Louie the doberman
Someone asked me today how Louie was doing?
‘He’s great’ I replied with a smile.
This dog is the the brightest light in my life.
Everyday he makes me laugh. Everyday he wants to play the stalking game of chase me.
He surprises me on the off leash walk by spinning around to stare at me in play bow position, daring me to chase him.
He includes me in his moment of ‘joy’ and I oblige him. I always oblige when ‘fits’ of joy come to him.
Most things you do can be put on hold temporarily.
Play with your dog when they ‘ask’. No regrets! 🥰
*After ripping tp he needs a deep dreamy rem sleep.
Keep your dog cool in the heat
Received an update from Oddie’s guardian. Oddie worked in a couple of classes and a private program. He’s a Heinz 57 adolescent who struggles with self control. Very enthusiastic and playful but he needed some skills to help deal with those big emotions which made it challenging to leash walk him. He pulled like a train (I’m familiar with this 🙄).
What great progress and kudos to his guardians for their commitment to help him and stay the course through tough adolescence.
Proud of team Oddie! 💪
Changing behaviour takes time. Ethically I cannot say how long but it does change if you are committed to helping your dog. 😃
Aura update
* Video sent WhatsApp, sped up
*I’ve edited the video for time
If you go from grade 2 to grade 5, you’ll struggle because you’re missing allot of info. That’s why we go slow and steady and allow the learner (dog) to learn and practice over and over.
Warm was the Up Down Pattern Game (Leslie McDevitt).
Goal was to work with an open door then progress to outside, back and forth using the Chair game.
Increments!
You’ll see hyper-vigilance from Aura. Looking. Listening to hear if there is something to bark at. To get upset with.
Watch the calm because this is the processing she is doing.
Great handler skills. Good timing.
Repetition, building new pathways in Aura’s brain.
And lots of oxytocin and dopamine flooding her body and mind which is great for learning
Nice work.
🥰
This is a video of Aura (7yrs) working the Pattern Games (Leslie McDevitt).
Aura is extremely ‘sensitive’ outside:Easily distracted. Worried. Lungy. Unfocused. Sometimes the world is hard for her.
We’ve started inside with simple focus and repetitive games to help her build coping skills. Like we deep breathe or count to help with anxiety, Dogs can learn new skills too, that help them cope with strong emotions.
We’ve added the ‘stool’ to advance the training; practicing THINKING and working.
Here her guardian started closer to the door. Then advanced to an open door.
The secret to helping dogs that easily distract is to allow time to process the distraction. You’ll see it here when Aura looks out the door.
Handler waits thus allowing Aura to mentally process the distraction. When she is done, she disengages then engages in the game again. 👍 🥰
Force sucks.
Electrocution sucks.
Yanking the collar sucks.
Saying “No” sucks.
These punitive actions do nothing to help a fearful dog work through the emotions that result in unwanted behaviour.
Kindness. Expert help. Compassion helps dogs learn a new way to respond. Emotions change over time.
Remember!
Change happens over time.
In increments.
With repetition and consistency.
Be kind!
* there are distractions we cannot hear in this video
* this is a WhatsApp vid sent to me as I ask clients to send videos. Help is here!
Puppy Life Skills graduates
Gus & Gigi
Next round starts April 29.
This will be the last run until July
West Kelowna
www.taketheleaddogtraining.ca
#okanagan
I’ve been working with L for a couple of months. This is our first in person lesson; lesson 2. L is from another country and afraid of many things. She is uncomfortable when anything in the environment changes including dogs barking, people moving, dogs on the street etc.
I think humans can relate to all the fear this dog is/was feeling. There is a way to help dogs like L. Supporting them and building a safe relationship is where you start.
Training dogs can sometimes look flashy on social media. There’s allot of misogyny in dog training and you’ve probably witnessed it; Egos training dogs.
Scared dogs need patience, security and trust in their guardians, first and foremost.
After it was decided no
more upsetting walks, for dog and guardians, we started a slow and steady program at home. Today, she met me through a slow introduction using games and allowing her choice to move away and towards me. When we felt L was comfortable with me, we took a small, controlled walk close to home. So great to see curiosity in action. L seems to feel safe enough to stop scanning and engage in sniffing the environment. 🥰
I don’t rush dogs. I want success no matter how slow we go. The dogs deserve it
3 ’littles’ in my Life Skills Class and killing it! I like to finish classes having the dogs relaxed and calm. This is the work and don’t dismiss the value in teaching it. It can be super hard to be calm especially when your bestie is meters away. 😀
‘Go around’
During the winter months I’ve been working on movement and specifically, the ‘Go around’ cue. I’m going to start using this outside to add another element of fun,skill to the ‘off leash’ walks. Remember to teach the skill first then add the cue.
Here I’m working on distance from me and the ‘go around’ cue.
Specific uses? 🤷♀️
Mental challenge? ✅✅✅
Training doesn't have to be complicated or a slog! Short sessions each day that include games can teach new skills to your dog and strengthen yours.
Bowl game for the win!
✅ Engagement with the handler
✅ Disengagement with the environment to the handler
✅ Leash walking
✅ Stay
✅ Hand targeting
✅ 'Breaks 'Go sniff' & 'Find it'
✅✅ Having fun together
*These skills are taught in the Leash Walking class beginning in April.
Learning a new behaviour
I’m teaching Louie a new cue to a very natural and often occurring behaviour. Can you guess what it is?
✅ I’m using a clicker
✅ when he lays on his side I ask him to get up out of it because I want him to understand THAT is not what I want.
✅ I’m reinforcing in small increments and late in the video he seems to understand what it is I’m marking/clicking
✅ when he stands and backs up, he is probably a little frustrated because he’s unsure what I’m marking. I ask for a down to tell him it’s not the standing or backing up that I’m clicking. I also want him to slow down.
This was a hap hazard session #1 but that’s how I work with Louie sometimes. He’ll come to me with dilated pupils asking me to play with him. This is ‘play’.
He can handle it and I let him step away to break and reset but he did start to understand what he was getting reinforced for.
👏 bonus if you can guess the method of teaching that I’m using here.
This is how the ‘slam’ is done.
Bonus points for looking super cute!
#doberman #dobermanpinscher #okanagan #kelowna #dogwalks #dog #deerseason
Ive been working with Apollo and his lovely guardians for several months. He was adopted to his current home and struggling with human interactions.
Just because a dog has a bite history, doesn’t mean we dispose of them. In most cases, a dog has a valid reason for the bite. Is that ok? Hell no! Our role is to understand why the dog resorted to such a drastic action and help prevent it from occuring again.
Back to Apollo…among other skills, he’s learning how to say hello and walk away from people, to lay and stay on his mat, and his guardians are learning what makes him uncomfortable and the importance of advocating for him. Stand up for your dog!!!
He’s well on his way to being more comfortable with people because he’s more confident, knows he can defer to his guardians and he’s got new skills so he has more choices. Choices!
➡️ Kindness
➡️ Patience
➡️ Reinforcement
❤️
Hole digging bordering on obsession. 😁
Enrichment looks different for every dog. Allowing time and freedom to engage naturally with the outdoors is a must for most dogs.
✅ Use a long line if you can’t allow off leash freedom and
✅ pack a suitcase full of patience.
Personally speaking, I could watch my dog for hours as he explores and engages with the outdoors. Even on leash walks I watch him move and engage.
It’s nerdy but I’m fascinated and it makes me happy to observe how he navigates his world; the world I placed him in.
Never a dull moment with dogs if you really stop to watch. 🥰
➡️ Kindness
➡️ Patience
➡️ Reinforcement
❤️
Marty the Pug is needing a little help coping with dogs and people in his environment. I don’t think it’s going to take long to see a big change in his behaviour.
Why? This is lesson 2. Look at that focus/deference.
Sometimes our dogs just need us to be clear and consistent with our communication (training).
Although the focus for this lesson was
✅ good leash walking skills for human and dog
✅ clear communication without pulling on the leash
Marty saw unexpected dogs and humans and he was able to defer to his guardian when asked.
Why? Because we taught him another option to panicking and barking (coping method). Come with us and you’ll feel better.
❌ The answer to changing behaviour isn’t punishment. 💡 The answer is teaching the dog to do something else and feel good about it.
Marty is starting to learn he has a choice.
He’s so focused. 😁
➡️ Kindness
➡️ Patience
➡️ Reinforcement
❤️
#dobermanpinscher #reddoberman #searchandrescue #gamestagram #dogsofinstam #kelowna #kelownaliving #westkelowna #hikingadventures #womanhiking #solohikes #girlanddog
Leash walking in West Kelowna
Pabst is an enthusiastic greeter that struggles to contain his excitement. His guardian has worked with me for a few months to build better leash skills and to self regulate when he sees dogs. Super hard for a social dog.
Self regulation is at the core of reactivity and excitement.
It sucks for them so remember, when you’re frustrated with the barking and lunging imagine how your dog feels tied to the leash 😤
Helping dogs that bark and lung when they're on leash starts with leash walking skills and progresses from there.
➡️ Kindness.
➡️ Patience.
➡️ Reinforce, Don’t ‘correct’
