Love, Trust and Communication: The Gifts of Positive Training

When I adopted Ruby in 2013 I didn't exactly have a training philosophy, and I had no idea how essential training and management would be to our life together. By the time I adopted Boca (as a foster failure), I knew that positive reinforcement was my goal and I've tried to employ it every step of the way with my two wonderful girls.

Aside from trick training and enrichment like crate games, I don't do a lot of formal or obedience training, but my background in horses taught me that every interaction is training. Day to day life with The Ginger Sisters is a constant dialog, and sometimes lessons are learned - for good or bad - before I even realize it. My dogs are far from perfect, but my relationship with them is one of the most important and treasured in my life, and I would never sacrifice it for a shortcut. My adherence to positive training is non-negotiable and a value I won't compromise on. Its gifts aren't quantifiable, but among its greatest are love, trust and communication.

On Reactivity and The Election

It's been a hard week for many of us. The world which previously felt safe, secure and predictable feels suddenly less so. We are on edge, our skin prickles with the anticipation of what might happen or what bogeyman is around the next bend. We gnaw on the bones of history, our thoughts run in tail-chasing circles. I don't know if I've ever felt a closer kinship with my reactive dog.

Creative Crate Training

Although the unseasonably warm weather in Colorado continues, with shorter days come shorter after-work dog walks and I'm left with two dogs who need more activity in the evening. There are a variety of indoor games you can play with your dogs, even better if they have a practical application.

Fall Trick Training Progress

With winter close on the heels of this beautiful fall weather, I'm breaking out the props and the clicker in preparation for trick training to keep The Ginger Sisters occupied when the nights get cold and dark. Ruby has been working hard on several new tricks and Boca will try anything if it means she gets more food! I'm so proud of how far Ruby's 'hold' trick has come. The last time we shared our progress, she was ever-so-patiently persevering through my klutziness and through trial and error I found the toys that are easiest for her to hold. The fact that one of them happens to be a bouquet of flowers is just too adorable for words.

Positive Training Was A No-Brainer For Me

As dog lovers, we often feel like science is way behind when it finally proves that dogs understand what we're saying or that dogs recognize human facial expressions. We knew that already! It's obvious when our dogs seem to instinctively know when we need some extra comfort after a bad day, or when we have to spell certain words (it's w-a-l-k and t-u-g and f-r-i-s-b-e-e around here). As an advocate for positive training, I am constantly referencing the science and studies that back up my training philosophy, but the truth is, science had nothing to do with my choice.

Positive Reinforcement at BlogPaws

I have so many stories and pictures to share from BlogPaws, which was fun, educational, exhausting and amazing all at once. My trip was generously sponsored by Open Farm, and Boca and I even got to meet our wonderful contact, Amy, in Phoenix. For this week's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, I wanted to illuminate how positive reinforcement helped make Boca's first big event in a strange, chaotic place a success.

Staying to Play - A Surprising Training Discovery

Although this weekend's outdoor activites were thwarted by yet another spring snowstorm (I referred to yesterday as Gray the First), I was able to get in a fun Frisbee game with Ruby before the green was whited-out again. I've been incorporating the long line and flying disc into any outdoor training with Ruby, because it's the one thing I've found that she finds highly motivating, even in the presence of her many triggers. Recently, we even had a great experience with two different dogs being walked around the perimeter of the lawn we play on, where Ruby briefly looked at the dogs and then returned to obsessing over her Frisbee. For a dog so reactive she knows the sound of the doors of the places where dogs live opening from inside our house, this is huge. It was around that time I decided I needed to order the things (Booda's TailSpin Flyer if we're being specific) in bulk from our favorite online retailer. They are magic!

Practical and Playful Trick Training

My post for Positive Pet Training Week is only very loosely based on the theme of training for first aid and emergencies. Ruby has never worn a muzzle, nor do I have one, but with a fearful/reactive dog I thought that integrating a cue that could lay the groundwork for muzzle training would be a good idea. You just never know when a situation might arise that might be too overwhelming for the anxious dog's taxed inhibition. With an unpredictable reactive dog, a muzzle helps make dog introductions safer. Sara over at Two Blockheads has a wonderful post about muzzle training that I recommend. I introduced the "muzzle" behavior with a plastic cup that we use for the shell game. It was fairly easy to capture since it was just another form of touch, although I was surprised how comfortable Ruby was with shoving her whole face in. The video we took earlier today is probably only the third time at most that we've worked on this. I did some free-shaping to break things up, and I really liked the nose pushing behavior with the cup. Our next step would be adding duration, and later on build acceptance/comfort with a basket-type muzzle being fastened and worn.

Recall Preschool

A reliable recall is probably the most important thing you can teach your dog. It is also, in my opinion, one of the hardest. Ruby has gotten away from me a couple of times due to equipment failure and human error, and they've been some of the scariest moments of my life. With a reactive dog and no yard, it sometimes seems in the outer realm of unattainable. Even if I never plan for my dogs to be off-leash and our real-life training scenarios are limited, there are still steps I can take to lessen the chances of a runaway and to strengthen the recall cue.

Klutzy Trick Training

Ruby's paw target - her precision is far better than mine!

I have always been a klutz. I knock my elbows and knees into things, I drop stuff constantly. Once I managed to drop a quart of paint in the middle of a Home Depot aisle and it came open and splattered all over another customer's shoes and pants. I believe the color was Mortification Taupe. I am frequently apologizing to my poor timid Ruby for my incoordination and bad timing. She cowers whenever I drop something noisily on to the floor, and as the last person picked for team sports in school, I've dealt some pretty terrible throws when playing fetch with a ball or her Frisbee. She's stuck with me, though, and we muddle through clicker training together, something that requires good timing and on-the-fly finesse.

Trick Training Week 2: Paws Up and Paw Target

Paws Up! #ruby #dogs #jrt #borderjack #tricktraining #clickertraining #positivereinforcement #smartypants

A video posted by Lara Elizabeth (@2gingerdogs) on Jan 18, 2016 at 7:43pm PST

Ruby and I are taking part in an online trick training class in order to earn her Novice Trick Title. I'm a little bit behind - Week 1 was pretty easy because she already knew most of the tricks. Week 2 has been a little more challenging. The tricks for Week 2 are:

Don't Forget to Reward What's Already Good

I assume there will be cookies for wearing red balloons on my feet?

Our dogs are the very best teachers. In the time I've had Ruby and Boca, I've increased my knowledge of dog training and behavior and how both relate to their very different personalities. I think back on my previous dogs and wish I'd known what I know today - our relationships could have been even richer. 

Accountability and Inspiration with Online Dog Training

I mentioned in my Year in Review post that after talking about it for far too long I was finally going to apply for Ruby's first trick title through Do More With Your Dog. I learned about a free online class that walks you through the weekly tricks necessary to apply for each level of title, and thought it was the perfect way to achieve my goal with Ruby. January just happens to be National Train Your Dog Month, so the timing couldn't be better!

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. 

Step by Step: Ruby Develops and Conquers a Mysterious New Fear

Recently I wrote about working through Ruby's new hesitance to jump up on to the bed , (which is much-improved). Around the same time I posted that, Ruby developed another confounding fear: going up the stairs. She would go about two-thirds of the way up, then stop and whine or turn around and go back down. My dad and I were both baffled; Ruby has been running up and down the stairs for more than two years. She very rarely goes upstairs without us. I installed a stair gate at the bottom when my senior dog Lasya developed a neurological condition that made her unsteady. We keep the gate closed when we're downstairs, and the dogs don't have access to the stairs when we're not home. The only time Ruby really goes up and down by herself is in the morning after breakfast when she comes back up to bed. My best guess is that during one of those trips she slipped and hurt herself or possibly there was a loud noise that she associated with one particular stair. In any case, it only serves to emphasize the profound effect that one frightening event, even unbeknownst to us, can have on a sensitive, fearful dog. We thought that her memory of that event might fade and the problem would resolve as she went up a few times with no issues, but actually got worse in the days leading up to my trip. At first she would dash the last few steps (again, like something was chasing her) and then she stopped trying altogether. If she could follow right behind me she was better, but if I went up without her no amount of coaxing could get her to take those last five steps. For some reason when it was bedtime she was fine to follow Boca and I up to bed, making me think she also associated whatever happened with time of day. When she was in the stairwell she was very jumpy, as if expecting something to reach out and grab her. Since October is a spooky time of year and I have been watching a lot of horror movies, I started to wonder if she'd seen a ghost.

It was heartbreaking to see her so uncomfortable in her own home, and with something that had previously been not at all concerning to her. In the picture above you can see her wearing her worried ears. I was especially distressed about going on my trip, knowing my dad wouldn't take the time to coax her up the stairs and that he would probably spend a lot of time reading in his room. Rather than lament needlessly, I knew there was only one way to tackle the problem - desensitization and counter-conditioning - and I didn't have a lot of time. We needed intensive cheese therapy. As I was packing for Phoenix, each time I went up the stairs I got one of The Ginger Sisters' highest value treats - yellow processed cheese product - and doled it out step by step as Ruby came up the stairs. At first it was a bite of cheese on every single step. Then she would go three or four steps at a time. At the top of the stairs it was a straight up cheese party with a celebration of Ruby's bravery. By the time my bags were packed, she was running all the way up the stairs without me, and when I called him from Arizona the first time my dad reported that Ruby was running up and down the stairs like nothing ever happened. I was so relieved and upon my return I saw that she had no more fear of the stairs - mysteriously materialized and dispelled with proven methods. Thank you, science and Kraft Singles!

The Power of Association for a Sensitive Dog

Despite looking rather forlorn in the above picture, Ruby very much chose to curl up in here and has been doing so more and more frequently of late, after having no interest in her kennel for over a year. Boca has always liked to nap in hers in the evenings, and now I'm finding myself with no sofa snuggle buddies! I believe Ruby's new fondness for her kennel has much to do with just a few training sessions in the last month.

Since Ruby barks at animals on TV, I have started asking her to "go to your den" when I foresee an extended dog or pony show, and feeding her yummy treats quite steadily while she is there. Her kennel is situated between two sofas, so although it faces the TV her view is mostly obscured. This has led both to more peaceful evenings when The Amazing Race contestants are racing through a polo field during a match as well as developing the positive association for her kennel - a place to relax and receive a steady stream of snacks.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Ruby has formed a mysterious negative association recently. I have laminate floors throughout my house, and in my bedroom this presented a problem for the dogs, since they had no purchase for their leap up on to the bed. This was solved by a lovely framed dog bed which I placed between the head of the bed and the wall. It's essentially a launch pad for the dogs and a deluxe king-sized bed for the cat, although Boca occasionally sleeps in it as well. Sometime in the last month, Ruby became hesitant to use the dog bed to reach the human bed.

I have no idea what happened - perhaps the cat told her off or she hurt herself in the process, but the important thing to note is that one bad experience changed a habit that was established for over a year. For a sensitive dog like Ruby (I call her my delicate flower), a seemingly insignificant event can have serious repercussions. I've noticed that the time of day seems to make a difference - she is less worried about jumping up in the mornings than in the evenings. Currently I'm working on recreating the positive associations by coaxing her to the launch pad using a series of "touch" cues and treats. It does seem to be helping but sometimes I go ahead and lift her up, since I feel this will build her tolerance for being picked up and she even readies herself now when I say "want a boost?" giving her the power of choice.

Ruby was my inspiration for learning more about positive training methods, dog body language and behavior. She continues to teach me the importance of patience and flexibility when working with a sensitive dog, and proving just how damaging negative associations can be, even if they are unintentional. This solidifies my commitment to reward-based training as I can't imagine deliberately causing pain or fear in a dog whose security is so easily shaken. Between Boca's Fourth of July bed boycott, due to associating the scary booms of fireworks with being in the bedroom and Ruby's new quirk, I have never worked so hard to get my dogs to sleep in bed with me!

Walking Together, Walking Apart and Finding Your Dog's Motivation

Although the photo above shows me walking both dogs as I so often do (my dad was the cameraman here, and if he joins us he walks Boca) but my goal for Walk Your Dog Week (October 1st-7th) was to do more one-on-one walking with The Ginger Sisters. I think they appreciate the focused attention, and they are two very different dogs with very different needs and motivations. 

This weekend I spent some time with Ruby and Boca individually. Ruby's solo walk was more of a solo play session using her long line and flying disc, but there is nothing she finds more rewarding than chasing, fetching and tugging, so I used that to our advantage to burn off some energy and also strengthen our bond through play. I've actually never tried using her long line with her flying disc before - we used to take it to the dog park or ball field but I decided to give it a whirl and it went spectacularly! Her line is only 15 feet and I now that I know how well this works, we have a 30 foot on the way. Being the paranoid helicopter dog parent that I am, I was sure to attach her little safety line (a toy dog coupler) from the base of the snap on the long line to her harness ring. 

I threw her disc gently so it wouldn't sail too far and then prepared myself to run as well so she didn't hit the end of the line. Ruby had a blast and even caught the disc mid-air a few times which is a big deal for my cautious, careful girl (she reminds me so much of myself in gym class, dodging the volleyball). After she caught it she would run gleefully in circles and even toss the disc up for herself to catch again. It filled my heart with joy to see her having so much fun. After she was sufficiently tired, we continued on a short walk around the neighborhood. You'll notice there is only one loose leash in the picture...I like to think less that Ruby pulls and more that I don't walk fast enough for her. The long line gave her room to explore and sniff while also coming back to me. Since Ruby will never be an off-leash dog, I need to utilize this tool more often to give her increased freedom. 

Boca is my easygoing, ambling girl. Individual walks with her are a pleasure; unless she is trying to snag a chicken bone off the ground she is always strolling at my side, mouth open in a smile, tail wagging. For her solo walk, I took along a pocketful of treats. Food is still the number one motivator for my former street dog. One of the things we struggled with in our beginning obedience class was a sit in different positions. Boca's tendency was to pivot and sit facing me rather than at my side. I was surprised to find that in our day-to-day informal walks and work on sit in the house, Boca has naturally picked up sitting at my side! She was eager to earn some tasty treats as we meandered around the neighborhood practicing that as well as some short-distance recalls. Since walking with a reactive dog (Ruby) requires constant vigilance and what I like to call "Defensive Dog Walking" skills, it's a wonderful break for me to be able to simply wander at will and not dart around the corner if we happen to see someone else coming. 

As the days grow shorter and colder, I know it will be harder to maintain my commitment to walking my dogs separately, but I'd like to make a point of doing so on at least one weekend day. Ruby would like to hone her skills as a disc-catching terrier and Boca clearly enjoys her snack-sprinkled saunters.

This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, hosted by Cascadian Nomads,Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. 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! 

Why I'm a Good Dog Trainer

This is the face of a happy, engaged dog. It's my favorite face.

Last month, for the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, I talked about why I'm a bad dog trainer so this month I wanted to explore the flip side of that. Today also happens to be Ruby's 2nd Gotcha Day, and of the myriad ways she's changed my life, one of the most important is all she has taught me about dog body language, behavior and training. While we're nowhere near perfect, we've come a long way in our communication and understanding of one another. I've gotten her through some fears, improved her reactivity to most pedestrians and cars, and implemented management strategies when and where I've needed to. Ruby is a much happier dog than she was two years ago. She wags her tail more often and has the confidence to investigate things she's afraid of. She trusts me to keep her safe and I know our limits. I thought I would share a few examples of things we've improved on lately and what skills I incorporated to do so.

I Give It Time
When I started trick-training beyond the basics, I really wanted to teach Ruby to cover her face with a paw. I would call the trick "are you shy."  The step-by-step instructions in my trick training book suggested sticking a piece of tape or a Post-It note to the dog's muzzle, then marking and rewarding when they pawed it away. Ruby quickly caught on to this and just as swiftly let me know that wasn't going to work for her. She found the sticky note mildly aversive and started avoiding me when she saw I had it in my hand. I tabled the trick for a while, but this spring I introduced it again, breaking it down into smaller steps. I decided I would use DS/CC to change her association to the sticky note, marking and rewarding each time she allowed me to touch her with it, beginning with her neck. As I started touching the sticky note to her muzzle briefly, she started pawing at it, allowing me to mark and reward and thereby capture the very behavior I was looking for. I realized I didn't even have to use the sticky note, and could illicit the pawing action by gently touching her neck or nose. Soon I could fade the physical cue and started using a hand signal (covering my own nose with my hand). This trick still isn't completely solid, but we've made significant progress on it simply by stepping away from it and approaching it in a slightly different way.

I Give My Dogs Options 
Ruby is a very sensitive dog. She is uncomfortable with restraint and does not like the sound of metal (keys, silverware). This makes putting collars and harnesses on with their accompanying tags, snaps and buckles clinking a bit of a challenge. Ruby adores going for walks and knows that her gear is a requirement for venturing out, but if something gets dropped on the floor by some klutzy Ginger Sister guardian or a boisterous Boca bowls her over, we have a setback. What I've learned works best is letting Ruby come to the harness, rather than the other way around. It's less threatening for her, and by giving her the option to "put her stuff on" when she's ready, I've involved her in the process rather than forced it on her. She understands that the sooner the harness is buckled, the sooner the fun begins, and she will nearly always put her own harness on by poking her head through if I just give her a moment.

I'm Here for the Relationship
This is the big one. As much as I love trick training, and as much as I appreciate the importance of obedience (most especially with recall, something we will probably always struggle with, given Ruby's high prey drive and our lack of outdoor space to practice), what I'm most interested in is my relationship with my dogs. I want one based on trust and understanding, with both parties getting a say and striving to communicate more effectively. Last weekend one of our resident rabbits spent some time sitting under the hedge next to my front window, much to Ruby's delight. She normally can't see out of the windows since they are covered with window film, but we've been opening them for the cross-breeze on these cool mornings and evenings. She spent several hours perched on the back of the loveseat, watching out the screen, quivering with excitement, wagging her tail from side to side and fantasizing about how it would taste, no doubt. One evening she jumped onto the back of the sofa, glanced at the curtain, then looked pointedly at my dad and quietly grunt-barked at him. We both knew exactly what she meant - she wanted the curtain and the window open so she could see her rabbit! Would some consider that demanding? I considered it incredibly smart and kind of amazing - another species communicating her desires to another. These moments are outside the definition of training in a traditional sense, but they solidify my determination to keep learning and keep listening, which is what training means to me.

This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. The hop happens on the first Monday of every month and stays open for a full week. Please join us in spreading the word about the rewards of positive training!

Why I'm a Bad Dog Trainer

What are you waiting for? Let me show you all the stuff I know!

This month for the Positive Pet Training Week Blog Hop we are talking about training failures and mistakes. I am fairly new to dog training, with most of my animal training experience relating to horses. There are more parallels than not, to be honest, especially when dealing with fearful dogs who act more like spooky prey animals than fierce predators; however, I think that I expect more from horses than from dogs, leading me to my biggest failure as a dog trainer. 

Simple Tips for Training Multiple Dogs

I have to admit that I did a lot more training when I only had Ruby. She excelled at trick training and quickly developed an impressive repertoire. Boca was able to attend a basic obedience class and did wonderfully, but we haven't gotten very far beyond that. Training more than one dog can be tricky and it can be hard to find the time to work with each dog individually. Here are some things I have learned that can make it easier and keep it fun. 

Keep It Simple 

When working with multiple animals it's important to remember that they can be a distraction to one another, and you may not be able to work on complex behaviors. A dog may find it more difficult to do some things in the company of another; for instance, Boca is overexcited when there is food involved and can tend to leap around and make Ruby nervous, so Ruby won't necessarily do some of her behaviors that put her in a vulnerable position, such as rolling over or "relax." I know I have to ask for simpler things such as "sit," "down" and "paw." I increase the challenge by asking for these behaviors from both dogs in unison, and the results can be pretty amusing. 

Get Creative

Training two dogs can open up some delightful possibilities if you draw on each dog's strengths. Ruby loves to jump over things. Boca loves to sprawl out on the floor. Naturally, I've taught Ruby to jump over Boca! Our friend Lauren taught her adorable lookalike girls to "kiss" and it's just about the cutest thing ever.  Dai Aoki of Positive Dog Care Sydney does some incredible stunts with his two border collies, Holly and Ace.

Utilize Mat or Crate Training

When you want to focus on one dog, it can be tough if the other is vying for attention, barking or whining. I'm so glad that Ruby has a great mat work foundation as it is the perfect solution for short training sessions when I have both dogs in the same room. I can place Ruby on her mat and work with Boca, or ask Boca to go to her kennel while I work with Ruby. I haven't done any mat training or the Relaxation Protocol with Boca, but sometimes we play our own variation on "crate games" where I will take turns sending them to their kennels and release them separately.  This is a great way to practice impulse control. 

Consider the Individual

What works for one dog may not work for another, and even if you are working with more than one dog at a time, you may have to fine-tune your training for each. They may require different kinds or rates of reinforcement, different lengths or intensities of sessions. Ruby is easily frustrated and Boca can be too food motivated so I have to take these things into account and adjust for them.

Remember that every interaction we have with our animals is teaching them something, and even if one dog is waiting its turn for formal training, it is learning! Ruby and Boca have taught me so much about positive reinforcement, often picking up on things so much faster than I expect. Training multiple pets comes with its own challenges, but I think the rewards far outweigh them. 

This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days - join us on the first Monday of every month to promote positive pet training and share advice and experiences. The hop is open all week long! The next hop begins July 6th.