Schutzhund Bug. Caution: causes narrowing of vision

From a letter to his breeder.  PS, I have a link of Jorah playing with a horsewhip!

Jorah update:

Obedience is going well!  We are beating or matching the 3 other dogs in our group consistently-he is the youngest, so I expect to crush them once he is more mature.  We will be ready for that canine good citizen test very soon!

We will pick tracking back up in a few weeks.  I am going to buy cones to make the job a little easier on me: "Where did this trail start???  Oh, we turned here..." etc

I watched our trainer's schutzhund group practice this last saturday (1/2 hour away, first invite.) Glen put the bite sleeve on me and another visitor for a dog to work out its initial energy--I could hardly stand upright!  "Move around some more.  Make it interesting"  "...!"
"Now, can you imagine a full body suit?"  "No!  Well, I can imagine it, but I can't imagine moving anywhere in it."  Today my shoulder has been incredibly stiff.  Right in the trapezius.

On Tuesday we will see if Jorah has any potential for the 3rd category, guard/bite work.  He utterly failed a few months ago.  So I have been working on encouraging his own initiatives for chasing toys and tugging.  At first I was trying to encourage him by attaching it to a command, but Glen says that was using "pack drive" vs "prey drive", so now it's just a lot of encouraging happy noises when he chases his bunny.  (Which has been working much better for his enthusiasm.)  Still, Jorah is definitely a lover, not a fighter!  After his initial nervous move, he doesn't bark at people unless they come at his house or car.  I told our dubious trainer that I don't expect him to be great at it, I just want to be able to complete all three activities when we compete.

I'll be pretty bummed out if we can't learn it, as that was the most exciting part of the sport to me.  "I'll take him jogging with me at night, and we'll be fine if some creep jumps us.  But if its just a random bro, they'll be fine because he'll know to only bark: unless commanded or they attack."

At his current mellow-levels, I'm not sure how competitive we would be in agility.  But maybe those trainers have secrets for unlocking a dog's Ultimate Motivation (I think Jorah's is playing with another dog, not sure how to use that one.)

If the verdict is negative, he will still be my sweet and quirky boy.  I was starting to get caught up in the excitement of Doing the Things competitively, and wishing Jorah had some obvious guard drive.  Then some stray compliments and puppy cuddles got my head on straight again.  I got him to be part of my family, not a competitor.  We are gonna compete for sure!  But I must hold it as a second priority to see Jorah's full identity.


Despite sidewalk time on our walks, Jorah's nails have gotten about 1/4" too long.  I got big, long scratches on my arm when he jumped up to say hello and his back feet slipped out from under him.  To be fair, that probably would have happened either way.  Our clippers aren't very sharp anymore, so I'm worried about cracking into his quick.  He HATED a pair of Safari's that I bought last fall.  It's frustrating that everyone recommends them so brightly.  I found a Miller's Forge pair that I will try, but it is an Amazon.com add-on item, so that has to wait.  I have been amassing small things (like those cones), and I'm thinking that if I buy Fury on Blu Ray, that will get us to 25.  In the meantime, one day (when I should have left for work, of course) he laid down on my bed and we clipped ALL of his back nails with no fuss.  Front nail, not so much.  Maybe I'll get a cheap fish filter for his water bowl instead.  But V-day is coming up.

walking vs playing

I've set up a sort of routine of two big walks a day-morning and night, and something small in between.

Today I was pretty weak in the morning, then had homework and a redbox show to finish before 9.  I set up a killer zip-line scheme in our front green area and sat on my chair to do some Taylor Series review, with several toys for the puppy.

He was too busy watching local passerby to really have any enjoyment.  (Unless that was it.  Pretty weak.  Still better than the living room stimulus.)  But I was pleased with his willingness to watch and not bark.  I praised him each time with new people.  He whined to walk about, and against my self-important sense "he HAD his time" I took him on a short walk-he voided his colon impressively.  So, while It would have been nice for him to just use the far end of his zip line, I'm glad that that was taken care of.

Well, dinner and the show happened, and I finally took him out again.  Another short walk done, it seemed wrong.  So I grabbed the soccer ball, and we had a merry time chasing it/him.  I poured some snow on his face, and broke into a sprint of abandon at one point-the only time I caught up with him.  It was nice.  Felt great for a few seconds before "how much longer?" and "I should be studying" guilt crept back in.

I can't find the original article I read recently, but it got me thinking about the possibility that I have taken on the "no play, no time, too busy, too silly" attitude adults had shut me down with in my childhood; it had been intimated that this is a way of trying to deal with or control the (admittedly mild) trauma.  Pretty jacked up, but with the trends of more obvious dysfunctions running in families, there is probably something to it.  Emotions aren't logical.

So I did my best to push that sort of play-hate back, and not regurgitate lame excuses on my dog.  He only has so much time.  If I wait for convenience to play, he'll already be an old dog.  It can be hard to remember that while I need to run around to work, class, the store, etc, he is just sitting at home with little original stimulus.  (I mean, de-stuffing a toy can only be as exciting as fresh air and stretching your muscles so many times.)  He CAN'T go outside unless I open the door.  That's a lot of waiting, and dependence.  (Plans are for a doggie screen door this summer.  At least he'll have autonomy to the patio.)

Eventually I got very thirsty, he seemed mildly tired, and we came inside.  While the temptation to risk the dog park to wear him out can be strong, tonight I got the sense that I am enough.  It was solid fun for both of us.  I guess I'll keep trying the zip-line if the weather is kind again.  He might just be so unused to seeing people when we aren't on an actual walk, where he is distracted anyway.

The other night we just took a very long walk in a nearby community I had never explored.  It is like a strip mall where people live.  ridiculous and awesome, but I wouldn't care for it.  Our long yards are better than their tiny fenced lawns.  Anyway, the walking is alright, but he spends so much time sniffing that I would not call it much of a bonding activity.  Lots of "leave it" practice.

vent [explicit]:

PS, I hate people with little dogs.  "let's say hi!  You know, for 2 seconds."  They let their micro-brats get Jorah all riled up, and just float away while I'm in charge of controlling a 60+ pound puppy that is trying to jerk my arm off.  Thoughtless dicks.  Maybe I'll start saying "you can bring your dog over, but then I'm letting him go."
Tonight the worst one was just standing there all jolly while Jorah was literally compressing my palm bones together with each bound. "Slowly!" She commands.  "slowly."  I bit back "that's easy for you to say!"  Told Jorah to "sit" instead, which lasted 1.5 seconds.  She isn't a complete social retard, and saw my struggles "maybe another time."  "Yeah!" Like, in an off-leash area.  Probably never going to happen.  I really hate her stupid bitch, she thinks it wants to play when all it does is bark at my idiot.  (No, not a happy bark.)  I did it for his sake, but in hind sight, letting him get away with such rude leash behavior is not going to happen again.  I have a neighbor 5 units down who never lets their dog near another one.  My main theory is dog aggression, but I'm starting to see their way of thinking as much more multi-faceted and prudent.


An article about the benefits of play, came up when I was looking for the one I alluded to.  Here it is.

Homework Doggie

No pics-I lost my phone last monday when Jory and I went to a frozen lake... I... don't like to talk about it.

So homework!  He's all like "take  me out!  I'm bored... zzzzz... OUT NOW PLEASE!" etc  but I have a bathroom rug, heater, and because he's my dog, a feather pillow under the table where I study, so he snoozes there right by me.  Very heart warming.

First couple of days were frustrating, but I had been letting him run around on a zip leash, and all he wants to do is sniff snowbanks and dig out mice.  "go to the bathroom, you stupid dog!"  Then we are inside again, his time up.  and an hour later: waaaa.  Kind of steaming.

So, re-introduction of structure.  My homework (and keyboard tourrettes "facebook"... no, canvas... "blogger"  augh!)  punctuated by Short leash walks around the grounds/block, & playtimes, it's working well.  Especially practicing obedience commands on the walk, he isn't trying to drag me around hardly at all that way.

I tried having a play time with him, but he was ignoring me in favor of mouse slopes.  In the crate he went.  We both napped for 1.5 hours.  "20 minutes"  Must have been a sugar crash from my lunch, or something.

Later I found him surrounded by three toys:  one of them my horsewhip being chewed on-at the knot!  His stinking charm.  I wasn't very severe, but I said "no", faded out... then returned with it and a "no"!  ha-HA.  No terrible harm done.  My fault for leaving it on the floor.

I got pretty severe when I thought I heard him chewing on another remote.  It was his bone!  haha, he had half a heart attack, so I praised him up and down.

and so we go.

"Picardin" pic attempts

As in pickin', like baboo albums. 

Haha, lighting fail.  Threw in some other pics

tug, tug, tug and eyes

He just doesn't put his heart into tugging, and despite praising him up and down and asking J-man for his tricks, it's making no progress--I'm getting annoyed!
To even things out, he is having MUCH more fun with tennis balls when I bounce them on the patio, or he'll chase them more consistently.

I asked Glen how to get him more into it.  His answer is to leave Jorah in his crate, give him a chance to tug, and if he isn't doing it vigorously--back in the crate.
Started that today, since I have the night off-if he's going to be stuck, at least I can be around in the room.  WHenever I tell him to "tug" (which he totally KNOWS) he just jumps on me and ignores the toy. The third time I did it, saw that he was bleeding from a weird bump that showed up on his eyelid two days ago.  To the VET!  We now have drops and a little bit of antibiotic, in case it is a syst.  cyst?

Let him walk around the house a bit, I wanted to let him out on his line, but when I asked him to tug, he just walked off after a quick sniff, and sat there waiting for me to open the door.  I'm annoyed that I wasn't quick enough to "YES" his sniff.  I'm pretty much begging the "fool dog," but nadda.  Back into the crate.  (He peed all over outside the vet's, so outside time was just going to be a treat.)  He might be mistaking the WHY he is going into the crate.  So I am giving him far more opportunities to figure it out before working up to full 1-2 day crate time like Glen prescribed.  (*shudder*) "whoa!  a whole-that seems really long." "You think he's a person.  He's not, he's a dog."  Then his story about how he might just clean kennel, feed, potty his dogs without speaking to them for a whole day, and the next one they are very amped to work.  "The things we must do for perfection." said he.

I broke rule in my despair and googled what other people suggest.

http://susangarrett.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/tug-drive/
This blog pointed out the terrible folly of my ways, and the comments have some great advice.  I may make my own treat tugger.  Thinking designs with a 2 liter, a plug, and bungies.  Or maybe two to make a "door" open.
 (tug-a-jug)

Often times creating the drive isn’t the problem, it is losing it along the way. As we know all behaviours increase due to reinforcement and, in my opinion,  the number one reason dogs stop tugging is because people reinforce it. Yes you do!  Lets say your puppy was tugging madly and loving it,  so while working a recall the puppy races to you and you put down the toy to tug. However the puppy can smell that garlic liver in your pocket so he won’t tug.  You dance the toy around to try to get the puppy to go after it and finally you shove it in his face, still he won’t be persuaded. The puppy won’t tug. Meanwhile, you think you need to reward him for coming when he was called and since he doesn’t want the tug,  you give him the garlic liver in your pocket .  If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times, “dogs are far better at shaping people than people are at shaping dogs.”  Since reinforcement builds behaviour what did you just reinforce? You rewarded the dog for ignoring the toy and NOT tugging when asked. Reinforcement builds behaviour and that is exactly what you get, a dog that chooses not to tug when asked.

gaaaah!!!!  I have done that with tugs AND balls!  Rue.  Rue-age!  blegggh.  Forewarned and forearmed, at least.

At least I'm not alone.  While not unique, I think it’s worth mentioning. At your skills camp in Dec. I think my aussie and I did only 1 or 2 of the activities because my whole attention was on getting her interested in tugging. I’d all but given up. Not only did the Tug It set her on fire, but after she ripped the handle off last week she’s now transferred her intensity to another similar velcro, bait bag type toy!

hmmmm, I have velcro.  And a sewing machine.  and denim. and ropes that he will not flipping miss. Hmmmmm.

This is a great idea!!!!  I really need to think of ways to add more (some?) shaping to his training life.

More recently, I have been working on transferring their interest in tugging to other toys so they have been earning their meals for tugging hard on lots of different kinds of toys. The way I did this is I started by holding a toy lightly in one hand with no pressure and holding a piece of food in the other. I shaped the behavior of getting the toy out of my hand. This is also a rule out game because sniffing the hand with the food does not get them the food. When they got the idea that they had to get the toy out of my hand, I gradually made it more difficult by increasing the tension on the toy. When they get the toy out of my hand, I say “yes” and give them a piece of food. At this point, they are pulling very hard as I slap them around and push them while they tug. I am making it very hard for them to win, but eventually I let them. Sometimes even my little dog wins fair and square. She has figured out that it is easier to get the toy out of my hand if she swings her body around so that my arm twists!

I also want them to quickly bring the toy back to me when they get the toy from my hand so I incorporated the retrieve game you taught me at a skills camp I attended into this game. Once they have the toy I slap my thigh and they have to quickly bring me the toy and pounce on me. When I say “give” they get to release the toy to me and get a cookie. Sometimes I run away, as I slap my thigh, and it is their job to quickly chase me, pounce on me, and make sure I have their toy. If they drop the toy as they pounce on me, too bad, they have to quickly get it and try again. Sometimes when they pounce on me and put the toy in my hand, I don’t say “give” and just re-start the tug game again. Sometimes I take the toy, send them to their crate or tell them to sit or down or stand and then I throw the toy. Of course they can’t get it until I release them. When I do release them, I tell them to get “the tug” and they must fly to the toy and get and re-start the retrieve/tug game. At this point, I randomly reward either their tugging strength, by rewarding when they get the toy out of my hand, or their speedy retrieve, by giving them the cookie when they bring me the toy by immediately saying “give” when they’ve successfully put the toy in my hand, or I have them repeat the sequence a few times before I reward them with their cookie. Since my dogs are fairly hungry and are getting their meals for playing this game with me, they are very fast and driven.

I’m having a lot of fun with this game and am constantly coming up with variations on the theme of this game so that I can use it to build drive and speed for working on other tasks.

Sandra

     by Sandra Sepcaru Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7:49 am



http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2010/04/punishment-pros-and-cons/
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2011/01/respecting-the-value/
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2010/04/birds-sheep-rats-and-other-out-of-control-rewards/

><><><><http://www.clickerdogs.com/createamotivatingtoy.htm  
OMG me playing with the toy and genuinely enjoying myself with it while he watched from the crate, then letting him out and keeping it from him TOTALLY WORKED~!!!!
He first grabbed his own rope toy, which he has ignored for 3 months.  *tears*  It was so cute.  "Oh, you think YOUR toy is better than mine?"
You can only change yourself, indeed.
He even started tugging on my rope!  at a point where he lost grip I put it away.  Now he is outside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqeTUyoSBIs 

Training Progress

The repetition is helping the maneuvers I need to make with him "click".  I'm getting better at cutting hot dogs, and placing tracks.  I like to think I'm pretty fast, for grinding in footprints.

He's getting better at plots, sit, and I'm getting better at saying "yes!" on time after "watch".  I need to mix up the order better when play-training.

We started fus today!!!  WOOO. Step, sit, step, sit.  He knows sit.  Glenn says he's being lazy, not doing it faster-he KNOWS it.  Just give him a corrective tug on the leash when he's not minding properly or jumping.  I did a couple separate times, Glenn said good.  Jorah surely smartened up, but he seemed off when we got home. Solemn.  Staring. after I got things in order, I found him in one of his favorite laying spots, and told him he wasn't in trouble, a good boy, etc, giving cuddles.  He cheered up after that, and tried luring me into a game of chase.  I played a tiny bit, then went to handle my homework--er, find my laptop--shoot!

This happens when I correct him with NO's as well.  He gets all submissive and shrunk/alert, I go off from the area of SHAME and talk sweet to him.  Maybe I should just let the whole "she's in charge" settle in?  Maybe I'm doing things just right?  I dunno.  Glenn said that if you can train a bitch, you can train anything, because they get their feelings hurt and shut down.  I think: maybe Jorah is more like a Malanois bitch than the guys he keeps telling me about?  "Sensitive dogs" and all.  I don't know.  I'm not sure how to express the full idea without sounding... "it said this on the internet" kind of ignorant.  I'm sure that Glenn would be happy to let Jorah mull things out for himself in a separate space.  Guys are harder creatures.  Jaren doesn't forgive serious infractions for a while.  I want to smooth things over quickly.

But yeah, tracking is rough on me, but pretty awesome once Jorah is in a flow on the trail.  I'm learning better how to walk with him... sort of figuring it out as I go.  Glenn will see what we are doing next Wednesday.

So far:
Plots    (be sure to let him finish eating before calling over for next thing.)
Sit       (x2 start adding stay)
Watch (start adding time)
Aus     (with play tug)

Suk   (my notes: consistent resistance, let him know pulling is good here.  Don't only give strong resistance when he missed a step/can't go forward.  "rudder" with the leash softly along with his progress so it's a pattern.  Try talking to him about "left" "right" "there" not at all.  Not sure about "missed one."  (already told to not point!)  Stopping at a corner he over-shoots is GOOD.)

Fus  (leaning against wall not awful, just step away so he can't quite.  Get in position, cover treat in left palm "FUS" step "YES!" nom nom "SIT."  repeat.  when heeling he needs to sit if I stop.  work along walls/fences... go further and stuff.)  Oh, was this also what the toy was being used with?  Or was that a separate command?  "watch"?

Tug  (Try getting him using his BACK teeth.  Lead him on just like a cat with string.)

general notes:
be a cheerleader: exciting voice, moving around also good for interest.
Okay to do some one day, some different another: keep it mixed up.
Keep hand out of leash loop!!!
Play with the rope more than chase.  Lots more.  pretty much stop chasing.

ENUNCIATE and don't be high-pitched when giving commands, especially plots.

'LET' HIM REST before working!  No playing or swimming or running around before "work".  (Tracking, obedience, etc)

Don't feel like I can't do anything because of leaving the dog.  Space is good.  "healthy separation" to borrow a theme from me and Poppa.  Better for training.  Glen's reaction to why I feel guilty leaving him "he throws a fit whenever I leave." "So?"

Make a money jar for dates!!!  Write IOU's and put them in.  (Duh.  of course!)  I can start with $5 for sure.

Do I really know what he likes?  He shows that fuzzy ball off all over at home here.  When I told Glen that he likes it, Jorah took a minute to give a care.  "she THINKS that you like it." Glen said to him.  I think he was nervous?  blegh, How do I get him to revv up short of waving a chihuahua in his face?

I'm glad to get that out there.  That was a lot to hold in my head.

Tracking and Obedience and Money Jars, oh my!

Agility is on hold until my pup grows into his bones more.  

I met Glenn, who is awesome yet intimidating.  I was under the impression that "train you to train your dog" involved only the dissemination of knowledge.  WRONG.  Not only am I told "don't think" (I start asking too many questions for simple instructions/jump out of the topic.)  But Jory is not the only one getting consequences for negligence/disobedience.  Money Jar.  I need one at home, and Glenn has one.  Home mistakes go to a date night.  Training session mistakes go to GLENN'S date night.  Forgetting to say "yes" is a quarter.  :(  I lost track of how many quarters I owe!  I don't really carry cash, either, so maybe I will get a counter app.  Will that lose its punch?  Probably.  debit account value loss, really hurts my soul.  Just taking out the quarters and dollars is gonna be... ouch.  But after that, I'm not sure!  Maybe I could set up a paypal account, and... yeah...

Anyway, I have been having a great time with Jory.  It's really great to be given permission to have expectations of his behavior.  I was so worried about being harsh that I wasn't assertive or constructive, either.  That said, I am going to be very careful with his feels, and not let my head simplify training into 'me vs him', which would be awful.  I think that's the impression that I had earlier.  Anyway, I know that his breed might not be perfect for obedience, and I'm okay with that.  And then I remember the money jar...  :(  Must train him to listen!!!  I think that "sit", "watch", and "plotts" are perfectly acceptable to expect.  If we hit a wall or something, I will ask Glenn about it.  He seems very very wise about dogs.  

I'm kind of nervous around him, probably part of the questions issue.  I realized that this is a great opportunity to work on whatever kinked my nose around my supervisor this summer.  I need to be relaxed and confident around figures of authority!

Jory also needs to be relaxed when being walked away from me.  He said to have other people watch him for a night, or take him on walks.  This has of made me wonder if maybe one can be co-dependent with a dog....

We visited Poppa's family last night, and his dad took Jory on a walk around the block.  Said he was great.  Walked wonderful as long as he kept a decent pace and didn't let him stop to sniff.  Neighbors really liked him.  Yay.  :)

Oh, we can't have him offering his paw for shake anymore.  I didn't tell glenn that we were training him to wave his paw when he wanted something/to choose what he wanted.  I think that maybe we can have him bump his nose just fine.  It's the attention getting that I'm not sure about.

I'm supposed to call Glenn, because he doesn't text.  :(  Man, I can be such a wuss about calling people.

PPS Jory is now being fed at 6pm only, to get him more food motivated (hungry).  I feel bad, but realized that I can "sneak him food" by training him!  ha.  So I went out, beat up some grass, then started chopping a hot dog.  This turned into commands punctuated by more chopping or running around.  I played a little fetch, giving him a treat when he dropped the ball.  The 20 minute timer went off, letting us go out and find the treats in the stinky grass, and that was a natural end to the play-training.  This could work.