We taught Dozer how to Down on cue today. He didn't seem to know it at all but it only took a few minutes before he figured it out. We then practiced it on different surfaces, like the slippery tile, and he did an awesome job. Sydney is a 5-month old Miniature Poodle/Bernese Mountain Dog mix. Isn't she cute? We will be teaching her basic manners, especially how to walk nicely on a leash. Today Peaches learned to Wait and Stay. We taught her to wait at the door so she is not dashing out to chase the critters in her yard. We taught her to stay so (coupled with Down that she learned last week) we can now ask her to lie quietly while we are busy. TIP #1: DEMAND BARKING Dogs that have learned that barking gets them what they want - balls thrown, doors opened, dinner, or attention are "demand" barkers. To curb demand barking, immediately stop rewarding the barking: Ignore your dog or walk away when he barks. Pick times when he is quiet, tell him “Nice quiet,” and pet or treat him. If your dog barks when you work at the computer or talk on the phone, preempt his behavior. Settle him in his crate or on his bed with a toy or stuffed Kong before you sit down to work. TIP #2: INCLUDE TRAINING IN EVERYDAY SITUATIONS Use everyday situations to train and continually strengthen good manners - without spending a lot of time on dedicated dog training sessions. It boils down to this: Whatever the dog wants, don't give it away for free. Don't open the door just because the dog paws at it; don't throw the ball just because he barks at you. For those and countless other privileges, ask the dog to say "please" first by doing something like sitting quietly. The benefits of this approach are many. For one thing, good manners become part of everyday routines rather than something the dog is asked to do only in special training situations. Your dog also learns a degree of impulse control. He realizes that not immediately acting on impulse, but rather stopping to consider alternative options, can be rewarding. Training also becomes linked in the dog's mind to all his favorite activities: he will sit for having his leash put on for a walk, he will comply with a request before being invited onto the couch, he will have to look at you before getting his breakfast or a chew toy, and he will release the ball before tossing it again, and playing fetch with you. When all good things must be preceded by responding to a cue that you give, your dog quickly learns to behave politely. The goal isn't to seek the perfect obedient response to "sit" or "stay"; it simply teaches your dog to say "please." - excerpted from Decoding Your Dog Luna had already been taught how to lie down, but only if you bent down and touched the floor. With about 10 minutes of training we were standing straight up and Luna was lying down with a verbal and hand cue. We also taught her Leave It, which will come in handy for the Beagle mix. Because it was raining we couldn't work on Clarke's anxiety with the car, so we taught him Leave It instead. After he learned the basic principle we practiced with items he likes to take, like the dish towel. He did very well. This handsome stud is Dozer, a 2-year old American Pitbull Terrier. He was picked up as a stray off the streets of Reading, but he is such a sweet boy. We will be teaching him basic manners so he can be a great ambassador of the breed and hopefully become a therapy dog. Peaches learned how to Sit and Down today. This puppy is super smart and very motivated to work. She is so fun to work with. TIP #1: BARRIER FRUSTRATION BARKING This type of barking often comes with posturing such as snarling or baring of teeth. The three most common occurrences are: Dogs left in a backyard too long, dogs in cars, or dogs on leash that would be perfectly comfortable with whatever they are barking at (most often other dogs) if they were off leash. With very social dogs, more time spent playing with other dogs and less time spent behind a barrier will greatly improve the problem. Not-so-social dogs first need to learn to enjoy other dogs. In the meantime, avoid unsupervised time in the yard or car. In either case, always give your dog a treat when he sees another dog but can’t say hi. TIP #2: RESOURCE GUARDING COMES IN MANY FORMS The catch-all, technical term of "resource-guarding" can include guarding of dog food bowls (or food), place (dog crate, dog bed, sofa, etc.) items (rawhide, bones, balls, tissues, etc.) and less commonly, people. Resource-guarding simply means that a dog gets uncomfortable when we (or other animals) are around him when he has "his stuff." He's nervous that we're going to take it away, so he tries to warn us off in a variety of ways, ranging from simply consuming his food faster, to an all-out bite. During resource-guarding, dogs exhibit components of ritualized aggression. That is, they have a fairly explicit hierarchy of warnings - accelerated eating, cessation of eating or "freezing up," glassy/hard eyes, growling, lip lifting, snapping, biting - that they'll run through to get a competitor (YOU!) to back away from what they have. They're nervous that you're there and don't want to share. A dog can move from a growl to a serious bite in a matter of seconds. That's why trainers often hear the cry, "he bit without warning!" More often than not, there was a warning, somewhere, sometime - we just missed it. - Whole Dog Journal |
AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
April 2024
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