Well, excuse the language (I tried to bleep it out) but I finally filmed calling Wilson off a deer.
This one goes out to all the people I have heard say that you cannot train a reliable recall with positive reinforcement alone. This dog is impulsive and he is prey driven and he comes back every time. This is not a tool-bashing post, in fact I am curious about all training methods. HOWEVER, this was trained using food and praise and a trusting relationship. *chef's kiss emoji*
IT CAN BE DONE!
A good recall is conditioned over time. Wilson doesn't think about it or weigh his options. "Do I want a deer or do I want a treat?" is not a battle I am claiming to win. This recall has been reinforced with me throwing him parties and rewarding him so many times that the words "Wilson, COME!" are his two favorite words in the world.
*Yes I am proud of Minnow too... but I think she was chasing Wilson and wasn't sure why they were running. 🤷♂️ This is great recall practice for her too!*
#recalltraining #dogtrainingsuccess #dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcement #rescuedogs #rescuedog #mixedbreeddog #mixedbreeddogs #demodogs #pittymix
Wilson big cheesin and Minnow over here posing like Simone Biles is just cracking me up. 📸💯
#dogmodels #dogsposing #posingforthecamera #posingvideo #mixedbreeddogs #oddcouple #rescuedogs #appalachia #westernnc #wncistheplacetobe #dogsthathike #hikingwithdogs #adventuredogs
There's a lot going on in this video!
I don't love when they get riled up when we are hiking. They have plenty of time every day to run together off leash and play. When we are in the woods, especially off leash, I like them to be calm, stay near me, and keep part of their focus on me.
Secondly, Minnow doesn't love being chased by Wilson. He gets too intense sometimes and it scares her.
And third, that line of trees is my property line. Wilson knows this is out of bounds and Minnow is learning. I needed them to come back onto the property asap.
So... why did I handle it the way I did?
I called Wilson first:
I wanted to get him off her tail and knew that if they came together, there would be more temptation to interact with each other and play instead of following through on their recalls. I was also worried that Minnow would NOT come if there was risk of being chased more by Wilson. I wanted to split them up.
I waited until Wilson had been rewarded before calling Minnow:
Once I had Wilson's attention, I knew I could keep him from playing chase again and that Minnow was safe (and more likely) to come back. I knew she was unlikely to go anywhere in that time. Unless she spooked a deer right at that moment, I had a good chance of her staying where she was.
My "yes" marker was dull:
If you've trained with me, you know this is unusual. I usually make my marker cue very enthusiastic. But I didn't want to excite my dogs here, I wanted to LOWER arousal. I didn't want to match their energy because I think energy like that on a hike is not ideal. I did mark the behavior before I rewarded, but I did so calmly. I made up for the calm reward marker by whipping out my super secret string cheese I had stashed as a jack pot. I fed cheese repeatedly to make it more reinforcing.
Have questions about training a recall or why I handled this situation in this way? Leave a comment!
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #positivereinforcement #perfectrecall #recalltrainin
If you take your dog to the park to train, add in time during your sessions for your dog to completely decompress. That might look like play, or it might look like sniffing in the tall grass. It might look like laying belly-up in the shade, or if you're lucky enough to have a mountain stream handy, it might look like this.
Keeping the challenges short and the sessions fun and relaxing will help your dog retain what they've learned and you will find them really looking forward to training.
Maintain that work/life balance each time you go out! 😂
#dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainer #bakersvillenc #hounddogs #scenthounds #traininghounds #gooddogs #dogsdoingdogthings #dogsinnature #happydogs
You can save your dog, yourself, and your vet team so much stress by training your pup to accept a nail trim! There's no reason to dread this chore- You got this!
#cooperativecare #dogtraining #dogtrainer #cooperativenailcare #rescuedogs #mixedbreeddogs #dogtrainingsuccess #dogtrainingtips #trimmingdognails #doggrooming #burnsvillenc #burnsvillenorthcarolina #yanceycountync #sprucepinenc #mitchellcountync #gooddogs
Minnow is going to LOVE kayaking. But she's a timid girl so acclimating her to the boat is a must! This is almost the entire session as I always keep my sessions short. This type of training is also a great way to build confidence!
Some things to notice:
-Minnow is cautious and maybe even a little nervous but she is having fun and choosing to participate! 🙋♂️
-I am not putting any physical pressure on her. My left hand is just resting on her at time but not pushing her.✋️
-She is getting treats even if she decides not to get in the boat. I don't want her to get frustrated or she will disengage.😀
-Once she finally sits in the kayak at the end, I FEED FEED FEED! I want her to know that this is exactly what I want and she can hop out at any time. I think I hand her 5-6 treats after she sits in the boat.🍖
-She has come a long way from chasing the ducks! 🦆
#dogtraining #adventuredog #dogtrainingtips #kayakingdog #dogtrainer #trainingsession #mixedbreeddog #rescuedog #riverdog #dogintraining #demodog #ducks #anconaducks #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #sprucepinenc #burnsvillenorthcarolina
No need to spend a ton of money in order to enrich your dog! This is a great way to make meals fun and challenging for your dog. And it's easy and cheap too!
#dogenrichment #puzzlefeeder #diydogtoy #happydog #dogtips #dogtraining #dogtrainer #enrichies
She LOVES to climb. And she knows I like it too. She's up balancing on everything she sees! 😍
#dogsbeingdogs #dogsdoingdogthings #treeclimbingdog #dogsintrees #rescuedog #mixedbreeddog #dogsinnature
In this clip, I'm teaching Atreus to follow my hand without food in it. I use food lures to teach so many behaviors, including walking by my side. An important step is always to fade that lure out so that the dog understands they will still be rewarded for following your hand even if they don't see the food up front. Then, this empty hand can easily be turned into a hand cue. This is a process I use to train every day!
#doberman #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingtutorial #fadingthelure #dobermanpinscher #positivereinforcement #cpdtka
Rules around food are important! Not just because begging dogs can annoy us, but because it can be a real safety issue. Dogs underfoot while cooking could trip you, get spilled on, or eat something that is dropped that they shouldn't have. I train them to stay on the mat at the edge of the kitchen and they are much more likely to get a taste if that's where they are!
Not trying to eat my food during dinner is just a must for me, and I consider it basic manners. Once in a while I sneak Wilson something, but I didnt for years until I knew he understood the rules. Minnow doesn't even know it's about option!
I really enjoy a peaceful non-chaotic household and these are little ways I keep it that way!
#dogmanners #gooddogs #dogtraining #dogtrainer #placetraining #multidoghousehold #rescuedogs #gooddogs #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #sprucepinenc
From start to finish: Just a little fun trick we learned over the winter.
Because why not? 🧡
#tricktraining #dogtricks #dogtraining #dogtrainer #rescuedog #mixedbreeddog #trickdog #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingtutorial #burnsvillenc
One of the most useful skills I taught her is to engage with me immediately after exiting the gate. There are a lot of tempting things outside this gate like ducks running around and goose poop to eat. If I can keep her engaged, we are able to move right through the area without an issue. If I were to let her straight out to engage with the distractions first, calling her off would be much harder.
Thresholds are exciting for dogs so it's a common problem area. Teaching them to exit calmly and engage instead of bolting through can avoid a lot of arousal and chaos!
Engagement is number one. If your dog is not engaged with you, you just can't expect them to learn. But it's a two-way road. I am always engaged with my dog and helping them navigate the world. Communicating clearly, setting them up for success.
By the way, I don't require my dog to stare at me all the time. We are on our way out to the field to run like idiots, hunt moles, eat grass, and get covered in ticks. 💅
#dogtraining #farmdog #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainer #cpdt #cpdtka #positivereinforcement #rescuedog #demodog
#mixedbreeddog #traineddog #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #homesteaddog
#sprucepinenc
I think Minnow did a lot of fending for herself before she was picked up. I have no doubt that she killed and consumed chickens or ducks for food in the past.
A couple weeks after we brought her home, I made a mistake and let her off leash when the ducks were out. She ran to the open barn, grabbed a duck and ran to the front door of the house. My trainer brain went out the window and emotions took over -all I saw was a dog holding one of my favorite ducks that I have had for years. I yelled at her to drop it and... she did! And she seemed shocked that I was angry. I really believe that she was bringing home food and was proud about it until I raged over to her.
Dogs are not pre programmed to know a human version of right from wrong. They DO NOT UNDERSTAND that being a dog is not acceptable in our world sometimes.
The "taste for blood" theory is an absolute myth. Dogs who have killed poultry can of course be trained not to do it any more.
It's hard for me not to mention on this post the abhorrent training methods commonly suggested locally for "fixing" a chicken-killing dog by tying a dead chicken around their neck or beating them with a dead chicken. Not only is that abusive and disgusting, it's just not necessary.
We work on our behavior around the ducks almost every day and honestly the leash is really not necessary at this point.
Teach your dog with kindness how to act appropriately in our world. Learn to communicate with your dog. I can help.
#farmdog #rescuedog #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #selectivepreydrive #trainingdogs #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #sprucepinenc #mitchellcountync #828isgreat
Any time something yummy for dogs comes out, they run to their places. They know exactly what to do, and that prevents them from jumping all over me, getting in my way, jockeying for position, or squabbling over resources. Times like this can be full of arousal and big feelings for dogs and can be a real source of conflict.
This is just one way I keep things in order in a multi-dog household. Dogs really do thrive with structure. Instead of telling your dog out of frustration what NOT to do, teach them gently what TO DO and you will have a happier and more peaceful household.
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #rescuedogs #dogcrates #cratetraining #placetraining #stationtraining #gooddogs #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #mitchellcountync #sprucepinenc #multidoghousehold
I see at least two other forms of body language in this video that aren't mentioned. What do you see?
#dogtraining #dogbodylanguage #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #burnsvillenc #yanceycountync #mitchellcountync #sprucepinenc #caninebodylanguage #caninecommunication
As much as we joke about Wilson being "nutty", "unhinged", or "bonkers"... We love him despite his wackiness and FOR his wackiness. It has been a 6-year journey working this dog through his arousal. There are certain things that just drive him over the edge! For a long time, I mostly managed the issue by not exposing him to things that made him lose his mind. And that worked! Mostly. But there were still certain things that were unavoidable, or unexpected and he would have screaming melt downs. When that happened... there was nothing I could do except ride it out.
Finally, I got the courage to work through it. Bringing him up to a high arousal level on purpose after so many years of avoiding it was hard. I was able to keep his arousal DOWN in so many situations and that was a huge accomplishment. Would I be back tracking?
Bringing him into a high arousal state intentionally and in a controlled environment has taught him both how to control himself in that state and also how to bring himself out of that state and back to Earth. We are still working on it and we likely will continue to make progress with this for years to come.
I still do my best to avoid high arousal situations and keep him calm when I need him under control. But when it is just him and me, we experiment...
In this video, he does want me to throw the ball. But he doesn't want to give it up. His state of arousal about the ball, combined with this internal conflict is a lot for him. I only do things like this in short sessions, then we decompress.
Bless 'im.
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #higharousaldogs #screamingdog #dogscreaming #pitbulls #pittymix #pitbullsofinstagram #rescuedog #fetch
Having fun with the noob. 🧡
#dogtricks #trickdog #tricktraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #mixedbreeddog #rescuedog #legweave #burnsvillenc #sprucepinenc #bakersvillenc
Burger loves dogs! He and Wilson have lived together for 6 years now and he's not afraid to show his affection. Each dog that he meets, I do a very slow introduction so that they can build trust. This is the result 🥰
#catsanddogs #pittymix #rescuedog #dogtraining #dogtrainer #peacefulpets #catdoglove #theadventuresofburgercat
Chance is good at amusing himself and good at amusing me 🤣
His mama and I were talking training and I couldn't help but take a video! He is just delightful.
#goldenretriever #puppyenergy #dogtraining #sprucepinenc #dogtrainer #dogplay #sillydogs #silly #burnsvillenc #dogpark #exerciseyourdog
