Command Clinic: That's not your problem.

"That's not your problem" is a cue I developed with Elka, because of course I can't possibly take peoples' advice when they say to keep cues simple. She's smart enough, I feel that simple cues don't always get the point across. Or, they come to mean a broad category, and don't really apply to the next category.

So, while "Leave it" would suffice for most dogs, for Elka, "leave it" refers to items, objects, and wildlife in the yard.

"That's not your problem" applies to other dogs, either in view or barking blocks away. It applies to people walking past on the sidewalk across the street, car doors closing, people coming home next door, etc. The longer phrase seems to assure Elka that yes, I do see the issue, and she can leave it.

Reward Calmness

I was at the park today with Elka on the long line, when I saw a person approaching with her dog.  It was a yellow lab puppy, I'm not sure how old, but twenty to thirty ish pounds. They were all over the path as they approached, so I put Elka on her regular short leash to wait them out. The puppy was on a retractable leash, and I heard the mechanism squeal as he pulled out more length, even though it was "locked". Elka put herself in a down, and I stood on the long leash (still attached to her harness). She seemed less than happy with the puppy antics, and since the woman didn't seem to have full control, either due to puppy exuberance or lack of interest in doing so, I didn't think they ought to "say hello".

Command Clinic: Heel (with a bonus Front)

The other day, Elka and I were playing with Gumby. Maybe we'd just come in from a potty trip, and it was celebratory tug? I don't remember. Regardless. When we play tug, I like getting Elka all riled up and snarling like she really means it, and then having her "drop it" and then either Down, or Heel. My fiancé hadn't seen this mystical "heel" happen, and had us repeat it several times.

Elka will go from facing me into a heel pretty well at this point, off leash in the house, and also in the yard. If she's a bit crooked, I say "Excuse me, straight" and she straightens herself out in relation to my heel, and sits. I can also say "Front", and she'll swing her hindquarters around and sit in front of me. But how did we do it?

(Front, if slightly crooked)

The Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge: January 10 2013

 Thanks to Something Wagging, and Tales and Tails, I remembered the Pet Blogger Challenge way in advance this time!

1. How long have you been blogging and provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.

I've been Blogging since April 7 of 2011. Last year I almost forgot!

2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?

The educational ones. While not every post I have is informational, I do try to maintain a consistent level of points on what I feel is responsible dog ownership, good training, and good feeding. This year, especially in November and December, I tried to call more attention to Doberman rescue, and activities and fundraisers involving those. 

3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?

I think I've actually read fewer dog training books over the last year, so I need to adjust that certainly. I do think I've maintained a goo dlevel of responsibility without creeping into self-righteousness too often (yeah, I know I do it. Don't worry.)

4. How often do you post?

Typically Monday through Friday, sometimes with extras. 

5. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed?

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

If you don’t publish on a schedule, why? How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”

I started posting on a schedule mostly because I didn't want to have to scramble for material. If I know I'm doing M-F, other days optional, then I can actually compose posts ahead of time, take pictures with an eye toward entries, and lay out what exactly I'm doing, with or without blog hops. 

 6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your  tips for staying on top of it all.

Oh goodness, I'm pretty sure I don't actually stay on top of it all! I do daily try to go through my list of people I follow, and comment on the entries that have inspired a thought, or that I feel I can contribute to the discussion on. I'm not really sure how much time daily I spend on the actual writing and commenting, in addition to (rather sporadically, as of late) answering the comments on my own blog. At least an hour, certainly.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?

Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?

I look at the numbers of pageviews, but also how many people commented, whether it drew in a new (non spam) commenter, that sort of thing. Sometimes I like a post, anyway, even if nobody else seems to have!

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

I'm not sure I can say right out that I'm having any issues. I feel as though my traffic is decent, I dearly love my readers and commenters, and really just take things as they come.

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?

I'd like to continue to have videos on the Youtube. I intend to crack the books some more, both to do reviews of them and to learn/discuss more training techniques. I want to do more Command Clinic posts, as I've been more sporadic with them than I originally intended, and Elka certainly has a number of cues I can expound upon. I intend to continue posting about Doberman rescues, their fundraisers, and about dogs in need.

If you like it, name it

I've heard a lot of good advice when it comes to shaping behaviors, and eradicating behaviors. Interestingly, there is some overlap in the Venn diagram of the two.

If you are shaping a behavior, you reward it when you see it, and put a name to the cue.

If you are eradicating a behavior, you can treat it as though you're shaping it. Name it when it happens, and put it on cue. Eventually, said behavior will be offered, or performed on cue, and not at other times.

It might sound kind of weird. I thought so. But it can work!

Want to learn how?

Command Clinic: Look at That

All right, all right. "Look at that" isn't really a command. I've heard it described as a game, which I suppose is sort of it.

"Look at that" is something you may have heard of if you're interested in clicker training and positive methods of training. It's in the book Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt. It's sort of what I've done when working with Elka in respect to other dogs. At absolute perfection, I want her to just be able to ignore other dogs. At worst, I want her to be able to be calm around them. Lofty goals, right? Shoot for the stars!

Command Clinic: Recall Revelation

I've discussed recall twice now, in Command Clinic: Recall and Command Clinic: Recall Revisited. It doesn't mean that Elka's not still learning. And, it especially doesn't mean that I am not still learning.

Elka's recall at the park is very, very good. She's on a 20 foot leash, and 9 times out of 10, she'll recall on cue without further coaxing or further prompting. She runs at me, and typically hooks to my left (a definite improvement over the days when she ran at me and I caught her full on), where I catch her, then reward her, and then let her go. Taking pictures at the park the other day, though, I noticed something about that hook to my left.

Recall Revisited

So, with a fiction project in the works and the ebook notion dancing in my head like a sugarplum, I've been re-reading my Command Clinics, trying to have a critical eye. It's hard, when you think you've done well!

For instance, Command Clinic: Recall. I wrote this entry in June of last year, before much of anybody was reading or following. Recall is a super important thing, though, and one of the questions that gets asked a lot in the Internet circles I travel through and lurk at. Just how people think a dog should magically listen to them just 'cause, people also magically think that of course dogs come when they're called. If a dog doesn't, that means the dog doesn't like them personally, right?

Well, no.

Books on the brain

So, I've been thinking for a little while about maybe doing a little ebook.

Dog training, for Dobermans, that kind of thing. What do you guys think? It could be as simple as putting my Command Clinics together; even though there are only 7 (according to my tags. I don't think I missed any?), they're kind of "things your dog should know, plus some fun stuff". Of course I'd need a zippier title than that!

There are a lot of dog training ebooks on Amazon.com, and I'm sure some of them are better than others. That's definitely one reason I've been thinking of this. If they can do it, I can too, right? Plus, there's always a deficit of Doberman information.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Requests? Lay it on me! Tell your friends. I'd really love to hear them!

Command Clinic: Go to your Bed

Elka is allowed on the furniture.  I declared this early in our relationship.  There are, however, times it would be really useful for Elka to lay on her own bed.  When the couches and chairs are full of humans, for instance.

If all of the "comfy" spots are taken, Elka will frequently pace around for the entirety of the time, sometimes soliciting play or pets, sometimes not.  Judicious application of a Kong or Monster Mouth frequently helps.  But having her realize she can lay down on her bed would help a lot more! I mean, really, I can't blaming Elka for preferring the furniture; it's clearly warmer and more comfy. However, we've begun to work, in earnest, on "go to your bed!"

Command Clinic: Find it

I taught Elka "find it" one day when she was still somewhat small, and I was home from work with a headache.  Of course, "home from work" is not "home from puppy who desperately needs to be occupied", and I racked my poor brains for something to do with her.

She brought me Gumby for the umpteenth time, and there was a folded dish towel within eye sight.  A connection was made, and a cue was born!

Command Clinic: Teaching a new trick

When I teach Elka  a new trick, it happens for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes it's because I see or hear about what another dog can do, and I think "Well, Elka can do that."  Sometimes, some behavior she's already exhibiting is something that I wand to shape and encourage into a complete behavior.

Whether you're using a clicker or not, you need to have criteria.  You have the finished product in mind, and have to have an idea of what steps you want your dog to correctly take in order to reach that product.

"Find it" is something Elka already knows, depending on the context.  She knows the names of a few of her toys (Gumby, Pokey, ball, etc.) and I can say "Where's Gumby?  Find it!" And she'll find Gumby and bring him to me.  We in fact play the "Where's Gumby" game for some indoor fun; I have her down-stay in the kitchen and I hide Gumby in the living room, and then release her.

Then I heard about the Kyra Sundance Trick Dog title, and thought, "Well, Elka can do that."  I'm confident she has Novice in the bag (and already have a willing witness lined up), and am more or less confident about the Intermediate, but thought we ought to brush up, and perhaps add some more.  You can always add more tricks.

So, I saw the "Which hand holds the treat?" and thought it could be a different "Find it" context. To teach it, I have Elka sit, show her a treat, rub it between my hands, and then close each hand into its own fist, with the treat in one of them.  She can sniff both hands all she wants, and lick; I decided that my criteria for the trick to be successful is for Elka to put her paw on the hand that holds the treat, as it seemed much clearer to me than just nosing or licking.  Sometimes she will sniff the correct hand for a good long time before bringing the paw into play, but really, we've only had two sessions of it.  Unless I have it in my teeth, I can't use the clicker for this particular trick, as both hands are already occupied, so I'm using "Yes!" as a marker for when Elka uses her paw correctly.

Command Clinic: Look at me

Theoretically, in doggie body language, direct eye contact is not polite.  It could be a threat or a challenge, or it could just make other dogs uncomfortable.  It depends, and I dont' know enough of the particulars beyond what I just said to discourse on it just yet.

To humans, though, eye contact is very important.  If somebody avoids eye contact, they don't like you, or they're lying.  If they give you direct eye contact, it shows you're important to them, they're paying attention.  If they absolutely won't look away, it could be a threat or a challenge (I'm seeing some overlap here).

Let's focus on the "important" thing, though.  Sometimes, it's important for our dogs to look at us.  It could be so you can give them cues, which could be very significant with regards to safety or with regards to Qualifying on that agility course.  It could be so you can take a picture.  It could be just to get your dog's attention.  Overall, "Look at me" is a pretty handy cue.

Command Clinic: Bite Inhibition

Puppies bite.  It's what they do.  Babies bite too, or rather gum quite vigorously.  They're new to this whole big world thing, and explore it with the tools that they're given.

Puppies learn about biting, and what's too hard and what's acceptable, from their mother and their littermates.  When you bring your puppy home, the burden of teaching switches to your shoulders.

In addition to barking and house breaking, biting is a common problem when you first bring your toothy little darling home.  It doesn't mean your puppy doesn't like you, it doesn't mean she's aggressive, and it doesn't mean she's spiteful.  It's how puppies play, and it's how puppies interact with the world (though some use their paws too; Elka did.  I imagine Boxers do too, if you can imagine such a thing.)

Command Clinic: Recall

Why won't my dog come when I call her?  Probably because I haven't worked hard enough to tell her that every time she come, she'll get rewarded.  Sometimes the reward will be an immediate return to what she was so interested in to begin with.  Sometimes the reward will be a coveted, high value food item, like a french fry or some bacon.  Elka is learning this, though I should have been working with her on it all along.

One recall pitfall is simply calling your dog's name.  Elka hears her name a lot in the course of the day, I'm sure, and it doesn't mean "come here to me" every time.  Also, we've used "come" enough times without her fully knowing what the word is that we've changed the word.  "Come" means something might be going on, but Elka has learned to ignore it through unrewarding repetition.  "Here", however, means "get over here right now".  It means "what treat will I give you this time?" or "how about we play?"

But, how did I change her mind?

Command Clinic: Pawmania!

Elka uses her paws a lot.  I don't know if it's a her thing, or a Doberman thing (Doberman owners, feel free to chime in!), but it's a behavioral quirk that I've been inclined to cash in on.  Elka will use her paws to hold a Kong (or her Monster Mouth) still to get what's inside.

She will use her paws to fish under the coffee table or couch (often unsuccessfully) for a toy that's bounced there.  And because she would paw at us so much, I gave a bunch of those behaviors names, and now she'll do them on cue and not every time she's playing or wants attention.