Having a weekend going over some Ian Dunbar pieces

I've been going through a few videos and training methods from Dr Ian Dunbar. Working on the all or nothing reward system. I've had great success with the last few days of lead training where you take giant steps and wait for an automatic sit before another giant step and so on. Check out the video link from the DVD here. I've long thought that I have to build in absolute patience to wait out for calm. Grey has a tendency to snatch and grab. And also there should be the rule of not moving on or attempting to train or do anything if he's not focussed.

So here are a few videos:

Wasted pupphood. How puppyies at 8 weeks have already gone through two thirds of their critical period and arrive in most homes not housetrained, socialised or taught anything. Ian believes that by the time they are this age they should have met at least 100 different people in positive circumstances.

Filmed in 2007 Dr. Ian Dunbar gives a lecture for TED.



Over 400+ videos on Ian's Dogstar Daily youtube channel.

Grey is swimming and walking on lead!

Big day for us today! Grey realised halfway through his second swim in the hydrotherapy pool that he can swim! All of a sudden he was able to take an interest in a floating toy and actually swim the length of the pool to fetch it! Horray! Might sound like not much for anyone who's dog loves swimming, but Grey has always been scardy of it. They've been really great at the hydrotherapy centre.

While we were waiting for our turn I took Grey out for a walk around the grounds with the lead round my waist hands free. I only did this because we were away from traffic, other dogs and so he couldn't budge me if he pulled. It seemed like a bit of a breakthrough to him. Then when I tried it this evening on our walk around the square he was so much more responsive. Stopping to look back at me if I slowed as he was about to pull. We must have spent 30 minutes just hanging out on the square clicker training all sorts of stuff. Sitting and lying down while I said hello to people, not pulling towards objects he wanted to check out, sit on the whistle, bits of close heelwork.

He's now cuddled up on his duvet with his favourite tug toy. The leadwork I think is coming on a treat as I've stepped down levels of distraction in terms of areas: I took him the other day to Morrisons car park, then today out at kennels. So he gets practise in before I move him up.

Oh and there was another slovak in kennels today. Looked very much liek Grey, but more like another slovak I've met. Looked like a lovely boy. They're all so incredibly the same looking these UK slovaks.

Lead walking breakthrough

I'm still in shock after our walk round the square just now. Something really interesting and earth shattering for Grey's lead walking has just happened. I decided that seeing as I was going to give Grey his tea, that I would pop out onto the square with him and sit on a bench, watch the world go by and pay up for nice calmness. I thought it might be nice for him to see some things as long as it was calm seeing as he's a bit isolated at the moment still. So I grabbed his evening portion of kibble and went out on the flat collar and sat on a park bench in the shade. We never do this because we live here. We're usually always on the move walking.

I clicked and treated for a few minutes for being relaxed and then for looking at the other people in the park and back at me as long as he was calm. There were some other people in the park: a group of people 20 metres away with intermittent shouts and they had a staffie that they threw a ball for and then an old man came in with a long haired GSD that barked at us when it came in 15 metres away and Grey slightly whined but then managed to put attention back on to me and got to eat loads more of his tea. So things that usually would have him kangarooing on his lead. Then after a few minutes of calm rewards, I stood up and slowly in this relaxed mode took a pace and Grey just continued to be very focussed on me, gentle and calm! ! He was trotting about at my side with the lead in a huge loop down and was then allowed to sniff bits and I continued to click and treat with small handfuls of food. It even didn't go wrong when the stupid staffie owner chucked the ball near us and ran over with his dog to look for it. Grey did get a bit excited, but I was able to settle him down into a sit, a watch and a down and then we continued on our way.

I had to get L out of the house to watch me walking up and down the path as I have never in my days see him do this! Obviously this might have been a real fluke. But I wonder if I had short circuited the adrenaline surge by calming down outside? I have often tried to calm down inside before going out, but his energy has always been so high then it's hard to come down. So by calming for a minute or so before setting off I was able to get his attention.

If this never happens again, I will still be happy with the sheer joy of walking up and down outside my house with my gorgeous dog, Grey! A small glimpse of a possible future!

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.

Review of the walkezee harness

I've tried out the walkezee harness this week on Grey and it wasn't a success. I didn't like the velcro strap that attaches the front strap of the harness to the normal collar. It seems to move round and the chest strap was often lob sided. It was quite a palava to get it on and then it's not supposed to be left on for free running. I hadn't realised it wasn't to be left on for offlead when I ordered it and that is a big minus for me. It feels like an over amount of equipment when it's on. I got the coupling connectors and they jangle. Making me feel like I was walking a guidedog. Then he seemed to respond better to the halti harness in terms of stopping pulling, which can be left on when offlead. So I'll be sending the walkezee back.

Better days

The last two days Grey went out on a run. He also had much better LLW training sessions. For some reason he's much better in a morning. The traffic does play a part in it, but he's much better in the morning than he is last thing at night. So today we went out first thing with his lamb mince cooked up and in the treat bag. Sticky fingers! Ugh. He was much much better. Then lunchtime we we went out for a run. We went out in the car and he was in the boot area. Much better than when he was in the Yaris. He had a good run, not crazy though. He settled down doing some track backs for his fleecy plaited toy until a Bernese Mountain bitch came up and ran off with it and promptly ate it! Swallowed it whole! So no more track backs! We continued to the beach where he lay cooling his tummy off in the rock pools. On the way back to the car we managed a couple of minutes of LLW. The drive back home he was really good and when we arrived back I managed some more LLW with full attention. Yay! Then he slept for england.

Session 3

Around the back yard and out the side gate. I tied the lead round my waist to I'm not tempted to steer with it and so I've got two hands free for click and treat. He's now sleeping it off.

Session 2

If outside is still too stressful I'm back to working inside and drifting out. I left the front door open, and started from the kitchen. He was whining and straining on the lead. So I just stood there. When the whining stopped and he sat I took a tiny step forward. Boing. Stood there and waited. and repeat. By three metres to the outside he realised and loose lead walked to the outside. He sat and was rewarded, he looked at me, he was rewarded. Lots of rewards for sitting on the step and for looking at me. Back inside and we did the whole walk again from the kitchen to the outside and sit. I did this three times and then stopped.

Not so great walk out

Grey was super switched on this morning. Just constantly spinning out to the end of the lead and going round and to the back of me. I was getting dizzy trying to reoriantate myself to not allow him to run behind me. He's gone on a houseline in the house just now so I can get him to leave a room without mouthing. Need to remember to not let it get me down and to keep positive.

birthday walking

Was up early this morning to take Grey out at first light. Earlier than I'm used to and especially so since it's my birthday. L had got up extra early to bring me breakfast in bed before I got up and out. That was very nice! Grey and I had a nice calm trot round the alleyway opposite the house. Stress levels were low and he was fairly focused. He's much calmer first thing than later in the day. Hope to continue like this for a few more sessions and then work up to take him for offlead exercise in a few days time when he will have been on the lead for 2 weeks.

Sometimes you don't do the right thing

Argh... Well inexperience shows sometimes. I felt really bad today when I had a think after being advised by friends that perhaps my big trip up north in the car to pick up the new car wasn't good for Grey. When I did it, I thought I was doing the right thing. That it would be an opportunity to work on spending time in the car and it not being a journey to go offlead running on the beach. That was really silly of me and I won't do it again. It's not a good idea to raise the bar high and force him to get used to something. Where is the positive in that? So I put myself in a time out to think about it!

On the plus side I think he's going to be so much better in the new car. He happily gets in and sits in the back while it's parked. So later we can work on little trips out. But for now, we'll carry on with no car journeys while working on calm behaviour outside.

Another great piece of advice today was to try and LLW train when the traffic is quiet. Today was ideal because Sunday traffic round here is really low. During the week, we'll get up extra early. We went out across the road to an empty driveway/entrance to a carpark. No idea why I didn't think of this before. I think I'm slow sometimes. He was much much better. No lunging and barking. Stress levels were lower and was able to focus.

Other than that we've worked on sits and downs at home. I put his down on a long whistle so now he's got sit and down on a whistle, which hopefully will come in useful when he gets back off lead.

Also worked on watch at home.

LLW and fear

Perhaps they have to be treated as too separate things? We've got the reactiveness to traffic on the road and the LLW. I've seen progress session on session in being calm when we go out on the front step and just sit and lie there on the blanket. He's got so much better and we can get down the steps to outside the house. When I add LLW on top of that it falls to pieces, so it seems like it is too much.

He is better at LLW when we go out of the side door and sort of slide onto the street. So that's something positive to work on. We had a little session getting in and out of the new car yesterday, so that was also good. Perhaps round my house is just far too busy so the best option might be for me to take him on a short drive to a quiet place like a car park and work round that. I won't jump straight back in to drive = offlead running.

We've had a carpenter in the house all week taking windows out and generally banging around. He was scared of dogs and Grey was scared of him and all the banging. So unfortunately there was a lot of barking at the beginning of the week. But by the end of the week, they were in the same room together. grey was wagging lots and then also calming down.

Big changes in Grey's world

Something clearly wasn't working with Grey's training on walks and on the gencon. After much consultation with my dog guardian angels (thanks guys!) it was decided to make some radical changes for the next week or two. So Grey is now on day 2 of no off lead walks. And further that we don't go anywhere and he pulls. I'm not taking him out in the car either. I don't go anywhere unless he's calm. If he's not calm in the house, the lead doesn't go on and we don't go through the door. Yesterday we passed the day by doing the following:

Getting him used to the gencon by CT him for touching, looking, approaching the headcollar on the floor and in my hands. I left it around (supervised) so it's not just seen as the instrument of torture!

We sat out on the top of the front door steps on his blanket and CT for calm for each passing lorry, van, motorbike, people with push bikes, prams, kids, disabled people in wheelchairs. We live on one busy corner! We did 4 sessions like this of a couple of minutes. A couple of people came up and asked if they could stroke him. Grey obliged by wriggling lots!

We ventured out onto the pavement a couple of times and just worked up and down in front of the house. he had one barking freak out where we retreated to the safety zone of the steps and then CT for calm again.

Inside we passed the day with training on downs and started work on distance by going round the waste paper bin. I also got the crate back out because I'm going to get a new car soon and want him to be crate trained for that. Also it will be useful if he is able to be self controlled enough and calm if confined ever at the vets. He surprised me and got straight into the crate and lay down. I had thought he hated it as he had to be confined in it last month at a friend's flat and he didn't like it.

Other stuff I've done is stash kibble in the living room and I've generally been more proactive in getting him off the sofa and looking out the window at passersby. He's been generally very into training. So over this week or so his training is much more intensive. I had thought he would be really different if he didn't get his big run of the day, but he's been just as tired from the training and thinking about things. One huge difference I think will be is his focus on me. Everything good comes through me. I'm hand feeding him. I've portioned up his food and it's all used as training. Walks are no longer a means to an end. i.e. a free ride to the beach! So he will get used to the walk itself not as it being a route to being let off for a run.

I'm keeping sessions really short. I can see he can't cope with much and he starts to lose focus after a few minutes.

Today we've done some outside the house walking. Some round the bin distance work, and lots of downs where I've aso started to walk around and away from him while he's in the down.

On top of this we've got games and stuffed toys in his open crate.

More walking backwards

I'm still working hard at lead training. I've found that walking backwards is still a great help when he's really starting to freak out and get over stimulated by the environment. I've also gone back to working him more on the gencon. He's less reactive to traffic on the gencon. I can't seem to get him to relax on it though. It's like I have to do as much work on that as flat collar training. if I have him on a short leash on the gencon he never ever lets up pulling into it. No wonder he hates it. So I have to do lots and lots of reinforcement now to get him to stop pulling on that and making it unpleasant for himself. Kind of makes it hard to have that as my from A-B tool. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

He does seem stressed when I put it on him. Even though it's put on with food. He grinds his teeth for the first part of the walk. By the time we are homeward bound he's ok.

We went back to the park this morning. Had a run around then more walking backwards in the center with him following me. He lunged at a line of mounted posties which was a shame as he'd been really good outside the sorting office the day before. But I think the difference was that he was already very excited at the presence of other dogs round the perimeter of the park and that he was on the lead and couldn't go and say hello. I managed to calm him down, put on the gencon and walk nicely home.

This afternoon we headed out on foot again. I decided not to take him in the car to see if we could lower his energy levels that way. It seems to make a difference. We went to the beach at the lido, walked along to the harbour and through the old town. I'd picked up lots of nice bones today at the butchers so he spent a long while chewing bones and farting under my desk. Lovely. Might be a hangover from being wormed yesterday. Who knows, but it's kept him busy.

Other bits of training was more 'up up' and 'off' yesterday.

Little steps at a time

Yesterday I took a different approach to training. Even though I know I've read that people fall into the trap of moving too far too quickly when lead training goes. Somehow that doesn't sink in when you're concentrating on trying to get from A to B. Or trying to get it to work quicker so you can get from A to B. The brief glimpses of Grey walking by my side that I've had, have been so pleasant, I clung onto the thought of it thinking he could do it again. Just the next step if not this one. But that is what's called running before one can walk aka in training terms, lumping. Moving too big a step forward before the dog is ready and proofed, able to perform at a lower level. Grey can walk nicely in the house and round the back yard, but not on the street in front of my house or on walks.

One of the problems is where I live. I live on a hugely busy corner. It's one of the main pedestrian walks into town. On the direct route to the park where lots of dogs go. A main cross roads for cars cutting through the town. My house has raised steps and is right on the corner. When we come out the front door, Grey is confronted by busy traffic and people that have stopped to cross a confusing junction. The atmosphere is quite tense with people scrabbling to get their kids under control to make a dash for it across the road and cars revving to get their slot to cross.

Yesterday morning I went out in the sunshine for an offlead walk by Botany Bay. Grey had good interactions with other dogs. Brief hellos and move ons if a little bouncy. When we were down on the beach investigating a cave, out of nowhere bounded a young male vizsla. He was much leaner and ganglier than Grey a very different shape altogether. They had a short teenage romp together until the owner caught up.

On the way back to the car we did lead training on the quiet footpath. But Grey was never really settled into it. It seemed really endless the number of stops I had to make. He would go round the end of the lead like a compass and string. Over and over. But no matter, we continued this until we got back to the car.

In the afternoon I decided to leave the 6ft wide solid gate to the back yard open to the street. I then got Grey out and started walking him round the yard as I normally would have done with the gate closed. He was slightly distracted but not really. I was using the ham and cheese primula cheese in a tube as one thing I'd noticed is that he gets snatchy on the street and often treats fall to the floor which in turn raises the excitement of hunting for them. The cheese delivery helps save my fingers and also he's looking at my face when he's eating.

So we worked the backyard and slowly edged toward the open gate and the pavement. We managed to get out on the pavement and worked while cars, vans and people with prams and walking sticks passed. Everytime he drifted out of focus with me I would gently edge back into the yard. By the end of the short session we managed to walk up and down 20ft each side of the entrance at rush hour. Hopefully something to build on.

Later we ran through some 'up up' and 'off' training getting on and off the sofa. I was reminded to sort this out by a friend as part of dealing with his humping behaviour. We did about 100 reps. Can't believe I had forgotten to get this solid.

At last, I think I can manage a walk

I tried out the front fastening halti harness today for a short walk to town with L. It was really nice, as although not a training tool that will teach him to walk nicely, he was much more relaxed than he has been on these type of family none lead training outings on his head collar (Gencon or the Halti). I'm still going to carry the Gencon with me in case of situations where I need tight control of him though. But his body language was much more relaxed and he wasn't trying to rub it off or crying like he still does on the head collar. The best thing was that it was relaxing for all of us. No grinding of teeth, funny burping noises and struggled breathing. So it was much easier to get him to focus on getting used to traffic and the high street again. I was also happy in the knowledge that when I got him back from free running on the beach that I wouldn't have to whip out the head collar which I was worried might muck up his recall and put a downer on the trip out.

So far so good. I've been here before though where I've said I think I found a good solution. But this time it comes off the back of a load of lead training and he's a little older. So perhaps he'll be easier to manage on it.

This morning we ran through some of Helen Phillips training for the lead. Just standing still. Putting my foot on the lead with enough slack and standing in a relaxed position on one hip and just taking the scenery in. CT rewarding him for being calm. I have to work on getting him used to being relaxed and switched off outside before expecting him to be nice on the lead.

Later tonight we went to a cafe and Grey had a cow's ear to keep him busy. Was a bit of a noisy chewer, but he was really good and the cafe people like him.

Shaping is coooool!

I have started reteaching Grey 'down' but this time by shaping. He was previously taught it by luring and clicker but it was clear he was not getting the vocal cue and more often than not, since he was 6 months old I had to crouch and coax him into a down. I obviously hadn't faded the lure correctly and he was dependent on it. So last night I started shaping him. Purely standing really still, and CT for the littlest movement down of his head and then more and more until he was all the way down. He was so cute and clearly got it. He was so perfectly in the same position each time and I didn;t request this of him. I would have been happy to just reward his down, but he wanted to be in the exact same movement. To me this showed me how much he was thinking about it rather than just going for the treat under his nose. We did a couple of 3 min sessions. By today's I had just started adding the vocal cue. I tried it outside in the courtyard and he didn't get it. So we started again from the beginning and he quickly got to giving full downs. Will try and firm it up tomorrow.

Other than that we did more lead training up on the top at Botany Bay. I had hoped he would find it less distracting on the footpath, but I think it was too close to the field he goes off lead on. I really need to find a boring bit of road, but I don't have one near my house. It's really busy here and everytime I go anywhere in the car it gets him hyped up.

2nd fear period

It's been suggested that Grey might be going through his second fear period. I think they're right. He's started going a lot more nutso in the car. Also he's been lunging at passing trucks, 4x4s and lorries when on the lead. So back to basics for socialising for a while then. Either that or he's going to turn into a devil dog!

Today we went for a huge walk after heading out with an OS map. Was really nice, if a little flat terrain wise. There's only so much of fields you can get enthused by. Grey came back on all his recall whistles so that's still going well. He came back at speed from ages away. He met a few swans - didn't bark, just looked. A horse, again, just looked. Yay! He had to be put on the Gencon for the last leg of the walk which he hated because we had to go along a road and I was with L so no chance to LLW train.

Ran through some training when we got home. Lead training down the hallway to a plate of chicken. Tight lead we go backwards, loose lead forwards and if he carried on he got the chicken. he did really well. By the 9th and 10th times he loose lead walked all the way.

Then some sitstays. Me just standing in front of him and increasing the count by 1 sec at a time while he was in a sit. We got to 14 secs. Had to restart the count twice to 1 because he offered me a down twice at about 5 secs.

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!

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.