Raising K9

Relaxation Protocol Day 3: Dog's Task

2012-02-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

Listen to Day 3
Down for 10 seconds
Down for 15 seconds
Down while you take 2 steps backward and return
Down while you jog 5 steps backward from the dog and return
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the right and return
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the left and return
Down while you take 10 steps backward and return
Down for 15 seconds
Down while you take 10 steps to the left and return
Down while you take 10 steps to the right and return
Down for 20 seconds
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the right, clapping your hands, and return
Down for 20 seconds
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the left, clapping your hands, and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you jog 10 steps to the right and return
Down while you jog 10 steps to the left and return
Down while you jog in place for 10 seconds
Down for 15 seconds
Down while you jog in place for 20 seconds
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you jog backward 5 steps and return
Down while you jog to the right 5 steps and return
Down while you jog to the left 5 steps and return
Down for 5 seconds while you clap your hands
Down for 10 seconds while you clap your hands
Down for 10 seconds
Down for 5 seconds

BAT Book Study Pages 41-52

2012-02-25T20:30:00.002-05:00

Chapter 4 Pages 41 - 44
1. "A functional reward is a naturally occurring consequence of a behavior that makes a behavior more likely to occur in the future."
2. Functional reward are real-life rewards, consequences that provide safety, attention, and fun.
3. A replacement behavior is what the dog is taught to do instead of the problem behavior and the replacement behavior is rewarded with the functional reward that the dog was seeking while doing the problem behavior.
4. To do BAT well:
a. The functional reward must be known
b. The functional reward must be controllable
c. A replacement behavior must exist

Chapter 5 Pages 43 - 52
1. Dogs react to increase or decrease distance from the trigger. (I'd add that dogs react to collect information about their environment.)
2. Three main reasons for reacting are fear, anger and frustration.
3. Magnet effect - the trigger draws the dog too close for the dog to be able to think so the dog reacts.
4. Use BAT set-ups to condition the dog to offer the replacement behavior automatically instead of reacting.
5. "Dogs are masters of efficiency."

BAT Book Study Pages 8 - 40

2012-02-24T19:59:00.000-05:00

Chapter 2 Pages 8 - 14 I found Peanuts story to be very interesting.
1. Dogs who are systematically desensitized and classically counter-conditioned sometimes become so fixed on the food that they don't pay enough attention to the trigger. Working without food while doing BAT removes that distraction and allows dogs to focus more on the environment.
2. The amygdala is an almond-shaped part of the mammalian brain that responds to danger (among other things. It is located deep within the temporal lobe of the brain. It is a limbic system structure that is involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those that are related to survival. The amygdala is involved in the processing of emotions such as fear, anger and pleasure. The amygdala is also responsible for determining what memories are stored and where the memories are stored in the brain. It is thought that this determination is based on how huge an emotional response an event invokes.)
3. Discrimination - noticing that trigger X and trigger Y are different. Generalization - learning that trigger X and trigger Y are similar enough to invoke the same behavior.
4. Video tape your sessions.
5. BAT creates dogs that seem to have a better understanding of how the world really works, which in turn makes them feel better.

Chapter 3 Pages 15 - 40
1. Management, environmental engineering that is immediate, effective and not necessarily permanent, and is used to keep the dog sub-threshold while one works to change the dog's behavior. The goal is to keep the dog from rehearsing the problem behaviors.
2. Supervise the dog while she is outside.
3. "An off-leash dog running full-tilt toward a reactive dog is like a tarantula falling on an arachnophobic person's head."
4. Normalize taking on a walk by quietly greeting everyone you meet as well as just greeting no one at all.
5. "Reactivity can be contagious."
6. Condition your dog to wear a muzzle, supervise muzzled dog and keep muzzled dogs below threshold.

2012-02-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

"Every herding dog should be able to turn his back on the stock and interact with the owner." - Lana Mitchell Horton

2012-02-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful... Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Seven Stages of Learning

2012-02-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

1. Get the behavior

2. Add distance

3. Add duration

4. Add distraction

5. name the behavior

6. Dog waits for cue (stimulus control)

7. Take it on the road

I like for the dog to understand that the behavior includes some amount of duration before it gets named.

2012-02-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz (December 30, 1864 – 22 April 1936) was a German dog breeder who is credited with having developed the German Shepherd Dog breed as it is currently known, set guidelines for the breed standard, and was the first president of the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for the German Shepherd Dog, commonly abbreviated SV).

Here he describes the following traits selected for in the original herding / tending German Shepherd:

--watchfulness

--entire and self-sacrificing devotion to master and property

--natural tendency to circle round, keeping and driving together of grazing

animals

--"warding off" trait--used to protect property from sheep (valuable crops)

--lack of excessive barking--the bark must mean business, and noisy dogs startle the sheep

--Grip on the ribs, top of the neck, and rump of the sheep. "Vicious grips" on the lower part of the neck and on the flank as well as leg grips were not desired, and were supposed to be bred out.

2012-02-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

"Got a problem? Put a cookie on it". - Patty Ruzzo

2012-02-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

There is a fine line between hobby and mental illness. - Dave Barry

2012-02-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

"So forget about a perfect agility dog, just make sure you make a perfect team with your dog. Your dog who should first and foremost be your best friend. And should always come first, before any result." ~ Silvia Trkman

The Kidlet and Via Do Matwork

2012-02-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

2012-02-14T23:14:00.000-05:00

“Anything a dog can learn on his own is more effective and better understood than what humans can force on the dog.” – Randy Hare

Log for Sunday, Feb 5 - Saturday Feb 11

2012-02-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

We did Relaxation Protocol Day 2 most days. She still sometimes gets up when I walk behind her. I'll do Day 2 for one more week.

Relaxation Protocol Day 1 with the Kidlet is going very well. I've cut out their outside wild and crazy play sessions. Via was coming to believe that anytime they are together it has to be wild and crazy play.

No contact with Blue except Saturday morning they got to be outside for a short play session. They seemed happy to see each other after a bit of early posturing. Next time I will video tape it.

BAT Book Study

2012-02-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

Behavior Adjustment Training: BAT for Fear, Frustration and Aggression in Dogs by Grisha Stewart is a thoughtful reader-friendly book that explains how to reduce reactive dog behaviors. I am leading a book study at CanineBookCritiques but will post the information here as well. I love this book (and the DVDs.) BAT works well with CU. Sensitivity to environmental change is a feature in working lines German Shepherd dogs. I am using BAT (along with Control Unleashed and Pattern games) with Via, who quickly tips in to frustration.

BAT Book Study Introduction Pages 1 - 2

Points that stuck out for me in the introduction:

1. With BAT the goal is to set the dog up to practice making good choices and to avoid reactive behaviors - without fear, pain, or force.

2. BAT can be used with dogs who are reactive to other dogs, people, other species or objects and with reactive animals of other species.

Chapter 1 Pages 3 - 7

Points that stuck out for me in Chapter 1:

1. Dogs behave the way that they dog to get what they want or need.

2. Problem behaviors are any behaviors that a person wants to change.

3. A functional reward is a real life consequence that reinforces a behavior (usually a problem behavior) and is the main reinforcement in BAT.

4. A replacement behavior is on that is trained and reinforced with the same functional reward that used to reinforce the problem behavior that the replacement behavior is displacing.

5. Micro-manage the dog so that she isn't exposed to triggers that cause reactivity.

6. The threshold is "the line between being relaxed and freaking out."

7. "Reinforcement is any consequence to a behavior that makes a behavior more likely to occur in the future" and can include relief from something unpleasant.

Log for Sunday, Jan 22 - Saturday, Feb 4

2012-02-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Jan 22 - No contact with Blue.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She got up when I started jogging in place.She also shifted from hip to hip when I walked around her. 6:30 AM
Session 2: Enrichment: Was given a small, cardboard box to tear to confetti.

Monday, Jan 23 - No contact with Blue.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She continues to get up when I started jogging. 7:30 AM
Session 2: Enrichment: Was given a large, cardboard box to tear to confetti.

Tuesday, Jan 24 - She had a little contact with Blue through the fence. Both dogs seemed excited to see each other and had soft but barky body language.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She got up when I started jogging in place, still. 6:30 AM
Session 2: Awareness walk in a state park. She was wearing a head halter at the start of the walk and at the end of the walk (when we passed five or six different dogs.) In the middle of the walk she was on a long line attached to her pulling harness and to me. We were with the Kidlet, another adult female and a ten year old female. The walk was about 1:30 hours and included playing in the lake in top of the ice and in the water. We ran in to 6 different loose dogs. She barked (without hackles) at the first set of three who charged us. She ignored a dog with a jogger, two (female) joggers without dogs and a lone man who was walking. She barked once bark at a man who was walking and carrying a stick when he passed between her and the Kidlet. I said, "Not your business," and walked her away. She came readily.
Session 3: Enrichment: Was given a large, cardboard box to tear to confetti.
Session 4: She was left home while the Kidlet and I went to a basketball game instead of doing a ride long and quick outing for attention work. She was still "UP" for the earlier outing.

Wednesday, Jan 25 - No contact with Blue. She fell asleep this morning on her dinning room mat next to the sliding glass window.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She got up when I started jogging in place. The Kidlet was also near by doing kid stuff so Via was also distracted by that. She did not get up to greet the Kid but she did spend time watching her. 6:30 AM
Session 2: Enrichment: Breakfast of kibble in a Kong Wobbler. 9 AM
Session 3: Outside play with the Kidlet.
Session 4: Relaxation Protocol Day 1. The Kidlet did Day 1 with Via in the dinning room. She used a different mat, did it as soon as they came in the house form about 20 minutes of play and used the recording. 4:45 PM

Thursday, Jan 26 - No contact with Blue. She was reactive to two different dogs walking past the house. Charged the fence barking and screaming with hackles up. I was able to call her off the fence and she followed me in to the house both times. I think that we will be on Day 2 for awhile.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She got up when I walked behind her and when Istarted jogging in place. This was after TWO incidents of fence barking and hackling. 8:30 AM
Session 2: Crated with a meaty bone. I will leave her home this after noon today instead of taking her to ride along to soccer practice.

Session 3: Outside play with the Kidlet. No flirt-pole. She is still up and a little barky. 4:30 PM

Friday, Jan 27 - No much training.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2.
Session 2: Relaxation Protocol Day 1 with the Kidlet.

Saturday, Jan 28 -
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 2.
Session 2: Relaxation Protocol Day 1 with the Kidlet.
Session 3: Road Trip. Two short awareness walks in new places.

Sunday, Jan 29 - Saturday Feb 4
We did Relaxation Protocol Day 2. She still sometimes gets up when I walk behind her. Relaxation Protocol Day 1 with the Kidlet also happened most days after one of their outside wild and crazy play sessions. No contact with blue except on evening when management failed. They did not fight nor act like they wanted to. They were easily parted.

A Dog's Decision

2012-01-23T11:50:00.000-05:00

"In my opinion you don't get to pick and choose what is appropriate reactivity when you have a clinically reactive dog. All his responses need to happen in the context of not reacting to something. He needs to take a relaxation cue from you instead. I would want my dog to read my cues and not react or read my cues and react. A clinically reactive dog needs to learn to look at you first, before making a decision to react (or not), because this type of dog cannot differentiate between a perceived threat and an actual threat." - Leslie McDevitt, the author of Control Unleashed who has a new puppy book coming out early next month.

2012-01-22T12:25:00.002-05:00

“We are in luck if, in training a dog, we can use his instincts as a basis for what we require. For the more instinctive an action is, the more reliable it will be.” -Konrad Most

Relaxation Protocol Day 2: Dog's Task

2012-01-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

I'll be using the audio version that you can hear by clicking on DAY 2 , provide by Roxanne Hawn.
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 1 step back and return
Down while you take 3 steps back and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 3 steps to the right and return
Down while you take 3 steps to the left and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 3 steps to the right and clap your hands
Down while you take 3 steps to the left and clap your hands
Down for 5 seconds
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you walk one fourth of the way around the dog to the right
Down while you take 4 steps back
Down while you walk one fourth of the way around the dog to the left
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 5 steps back from the dog, clapping your hands, and return
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the right and return
Down while you walk halfway around the dog to the left and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you jog quietly in place for 3 seconds
Down while you jog quietly in place for 5 seconds
Down while you jog quietly in place for 10 seconds
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you jog one fourth of the way around the dog to the right and return
Down while you jog one fourth of the way around the dog to the left and return
Down for 5 seconds
Down for 10 seconds

Log for Thursday, Jan 12 - Saturday, Jan 21

2012-01-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Jan 12 No Blue contact
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 1. The Kidlet came in in the middle of it to ask me a question. Via ignored her.
Session 2: Home while we were gone. She was crated in the office upstairs. Blue was gated downstairs. I need to do more of this.
Session 3: Distant sits. We worked a lot on that when she was a little puppy and she still has it.

Friday, Jan 13 Blue and Via did some cross gate cursing.
Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 1 again. Rox let Blue out. My management plan is at least two barriers between the dogs at all times. So Blue came to the gate and the dogs barked at each other but without hackling across the barrier. The Kidlet returned Blue to the downstairs office and I restart Via to the PR after trip outside to stress pee. Via was not relaxed and got up a couple of times but went directly back down on request.
Session 2: Sits and downs around the house.
Session 3: Ear cleaner. She was seriously stressed so I only did one ear. She was so stressed that I did not push the other. In hind sight it was a poor choice on my part after the Blue thing this morning.
Session 4: I left her home crated in the upstairs office while we are gone to decompress as she was still stressed and flaky and worried about coming near me.
Session 5: 8:30 pm Nose to hand touches

Saturday, Jan 14 No contact with Blue.
Session 1: RP Day 1 again with Kidlet whining and making noise near by. Via ignored her.
Session 2: Road trip about 5 hours total in the car crate.
Session 3: We went to the park for a short awareness walk and pee.
Session 4: Kitchen sits.

Sunday, Jan 15 No contact with Blue.
Session 1: Handling in bed. She has become sensitive to having her ears handled.
Session 2: RP Day 1 again still in the dinning room. We will stick with it until the end of the week. (Note: I also started RP with Blue alone. She can use it, too. I forgot the my spouse uses a hand clap when she is calling the dogs. Blue got up every time I clapped and came to me. Tomorrow I will skip those. At some point I plan to do the dogs together.)

Monday, Jan 16 No contact with Blue
Session 1: RP Day 1 still in the dinning room. 7 am
Session 2: Ride along but stayed in the crate.
Session 3: Distance sits (4 pm)
Session 4: Kidlet training (Sits, downs, hand touches)

Tues, Jan 17 No contact with Blue
Session 1: RP Day 1 still in the dinning room 8:15 am
Session 2: Watched hooded stranger shovel out driveway from window seat without reacting.
Session 3: Crated upstairs in office with breakfast while same stranger was doing the porch and walkway right at the window. I did not want to push it.

Wed, Jan 18 Did not bark when the mail carrier came to the door! No contact with Blue
Session 1: Firt pole with kidlet
Session 2: RP Day 1 still in the dinning room (noonish)

Thursday, Jan 19 No contact with Blue.
Session 1: RP Day 1 still in the dinning room
Session 2: Outside play with Kidlet (no flirt pole)

Friday Jan 20 No RP today. First contact with Blue in a week.
Session 1: Outside in the snow for 15 minutes with Blue. I got her back inside before either dog went over threshold. First time they have seen each other in a week.
Session 2: Ride along to Kidlets education group meeting with a short wait in the car
Session 3: Play in the snow with the Kidlet and a second kid in Randolph.

Saturday Jan 21 Too much crate time in the day. No contact with Blue.
Session 1: Ride along for a 4.5 hour (much longer than normal because of the snow) round trip to the Kidlet's basketball with a long wait in the car. We left the house at 6 am and returned after 3 pm.
Session 2: Awareness walk and play in deep snow at a new place. Kids were sledding near by.
Session 3: RP Day 1 still in the dinning room. Tomorrow I will start RP Day 2.

2012-01-17T08:02:00.001-05:00

"Each competition is only practice for the next competition." - Kay Laurence

Log for Wednesday, Jan 11

2012-01-11T23:35:00.006-05:00

When I do the RP today, I need to pay attention to my posture. Yesterday I started out using my normal training stand, stare and smile - formal ring posture with hands down at my sides. I caught myself half way in and changed to hands in front of me but I think hands behind my back, body more sideways and not looking directly at the dog would be better. I have to remember to take deep breaths. I want my posture to become a cue for relaxation, along with the mat.

There will be no contact with Blue. It is also a heavy on kid stuff rest of the week, so Via will spend extra time crated in the car for all the road trips. I'll make sure make time to get her out for attention training or an awareness walk at every stop.

Session 1: RP Day 1. Via was not even sort of relaxed this morning. She never got up from the mat but she also never put her head down. She went over threshold in the back yard this morning. Their wasn't anything that I could see to bark at. She ran to the back fence and barked. I called her to me, she came right away and we ran inside. I started RP less than 5 minutes later. In hind sight, I could have waited longer. 6:30 am

Session 2: The rest of her breakfast in her crate along with a 2 hour crate break. 7 am
Session 3: Name Game - Via in the dinning room- 8:45 AM
Session 4: Collar grabs She was laying on couch with the Kidlet.
Session 5: Name Game - Via in the dinning room

Session 6: Ride along on afternoon outing and car crated from 10 am to 11:30 am.
Session 7: Awareness walk in a community park in Randolf, MA. She was on a long line and bady harness, rear attached.
Session 8: Played in the "snow" behind the ice area in Randolf, MA with the Kidlet and another 10 year old, female.
Session 9: Via was also held on lead by an adult female while I get out of sight to the car. I was gone about 3 minutes and she did not seem to notice that I had gone.
Session 10: Car crated for an hour.
Session 11: Off lead play with 2 female 10-year-olds and a soccer ball for about 30 minutes. 4 pm
Session 12: Crated for hour ride home.
Session 13: Crated from 6:30 to 9 pm for dinner and a rest after her busy day.
Session 14: Overnight crating. 11:15 pm

How I spent My Afternoon

2012-01-11T21:46:00.008-05:00

Log for Tuesday, Jan 10

2012-01-10T23:24:00.015-05:00

Today's goals are very little crate time except naps if she can't settle while out, a training session for at least five minutes out every hour and all day payment for any calm behaviors such as offered sits, downs, mats. I have gotten in to the habit of carrying kibble in my pockets. I will also keep her tether to me when Blue is out and about as I don't want their snipping at each other to become a habit.

I will crate her when I think she needs a nap as she does not sleep nor settle and be still in one spot when not crated very well. She offers downs and will lay on the window seat facing in to the house (instead of staring out the window) but gets up to see what the people are doing if anyone moves. The Kidlet is always moving. We will skip the flirt pole for the rest of this week. Instead we will take an awareness walk or do a track in a park that she knows well. I will also have the Kidlet do mat work, leave it, hand touches and come with Via.

Session 1: Relaxation Protocol Day 1: Dog's Tasks. She never got up from her mat. She put her chin down on the 10 and 15 second counts. She was rolled on her hip and did not switch hips the entire time. The audio version was playing on my computer. I last did it with the audio playing on an Ipod that has since died. I will do DAY 1 for the rest of the week. I need to pay attention to my posture. I started out using my normal training stand, stare and smile - formal ring posture with hands down at my sides. I caught myself half way in and changed to hand in front of me but I think hands behind my back, body more sideways and not looking directly at the dog would be better. I have to remember to take deep breaths. 6:30 AM

Session 2: Enrichment. Treat ball with part of breakfast in the dinning room. 7:20
Session 3: Enrichment. I gave her a cardboard box to deconstruct. I did not even need to put treats in it. With Via it isn't just about the food. 8:10 am
Session 4: Napping! In the dinning room with the Kidlet walking around. I guess that tearing up a cardboard box is hard work. 8:30 am
Session 5: Crated while I was gone with the Kidlet 10 am - 1 pm
Session 6: Outside with the Kidlet. The Kidlet was to stand and watch Via wander the yard. No tugging, flirt pole or chase games. 1:15 pm
Session 7: Kitchen sits
Session 8: Kitchen downs
Session 9: Politeness around the table while the Kidlet is eating. 2:30 pm
Session 10: Play inside with the Kidlet. I asked that their be no tugging, chasing or running. 4 PM
Session 11: Crate time for a nap. She been out, up and busy since about 1 pm. She settled for a bit but did not nap. I did not hear a peep out of her between when I crated her and when I let her out at. 6 -9:30 PM

These next 5 sessions took about 5 minutes total and two thin slices of lunch meat. 9:45 PM
Session 12: Zen Level 1 Step 3 - Dog stays away from a treat in your open hand for five seconds. She back away, downed and offered eye-contract.
Session 13: Level 1 Sit - Step 4: Dog sits by an open door. I used the doorway from the kitchen to the front door entry. I am not sure it qualifies so will do the office or the bathroom later.
Session 14: Name Game - Via I rewarded by tossing the treat into her mouth when she offered eye contact upon hearing her name.
Session 15: Collar grabs She has not yet gotten to the point where she actively tries to put her neck under my hand. When she does, I'll add the cue "collar"
Session 16: Level 1 Sit - Step 4: Dog sits by an open door. I used the door in to the downstairs office. She REALLY wanted to enter as it is a room that is off limits to her for the most part.

Session 17: crate games for three reps (sent from only about 3 steps away) then crating overnight. 10:45 PM

Relaxation Protocol Day 1: Dog's Task

2012-01-10T05:07:00.006-05:00

The relaxation protocol (RP) was developed by Dr. Karen Overall, a veterinary behaviorist, to help dogs learn to relax. By working the RP each day, I hope that Via develops a relaxed emotional response when she is on her mat. I started the RP when she was a young puppy but did not finish the process and am starting over at day one.

The relaxation protocol is 15 sets of exercises performed while Via is lying on her mat. I will use the same mat every time for the RP and will not use that particular mat for anything else until I complete the RP. I will do it in the kitchen before breakfast Via's and before the rest of the household is up.

The entire process is to do all 15 days in one location, then again in 3 more locations. My goal is to do one set of exercises each day, but last time around I discovered that Via needed several days to get though each days exercise.

Although Dr. Overall’s original instructions specify the sit on the mat, I found with using the RP with stressed dogs in my reactive dog classes that most dogs relax better in a down position. I will not be using a clicker for the RP. Along with working the RP, I plan to teach Via to take a breath which I learned from Leslie McDevitt, the author of Control Unleashed. I will write more about that process later.

My goal for the rest of THIS week is to complete day one of the RP. The goal is for Via to remain down on the mat from step 1 to step 15. If she breaks, I return her to the mat and start over. I'll be using the audio version that you can hear by clicking on DAY 1, provide by Roxanne Hawn.

Down for 5 seconds
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 1 step back and return
Down while you take 2 steps back and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 1 step to the right and return
Down while you take 1 step to the left and return
Down for 10 seconds
Down while you take 2 steps back and return
Down while you take 2 steps to the right and return
Down for 15 seconds
Down while you take 2 steps to the left and return
Down while you clap your hands softly once
Down while you take 3 steps back and return
Down while you count out loud to 10
Down while you clap your hands softly once
Down while you count out loud to 20
Down while you take 3 steps to the right and return
Down while you clap your hands softly twice
Down for 3 seconds
Down for 5 seconds
Down while you take 1 step back and return
Down for 3 seconds
Down for 10 seconds
Down for 5 seconds
Down for 3 seconds

Log for Monday, Jan 9

2012-01-09T21:56:00.004-05:00

Session 1: Crate games and breakfast 7 AM
Session 2: Handling in the upstairs hall 9 AM
Session 3: Road trip / ride along to the 3 stores 10 AM
Session 4: Attention next to the car in the store parking lot of store. It took about 5 minutes for her to notice me. It was a place that we had not been. I will do more of this. I should have taken her out at each store and not just the last one.
Session 5: Supervised play with Blue outside. A loose dog came up to the fence and I was able to call both dogs off the fence and in to the house with out any redirected frustration aggression on Via's part or fear aggression on Blue's part. 11:50 AM
Session 6: Flirt pole in the yard with the Kidlet 12:30 PM
Session 7: Crate time with a meaty bone in the office. 1 PM
Session 8: Flirt pole in the yard with the kidlet 3:20 PM
Session 9: Mat with Blue
Session 10: Kitchen sits with Blue
Session 11: Mat with Blue
Session 12: Relaxing in the living room with out Blue
Session 13: Supervised play outside with Blue. They were GREAT outside. They even played chase me chase you a little. They came in and were snippy with each other in the dinning room. Via still wanted to play. Blue wanted to be left alone. She moved in to the corner next to the breakfast bar which is where I think she was when the fight started yesterday. Via wouldn't quit picking at Blue. I wonder if she is still "UP" from the loose dog this morning. Tomorrow I will make sure that she has less "Blue" time. And she will go back to wearing a drag line so that I can remove her from Blue's space if need be easier. We will also start the relaxation protocol. Once I got Blue back outside, Via was easily lead to her crate. When Blue came in, Blue could easily down on her mat and preform simple tricks immediately and with pep.
Session 14: Crate rest in the office 6 to 8 PM
Session 15: Relaxing with a bully stick in the living room with out Blue.
Session 16: Crate games. Then crated for bed with a small snack since she skipped dinner and I did very little treating for training today. She barked once or twice when I came back down stairs without her but then was silent. 9:30 pm

Log for Sunday, Jan 8

2012-01-08T21:32:00.006-05:00

Today's goals are very little crate time, a training session at least every hour and all day payment for any calm behaviors such as offered sits, downs, mats. I fed her a seriously small breakfast - one chicken wing.

Session 1: Outdoor play with me and Blue. 6:30 AM
Session 2: Crated with breakfast. 7:30
Session 3: Name Game - Via with Blue 8:10 AM
Session 4: Pill Game - I give several small extra good treats in a row cuing "Pill" on delivery. Today boiled it was turkey breast. Then I give a pill, then treat, treat treat again. If the dog doesn't need a pill, it gets just the treats. 8:20 AM
Session 5: Counter surfing game. Setups with food in a plastic bag on the counter. I paid for sniffing without taking or licking. Blue was paid for her usual sitting in the kitchen and looking hopeful. 8:30 AM
Session 6: Name Game - Via with Blue
Session 7: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 8: Sharing with Blue. A lick for Via, a lick for Blue, etc. Via backed up on Blues turn and down on her mat. Yeah!
Session 9: Call inside from barking with Blue 8:50 AM
Session 10: Name Game - Via with Blue
Session 11: mat with Blue in the dinning room

Session 12: Crated after an altercation with Blue (who seemed to have started it.) They were playing crazy in the dinning room. It was my fault because I generally interrupt the play when it gets to the edges of over aroused. Also, Via has usually has had a nap after breakfast. Today, I did not and a real fight started. No one was injured. It seemed to be mostly noise and spit. I am concerned because neither dog was able to disengage if the other dog was in sight. I split them with a baby gate, backing Via out the back door. I then back Blue away from the door with the gate. Once eye contact was broken I could lead her in to the downstairs office. I closed the inside with a closed door and a baby gate blocking the hallway to the room. I let Via in the house. She charged around for about 30 seconds with her hackles and her tail up. I called her to me in the kitchen and she came. I asked for a sit, a down and a hand touch. She could do it and her hackles and tail came down. I gave her a drink of water and sent her upstairs. She went willingly up the stairs and in to the crate on one cue. I gave her her crate treat and closed the door. I also closed the door to the office and put a gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep Blue from sniffing around the door. In an hour or so I'll work Via upstairs alone and send her outside to potty alone. When the dogs are together the rest of the day it will be to train together. I'll see how it goes before I let them play again. 9:40 AM or so.
Session 13: Hand touches before reintroducing to Blue. I let Via out of her crate at 12:30 PM for hand touches. The I let her out in the yard with Blue for 10 minutes. Both dogs slept during the crate time. The both just wandered around the yard with out playing or soliciting play.
Session 14: Name game alone.
Session 15: Handling in master bed room
Session 16: Outside with Blue for 10 minutes. The dogs played together a little bit.
Session 17: Relaxing in the house with out Blue for an hour. Sat or laid on the window seat. I rewarded her occasionally for being still.
Session 18: Outside with Blue for 10 minutes. Blue just watched Via run around the yard. She did not join in for the first few minutes then they played chase me chase you. 2:30 PM
Session 19: Kitchen sits with Blue
Session 20: Play break inside. I ended it after about 2 minutes by sending each to a mat.
Session 21: Mat downs with Blue

Session 22: Play break inside. I ended it after about 1 minute by sending each to a mat.
Session 23: Mat downs with Blue
Session 24: Relaxing in the house with Blue. Both were down somewhere not bugging each other. Blue was on her mat in the dinning room by the back door where she likes to watch for chipmunks. Via was on the window seat. 3:40 PM
Session 25: Outside with Blue for 10 minutes. Both dogs mostly standing around. 4 PM
Session 26: Relaxing in the house with Blue.
Session 27: Playing with Blue in the living room started getting up so I put Via in her crate for a break at 4: 20 PM
Session 28: The Kidlet let Via out of her crate at 7 pm and played with her in the house while Blue was crated.
Session 29: Enrichment. Via relaxed around the house with a bully stick.
Session 30: Crate games ending with dinner and over night crating. 8:15 PM

Log for Saturday, Jan 7

2012-01-07T23:52:00.004-05:00

Blue is top dog.

Blue goes in for a butt bite.

Yesterday, I missed that golden 5 minutes before the meal training window. I vow to make it today!

Session 1: Crate games ending with breakfast in crate 7:30 AM
Session 2: Crated at home while the Kidlet and I went to a basketball clinic. 8 to 1 PM
Session 3: Flirt pole with the Kidlet in the backyard. 1:30 PM
Session 4: Distance sits. She can sit 15 feet away with either a verbal or a signal. We worked it a lot when she was a young puppy but have not do any training in many months. 2 pm
Session 5: Crate rest with a bone after 2 hours none stop play with Blue in the back yard and through out the house. It was about 60 degrees here today (and bugless!) so I left the slider open so the dogs could go out and in at will. I sat on the deck and followed them in and out. They were mostly out. Blue is the one who needed the break. 5 pm
Session 6: Mat working in the dinning room with Blue. This was before doggy dinner and went well. 8 PM
Session 7: I put Via to bed in her crate at 9 pm. When I went to bed at 10:30 PM or so I woke Via and got her out of her crate and put the loose in the bedroom with me. Blue was already asleep on the living room couch. Via did well. She paced a bit. She got on the bed a couple of times before settling on the dog bed. She seemed to think that biting my hair at 3 am might get me to play with her but settled again when kicked off the bed.

2012-01-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

"Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Log for Friday, Jan 6

2012-01-06T20:24:00.004-05:00

Via shows her desire for a back yard spring pole during a trip to the park earlier this week.

Session 1: Call off barking at the fence. We have loose dog blues here. She came running to the door but would not follow me in. She went back to the fence three or four times before she'd follow me inside. On the good side: 1. Blue went right inside and stayed there even with the door open. 2. Via turned away from the fence every time I called her and moved towards me. 3. I never used my recall cue. 4. Via calmed down - without redirecting to Blue - as soon as she came in to the house by laying down in the kitchen while the loose dog was still outside the fence barking. 7 AM

Session 2: A chill out session in the upstairs crate with breakfast - a raw meaty beef bone.

Session 3: Greeting a house guest (human). The guest was female, wearing a baseball cap and is a dog person. Via jumped on her before she sat. When she went for a second jump, Blue told her to knock it off. 10 AM

Session 4: Flirt pole with the Kidlet in the backyard.

Session 5: Kitchen sits with Blue.

Session 6: Alone (sort of as Blue was also home but closed out of the crate room) training. She was gated in the living room with the Kidlet while Blue and I were in the kitchen. She could see me but not Blue. She had a bully stick but still was not happy. The kidlet, against my wishes, started to play with her - rewarding her for barking and whining. The kidlet and I had a talk about it right after. Having *ANY* interaction with the barking whining Via rewards the behavior even if that interaction is to ask for a sit before playing.

Session 7: Via was left at home (crated in the upstairs office) while the kidlet and I were gone. 11 AM - 5 PM

Session 8: I attempted to train Via after her (and my) dinner. She was not interested in treats. I missed that golden 5 minutes before the meal training window, so we played for a while (fetch my shoe) instead. 8 PM

2012-01-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

"No Matter how little money and how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin

2012-01-05T21:43:00.002-05:00

Primary reinforcers are food, water, sex, and air, things necessary for survival.

Secondary reinforcers are things that have become conditioned to be reinforcing, like play, praise, and tactile.

Tertiary reinforcers are cues that have a strong R+. - Sara Reusche

Thursday, Jan 5

2012-01-05T21:25:00.005-05:00

Low training day. The Kidlet had soccer mid day and Via got to ride along and wait in the car.

Test Cold: Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes. I did touches two or three for one reward. The reward was Via's favorite touch, a chest scratch. 8 AM
Session 1: Handling. Via was on my bed. I touched body parts and named them. Ears, eyes, tail, muzzle, teeth, chin, chest. Reward was a chest scratch.
Session 2: Flirt pole in the back yard with the Kidlet. 10 AM
Session 3: Fetch, tug, out, sit, wait, fetch...
Session 4: Awareness walk in the playground for about 40 minutes. Played spring pole with one of the swings. 4 pm
Session 5: Crate games with the Kidlet in the upstairs office crate ending with dinner and a nap in the crate.
Session 6: Scent articles. Three tin boxes with one scented. Not treats in the can. 8:30 PM
Session 7: Zen Level 1 Step 3 - Dog stays away from a treat in your open hand for five seconds in the upstairs hallway.
Session 8: Name Game - Via - in the upstairs hallway.
Session 9: Zen Level 1 Step 3 - Dog stays away from a treat in your open hand for five seconds in the upstairs hallway.
Session 10: Name Game - Via - in the upstairs hallway.
Session 11: Mat Stays with Blue in the dinning room. I was able to go out of sight for a couple of seconds. 9 PM
Session 12: Fetch, tug, out, sit, wait, fetch...
Session 13: Crate games ending with over night in crate.

Log for Wednesday, Jan 4

2012-01-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

I carried treats in my pockets and rewarded Via anytime I found her laying on a mat or rug. All the sessions were 5 to 15 treats.

Session 1: Find it. Stairs, dinning room, up stairs hall way. 7 am
Session 2: Crate games ending with breakfast in the crate. Office.
Session 3: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 4: Down stay in the living room with Blue
Session 5: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 6: Find it for treats in the upstairs hall.
Session 7: Crate games ending with nap in the office crate.
Session 8: Down stay in the kitchen with Blue
Session 9: Enrichment I gave her an empty heavy cream container to tear up.
Session 10: Flirt pole with Kidlet. (She chased but did not grab the because she was still carrying her part of her heavy cream container. She did not even put it down to urinate.

Test Cold: Target Level 1 step 3 come after - Teach Via to touch my foot with her nose. She did two to each foot top and two to each foot bottom in the Kitchen. The first was without any training lead up.

Session 11: Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes. (Goal is every room in the house.) We did my foot top right and left, foot sole right and left, two and three fors with each hand, a lime, a piece of hard cheese held flat against my palm and a water bottle in the kitchen. The props were all held in my hand. We two and three fors with each hand, dog reach high, low, left and right, and dog moving three or more steps to touch hand in the downstairs bathroom, living room and entryway. (I still need to dinning room, Kidlet's room, mud room, first floor guest room, master bed room and my office. I will also revisit all three basement rooms.)

Session 12: Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes. (Goal is every room in the house.) We did my foot top right and left in the kitchen. We did two and three fors in the dinning room with a paperback book, a 6 inch long wooden napkin ring shaped like a leopard and a coffin shaped cardboard box spray painted goal. The props were all held in my hand.
Session 13: Mat in the dinning room
Session 14: Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes. (Goal is every room in the house.) We did nose to hand touches (2 and 3 fors, left, right, up, down and moving forward) in the three upstairs rooms and the hallway. We did nose to doggy nail clippers in the upstairs hallway.
Session 15: Re-read Level 2 target (without the dog)
Session 16: Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes. (Goal is every room in the house.) We did nose to hand touches and nose to foot targeting with me doing the verbal cuing and the the Kidlet offering the body part to be targeted.
Session 17: Crate games in the office crate. 4 pm
Session 18: Mat in the dinning room with Blue 8:30 pm
Session 19: Scent articles in the up stairs hall way
Session 20: Crate games in the office crate.

Log for Tuesday, Jan 3

2012-01-03T21:15:00.001-05:00

Session 1: Mat in the dinning room before breakfast.
Session 2: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 3: Flirt pole with Kidlet
Session 4: Mat in the living room with Blue
Session 5: Flirt pole with Kidlet
Session 6: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 7: Mat in the living room with Blue
Session 8: Hand touches in the Kitchen
Session 9: Flirt pole with Kidlet
Session 10: Scent working upstairs hall

Log for Monday, Jan 2

2012-01-02T21:13:00.001-05:00

Session 1: Mat in the dinning room before breakfast.
Session 2: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 3: Mat in the living room with Blue
Session 4: Flirt pole with Kidlet
Session 5: Mat in the dinning room with Blue
Session 6: Mat in the living room with Blue
Session 7: Scent working upstairs hall

Log for Sunday, Jan 1

2012-01-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

(Roxana did four or five sessions with Via working on name, touch, down and sit in the kitchen and dinning room. The Kidlet played with the flirt pole with her and did sits and downs. I did not log them. We also did some crate work in the office crate that I did not log.)

Session 1: Mat in the dinning room with Blue before breakfast.
Session 2: Play in the upstairs hall.
Session 3: Scent working in my office.
Session 4: Scent working upstairs hall.
Session 5: Scent working in my office.
Session 6: Mat in the living room.
Session 7: Play in my office.
Session 8: Mat in the dinning room.
Session 9: Mat in the dinning room.

Week's Training Log

2012-01-01T19:41:00.006-05:00

These are favorite photos of my adult daughter that she took of Red and one of her and Red the day that Blue arrived.

With the holidays, Red's cancer and death and Via's false pregnancy, we did not do much formal organized training. We worked on Via being calm in the house with Blue as Red was the peace keeper. Roxana has started working on sit, down, come, touch and name with Via. The Kidlet continues to play almost daily flirt pole with Via and is conditioning Blue to hang out with her in her room.

Blue is very lost with out Red. She was basically HIS dog. He was 9 months old when she joined our household at 9 weeks old . He immediately took charge of her. Blue's new favorite place is to be leaning against some human's leg.

Via looked for Red at his spot on the couch for a few days but doesn't any more. Her play with Blue has become more bossy and frantic.

On Training by Bob Bailey

2011-12-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

1. Timing, Criteria, Rate of Reinforcement
2. Think – Plan – Do – Review
3. Plan to Train – Train your Plan
4. Be a splitter not a lumper
5. Learning is always happening, train daily
6. Click for action – feed for position

(as compiled by Moe Strenfel)

2011-12-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

Every animal knows more than you do.
Nez Perce Proverb

2011-12-24T07:56:00.001-05:00

"Points to remember: Always let the dog win. Move out of heel position when you play." - Denise Fenzi

F YOU, Cancer!

2011-12-22T09:12:00.017-05:00

Robin's Fast Red Dog
Feb 24, 2003 - Dec 22, 2011

Red was found to have an advance case of canine osteosarcoma on Tuesday in the right upper arm bone (near the shoulder). Amputation was not feasible. He has had persistent lameness off and on for a few weeks. This weekend he started being restless at night, yelping in pain for no reason that I could see and clinging to me so we took the first available vet appointment.

His spirit was great. He wanted to play, go for walks, run the fence line barking at the loose dogs who visit more often than I'd like and is always ready to eat. To the end was the first dog to appear when a plastic bag rattles. Just this morning he was trying to steal food off the kitchen counter.

The tumor was so large and the bone was so thin that the Kidlet joined me when we took him to the vet to be put him to sleep this afternoon. She wanted a paw print from him, too, which we did today.

False Pregnancy

2011-12-22T08:46:00.003-05:00

Via's body believes that she is going to have puppies. Think about the hormone flood that pregnant women have - moodiness, food cravings, morning sickness, nesting. Now put that into a canine body that has not been bred. She is at the tail end of her first false pregnancy.

Canine false pregnancy is a term used to describe female dogs showing signs of pregnancy, nursing, and lactation, and yet produce no puppies; either there was no mating occurred or have any fertilized eggs. False or phantom pregnancy (also called pseudocyesis) occurs in an estimated 60 percent of female dogs that have not been spayed.

In very mild cases, you may not notice any difference in the female’s mental or physical state. As false pregnancy progresses, many females can experience a dramatic variety of mood and sensory changes such as a swollen abdomen, mammary glands filled with milk. She will exhibit almost the exact physical symptoms, as well as behavioral symptoms, that she would go through a real pregnancy.

Symptoms may include exhaustion or feeling sleepy, food cravings, frequent urination, abdominal cramps, and/or tender or swollen mammary glands. Changes in appetite are also extreme. When a dog is pregnant she will go through periods of huge appetite increases as well as periods of what appear to be hunger strikes which can last for days.

The female behavior will start displaying that of a mother who is trying to “nest.” She will spend time building her nest and form attachments to inanimate objects like toys, shoes, remote controller, and throws. She will then carry her "puppies" around the house and taking them to her bed. Her territorial and maternal instincts will show as she protects her invisible litter.

Via's case is mild. She did some nest digging under the deck. She was a little more bitchy. Her teats have not filled with milk. She had to pee a little more often. She's a little more food motivated. She is very distracted even when training in the bathroom. Via has been swinging from grumpy to exuberant to clingy to bold sometimes with in the same five minutes. And until this morning she never went anywhere without carrying her "baby," a stuffed bone, along.

A state of false pregnancy is actually normal for dogs, writes Mike Richards, DVM, on vetinfo.com, because of the sustained production of progesterone when they go into heat. This means that with each heat a dog is hormonally pregnant, regardless of whether she is actually pregnant; in other words, her body will feel to her as if she is pregnant, although there really are no puppies.

Unlike other mammals (and primates) that have a monthly cycle, dogs only go into heat every six to eight months, which extends the production of progesterone. False pregnancy occurs when a dog’s progesterone level does not return to its normal level after her heat cycle.

The symptoms usually disappear when the dog’s hormones return to their normal levels. Some dogs may experience a false pregnancy with every heat. Dogs that have whelped (given birth) are more likely to experience this phenomenon than those who haven’t. Symptoms generally become noticeable 6 to 12 weeks after estrus.

Via's pseudocyesis is winding down. This morning she forgot to bring her "baby" with her when she left the crate and she has gone back to trying to get Blue to play instead of digging under the deck.

This week's goals and holes

2011-12-18T00:17:00.003-05:00

We did not do much formal training this week. Via is experiencing a false pregnancy and her brains are running out of her ears. I think that she is at the end of it. The highlight of this week's training would be running loose and with a couple of preteen human girls. She fetched balls and greeted people politely. The attention games continue. The Kidlet played with the flirt pole with her most days. I have also introduced a new crate in my office to go with the one in the mudroom. Next week I plan to add a crate in the basement where there is more room for playing crate games.

What I'd give for an uneventful walk. This week on our walks we've run into loose dogs twice, a tethered charging dog once, the weird guy in the bushes three times (but detoured once when I saw the glow from his cigarette) and a braking lunging leashed dog once. My dog wanted to talk trash back but I did a U-turn and she came with me readily.

Last night the guy was standing in the bushes down the street (smoking), a loose little white thing charge from around the corner at my barking and lunging leash frustrated dog and someone stopped her car in the middle of the street to hop out and run over to greet the over aroused Ms. Via Moose Butt. She had GSDs growing up and just loves them, she said as I stepped between her and my hacking dog. I can be rude when I need to be. Greeting did not happen. She lives a couple of houses down the street and I told her that I'll look for her car when Via was in a better space.

This walk was about two hours after two loose dogs ran my fence line barking at my dogs for the second day in a row, while I worked hard to collect them and get them inside. I am always outside with the dogs. Via can easy clear our fence but doesn't know it. It is something that I'd prefer she not learn.

We saw the smoker in the bushes the night before, too, when he jumped out at us startling both of us. Via barked at him, of course, and slowed to look at him last night with her hackles up but did not bark. I'd say that her reaction to him was appropriate but I wonder if she would have done her usually "wiggle butt there is a person over there dance" if she did not have all the hormones and loose dog fence fighting stress on top of his sudden appearance.

This week's goals and holes

2011-12-11T14:07:00.001-05:00

"Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

I think that quote also holds true for dogs.

Last week I did not keep detailed records. I am trying to spend less time on the computer and more time doing "useful" things around the house. I discovered that when I don't keep records, I don't get around to doing much formal training. I think I already knew that about myself so I am back at it this week.

The high points of the week were doing recalls in a park, working a lot of leave it in the kitchen around the open dish washer full of waiting to be washed dishes, and using a visiting electrician as a greeter to work on polite greeting. The Kidlet did much more formal training with Via this week than in the past and I can see more of a bond between them.

We are continuing to work on attention and bow for the on-line freestle workshop that we are doing. We took attention on the road and worked in a playground this week. I'd work a bit, have her do some tricks and then send her for a break. I was pleasantly surprised. I see a light at the end of the tunnel!

I am getting some fall out. Via has decided that she needs to be near me and has started to bug me for attention. She used to be the only dog in the house who did not follow me from room to room. I've lost that but what is one more dog crowding in on me in the bathroom when there are already two 70 pounders jockeying for space? I've gained, however, the ability to call her off the fence or out of wild play with Blue. She also came from under the deck when I called her. She has taken to going under and rolling in the mud. SHE LOVES to be under the deck.

The bow has been fun. I've been using a target stick for bow or my foot (in different sessions) as a target for her nose and my hand as a target for her hip and seem to be getting a little cleaner in my prompt with the dog between down and bow.

It has taken a lot of time. First I had to condition a nose touch to my foot as well as a nose touch with a closed mouth to a variety of targets and a butt target to my hand. Then I took each on the road as in making sure that she could do each alone high, low, right, left etc in every room in the house.

I am just starting to put the two together with sometimes comical results. I am still working on consistent butt to hand targeting and am most likely using it prematurely.

If I am ever ready to add a cue for the bow, it will be Taaa-DAAA!

2011-12-11T13:58:00.000-05:00

Anytime you work in a more distracting environment anticipate that your dog will not do as well, lower your criteria so you can up your rate of reinforcement. In other words, help the dog out. - Brenda Grice

Leandra's List of Nevers

2011-12-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

Never give a cue when you think there's a chance that the dog won't respond appropriately.

Never use a food lure after a dog has not responded appropriately to a cue.

Never repeat a cue directly after the dog has not responded appropriately to the previous one.

All of these situations have an adverse effect on your training.

Leandra Ford

What is a Title, Really?

2011-12-07T14:08:00.000-05:00

By Sandra Mowery

Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores; a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial.

It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything is this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better.

And though the dog himself doesn’t know or care that his achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count. A title says your dog was intelligent, adaptable and good nature. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.

And, a title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed and that, in the end, your faith was justified. A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return.

And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials after the name. An obedience title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received and recorded permanently.

2011-12-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Awesome dogs come from awesome reinforcement histories. - Crystal Thompson

This week's goals and holes

2011-12-04T08:04:00.006-05:00

This week's holes:

Mat Suck- When I am training anything at all that is not MAT related, I have to take up all dog beds, rugs, what ever on the floor or Via is sucked directly to the Mat. Via is starting to also suffer from "crate" suck.

Leave it - I need to work it in real life places.

Sunday, Nov 27 - I did not keep formal notes. Overall it was a very quiet relaxed day with me home alone with the dog.
Crate games in mud room
Attention all over the house. I carried kibble in my pockets all day and rewarded any time I saw her watching me.
Group sits in the kitchen, dinning room and living room with Blue and with Red and Blue.
Group downs in the kitchen, dinning room and living room with Blue and with Red and Blue.
Mat Downs (Mat Love) - with Blue in the dining room
down stay with Blue in the dining room
Call outs of play with Blue
Enrichment - treat ball in her crate.
Kitchen Leave its - She does better as an only dog. It seems that she is completing with the others to be first.
Water bowl sharing with Red - She seems to be trusting more that he will not eat her.
Attention in the basement. I was spitting liver treats. Yuck! But she is now watching my face more.
Find it -kibble in the yard with Blue
Find it -kibble in the basement alone.
Group name game - Via - with Blue and with Red and Blue in the kitchen and dinning room
Group name game - Dogs - with Blue and with Red and Blue in the kitchen.
Without dog homework: re-read the last steps of Level 1 Training Levels. Started reading Level 2.

Monday, Nov 28
Session 1: Attention all around the house and me with a pocket full of kibble.
Session 2: Call a ways - from the fence in the back yard when the mail carrier came. With Blue. Both dogs ran happily to the house and inside for kibble. Blue did not even bark at the mail carrier.
Session 3: Call a ways. From Blue out of play in the dinning room. I called her and asked for a down. She came and downed.
Session 4: Crate games. I fed her in her crate in the mudroom and left the door open.
Session 5: Enrichment. Treat ball in the mudroom
Session 6: Down stay (Mat Love) with Blue in the dining room. They were mostly down for about two hours while I worked on the computer. On occasion one or the other or both would stand to chase a miss tossed piece of kibble and then return to their down stay spot. About two hours in, Blue moved to her favorite nap place where she can check for chipmunks on the back deck. Via fell asleep next to my chair. I woke her up to release her.
Session 7: Group name game (Via) with Red and Blue in the kitchen.
Session 8: Find it. Kibble in the yard. With Blue.
Session 9: Nose to Hand touches alternating with Blue in the dinning room.
Session 10: Nose to Plastic Disk touches alternating with Blue in the dinning room.
Session 11: Kitchen Leave its around me loading the dishwasher.
Session 12: Call a ways - from the fence in the back yard when the guy behind us was in him yard with a second guy. With Blue. It was very hard to lift Via off the fence. She was intent on barking at the guys and I had to walk her down.

Tuesday, Nov 29
Session 1: Attention all around the house and me with a pocket full of kibble. All day.
Session 2: Nose to Foot - She is getting it! As long as I take my foot away and represent it, she will touch it. She is not ready for the two for one. Basement 10 am for about 10 minutes
Session 3: Attention - I was spitting treats to get her to watch my face.
Session 4: Name Game. Via - I was spitting treats to get her to watch my face.
Session 5: Mat Down Stays with Blue. (Roxana and the Kidlet were also in the room.) 11:30 Dinning Room for about an hour. I crated her after.
Session 6: Enrichment-Treat ball in the mudroom in her crate. She also had a bully stick. 12:30 to about 2:30 pm.
Session 7: Play in the back yard (no flirt pole) with Blue and the Kidlet. 3 pm for about 45 minutes.
Session 8: Attention in the basement. for about 15 minutes with the Kidlet. I was spitting treats when she looked at my face.
Session 9: Nose to Hand. My hand. My cue.
Session 10: Nose to Hand. Kidlet's hand. My cue.
Session 11: Nose to Foot - She gets it! She touched my foot on cue 7 out of 10 times - with out me taking it a way and bringing it back And this was the first time that she was on the floor. She also moved her head from left to right to touch my foot.
Session 12: Nose to Foot. Kidlet's foot. My cue. This is the first time she touched a foot that was inside a sock. I am always bare foot.
Session 13: Come Game - about 15 feet between two basement rooms. The people (Kidlet and I) where not in sight of each other so we removed the cue.
Session 14: Downs for the Kidlet. Both a hand signal and verbal together.
Session 15: Nose to Hand. Kidlet's hand. Kidlet's cue.

Wednesday, Nov 30 Low training day.
Session 1: Down for life rewards. I asked Via to down before I opened her crate door. She slammed in to sit and started at me as soon as I approached her crate. She screamed, yodeled and whirled when I asked for a down (returning to a sit and stare after each whirl.) I waited about 10 seconds and then did the down hand signal and the verbal at the same time. The instant that her elbows hit the deck, I said free and fling the door open. It was already unlatched and I was holding it closed. 7 am about 1 minute. Mudroom crate.
Session 2: Flirt pole in backyard with the Kidlet. 1:15 pm for about 30 minutes. She did not potty after so I crated her and will try again in about 30 minutes.
Session 3: Enrichment - egg carton with a bit of kibble inside to destroy in the living room. 4:30 pm
Session 4: Enrichment - treat ball with a little bit of kibble inside in the living room. 6:30 pm

Thursday, Dec 1
Session 1: Awareness walk about the neighborhood wearing her head halter and her walking harness. The lead was only attached to the walking harness. 9 am. Walked about 50 minutes.
Session 2: Defecated on cue in leaves while wearing head harness during Session 1 walk. Elimination wearing a head harness is a new thing.
Session 3: Sit on cue for passing car while wearing head harness during Session 1 walk. Sitting wearing a head harness is a new thing.
Session 4: Find it - scattered tiny pieces of cat kibble in the back yard for Blue and Via at about 3:30 pm. Via quit long before the kibble was all found and eaten. Blue worked until all the kibble was found.
Session 5: Homework - I reread the last steps of the level 1 behaviors to judge where I am with each behavior. I am only ready (almost) to move on with Target. Every time I read the steps, I see things that I missed. I read closely the introduction for level 2 and skimmed the level two behaviors to see where I am going. I made four pages of notes that I will put up in a separate post.
Session 6: Find it - scattered tiny pieces of cat kibble in the back yard for Blue and Via at about 4:30 pm. This time I put out more kibble and put it in an easier clean up spot. Via quit before Blue but not a quickly as she stopped before. Blue worked until all the kibble was found.
Session 7: Awareness walk - at about 9 PM for about 20 minutes.
Session 8: Urinated on Cue in grass in a new area during the Session 7 walk.
Session 9: Go Sniff - Released Via to sniff with a cue several times during the Session 7 walk.

Friday, Dec 2
Session 1: Flirt pole in backyard with the Kidlet. 11 am for about 30 minutes.
Session 2: Urinate on grass on cue in Westwood, MA. (Road along on errands and was crated in the car for about 5 hours. I missed the opportunity to get her out of the car to work on attention at every stop.)
Session 3: Awareness walk dragging a long line at a playground /park. Followed the Kidlet and climbed on the playground equipment. At about 4 pm. Stay in the park about 45 minutes. I missed the opportunity to play the Come Game outside.
Session 4: Played spring pole on swing set in park. Sat to get the swing going again. This dog needs a spring pole of her own.
Session 5: Urinate on grass on cue during session 3 outing
Session 6: Defecated on cue in grass during session 3 outing
Session 7: Sit Stay with Blue in the living room. at about 6 pm for about 5 minutes.
Session 8: Down Stay with Blue in the living room. at about 6 pm for about 5 minutes.
Test Cold: Target Level 1 step 3 come after - Teach Via to touch my foot with her nose. Passed! In basement.
Session 9: Nose to hand touch. in the basement for abut 20 minutes. at about 6:45 pm
Session 10: Come Game - about 10 feet between two basement rooms. The people were in sight of each other so we used the cue and then clicked as the dog was turning to go to the next person.
Session 11: Come Game - about 10 feet between two basement rooms. The people were in sight of each other so we used the cue, then clicked and ran away as the dog was turning to go to the next person. It really sped up the dogs return.
Session 12: Hide and Seek. The Kidlet hide and called Tayja.
Session 13: Nose to my foot touch. I switched feet as in touch my right foot then touch my left foot and she got it. I mixed in hand touches with nose to my foot and she got!
Session 14: Nose to hand touch. I did high touches so she had to jump her front feet. i did lefts and rights. I had her walking forward to touch. I did multiple touches for one treats - sometimes as many as five.

Saturday, Dec 3
Session 1: Attention - I spit treats when she looked at my face. In the basement for about 5 minutes starting at about 8 am.
Session 2: Leave it - Treat on open hand.
Session 3: Name - Via.
Session 4: Level 1 Sit - Step 4: Dog sits by an open door from guest room to furnace room.
Session 5: Speed sits. I released her and walked away to re-set her.
Session 6: Give Me A Break -any time Via left me, I walked away and sat on the love seat in the guest room. As soon as she remembered me, I started working her again.
Session 7: Down stay just outside the kitchen while I was preparing and then eating breakfast. Blue was doing the same thing in the dinning room while Via was in the hallway. I did not treat very often. Via whine a few times but did not get off her mat until I released her. About 35 minutes starting at about 9 am.
Session 8: Community Eating. I almost always feed Via in her mudroom crate. Red and Blue eat on mats side by side in the dinning room. Sometimes I have fed Via and Blue together in the back yard on opposite sides of the deck. Today I split my breakfast left overs between three food bowls. I gave Via hers in the kitchen, Blue hers just outside the kitchen about 4 feet from Via and Red in the living room out of site of Via. Via finished first and went to stand near Blue. I got her to return to her bowl for a treat dropped in her bowl. Blue, who knows the game, stayed at her own bowl when she finished, waiting for her desert treat. I collected all the empty bowls as soon as each dog finished to discourage any disagreements over whom gets to lick them.
Session 9: Free Run and Play Via was the after party entertainment at a birthday party for an 10 year old. She got to run free and play in the birthday girls marvelous back yard with 5 girls age nearly 10, newly 10, and 11 and four adults, one male. She played fetch bringing the ball back to whomever tossed it for her. She found the ball in the leaves when it would get lost. She found a stick and teased adult male, who could giggle with the best of them, into a lively game of keep away. She played chase the screaming giggling kids without jumping or grabbing on anyone. She played for about 40 minutes starting at about 4:30 pm. She needs more free play.

2011-12-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

The more you say to your dog, the less they understand.
M. Shirley Chong

Mat Love Revisited

2011-11-30T22:50:00.002-05:00

I every day this week (so far) I've worked on Mat Love with Blue and Via in the breakfast bar area of dining room. Kibble rains down on them on a seriously variable schedule. It the rate gets too thin, Blue moans at me or Via barks at me.

They mostly most stay down for 45 to 90 minutes while I worked on the computer.

On occasion one or the other or both would stand to chase a miss tossed piece of kibble and then return to a mat. Sometimes it is not the one that they left. Sometimes they end up down on the same mat. When that happens I request that one dog move to the other mat.

On Monday, at about two hours in, Blue moved to her favorite nap place where she can check for chipmunks on the back deck.

Via fell asleep on her mat next to my chair. I woke her up to release her.

Beginner Freestyle - Week 2

2011-11-28T23:26:00.001-05:00

Via and I are taking a beginner freestyle class on the Sonoran Canine Freestylers Yahoo.

The moves for the week are Moving Position, Leg Weaves, Backing and Attention Exercises.

I am working on the same "moves" from last week - a Bow and auto attention. I would like Via to bow and hold it until release. I am looking for auto attention or working focus as my end goal. I will also install a cued attention at some point.

This week I will continue to mark and reward Via for looking at me at any time during the day. My goal is to get in at least 100 reps per day.

I have been marking eye contact and spitting treats. She is starting to stare at my face.

I am switching to a target stick to lure the bow. I had been using my hand and have mostly been getting a fold back down. I have not worked on it much this week.

Saturday Outing

2011-11-27T14:28:00.009-05:00

This week's goals and holes

2011-11-27T13:34:00.007-05:00

NOTE: When I am training anything at all that is not MAT related, I have to take up all dog beds, rugs, what ever on the floor or Via is sucked directly to the Mat. Via is starting to also suffer from "crate" suck.

Week's daily training goals:

60/5 Training: Train for five to 10 minutes out of every hour that I am home and awake.
Interrupt any indoor play between the Blue and Via to do call outs, sits and downs.
Varied positions: Have Via beside me left and right for the sits and downs and not just in front of me.
Attention, attention, attention.

Sunday, Nov 20 (lost the detailed data during a computer glitch.) High lights included calling a barking Via away from the fence, several sessions of eye contact in the basement, playing the come game in the basement at 10, 15 and about 20 feet with the kidlet and Roxana and the kidlet both playing fetch with Via. Via had complicated food for breakfast enrichment - a meat pork shoulder to figure out how to eat. Tested Cold down wearing a leash with hand signal only.

Monday, Nov 21
7 am About 3 minutes. Dinning room.
Test Cold: Training Levels Level 1 Zen- Step 3: Dog stays away from a treat in your open hand for five seconds. She attacked my hand before she pulled off to wait for her five seconds. I'll practice more and test again.
Session 1: Dog stays away from a treat in your open hand for five seconds.
Session 2: Hand touches.
Session 3: Called Via out of play for sits with Blue.
Session 4: Paid offered eye contact.

8 AM Living room About 3 minutes.
Session 5: Hand touches.
Session 6: Paid offered eye contact.
Session 7: Name with Red, Blue and Via.

9 AM About 3 minutes. Basement
Session 8: Attention
Session 9: Attention

1:50 PM Back yard About 10 minutes.
Session 9: Flirt pole with Kidlet.

2:15 PM Dinning room.
Tested Cold down hand signal only. No treats on human's body. Rewarded with petting and praise.

4:30 PM Kitchen. About 5 minutes.
Session 10: Leave it at the dish washer.
Session 11: Kitchen rug down stay while I filled the dish washer.
Session 12: Off - front feet off the counter.

5:15 PM Mudroom
Session 13: Kibble spread in the crate.

Tuesday, Nov 22 (House clean trumped dog training.)
8 AM Dinning Room
Session 1: Kitchen sits with Blue.

9 AM Dinning Room
Session 2: Group name with Blue and Red.

2 PM Back yard about 30 minutes
Session 3: Flirt pole with Kidlet.

4:30 PM Kitchen. About 5 minutes.
Session 4: Leave it at the dish washer.
Session 5: Kitchen rug down stay while I filled the dish washer.
Session 6: Off - front feet off the counter.

5:45 PM Basement
Session 7: Find it. Scattered kibble with Red.

8 PM front yard about 3 minutes
Session 8: Pottyed on cue in the front yard. Was distracted to start by blowing leaves.

Wednesday, Nov 23
7 AM neighborhood about 35 minutes.
Session 1: Awareness walk wearing sure fit harness and 8 foot lead. It was pouring rain. We both were seriously soaked.

9:45 PM Basement
Session 2: Find it.
Session 3: attention
Session 4: Touch my foot with your nose. She was on the bed. When I'd put my foot up, she bump it with her nose.
Session 5: Played ball

12:00 PM Basement
Session 6: Leave it.
Session 7: Come game with the kidlet.
Session 8: attention
Session 9: The kidlet played ball with Via

5 PM Basement
Session 10: attention
Session 11: touch
Session 12: Ball play with the kidlet

9:15 PM Basement
Session 7: Call out of play with Blue.
Session 6: Group sits and wait your turn in the living room with Red and Blue. (Via rudely jumped on me and grabbed the treat from me - ending her participation in the game. I need to work more on leave it in the presence of the other dogs.)

9:30 PM Basement
Session 13: attention
Session 14: Leave it.

Thursday, Nov 24
I did six short sessions of attention and seven of leave it though out the day, most in the basement. The Kidlet did a short session of touch and one of leave. The kidlet and I did one session of the come game in the basement. The kidlet did about 20 minutes with the flirt pole in the back yard. We took a 45 minute walk just before bed at 10 pm or so.

Friday, Nov 25
There is much crate time as we have a houseful of company. I did 4 short sessions of attention and 5 of leave it though out the day, most in the basement. I did one session of group speed sits and one session group down stays in the living room with Red and Blue. I did one session of group speed sits in the dinning room with Blue. The Kidlet did about 10 minutes with the flirt pole in the back yard.

Saturday, Nov 26
No formal training happened today. We, Via and I, left early for a holiday lunch at the in-laws. The rest of the family including all the company went down earlier in the morning. It was a 2 hour drive. While there Via ran (wearing a long line) on their 15 acres property including woods, meadows, a creek, 19 humans crossing four generations and a fluffy lap dog. Via came flying to me every time that I called her. She urinated on cue in a field of wildflowers with an audiences of small boys, defecated on cue in a pile of oak leaves and urinated on cue with an audiences of small boys and urinated on cue in patch of Pachysandra up to her belly with an audiences of middle age folks discussing her temperament. Only Via and I returned home. The rest will be back mid-week, I think.

2011-11-26T19:33:00.005-05:00

Exercising and training Via has been hard the last few days as we've had company.

Via is a much easily to live with dog when she gets to work on the flirt pole for at least 45 minutes per day and has a lot of short training sessions to engage her mind. I've let the flirt pole part of the day become part of the Kidlets daily interaction with the dog. I plan to add a daily sessions of Via and I using a ball on a stick. The Kidlet uses a Kong Wubba on a lunge whip.

I have the stuff to make a spring pole but no where to hang one. I think that she would love one.

Daily I put Via in a pulling harness and have her pull me around our hilly neighborhood. I will add a back pack with weights next week. I wish I had an old motorcycle tire for her to pull. I think I will ask for one on FreeCycle. Everyone around here will think I am nuts, including the folks who live with me.

I am also looking for out of the way places for Via to do more free running. Since moving to a new state, I've lost all of our old haunts. I am looking, too, for places to track. We've gotten out of our habit of tracking twice a week.

I have also committed myself to train Via Dog for at 5 minutes out of every hour that I am home and awake as suggested by Shirley Chong to mentally tire teenage dogs. I have not made my daily goal once since I started but have gotten close on occasion.

Via Walking with the Ones She Loves

2011-11-25T16:30:00.006-05:00

These photos are from a recent visit to Unity, Maine. The red blur is a doberman name of Fiesta. The short dog is a French bulldog named of Wiggin. They invited Via, the Kidlet and me up north for a walk-about.

2011-11-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

I should NEVER be trying to make a dog do something.

I should always be in a position where she's begging me to allow her to do what I want her to do. - Sue Ailsby

Note: Sue Ailsby's new Training Levels is a book worth having.

2011-11-24T21:34:00.000-05:00

Dog's don't fail, they perform as trained, so we need to be sure that all intentional and unintentional training is directing them correctly. We need to be regularly accessing where we are and what our goal behavior is and how on-track our current behavior is.

- Kristen VanNess

2011-11-23T06:17:00.000-05:00

"To have a great working dog, one has to put up with a lot of crap". - Terri Arnold (who encourages her dogs to bark and jump up during play.

2011-11-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

Good trainers control a lot of reinforcers. Great trainers control virtually all reinforcers. - Greta Kaplan

2011-11-21T22:01:00.003-05:00

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”
— Anatole France

Building Auto Attention

2011-11-21T15:07:00.001-05:00

Step one: Reward any random eye contact or interaction.
Step two: One minute eye contact drills. I reward Via for looking at me, as many times as I can in a minute.
Step three: I will add eye contact as a requirement to the Name Game.
Step four: I will add eye contact as a requirement to life rewards.
Step five: The Eye Contact Game, hold some treats in my hands and hold my hands out to one side. Don't say anything to get Via's attention; just wait patiently while Via stares at the treats and offers a down. The moment she looks at my face I mark and treat.
Step six: One minute LOOK Drill in new places: Twice this week I will go to a place that is distracting for Via, stop some distance away, and wait for Via to look at me. When she does, mark it and treat for 30 seconds with out stopping and then do as many reps as I can in a minute.
Step seven: The Eye Contact Game in new place. Hold some treats in my hands and hold my hands out to one side. Don't say anything to get Via's attention; just wait patiently while Via stares at the treats and offers a down. The moment she looks at my face I mark and treat.
Step eight: Start at step one and extend the duration of the eye contact.

Beginner Freestyle - Week 1

2011-11-20T11:18:00.005-05:00

Via and I are taking a beginner freestyle class on the Sonoran Canine Freestylers Yahoo.

The moves for the week are Stationary Positions, Spins, Circles Around Handler and Attention Exercise.

My informal free style coach, JudyS, politely pointed out to me that I can't get Via to do anything if I do not have her attention, so I plan to start with the attention exercise. We are also playing with a Bow so maybe by Christmas we can working on getting in to the ring / attention and a closing pose.

My goal is to have an auto attention.

This morning I did two sessions of rewarding eye contact for her breakfast. For two one minute sessions I clicked and treated every time she looked at me. The first session the rate of reinforcement wasn't very high and she either looked at my empty hand or at the clicker. The second session she looked at my eyes. I will do this in many small training sessions though out each day.

This week I will mark and reward Via for looking at me at any time during the day. My goal is to get in at least 100 reps per day. I'll try to have a clicker on my wrist at all times but, being human, my guess is that I will not as often as I need it, so I'll also mark attention with YES!

Via already gets that YES or a click equals she is correct AND her treat is coming. She also gets that she can make the YES or click happen.

I will watch her eyes, just wait for her to notice me and capture her looking at me throughout the day.

Here is my plan:
Auto Attention - Step one: Reward any random eye contact or interaction.
Auto Attention - Step two: One minute eye contact drills. I reward Via for looking at me, as many times as I can in a minute.
Auto Attention - Step three: I will add eye contact as a requirement to the Name Game.
Auto Attention - Step four: I will add eye contact as a requirement to life rewards.
Auto Attention - Step five: The Eye Contact Game, hold some treats in my hands and hold my hands out to one side. Don't say anything to get Via's attention; just wait patiently while Via stares at the treats and offers a down. The moment she looks at my face I mark and treat.
Auto Attention - Step six: One minute LOOK Drill in new places: Twice this week I will go to a place that is distracting for Via, stop some distance away, and wait for Via to look at me. When she does, mark it and treat for 30 seconds with out stopping and then do as many reps as I can in a minute.
Auto Attention - Step seven: The Eye Contact Game in new place. Hold some treats in my hands and hold my hands out to one side. Don't say anything to get Via's attention; just wait patiently while Via stares at the treats and offers a down. The moment she looks at my face I mark and treat.
Auto Attention - Step eight: Start at step one and extend the duration of the eye contact.

This week's goals and holes

2011-11-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

This week's goals and holes:
NOTE: When I am training anything at all that is not MAT related, I have to take up all dog beds, rugs, what ever on the floor or Via is sucked directly to the Mat. And she is starting to also suffer from "crate" suck. Week's training goal is to train for five to 10 minutes out of every hour that I am home and awake. I will also interrupt any indoor play between the Blue and Via to do call outs, sits and downs. They are getting pretty focused on each other. Our concentration will still be to have Via beside me left and right for the sits and downs. She has also started protesting being in her crate if everyone else is up and about.

Crate games ( I need to work in other rooms besides the mud room and do the entire Susan Garret program starting with step one this week. I need to watch the video again,)
Training Levels Level 1 Zen- Step 4: Dog stays away from the treat in her dog dish in you hand. Training Levels Level 1 Zen- Step 5: Practice with more hands, more treats, more places, more things.
Training Levels Level 1 Come- Step 3: Dog plays the Come game between 2 people 10 feet apart. Training Levels Level 1 Come- Step 4: Dog plays the Come game between 2 people 20 feet apart.
Training Levels Level 1 Come- Step 5: Dog comes for good things.
Training Levels Level 1 Sit - Step 4: Dog sits by an open dog.
Training Levels Level 1 Sit - Step 5: Dog sits without human having treats in pocket.
Training Levels Level 1 Target - Step 5: Practice more changes.
Training Levels Level 1 Down - Step 2: Dog downs with a hand signal only.
Training Levels Level 1 Down - Step 4: Dog relearns steps 1 to 3 with leash on.
Training Levels Level 1 Down - Step 5: Dog downs to earn life rewards.
Down stays in a pack. Only dogs who are down get continuous feed.
Group sits (in the kitchen, living room, office, basement, back yard - quickest dog gets paid first)
Group Downs (in the living room - quickest dog gets paid first. Only dogs who are down get continuous feed.)
Name Game (group 1 - "dogs" means all dogs. group 2 - "Girls" means Via and Blue. group 3 - Via is her household call name. group 4 - Violet -with a silent o - is her working name. I work on all four.)
Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc. I have worked a lot of Via and Dogs. This week I will concentrate on VIOLET with a silent O.)
Sharing clean up of dirty dishes with Blue as in both dogs licking out of the same dirty dish. Via is too wary of Red to share a dish with him. She always defers to him.
Door behavior - ( Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door. I have to pay better attention at the back door to get it open as soon as she sits. If I am slow she launches her self on to the door to a height of about 6 feet.) I want the dog to sit automatically at all doors, wait for the dog to open and wait for release.
Reorientation - every time the dog leaves a crate, car, house, etc sit to get the door to open and reorient. We need to do some set ups to down on the Reorient separate from the door / crate behavior. Have Via wait at dog, go through the door, after I step through, pause, call Via through the door. Pause. Wait for Via to look up at me. Click the head turn. Treat. Repeat 10-20+ times. Do sessions at all inside doorways.
Dinner Mat - Polite behavior as in staying on her mat when humans are eating. I have been for a year been putting Via in her crate at meal time. I have not bothered to teach her the people at the table rules.
Solo sit stays (in the Mudroom, office and bedroom. It will be cookie stays to start.)
Relaxation Protocol - Have to get back to it. Have not done much of it since moving to Boston.
Human Homework - I re-watch all of crate games and read the Training Levels Level Two behaviors.
Name Game wearing the halter.
Car reorienting ( Reorienting to me after leaving car)
Walking in a new location (wearing a head halter)
Head Halter Happiness: I MUST GET HER HAPPIER ABOUT THE HEAD HALTER. She can't hear my voice, she can't sit in it, she can't understand her name in it. Yet she walks nicely next to me in it.
Ball tug in a new location. We have to get back to play with me anywhere.
Play with odd toys with me.
Play without toys with me.
trained that toys are the reward for work.
Toy play stationery exercise, release and reward with toy
Toy play moving exercise, reward with toy
Toy play retrieval of toy for tug game …
Mat Love
Potty on Cue - reviewed (Get busy - defecate. Potty - urinate.) Have to get back to having her go on any surface.
Collar Grabs
Bow

Coming Attractions:
Circle Work - Just walk with your dog--loosely on leash if you need to--and practice direction changes and walking with the dog on both sides.
Kitchen Manners - Try to manage counter surfing by having clean counters because feet up and exploration is reinforcing for Via the nosey. Work on leave it and stays in the kitchen with "good stuff" on the counters.
Platform Training -
Give Me A Break
Look At That
Scent Discrimination
Pop Up Stand
Whistle Recall
Hide and Seek
Tracking
Find It
NoseWork

Sunday, Nov 12
6:30 AM Kitchen About 2 minutes.
Tested cold: TL Sit Level 1 Step 2 Dog sits with only a hand signal. She passed. She was out side and I was inside at the sliding glass door to the deck. The reward was me opening the door.
Session 1: Sharing one for Red, one for Blue and one for Via with string cheese.

7:30 AM Basement guest room. About 10 minutes. Via was working for breakfast. I was seated for all sessions. She did give me a break between sessions. I crated her after with a tripe chew.
Tested cold: TL Hand Zen Level 1 Step 2 Dog leaves you hand on cue and stays off for 5 seconds. She passed.
Tested cold: Level 1 Down - Step 1: Dog downs with leash off. She passed. It was a verbal.
Session 2: Leave it. Open hand.
Session 3: Down on mat. I sometimes paid her on the mat and I sometimes tossed the treat behind her to re-set her.
Session 4: Hand touches with a follow! She can spin in either direction. High, low, left and right hand touches. Walking to me to touch my hand.

12:30 Human prep with out the dog. About an hour.
Session 5: Re-read all the steps of all the level one training levels book.
Session 6: Wrote at the answers for my level one homework. List five things you hope to accomplish by working the Levels with your dog.
1. The levels will be an excellent prep / pre-training for preparing myself and Via to train the exercises needed for the CGC and the BH.
2. Working the levels will move me towards having a well mannered, self-controlled house dog.
3. Working the levels daily will tire Via mentally and enrich her life and our relationship daily.
4. The levels step my step systemic format will keep me organized with a daily training plan.
5. Training the levels is an additional way to have fun with my dog.

1:45 PM Basement guest room. About 20 minutes. She did give me a break between sessions and I crated her for about an hour with a tripe chew right after.
Session 7: Relaxing with me on the bed in the guest room. She wanted to DO SOMETHING. Forget about relaxing.
Session 8: Open hand zen.
Session 9: Hand touches - two or three for the price of one.
Session 10: Sits with me sitting on the floor with a verbal only.
Session 11: Downs with me sitting on the floor with a verbal only.
Session 12: Treats on the floor zen.
Session 13: Sits with me sitting on the basement steps with a verbal only. I was in a different part of the room facing a new direction.

Monday, Nov 13 (Light training day.)

7:30 AM Basement guest room. About 20 minutes. She did give me a break between sessions and I crated her with the rest of her breakfast right after.
Session 1: Hand touches - two or three for the price of one.
Session 2: Downs with me sitting on the basement steps with a verbal only. I was in a different part of the room facing a new direction.
Session 3: Hand touches - taking three steps forward to reach my hand and me moving around the room.

2:30 PM Backyard play. About 30 minutes.
Session 4: with the Kidlet with a ball on a line.

3:30 PM Backyard play. About 60 minutes. Via fell alseep in the kitchen right after.
Session 5: with the Kidlet with toy on a flirt pole.

Tuesday, Nov 14

8 AM kitchen. About 1 minutes.
Session 1: Called Via out of play for Kitchen sits with Blue.

12 PM backyard About 20 minutes
Session 2: Play flirt pole with the Kidlet.

12:30 PM Dinning Room About 20 minutes
Session 3: Cut up treats for the rest of the week with out the dog. Some times I do them while all three dogs hold a group down stay on mats.

1:00 PM Upstairs master bedroom.
Session 4: Relaxed group down stays with Red and Blue. Me doing the treats (grain free kibble). I was bouncing between 3 seconds and 30 seconds to treat and varying the order in which I gave out the treats.
Session 5: Relaxed group down stays with Red and Blue. The kidlet doing the treats (grain free kibble). I had her moving very slowly (hard for her) and carefully placing the treats between the downed dog's front feet. She was also treating in a pattern 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 6, etc

1:45 PM Living room. About 2 minutes
Session 6: Enrichment. I gave Via an enter cardboard egg carton with a half dozen pieces of kibble it in. She torn up the carton as she ate the kibble.

2 PM Kitchen. About 1 minute.
Session 7: Handling. I clean Via's right ear with a my figure wrapped in a tissue.

3:30 PM backyard About 30 minutes
Session 8: Play flirt pole with the Kidlet.

4:30 PM Basement guest room about 8 minutes. I crated her with a tripe chew for two after.
Test Cold: Level 1 Down Step 3 - Dog downs with the trainer seated. Passed.
Test Cold: Sit Level 1 Step 3 - Dog sits with leash on. Passed.
Test Cold: Level 1 Down Step 4 - Dog downs with leash on. Passed.
Session 9: Started shaping her to put her muzzle in her head halter.
Session 10: Fed, fed, fed while wearing head halter.
Session 11: Hand touches while wearing head halter.
Session 12: Hand touches, sits and downs while wearing head halter.

6:30 PM Basement guest room. About 15 minutes. Via worked very well for the Kidlet.
Session 13: I did verbal sits, downs, touches and demonstrated zen with Via to warm her up to work with the Kidlet.
Session 14: Zen Level 1 Step 1 - Kidlet starting zen with Via. I clicked for her. Did 8 reps.
Session 15: Touch Level 1 Step 1 - Kidlet starting touch with Via. I clicked for her. Did 8 reps.Tossed treats to reset the dog.
Session 16: Sit Level 1 Step 1 - Kidlet working verbal sits with Via. I clicked for her. Did 8 reps.Tossed treats to reset the dog.
Session 17: Down Level 1 Step 1 - Kidlet working verbal sits with Via. I clicked for her. Did 8 reps.Tossed treats to reset the dog.
Session 18: Come Level 1 Step 3 - Dog plays the Come game between 2 people 10 feet apart. We started with out the cue and then ended with out the cue.

Wednesday, Nov 15

7:25 AM Kitchen /dinning room. About 5 minutes including me retrieving my other shoe from the back yard. I used one stick of string cheese. No clicker.
Session 1: Trade Shoes for string cheese. I looked up from the computer as Via was carrying my shoe out the back door. I said, "Let's Trade!" and ran to the kitchen, opened the ice box and grabbed a stick of string cheese. She follow me and held the shoe until I had something to trade.
Session 2: Handling. Cleaned Via's right ear.
Session 3: Group sits with Blue.
Session 4: Alternating collar grabs with Blue. (grab and fed Via, grab and fed Blue)
Session 5: Group sits stays with Blue. Via seem to figure out that if she puts her back again the wall she does not slide in to a down on the slick wood floor. I was tossing cheese as the reward

11 AM Back yard About 5 minutes including cutting up the meat.
Session 6: Impromptu training session. The guy next door came around the side of his house dragging a tarp filled with leaves. Both shepherds charged the fence barking. Blue called off right away and started shopping for a place to urinate. Via bounced and screamed over the fence (no hackles.) I walked her down and body blocked her away from the fence. She then peed on cue and responded when I sent her a head of me in to the house.
Session 7: I cut up salami and took Via and Blue on to the back deck to work on sits while the guy next door was running his leaf blower. Both dogs were able to sit with their back to my neighbor and take treats.

11:30 AM Dinning room About 2 minutes.
Test Cold: Level 1 Target - Step 3: Dog takes three steps to touch your hand. Passed.
Test Cold: Level 1 Target - Step 4: Dog touches your hand twice to get one treat. Passed.
Session 8: Kitchen sits with Blue.

11:45 AM Basement guest room. About 3 minutes.
Session 9: target Level 1 step 3 come after - Teach Via to touch my foot with her nose. Did not go well. She has no idea what I am asking. I was offering the bottom of my foot. I did the Ken Ramirez trick of touching the nose and clicking in order to get the behavior at all.
Session 10: target stick. She did well and was offering with speed an enthusiasm.
Session 11: target Level 1 step 3 come after - Teach Via to touch my foot with her nose. I switched to the top of my foot. Via was on the bed. I put my foot up next to her and asked for a hand target over my foot. As she came in, I removed my hand and clicked when she touched my foot. I rewarded ON MY FOOT to set up the next rep. Still she doesn't get it yet.

Noonish Dinning room. About 2 minutes.
Session 12: Down stays with Blue. Called them both out of rough housing.

1:15 PM Kitchen about 3 minutes. I crated Via after.
Session 13: Called all Via and Blue away from the sliding glass door from barking at the neighbor and his dragging, flapping tarp. Both came immediately (since was after all standing in the kitchen). Red appeared, too. I paid all three dogs in turn for sits and downs.

3:30 PM Basement guest room for about 15 minutes. Did give me a break between session.
Session 14: Head halter love. She is offering putting her nose in the loop.
Session 15: Head halter love. She is offering putting her nose in the loop.
Session 16: Sits while wearing a lead.
Session 17: Downs while wearing a lead.
Session 18: Nose touch to my hand while wearing a lead.
Session 19: Nose touch to target stick while wearing a lead.
Session 20: Nose touch to my foot. She was in a down on the bed.
Session 21: Nose touch to my foot. She was in a down on the bed.
Session 23: Collar grabs while wearing a lead.

4:30 PM Kitchen About 2 minutes.
Session 24: Leave it with the mop. I was washing the floor. Via LOVES to chase the mop or a broom.

4:45 PM Hanging out in the Entryway waiting for the kitchen floor to dry. About 3 minutes
Session 25: Hand signal sits.
Session 26: Hand signal downs.
Session 27: Whispered sits.
Session 28: Whispered downs.
Session 29: Nose to mop handle touches.
Session 30: Nose to my foot touches.

5:15 PM Dinning room. About 5 minutes.
Session 31: Down stays with Blue. I was sitting at the dinning room table. Treats were on a variable schedule with a mean of about 30 seconds. I released the dogs with a free and then told them that we were DONE! which is my end of an opportunity to earn treats cue. Via held the stay anyway and whined while I ignored her. When she got up she nose bumped my pocket which still contained kibble. I ignored her. She moved across the room to her favorite dog bed and went to sleep.

Thursday, Nov 16

11:15 AM Back yard for about 50 minutes.
Session 1: Flirt pole with the kidlet.

3:30 PM Downtown Melrose, MA About 25 minutes.
Session 2: Walking in a head halter on city streets and in the park. Dark. Raining. Stopped to watch football practice under the lights for about 2 minutes.

Friday, Nov 17

7:30 AM Basement guest room. About 40 minutes including the ear cleaning and play after. She was working for bits of breakfast. I grated her after with a collection of organ meat. I tossed a treat and told her to get it and did several reps of the name game as transition sessions.
Session 1: Ear Cleaning. Did both with her laying on the bed in the guest room and let her leave when I was done. She went an laid in the doorway and watched me. She watched me for about 5 minutes. Ear cleaning is still a major, stress inducing issue.
Session 2: I waited for Via to volunteer to return and clicked and treated one bit of food after another for 30 seconds.
Session 3: Name game. Via. She looks and moves toward me when she hears VIA. I paid her between my feet. Next session I will start whiplash turns.
Session 4: Collar grabs.
Session 5: Name game. Girls. Some times she looks and moves toward me when she hears Girls. I paid her between my feet. I'd say it, wait and click when she finally looked at me. I also did some rapid fire word / treat word / treat with her standing in front of me.
Session 6: Bow. Still using my hand to lure the behavior. 50 percent of the time she goes in to a fold back down.
Session 7: Name game. Dogs. No visible responds to the word. I paid her between my feet. I'd say it, wait and click when she finally looked at me. I also did some rapid fire word / treat, word / treat with her standing in front of me. Next session will be just the rapid fire in from of me word / treat.
Session 8: Nose to foot target. She still doesn't get it.
Session 9: Name game.Violet. No visible responds to the word. I paid her between my feet. I'd say it, wait and click when she finally looked at me. I also did some rapid fire word / treat, word / treat with her standing in front of me. Next session will be just the rapid fire in from of me word / treat.
Session 10: Zen open hand 5 sec.
Session 11: Zen treats on seat next to me.
Session 12: Name game.VEE. No visible responds to the word. I paid her between my feet. I'd say it, wait and click when she finally looked at me. I also did some rapid fire word / treat, word / treat with her standing in front of me. Next session will be just the rapid fire in from of me word / treat.
Session 13: Downs on lead. Both verbal and hand signal. Also several with me laying on my back on the couch.
Session 14: Name / whiplash turns / Via. I clicked the head turn when I said her name and tossed the treat away from her (and me) to set up the next rep.
Session 15: Play with out a toy.

2:10 AM Parking lot of the New England Sports Academy in Westwood, MA for about 5 minutes.
Session 16: Meet and greet in parking lot with 2 teenage boys, one adult female, one 10 year old female. She politely sniff everyone (except the oldest teenage boy whom she goosed), lean on the adult, and bowled over her own Kidlet who was kneeling on the ground.
Session 17: Potty on cue in grass at the edge of the lot.

4:15 AM Back yard for about 45 minutes.
Session 18: Flirt pole with the kidlet.
Session 19: Potty on cue in back yard. Two days in a row she came in with the kidlet and immediately urinated on the living room floor. Today I went out at the end of play, asked the dog to empty and let her in.
Session 20: Level 1 Down - Step 5: Dog downs to earn life rewards. I asked for a down before I opened the door to let her in. She was already in her auto sit that she uses to get the door to open.
Test Cold: Level 1 Down - Step 2: Dog downs with a hand signal only. Pass. Dinning room after coming in from play. No treats on my body. I rewarded her with a couple of rib pounds and praise. I had to cue her with Free for her to get up.

6:30 PM Basement guest room. About 1 minute.
Session 21: Hand touches. Via will go up on her hind leg to touch my hand! A jump can not be too far behind.

Saturday, Nov 18
10:10 AM Downtown Manchester, NH, for about 3 minutes.
Session 1: Potty on cue in grass next to a grate at the courthouse.

12:15 PM Back yard for about 20 minutes.
Session 2: Flirt pole with the kidlet.
Session 3: Potty on cue in back yard. Two days in a row, earlier this week, she came in with the kidlet and immediately urinated on the living room floor. Today I went out at the end of play, asked the dog to empty and let her in. Blue came out with us and some playing happened before I could get their attention and they both urinated on cue.

2011-11-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

Blue is afraid of her own shadow.

We need to sometimes put our agendas aside and really listen to what the dog may want or need! It may not be competition at all. I'd think most dogs just want to be pets. Dogs have feelings and needs and desires. Listen with your heart and observe too. -- Bonnie Hess

2011-11-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

"People teach their dogs to sit; it's a trick. I've been sitting my whole life, and a dog has never looked at me as though he thought I was tricky." -- Mitch Hedberg

Think Before You Act

2011-11-16T14:48:00.001-05:00

A reactive dog (or anything else with a hind & front brain) is one that is reacting "without thinking", working directly from the hind brain, literally acting under the influence of a stimulus - think of someone shouting a nasty name across the room at you - to be reactive would be to call them a name back, or to go over and hit them.

A dog that is not reacting, is acting; thinking, using the front brain, or cortex, making a decision - "I could get really wound up and start barking, puling, and lunging at that dog/car/cat/cow over there; but I'd rather not, because then I'll get something positive"; or in the human context, you would take a breath and go on about your life without bothering about the name-caller. - Samantha Tatters

TL Book Study Notes and Homework - Level 1

2011-11-15T15:04:00.001-05:00

Level One Homework: List five things you hope to accomplish by working the Levels with your dog.
1. The levels will be an excellent prep / pre-training for preparing myself and Via to train the exercises needed for the CGC and the BH.
2. Working the levels will move me towards having a well mannered, self-controlled house dog.
3. Working the levels daily will tire Via mentally and enrich her life and our relationship daily.
4. The levels step by step systemic format will keep me organized with a daily training plan.
5. Training the levels is an additional way to have fun with my dog.

Notes:

Video most training sessions and then watch the videos.

Have a PLAN.

The dog must be in the game.

Quit before the dog does.

Begin and end training with a cue that says that you are training and that you are done.

Short training sessions (15 to 20 treats per session)

Always consider what the dog is learning.

Bob Bailey's three rules of animal training: 1. Get the behavior; 2. Get the behavior; 3. Get the behavior.

You can shape an animal to do almost anything that she is physically capable of doing.

The click ends the behavior.

Every click gets a reward.

Click Beat Treat

To change a cue - First NEW cue. Then OLD cue.

Latent Learning is learning that happens after the training. (I tend to crate Via for an hour or so after every training session.)

When the dog meets your criteria 8 out of 10 times, make it harder.

You always get what you click.

Keep records that are useful to you.

Prepare the training space before you fetch the dog.

Build "other places" in to every behavior.

ZEN

Zen means self-control and is the foundation of everything that a dog needs to know.

Dog controls the dog.

To get the food, you must give up the food.

When you teach something in a different circumstance, you remove the cue and start over from the beginning.

Adding duration
1 Mississippi - C/T
1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi - C/T
1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi - C/T
1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi - C/T
1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi, 5 Mississippi - C/T
If the dog fails, return to 1 Mississippi - C/T and build again.

Test every single step of every level cold. If the dog fails, spend another couple of training session on it and then test again.

Training everything in every place that you can think of.

COME

A come is only a come if the dog comes close enough for you to touch her collar.

To add distance back up just a little bit as the dog is leaving you so that the dog has to travel further for the return.

Play the Come Game with everyone in the house, with random strangers and alone (by tossing treats.)

SIT

When can your dog sit?
Where can your dog sit?
Who will your dog sit for?
Why does your dog sit?
What will your dog sit on?

Vary your body position for sits : I. E. Will your dog sit if you are laying on you back in the middle of the floor?

Target

Teach targeting to both hands.

Make a list of ways you can use a nose to hand target:
1. I plan to condition a hand touch enough that it can be a reward for other behaviors because I can take my hand in to the ring with me.
2. I will use the hand touch to move my dog where I need her to be.
3. I will teach a target that means put your nose on and hold it there that I can use to anchor Via's head.
4. I am using a hand touch to teach a bow but will move on to a target stick (once I train a target to the stick.)
5. I will morph the hand target in to a follow the hand.

Down

When can your dog down?
Where can your dog down?
Who will your dog down for?
Why does your dog down?
What will your dog down on?

Vary your body position for down : I. E. Will your dog down if you are laying on you back in the middle of the floor?

Meal Time Training

2011-11-14T12:12:00.001-05:00

Why feed from a bowl? When I visited my friend Judy last week I was reminded that tiny lessons, repeated often, worked at mealtime, can train a dog to be both driven and biddable.

She does freestyle with her two dogs and often needs to build chains of over 100 behaviors for her routines. She has her dogs review various parts of these chains to earn their meals using two prime times to her advantage.

I have started doing the same with Via for her morning meal. Yesterday was Via's first time working for breakfast. I crated her after with a tripe chew to cap off the fun of breakfast training. I started with testing her on Hand Zen (Dog leaves you hand on cue and stays off for 5 seconds.) She passed even though she was hungry.

We worked a little Leave it with bits of her meal in my open hand. Then she offered to Down on mat. I sometimes paid her on the mat and I sometimes tossed bits of food behind her to re-set her.

We did some high, low, left and right hand touches. She also did several walk forward to touch my hands. I ended with a follow the hand which is something that we had not done. She can spin in either direction.

This week's goals and holes

2011-11-13T01:53:00.000-05:00

Goals:

NOTE: When I am training anything at all that is not MAT related, I have to take up all dog beds, rugs, what ever on the floor or Via is sucked directly to the Mat. And she is starting to also suffer from "crate" suck.

Crate games ( I need to work in other rooms besides the mud room and do the entire Susan Garret program starting with step one this week. I need to watch the video again,)

Training Levels Level 1 Hand zen Step 1: Dog moves away from a treat in your hand. You are sitting down. (To get the treat in the hand one must back off of the hand. Human sitting still sitting. I have to get my click in as soon as she pulls away to keep her from folding in to a down. I am then dropping the treat between my feet to keep her close. This week I need to add the cue in the Mudroom.)

Training Levels Level 1 Hand zen Step 2: Dog stays away from a treat in your closed hand for five seconds.

Training Levels Level 1 Sit - Step 1: Dog sits with leash off.

Training Levels Level 1 Sit - Step 2: Dog sits with a hand signal only.

Training Levels Level 1 Come- Step 1: Dog looks for treats at your feet.

Training Levels Level 1 Come- Step 2: Dog runs 10 feet between 2 people.

Training Levels Level 1 Down - Step 1: Dog downs with leash off.

Training Levels Level 1 Down - Step 2: Dog downs with a hand signal only.

Training Levels Level 1 Target - Step 1: Dog touches your hand with nose.

Training Levels Level 1 Target - Step 2: Dog reaches high and low to touch your hand.

Down stays in a pack. Only dogs who are down get continuous feed.

Group sits (in the kitchen, living room, office, basement, back yard - quickest dog gets paid first)

Group Downs (in the living room - quickest dog gets paid first. Only dogs who are down get continuous feed.)

Name Game (group 1 - "dogs" means all dogs. group 2 - "Girls" means Via and Blue. group 3 - Via is her household call name. group 4 - Violet -with a silent o - is her working name. I work on all four.)

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc. I have worked a lot of Via and Dogs. This week I will concentrate on VIOLET with a silent O.)

Sharing clean up of dirty dishes with Blue as in both dogs licking out of the same dirty dish. Via is too wary of Red to share a dish with him. She always defers to him.

Door behavior - ( Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door. I have to pay better attention at the back door to get it open as soon as she sits. If I am slow she launches her self on to the door to a height of about 6 feet.) I want the dog to sit automatically at all doors, wait for the dog to open and wait for release.

Reorientation - every time the dog leaves a crate, car, house, etc sit to get the door to open and reorient. We need to do some set ups to down on the Reorient separate from the door / crate behavior. Have Via wait at dog, go through the door, after I step through, pause, call Via through the door. Pause. Wait for Via to look up at me. Click the head turn. Treat. Repeat 10-20+ times. Do sessions at all inside doorways.

Dinner Mat - Polite behavior as in staying on her mat when humans are eating. I have been for a year been putting Via in her crate at meal time. I have not bothered to teach her the people at the table rules.

Solo sit stays (in the Mudroom, office and bedroom. It will be cookie stays to start.)

Relaxation Protocol - Have to get back to it. Have not done much of it since moving to Boston.

Human Homework - I re-watch all of crate games and re-read the Training Levels Level One behaviors.

Name Game wearing the halter.

Car reorienting ( Reorienting to me after leaving car)

Walking in a new location (wearing a head halter)

Head Halter Happiness: I MUST GET HER HAPPIER ABOUT THE HEAD HALTER. She can't hear my voice, she can't sit in it, she can't understand her name in it. Yet she walks nicely next to me in it.

Ball tug in a new location. We have to get back to play with me anywhere.

Play with odd toys with me.

Play without toys with me.

Mat Love

Potty on Cue - reviewed (Get busy - defecate. Potty - urinate.) Have to get back to having her go on any surface.

Plan for what's next sessions:

Session 1: Level 1 Hand Zen step 2

Session 2: Level 1 Sit step 2

Session 3: Level 1 step 2 Come:

Session 4: Level 1 step 2 target:

Session 5: Level 1 step 2 down

Coming Attractions:

Circle Work - Just walk with your dog--loosely on leash if you need to--and practice direction changes and walking with the dog on both sides.

Kitchen Manners - Try to manage counter surfing by having clean counters because feet up and exploration is reinforcing for Via the nosey. Work on leave it and stays in the kitchen with "good stuff" on the counters.

Platform Training -

Give Me A Break

Look At That

Scent Discrimination

Pop Up Stand

Whistle Recall

Hide and Seek

Tracking

Find It

LOG:

Sunday, Nov 6

Crate Games ( mud room) The only "lure" is that I have food on me. Via must go in the crate and wait for her meal, treat, chew, ect.

TL Hand zen ( 10 to 15 treats each session) I worked three sessions in the basement guess room and started putting the cue on. I did one session with me sitting on the steps in the front entry way. Blue was with us when we were working in the entry way and it was not as productive as I would have liked. By the third basement session she was responding to the cue 80 % of the time.

Mat Love - Offered behavior in the front entry way. I paid it 10 or 12 times and the changed my location.

TL Sit - tested it cold. She sat promptly.

TL Sit - (Verbal cue only. Me sitting. Did about 10 reps in the basement for two sessions. I tossed the treat after the click to reset the dog.)

Name - VIOLET Two sessions in the basement guest room. One joint session with Blue being paid for Blue and Via being paid for Violet in the entry way with me sitting on the steps.)

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc)

Sharing clean up of dirty dishes with Blue as in both dogs licking out of the same dirty dish. Both dogs did well.

Awareness walk - 10 minutes in a new place.

Door behavior - every time the dog leaves a crate, car, house, etc sit to get the door to open and reorient.

Dinner Mat - Polite behavior as in staying on her mat when humans are eating. She did well at breakfast today. I was the only human home. Blue was with her and immediately ran to a mat when I brought my plate to the dinning room table. Via tried mugging me, putting her front feet on the table and barking at me. I ignored her. She down on the mat that I had right next to my chair in frustration. We had done a lot of mat work. I told her good girl and continued my meal. SHE STAYED THERE sighing and staring at me but she stayed. When I was done eating, I gave her a small piece on ham that I saved. I also tossed Blue one on her mat across the room.

Potty on Cue - reviewed (Get busy - defecate. Potty - urinate.) Have to get back to having her go on any surface. Today she peed on cue on mulch.

TL Touch - (Dog nose to human hand. Did about 10 reps in the basement guest room in two different sessions.)

Group sits in the dining room with Blue.

Group downs in the dining room with Blue.

Calling out of play with Blue.

Name responds while playing with Blue.

Played with a water bottle together.

The kidlet played with Via.

One 20 minute walk in the dark in the neighborhood.

Monday, Nov 7

Today's training goal is to train for five to 10 minutes out of every hour that I am home and awake. I will also interrupt any indoor play between the Blue and Via to do call outs, sits and downs. They are getting pretty focused on each other.

6:00 AM Total time was about 10 minutes including the breaks. Basement furnace room. Dog was released to sniff between sessions. Via given a chew and crated after session 3.

Session 1 & 3: TL Hand Zen Level 1 Step 1 come afters, standing with cue for one session, and the second session with out the cue. I also changed my position after each rep (to keep her up and engaged. She still believes that I always want a down.) I was dropping the treats between my feet.

Session 2: TL Come Level 1 Step 1 I dropped treats between my feet (as a lure) and clicked as the dog bent her head between my shoes to eat them. Via has a long history of finding treats dropped on the floor so we will test it cold before the in the next session and move to step 2.

Session 3: Name Treat High rate of reinforcement. I finished off my treats with a rapid fire Violet/treat Violet/treat Violet/treat.

7:30 AM Total time was about 10 minutes. In the Kitchen. Via and Blue were put out in the back yard together to play after session 6 for 20 minutes.

Tested Down cold verbal only. Passed in the Kitchen with Blue downing, too.

Session 4: Down stay is kitchen with Blue while I was cutting treats.

Session 5: Turn taking with Names: One for Blue, one for Red, one for Via.

8:00 AM Total time was about 5 minutes. In the Kitchen.

Tested TL Level 1 step 1 Zen cold with fist and verbal. Me standing. Passed. Will re-read and start step 2 today.

Session 6: TL Leave It cold with fist and verbal. Me standing.

Session 7: Down stay is kitchen with Blue while I was cutting treats.

8:15 AM Total time was about 5 minutes. In the Kitchen. Via was carted after session 9.

Session 8: Calling Via and Blue out of play. (in the dinning room.) I could only do one rep because they would not leave me to play again.

Session 9: Turn taking with Names: One for Blue, one for Red, one for Via.

Via was crated in the mudroom from 9 am until about 1 pm.

1:30 PM Total time was about 3 minutes. Play break between the dogs.

Tested TL Level 1 step 1 Come cold. In the front hall way. She found the treats on the carpet with out trouble.

Session 10: Calling Via and Blue out of play. Using their names. In kitchen.

1:45 PM Total time was about 25 minutes. (while I was working on the computer.)

Session 11: Calling Via and Blue out of play. Using their names. In dinning room.

Session 12: Group down stay - offered. (Blue and Via in the dinning room.) Via would wander away or get up for a badly tossed treat and return to offer another down. Blue never got up. If a treat made a bad bounce, she let Via get it. I did not ask for a down so I did not release the dogs for it. But I did tell them that we were done working. I was treating every 10 to 30 seconds. Via downed next to me after I release her and stopped treating, and went to sleep in the dinning room.

9 PM Basement guest room Total time was about 10 minutes. Give Me A Break between sessions

Session 13: Level 1 step 2 Come - I was alone so I tossed a treat on the floor (between my feet) and quickly moved away while Via was eating it. I sometimes even left the room. At first I had to call "PUPPYPUPPYPUPPY" to get her to move towards me. By the 5 rep she would gobble her treat and race after me, barely giving me enough time to get some distance and turn to click.

Session 14: Level 1 step 2 target - She would come in to target. I would sometimes toss the reward to move her away and she would dive back to target. And she would move her head up, down, left and right to target.

Session 15: Level 1 step 1 down; I lured her silently in to a sphinx down from a stand. I clicked the backward movement. We'll call it DROP. Her DOWN is a rolled hip down.

Session 16: Level 1 Hand Zen step 1 - She moves promptly away on the cue.

Session 17: Level 1 Sit step 1: I did speed sits and tossed the treats to reset her for the next rep.

Tuesday, Nov 8

Today's training goal is to interrupt any indoor play between the Blue and Via to do call outs, sits and downs. They are getting pretty focused on each other. This week's training has been with Via in front of me. Today our concentration will be to have Via beside me left and right for the sits and downs. She has also started protesting being in her crate if everyone else is up and about.

7:15 AM Basement guest room Total time was about 30 seconds. I crated in the mudroom her with a chew after the very short session.

Session 1: I did one rep each of Level 1 step 1 Come, Level 1 step 2 target, Level 1 step 1 down, Level 1 Hand Zen step 2 and Level 1 Sit step 1.

7:30 AM to 9 AM crated in the mudroom

Session 2: She protested for about 20 minutes on and off after finishing her chew. I ignored it. She went to sleep.

9 AM Basement guest room Total time was about 3 minutes. i put her in the yard to play with Blue for 20 minutes after the session.

Session 3: Level 1 step 2 Come: She went back and forth between the kidlet who was standing in the basement guest room and me who was standing in the basement furnace room (about 8 feet apart) for 15 reps (30 treats). At first the Kidlet had to call her (puppypuppypuppy) and kiss at her to get her to come. She's get stuck in a down in front of me. After about 8 treats from the kidlet, she started running to her as soon as she ate my dropped treat. I was clicking her coming to me. Next session I will make sure that the kid also has a clicker.

9:15 to 12:30 Dinning Room

Session 4: Via and Blue were rewarded got relaxing on their mats. Both fell asleep.

12:30 PM Living Room. Total time was about 1 minute. After she went outside for 5 minutes with the Kidlet, Blue and Red.

Session 5: Level 1 step 2 Come: She went back and forth between the Kidlet and me standing in the living room (about 8 feet apart) for 10 reps (10 treats). No clickers. The kid had to call her twice before she started offering to run between us.

1 PM Backyard. Total time was about 5 minutes.

Session 6: Flirt pole play session with the Kidlet. She requested verbal and hand signal sits to get the lure started. Via's out was prompt as were verbal sits. Hand signal sits were slow.

5 PM Melrose High School. About 10 minutes

Session 7: Awareness walk in a new place.

8 PM Basement. About 5 minutes.

Session 8: Review of TL Level 1 Behaviors to date.

Wednesday, Nov 9

8:45 am Road trip to Maine.

Session 1: Three hours in the Car crate. whined some when I got out to pump gas.

Session 2: 10 minute awareness walk. Peed on grass on cue.

1 pm FINISH FORWARD Training Center, Saco, ME About 10 minutes. This was a totally new place.

Session 3: She came in relaxed, but did some scratching. Play with ball on stick. Play with ball on line. Choose to heel. Give Me A Break. Name. Come.

1:50 pm FINISH FORWARD Training Center, Saco, ME About 10 minutes.

Session 4: She came in with her ruff up and panting from the dogs in the cars barking at her as she came in. She did not bark back. Via did a lot of scratching. Play with ball on stick. Play with ball on line. Choose to heel. Give Me A Break. Name. Come. Skateboard.

2 PM

Session 5: Three hours in the Car crate to Unity, Maine.

4 PM

Session 6: 20 minute off lead walk/ run/ play with a 2.5 year old intact male French Bulldog, a six year old sprayed female doberman, their human, and the Kidlet. We got out of the car after the other dogs and humans had moved quite a ways away from us in the farm's fields so that dogs could meet in a more neutral space rather than close to the house or my car. Via started out stressed, vocalizing and clinging to me as the other two dogs mobbed her. It took about 5 minutes of keeping everyone moving along the trail for Via to relax and play. The Frenchie fell in love with Via and was very intent on humping her. I was worried that she still smells like a bitch in heat but was told that the little guy is simply a humper. She told him off a number of times, which he accepted until he forgot or was over come by the good smells that were coming from under her tail and tried again. I did some informal recalls and name game. Via responded every time, even with a little dog wrapped around her leg. She also came when the Kidlet called her, most of the time.

7 PM

Session 7: 15 minute awareness walk.

9:15 PM

Session 8: Via was crated alone in the car over night.

Thursday, Nov 10

6 am

Session 1: 15 minute awareness walk on a long line. I heard shots in the woods adjacent to the field by house the so we stayed very close to the house and barns. Via barked at the man of the house when he came out though the yard on the the way to his car. Once he drove away I let her lead me to were he appeared. She happily tracked him to were he got in to his car.

8:30 am

Session 2: 20 minute off lead walk/ run/ play with the same two dogs and humans as the day before. Once again Via started out stressed, vocalizing and clinging to me as the other two dogs mobbed her, but settled very quickly. The Frenchie was still very intent on humping her, and she got quicker, more confident and clearer in her telling him. I did some informal recalls, name game and sent her though my legs when she would come CHARGING at me from a 100 years away. Once she crashed in to my knees. It hurt (ME) like the dickens but I did not respond because the Dobe was offended on MY behalf and ready to discipline Via for Via's unruly behavior.

11:30 am

Session 3: 5 minute Awareness walk and pee break in downtown Unity. Via barked and lunged at a little Maisey- looking dog who was baking and lunging back that was more than 50 feet away and across the road. I walked her out of sight around the corner of the community center building. Her hackles did not go up, she did some grumping and she settled right down once I took her out of sight. AND DID NOT SCAN for the dog (who was still there) once we returned to our starting point. She was on her regular collar and I did not have any treats on me so I was unprepared.

11:45 am Unity Community Center About 15 minutes total for both sessions and a break in the middle for me to go out to the car to get a target stick.

Session 4: We started working on luring a bow with a hand touch. My friend Judy was clicking for me. I started out rewarding with licks of spray cheese with was too high value for Via to think. Also did some GMAB. And I have started to walk Via out of position anytime that she stops to scratch during a training session.

Session 5: We started working on luring a bow with a target stick (a stuffed flower actually as I forgot to pack my target stick). Mostly I got bite the target and tug the target so I went back to a hand touch.

12:30 to 1:15

Session 6: Without the dog. I chatted with Judy over lunch about what I should be doing to get Via ready for freestyle. She suggested much, much more attention, getting targeting with her nose, both front feet and her back feet generalized to any thing that I present and getting the bow on cue and generalized to the point that Via can do it facing any direction in regards to my body.

Session 7: Four hours in the Car crate to Mass.

7 PM

Session 8: 25 minute walk on a long line in the rain in the dark at Pike School in Andover, MA.

Friday, Nov 11

6 am Back yard About 1 minute.

Session 1: Calling out of play with Blue. Once she came I cold not get her to go play again.

7:30 Basement guest room About 2 minutes

Session 2: Review of bow.

Session 3: A mix of sits, hand touches and Name (Via.)

4:30 PM about 20 minutes.

Session 4: A loose leash walking training walk in Melrose, MA. She was wear her head halter with out having a lead attached to it. She put her hackles up and rumbled at a dog that charged towards us (with out barking) on the other side of a fence. I turned her, crossed the street and she was fine. She did look over her shoulder once at the dog who was silently (except the dog tags) running the fence.

6:30 pm Basement guest room. About 10 minutes.

Session 5: Level 1 Hand Zen step 2 - She will leave my hand and stay away unit released (with a click) to get the treat HOWEVER if not cued leave it, she will nibble my had a bit first.

Session 6: Level 1 step 2 target: She will walking forward to touch the target as well as turn her head right, left, up, down to touch the target, about 50 percent of the time with her mouth open.

Session 7: Target stick. After the stuffed flower yesterday, she now thinks that teeth are part of the nose target picture.

Session 8: Level 1 step 2 down. She'll go down on a verbal or a hand cue.

Session 9: Level 1 Sit step 2. She'll sit on a verbal or a hand cue.

Saturday, Nov 12

10 AM About 15 minutes.

Session 1: Walk in head halter in a new place. We walked in downtown Manchester NH. When we passed a large church the bells started ringing. Via startled, looked up for two of three rings and then went back to sniffing a bush. When the bells stopped, she looked up again and barked one time.

4 PM About 15 minutes.

Session 2: Awareness walk at Higgins Middle School in Peabody, MA.

5:30 PM Basement guest room. About 15 minutes. The Kidlet was wandering around the room providing a distraction. Sigh. I crated her after for about an hour.

Session 3: Level 1 Hand Zen step 2 - She will leave my hand and stay away unit released (with a click) to get the treat HOWEVER if not cued leave it, she will nibble my had a bit first.

Session 4: Level 1 step 2 target: She will walking forward to touch the target as well as turn her head right, left, up, down to touch the target, about 50 percent of the time with her mouth open.

Session 5: Target stick. After the stuffed flower yesterday, she now thinks that teeth are part of the nose target picture.

Session 6: Level 1 step 2 down. She'll go down on a verbal or a hand cue.She seems to think that she can only down in front of me.

Session 7: Level 1 Sit step 2. She'll sit on a verbal or a hand cue.

6:30 PM Removed from the crate for a training session. Basement guest room. About 15 minutes. Released her to sniff between session. Once again, the Kidlet was wandering around the room providing a distraction. Sigh. I will try to do the next session after Kidlet bed time. I crated her after for about an hour.

Session 8: Level 1 step 2 Come: She went back and forth between the Kidlet standing in the basement guest room and me standing in the furnace room (about 10 feet apart) for 50 reps (50 treats). The kid had a clicker. She right away started offering to run between us so after 15 reps we started to add the cue "COME"

Session 9: Name - Via

Session 10: Hand touches. (She thinks that an open mouth is now part of it.)

Session 11: Step 1 leave it

Session 12: Offered tucked sits. She did about 15. Then tried a down, did not get clicked and went back to sits.

Session 13: Down stay. Me sitting and paying her at a fairly high rate of reinforcement. Did not click to release her. I tossed treats to get her up between down stays.

2011-11-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

Methods that really change the animals emotional response to a trigger are long lasting and honest. Methods that make things we don't like just stop through force or pressure are band-aids and those band-aids will fall off with time and generally the wounds are nastier and more dangerous than when the band-aids were put on. And then, you will be back to square one. - Vicki Ronchette

2011-11-11T12:58:00.001-05:00

"Slow is fast." ~ Sara Reusche

2011-11-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

THIS is what training is all about, isn't it? Being good to each other, tolerating that which you do not like and being cheerful about it. - Holly Wood

When the Brains Run Out Of the Vulva

2011-11-09T20:38:00.004-05:00

In the heat of the moment is about being temporarily angry, excited, or engrossed without stopping for thought. Behaving like a bitch in heat doesn't need defining but picture Via's brains leaking out of her vulva. She is finally over her second heat. Her "heat of the moment" lasted a month.

Estrus ("heat") is the mating period of female animals. When estrus occurs, animals are said to be "in heat" or "in season." The heat period varies from 8 to 30 days with an average of about 20 days. A dogs cycle will usually stay the same throughout her lifetime.

The age at which a bitch reaches sexual maturity is influenced by her size. A small-breed bitch will start cycling when she is between six and eight months of age (on average), whereas a giant-breed bitch might not be sexually mature until she is 16 to 20 months of age.Via had her first at 9 months and her second at 14 months. The normal and most common is for the female to come into heat every 6 months or so.

Both times, the first signs that Via was starting her heat cycle was a swollen vulva and a needing to urinate at lot. Bloody discharge from the vulva started a couple of days later. She stated acting a bit touchy / grumpy with Blue yet affectionate and clingy with me. She had mood swings from being more excitable to being more cautious and anxious. It normally lasts from 4 to 9 days. Via went the full 9 days.

And Via attracted a lot of attention from Red, my neutered male Greyhound. He did not try to mount her for the first weeks but he did not want her out of his sight. He also played with her, did not beat her up for the transgressions that normally provoked a beat down and he carefully peed over any place that she peed. This is the proestrus stage of estrus.

After the second week or so, Via was actively courting Red back and sticking her behind in his face. Red tried to mount her anytime she was near enough to wrap his horny little paws around her. Via's discharge changed to light pink and then clear instead of bloody. She will hold her tail off to the side called "Flagging." She also started pushing up rear when anyone petted her on the back. The stage lasts for 2 to 20 days.

Soon after the discharge clears, the female begins to ovulate. That is the time that puppies can be created. While Via was in heat, for walks, I put her in the car and drive to a remote areas, took her for the walk there and drive back home. I did not want randy male dogs to follow us home. This is the estrus stage.

Via's first heat was in May. It was a "split heat" in which she had a swollen vulva and have bloody discharge but she did not act the hussy. Her teats became more noticeable. They swelled and never return to 'puppy size'. Normally about 3 weeks later bitches who do the split thing are in heat again with their first real full heat cycle. Via did not do that that I could tell.

This time I knew Via's heat was over, when Red beat her up TWICE in the same day for stepping on his sore feet and or bumping him almost over when going out the door while he was coming in. During her period, he did not correct her for ANYTHING, even letting her take a bully stick OUT OF HIS MOUTH on a couple of occasions. Diestrus stage lasts 60 to 90 days, whether or not the bitch becomes pregnant. During this phase, she has a persistently elevated progesterone level, similar to that of a pregnant bitch. Most bitches exhibit no outward signs during diestrus, but in some individuals, the high progesterone level induces physical changes that mimic pregnancy – a bitch in “false pregnancy” may eat more, gain weight and experience mammary-gland enlargement.

When the progesterone level falls off at the end of diestrus (about 63 days on average), a few bitches start to produce milk and act as if they are about to give birth – they carry stuffed toys around as if they were puppies, or they make a nest for puppies. On rare occasions, a bitch in false pregnancy will go into a false labor, complete with contractions.

Anestrus is the last stage. It is a phase of sex-hormone dormancy. The average length of this stage is six months, but it can vary from five to 12 months. At the end of anestrus, the bitch cycles again with the onset of proestrus.

Some general "rules of thumb" for canine estrus:

* The first estrus cycle usually occurs by age 6-12 months; for some small breeds, as early as 5 months, and for some large and giant breeds, the first cycle may not occur until 14 months of age or older.
* On average, dogs have two cycles a year.
* The estrus cycle lasts on average 12-21 days, but maybe be as short as a few days to four weeks. The length of a cycle varies widely, even for dogs of the same breed.
* Bleeding occurs prior to a female being receptive to a male (allowing mounting by the male), but male dogs will be very attracted to the female in the proestrus stage.
* Dogs CAN get pregnant during their first heat cycle, but this is not advisable as a 6-month old dog is not yet fully grown/mature, and complications for the mother and the puppies are more likely.
* Teach your female to wear panties before you need them.

Reference

Thomas Colville and Joanna M Bassert, Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians, Mosby, Inc, St. Louis, Missouri, 2002

I Got to Get Better

2011-11-08T20:49:00.001-05:00

I am trying ten strategies that I will use to become a better dog trainer. I am engaged in a personal experiment testing these ideas in my everyday training life. I will be integrating them, and building on them, in the light of my actual experience. This will be a systematic approach to improving my ability to train my dogs.

Here are the 10:
1. Use “Wasted” Time.
2. A Problem A Day.
3. Internalize Intellectual Standards.
4. Keep An Intellectual Journal.
5. Reshape My Training Character.
6. Deal with My Ego.
7. Redefine the Way I See Things.
8. Get in Touch with My Emotions.
9. Analyze Group Influences on My Life.
10. Learn from Other Trainers.

1. Use “Wasted” Time. The key is that the time will be “gone” if I do not think about it and consider my options. I will do quickie training in the down times. I will be ready because I will prepare my training treats the night before.

2. A Problem A Day. At the beginning of each day I choose a problem to work on when I have free those moments. I will systematically think through the questions: What exactly is the problem? How does it relate to my goals, purposes, and needs? How can I put it into a trainable form? I will look at creative problem solving techniques. Each problem is composed of many smaller problems. Decomposing a problem in to many smaller problems — each of them more specific than the original — will especially useful if I find the problem overwhelming or daunting. I will also always make sure to look at the problem from different perspectives, including the dog's. I will rephrase the problem by turning it on its head. If I want to win, I will find out what would make me lose.

3. Internalize Intellectual Standards. Each week, develop a heightened awareness of one of the universal intellectual standards (clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, significance) as they relate to clean dog training.

4. Keep An "Intellectual" Training Journal. Each week, I will frame my training goals for the week and daily I will write out a log about what I trained. I will also do a daily journal entry in which I analysis ONE situation that is significant to me, that I care about. Behind every goal I set or every problem I am working on there’s a motivation. “Why do I want this?”

I will describe that one situation. Then I will describe specifically and exactly what I did in response to that situation. Then I will analyze, in the light of what I have written, what precisely was going on in the situation. I will try to dig beneath the surface to see what I learned about yourself as a trainer and what I would do differently if I could re-live the situation.

5. Reshape My Training Character. I will choose one training habit---training clean, perseverance, timing, rate of reinforcement, etc--- to strive for each month, focusing on how I can develop that habit in myself.

6. Deal with My Ego. Egocentric thinking in regards to training my dogs is not helpful. I sometimes become irritable over small things. I will ask myself "What would a rational person do in this or that situation?" What would Greta, Denise or Leslie do? Above all, I will listen to my dog.

7. Redefine the Way I See Things. How a situation is defined determines not only how I feel about it, but also how I act in it, and what implications it has for me. Every situation can be defined in more than one way. I need to teach myself to turn dead-ends into new beginnings and see my mistakes into opportunities to learn.

8. Get in Touch with My Emotions. I will teach myself to think about any situation so as to see the humor in it and what is pitiable in it.

9. Analyze Group Influences on My Life. I will closely analyze the behavior that is encouraged, and discouraged, in the groups to which I choose to belong. What am I "required" to believe? What am I "forbidden" to do? Every group enforces some level of conformity. I will think explicitly about whether or not to reject peer pressure.

10. Learn from Other Trainers. I believe that I can learn something from anyone. I will read widely - lists, blogs, books and magazines. I will attend seminars. I will take classes. I will seek private lessons. I will work ideas into my thinking by active reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I will ask questions to discover what I do and do not know. I will study like a detective, always relating new learning to previous learning.

My Favorite Equipment

2011-11-07T14:30:00.008-05:00

The Martingale Collar - Like a flat/buckle collar but with an extra loop that tightens when the dog pulls, preventing the collar from slipping off the dog's head. This collar has a limited slip section that allows for a very snug fit but should never choke. I love the ones made by White Pine Outfitters because they have a soft, silky strong and color fast nylon webbing that does not cut or discolor Via's neck fur, even when wet.

The Multipurpose, Police or Double Ended Leash - The leash can be adjusted to several different lengths, worn in several different ways and can be clipped to both the harness and the collar for better control. It can be carried in-hand or crossed over the chest. You also clip the lead across you shoulders to walk hands-free.

Sure-Fit Harness (by Premier) It had five-way adjustability, places pressure on the breastbone rather than the base of the throat and features an easy-on, easy-off design with two quick-snap buckles.

Comfort Trainer Head Halter (by Miriam Fields-Babineau) This head halter conforms to the dog’s head shape without irritating the eyes, constricting the jaw or abrading the nose. Dogs tend to acclimate faster than a lot of other head halters. There's no clamp under the dog's chin to keep the noseband in place as is the case with Gentle Leader.

2011-11-07T08:29:00.002-05:00

Encourage them to be their best, of course, but we should enjoy each of our dogs for the works of art they are. - Crystal Thompson

A Behaviorally Healthy Dog

2011-11-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

A behaviorally healthy dog is comfortable being petted by children and people of all types without growling or shrinking away.

A behaviorally healthy dog can be examined and groomed by the vet and by owners without growling or trying to bite.

A behaviorally healthy dog has not bitten a person.

A behaviorally healthy dog does not growl, lunge, or shrink away from strangers or other dogs.

A behaviorally healthy dog does not patrol windows, doors, the car or yard, barking at strangers or other dogs.

A behaviorally healthy dog does not growl or bite to guard food, toys, or resting spaces from people or other dogs.

A behaviorally healthy dog is not afraid of new people, objects, sounds, or smells.

A behaviorally healthy dog eliminates in the correct the location.

A behaviorally healthy dog lives peacefully with all people and with other animals in the household.

A behaviorally healthy dog can be in a room with other dogs and settle down after 5 minutes even if it doesn't get to sniff the dogs.

A behaviorally healthy dog is able to walk down the street and pass another dog and/or person without growling, lunging, and barking.

A behaviorally healthy dog allows guests to enter the house without growling, lunging, and barking.

Adapted from Teamworks Dog Training

2011-11-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

Just like people, each dog is different. Some succeed with the poorest of training. Others just don't have the interest no matter how good the trainer is. A great deal depends on the individual. - Mary Beam

Training Log Week in Review

2011-11-05T11:13:00.005-04:00

Sunday, October 29

Crate Games (Going in and out of the crate on cue without a lure. Reorienting to me after leaving crate. Blue holding a sit in the door way waiting for a release while Via waits in the crate with the door open for a release.)

Hand zen (To get the treat in the hand one must back off of the hand. Human sitting.)

Down stays in a pack.

Group sits (in the kitchen)

Group sits(in the living room)

Group Downs (in the living room)

Name (group 1 - "dogs" means all dogs. group 2 - "Girls" means Via and Blue. group 3 - Via is her household call name. group 4 - Violet (with a silent o) is her working name. I work on all four.)

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc)

Door behavior - Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door)

Monday, October 31

Crate Games (Mudroom Crate. Going in and out of the crate on cue without a lure. Reorienting to me after leaving crate. Blue holding a sit in the door way waiting for a release while Via waits in the crate with the door open for a release.)

Hand zen (To get the treat in the hand one must back off of the hand. Human sitting.)

Down stays in a pack (with Red and Blue.)

Group sits (in the kitchen)

Group sits(in the living room)

Group Downs (in the living room)

Name

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc)

Solo sit stays (in the Mudroom)

Called out of play and sent back to play (with Blue)

Door behavior - Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door)

Tuesday, Nov 1

Crate Games (Mudroom Crate and Car crate. Going in and out of the crate on cue without a lure. Reorienting to me after leaving crate. )

Hand zen (To get the treat in the hand one must back off of the hand. Human sitting. Via mugs my hand and immediately folds in to a down. I have to click quicker as it is hard to re-set her from the down. I've been tossing the treat at my feet.)

Down stays in a pack (with Red and Blue.)

Name

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc)

Sits in a new location (on a walk wearing a head halter. Sitting while wearing the head halter it is new. She doesn't believe that her rear can hit the ground if she is wearing a head halter.)

Walking in a new location (wearing a head halter. I am using spray cheese and paying her close to my leg. I also release her to sniff.)

Door behavior - Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door)

Wednesday, Nov 2

Crate Games (Mudroom Crate waiting for release while Blue outside the crate is waiting for release from a sit stay)

Crate Games (Car Crate Reorienting to me after leaving crate.)

Car reorienting ( Reorienting to me after leaving car)

Walking in the same location as yesterday (wearing a head halter)

Sits in the same location as yesterday(on a walk wearing a head halter)

Name wearing the halter. (NOTE FOR TOMORROW: I MUST GET HER HAPPIER ABOUT THE HEAD HALTER.)

Door behavior - Sit at doors to get the door open, wait for cue to go out the door, reorienting to me once stepping though the door)

Thursday, Nov 3

20 minute night time Awareness Walk (long line and rear attach harness) on the edges of the woods and on a soccer field at Pike School in Andover, MA. We also played a little soccer.

Door behavior

Car crate games

Friday, Nov 4

Name

Waiting turn (one for Red, one for Blue, one for Via, etc)

Walking longer (wearing a head halter. I am releasing her to sniff for staying by me.)

Crate games (Mudroom Crate waiting for release while Blue outside the crate is waiting for release from a sit stay)

Crate Games (Car Crate Reorienting to me after leaving crate.)

Name wearing the halter.

2 very short awareness walks (long line) in two different locations.

Saturday, Nov 5

Relaxing in crate while dogs (and the Kidlet) are busy outside said crate. She will have a lot of crate time today both in the car and at home with short times out for training, walking and playing.

Car reorienting ( Reorienting to me after leaving car)

Hand Zen (She still shifts immediately back in to a down. I am getting the click in as soon as she pulls away. Tomorrow I'll start adding the cue.)

Walking in a new location (wearing a head halter)

Head Halter Happiness

Ball tug in a new location

Door behavior

Urinated on leaf covered concrete.

2011-11-04T09:48:00.002-04:00

If there were a single snapshot moment that encapsulates a relationship, it might be simply this: how a person and a dog walk together. -- Suzanne Clothier

The Red Dog's Clock Is Winding Down

2011-11-03T12:49:00.000-04:00

"Dogs lives are short, too short, but you know that going in," writes Dean Koontz (via Nadia).

"You know the pain is coming, you're going to lose your pet, and there's going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can't support the illusion that a dog can be your life long friend.

"There's such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware it come with an unbearable price. Maybe loving a dog is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we make because of those illusions."

2011-11-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

Cartoon copyright by Nick Galifianakis

I love his cartoons about his ZuZu dog. He could be writing about my relationship with the V-dog.

My Cross Over Story

2011-11-01T13:19:00.004-04:00

This is Samone Sh*tter Greyhound (1989 - 2003), my first dog as an adult. I got her as a young puppy from an oops racing litter.

My obedience instructor at the time was a fan of Milo Pearsall's book Dog Obedience Training. She was an even bigger fan of anything Koehler, as was the instructor whom I had when I was a teenager in the 1970s training and showing German Shepherds. The instructor did not have any use for food in dog training.

Samone is the reason I discovered clicker training. We did several rounds of the jerk and praise classes and it just was not working for her. Pearsall's nor Koehler's methods worked with my greyhound. She either shut down and refused to move - forget about working or she's go in to hyper silly mode. It was ugly and amazing the new spins that she could put on an obedience exercise. I got to hate training as much as she did.

Up to that point, I'd only lived with herding or working dogs or mixes. I trained a couple of the GSDs and we managed to title with fairly good scores in AKC Novice and Open with jerk and praise. That type of training just shut Samone down.

It worked for the GSDs because they wanted to work, I think, and they put up with my craziness. They were stronger than me, smarter than me and willing to work with me anyway. They would come running if I picked up the leash. I was too small to do any damage with the jerking, popping, kneeing and chain tossing. The dogs I had all would work for something to do. I do believe over time my praise meant something to them as it was information.

Samone ran the other way and hid anytime I picked up her leash or my car keys. I got the message and stopped training her and started just playing with her.

Then I discovered a new fad, PLAY TRAINING. Wowie Kapowey!

I stopped being a Pod Person, mindlessly following the dog training herd trying to force - and I mean that literally - my round hound into a square hole.

Patricia Gail Burnham and her book, Playtraining Your Dog saved my life with dogs. Burnham combined play and food. She was still using some punishment but she was TRAINING AND SHOWING GREYHOUNDS!

From there I discovered clicker training. I joined clicker training list servers and chat rooms back before the internet was the internet. I have never looked back.

2011-10-31T12:18:00.000-04:00

"The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants."  — Johnny Depp

2011-10-30T14:10:00.002-04:00

Being a grown up can seem like a real bummer to both the human and the canine adolescent.

Neither of them have the ability to see that in the larger picture, using self restraint makes for more freedom.

All you can do is set it up so they learn it and then experience the rewards.

M. Shirley Chong

2011-10-30T00:09:00.001-04:00

Unnecessary movement and noise increases the amount of time it takes to teach the animal the behavior. - Susan Yee

I repeat

2011-10-28T16:17:00.000-04:00

Any young dog, left to it's own devices, and bored, and unsupervised can cause havoc galore! - Susan Traynor

Who? Me?

2011-10-28T08:44:00.001-04:00

Leave a (fill in the blank_________ ) adolescent unsupervised?

Expect the landscape to be excavated and the interior of the home to be redesigned doggie style. -- Susan Traynor

Leash Training & Harnesses

2011-10-27T12:39:00.004-04:00

I am an equipment junky. If it is out there, I most like have one (or two) in my box of dog trainer toys. I buy stuff and test it on my own dogs and on my students dogs.

I have tried Wiggles Wags and Whiskers harness.

Note: I have a couple of the beautiful originals from when they were making them only for greyhounds. They are very nicely made. They are the most beautiful pieces of training equipment that I own. Works best with a two click lead for "balanced" TTOUCH style walking. I've also had good results with the lead hooked to the front ring. What I like very best about this one however is that they are nearly escape proof. If you have a dog with a history of backing out of a harness, you'll be happy with this one provided you are using the back loop.

I have tried the Easy Walk.

Note: Hard to fit most dogs. Works better upside down on a lot of dogs. Slides out of size so if you use it, put a stitch or two in the edge to keep it set for your dog over time. Also stick mole skin on all the parts which touch the dog or you will get fur loose from the plastic over time. If you are using one, add a clip from the harness to your dogs collar. These are easy to escape from.

I have NOT tried the Dolan's Dogs version of Wonder Walker.

Note: I like all the padding options. The original body harness called Wonder Walker which I purchased in 2008 or 2009 was a great idea but too hard to put on for an everyday walk. Much too complicated! They were also expensive.

I have tried the Halti Harness

Note: Works well with a two click lead for "balanced" TTOUCH style walking. Make sure that when you size it that you keep the rib / side pieces set to not rub under the dog's arms. Always use the safety clip that goes from the harness to the dogs collar.

I have tried a version of the RC No-Pull

Note: It rubbed raw the underarms of two dogs so if you use it, add some fleece padding to the contact points. I saw zero lessening of most of the pulling. A couple of dogs RAN when they saw it come out after wearing it for a session or two and a couple more who flatly refused to walk. Technically, all of these harnesses (except the Sure Fit below) are designed to punish pulling, however this one is the most aversive by far to most dogs that I have seen in one. It is designed to dig into the nerves under the forelimbs when the dog pulls.

The best plug and play front attached harness of the group is the Halti Harness.

I mostly I use the Premier Sure Fit with the lead hooked to the front ring or used as a balance lead in the T-TOUCH style. I also put a clip on the front ring to the collar (a martingale) so that Via can not back out of the gear.

None of these harnesses, however, work without adding in a bit of training. Without the training, most dogs teach themselves to pull with the new gear.

Since Via has turned into a adolescent rock head and I want to control her head, I am moving to a head harness.

My Personal Seven Rules of Training

2011-10-26T14:37:00.004-04:00

1. Be the keeper of the joy by controlling access to the things you do not want the dog to do. Become the cookie.

2. Minimize distractions to maximize focus on you. Train new behaviors in a place where you are the only joy.

3. Know where you are in your training and know where you want to be by logging your training and adjusting you goals

4. Be aware of the behavioral drift, the gradual shifting of learned behavior back towards instinctual behavior.

5. Know what is reinforcing for your dog find away to build yourself in to the picture. Keep a list of self rewarding behaviors that motivate your dog.

6. Train "cleanly."

7. Reward what you'd like to see more of.

Begleithund (BH) Test Rules

2011-10-25T13:05:00.005-04:00

My next goal for Via is to get her Canine Good Citizen and then her BH which is a CGC on steroids. We will work at the BH standards while preparing for the CGC,

The minimum age for dogs to participate in a BH test is 15 months. Via may not be ready to take the test until she is about 2.

Impartiality (temperament) test

Before admittance to the BH test, all dogs entered are to undergo a temperament test, in which the identity of the dog is confirmed through checking of the tattoo number and/or chip number.

If, during the course of the trial, a dog shows defects of character, even if it passed the first temperament test, the judge may disqualify the dog from the trial and enter into the scorebook the note, 'Temperament Test/Behavior Test failed".

Evaluation

Dogs which do not achieve 70% of the required points in Part A will not be permitted to participate in the Traffic Portion of the test.

At the end of the trial no point score is given by the judge but rather only a rating of Passed or Failed. The trial is passed if 70% of the attainable points are earned in Part A and in Part B the judge considers the exercises as performed satisfactorily.

A BH test may be repeated at any time. The outcome of each trial is recorded in the scorebook irrespective of the outcome.

Begleithund test on the training field. Total points: 60

Each individual exercise begins and ends with the basic position. The dog sits directly next to its handler on the left side with its right shoulder at the handler's knee. Assuming the basic position is allowed only once at the beginning of each exercise.

Handler help is not permitted and if used, results in point deductions. Carrying something to motivate the dog, such as a toy, is not permitted. If a handler cannot perform an exercise correctly because of a physical disability, the judge must be informed of this prior to the beginning of the trial. If a handler's disability doesn't allow the dog to heel on the left side, the dog may heel in a comparable position on the handler's right side.

The judge gives the command to begin each exercise. Everything else, such as the turns, halts, changes of pace, etc., is carried out without direction from the judge. However, it is permitted for the handler to request these directions from the judge.

Praising the dog is permitted at the end of each exercise. Afterwards, the handler may take a new basic position. Between praising the dog and new start there should be a distinct pause (about 3 seconds). The dog must remain at heel between exercises.

On lead heeling (15 points). Command: Heel (Fuss)

From the basic position at the command "Heel" ("Fuss"), the on-lead dog, wearing an animal rights approved collar or harness, follows the handler gladly. The lead may not be on the live ring of a choke collar.

At the beginning of the exercise, the dog and handler walk 40 to 50 paces straight ahead without stopping, perform an about turn and after 1 0 to 15 paces, show the fast and then slow paces of a minimum of about 1 0 paces. At a normal pace, they are then to execute a minimum of a right, a left and an about turn. The dog must stay with its shoulder at knee level on the left side of the handler. It must neither forge, lag or go sideways. The about turn is to be shown by the handler as a left about turn.

The command "Heel" ("Fuss") is permitted only when starting from the basic position and at the changes of pace. When the handler halts, the dog should sit quickly without help from the handler. The handler may not at this point change the basic position and especially may not move to the dog if it's sitting apart from the handler. During the heeling routine, the lead should be held in the left hand and must hang loose. At the direction of the judge, the handler and dog go through a group of a minimum of 4 people. The handler must halt at least once in the group. The group is to move randomly.

Lagging, forging or deviating to the side by the dog while heeling, as well as pausing on the turns by the handler, is incorrect.

Heeling in a group

The heeling through the moving group is to be shown both on and off lead. While heeling in the group, a minimum of once around a person to the left and once to the right (for example, in the form of a figure "8") is to be performed. Once during each pass through the group, the handler must halt near a person. The judge may require the handler to repeat the exercise. Praising the dog is permitted only in the final basic position after leaving the group.

About turns

Two types of about turns are permitted, but they both must performed as left about turns. When carrying out the about turn, the dog can either go around the handler or the about turn is performed with the handler as a left turn. (The dog stays on the left side of the handler.)

Off lead heeling (15 points), Command: Heel (Fuss)

At the direction of the judge, the lead is removed while the dog is in the basic position. The handler hangs the lead over the shoulder or sticks it in his/her pocket. (In both cases, the lead goes on the side opposite from the dog, either over the left shoulder with the snap on the right side or in the right side pocket.) The team returns immediately through the group with the dog off lead, halting at least once in the group. After leaving the group, the handler briefly takes the basic position and then begins the off-lead heeling routine comparable to Exercise 1.

Pattern may be worked with the turns in the opposite direction as long as the patten is correct.

Sit out of motion exercise (10 points). Command Sit (Setz)

From the basic position and with the dog heeling off lead, the handler walks straight ahead. After a minimum of 10 paces and on the command "Sit" ("Sitz"), the dog must quickly sit, without the handler pausing or looking back. After an additional 30 paces, the handler stops and immediately turns towards the dog. At the direction of the judge, the handler returns to the dog and takes the basic position on the right side of the dog. If the dog stands or lies down instead of sits, there will be a deduction of 5 points.

"Sit"
Basic Position ---------------------------------- X -------------------------------------------------- Handler
10-15 paces normal minimum 30 paces normal

Down out of motion with recall (10 points)

From the basic position the handler gives the command "Heel" ("Fuss") and walks straight ahead. After a minimum of 10 paces and on the command “Down” (“Platz”), the dog must quickly lie down. Without other influence on the dog and without turning around, the handler walks straight ahead another 30 paces, turns immediately towards the dog and stops. At the direction of the judge, the handler calls the dog. The dog should run to the handler quickly and happily and sit in front. At the command, "Heel" ("Fuss"), the dog sits next to the handler.

If the dog stands or sits, but the recall is perfect, 5 points will be deducted.

"Down"
Basic Position ---------------------------------- X -------------------------------------------------- Handler
10-15 paces normal minimum 30 paces normal

Down under distraction (10 points), Commands: Down (Platz), Sit (Setz)

At the beginning of the obedience performance of the other dog, the handler downs the dog from the basic position at a place designated by the judge without leaving the lead or any type of article with the dog. The handler goes 30 paces away and stands at this distance with his/her back to the dog. During the Down, the dog must remain lying calmly. At the direction of the judge, the handler goes to the right side of the dog and at another judge direction, brings the dog into the basic position with the command "Sit" ("Sitz"). If the dog sits, stands or is restless, only partial points will be awarded. If the dog moves more than its own body length from the down position, the exercise is failed.

Restless behavior on the part of the Handler, as well as other hidden help is incorrect.

Bitches are to be downed separately, if possible.

A dog which does not earn a minimum of 70% (42 points) in exercises 1 through 5 is dismissed from further participation in the trial.

The traffic exercises take place outside of the training field in a suitable environment. The judge along with the trial chairman determines where and how the exercises in the public traffic area (streets, avenues or squares) will be carried out. Public traffic may not be impeded.

No points are awarded for the individual exercises in Part B. In order to pass these parts of the test, the total impression of the dog as it moves through traffic/the public is relevant.

The exercises described in the following are suggestions and can be modified by the judge to fit the local conditions. If the judge is unsure in the rating of the dog, he is authorized to repeat the exercises or to alter them.

Her is the order of procedures for the "traffic" part of the test.

At the direction of the judge and with the dog on lead, the handler walks along an assigned section of a street on the sidewalk. The judge follows the team at an appropriate distance.

The dog should follow willingly on the handler's left side on a loose lead with its shoulder at the handler's knee.

The dog must be indifferent to the pedestrian and motor traffic.

On the way, a jogger (someone assigned to do this, not a stranger) crosses the handler's path. The dog should appear neutral and indifferent.

The handler and dog walk further and enter a loose group of a minimum of 6 people, in which one person speaks to the handler and greets the handler with a handshake. At the handler's command, the dog must sit or lie next to the handler and behave calmly during the brief conversation.

With the dog on lead, the handler walks along a street and is next overtaken from behind by a bike rider who rings a bell while passing. At some distance away, the bike rider turns around and comes towards the dog and handler. Beside the team, the bike rider rings the bell again. The traffic pattern should be set up in such a way that the dog is between the handler and the passing bike rider.

The dog should be indifferent to the bike and rider.

With the dog heeling on lead, the handler and dog walk past several cars. One of the cars starts up and as they pass one of the other cars, a door is slammed. As the handler and dog walk on further, a car stops next to them. The driver rolls down the car window and asks the handler for information. At the same time the handler commands the dog to sit or lie down. The dog must appear calm and unaffected by the cars and all traffic noises.

With the dog on lead, the handler and dog walk along a quiet road. A minimum of two joggers overtakes them, without decreasing speed. Once one jogger passes, another jogger comes towards the handler and dog and runs past them without slowing down. The dog does not have to stay in heel position but may not bother either the jogger overtaking from behind or the one coming towards them. During the encounters with the joggers, the handler is permitted to put the dog in a sit or down position.

Instead of the joggers, one or two inline skaters can overtake the handler and dog from behind and again coming towards them.

When being overtake by or meeting another dog with its handler, the dog has to behave in a neutral manner. The handler may repeat the command "Heel" ("FuB") or put the dog in the sit or down position during the encounters.

Behavior of the dog when tied out briefly and left alone to test it's behavior with regard to other dogs.

At the direction of the judge and with the dog on lead, the handler walks along the sidewalk of a moderately busy street. After a short distance and at the judge's instruction, the handler stops and attaches the lead to a fence, tie-out or similar. The handler goes out of sight into a business or entrance to a house.

The dog may stand, sit or lie down.

During the absence of the handler a passerby (someone assigned to do this) walks by with a dog on lead to the side of the dog being tested, at a distance of about 5 paces.

The dog that has been left alone must remain quiet during the absence of the handler. It must allow the dog being walked by to pass without acting aggressively (without pulling strongly on the lead or persistent barking). At the judge's direction, the dog is picked up.

It is up to the appointed judge if she carries out the individual exercises with each dog at the respective assigned locations or if she lets all candidates complete only some exercises and then find the next test site and proceed in the same way.

3 For 3 For not showing my dog

2011-10-24T22:43:00.022-04:00

I took Via to the 15th annual North American Sieger Show in Reston, VA this past week.

It was a brisk, over cast four days. The Kidlet worked hard to stay warm while watching unknown dogs do bite work.

We did a lot of hiking in the woods at the venue, Lake Fairfax Park. Both the Kidlet and the doglet enjoyed our suite at the Hyatt Dulles and the child *loved* the indoor pool. That was Via's first stay in any hotel other than a Red Roof or a Motel 6.

Day of show, I scratched. Via is too out of shape for this venue, is not trained to run the ring, is in standing heat with all the craziness that goes with it and was reactive to all the other dogs running around the rings. By reactive I mean barking and spinning at the end of the lead.

Her class was so big that it took over TWO HOURS to show all the dogs. There were 45 dogs in Via's class, females age 12 to 18 months.

The dogs are examined one at time. They are checked for tattoos or chips, measured, tooth counted, stacked in front of the judge and gaited once around the ring alone.

After that is done with all the dogs in the class, they are put in catalog order and run around the ring for five or six laps. The humans are RUNNING. The dogs are trotting. The ring is 50 yards square. Yes, that is YARDS.

As these early laps are going on the judge is moving dog up and down the lines in the order that he likes the dogs.

Then they are run around the ring for five or six laps.

Next the dogs are put in groups of five and 2 gun shots are fired for each group.

Then all the dogs are run around the ring for five or six more laps and ordered and reordered.

Then they are once split in to groups of 5 to do a down and back as a small group.

Then all the dogs are run around the ring for five or six more laps and ordered and reordered.

Then the dogs gait around the ring as a group as the judge gives a verbal opinion on each dog.

Anyway, Via was not even close to being ready for all that. And she is fat. I can only see her first rib.

The V-dog is perfect for UKC, thin for AKC and fat for Sieger. I'll get her down to being able to see the first two ribs and will start road working her once she is over 18 months old. I have the springer but don't yet have a bike. Maybe Santa will bring me one to share with Via.

We BOTH lack the endurance for the German show ring. The Kidlet, a running machine, could do it either as a double handler or as the person in the ring running the dog but the rest of us in the family? Not likely.

I am not disappointed about not showing Via. She wasn't ready for that.

I think Via's breeder was a little because this is the last national show that Via can do without having a Schutzhund title. And I think she also understood why I pulled her.

I don't plan to breed Via but I'd like to get her breed rating anyway. To do that I'll need to get her Schutzhund title if I can find a place to train here. Or I will need take her to New York often enough to work on an HGH which is the German style tending herding title.

The first step to the title is the BH which is like the CGC on steroids. One must have that and an endurance AD rating before one can do the Schutzhund.

Via's relatives bred by Julie Richards-Mostosky all did well at the show. Her grandmother, Funny, at 11, won the Veterans Class.

Alta-Tollhaus Sawyer

Four of her full siblings from a repeat breeding of her dam and sire placed in the top 10 for their age groups (6 to 9 months) with one of the males (Alta-Tollhaus Sawyer) placing second.

Alta-Tollhaus Kapone

A half brother, Kapone (Alta-Tollhaus Kapone), placed 2nd in his class (12-18 months). Another half brother, Ivan ( Alta-Tollhaus Ivan), (18 to 24 months) finished 9th.

Alta-Tollhaus Gavin

A third half brother, Gavin (Alta-Tollhaus Gavin), who recently reached 24 months old, got his first "V" rating in the Breed Survey which is a very big deal for such a young dog.

The Kidlet attended a Jr. Handler Seminar using Via's grandmother, Funny (Faye von Kirschental), as her dog and had a blast. We may do some local shows as they come up. And I plan to do UKC. They also have an excellent Jr. Handler Program.

I had such a good time that if the show is in New England next year as rumor has it, I will attend again. I will definitely take the V-dog back and let the Kidlet take her in the Jr. Ring. And maybe even get her in the ring for real if / when she gets the Schutzhund 1.

The Biggest Mouth Contest

2011-10-21T21:28:00.002-04:00

Blue tends to be the top dog however Via has the largest mouth and seems to have the most teeth.

2011-10-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

"Enjoy training your dog!" - Annelise Allan

Gone Fishin'

2011-10-09T20:25:00.011-04:00

Ready for a Ride

2011-10-08T07:13:00.001-04:00

Via (left) and Blue are fired up and ready to go. They do very well in the car together.

More pressure to train the dog

2011-10-04T06:16:00.002-04:00

Hi, Robin -

Thank you so much for your registration!

Via's registration number is CRO-18. Please include it on all entries as we will use it to track legs and titles.

This e-mail is your receipt for Via’s registration.

Looking forward to seeing Via and your 9 year old (sooo coool!!!!) doing some CRO courses. We have a few GSDs registered already. They are awesome dogs! I was lucky enough to have one for nearly 16 years.

Thank you again for being part of Cyber Rally-O.

Jude and Lois

NJ

+++++++++

Via can used the same number to work with the Kidlet. I picked the venue because the Kid and the Dog can participate and earn titles in this fun sport by video entry long before either are ready to take their show on the road.

The link to learn more about the venue is here:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/cyberrally-O/

It is a new organization (notice Via is only dog number #18).

My words to live by

2011-10-01T08:32:00.001-04:00

If my actions match my intentions then I will have a trained dog. - Robin Sallie

2011-09-28T11:48:00.002-04:00

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your

one wild and precious life?"

~ Mary Oliver