Trialing with a Reactive Dog

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Jamie

Competing at our first trial. It was a great place to start as it was fairly small and Risa had been to the show site a few times before.

Choosing to trial with a reactive dog is a difficult decision. There are a lot of factors that must be weighed. After all, each dog is an individual. Not all reactive dogs are so bad that they cannot successfully trial. Yet some reactive dogs are a disaster waiting to happen. You have to think long and hard about your decision to trial and weigh the pros and cons of doing so. Competing with any dog can be a stressful event (but also a lot of fun!). It can be doubly stressing with a reactive dog.

Firstly, you should know the venue. What behaviors are required of your dog to successfully compete? If your dog must be touched by a judge, will your dog accept that? Will they be performing behaviors in close proximity to other dogs? What type of environment will the show take place in? Is it on leash or off leash? Will there be lots of people or dogs there? Is it loud? Are their kids? Where will you be set up? How are you going to navigate the show site? How long do you need to be there to prepare your dog? Have they ever been in similar situations? Have you gone to fun matches before? What do the rules say about ‘reactive’ dogs? Are you willing to accept responsibility if something bad happens? Will you be alright with the possibility of being banned from competition if your dog behaves ‘aggressively?’

It’s very much a ‘know thy dog’ situation. I have wanted to compete with Risa for the entire 4.5 years I’ve had her. I couldn’t wait to get in the ring and start earning titles together. I soon realized that was not going to happen. She was much too fearful and her dog reactivity was not under control. Neither one of us would have had a good time.

I worked very hard on curbing her reactivity, getting her less fearful around people, and being calmer in new situations. I put in four years of very hard, demanding work. In May of 2010, I decided she was finally ready for a live competition.

The trial was located close to home so, at the end of the day, she could relax in her own environment. We had been to the show site a couple times for practices so it wasn’t an entirely new place. I also knew the number of entries would be small so it would be less overwhelming for her. She was only entered for one day of the two-day trial. The second day, I brought her just to get her used to the trial conditions without the pressure of competing too. I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t nervous. That she didn’t want to bolt out the door as soon as we got close to it. However, when it came time to compete, she couldn’t have been better. She was focused on me and not the least bit concerned about the goings on around the ring. In fact, I think she took great delight in performing in front of an audience. 🙂

Are long down stays a part of the trial? What is your dog going to do if a dog breaks? Risa is definitely not comfortable being in such close proximity to another dog so a CD is out of the question!

Several months later, I decided to try trialing her in rally. Unlike canine freestyle, we’d struggled with rally in the past. I had difficulty keeping her focused during it but we were currently enrolled in a class and she seemed to be enjoying it better. So I entered her for another one-day trial. This trial was taking place at a huge site and one she’d never been to before. I decided that, if she absolutely hated trialing for rally, we’d never do it again. Her happiness is paramount and if she’s not having fun, we’re not doing it. She did amazingly well in the ring and so we went on and finished her RN title.

Now that we’ve really gotten the competition bug, I’m usually looking for another local show we can attend. Right now, I am keeping her close to home for several reasons. The main one being that, once we’re done for the day, we can go home. A show site is very stressful for Risa and I think I’d have a lot of trouble getting her to compete in a back-to-back trial if she didn’t have some down time in a familiar environment. So after she finishes in the ring, we start getting ready to go home.

Not only is trialing stressful for Risa, it’s stressful for me. I have to be on my toes and watching 100% of the time. I constantly scan the environment and figure out how we’re going to navigate through it. I keep Risa close to me and avoid other dogs as best I can. Fortunately, Risa seems to be more interested in sniffing dogs at shows rather than reacting to them. But I still need to be on guard at all times; she still does NOT like other dogs in her space!

If Risa is not safely secured in her kennel at a show, she is ‘working’ with me. There is no standing around and chatting with friends while my dog lays calmly at my side. I can’t risk taking my attention off of her like that. There is too much potential for things to go wrong. I have food in my hand and I’m constantly rewarding her for focus on me or non-reactions to other dogs. I also rarely stay in one spot for long as I often have to move us out of the way of other competitors.

I get to show sites early; usually right around when they open. This gives me plenty of time to set up and gives Risa time to wander around and check out the grounds. I always make sure to take her for a non-working walk shortly after we arrive. She is allowed to do some sniffing and investigating. I have food at the ready should I need it. By letting her check things out, she feels more at ease. She’s usually still nervous and a bit overwhelmed but at least she has an idea of where she is.

After that, I put her back in her kennel (she’s usually quite happy to return to her safe place) and I walk around and check things out. I get the lay of the land, check out the vendors, figure out where I need to be and when, etc. Then I get Risa back out, find a decent spot to stand, and practice some of the behaviors I am going to need from her in the ring. Most importantly, we work on focus. I’m also still constantly scanning and moving us around to keep her away from potential problems. I try not to overdo it since I don’t want her sick of working when it comes time to compete. She spends most of the morning in her kennel.

When it’s finally time to compete, I get her out and we stand around the ring entrance. I have food in my hand and I’m constantly rewarding attentive behavior. I’m also watching everyone around me like a hawk so that I can keep Risa content and move us if needed. I pop whatever’s left of the treat in her mouth before we enter the ring and then it’s time for business. 🙂 After we’re done, we quickly return to our kennel and she gets her super bonus treat for a job well done!!

Once we're in the ring, it's usually pretty easy for us. It's outside of it we have to be so on guard!

For now, I think we’re going to stick to two-day trials at the most. Firstly, it’s very stressful for Risa to go and perform at a show site for two days. Secondly, it’s very stressful and tiring for me! Being proactive is hard work!

If I thought Risa weren’t having a good time trialing, we wouldn’t do it. If I were worried she were going to cause serious injury to another dog, we’d stay home. However, through working with her and rehabilitating her, I know what she is capable of handling. I know things could go wrong. They could even with a so-called normal dog. Trialing is not without risk. I just weigh the pros and cons and try my best to not put her in situations that are too much for her to handle. For example, Risa will never get her CD. While I could probably train her to accept handling from the judge, I don’t feel comfortable with the long stays. If a dog broke position and came over to Risa, she might react. I would hate to create a negative association to showing for Risa. Even more, I would hate to create a negative association for another dog. Showing is supposed to be fun and I wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining someone’s good time or potentially ruining their dog’s show career.

It’s a very individual decision as to whether or not your feel comfortable trialing your reactive dog. At the end of the day, you have to feel at ease with what you’ve chosen to do. If you’re really unsure, your best bet is to attend a fun match with your dog. That’s a good way to get an idea of what a trial is like without the pressure of performing (since they don’t count towards a title). If you do choose to trial, good luck and have fun!

Posted in Fear, Rally, Reactivity, Training | Tagged | 1 Comment

Trust Me

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Jamie

You can trust me!

We started our new rally class. This one encompasses all the levels whereas the prior class was just AKC novice level. I was really looking forward to it as I do with all classes Risa and I sign up for. After all, we need some practice time so we’ll be ready to compete again. Plus it’s a great way to spend an evening with my dog. 🙂

I was a little concerned about what to expect. It’s not a clicker class (neither was the last one) and it can be pretty crowded in the building. Fortunately, there was only one other class going on. I was able to relax a bit more since there were fewer dogs wandering the ‘hallways’ between rings.

Risa was a bit nervous at first despite having taken classes there before. The last few times we were in the building we were competing (or at least participating in a fun match). Those events were far more stressful than a class and I think that effected her mood. However, she was quick to gain her confidence back. She even surprised me by successfully maintaining focus with me and not checking out after every single click/treat. Of course she did feel the need to look at her surroundings and that’s completely fine. There were new dogs and new people to be concerned about. 😉 For the most part, however, her focus was pretty darn good! Our hard work is paying off!!

She had a minor reactive meltdown when one of the dogs passed us as we were milling around. Risa wasn’t the only one who reacted and she was quick to recover. She paid little attention to the new dogs overall. Risa was even good about ignoring the Lab who really wanted to come and say “Hi.” Ri did look at the Lab a lot but never gave any signals that indicated she was super stressed out. The Lab’s owner was also very good about keeping her dog a good distance away from Risa which I appreciated.

The class was split into two sections: a ring for the novice dogs and handlers and a ring for those of us working towards our RA (Rally Advanced) titles. There were two dogs in our group and three in the other. Nice small class size. We set up our own course to run and then got ready for the run throughs.

We did our first run through on leash even though the advanced courses are done off lead. Due to poor planning on my part, I fumbled with the leash a lot and even dropped Risa’s treats during that course. As much as I like the ‘safety net’ of a leash. . .I was ready to get rid of it! I am a much better trainer without a lead. Mainly because we don’t practice with it!

I did our second run with Risa completely off leash. Surprisingly, she was far more attentive sans leash than she is with it on. I did lose her a couple times but a quick “Ri!” was usually enough to get her back with me. She really seemed to enjoy taking the jump yet didn’t lose control despite her apparent glee.

Relax, Mom. You worry too much!

During one of our runs, one of the novice dogs in the next ring started barking like crazy. Risa was right by the ring gating. . .and off leash. I’ll admit: I panicked. There was really nothing stopping Risa from jumping the fencing and going for that dog. I reached for her collar quickly (though I never actually grabbed it due to my fumbling fingers) and cued her attention. This is one of the few times I reacted more than my dog. Risa postured and got tense but that was about it. She reconnected with me quickly and I gave her several treats and praise while she sat with her back to the distracting dog. We then went back and finished the course without any other issues.

During our next run, our classmate wanted to practice the Honor station as they will be attempting to earn their RE (Rally Excellent) title the same weekend we’re trialing. There wasn’t really a great spot in the course for them to do this so they were smushed near the start line and very close to one of the other signs. I was a little concerned about Risa having this other dog on the course with her. However she had shown little interest in him earlier and I figured it’d be a nice distraction to train around.

At the start line, she refused to sit straight at my side. She sat at attention but her butt was swung way out. I motioned for her to get in heel position again and she sat the same way: diagonal. I knew why. The other dog was close and she didn’t feel comfortable turning her back on him. No big deal especially since there is no set position your dog has to be in at the line. When we got near him later on in the course, Risa paid him no mind at all. 🙂

One of my concerns in the upcoming trial is the broad jump. Risa had never seen one before and I was uncertain she would recognize it as a jump. They didn’t set one up on the course we ran but there was one in an empty ring nearby. During one of our breaks, I took Risa into the ring to have her attempt it. No problem. Her form wasn’t great (but I don’t know what distance the jump was set to) but she cleared it easily. I had her try again and she was fine.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with Risa’s performance at class. She was calm and collected. Her focus on the task at hand was good and she worked like a champion. It’s amazing how she’s willing to let go and be less anxious when she’s working with me. Somehow, I feel we’re much more connected with the leash off. No physical tether. . .just our bond.

We’re certainly not ready to trial yet. I need to keep working on her focus. However, I feel much more confident about trialing her again without a leash on. I am concerned about barking dogs and other distractions. If I feel the need to grab her collar in the ring to prevent a potential problem, I’ll take the NQ. But if we put in the time and effort, I think she’ll be fine.

Posted in Fear, Rally, Reactivity, Training | 2 Comments

Mick Jagger Was Right

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Jamie

I wanted a dog I could take with me everywhere.

I wanted an agility partner that I could tear up the course with.

I wanted a dog who hung on my every word.

I wanted a companion to cuddle with on the couch.

I wanted a dog who loved kids and other dogs.

I wanted to go on long, relaxing walks with my dog.

I wanted a dog who would be easy to train.

I wanted a dog that people would admire.

I wanted a dog who I could easily trust off leash.

I wanted to be the best owner I could be.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get most of what I wanted in Risa. I did get a fun-loving goofball of a dog. A speedy, sprinting monster of great intelligence. But there are a lot of things I got that I was not prepared to deal with.

I wanted a herding breed mix because they’re generally biddable and handler-focused. While I am certain there is some herding breed in Risa, she tends to lean more towards the sighthound part of her heritage when it comes down to handler focus. She tends to be what Jane Killion calls a ‘Pigs Fly’ dog; a dog that is less driven to do something for the handler without thinking “What’s in it for me?” While Risa is generally willing to do as I request, she definitely has an independent streak. There are some times she decides she has a better idea and just takes off to do it. Other times, she simply doesn’t care that I might have something else planned and does her own thing instead.

I remember when I first brought her home. She didn’t care that I was holding the other end of the leash. I simply did not exist in the outside world. She had no relationship with me and I doubt she’d had much of a relationship with any person at all up to that point in her life. Getting her attention and focus outside seemed like a daunting task. To this day, I still struggle to get and keep her focus when we’re working. Whether due to her initial fears of the outside world, her curiosity about it now, or her independent nature. . .it is a struggle for me to keep her attentive.

See ya!

Because of her fears and sensitive nature, the training techniques I had originally learned about were ineffective. Raising my voice would cause her to cower. Corrections were either completely ineffective or caused her to shut down. I couldn’t force her to pay attention to me or do what I wanted. I needed to change my thoughts about dog training. Fortunately, I was on the right path having signed us up for a clicker training class. Had I taken the other road, we would have had a completely different journey and I highly doubt Risa would be the awesome dog she is today.

Her difficult nature forced me to be a better trainer. Much of what she does doesn’t fit the typical dog behavior mold. (For example, Risa thinks that the ‘lifeless’ tuggie she has ripped from my hands is just as much fun as the one that she was fighting to get. She has little interest in bringing it back to me to start the game anew!) I had to become more proactive in handling her. It was important for me to tell her what TO do rather than just telling her “Don’t do that!” I needed to learn to be more interesting to her and to build a relationship with her. She needed to learn that it is fun to work with a person. I had to show her the world was not out to get her and that I would protect her.

I often wonder how things would have gone if Risa had been an easy dog. If I didn’t have to struggle with her fears, dog reactivity, and lack of focus. Despite the years of frustration, I’m glad Risa came into my life.

She may not be the dog I wanted but she is definitely the one I needed. Risa opened my eyes to a whole new world of training. One that, to me, feels like a partnership. While I am ultimately the one in charge, I also take her feelings into consideration when we’re working together.

There are still times I feel we’re a bit of a mismatch. I still struggle with some of her issues and wish there were an easy fix for them. 😉 But Risa is truly a joy to work with and she’s such a fun dog. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

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

What Do I Want?

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Jamie

The Jack-of-all-Trades dog, the German shepherd, still holds a lot of appeal to me.

Ever since high school I’ve dreamt of owning a German shepherd dog. I love their look, their loyalty, their drive to work with their person, their athleticism and intelligence. Any task you put them to, they’ll do. They may not be as proficient as other breeds at it but there is no breed that is good in as many areas as the GSD. I’ve met several over the years from various lines and breeders. Some rescues, some German showlines, some AKC showlines, some mixed heritage, some working lines (DDR mix, West German, and Czech). They’re remarkable dogs.

These days, however, I’m not sure I can find what I want in a dog in the German shepherd breed. This is not a slight against the noble GSD who I still love and admire. Just some new insight on my part that perhaps what I’m looking for can’t be easily found in a purebred shepherd.

I recently reread Patricia McConnell’s outstanding book The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs. In the second to last chapter, she discusses how one should go about finding the right dog. She addresses some of the questions to ask and suggests if you currently have a dog, you ask these questions about your dog. I decided to do just that to try and narrow down what it is I like and don’t like in a dog. To try and determine where I should focus my energies when the time comes to add another canine to my family.

Even the empty aisles at a pet store are a bit too stressful for Risa.

The questions I’m asking myself about Risa (and any future dog) are in bold type. My responses about Risa are in standard type and my feelings about those answers are in italics.

1. How does she behave with people she knows?
She is wiggly and accepts petting but is still anxious. Even people she’s quite familiar with get licked a lot. As she gets better acquainted, the licking decreases in intensity but it still exists.
I am happy she has people that she enjoys the company of. I just wish she were a bit more comfortable.

2. How does she behave with strangers?
She is very afraid of strangers. Most people she has just met cannot pet her; she will back away and run if she can. If they try and pet her over the head, she will bolt. Some people can pet her on first meeting if they pet her chest or chin. This is still better than she used to be.
I wish she were a bit more social. I don’t want a dog who thinks everyone is their friend but would prefer a dog who was more willing to accept human contact.

3. How does she behave when she’s somewhere new?
She is hypervigilant and constantly looking around. She is very uncomfortable and would like nothing more than to leave. She will do some exploring and checking things out but she is not calm.
I would love a dog that is more confident. It would certainly make trialing/competing easier.

4. How does she handle being touched/held/manipulated?
She does not like it but she does tolerate it. She is a bit stiff and does some lip licking during nail trims. She also tries to walk away during brushing sessions. She is comfortable with me holding her with her front paws off the ground. She does not like to be restrained but doesn’t fight it much.
I wish she weren’t quite so touch sensitive. (And I realize some of this can be addressed with training.)

Terrified during the fireworks.

5. Is she sensitive to loud noises and/or yelling?
Yes. She is afraid of gunshots and thunder. If I start to get frustrated or if I yell, she will leave the room even if it’s not directed at her in any way.
I like a dog with a bit of handler sensitivity as they’re more in tune with you, but she’s a bit too much. Fear of noises is also detrimental to competing.

6. Does she keep an eye on you when you’re not doing anything or does she do her own thing?
She does like to know where I am and will get up and follow me if I leave the room but she is not clingy. If I took her out to an open area and let her off leash, she would take off to explore before even considering checking in with me. After a while, she might come back over to check in or see why I’m no longer with her.
A definite negative, I wish she were more handler-focused. Sometimes she likes to just go off and do her own thing without any regard to me. She’ll come back later when she’s done or when she realizes I didn’t go with her.

7. How long, on average, does it take for her to learn something new?
She’s a quick study. She learns many simple behaviors in very little time at all. She’s very eager to learn and really enjoys training sessions.
Definitely love her intelligence. She is a problem-solver to an extent but rarely does she use it to do things I disapprove of. I love how quickly she picks up things and how much she enjoys being shaped. Her smarts make it easy to train new behaviors and interesting tricks.

8. Is she prone to physical injuries? What is her body structure like?
Her hips are good (not OFA’d but she’s a mix). She is prone to back problems though no disease has been diagnosed.
I really like the way she’s put together though I wish her back weren’t such an issue. It doesn’t seem to take much to tweak it.

9. Is she generally healthy or does she have chronic issues?
She is generally in good health but she has a history of gastrointestinal issues. Mainly SIBO but possibly other problems as of yet undiagnosed. Almost every year she gets loose stool, often accompanied by weight loss and/or bad breath. This lasts for 6 months or more and often doesn’t respond to drug or supplement treatments. She also has several food sensitivities.
I would trade her GI problems for another behavior problem in a heartbeat. This has caused endless frustration for me.

10. How large is she?
She is of medium size but of a lighter build. At the withers she is 20.5 inches and she weighs about 42 lbs.
I like her size.

While it's not a major problem having a dog who needs a coat in the winter, I never anticipated having a dog that needed to wear clothes!

11. What type of coat does she have?
She has a short, single-layer coat that requires only weekly brushing. She sheds constantly year round with a slight increase before winter and summer. She’s fairly wash and wear and requires very little effort regarding grooming. I rarely find the need to bathe her.
I love the ease of grooming and maintaining this dog. Though I wish she had a double coat rather than just a single. With her low body fat and single coat, she gets cold easily. I could deal with the extra shedding associated with a double coated breed.

12. How does she react when people come on the property?
If she’s outside, she may bark and run towards them but she never gets close. If they approach her, she is likely to back off. Indoors she reacts in much the same way. She barks and will not allow people to approach her. If the person stays still, she will slink over to investigate and sniff them. When people ignore her approach, she is quite curious about checking them out though she is still ready to bolt if needed.
I don’t mind some barking. But her over-the-top fearful barking is a bit too much. It can also scare some of our visitors who don’t know her very well (or are afraid of dogs).

13. How active is she/How much exercise does she need?
She thrives on a lot of exercise. We do a 4 mile walk practically every day. Sometimes the weather cuts it short but that is the average. I also try and work in some fetch and/or training sessions daily. She also enjoys indoor find it/scent games, shaping exercises, and training classes. If she is unable to get outside and get a lot of physical exercise, she tends to get a bit wound up. In general, she is fairly relaxed in the house and is often sleeping while waiting for me to do something with her instead of dropping a ball in my lap non-stop. However, she will also present me with toys on occasion to try and initiate play.
I wanted an active dog to get me out and about. I also wanted a dog I could do things with. A sedentary dog just isn’t for me. But they need to have an off-switch. I couldn’t handle a dog that wouldn’t settle in the house.

14. What would happen if you tried to take something away from her?
In general, she would not be pleased. She has never snapped at me (or anyone else) when I have removed an object from her possession. Usually she just turns her head away and tries to keep the object away from my hand. Only once has she growled at me when she thought I was trying to take a high value item away from her. I generally trade if I need to take something to avoid conflict.
While I understand resource guarding behavior is normal, I wish she were a bit less concerned that I was going to steal her stuff. I know training can address this.

15. What is her behavior like around familiar dogs?
Once she is comfortable around another dog, she is pretty good. She actually does have decent doggy manners and understands how to be socially appropriate. Occasionally, she will react in an over-the-top manner to something trivial but she has yet to ruin a friendship over it. She has had several arguments with canine friends but there were never any hard feelings afterward nor was anyone hurt. These spats are also rare.
I’m thankful that she does seem to have normal social skills once she is comfortable. Though I am not a frequent dog park visitor nor do I ever plan on being one, it takes her far too long to become comfortable.

It's too bad she is so unsure around her fellow dogs.

16. What is her behavior like around unfamiliar dogs?
She is dog reactive and does not like other dogs in her space. She is getting more curious about meeting strange dogs and likes to sniff their rear ends when they turn away. In general, however, she much prefers other dogs stay away from her.
She’s not dog park material and that’s okay. But I like/want to compete with her and this makes things more difficult. It takes a lot of extra effort to navigate a show site with a dog who doesn’t want other dogs in her face.

17. Has she ever growled at/snapped at/or bitten anyone?
She does growl at people/kids if they get too close to her. I have never seen her even close to thinking about snapping at (or biting) someone.
She’s fearful and she’s telling people to back away when she growls. I listen and increase the distance between her and the scary person. I wish she were more gregarious and confident.

18. Does she bark a lot?
Only when frightened. She barks at other dogs and people who knock at the door. She will occasionally bark at sounds outside and does some demand barking if I get her riled up. Overall, she’s a fairly quiet dog.
I am thankful she’s generally quiet. I do not like the idea of a dog who barks incessantly.

Let's be silly!

19. How would you describe her personality?
She is a goofy, fun-loving dog. I love her silly antics and her big smile.
I love humorous, silly dogs. Sometimes you just need to laugh!

20. What activities does she like to do?
She loves to run full speed and/or chase things so lure coursing is right up her alley. She also enjoys sniffing and following scents. Her favorite team activity is musical freestyle though she also does well in rally. I still would like to get her into agility.
I love taking her lure coursing and really enjoy musical freestyle. I’m willing to try and participate in any activity I feel my dog has an affinity for. But I’ll admit I like a flashy dog for freestyle and am considering keeping that as my main activity with subsequent dogs. Hopefully we can get into agility too.

It is interesting to read my own responses. It almost seems like there is more about Risa I don’t like than do like. And maybe that is true. Many of her fear-based behaviors seriously inhibit some of the things I would like to do with her. It doesn’t make me love her any less. These are just things I need to keep in mind when choosing the next dog.

I don’t feel I’m any closer to narrowing down a breed (or mix) that I should get. I know I’m fond of almost all of the herding breeds and feel they are generally the best match for me and what I look for in a dog. Will be interesting to see how things work out. If anyone who managed to read this whole thing (kudos to you!) has any breed or mix suggestions, I would be glad to hear them!

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ADD Dog

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Jamie

What do you mean I have no focus?

It has recently become obvious to me that Risa has horrible handler focus. Honestly, I can’t figure out why I never noticed it before. Well, maybe that’s unfair. When I got her, I knew she had no focus at all. I might as well not have existed if we were outside. So I knew then she had no focus. Four and a half years later, I am realizing she hasn’t come that far.

I’ve done some thinking on it and I know the main reason why she is unfocused. It’s because I haven’t spend nearly enough time working with her on maintaining eye contact on me. Did you think I was going to blame it on her? 😉 Sure she’s very distractable and independent. Besides being fearful about the world around her she also tends to be curious and enjoys checking things out. While those tendencies certainly make it more difficult to keep her attention, the onus is still on me. I spend more time rehabilitating her and letting her watch things to see that they’re nothing to worry about. I don’t spend enough time working on her focus.

This epiphany (brought about by demoing Michele Pouliot’s online freestyle course) has answered my question regarding rally and whether or not Risa enjoys it. I am not sure the issue is enjoyment. Perhaps it’s just too distracting for her.

Sometimes her focus is good but it could certainly be better and last longer!

So I started working with Risa on focus over the last few days hoping maybe things weren’t as bad as I originally thought. I wish. Even in the very uninteresting family room, I found it hard to keep her attention. I could count on between 3 and 10 seconds depending on how lucky I was. She spent a lot of time focusing and then immediately looking away. Not even looking at anything in particular. Just not looking at me. Especially after getting a click/treat. Once she got her treat, her eyes began to wander. She also ran to the stairway when she heard someone moving up there and spent a good amount of time sniffing the floor hunting for dropped treats. (I’ll take fault for the sniffing as I have, in the past, been really awful about delivering treats in a way that she wouldn’t miss them.)

Since I’m hoping to continue trialing and competing with Risa in canine freestyle as well as rally, I am upping the amount of time I spend on focus training. Shouldn’t be too hard as I haven’t spent much time on it at all in the last several years. 🙁 I also think that an increase in her focus will help her with her dog reactivity and fears. Wish us luck!

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