Posts Tagged ‘dog training’
More Training
After the recent banishment of Asher from the canine playtime facility for his aggressive behavior, we are endeavoring to return our attention to obedience training. Asher has also begun to disregard (or overrule) our attempts to keep him from climbing up on visitors. We’ve noticed he becomes obsessed with returning repeatedly to try putting his paws on guests while we struggle to redirect his focus to something acceptable.
Last night we watched a webinar from a trainer we are considering and saw that we should train him to better respect our space. That is very logical but it won’t be easy for me to tell him “No” when he shows up at my side (or on my lap) seeking affection.
At 75 pounds and with a long enough body to stand taller than us, Asher is far from being a comfortable lap dog. That hasn’t stopped him. He likes to climb on top of me in the recliner while I am occupied with my computer. I think he was proofreading one of my blog posts in that picture.
As with most dog training issues, it isn’t so much that we need to train him as we need to train ourselves.
If he finds his way to lying down on my lap, I feel happy to have a warm companion for as long as my legs can stand.
It’s different when he obsessively approaches visitors. It’s as if he is demonstrating a need to assure them that he is the boss of them. It doesn’t feel that way when he decides to nap on me.
We also learned that we should avoid ramping up our energy when we command him to keep all four paws on the floor. There is definitely room for improvement in that regard. I’m actually looking forward to practicing more non-verbal gestures to communicate what we want him to do. We align completely with the trainer’s philosophy of teaching a dog to think about the results of his behavior more than simply responding robotically to a command trigger.
What would be more fun for him: pulling against the leash as we stand firm or coming back to us to seek direction? When returning to us brings a treat, one can see where a smart dog would begin to recognize which behavior is preferable.
If Asher wants to nap on my lap, I am not inclined to object, but I am not a guest he needs to respect. I’m family and weak against his superior levels of persuasion.
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What Responsibility?
Sometimes I question what my responsibility is to direct Asher’s activity on walks. I understand there are times when training a dog to heel –as in, to walk obediently by my side– I would completely be directing his behavior. That is not what is happening when I take him out to burn off some of his energy on a walk around our property.
These are times when I am granting him the freedom to be on a sniff-fari and to explore to his heart’s content within the confines of our property borders. Here are a few things that happen when allowing him to determine our agenda:
- Asher picks up a fresh scent on the trail and immediately decides he must follow it at the highest speed he can muster, regardless of whether it exceeds my top speed or not.
- Asher freezes and stares to find a squirrel that may be prancing around, oblivious to his presence. Then he dashes off after it, again, at the highest speed he can muster.
- Asher smells the hint of a rodent’s presence and turns into a crazily obsessed predator that must destroy the log or brush pile to get after the prey with the passion of a stray dog that might not find another meal for days or weeks if he fails.
More than once I have stood by and watched as mice bail out in an emergency evacuation as Asher attacks the far side of their quarters. It has yet to quell his impassioned battle against the wooden fortresses. One was an 18-inch log with a diameter of about 12 inches with mouse-sized holes in each end. He chewed on both ends of that log until his saliva was starting to soften the hardwood but he never came close to making any functional progress toward reaching a reward that might still be stuck inside.
Is it my responsibility to interrupt his useless battles? Am I being negligent in allowing him to obsess to such an intense degree? From my perspective, he’s getting time to chew, which he LOVES to do and which we encourage in the house with an endless array of chew toys. He’s getting his mind occupied and exercised as he tries to figure out what angle to bite from since the previous attempt didn’t work. If I wasn’t allowing him the opportunity, he would be in the house whining for something to do, so I figured I might as well let him have at it.
It gives me a chance to practice being patient while standing in the fresh air of the great outdoors, forest bathing, and listening to bird calls in the wind.
Yesterday, Asher went to work, not on a log, but on an entire downed tree trunk.
The snow below was all white when we showed up. The wood dust and shrapnel are what Asher has clawed, bitten, and spit out in his lust to reach some reward his nose seemed to promise.
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I felt a little guilty at times during the 30 minutes he toiled away since he was working so fervently at a lost cause. Although, it’s kind of cute to watch his belief in himself as he thrashes against this ancient tree-trunk beast as if he actually stood a chance.
Honestly, whether or not it should be my responsibility to talk him out of these epic potential conquests of mouse houses, I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt because attempting to tear him away always creates a battle of wills that I’m barely capable of winning.
Maybe, just maybe, I’d be more responsible being a cat guy.
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Shooting Season
This coming Saturday marks the opening of deer hunting in our state. For a week or two prior to the hunting season, we experience what I call, “shooting season.” This is the time when hunters “sight in” their hunting rifles. POW!!
Pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow.
With no leaves on the trees, sound carries more than usual in our valley. Not far away over hills, there is a gun range. We can hear those shots, too, in addition to neighbors shooting on their property.
It is not unusual to hear occasional gunshots year-round but in November, rifle reports ring out from every direction. I am not a hunter, so I have very little understanding of what the sound of the different gunshots reveals about the weapons being used. Some sound a lot bigger than others.
I also don’t get why we occasionally hear rapid repeated shots. Do deer hunters sometimes shoot with automatic multi-shot rifles?
Asher and I were out playing ball in the backyard while someone in the general vicinity was shooting yesterday afternoon.
He would pause and turn his head toward the sound, but thankfully, he never wanted to run toward the source.
We bought him a new vest to ensure he wouldn’t be confused with being a wild animal when he gets loose and runs through the forest.
I’m finding it makes it much easier to spot him among the trees after he runs at supersonic speeds to chase turkeys/rabbits/squirrels and I’m left behind in his dust.
I’m happy to report that our attempt to train him to come to the front door when he hears the ping of the hanging bell there worked like a charm at the end of the day yesterday. I’d say it has worked a third of the time when his location is unknown. Maybe he isn’t always hearing it.
When we know he can hear it because we are ringing it to test him, it is getting him to run in about 98% of the time. I like it better than trying to shout for him.
Yesterday was a good day for off-leash exercise. When the hunt begins on Saturday, Asher will be back on a full-time leash until the Monday after Thanksgiving.
At that point, shooting season and hunting season will both be over and we can get back to the merely odd occasional gunshot outbursts common in the rural countryside.
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There’s Hope
When I think about having a dog, my thoughts are filled with visions of a companion that hangs around while I am busy with outdoor tasks, alerts us when someone comes up the driveway, playfully interacts with us, and cuddles when we sit down to rest.
I don’t spend much time thinking about what it takes to reach that level of behavior, even though that is what I’m living through. For every time Asher actually returns to us when we call him, there are too many others when he ignores our commands to pursue his whims.
After the most recent time that he crossed the road again to explore the neighbor’s property and tangle with their cat, completely ignoring my calls and bribes to get him under control, he has had to endure being on a short leash 100% of the time. That’s not fun for either of us.
Of course, this occurs while Cyndie is still recuperating from ankle surgery, leaving me as the sole dog walker. I don’t enjoy the hassles but it will ultimately provide me the benefits of a developing relationship.
Last night, Asher provided me with hope with his willingness to snuggle.
This morning I let him roam for a bit, off-leash, on our way to the barn to feed the horses. He behaved well.
I’m hoping progress continues with a change toward more successes than failures as we work toward helping Asher become the companion we think he can be.
Snuggles are a pretty good start.
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Neck Pain
Why does my neck hurt this morning? Maybe it has something to do with being flipped head over heels by our lovely dog yesterday. You’d think by this point I would be smart enough to not turn my back on him when he is charging with all his energy in a manic spasm of invented urgency.
I was walking through the woods from the house toward the back side of the barn while Cyndie lagged behind on the driveway above with Asher. The first thing I noticed was Mix getting startled by the sound of Asher bolting over crunching leaves on the trail. I glanced behind me to see Asher coming and looked back in the direction of the horses because now they were all getting jumpy.
Wanting to settle the horses with an assurance it was only the dog racing toward us, I barely got a word out when Asher plowed directly into both of my legs, sending my feet in the air and my upper body to the ground with such speed that I’m not entirely sure what hit first.
My right arm underneath me hurt but so did my shoulder. The headache came later. Did I hit my head? I’m not sure. This morning it is my neck and back between my shoulder blades that are registering complaints.
Do these kinds of collisions hurt the dog, I wonder? Did he protect his head and neck when barreling into me and somehow hit me with his shoulder/side? I have no idea. He seems to be no worse after the impact.
In the end, the most important question has to do with prospects for him maturing enough to stop thinking that running into people at full speed is acceptable behavior.
We should probably put in an epic effort toward getting him to obey a “STOP!” command.
STOP trying to roll in manure!
STOP going into the landscape pond!
STOP digging up Cyndie’s garden!
STOP trying to jump into visiting vehicles!
STOP running full speed into John!
We were really looking forward to having a dog that didn’t need to be leashed full-time, but it has presented a number of different issues than we ever had to deal with when we had Delilah.
I’m looking forward to discovering if I’ve learned to not turn my back on him when he is racing anywhere in my general direction.
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We’re Learning
“I’m not there yet.”
“But you don’t know where you’re going.”
“At least I am going.”
Cyndie has a tee shirt with the phrase, “Not all who wander are lost.” Well, not all who are lost, wander, so there.
That reversal of thinking reminds me of a cartoon I saw that showed two birds with binoculars sitting on a branch in a tree, exclaiming, “Ooh! A khaki-vested paunch belly!” The panel was titled: The Birdwatcherwatchers.
Yesterday we had our final of two private sessions with the trainer from our 6-session dog obedience class. All things considered, Asher is doing great for his age and the relatively short amount of time he has been living with us. It gives me hope for future progress potential.
The amount of success won’t be limited by his ability to learn but by our ability to improve our skills of consistently delivering timely commands, acknowledgments, and rewards. One clear example of what Cyndie and I need to work on is our goal of teaching a “Leave it!” command.
We now know we have been forgetting this is a two-part command. If Asher ‘leaves it’ we are happy to go on our way but since all the things we are working on involve our dog checking back with us, we need to teach Asher to look back at our eyes for confirmation of ‘leaving it.’
He gets rewarded for looking back at us after obeying the command, not for simply ignoring a particular object of interest.
We walked through an exercise several times where our common mistakes were repeating commands (he will learn to ignore repetitive words out of our mouths), tugging the leash for compliance (what if he’s off-leash? He will learn to wait for the tug, and if it doesn’t come, compliance must not be required), and failing to notice when he looked up at us for confirmation/reward.
What worked best for us was to have the trainer talk us through the routine as it was happening. Could she just follow us around all the time?
I was so tired driving home after the session I struggled mightily to stay alert. Cyndie served a mid-afternoon snack while I read in my recliner and then sleep overcame me. That’s one way to lose track of a day.
I don’t know where I’m going, but I’ll get there eventually.
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Contrary Evidence
“Where’s the dog?” I asked.
“He’s loose in the house but I’ve been checking on him through the window from out here and he is watching me the whole time.” was Cyndie’s reply. She seemed impressively confident in her assessment.
We have noticed that Asher gets upset when left alone and resorts to chomping on anything within reach. In his crate, that has meant ripping the beautiful tapestry draped over the top, annihilating the foam pad and its cover, and shredding parts of a sheet that replaced the tapestry. Our reaction for some time has been to limit the minutes he is left in isolation. Letting him roam free while she stepped outside for a few minutes was Cyndie’s experiment in helping him become comfortable with our comings and goings.
Another thing Cyndie has put a good amount of energy toward is teaching Asher he is not allowed in the kitchen. I was surprised by how quickly he showed an understanding of the boundary. After starting with baby gates, Cyndie put down a strip of duct tape to create a line not to be crossed.
Asher obediently lays down just outside the line. He is in the phase of regularly testing to find out if the virtual barrier still is in enforcement but quickly steps back when reminded. I don’t know if Cyndie consciously left the kitchen gates to the side when she walked out the door.
The first thing I noticed upon coming inside was a dish rag on the floor in the middle of the kitchen. The second thing that caught my eye was the gate NOT blocking access. I questioned whether he truly had been looking out for her the WHOLE time.
A minute or two later, a clearer picture of things became evident. Asher obviously doesn’t grasp that the kitchen boundary applies whether or not we are present.
He obviously proved his ability to reach anything left in the sink. I count it lucky that he wasn’t able to chew the soap brush and scrubby to bits because he had to run to the window often enough to fool Cyndie that he was being perfectly well-behaved.
Gosh, I hope he never gets so cunning that he starts hiding the evidence of his transgressions.
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Asher Interviewed
An idea was born through the miracle of modern technology and the wickedly wild unveiling of ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence answering questions with increasing believability. Maybe Chatbots could ask questions, too. Add to that idea the greatest new invention ever achieved, the ability to translate barking to text.
Asher was willing to participate in the bizarre experiment to see if it could work. He donned the high-tech brain wave reader and entered into a conversation with a computer that produced the following:
AI: Mr. Asher, can you hear me through the headgear?
Asher: Whoof!
AI: Somebody needs to turn on the translator.
Asher: You can call me Ash for short. This thing itches.
AI: It works! Okay, Ash, what do you think of your new home?
Asher: I think I could get used to this. These two hoomans seem like they like me. I think one is called, “What?” and the other one answers to, “You ready yet?”
AI: Do you think you will be able to train them?
Asher: Oh, yeah. I’ve got them going to a class in the big city where they practice and practice figuring out how to react to my every need. It’s wild because as they do their drills I get to eat non-stop treats. It can be exhausting but I’m able to take a nap while they pilot the go-fast machine back to our house.
AI: Are you getting used to all those acres of forest and field?
Asher: In fits and starts. Sometimes they free me from that dang leash and I can race after the tree rats that run rampant. The hoomans get all excited about it and try to convince me they’re called “skwerls.” The backyard is good for zooming but the hill tends to tire me out sooner than I like. If I don’t keep running the hoomans tend to take me back in the house. Not that it’s bad in there. Every time I roll a ball under the furniture they just give me a new one. I’ve got so many squeaky things to chomp on stashed around the place, I’ll never be able to destroy them all.
AI: Sounds like you are living a life of luxury.
Asher: Oh, it’s not all bully sticks and squeaking toys. The hoomans are outside every day working on something and their progress gets so pathetic I can’t help myself but help them out. Digging up diseased bushes? I can help dig. Planting new plants? I can dig those up, too. Cutting out dead branches? Oooh, I can chew ’em to bits.
AI: Our batteries are running low. Is there anything you want your humans to understand before we have to shut down the translator?
Asher: I’m sorry I chewed up both pads and both covers you guys put in my crate and the cool tapestry you had draped over it, too. It’s just… well, somethin’ has to give. When I get all riled up, I do what I do best… chew.
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City School
We are enrolled in a dog obedience training series with Asher in St. Paul, MN. The guy gets a dose of the big city every Thursday and he seems more than capable of coping with sidewalks and city streets.
Asher showed no hesitation about adjusting to the city latrines that looked nothing like the trees and bushes he has become accustomed to at home. We are so proud of him.
The hour-long class has probably six other dogs and owners for Asher to ignore while we are trying to listen to the instructor and then practice the routines. It’s a misnomer to call it a dog obedience class because it is really a “hooman” obedience class teaching the time-tested tricks for establishing one-word commands.
You can lure a dog into the desired behavior with food but if you state the command while luring, that is a bribe. They don’t learn from a bribe.
Timing is everything. Commands are to be stated only once. If you repeat it, they tune it out. Successful responses to commands are met by a friendly “Yes!” and then a reward treat is given. For Cyndie and me, the chaos in the training room and the multiple repetitions of exercises lead to forgetting the command or repeating the command, taking too long to serve the treat, and too frequently forgetting the “Yes!”
Asher seems to be learning in spite of our inconsistencies.
The hour is rather exhausting for all of us.
The car ride home is pretty quiet.
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Telling Trail
Our darling puppy was up to mischief while I was showering yesterday. When I opened the curtain I discovered a trail of evidence strewn across the floor. Somebody was nosing around in a waste basket where they weren’t supposed to be. Who would do such a thing?
Well, our little troublemaker wasn’t smart about hiding his tracks. Asher left behind a critical piece of evidence that gave away his presence.
On Monday, it will be three weeks since we brought home our adopted pup. Cyndie shared a graphic with me that refers to a general 3/3/3 guideline of the adjustment period for a dog after adoption. Three days to decompress/three weeks to learn our routine/three months to start to feel at home.
I didn’t really notice Asher needing to decompress during those first days, but I did wonder what he must be thinking about the change. He is definitely learning our routine and adjusting to it very well, for the most part. There have been several times when he has tested our boundaries. In a couple of months, he will feel at home and hopefully by that time he will have accepted all the boundaries we established.
Today, I am on another kind of trail. I will be joining some of my cycling friends for a ride on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, heading west out of Wayzata. I need to get serious about putting in saddle time in advance of my annual expedition on the Tour of Minnesota which happens in the middle of June.
In just a couple of blinks, June will be here. I hope the ground dries up enough by then that I will be able to mow the areas I’ve been skipping because they’re too wet.
Here’s hoping the smoke from Canadian wildfires won’t make breathing difficult for bicycling today. I rarely find myself riding with friends at the beginning of my cycling season and I’m looking forward to the chance to visit with folks while pedaling along.
At least we finally have a weekend with pleasant weather to be outdoors without a raincoat.
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Relative Something 