, Melinda
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