Me Me Me Me Me!

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Jamie

Jagger bounds around Risa but her focus is on me completely.

Fostering Jagger is going rather well and Risa is pretty accepting of our new roommate. I’ve been able to have both dogs outside together without any serious altercations. Risa is still guarding me and her toys from the young interloper but I pretty much just let it go. Jagger, for one, seems to think it’s a game and races around like a fool when Risa tells him off trying to engage her in play. Much like another young dog we know who is Risa’s best friend. Risa is also not going over-the-top about guarding things so I’m letting it play out.

The two of them will play together but Risa is not all that into it. Jagger would be happy if she’d break down, tackle him, and chase him across the yard. I have been able to play fetch with them both (though neither dog actually brings a toy back). Jagger enjoys both chasing the toy and molesting Risa when she gets it. Watching the two of them, it’s easy to see the differences in their lives. For the last 6 years, Risa has had me to play with and interact with. Jagger probably never got that sort of one-on-one attention. When I have a toy to throw, Risa is locked on me. She’s just waiting for me to launch it. Jagger is usually off doing his own thing (usually eating grass or peeing on my plants) totally oblivious until he sees Risa racing across the yard. Even when he is paying attention and excited to chase the toy, Risa is not focused on him. She’d much rather play with me.

I will admit, that makes me feel really good. There are a lot of people out there who have regular dogs who would give anything to play with another dog at the drop of a hat! Callie was such a dog. Jagger is as well. Risa is simply not. Whether due to her fears or her age, playing with other dogs isn’t high on her priority list. She can do it. And she does enjoy it. But it seems she’s rather interact with me. GREAT!

He’s like the annoying little brother Risa never had.

Jagger is starting to get that I am “The Source of All Good Things” but it’ll take some time. Like Risa, he probably didn’t have a great start in that respect. Probably no one really spent the time with him and showed him that it’s fun to interact with people. Though he does really enjoy petting so he wasn’t totally neglected. He just doesn’t have that handler focus yet.

I’ve also been letting the two of them loose in the house for brief moments. The short moments are going well; Risa doesn’t tell him off immediately for being near me which is great. I had them both out last night and that didn’t go as well as I would have hoped. Jagger was all over Risa and she was not going to tolerate it. She told him off but he didn’t listen. I had to step in and give Jaggy some time to relax and Risa a chance to take a break! I only had to step in twice before he got it and stopped being an obnoxious “little brother.” Once he relaxed, Risa just kept watching me while Jagger walked around. It was as if she was waiting for me to give her a cue to do something. Like having Jagger out was a training session of some sort!

And to think this dog has poor handler focus! 😉

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And the Beat Goes On

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Jamie

It’s always a good time when freestyle’s on the schedule.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend another seminar presented by Michele Pouliot. I got so much out of the first one that I couldn’t wait to attend the second. Not to mention we had scheduled a private lesson as well; something I’ve never done before!

The seminar portion Saturday covered training tricks and choreographing routines. It was neat to think of how a ‘basic’ behavior can be utilized in many different ways making it appear more complex. While I didn’t learn a ton of new things, I got a great reminder on some of the stuff I already knew but had forgotten. I always love jump-starting my brain that way. It was fun working on back-chaining as well both with our dogs and our “human dogs.” Clicker training people is always a blast and it was no exception this weekend.

I also got to work Risa a bit on Saturday which I had not expected. This was nice but it really showcased how little we’ve worked in distracting areas. Risa was very interested in what the other dogs were doing. Not in a reactive way. . .a curious way. But it still made training with her difficult! I was impressed that I was able to have her off-leash among the other dogs and not have to worry about her wandering off or getting herself into trouble. Still, some focus would have been nice!

She was pretty well-behaved over the weekend but, unfortunately, had several reactive moments. I don’t know if it was because I was a bit more lax about it or if she’s still a bit stressed out over having Jagger in the house. Hard to say. I’m usually more on my game than I was this weekend though none of her reactions made me upset. I totally brushed them off and just made a mental note to be more careful next time! She did, at least, meet a friend’s dog and greeted him nicely.

It was great simply to hang out with my freestyle friends again as well. Everyone is so supportive, friendly, and just fun to be around. Even those I don’t know very well felt like fast friends. Some of us even stayed after the seminar was over to eat dinner, chat, and watch freestyle videos. I didn’t want the night to end!

Sunday morning, we were the first private lesson. Fortunately, people had told me on Saturday that I should have a game plan for what I wanted to work on during our lesson. It’s a good thing too or I wouldn’t have been prepared! Since I know I am terrible at foundation work and that Risa has only a vague concept of her positions (left-side heel, right-side heel, and front), I wanted to work on that. Especially since I had no idea of how to go about teaching behaviors behind me (which is required in the higher levels). We spent the first half of our session working on platforms which I had never done before. Risa took to it like a duck to water and had no trouble at all getting the concept. I’m totally sold on using platforms to teach positions now. I can see how quickly and easily it helps the dog ‘get it.’ Part of what I’ve struggled with teaching Risa to front is that she gets crooked. She tends to lean or scoot to her right because she has been rewarded off the left side of me more. The platform eliminates that issue completely. As long as I’m lined up square to the board, she’s straight!

After the platform work, I decided to work on focus. It seemed appropriate since Risa spent a fair portion of the platform work wandering away to sniff. 🙂 Michele gave me some great tips and she proved to be a great distraction as well. She started off small just making kissy noises and calling to Risa while I clicked Ris for looking at me and called her name if she didn’t look back. We were able to quickly escalate and make the distractions even tougher. By the end, I had Risa’s eyes locked on mine. She didn’t even twitch an ear while Michele yelled “Hey,” walked back and forth, and whipped around a stuffed animal on a string. It was pretty impressive! Risa can give really good attention; I just need to be more consistent about asking for it and work her in more distracting environments.

Ris did have an issue during her lesson when a dog walked through the facility. I was totally unprepared; everyone was told to keep quiet and not be moving about during the lessons. So Risa took off, rushed towards the exit of the ring (it was closed) and barked at this dog. I would bet money that, during a trial, this wouldn’t have been an issue. There is so much going on then that Risa wouldn’t have noticed. But, in a quiet room, this stood out like a sore thumb. Sudden environmental contrast indeed!

During and after our lesson, I got a lot of compliments about my clicker training and good timing. I felt so good hearing that. 🙂 Though I also thought that maybe I just watch my dog a little too closely!

Now I’m even more excited about continuing on with freestyle. It is truly my favorite dog sport for so many reasons. I can’t wait to get back into training!!

Posted in Dog Sports, Dog Training Seminars, Michele Pouliot, Reactivity, Training | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Long Time Coming

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Jamie

“I’m just silly enough to win her over.”

Having a foster dog has been going relatively well. Jagger is really starting to fit in as far as understanding the rules and learning to control himself. He’s no longer blasting around the house like his little nub of a tail’s on fire. His jumping and mouthing has also decreased significantly. Although, if you change things up, it all shows up again. I had my parents over to meet him and he was crazed. Most of it is that he simply does not know what to do with himself. I understand that and expect it. He’s making great strides, though.

I took him with us when we went lure coursing yesterday for more socialization. He was much better about keeping his feet on the ground and being appropriate with strangers. I also inadvertently created another lure-coursing addict even without letting him run. I think it might be a requirement that his adopter takes him lure coursing. 🙂

The weather was supposed to be amazing today so I decided it was time to let Risa really meet Jagger. I had allowed them both to be out together over the last week (Jagger in the x-pen for his own safety) and it had gone well. Risa didn’t show any signs of overt aggression towards him. In fact, she mostly ignored him or showed curiosity and interest in him. I knew an introduction inside would be doomed to failure; Risa has trouble with other dogs in close quarters. There is less room for her to flee. So I planned on having them meet in our yard.

I took Risa for her usual 4 mile walk and played with Jagger in the yard before the introduction. I didn’t want either of them really jazzed up. I then gave them time to relax so no one would be overtired when they met. When I did let them out together, I had a harness on both dogs just in case I needed to break up a fight. Jagger also had a leash on and I had him already in the yard when I brought Risa out. (Sudden environmental change can trigger reactive moments so it was safer to have him already out there.)

They greeted nicely immediately though Risa had to tell Jagger off for trying to jump on her. She doesn’t like that and, with her back problems, I cannot blame her. Both dogs were very appropriate. They spent some time sniffing around the yard on their own and then finally started playing. Both dogs took frequent pauses and switched up roles. It was totally appropriate dog play. My heart swelled with pride that Risa could be so comfortable with a dog she barely knows. She hasn’t played off-leash with another dog in over 4 years.

The only time we had any issues was when Jagger came over to me. Risa guards me from other dogs and I knew this would be a potential sticky spot. However, Risa did not go over the top about it so I let it play out. Unfortunately, Jagger thinks I’m cool and he really didn’t want to listen to the cranky old bitch so he kept right on coming. By the end of their time together, Risa was getting a bit more upset about his proximity to me so I decided to put them both away before it escalated. This turned out to be a tricky situation since Risa didn’t want Jagger near me but I wanted to put him inside first. (I trust Risa alone in the yard but not Jagger.) I ended up letting Risa inside first, put her in the bedroom, and then let Jagger back in the house.

Both dogs are totally exhausted now and I couldn’t be prouder of my girl.

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Moves Like Jagger

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Jamie

“Whaddya mean I look like a cross between an Ewok and a Wookiee?”

I never thought I would be able to do this. I tend to get very attached to my pets and quickly. However, after working with Callie, I thought maybe I could pull it off. After all, I was able to work with her without feeling like I needed to keep her. She never was mine and I knew that she was off to bigger and better things. I was just there to help her reach that goal. So I decided to foster a dog.

There is a second reason why I decided to foster. I would like to add a second dog to the household but, given Risa’s issues, I didn’t want to commit to a permanent resident if Risa was never going to be okay with it. By fostering, it gives me a chance to determine whether or not Risa would be happy with a second dog in the house. More importantly, though, it gives a dog a chance at a new life. A home where he will stay forever.

Jagger joined my household last Sunday. He’s been with me less than a week but I’m already seeing the wonderful dog he can be. He’s a 2 year old Boxer/Australian shepherd mix and full of energy. I don’t think he’s a dog who needs a job, though. Just one who needs daily physical and mental exercise. As far as “issues” go, he’s a cake walk. He really has no self-control and is clearly used to doing whatever he wants. I don’t know how someone could live with a dog that mouths you and jumps all over you for two years! Fortunately, he’s a quick study. By simply standing in place and ignoring him while he jumps and mouths, he has learned it doesn’t work. I admit it is incredibly difficult to stand still and ignore a dog biting at your feet even if he does have a soft mouth! But I can’t argue with results. Even when he still does it, the intensity is less and I can see him thinking about NOT doing it more and more. He’s also learning to control himself at doorways and not race out of them like his tail’s on fire!

I’m a smiley happy boy who is goofy and fun. The best kind!

I haven’t formally introduced him to Risa and I don’t really plan on doing so for a bit. With her issues, especially in the confined indoor spaces, I think it’s best to wait. I have also not taken him away from the house since he’s arrived. I really wanted to avoid making the mistakes I made with Risa with him even though he’s not staying. I want him to see me as a source of good things and gain his trust before I take him out into the world. I’m also pretty sure he has no leash walking skills so it will take time for me to work on that too. As much as I think he would benefit from the four mile walks I take with Risa, he’s not ready yet.

I know, at some point, I may become a foster failure. But not yet. I already know he’s not staying. He is a wonderful little boy with a lot of potential. He is a lot of the things I like in a dog. Energetic, goofy, silly, fun, intelligent and a bit of a trouble-maker. But he’s not my dog. Someone else is looking for him and I just hope I can help make him a bit better of a canine citizen so someone can see the sweet little dog he is and fall in love. He’s also going to help make me a better trainer and teach me a bit more about myself. He’s already testing my patience. . .and I see that I still need some work there! 😉

I’m not ready to give him up yet because I see he needs more polishing around the edges before I think he’ll be ready for a home. But I know the right person is out there for him. I can’t wait for Jagger to meet them!

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The True Root of the Problem

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Jamie

The last two weekends, Risa and I performed a couple freestyle demos. It’s really been a lot of fun showcasing our routines and trying to create more interest in the sport. I find it’s difficult to describe to people; you really have to see it to get it. The first demo we did was nowhere near as good as I would have hoped. Risa was very distracted. The second demo was a lot more fun but Risa was still very distracted.

Even going back to our most recent competition, Risa was not as “on” as I would like to see. I thought it was because we hadn’t practiced the routine enough. Life’s been pretty hectic lately and I haven’t had the time to devote to training that I’d like. The routine we performed this weekend I designed just 2 weeks ago! Granted, I utilized sequences and movements Risa already knows well to avoid potential problems. Still, she missed a ton of marks and the routine we performed barely resembled the one we’d been practicing every night.

So what happened? It didn’t dawn on me until today after we finished our dance. It’s not that Risa doesn’t know the movements, behaviors, or how to perform them in the routine. The problem is we haven’t trained for that level of distraction. Today’s event was huge. Tons of dogs, people, kids, food, noise, vendors, etc. We train in my living room, the yard, or the training room (in the basement). Risa and I train in a vacuum and I expect her to be on top of things in the middle of the 3-ring circus. I know events like that are hard for Risa given her history and fears. But I think the real reason we’re struggling is due to my lack of preparation. I haven’t prepared her to handle crazy events well because we rarely train in areas with major distractions. No wonder she’s missing her marks and blowing off cues. There is too much for her to watch and not enough of a history of reinforcement for watching Mom in those environments.

It’s not like she’s never trained around distractions. She has. But not recently. Risa and I haven’t taken a class in over a year and it’s really starting to show. Every time we trial, it shows more. Each time we demo, it’s more obvious. We need to train with distractions. Until we practice where it’s busy and build up to crazy levels, things are not going to get better.

I can’t believe it took me so long to realize this is our issue. Seems pretty obvious now. We need to find a class!! 🙂

Here’s our Halloween-themed performance from this weekend in case you want to see, first hand, what I’m talking about:

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