Gosh, where did the last few weeks go? I can't believe Christmas is nearly upon us. Grey doesn't know anything about Christmas, so there's a blessing! He'll not be disappointed with another usual walk and a usual breakfast!
We had a sad even befall us. Grey shared our house with Rock. Our four and a half year old maine coon cat. He had only recently bee diagnosed with the heart condition HCM and was doing really well on the meds. He died suddenly at home two weeks ago while Grey and I were out having his dental plate looked at in Hastings. We're so sad as Rock was such a wonderful cat and companion.
A few days after Rock's passing we were notified of two littermate maine coon boys who were up for rehoming due to bereivement. So Ollie and Jay now came to live with us. They've been here five days and have started to settle in fine. They're lovely soft cats. They're being introduced to grey slowly and so the baby gates have gone back up. So far so good. Just mixing up the scents at the moment and getting them used to the sound of the other.
We also had flu hit the house. So much of last week, Grey's walk was a real struggle. I ended up climbing back to bed along with Grey for the afternoon and evening.
Lead training has been going well. Still tiny steps and it all depends on how excited he is. But slowly and surely he is starting to show signs of how it will be to have a dog that walks nicely beside me. We had a nice session out on Minnis today. His recalls are good again. I sat out on the sea wall and called him back on the whistle leaving him a nice little prize of hotdog sausage on the wall beside me, then releasing him back. I did it about 10 times, and no fail. Did some loose lead on the sea wall which was really surprising. I also added in some sharp right turns and about turns at the end. I was given this tip from a gundog trainer I've been talking to. Right turns keep them closer wheras the left turn (also a methiod oft used by gundog trainers) pushes through the dig, but away. So I'm working Turid's method for loose lead walking and then I'm adding in a tighter 'heel' where he has to follow me more closely.
Friday 19 December 2008
Sunday 7 December 2008
Training / Loose Lead / Turid / session 3
An even better session tonight. Went out in the dark again, which makes it even more hard distraction wise. I hardly had to do any changes in direction. We walked all around the block, more of less on a loose lead reinforcing now and again with chicken. When he did start to stray forwards, I would slow and stop, gently get his attention, make the clicking sound with my mouth and go in the opposite direction. So proud of him. First glimpse of what it will be like to be able to take him everywhere with me on the normal collar and lead. Just lovely. Thank you Turid!
Saturday 6 December 2008
Training / Loose Lead / Turid / Session 2
Had a great session with Grey today. We'd been out for a huge run to Pegwell and a saunter round Sandwich on the Gencon. When we got home I worked the technique round the back yard and he did that fine. Then came the next test of in front of the house, which is much busier. He did it really well without pulling for about five minutes. I put the success down to him understanding what the sound means from the extra indoor and back yard practice plus my timing was better. I was also not stressed and had great treats. Roast chicken and some homemade liver cake. So hopefully more of that again tomorrow.
Friday 5 December 2008
Training / Food Guarding
We followed the step by step guide in Jean Donaldson's book for food guarding. The sequence we ran through:
Level 1: Empty Food Bowl
1. Approach dog and the empty bowl from 6ft away, drop treats in bowl, walk away. Repeat. Change angles.
2. Approach from 10ft, drop treats in empty bowl, walk away. Approach from different angles.
3. Approach from 20ft away, drop treats in empty bowl, walk away.
4. Approach from 10ft, bend 1/2 distance to the bowl as if to pick it up, drop treats in, walk away.
5. Approach from 10ft, bend all the way to bowl as if to pick it up, stop with treat hand an inch from the bowl, drop in treats, walk away.
6. Approach from 10ft, bend over as if to pick up bowl, pause 2 seconds, drop treats in, walk away.
7. Proof random distances, angles, with 2 sec pause and treat drop.
8. Approach from 10ft, reach toward bowl, but do not pick up, drop treats in bowl with opposite hand.
9. Approach from 10ft, reach toward bowl, touch it for 1 sec, add treats with opposite hand.
10. Approach from 10ft, touch bowl for 3 secs, add treats with opposite hand.
11. Approach and touch for 5 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
12. Approach and touch for 10 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
13. Approach and touch for 20 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
14. Approach and touch for 30 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
15. Proof random distances and angles with 30 sec bowl touch prior to treat drop with opposite hand.
16. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 2 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
17. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 5 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
18. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 10 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
19. Approach, lift empty bowl to waist height, add treats and return.
20. Approach, take empty bowl to counter or table and add treats and return.
21. Approach, pat dog's back for 1 sec, add treats to bowl.
22. Approach, pat dog's back for 3 sec, add treats to bowl.
23. Approach, pat dog's back for 5 sec, add treats to bowl.
24. Approach, pat dog's back for 1-2 secs, take bowl away, add treats, return bowl.
25. Proof random distances and angles.
It went really well. I was working with a high value food: raw mined lamb. You could see it got him thinking. He seemed pretty comfortable with all of it. I think I saw a slight flinch when we started the patting him sequence. But basically he was fine with it.
Not sure what to do the next level up as supposed to train with kibble. Hmm. will have to work that one out.
Level 1: Empty Food Bowl
1. Approach dog and the empty bowl from 6ft away, drop treats in bowl, walk away. Repeat. Change angles.
2. Approach from 10ft, drop treats in empty bowl, walk away. Approach from different angles.
3. Approach from 20ft away, drop treats in empty bowl, walk away.
4. Approach from 10ft, bend 1/2 distance to the bowl as if to pick it up, drop treats in, walk away.
5. Approach from 10ft, bend all the way to bowl as if to pick it up, stop with treat hand an inch from the bowl, drop in treats, walk away.
6. Approach from 10ft, bend over as if to pick up bowl, pause 2 seconds, drop treats in, walk away.
7. Proof random distances, angles, with 2 sec pause and treat drop.
8. Approach from 10ft, reach toward bowl, but do not pick up, drop treats in bowl with opposite hand.
9. Approach from 10ft, reach toward bowl, touch it for 1 sec, add treats with opposite hand.
10. Approach from 10ft, touch bowl for 3 secs, add treats with opposite hand.
11. Approach and touch for 5 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
12. Approach and touch for 10 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
13. Approach and touch for 20 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
14. Approach and touch for 30 secs before adding treats with opposite hand.
15. Proof random distances and angles with 30 sec bowl touch prior to treat drop with opposite hand.
16. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 2 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
17. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 5 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
18. Approach, grasp and move bowl for 10 secs, then add treats with opposite hand.
19. Approach, lift empty bowl to waist height, add treats and return.
20. Approach, take empty bowl to counter or table and add treats and return.
21. Approach, pat dog's back for 1 sec, add treats to bowl.
22. Approach, pat dog's back for 3 sec, add treats to bowl.
23. Approach, pat dog's back for 5 sec, add treats to bowl.
24. Approach, pat dog's back for 1-2 secs, take bowl away, add treats, return bowl.
25. Proof random distances and angles.
It went really well. I was working with a high value food: raw mined lamb. You could see it got him thinking. He seemed pretty comfortable with all of it. I think I saw a slight flinch when we started the patting him sequence. But basically he was fine with it.
Not sure what to do the next level up as supposed to train with kibble. Hmm. will have to work that one out.
Training / Off
I worked through a series of 'up ups' and 'offs' in the living room on the sofa. This was advised by Jean Donaldson in her book 'Mine!' as a way of getting them off objects like beds, cars, whatever without them becoming collar shy by having to be pulled off. Grey does have a tendency to mouth, not hard, but mouth if I went to pull him off something by the collar. So I always end up having to push him off.
I'd already been using 'up up' to get into the car and onto the bed or sofa, but I haven't really trained a proper 'off' to get down from somewhere. Jean uses a simple hand target to get the dog up and then off. Grey already knows a simple hand target, my open palm with the cue 'touch'. It's always a fun and fast warm up behaviour to get him in the game of a training session. We had a nice five minutes of quite fast up and off the sofa. He seemed to get it, so we'll run through it again over the next few days.
I'd already been using 'up up' to get into the car and onto the bed or sofa, but I haven't really trained a proper 'off' to get down from somewhere. Jean uses a simple hand target to get the dog up and then off. Grey already knows a simple hand target, my open palm with the cue 'touch'. It's always a fun and fast warm up behaviour to get him in the game of a training session. We had a nice five minutes of quite fast up and off the sofa. He seemed to get it, so we'll run through it again over the next few days.
Training / Loose Lead
I watched a few more details on Turid's DVD again and then ran through some practice round the house. It had already gone dark and was raining outside, so it seemed an ideal opportunity for some indoor training. I think it will be good for him to build up positive experience of associating the word with the treats and the right position on the lead.
Around and about
Had a busy day of things today. Went out to the top of Botany Bay and walked in stange patterns and directions on the open rough grass there. I'd let him over shoot and then I would go through the longer grass to the other side calling him 'this way!' and up he came running. He had loads of energy today. When we started the walk we had to stand for ages after getting out of the car for him to stop being so excited. Waited for a nice sit and then undid the lead. Off zooming in big circles.
When we came down to the beach there were people at the bottom of the hill with older dogs on leads. Grey had already shot down to say hello, before I managed to get him back. Up I ran back up the hill calling him. Ended up hiding near the public toilets so he'd come looking for me, which he did. We then waited nicely until the group came up the hill and passed us.
The tide was out, so we went all the way round to Kingsgate. I stood in the middle of the beach quite still. Eventually he started to get bored of going round and round and looked liked he'd be into the idea of coming back to me. So I did quite a few reps of getting him to come to me and sit for some garlic sausage.
We also played the two ball game with two tennis balls like I'd done in the house the day before. This worked a little but less well. So when he started to muck around and run off with the ball and drop it far from me, I packed up the balls for another day.
The sun was out and amazing. Beautiful clear day. There was a quad bike on the beach in the distance which Grey looked at but didn't bark or chase it. Good boy!
Back home for lunch (me not him) and then off into town on the GenCon. He did really well. Was still pulling into it alot. But not struggling as much. We went for coffee in a bar. He sat on his blanket and ate a dried turkey neck. Only got off the blanket once and was put back on it nicely. he stood outside a shop with L while I was inside with no shouting and crying.
When we came down to the beach there were people at the bottom of the hill with older dogs on leads. Grey had already shot down to say hello, before I managed to get him back. Up I ran back up the hill calling him. Ended up hiding near the public toilets so he'd come looking for me, which he did. We then waited nicely until the group came up the hill and passed us.
The tide was out, so we went all the way round to Kingsgate. I stood in the middle of the beach quite still. Eventually he started to get bored of going round and round and looked liked he'd be into the idea of coming back to me. So I did quite a few reps of getting him to come to me and sit for some garlic sausage.
We also played the two ball game with two tennis balls like I'd done in the house the day before. This worked a little but less well. So when he started to muck around and run off with the ball and drop it far from me, I packed up the balls for another day.
The sun was out and amazing. Beautiful clear day. There was a quad bike on the beach in the distance which Grey looked at but didn't bark or chase it. Good boy!
Back home for lunch (me not him) and then off into town on the GenCon. He did really well. Was still pulling into it alot. But not struggling as much. We went for coffee in a bar. He sat on his blanket and ate a dried turkey neck. Only got off the blanket once and was put back on it nicely. he stood outside a shop with L while I was inside with no shouting and crying.
Sad news
Grey shared our house with Rock, who was a four and a half year old Maine Coon cat. Sadly Rock was recently diagnosed with feline HCM and passed away suddenly on Weds morning at home. I got a call just as Grey and I were getting in the car after his dental visit to adjust his plate in Hastings. Rock was very patient with Grey and his bouncy antics. Grey never did fully understand that his big brother was much smaller than him and not up for the same kind of games. Although we did share some nice quiet moments, all sat down together sharing chicken tidbits.
Night night Rock. Sleep tight.
Tuesday 2 December 2008
teeth update
His teeth have come on really nicely. One of the lower canines is already in the right position. That was just after one and a half weeks. He'll go back in tomorrow and maybe have a side of the plate built out so it can work on the other side. I have to say, apart from the horrid trip for him to the vets that he doesn't like and has to be carried in like Scooby Do then it's not been too bad. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it. If it works it seems like a much better solution than having adult canine teeth out.
Ch_ch_changes!
I'm about onto day five of instigating some changes in handling Grey. I took advice from friends that perhaps I need to step in more when he's being naughty and frankly a bit out of order and not let him get away with things. So changes are: more time outs. If he's playing rough or hassling Rock the cat, he gets interupted and excluded from the room for a couple of minutes. He gets put out of the room that we and the cat are in. He's then invited back in, asked to sit and we make up and see if he's better behaved. If he's being milder with the cat but still a pain, he's told to 'leave it' which nine times out of ten he does otherwise he goes out again. Also, because he's done amazingly well learning 'leave it' under other circumstances. He left a piece of roast beef on the floor when M told him to on Saturday. For a whole 20 secs.
The same goes for jumping up roughly. He started doing this a couple of weeks ago particularly when we're about to go out. He gets told it's rude, made to sit and then we make up. I've also used the 'leave it' cue for the barking at the front window. In fact, I now intervene more and don't let him hang around in front of the window at all. Basically I want nice calm behaviour. If I don't get it, he's taken for a time out and then invited back in. Exclusion from the family really works with him and we've seen a huge difference.
L is also under strict instructions: no more dog wrestling! It must be a man thing? Anyway, we're currently sticking to 'find L' as the game of the month.
I also now employ the same rules outside. I'm now not embarrassed to stand and wait for him to be calm and re-engage. I have to remind myself to be more concentrated and not give in because of the situtation. Which brings me to the so called slovak character. I had always read that they were biddable and lovely temperaments. I think he's a lovely dog and does have a lovely temperament, but I'm now finding out from my more experienced dog friends that Grey is a monkey, isn't a sensitive dog, is strong willed and defintiely not for the feinthearted. One friend said that by the time I've trained Grey I might be as grey as him!
The photo is him all wrapped up after a swift warm water wash down in the yard after getting caked in mud on our walk today.
Training / The Retrieve / Session 1
I've started Shirley Chong's retrieve tonight. We did it with his evening meal of raw mince. I fed him a teaspoon of mince for each treat. I had been wondering how to get round clicker training and him beig BARF fed. This seemed to work really nicely. He was being really careful with his taking of the meat. Another nice touch is that it hasn't been a freebie meal. Each bit of that 445g of meat was hand fed and he was really into doing the training too as it's a high level food.
He quickly moved on from looking, nose bumping to teeth touching and then by the end or taking the bit of his blue chew toy in his mouth. He never chews that toy anyway, so might as well get some use out of it! I don't have a dumbell for him yet, but the chewtoy I'm using is kind of dumbell shaped.
I want to teach him the formal retrieve as he's a little monkey when we're outside and never brings objects back. He claims ownership and runs around with them. I've been advised to stop this and so now have moved on to teaching a formal retrieve. Plan is to do another session late tonight or perhaps in the morning with me holding it in my hand again before hopefully moving on to placing the object on the floor.
The retrieve is also recommended by Jean Donaldson in her excellent book on resource guarding, Mine! I'm going to do more little structured sessions at home now the nights have drawn in. We've moved on to one big walk late morning/lunchtime. Then home for snoozing. So I reckon a nice session in the early morning will fit nicely with this. Seems like not enough hours in the day to fit everything in with walking, snoozing, playing and eating!
He quickly moved on from looking, nose bumping to teeth touching and then by the end or taking the bit of his blue chew toy in his mouth. He never chews that toy anyway, so might as well get some use out of it! I don't have a dumbell for him yet, but the chewtoy I'm using is kind of dumbell shaped.
I want to teach him the formal retrieve as he's a little monkey when we're outside and never brings objects back. He claims ownership and runs around with them. I've been advised to stop this and so now have moved on to teaching a formal retrieve. Plan is to do another session late tonight or perhaps in the morning with me holding it in my hand again before hopefully moving on to placing the object on the floor.
The retrieve is also recommended by Jean Donaldson in her excellent book on resource guarding, Mine! I'm going to do more little structured sessions at home now the nights have drawn in. We've moved on to one big walk late morning/lunchtime. Then home for snoozing. So I reckon a nice session in the early morning will fit nicely with this. Seems like not enough hours in the day to fit everything in with walking, snoozing, playing and eating!
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