The Beginning of a Long Journey - Update Week Three

[Sue & Lily Grace]

I am slow reporting on last week's training class because I was trying to think of something positive to say.  I can't think of one thing to say.  We hit a wall and I was frustrated and I'm sure Lily Grace was too.

She did so well with her sit/stay's at home.  She will sit without breaking for quite a long time.  I have never tested beyond 5 minutes and then I have released her.  Her down/stay is a work in progress and at home she will keep breaking before the 2 minute goal but we are working on it.  

Wednesday night was a rainy night to start with and the class is held way out east where they do not believe in street lights.  I do not do a lot of night driving and was frazzled by the time I got there.  Lily immediately saw a friend from her day camp and things went down hill from there.  I could not keep her focused on me.  She would not stay down and kept popping up.  After a while we went out into the parking lot to practice leash walking.  Now, this is not where we are the most compatible.  She will not walk and it is a constant tug of the leash to get her to move.  Well, my Lily Grace did nothing but pull trying to get to her dog friend Hudson.  This was the wall that I did not even want to try to conquer.  My frustration level peaked and I wished I was home out of the cold drizzle.

Our goal for next week is to walk our dog up to someone they know that has another dog and they are to stay sitting and relaxed.  Now, if there is a repeat of her actions with Hudson, this is never going to happen.   I am starting with people she knows and will try the sit and stay before she dissolves into puppy wiggles on the ground.  

I may have started her in this class to young.  She did not go to a puppy socialization class because they were mid cycle when I brought her home.  She is 17 weeks today and has changed so much in the 7 weeks she has been home.  We will try again next week.

[Julie and Charlie]

If Charlie is any indication, this is pretty normal behavior for a younger puppy. He did get better as time went on in class (but is still very active during group sessions!), but it certainly isn't easy when it seems like everyone else's dog is being "good", still, and quiet! Keep at it.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Beau is 18 weeks and just finishing a little six week puppy socialization class.  Today may be graduation day!  I signed him up for this class mainly for socializing and also beginning obedience.  Initially, he had the attention span of a nat, but the last two weeks he has blown me away!  He is doing quite well.  I think it is there immaturity at this age - they are puppies and just want to play, play, play!  When we come home from a class, he crashes on the floor for an hour sometimes two!  The mental stimulation just exhausts him. 

Is it possible Lilly was feeling your tension and acting out because of it? Lilly will probably be a little star in the next class!

[Adina P]

My trainer told me "it's not what the dog does, it's how you respond" regarding the times when the dog does everything 'wrong' during a training session.  They learn when they are right and when they are wrong depending on what info your training gives them. 

I would agree that Lily is still very young.  I don't think missing the socialization class hurt her, but the start of this one may not have been something she was completely ready for.  Doesn't matter, though you can still continue on and take it again with a higher expectation next time. 

All my dogs that I've trained have had training days like that when it seemed they'd never learned a thing or the distraction was just enormous and their response to commands vanished! 

In such instances when her mind is gone, what does your trainer say is the right way to respond/train for that moment?  Are you supposed to just 'keep trying' or do you correct or move farther away from the distraction or bring out treats or what?

[Sue & Lily Grace]

I wish I had a tape recorder there because I don't know how to answer your question.  I am sure Lily could read my frustration.  I truly did not know how to control the action.  Lily's only goal was to get to Hudson and the trainer does not want play interaction at class.  I am going to stop sending her to camp.  It appears she is not mature enough to separate in her mind when it is ok to play and as soon as she see him it is game on.  I want to keep going to the training class if only to see how to train her.  It may not be the environment in which she learns right now but it will help me to know what to train at home and next time hopefully it will be better.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Sue, believe me I've been there....too many times to count.  I know it's way easier "said than done" but one thing I've learned is that I just can't train unless I'm relaxed.  Sometimes I just sit in the car with the boys before meeting our trainer and breathe.  I try to be calm and really confident before we even get out of the car.  It may sound silly, but I find it helps.  Then set realistic expectations.   I used to set an expectation that Murph would see one dog from a distance in the hour and not react.  Then I would move my expectations to where he could get a little closer.  When I was heel training I would set an expectation that he would walk with a loose leash from the garage to the end or the driveway and just keep making the distance longer and longer.  It doesn't matter what your trainer's expectations are for the class....you set ones that work for you and Lily so you can feel like your sessions are successful.  I agree with Adina that this is all about you learning what to do to motivate Lily and show her what you want her to do.  How did your trainer tell you to respond when she was breaking her down/stays or pulling on the leash?  Are you using corrections or treats or both?

[Sue & Lily Grace]

The trainer is all about treats and does not think I am not giving her enough and fast enough. I do agree with the reward of the treats.  Lily is so very food motivated that she will do anything for food.  She is almost like a robot.  She has got to think and then react. She does do this with a lot of things I have taught her.  She will go to her place on command and sit and wait but with other things she figures out the treat thing.  For instance, the trainer said when she stopped when walking to call her and when she got up to me to feed her a piece of cheese while I continued to walk.  She did great until she figured out if she continued walking me with she did not get cheese so now she parks herself and refuses to move.  Walking has become a constant battle of wills and she has to learn without being treated for doing it.  She learned leave it in minutes.  Why try to go after a hidden treat when if I leave it alone they will feed me anyway.  I am thinking is still to immature for some of these things.  You are right though, I have to set my own expectations and because she is so darn smart I have set them too high.  

[DJ & Chance]

She is just so adorable and still very young.  Lily Grace is the same age as Chance and actually ahead of him in training.  There aren't any good options for me locally and so I am doing the training myself until I can find a class that works with my schedule.  Some days Chance is brilliant and other days not so much :)

[Sue & Lily Grace]

Chance is just as cute as can be. I did a lot of training at home reading clicker books and there is nothing wrong with that and it has a lot going for it. I think I have put my ambition for her before her needs. I agree with you, they are so darn smart and then so clueless. She is now pulling everything out of her crate and putting on her bed in the living room. Do You think I can train to reverse the process? LOL

[Julie and Charlie]

You can! Sophia Yin has a video showing how to teach a dog to clean up his or her toys. I haven't taught Charlie this task, though.

[DJ & Chance]

No way! Taking things out is so much more fun than putting them back!

[Julie and Charlie]

I know, to me a bed in a pile on the floor and toys strewn about the house are a badge of honor. "A dog lives here, and has fun doing it!"

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

You and Lily are doing fine - really.   She is young and your first ever dog.  You are on a long journey together.  Think of it as packing the car and traveling cross country with many road blocks and detours.  At seventeen weeks you are still packing the car!

  She sounds very smart and clever.  When you are having repeated trouble like holding the stay for five minutes.  hold the stay for 2 minutes only for at least the next two weeks.  Then sneak in another 30 seconds.  Every time Lily breaks she is discovering that the world does not end.  It is a matter of maturity and training.  What does your trainer tell you to do if she does breaks during the stay?  Perhaps for the next set of lessons you could use a different trainer, not because this one is not good, but because you will learn something from every trainer and a new set of eyes might help you both.

Patience, calm, consistency all help.  Training a dog is a good way to become very aware of your own body language.  Dogs learn, play, react, primarily from body language, spoken language is very secondary to them.

I think the walking part or not walking is pretty normal for her age.  I do think thought that since Lily seems to be quite smart you may have inadvertently trained to your "treat" body language - perhaps you bend slightly, move your head a certain way, etc and she is confusing what you think are clear signals to go and stop because she is following your body language.  You might try giving up treats altogether and when you walk, walk randomly quickly, slowly, weaving in and out of unseen objects or trees or play equipment if it is hand.  Again a successful untreated walk might be thirty seconds -  Let going on a walk be the reward.  Then clearly stop and tell her to sit, release her and PLAY. Repeat lengthening the walk part.  It will go much faster than it sounds as you read this.  Once she gets her walk, stop, play signals clear you will be ready to go.  Be very aware of your body language, head, hands, feet especially, and your body.  Do not turn and look at her to get her to walk with you - that very clearly says stop to a dog.  Just start off with assurance and assume she will follow.  If she does not turn away from her and walk a few steps, just keep turning and walk until she does.  If you walk until the leash pops her to get her started that's okay too.  Don't you pop her just let the fact that she is tethered to you do the work and she will get it.  Don't look or talk to her, let her figure it out.  She will !!

 

happy training