Updates on June the 8th

Bella the Mastiff Puppy-Her 9th lesson is today, and it will be around her home. She is a friendly sweet and way laid back dog. In fact, the hardest part of her training has been having her owner being consistent and insistent that she keep up with her in a heel. Her comes are like molasses, but as long as she is straight and focused on her target, I am not concerned. This is the type of dog that would do well in competition, but have everyone roaring with laughter at her laid back and slow ways. Her owners are hoping to prove she does in fact move when kids come home, and show me that part of her life today LOL.

Willie and Jillian-Two BFFs took a mini group class this year with their dogs Willie and Jillian. They are waiting to continue in the Fall now. Jillian has become a much more confident dog. Willie's owner has become being more confident in her abilities with Willie, and we had started walking on the beach with the other dogs that concern Willie's owner more than Willie LOL. Although, I have seen Willie's inappropriate greeting style in my yard, and with his BFF, Jillian. Saturdays are a lot less filled with laughter without these two. I look forward to the fall, though perhaps not waking up so early on a Saturday LOL.

Magoo Great Dane Puppy-Magoo is doing great. Now we are working in puiblic more, and with pace changes. Both these things bring out the puppy behaviors in this large breed dog. He must be about 90 pounds now at six months plus. His obedience is going great. Right now we are staying away from sits and auto sits, until he completes his conformation obligations:)

Lucey the Barking Westie-When her brothers aren't around, Lucey doesn't mind not barking at the tv anymore. Now it's time for her owners to come in and see how that can be accomplished at home as well.

Hoobie the Springer with Touch and Hand Issues-Hoobie is now unmuzzled on most of his time in the house and during training (within the property). He is now also being brought into the public (muzzled), and being taught about manners in the car, and that the driver of the car gets to pick where he would sit. This is the one area that I find Hoobie would be happy to bite me unmuzzled. Also when Hoobie is pushed out of his "safety zone" this is where Hoobie the Horrible can still show up later on. So now it's about exposing him to new things, where he realizes he comes out of it safely and it was fun. Sometimes dogs like this can have fun going out, and be stressed by it all at the same time. When you create an arousal level in them, they can feel vulnerable still in their downtime at home. It's not about coddling, but having consistent and enforceable rules and boundaries. This is another way to have stable predictability in a dog's life that has such extreme phobias. Because the truth is, they need to learn to deal with life, and it's not always going to be on their terms!!

Everything on the dog's terms is neither good for the dog nor the handler/owners.

Hoobie loves the training portion of the day, by the way. Even when he is trying not to do what I want, he is in a good mood about it and doesn't mind when I place him there. Who would have guessed that? It all goes to demonstrate how unique individual dogs are, and how you won't guess as to how they will reacte to something without having worked with them on it first. I would have thought this would be a complete battle ground for us, but I think it gives him something to focus on instead of worrying.

Hoobie and Our Other Clients

Akuma, 8 month old Siberian Husky male: Sadly no picture this week. He is on week 1 of basic obedience which is the longe line progression and sit on the dog. He is a puppy so training is a great thing. However, in particular his love of other dogs and people causes him to pull on the leash, which his owner always has a tight grasp of (conditioning the opposite response). So before the owner's wrist surgery, they are being training on the basics of loose leash control. The puppy is super smart and friendly just isn't strong enough word for him. This is a great "problem" for owners to have:)

Piper, Cavachon (Cavalier/Bichon) 3 plus month puppy: OMG this puppy is so cute. She is owned by a couple of women in the area. Just basic puppy manners and obedience being taught. While wicked cute and friendly, she has already learned how to start controlling her owners every waking moments LOL. Training the humans more here than the puppy, who is not only super cut but very very smart.

Here piper is table training into a down, and we are commenting on how tired she is after a long lesson. However, in a few short minutes she livens right up again LOL.

Puppy zoomies, you have to love them and a sign of a nice healthy normal puppy.

Piper is on lesson three here:)

Magoo, 7 month Old Great Male Dane Puppy (In Daycare and Train):

Magoo (Great Dane with taped ears in picture) is going into the conformation and obedience ring. These owners have had two other dogs trained with me, and now we are going for four (Lucey is his sister).

Magoo and I should be going into the obedience ring this year, and he is doing very well. He's a solid stable confident but soft young Great Dane puppy. He loves the dogs and people he lives with, and he loves the dogs and people he does not live with LOL.

His favorite activity is fun of any sort especially in the woods. He is getting the obedience that he has been taught so far very well, even under distracting circumstances (IE field trips to the beach and various fields OR at daycare where other dogs are walking around). He just finished up week one of basic training, and now we will be onto week two this week:) He is going to do very very well in obedience OR at least as well as his handler does LOL.

Lucey, 7 year old Westie Lady (In Daycare and Train):

Lucey and I have been friends for a long time. I adore all of my customers dogs, but I have always wanted a Westie and this little girl is terribly cute and patient of her large brothers (Great Dane and Giant Schnauzer), who groom her and sit on her constantly.

Lucey thinks the stuff in the tv is actually there, and that it's her duty to chase or catch it off the tv. So that's her main training. The most challenging part has been getting to not only that but the other instances that she barks so we can have a complete training package at the end that is simple for her owners.

I just love her. Look at those eyes, they could melt steel .

Bella, 7 Month Old Mastiff Girl Puppy (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Very, very nice mellow puppy. It is surprising to note that very friendly mellow puppies are the hardest for owners to train. I think it's because the training is not as exciting or seem as important when your dog is not trying to nail you nor run into the street LOL.

Bella is on lesson six, and is very friendly and mellow. However, a friendly run into an elderly person or small child could send them for a loop.

She is about in the high 70 pound mark now of cuddly cute fun. She enjoys kisses and just about whatever attention you would like to give her. She prefers naps to training and sometimes walks. She is so easy, the owner's older parents are able to take care of her. Sigh, I would love to have Bella over for a long visit, but I guess her family is going to get to enjoy her:)

Willie, 5 plus year old Male Portuguese/Airedale Mix (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Willie was here last year to be taught not to eat the guests at his owners house. Since then, he has hosted parties attended by their family and by children.

Willie's owner suffered a horrible accident that caused an injury to her brain. So time is needed to teach other skills. Now it's time to train Willie's owner how to walk in public places with him, and remin calm and confident so Willie doesn't feel her angst.

I don't think anyone will see them in any dog parks anytime soon, but his owner has had practice now with Willie on the beach and in our property around other dogs and people.

Willie should not be left alone to his own devices in his territory, but with a calm confident leader, he knows that she will not let anyone in who is a danger to the home front, and can now relax from enforcing that duty.

Jillian, 5 plus year old Lady English Springer (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Jillian came here for extreme separation anxiety. She was breeding stock in her younger years and either relegated to an infrequently visited crate or chained to a tree. The adoption contract for her stated that she could never be returned. You can imagine that she did not come from a particularly loving home after doing her duty of providing them with a sellable product.

However, Jillian landed into a home that loves her. They just needed to be able to put her into a crate (as she was pretty adept at opening the LOCKS and chewing through those pesky walls). Pretty funny story posted about her disappearance early on, where the police had to point out that those were bite marks around the lock, and that no one broke in to steal Jillian!!

Jillian is a total love bug, while still exhibiting the typical Springer stubbornness cheerfully. Her owner is now interested in doing obedience trials with her. I am in the process of teaching her owner how to go about that:)

Hoobie, 5 plus year old Male English Springer (in Board & Train):

Here he is the infamous Hoobinator!! Believe it or not, there is a sweet nice sociable dog in there despite his fear that causes him to do his absolute best to try and nail you. His gig is up, I have seen the sweet Hoobie and I am going to try my very best to pull him out of there.

Today we discovered that neck rubs are not unwelcome. So there is the start of a touch that we can work from, and use as a potential reward.

Yesterday he had a screaming fit over me removing an eye boogey. Today, he allowed that. Now realize at this point any outside contact comes with the muzzle on. I have used a muzzle in the training plan of three or four dogs. The thing to realize is that when the muzzle is off, the response is lessened and not extinguished yet. There is (especially with a dog like Hoobie that has extreme phobia and fear) a whole bunch of training to do with the muzzle on, until he does not react inappropriately with it on. THEN realize that most likely he is going to strike out the first few times he is out with a muzzle, and leash handling, the use of motivators and consequences will start shaping his behavior with the muzzle off.

The reason for the muzzle on this type of dog is to show him, without continual conflict, that it's just so much easier and enjoyable not to put up a huge stink. To be able to do this without correcting him every second and allow him to start calming himself down, and learning how to put the controls and decision making ability in place for himself.

In dog training, it is so important that the dog come to the correct decision themselves, and this means communication as to the benefit/reward of doing that. And with any dog and especially a dog like this times three, this is repetition of events in various places over and over again demonstrating this.

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Jillian

Finally managed to get some Jillian pictures!! They did not come out as nicely as I would have liked. They certaintly don't capture her silly nature!!

Jillian, Sometimes It's The Little Things

I forgot to take Jillian's picture today. She was looking good too, since she has just been to the groomer. English Springers are a breed so filled with silliness, life, and in charge of themselves. Jillian is no exception and is very smart.
When Jillian disappeared from her (locked) house before her lessons, her owners were convinced there had been a break in. They called the police, who then looked at the door which had been locked. Know what they found? Teeth marks on the lever inside. Jillian also excels at dismantling crates that are collapsible.
Due to her previous life as a breeding dog, Jillian was getting so upset when her owners left her in her crate, when they went to their jobs. Because of her making accidents in the house when they were gone (and picking the lock) leaving her out was not an option.
This weeks lesson came with the report that Jillian is now found sound alseep in her crate, rather than panting, watching, barking, and carrying on when her owners leave her. Also her owner can now pump gas without Jillian trying to escape the car and have a fit. We just needed to let Jillian know that yes indeed her owner was coming back. We had also needed to teach her to relax in the crate for short periods of time first.
A problem like this seems so small, unless you are coming home to find the escape artist and resulting mess in the house every day. To the caregivers of the dog however, this is such a huge thing and relief. Part of taking care of separation anxiety is demonstrating to the dog that they have nothing to be worried about. Sit on the dog has also been a large part of this. It's a simple exercise, which I will post tomorrow. As simple as it is, without direction, most clients do it wrong. It's all about quiet, space, and following the leader. It does a lot to calm a dog down, when it's done correctly.
Jillian's obedience is coming along with her separation anxiety progress. Next time, perhaps I will take her picture. Until then, I am giving you a brown version of an English Springer. Her name is Pearly.

Jillian's Jitters (from one week ago)

This winter, Mannerly Mutts has been working on the case of Jillian. Jillian's owner actually contacted me last fall. On her first scheduled lesson, I got a call where the owner thought her dog had been taken out of the house!! In fact, Jillian had turned the lock, and traipsed down to the pond looking for her owner. Jillian's owners were referred to me from a previous client. My client's dog, Willie, liked to try and bite anyone and everyone who came into HIS house. Since then, Willie has hosted some family Easter and Christmas parties:), and being a delightful non-biting host, of course.

Jillian has gone through a few crates since that panicky day and the elapsing few months. Unfortunately, our schedules did not align after that first lesson, but now we have found a corresponding day to work each week.

Jillian was a breeder dog. She is an English Springer, and had just had her last litter of puppies when my client discovered her. My client's had decided on an adult dog, because it would be easier than training a puppy (or so they thought Hah!!). Jillian had never really had a family to her own, and was kept pretty much chained to a tree or in a crate. So upon bonding with the human female of the house, it became pretty upsetting to see her go. You can imagine that perhaps Jillian never knew when she would next get our or get attention in her previous life. Now she had doting attention and she did not want to loose it!!!

Due to her messing in the house when the clients were at work (and the subsequent ability to pick locks apparently LOL), Jillian has needed to be crated. However, she has been upset the full period of time that she is in there, and has been figuring out ways of dismantling crates!! Then it will only be a short trip to a door that she may figure out how to open. Yikes!!

The first step has been to get Jillian to become unconcerned when the crate door closes on her. So we started just by putting Jillian into the crate, waiting for her panting to stop, then treating her immediately. As the spaces get shorter and shorter, we just treat her as soon as her breathing becomes calm (thankfully she is very food motivated) for a period of reps. Once we got her there, (and now the client can put her in the crate and leave without poor Jillian getting into hysterics) we start timing her for five minutes, then wait for breathing to calm (if not already), then 10 minutes. These sessions are all done now while the owner is in the house, but perhaps not in the same room. It depends on what we need to back it down to for Jillian.

Obedience is also being used. Jillian has not bonded with the male owner of the house yet. Sit on the Dog is being done by the male owner (and I will soon describe this exercise) to 1) have Jillian stationary away from the owner she gets separation anxiety for and 2) to have a bonding experience start with the male owner. These sort of commands start to give Jillian more confidence, and the owners can direct her to more experiences where she feels safe, and KNOWS that her owners are coming back for her:)

Wish them luck. These are very committed and loving owners.