I need your training/behavior questions!
 

I'm looking for a few training and behavior questions to feature on a new page I'm adding to my website, to show case actual dog parent questions with my actual advice and responses.

I am hoping to list 5-6 question/answers on the page, so let's see what ya got for me!

Are you a dog trainer or a behaviourist ???

What qualifies you to suggest advice what methods of training do you use??

JL

Yes, actually. I am a dog trainer/behaviorist. I'm looking for questions to use with permission for my website.

I am qualified, and I do this as my profession. I use positive training methods and am a member of the APDT as well.

Love that you use positive training methods.... and they are???

Any thoughts on Learning theory???

and what is your actually training that makes you a qualified professional??
I am assuming if your saying behaviorist that your talking a vet with behaviour or a PHD packing board certified behaviourist.
Great on the ADPT be more thrilled if it was CPDT or/& truly dog friendly or IPDTA.

Had a quick look at tyour site.. your a dog trainer but does not say what you have taken for classes to make you one.
JL

I looked at your profile and see that you are a dog trainer as well. This thread was not started as a contest between trainers, or for one person to belittle someone else in an effort to feel superior. Yes, I have taken classes, and yes I use positive methods. I use reward based training. I also use teach my clients to ignore bad behaviors and reward behaviors they want to see repeated. I do not use alpha rolls, choke chains, e collars, and the like.

You do not know me, nor do you know the work I do, the clients I've helped, and my passion for what I do. You also do not know that I keep my cost much lower than any other trainer here so that people who need the help can afford it! Most people in my community can't afford the trainers here, and give up their dogs. I've given free training to people so they were able to keep their dogs.

I started this thread in an attemp to offer assistance to members here (which I have done in the past by the way.) and to showcase the question/answers on my website.

I am not going to bicker back and forth with someone who obviously has the need to try and make others feel less than them, in an attempt to feel like they are more worthy.

I am asking you questions I would ask any trainer I have working with my dogs or could work with my dogs at any time. I ask these of my vets and my behaviour people. ( you want to see a vet bristle on being asked)
I have asked and will be asking these questions of the one I am looking to work with one of my dog/s for Rally. I ask these questions of trainers with 15 to 20 years in expereince.
I asked these of the handler of the dog that is showimg, right now.

I ask to learn and to understand and to have a trainers I can pass along to others in the area you are. I ask to get to know and to understand, just who you are so that I can pas on clicents in your area when I trip over them online or in the groups that I talk training in.

If your not comfortable answering or can not that one thing but to suggest I am out to belittled that is not fair... as you said you do not know me anymore then I know you.
I asked and was trying to learn.


JL

OK time to referee :) It's OK JL, ScootieBootie is on our side.

ScootieBootie - A while back, like a year or two ago, you could barely give out positive training advice on this board without being attacked by the Cesar Milan lovers telling people to use aversive methods they didn't understand. She's just trying to make sure you aren't one of them and that's where this is coming from. It's not personal.

JL I will vouch for ScootieBootie :D

Carry on everyone! :thumbup:

Erin

Got it... Erin is one of the few that knows my pedigree and knows I was around in the days of kill the messenger of positive training was the way of life.
You want pedigree I pack a little but I know my limitations on my training and I never state I am a behaviourist but instead a trainer with understanding of behaviour...... hang on....Karen Pryor says it all behaviour....see I get around it in a politically correct.
To say you are a behavioirist you have to be PHD or a vet with it. It is a new idea and one that many in the dog training world are now coming to terms with cause of fool boy on TV.

JL

You haven't seen my thread in this section??????
 

Okay ScootieBootie OR YorkieMother........I'll take all the help I can get.

Here is a link to my latest behavior problem......

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...ll-sudden.html

Thanks

I love Karen Pryor and used her methods with Izzy. That's how she became a therapy dog and now we trying Agility!!:D

Karen taught my trainer and her mother and the reason my dog is alive is because indirectly her and dr. Overall. Have you read dolphins in the wind. you should.... you like her now your jaw will drop while reading it.
Only method I use is hers with a tiny bit of lure as I not a pure clicker trainer.

JL

Here's a question. My Yorkie is house broken but every now and then she will have an accident. How do I discipline her for this? How do I prevent this from happening?

Another question:

How do I stop my 10 month old from bolting out the door for freedom? We practice the wait command when she is on leash ready to go out for a walk. No problem. We practice when the door from the kitchen to the utility room is closed, again, no problem. But let someone open the front door or door that leads to the garage (with open garage door) and out she goes. There isn't even time to use a wait command - she is lightening fast. And once outdoors, she is gone (live in town in a relatively quiet subdivision, luckily). None of the holler and run the other way and she will follow you works. For one thing, by time you make it to the street, she is already a block away, this furkid is RUNNING. You can yell her name and she doesn't even look back. She has gotten out 4 times and luckily each time there has been someone outside a couple of blocks away that she has gone up to to investigate and I have been able to catch her...... any ideas????

My sister has a "run-away" Yorkie as well. Unfortunately, my brother-in-law has had to put up and invisible fence for her. She has gone as far as around the other side of the lake. Thankfully, where she lives, everyone knows Sophia and because of her tags she has been able to be brought back home safely. My sister has train tracks behind her yard so the invisible fence was necessary. I brought Grace home when she was 12 weeks old and I have been stern with her despite the fact that I just wanted to carry her and cuddle with her every single moment of the day. I think that helped her to identify me as her "pack leader" and knew she must obey. Can you perhaps add a screen door to you door so that you are at least given fair warning and ample time to hold your dog back from running out?

You do not you ignore it and clean it up while she is out of the room.
any notice of it will only reinforce that which you do not want.

Make sure there is not UTI involved and also early onset female incontinace.

Retrain and suppor the good things more.

JL

Answered can I have Lexie truly she is a great little dog for resoicalization classes... I give my left arm for a dog like her.

They are rare ad very specail.

JL

Long term
Teach watch me, self controlled sits and leash at door.
Teach watch me is for her to look to you at all times before she does anything.. bcked up with she must sit ,down, stand wait for all things good given to her.. like a pat or food or use of outside.

Wait at door. tie her to something long line and open and close the door before she bolts out it and reward her not moving. Open close and tdo it until she not looking at all tense.
Then open count one and close allbefore she moves.. make sure you stay calm... why she on a leash.... then stop and release her long line to the out door world to explore... go back and do it again and call it a day.

Next day start at open close and got to a count of two... your trying to teach her self control... need more let me know.

Recall / come is a must. downs on the move.
Teach come is wonderful and what she gets is better then anything outside... and that may include long line letting her go outside...giving her what she thinks she wants to get her to you. I can explain this more later but it is the premark theroy...

I put her on nothing in life is free. everything in life is earned

Short term a swinging baby gate on all doors that you can step over and she can not get through until self control is gained. Long line or kennel anytime that door opens.

JL

Now for my questions....

What would you do with a blind dog over the winter to keep it busy and it's activity level up as inactivity builds anxiety??
Taking into account that it is reactive aggressive and easy to stress and crash, what would you are your thoughts ???

Dog not able to walk on leash with a human that uses a walker. What would you do ?

honest questions? one is my dog and one a clients.

JL

Good Luck with your training business ScootieBootie!

I need a little more information. When is she having the accidents? When she is left alone? When there is a change in her schedule? Are they pee or poo accidents? Is she having the accident in the same place, or in different places?

The most important thing to remember is to never discipline her for having an accident. This teaches the dog to actually fear the act of going potty...it does not teach her that where she went potty is wrong. She will then start hiding and going potty in places like under beds, behind furniture, etc.

If you do not catch her in the act of going potty, just clean the accident up with an enzymatic cleaner and go about your way. If you catch her in the act, say "Uh oh!" in a surprised tone (no yelling!) and scoop her up to take her outside to let her finish her business. Stay outside with her and keep an eye on her to be sure she goes. Praise her for going outside if she does. Go back in and clean up the accident.

To prevent accidents, feed her on a schedule. Take her out at scheduled times and stay outside with her to be sure she goes. When she starts to go pee or poo, say "Go potty!" and praise gently. If you are consistent, she will learn to go on cue! Watch for potty signals such as: sniffing the ground, circling, frantic walking, sudden unexplainable barking, intense or worried look, or sudden loss of interest in play.

If you can't watch her while she runs loose but need to get things done, you can always put a leash around your waist and clip her to it! She will be by your side and you can see if and when she needs to go! She also won't have the opportunity to run off and find a potty place!

Have you practiced the "wait" command at the front door and the one that leads to the garage as well? Dogs need to practice commands and learn them in as many places as possible, or they will learn that they only have to do them in certain spots. Door bolting is a huge safety issue, and it's great that you have worked with her!

The way I work with door bolters is the following: (Make sure you praise/treat/pet your dog for good behavior!)
I have the dog on leash to begin with. I put them in a sit/stay or sit/wait at the door, like we are going for a walk. I go to open the door, and if they make a motion to get up, I say "oops," and that usually keeps them from getting up all the way. If they do get up all the way, I have them do sit again. I repeat this process until I can open the door without the dog getting up.

Once I can open the door all the way myself, without the dog getting up before being invited, I have someone else open the door wide while I keep the dog in a sit/stay inside.

When you can open the door (or someone else can) and she does not try to bolt out when you are holding the leash, repeat the exercises but with the leash dropped to the floor. This way, if she bolts, you can grab or step on the end to keep her from running off. Make sure you have a leash you don't mind sacrificing on hand! Once you can drop the leash and she doesn't bolt, if you are not confident about taking the leash off, you can cut the leash off in short increments so she will gradually be 'leash less!'

Another exercise that has worked wonders for door bolters is the "place" command. I have my clients set up a dog bed in the room. In the bed, they can place a chew toy, bone, or favorite toy to make the "place" inviting. I encourage the dog to come to the "place" and when they lay down on the bed, say "place" and treat, then walk a few steps away. When the dog gets up, encourage the dog to come back, and repeat. Once the dog learns that the bed is the "place" (or you can say bed or another word you choose), I tell them "stay" after they lay in their place.

Once they learn the "place" task, you can start having someone go to open the door, (have her on leash in case she tries to bolt so you have a life line!) and if she goes to get up, encourage her back to her place and treat. Repeat until someone can open the door and exit.

Then you can use this same exercise for someone ringing the door bell! Have someone ring the door bell, and invite her to her "place." Make sure she has a much loved treat/toy or chew to make it more inviting! Go to answer the door. If she gets up, guide her back to her bed and treat. Repeat until you can answer the bell without her getting up from the bed and running to the door.

My business has been so busy! That's why I haven't been on here for a while!

And now they are starting a new online local community and I was asked to be an expert ambassador and a blogger for it. I'm honored! It means a lot to me to reach out to the community!

On top of my clients, I'm also going to be going to a hearing hopefully that will get the use of chaining dogs banned! I'm preparing for that as well.

I have a couple of questions left to address here, but I'll have to get to them tomorrow...it's almost midnight and my mornings start early on Saturdays!

It is pretty cool to be asked to work online with others to teach enjoy.
Having had that honour myself more then once it is both fun and very much a learning thing for the trainer. As you need to teach it simply enough so that others can understand, make incradible judgment calls that effect dogs lives and know when you better pass it off to a behaviour person more able to run tests and hand out drugs. know and accept that it is tough without seeing the context and the body language it can be at times. Accept that sometimes even if your right an owners is going to do it the wrong way cause someone on TV said it ok to do. To stay up with the latest and greatest out there so you are ready for the questions that come at you about them.
Like the new CAT protocol for aggression. ( I need more info still)

I also enjoy working in the real world community to make changes in the rules that effect dogs... not so much the chaining as we have more dogs at large concerns but also the decrease in sound pollution do to fireworks causing panic in may a neighborhood dogs. Also that just cause a dog is aggressive and may have gone after a dog it does not need to be put down if it gets the right kind of help.

It is fun to deal with politicians and bylaw workers to get them to change the way they think and act toward not only dogs but their owners. They are a differnt breed of thinkers but postive reinforcemant for them too.

When you do these things and see the change as in coming back here after a break and seeing that yes some of the stuff I got beat up over is now main stream or a dog training assoications nominating you for 3 awards, or being asked to write a book or that the town makes it illegal to use loud firecrackers without major notice or on a scheduale or to loud. That a dog that could have been put down cause Bylaw was narrow minded was not .... it makes the hard work and time in for free all worth your while.

Enjoy all those wonderful things the world is tossing at you but make sure you take time for your self and your dog/s as burning yourself out will not be a good thing for anyone.

Learn always learn, grow always grow and never compromise your values for anyone. Even if that means you walk away from a dog and client, as they are not good for you.... keeping the trainer safe to work with those that want to work with you is always a good thing.

Best of luck and happy training.


JL

Bumping this back up as I still waiting on an answer to my questions.
Just cause I train does not mean I do not need help.

JL

Redirected Aggression
 

I'd like to know more about redirected aggression and how to deal with it.
When our parrot makes certain noises, the dog becomes frantic.
Sometimes he will grab a stuffie and chew it and he gets praise for that. Other times, he will bark and try to bite. Using the spray bottle to get him to stop doesn't always work because I can't always get to the spray bottle.
The parrot is caged and separated from the dog by gates. They can see each other. If he gets near the parrot, he eats the food she's thrown down and her droppings.
Can anyone offer any help?
Thank you

I have a question
 

If you're still looking for questions for your website, I have one.

My pup is a year old now and still cries when I leave the house. He has no problem with his crate, I just say 'crate' and he goes in a lays down. I try to get him in 3-5 minutes before I'm leaving and I don't talk to him once he's in there. (someone suggested that to me, not to make a big deal about leaving) As soon as he hears the door lock, he waits a minute and then starts screaming. It sounds like he's been tortured. I've taped him a few times and he'll cry for up to 15 minutes before he lays down to sleep.

I tried, for one week, to grab my key and walk outside for a minute before coming back inside to get him use to me leaving. I spent hours and hours that week but he conitued crying every single time and then I got caught out in the semester starting and didn't keep up.

So now that I'm in a new apartment with a new roommate, I'll try anything to fix this.

I have one and any advice is appreciated. I cannot keep Maximus from jumping on people when they come over. He just wants them to pet him, and then he's on his way. However, not everyone loves him as much as I do, and they prefer (not dog lovers at all) for Max not to be on their lap. I tell him down, and he gets down only to jump on the next person who usually is the same (not a dog lover). These are family members, so they are over quite a bit. They tell everyone Max is a bad dog, and it hurts my feelings, because he just wants them to pet him. He's a really good dog. Any help is appreciated.

If scootiebootie does not come back ladies I give my best whril at answering the questions. Just feel the "pro" should answer first as it her thread and you did not ask me like the others did to answer.

JL

Never would stay confined!!
 

Lily is as sweet as she can be and she is finally using washable pee pads 95% of the time and she is 7 months old. She sleeps in bed w/us and has never peed or pooped in our bed. BUT!!!!! She has NEVER slept or stayed in her crate or any type of confinement without a FIGHT!!! She SCREAMS for hours!!! I used to shut her in the bathroom when we left through the day until I couldn't shut the door anymore without getting her head caught in it because she fought to get OUT!! I put a gate up next and she learned real quick to climb over that and she used to have xpen in the front yard and went potty out there but she learned to jump/climb out of that before I could take 3 steps away from her!! Pee pads have worked good but she will still go once in awhile on the floor but less and less. I walk her on a leash and she is doing better with that and she doesn't cry anymore in the car in her carrier in there but she will not stay in ANYTHING at night or day in the house without SCREAMING and throwing herself like she is CRAZY!!! It is like she panics or something?? I have tried to let her go but she will do it for hours and her heart beats real hard and I hate to do it to her!!