I've decided to test George's progress hanging around strange dogs by enrolling him into a regular intermediate class. I think he's ready. He used to LOVE going to classes. Every class he'd end up in LOVE and try his best to flirt. Last year in the on/off leash train and play he was smitten by Buttons a Bichon Frise:) Everything changed with the run of attacks. Thx to all the mentors listed on the side page and others I have yet to add, it's been an interesting process!
The last thing I wanted to do before class is put "Look Away" rght/lft on cue. I've been capturing and rewarding when George has chosen to "look away" from strange dogs, as a calming tool, to let the other dog know he needs space. Most dogs to date have respected the "look away", if it's established from a distance. If I notice the dog ignoring that signal, I'll just u-turn and walk opposite direction if they're coming head on, or I'll cross the street. I refuse to give bullies the reinforcement from getting into George's face and being intimidating.
"Look away" I used Emily Larlham's hand target method (kikopup)
This way if he gets stuck in anxiety mode, I can cue him from a distance and walk through what he can do to diffuse the situation. I would not have put this on cue if George had not offered this up himself. If you put a behaviour on cue that they're not comfortable offering up naturally, sometimes it BACKFIRES! They will perform the cue, only because you've asked them to but they're not emotionally ready to deal with the response from the other dog. When they don't offer it up naturally, within context of a situation where they'd naturally use that to cue another dog.
George already looks away:
1-when being pestered by Keegan and Taiki if they want to play and he's not into it at that time.
2-if Taiki sniffs George a lot longer than Geroge is comfortable with, I've rewarded George for being patient and looking away until Taiki's done sniffing.
3-George also uses the look away when dealing with the bossy old lady of the house Daizy :)
4-when approaching or being approached by strange dogs, which I've again, rewarded PROFUSELY!
If your dog needs to learn how to use this signal in context, it's easier and faster to find bullet proof dogs who once you cue it to your social nerd or fearful dog, the other bullet proof dog will act accordingly in response. Key is to ensure it becomes learned and predictable. If I do this...that happens.
Our 3rd session of the day, less than 1 minute. After dinner I was able capture repetitions without using prompt from both George and Keegan. I had George practice looking away from Keegan. Next up is naming it.
4th session one day later and VOILA- added verbal cue!
Incoming!!!! This was FUN to teach. Car crash game (Leslie McDevitt) deals with "plan of action" when things go sideways and the other dog invades their space.
Again, you need to make sure they're well on the way to being emotionally capable to deal with a flooding aspect of a charge. Luckily I have 4 dogs and George is a play machine, so I just added a fun spin on this game for him. We've done a little testing with strange dogs, with us running by them, and joggers w/dogs running by opposite way on the other side of the road.
Crossing fingers, toes and eyeballs it works, otherwise, it's back to the drawing board for me :)
3 comments:
It's fun to watch too! I've never seen this "incoming" game before but I love the idea behind it. It's so smart to proof these things at home with dogs/people they know before having to potentially deal with it on the street.
Hmmm, is that another reason to get a second dog?
Thanks for posting so many great training ideas!
The more the MERRIER for me :) My words of wisdom from years of trial and error would be please consider:
1-how much time you have to spend, training the new dog separately, walking them separately until they know the gig.
2-Unless your first dog is perfect...then the resident dog normally helps the new dog by teaching them the ropes. Makes it a bit easier, but all the same issues need to be worked out.
3-Sharing and play are the two issues I deal with first. Once they have been rewarded for healthy play and interrupted before things get crazy, and again go back to sharing 101 (no need to guard anything....toys, mat, you, food)
Dr. Patricia McConnell has the best book about multidog households. "Feeling Outnumbered"
I've got to say, the way things have worked out for our household, each dog's character is different, it's been a learning process for all of us but boy do is it ever worth it when I watch them play or snuggle or do something sweet or funny.
Best of luck!
Thanks for the tips -- and for acknowledging the special joys and challenges of a multi-pet household. Trying to manage all our beasties is a handful, but there's so much pleasure to be had from their interactions, and even from watching the strange friendships that can even grow across species lines when critters share a space...
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Jack@PDB
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