First Class with Juneau

For a week I have been wondering how we could possibly get 4 dog-reactive dogs into a room and learn anything. When we arrived the teacher had the room divided into four areas with knee high fences covered in sheets. We entered one at a time (from far corners of the parking lot) and got each dog settled on a mat and actively practicing laying down and staying calm while each other dog entered. They were each tethered to a separate wall of the room and were also on a leash just to make 100% sure there were no escapees and dog fights.  Then we hung out for awhile and just focused on being calm. Dog look around? Click and treat. Dog lays quietly? Click and treat. Etc.

We also practiced sitting (so they could slightly see the other dogs over the fence.) Also, we started to learn an emergency escape in case you are walking down the street and another dog appears from around a corner, or a small child is suddenly in your face. There was calm time on the mat between each exercise.

The teacher gave us some tips for how to deal with two dogs in your house (basically train them both) and also how to get the leash onto Juneau when the anxiety starts as soon as she sees it.

It's going to be a long road, but I think we have a great Sherpa.

Don't Steal Food

Juneau: So if I sit politely and look you in the eyes, I get the treats in your hand? And if I jump up to get them out of your hand, you close your hand and I don't get treats? What happens if I pretend to sit but then really quickly jump up and bite your hand?

TREATS!

I have some learning to do myself. . .

Training Class Begins

I don't know how it happened, but somehow I let work get in the way of my dog training blog. I know, crazy, right? Anyway . . .

On Tuesday we had the first session of the Ruff Diamond Training class at the MSPCA. I was nervous that this was going to be the e-collar all over again (lots of hype and money spent and a worse dog). I figured "it's the MSPCA, all they see are broken dogs!" Plus the class is only for dog aggression, so it will fix everything right up. And it is all clicker training and classical and operant conditioning.

This first class was just an introduction. Humans only. First of all, the teacher said all the right words and phrases. "Dogs aren't pack animals" being a key one for me. That phrase means she has read the latest in animal behavior science, which I too have read. What I look for in an expert (and always have) is, "do they know more than me?" If I can read about a topic for 2 weeks and I have more up-to-date information that you, the expert, you are not an expert!

I just felt good about the class. My group of dogs has a Newfoundland, a 75lbs bulldog, a 50 lbs mix and Juneau. So that means, no tiny dogs to cause any tiny-dog problems. They gave us a head collar which is big and strong for Juneau's big strong head. (Just last week she broke her Halti, so it was time for a change anyway.)

Our first tasks for the week are to

• Prime the clicker
• I have tried clicker training with Juneau in the past so she was more than ready to get treats for clicks again
• Create a location for the dog to be when you aren't with them so no escalation can happen
• Juneau is crate trained and her crate is in the garage for the hot months, so no escalation there.
• Practice laying down on a mat
• Since Juneau already knows both a voice and hand command for down, I expect this too be easy. We start tonight!
• Train them that they get the treats from sitting and making eye contact, not by jumping up and biting at the treat bag/your hands
• Juneau already knows that if she sits and makes eye contact with me she gets a treat. Now she just needs to learn that jumping up and biting me or stuffing her face in the treat bag doesn't work . . . 
• Don't go anywhere except to class for 4 weeks
• Ugh. Since we live in a condo this isn't exactly possible, but I have been trying extra hard to avoid the neighbor dogs. My typical schedule revolves around non-dog times, so it shouldn't be too hard. The hard part is no dog park, no long walks, no day care. 

We have been using the clicker on our walks to remember how it works and to get better at "heel". So far I'm pretty happy. The class will make it so I can't slack off too. 

Dog Park

I know it seems crazy from what you know about my dog, but she is quite well behaved in the dog park. For some reason being off of her leash and fully able to interact with the other dogs reduces the crazy to almost zero. The only thing I have to be careful of are the people with totally-unstable dogs who go to the dog park anyway. Juneau is not afraid to continue a fight if she feels threatened.

We are currently in the process of selling our condo (that could be a whole other blog). Yesterday we had an open house and needed to be gone. Since it was a beautiful day, I took the dogs to the dog park in Derry, NH. The park only had about 10-15 dogs in it, which is a good amount. Sometimes it is so crowded you can't find your dog. (Mostly I lose Lucy because she is fairly small and black like 50% of the world's mutts.)

Juneau was a perfect angel in the dog park. (Yes I am shocked.) Even walking up to the park I wasn't dragged and she wasn't barking. She ran around a little bit with a Golden and then she found a deflated basketball. She then decided she could not leave this ball for even one minute. Being a Shepard, she likes to keep her herd together, (also she is clingy) but even me walking all the way across the park wouldn't make her leave the basketball, although she did whine quite a bit. For some reason picking up the ball to come to me didn't occur to her, even when I tried to get her to stand in the shade.

Other dogs came to see her and she greeted them normally. Just when I was starting to think a deflated basketball might be the key to her training around other dogs, she decided it was a resource to be guarded. A standard poodle came over and instead of sniffing her, it sniffed the basketball. Juneau growled and snapped at the poodle. So I took the ball away from her and we went home. Obviously the basketball-dog relationship had gone too far, and I certainly didn't want our perfect hour at the dog park to be ruined by a fight with an expensive pure-bred dog. Lucy was exhausted anyway, being black and 13-years-old in the hot sun for an hour.

Next week is the orientation class of the "Diamond on the Ruff" class at the MSPCA. I'm so excited to learn what to do to make the crazies less!

5 Weeks

We got accepted to the "Diamond in the Ruff" training class at the MSPCA Nevin's Farm. I am so excited! Some hands-on professional help is just want the doctor ordered. Also if it goes well, they have a second class that we can take too. I have never felt more ready to face the challenge. The class doesn't start until May 22nd though, so that's a bummer. Then, expect all sorts of posts about how great Juneau is doing!

The new real estate agent is coming over on Saturday to get things started. Hopefully in the next few months we can have a backyard full of play and training and love and flowers! Then Juneau can spend as much time outside as she wants and so can I! I am determined not to get depressed about the housing thing (we first tried to sell in September 2010.)

Spring!

Ok, I know it has been awhile. I swear that while I have been neglecting this blog I have not been neglecting my dog. While she is still very reactive, everything is less. I see it as a war of very small battles. "Hey, today she only jumped up on me once before she got the hint!" "Yes, she growled at that dog, but she didn't bark or lunge!" It's the small things.

Inspired by my company's decision to give us one extra day off a year to volunteer, I went straight to the MSPCA website. They are my charity of choice simply because I found the Walk for Animals in my dog walking book 4 years ago and we have been going ever since. It turns out they don't like one day volunteers, BUT they do have a variety of dog training classes one of which is specifically for dog-on-dog issues! It is called "Ruff Diamonds". It is 8 weeks of one hour sessions with 4 dogs and 2 trainers. I like those odds. No sit, down, training but all focused on how to walk past another dog without being a big freaking mess. I feel like we are at a point in our training where some professional help could really help. So I signed up!

Inspiration is fresh and spring is here and I'm going to fix my crazy dog!

Also, I promise to post more pictures. Blogs need pictures.

Two Crazy Dogs

This week we are on vacation visiting my in-laws. My sister-in-law's dog has a very similar problem to Juneau owing to the fact that he is also a protective breed and was poorly socialized. BUT they both also love to play with other dogs. Juneau doesn't usually start fights but she does try to finish them. So I thought it would be a great idea to buy two cloth muzzles and put them together in the fenced in back yard. That way there would be no teeth but they could still practice the regular dog interaction things that they are both bad at.

It worked amazingly well! Two dogs who couldn't be around any other dogs at all were allowed to get past their fears by saying hi to another dog without anything bad happening. Juneau had her muzzle on for 5 minutes before it was clear she was very calm and mostly ignored the other dog. Then my sister-in-law's dog had his taken off after about 10 minutes. They played together for the rest of the time, just hanging out. It was wonderful. 

So I haven't forgotten about Juneau, and things are ongoing. I figured no one wanted to read a "Juneau continues to learn to heel" post. As things get warmer (and lighter after work) I hope to have more outside time with her. 

We are also in the process of trying to buy a house with a yard. THEN there will be many dog interactions of a positive nature.