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Monday
Chevy is a 7 month old German Shepherd training to become a service dog. He has struck the developmental stage of barking at dogs and children and due to health reasons, his handler has been unable to DS/CC him for the issues. Since his socialization and training is behind, she has asked that Tao Service Dogs board and train him.
I took Max out to Chevy's home to see how serious Chevy's dog issues were. I cannot bring an aggressive dog into my home. I have a small dog, Dieter, who weighs only 15 pounds and is 16 years old - I will not risk his safety with a dog I don't know how it will behave with him. Chevy's owner is overwhelmed and felt his problems were very serious and wasn't sure if he could be helped. Max, my best neutral dog, went with me to evaluate if Chevy could come into my home to live.
Chevy was in his crate when I arrived and after a couple of barks from his crate, was silent while I did the intake portion of the appointment. We talked about what Chevy's training would be like, what to expect and that no promises could be made. Though Force Free Training is fast and effective, it's not a magic bullet and a single session or even a single week will not change a dog's emotional response, especially if it is fear based. Chevy's reactions stem from a bad experience at a groomers and advise given that increased his fears - I don't blame his handler in the least. We all work with what we know and if we don't know different we can't do any differently. His handler will be learning new training techniques, but she did what she was taught by another individual and thought was best for her dog. Thankfully, she's a gentle soul and he's not been damaged beyond hope - he just needs more instruction on proper behavior at this time.
We then brought Chevy out and he tried to jump on Max's head. He's a big boy and very strong and his handler is a small woman who is weakened by her disability. I can see why this felt so overwhelming and seemed so frightening.
We placed a Gentle Leader on him, got both boys at a distance from each other and I tried to offer him treats. He couldn't take them with Max nearby and so I praised him for good behavior, asked him to inform me when his brains returned and simply waited out his over-excitement at seeing a new dog. What they believed was aggression is actually a combination of fear, lack of confidence in a new situation and excitement. He simply expresses it differently than Malcolm did at the same age.
It took Chevy about 5 minutes to get his brains back, 10 minutes to take treats and 15 minutes before he and Max could be off lead together and just hang out. By the end of our appointment he was sleeping with Max in his own home and he was laying less than six inches from Max doing so. This told me that yes, Chevy was able to come and what I would need to do to keep his impulses under control and my dogs safe.
We arranged for them to bring Chevy the next morning for board and train. I asked we change his collar, since he's on a martingale and at risk for his safety in my home when playing with Malcolm. They also had him on food not appropriate for his age and we agreed to change him to a food best suited for him. He'll be eating the same food my dogs do. They provided me with funds for food and a collar for him.
Tuesday
Chevy arrived at 8:00 AM. I had spoken with Kim Imel about bringing a pup who is a bit of a nut about dogs into a home with Malcolm and she suggested placing the big crate on the deck and something super high value for him to eat in the crate and let him chill until he calmed about Chevy. It was a great idea and I did a minor modification. I have a Manners Minder and so I loaded it with his kibble and took the crate, Manners Minder and remote outside with me. I set the Manners Minder to dispense a treat once every second when set on auto - for rapid reinforcement - and set it near the opening of the crate just inside.
When Chevy arrived I took Malcolm out of the house, crated him and locked the crate and ignored the barking he started and just his auto dispense on the Manners Minder while I let Max out. Malcolm's barking became staggered and short and soon he was dead silent at the Manners Minder faithfully dispensed treats while Emma and Dieter came out to meet Chevy and I spoke with his owners. Chevy was still on lead, but he was calm and handling his new family well and Malcolm had become a silent witness as he waited for the next rapid fire beep from the Manners Minder.
I gave Malcolm a couple of minutes of calm behavior in the crate and brought him out. I had expected him to be over excited still, but he wasn't - instead he was excited but calm enough to just go say his hellos.
Chevy at first didn't know what to do with Malcolm and got a bit aggressive with Malcolm's forward greeting. I had released Chevy so the leash wouldn't cause leash aggression and when Chevy got pushy with Malcolm just took his Gentle Leader and attached his leash and held him with me until he was calm.
I spoke with his owners for a bit, reassured them he'd be fine and then sent them on their way. Thirty minutes after they left Malcolm and Chevy were playing and by an hour after they left everyone had settled in nicely.
I packed up 2 cups of kibble in my pouch and spent the day playing the Name Game, rewarding behavior I liked, any check ins he did and if needed simply tethered him to me or put him up in the big crate if he got over tired. He ate 1 cup of food from the pouch and 1 cup of food from the bowl during the day and 2 cups of food for his evening meal. He's a bit gassy, but otherwise, he's been a joy to have as a guest at Tao Service Dogs.
Chevy is working on Level 1 behaviors, Name Game, pre- recall (learning to come when the other dogs are called to me) and socialization.
Wednesday
Chevy is a 7 month old German Shepherd training to become a service dog. He has struck the developmental stage of barking at dogs and children and due to health reasons, his handler has been unable to DS/CC him for the issues. Since his socialization and training is behind, she has asked that Tao Service Dogs board and train him.
I took Max out to Chevy's home to see how serious Chevy's dog issues were. I cannot bring an aggressive dog into my home. I have a small dog, Dieter, who weighs only 15 pounds and is 16 years old - I will not risk his safety with a dog I don't know how it will behave with him. Chevy's owner is overwhelmed and felt his problems were very serious and wasn't sure if he could be helped. Max, my best neutral dog, went with me to evaluate if Chevy could come into my home to live.
Chevy was in his crate when I arrived and after a couple of barks from his crate, was silent while I did the intake portion of the appointment. We talked about what Chevy's training would be like, what to expect and that no promises could be made. Though Force Free Training is fast and effective, it's not a magic bullet and a single session or even a single week will not change a dog's emotional response, especially if it is fear based. Chevy's reactions stem from a bad experience at a groomers and advise given that increased his fears - I don't blame his handler in the least. We all work with what we know and if we don't know different we can't do any differently. His handler will be learning new training techniques, but she did what she was taught by another individual and thought was best for her dog. Thankfully, she's a gentle soul and he's not been damaged beyond hope - he just needs more instruction on proper behavior at this time.
We then brought Chevy out and he tried to jump on Max's head. He's a big boy and very strong and his handler is a small woman who is weakened by her disability. I can see why this felt so overwhelming and seemed so frightening.
 |
| Malcolm likes his new friend. |
It took Chevy about 5 minutes to get his brains back, 10 minutes to take treats and 15 minutes before he and Max could be off lead together and just hang out. By the end of our appointment he was sleeping with Max in his own home and he was laying less than six inches from Max doing so. This told me that yes, Chevy was able to come and what I would need to do to keep his impulses under control and my dogs safe.
We arranged for them to bring Chevy the next morning for board and train. I asked we change his collar, since he's on a martingale and at risk for his safety in my home when playing with Malcolm. They also had him on food not appropriate for his age and we agreed to change him to a food best suited for him. He'll be eating the same food my dogs do. They provided me with funds for food and a collar for him.
 |
| They play well together. |
Chevy arrived at 8:00 AM. I had spoken with Kim Imel about bringing a pup who is a bit of a nut about dogs into a home with Malcolm and she suggested placing the big crate on the deck and something super high value for him to eat in the crate and let him chill until he calmed about Chevy. It was a great idea and I did a minor modification. I have a Manners Minder and so I loaded it with his kibble and took the crate, Manners Minder and remote outside with me. I set the Manners Minder to dispense a treat once every second when set on auto - for rapid reinforcement - and set it near the opening of the crate just inside.
When Chevy arrived I took Malcolm out of the house, crated him and locked the crate and ignored the barking he started and just his auto dispense on the Manners Minder while I let Max out. Malcolm's barking became staggered and short and soon he was dead silent at the Manners Minder faithfully dispensed treats while Emma and Dieter came out to meet Chevy and I spoke with his owners. Chevy was still on lead, but he was calm and handling his new family well and Malcolm had become a silent witness as he waited for the next rapid fire beep from the Manners Minder.
I gave Malcolm a couple of minutes of calm behavior in the crate and brought him out. I had expected him to be over excited still, but he wasn't - instead he was excited but calm enough to just go say his hellos.
Chevy at first didn't know what to do with Malcolm and got a bit aggressive with Malcolm's forward greeting. I had released Chevy so the leash wouldn't cause leash aggression and when Chevy got pushy with Malcolm just took his Gentle Leader and attached his leash and held him with me until he was calm.
I spoke with his owners for a bit, reassured them he'd be fine and then sent them on their way. Thirty minutes after they left Malcolm and Chevy were playing and by an hour after they left everyone had settled in nicely.
I packed up 2 cups of kibble in my pouch and spent the day playing the Name Game, rewarding behavior I liked, any check ins he did and if needed simply tethered him to me or put him up in the big crate if he got over tired. He ate 1 cup of food from the pouch and 1 cup of food from the bowl during the day and 2 cups of food for his evening meal. He's a bit gassy, but otherwise, he's been a joy to have as a guest at Tao Service Dogs.
Chevy is working on Level 1 behaviors, Name Game, pre- recall (learning to come when the other dogs are called to me) and socialization.
Wednesday
So, my morning started at 6:30 AM with Chevy stabbing me in the cheek with his snout and then nuzzling me firmly (very) and then flopping on my head, shifting off of me and finally "sneaking" between the top of my hand and my headboard, which he managed with my muttering into my pillow that was being rude. Mind you, a 70 pound German Shepherd with the worst coordination I've seen in ages, doesn't sneak well.
Today was a play day at the house while Chevy settled in and Emma got her emotional balance again. He is doing very well. He needs to learn not to put his feet on my counter without permission and that boldly taking garbage out of my bins in the bathroom right in front of me is not really going to work, but he is a remarkably sound dog with a soft nature.
He's playing well with the other dogs and after redirecting yesterday has stopped trying to mount Emma. He heard children playing, watched children get on and off the school bus and pass the house, witnessed traffic, heard dogs barking and met my Mom and brother. He was warm and welcoming to them.
He's eating well, crating well when I need to leave and learning how to be alone without fear. He's enjoying rousing games of Catch Me If You Can and does a lot of walking, exploring and moving. I am seeing improved coordination in his back legs and overall. He's not as clumsy as yesterday and is gaining more puppy behavior in his play and overall attitude.
Tonight I had to laugh at him. I have a German Shepherd statue that holds a lantern in it's mouth in my garden bed and he saw it for the first time tonight. He was doing the full, "that thing is freaky" behavior. Body stretched to it's limit, low and stiff as he tried to decide if the miniature German Shepherd would harm him. It took him about 3 minutes to process the object and then he was fine. He's had things (a box) fall on his head and no reaction. I dropped a metal bowl right next to him and he just looked at it. For the most part, he's unflappable, but he's still very young and needs socialization.
Tomorrow I see a client with a well socialized (to dogs) dog and will take him. It's time he begin the next exposure to dogs now that he's good at hearing them.
He's doing well and I enjoy his company...though he really needs to learn not to walk on me when I am in bed!
Thursday
Well, he does have a sense of humor. He has been bringing his ball to me and very gently laying on my patio table and watching it roll and then looking at me with great anticipation. We've played a few games of fetch off and on since late Wednesday. He has also put the tennis ball in my garden bed, repeatedly, on the crook of my arm when I am typing and tonight on the cold barbecue grill while I was scraping in in preparation for cooking my dinner. He also set it gently in one of my planter boxes as I was working on it. I find myself laughing at him a lot.
He discovered, again, my cat. This time she was on her cat post outside eating her dinner. I turned to find him with his feet up on the top of the post nervously trying to sniff her. My cat is one of those mixed bags of blessings. She arrived when she was only 8 weeks old and weighing a whopping 1.6 pounds with a full blown eye and chest infection. Someone had thrown her into my yard, most likely in hopes my dogs would kill her, and I never did have the heart to send her to a new home - even though I am not really a cat person. She was unsocialized and needed loads of work to make her a pet cat - she still doesn't like physical contact, is shy around strangers and trusts me enough to pick up and carry her or pet her, but mostly hangs around the house expecting me to feed her. She can be calm and quiet with the dogs or spooky and running. She can allow them to sniff her and then bash their noses or nuzzle them. She can walk calm and confident through the house or like a spooky cat begging to be chased. Malcolm is cat proof. It doesn't matter her mood, he doesn't see cats as something to chase in my home and thus ignores them 99% of the time. So, Chevy, who like Max, thinks there are only one type of cat, the chasing kind, is now nose to nose with my cat and she's calmly sniffing his nose, I am certain in a moment things will turn south; I wasn't disappointed.
Victoria, my cat, suddenly bashed him on the nose several times and puffed up and arched in a perfect Halloween cat pose. Chevy, who'd put his feet back on the patio slab, watched her for a second and then began barking at her to make her run. She hissed and arched up into an even more classic pose. It took my stepping in and herding him around the yard for a while before he decided he was to ignore the cat. No further problems were met. This was the end of our day - after a long day of activity for Chevy. He has been fully evaluated and I see some serious holes in his training, but overall, I am pleased with the dog before me.
This morning Chevy attended his first client consult. He met Curly, a Labrador Retriever who is pretty unflappable when it comes to other dogs. Curly has other concerns in his life, but overall, Curly is pretty unflappable when it comes to other dogs. Chevy barked and couldn't take treats for a good 15 minutes after meeting Curly. We put distance between them, but I suspect Curly would have to be on another continent in order for Chevy to take treats. His Fight or Flight instinct currently cuts off all thought process and ability to eat when triggered. Instead I used a form of BAT to help him. We would step out, see Curly and step back out of sight of Curly for a few minutes and then went into the building and I tethered him and kept Curly on the other side of the room. By the time he could take treats he was already calming down. In the end, he was able to lay quietly with Curly on the other side of the room and take the treats I placed between his feet for his silences.
He did have more barking when Curly stood, sat up and moved, but each time he recovered faster and was able to relax again on the floor and watch. He was allowed to greet Curly once, but after an excellent greeting he quickly escalated into "I am over excited" and tried to jump on Curly's head. I walked him away and spent the rest of the consult rewarding heavily for watching Curly and being quiet.
After that appointment we came back and I picked up the yard from dog waste and toys. I had to use my grab stick and Mr. Teenage Dog had to snap and bite it. It wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't so deadlocked on getting it and I had to finally insist he stop so I could do my work. Where Malcolm quickly ended the game when I told him too when I first used it, Chevy doesn't have an off switch or impulse control to help him just watch and not react. One hole in his training - impulse control on all areas of his life - he simply doesn't have it yet.
Next came the young man who helps with the yard once a week. He arrived with a lawn mower and wearing a baseball cap while wearing a full beard. The sight of him entering the yard and pushing that mower was a bit much and Chevy spooked and ran away. He did this two or three times. He'd spook, run off, return, spook and run off and then repeat the behavior. On the fourth return he started to bark and charge the lawn mower and Josh a bit. I don't think he could separate Josh from the mower and he was truly frightened. I took his collar and led him away and held him at a distance until he calmed and Josh had stopped moving the mower. I then let him go explore the mower. He was doing the same "that is freaky" behavior he had the night before with the statue, but with a lot more retreating then he'd done the previous evening. He soon realized the mower was not evil and then checked Josh, once again spooked and then decided that Josh wasn't evil and shied away.
I let him watch Josh start the mower and see if his discomfort with the mower would keep him away from it when it was running. No such luck, the moment it started Chevy challenged it to a duel and was quickly placed on lead and spent the rest of the mowing experience beside me. He wasn't afraid of the mower any longer and had completely relaxed by me as Josh mowed.
When Josh was done he came and sat for a few minutes and Chevy, who'd been spooked by him only 10 minutes before (small yard) climbed in his lap and gave him a total snuggle fest. Go figure. Josh used the weed trimmer and I again kept Chevy on lead. When he finished we packed up the dogs and Josh and went to Auntie Ronda's house.
Ronda has 5 dogs. Sheba, a crippled 10 year old German Shepherd. Chautzie, a 14 year old Rottweiler mix. Deva, a 7 year old German Shepherd. DJ, a 9 year old Dachshund. Jack, a 2 year old Standard Poodle. The only dog Chevy had problems with when we first arrived was Deva, who was barking at the fence as we approached. Ronda snapped a lead on her and walked her far away and Chevy entered the yard after watching Max, Malcolm and Emma run happily about the mix of new friends.
It took Chevy about 1 hour to completely settle. Jack was thrilled to meet him and said a friendly hello and Chevy was shy, but appropriate in his hello. He ignored Sheba and didn't notice DJ. It was Chautzie, who walked up to him while he was on lead and freaked him out. She was not charging him (she can't, she doesn't move well) and was clearly just going to say a quiet and proper hello and Chevy panicked. It took a little bit to calm him, but once he did he was able to play off lead and even greet Chautzie. It took him longer to find out that Jack was asking him to play. He would run away from Jack and to me for protection for almost an hour before suddenly he was wrestling with Malcolm and Jack together, playing Catch Me If You Can and exploring quietly with them.
Josh mowed Ronda's yard and during the 30 to 40 minutes it took Chevy was loose and totally ignored the mower. Mission accomplished.
Chevy has been settling into the family and I have been working on learning his needs and what should be worked on first. It's impulse control and communication. He has no clue that he shouldn't be a bull in a china shop and pushes his way past, whether you block him or not. He takes things before you bold as brass and today alone I had him put his feet on my counter and try to steal the lid from a can of pet food while his shoulder was touching my ribs and tonight he reached out to my plate and took the bread off the top of my sandwich while I was watching him. When asked to move out of the way he just stands like a lump and last night I had to drag him like a sack of potatoes across my bed to get MY spot back because he refused to move. Impulse control and communication.
Chevy will continue to stay with me and learn the basics of living in a house with a full rule structure. He's adjusting to the new living arrangements, but has a lot to learn to be a good guest in any home or business. This is going to be a fun dog to train.
Friday
Update coming soon
Saturday/Sunday
Update coming soon
| Zen | Target | Come | Sit | Down | |
| Step | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Level 2
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | Complete | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Tricks | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 3
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | Complete | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Retrieve | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 4
| Zen | Come | Retrieve | Target | Relax | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | Complete | 0 |
| Handling | Communication | ||||
| Step | 0 | 0 |
I want to put a click out to Spirit's parents! What a great job you are doing as a family with Spirit. What a change in her since the last time I saw her!
They have reduced her overall stress by pulling back on her public access to areas she's extremely comfortable with and are paying her heavily for calm behaviors. After our lesson on Friday I came today to see the note I had suggested for company asking for patience while Spirit learns door manners and watched her handler work extra hard on teaching Spirit how to greet me without breaking her stay. She's not there, but she's so much better than she's been! They are doing their homework and it shows!
She's also been working on learning leash manners, company manners ("Don't jump on Grandma!" manners) and has started DS/CC with sounds, children and people in general.
Today I brought Max's Thundershirt for her to use and see if she responded to it. I have NEVER seen a dog respond like she did. I put it on her and within 2 minutes she went from hyper out of control to calm and half asleep on the floor dog. There was a moment of realization she felt better, a small yawn and then she stood slowing her breathing and then calmly laid down and relaxed completely. I have NEVER seen anything like it and it was amazing to see her owner pull up the website for the Thundershirt and order one on the spot!
We left it on her for 15 minutes while we caught up on events, how she was doing and what they've done different to help Spirit deal with her world. Her handler is doing a form of BAT with their walks. Spirit is allowed to tell her that something is too much and change direction and go somewhere else and not deal with the scary thing. I said that was lovely and was pleased to hear she's improved on cars passing, bicycles and joggers. Skateboards are too much, so when one happened Spirit decided a wooded walk would be best and they headed home that way. Great job, Team!
They have been rewarding all of her good behavior and she's made a huge leap in understanding of what is asked of her. She's not jumping on the child in the home like she used too near as much and a simple redirection or short tethering has resolved most of that issue for the family.
She did leave the upstairs during last nights thunderstorm, so we discussed the Thundershirt and the best times to use it. Garbage day, when company first arrives and thunderstorms are what she needs help with, so they'll use it for that. She is also going to wear it for low level public access in a new area where she's doing a go in and come out training session.
Her owner bought her Through A Dog's Ear for garbage day and other times they wish to calm her and is now playing it to help her relax in the home also. Lovely!
We worked on loose lead walking, Zen, Target and It's Yer Choice today. She's passed Level 1 Zen! Way to go team! She is doing uch better on Target and I am seeing improved nose contact, just not consistent contact yet. She's improved on LLW, but now needs to begin formal training now that she knows there's a person on the other end of the leash.
She is no longer trying to drag me back to the home and we ended out outside time with her walking 100% loose lead to the house, performing a sit before the steps and calmly walking into the home.
We had a man appear suddenly and though she was interested, she was not over threshold and could take treats the entire time we were outside. She heard a siren, gunshots and buzz saw and only the saw bothered her. She's recovering faster, but not completely yet.
Spirit is doing fantastic and with the support of her family, she may find her inner Boxer!
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
They have reduced her overall stress by pulling back on her public access to areas she's extremely comfortable with and are paying her heavily for calm behaviors. After our lesson on Friday I came today to see the note I had suggested for company asking for patience while Spirit learns door manners and watched her handler work extra hard on teaching Spirit how to greet me without breaking her stay. She's not there, but she's so much better than she's been! They are doing their homework and it shows!
She's also been working on learning leash manners, company manners ("Don't jump on Grandma!" manners) and has started DS/CC with sounds, children and people in general.
Today I brought Max's Thundershirt for her to use and see if she responded to it. I have NEVER seen a dog respond like she did. I put it on her and within 2 minutes she went from hyper out of control to calm and half asleep on the floor dog. There was a moment of realization she felt better, a small yawn and then she stood slowing her breathing and then calmly laid down and relaxed completely. I have NEVER seen anything like it and it was amazing to see her owner pull up the website for the Thundershirt and order one on the spot!
We left it on her for 15 minutes while we caught up on events, how she was doing and what they've done different to help Spirit deal with her world. Her handler is doing a form of BAT with their walks. Spirit is allowed to tell her that something is too much and change direction and go somewhere else and not deal with the scary thing. I said that was lovely and was pleased to hear she's improved on cars passing, bicycles and joggers. Skateboards are too much, so when one happened Spirit decided a wooded walk would be best and they headed home that way. Great job, Team!
They have been rewarding all of her good behavior and she's made a huge leap in understanding of what is asked of her. She's not jumping on the child in the home like she used too near as much and a simple redirection or short tethering has resolved most of that issue for the family.
She did leave the upstairs during last nights thunderstorm, so we discussed the Thundershirt and the best times to use it. Garbage day, when company first arrives and thunderstorms are what she needs help with, so they'll use it for that. She is also going to wear it for low level public access in a new area where she's doing a go in and come out training session.
Her owner bought her Through A Dog's Ear for garbage day and other times they wish to calm her and is now playing it to help her relax in the home also. Lovely!
We worked on loose lead walking, Zen, Target and It's Yer Choice today. She's passed Level 1 Zen! Way to go team! She is doing uch better on Target and I am seeing improved nose contact, just not consistent contact yet. She's improved on LLW, but now needs to begin formal training now that she knows there's a person on the other end of the leash.
She is no longer trying to drag me back to the home and we ended out outside time with her walking 100% loose lead to the house, performing a sit before the steps and calmly walking into the home.
We had a man appear suddenly and though she was interested, she was not over threshold and could take treats the entire time we were outside. She heard a siren, gunshots and buzz saw and only the saw bothered her. She's recovering faster, but not completely yet.
Spirit is doing fantastic and with the support of her family, she may find her inner Boxer!
Level 1
| Zen | Target | Come | Sit | Down | |
| Step | Complete | 1 | 1 | Complete | Complete |
Level 2
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Tricks | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 3
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Retrieve | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 4
| Zen | Come | Retrieve | Target | Relax | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Handling | Communication | ||||
| Step | 0 | 0 |
Jewels/Malcolm
Due to an unexpected emergency, Jewels' appointment was cancelled. She continues to work on last weeks homework.
| Zen | Target | Come | Sit | Down | |
| Step | 5 | 1 | 2 | Complete | 1 |
Level 2
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Tricks | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 3
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Retrieve | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 4
| Zen | Come | Retrieve | Target | Relax | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Handling | Communication | ||||
| Step | 0 | 0 |
Minnie/MaxWhat a change between week 1 and week 2! Last week Minnie avoided looking at me when I looked at her, was quiet and withdrawn and spent most of her time watching instead of asking to join the party. Not this week. She was standing tall, animated, making direct eye contact, willing to work with me and take treats from my hands, excited to play our games and simply relaxed! She's a whole new dog already! What a great job, Team!
Minnie worked on learning to switch sides when passing a dog on the sidewalk to make her walks more comfortable. Sometimes we can't avoid passing another dog, and we silly humans walk right up to other people and dogs and walk in straight lines. Dogs on the other hand walk to each other in arches and zig zag as they explore their world. In a perfect world, a dog walking along the street would see another and both would create a C to approach and meet. We humans walk them face to face without so much as a how do you do and expect them to be okay with it. Some can be, but stoic little dogs like Minnie find an ever changing world hard to process and find such direct meetings uncomfortable and frightening even. Learning to switch from one side of her human to another permits her the C she needs, the space she requires and a barrier to increase her sense of safety. Practicing it when she's not faced with a new dog makes those times that she needs to pass a dog on her walks easier. Her owners are good about giving her greater space when it's needed, but sometimes life happens and a quick easy way to prevent a head on meeting is needed. Both worked very diligently at learning the mechanics and will only get better at the dance with Minnie when they practice.
We discussed what worked well for them. The Up/Down Game was one of Minnie's favorites and she has gained an overall calm playing it. She is learning through Target that hands are fun and safe and has relaxed when hands reach for her. They had problems with LAT so we reviewed it and then put a plan into motion for using it at home when people pass on the sidewalk.
We then discussed putting her harness on. She loves her walks, but finds putting her harness on a bit scary. They will try having her lay in their lap and put it on with her facing away from them. It doesn't go over her head, so this should stop her feeling loomed over when the required bending to slip it on happens from the front.
We discussed and worked a bit on shaping. They are going to play fun shaping games to open up her body movements and let her know she can do things to make them click.
It was a great session and Minnie is making great progress. She is on week 3 of being newly adopted into her family and with this positive training she is trusting them more each day. What a gift they've given this stoic girl.
Curly/Chevy
Today I told Curly's owner he's been career changed to a home companion. It is best for Curly and the family at this time. Curly needs help learning to be a dog secure in his skin and I am seeing that, but he is unable to process the ever changing world public access asks of him. It is unfortunate Curly was sent to them as young as he was with as little socialization he had and they were told he was ready to begin full time work. Curly's owners are not to blame. They didn't know he wasn't ready, they had been told otherwise, it is the people who sent a young pup who hadn't grown up himself out into the world without the tools he needed to cope with it.
Today I told Curly's owner he's been career changed to a home companion. It is best for Curly and the family at this time. Curly needs help learning to be a dog secure in his skin and I am seeing that, but he is unable to process the ever changing world public access asks of him. It is unfortunate Curly was sent to them as young as he was with as little socialization he had and they were told he was ready to begin full time work. Curly's owners are not to blame. They didn't know he wasn't ready, they had been told otherwise, it is the people who sent a young pup who hadn't grown up himself out into the world without the tools he needed to cope with it.
When I met Curly he appeared withdrawn and disconnected, but slowly relaxed and fell asleep while his handler and I spoke. I recognized his age as a factor, he was in a fear period and was being asked to perform a job for an adult dog without the skills or tools needed for the job. I had mentioned then I didn't know if he could recover and if he could gain the confidence needed for his job. His job required a specialized bond between him and his handler and at the time both did not have it.
The next time I saw Curly he was still very worried about his world and where he was. He was no longer with his handler, but a family member who lives with him, and he hadn't yet bonded with his handler nor his handler with him. I saw, what other trainers had seen also, a dog near shutdown with furrowed brows, lack of eye contact and strong avoidance behaviors. He'd been living with his new family for 5 months by this time and was only just forging a bond with the person bringing him in to meet with me, but not his handler.
He's very leery of people in general. He avoids eye contact with people he doesn't know or doesn't know well and he pulls into himself and makes himself small when someone approaches him. He was even doing so with the person who had brought him in, though not as seriously as he did with me. I am using as much of a hands off approach with him as possible because of his fears.
I had seen him when he first exits the car in a new area and he's worried about his environment. He was, the first time, more concerned about his safety than he was about the people he was in and had zero interest in his handler. On our second meeting he was still watching for his safety, but no longer slung low to the ground, just reluctant to move about. On this meeting he was happier to be at the training facility. This would be his fourth official visit to the location and the first time he'd be anywhere close to comfortable being there. A service dog must be able to adjust quickly to new locations and remain confident. He is unable too due to his concern for his safety in any new location he goes too and the fact it takes 4 positive visits to a quiet location tells me how badly he'll handle a busy one.
He's afraid of chairs moving. Asking him to tuck under a table in a restaurant or banquet would be close to torture for him. If moving a single chair in the home sends him flying out of the room, how can we expect him to be comfortable with the clatter and chair movement that happens in such settings and directly next to him.
The fact he's leery of strangers and shows fear signs when one moves towards him is a key factor as to why he can't work in public. He has been working in public and he shutdown. The stress of working in public would adversely affect his health and destroy his trust in the people caring for him. His handler is no longer taking him in public and the change in him today when he wasn't flooded by triggers (noises, changing locations and people) was dramatic. He, for the first time, did not have a furrowed brow. He was more animated and was making direct and prolonged eye contact with his owner. He was physically relaxed, was able to participate in training and didn't flinch or withdrawal when his owner reached for him. Taking those stressors out of his life has improved it dramatically.
Curly is now working on confidence building skills so he can enjoy the life of a home companion. He can provide comfort to his handler and even learn an alert to tell his owner (handler is the disabled person he was to help, owner is the person he bonded with) if the handler needs help in the night, but he simply isn't cut out for the type of service work he was supposed to do. The fact that his handler never bonded with him only adds to that equation - without that bond, the type of service work Curly was to do cannot work because he would cause stress instead of relieve it.
He will continue to use the Up/Down Game to help him process a sudden change in his environment. He will also continue to use LAT to help him with any triggers he encounters. He will use 1-2-3 Treat to help him get out of situations or past triggers when needed. He's learning how to switch from one side to another to give space when passing a dog or person on a sidewalk to increase his sense of safety. He's working on Level 2: Step 2 Down and Sit and Level 1: Step 1 Zen, Come and Target. He has started Level 2: Steps 1 and 2 Lazy Leash.
Curly will return next month to continue learning how to be a good companion in his new home. He is very fortunate that he's loved and his new adopted family wants the best for him. Curly's career change is at no fault of his new family, but an underlying lack of socialization and unintentional flooding when placed with his family due to being released to work in public before he was ready.
I do want to give a click to his new owner. The clear connection and trust that is building between him and her is a true sign of her doing her homework and giving him the guidance he needs to feel safe with her. Great job, Team.
| Zen | Target | Come | Sit | Down | |
| Step | 1 | 1 | 1 | Complete | Complete |
Level 2
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 1 & 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Tricks | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 3
| Zen | Come | Sit | Down | Target | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jump | Relax | Handling | Retrieve | Communication | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Level 4
| Zen | Come | Retrieve | Target | Relax | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Focus | Lazy Leash | Go To Mat | Crate | Distance | |
| Step | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Handling | Communication | ||||
| Step | 0 | 0 |
Update after Friday appointment
Update after Friday appointment.
