Still Dog Moving Dog
Jennie and Lexi
Jennie and Lexi
ok now we are getting into the meat of it :) This is a prey drive related game for sure . Lexi's stay is very good for toys etc being tossed about -I will definitely try with the yelling of squirrel because ...BECAUSE you know what has happened over the years . When idiotic fools let their dogs off leash in public places and they come charging at us I yell lovely words at those owners . Of course loud voices paired with fast moving objects causes arousal in lexi .
Lexi also shows great control with the flirt pole -she loves it :)
This video is one we did today as we went for a walk through the park . It was a Spring like day -go figure so many were out . I have done the look at , look away many many many many times . She used to lunge for ducks all the time now that is pretty well gone . Crows can still be an issue as you will see ,distance and whether they take off over your head play into it. Dogs have always been a problem but for the most part we can walk on by and she is fine. The clip I show you is good as the dog is walking straight toward us . However take the other dog off leash and Cujo comes out. Today was lexi first close up with a swan , I usually turn away from those nasty creatures , todays were behind a fence so we hung around . The pigeon was hard for her so I cued her , I try and always let her make the choice on her own but watching the body lang is very important (like you mention in your lecture). We even found someone using a remote control car . The only thing we did not find was a cat :)
I await your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks . I also did flip the fish with scent and meows -tomorrow we try the C-A-T
Lexi also shows great control with the flirt pole -she loves it :)
This video is one we did today as we went for a walk through the park . It was a Spring like day -go figure so many were out . I have done the look at , look away many many many many times . She used to lunge for ducks all the time now that is pretty well gone . Crows can still be an issue as you will see ,distance and whether they take off over your head play into it. Dogs have always been a problem but for the most part we can walk on by and she is fine. The clip I show you is good as the dog is walking straight toward us . However take the other dog off leash and Cujo comes out. Today was lexi first close up with a swan , I usually turn away from those nasty creatures , todays were behind a fence so we hung around . The pigeon was hard for her so I cued her , I try and always let her make the choice on her own but watching the body lang is very important (like you mention in your lecture). We even found someone using a remote control car . The only thing we did not find was a cat :)
I await your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks . I also did flip the fish with scent and meows -tomorrow we try the C-A-T
Nice :) She did very well. I don't think RC cars really upset her all that much though so it's really time to put the C-A-T on it :)
Suggestion in these games and the ones for week 6, don't stop moving. She can still make choices and move. But don't let her ever be staring for more then one banana. Get her moving, take your ball on a string or any other tuggie that she likes, don't rely on food. Honestly, and I know Amy Cook who is doing the Bogeyman class would agree, food doesn't really change emotion and sometimes enhances what's already there. Dogs gets satiated (not full, they are never full) and then any value that food might have had is gone. But play is forever, especially personal play.
If you look back through your videos, I think you'll see what I mean. The times when you had the ball out there she was so much more focused on you and the environment meant very little. But when you use food, you feed and feed and feed to keep her attention.
When a dog is experiencing high levels of stress and there is no escape route from that which is causing the stress the most effective method of calming the dog is movement. "Flight" as a response to stress and fear is the most common response in mammals. If you can get a dog moving away from that which he is adversely responding to, you end up with a calmer dog. That "distance" can be a distance of thought and emotion as well as physical space. You don't have to actually "move" away if you can redirect the dogs thoughts and emotions.
Do an experiment first before playing the following game with your dog. Think of an incident that really stressed you or something that truly frightens you and feel which sets of muscles in your body respond. Generally it's your neck, shoulders, hands and mouth. For a dog it's the mouth, neck, shoulders, hips and spine. The mouth in case the dog needs to bite, the spine because it's the communication pathway to the legs and feet, and the rest to facilitate movement.
Counting Threads
The game is all about movement. If you find yourself where there is nothing on the ground, throw down really small pieces of food, at least 20 pieces.
Step one: Designate something as the "thing" that is scary. Make sure at first it's not really something your dog is afraid of. A tree stump works great.
Step two: With your dog on a leash move away from the scary thing. Walk anywhere from 5 to 10 feet away from the "thing".
Step three: Stop, but don't stop moving. Move in small circles and start pointing things out to your dog on the ground - leaves, rocks, dirt clumps, flowers - whatever is there, tiny to tall as long as it's on the ground. Babble at your dog while you're doing this "what's that", "look, a snail", anything, just keep talking.
Step four: While pointing things out start moving back towards the "thing" very slowly watching your dog for any signs of recognition that it "sees" the "thing". When you see this recognition, repeat step one. The signs could be a head turn away, licking the lips, sneezing, the ears flatten, the brow wrinkles, and since the thing in this case isn't scary you're going to see interest instead of anxiousness - a tail wag, moving forward or just a glance and a look away.
Step five: Continue the cycle of step one to four until there is no more response to the "thing".
This game also works when your dog starts "acting out" from boredom either on a walk, hiking or just hanging out while you are on your cell phone, reading your kindle or talking to your neighbor. Take two minutes to go "count some threads" and you'll have a happier dog who is more willing to hang out with you doing almost nothing.
Suggestion in these games and the ones for week 6, don't stop moving. She can still make choices and move. But don't let her ever be staring for more then one banana. Get her moving, take your ball on a string or any other tuggie that she likes, don't rely on food. Honestly, and I know Amy Cook who is doing the Bogeyman class would agree, food doesn't really change emotion and sometimes enhances what's already there. Dogs gets satiated (not full, they are never full) and then any value that food might have had is gone. But play is forever, especially personal play.
If you look back through your videos, I think you'll see what I mean. The times when you had the ball out there she was so much more focused on you and the environment meant very little. But when you use food, you feed and feed and feed to keep her attention.
When a dog is experiencing high levels of stress and there is no escape route from that which is causing the stress the most effective method of calming the dog is movement. "Flight" as a response to stress and fear is the most common response in mammals. If you can get a dog moving away from that which he is adversely responding to, you end up with a calmer dog. That "distance" can be a distance of thought and emotion as well as physical space. You don't have to actually "move" away if you can redirect the dogs thoughts and emotions.
Do an experiment first before playing the following game with your dog. Think of an incident that really stressed you or something that truly frightens you and feel which sets of muscles in your body respond. Generally it's your neck, shoulders, hands and mouth. For a dog it's the mouth, neck, shoulders, hips and spine. The mouth in case the dog needs to bite, the spine because it's the communication pathway to the legs and feet, and the rest to facilitate movement.
Counting Threads
The game is all about movement. If you find yourself where there is nothing on the ground, throw down really small pieces of food, at least 20 pieces.
Step one: Designate something as the "thing" that is scary. Make sure at first it's not really something your dog is afraid of. A tree stump works great.
Step two: With your dog on a leash move away from the scary thing. Walk anywhere from 5 to 10 feet away from the "thing".
Step three: Stop, but don't stop moving. Move in small circles and start pointing things out to your dog on the ground - leaves, rocks, dirt clumps, flowers - whatever is there, tiny to tall as long as it's on the ground. Babble at your dog while you're doing this "what's that", "look, a snail", anything, just keep talking.
Step four: While pointing things out start moving back towards the "thing" very slowly watching your dog for any signs of recognition that it "sees" the "thing". When you see this recognition, repeat step one. The signs could be a head turn away, licking the lips, sneezing, the ears flatten, the brow wrinkles, and since the thing in this case isn't scary you're going to see interest instead of anxiousness - a tail wag, moving forward or just a glance and a look away.
Step five: Continue the cycle of step one to four until there is no more response to the "thing".
This game also works when your dog starts "acting out" from boredom either on a walk, hiking or just hanging out while you are on your cell phone, reading your kindle or talking to your neighbor. Take two minutes to go "count some threads" and you'll have a happier dog who is more willing to hang out with you doing almost nothing.
"Flight" as a response to stress and fear is the most common response in mammals.-uummm no not flight for lexi -it is rush toward and flatten. However it is fear based. -she is not aggressive, as believe it or not i board dogs . I am very particular who I take and lexi gets along fine . I know her triggers , I manage the environment , they play and when lexi has had enough she leaves and goes up stairs. | |
Movement doesn't have to be big. It can be small like in the Counting Threads game. The focus that I was asking for should be on you, hence the need for truly high value reinforcement if you are not already the "cookie". Remember my older dogs who stayed behind me watching me. Micah went and checked things out a couple of times, but neither Brynda nor Asher did. Asher learned this in the forest last year as he was growing up - stay with the momma cuz things is dangerous out there. Piri has only ever had this yard and walks through the park.
Definitely use a toy.
Sorry my write-ups are causing confusion !!!! Yes, keep moving, especially don't let her stare. But you don't have to move away every time, just moving works. That moving can be games, toys, chasing food or moving away if the stress is too much. And the food thing, wow, did I create that? I'm sorry if I did !!!
All of my dogs are extremely food motivated. They are also toy motivated and except for Micah, personal play motivated. Anything coming from me is motivating. But they were raised that way. So I tend to use food to keep things at a low roar instead of bouncing around which is difficult to film. Most of the board and train dogs get that way as well, so food is always used during filming.
Kate and Badger
Definitely use a toy.
Sorry my write-ups are causing confusion !!!! Yes, keep moving, especially don't let her stare. But you don't have to move away every time, just moving works. That moving can be games, toys, chasing food or moving away if the stress is too much. And the food thing, wow, did I create that? I'm sorry if I did !!!
All of my dogs are extremely food motivated. They are also toy motivated and except for Micah, personal play motivated. Anything coming from me is motivating. But they were raised that way. So I tend to use food to keep things at a low roar instead of bouncing around which is difficult to film. Most of the board and train dogs get that way as well, so food is always used during filming.
Kate and Badger
Week 4 Game 4
with RC SNAKE
OK so we put the snake scent and model in the pen and did our circles - it was harder but we will keep practicing that one. i find he is MUCH easier to send in an anti-clockwise circle and he often fails the clockwise circles - I know lots of dogs find circling easier in one direction than the other, not sure if it is that or whether he finds it harder to "leave" me from my left (heel) side - I do heel on both sides but we mostly do left hand heeling.
We did a stay on a mat with the RC car and he was great so I went on to the snake - which he found much harder! He broke his stay a couple of times so I guess I started too close. But I think he did well as he really, really wanted to check it out but he did return to the mat.
I am not clear about what is the best strategy to take in regards to letting a dog check out an object. If it's something you want them to get comfortable with, then of course let them check it out. But there are always those things (snakes, broken bottles, spilled poisons etc) that you want them to stay clear of. I use "Yucky" to mean Leave It and Move On. I have not given Badger permission to go and check out the RC snake - but should I do that?
We haven't come across any more live snakes but we did find a squashed lizard on the road and practiced our Run Away from that, I had all 3 dogs with me and they did well.
Here's our video of the RC snake - I have to say it does look scary!
We did a stay on a mat with the RC car and he was great so I went on to the snake - which he found much harder! He broke his stay a couple of times so I guess I started too close. But I think he did well as he really, really wanted to check it out but he did return to the mat.
I am not clear about what is the best strategy to take in regards to letting a dog check out an object. If it's something you want them to get comfortable with, then of course let them check it out. But there are always those things (snakes, broken bottles, spilled poisons etc) that you want them to stay clear of. I use "Yucky" to mean Leave It and Move On. I have not given Badger permission to go and check out the RC snake - but should I do that?
We haven't come across any more live snakes but we did find a squashed lizard on the road and practiced our Run Away from that, I had all 3 dogs with me and they did well.
Here's our video of the RC snake - I have to say it does look scary!
That was well done. I would rather see the dog break the stay and try to investigate and be told to leave it, then not investigate or show much interest at all. That tells me two things, one that the dog is paying attention and two that he is interested in working the game.
So, now it's time to have the snake and Badger moving around. And don't be too worried about his wanting to investigate at this stage. He is learning that snakes mean "away" and "leave it" and it's hard to learn that if he never tries to get to the snake. The other reason for having Badger also moving around is that under normal circumstances, he is going to be moving if you run into a snake on a walk or hike. It's rare we put our dogs, even working and sport dogs, into a down or sit stay when we're just out and about.
I would also get out those tug toys and use those as redirectors and reinforcement along with the food. This is one area where I think food is not the right choice for reinforcement. The dog is looking at the snake / cat / toad / deer as possible food. That is going to trump even the tastiest of morsels you may have because the chase is going to be triggered also. Two reinforcing events. With the tug, they get two reinforcing events with you - attention from you and tug. The dog also gets to bite and chase.
Nicely done on the lizard. I like that you're applying this stuff to real life situations.
As for checking out things and getting "comfortable" with them. I don't want them panicking when they sense a snake. Panic usually means they can't think. I include excitement in with that panic. So yes, I want them comfortable but also understanding what to do to stay safe. Go back and view my video of my dogs and the puppy. Piri is fascinated with all the moving toys, the older dogs understand that these things may move like prey and sound like prey but they aren't. I achieved that through allowing them to learn the scent, learn the sight and sound and get "comfortable" along with understanding to move away.
I have two snakes just like that :) They are even scarier in the semi dark !!!
So, now it's time to have the snake and Badger moving around. And don't be too worried about his wanting to investigate at this stage. He is learning that snakes mean "away" and "leave it" and it's hard to learn that if he never tries to get to the snake. The other reason for having Badger also moving around is that under normal circumstances, he is going to be moving if you run into a snake on a walk or hike. It's rare we put our dogs, even working and sport dogs, into a down or sit stay when we're just out and about.
I would also get out those tug toys and use those as redirectors and reinforcement along with the food. This is one area where I think food is not the right choice for reinforcement. The dog is looking at the snake / cat / toad / deer as possible food. That is going to trump even the tastiest of morsels you may have because the chase is going to be triggered also. Two reinforcing events. With the tug, they get two reinforcing events with you - attention from you and tug. The dog also gets to bite and chase.
Nicely done on the lizard. I like that you're applying this stuff to real life situations.
As for checking out things and getting "comfortable" with them. I don't want them panicking when they sense a snake. Panic usually means they can't think. I include excitement in with that panic. So yes, I want them comfortable but also understanding what to do to stay safe. Go back and view my video of my dogs and the puppy. Piri is fascinated with all the moving toys, the older dogs understand that these things may move like prey and sound like prey but they aren't. I achieved that through allowing them to learn the scent, learn the sight and sound and get "comfortable" along with understanding to move away.
I have two snakes just like that :) They are even scarier in the semi dark !!!
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