Moving between sit, down and stand are simple ways to test your dogs focus and listening skills π
Here, I'm working in a different environment, which highlighted a few issues. Firstly, I already knew Aloy has a tendency to predict the next move (very common) and so kept breaking the down. We're working on this by not reinforcing the return to position - an old habit I used to do. Secondly, I obviously practice the motion to stand with her right in front of me too much. Meaning that she thinks the stand position requires her proximity.
We'll continue to practice this, but during this session we then worked on impulse control... video yet to come!
Chaos π Calm
Young dogs can sometimes struggle to regulate their excitement levels, but there are simple way to help them.
It's so wonderful to watch them run around and play like happy lunatics, but if you're not being vigilant then that can lead to rude, pushy play when they get overwhelmed or tired.
Breaking up play for a little scatter feeding or training is a good way to teach them to take those breaks and help to avoid any overwhelm π₯°
5 minutes training makes so much difference, you wouldn't believe it π I know at times it can feel like training is going to be hard work, require all your effort and like you won't see any changes in the session.
I've been there, but as soon as I've pushed myself to try just a little bit here and there - firstly, you find you start to enjoy it (and your relationship with your dog blossoms) and secondly soon enough you start seeing progress with each session! π₯°
Go on, make that bit of effort and I promise it'll pay off β€οΈ
When you both have the same chew, but theres is clearly better π€¦ββοΈ
Resource guarding in dogs is normal, they have a rule of proximity means possession. Dogs who experience their owners or other dogs taking things away from them are more likely to show it is extremes.
Aloy knows she can't take the chew away from Gunner, not because she cares about upsetting him but because she knows he'll snap at her if she tries βοΈ Gunner experienced resource guarding a lot from another dog when he was young and consequently doesn't trust other dogs around food. Because Aloys always been good at respecting his wishes, he's comfortable that he doesn't need to guard at all and so they can safely have chews together like this.
Aloy on the other hand, will let anyone or any dog take anything off her π€£ but that's her personality and past experience.
Thought I filmed a whole training session π I stead only got the first 2 minutes π€¦ββοΈ
Your training sessions should start easy, with little mental warm ups. It depends on your aims (and your dog!), sometimes it might be a short play session to build enthusiasm or maybe a down stay to build focus π
Yesterday Aloy and I played around with a range of things, starting with formal heelwork and then lots of impulse control games π₯° She did fantastic, of course because the camera wasn't recording π
Scentwork is great because you can train it ANYWHERE! π I almost always have a piece of kong on me and play around with indication or search work when we have a spare few minutes.
Today was the first time practicing around distractions and of course we went all in with people, trolleys and cars moving about π€£ However, she did really well and so I was able to push her even further and began to add physical contact too!
Scentwork is so beneficial in so many ways, such as the natural outlet for sniffing, a very calming behaviour. The search itself and then the indication requires focus and brain power π§ A good session will lead to a chilled out, content dog π₯° So very worthwhile!
New favourite thing about the new car - the pop-up puppy hatch π€£
There's always time for training ππ¦π± Not the best session at all, but it kept her happy whilst I watered the grass before her walk π€£
Next time you're thinking that you'll never find time to train your dog, remember - something is better than nothing! In fact, short but regular training is the best way to do it π
Ignore the state of the garden, we're in the process of changing it around and recently seeded it. Definitely looks worse in the video π€¦ββοΈ
Crufts 2024 π Aloy got 3rd in Junior bitch π
She spent the morning on the Discover Dogs stand for the Beauceron breed, meeting so many people and enjoying all the attention π₯°
Walking around her lead walking was 95% perfect, I think she quickly realised that walking right with me prevented any risk of getting knocked by people or losing sight of me. She got used to seeing dogs everywhere and so only showed interest in the odd dog that she decided was too tempting π
When it came to showing, we had an almost 3 hour wait by the ring that was incredibly boring and surrounded by dogs. I thought it would be her 'down time' after Discover Dogs, but I think she would have rather stayed at the stand in the end π€¦ββοΈ
It meant that by the time we went into the ring she was bored and unenthusiastic! Not good to then suddenly be asking her to run about, asking her to remain focused π¬ However she did fantastic, letting the judge check her over without a fuss and trotting without pacing π Such a super star! πππ
Positions πͺ Sit - π Down - π§ββοΈStand
Each behaviour has it's uses, everyone typically teaches their dog to sit and lie down, but not how to stand on cue. I find it most useful when Aloy lies in the way, or I need her to move to put her harness on etc.
I use it occasionally as a simple exercise for Aloy to test her focus π The platform helps to minimise her movement, although she still needs to learn her footing on it π€£
Again, it's something we don't do often enough and so only have the basics down. Aloy would rather keep continuously moving between positions, especially when in a sit π€¦ββοΈ In all areas of training she often tries to prompt me into more training/rewards! So the key focus at the moment is maintaining the behaviour until I ask for the next.
Flicky feet in coming πΎ
Aloy isn't stupid, but she really doesn't enjoy learning new things π€¦ββοΈ I think it comes from the fact she isn't confident in it yet and so finds it challenging to trust she's doing it right.
Consequently, I have to do short, easy training sessions with new things and accept that the first session or two won't produce anything pretty π€£ But when the light bulb switches on, it quickly shines π‘
We've now cracked the duration nose touch on the move, so it's time for me to push her formal heelwork to start getting flicky feet! It's the heelwork often seen in dog sports and looks a lot like a dressage horse trotting π We're only 3 super short sessions in, but I can see she's just starting to get the idea that it's about getting those feet up high!
I'm guilty for teaching her lots of foundations but not pushing her on to truly get anything of good *quality*, so my focus this year is to get some good routines in and start pushing along the things we've worked on π It'll especially help right now with her challenges in the adolescence phase, brain work is going to help immensely π§
If anyone ever fancies training heelwork together, let me know! Always good to train with others π
Such lovely feedback from a training session yesterday π₯° It makes me so happy when customers don't just find the training useful but also enjoyable and confidence building! Dog training isn't a chore, it's about having fun with your dog whilst making everyone's lives easier π
Got a challenging adolescent? π€ͺ
A simple way to build their impulse control, focus, search skills and your relationship together is to play retrieve games! π₯
Hold them by the collar or harness, tell them to wait and when they're still, throw the ball into the bushes π³ Don't release your dog if they're wriggling or pulling, when they're sitting still make sure to give them a clear release cue such as "find it". Let them go and leave them to search away π₯°
Working your dog's brain will massively help their behaviour π§
Aloy has her vaccinations coming up, meaning she'll have to have a few injections π Nobody enjoys injections, imagine what it's like if you don't know why you're having it done π³
This is literally her second go at having it done with a fake 'needle' (it's just a syringe) and my husband being the 'vet'. I've done lots of practice with her where I hold her scruff whilst she does the sustained hand touch, but this was preparing for the next level π©Ί
Preparing your dog for events that you know are going to be unpleasant will make it far less stressful for them. If they know the routine, but randomly this one time that the vet does it it hurts a little, then it's not going to create unnecessary fears. Without preparation, some dogs need restraint to ensure they stay still and this adds a lot of stress even before the scratch of a needle π£
It doesn't need to be a hand touch, but any behaviour that your dog knows and can do stationary. That might be a chin rest in your hand or on the floor, or holding an item on cue for example. Teach them to maintain the behaviour until given their marker cue. You can then build up the distractions that happen whilst they do it.
If they stop, you stop π Your dog needs to maintain focus and trust you. Fidgeting is often a sign of discomfort, even in excitable dogs, and you want your dog to know how to say they need a break.
Vet preparation training will make our lives so much easier, especially with a 43kg dog π
Reintroducing the crate - Ensuring it's a positive place to be π₯°
We stopped using Aloys crate in the summer last year when she reached an age she could be trusted outside of it unsupervised and she was cooler lying on the wood floors. This hasn't been a problem whatsoever, but we're reintroducing it because we always want the option of having her safely contained should we need it.
We go away a lot more now, and some hotels don't allow you to leave your dog in the room unsupervised unless they're crated. Plus, should she ever need to go to the vets she'll likely have to spend time in a crated area. I don't want this to be a stressful experience for her so we have a new (more transportable) crate.
We're starting fresh, as though it's completely new to her. Luckily we can speed through a few steps because its not entirely new to her but there's no rush. But she's getting lots of treats for being in there π
It didn't take her long to realise that the door being shut was a great sign that treats were on their way. She even started to cry when the door was left open for too long! π
We now need to build duration slowly and carefully, and obviously leave the room too. For this session I kept it short and sweet as she's had a long walk and less sleep than normal, so I wanted to avoid her getting bored/frustrated/impatient etc! π The short clip shows near the beginning of our session, with regular reward.
Crate training is great for dogs, I would recommend it to everyone but it needs to be done right and not abused. Some dogs get crated for too long and too regularly, whilst others have too much freedom and so never sleep and cause havoc π³ Make sure your dog loves their crate and be fair about how long they're in there - it's for sleep time, not prison time! π
Adolescent dogs are hard work, but once your training has been reinforced enough, the world opens up so much π
Bobby is an amazing example of this. He's a typical young dog, full of endless energy, excited by everything and full of testosterone. If something isn't worth it for him, there's no forcing this dog! βοΈ
But his owner is fantastic and has build an amazingly strong relationship with him. This paired with a routine of lead off = games together has created a dog that's easy to manage off lead. In fact, during training we have more issues trying to set up challenges for him because he's constantly orientating back and behaving too well π€£
It's not true that all adolescent dogs are hard to train π€¦ββοΈ In fact, I think they're pretty easy if you find the right motivator, have clear & consistent 'rules' and choose your environment wisely (or have good management in place). It's all about the foundations- you absolutely must have a strong relationship and basic 'rules' (e.g. you must come back to get access to the ball/other dog/next field etc) in place.
Dogs do what works for them, adolescents are highly motivated. Control the motivation, control the dog π₯°
"When can I stop using treats for recall?" A question I hear all too often. The answer is different for every owner, dog and situation!
βοΈ Don't rush it! βοΈ
When owners are keen to stop rewarding, I usually find they're the ones who have the hardest time with recall. If you're too keen to stop engaging with your dog on walks, they'll quickly find you boring and the environment much more reinforcing. In their defence, why should they come back if you ignore them until it suits you?
Letting treats fade out naturally as your dog is calmer and runs off less on walks, therefore requiring less reinforcement, is the best way to do it. It means that your dog doesn't need them as much. So if you're coming home with more treats than you used to on walks, take less with you!
It might be dependent on the environment, for example whilst I don't need treats on most walks with Aloy, if I were to take her somewhere new or I know there are lots of wildlife, I would take some just in case π
"When can I stop using treats for recall?" A question I hear all too often. The answer is different for every owner, dog and situation! But the simple answer?
βοΈ Don't rush it! βοΈ
When owners are keen to stop rewarding, I usually find they're the ones who have the hardest time with recall. If you're too keen to stop engaging with your dog on walks, they'll quickly find you boring and the environment much more reinforcing. In their defence, why should they come back if you ignore them until it suits you?
Letting treats fade out naturally as your dog is calmer and runs off less on walks, therefore requiring less reinforcement, is the best way to do it. It means that your dog doesn't need them as much. So if you're coming home with more treats than you used to on walks, take less with you!
It might be dependent on the environment, for example whilst I don't need treats on most walks with Aloy, if I were to take her somewhere new or I know there are lots of wildlife, I would take some just in case π
