How does confidence building happen? Many many successful repetitions of skill use is one important piece of the puzzle. That's what we'll work on today in the second FREE confidence-building workshop!
🎁 If you're not on the list yet, sign up here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
Little Pancake used to easily run up and down this ramp- before he lost his vision. Now he has tumbled off the side of the ramp many times, and he's hesitant to use it. But he really wants to get up on the bed!
Pancake is my first blind dog, and I'm still learning how to help him. Here I'm trying to use auditory cues (tapping my hand on the ramp), tactile cues (ramp surface and the yoga mat at the top of the ramp), and scent cues (treats, and my hand) to guide him up and down the ramp without falling. (Special thanks to Mary Angilly for giving me suggestions!)
This is a work in progress. I'll continue to experiment with ways to make it easier for him to use the ramp without falling, and we'll keep practicing. But he's already doing a little better than he was.
I hope you see you in this afternoon's workshop!
#fearfuldog #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #forcefreetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #dogenrichment #enrichmentfordogs #confidencebuildingfordogs #dogconfidencebuilding #anxiousdog #onlinedogtraining #dogtrainingonline #onlinetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #onlinecoaching #instagramdogs #onlinetrainingcourse #onlinecourse #sciencebased #rewardbasedtraining
Pancake says, "You haven't signed up for tonight's FREE workshop on confidence building yet? But I'm the star!"🤩
Don't disappoint little Pancake! Come join me via Zoom tonight at 5 pm Pacific time to learn about how to build your dog's confidence.
Get your invite and link when you sign up here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
What treat delivery method(s) does your sensitive dog likes best?
Until recently, hand feeding treats to Pancake worked well if I wanted to get them to him quickly. With his failing sight, we've been fumbling to connect without me accidentally startling him.
In these clips we're practicing treat delivery/receiving together, since it seems like he can't see the treat anymore. If I move my hand too quickly and bop his nose, it startles him. So I was trying slower movement, sometimes a verbal "treat" cue, and letting him be the one to initiate contact by bumping into my hand.
(One downside to slowing down my treat delivery is that other canines in the area sometimes try to swoop in before Pancake finds the treat. 😂)
Eating consistently in a variety of contexts is a critical foundation skill for confidence building in dogs, in my opinion. I"ll talk more about this in the FREE workshops I'm holding THIS WEEK! Sign up to get an invite here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
In another installment of "What does confidence look like to you?"...
Check out Turnip learning to get into her mom's car all on her own! (And then snuffling around for treats.)
I think that part of confidence building is teaching our dogs skills that they can use to get things they want. Turnip might not want the car per se, but our hope is that she'll eventually be able to ride in the car to places that she'll enjoy exploring.
Have you signed up for the FREE mini-workshops I'm giving next week on confidence building? Sign up here to get a spot on the live events (presented via Zoom.) https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
Actual footage of me at my desk.
How's your Thursday going?
If you need a little pick-me-up, sign up for the FREE mini-workshop series on confidence building in dogs I'm giving next week! Get on the list here and you'll receive registration information: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
#fearfuldog #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #forcefreetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #dogenrichment #enrichmentfordogs #confidencebuildingfordogs #dogconfidencebuilding #anxiousdog #onlinedogtraining #dogtrainingonline #onlinetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #onlinecoaching #instagramdogs #onlinetrainingcourse #onlinecourse #sciencebased #rewardbasedtraining
Don't miss out!
NEXT WEEK I'm offering a FREE 4-part mini-workshop on how we build our dogs' confidence and trust in us.
These workshops will only be available live to community members on the Confidence Building For Dogs waitlist. If you're not on the list, sign up here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
Then watch for emails from me early next week. I hope to see you there!
#fearfuldog #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #forcefreetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #dogenrichment #enrichmentfordogs #confidencebuildingfordogs #dogconfidencebuilding #anxiousdog #onlinedogtraining #dogtrainingonline #onlinetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #onlinecoaching #instagramdogs #onlinetrainingcourse #onlinecourse #sciencebased #rewardbasedtraining
What does "confidence" look like to you?
When working with very fearful dogs, I look fo rthem to start trying out more and more behaviors in pursuit of good stuff.
Sweet Bella here was too afraid to try the Kong wobbler at first (it's not a great beginner food toy for very fearful dogs because of the noise and movement.) But as her mom has continued to work with her, she's become braver and spends more of her behavior trying to get things she likes.
Here, Bella's mom helps her out with the wobbler by making it dispense treats, until Bella starts interacting with it herself. So wonderful to see!
Don't miss out! NEXT WEEK I'm offering a FREE 4-part mini-workshop on how we build our dogs' confidence and trust in us. Sign up here to get invited to participate live: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
#fearfuldog #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #forcefreetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #dogenrichment #enrichmentfordogs #confidencebuildingfordogs #dogconfidencebuilding #anxiousdog #onlinedogtraining #dogtrainingonline #onlinetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #onlinecoaching #instagramdogs #onlinetrainingcourse #onlinecourse #sciencebased #rewardbasedtraining
If your fearful or sensitive dog often seems distracted during training and not very interested in you or your treats, this video series is for you.
In part 4, I show you how asking your dog for LESS can actually speed up your training progress.
🎁I've got a free mini-workshop series coming up in August 2024! If you'd like to join live, get on the list to be notified here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
My dog is too anxious to listen!
If your fearful or sensitive dog often seems distracted during training and not very interested in you or your treats, this video series is for you.
In part 3, I give examples of ways you can make changes to how you deliver treats to your dog, to help them focus and be more engaged with you.
🎁I've got a free mini-workshop series coming up in August 2024! If you'd like to join live, get on the list to be notified here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
Learning together? Or maybe I'm the one learning and Pancake is tolerating. 😂
Recently we learned that Pancake is losing his vision and will be completely blind in the near future. I realized this week, as I tried to take a video I needed for an upcoming class that involved delivering treats at a distance, that my previous treat delivery strategies no longer work for him.
Back in our early days together, Pancake would flinch and retreat at the sound of a treat hitting the floor. So I switched to deliving treats on soft surfaces like snufflemats, which I've continued using for lots of reasons.
I learned this week that Pancake can no longer see enough to tell that I've thrown a treat toward him, so I need an auditory cue. I experimented with harder surfaces that would produce noise when the treat hit them- a plastic bowl (which I failed to hit with the treat as often as not), a carboard box (which Pancake either tried to climb into or tripped over), the floor (which meant the treats just went everywhere)... I finally settled for soft surfaces that would contain the treat, and a verbal "find it" cue, as a starting point. Sometimes I needed to point the treat out as well.
As you can see, Pancake tolerated my floundering with good humor, thankfully. Poor guy. (I'm laughing at myself here, not Pancake, for every time I said, "This will totally work!")
Do you find yourself feeling like YOUR skill is the limiting factor in your dog's training? Pancake can tell you that's the case for us!
If your fearful or sensitive dog often seems distracted during training and not very interested in you or your treats, this video series is for you.
In part 2, I give examples of ways you can make changes to how you interact with your dog, to help your dog focus and be more engaged with you.
🎁I've got a free mini-workshop series coming up in August 2024! If you'd like to join live, get on the list to be notified here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
If your fearful or sensitive dog often seems distracted during training and not very interested in you or your treats, this video series is for you.
In part 1, I give examples of ways you can make changes to the training context to help your dog focus and be more engaged with you.
🎁I've got a free mini-workshop series coming up in August 2024! If you'd like to join live, get on the list to be notified here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/confidence
If you're in the U.S., how was your 4th?
I know some of you had a pretty rough night last night. So to make you smile, here is brave girl Turnip trying pasta for the first time. 😍
#fearfuldog #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #forcefreedogtraining #forcefreetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #dogenrichment #enrichmentfordogs #confidencebuildingfordogs #dogconfidencebuilding #anxiousdog #onlinedogtraining #dogtrainingonline #onlinetraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #onlinecoaching #instagramdogs #onlinetrainingcourse #onlinecourse #sciencebased #rewardbasedtraining
Get real-life examples of strategies to help anxious dogs cope with fireworks. Our Confidence Builders Club community and our free Facebook group members share what has worked for their dogs during fireworks season.
Get on the waitlist for our Confidence Building For Dogs course: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/CBFD-waitlist
🎁Get your free guide on how to support your fearful dog here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/care
What at-home enrichment have you found that your fearful dog loves?
In the recent "Confidence Building For Dogs" course, we had lessons on different enrichment activities for fearful dogs, including this "treasure chest" game. Here Pancake is doing a pretty advanced version. He really likes this activity and sometimes eats his entire dinner out of a box filled with packing paper, other recyclables, and toys.
If you've got a very fearful dog, I'd love to work with you the next time the Confidence Building For Dogs course opens! You can get on the waitlist here to get first access when I open enrollment again: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/CBFD-waitlist
Have a dog who will pick pills out of any treat? And won't take treats from your hand enthusiastically? This training is for you.
This is part 4 of the series. See all 4 videos here: https://www.dogkindtraining.com/blog/pills
