Realised I have not actually really updated on Mias progress for a while
Last night at agility was a great example of how far she has come
Entering the barn there is a GSD cross who trains before us, she walked past without even bothering - we were her for WORK!
In the barn there were LOTS of barking outside but she didnt make a sound, a little distracted and her stays not so good but no barking at the dogs
A little hyper when horses went past - but we can work on that.
After class she walked back to the car no problem igoring the one dog that was outside (the other owners keep their dogs in the car till I have put Mia away)
After Bens class I took Mia out of the car to toilet, there was a few dogs about that in the past she has disliked so I kept her screened behind a trailer and she was nice and calm
I let her wonder out so she could see the dogs, she had a look and tensed then calmed down, I called her back behind the trailer and at once she was nice and calm.
Then all these dogs went and stood next to my car!!
I slowly, step at a time walked her over, she only barked once when a strange dog walked past v close, but it wasnt a fit, just a bark, then she calmed quickly.
I got her into the car no problems
Good Girl
Not to say she is perfect yet, she is still very much on the alert in the park out the front of the house - but she has made friends there too
Her recal is pretty good in most places, but in our park if she hears a dog barking aggressivly then she is off
Great progress, good for you. Any particular technique? I've been playing the "look at that dog" game and rewarding J for staying chilled. Diversion always a good tactic with him.
ReplyDeleteThankyou
ReplyDeleteYup pretty similar - you using control unleashed??
I am trying to teach her to sit when other strange dogs are about - rather than charge up
Doing the look at that game and lots of rewards when she is calm
Unfort distraction isnt much of an option because she is v reactive so she goes from calm to off her head in a split second, thankfully tho that off her head bit used to be with a dog on the horizon, now some can get pretty close and if they are small she can even say hello with no drama at all
I love Control Unleashed (though I saw something like it in Click to Calm as well). Unless pre-empted, Jake sometimes (not always) takes a ger-woof/lunge at dogs (almost always male) which are larger than him - or which get in his face - or which over-sniff his bum. His general stress/health levels are a pretty good indicator of whether he's likely to ger-woof. Ironically he's generally v e r y calm and laid back. I'm still working out the precise nature of the triggers, to be honest. :-(
ReplyDeleteI have heard of click to calm but I havent got it yet - is it worth it??
ReplyDeleteMia is noises sensitive too so it has taken a wee while for her to get the clicker - but she is loving it now.
:D ger- woof, I like that
If Mia is calm enough she makes a kind of scooby-doo noise hhrruuuuhh!!
and yes some days it is like she is totaly on the lookout for a fight - so I know to watch then
Thankfully the triggers are getting less, it used to be a dog shaped blob on the horizon! - its so difficult to keep them below threshold when you dont know the triggers!