Introducing Recall – A Simple Game to Play With Your Dog (with Lulu) – Part 1
When teaching your dog new concepts, it is best to simplify and deconstruct the task into easy concepts. Work through them with your dog, one at a time, indoors, if possible, before moving outdoors. Lulu loved this game and caught on very quickly because I was letting her sniff, watch, find, check in, repeat. We have already practiced sniff, watch, check in and repeat, so the only added concept here was FIND. This is a very simple activity that helps your dog start prioritizing your management and their attentiveness to you vs their impulsive instincts.
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The Video VS The Shot / Bluebonnet Version with Rocky <3
This video includes two different observations about the pack walk dynamic between the dogs in these two sessions.
First pack -
Kimchi and Rocky are the huskies and life siblings (not litter). Cooper is the lab Pyrenees mix on my right side. They have all been around each other a ton.
Lulu is the newest of the crew and has been doing leash training and all the things involved with desensitizing and socializing. She had never met Kimchi til this day.
Lulu is very confident and keeps trying to walk on the outside of Rocky. Well, that is not how it works. Rocky is the pack leader (besides me) and he repeatedly adjusts his position in the pack to be on the outer edge. This is how he shows her how this works. It is not her place to be on the outside making the decisions for the pack.
Second pack –
Kimchi & Rocky with Buster and Bo.
Buster is overly alert and mildly dog reactive, but with some time, she accepts dogs into her life and can walk peacefully with them.
Bo is our sensitive girl. She takes things at her own pace, but her curiosity is our golden nugget, and we use every opportunity possible to engage her curiosity so she can overcome her fears, one by one, little by little.
Bo does NOT ever attempt to be on the outside of the pack. Why?
Because she does not want or expect that responsibility. Her position in the pack allows her to have that extra comfort when we approach a situation that triggers her fears. I can always tell when she is feeling a little confident – she steps away from the pack and gives herself some space. She rejoins the pack whenever a trigger approaches or appears.
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Do you see what I see? =) #frenchie #dogmodel
When you are managing a reactive dog, anticipation and management are critical to your success. Of course, nothing is ever completely predictable, but typically dogs send us many messages before they are going to react.
In this case, I anticipated that she was going to react for the simple reason that there is a German Shepherd on the other side of the one fence that we walk by quite often and she almost always barks at us.
I usually try to let the dogs get to the point where they are invited to make a choice. I waited to redirect her until that exact moment when she was so close to the fence, and I was about the same distance away.
Why did she choose me?
Because for months and months, we have worked on the value of obedience and positive reinforcement. She got the treat when she chose me. She got compliments and positive praise when she chose me. Buster is a sucker for a good compliment. 😉
I train them to make good choices. If we tell them EVERYTHING they are supposed to do or not do, they have trouble being independent and we are constantly having to tell them everything to be functioning dogs. No thanks.
Teach your dog to make good choices.
(Keep in mind, with puppies or dogs that have never had boundaries, etc… You will need to be the instruction police and it will be a nonstop thing until they clearly understand their boundaries, your expectations of them and what the rules of life in your house are….all the things.)
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Considering the native dog personality that lives inside of everything that is Buttercup, she keeps it under control and makes good choices. However, say SQUIRREL and the prey drive kicks into high gear and the hunter comes out. Give your dog a purpose and ways to feel a sense of accomplishment! It helps their confidence. =)
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HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY TO GINGER! Sweetest little fluffy girl has been by my side since Day #1 of this adventure and I wouldn't have it any other way!
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The Buttercup Bunch - Dog Training, Playdates, Play Training, Boarding & Photography
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WAIT FOR IT!! We all could learn this lesson from my grandmother…. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
She knew that boundaries were SO important to set and I hope that you do, too! ;) However, remember to set your dogs up for success and do not enable or encourage them to make a mistake to then get frustrated when they push that boundary.
A little back story about my wonderful, witty, adorable grandmother. She absolutely loved dogs, birds and singing. She was ALWAYS singing around the house. She had a dog named Spock when we were kids and he was a fun little Jack Russell Terrier who perfectly complimented her fun spirit.
This dog in this video is Beckett, who lived with her at the end of her life. He was a really good listener for her and loved to sing with her, as you can see. She had dementia, but you can see her fun spirit lived on no matter where her brain took her in life. I can't tell you how many times I have watched this video. I miss her so much and hope she is enjoying all of the sunshine and walks along her beautiful Redondo Beach with Grandpa that her heart desires. I will be visiting their gravesite this June and can't wait to see them.
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Does Your Dog Trust Stairs with Gaps?
Do not carry your dog up and down the stairs. Most puppies need to be taught to walk up and down stairs, especially stairs with gaps under them. They think they are going to be sucked into a black hole!
The solution is NOT to just give in and start carrying them up and down. Are you going to do that when they are 60#? No. Help them work through it and let them walk!
I have found that it is much easier to teach them to feel comfortable taking those steps by a little show and tell. You can do it …but it is much easier to just bring along a dog that has no problems walking up and down the stairs and letting them watch a few times. They will likely be curious and take those first few steps.
If you are on the 3rd floor like me, you will probably notice they make it up that first flight okay, but then go into a little overdrive mode when they realize they must keep climbing.
Be patient. Be calm. Luring them with a treat trail works about half of the time. It did not work in the case of Winnie.
Practice SMALL just like with everything else. Don’t expect them to want to climb to the 3rd floor on the first try.
Do not drag them. Encourage them. Give them time.
DO NOT CODDLE THEM during this. There is NO touching of the dog that needs to happen to accomplish this task until the very end when they have completed the exercise.
TAKE THE SMALL VICTORIES and praise your dog as much as possible when they take those brave first steps!
When they finally make it to the top on their own, it is PARTY TIME for your dog! Celebrate with them! Be proud of them and yourselves.
For the record…. Winnie had no problems with stairs after this first day. Did we get it on the first try? Absolutely not. I took her out every 30 minutes for a potty break on a 2.5 hour playdate and we tried it over and over each time we went outside. Did she successfully get up and down by the end of those exercises? She did!
*SIDE NOTE: This was a few month
Today we got to celebrate BUTTERCUP'S BIRTHDAY! She turned FOUR today! Big girl! She celebrated with a super fun playdate with some of her best friends - Kahlia, Kimchi, Red & Skye! Best birthday ever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Buttercup!
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A little trip down memory lane with Buttercup and Rocky / 2020-2023.
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