Member Riggan
MemberForum Replies Created
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Ovidiu,
This is not an uncommon problem, especially when the pup’s initial exposure to cars is negative. I have also worked with dogs, however, who did not like cars even though everything was done “right” from the start. Zvonimir gave some good advice. I’ll add a few other things that have helped with dogs I have worked with.
1) Like Zvonimir said, start giving the pup his meals in the parked car. To start, it might help to have both doors open (have the pup on leash or some other way to ensure he is safe if he happens to hop out!). This helps relieve the pup of being “trapped.” When he is eagerly hopping into the car for his meal, you can start having one door closed. When he is comfortable with this, close both doors. Then you can start feeding him while the car is running, but not moving. Then just drive around the block and come home. Take your time with each step, and if possible, avoid having to actually take the pup somewhere during this period. You are starting to recondition him to the car, so it will take time.
2) You said you have a hammock. I have found that the older hammocks can be a problem for some dogs. They are more of a “U” shape, and tend to roll the dog around. Some dogs are very uncomfortable with this unsteady surface. Some of the newer hammocks are designed to lay flat on the seat with “anchors” that tuck between the seat and the seat back to secure it firmly on that side. There is less rolling of the dog, helping the dog feel more secure.
3) Just like humans, some dogs are more prone to car sickness than others. This can make any trip in the car miserable, no matter what you do. Signs are typically anxiety, drooling, and possibly vomiting. If you can find ginger snap cookies with real ginger in them (many commercial varieties don’t actually contain ginger!), you might try giving one to the pup. You can also use either benadryl or dramamine for dogs, but be sure to check with your vet for the right dosage. Don’t feed your dog right before taking him for a ride if he is prone to car sickness.
4) Once you do start going for short drives with him, always go someplace REALLY fun for him! Take him out, play with him, let him sniff and explore someplace new. You want him to learn that car ride = fun time coming.
He may never learn to love car rides like some dogs, but he should at least learn to tolerate them. If you do all the above and he is still very stressed by the car, you might need to talk to a veterinary behaviorist about using anti-anxiety medications for a while as you continue to work on counter-conditioning him. Good luck!
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Socialization is always a good topic to address. There are so many aspects to it:
* COVID pups who are now a year old – how to intro them to the world
* What IS socialization? So many owners think it means letting as many people and dogs as possible handle or play with your dog.
* Signs to look for that you are putting too much pressure on the dog. More is not necessarily better. How much is enough?
* Ideas on ways / places to safely socialize dogs
* Socializing a rescue dog who did not receive proper socialization as a pup
* Keeping your dog safe while socializing
These are just a few ideas on issues Robert could talk about that would help a lot of people and dogs.
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LOL – More times than I would care to admit! But I’ll throw my husband under the bus on this one. He used to enjoy sharing a Chips Ahoy cookie with our first golden after dinner. Only problem is that he was extremely effective at teaching Max to sit at the end of the table for the entire meal with drool dripping onto the floor in a steady stream!
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Our thoughts are with you, Robert, and Janet, and the canine clan as you mourn the loss of such a dear friend. Thinking with love of all the 4-legged creatures who have added so much to our lives over the years. They don’t live long enough, but what they give us in their short life spans is immeasurable.
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Saul,
I’m so glad Dez posted the statement from the AVA. I did not know they had taken that position, but I am so glad they did. More dogs end up paying with their lives due to poor socialization than from disease contracted as puppies. That said, during this period, I am extremely careful about where and how I socialize the pup. I avoid areas where there are lots of dogs that I don’t know. If someone in your area is doing puppy classes where you know all the puppies are vaccinated, that is a great option (although one likely not available to many now due to COVID). I’ll invite friends over to my house. I have a pickup truck, so I used to go sit with my pup on the tailgate in a parking lot, starting far away and gradually moving in closer, letting him get used to all the sights and sounds. People would often stop and talk, asking about him, which is great socialization. I usually didn’t let him interact with people (I’d tell them he hasn’t had his shots yet, so I can’t let you pet him right now, which seemed to satisfy most people), although I’d often make a few exceptions based on my instinct about the person. You can also take him to a playground and hold him in your lap, letting him get used to the sound of children playing. If you have known places (such as friends’ homes) that are safe and maybe even have a vaccinated dog, then trips to visit them are also possible.
Enjoy your pup!
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What a jewel you are for Keller, Debbie! She is so fortunate to have found you. Happy anniversary to both of you, and may there be many more joyous ones to come!
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I’m not sure I understand your question. ‘’Good” is used as a bridge for skills with duration (such as Stay, Heel, etc.). It says “you are doing what I want – keep doing it.” “Yes”, “free” or whatever you want to use for a release word says “You did what I wanted – now you can do whatever you want!” You always use a release word, but don’t necessarily use a bridge for all commands. If you do use a bridge for a skill, it can be reduced or even phased out as the skill becomes more proficient. Is that what you were asking?
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Ilan, What I have done in the past with my bottomless pit Golden Retriever pups is a combination of management and training. For management, as you know, the best is constant supervision, but that can be tough will little children. The other management aspect (which is also difficult but critical) is to make sure that food is NEVER left where she can get it. Getting food off the counter is incredibly highly reinforcing and it will be almost impossible to break the habit if she learns that it is a great way to get a tasty treat.
For training, I heavily reinforce “4 on the floor” whenever the dog is in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter whether I am training or just working in the kitchen. If the dog comes into the kitchen (or wherever there are tempting counters) and has all 4 feet on the floor, I praise and reward. I also use these areas a lot for training Sit and Down. Once the dog starts to understand these commands, I’ll keep her on a loose leash and let her sniff or move around the kitchen. As soon as the nose goes up to sniff the counter, I’ll say “No!” (firm, not angry), “Sit” (or “Down”, whichever is her best command, or you can vary it). If she doesn’t respond, then I can correct for the sit or down with a leash pop and repeat the command. If she does comply, praise and treat. You want to catch her BEFORE she actually goes up on the counter, but when the thought is just starting to cross her mind. If you aren’t quick enough, give a sharp “No!” and leash pop to get her attention on you and give her a command. Then also give yourself a wrist slap for missing on your timing! 🙂 You can also use a “Leave It” command, but I prefer this to be an automatic behavior rather than a cued one – I never want the dog (especially one the size of a Great Dane!) to put a nose up to the counter sniffing.
Also, until this habit is broken, don’t put treats on the counter and treat her from there when you are training. Use a treat pouch or something. You don’t want her to associate that the treats come from the counter.
Good luck!
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Saul, I would use a gentle leash pop using a flat or martingale collar with a firm “Knock it off!” Then, as soon as the pup stops, praise her. But whenever I have something I want a dog to STOP doing, I take some time to think about what I DO want the dog to do. Then I start training that. For example, I assume that your pup is most likely to nip ankles when you are moving. If the pup is making eye contact with me, she cannot be nipping my ankles. So I would start to capture and highly reinforce eye contact (praise / reward her every time she looks at you, not just when you give a specific command) and also train a “Look” command (Robert has a video on this in the Lessons, I believe). Once she figures out how highly reinforcing making eye contact is, you have set her up to make a decision. Does she go with her herding instinct and go for the ankles, or does she go for the reward and run up to you to make eye contact? Now when she makes the wrong choice (ie, bites your ankles), you can give a firm “No!” and cue her to “Look!” As soon as she looks up at you, even for a split second, praise and reward her.
When you have to tell a dog “No,” you always want to follow it up with telling her what you DO want her to do. If you see her heading for your ankles, you can also now preemptively tell her “Look.” If she complies, HUGE praise and reward. If not, then “No. Look.” I used Look in this example, but you could choose any alternate behavior, as long as she cannot do the behavior and bite your ankles at the same time.
Good luck!
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Ahh! Got it! Say your release word and then toss the treat or toy, whatever you are using for a reward. Your dog will very quickly learn that the release word means he is free to move around. Later, you will do things such as tell the dog to “Stay” (or if you are using “Sit” or “Down” as an implied “Stay”) and have his toy (or a treat, but be careful doing this exercise with treats since it can get confusing if you are working on “Leave It” at the same time) on the ground where he can see it. If he breaks to get the toy, correct him and have him return to his Sit or Down. He is only allowed to run get the toy when you release him. This is when he will really start to understand that he is under the control of the command until he hears the release word. Then all bets are off! Does this make sense?