Instead of thinking of them as āDistractionsā in the environmentā¦ letās think about them as environmental cues we donāt control (visual, auditory, olfactory, etc) that are actually signaling to our dog to do behaviors we would prefer they not do. That can be pretty confusing for the dog and, hopefully, that reframe can help us have some empathy for our dogs. Dogs do not need a heavy hand to overcome distractions in public if we teach them what behavior will be reinforced in the presence of those various cues or stimuli (distractions), along with setting the dog up to be successful.
Video Description: Barkley is a medium sized adolescent mixed breed dog that resembles a yellow Labrador mix. He is working with his mom and teenage human brother to learn to settle on a mat and work on a long line.
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#ServiceDog #TherapyDog #DogTraining #DogTrainer #DogTrainingTips #Puppy #RescueDog #dogtrainingadvice
Jet had an amazing lesson at Tempe Marketplace! He practiced the skills he has learned so far in an outdoor dining setting.
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Did you know? In Europe, Papillon are known as the Continental Toy Spaniel. Thatās right, these little dogs are a small spaniel known for being like a ābig dog in a little body.ā Athleticism, intelligence, and human focus are three of their top qualities. Like bigger spaniels, Jet has keen interest in birds š¦ so that will be a big part of his distraction training.
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Video description: A woman and a young girl are at an outdoor mall dining area and a Papillon lays on a settle mat near the table. In another video, the dog lays on the girlās lap. All media of people under 18 shared with parent permission.
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#ServiceDog #TherapyDog #DogTraining #DogTrainer #DogTrainingTips #Papillon #Puppy
Asking most dogs to ignore other dogs is an āexpensiveā behavior, whether they like other dogs or not. For dogs who do like other dogs, playing with another dog is often VERY reinforcing. I teach my dogs right off the bat that coming to me, away from other dogs, PAYS BIG. That way, the behavior becomes very reliable and my dogs can have a lot of fun with other dogs and in public. I planned for this by taking liverwurst outside with me prior to letting the dogs play. I also have kibble in my pocket to reinforce easier behaviors. #Accessibility Video description: A fluffy dog and a yellow Lab puppy play. They do lots of play bows and chasing. The human holding the camera calls them by name and they come to the person to get high value treats. The dogs then resume playing.
Cooperative care is a process, not a destination. If we think of it that way, itās perhaps a bit easier to start chipping away at it and taking small steps forward. No, I did not train an eye drops behavior before I needed it. That would have been lovely butā¦life. š« We had to do it on the fly. A few things to note: Iām using liverwurst which is very high value. I have a food motivated dog. (Shout out to the scent hounds šš½) Molly and I have an existing, deep history of positive reinforcement, consent based petting/touching, etc. Itās okay if your version looks different: maybe your dog stands up, maybe they do a chin rest in a stand or a down, or maybe they lay down on their side. See what works for you and your dog!I just want to encourage you to know that ANY small step you take towards making handling and care more positive, increasing agency, increasing comfort, decreasing fearā¦whatever that looks likeā¦is excellent and youāre doing a big thing for your dog! Itās always a process.Itās an investment in the long term strength of your relationship and in building your dogās resiliency skills. Flooding (pushing the dog to be exposed to something without regard for their ability to cope) does not build resiliency. What you see here is likely to carry over into other care tasks. Ex: last night I had to randomly do ear drops and we repeated this exact same procedure with good success.