Recall!
My last recall reel, I waited til Whimsy looked at me to call her over. This video, she was barely in sight and I didn't wait till she was looking. Why did I still succeed? Because we've practiced easy successes SO many times! It makes the more challenging moments easier for her to get right! Also, note how I'm happy and cheerful at her return! Lots of reward and praise! Channel your inner preschool teacher, NOT your inner drill sergeant! 😉
Next up, I'll recall her from completely out of sight! Stay tuned~
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#dogtraining #notrainnogain #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #sectdogtraining #barkscommunity
Recall!
When practicing, I only want to call my dog when I'm willing to bet $$$ that she will be successful. Because every successful recall is an investment in this behavior getting stronger and more reliable. Every failure is a withdrawal against that strength. In this video you can see how I had an assumption of what Whimsy would do and I was close! But not quite perfect with my guess as she was distracted briefly by birds and a squirrel. I was patient, adjusted, and recalled her successfully for a beautiful repetition where at no point did she practice ignoring my recall.
Just as importantly, I let her go back to dog things after the fact! We must be careful not to let our dogs learn that recall means the end of freedom or fun, or they will not choose to do it when it really matters.
Whimsy is not a flight risk, so I was confident her running out of sight after the squirrel was not going to be a problem. If I were concerned about that behavior, I would not have her off leash at all here! And if at any point, a legitimate concern pops up where I NEED to recall, I am going to do it regardless of if I think it'll be successful or if I worry it'll be the end of fun for my dog. Always keep in mind, practice opportunities are different from real life necessity!!! Practice is carefully curated and sometimes life is messy. All the more reason to spend time carefully crafting our practice so it's REALLY having the desired impact on the dog's skills for when those messy moments come up!!
This was an easy recall for her. She was within line of sight and I didn't call her till she already looked at me. We practice this, as well as out-of-sight recalls for a well-rounded skill!
Need help with your dog's recall?? Send me a message and let's get you scheduled!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#trainyourdog #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #barkscommunity #lifewithdogs
Recall!
When practicing, I only want to call my dog when I'm willing to bet $$$ that she will be successful. Because every successful recall is an investment in this behavior getting stronger and more reliable. Every failure is a withdrawal against that strength. In this video you can see how I had an assumption of what Whimsy would do and I was close! But not quite perfect with my guess as she was distracted briefly by birds and a squirrel. I was patient, adjusted, and recalled her successfully for a beautiful repetition where at no point did she practice ignoring my recall.
Just as importantly, I let her go back to dog things after the fact! We must be careful not to let our dogs learn that recall means the end of freedom or fun, or they will not choose to do it when it really matters.
Whimsy is not a flight risk, so I was confident her running out of sight after the squirrel was not going to be a problem. If I were concerned about that behavior, I would not have her off leash at all here! And if at any point, a legitimate concern pops up where I NEED to recall, I am going to do it regardless of if I think it'll be successful or if I worry it'll be the end of fun for my dog. Always keep in mind, practice opportunities are different from real life necessity!!! Practice is carefully curated and sometimes life is messy. All the more reason to spend time carefully crafting our practice so it's REALLY having the desired impact on the dog's skills for when those messy moments come up!!
This was an easy recall for her. She was within line of sight and I didn't call her till she already looked at me. We practice this, as well as out-of-sight recalls for a well-rounded skill!
Need help with your dog's recall?? Send me a message and let's get you scheduled!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#trainyourdog #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #barkscommunity #lifewithdogs
In ANY situation, I am always taking into account how my dog is FEELING.
Whimsy barking in this video? Is stemming from an emotional state. She's confused, conflicted, frustrated maybe that the cat is there and she can't check it out. Obedience skills won't change that!! A sit stay, a leave it, etc, do not (typically) change emotional state. So I seldom bother with asking for them when the behavior I'm seeing is emotionally meditated (emergencies notwithstanding).
Instead, I help my dog feel better. When they feel better, they will behave better. In this case, I just waited things out. Godot was relaxed, Whim under control, cat didn't linger (this time... It's been a problem a few days in a row, uhg!) so no one was at risk. Once Godot disengaged, it helped Whim do the same. And what did we learn? Cats aren't fun, they just walk away. But looking at my human after noticing a cat earns me food!
With a few more practice opportunities, I know Whim won't bother barking at the cat because she'll feel better about it and will disengage to pay attention to me instead. That's the goal! It has worked for Whim with birds, squirrels, and dogs barking from behind fences/windows so far, so let's add cats to the list!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#trainyourdog #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #barkscommunity
Whimsy is 1 year old and still sometimes gets distracted and stops walking! This is normal! I have taught her a countdown that means our activity is changing, so after a minute or two of letting her appropriately engage with the environment, I can communicate to her that we are going to keep moving in 3...2...1...all done! And you can see she understands this and comes along easily with no pressure on the leash!
When out with our dogs, we want to try hard not to drag them along and ignore their interests, the same way I wouldn't drag a good human friend away from something in the mall that I wasn't personally interested in. For one, it's rude! For two, I enjoy taking an interest in what my friends are interested in! Now don't get me wrong... I WILL drag Whim away from something that might be dangerous or disgusting 🤢 but in general, I respect her need to stop and check things out whenever I can!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #lifewithdogs #dogsarefriendsnotrobots #letthemsniff
If you have worked with me, you've likely heard how my cane corso Godot can have strong feelings about things. He's MUCH better than he used to be, through a ton of really hard work, but he will never be anything but a guardian breed dog. His genetics dictate to him to be suspicious and defensive in the face of uncertainty. BUT.
We have worked HARD on his auto-check in skill through our engage-disengage game, so when he sees a trigger (stranger, dog, etc) he is capable of disengaging from it to look at me instead. A big part of his escalations are because he stares, so this solves two problems at once. Interrupts the staring therefore the escalation, and two, gives me his attention and the ability to cue an alternative behavior.
You can see here that the neighbor startles him and he reacts by charging the fence. He's often not vocal, but his body language is clear that he's unhappy, he's stiff, tall, tension in his face, ears perked, nubby tail is up. Watch how quickly, without my intervention, he remembers to stop and think and check in with me and how it softens his body language. With that opportunity, I can ask him to do something else and I do, sending him to place and he listens.
This. is. HARD. for. him.
But we've worked even harder and we see the results every day.
Caveat: if there were no fence or I didn't know that this neighbor would largely ignore him, I would NOT have put Godot in this learning scenario. As it stands, I know this neighbor has never even talked to us let alone tried to lean over to pet Godot, and Godot is not a fence jumper and won't even test a baby gate's integrity. No one was at risk here and Godot practiced disengaging from a sudden trigger beautifully. I didn't even have treats on me!
Do the work, see the results.
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining #barkin_barley #soon #traindontcomplain
Excellent work with Lola today!!
Lola is an adoptable dog with All Paws on Deck. She was sadly returned to the rescue for some behavioral challenges that we are working to tackle. Lola is very sensitive to social and spacial pressure. Too close to another dog or a dog staring at her can send her into reactivity. In addition to some health considerations and management strategies, are working on some foundation skills to help her feel better about other dogs and keep everyone feeling safe in the process.
Here, we are practicing a tough exercise for her, approaching dogs head on with the dogs paying her a LOT of attention. We want her to learn that when she feels that pressure from that attention, she should check in with her human and move AWAY from the pressure, not react towards it. We saw AMAZING behavior today, no reactivity. It's important when we are doing behavior work that we keep the dog feeling as low stress as possible to help build that confidence back up, so we start with a comfortable distance and gradually get closer and closer. Baby steps!
If you are interested in Lola or adopting a dog or puppy, reach out to All Paws! Www.allpawsondeck.org
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#trainyourdog #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #sectdogtraining #noforcenofear #adoptme
If you make a point to provide things your dog wants consistently, they will learn to choose you over other options FAR more easily! For a lot of dogs this is food rewards, but it could be play or toys as well! Be a pez dispenser for the things your dog enjoys and see how much it changes your value to them! If all you are is the brakes on the other end of the leash preventing them from getting anything they want in life, that will reflect in your relationship. Be a source for ALL the things they want, teach them working WITH you earns them those rewards, and reap the benefit of a dog who chooses you over tempting alternatives!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
Www.kbdbdogtraining.com
#trainyourdog #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining
Whimsy is 9 months old! Where has the time gone?!
We had a great trip to petco yesterday for some public manners practice, focusing most of our time on disengaging from distractions, being able to eat treats, and not yelling at other dogs 😅 Thankfully, Whim did great meeting two new people, no jumping! And when we saw each of three different dogs a few times, she just watched and didn't yell and was able to disengage! Good girl!!
This little video clip is the only "structured" training I did the entire time. 45 seconds out of about 30 minutes we spent there. My priority in these spaces is actually not "obedience" 🤫 instead, it's emotional regulation. Being able to THINK and not be overwhelmed. But after a good twenty minutes of that kind of practice, Whim was able to offer a little bit of structure. Position changes and holding position until released. She did great! The release cues I use are Let's Go when we are still on the clock for more work once released, and Free when it's her choice to stay working or be done, she you'll see when I release at the end with Free she says, 'k thanks bye.' 😂 Teenagers!
What are your dogs working on in public this week? I still have ONE slot left in my Public Manners class starting March 16th! You can sign up here! bit.ly/Publicmanners
Happy Training!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining #emotionsmatter #silkenwindhound
My 6mo Silken Windhound, Whimsy, practicing recall off a moving toy! She has incredible prey drive and chase drive as that is what her breed is designed for, but we do a LOT of off leash hiking and I want to be able to call her off a chase if necessary. We can't start that practice with a wild animal as that's SUPER hard, so we start practicing calling off OTHER things she's chasing that are easier! Wonderful job, Whim!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #silkenwindhound #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets
Practice recall like you brush your teeth! Every day! Multiple times a day!
If you need recall training help, book a session with me!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining
Scratch Board Training
These are the steps I use to teach dogs to file their own nails! Riot the Doberman picked this up easily in two ten minute sessions. Good job, Ry!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #fearfreepets #dogtraining #kbdbfamily
Real life rewards for impulse control! If my boy holds position with the car door open, he gets rewarded with the freedom to get out and go explore when I release him. Good boy, Godot!
Impulse control for both dogs, Reagan focusing on her human, walking along off leash, and Godot holding his down while I'm further away and his doggie friend is moving nearby. It's wonderful to work your dogs throughout play time together to practice these skills!
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #positivereinforcementtraining #ctdogtrainer
Body language is critical to understand when working with our dogs!
A stumbling block we might get tripped up on however, is attempting to diagnose a situation with a dog by cherry picking only a small part of their body language ("his tail is wagging, he MUST be happy!") or failing to take into consideration the CONTEXT of the situation!
Watch this video with my dog and see what I mean!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA, FFCP
Books currently closed for March! Contact me for sessions in April via messenger or email [email protected]!
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #caninebodylanguage #trainyourdog #fearfreepets #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #playwithyourdog
Great work basic manners class! 🥰
First week with dogs in the classroom can be really hard, but these kids tackled the challenge! Enjoy your holiday break and we'll see you back in class in the new year! ❤️
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA
#dogtrainerlife #ctdogtrainer #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #notrainnogain #MeetYourDogsNeeds #makelearningfun #positivereinforcementtraining
Winston!! 🥰😆
Handsome man worked on some polite greetings and Canine Good Citizen basics this morning. Love this handsome boy! ❤️
I have limited private session availability next week, if you need me, reach out asap. As a reminder, I will be taking holiday time off the 19th-31st to have a breather, catch up on the administration side of the job, and get ready for all that 2023 is going to bring us!
Hope you are all having a great week!
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA
Book here! bit.ly/kbdbdogtraining
Need some more dog time in your life??? I'm looking for an assistant for group classes, Tuesday evenings in Stonington! 5:45-8:30pm! Great opportunity to listen, watch, and learn as I instruct puppy kindergarten and basic manners! Simple tasks like setting up chairs and washing bowls, helping pass out supplies etc required. Please let me know if you'd like to volunteer!! 🥰🐾
Brittni Hyzer CPDT-KA
