a perfect TRAINING example-- what is the difference -?
last night--- lindsay (PERSON) was overnighter. with tilly ( DANE ) .. that pup of ours who we gave t o lindsay becasue she had megasophagus..
now tilly is a year old...mega has improved-- she is a lovely dog..bright cheerful and spoiled.
to set the "stage". i had 2 dogs in my room-- sizzle and bentley - and tilly wanted to bounce in here and play with them.
lindsay shut the door "to keep peace". WRONG......
i got up and opened the door, spent no more than 30 seconds WITHOUT TOUCHING HER..... explaining to tilly i did not
want her to cross the threshold and get even one foot of hers inside my door. SHE SPENT THE NEXT 2 HOURS GOING PAST TEH DOOR EVERY 30 SECONDS-- I WAS TIMING HER--- SHE WOULD STOP... LOOK... AND DECIDE IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO GO IN THERE RIGHT NOW..
SHE EVEN TRIED "PLAY BOWING AND BARKING" WHICH I IGNORED- AND SHE TURNED AWAY ALL BY HERSELF.
SHE HAD A RULE VERY BRIEFLY EXPLAINED TO HER.... AND SHE THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND CHOSE TO OBEY.... SOUNDS SO SIMPLE. YET SO CRITICAL AS I WATCH A SERVICE DOG EASE SOME YOUNG KID DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS .
ALL OUR TRAINERS WILL TELL YOU... AT SOME POINT. “THEY GET IT” - VERY LIKE THE MOMENT HELLEN KELLER --- BLIND AND DEAF FROM BIRTH..... LEARNED THE HAND SIGNALS MEANT “WATER” . IT WAS A LONG JOURNEY- AND SOMETIMES ALARMING... TO GET THERE... BUT ONCE THE LIGHT WAS ON.....ALL ..LEARNING WAS POSSIBLE..
LET ME GO THRU SOME OF THE DETAILS WE GO THRU TO GET TO THE “GOT IT” STAGE.. WHICH EXPLAINS WHY WHEN WE DONATE THESE DOGS TO SOMEONE, OUR DONORS HAVE GIVEN US ABOUT $30,000 PER DOG TO GET THERE.
THIS IS A PROCESS TO BE ENCOURAGED--- WE CAN NOT DO EVERYTHING 100% OF THE TIME--- SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN I SAY FIRST RULE --- INSTRAMENTAL IS
“WE TRY NOT TO USE OUR MUSCLES TO CONTROL THE DOG WE DON’T PICK THEM UP AND PLAY WITH THEM... WE SIT ON THE FLOOR AND LET THEM CLIMB OVER US. BUT THAT IS THEIR CHOICE. ..WHILE SETTING THE BOUNDRY OF “YOU WILL NOT JUMP AT MY FACE AND BITE IT “.” MY OPENING THE DOOR AND GIVING TILLY THE CHANCE TO MAKE THE DECISION STARTS HERE.
THE NEXT STEP IS.. AFTER THE PUPS H AE BEEN FED—SO THEY ARE NOT VERY HUNGRY, WE SPOON FEED THEM PURINA CANNED FOOD ( A FAVORITE AND IT STAYS ON THE SPOON) – DOESN’T SOUND LIKE MUCH... BUT HERE IS A CRITICAL DETAIL... AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, IT IS A BIT LIVELY—AND THE SPOON GETS HIT BY EAGER PUPPY HEADS AND SOME FALLS ON THE FLOOR. IF THERE IS FOOD ON THE FLOOR, IT IS TEACHING THE DOGS TO SNIFF AROUND AND FIND THAT , INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATING ON US AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOOD. SO WE PUT A TOWEL DOWN BEFORE WE START... I WON’T BOTHER GETTING INTO TRYING TO SPREAD A TOWEL UNDER 6 HAPPY PUPPIES.. IT IS A PLAN AHEAD OPERATION. THE OBJECT IS .. IF WE DROP ANY FOOD WE FLIP A PIECE OF THE TOWEL TO COVER... WE WANT THE PUP’S UNDIVIDED ATTENTION... AND AFTER A WEEK OR TWO. WE CAN HAVE THE ENTIRE LITTER SITTING QUIETLY IN FRON T OF US DECIDING TO WAIT THEIR TURN- TRICK BEING YOU TRY AND HAVE A SPOONFUL OF FOOD IN FRONT OF A PUP JUST AS THEIR REAR END HITS THE FLOOR.. WE HAVE MANY PICTURES OF 6 WEEK OLD PUPS ALL SITTING PERFECT LY IN FRONT OF A PERSON.
CRITICAL HERE IS –ALSO--- BETWEEN SPOONING—THEY WANDER AROUND THE ROOM OR DECK WITH AS LITTLE CONSTRAINT AS POSSIBLE , SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE THE JUMPING AT A BARRIER SAYING I WISH I WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE.. AS YOU GET IN A DOG THAT HAS BEEN RAISED IN A CRATE UNTIL THE OWNER WANTS THEM TO DO LEARN SOMETHING. ---- TO TAKE A DOG OUT OF A CRATE AND DECIDE YOU WILL NOW TEACH TO DOG TO SIT.... IS STARTING IN THE WRONG PLACE.. AND GOING TO TAKE YOU A WHILE... WHY IS CRATE TRAINING OF DOGS ACCEPTABLE AND FREE RANGING CHICKENS ADVISEABLE AS MORE HUMANE? YOU CAN GE T A DOG TO ACCEPT A POOR SITUATION OF CRATES AND STRANGE LEASHES/COLLARS.... .... BUT THOSE DOGS ARE NOT RELIABLE WHEN TOTALLY LOOSE IN TRAFFIC OR SUPERMARKETS.
POINT HERE BEING.. WHEN WE DO ANYTHING ... THE DOGS WATCH US WITH HOPES... DOG TRAINING BY BOOK LEARNING TALKS ABOUT TAKING A TREAT AND HITTING YOURSELF IN THE FORHEAD. WITH THE TREAT TO GET THE DOG TO PAY ATTENTION.----- GOOD LUCK...OUR DOGS WATCH US. WE HAVE NOTICED WHEN WE GET PUPS FROM EUROPE- WHICH WE HAVE DONE SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR—THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT “PRE CONDITIONING” EXPERIENCE WITH TEH SPOON – AND THEY DO NOT HAVETHE SAME ATTENTION SPAN AS PUPS WE HAVE RAISED... MOST THOSE BECOME BREEDING DOGS AND RARELY MAKE SD STAATUS. WE HAVE TRIED RESCUE DANES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM—THEY JUST CAN’T CONCENTRATE LIKE OURS... BEEN THERE DONE THAT...
VERY CLOSE TO THIS CONCEPT IS—WE DO NOT CARRY TREATS WHEN WE ARE TRAINING... WE CAN NOT EXPECT OUR RECIPIENTS TO CARRY 4 POUNDS OF TREATS TO GET A DOG TO CONCENTRATE ON THEM— IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT ONCE YOU HAVE A TREAT BAG ON YOUR BELT- THE DOG WILL BE CONCNETRATING ON THE TREAT BAG AND NOT THE FACT THAT YOU MIGHT FALL DOWN STAIRS..
DETAILS.. TRAINERS DO HAVE ONLY ONE TREAT IN THEIR POCKET FOR LOADING A DOG INTO A CAR. WE WANT THEM TO JUMP IN AND TURN AROUND AND GET A TREAT.. BECAUSE. THESE ARE BIGGGGGGG DOGS AND TURNING AROUND GETS THEIR TAIL OUT OF THE WAY.
THAT PROCESS STARTS IN THE KENNELS WHERE IF WE ASK THEM TO GO THRU A KENNEL DOOR, WE WILL HAVE A TREAT RIGHT IN THEIR FACE WHEN THEY TURN AROUND.... THIS EVENTUALLY BECOMES LOAD IN A CAR AND SAVE YOUR TAIL...
I NEVER EVER WANT TO SEE SOMEONE HOLD A TREAT IN FRONT OF A DOG AND ASK THEM TO “SIT” -------THAT IS MICROMANAGEMENT BY A PERSON WHO ENJOUS DOMINATING A DOG..(..IMO.....). ....... THERE WILL BE NONE OF THAT HERE.. WE GIVE OUT LOADS OF TREATS. WHEN THEY ARE RUNNING LOOSE AND RUN UP TO YOU, YOU CAN GIVE THEM A TREAT... BUT NEVER THE “COME SIT” WHILE I TEASE YOU WITH A TREAT UNTIL I FEEL LIKE GIVING IT TO YOU.
THE REST OF THE DOG TRAINING WORLD THINKS THAT IS NORMAL.
I DO NOT.
WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS OUR DOGS MAKE SUCH WONDERFUL SERVICE DOGS.
AND IT IS ONE REASON THEY COST OUR DONORS $30,000 PER DOG BY THE TIME WE DONATE TO RECIPIENTS.
