Teaching LGD puppies to get in a car is so easy if it is taught as a game, an adventure!
Step 5 - Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success - I'll let the video sum this up for you. For most of Yeti's life, this was our routine. Sometimes I could sit in my ranch vehicle and shape the behavior of both dogs from there....but....remember Blush? Every few months, for reasons I never figured out, she would change her behavior and bait Yeti as she is doing in this series for a week or two, and then go back to peacefully eating. It is because she was so predictable that I was able to create this video; 10 minutes in real time. I knew that if I wasn't physically near her that she would leave her bowl and walk towards Yeti. Every time, when Yeti finished his dinner, I went back in and removed the food in her bowl, and left. She would usually go without eating for a day or two before she gave up and ate as I had taught her. A couple of times, she went without her dinner FOR THREE DAYS. I hated that, and I struggled with what I should do. I know a dog won't go without eating longer than his body can handle, so I knew she wouldn't starve, but it made me so sad to watch her. I knew that if I changed my behavior to something that reinforced her refusal to eat it would persist longer so I didn't do that. When I took her food away, I gave her a good cuddle for staying with her bowl and not bothering Yeti. She was usually standing and wagging her tail at me when I came for her bowl. When I picked it up she would walk away and go back to work, wagging that tail. THE END! I hope this little series was valuable to you! The video was created in 2018, so I enjoyed this walk down memory lane. #positivereinforcementdogtraining #livestockguardiandogsofinstagram #livestockguardiandogintraining #livestockguardiandog
Step 4 - Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success
Step 4 - Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success - For all of Yeti's life his respiratory rate would go up at feeding time. He was a singleton pup who was fed alongside his parents: two BIG dogs and one small pup. He had to compete for every bite. He was rehomed at eight weeks (not to me), so he didn't have a long history of eating this way, but the learned behavior became his set point. I made A LOT of mistakes with Yeti. The biggest one was thinking I could teach Yeti to just get over it and eat! He told me that wasn't true, over and over, but I kept trying which added to his stress at feeding time for years. When I learned the skills you see here his life became much better! This video starts with me sending him to his bowl, but he doesn't stay there. Because I know him well, I had not stepped away from him. When he came back to me, I tucked my hand behind my back so that he would not target to it, which is a safe behavior that makes him happy. I continue to use my body position to prompt him to go back to his bowl. As I walk away, I continue to praise him for staying with his bowl. Because of Yeti's learned history of stress, I praised him often as he continued to successfully do what asked him to. This becomes a learned history of his bowl being a happy place. Notice that I can redirect him easily at this point. For Yeti, I know that he has chosen to stay with his bowl and eat when he lies down with his bowl next to his chest. Good boy, Yeti! Success! What about Blush? She has not agreed to eat her dinner yet.... #positivereinforcementdogtraining #livestockguardiandogsofinstagram #livestockguardiandogintraining #livestockguardiandog
Step 3 - Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success - While Blush stays near her bowl, Yeti follows me a bit. I have taught him two cues in asking him to return to his bowl; one is verbal and the other is my pointed finger. Because I teach hand targeting to all my dogs they really watch my hands - this is helpful! As I turned from Blush, I asked Yeti to go back to his bowl; that was not effective. I continued to walk towards him blocking his sight line to Blush. When he took one step to turn back to his bowl, I verbally marked and praised him. I spend far more time praising my dogs than working through problems because of situations like this. I used my body to create a likelihood that I would get the behavior I wanted and I got it. This is a win for both of us.
#positivereinforcementdogtraining #livestockguardiandogsofinstagram #livestockguardiandogintraining #livestockguardiandog
Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success
This is step 2! Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success - Yeti and Blush have a lot to teach us in this video. As I walk towards Blush, notice that her tail is wagging slowly - happy dog? Maybe, maybe not. Her body is rounded, her head lowered, and she is licking her lips. These are stress signals, or calming signals, that she is using as the presence of this valuable resource is placed in front of her. This is step 2! Stay tuned, more to follow! What about Yeti? He follows me past his bowl; I have taught him to stay near his bowl while I feed other dogs in his field. I stop, my first redirect, turn, point, and verbally ask him to go back to his bowl. I walk towards his bowl to help him understand what I am asking. The second he glances at his bowl, I use my verbal marker word "good", praise him, and go to Blush. I know I am training two dogs at once, so I stay aware of what Yeti is doing behind me; one of the ways I know this is by watching Blush. When I look up from Blush, I am immediately ready to redirect Yeti, or reinforce him, for the behavior I see. I use by body to block his sight line to Blush, training both dogs, and move towards him while encouraging him to turn back to his bowl. Is Yeti's behavior "wrong"? What if I scold him? Would that make him feel confident, or would it contribute to the unease he is showing me. With my body slow, and my voice calm and soft, I continue to create a likelihood for both dogs to be successful in this trained task. Stay tuned, more to follow!
#livestockguardiandog, #livestockguardiandogintraining #livestockguardiandogsofinstagram, #positivereinforcementdogtraining
Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success
Can Resource Guarding Be Prevented? Yes! LGD Body Language for Feeding Success. Watch the body language of these two adult LGDs as I put food in their bowls and ask them to eat. What do you see? Both dogs have been taught that eating is a trained behavior: food in the bowl = stay with the bowl. Both dogs seem at ease; tails wag and their bodies are loose. Blush goes to her bowl easily while Yeti stays with me. I take a minute to anchor Yeti to his bowl while praising BOTH dogs. This is step 1! Stay tuned, more to follow!
#livestockguardiandog, #livestockguardiandogintraining #livestockguardiandogsofinstagram, #positivereinforcementdogtraining
Did you know that a primary way that dogs cool off is through the pads of their feet? Some dogs aren’t comfortable doing what Rosemary is but they would still appreciate enough water to walk in. Summer is coming. On my ranch, I am making plans for all my dogs in all my fields so that they can cool off.
Within the fabric of every day I spend with my white dogs, there are lessons to be learned from them as well as opportunities to be, once again, humbled by them. I love my patient dogs! They continue to give me extra chances to get it right for them! These pups are six months old and have been with me in training since they were nine weeks old.
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Livestock guardian pups Rosemary and Basil learn how to climb a ramp to explore the back of my car all on their own! All I did was create the opportunity for them to do this. Perfect training! So easy.
#bensonmarremas, #bensonmaremmasLGDtraining, #LGDtraining, #positivereinforcementdogtraining, #livestockguardiandogtraining, #livestockguardiandog, #livestockguardiandogs, #clickertraining, #clickertrainer
#clickertrainingdogs, #cutedog, #positivereinforcementdogtraining, #livestockguardiandogonlinetrainingcourse, #lgdonlinetrainingcourse, #positivereinforcementonlinetrainingcourse, #allaboutlgdsonlinetrainingcourse
This litter of three Maremmas puppies arrived to me From Canada. They are just eight weeks old and will stay with me in training over the next few months. I hope you will follow their training journey!
LGD pups Rosemary and Basil have a romp in a brand-new area. Training puppies is all about exposing them to a variety of challenging environments!
#livestockguardiandogonlinetrainingcourse, #lgdonlinetrainingcourse, #positivereinforcementonlinetrainingcourse, #allaboutlgdsonlinetrainingcourse, #lgdpuppytrainingonlinecourse, #thinkificLGDtrainingcourses, #livestockguardiandogtrainingthinkific, #thinkificlivestockguardiandogtrainingcourses, #bestlivestockguardiandogtrainingcourses, #traininglivestockguardiandogs, #bensonranchtraining, #bensonranchLGDtraining, #LGDtraining, #positivereinforcementdogtraining, #livestockguardiandogtraining, #livestockguardiandog, #livestockguardiandogs, #clickertraining, #clickertrainer, #clickertrainingdogs, #positivereinforcementtraining
The live Zoom sessions add a LOT of value to the students of my "Novice to Expert: How to Nurture and Train Livestock Guardian Dogs" online course. Please check it out!
#bensonmaremmastraining
Hi! I thought you might like to see the orientation of the ranch and where the Shelby pups will start their journey on my ranch. Enjoy!
Strawberry the mini cow loves her white dogs!
Isla was away from home for a few days. I brought her home today. When I check on her about half an hour later this is what I saw. So sweet. I am glad to have her home! And she does love Strawberry the cow. They were doing mutual kisses; that's tough love from a cow because of the rough tongue but Isla seemed to appreciate it.
Follow Blush’s Litter (5) – Unplanned Adventure – 10 wks 7/15/19
Aren't Treats Just Bribery? No! Read On....
Clicker Train a Litter - Yes!
