Walking demo video. This is to demonstrate some of the extras I use with Hunter regularly on his walks. This is both to reinforce his training, and to give him a more enriching and stimulating experience. I can’t stress enough how important engagement is with your dog. I see way too many people on their phones while their dog just does it’s own thing… that’s a chore, not quality time with your dog.
I also want to mention Grippy Leads, who we met at the Cornwall Show this year. They made the lead you can see me using with Hunter in the video below. I’ve only had it since Friday, but it’s already my favourite lead, and what I’ve been after for a while. I’ve a custom one coming (slightly longer and with double clips for my belt), and I can’t wait. I’d highly recommend it.
https://www.facebook.com/grippyleads
Hunter and Beans had a great time in Scotland, but we had to improvise with their toys!
Every interaction is a teaching moment.
Don’t miss an opportunity to train with your dog, especially when doing something that motivates them like food or play.
Remember, it takes between 9,000 and 12,000 repetitions to ‘proof’ a behaviour, so every opportunity counts.
DEALING WITH REACTIVITY
At six months old, Hunter became extremely dog reactive (frustration driven). He would turn into a barking kite every time he even got a glance at another dog. He would react to anything within two-hundred yards.
This has been a gradual process of desensitisation (he’s now two-and-a-half), but this is him today.
I don’t distract him from other dogs, I want him to know they are there. However, I’ve counter conditioned alternatives to reactivity, so he is now able to make better decisions on his own without prompting or bribery.
We’re not 100% yet, but as you can see, he’s doing very well.
*Play with sound*
Set yourself up for success.
Once you’ve taught your dog to recall, regularly practice in a low distraction environment where the dog will be guaranteed to comply. Not only does this teach the dog that coming back is fun and rewarding, it also helps to condition it as an automatic response, which makes it much more powerful in a higher distraction environment.
If your environment is too distracting for the dog without good recall, all you’re teaching your dog is that recall is optional.
More leash walking with Hunter. we’re working on his dog reactivity today, so the City is an ideal spot to practice since all the dogs he encounters are leashed and I can control the distance of the encounters too.
There’s a section at the end showing how I’m using cues to redirect his attention from the other dog, and keep his energy levels from escalating. He’s not there yet, but he’s way better than he used to be (a barking kite 😬)
Loose lead walking in a high distraction environment with Hunter this afternoon. He’s a bit tired and distracted at this point since we’d done a good couple of hours throughout the day, but he still did a great job.
Nice work buddy!
Beans (our Hungarian rescue), is doing very well. Doing a bit off heel work with him today on a walk. He’s still very excitable, but his self control isn’t bad for an 18 month old. He’s such a lovely natured boy.
Set boundaries for your dogs. By giving our dogs release words, they know when they allowed to touch food and when they are not. They have to sit quietly while their dinner is prepared and put down for them. They aren’t allowed to touch it until they are released. This gives them excellent self control around food, and builds the anticipation of the reward. It means we don’t get pestered at mealtimes, and we’re not fighting with the dogs when it comes to feeding them.
Little Beans (the white scruffbag), was living on the streets of Hungary six months ago, so he’s done very well. You can see him sniff, but he makes a great choice when he walks away from the food. When we got him in June, he had no boundaries whatsoever, would be up on the table and grabbing any food he could get to. Even the worst behaviour can be shaped with the right motivation.
Good recall is crucial if you want to let your dog off-leash.
A dog off-leash without good recall is out of control and potentially a danger to themselves and others.
When teaching recall, set yourself up for success by using a long training line (30m is usually best), that way you always have control of the dog’s responses. Without the control of a long line, teaching the dog that it has to come back 100% of the time is impossible. You will have trained a dog that recall is optional, so you’d better be the most exciting option at that point or your dog will ignore you.
Even the best recall can never be guaranteed 100% of the time, so always be vigilant of your surroundings.
Hunter has just turned two, so is still an adolescent. I’m very pleased with his focus this morning, he’s doing really well for a young and easily distracted dog.
