Our agility trainer hurt her foot in a dog training accident, so we don’t have class this week. Here’s what she was training (dog scootering) when it happened:
I wonder if Daisy and Zeke could pull me?
It doesn’t look promising…
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Daisy and Zeke have been doing a great job staying off the furniture! Surprisingly, Daisy has really taken to the new bed and hasn’t even tried getting on the furniture. Zeke, on the other hand, has actually sat on the plastic runner! He’s figured out how to sit far back on his hindquarters, so apparently it doesn’t hurt. After catching him doing this a few times, Mom got the hot dogs out to reward him sitting in the dog bed. We’ve had success for about a week now! Great job Daisy and Zeke:)
We also welcomed our new dog walker/playmate today. She now comes midday every day Mom is at work to take the dogs outside and simply play with them. She knows how to play with tunnels and jumps, how to do enrichment games like the muffin tin and how to properly play tug. And Mom is quite pleased even after only one visit! She’s NEVER seen Daisy or Zeke so calm upon greeting. There was no howling, barking, clawing, jumping or crazed running. Daisy and Zeke both casually strolled out of the dog room/crate and walked outside. Zeke immediately went potty, then was ready to go back in the house without a fuss. He picked up a Kong, took it to the new bed and spent about 20 minutes quietly chewing. Daisy was sitting in the sun. It’s amazing!
Even just last week, Mom would never have guessed this photo could be taken just minutes after she arrived home!
Or this one! “Look, Mom! All four paws on the ground!”
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Daisy and Zeke are a bit perplexed today…
…as to why Mom laid out plastic carpet runner, poky-side-up, on all the furniture.
But, they are enjoying their new, amazing bed! The training seems to be working so far! With the runner acting as a deterent to reinforce the rule that furniture is off-limits and some good ‘ol positive reinforcement rewarding for being in their dog bed, we’ll be staying off furniture in no time!
Good job, Daisy and Zeke!
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Zeke did quite well in agility class tonight. His attention is near perfection when a visual barrier is in place–even when the BC Tracer is out! Tracer is irresistable, so that’s impressive. We worked on jumps, the chute and weaves.
Zeke excels with all the obstacles, but it’s very difficult for him to stand near the other dogs with pulling on the leash, jumping and barking. He does OK if we stand across the room, even if he can see the group now–so that’s a great improvement!
Way to go, Zekester!
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Daisy and Zeke are practicing sitting in their new bed. The idea is to associate the new bed with awesome, amazing and wonderful things! That way, once the furniture becomes unpleasant/inaccessible, they will already think their bed rocks… A little hot dog goes a long way!
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As a compromise between mom and her significant other, Daisy and Zeke will soon be trained to stay off all furniture except the futon (which is in the dog playroom).
As recommended by a trainer, mom will make the couch, chair and bed an unpleasant experience by covering it with foil or carpet runners, etc. At the same time, Daisy and Zeke received a new, amazing dog bed–which will now serve as their couch in the living room. (They have already been sleeping in their own bed on mom’s floor in the bedroom.) They will get special treats in their new bed and rewards/praise when they choose to sit/lay in it.
Zeke digs the new bed:
Question of the day: Who will be easier to train to stay off furniture?
However, Zekester will miss cuddling with his now-tail-less weasel in the chair…
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This week Zeke began another session of agility I. As always, he did very well navigating obstacles, but his attention waivered with all the new people and new dogs. Visual barriers help a lot, and he will improve each session, but training the other people to ignore his behavior is the challenge.
Several women in the class giggle when he acts crazy,which only grabs his attention and makes him act crazier. I think I’m going to have to ask them to stop. I hate to be the downer, but their laughter really doesn’t help.
It’s hard to learn all the unwritten rules and codes of behavior for both the handlers and dogs in agility. Some common ones that beginners don’t know are:
- Don’t greet or allow your dog to greet another dog without its owner’s permission. It’s distracting for the class, and some dogs don’t like other dogs in their personal space. In fact, keep adequate space between dogs and use visual barriers for reactive dogs.
- Keep your dog focused on you and not staring, barking or growling at another dog. You should ALWAYS know what your dog is doing… Many people get distracted by the dog that is running the course, but it’s more important to know whether or not your dog is running away from you!
- Don’t react to someone else’s dog, especially if it is presenting attention-getting behavior. If another dog charges toward you, you should turn your back to it. If you have a dog with you, pick up small dogs and turn your back or turn away with a larger dog. Don’t laugh at dogs’ bad behavior or squeal if they jump on you–this only reinforces these attention-getting pleas.
- Don’t use agility equipment before or after class without the permission of the instructor. Many injuries occur when handlers try to navigate equipment without supervision or when a dog is running loose on its own through a course.
Agility is great fun for the handlers and dogs, but keeping control of your dog at all times ensures that the session is safe for dogs and humans:)
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Daisy and Zeke went to visit their grandparents in Indy, so Mom could go to the Indy 500 over last weekend. Daisy also got her teeth cleaned by her former vet while we were in town. Mom got them treats to celebrate the race and Daisy’s bravery at the vet’s office.
Three Dog Bakery makes homemade cookies and treats for dogs!
It’s really hard to sit and wait when a homebaked cookie is involved. It looks like Zeke has a tad more self-control than Daisy…
They enjoyed their watermelon cookies first, next it’s time for the kitties…
Yum!
Cookie Monster?
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Zeke spent the evening in the last session of agility 1 in his own class. We did the same course as Monday, and he did very well again. He’s consistently offering downs on his mat during class, which is very exciting! We have a private lesson next week during the break, and then we’ll have one week off before we take agility 1 again to continue our work on self-control and calming exercises.
Good job, Zekester!
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