Focus on the Do

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Jamie

Don't look at that. Don't sniff that. Don't walk ahead of me. Don't pull on the leash. Don't eat the grass. Don't scratch your ear. Don't bark/lunge. . . Isn't it easier to decide what you DO want your dog to do?

I feel bad for some dogs when I’m out walking Risa. While I’m stuffing her full of treats and praising her to the heavens when we pass another dog, those other dogs aren’t always so lucky. Oftentimes, I hear their owners saying “No. No. No. No.” or giving other types of corrections the entire time we pass. I often laugh at the dichotomy in my head. I’m saying “Yes, yes!” and they’re doing the exact opposite!

Correction-based training is definitely more widespread in the general populace. People are focused on what their dog is doing wrong and they act appropriately by trying to let their dog know that the human disapproves. I’ll admit, it’s often easier to point out what is wrong rather than shifting your focus onto what you want. But it’s far more straightforward to your dog if you tell them what you expect from them.

When I’m out working with Risa on her reactivity, there are a lot of behaviors I don’t want from her. Like:

DON’T bark
DON’T stare
DON’T pull on the lead
DON’T lunge
DON’T lag behind
DON’T stop and sniff things
DON’T eat grass
DON’T get tense
DON’T try and sniff the dog as we pass (though, to be fair, I will let her do this because it shows me she is curious and not afraid)

That’s a lot of DON’T. If I were to correct her while we were walking for doing a DON’T, what are my chances that she would pick what I want her to do and not another DON’T?

When the lines of communication are open and clear, training is much easier!

My list of DOs is much shorter. I DO want her to look at me. I DO want her to offer a calming signal. If she does either one of those things, she gets rewarded. Period. It’s pretty black and white for me AND for her.

Besides making communication easier between you and your dog, you also learn to think of your dog in a more positive light. You aren’t focusing on everything your dog does that you dislike. Instead, your focus shifts to watching for everything your dog does that you DO like. You begin to see your dog as a source of things to be happy about. Not more things to correct.

Posted in Reactivity, Training | Leave a comment

Small Steps

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Jamie

Fearful, reactive dogs don't become dog park divas overnight.

When living with a fearful or reactive dog, training is all about small steps. You have to pay attention to and celebrate the minor successes. There aren’t likely to be any major accomplishments at first. In fact, the only way you may see a major accomplishment is to step back and look at the last few years together!

I’m going to take some time today and point out some of Risa’s most recent successes. For her, these are big breakthroughs and they deserve to be celebrated!

* They put out vending machines at the park where we walk the other day. At first, Risa gave them a wide berth but, with some minor encouragement, she went up to and investigated all of them.

* At class the other night, she only woofed softly and immediately whipped her head around to give me eye contact when she saw another dog running past.

* Risa investigated a construction sign blowing in the wind and my mom’s coat that was hanging in the hallway after initially startling at them.

* While hanging around at rally class, Risa tried to initiate a face-to-face greeting with another, friendly dog. The only reason it wasn’t successful is because I called her away. (I didn’t have permission from the other dog’s handler and, since I wasn’t 100% certain it would go well, I didn’t want to let Risa continue. It probably would have gone fine; both dogs were being very appropriate.)

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. --Lao Tzu

* She exhibited no reactive signs despite being around a ton of dogs at the rally trial.

* On one of our recent walks, we passed an excited young dog who wanted to make friends. Risa took a treat from my hand as she passed and didn’t try and eat my fingers! (Dogs suffering from stress often exhibit a ‘hard mouth.’ This means that even a dog who generally takes treats nicely will utilize more pressure than normal when they’re upset. So Risa wasn’t too stressed out by this dog!)

* Some utility workers came to the door the other day. While people at the door generally send Risa into a barking frenzy, this time she only barked once or twice and then sniffed them from afar.

Posted in Classical Conditioning, Fear, LAT (Look at That), Reactivity, Training | 1 Comment

Re-Evaluating

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Jamie

Risa earning her first leg towards her AKC rally Advanced title.

This past weekend Risa and I trialed in rally again. I’ve really started to get into rally; something I wasn’t sure we’d ever click with. Not to mention there have been enough trials close by that it’s been easy to attend. It’s been exciting since, as much as we love freestyle, trials for it are few and far between. Rally has given us an outlet and a reason to keep training. We’ve been practicing inside and outside of class and it’s been fun! I was looking forward to earning legs towards Risa’s Advanced title this weekend and had even given consideration to trying for an Excellent title in the future.

After the trial, I learned that I need to reconsider some things.

I’ve never been na

Posted in Fear, Rally, Reactivity, Training | Leave a comment

I’m Not Lying

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Jamie

Risa amongst dogs in a very crowded building.

I think people are starting to think I’m a liar. I’m honest with everyone about my dog’s issues. It’s only fair they’re warned and prepared. Not to mention it often explains some of her strange quirks and weird things that might pop up. However, I think more and more people think I’m making it up.

When I started our rally class in the fall, I remember our instructor giving me a look when I told her Risa was fearful. A look of disbelief. I was a bit taken aback by it and a bit upset. It’s not a lie; this is a fearful dog.

She’s a reactive dog too. Though you’d barely know it lately. I had her at a fun match over the weekend and she showed little interest in the other dogs. She did get a bit upset when a crated dog growled at her but it was minor (and I think I was the only one who saw it). We went on a walk today and saw more dogs in an hour then we’ve seen all winter. Risa was growled at, barked at, reacted to, and attempts were made to play with her. She barely batted an eye and she never lost her cool.

I’m not a liar. She is still all of these things. The only difference is that I have helped her learn to cope. I have spent years showing her she can trust me to keep her safe. I listen to her when she’s overwhelmed and I try and change her perception of things. That’s why I can walk into a strange place with her and she doesn’t look like she’s waiting for me to accidentally drop the leash so she can get outta there. That’s why she doesn’t always snarl and lunge at the sight of another dog. These things don’t frighten her the way they used to. I know she’s still a little afraid. But her confidence is growing and that fear doesn’t show itself like it used to. 🙂

Posted in Fear, Rally, Reactivity, Training | Leave a comment

Adopt the Internet Day

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Jamie

It’s hard to believe that almost 5 years ago I started my dog search. The first site I visited: Petfinder. Today, Petfinder is celebrating it’s 15 year anniversary! It’s amazing to think that Petfinder has been helping people find new, loving companions for so long.

I love Petfinder. It’s so easy to find animals in your area that are available for adoption. You can search for what you’re interested in without ever leaving the house. Then, if you find a pet that you think might just be your new best friend, you can drive out and meet them. It really is an amazing site and you can find a companion you might never have located otherwise (Risa came from a shelter that was 3 hours away from where I lived! Never would have found her without Petfinder!)

While Risa may not appear to be the best poster dog for rescuing a shelter dog (with her ‘issues’), not every dog in the shelter or at a rescue needs intense behavior-modifying training. Some of them were simply given up because the family had no time for them. Or because they were behaving like dogs do and no one bothered to spend some time training them and teaching them how to behave appropriately in human society. It can even be as silly as the dog no longer matches the furniture (seriously). And there aren’t just mixed breeds in shelters but thousands of purebreds. Puppies, young dogs, older dogs, seniors. . .you’d be surprised what can show up.

And, of course, I can’t forget the other pets Petfinder helps place. From cats and horses to guinea pigs and ferrets. You can even find scaley friends there!

Dylan, the 11-month old Lab mix.

In honor of Adopt the Internet Day, I’d like to highlight a pet who’s in need of a good home. This is Dylan, an 11-month old Lab mix who has been fostered by a friend of mine since August. There has been little interest in Dylan and I can’t figure out why!

I met Dylan recently at a flyball tournament. For those of you unfamiliar with flyball, it’s LOUD. Dogs are practically barking non-stop, there’s a lot of fast action, many dogs milling around, lots of people, etc. Dylan didn’t seem bothered by it at all. He was definitely overwhelmed by the activity but not in a negative way. I saw him appropriately greet several dogs and even got some loving from children. He was a little reserved and leery of men but I don’t think it’s something that would be difficult for him to get over.

He’s quite a character and has a great little personality. If I were in the right position to add another dog to the family, I would seriously consider Dylan myself! According to his foster mom, he LOVES to run (so a fenced in yard is a must) and is tireless. He’s also very smart. Several people at the flyball tournament thought he had the potential to be a good flyball dog. I think he could excel in freestyle as well.

Even if Dylan isn’t what you’re looking for, take a tour of Petfinder’s site and see if you can’t find your next best friend there. You’d be surprised what you might come across. Maybe your next champion (be it in dog sports or watching movies on the couch) is just a mouse click away!

Petfinder Adopt-the-Internet Day

Posted in Causes, Uncategorized | Leave a comment