Congrats to Kyle and Maple who completed and graduated from STAR PUPPY last night.
TRICK TRAINING INTRO CLASS - starts Thurs. Sept. 7th at 6pm-7pm, 6 sessions 1hr/wk. Cost- $120 call or message to sign up.
WHY DO I KEEP TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE A TRICK TRAINING CLASS? 'CUZ it's fun and builds communication...and it can also be a gateway to behavior modification. If you can train tricks, then you can train anything.
Let's say you have a problem with something your dog is doing or not doing. Most people think that there is some quick fix. And there may be one if "the problem" is new and barely been practiced .
But usually "the problem" has been around and has been growing to the size that it is now. It's part of how your dog deals with things and has been dealing with things since maybe always? Most temperament problems are fear-based. These fears that weren't recognized by you and your family, so they weren't desensitized or classically conditioned away. And the afraid-of-things were likely part of what is/was done to/with the dog daily or at least frequently. If the dog's behavior is bad/scary enough then everyone is already trying to avoid things that cause it. If it's not then usually people keep on doing whatever it is and confirming the dog's distrust and likely ratcheting up the chances of a scary behavior happening. This is the 'it happened out-of-the-blue' scenario.
WELL - new behaviors need to be learned and practiced before the behavior modification process can even start. Simple games and tricks that build confidence and get both the handler and the dog to successfully communicate with each other make a big difference in how achievable the understanding between you will be. Here's a look back at Reggie (he's no longer with us, having lived to 17 yrs old) learning do the stages of demonstrating play dead. You can see that he wasn't all that malleable (he already knew one way to do down and was a bit stuck), but he was willing to keep trying to figure ou
My old heeler, Jazzie, died - sad day. She is missed and remembered.
Congrats! Last night was the last class for this series of STAR PUPPY and Dog Obedience classes. Unfortunately quite a few people had conflicts, so the graduating number wasn't what it could have been. But the ones that came to the last class had a good time and did their FINAL 4 video, proving they had accomplished the learning.
A short look a the action in our agility fundamentals class. Note the table to tunnel and Left..left...left turn out of the tunnel. And a 3 jump grid then to a table.
There are things that I have continued to work/play games around, about, to improve, to clarify with each of my dogs from their puppyhood, to now. Recalls/coming with speed and immediacy always need practice. I got my whistle out yesterday to polish up the memories of my two youngest dogs AND had cooked chicken pieces in my pocket as rewards. I rotate the cues for coming ... sometimes just hand signal, sometimes verbal calls and this week the whistle hanging around my neck.
It doesn't take many, but I like to keep them surprising and add in running or tossing the reward or change it up so they sit in front. This is fun stuff and the dogs definitely get a kick out of it. If I'm doing both, only the winner gets the prize (unless I think both did excellently).
If you have a big bunch of things your dog(s) can do, then practicing is fun. Dan's dog, Gus and mine, Siggy did a tricks challenge this aft. Siggy was very enthused, he likes competing. And Gus is no slouch.
If you don't have many things your dog can do, start thinking of things you'd like them to be able to. And start easy...learning is layers of understanding. Or start with what they like and build on it. The more things they know you like, the less things they will do that you don't.
Here's a game, using a clicker and a box, I first heard of from Karen Pryor (author of Don't Shoot the Dog). The rules are simple: whatever the dog does with the box is right and rewarded. With Siggy I'm playing the creativity version: what else can you do with a box.
Beginning obedience: STAR PUPPY classes start in 2 weeks!
Glory appreciated all the birthday wishes. She wants each converted to a game or treat. 🥳🐶🐾🐾🍗🦴⚾️🥎🏐
I've got some rewards to go...so where are we at 1 yr old? Fundamentals continue to be a daily practice : sit, down, come/recalls, stand, back up, IYC, loose leash walking, crate games, IMPULSE control, ignore the 🐱cat, quiet in crate, retrieves⚾️, tug, play with the toy I have, close/side, release cues, names of things ('have a drink', bring me ___ , go to ____), search games/treat diving, collar grabs, target🎯, grooming, body awareness/balance games... The aforementioned she and I do on our walks, and when coming in or going out of the house.
I'm adding more tricks and working on improving some that she has a concept of, but needs better execution, like 'sit pretty', 'weaving thru my legs as I walk', catch at a longer distance, wrapping an object/cone, etc.
What are the things I need to work on the most: a better "bring me"...she still likes to keep certain things and do some solitary play, she's bouncy...there's a time and place for it, but not always, her gentleness at taking treats could be improved...sometimes there's a teeth bump especially if I've ratcheted up the game's excitement, and she's greatly distracted by dogs and people...there's a time and place for that too. Increasing the length of time she can maintain very good heeling position - it's time to start pushing the distance.
Things I haven't gotten to very much: more greetings with strangers, directionals (Rgt/Left), back up stairs/over obstacles, and more focus during motion (impulse control again and again). And jump grids (low ones)...recently did a set point exercise with two low jumps (in video ... this is part of what is in the Beginning Agility classes - starting again on Thursday Mar. 24th).
What about you?🧩 Where are you with training your young dog? Or old dog?🥳🐶🐾🐾🍗🦴⚾️🥎🏐
Last night was the final class - Six sessions of Beginning Agility 101. Fun, the big challenge was *Do 3 stations including running in between - handlers choice of what to do with their dog* Every team did lots, with the jump grid being a favorite. Here's a video!
Congrats! on your accomplishments!! 😍
Next Beginning Agility 102 (still a basic class, but having a STAR puppy or other training class would be way helpful for your dog first) starts Thurs. 6-7pm March 24th, $100. Small class size...max 6.
Here's some of the last class: STAR Puppy final 4 items re-test for graduation. Wohoo and Congrats!
Was looking back at some training videos yesterday...Siggy was very cute. I think I'm behind with Glory in some things, ahead in others. She's definitely a better treat catcher...and at a younger age, too! Maybe his ears interfere?
Comparing dog's progress, probably not useful... Looking at what I was training...now that's a useful reminder. Nice backing up on Sig's part.
Video of last night's GTDT classes final 4 test...STAR Puppy/Dog Obedience has a 20 requirements checkoff during the 6 sessions of classes. We do extra things in class that can help with focus, confidence and resolving fears and increasing understanding on both sides. Congrats to all the graduates!!! Great progress, mutual fun (dogs and people). Next classes start in January! Happy Thanksgiving :)🦃
This morning was first experience of real snow (overnight we got snow...snow with some depth to it) for Glory. She was Airedale amazed, awed...and enthused. "You can eat it, bounce on it and there's lots of it!" Initially touched the snow from the shoveled off cement, then as I walked into it, so did she. Quickly gained confidence and pretty soon was exploring further.
Experiencing new things is an advance, retreat and advance process. If your dog trusts you, they'll use you as a check-in safe zone, until they feel confident with the new stuff.
FYI - dragging your dog/pup to see something they're hesitating to go toward (aka worried about) is not a good choice for building trust or confidence. Let them go at their own pace...it will actually end up faster, that way.
So some stuff on cats is to be included in the talk...I asked Dante Renzoni to take some photos/video of Skydiver doing some things that we do when I'm waiting for the horses to finish eating their senior feed. Skydiver was game! and the horses wanted to play too. Here's video.
At the end of each STAR Puppy 20 point program we do a 4 item re-test: sit, down, come and loose leash walking... here are video clips of last night's testing.
Relationship building and Body awareness are the first things needed for you and your new pup. Relationship building - clarity is kind...make it easy and fun for them to be right in this 'human' society they've landed in.
Video yourself and your family members interacting with your pup...listen to your tone of voice, watch to see if you are actually rewarding the behaviors you want to have, because what is rewarded is repeated. The dog you have is what you've trained them to be... oops! (not saying that they didn't come with predilections for behaviors...but)
Each pup/dog I've had has come with new challenges, that's just the way it works.
Glory (my Airedale pup) certainly has and will continue to challenge my ability to communicate what I want her to do and be, while accepting her preferences and capabilities.
The older dogs had been using the higher obstacles in our yard to escape her...well there's nothing high enough anymore... hehehe
STAR Puppy/Dog Basic Final 4 Grad 6/29/21
Congrats!! Here's the video to prove you did it :)
Dog Training Classes
New group classes to start on Tues eves, April 13th, 6 weekly 1 hour sessions. STAR Puppy at 6pm (for 10 week old vaccinated pups up to 1 year) and Dog Obed at 7:30pm (for 5month and older dogs).
Dog Trick: Tug - play with the toy I have. Many learning opportunities with this game. Think of your criteria for playing and reward the approximations to the final picture. For young dogs/newer learners a longer toy is better, but also look for their preference in toys...then grow it.
