You're getting Warmer!

We already know that dogs are amazing. We've seen dogs doing miraculous feats and tricks of daring. The question is

How do They do That?

 

Here is the situation. My dog is in front of me and I am wondering how can I communicate with her to understand what I want her to do.

 

I have a couple of things to my advantage.

1. My dog has a healthy hunger drive.

2. I can use "Language" from the Acronym L.E.A.D.

With food and language I can Mark the incremental steps along the path to the desired behavior.

 

A few months back I did a school demo about dog training. I thought how cute it would be if she could bow at the end of the program. Little did I know how difficult it would be for my very intelligent and willing dog to learn this behavioral position.

 

Daisy has an excellent understanding of the Command Down. She can do it when she hears the word. She can do it when she sees the hand signal. She can even do it when I am quite a far distance from her. Daisy is "Fluent in Down". That Down command got in the way of learning to Bow.

 

Think of the Children's game Hot & Cold. We encourage the searching with directional help by saying "You're cold to getting warmer and finally they are upon finding the hidden object, the children shout You're HOT". With my helpful advantages of Food and Language (particularly the YES Marker Reward word) I could mark even the tiniest effort Daisy gave me to doing a Bow. Helping her each step got her closer to the correct position.

 

I would like to say I taught her to do it in a week but it took weeks and we did not show the childern this new trick. Although they loved her non the less and she was a big hit with what she did do.

 

Today I was able to take this picture and I used my sustaining marker reward word "GOOD". This extended the duration of Daisy holding this position so I was able to snap a few photos. Then I said YES to release her and rewarded her for her valiant effort!

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.com
Contact Dru Therrian at 440.286.9070

Hey You! .....Look at me!

How many times do you find your self raising your voice Louder and LOUDER to get your dog to listen? Sounding like this....sit, siT, sIT, SIT!!! And maybe your dog will be sitting by the time you finish shouting or they may have moved on to something more interesting.

Engagement is part of my Acronym: L.E.A.D. It is pretty important to have your dog interested in you and what you are asking them to do. How can you be "Bigger & Better" when you are competing with a whole world of sights and smells?

You need to have what your dog wants. You must make your dog want what you have such as food or a toy. In fact, we want our dogs to make us give "IT" to them by being engaged with us. The dog should be thinking "what do I have to do to get what I want". And isn't that when our dog goes through their repertiore of behaviors: sit, down and rollover? So start out by having something your dog really loves. A healthy food drive is helpful in this instance but a favorite toy can work as well.

The first step in training anything to dog is getting them to Look at you. If they aren't looking at you they probably are not hearing you either.

An easiest way to begin is with the Name Game. You say their name "FIDO". They Look at you. You say YES as a reward marker word then give the food or toy. Once your dog recognizes their name and repeatedly looks at you, you can insert the word "LOOK" as the new command.

With the Look command you will build Focus and Attention. With your dog fully engaged with you, You become the World to your dog.

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian @ 440.286.9070

 

 

The Leash is the Ballet Barre of Dog Training

I am a huge advocate for Off Leash Reliability of dogs. I think by unleashing dogs, when they understand and cooperate, especially when called to Come, means I have taught them well and they are using their "Thinking Caps". It also gives their owner's peace of mind that their dog will not run away.

But how do we get there? What is going to help us communicate to our dogs? The Leash.

Like a child learning to ride a bike, kids start with training wheels, parents hold and support the bike so their child won't fall over. The leash, this tool, is that safety net and life line, literally, because it may save your dog from being hit by a car. The leash is the beginning of groundwork in educating my canine student.

The leash connects us to keep our dogs close. It provides a steady stream of information to help our dogs. It sets boundaries and limits to what they want to do and redirects them to what they are asked to do.

In addition to the leash, the right collar is important. The flat collar is great for holding the ID tags and could be suitable once your dog walks well but not the best for initial training. I prefer a prong collar as it simulates "Mom's teeth" and perhaps dogs remember that time when Mom picked them up as puppies, by the scruff of their neck applying manners as needed.

I like the combination of the leash and prong collar when used appropriately, for me that means pressure and release: like pressing the brakes when driving into a curve. This can help slow down the greatest of pullers without using much muscle work.

When we take the leash it is also critical to keep in mind that you are not the water skier being dragged behind the boat. You and your dog are a team with you being the Leader. In fact, consider yourself  the Senior partner of the team with Junior K9 being the follower.

This is how the Leadership begins. You, taking charge of where you and your dog will go. It is important to remember that while on leash and being connected that you don't allow your dog to willy nilly wander all over the place. This is where the discpiline comes into the picture. By practicing correctly you can exercise both your dog's brain and body.

I have always admired ballet dancers,. Their poise, grace, strength and their discipline to excell. And where does this begin? 
At the Ballet Barre. From the very beginning the dancers start at the barre repeating the moves until they have achieved perfection. They use the barre for support but eventually leave to dance on their own.

We too, have a place to start, return as needed and then dance with our dogs. We do it with a leash.


Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian (440) 286-9070

Everybody Get Together

"Come on people now
smile on your brother
everybody get together
and try to love one another right now" ~ Youngbloods

Isn't that what we want for our dogs? To get along? Alot of times "housemate" dogs don't have problems living together. They naturally figure out how to live peacefully. Others don't do as well.

What can we do about it? How do we stop the fighting, biting, growling?!!

First of all observe the situations when it occurs. Try to figure out why it is happening. Is it over resources such as food, toys, or affection: meaning you! Or is it over space and movement? Or everything!!!

Alot of the problems are generated from excitement. When your dogs get aroused by "something" you can counter that excitement by being calm your self. Yelling and screaming only stimulates the situation.

Take control of yourself first then address your dogs.

If the fights break out over food or items you can take control by removal of such items and monitoring how they get those valuable resources. Make your dogs wait to eat with a sit and stay until released. If one dog eats faster send him/her to a Place ( dog bed or rug) to wait till the other is finished.

Your control of space and movement is critical. What you allow daily gets practiced and ingrained. Make sure you and your dogs practice good behavior. Give your dog safe Places to rest. By your direction, tell your dog where to lay down.

All this boils down to Leadership, Rules and Structure. This is what works and what our dogs need to get along. And it will add up to everyone being happy.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian (440) 286-9070


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