It's been a month since I have seen Jethro the Aussie Bulldog. Today we practised his response when he is given some freedom. He is still on the long line but allowed to walk in front. Of course I always check there are no other dogs in the vicinity, safety is always a priority.
Previous to me finally remembering to get my phone out and recording, Jethro had been going really well. He was stopping and checking in without me having to remind him. In this clip he got slightly distracted by something but responded when he heard me.
Considering his owner had done very little training in the past month due to personal reasons, Jethro did really well. He is definitely a sweetheart ๐.
India can sit still ๐
Today's training session with Indie yielded positive outcomes. She has significantly improved compared to our initial session.
As the hour drew to a close, she was able to hold the 'Sit' step away command, ignoring numerous distractions. Indie needs to be trained to sit quietly, as it is not her natural inclination.
Moreover, she is exhibiting promising signs of improved decision-making on the long line when confronted with other dogs passing us by from a distance. We could see her tossing up whether to lunge towards the passing dogs but chose instead to return to us on two out of three occasions.
Her owner and I were really happy to see that process as its not something she has done in the past. Great job Indie.๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ
CUTIE-PATOOTI GIZMO
What a great jam packed one hour session I had with Gizmo today. His owners have done an awesome job with him in the 2 weeks since I last saw him. He was super excited when I came through the door but his owner waited until he settled and then I said hello. There was no jumping or being silly either.
His owner works from home and whilst he is generally really well behaved, she wanted him to learn to settle when she had to sit at the table and work on the computer. He loves going to his bed so I introduced it as a command. Before too long he was taking himself off to his bed. I then started the basics of the "Drop" command and again it didn't take him too long to grasp the concept.
In-between for a break I played some tug and asked for the "Out" and Gizmo gave the toy every time. The difference from my 1st session when Gizmo knew nothing to know is terrific. It is so great to see owners invested in teaching their dogs and putting in the work.
Great job everyone๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Today I met Tim Tam a one year old Airdale. His owner was having issues with Tim Tam suddenly lunging and barking at children as they passed on their walks. He hasn't had much exposure with small children and one encounter he did have with 3 older children getting right up in his face when he was younger didn't help.
Teaching Tim Tam the 'Leave it 'command should help these situations until he has had enough good new experiences to desensitise him. He had not had any breakfast so the large treats of dried chicken were a real temptation but he did really really well. We also practised the same command with a squeaky Frisbee. This actually proved a bit tougher but he kind of got it after a few reps.
After we completed this task we hung out at the skate park and mingled with some of the kids. His owner was amazed at how close we got and how he good he was.
Because I have nothing else to do lol, I have been mucking around trying to get videos edited and fixed up a bit. Unlike dog training, I have little patience with computer stuff so it's not overly exciting or well done but it's a start.
Here is a fairly old one of a client who contacted me regarding her rescue dog. She had no leash manners, was reactive around other dogs and basically no training.
Today session with the 4 Amigos.
When these 4 are left to their own devices around the pool, all hell breaks loose. Uncontrollable barking, chasing and recently nipping at each other. So today's lesson started with reviewing the Bed command and the Leave it command to get some listening skills happening. We then put all 4 on a leash, walked them calmly through the door instead of the usual pack rush and supervised the swim. When one of them got too loud or boisterous they were given a stern reprimand which nipped it in the bud. Failing that the dog in question would be put on a leash for some time out.
It was a productive full on 2 hour session. Great work guys.
Today I had a 2nd session with Teddy the Golden Retriever after receiving this short video showcasing Teddy's displeasure with following his owners instructions. Not wanting to move, (apparently this was good compared to other times,) leash in mouth, pulling and generally being naughty so the decision was made to use a halter.
Once Teddy was conditioned to it his behaviour changed. He walked beautifully next to me, this was constantly reinforced with praise n treats and when we got to a spare paddock, off it came and he got to have a run and a play.
When we encountered a dog on our way home Teddy tried to revert to his normal over excited behaviour of lunging and pulling but soon discovered that I was having none of it and had much greater control.
Our next test is down the beach where lots of dogs go for a walk. Teddy is a super friendly lovely dog and I really enjoy seeing his progress.
SO YOU WANT YOUR DOG TO COME WHEN CALLED!
HOW TO BUILD ENGAGEMENT FOR BETTER RECALL
I've talked about this topic before, and I'm doing it again because just about every client tells me their dog won't come when called.
Recall is an essential lesson for every dog, but it is equally important to focus on engagement. If your dog ignores you in the house or yard, then recall is going to be non existent. This indicates insufficient time spent on building engagement. Pushing for recall too soon can be counterproductive.
Establishing effective recall begins with creating value in your relationship with your dog. Your dog must perceive you as more valuable than any distractions. Therefore, recall is not merely an obedience exercise; it involves fostering a positive emotional connection and attitude, making your dog prefer your company over running off.
To work on engagement, start by incorporating these methods:
and ALWAYS, ALWAYS USE A LONG LINE WHEN NECESSARY.
1. **Interactive Play**: Use toys and games that your dog enjoys. This not only strengthens your bond but also makes you a source of fun and excitement. Games like Hide n Seek, Ping Pong, Loose the dog, Sprinkler game. There are a ton of ideas on the internet on games to build engagement.
2. **Positive Reinforcement**: Reward your dog with treats, praise, or affection when they pay attention to you. This encourages them to focus on you in various environments. Make sure you only offer up these rewards when your dog has "earnt" them, don't give away for free.
3. **Training Sessions**: Keep training sessions short and engaging. Mix obedience training with fun activities to maintain your dogโs interest.
4. **Eye Contact Exercises**: Teach your dog to make and maintain eye contact. This helps them stay focused on you and builds a stronger connection.
5. **Varied Environments**: Practice engagement in different settings. Start in low level or no distractions and gradually increase the level of distractio
Teddy is a 12-month-old Golden Retriever who displays several behavioral issues while on a leash. He is easily distracted, pulls hard, and shows little interest in paying attention to his owner's commands. Despite making good progress in general obedience training, his owner is struggling to address these specific issues.
Starting Teddy on a long line training aims to improve his focus by requiring him to constantly adjust his direction to stay beside his owner, who is continuously changing course. Failure to do so results in self-correction, where Teddy learns that being beside his owner is the best place to receive praise, pats, and treats.
During today's training session with Coda, a 4-year-old cockalier, we focused on improving her recall and addressing her tendency to run out the door. We also discussed strategies to reduce her barking, which has already decreased noticeably. To make the training more engaging, I introduced Coda's owners to some fun games like hide-and-seek and ping-pong. These games not only provided entertainment but also helped reinforce the training. The session was a great success, and I'm confident that Coda will continue to make progress with her training in the future.
Jethro is doing a great job walking. Today we ditched the slip lead and walked the whole way on a 5 meter long line. If he walked out front the whole length, which he rarely did, as soon as he felt the tension he stopped and returned. Totally different to our 1st walk where he pulled and paid little attention to anyone.
Because he did so well, on the way back I took his lead off. As you can see, he was pretty good.
COMMON MISTAKES IN TRAINING RECALL!
YOU ARE NOT VALUABLE ENOUGH TO YOUR DOG!
Failure to establish oneself as the primary source of value and reinforcement diminishes the effectiveness of recall training. Establishing a robust relationship where the owner's presence surpasses competing distractions is pivotal.
REPETITIVE INAFFECTIVE CALLING OF YOUR DOG!
Repetitive calling in situations where the dog is unlikely to respond undermines the training process, inadvertently conditioning the dog to disregard recall commands.
LACK OF CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT!
Commencing recall training in environments with high levels of distraction, such as dog parks or areas rich in olfactory stimuli, hampers the dog's ability to focus and learn effectively. Gradual progression from low-distraction environments is essential for optimal results.
ABSENCE OF LEASH REINFORCEMENT!
Omitting the use of a long line or leash during initial training stages jeopardizes the reliability of recall commands. Beginning training with a leash ensures the dog comprehends the command and his name before advancing to off-leash exercises.
LACK OF ENGAGEMENT!
Fostering an engaging and rewarding recall experience is pivotal for reinforcing desired behavior. Employing a combination of enthusiastic vocal cues, enticing movements, and varied rewards cultivates a positive association with recall commands, enhancing their efficacy.
This is Peach practising a great recall. No distractions but she could easily run off.
In this session with Coco we started doing some long line work. Coco can be super excited and has no focus on her owner at all when out and about.
Using a long line and incorporating directional changes makes the dog think and start to pay attention. If not, then the dog reaches the end of the lead and self corrects. After doing this a few times, most dogs start to learn that hanging close to the person holding the lead is much easier. Pair this with praise and treats and the dog starts to learn that this is a great place to be.
Today's training session with Jethro, an affectionate Australian Bulldog, was a great success. We concentrated on enhancing his obedience abilities, specifically practising follow me, sit, step away, and walking nicely on the lead. Jethro accomplished each exercise with minimum corrections. He even managed to walk by my side when I wasn't holding his leash, making it a noteworthy improvement from when we first started training.
Sometimes as a dog trainer you have to try different methods to achieve a positive result.
This is Indi the Ridgeback that is super reactive to other dogs. Not aggressively but more I think through frustration. She wants to play but has not learnt the social skills of how to do it at less than 100% in other dogs face. Keeping her on a short tight leash compounded the frustration. Instead we needed to lower her energy and give her another job to do. That job is to listen and focus on where the person who has the leash is going. We do that with lots of directional changes.
Indies owner is usually quite nervous walking her near dogs but after an hours session she felt a lot more confident and did a great job of keeping Indies attention.
This is a vast improvement. Usually indi would be lunging, barking and control was non existent when another dog was in sight.
4 dog magic lol.
Today I went back for our 2nd session with these 4 gorgeous dogs.
Today was back to basics. Learning a reliable 'sit' command and teaching a 'bed' command.
I have to admit, all the dogs did so much better than I expected. But the one who really blew me away was Frankie, the choc lab x husky. Because she comes across as very needy and over excited, I thought she would take awhile to get it. However pretty much after showing her once, she nailed it.
I also wasn't sure if we would get all 4 dogs staying on their beds at the same time, but voila, as you can see, we did.
Great work everyone ๐๐
Holding door boundary
I love receiving updates from clients about their dog's progress.
A very happy client sent me her video of Boo practising her door boundary. She said that this wasnt her best effort, Boo had done better but this was when she had her phone handy.
Now Boo was one of my more challenging pups for teaching this exercise. She is a quick little number and was barely holding her spot before rushing full pelt through the door.
Just over a week later and the improvement is awesome. It goes to show that when owners put in the work and follow advice, changes happen.
Boo"s owner also said that their walks together have improved. Boo isn't barking at other dogs and is actually playing with dogs on the beach. BTW this was after only 1 x 1 hr lesson.
Keep up the good work guys. Looking forward to our next lesson.
A short on the spur, uncut video of Kevie practising his off leash obedience. He has a 1 foot lead dangling in case I do need to control or correct.
Sit means sit no matter what
#tlcdogtraining
#sit
#dogtraining
Teaching a bed command with 3 dogs can be challenging but with perseverance and consistency it can be done.
Even when one of them is a 5 month old puppy.๐๐๐
