BREAKTHROUGH WITH CHARLIE

Board & Train Charlie is one of the sweetest, most affectionate dogs I've had stay in a while but he has some serious resource guarding issues. He has bitten people over a tissue, including his owners. 

His preferred MO is to steal an object from a table and then run under a table or bed with it.  If you pursue and try to take it - he will get downright vicious about it.

If you tried to strongarm him or get physical about it, he has no hesitation in striking out.  This is why I LOVE positive reinforcement.

We have been working very hard on giving up low value items and have managed to create a semblance of a retrieve game but it is by no means full proof yet.  

He is truly a Jeckall and Hyde in this moment - one second a wiggly, wagging, open mouth guy with soft eyes and a big grin and then a hunkered down, super tense, low growling ball of unsprung defensiveness - but as soon as the object is removed it is like he blinks out of it, looks at you, wags his tail and doesn't even know what happened?  There may be some neuro switching going on as the behavior seems a bit disconcerting to him as well.

I started by just being in the same area as him with this low value item then moved up to being able to be beside him with him remaining calm.  I just wanted to show him I wasn't going to try and take it - I am not even looking at him at this point - just coexisting peacefully.  So far so good.

When he was ready, we started with me resting my hand near him then on him.  He is okay with all of this.  I can touch his ears and face while he is chewing a bone and he is good with it.  Open mouth, no pause or tension at all, no hunkering down... His trigger is if you apply pressure to take it - then he feels he has to react.

We had great success with getting him to leave, drop and/or give eye contact away from low-medium value items - but never a high value one such as a hearty chew, antler or rawhide.  To avoid unwanted situations from arising - these things were simply kept out of reach and only given as crate rewards where he would not feel threatened.

So when I saw him heading towards me with a rawhide chew that he had taken from another dog's crate in his mouth, I was a bit concerned. 

But I kicked it into Game Gear and started cheering and applauding for him and he started wagging his tail and brought me the rawhide. I sat on the floor to encourage him to come closer and what he did next surprised me to no end. He dropped it in my hand! Not only did he drop it in my hand, but I was able to get eye contact and getting him to look away from his prize has been extremely difficult. 

He was charged and ready to play the game... he then retrieved this prize rawhide 10 times in a row always dropping it in my lap or in my hand! At the end of the 10 repetitions, I gave it to him to take back to his bed, and he grinned and walked away but kept looking back at me as if "what the game is over?" 

AMAZING JOB CHARLIE!

Pawtential Pals MEETUP

The first meetup of Pawtential Pals training group was a great success. We had 12 dogs of all different ages and breeds turn up. Everyone socialized well together, including Coco who isn't even really a fan of other dogs and then we got down to business. 

We discussed our options for working on Levels, Dog Scouts, Therapy behaviors, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Trick Dog titling, Rally and other options and most everyone is ready to just work on the basics and then go from there.

All the dogs were able to focus on their handlers and I think everyone went away with a plan for next week and a few new ways of looking at things. YAY! 

Phoenix missed out this time as I had Coco with me but she will be joining us next week!

New FREE Weekly TRAINING GROUP MEETUP

We are starting a local group to meet Monday nights at 6:30 in Durham for people who wish to work on any of the following:

Sue Ailsby's Training Levels - (great graduated scale for family pets, sport dogs or therapy/assistance dogs)

Dog Scouts of America - we will be working towards earning the basic DSOA badge and then people can pursue individual badges based on what they enjoy.

Trick Dog Titling - Earn a Novice, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert level title with your dog.

Rally-O Foundations - for anyone interested in pursuing a Rally Novice title

There is no cost to this group - just come along and work with your dog whatever level you are on.

There are currently several pups ranging from 9-16 weeks, a few adolescents and several adults. All sizes are permitted but any dog that displays reactive or aggressive tendencies will be asked to work outside the enclosure or leave. 

There will be a social time before the group starts from 6:00-6:30.

All dogs must be current on vaccinations including rabies and bordetella where applicable.

To register for the group - just let me know here or by email with details of yourself, your dog and what you would like to work on.

March Madness

This year has flown by already.  This month we have Boarding visits from three of our favorites - Ellie, Charlie & Brooks, Coco is back while his family are away on an emergency and we have newcomers Chiffy, Merv, Cassie and Shy coming before the end of the month.

I met two new clients this week, one with an overexcited Heeler mix that does not like children and Ayla helped with a nervous Hound mix who isn't good with other dogs. 

We still have one Board & Train spot open for April - for either 2 or 4 weeks - let us know if you need it by March 31st.

Showoff!

Ayla was showing off in class today!

Phoenix is coming along in leaps and bounds!

So Phoenix is definitely one smart cookie.  Just this week she passed her Novice Trick Dog Title and became on of the youngest to have ever done this - at 7 weeks!  To do this she needed to demonstrate she could do 15 tricks from the Easy list in front of a witness with no more than half needing to be lured still.

She did:

Sit
Down
Come
Stand
Touch (Hand)
Chase Lure
Puppy Push Ups
Follow Finger
Ramp
Thank You (Drop It)
Fetch
Head Tilt
Jump Over Bar
Kisses
Paws Up
Table (Pedestal)
Wobble Board


But she is also showing a more independent side now as well as a bit more of the Hound type personality comes through.

She is proving to be good with all sorts of dogs and people and training with her is a joy!  Plus she LOVES to play!

Early Puppy Development - Phoenix

Phoenix has been doing so well...she has met tons of people to ensure her socialization is where it should be, has played with several of the dogs in my classes - both large and small and is really developing into a confident and bright pup...

Sophia Yin recently released an article that I think sums up my feelings on how important it is to get your pup out and about in a safe way.  Sequestering them until they are 4-6 months old will not only make it harder for them to relate to people and other dogs but greatly increases the chances of them having fear based issues in the future...


Here are a few highlights of the past few weeks!

PAWTENTIAL PROFILE: SOPHIE

Name:  Sophie
Breed:  Cairn Terrier
Sex:  Female
Age: 2 years

Duration: 2 week Board & Train

Reason for B&T:  Mostly boarding for the holidays with a manners brush up / controlling barking


What we are working on during her stay:

OWNERS REQUESTS:
* Barking - normal terrier barking but with no off switch
* Jumping - jumps on/scratches people and furniture
* Loose Leash Walking- could use some fine tuning

She has settled in nicely and plays really well with McKenna (the other terrier) and Kai, our new Pit Bull pup rescue.

Jinx is back for the holidays

So Jinx is back with us for the Xmas holidays while her new owner is home...she came back like she had never left - she jumped in and played with her siblings and has fit right back in.  Blizzard LOVES her - a little too much - but other than that she has settled in nicely.

New Arrivals - Welcome Ivy, Fern & Willow

We have three new members of the Pawtential family.  Two hooded and one standard hairless rats!  This is a gene mutation that first occurred in lab rats and has now been selectively bred for like hairless cats and skinny pigs.

We saw a listing and drove out to Greensboro and picked up these girls from a lady who bought a pet shops remaining animals when they closed down.  I have worked with rats before and I find their intelligence exciting and I love working with other species.  

They were in a cage with 6 females and 1 male - which could mean trouble but they don't seem pregnant.  The plan is to hopefully work with them in rat agility - yes it exists and there are actually national competitions for it!  I also hope to have the first certified Novice Trick titled rat through Kyra Sundance's Do More With Your Dog program.  She just certified her first horse and all species are allowed to enter.  We'll see...

PAWTENTIAL PROFILE: BLIZZARD

Name:  Blizzard
Breed:  American Pit Bull Terrier
Sex:  Male
Age: 8 months

Duration: 4 week Board & Train

Reason for B&T:  General obedience work / social skills

Background:  Blizzard and his littermates were being sold on the side of the road at 4 weeks old when his family took him in.  I met him that day and shared some concerns not only for his premature age, but also for his health.  He appeared to have limited to no hearing and his ear canals were swollen shut still.  I advised his family to seek a vet opinion ASAP.

As it turns out he is deaf - but that hasn't stopped him, or them.  It has made working with him much harder for them however, so as he is bigger, stronger and very clever at avoiding situations he doesn't want to participate in...they have asked for my help.

What we are working on during his stay:

OWNERS REQUESTS:
* Basic Obedience - Sit, Down, Stay, Leave It - hand signal
* Jumping - jumps on people and furniture
* LLW- does not walk well on leash AT ALL
* Door Manners - stop bolting through open doors
* Anxiety - mild separation anxiety

I have worked with deaf and blind dogs before and love the challenge!  Let's see what we can teach this big boy!

Coco Update

So Coco finished his month here and we hadn't gotten as far as I wanted with him.  I offered his Mom another 2 weeks free since the first two weeks we couldn't do much training at all.  These two weeks have really made a difference.  

Somewhere around week 4 we started to turn a corner and look at him now!

He is so much more relaxed and calm.  And his recall is amazing - even with farmyard distractions.  His reaction to the doorbell was pretty severe - but we are working on that as well.

Coco / Charlie Update

I think we are turning a little bit of the corner with Coco now - the anxiety is by no means gone, but he is not pacing all the time and has been able to settle nicely with Charlie inside.  

We haven't been able to do much structured training at all due to the level of his anxiety - but his Mom wants him to stay and see if we can resolve some of this with him so we will see what the next few weeks show.

Coco & Charley Update

COCO:  UPDATE  
Boy did I ever speak too soon about Coco.

This poor boy has probably the most severe case of separation anxiety I have EVER seen.  

I had to leave him for about 30 minutes yesterday and his owner said no crating so I left him in my bedroom. I never expected to come back to anything like this.  He was soaked from his muzzle to his feet with drool.  The floor was a pool of drool and footprints.  The inside of the door was dirty at least 4ft high.  He was out of his mind with panic. 

I immediately called his Mom and she said yes she knew (but didn't tell me).  Hmmmm.....

If I close a door between us the result is total chaos.  He tries to bolt through doors to avoid getting left behind and will do so dangerously.  He jumps and slams himself against the door, drooling profusely and crying.  We are in for a long month!

CHARLIE: UPDATE
Charley has fit right in.  She has been busy exploring and running out some of her energy.  

Her "brother" Brooks is here for a few days boarding but he is more interested in toys and she is more interested in the other dogs!  LOL

PAWTENTIAL PROFILE: COCO

Name:  Coco
Breed:  Mini Poodle
Sex:  Male
Age: 6 yrs

Duration: 4 week Board & Train


Reason for B&T:  General obedience work / social skills

Background:  Coco has been with his Mom since a pup.  He has traveled with her through several moves and has taken several obedience classes.  He hasn't had much socialization with people or dogs though outside of those classes.  He seems to be a generally very settled dog who just needs to sharpen up on some basic manners and social skills.  He doesn't seem bothered by too much at the farm so far.

What we are working on during his stay:

OWNERS REQUESTS:
* Basic Obedience Refresher- Sit, Down, Stay, Leave It
* Recall - owner says he has an unreliable recall and has not trusted him outside off leash
* Jumping - jumps on people and furniture
* Barking - alerts to every sight and sound, esp the door
* Dog Social Skills - doesn't really have any
* People Social Skills - has been known to nip
* Feeding - only eats people/table food

Sounds easy enough! 

PAWTENTIAL PROFILE: CHARLIE

Name:  Charlie
Breed:  Rat Terrier / Basenji mix?
Sex:  Female
Age: 12 months

Duration: 4 week Board & Train

Reason for B&T:  General obedience work, leadership issues




Background:  Charley is a feisty rescue who just needs a little polishing. She has begun to growl at her owner if she doesn't want to move or go to her bed, jumps like a little kangaroo, barks like crazy, annoys her Dachshund brother and is just generally a little wild and free.

What we are working on during her stay:

OWNERS REQUESTS:
* Basic Obedience - she will be completing Big Dog University 101 - Look, Leave It, Touch, Sit, Down, Stay, Wait 
* Loose Leash Walking - currently a very forward, zig zag type puller
* Recall - owner says she has an unreliable recall and has not trusted her outside off leash
* Jumping - when excited she jumps and scratches
* Barking - can be a little overzealous about "intruders"
* Dog Social Skills - she doesn't know when enough is enough and can get too rough with other dogs - esp her housemate Brooks, a Dachshund who has already had back issues

Introducing Charley:

Bubbie Goes Home

So Bubbie finished his first month here on the farm.  His momma was so glad to see him!   Awwwww - we love moments like these!  He still has a long way to go but he has come along in leaps and bounds.

When a dog comes we ask what issues are specifically problematic and sometimes new issues present themselves that the owner is either unaware of or didn't really think were a problem.  In Bubbie's case it was pretty much all up front...just behind those pearly canines.  V----V

When a dog is leaving us to return home, we shoot a support video demonstrating the techniques, cues and hand signals used during their time here, with helpful bits of advice to help the owner continue their training.  We do a two hour "hand over" where questions are asked, the dog demonstrates what they have learned and everyone gets a chance to talk about the experience and what expectations they have moving forward.

Since Ariel, my apprentice, did alot of the work with Bubbie's obedience, I let her shoot the support video.  As this was her first video, we had some interesting outtakes.  Here is a sample of the video we shot for Bubbie's owner.

Bubbie will be returning to us in November to continue his training - working specifically next time with his aggression using BAT, TTouch and LAT training techniques.  Stay tuned to see his progress.  

If you have a reactive or aggressive dog that is in need of help - check out some of these great resources:

Click to Calm

Behavior Adjustment Training

LAT - Look at That Training

Control Unleashed

TTouch for Dogs

Relaxation Protocols

3LostDogs Reactivity eBook

UPDATE: Bubbie Week 2

Bubbie spent the day with Ariel today at her family's house.    This gave him a chance to meet new people and dogs and practice his social skills. Here is her report from the day.

"So not long after you left I packed up Bubbie and the girls and headed to my parents house. He was much calmer about being approached by new people, and though apprehensive, briefly sniffed Hannah, who he'd never met before. We did a training session in my bedroom where he had been sitting in his crate, so he was more comfortable. I was able to get him to lie down easily on the bed, and then moved to a pillow on the floor, which he quickly picked up, then downing on a pillowcase on the floor, and finally the floor itself. 

We then moved into the hallway after a dozen or so times doing down on the carpet. And although initially hesitant, he was soon downing with speed in order to get dehydrated liver, one of his new favorites.

Later he took a walk with all of my dogs, and my parents dogs and had stretches of loose leash, though I didn't focus on it because he was doing so well navigating between the other 5 dogs. He was a little nervous leading the pack and having other dogs walk behind him, so we walked behind everybody else and he did fabulously. We then let him inside with everybody and he sat with the pack to get a treat.

He and Scout immediately dropped into play bows, and after telling Shiloh off for pouncing on him in a Luka-ish way, Bubbie, Kismet, and Scout tore through the house and Bubbie and Scout took to diving over and under my parents bed. Silly boy! Glad he was having fun. I'll update again tomorrow. Have a great night."

After reviewing the video from the day, I can definitely say he is improving with his dog socialization skills.  He is still unsure and had a few warning snaps at Scout, but overall it is much better than it has been.  He even tolerated Scout licking him in the face, which in itself is a huge accomplishment.

 

UPDATE - Bubbie Week 2

Bubbie continues to make progress here at the farm.  Some of his biggest strides this week have been in handling everyday stresses and gaining confidence around the other dogs.

There was a time, not so long ago, that he would ferociously chase and go after any dog that came close.  He is developing relationships now not only with the small dogs he rooms with but just today he played with one of the big pups - Piper.  She is almost 30lbs and while unsure for most of it, he offered some play behavior that we hadn't seen before.  We are very proud of his progress.

Another step in his rehabilitation is his offleash work.  He has been very reliable around here, but today we ventured back to the lake to work with him offleash.  His owner came with us to spend some time with her boy and was very impressed with both his offleash behavior and his recall.  He even did a recall from the shore to her in the water!  Good boy Bubbie!

Pawtential Profiles: Archie & Bella

Names:  Archie & Bella
Breed:  Lab x
Sex:  Male & Female
Age: 7 months

Duration: On trial week then possibly 4 week Board & Train

Reason for B&T:  Recall, Loose Leash Walking & General House Manners

Archie and Bella are with us until the 11th on a trial Boarding basis.  Like any young large pups, they are full of enthusiasm and manners like not door dashing and keeping all paws on the ground are a bit lost on them.  But that is what we are here for!

Initially a little shy around the Pawtential Pack - they have warmed up nicely and their favorite is Luka, a rescued Giant Schnauzer x and the newest additions - the now 4 month old Australian Shepherd x Border Collie pups.

Boarding at the Pawtential farm can be quite exciting with all the farm animals next door.  Archie especially is interested in the guinea fowl making a ruckus this morning while we were out on the porch.

Bella meantime was finding out that the glider seat was not such a stable bench after all...

And then it was a case of Monkey See, Monkey Do as Luka and Piper decided to give it a try...

Archie was not too sure about Piper who has a bit to learn about doggie communication...

In the end, everyone had a good play session but were more than happy to get in out of the wet and settle down with some breakfast and a good bone.