Bea and I contemplating the mornings training over a coffee at @coffeecultureinthebail
Dutch joined me for assessment today. Returned to rescue and reported as highly reactive to dogs and a cat chaser.
So far no evidence of this, but there may be a trigger which I will talk about in another post.
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Today I established he has 2 main unmet needs. The first, like many Dobermann’s, is to run. The boy NEEDS to be able to run. It’s so good for dogs in so many ways, a life on lead or a long line is no life for a dog bred to run with horses.
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The second is play. He loved playing, took him a minute to get into it but once he did, he loved it!
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The most important thing for me is the environment we played in. It was busy. People, dogs, cars and birds. But we still played. This is a very important detail. As we move through his training I will explain more.
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He had a little grumble at one of mine in the van, we immediately let him know that was not the sort of behaviour we expect and no trouble for the rest of the day.
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Let’s see what tomorrow brings!
So what’s going on here?
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Watch again, when is Bruce most excited?
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You got it, not when he gets his reward, but before he gets it!
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Understanding the hormone that creates this and how to manipulate it is key to so much of dog training.
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Want to know how we can use this to help your dog through reactivity, fear and much more?
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Get in touch through DM or use the contact form on my website, link in Bio.
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#dogtraininglincoln #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogbehaviour #dog #doberman #dopamine #anticipation
Bea playing with Bruce is so different to Daisy. These two require regular interruption and moments of calm to regulate. Bruce is 8, he does try to disengage but Bea often doesn’t read his cut off signals.
Bruce will get to the point where he just lets her bounce off him and she might leave him alone, so this needs interrupting.
So why are they so different?
Daisy has strict rules and boundaries, she enforces them, so Bea respects her and her space.
Bruce lets Bea get away with just about anything.
Now apply this thinking to your relationship with your dog.
Bea relaxing after a training session. She is wearing her brand new Mighty Material collar courtesy of @alphak9_leaderofthepack it’s an extremely well made and robust collar. Love it! Thank you!
Beacycling wasn’t on the agenda for this morning. But she did it anyway!
These were supposed to be for @jmdogtrainer and Stark!
Don’t worry Stark I have some more for you…
Great weekend @yorkshire_canine_academy, @ycaworkingdogs hosted @tarheelk9 and @biteworkblooded. The weather did its best to ruin the weekend by turning the field into a mud bath. Despite this we all had fun, learnt loads and met some new people in the rapidly growing PSA family.
I have been fortunate enough to spend lots of time with Jerry and Taylor, while they are training dogs it’s worth listening to every word and watching every movement.
If you get the chance to train with them, watch, listen and question everything. They are a goldmine of information.
Thank you both for a great weekend!
Daisy showing off a change of positions with a hold. Then a picture of her after she stole her favourite hold/retrieve item! This is probably the item she steals the most, whenever she gets the opportunity!
She will even take it out of my hand if she thinks she can get away with it!
She does this because of the value the object has to her. It’s a means of earning good, it’s also linked to running, jumping and carrying which are 3 behaviours she finds reinforcing.
Finding the things your dog finds reinforcing and having fun with them is part of building a strong relationship! So go do stuff together and have fun!
Long down and a recall. Just because. @jmdogtrainer what do you reckon? About 2 miles? The key to this is understanding all the components that go into it.
It not just a case of teaching your dog a down and a recall and mashing the two together.
Article searches with the boy, the wind is going from right to left, you can see as he approaches he is finding the edges of the scent cone created by the wind, until he finds the object and indicates!
He loves this sort of activity! Most dogs enjoy using their noses, teaching them to be effective with them is a great way to engage their brains doing something they love!
Flexi leads, the retractable, loved by some, hated by others.
Like any training tool if you find yourself hating or calling for a ban, ask yourself why?
A bad experience? Injury to dog or person? This is usually the result of using a flexi as a substitute for training, a quick fix to allow your dog some freedom without putting in the training.
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Like any tool, they can be used badly, but so can leads, clickers, harnesses, etc, etc.
I love my flexi leads, but they are not a substitute for training.
They can help with training for sure. They have pros and cons, just like any other tool!
So let me know, love or hate?
