Clicker Training next stages...

[Shalista]

I want him to be able to behave well in public. if he's sitting then hes not jumping up on someone. I like encouraging him to focus on me so he's less likely to pull or try to say hi to another dog. i also like using his commands as a way to calm him down when he's bouncing off the walls, or a way to ground him when he's nervous in a new environment or around new people.

Alot of the "training sessions" we have probably could be supplemented for mind games i agree. I tend to train as a way of bonding with him and getting him stimulated when i think he's bored.

That being said i kind of feel like i do need to do actual training with him unless you have any tips on how to get the above through other means?

[Nettle]

Great answer!

The 'sit' is useful as you say for situations when he can't do what you don't want while his butt is parked. I think you would do well to maintain the reasonable requests but put yourself in Bax's place for the more 'unreasonable' ones. For instance, one 'sit' shows he hasn't forgotten to sit, but ten goes into the realm of 'why the heck are we doing this?'. So run through his repertoire from time to time, interspersed with something HE enjoys, so he finds you a source of fun things not a nagger with a constant stream of 'do this - do that-do this again-and again- do that'. So - why not change to 'sit' while I lay out the cup game or before I give you the paper tube' see how much more fun that is for him?

If he is nervous in a new environment, it is better not to give him commands but instead to stay with him quietly while he absorbs the new events. Think if you were really edgy and someone kept on at you to practice your handwriting or music scales or something like that. And don't make him 'sit' etc if someone wants to pet him and he doesn't want to be petted. People don't have to pet our dogs, and our dogs are grateful if they can choose who touches them and who doesn't.

So - yep, you are doing great - we are here to help you and Bax do even better!

[JudyN]

Maybe the way to think of it is not to try to fix the link between you saying 'sit' and the action in the dog's brain to the point that it becomes a reflex, but to try to make yourself really worth listening to and paying attention to in all contexts.

I know for training recall in lurchers, once they get the general idea, it's best just to recall them once on a walk and give them a huge reward (not necessarily food) rather than call them back every five minutes.

[Shalista]

but to try to make yourself really worth listening to and paying attention to in all contexts.

I think this is an area i really need to work on. Bax is flawless when he's in "training mode" but if i were to casually ask him to do something at a random time he prolly wouldn't do it. (especially not if treats weren't present)

If he is nervous in a new environment, it is better not to give him commands but instead to stay with him quietly while he absorbs the new events. Think if you were really edgy and someone kept on at you to practice your handwriting or music scales or something like that. And don't make him 'sit' etc if someone wants to pet him and he doesn't want to be petted. People don't have to pet our dogs, and our dogs are grateful if they can choose who touches them and who doesn't.

Sigh, yes, that slipped in to my post without me meaning to. We recently completed CGC certification and one of the things Bax HAD to be able to do was sit, and stay seated, while a stranger walked directly up to him and pet him. It wasn't until we'd started training that i learned that while Bax LOVES people... he doesn't necessarily want to be touched. We kind of fumbled through it and he passed but... yeah... haven't made him sit for pets since. (it helps that hes small so if he DOES jump up on people its not a huge issue so i tend to let that stuff slide. id rather he be happy and relaxed around people first and THEN we can work on jumping up and manners. As things are he spends a couple min nosing around them and jumping up on them, but quickly backing away the moment they try to pet him, and then we get to love and snuggles, sometimes not though, sometimes we don't get that far.)

EDIT: clarification, if hes walking past someone and they dont want to say hi, we keep walking, i dont let him just jump all over everyone.

[Nettle]

Good clarification and well done for your thoughtfulness.

These CGC tests appal me. What on earth is the purpose of expecting your dog to endure random strangers coming up and petting them? It's unreasonable and unsafe - a great way to get a dog stolen.

Allowing a vet etc, to handle the dog is quite different - my dogs know they have to be handled if I am holding them, but I teach them to stay away from strangers.

[Shalista]

http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/ ... g-testing/ <--- ( a refresher for those who dont know all that CGC entails)
i wanted to get bax into doing therapy work. obviously ive reconsidered. maybe if he mellows with age since he honestly does like people and his shyness has vastly improved. but yeah, people train their dogs to pass the CGC for a bunch of reasons but it IS one of the requirements if you want to get into therapy work.

[Erica]

I did a class with Opal for an alternate "good dog behavior" certificate called "CLASS" (Canine Life And Social Skills) which is very similar to the CGC but has the distinct advantage of allowing you to say "No, you can't pet my dog" during the "friendly stranger approaches" segment. (link to first level of CLASS) I'd recommend it over the CGC for people needing "my dog isn't awful" proof for renting etc.

The part of the CGC that bugs me most is the "three minute wait with a stranger while owner is gone." If it were truly a "trusted person" that I had to leave my dog with, that person would already know my dog - so Delta would probably be fine hanging out with them for a bit. But a stranger? :/ He'd definitely be more focused on where the heck I'd gone than the person holding his leash.

(Delta has some mild separation anxiety stuff, true, but I don't think that the supervised separation is really...useful?)

[Shalista]

Well in all fairness if i wanted to do therapy work with bax i could see why being pet by a stranger might be a requirement =P

and yeah i got no clue on the supervised separation O.o that might have some bearing on his behavior at home but thats not what we're testing O.o

[Nettle]

You want to do the therapy work for you, not for Bax. Bax might be the sort of dog that wouldn't want to do it at all. More dogs are unsuitable than suitable for therapy work.

Sometimes it's good to have goals, but we need to be reasonable about them. Bax is teaching you all about empathy.

[Shalista]

Bax is teaching you all about empathy.

oh yeah, bax has def taught me alot =)

You want to do the therapy work for you, not for Bax.

courts still out on that imho. he does seem to really super enjoy meeting people he just needs to sniff them out first. i had totally given up on that idea during CGC but hes come so far recently...? idk. taking it a day at a time. it's not something im actively working towards at all.

CGC was also the last vestiges of my up bringing where having a cookie cutter dog was a goal worth having. i wanted the 'perfect' dog that was super well behaved all the time. i kind of snicker at that now. I love bax with all his quirks!