Dog Training by Kate

Strange truths that have nothing to do with dogs.

Kate — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:17:12 +0000

One of those days. folks – just cramming slamming busy. It happens. Not as often as we like to pretend it does however.

Some people are just nervous and think they're busy...

But – just so you know I’m still thinking of you – here is some nonsense that came floating through my computer. Just in case it hasn’t floated through yours yet….enjoy!

Strange Truths for Mature Humans

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey -
but I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

24. The first testicular guard, the “Cup,” was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

What is a distraction?

Kate — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:24:21 +0000

Talking about ‘stay’ I mentioned adding in distractions before you add in distance. Then I got a wailing note that asked “but but, what IS a distraction???”
Okay then.
Distraction is something that takes the dog’s focus off what he’s supposed to be doing. What command he’s supposed to be following, which in this case is ‘stay’.

Are you a distraction? ME TOO!

This is also, just so you know, called ‘proofing’. Once your dog knows a command, or so you think, you ‘proof’ the behavior by adding in distractions.
So for Stay. The first distraction I use for Stay is breaking eye contact. See how simple distractions can be? Many dogs think ‘stay’ is really ‘watch me’. And its SO NOT.

You think we're breaking eye contact? I'm so winning this game.

Its different. Watch me is sit on your butt and stare at me. Stay is park your butt and don’t move it.
So by breaking eye contact, I teach the dog that…hmmm…something different is going on here. If they get up, its a ‘whoops!’ and put them back into the stay.
Next thing I do is wiggle. I KNOW – so undignified!!!! I’ve not ever been known for my dignity. Just so you know.
I flip my hair. I wave my arms. I twist and look around behind me. I bend and stretch. All the while leaving my feet most generally where they are. I’m doing distractions, not distance.
Many many distractions can be added right there. Take off and put on your jacket. Sing – pretend you are in the shower. With your clothes on and your dog watching. Its okay.
Once my dog understand that butt stays there no matter what silly confusing thing I’m doing, I move. To the side. Then right back in front of dog.

You call treats on the paw a distraction? I call it meanness.

I do LOTS of things before I back away from the dog or turn my back totally on them. Once you do those things, they think ‘its over’. And its SO NOT. Until I say so.
You can bounce a ball, squeak a toy, wave a hot dog, pop poppers. But you are the biggest distraction of all most of the time.
Distractions don’t have to be challenging to create. There are all kinds of distractions from the simple to the elaborate. In intermediate class we treat toss for distractions, we have me walk around the room, (I’m VERY distracting when I put my mind to it!). We have other dogs walk around.
Stay can be challenging. Proof. Distract. Work in close quarters before you add in distance.
And don’t forget…’Come’ is NOT a release word.

The Basics – Stay

Kate — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:25:04 +0000

I don’t have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to training. Mostly I figure – your dog, do what works for you and your family and situation. Might not work for me and mine, but what the hey. We’re all different.
But – oh yes, there is a but – one of my few pet peeves is when people use “COME!” as the release word for stay.
Why? I’m so glad you asked!!!!

Adding in distractions to stay. Pile of treats on one side of dog....

Because when I put dogs into a stay, what I want is for them to take a deep breath and chill out. Relax. Wait patiently. Until I come back and release them.
BUT – yes, another one! – when you use ‘come’ as a release word, what I see is a lot of tense dogs.

carry the treats one at a time to make another pile on the other side of dog.

I can see their little minds going a hundred miles an hour. “She called me to come at 15 seconds last time and a minute the time before. How much time has gone by?? What was that noise? Was that Her? Calling me to come? Yes? No?? Well???”

Can our heads twist 360 degrees? Or is that only in the movies???

I don’t Want that. I want them to be resting and thinking, “Fine. When she gets here, she gets here. I’ll just hang out till then.”
Now, sure eventually, we can call our dogs to come from their stay. Its really fun to see them bound toward us, happy and excited.
But when we first teach Stay – go back to them. Release from there.
Better yet – add in tons and tons of distractions before you add in distance. I know -weird concept. What you really want to do is shout STAY STAY and then back away, right? I KNOW!

My hearing is actually pretty good. Shouting isn't really neccessary. Really.

The more distractions you add in, the better the dog will understand this very strange idea of ‘do nothing and get rewarded for it’.
How do I get that gig???