Back to dogs

Quick Tip:
If you want to teach your dog a skill like “only come out the door when invited” you know, instead of charging out like a fool or slipping through like a sneak, whenever the door is open; start with a less distracting door.

Its easier to teach them wait at the boring bedroom door than it is at the high value, bell ringing, people arriving, freedom beckoning, front door.

Once they ‘catch’ the idea at the bedroom door, and are reliably waiting there, then you can work on the very exciting front door.

But there are so many fun things on the other side of the door. Want!

Even though they already know it at the bedroom door, dogs don’t generalize well, so pretend they don’t know it all when you teach it at the front door.
And just like any other behavior, practice practice practice!

Oh – once they ‘get’ it at a couple different doors, its gets easier to move it to other doors and places.

I taught my two little dogs not to charge out the gate in the side yard that goes to the front yard/driveway. I want to be able to move the mower in and out, sand for the sandpile, yard refuse, etc, with the gate open and not worry about them following me out to the road when my brain was busy and I might not watch them. Yes, they are boundary trained, but no way am I trusting their lives to their judgement. They might ‘forget’ if they see someone walking down the road they want to greet. Or a squirrel.

So – we got it down. I open the gate, say “Eh!” and they wait on the yard side.
But one day my little doxie decided he Needed to be with me! HAD TO. MUST. He wouldn’t come out the open gate I had told him not to come out, however.

So he ran around to the other side of the yard, slipped under the fence and danced over to me. “Look, Mom! Here I am! Come to help! But I minded! I didn’t go out the gate!!”

My job is to be with my people. 24/7. 365. I do my job,despite any obstacles you might put in my way!

And his brother was standing on the other side of the yard going “HEY! That’s not fair!!”
Too funny! And yes, I fixed the hole in the fence.

Confidence

People quote Cesar Millan to me all the time, what he says, what he does, how he does it.  Nothing wrong with that – its good to learn from experts.  Personally, I like Victoria Stillwell – I  adore her thigh high black boots!   I need a pair of those!

But one of the reasons what they do with the dogs works so well,  is confidence.   They expect the dog to  do what they want them to do.  The dogs realize that.

I was thinking of this yesterday when I let my dogs out front to play with me while I worked.     My older dog was just happy to be with me – my younger dog got VERY excited.  He hardly ever goes out front without a leash!  New smells -new places to run!  oh MY!!!

I don't care how confident you are - I MIGHT Listen to 'come' after I run flat out ten or more miles. Maybe. Don't count on it.

Now, when we are out back, where I know he’s safe, in a contained arena, he comes when he’s called about 99 per cent of the time.  He always does eventually, but first time called, – I’d go with that 99 percent number.

But he was out front.  Over there is the road, over here is a big empty lot, out that way is the neighborhood.  He charges around as only a Crested can – prancing and looking and sniffing – and heads over to sniff the neighboring lot then heads to the Road!!!  No….!!!  and I call.   And internally, I freak out Just a Little – will he DO it???   What if he doesn’t?? Look at this big wide world he can go play in!   All the things more fun and interesting than me!  Ack!

Beagles like to run too! Its almost like our job description!

But just like I do out back -I called, and then waited for him. And he came.    I expected him to do it and he did.  If I’d panicked (outwardly) and freaked out – he would have too.   Dogs don’t generalize well and screeching “GET BACK HERE!” which I wanted to do,  is not my usual calm “Dogs, COME” that I yell out back and in the house.   That is the command he knows and that I expect him to obey.

And honestly,  no one was more surprised that he did it, than I was.

Am I going to let him have free reign in the front yard now?  Nah, he’s still not trustworthy.   But.  he’s going to be going out a little more with me.    One day, it will be a non issue, just like with my other dog.  I hope.

Wow, he did it…

I had some workers in the back yard this week.   I kept my dogs out of their way for the most part out of politeness.

My puppies would have wanted to ‘help’.   Get underfoot, chase the very unhelpful squirrels away,  chase the forty balls laying around back there after the nice worker people kicked them.

You know – they would  Act like dogs.   It kind of like taking your three year old out to eat.  No matter how cute you think they are, the waitress does NOT need him helping!

BUT Helping is our favorite thing!!

But when they were almost done, I picked up the baby dog, and let the other one outside to go with me to check on the progress being done.  “The gate isn’t closed!” One of them said.

“Its okay,” I told him.  “I’m carrying this one, and the other one is fine.”   Sure enough, a few minutes later,  one of the workers started out the open gate and my little doxie started to follow him out.  “AJ, Come!” I said, and he turned around and came back to me.  “Wow, he DID it!”  one of them marveled.

She always talks about squirrels! Rabbits need chased and barked at too!

Yes.  But the other one is a puppy still and Not under total voice control.  He could see a squirrel and be out in the road in a second.   He might come back when he’s called – he does from the fenced back yard, 99% of the time.  But why would I risk his life to his judgement.?  He’s a baby – he doesn’t have any judgement!  And I don’t expect him to have any.  Yet.  When he’s older, when we’ve practiced more, yes, I will expect more out of him.

I expect my dachshund to come when he’s called – all the time, every time.  He’s 6 years old this month.  He better!   But my Chinese Crested isn’t even a year old yet.  There is MUCH exciting stuff going on in the big wide world!  So many smells and  so much to think about that is NOT coming when you are called.

Its like the pit bull I was working with this week – he saw the dog next door and went into full frenzy mode.  Hair on his back went up – total focus on that other dog, barking like a fool.  I told his folks – don’t even TRY to call him now.  NO WAY is he going to pay any attention at all.  Why strain yourself trying to do something that you know won’t work?

A tired dog is a good dog! Sometimes I'm a very good dog!

Don’t set you or your dog up to fail.  If they get in the habit of ignoring you, guess what?  Its going to be a habit.  Create good habits.    Not bad ones.  When my baby dog is a little older, he will come every time, because I’m setting up that habit now.  Until then, he simply doesn’t get the opportunity not to do right.   Whether he likes it or not.