We finished up with Scout's basic training by teaching her how to greet another dog. She
gets over-excited with some barking and pulling, so we taught her how to approach nice and calmly. Once the introductions were complete they basically ignored each other! "Changing behavior is not something you do casually because that behavior has value to the animal, or it wouldn't be doing it." - Dr. Susan Friedman Last week we didn't get to finish Leave It, so we did that before we moved on to Loose
Leash Walking. Cali's owners remarked at how much better she was walking by the end of our session! Apache and Jace learned how to Wait and Stay today. Jace, the 6-month Siberian Husky,
did really well. Jace, the 11-year old Shiba Inu, took a little longer to get the hang of it, but he got it! We taught Emily how to Wait and Stay, and we also worked on reinforcing her decision
not to jump on people. She is a very excitable girl, but she did very well. Tonight we focused on Stella's anxiety towards strangers by practicing the open bar/closed bar protocol. We also used her crate as a safe haven and it worked wonders. She instantly stopped barking and settled down. It will be interesting to see how it works over the long term.
Being a responsible pet owner not only means taking the time and effort to make sure your pets are taken care of and happy, but also means respecting your fellow pet owners, neighbors and community. Lucky for me, I own a dog that gets along with everyone and everything. Men, women, kids, dogs. Ash loves them all and will lick you forever and a day if you let her. Congratulations to you if you also have a super friendly dog. You should feel fortunate that you hit the genetic and behavioral lottery. Why do I say that? Because I also own a leash-reactive dog. Shortly after we adopted Chase we discovered that, when out for a walk, he would bark, lunge, and snarl at the very sight of another dog. It could be a big dog or a small dog. Male or female. Across the street or two blocks away. He was scared of strange dogs and would do anything he could to keep them away. It has taken over two years of desensitization and counterconditioning to be able to walk around our neighborhood without Chase freaking out at every dog he sees. Over the past month while out on walks we have been approached by unleashed dogs on three separate occasions. The first instance was when somebody had their dog loose in their front yard and it bolted across the street to meet my dog. Lucky for them there was not a car coming, and fortunately for us I was walking my Ash. The second time a dog jumped its fence and came to play. I was able to shoo him away and he jumped back into his yard. Again, thank goodness I was walking my sociable dog, Ash. The third occurrence happened when someone, walking two dogs, inexplicably let one of them off leash. This dog charged at my normally approachable girl and, in defense of herself, Ash responded by pinning the much smaller dog to the ground, unharmed. I separated them and we continued with our walk. I am grateful that none of these events involved my leash-reactive boy, Chase. If he had been engaged in any or all of these episodes I can’t imagine anything good would have resulted. His behavior modification that we have worked so hard on would have suffered tremendously. Injuries, to dogs and/or humans, no doubt would have been inflicted, quite possibly severely. I offer my experiences as advice to please be considerate of other dogs and their people. Not everyone is as lucky as you and has a super friendly dog. Keep your dog leashed or contained in his yard. If you come across someone else walking their dog, ask if it is okay to approach before just doing so, because even if your dog is the most loveable dog on the planet, you are only half of the equation. Please be a responsible pet owner by observing the leash law. When you do you are not only protecting your dog, but everyone else’s as well. Tonight the pups learned Wait and Stay, as Barley is demonstrating. They also learned how to enjoy being handled by their owners, as well as strangers. TIP #1: TAKE A BREAK You know that child/dog interactions should be safe and positive from the very beginning, but it's completely impossible to watch everyone all of the time. Just know that it's ok to take a break. Putting a dog in a crate or behind a gate when mom or dad needs a breather from puppy patrol is safer for everyone, and will help maintain their sanity. Just make sure the dog does not see it as punishment by giving him his favorite chew toy or stuffed Kong. - The Family Dog TIP #2: WHAT YOUR DOG'S COAT IS TELLING YOU ABOUT HIS HEALTH If the eyes are the gateway or the window to the soul, the skin and hair are both gateway and window to the embodiment of an animal’s inner health and well-being. Shiny hair, that is, a hair coat that exudes a healthy and lustrous sheen, is an indicator of overall health of the animal. In contrast, a dull coat that lacks luster is an indicator that the animal isn’t as healthy as she could be. If you notice a change in your dog's coat please consult a veterinarian. - excerpted from Whole Dog Journal’s ebook Healthy Skin & Coat Bulleit's session tonight went really well. He is starting to understand that not only am I
nothing to fear, but I actually mean great stuff is going to happen - food! |
AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
May 2024
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