Some videos for you to enjoy! And methods that I use during training - All done through positive reinforcement.
Taking your dog for a walk may be just exercise for you, but for your dog, it is a myriad of smells, sights, people, cars, sometimes triggers, etc. All part of socialisation.
Being able to make choices for our own wellbeing is something that we take for granted. But what about our dogs? Don't they deserve to make some choices? Giving our dogs some agency (ability to control their enviroment) is important for their mental wellbeing. What would we do if someone tried to control everything we did? Maybe show undesirable behaviour?
Sometimes when we are doing enrichment exercises with our dogs, things don't go as planned. Which is ok! It may be that you have set parameters that are unattainable at that stage, or that your dog has figured you out before you can set it up (like Bailey). Remember to be patient and either rethink what you are asking your dog to do or put it off for another day.
A success station is a safe and comfortable place where your dog is set up to succeed. Success stations can be a bed, crate, room in the house, barrier, etc.
Every dog tries to find patterns in their environment. When they do encounter a pattern they are familiar with, they don’t need to think too much about the end result as it is a ‘given’. An example of this for us humans would be driving to work. If you drive the same way each day, most of you switch off and don’t have to think about the outcome. But if you drove a different way each day, you would have to concentrate on where you are going and can feel a bit stressed, wondering if you are going the right way. So full brain power is required.
When dogs can’t find any patterns and can’t depend on a predicted outcome, it can cause a lot of anxiety. If you have an anxious dog, you would know if your routine changes, even a little bit, it can cause a lot of angst for your dog.
By using success stations in situations that might be a bit stressful for dogs (like going to someone else’s house or going to a cafe), your dog can predict the outcome when the success station comes out. ‘When the mat is put on the ground, I will sit on it and get a yummy treat!’ Not much thought goes into the action, it gives them a really good feeling (due to the treat) and therefore it lowers their anxiety.
It is important to use positive reinforcement when creating a success station with a predictive behaviour. I did it with Bailey by giving her lots of treats when she was sitting on the mat. Very easy.
When I teach a pup or adult dog a new behaviour, I usually start with luring. While I am luring, I am also teaching them a hand signal. I find this works really well as sometimes voice commands when used too early can be confusing for our dogs. Once they are confident with the new behaviour, I then add a voice cue. Don't rush it, go at your dog's pace and you will find that not only have you taught a new behaviour, but your bond will be strengthened as you both understand each other!
It is really important for people to read their dogs body language while they are touching them as they can't tell us in our language when they want to be left alone. If we don't listen to dog's body language, the next step is a growl or a bite. Kids need to be supervised around dogs as this is when a lot of bites can occur.
When introducing a new piece of equipment or a new game to a nervous dog, you need to do it the right way. Forcing them into something that they can't cope with could leave them to develop anxiety and inability to accept change. Give them space and time to adjust.