Poor poopy's teeth

Well, the next chapter of helping Grey with his teeth problem came upon us. He went in for his op at the specialist dentists on Weds. Poor pupster was really scared when he arrived at the vets and really didn't want to go in. Had to be carried in. He ended up having to have an upper adult canine out because it was obstructing where we want one of the lower canines to grow once they're pushed forward by the plate. The plate is glued to his upper teeth and will be in for at least a month. He had a course of anti-biotics and we have to apply a gel to his gums after each meal.

He was back to his old self the next day. We're supposed to stop him chewing hard stuff, which is er, kind of hard. He's a puppy after all. He sounds a bit like he has false teeth in when he's cleaning himself.

Blowing hot and cold

Friday the weather was bright and lovely, so was Saturday. Then today it was hardly light at all.
Today's walk down Minnis was wet, very windy and really grey. But no matter. We had great run.


We ran through more silky leash training in the house before breakfast. Then again outside in the back garden. All good. I then opened the garde gate so the pavement was accessible. We drifted in and out the gate and the yard a few times, clicking and treating. He did really well. Plan is to be able to build up to going the full length of the street. We tried some more at the car park at the start of the walk which was less good. So it's clear we just have to build up gradually.

Today's training

I tried out a little session in the bathroom of the silky leash method this morning. Went nicely. He had fun, got it and had some bits of hotdog. So all good. Went out to Bekesbourne for a walk. The sun was really out, so a lovely autumn day. Went a slightly different route and so he had to go on the gencon head collar for a stretch of the walk. He got really stressed by this as L kept walking slightly ahead. This really frustrates Grey. We stopped off at the vets, got him weighed: 27.75KG. Walked back to the car across the fields.

At home we ran through more of the silky leash method in the house which again went well. He was then hand fed his dinner as per the RRR DVD.

This evening we've played fetch with two balls to see if that encourages him to give one up any easier. He then took to hiding potatoes from the sack into his bed.

New stuff to try out: He got a large big dog sized nylabone. Also a front fastening harness from Halti.

Turid Rugaas - My Dog Pulls DVD

Interesting that Turid makes a sound to get the dogs attention and to get him to come to you. The previous method, Shirley's seems to teach the dog to follow the direction of any pressure on the lead. I've ordered Turid's DVD from Sheila Harper's online shop anyway.

Silky Leash

Another interesting video of LLW training. This particular method seems to be Shirley Chong's method. Which teaches the dog to move in the direction of a very light lead pressure.

Laid back pupster

Picked Grey up from the boarding kennels yesterday morning. Was really funny to have not seen him for three days. It was like really seeing him for his shape and colour rather than just being used to him, if that makes sense. He was very happy to see me and in a lovely happy mood. He seemed really content trotting around there and he'd made friend's with D's lovely dog, Daisy the SBT. They were all running up and down the runs in a happy go lucky stylee. What made me laugh was D said Grey was contented and very laid back! I suppose he is once he's inside the house, so he must see the kennels as the same thing. I'm really glad I was recommended to try him there. He really likes it and is well looked after.

We went straight to Minnis for a nice walk. I've started going down there as I can park the car near to where I let him off the lead. It's got a mixture of terrain: grass short and long, rough paths, hard tarmac, sand and shingle. Managed to do a spot of LLW too. He slept for the rest of the afternoon. L and I played the name game with him as recommended in the Really Reliable Recall DVD. I also started the programme of hand feeding him to build on the relationship as advised.

Mmm... new stuff!

Two new things arrived in the post today. A scrummy new collar from Lupine, the Combo collar in a nice camo pattern called Bone Hunter. His leather martingale had pinched his fur out on his lower neck. The nice thing about it is that it has two D rings, so it can be put on as a standard collar, or attached in the martingale function. Lupine also guarantee the collar so if it breaks or gets chewed they'll replace it. Not had chance to try it on him yet as he's gone into kennels for a few days. He was really happy to see the guys at kennels again, so that was great. Still hard leaving him there though.

Second thing to drop through the door is the DVD by Leslie Nelson called 'Really Reliable Recall' bought from Canine Concepts. Great delivery service btw! I've heard great things about it, so will give that some viewing tonight. One thing I miss from not being in class anymore is seeing how other people do stuff timing wise.

Woohoo! A Great Day!

Very excited and happy with how today went. I tried out the technique of delivering the treat behind my heel directly on the floor. Placing it on the floor, not dropping it. This placed me slightly ahead of him and I was able to encourage him to follow me and click him when he was at my side. if he forged ahead I changed direction gently and clicked him when he was heading back to me, the treat again on the floor behind my left heel.

I think a huge part of the success of today was incorporating Ian Dunbar's method of getting out the house by waiting for a series of sits and working the hallway to the outside with the front door open. So in general, excitement levels were lower by the time we were outside and if things got too much again, we just stood and waited. I guess I often forgot the rule that you can't train if the dog's not in the game. I was struggling how to get him in the game at all.

So we just went up and down in front of the house. Going nowhere was a relief too. No pressure to get to the park for a run. We just came back into the house for a while before then going out in the car for a really fun walk on the beach. He had a play with a collie pup a bit older than him, got filthy muddy in the grassy boggy bits and then the sun came out. I wasn't stressed about his recall because of the terrain and I managed to get hold of him nicely or distract him from cyclists and on lead dogs. The other great thing was that the beach was right next to the parking space. I even managed to do some LLW training in the car park which is a real challenge for him as it's probably his most exciting place evah!

I was very proud of him today. Love that pup.

When I'm calling you!

Grey's recall has now gone to pot. We're definitely in the realm of the teenager.

This morning in the park he wouldn't come back when I tried to call him off going up to an old lady and a yorkshire terrier on a flexi. Grey was very very very friendly and decided it was ok to try to squeeze through the lady's legs. This is the first time he wouldn't come back when called off another dog and me running in the opposite direction.

So this calls for more stringent management of free running. I got the long line out for the next park visit this evening. Was a bit of a shock for him but was a good move. He came back without having to be reeled in on the line. Have to watch out for friction burns and that I don't break a finger if he decides to run off. I'm thinking of getting this dvd. Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall.

Behind the heel treat delivery during LLW

Neat little video on delivering treats during LLW.

It seems to work nicely in the house at least. It keeps him slightly behind. Not sure if it would work for us outside, as Grey is almost too excited for treats LLW outside. But, with bringing Ian Dunbar's pause and the count to 10 method from The Clicker Gun Dog, I did get a lot more focus and less yo-yo the last two days. I should try and get myself on video to track our progress.

Ian Dunbar's guide to leash walking

In case it disappears from the web page I found it on:

Forging ahead is the biggest problem when walking adolescent dogs on-leash. Dogs pull on leash for a variety of reasons. Many adolescent dogs pull on-leash, because they were allowed to pull as puppies. Once the leash is tightened, your dog no longer has to pay attention to you, since it has a taut telegraph wire through which it may sense your every move and even your very intentions, thus freeing its nose, ears and eyes to 'scope the 'hood. Also, it would appear that pulling on leash is intrinsically enjoyable and self-reinforcing for many dogs. It is as if most dogs view a trip to post a letter at Shattuck and Vine as a work-out for the Iditarod. Whatever the reason, leash-pulling is usually unacceptable and often dangerous. Once the leash is tightened, you can no longer control your dog - a principle of elementary physics.

It is considerably easier and smarter to first practice all of these exercises with the young puppy on-leash indoors. Also, to have a simple rule that no one, that is NO ONE, is allowed to walk the pup on-leash outdoors, not even a single step, unless they can walk the puppydog without it pulling. It is utterly unfair to let a puppy develop a leash-pulling habit, knowing full well it will be punished for the same habit as an adolescent. It is so much easier to establish an acceptable status quo from the outset. Just bear in mind, the dog weight-pulling record is in the region of 10,000lbs, i.e., in just a few months time, your average dog will have the power to pull the entire Cowboys' defensive line backwards. From the getgo, NEVER permit leash-pulling to get going.

Using a leash to walk the puppy is necessary as a safety precaution, and leashing the dog is mandatory when leash laws are in effect. However, once a novice owner and an adolescent dog are connected with a leash, the dog will pull. And to stop the dog from pulling, usually (but not always) the owner pulls back, i.e., the owner jerks the leash. Most owners find this unpleasant. And it is not much fun for dogs either. Since we do not want the dog to associate walking and heeling with numerous physical leash corrections, we must first make sure the dog can stand calmly on-leash before further exciting the dog by moving.

Training game: Red light - green light

Firstly, before even considering leash training, make sure that you can get your pup to follow you around the house and garden and that it will happily sit-stay in front of you for a good 30 seconds. Surely you would want to check to see that your puppy feels good about following and staying close before you physically restrain its activity with a leash. After all, leash-pulling does advertise the fact your dog wants to get away from you. So, give your dog a reason to stick around. Lighten up, brighten up and maybe offer the dog an occasional kind word, pat or treat.

Secondly, before going anywhere, let's make sure that your dog knows how to stand around on-leash without pulling. Initially, let's practice indoors because: 1) you may start training well before your pup has completed its shots, 2) there are fewer distractions and 3) it avoids the embarrassment of making a spectacle of oneself on the street.

Put your pup on leash. Firmly grasp the end loop with both hands held close to your body. Stand perfectly still, and pay absolute attention to your pup, but ignore all antics at the other end of the leash. Eventually, your pup will sit or lie down. Yes, it will. Just be patient and wait and see. When it does so, immediately say "Good dog," offer a treat, say "Let's Go," take one step forwards and then stand still again. Be prepared; taking a single step will energize your pup, and it will lunge with vengeance. Again, ignore the puppy's antics, and wait until it sits once more. Then, reward your dog, take another step and stand still again. With successive trials, have your dog sit for progressively longer periods before praising it and taking another step. Once it is possible to alternate single steps with standstills without the pup pulling, try taking two steps at a time before standing still. Then try three steps, four steps and so on. As with off-leash heeling, think of it in short sequences. Once the sequences have expanded to six or seven steps, you are now walking your pup on-leash without it pulling, and it will sit automatically by your side whenever you stop. If your puppy ever tightens the leash when you are walking, immediately stand still and wait for it to sit again before moving on.

Basically, this technique is a variation of 'red light - green light,' and as with all effective training methods, you have duped your puppy into believing that it is training you. Perhaps your canine companion muses, "My owners are so easy to train. Just barely tighten the leash, and they stand stay. Sit down, and they move ahead." Your dog's happy, and so are you.

Walking sequences

Practice walking your pup on-leash around the house and garden, interspersed with many stops. Say "Rover, Let's Go" or "Come Along" each time before you walk (again, the precise words do not matter - you choose), and instruct the pup to "Sit" each time you stop. When your puppy is old enough to walk on the sidewalks, first try walking in the hallway with the front door open, then practice leaving and entering the house. Dogs commonly tend to lunge at doorways, and so this is worth a little extra special practice. Leave and return several times in a row, and soon your pup will be picture perfect. Have your puppy sit both before and after going through the door. Then, walk back and forth in front of the house. Walk and standstill in sequences, and keep repeating the sequences over and over. Remember, it is always the hardest the first time you try. If the dog pulls, say "Steady" and stand still. Once the pup sits, go back and repeat the sequence. It will be much easier the next time.

Now, you are ready for several laps round the block. Much like horses, dogs will tend to forge when leaving home but lag when coming back. If the puppy pulls on the way out, say "Steady," about turn, and frog-march the pup back home and start again.

The first trip around the block may take a long time, but the second and third laps are progressively easier, and thereafter, it's a breeze.

Basically, dogs pull because: 1) pulling is enjoyable, 2) the owner lets the dog pull and 3) the owner follows. The same basic principles for teaching dogs to follow off-leash may be used to teach a dog to walk on-leash. Hold the leash with both hands close to the left side of your body, so as to give the puppy just a couple of inches of slack, then start walking and keep walking. Whatever the puppy does to improvise on your intended direction, do the opposite. If the puppy lunges ahead, just do a smooth right-about turn and head off in the opposite direction. If the puppy pulls left, turn right. If the puppy drifts right behind you, turn left. If the puppy drifts right in front of you, speed up to cut-off the pup, and then turn left in front of it. If the puppy slows down to sniff or pee, that's fine - this is usually the reason we are walking the dog - slow down and wait for the pup. Of course, if you want your pup to come along, say "Come Along" and/or "Hustle," and off you go. This method works well when practiced at home with young puppies or in the park with older puppies, adolescent and adult dogs.

Pulling on command

Some owners might consider allowing the dog to pull when convenient. Look, if the dog has got a bee in its bonnet about pulling, if pulling on-leash is such a thrill, why be a killjoy? Why not let the draught doggie pull at acceptable times? Only of course, when given the OK by the owner - "Rover, Pull," "Mush," "Hike" or whatever. Personally, I appreciate Phoenix's tractor beam up the Rose Walk steps and the "Pull" command is a boon when we harness her to our sled in the Sierra: "Phoenie, Pull!" Whoooshhhhh. Yea! Way to go!

Excerpted from How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks, by Ian Dunbar.

Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist, founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and the author and star of numerous books and videos on dog behavior and training. He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, trainer Kelly Dunbar, and their three dogs. The Dunbars are contributing editors to DogTime.

A week's a long time in puppy world

I've not been updating on daily Grey the last week. Bad of me, as he's been up to quite a lot! But I did go back to work a couple of days this week, leaving him with his favourite person, L.

Some things sort of slipped me, which reminds me to remember that some things are not to panic about and just a phase that he went through. One instance is barking. He went through about five weeks of barking at night, barking at things that spooked him. So for the last week, we've managed to get through the night without him reacting to every single noise he hears outside the house by rushing round barking. I'm glad we more or less just ignored him throughout this. It's thankfully a lot quieter now.

Other news is that he's now on a strict regime of LLW training. That's loose lead walking. We don't go on walks anymore where he's allowed to pull. If we have to go from A to B he's on the Gencon. But mostly I try not to take him anywhere except training. It still feels like an unending uphill struggle and that the little monkey relly won't ever get it. Two days ago I was reminded to return to one of the first books I bought: Ian Dunbar's Before and After You Get Your Puppy. There was quite a nice process for getting out of the house. Ian recommends showing the pup the lead, cue excitement, wait and wait for pup to quiet and sit on his own. Strictly no asking him to sit. Then clip on the lead, cue excitement, wait for a sit, then take a step to the door, wait for a sit and so on. Get out the house, wait for a sit. Go back in and repeat, until you have a calm process for this. He then uses this approach for the walk. Only trouble I have with this is that when I take a step forwards, Grey does too. We really didn't get past the one step forward and stop. But it was an interesting couple of sessions. Lots of whining and crying from Grey out of sheer frustration at not getting what he wanted. It was a milestone I think.

Then the next day, my copy of Helen Philips' Clicker Gundog arrived. Her LLW method is to stop dead when the dog hits the end of the lead and lean backwards. Click for dog looking back and feed at the side. Then a crucial difference. She says the walk has ended and so count to ten, then regather yourself and start again. This is to stop the yo-yo action of the dog boinging forwards after taking the treat. I tried this method. I did see a little improvement, but by today, I've still got a dog who shoots forward after my first step. Will he ever learn?

15 secs is a long time for a puppy and a cracker

I was sat on the sofa eating a cracker, as you do. Grey was clearly interested so I put him a corner of the cracker on the cushion and asked him to 'leave it'. He easily lasted 15 secs, which is a huge thing for him I think. Also because I didn't have my hand near the cracker to protect it if he decided to go for it. I think this might mean he's passed L2 zen.

Today I did more of the run away from him training and hiding. He was even closer and even starting to turn it into a game of chase me. I made sure we had our last walk well before it went dark today as I don't want to risk encountering fireworks or kids in masks for halloween. Quite a few kids came to the house and there were fireworks on and off during the evening. Quite a bit of barking, but nothing too bad.