This guy's leg is finally healed after months of cycling through different treatments. With that, a change in his supplements and feeding, and the cold weather, he is determined to prove that age is just a number.
We are talking, jumping baby gates, over the back of the couch when I pulled it out to clean, and even over the fence this morning. I am so happy he is feeling amazing but also 🥴.
Thank goodness his obedience is still fantastic, and all our work has gotten him over the "I want to rip everyone's faces off" stage of his life. When he jumped the fence this morning....well let's just say I was not my best R+ self.
I literally (and unabbreivated) shouted, "WTAF.
DOWN." His belly hit the floor so fast I thought he was going to have grass burns, and he stayed there while I marched over and got a leash (yes, cursing all the way, falalalala).
Love you to the moon and back, ya filthy animal.
Let's hear it for the dogs that vault in front of your scatter feeding throws 😂 thank you @goosethemalinois for the inspiration.
Enzo has grown in leaps and bounds this year. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see what the future hold for us.
Huge thank you to @caninephysioandfitness for getting him in shape to excel in his sports career!
#caninephysioandfitness #caninefitness #dogsports #dogagility #positivereinforcement
Saint had a little trouble dropping his disc on cue this season, which is not usually our issue. Normally, we struggle with a consistent retrieve. I guess I am happy the work we did getting him invested in carrying the disc (and not just the chase/catch) paid off.
But now we are going back and cleaning up his drop. First, we are using a ball and tug. It's easier inside than a disc, and the days are short right now. Plus, if I mess something up, it's separated from the disc, which should protect the skills he has now.
📹 a white border collie switches between catching a ball and tugging with his person. She is using hand signals because the border collie is deaf.
Bring on the generalization training 😅
Normally, I would say only change one thing at a time. But my brain was running on E, so we changed three things tonight. Wink handled it like a champ.
I introduced Wink to (a) doing multiple behaviors before being rewarded (tbf, we've done a little bit of this before), (b) cue discrimination (i.e., switching between touch and sit), and (c) I sat in a chair for the first time foe both of these behaviors (though I have changed my position in other ways for both behaviors before).
If you want to train like a pro, first think consistent. Show a consistent picture to your dog in the beginning. That picture should be as conducive to getting the desired behavior as possible. But as soon as they show you they understand the behavior in that picture, start changing things in small ways. Think different, not harder. For example, it's not harder for Wink to sit when I'm sitting in a chair, instead of standing, but it is different. Next time, I'll rotate a little bit and have her sit off center or to my side. If you change things and your dog just stares at you in confusion, you probably changed too many things or changed one thing too much.
VD: a blue merle corgi mix alternates hand touches and sits in a random order with her foster mom.
#dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fosterdog
Hoodwink is really loving training. She's already starting to beg to go into the training room and complaining when it's another dog's turn. While that's something we need to work on, I love the enthusiasm! And no, I wouldn't call her particularly high drive. But I work really hard to make sure she enjoys each session by using lots of food and play.
What are some ways you make sure your dog loves training with you?
VD a blue merle mixed breed learns to station with her foster mom
#dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fosterdog
You don't need special equipment for this exercise. You can use broom polls or whatever you have around the house.
The key is to take a handful of poles and drop them. They should fall randomly. Then, take a handful of your dog's food and scatter it over the poles, and release your dog to forage.
The benefits of proprioception exercises can be found in my previous post with Enzo trotting over different textures. Proprioception exercises are great for all dogs but perhaps especially for seniors and puppies. Just make sure to work with a qualified professional to keep your dog safe.
This exercise is part of our fitness plan created by !
@caninephysioandfitness in our 1-2-1 session.
VD: a black and white border collie forages for kibble that is scattered around bright orange poles that lay in a random pattern.
Never fails
VD: a white border collie refuses a banana, which is promptly eaten by a black and white border collie.
Unexpected things happen. That's part of life. But you need to have a management plan in the back of your mind to prevent situations from spiraling out of control. I don't know if my dogs would have gotten into a fight over this toy. I doubt it. The boys didn't care much about the toy. They cared about the game. But feelings would have gotten hurt, and Hum, especially, can get very angry when things spin out of control. Instead of just winging it or letting them sort themselves out, I stepped in. I provided a safe place for Pua to unwind and helped everyone calm down.
If I had taken the toy away, it would have only confirmed Pua's fears that her possession of the toy was being threatened. If I had gotten on to her for growling, I would have made her feel less safe and, therefore, more likely to guard in the future. If I had gotten on to the boys, they would have been confused since they were just goofing off and possibly hurt our relationship.
If your dog us resource guarding, don't snatch the object away. Try redirecting with something better and then remove the guarded object when your dog has abandoned it. You might have to even lure your dog out of the room to do so safely. DO NOT create conflict around the object. That will only increase their desire to guard it. Then seek professional advice on how to help your dog in the long run.
#accessibility a terrier mix plays with a stuffed toy in a kennel. The caption explains that this situation started out as resource guarding.
