Project Grey's Nails - positively training to have his nails clipped

I decided to start videoing my sessions with Grey working on him feeling comfortable having his nails handled. The video is titled session 1, but I realise this might make people think it is the first ever session in this training. Sorry! Its actually it's been a few weeks of me teaching him paw and accepting casual touches of his nails. He's also been shown clippers and the dremel and had them out near him and near food.

His nails on his front paws are really are very long now and they simply do not wear down. It seems Slovak nails being dark are very hard. This hardness makes cutting them a harder task. Hard to see the quick and more pressure to actually clip the nail.

Grey gets very stressed if I go to clip his nails. He doesn't growl he jerks away and struggles really strongly. This makes it impossible to safely cut his nails. So I'm trying to condition him to accept me gradually working towards having his nails cut. In this video Grey is not restrained and is free to leave at any moment. When he flinches I go back a step to an area of his body away from from the paw and to work again towards the paw. Have to remember to take it slow.

This first session went on too long and you'll see at the end, he gave up and didn't want to do it anymore. I'll keep future sessions shorter. It's easy to get carried away with this kind of training and to take things forward. But the best and only way really is to go at the dog's pace. I'm not aiming for him to love getting his nails done. Do we love going to the dentist? The aim is for him to be as relaxed so I can get that unpleasant clipping action over and done with minimal stress and without him having a strong pre-emptive fear of the process. This might take a very long while.

 

Look at this clever girlie slovak do some lovely water retrieves

I don't think my Grey and I will ever have the patience or dedication to achieve this. But so lovely to see a gundog like the girlie Grey clearly enjoying retrieves and having ham as a lovely treat. Positive gundog training can and does work.

New start - Back to school!

It's been a busy week this last week. Grey is settling back in to going on offlead walks. So far so good. No limping and he seems really happy. I've readjusted to getting out all my kit that I've not had out of the cupboard for 6 months: wellies, whistle, anorak etc.

Our new routine for the winter months will be up and out for the toilet. Back in for breakfast in his tug-a-jug in our bedroom, while I get on with breakfasts for guests. Breakfast service finished, I go out with Grey for the main walk of the day. The afternoons will be training walks. This seems to be the routine that will fit best with me having early morning starts at work and dark mornings and early evenings. I have to wait in for guests arriving from late afternoon so late walks are not always possible and in the winter it's dark by 4pm anyway.

He's been super good on our walks. We've been up Botany Bay and Minnis Bay. He's been very connected and hasn't run off. He's had his first interactions with other dogs and I'm happy to say he hasn't been too OTT, which had worried me. Today he came away from playing with a golden to come and find the sock as a blind retrieve.

Botany Bay

I started the LADS virtual course: 'COLLAR Building the Skilled and Confident Dog' with Kay Laurence this week. I'm not sure how well I'll do at it! I think everyone else gets the idea more than me! But we'll see. It will be interesting to see how I respond to a little, no a lot of structure for once! I signed up to see if I can improve Grey's reactivity around traffic and things that he considers out of the ordinary. Just to see if he can learn to handle himself and have some coping strategies. This week's homework is to work on the three gaits of walking, trotting and cantering and also stillness.

I shot this of the three gaits yesterday.



And today I was working on capturing stillness. This stillness is intense and in anticipation of further movement. I was thinking about the fact that if I raise my hand above my head he freezes in anticipation of a throw. I'll also work on capturing calm stillness.

Working on headcollar desensitization

While we're still at home... Yup! Still under house arrest here. Although he seems really well, we're decreasing the Metacam 5kg dose every two days and he's totally off the Tramadol painkiller. So we've been doing a little headcollar desesitization training to try and turn the headcollar a less scary experience for Grey.

Session 1

Impulse Control Training 2

We ran through another session of the Impulse Control training that we'd started the day before. He was markedly better. I thought he was really good to be able to walk over the food without lunging for it. We've also practiced it outside in the park too.

Home training while recouperating - Impulse Control

We did our own bit of training today taking inspiration from the Susan Garrett 'It's Yer Choice' video that a friend sent us as something to do while Grey is under house arrest not exercising. I probably made quite a few mistakes with not having enough room to back up. We managed to get to the point where we're practising on lead walking close to food on the floor.



We've had a few walks round town and the upside from this enforced free running ban is that we're doing lots and lots of positive experiences around his usual trigger points: kids, prams, motorbikes, vans, lorries, shouting people etc. No lunging today which is great.

I had an update on Gunner today. He's gone in for his MRI tomorrow. So hope they come up with a diagnosis to help him. Also heard that another young slovak is up for possible rehoming. It really is a shame with such few numbers in the breed in total that they come up for rehoming because people can't cope. They're difficult dogs to manage, especially the boys. There are strong grounds I believe for adapting the official breed description to underline the fact that they're working dogs, need loads of stimulation and exercise and are not couch potatoes.

Sit and wait to hunt

We've made quite a jump ahead with our retrieve training in the field. I've managed to get him to the level of having him sit, tell him to wait, I walk off 20 paces, clearly show him I'm throwing the sock down, walk another 10 paces to the side and send him in to find it and bring it to me. I've also done a variation of this with throwing food down for him and sending him in so that when he finds it, he can eat it. The great thing is that he has accomplished this in his most exciting place in the whole world on the top field at Botany with other dogs in the vicinity.

I started off training this at home in the kitchen ages ago with the sit and release training for food. Then I added in the wait. I know I could have probably not added in the wait and just work on sit until I release you, but he really understands wait now. I use it for lots of stuff and he gets it, so it's good to use I think.

I'm now working up to me going out of sight outdoors but first I'm going to stick to getting him steady with distractions at this level.

And perhaps I should make reference to the comments on the Cesar Millan post. None of my training with Grey has been overtly aversive. He's learning to sit and control himself in little stages with rewards not because he's scared of the consequences of breaking it, or scared to make a mistake. I'm not setting him up for failure so I can teach him a lesson. Grey's a dog that if you bully him he can raise the stakes a little higher. Everything I try to do with him that works is to work in tiny increments. His reactivity to traffic has much improved by clicker training him around the things that scare him from a distance he's comfortable with. Push him too far, go too fast and it all goes pear shaped. Then the next time we come across the big scary truck, he gets ready. Put a slip collar high on his neck and you would literally have to half strangle him to get him to walk on the lead. Jab him in the thigh or side and he would probably turn and mouth me hard. It certainly wouldn't calm him down.

Really nice morning out

Had a great trip to a different park today. I dropped off the car at the mechanics for fixing and walked up to the park. I had the head collar on because of the ice and we had a 5 minute walk. Did a lovely series of recalls, this ways, blind retrieves and a couple of memory retrieves. He even didn't run in to another dog he spotted in the park on a flexi. He stayed to hunt for the titbits I was hiding for him. A nice walk along the seafront and through some fairly heavy traffic. All in all nice and relaxing.

Recording training sessions for the ipod

I really like this idea that came up via the Clicker Solutions list. Basically, recording training sessions into audio files that can be played on the ipod or similar mp3 player or phone. Great for training where behaviours are broken down into tiny tiny increments or also programmes of densensitization of reactive dogs where you literally move forwards a millimetre at a time. The protocol from Dr. Karen Overall in the link is something I will have a look at for Grey. Mmmm more reading.

Breaking down general handling and grooming

Given the amount of stuff I've had to get off Grey's fur this last few weeks an article by Kathy Sdao jumped out at me while I was looking through her site last week. It's nothing that I shouldn't really ought to have been doing or that other people haven't said to me. But sometimes it takes a prod to remind you to do the more boring things. But actually these things aren't boring, they can literally save you a load of stress for you and your dog. You need to be able to do things when you need to do them.

Kathy's approach comes from training zoo animals to assist in their general everyday care. Given Grey's problems with his teeth and his hairy muzzle that acts like a magnet to spikey sticky buds, it's a good idea to work on these things every day. She recommends leaving out nail clippers etc so that you are reminded to integrate them into your daily training sessions every single day. Jean Donaldson refers to a similar protocol in her excellent book called 'Mine!' on guarding (body, location, food etc).

Grey had become increasingly nervous the last few weeks around his muzzle because of the seed issue. I had a few incidents where I'd tried to take him somewhere where there aren't the bloody things and still he found them. I worked a few days of getting him to look at the nail scissors and work up to him targetting them with his nose. Got him used to the sound of them opening and closing. Eventually he was better around them. In the meantime I stopped pushing on the issue and left him covered in the stuff while they dried up a bit and I could gently comb through.

Comparing the brothers

We had a really fun morning out in the rain last week. Yes! In the rain! We went along on a session to learn some basic tracking and searching near Whitstable with grey's brother and littermate Gunner. My goodness, how different they are in size. Gunner is a much much bigger dog in stature and height. He always has been and probably because he is still entire that this has possibly enhanced the difference. Grey was neutered at 12 months (remember his unexpected birthday present that he wasn't too keen on!)

The scentwork training was really up Grey's street. He was very enthusiastic about his own tasks and everyone elses too! My eardrums by the end were ringing as he generally barked the whole time. I guess you could call it drive! If we continue with it, he will hopefully learn to wait his turn and that there are things that aren't for him to do.

In other news we're still working on lead walking, lead walking, lead walking. He's currently rolling around lounging on the sofa after a busy morning out in the Old Town. I have to have one gripe. Why do people think it's ok to ride bikes down the pavement and especially if there are people with prams and right next to a big dog. It's really unfair. Grey has been spooked a number of times now and it's so annoying as it can really set a dog back. Get on the bloody road you people!

Big improvements

Realised today at breakfast how much the monkey has improved. Previously having food on the table would have had us in full on defence mode and he circled, sniffed and planned his attack. Today I realised how relaxed it was. He managed a lovely 'leave it' when I'd placed a dish of his food on the table in preparation to do a bit of training with him and I'd walked away. So, Mr Monkey, well done you!

We're working the L3 Go to Mat. Need to look at duration now as it's 1 minute. He can now go to mat and lie down in different locations.

This morning I practised his nail filing. Funny how it takes him a while to get started. Without doing a couple of hand touches he often just stares. After the touches he just seems to get it. The touch thing is what I'll often do if he gets stuck in training. Not sure if that is a bad thing or not. It seems to signify to him that he's in the game and off we go.

We also worked on 'stand' and 'sit up', where he comes back into a sit from a 'down'. The sit until released is coming along really nice too. I can now drop a handful of food in the kitchen floor and yesterday a piece of sausage in the park at 10ft from him without him moving until I give him the 'free' release cue.

Still struggling with LLW. He can loose lead walk up to a pile of food on the pavement. But without this obvious training cue, he's still boinging around on the lead like a young puppy. So still not able to go on linear walks into town. For the moment I'm doing little training walks and then the offlead training runs when we've gone out to a field in the car.

Tuggy tuggy

I got a new tuggy today. Was a bit smaller in size than I expected it, but after initial caution, he liked it. We played a bit in the kitchen with it and he got into it. But he's always quite into tug at home. It's outside he acts differently. At first when I whipped it out on our evening walk he almost forgot where we were and he started tugging on it. But then he quickly started refusing to touch it, clearly wanting me to throw it so he could have it. But nooooooo. Not that game! Then he got a little rougher trying to get it off me. But nooooo. Not that game, either! So then he got back into just refusing to look or touch it because he just wanted it and didn't want to play. So we'll carry on playing at home and in different places and see how we go.

At home I integrated it with the Go to Mat training as a reward and it did seem to pep him up to come back into the game to do more training.

It's a neat little tug and fits nicely in my pocket.

Nice post on directional training

From Vicky via Sue Ailsby:
http://viassistancedogs.blogspot.com/2009/06/26-c-teach-your-dog-directional.html

Better days

Up and down at the moment. We had a much much better day yesterday. Probably because I had to go back a few steps to make sure he was calm and able to manage being out. We went up to Epple Bay where I was able to park right next to the path down to the sea. The path is a steep slope, with a high stone wall either side. So no sideways distractions and the goal of getting to the sea in front. I've started using the parking technique I learnt from H where I stand on part of a long lead if I need to do things with my hands like when I faff around getting out of the car and he's excited. It stops him pulling me all over the place and calms him down. A lot of Grey's pulling is to do with him easily being able to pull me off balance.

Once we had calm and managed to do a nice training walk down to the bay. I guess this could be a bit of a premack principle. In any case I could see it working for him. He wanted to get there, and the only way we were getting there is a on a loose lead. The other cool thing was we had the whole bay to ourselves and there was only one entrance and exit. So we did loads of nice recalls and this ways and finding food.

At home we've been practising the release cue from sit. And he's doing really well with that. Yay!

Today I drove up to the fields where we've sometimes walked to with friends. I decided to drive as the walk would have been too stressful to get there and it ends up taking me ages. Practised LLW lots and then a lovely session on the pathway. There were about 3 vans that came trundling down the bumpy farm path where we were walking on lead. He did really really well and I got him to 'leave it' and sit nicely for treats. So I'm so proud of him and releived we have light at the end of the tunnel that he can get over this. Just have to remember times like this on the next time I get stressed out. And another thing that has been so good for us both is that he hasn't had to have his headcollar on in weeks and is being managed without an antipull harness either.

Doing his nails video

Release Cue Training Session 3

With dropping food on the floor in front of him.

Me having a go at the release cue training

I made a little video of the first session of release training. My body language is awful! Argh! Keep still lady! And what's with the body blocking? But anyway, here it is! Much room for improvement.

Nice video of a viszla being taught a release

From the lovely Fanny Gott's site:

Training update

I've not really been updating the blog the last few weeks. I blame it on the sunshine and long walks with Grey and his friends. We've settled into bits of training. Lots of socialisation round town and walking with other dogs which has really paid off. He seems to have really calmed down. Yes, still a monkey and very much a character, but I'm learning to work with it. We've got a weekly session with J locally and that gives us more than enough to work on. At the moment we're working recalls, retrieve with a stuffed toy that he brings to me to get a treat out of it, twist, heelwork and general calm around traffic, leave it training around food.

He is able to look at approaching vans now and more or less not lunge. I haven't had a lunge for a week. That is really good and I'm really proud of him. It's a huge step forward for us.

I'm trying to plan ahead and think what I'd like to do with Grey. I have always thought it might be nice to do some kind of activity. He enjoys doing stuff and it would be nice to find something that I can manage timewise and that will get his tail wagging. So what to do: agility, scentwork or some specific gundog training?

This weekend it was really hot and he laid up most of Saturday. We went out to the beach in the evening and it was really lovely. Shame about the messy summer beach users leaving a trail of rubbish in their wake. He unfortunately scoured discarded BBQs, but thankfully no bones found.