December 7, 2015

Positive Training Is a Gift with Infinite Returns


For all the advocating I do about positive training, I sometimes feel like a failure with my own dogs. Boca still barks at my dad while we're eating dinner every night. Ruby is still reactive to everything that moves on our walks. I have to remind myself that while we are far from perfect, what keeps me passionately adhered to positive training techniques are the deeper levels of relationship that are possible when your currency is trust instead of fear. 

I have witnessed Boca's wariness with certain people, and I take very little credit for how she behaves with me, except that I've been very careful from the day she arrived off the plane from The Bahamas to never give her any reason not to trust me. We play and snuggle and nap in a big dog pile together, and I do my best to keep every promise I make to her. If I ask a difficult question I take responsibility for confusion and I reward her earnest answers. Because of this, Boca has starred in a series of puzzle toy videos in an unfamiliar environment, with very little formal training but a lot of faith. She tolerated months of frequent visits to the ophthalmologist during her corneal ulcer and resulting graft surgery, wore the Cone of Woe for ten weeks and endured administration of twice-daily eye drops. She is so little trouble that it's easy to forget just how remarkable she is. I know I can count on her, and I think she knows the same about me.

Ruby is a different dog entirely, a constant riot of energy, anxiety and suspicion. My dad recently called her the most courageous coward: she would chase a one-thousand pound horse if given the opportunity, but is terrified of the clatter of keys and the rustle of plastic bags. Ruby's trust is conditional; gained gradually with the potential to be lost in a heartbeat. I have had to adjust my interactions with her to account for her extreme sensitivity, not sacrifice her security for the appearance of progress. We have worked long and hard on foot handling and nail clipping. The other night I was giving her a paw massage while she slept, and last night I clipped both front dew-claws and all the nails on one front paw in a single swift session. We accomplished this with a peanut butter bottle and baby steps. Ruby now runs and jumps on the sofa for a pedicure when I say "peanut butter paws." It takes longer to counter-condition instead of coerce. It's a two-way discussion instead of a one-way demand. I can't think of something more worth it, though, that turns a previously scary task into something anticipated with joyous spinning and barking. All you need is love, patience, and peanut butter.  

The gift of positive training is in the richness of relationship, in the unexpected ways my dogs engage with me and the interesting conversations we have. I couldn't ask for a sweeter companion than Boca, a more captivating sidekick than Ruby. It is because of them that I strive to be a little better than I was yesterday, that I started and continue this blog, that I advocate for kindness and change. Every day, my dogs give back what I put in and so much more.


This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, hosted by Cascadian Nomads,Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. This month's theme is Giving Back and the next hop begins on January 4th. The hop happens on the first Monday of every month, and is open for a full week - please join us in spreading the word about the rewards of positive training! 


11 comments:

  1. I love this Lara! I'd be interested to hear how you help Ruby with her fear of rustling keys and plastic bags. Teddy leaves the room if someone claps or opens a crinkly bag. It's tough to help him when I can't always predict when those offending sounds will happen, but we're working on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby hates clapping, too! I haven't specifically CC'd keys or bags but I really should.

      Delete
  2. Beautiful post, Lara! Dogs are so amazing, aren't they? :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. This really is a beautiful post. I've been embarked on a Susan Garrett learning binge, and my favorite thing that she says is that "you should be the source of joy in your dog's life". If anyone lives by that, the rewards are endless. You said it better than I did - thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby let me pick her up and hold her cradled like a baby last night (happily and for the first time) - I felt like we had reached another level of trust. Trust and joy are so important!

      Delete
  4. I needed your reminder...it takes time and patience.
    I feel recently like i'm slowly losing my mind, and i've been getting more and more frustrating trying to meet the needs of 4 dogs while not meeting my own.
    I need to take a breath and just keep trying. Recently Ziva's reactivity on leash towards strange dogs has started back up again - part of this is lack of practice, we haven't been working with her as much due to having so many dogs in the house....
    I'm hoping to get these guys homes quickly though and then we're taking a break from fostering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh man...4 dogs is SO MANY! I had a really hard time with 3 when Keemo was with us. Ruby has made some backward progress with her reactivity, too, it's just so hard to work on it in the winter. At least there are usually fewer people out? I hope your fosters find their forever homes soon.

      Delete
  5. Such a beautiful post! I love your relationship with the girls, and I've never met any of you!

    I have a hard time with nail clipping by myself (and Rob never wants to help, because the dogs hate it). I thought about desensitizing them to a Dremel but was daunted by how long it would take, and clipping is faster anyway. Recently I FORCED Rob to help me (Force is ok with humans), and he shoveled peanut butter in their faces while I clipped. Painless for everyone. Plus it was positive reinforcement for Rob so he'll be more likely to help me in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I absolutely love this post and appreciate his blog. Because of you, I felt less of a failure with Rodrigo and now that we have Zoey, who is anxious, fearful, and reactive, I understand that this is who she is and I enjoy every win with her. I love your statement about trust and never giving your dogs a reason to distrust you. So important.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've learned so much from you, too, Kimberly! You have a wonderful relationship with your foursome. Sensitive dogs like Ruby and Zoey definitely require a different approach.

      Delete

Thanks so much for visiting The Ginger Sisters at Rubicon Days! We enjoy each and every comment and love getting to know our readers.