Contrast, Engagement, Release Period, and Capping

What do these four words have in common?  These are all areas that my training with Shana have been focusing on in some new ways for me.  

So Shana is a bossy, highly driven dog from nice working lines.   She is the first for me as having been picked out for health, longevity, smarts, and the ability to perform athletic tasks repeatedly.   The high drive area has caused me to make some mistakes along the way, and therefore cause some challenges to our training in the past.   Getting back on track has taken some thought and focus on my part for the training plan that will bring us out and forward onto our training goals.  The parts of my training plan that I have been focusing on (besides the foundation that is always in my thoughts in a training plan), can be summed up by the words contrast, engagement, release period, and capping.

So what do the words in my title mean for dog training and my training plan for Shana?

1. Contrast-  Usually this is reward vs correction.   Of course both those terms in dog training are really pretty general.  A reward is anything that motivates or pleases the dog enough to want to repeat a behavior again to get it.  This can be anything from a dog treat to adventures outside of some sort.   So this can be instantaneous gratification or something they know will come or continue.   A correction is simply a means of correcting either non performance of a command or correcting the performance of a command to be more specific or on target.   A correction can be guiding, molding (although this can also be demonstration), body bumping, collar correction, or a marker like "no".   So in terms of working with Shana contrast to me has been more "I am so pleased with your performance" (shown many ways and ultimately the reward because that motivates her) or "Nope not what I am looking for at all." (a correction of sorts which could just be not handing off the reward or even put in a command for not behaving appropriately).  Shana is getting the contrast, and moving at all times towards earning the "I am so pleased with your performance" side of things.  Actually a recent online seminar that I took given by Tony Ancheta, made me think a lot about contrast in regards to Shana.   
2. Engagement-  This is a term that I first heard when starting to follow Mike Ellis.   This is about having interactions with the owner/handler/trainer become the motivating factor.   It is much more than giving a dog a toy or food for proper performance.   It is being that interaction becoming pleasing because it involves the owner/handler/trainer.  Engagement (done correctly because I made some errors here in the beginning) also allow things that were stressful to begin to become insignificant to the dog.
3. Release Period or Release Valve-  So when I first started training, I learned to do this in blocks of an hour or more.   These were very focused training sessions that involved repetition.   As I have been evolving as a trainer, I have been finding shorter sessions more useful especially as the dog gains more skill and more complex behaviors.   Not to say that every now and again, we might work for an hour, we do.   When I was at Tyler Muto's seminar earlier this year, one thing he talked about was after doing something difficult or stressful with a dog to let their be a short period of release, which can actually be within the training session.  I think this also goes along with methods of gaining engagement for your dog as well.  The example that I saw in the seminar was a dog learning the send to place.   If they then clearly wanted to stay on the place or hang out after released, they were allowed that space and time to take some breathes before starting up again.  This made me think about Shana, because often when she gets anxious she loads up, and through training her now I have found a period of release allows her to internally calm back down.  Also being around dogs that are here rarely or are entirely new, is stressful to Shana.   So with this in mind, I have been mindful of making sure that her time in that environment is limited.   
4. Capping-  The first time I heard this was again when I first started to follow Mike Ellis and his methods.   This concept has been the newer concept to me, because working a dog in drive in the first place is also a new concept to me.  This is something I have been experimenting with since 2011 with drive in mind.   This concept is basically about teaching a dog to control their behavior when in drive.   Shana definitely needs this, because when she tends to load up in drive she has a hard time not using her teeth to communicate that (redirecting her excitement to my leg or butt for instance).

Based on the changes in Shana's understanding of what to not do and what to do these last months, this effort on my part in really dissecting what we are doing is paying off:)   That is really exciting and very enjoyable for the both of us.  Obviously, it has also made public walks a lot less drama filled and stressful for the both of us.  

There is a lot more to the training plan and story.   These were easy to sum up though as areas of concentration for Shana.  I will be posting more on this in the future.

Shana Summer 2016 Update

Shana and her little "brother", Ziggy

I last blogged about my own personal dog, Shana, this April 2016.   We have been doing a ton of work since then, and it is paying off in spades.  Shana is becoming more confident and happy around strange dogs, her training is going great (when I work with her of course), and hence bringing Shana out in public is becoming a lot less stressful for me.   Not to mention, being on the right track training wise with Shana's training plan, which I measure through her progress and behavior, has me a lot less stressed.   I am much happier because I see that Shana is becoming much happier with her confidence and becoming less stressed.

As a dog trainer, it is a hard thing to realize you probably made this problem for your dog, and you need to figure out how to fix it.   It's taken a lot of trial and error in the previous two years to figure out the right training plan for her to fix this (I go over those highlights in my April 2016 blog).

Here are some brief video highlights of successful training moments:

1)  Finding a strange dog or a dog she hasn't seen for a year in the dog room used to mean a melt down no matter what.  Now we were able to walk into the room without any drama, bullying, or protest.



2)  I have just started to be able to use Shana s the "non reactive" dog in the room while walking clients through their dog's similar issues.  A small dog barking at her, is not something Shana would have tolerated calmly in the past.  Not at all.



3)  Walking on the beach  leashed or loose dogs at a much farther distance used to be very stressful.   Now we can get much closer, but I didn't want to intrude too much upon the family enjoying their leashed puppies the other day:)  It was a good enough practice for Shana, who was (though not showing it on tape) not totally unconcerned.



Plus many other good things have been going on as a result of our training plan.   These by far are making our life much easier and more fun.

Shana has a lot of will and energy, and refocusing it in a way that is mutually beneficial has been an education to say the least LOL.  

My Dog, Shana

Shana was purchased about six months after my dog, Leon, died in 2012.   Shana was born on 4/8/2013 which is the day after my husband's birthday:)   We got her roughly eight weeks plus later.

In planning to find a dog, my very first priority was health and longevity.   Our previous foster dog Stormy (who died at just shy of 11) came from Swift Run, as did Shana's mother, Cinders.   Shana, however, has come from Masaya Dobermans, who had purchased Cinders from Swift Run..  

Originally we were looking for a girl, but Brandi (Shana's breeder) would be selecting for us.   I do trust breeder's to select as they know way more about the puppies and the parents than I do.  I asked for the naughtiest, smartest one, that I planned for not only being our pet, our business partner, and my obedience trial competitor.   We had Jackie CD before who died at 6, and not only was I heartbroken but my plans to be able to compete with Jackie to the farthest of our abilities also were unable to be realized.   Jackie and Leon's deaths made me a little extra vigilant to be as sure as possible (you can only stack your odds there is never a guarantee) to have a dog that could live out at least the average number of years expected (given nothing happens in the way of a natural unexpected disaster et).

So at first we were going to receive a boy from this litter.   Robert was leaning more towards boy, but I had never had a girl to raise from a puppy.   My girls who were old with me, Jazz and Stormy, had both received previous training prior to coming to live with us.   They were bossy but fair girls.   I definitely always imagined as a puppy they gave their owners a run for their money (hence how they came to live with me after most of the hard work had been done).  Jazz was mine from age three, and when I became a trainer actually helped quite a bit in the pack dynamics and managing until she died at 16.   Younger though, she could be very hard on new strange dogs and people, but quickly matured and mellowed out at about after four years old.  Stormy was just a love when she came here at 10, feisty, and bossy.   Stormy was a constant loyal companion for my dogs, myself, and my client's dogs until she died a year later.   At this old age riddled with cancer that had gone untreated (who knew how long she could have lived if this was treated early on), she was still the first one to be exercised in the morning due to her wanting to be busy at all times  LOL.  I wanted this in my next dog.

As it turns out, someone thought the boy I was going to get would be better for Schutzhund than Shana was going to be.   So Brandi called up and asked if I would be okay with a girl.   Definitely I would be okay with a girl, plus I had been watching Shana on the tapes.   Shana was the first or second one to climb out of her pen.   Shana also was shown bossing her siblings from the tug LOL.   This was my girl!

She came, and everything went as expected.   She came smart, loving, sociable (if a bit bossy LOL), and very very strong for a puppy her age.  

She also came a bit different from other Dobermans that I have trained.  Shana was surprisingly strong even at a very early age.   I have worked large breed dogs green and untrained before, and some amazing strong labs.   Shana was the first puppy to try to use all her strength against me.  Also Shana was my first puppy who was not going to follow me everywhere and anywhere due to any insecurities she may have.   Shana is a very independent dog.  Shana is also the first one of my dogs to learn how to open every door in the place, except the round knob doors (and she has been working on that).  Shana also absolutely adores her family, is loyal, and a cuddle bug unless there is something more interesting for her to do.   She loves to be busy and work.

So let's go into the things I did wrong before we present Shana's behaviors:

• At this time, I was very interested in Mike Ellis's work (I still am interested and working with this, but Shana is older now and I understand it a bit better).   However, until this point, my dogs have mostly been brought up differently.   I was looking forward to more freedom and play using Mike Ellis's work.   Course, it was a very new method to me, and so ripe for mistakes to be made.  At the time though, it did not occur to me that ball play, tug, and treats might need a bit more finessing on my part and to be careful to understand it better.   Also Shana was probably not the best puppy for me to try this on green myself.
• I let myself get distracted a couple of times, and was not prepared for the strength Shana could put into a run towards the end of the line.   I also had not been concentrating (as I used to with other dogs) on eliminating that for our purposes and goals.
• I was too eager not to put some boundaries on Shana in the idea of just letting her be a puppy.
• Through my fault, a client's dog bit her in the face entirely too young (not that you ever want your dog bitten, but it becomes more of a problem the younger they are).
• Right after we purchased Shana land developers, Porter Holdings Inc and their various LCCs, moved next store and tried to close our business down (with the eventual cooperation of the Town of York).   Some important work was missed with Shana during this time, as we were stressed and saving our business.   Took more than a year to get this under control, and then after that time we were still experiencing the stress from this.  Had I known this was going to happen, I would have never gotten a puppy.   They can so sense what is happening and suffer due to lack of attention.  That went on from 2013 to 2015.  We were not emotionally in a good way, and had to concentrate on making money more than the well being of our family (human and canine) to get through it financially.

Other things that happened:

• Just as a viable training plan went under way, Shana got lyme disease.   That was horrible and put her out of commission for at least a month.
• Before that, a yellow lab attacked her on the beach.  Did not do harm to her (I put myself in between them), but it was just enough to freak her out and set us backwards on our training plan.
• This last winter my husband badly damaged his back.   He needed to go into surgery, and then got a septic infection that was not discovered until a month after the surgery.   This required him to go back into the hospital, and I had to cancel all my clients during that period of time just to travel back and forth and meet the needs of my dogs and husband.   The basic needs only, unfortunately.

Additionally, I should mention:

• While living the life of a dog with a trainer is filled with activity, it can be a challenge to even the most bomb proof temperament of dog.  Imagine strangers and unwanted family coming in and out of your house, and you are obliged to be around them and pleasant almost every day!  That is what it is like for the dogs that live here, and I do try to take them out of the fray as needed so they can decompress.
• When one of our dogs go out, strange dogs are not the novelty they are to other dogs who don't get to see them pretty much 24/7.   That is just naturally going to be so.

So the result of all this for my dog, Shana?   She has become very reactive to strange dogs, and she is also very slow to warm up to dogs that come here.   When she panics, she lacks bite control and impulse control.   Actually now, we have a pretty good handle on it, but it has been very challenging at points and hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.   I see that light now, but it's been a whole lot of hard work for the both of us.

So what did that plan start to consist of:

• First, in April of last year, I went back to my KMODT routed knowledge began training Shana in that way.   I am familiar with this method, but have only been to a seminar with one trainer, Margot Woods, that actually trained with the founder of this method.   This time I took an online course with Tony Ancheta, and learned a lot more about training under this method.  He also studied with the founder of this method.   This helped us to get the to the base needed to have us working together as a team.  Also being familiar with it, I was able to get us back to a place that I felt more comfortable working with her.
• Additionally, we implemented Margot Wood's sit on the dog exercise.   However, I have found that also working Shana on distance long down stays helps specifically with her attitude on this exercise (or it has seemed to).  Shana especially gets reactive when their is any leash pressure or she is close to me when a dog approaches.   So I am sure to cycle the sit on the dog (Shana close to me leash pressure) with Shana at a distance down stay (strange dogs close to me as she needs to exercise impulse control).
• We added back in the fun and games of tug, treats, and balls.   Specifically to get her more relaxed around strange dogs and doing something enjoyable when they are around, and therefore marrying that feeling as a reward to exercising a form of control around them.
• In order to prepare her for fully (no micro managing) off leash training, I cycle her in between training with metal training collar and electronic training collar.   This is to do a couple of things 1) know what her true state of mind is when not on electronic collar and how much that resembles her state of mind when she is not on it and 2) to have some control to work as close as possible to dogs to teach her how to be calm and to feel safe.  Also, very important in the beginning of the back tie training for sit stay, the electronic collar to stop her (not a problem anymore) from hitting the end of the line and potentially breaking her neck.   She used to break so hard and fast, it was a real problem and concern.
• If the electronic collar is on, I try not to use it unless it is for a calming or control reason.   This is to get her to feel comfortable as possible as close as possible to no equipment being on.
• Many more relaxed times for Shana where she is not required to be in or part of daycare or training.   Definitely some time off for her where she can just cuddle with Robert, laze with Boris, or play with Ziggy.
• Also a real attempt at Shana and I having some alone relaxed time as well as fun time.
• One thing that has really helped is not interfering with Shana when she wants to get away.  Sometimes she is making excellent decisions to avoid conflict, and there I am calling her back to spend time with me.  I am conscious of that and have noticed a big difference when she knows she can escape something stressful and I am not going to absently minded call her back into the fray.  
• Dog games with everyone Shana has a positive relationship with in the house and outside.   Hiding something or someone is a big favorite.
• Keeping a log of reactiveness or non reactiveness to follow what seems to be working, what seems not to be working, or what I have stopped doing (this is a complicated plan and sometimes hard to remember everything).
• Tricks have been used to get Shana comfortable performing around other dogs in close proximity.
• Freestyle dance uses these tricks for Shana plus our relationship to get her comfortable around other dogs in close proximity.   Plus I can really read how comfortable she is but how readily she is performing and having fun.  Shana loves doing this:)
• When snarking or bossing a dog is inappropriate, these are times that Shana will be practicing a 10 minute down stay.   This has been helping a lot in the reactiveness issues at the house.   Last thing Shana wants is to need to be still for any period of time LOL.   
• Being sure to get Shana out and about in public, particularly paying attention to crowds she can handle easily vs overwhelming her.   Although overwhelming her (ie Tyler's Seminar and road trip) also has it's advantages.   Without having carefully picked our destinations and distance from distractions though, I am not sure Shana would have worked as well at Tyler's seminar.
• Managing the dogs that come here, and do not respect or pay attention to Shana's signals.  In that, I will be sure to show them to keep away rather than automatically go to correct Shana's communication that she is uncomfortable.
• Using the muzzle so I can get close in without worrying about "speedy's" impulse control.   This way I can fully focus on what I am doing rather than worry about what Shana may do, because we are all safe.  Looking forward to not relying on it, but I am waiting for the loose look of Shana to appear feeling comfortable before attempting that in close proximity to a strange dog.  Also allows me to have her with daycare and strange dogs at home, yet keep everyone safe.  This helps Shana learn by being in a certain state of freedom to manage her reactiveness.
• We have some great advanced commands under our belt that allow me to instruct Shana where to go in stressful situations.
• I do not tend to obsess over canine body language all that much.  With Shana, it's more important because she can be less obvious about her state than most (right up until she reacts with gusto).
• Teaching Shana to walk away instead of react.   That has been ongoing and part of the advanced commands (send away for fetch) for instance that have been part of her training.

I am sure I have forgotten some of what we are doing with Shana.  I may update this article to go over anything I missed.   Here is the progress that we have enjoyed to date:

• So much more relaxed on our beach walks.  She only starts to get concerned now if a dog starts booking towards us.  This is much more relaxing for both of us, and now we can both enjoy much if not all of a public walk.
• She will now sit when asked if a dog starts charging towards us, and let me turn to confront it for us.   Not that she won't react if the dog manages to get to us...but she no longer tries to lunge instead of go into command and let me deal with it.
• At home, she does not bolt across the room to try and correct a dog for simply coming up the stairs.
• She has become kinder and less bossy to her daycare friends.   If Shana is stressed, she tends to take it out on her canine friends or a human stranger, if she can not get to her target.   I have taken this to mean she is getting more comfortable and thus has more control over her reactions.
• She has started to become somewhat interested in strange dogs.
• Other dogs are finding her more approachable.
• Her obedience around things she finds stressful is coming along so nicely.
• She listens more often to my husband:)

So now let's talk a bit about Shana's specific behaviors.   At first, their was nothing really concerning other than her strength which blew me away.  She was able to go to dog events and everything without being at all concerned.

Boris, Shana and I at the beach, no
]one is concerned.

 

Shana, Clooney and Dudley having a great old time.

Shana is not in this picture, but she is with me taking
the picture and is unconcerned.

Shana and I at a Kennebunk park, having passed dogs
all afternoon.

Again at the beach with an unconcerned
Shana and her brother Boris.

Somewhere, we also have a photo of Shana walking with us in a Pet Expo in town.  At one point, we were at a dog demonstration in town, and again Shana had absolutely no concerns.   

This is Shana today after much work with me, and at a recent seminar to practice some new ideas.  As you watch me, there are differences in how I would usually handle Shana in this same scenario.   I would tend to have Shana in a command going forward for one.  So this is very loose leash walking towards a strange dog she has never seen before.   This does make sense to me in this training scenario as there is a time that you need to make space for "the mistake" or "good decision" to occur.

Here are some videos of her during Tyler Muto's problem solving seminar (and I will most likely write a blog on the ideas being worked on here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9PzFQIxj98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj0Bj3bx_mk

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTTAiehvRLI

The above are long videos that I have not chopped up yet.   A good study in canine body language of a Shana Doberman though!   Things you can see in those videos:

• When she starts focusing in on a dog (front view in those videos).
• Tucked tail and sloped back when she feels very uncomfortable.
• Head position I was looking at from the back of her.
• Later you can see her looser more swingy walk as she feels more comfortable (I love when she does this, she is adorable).

On 7/20/2013 was when the dog bite to Shana's face occurred.   There was no immediate fallout, and in fact she is great friends with the dog that bit her.   However, it is after that where things began to change, and I was slow on the heads up.  When she started to get snarky, I thought it was just a growing phase of being a bossy girl.   Slowly it began getting worse though, until finally I realized we had a problem.

So the behaviors of concern have been:

• Very nervous and fearful around dogs even if they were from a great distance.   This has vastly improved between mid last year and now.
• Very concerned about new dogs that come here, or dogs she has not seen for awhile.
• She would (given the opportunity) deflect on a canine friend or human stranger when she is in this stress state.
• She used to try and go out of her way to boss me when stressed.   This consisted of barking, body slamming me, and nipping hard.   That is all pretty much extinct.  She trusts me more and will follow my lead knowing that I am going to make sure everything is all right, and that she has a job to do while I am doing that.  I pretty much ignored all that bossing by just following my protocol and training, hence she stopped doing it.   Also praising her for making the right choices when she would normally default to bossy.
• I could not even easily get down a street at one point, if Shana saw a dog come out of a house that was not doing anything.   That is no longer a problem either with me anyway.  I have not had my husband try walking her in public yet, and he is certainly more of a push over than I am.
• The automatic impulse to lunge in a manner that was not controlled and felt like she was using every single bit of her power.   Also not a problem any more, but certainly was at the time.

I felt extremely bad about these behaviors as they were interfering with Shana's ability to enjoy a good walk and an adventure.   Something I love to do with my dogs.  Something my dogs love to do, especially when they are not stressing over who/what they may see.

As a trainer and dog owner, you feel like kind of a loser when you have caused behavioral problems to come about.   I have raised two puppies (Leon and Boris) before, and had/have seven adult dogs  (Jazz, Neptune, Jackie, Stormy, Harley, Tommy, Ziggy) come to live with me with no fall out before.  Any issues they had came with them, and were made better.   The puppies of course began issueless and remained that way LOL.   So to feel like I have so failed Shana in the beginning, that is a hard guilt to get over and deal with.

Shana is the best BTW!  Loving, loyal, fun, athletic, and she will leave this period of her life behind so we can have even more fun and adventure.   In the future, I believe I am more prepared to take on a healthy and athletic puppy and not F up!   It's nice to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and remember in the future no matter how indestructible your puppy may seem....they need to be handled and cared for carefully.  Or one of you is going to pay the price in the future.   At this point, I was happy to take that load and do my work in training consistently and diligently to have a dog less concerned about the environment.

For instance, I am very doubtful that outside my own dogs and puppies their own age, my new puppy will be exposed to the adult dogs who come here for play.   Two, no matter what happens, I will do my utter best to be sure that I take care of my mental state to best take care of my puppy.   Hopefully that was just a fluke and will never happen again.   Three, don't coddle your dog but always be sure you are advocating for them to the best of your ability.

The Resource Guarders

Our late and great Jackie CD was a
resource guarder, due mainly to
his health condition.

First, let me define what a resource guarder is in my opinion. A resource guarder is a canine, who has an overdeveloped concern that something they want is either going to be taken away OR they will not have access to it. This concern is usually expressed at first through growls, putting their paw over the object, lining objects up around them, or eyeing down an on comer. If this problem is ignored and not dealt with immediately, teeth will most likely be involved soon after. It does not take a canine who has this fear or concern long to realize an argument can be ended quickly with teeth. After the teeth are involved, bite inhibition decreases exponentially if the problem is ignored.

NOTE:   Often puppies will try to intimidate you, but just need a firm no and discipline.   An adult rescue may try and challenge you as well, but again a no or firm reprimand may easily sway them.   Not all dogs that try this once or twice are actually resource guarders, but may become them if an owner is unusually reluctant to stop the behavior or has a visible fear of dogs.   However, the type of dogs that I am talking about in this article are usually having a larger problem than the before mentioned.  Also it is the actions the dog shows when the item is attempted to be retrieved rather than the actions alone (gathering up toys, some dogs just enjoy placing them) that indicate whether you have a problem or not.


This concern for the canine exhibiting these behaviors may be very real (actually not receiving proper care or nutrition) or WAS very real at one time (stray and starving for a period of time and needing to fight to be fed). More often, the concern isn't the reality of the situation (in other words nutrition and care is more than adequate). Sometimes, there are times where we must restrict our canine companions access to things, or need to take something away from them. For instance, the need to remove garbage that is dangerous from a canine's mouth.

What are some things that dogs might consider resources?

• The owner, themselves. A dog might guard that owner from their own spouse or children. Sounds funny, but if you are dealing with this problem...it's really not.
• Strange people they like in general. Actually, my dog, Jack, is the only dog I know to have done this. If he decides he likes another dog's owner, then he used to attempt to guard that owner from their own dog.
• Something (anything like a piece of paper) that another dog or human has OR is about to bend down to get. The dog in question does not need to have the item themselves, they may just be guarding it from you or another canine.
• Food
• Toys
• Rocks
• Dead Things
• Favorite animal friend
• Things like seaweed that are not really food, but dogs know they can ingest.
• Laundry
• Rooms
• Crate
• Vehicle Interior
• Doors
• Tissues (what is it with Springers and tissues?) or paper products like towels in general
• Dog beds or mats
• And everything else that I have forgotten

This condition can come about due to many variables in a dog's life. They are not only the sole property of adult rescue dogs whose history may be unknown, believe it or not. Unfortunately, this can happen when responsible owners adopt a puppy. Here are some things that I have found make up the perfect storm for a resource guarder:

• Serious medical issues early on that make certain resources far to important to a young puppy. One of my client's dogs, Cerber a handsome GSD, had elbow problems and surgery starting before he was six months old. He was regulated to a pen area, and had just a few 15 minute potty breaks a day due to the healing process. He had both his elbows done, so it was closer to a year before he was able to do anything resembling what other dogs can do. He seriously did not want people taking either his food or peanut butter kong. You know this sort of thing is a judgement call. I believe the right judgement is for the sanity of your young puppy that he has something to do if he has this issue. However, be aware of the behavioral problems that may develop so that you are prepared.
• A first time owners' attempts to be sure their dog is not a resource guarder, but are done a bit too vigorously!!! Then what happens, is the dog gets a very real concern that things are going to be taken away willy nilly. Dogs need relaxation and breaks, and overdoing something can be a serious mistake that may in fact bring on the behavior that you didn't want in the first place.
• If a dog has a "ingesting" problem, and certain things needed to be kept from him/her; this can later manifest itself into resource guarding. My dog, Jack CD, had this very problem. Some dogs just get fixated on eating things they shouldn't.
• Prior abuse or neglect can cause this problem. If the dog ever had to fight for their food or could not count on food being given at all. In some dogs, this can cause a problem later on, if the dog gets out of this unfortunate place and into a good home. Of course in the original home, it will most likely be a problem, but neglectful and irresponsible owners won't notice or care!!
• A puppy that was separated from their litter a bit too early OR the mother did not nurse them, could have quite a few issues including resource guarding. So just be aware, if you decide to take a dog from a breeder and this has been disclosed, that you are going to need to be prepared and start a plan quite early to combat issues like this. Likewise a puppy from a shelter that has the same issues. It's great to rescue these puppies, just be aware that they often have special needs.
• I will commit the wost blasphemy here, and say it might just be part of their personal makeup. Humans all have unique personalities. There are some things that annoy us individually that do not annoy others (the sound of scratching annoys the heck out of me). Dogs are just as individual as we are:) I am not convinced that my dog's, Jack's, low tolerance for dogs being around "his" stuff isn't just what makes Jack, well Jack. Even in Jack's case, he is much more tolerant now, but we keep an eye out for the patience level waning. He's not thrilled about humans necessarily taking his stuff either, but he has a more infinite patience level for that.
• Insert here the infinite number of other things that I have not thought of yet.

A training and behavior modification plan is, of course, the best action in these cases. Some cases will be much simpler than others. It really seems to depend on how long the initial behavior was either allowed to continue OR the correct solutions were not found right away. Sometimes an owner is working diligently on a problem, even with the help of professionals, but the wrong answers and direction were given. This is not to say that every dog can be saved, and there is always the perfect answer. However, the vast majority of dogs that have ended up in the general dog owning public are able to be greatly improved upon in their ability to adapt to living with the human population as a pet. Children can be the great variable in this situation, in that you would hope a parent would never endanger their children no matter how much they may love the dog. If I don't take on a resource guarding case, it is normally because I don't think the children in the family should be exposed to the dog. Again, some problems are bigger than others, and some resource guarding dogs have a fairly simple issue that does not cause immediate endangerment.

So what sort of things would I expect to hear as options in a training and behavior modification plan for a dog whose primary problem is resource guarding:

1. The trainer should be interested in a detailed history of the dog with a strong emphasis on any medical history.
2. An obedience training plan is a must. The dog must be able to be communicated with. Yes, additional things that do not need to be done for just obedience training will need to be implemented, but it will be all for nothing without a strong partnership and communication developed to support the progress. (Can't emphasize enough the importance of a really, really well trained place, stay, and come command. These are stationary and movement commands that really really help with a dog that has aggressive responses to situations, and helps them learn the alternate things that can be done.)
3. The balance of discipline, trust, and respect should be talked about. With a dog like this, you need to have trust for the dog to relax around you should they have a treasured thing, which they have been allowed to have. Discipline is the form of communication that says there are some behaviors that absolutely will not be tolerated. Respect comes from the understanding of the working relationship between you and your dog. I didn't mention love. Why? Because I have yet to meet the dog that did not love and adore their owner no matter what. The actions of resource guarding have nothing to do with a dog not loving you.
4. Options options options. How will the trainer make this work? How will they measure their progress? What will tip them off to the fact that it's time to try something new or change up something? The number of tools, methods, experience, and knowledge of very many different things stacked the odds in favor of your individual dog finding the right mix.
5. So many new trainers or trainers that do not work with resource guarding or aggressive dogs THINK they have seen every personality in dog training. You are going to want to know that your trainer has seen a wide variety of personalities, and that they are continually surprised and awed by what they can see. I have had my easiest and hardest dogs this year alone. This isn't to say I haven't had many a hard dog in the past, because I most definitely have. In six short years, I have lost track of the hundreds of dogs that I have seen. I know that owners are sometimes not exaggerating in any form or fashion what they are actually seeing. Experience will give you a trainer that knows the behavioral bends that a dog can take, and will let them know that they are not going to know that dog (necessarily) in the first few weeks.
6. Management vs training. What do I mean by that? Well first of all, I firmly believe that any good training is bound to involve behavior modification on some level. Training is a method to communicate and set up a partnership with your dog. Behavior modification is the change in a behavior that is not wanted in the human household (and is a reasonable expectation) to one that is more acceptable. Management is the means by which to keep people and other living beings safe. Crates, muzzles, when to allow the dog near people, and managing the environment are all ways to manage or stack the odds for safety. Management normally includes things that you eventually do not want to need to count on OR you want to eliminate them all together OR you want to have to use them in very limited and short term ways. In any aggression or such case that I can think of, there is going to be a degree of management discussed.
7. And everything else that I have forgotten to mention.

So know that this is a serious problem. Every dog does not have to love to share, BUT do not let serious behavioral issues manifest and fester. You may be faced with a much larger problem down the road if you do not find the appropriate and working answers quickly.



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Communication and Consistency

In working the case of the Hoobie monster, it has occurred to me how very important consistency is to communication. I already knew this, but in a case where "good" has become bad; it brings this point even more clearly home. In fact, Hoobie will probably be an example given to new students about the importance of consistency in communication.

I use "good boy" to praise a dog for good work done. This does not mean the exercise is over, but it does mean that I am very pleased with the dog. To Hoobie, at some point "good boy" meant that the bad thing was coming. A muzzle on, meant the bad thing is coming. These are all things that needed to be reversed. Now I could have decided to simply change the verbal word "good" to something else. Only problem is, that someone who does not know Hoobie could say "good boy". It's a fairly common thing to say to a dog, even when you just pass them on the street and are smiling at them.

First in order for "good boy" not to mean that the bad thing is coming, means you don't do anything negative after the good boy OR anything perceived by the dog to be negative (and this is a moving target as we are teaching Hoobie that previously negative things are really no big deal). "Good boy" is used AFTER some of these things when they are not accompanied by growling or "blowing". So for instance, brushing Hoobie four times, Hoobie doesn't growl, and then you give a "Good Boy". I knew when Hoobie was beginning to understand this was a good thing to be told this in these consistent instances, when the eyes lit up and the ears came forward and the tail went up and wagged. At the point that these things started to happen, I knew that I had turned "good boy" back into the positive association it should have been.

Now how did this become negative in the first place? This is an extreme example involving Hoobie, and usually does not grow to this extent. This is one way something said lovingly and with the intent to be soothing can be understood by the dog as something completely different. Hoobie was thought to need injections before everything medically wrong with him was figured out. The owners decided to do this themselves at home (not bad in of itself). However, when they did this and were holding him down, they said "good boy".

Because the consistency of a positive statement was compromised, this no longer meant what the owners intended. That is because dog's don't understand English per say, but they do understand actions and what things are linked to actions. If this situation popped up for me and I was involved, I would say to use a command like down or sit, where the dog is required to do this reliably. To prep the dog for this with good training is always good, but you could do this parallel in an emergency type situation where there is no time. The point is that you want to start to prepare your dog as well as possible before they are in the situation. You want words like "good boy" and "break" to consistently and through the owner's actions mean "well done, we are proud of you" and "it's all over". You need to practice this in other situations, because obviously you aren't going to give your dogs shots over and over to practice this. This way your verbal commands start to be an assurance as to your predictability.

So again, Hoobie is at the extreme of his phobic reaction to inconsistent actions paired with verbal commands. You can see how this can happen though. I have found that Hoobie in specific responds well to short term having to deal with something, then "good boy" makes his eyes light up, and then "break" makes him dance a bit. Then you can prolong these things like brushing, toweling, nail clipping, ear cleaning, and shaving into longer and longer sessions.

I have also found this is a great way to relax Hoobie should he get fearful in situations. I am touching and manipulating his back and front legs, and sometimes this does cause Hoobie to tense up a bit. So if he hasn't growled, I will say "good boy" and then "break". Then at a later time, I will casually do it again. He has been showing that he is beginning to cope with different and unexpected much better now. It is the trust that has been developed through consistency in communication.

This will be key to teach the owners when they come back, to be very consistent in not only discipline, but in their verbal communication with him in that it is married to the actions, so he can predict the situation. The better prepared he is, the more comfortable he feels with the situation.

One last note, it goes both ways. Hoobie knows that consistently a non-growling and sitting Hoobie gets the crate door open.


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Touching and Brushing the Hoobie Monster

Hoobie has been very extreme in not wanting to be touched or petted at first (except under his own terms). I have talked about the medical issues and his early history that contributed to this sort of fall out. He likes to be petted now. He even likes it when you approach him, unless he is resting sometimes. Or guarding someone. Well, there are still circumstances, but the act of actually petting him does not seem to be a phobia anymore (with those he knows).

In fact, he is under my desk right now, getting the occasional rub on the head (in a space that he used to like to guard, from the front while in a down, are specific instances where he is not totally comfortable giving full reign). He is muzzled, because this can sometimes be a point of contention. I have been training him, however, that when he comes to me and shares a space that is mine, he has two acceptable options. He is very welcome to leave for instance, should he not want to be petted. With chronically ill animals, this is an important point, because sometimes they have a valid reason for not want to be touched. The best way for us to know that, though, is for them to give a non aggressive signal, like leaving to their "place". The teaching of it is more abstract than obedience exercises, and needs consistency to be at all clear. The second option, is to accept the petting. The unacceptable option is to blow. With a muzzle on or other equipment, it's much easier on the dog to correct them during an unacceptable incident. Hoobie still does these on occasion, but they are ending quicker and quicker, and without the build up and severity that they used to.

So I have been introducing in a few different ways. One is very related to how I got Hoobie to accept and like to be touched. When he comes over for a pat, I give him a brush instead. If he stays and growls, I brush him about five more times after the last growl and then say "break". This way he knows that I will only continue X amount of times. If he keeps returning, I know he is liking it, but testing out his new theory on what I will do. Therefore, I become predictable and more safe. Also the activity becomes predictable and safer. The reasons for not using treats have to do with his medical issues and history, and the fact that it does not work with Hoobie. Luckily, there are other things that do.

Another thing I will do, is bring the brush along when we are doing an activity that Hoobie particularly enjoys, like a swampy walk. This is a walk where Hoobie gets to immerse himself in all the watery areas in the woods like creeks and wetlands. There is nothing Hoobie likes better than this, and so I start to associate things that he was leery about with these things.

Another way I go about it, is to start making it part of a command. Sit becomes, sit and be brushed for four times. Stand, down, et all become commands that require something extra to be done to make it successful. Again, it's the predictability that helps Hoobie relax and become accepting of touch and grooming things. He probably hates the toweling off and paw handling for any length of time more than anything now. I try to make the balance of his decision to be accepting, vs this is what you are required to have done. Hoobie is a dog where it's hard to find the right balance, but when you do find it you know it. You don't want to be overly firm, and you really don't want to be not firm enough. Hoobie needs communication to be right on to improve, and that's the most challenging part of Hoobie. I will talk a little more about this tomorrow, and some examples of when the right balance is achieved.


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Behavioral Bends

Every shelter, rescuer, trainer, and adopter of an adult shelter dog should know about behavioral bends. The article attached is by Julia McDonough (posted under her old married name). The basic message is that dogs are not always WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Dogs may show unexpected behaviors weeks or months after you adopt them. This does not always mean that the owner has done something terribly wrong!! In fact, what it may mean is that the dog is only now comfortable showing you this part of themselves. Dogs need to scope out the situation first. For trainers, this is especially important because a problem can not always be diagnosed over the phone or from even a day one consult.

For instance, our resident guest, Mr Hoobie, who I have been talking regularly about. Thankfully, I have a detailed history of Mr Hobbinators behaviors. So from day one, I have known what to look for. Now some of these behaviors have not surfaced until week 6. Those specifically being aggression from a distance on moving body parts (like if you are moving the computer mouse with your hands or even reaching for another dog to be petted 20' away). This first showed up three days ago, when my husband went to pet Jack, and Hoobie let out a low growl and stare. Then this morning, he growled at me when I moved my hand from the keyboard to the mouse. These are things that I had wished might NEVER show their face again, but I am well aware of behavioral bends. It's not that common or uncommon. It's not always negative. It's like when six weeks later a dog just starts to show you that they are a playing fool. Hannah, another Springer, didn't make it clear that she loved to play with other dogs for six months (she boarded with us after training, and showed absolutely no interest in playing until six months later---that is except with her sister Katie). That's a positive behavioral bend, she needed to feel comfortable enough around the packs that developed here to show that side.

Just ends up being another thing about Hoobie that is tough. I have been brushing off my clothes, using my mouse liberally, petting my dogs, and petting him for five plus weeks now, and on week 6 he chooses to show me it on his own. I don't know how much of a stink he is going to put up regarding not being allowed to do it. I am glad it's here now where we still have week 7, and perhaps week 8 to go. The owner is coming down this Monday to start being trained on handling Hoobie, and continuing his training and maintenance once home. He may actually give his owners less of a problem OR he may try to get things "back to his normality" as much as possible.

Any way, it's going to be important information for me. When I get a dog like Hoobie in, I pretend this is MY dog. I have just adopted him from the shelter. The unfair thing is that I do have background info on this dog, unless he has been adopted just days ago and the owner does not know that much about the dog. That's just one of the many things I love about Hoobie's owners, they have been very thorough and thoughtful of telling me what to be aware of.


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Hoobie Out of Crate Progress

So we have made progress on Hoobie's out of crate etiquette. Note the first video is without his food bowl in the crate.




Next video shows how food in the crate can affect his behavior, and we are working with this as well:)



I would say one out of three times he gives me exactly what I want right now on out of crate. He has started doing okay on back in crate. I will try to get a video of that tomorrow.

So the main progress week one in the behavior department has been :

1) Not pressed against bars growling and snapping for every interaction, and the start of an understanding on correct out of the crate behavior.
2) Start of back in the crate okay behavior.
3) Beginning to elect to be close to me and greet my hand more and more often. Where he was at the end of the 15 foot leash before or at the end of the six foot, he is closer and closer in now by his own election.
4) Muzzled, he is more excepting of touch without blowing up. Also easier to calm back down after he starts going into his tantrum period.

The other side, training has had progress in:

1) Following me on longe line now rather than steadfastly remaining on a different course.
2) Electing to hang out near me when in the quiet portion of longe line.
3) Settles down into sit on the dog exercise in about a few seconds inside, and about 15 minutes around daycare or outside.

Good progress all around. I will take it!!

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South Portland High School Psych Presentation

A High School student was working on a project for their psych class, and needed someone to speak on dog training and why it works. I am actually working on my presentation skills this year, and I am always up to talking to people of any age about dog training. I was a little concerned that this might be some strange psych experiment on an unsuspecting volunteer LOL.

Ms Moore was the Psych teacher in the class. I am always impressed with teachers. She was having the students give introductions for their guest speakers, and made sure that things like water were available should I require them. It was clear that she cared for her students, and was trying to give them a very well rounded education. It made me miss some of my favorite teachers from all the schools that I attended, and a bit nostalgic. Most of them work so hard and care so much for very little pay. Like I do, a good teacher will absolutely love what they do and care for the people that they come in contact with.

The speech went well, and I tried to remember things like loud tone, enunciation, breath, it's okay to pause for a couple of seconds, and even managed to get some young adult friendly goofs in there. As usual, I am horrible at marketing myself, so the portion on my credentials should have been a bit more precise. I am going to have to work on my elevator speech, you know you have thirty seconds or a minute to impress someone. I often don't give my credentials much thought, and I hate to brag about myself.

Most of the young adults seemed a bit shy:) I know the feeling, so I was happy with the questions that came from the students. It's apparent that they think about their dogs and what is best for them. It's an important age to stress responsibility for these lives that depend on us to take care of them.

In making the speech, I got a lot of ideas on how to tweak this for presentation in humane societies on responsible dog ownership, importance of training, and how and why training works. The speech as presented was for a psych class, and so I tied it into what influences in behavioral science have become linked with dog training lingo and tools.

Ms Moore and the class thoughtfully presented me with a card and gift certificate to Dunkin Donuts. I treated myself to a Coolatta after we left the High School. I would suggest that if anyone is ever invited to do this, that they take a little time out for the younger adults that will someday be dog owners in their own right.

Need some help training your dog? Call Mannerly Mutts Dog Training, York Maine Dog Training Service, at 207-361-4395. Or e-mail Maine Dog Trainer, Robin Rubin, mannerly_mutt@yahoo.com. To see a complete list of our services please visit our website, http://www.mannerlymutts.com. Also offering New Hampshire Dog Training and Massachusetts Dog Training Services.

Bush's Dog Barney, Be Aware of Dog Body Language

Please be aware of what your dog's body language is telling you as their owner/handler. Strangers or others not familiar with dog body language may dart forward unknowingly in a dog's face like this. An owner/handler is responsible for keeping both the dog and strangers (or people unfamiliar with dogs) safe. I always warn people not to pet the dog, and am prepared to block them if they look not to be listening to me. Many of my client's dogs are overcoming issues of fear et, and taking them out into public is key for them, BUT not if they do not feel safe with me. For instance if I just allowed a stranger to dart forward at them.

Most dogs come to accept handling quite readily, but even dogs that are very social have their off days. The behaviorally challenged can not be pushed into acceptance, and if they are giving clear signals to be left alone, be sure to let people, that are near you, know not to pet them.




Got behavioral problems? Or just a dog that won't listen. Call Robin Rubin at Mannerly Mutts, 207-361-4395. You can also e-mail mannerly_mutt@yahoo.com.

Potential Client Question Springers Are All The "Rage"

I recently had an inquiry into a behavioral problem involving an English Springer. Sadly they are located in Canada. That's a bit too far for me to commute. As much as I would like to help them over the phone and e-mail, it's virtually impossible to diagnose a case over phone, e-mail, or video. It's really a hands on process.

This is a dog that went through some medical items and resulting pain because of them. This was initially diagnosed as Springer Rage (the dog is an English Springer), but further examination showed other medical problems. Springer Rage is a condition that is much like a seizure. It may have a trigger, but it's not something generally predictable in nature. Much like epilepsy lights shown or something else that misfires in their brain cause an UNSTOPPABLE reaction. For instance, were you to drag the dog off, the dog would attack everything and anything in their path without discretion. It's a very unusual and sad behavior for which options may not be readily available to deal with it. Generally if you know what the triggers are (ie resource guarding et) consistently, then it's most likely not Springer Rage. "Triggers are some guarding, friction sound such as a hand brushing dust off furniture, he cannot be petted on the head and will only tolerate playful hand pats."

The three year old English Springer (male) was eventually diagnosed with food allergies and a thyroid condition. Thyroid conditions pretty commonly cause learned aggression on the dog's part. The owners have been bitten, they have grandchildren that are not allowed near the dog, and the trainer that helped them find the physical problems, have been bitten.

Again, I have not seen the dog. What I believe MAY have happened here was that you had a dog in a lot of discomfort. Now the problem has been found and the dog is on medications, one being Prozac (I should note here that there are some side effects in Prozac that might not be dealing well with the dog, or maybe they are calming him down enough for some interaction. Anyhow, if no improvement comes with a drug or the drug is deadening reality, this could also be causing a flight or fight response). The dog has most likely bitten the trainer and his owners because a relationship (most likely) needs to be set up from scratch to promote safety, trust, and respect in the dog. You really have to think of this as a new feral dog coming into your house almost, and not as if you have made positive steps in the relationship as yet, even though this dog has been there for three years.

The trainer is most likely inadvertently pushing the dog too far, even though it would be considered in a "positive" way. To this dog people may equal pain, and pain for a long time previously!! Even though they are people he may love, he does not understand that his physical condition caused him pain. He needs to relearn, and we are assuming the painful medical condition has been treated appropriately.

In cases like this, Board and Train with a trainer (or behaviorist with measurable training and behavior modification experience) experienced and successful in treating aggression. And also more importantly are aware of how to avoid being bitten, but at the same time map out a plan for successfully getting hands that can shape a dog into obedience positions, and then use that obedience and training plan to teach a new behavior pattern that includes trust (in their safety away from pain) and respect.

Unfortunately this does not come cheap. With a dog like this, I am probably going to be with them six hours a day in various scenarios. Two hours will be formal training, and others will be training in a real life setting so that they can get out and about and learn about socialization and rules (like do not bite the trainer LOL). I only ever charge for two hours a day plus boarding, and it's serious hard work especially with a behavioral case. I do not charge more or less for a well behaved dog vs an aggressive dog. The reason why is that it's equally hard to well train a well behaved dog (ie ignore their cute play antics to get some work done and focus) as it is to train an aggressive (I would rather eat you right now) dog. Occasionally I do come across a dog that takes quite a bit more work, but I consider that the cost of my education. Hannah and Kate, two Springers from three years ago, exhausted the heck out of me for the three weeks that they were here. Now they are the two easiest dogs to take care of, and are trusted with any number of dogs that come here.

It is more difficult to treat a case that comes here in Board and Train that comes from a local owner, than one that is more than an hour away. I prefer to be a little closer to be available for hands on backup when needed. I have gotten lucky enough to provide that encouragement over the phone in other cases, or by having them come back down with their dog to demonstrate additional skills.

In any case, this is a long term prescription for the dog, and it's not "all fixed" when the Board and Train is over, although it now provides a plan and basis for the owners to go forward with the proven (seen with the owners own eyes) improvement in the ability of their dog to cope long term. That being said, this can all be undone if owners choose just not to accept the prescription long term, even though they acknowledge the improvement.

In clients that have behaviorally challenged dog, a trainer needs to be careful that the owner thinks they are going to be able to do anything for the dog, but in fact might lack the time or patience necessary even if they are given the answer. A direct conversation needs to happen between a trainer and owner that puts everyone on the same page going forward. Still this will not predict the future actions of the owner, and the trainer has to be reconciled to that. This is why some trainers will not take every owners dog. Trainers loose a huge chunk of themselves to their charges. A piece of our heart goes back out with every dog, although they are not our own. A relationship has been forged built on trust and respect. Luckily, most dog owners who have come this far are looking for an actual answer to their problem. They may have a learning curve to climb, but they will try as best they can to live up to your expectations of them. Some owners treat their dog more like a car engine that must be fixed by certain parts and time only on the trainers part. This is just not feasible.

Mannerly Mutts does not discriminate in dog breeds or tempermants. Need your well mannered puppy or behaviorally challenged adult dog trained, call Robin Rubin at 207-361-4395 or e-mail, mannerly_mutt@yahoo.com.

Gigi-Notes to Client After Follow Up Lesson Two

First exercise:
Sit on the dog or informal long down, not actual long down:
1) You need to have the leash tight under your bum, so that only enough is out for her to lie right next to you, comfortably. There may even be slight tension on her neck if she puts her head down to sleep (fat chance LOL).
****This is not a formal long down, as the actual command "down" is never given, but totally expected. Move that chair very close to the street. By the time she is completely relaxed (ie not shaking or trying to lunge) a lot has been accomplished believe it or not.
2) The above is ever more important if you take it out of the yard (ie to the prom).
3) The under the foot, sit on the dog is okay, but the you seated sit on the dog is the best, especially if she relaxes under her own power when dogs are around. The secret is that there is no "pass " given as far as tightness on the leash and not accepting her chin on you or her trying to get up on the bench.

New Exercise Attention:
1) One exercise that actually works the best with treats at first. So be sure to use those. I have found that by far the cheapest are hot dogs cut up. The only time I suggest no hot dogs if there are any health issues (ie heart disease or the likely hood of a genetic disease that may pose a health risk later on).
2) In the beginning, (and I will give you more directions later on once you have mastered this), you want Gigi to look at you with the command "look". If she does this for five seconds without breaking and you can reward great. Be very picky about this.
3) If she breaks in those five seconds break it into smaller parts. You want her to be doing this four out of five times easily before you start making it harder.
4) Keep this in non-distracting environments now (in your house, in the front yard, and in the park but far removed from other dogs).

****Remember as the length of time gets longer, don't be so quick to repeat the "look" command. I wouldn't use Gigi as that name is used so much that it can't consistently be used as a command except by "Gigi Look". So be sure that the word "look" is in the command. Wean off the luring when you can. If she gets distracted, you can always go back to single command look (ie not much time until, good girl, treat).

***Once we start getting to 15 to 30 seconds, she can break but must look back at you immediately to get the treat.

Heeling Notes:
1) I want Gigi's nose not to turn into your thigh when heeling every time she starts to get anxious. Use your knee to bump her nose away.
2) Get her heeling and auto sitting correctly in your yard first and consistently before going out there.
3) If a particular heel does not go well (and it's not due to pushing her too fast, it's just kind of sucky) repeat that heel the way you want it a few times.

Down Notes:
1) As you go towards a situation that is going to make Gigi nervous, give her the command down. If she doesn't, use the foot under the leash correction, where you take up the slack as she gives it to you.
2) Use this alternately with sits when in situations uncomfortable for Gigi. Like how we were walking past the barking dogs.

Notes on Walking Near Strange Dogs (and people she may react to whether friendly or not):
1) Don't allow yourself to get so flustered that you forget where your hands are when walking past strange dogs (if it's a volatile situation, remember to be sure the street is somewhat devoid of people close by) or people. In fact, start really trying to think about that, if you have to, grab your pants leg.
2) If you are coming up to a child or skateboarder, give her a correction and command before you come up on them. Do this until she stops locking on when going towards or turning and trying to jump or lunge on them. I would want a good month of this reliably happening before I stopped.
3) Remember in tricky situations where people and dogs may be passing to your right, you can hold the leash with your left hand there.
4) If there is enough room, you can turn a safe distance away from dogs and distractions, and let the leash loose. At that point, if she doesn't come, you can either allow your body movement forward to give her the metal collar correction, or you can even give an e-collar correction before she hits the end. If she comes right with you, be sure to tell her she is a good girl.
5) Which reminds me, on about turns walk away from Gigi briskly once you turn around. This will start her off briskly in your direction if she is paying attention.

Auto sits:
1) Give her a second to reach position herself.
2) Remember the timing of the correction if she stops doing it or doing it in the wrong position again. Now you want to do it each time right as you come to a stop (right foot closes into left foot). Also remember you should come into a smooth stop, you don't need to stop short abruptly, and that will help Gigi more.
3) Start relying less on the leash, and more on the e-collar if she does not do it correctly. This is so we start getting as hands off as possible, and let her make the decision.

General Observations:
1) Be sure you are as vigilant with the praise that you give Gigi when she does something right, as you are with a correction when you are correcting her behavior. She needs an indicator that she has acted right or done the right thing in order to repeat that.
2) Still keep her muzzled. I want her to stop trying to put her mouth near your thigh in distracting situations. Probably a week more will do it, if you are sure her head meets your knee when she tries that.
3) Strategize your leash position when training. (ie when is it good to have it in right with left hand loose, when is it good to have it just in left hand, when is it good to have it in right but still holding with left hand). Training is not just this, but the leash is the major control point, so the leash handling and position is very important due to that.
4) If Gigi becomes overloaded, don't abandon the situation, just back it up a bit and move it forward as much as possible. Like when we did about turns before walking past the fences, or used the vehicles as a buffer right now while dogs are walking the other way. The more you are able to be successful with Gigi, the more she learns, and the more you are able to move it forward. She just isn't ready to follow you right next to the fence right now:) But if you repeat these successful moves with her, and bring her in at a comfortable but not excruciatingly slow pace, she will get it.
5) Look out for any possible aggressive behaviors that she might show at home, and be ready to work on them immediately with her. Like if she gets aggressive over the furniture or

Gigi-Various Notes on Dog Introduction with Gigi

1) Start with crate confinement, and look for Gigi to be calm not ramped up in crate first. Keep humans et to the minimum and everything low key. Other dog can wander around and do whatever.

2) Then we want sessions of sit on the dog until Gigi is showing now shivering or ramped up symptoms. We want to do this with both dogs, and perhaps stagger the seats so that Gigi or the other dog is at the butt end of the other. However, we don't want to have enough freedom so that an altercation can occur.

3) Then I would hang out with Gigi on a leash, but not on sit on the dog. Try to orchestrate butt to butt sniffing. If she snarks or growls, back in the crate she goes until the next time.



***Remember let's wait a week at least until Gigi is used to following your lead. Then we want the atmosphere to be as least distracting as possible, as that's been the way it's worked here so far.

I wouldn't have anyone walking her until you and your wife are very comfortable walking her in these situations. Once a few months of that has gone by, then you could think of who you could get to walk her. If there is another trainer/dog walker in the area, or if it's a family member you can give the rules to and practice with. She really needs to be following you first. Indications of progress would be less attention given to outside stimuli, and more attention to your lead. These are indentified by decrease in locking on and concern regarding oncoming distractions. Also comes by no longer needing to give corrections for on leash good behavior. So it does sound like you are going backwards a bit, but remember you are still new to handling Gigi, and it's hard to download years of training info into a human brain into a short period of time LOL. Not impossible however. I think a good couple outcomes of walks on your own would do a lot to give you the ability to read Gigi, before she even thinks of reacting, and train her out of it with you.

Gigi Playing July 22nd and July 23rd