Mannerly Mutts Dog Training Blog - Mannerly Mutts Dog Training

Common Question: Will My Dog Grow Out of "IT"?

8/28/2024

The short answer is that it is very unlikely for your dog to simply outgrow unwanted behaviors. Sure your dog will get older, and as age has a way of making us all slow down. However, if there is a behavior that is working for the dog, then that will be unlikely to extinct itself without owner guidance.

Dogs want your attention. If they jump on you and they get attention, negative or positive attention is their goal. Dogs like food, so if snatching something off the counter always results in a treat, then that behavior will also most likely continue. Your dog is not going to know how you would prefer them to act unless you teach and guide them.

What Are Markers in Dog Training and How Are Markers Used as Feedback?

7/2/2024

Maine Dog Trainer LaLa Sits Pretty

LaLa sitting pretty for someone else while out on errands with my husband.

Markers and Feedback are used in most of my training. Markers used for feedback give your dog additional information to your tone, body movements, and verbal cues used for commands.

Feedback is information that lets your dog know whether they are on the right track or not, depending on what you are doing with them. It is important that feedback is given at a well-timed point to let them know in that moment if they are performing or working in the direction or task that you want. Ideally you want this feedback to be able to be given with some space in between you once you get going. Rewards and corrections are a type of feedback that is close up. Instead in this article, I am going to talk about equipment, the clicker, and verbal, your voice. LaLa is probably being told she is a "good girl" when sitting pretty for a stranger above. Good is a marker for "Good Job and Keep Going".

Week 8 LaLa's Training Blog: Social Butterfly Week

6/29/2024

Mannerly Mutts Dog Training York Maine

LaLa and Foxie in the penned in yard

This week, LaLa had a lot of both canine and human company around her in the house. So far, she is absolutely turn key with the human company. She just wants to snuggle with them or enthusiastically greet them. My brother in law came for a visit, and our cleaning person is also a favorite of LaLa's.

She likes other dogs, but he it takes her a day or two to get to know them and not be so forward with them. Once she feels comfortable with them, she is great. I don't let her play with everyone, because she can be a bit much (even with us) in that regard. LaLa just keeps getting better and better as time goes on.

Week 7 LaLa Training Log and Critter Obsession

6/22/2024

LaLa trying to get at critters under our penned in area deck.

LaLa and I have just about completed our 7th week training. She is remarkably well behaved on leash.

Off leash, she is more than just a little critter obsessed as you can see by the photo to your left. After that photo, I had to work on getting her back into the house by luring with food and having her work for a bit on obedience. LaLa clearly has the terrier gene hard wired in her. I know where critters are in the walls of my house (or were maybe). The critters under the deck clearly don't have the good sense to move their home. Our previous girl, Shana, was prey driven too, but not as much as LaLa, but then again she had at least 9 years of training under her belt and being diverted to other activities.

I am working with LaLa on making other activities as interesting as hunting critters. I am also trying to find a way to make that a motivating factor. We got 5 minute games of interactive play this week with poor Lamby toy (the only toy she will play a little tug with me with some prolonged enthusiasm.

Week 6 LaLa Training Blog:

6/14/2024

Mannerly Mutts Certified Maine Dog Trainer

Lala and I have been working on what I am calling Week 6 of our training. (technically, it is week 7, but I wasn't feeling too well on Week 6, so that was sub par in my efforts.

We have done some out and about light training (as you can see per the picture). LaLa loves to be out and about and on adventure. Dogs charging at us make us both uneasy, but LaLa does well anyway. I do wish people would obey the after 6 pm leash laws on the beach (and on the roads to the beach) so it could be more enjoyable for everyone. A friendly dog rushing up to your dog, is still a dog you and your dog don't know. I really wish people would be more considerate.

Anyway, LaLa and I have been working, and here are some videos that show some of our progress below:

Week 5 LaLa Training Blog: More Exposure to Outside Distractions and Dropping the Leash Inside

6/2/2024

As my dog's performance improves or is at least manageable in less distractions, then I start pushing the distractions a bit at a time. I want to challenge my dog but not totally overwhelm them. For me this becomes a judgement call. I can wait for more perfect performance in non distractions. I can also increase their performance in non distractions by pushing them a little bit when I am fairly sure they can handle it. I decide later whether that ended up being a bad idea or a good idea. With LaLa, it was a good idea as she did better than expected around distractions. Her biggest distraction is my husband, Robert, moving in and out of her view BTW. Next biggest distraction would be critters, but they are definitely second place to Robert.

LaLa Training Blog NOT Week 3 Yet

5/15/2024

LaLa Training Update: Last week should have been a full week of LaLa training with me. However, I was not feeling up to snuff, so we did not get that much training in. So I am going to count this next week as a continuation of Week 3. LaLa has been doing well in her training.

Play training is still a no-go as I try to figure out if I can get LaLa into some interactive play. I try to get her involved every day, but playing with a toy with some specifically does not seem to be something she is useful. She does want to hunt critters and fast movements, so I am not giving up.

One success we had was getting her to start to follow a treat in the hand. I suspect she was rewarded with treats for sitting mostly, so she was reverting to that (probably thinking that was why the treat was out). It took me a full two weeks plus to start her body in a spin. Following the hand can be a valuable training tool.

Laurel Week 1 Training Journal

4/27/2024

Training my own new dog, Laurel/LaLa, comes with it's own doubts. This is especially true when you have not had a new dog for 11 years. Luckily though, I am a dog trainer and do this with client dog's that I am getting to know all the time. I do have a basic format for my training, although it can change with individual dogs. On our first week, I did have some time (as I was on vacation for some of it) to do two hour days. So that is never training two hours in a row (except maybe in the future on walks, as the dog does not really know they are training and are jazzed up to be out). The longest times are behavioral or calming exercises which generally last for 15-30 minutes plus. Then obedience exercises may be sprinkled through the day from 5-15 minute sessions, depending on what we are working on. I include play training as obedience sessions as that is what I am working towards, even if we are not at the obedience part at first. Although, while LaLa likes to play, she is not really interested in balls, frisbees, or flirt poles towards that purpose at the moment. Maybe she will grow into that.

Should you let your new puppy (or dog) just be a "puppy"?

1/23/2024

This really depends on what "being a puppy" means to you. If this means playing, enjoying, snuggling and affection as PART of the puppy's experiences, well then yes. If this means, you do not expect perfection or for a puppy to act like an adult dog, that is an absolutely correct mindset. If that means you are aware that your new puppy (or dog) needs to be protected from things in our domestic environment that they don't understand, then that is also a yes. Your puppy is now learning about an domestic environment and how to treat humans (and other animals as well).

Managing and Selecting Your Environments for Optimal Dog Training and Learning

1/3/2024

Environment plays a big role when your training your dog. Dog training usually begins in a non distracting environment. Later on distractions are used in order to further train your dog to planned upon goals.

In the beginning non distracting environments are largely controllable by simply training inside in a quiet room without anyone around. The unexpected distraction (spouse, kids, knock on the door, car driving up) may happen, but they are not expected or planned for. For those who also reside in your home, you can let them know not to disturb you when you are training. In those instance, you just have to shoo whoever came in away (or settle the dog after the truck leaves) and find your training footing again to end on a good note.

As you move forward to distractions, environments can be somewhat controlled or predicted for dog training with good planning. Non distracting environments can have creative distractions added to them on purpose.