Much more fun than 'place' and more effective
Our idea of what trained dogs look like…. We don’t use rules to take away freedom - we do the opposite. We teach rules so that we can give freedom. Then we can get out of their heads and allow our dogs to be their best dog selves.
My little lady got a second day filled with an off leash hike with my dogs, an on leash walk with some client dogs, then her down lessons.
One of my staff asked me if she knew how to lie down. I didn’t know the answer, but didn’t need to know. I just taught it with the universal language of animal training - negative reinforcement. In the case of sheepdogs it means calmly moving towards them, then away when they do as we want.
What I hope this down will accomplish is a space for my voice in her brain when she’s in drive and wants to do something that she shouldn’t. If this works, I can teach her how to regulate her own thoughts and desires.
Today I did see the same fun dog, with less bad behaviour oozing out. But to be honest, it’s the honeymoon phase still. I’d be naive to think I’m actually progressing.
Here is a video of her down. It’s not impressive yet, but it is when you realize she picked this up in three short sessions.
Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh.
As you increase bravery, you also increase the naughty. It always happens, and you hope you have enough control to tide you through. If you don’t, you get opportunities to correct them, and corrections when done fairly, will also also make dogs stronger.
Mo, the dog that didn’t want to walk outside, is on week 2 of bootcamp. Here is her progress. She still has moments of refusing to walk, though none today. Last night there were many moments of being naughty and getting scolded. The video shows the outcome of that.
Monique Anstee
Author of As a Dog Thinketh
Victoria, BC
He’s softening. We’ve had days upon days of good behaviour with my dogs. He’s still got opinions, but he sounds grumpy not murderous, and everyone is happily back to ignoring him. If he was serious, they would not ignore him.
In the house, he’s almost always with a dog. Forget that - he’s always with a dog. Saturday he jumped onto Pippa’s seat in the car, then snarled telling her to get off. She pushed her body against him and squashed him. He slithered off and sat in the back.
I have found, now that our weather is nicer and more people are around, he does not like to be caught with strangers around. This is such a typical street dog thing. To counteract that he will always follow me, and always jump in my car. He did let his friend that feeds him cheese grab him. He went through the motions of a panic, then relaxed.
Tonight in the house he went up to my husband who was too fresh with him, so he grumbled, then instantly let his hurt feelings go and started playing tug with him. Tonight he succeeded in flinging his toy and hitting Johnny, then landing it in the water bowl.
I’m proud of him. He’s definitely at the next stage of changing. He’s just going to get sweeter and sweeter and let his edge go.
Monique Anstee
Victoria BC
Author of As a Dog Thinketh
The start of yesterday’s video was requested. I apologize for the awkward angle of the camera on my crotch, and you can all watch him ignore me asking him to sit. The reason- I don’t care if you sit, just leave me a finger please, kind Fox. Once you see this video you might appreciate why it was cut out. However here is the raw unedited start!
As for my Fox, right at the start I said he was a very special dog- one in a million to be precise. I did not realize he had already proved that. He has two ladies backing him. One is paying all of his costs because he literally saved her life. She got grabbed and sexually assaulted, but it was cut short. Little Fox bravely attacked and chased off the man. And here I am judging him for how vigilant he is watching men when in public. His sponsor is now doing everything she can to save his life because he literally saved hers.
Every day he continues to try and be braver, calmer, and what I need. I truly admire his effort and courage.
Today he rubbed his smelly dead hair all over two new people. They touched his face, while he rubbed his cat body all over their legs. He got to meet two of his sponsors and showed how good he can be. He was out today for three hours in one burst, and at times took himself for a pause to recharge on patience and niceness. I should learn from him and do the same. I’d be a much kinder employer if I did this.
Tonight Fox dog didn’t get put behind a barrierand got himself a passing grade during his evil-hour. He might be able to pull this off yet. Surely someone wants a little lion that will savagely fend off your in-laws, Amazon Prime drivers and random murderers and attackers as needed.
Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC
When I get a dog in for training I never want a history as it clouds what I see. Going into Fox, I knew very little other than he bites and it will hurt. Very soon I saw his first tantrum. It was a full scale thrashing angry meltdown. I was asking him to get into the car. He had a leash on.
Soon I realized almost all of his meltdowns were when I suggested going somewhere confined, with his leash. His absolute most dramatic meltdowns are when his own leash wraps around his legs. His other meltdowns are still in confined spaces.
Sometimes if I have his leash short, for whatever reason, and a dog or person approaches to greet, and he will lose it. That happened today. A man marched over to chat to me. I had Fox by a short tab on his collar, and he lost it. The anger is gone but it’s genuine panic.
My instincts normally would hold onto the leash until the meltdown was over. With Fox, I just let go. I’ve even talked to a Hayley about this because I’m surprised by my response. Letting go just feels right. It never has before with another dog, but now it does.
Then tonight I got his video before being rescued. While I’m not a fan of importing from far away lands, I can tell you that this dog would have left with me too. I couldn’t have slept knowing he was out there. Suddenly I see where his leash response comes from. And I understand the panic if it gets around his legs.
His rescuers are good people. They did what all of us would have done, but since bringing him to Canada have spent a fortune on getting him the help he needs.
Poor Mr Fox. I’m glad I fed him roasted chicken for his first days here.
So who wants a stalkerish, very loving Fox dog? He’s made it this far. Someone here must hate having people come over to visit, and need a good deterrent.
Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC
In my writing I have been very fast to point out where Mr. Fox fails. I have been negligent to not also speak of his effort, and how trusting of me he is while learning his new role as a domestic dog.
I do frequently find that part way through board and train, I find myself confused about our lack of progress. Mr. Fox is coming to that stage later in the game that normal, however feral dogs always take longer to turn around, meaning that he could be right on schedule. Wouldn’t it be lovely if the increase in badness was an extinction burst. It could be. My eternal optimist has hope. As I do daft exercises like I did today, I firmly believe that any dog trying this hard to learn the ways of my world can transform.
Today was grooming day. I admit, he was the final dog of my board and trains to get groomed, because I was dreading it. My fingers look rather nice on my hands and I don’t want to lose one. I started grooming him with a dustpan brush. The handle is nice and long, and if he chose to bite, gave him something satisfying, so he wouldn’t let go and find something better. I diligently groomed his body, his legs, cheeks, ears, forehead, and while looking miserable, he played along. I gave him a break, then went towards him to repeat. Being such a methodical trainer as I am, the dustpan was still attached to the brush by a string, cluttering around as I walked towards him. He looked at me like I was crazy, and as I went to brush a leg, he panicked and carefully hid them under his body. I started on his body instead, and worked my way up to his legs. Again, he didn’t love it, but tolerated it.
His next lesson was preparing him for toe-nails. He’s going to be dangling in a sling, while I cut them. We practised him walking over a blanket, then letting me wrap it up around him. Then we walked across my building with me holding upright on his blanket. He thought this was funny. Stage three was wrapping him up in crepe paper. This
Hayley and I realized several things today about Mr Fox.
1. He mirrors the energy of the person he’s with. Since I’ve pulled back from him a bit, he is still my stalker but he’s pulled back from me too. He’s less nerdy in wanting to please me. Hayley has good clear communication and the right energy. He thought about rubbing his head on her hand, and she is a complete stranger to him. You could see him think about it, then come back. At the last moment he chickened out but was very proud of himself. Next time he sees her, he will.
2. Leppy was a feral dog with fear of people. Fox is a wild dog who has lived along side people. He knows how to get what he needs from people, and how to take care of himself. Strangers feeding him turns it into a transaction for him. If you really want to be his friend, leave food out of the equation. You will see a more honest fox.
3. His anger panic bursts are now just panic bursts. The anger is gone, at least with me.
4. He trusts me. When geese scared him, I made them go away. Later he followed me past the scary birds, on his belly, terrified. But he followed me.
5. He reads me so well. He comes when I call him unless I’m more intense in my thinking, such as when I actually need him. Then he comes with twenty feet and no closer. Nothing else has changed in my body or voice, only in my thinking, and he knows.
6. He has his own ideas. When they are different than mine, so far, neither of us have compromised or yielded. I wanted him to go in the car in his crate. He wanted to go on the front seat. End result. He stayed home looking out the window awaiting my return.
7. The difference in him and Leppy. Fox is cuter. He’s more engaging, affectionate. Only he will bite with fair warning. But it will still hurt. Leppy was safe and I felt sad for him. After the second day here, I feel no sadness for Fox. He’s making the most out of his time here.
8. He was very difficult to have in my house with my dogs. He can be sna
I know you are all jealous, because my day was spent with little Willow.
Meet Rodney the sheep, the white dot on the left. Learn the same recall skills in our Pet Manners class.
Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC
Everybody needs a house-sheep. Meet Rodney.
