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notailabigail

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    Vancouver, Canada

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  1. You can mark behaviour with any word or sound that you like - a clap, 'yes', etc. - as long as the sound is consistent and as long as you pair it with reinforcement. The reason a clicker works so well is that it's very distinct consistent, unlike our words and tones. So if you do use a verbal marker, make sure it sounds the same every time (no emotion behind it!). As far as having treats everywhere (definitely not a bad idea) just keep in mind that there are other reinforcers that you could use if you're caught without treats, like you were that morning. If I were in that situation, I would probably mark her attention on me with a 'yes' and then maybe run through the house, play with her, tug on a toy - *something* that she really loves. Obviously feeding her a bit of liver is easier but work with what you have in any given moment!
  2. Thank you both - ewe and lamb are doing well this morning!
  3. I don't play rough with my dogs (simply because I don't like it myself) but any games that have clear rules (that you set) can be fantastic motivators. I especially like tug because it gives the dog a controlled outlet and because I use it to teach a super solid 'drop it' that can then be used with all kinds of high value items. There are a whoooole lot of reinforcing things out there in the world for dogs - things that we can't control like bunnies, other dogs, etc. etc., as you know. In situations where you're 'competing' against all of those things for your dog's attention, thinking about it as "my dog must obey my command" will get you much less, imo, than thinking about what you can do to make the dog *want* to respond. The fact that he never cowers at anything is great; I'd rather train a confident dog than a fearful one!
  4. He sounds like when he takes off, he's looking for the party back at the beach or with other dogs. When you call him, do you usually reward him with food? Maybe he would find toys more reinforcing. Have you taught him how to play tug? I mean tug with rules - he takes it only when you ask, gives it when you ask (either by trading for food at first or making the toy 'dead' until he lets go, then game on again), and teeth on skin = game over. Teach him that game, and then practice lots and lots of recalls to an exciting game of tug (restrained recalls are even better). I've had dogs who will spit out food, even 'high value' food, when out somewhere exciting, but they don't ever (well, never say never!) turn down a fun game with me... ETA: I want that recall to be dog *racing* to me as fast as they can. If I get an 'ok, here I come, I guess..you called me..." kind of trotting response, that tells me that I need to work on the recall in lower distractions again because I *know* that won't hold up to much of anything.
  5. Teach her that the ball game is played by your rules, like Shetlander said - it starts when you start it (choose a cue that means you're going to start the game) and it ends when you end it (another cue - like 'all done' - to end it). When it ends, don't give in to any amount of staring, whining, circling, etc. If you want to start the game again, start it when she isn't obsessing over it. That way you'll reinforce the 'not obsessing' instead of the 'obsessing'. Use that ball obsession to your advantage instead of letting it annoy you. If you need to work on her recall and she loves the ball, use the ball as a reward. Make sure you're still using it in the context of your rules though - reward her with it, then end the game. You'll end up with an awesome recall on her if you reward with something that she absolutely loves!
  6. One of our ewes gave birth to a ram lamb this morning. We didn't see the amniotic sac break before/during the birth - just the mucous, and then a very quick birth (this is her 3rd time lambing, last year she had twins). After she had licked the lamb for about 10 minutes an amniotic sac came out and broke. We assumed this meant she was going to have another lamb, but nothing happened for about an hour so I did an internal exam. This is only my 2nd time doing one, and as far as I can tell there isn't another lamb. Has anyone seen the amniotic sac be expelled after the lamb is born instead of before? Mom and baby both seem to be doing well..
  7. Hi Chene - First of all, I think I saw that you're in Victoria? I'm in Duncan, so if you ever wanted to meet halfway I'd be happy to provide you with a non-reactive 'decoy' dog to help with Aed's resource guarding! Ryan would happily volunteer himself, I'm sure. Zoey has a tendency to want to RG against other dogs, too. She is fine taking treats with other dogs sitting right beside her, all taking turns getting treats, and I've worked on that one a lot. I don't mind if she tells another dog to back off from something that she is chewing on - and with Abby and Ryan, she barely ever has to since they read each other so well and give each other space when needed. What I deem 'unacceptable' RG is if she tries to guard something that isn't currently in her possession. I've mostly tried to avoid that situation and let her mature, as others have said. When it has happened unexpectedly (she snapped at a visiting dog as he approached and looked at her old bone - which was on the other side of the sliding glass door) I've tried to calmly 'reset' the situation. Both dogs got a cool down, bone went away, then I brought them back for treats sitting side by side comfortably by that sliding door, then bone appeared, extra-yummy treats were given out, bone went away, end of session. The older Zoey has gotten (and she's only a year now) the more she has seemed to learn that over the top guarding isn't necessary to get another dog to give her space when she has something of value. I'm not sure if she learned that on her own, or from being around other 'polite' dogs that respect space. If she had continually had her 'back off' signals ignored by other 'rude' dogs or pups, I'm not sure we would have gotten to where we are now. With toys, she more often than not will try to shove the toy into another dog's mouth to play tug - has Aed had much chance to play with toys around other dogs? When I teach puppy class, I will often throw a ton of toys down in the room so that the puppies can play with them without going into "guard this one and only best toy" mode. If Zoey is playing keep-away with another dog with a toy and goes from relaxed and fun body language to tense body language, I let her. She has met and been around a lot of dogs and I trust her. If she has decided the game is no longer fun and wants to tell the other dog (with tense body, ears low, avoiding eye contact, tail low) to stop chasing her and her toy, then that's her right. If the other dog isn't reading that body language, I'll step in and intervene so that Zoey doesn't feel pushed to escalate her behaviour.
  8. I would really like to come but I just got a job that starts next week (working for UBC but at the Aquarium - woohoo!!) and I might be working Sundays. I will find out soon and let you know!
  9. I like that Abby kills bugs in the house (she doesn't usually eats them - just squashes and rolls in them...). If she sees one inside she'll stare at it first and then I tell her to 'get it' and if the hunt is going on for too long I tell her to stop and she will. Otherwise I think she would have the potential to become obsessive about it.
  10. Yup, that was your Mya! I've got tons of pictures of her since she wrestled with Abby all the time. So many photo opportunities!
  11. There's pretty Mya! I will pass this on to her foster mom Ffion. She will be happy to hear that Mia's in agility! I bet she is super fast. It is a small world - Chase is my dog Ryan's littermate. You should get Chase's owner to join the BC boards!
  12. Abby says congratulations to Mr. T and also that she can almost match Woo's barkscreaming but only while at the start line of the course. Her person didn't take a picture of her with her qualifying ribbon yet but she did take one home! Ryan says "woo woo WOOOOO!" like he said to RDM all weekend.
  13. Abby and Ryan are very stereotypical. Abby is careful to lie only on soft cushions or blankets and Ryan flops down anywhere, any time. When I'm sitting or lying down Abby keeps an eye on me but from a distance; Ryan prefers to be touching me in some way and draped completely on top of me is best. She's a picky eater, he eats anything. Abby has never in her life knocked something off a shelf or been clumsy - Ryan can barely get through a room without tripping over something He's definitely a boy!
  14. Teach your puppy the trading game - you need her to associate you being around her possessions with really, really good things. If she starts learning that when she growls then her treat gets taken away, there is a chance that she will escalate the guarding behaviour. So instead, find something that Abby likes even more than a bully stick. Little pieces of cooked liver would work well, for example. Let her chew the bully stick while you hold it, then let her smell the liver treat in your other hand and trade her bully stick for liver treat. Start pairing her letting go of the bully stick with a 'drop it' command.
  15. Congratulations, Wick! We'll see you at Regionals, although Abby would probably prefer to do flyball that weekend. Less thinking, more barking!
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