Hand free but addressing human anxiety and need for hands on.
The human is terrified her dog will lunge when he sees something so she keeps a tight leash and it gets worse when she anticipates a problem. A hands free leash option is being used. However the human still grabs and pulls when she gets anxious as she learns to identify and work with the environment and herself. So I did this to meet her emotional need while giving the dog a break from her constant pulling due to the humans anxiety. Next step will be teaching the dog to allow leash changes for long line sniff walks in safer areas. He came to her hating hands near his head and neck. She leaves the leash on all the time. Baby steps.
So proud of this couple! Between recognizing the connection between pain and behavior and doing the work as they continue to address the medical, this great boy has gone from reactive and not comfortable with a muzzle to being OK with me (and others), walking nicely AND LOOK AT THIS MUZZLE JOB!
I have been working with Bennett since January. He is still scared of so many things but this time, he initiated interaction with me. We were getting ready to head outside and suddenly he showed interest in me. Not fear, but interest. Bennett was still conflicted but he laid down, I started a little of a pattern game with him. I was thrilled he did this! Note I am NOT asking him to come closer for treats. Distance is his choice and I will not try to lure him closer to get a treat. If I do and the desire for the food briefly overrides his fear, what could happen if Bennett suddenly panics? I increase the chance Bennett may feel the need to bite out of fear.
My daughter sent me this video. This is Uhura who is her service dog in training at school. Sarah is a stage manager on campus. There are so many things you cannot easily train for. This is a musical rehearsal. Uhura knows much of the cast from their fall play. Musicals are different from Drama. Lots of motion and loud singing. Even very well trained dogs still get refreshers and behaviors reinforced. When taking a break from working. Uhura hangs out with the cast and was dubbed the casts’ emotional support dog. Fall play she got a head shot and bio posted.
Cooperative care. My cat, Linus. The groomer I used to use for him has moved, and the other groomer, I like in the area no longer does cats. Linus has an insanely soft coat that mats very easily and very quickly. Add in that he likes to roll in water (showers), play with sticky things like tape on boxes, and he is a constant grooming nightmare.
Here is Enzo and his first time working on impulse control with getting his ball. We also talked about using fetch as a reinforcer for other things and giving him appropriate outlets for chasing.
Enzo is one of the most reactive dogs I have worked with in years. This was taken at my follow up session with him. He is a horrific car chaser and goes after squirrels, but not as bad as he goes after cars. Between sessions I tweaked the protocols for her and she emailed me back that she saw a huge change over the past week and a half. Today we had a really good walk where he was able to handle squirrels without going insane. He did not chase after the couple cars we encountered. I taught her how to handle the environment better and start increasing his exposure to things. And I was able to begin teaching impulse control lessons and wait to be told he can chase some thing.
Not only dogs benefit from food releasing toys. This is Weeble, our "wobble" kitten (Cerebellar Hypoplasia) and one of my dogs' treat balls. When the dogs are outside, the cats get some of their kibble in a food releasing toy. I sprinkle a little catnip inside to get them interested at first. (Not all cats respond to catnip, it is a genetic thing.)
Low-stress training, behavior modification, dog/child safety, preparing dog for new child No dog needs a prong, choke, electric shock, etc., in order to learn.
