Trainer Tip
Trainer Tip
A dog training foundation is teaching your dog to "check in" with you. This isn't fancy and isn't hard to teach, but it does require that you pay as much attention to your dog, or even more, as you expect your dog to pay attention to you.
This is different than the "watch" cue that some people train. A check in is used at times when you aren't asking your dog to do anything in particular. Maybe you're on a leash walk, or maybe you're someplace where your dog is off leash. Whenever your dog looks your way you will need to reinforce it in some way such as a treat, toy or brief interaction.
IF your reinforcer actually is reinforcing to your dog, you should start to see your dog checking in with you more frequently.
The benefit of check in is that when your dog regularly doing so, you know that part of their attention is on you and where you are. This is a foundation skill for recalls and loose leash walking, and it makes it more likely that the dog will respond when cued to do those things.
It's so important to let our dogs sniff and explore their environment when taking them out on walks. It isn't all just about exercise, it's also about being mentally stimulated and enriched.
Today's walk was a little bit more exciting than normal, with my dogs finding a turkey feather 🦃🪶 off the side of the road. We stopped for a good long time while they investigated it, and then Quinn decided it was important enough to bring home with us!
Just one of the many things I'm doing for the dogs since the weather has been so horrible in Wisconsin since Friday. I always find it so interesting how different my two dogs are, and how it shows up in their problem solving.
What do you do to keep your dog's occupied in bad weather?
#dogsinwinter #dogsinwintertime #dogchewing #dogenrichmentprogram #dogenrichmenttips #dogenrichmentideas #dogshavinfun #dogenrichmentactivities #relievingdogstress #dogproblemsolving #canineenrichment #canineenrichmentgames #canineenrichmentjoy #canineenrichmentideas #dogenrichmenthacks #khriserickson
Separation Anxiety Training
Carnegie is currently at a 13 minute absence from her person in the training process. If you don't have a dog with separation anxiety this doesn't seem like much time. But it's a tremendous amount of progress for a dog with separation anxiety who formerly couldn't even be separated from her owner for even a second!
Separation anxiety resolution is a slow process, but when done correctly is very effective. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety I can help with your dog's recovery process! Schedule a free 15 minute consultation to find out how!
https://www.khriserickson.com/booking-calendar/15-minute-free-consultation
I walk the dogs down this road almost every day, and frequently there is a dog on a fenced in porch that barks at us as we pass. Whimsy used to bark back and get all worked up, until I started working on reinforcing the absence of barking.
In this video you can see the result of that training. As we approach the house Whimsy is walking ahead of me getting a good sniff in. Once the dog starts barking she lifts her head up, focuses on me and silently walks by side.
If you'd like my help with loose leash walking, barking, or dog reactivity and live within 30 minutes of Ixonia I would be happy to work with you and your dog!
https://www.khriserickson.com/in-person-training
It has been raining non-stop for the past 2 days, and I knew I had to come up with something for the dogs and I to do since a walk is out of the question.
The video is just a fun activity/training session. My goal was for Whimsy to leave the table, go under the chair, over the bar and back to the table. Quinn's was to go around the chair instead because he's so much bigger than Whimsy.
Notice the very different energy levels between the two dogs. Quinn is more cautious with training because he likes to think things through.
Sometimes a training session can be something that won't ever be useful or even ever used again. Sometimes it's about preventing boredom and getting dogs to use their brains. And although I will most likely never use this pattern again, sessions like this teach dogs to problem solve, and help build confidence and resiliency.
A few days ago I worked with Captain and his owners on his leash reactivity towards other dogs. Captain is 5 months old and plays with other dogs in the neighborhood. His behavior is all about being frustrated at not being able to "say hi".
I had the owners practice an Emergency U-turn, Treat Magnet, and Treat Scatter/Find It as management responses to prevent Captain from reacting if he inadvertantly got too close to anther dog. They also practive Look at That, which teaches the dog to check in with the person holding the leash when he sees another dog.
The neighbors were nice enough to bring their dog out so Captain could practice in that scenario. Captain and his owners did a fantastic job!
https://www.khriserickson.com/in-person-training
I've talked about ACE Free Work in the past, and I decided to expand on it in this week's blog post.
And since it was too hot to walk the dog's today, I decided to do Free Work with the dog's today. The set up included: 2 Cavaletti poles with a rag containing horse scent, Exercise mat with peanut butter smear, scrap piece of plywood with tennis balls in the muffin tin cups covering kibble, jigsaw puzzle mat with egg carton containing soft treats, a scattering of kibble on and around the course, and a bowl of water.
Whimsy spent 15 minutes exploring, scavaging, sniffing and playing with the tennis balls, Quinn spent 10 minutes on the set up - although he wasn't interested in playing with the tennis balls.
ACE Free Work is such a great enrichment activity, and additionally can reduce stress, and let dogs have 100% choice in how they explore.
Read the blog post to learn more!
https://www.khriserickson.com/post/ace-freework
With the heat wave we’re experiencing in my area right now, many people are trying to figure out how to safely exercise their dogs. I can highly recommend a fun training game called the "Toss a Treat Recall" that will help improve your dog’s response to coming to you when called.
Here’s how you do it:
Step 1: Get some super yummy treats that your dog goes crazy for. These are like the secret weapons to get their attention.
Step 2: Find a cozy spot indoors (or a safe space outdoors weather permitting) to play. Say “(your dog’s name) Come!” in an upbeat voice, and then give them a treat. toss a treat a short distance away.
Step 3: After your dog eats the treat from your hand, show them a second treat and toss it away from you.
Step 4: Chase Time: Your dog's inner athlete will kick in, and they'll chase after the treat. It's like a mini adventure for them.
Step 5: As your dog is eating the treat that you’ve thrown, call your dog back to you, praise and give a treat from your hand.
Step 6: Vary the distance and direction of the treats that are thrown to keep your dog guessing.
The Toss a Treat Recall game isn't just about training – it's playtime too! Your dog learns a handy skill while having a blast. Plus, it's a fantastic way to build trust and a strong bond between you and your furry pal. So, go ahead, give it a try, and enjoy the fun!
I see advice from well-meaning dog owner posted on-line as to how to work on separation anxiety. Often one of the recommendations is to leave for a short time, like 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.
Actually the length of the departure needs to be adjusted to what the dog can handle. Part of my assessment is determining that, and different dogs will have different starting departure desensitization training.
The goal is that during the training exercise the dog experiences zero anxiety. For some dogs that may initially involve just walking towards the door, but not actually going out. Some dogs can start at 15 or 20 seconds. The dog's behavior tells us where to begin.
Here's what an early training exercise looks like. I've included 2 repetitions here, although there were 10 total.
It doesn't look like much, but considering Kylo started out being anxious by just the owner touching the door, much less leaving, this is really great progress!
If you'd like to discuss your dog's separation anxiety and learn how I can help, sign up for a free 15 minute Zoom consultation. I'd love to meet with you!
https://www.khriserickson.com/booking-calendar/15-minute-free-consultation
So this is the end of Whimsy's Dremel journey!
This is a compilation of the last four sessions we did. As always I start each session with a review of something easy before I move on to more difficult, and I'm paying attention to her head and only proceeding if the head is down and not up.
The key is to keep the sessions short, and not try to do too much. In the last video you'll see that I successfully Dremeled one back nail. I didn't get greedy, I ended the session there. Better to quit while we’re ahead, then to keep going and end up erasing all my hard work!
If you'd like some help with grooming or other handling I can help!
https://www.khriserickson.com/contact
Here are little snips of the next three sessions after the last time I posted about working with Whimsy and the Dremel
Whimsy's keep going cue is to rest her head on the couch, so you'll notice that I withdraw my hands when I see that her head lifts up. And as usual I review easy steps, before I move on to more difficult steps. For example, in the first session I do a few repetitions where I'm touching her nail with the Dremel turned off, and I also touch her nails with the Dremel running but on the non grinding end.
This first session is when I first started using the grinding tool against her nail. As you can tell she is very uncomfortable with it. Some of it might be the actual sensation of her nail being ground, and some of it might be the noise. Seeing her discomfort the first time I touched her nail to the grinder, I went back a few steps where I didn't touch her nail at all with the tool. I also lower the speed of the Dremel.
In the second session I again review, bringing the Dremel towards her nail, but not actually touching it and giving her treats. When I actually do touch her nail with the running Dremel she is very uncomfortable with it. Notice I still give her treats even though she lifted her head up. This is about conditioning the dog to like having their nails Dremeled, not about teaching a behavior. So treats happen whatever the dogs response. The flinching and head lifting do give me valuable information, and tell me that I need to slow down a bit.
The third session I again do some review. And I realized that in the second session the Dremel was on a higher speed, so this time around I turned it down. Whimsy is still doing a little bit of flinching, but not as much as the previous session.
At this stage my objective with each session is not to actually file her nails. Right now I'm just trying to get her to feel comfortable with the process, and eventually when she does I'll be able to use that as a way to maintain her nails.
Would you like s
This has been the best 4th of July my dogs and I have had for years!
Normally during fireworks Whimsy would be clinging to me and trembling, even with medication. This year I got proactive and did some pre-holiday training to be ready for it.
In the video she is medicated, but so much better than in previous years. Whimsy LOVES chasing after treats, so every time I heard fireworks I cued her with "party time", and tossed a few for her to run after.
If you would like my help for next year, I would love to work with you and your dog!
https://www.khriserickson.com/contact
The next step in Dremel conditioning involved getting Whimsy used to having her feet touched with the Dremel.
But first I did a review with some foot handling, and turning the Dremel on and off so that she gets used to the nois, to get her used to that feeling for when we actually drummer her nails e. With the foot handling I've progressed to actually holding each individual toe, to get her used to that feeling for when I actually Dremel her nails. I'm paying attention to her body language, and don't proceed until she puts her head down, which is her signal that she's OK for me to do so. All of this includes food, of course!
The next step then was to hold the feet while I touched each toe with the Dremel head while the tool was turned off. This helps Whimsy get used to the idea that the Dremel head will be touching her feet.
That went really well so I turned the Dremel on to the lowest setting, and touched each toe nail with the backside of the Dremel so that she could get used to the vibration. Once we completed that and I saw how well she she was doing, I turned it up to the next setting.
https://www.khriserickson.com/additional-online-training
This is the next step in conditioning Whimsy to having her nails filed with a Dremel. We've had several sessions between when I posted last week's video and today, just working on getting her more comfortable with toe handling. Today we introduce the Dremel!
I did trim Whimsy’s back paw nails over the weekend. The mat that she's laying on is a signal that nothing scary is going to happen. When I trimmed her nails this weekend I did not use the mat. It was interesting to note that she was much more comfortable with having her feet handled when I was cutting her nails even with the clippers that she dislikes!
I started the session with a review of feet handling. You can see that we've progressed to the point where I can actually handle her toes a bit firmly for a second or so.
Then comes the introduction of the Dremel. As a reminder, when she puts her head down it's a signal that she's ready for me to proceed. If she lifts her head up it means that I need to stop. So I wait until she puts her head down before I present the dremel.
Initially the Dremel is not running, I’m just showing the tool to her. When she seems comfortable with that I start to turn it on. It gets turned on, I mark the noise with the marker cue of “good”, and then give her a treat. I am not marking for her behavior, at this point I just want her to feel comfortable with the noise and so I’m marking the noise presentation. .
You can see with every repetition she becomes more comfortable with the noise, and doesn't even lift her head when I turn it on.
If you'd like help with getting your dog more comfortable with handling and grooming, I offer several virtual training packages!
https://www.khriserickson.com/additional-online-training
For several years I've tried to implement cooperative care with my dogs when I do nail trims. Cooperative care is where the dog is a willing participant in their care activity, and has a way to signal when they are uncomfortable and need a break, and when they are willing for you to proceed.
Quinn has always been A-okay with the nail clippers. Whimsy not so much, and increasingly she has needed more breaks during our session, and is just generally uncomfortable with the process.
I've decided to train her on a dremel to file her nails, and this video is of our second session.
The reason for placing a mat on the couch is that I want that to be a signal that we are going to be doing nails. I also want the mat to have a conditioned happy response. This will help when I'm actually dremeling her nails.
You may notice that the Dremel does not make an appearance in this training session! The reason is that I wanted to get her comfortable with having her feet handled. Since I'm starting fresh with a new tool, I want to ensure that every step of the nail filing process is comfortable for her. Starting from scratch is the best way to do that!
As you watch the video you'll notice that her signal for needing a break is head lifted up off the couch, and for her being willing for me to continue his head down on the couch. As the session goes on she is much more comfortable with having her feet handled.
If you'd like some help with getting your dog comfortable with grooming, I can help! Check out my training packages!
https://www.khriserickson.com/additional-online-training
Sometimes it looks like separation anxiety, but it isn't actually separation anxiety.
I've assessed several dogs that turned out to be just fine when the owners left, as long as they weren't confined to a crate or exercise pen. Problem solved? Maybe, if it's a dog the owners can trust while loose in the house.
But what about a puppy or adolescent dog that isn't ready for that kind of freedom? Sometimes giving them a bigger space can be really helpful. So instead of confining to a crate, confining to an exercise pen.
But it's not just about changing to a larger space, there's training that needs to go along with it to help the dog be able to relax in that space.
If your dog has separation anxiety or just anxious when crated I'd love to help you resolve it! Sign up for a FREE 15 minute consultation to find out how.
https://www.khriserickson.com/booking-calendar/15-minute-free-consultation
My last blog post was about helping your dog develop confidence and resilience.
One of the activities I described was the Forage Game. It's a great game that helps the dog feel comfortable with variety of materials and noises, and is a wonderful enrichment activity.
Here's a video that shows how it's done.
https://www.khriserickson.com/post/helping-dogs-develop-confidence
Here's an example of what can be accomplished with virtual dog training. By coaching through good verbal communication I was able to help Denny's owner fine tune her training skills and she made a lot of progress with stay!
If you know somone in need of dog training please share this post; I'm currently available for a few more clients!
https://www.khriserickson.com/additional-online-training
It's that time of year when families tend to bring new puppies home. The joys of puppy breath, watching them play and learn about their world, and, unfortunately, needle sharp teeth.
So what do you do when the the puppy bites as you're trying to snuggle, and the kids are jumping on furniture to escape the velociraptor you brought into the family?
Read this week's blog post for some tips!
https://www.khriserickson.com/post/training-puppy-not-to-bite
