tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20231943641155215302024-02-20T15:05:18.585-08:00Diane's Dog BlogDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-49053812988388415032024-02-13T04:44:00.000-08:002024-02-13T04:48:22.341-08:00WHAT BEHAVIOR MARKER SHOULD I USE? A behavior marker is a unique sound or word or visual (a flash of light, for example) that is used consistently to pair with a reward in order to tell the dog the precise moment it did something you liked-- and that a reward is coming now as a thank you for doing it. In other words, it is a tool that lets us communicate to our dog exactly WHY he's getting a reward. We know that Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-1900135193195056312024-02-08T03:43:00.000-08:002024-02-08T03:43:13.103-08:00DOG ENRICHMENT ON A RAINY WINDY DAY It's howling outside today, with rain pouring down. What can you do with your dog inside on a stormy day to provide mental enrichment when it's not fun to go outside in the rain? Here are some ideas:Train! Continue to work on your current list of behaviors (you're doing this each day anyway, right?)Teach your dog to lie quietly under an open-legged chair. We use the Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-70717037696606568962024-02-04T12:52:00.000-08:002024-02-04T12:52:56.192-08:00WHAT LEASHES SHOULD I USE? I recommend using lightweight
leashes, preferably of 2’, 4’, and 6’ lengths.
If you want to just work with a 6 foot leash, get good at handling your
leash so you can “make it shorter” by bunching it up and letting it out as needed. Big, bulky leashes are uncomfortable to bunch up in one hand, and you'll have awkward technique if you use them. I really like the multi-use Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-29506432483487707932024-02-03T02:30:00.000-08:002024-02-03T02:30:51.859-08:00WHAT COLLAR SHOULD I USE? A well-fitting collar of a non-choking
type. The fabric type with the plastic snap-clip closure is easy on the dog’s neck and won’t slip over his head if he pulls
back against it. Double check that he cannot back out of it! It has happened to me.If you have a "hound" type, with a long slim neck and a rather narrow skull (imagine a Greyhound) they make special "hound collars" Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-10539097397045846352024-01-30T13:51:00.000-08:002024-01-30T13:51:45.368-08:00USING REWARDS TO REINFORCE BEHAVIOR AND GENERATE ENTHUSIASM FOR TRAINING All animals have a “price”
for which they will perform—there is always something the dog will work to
get. It is called a primary
reinforcer. In your kitchen, he might do
a 10-minute down-stay in exchange for a carrot piece, while in the park it
might be near impossible to get his attentions with anything less than
liver. Determine which foods your dog
likes best, and use Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-62073922871986641352024-01-30T13:29:00.000-08:002024-01-30T13:29:39.709-08:00WHY DOES CLICKER TRAINING WORK SO WELL? Why does clicker training work so well? Dogs enjoy clicker training because it’s a game they find easy to win. Because clicker training is perceived as a game that allows the dog a high degree of success while working at his own level of competence, "losing" (or being wrong) is minimized, which in turn minimizes the dog wanting to quit (this works for humans too, by the way). &Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-71322177742051031582024-01-27T03:52:00.000-08:002024-02-04T12:57:11.631-08:00Behaviors to train in preparation for a move abroadWhen we move to a new city with our dog it's helpful to have a repertoire of already-trained skills under their belt in order to make the transition and the journey itself easier for all involved. Here is a list of skills and behaviors that are worthy of your training efforts BEFORE you make the move:crate training and noisy travel, being wheeled on a cart while inside the crate. Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-47415367844224607922024-01-27T03:39:00.000-08:002024-01-27T03:39:07.254-08:00DIRTY FEET This morning my dog and my husband returned from their walk, and my dog's feet had gotten quite dirty from wet dirt/mud along the way. It can be helpful to keep a small spray bottle of water and an old rag or towel by the door so you can gently hold each paw and bend it back (like it would move if your dog was walking) and spray it generously with the water to loosen up the dirt.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-38213199594327267892024-01-20T04:34:00.000-08:002024-01-20T04:45:53.030-08:00 WHERE TO TRAIN YOUR DOGWhen your dog is doing well with a behavior at home and it's time to increase the distraction level a bit, start by going into a new location in your home. That's a baby step (and you would be surprised how it changes the context for your dog and can make it harder for him).When we live in a more urban environment (like I do now) it can be REALLY hard to find places outside the home that Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-19437206655353096672024-01-20T03:18:00.000-08:002024-01-20T03:18:33.147-08:00What? My dog has a poop score? Yes, your dog has a poop score. Purina has published a very helpful visual (sorry) guide to let you know whether your dog's poop is indicative of a healthy digestive system and whether the food he's eating is being digested well. I've worked in humane societies as a trainer and every time we took a dog out for a potty walk we had to log (on a large chart listing each kennel, withDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-11041946612104271192024-01-15T05:14:00.000-08:002024-01-15T05:14:56.064-08:00DOG TREATS AND REWARDS AND FOOD TUBES: We want to have a variety of rewards for our dog, ranging from low to high value. If your dog loves specific toys, these can be reserved for "training sessions only". We want a variety of food rewards, and they should be small (the size of a pea), and ideally semi-soft so the dog can swallow them quickly without having to chew (or get them stuck in his throat, causing him to cough it Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-90670908327441512132024-01-07T03:35:00.000-08:002024-01-07T03:35:45.639-08:00Pausing your dog at the top of the stairs This is a quick demo showing how convenient it can be to have a dog who will wait on cue at the top of the stairs while you descend first, and waits until you release him to join you. This is an easy application of the component behaviors of "wait", "release" and "touch (hand targeting)". You don't want a dog who moves down a set of stairs faster than you do-- it can cause you toDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-78438862312345649622024-01-07T03:27:00.000-08:002024-01-07T03:27:55.399-08:00Working on right and left turns at the train station I took a few minutes this morning to practice a behavior my dog already knows, at the quiet train station on a Sunday morning. He knows this behavior but all behaviors need some "tune ups" to keep them "fluent" -- in other words, practice them and give the behavior some additional "reward history". Sorry for the lingo-- but you get the idea-- since most of the behaviors we ask Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-63912685646400296532024-01-06T04:55:00.000-08:002024-01-06T04:55:45.105-08:00CASE STUDY- Dog won't poop while on leash You are your dog's trainer 😊 And to be a good trainer you need a toolbox and a keen sense of observation. The toolbox is all the knowledge of operant conditioning, all the science, and how it works. These are the tools we use to troubleshoot a situation, to analyze what's working and what's not. But we need our constant observation skills to understand the current Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-42984725246768318102024-01-01T08:44:00.000-08:002024-01-01T08:44:55.499-08:00Teaching "come" January is TRAIN YOUR DOG MONTH and we're going to focus intently on the "come" command. If you're interested in following along, please start by downloading and printing out the training plan for this behavior. Read it all the way through, and see if you understand the progression. What word will you use for this behavior? I use "come" but some people use "here" or "aqui"Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-67859422207227079182024-01-01T06:17:00.000-08:002024-01-04T08:03:43.950-08:00How to crate train an adult dogMy friend Lynda is adopting a young, strong, adult dog from the shelter! Here is a great video about how to crate train an adult dog. By the way, my own dog sleeps in his folding crate each night, which is right next to our bed. We travel with a crate. If we drop off our dog with a dog sitter, the crate comes with him. It's a great tool, useful for a lifetime. Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-91724066742029960962023-12-30T06:05:00.000-08:002023-12-30T06:05:50.274-08:00Can your dog pass the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test? Check it out. Years ago in the US some people started making laws that targeted specific breeds, making it illegal to own these breeds out of fear of their possible aggression. People who know dogs know that breed-specific legislation is unfair, and what we really need is a standard of good behavior in dogs. So if you have a Rottweiler who can pass a standardized behavior test, that dog is asDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-18377928133647146972023-12-30T05:08:00.000-08:002023-12-30T05:08:30.112-08:00Recommended Reading List I'm sharing the recommended reading list provided by my friend and fellow trainer, Stacy Braslau-Schneck. She's done all the work of listing and describing these books, and I agree with her list 100% so am referring you to this resource. Here's the link:http://www.wagntrain.com/books-supplies/#resourcesDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-18261224059346355982023-12-29T13:43:00.000-08:002023-12-29T13:43:01.012-08:00Doing a Year End Review for 2023I am a bit of a productivity nerd, and it may be nerdy but it has served me very well in my life. I'm turning my attention today the concept of a year end review and goal setting for our dog training-- but before I do, let me share with you this wonderful video about how to conduct a personal review of your past year and identify your goals for the next year. Dave Edwards provides Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-1304459685438043982023-12-27T05:33:00.000-08:002023-12-27T05:33:00.324-08:00Etiquette tip: when our dog is off leashEtiquette tip: when our dog is off leashMost dogs should not be off leash in public. But if we think ours is reliable and well trained and if we do allow our dog off leash in any public setting we really should have our eyes on our dog at all times. And let's face it, we sometimes don't. When we're confident that our dog will not run away and will stay close by and we allowDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-36446423647672922362023-12-26T02:50:00.000-08:002023-12-26T02:50:01.801-08:00Stella's Playdate Dec 23 2023 Hi everyone, little Stella came today for a playdate the other day. I filmed it and made some commentary... you might find this interesting. She is such a sweet puppy! If you have a size-appropriate dog (especially a puppy) who would like a playdate with Finn please contact me. Enjoy!https://youtu.be/9CSSljh5348?si=TgPrwkK_NxhjVUO1Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-47021025604987008762023-12-20T06:11:00.000-08:002023-12-20T06:11:00.688-08:00WHEN SHOULD YOU START SOCIALIZING YOUR PUPPY? If you have a puppy, please click through and read the position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) about when it's recommended to start socializing your puppy. Under the right careful conditions puppies can start puppy socialization classes or playdates as early as 7-8 weeks of age. Puppies should already have a minimum of one set of Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-65618768370148163712023-12-19T07:45:00.000-08:002023-12-19T07:45:41.480-08:00YOUR DOG'S VOCABULARY LISTIt's helpful to create a "vocabulary list" of cues you will use with your dog (and tape it to the refrigerator door!) so everyone in the household can be sure to use the same cues. In addition, when you have someone else caring for your dog while you take a trip to Spain, for example, you can provide them with this list so your dog can have as much consistency as possible. The WAY youDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-54526001782913362662023-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:002023-12-19T07:41:57.275-08:00 GETTING A NEW BEHAVIOR TO HAPPEN SO WE CAN REWARD IT GETTING A BEHAVIOR TO HAPPEN SO WE CAN REWARD IT: We have a number of methods to use in order to get our learner to do a behavior that we can reward. This short video shows a trainer working with a horse but she does a great job of illustrating these, and it's allll the same stuff we apply to our dogs. Notice how she is working in a quiet, non-distracting environment? Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023194364115521530.post-816678889795641152023-12-19T07:40:00.000-08:002023-12-19T07:40:33.950-08:00HOW WELL DOGS CAN HEAR SOUNDS And lastly, here's some interesting info about our dogs' sense of hearing: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/sounds-only-dogs-can-hear/ Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03029460089845746998noreply@blogger.com0