So Gatsby and I started a new class tonight. Pre-novice Obedience. We also have agility on Mondays. The Obedience class is the first time we've really advanced a level. Skillwise, he's clearly out of the beginner class, which is targeted to the typical out of control adolescent dog who hasn't had a day of training in his life. I've taken that class five times at different locations, I am ready to move on.
Gatsby is... well, himself. Honestly we were barely a part of class, in many cases we opt out of exercises or drastically lower the criteria so he has a chance to succeed. I feel ridiculous. He's one of maybe two other dogs on a flat collar and he gets way more treats that the rest of the dogs combined. And I still don't have even most of his attention. When I do, he's brilliant. We had maybe three really excellent moments tonight, and he has beautiful finishes to both sides. But he's constantly worried about the other dogs and had more than a few reactive outbursts. Heeling is impossible, we're either too close to a dog or he can see a dog approaching or a dog moving away.
Here is what I do to get through a class.
1. Your personal bubble needs to be bigger than everyone else's.
Pretend everyone else in the room is covered in Parvo. If you are in a class to learn skills (vs. a behavior class), your goal is not to push your dog's threshold higher. It is to practice skills. Talk to the instructor and other class members. Let them know you and your dog need more space. Try to be aware of how other people are moving. It can be very hard to split your attention between your dog (who takes more focused attention that most other dogs will need from their handlers), the exercise, and the other teams, so try to stay off the probable path.
2. Keep distraction to a minimum.
This can be hard because most classes that I have attended have push proofing way too fast. For "normal" dogs they can get by with this, particularly traditionally trained dogs. However, it's really a case of being a lumper, not a splitter. It's also an outcome of the class environment: there's only so much time and so much to cover.
3. Work Ahead
Many classes give handouts at the end of the class. Depending on who is sponsoring the class, they may already have next week's handouts available. Being prepared ahead of time allows you to be proactive and more confident in the handling of your dog. Which leads into the final point...
4. Be Proactive
This is what being the owner of a reactive dog is all about. Watch your dog, predict what might set him off, and avoid it. Remember that your allegiance is to your dog first of all. I am very good at this, but often come off as abrasive or a nervous idiot. Probably an abrasive nervous idiot. Know your goals for the class. For me and Gatsby, I want to start preparing myself for the Novice Obedience ring. I want to learn how to handle. I want Gatsby to start learning to ignore distractions, not react-remember-return. And I want him to start being comfortable while under threshold.
Now, I know all of these. But it's hard putting them into practice. It's hard to manage him while not being obnoxious to the other teams. A lot of the things I do to bring Gatsby back involve lots of high, fast movement like fist touches or running backward.
I'm also concerned I'm starting to use food as a bribe instead of a reward. During the explanation of the next exercise, the dogs are expected to just sit and wait. This isn't really a problem for normal dogs. But Gatsby is, you know, crazy. I'm trying to reward calm sitting behavior, but he'll growl and then escalate his vocalizations if I'm not treating at a rate he finds appropriate. I don't want to reward that, but I also don't want to be the ass in the class.
So I don't know. Maybe I'll drop back down to Beginner. But that isn't really going to solve the problem, he really needs to be in a class of bombproof dogs that won't react to him reacting. I love being in a training class, but the way that most are structured are just not compatible with the dog I have. I really need to work with someone who knows reactivity and who knows getting reactive dogs to trial, and who knows getting reactive dogs to trial with positive methods. I basically need to train with myself from 20 years in the future. I assume by then I'll be a world class dog trainer specializing in getting reactive dogs competition ready.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Clicker Training: Way Less Crazy
So I'm a member of several different dog training Yahoo groups. Most are clicker-orientated, but I'm on a few general lists, mostly for Obedience.
And. Seriously. It seems the more the traditional a trainer, the more totally crazy their training fixes will be. My favorite is where the dog interacts with an object/prop and when he messes up the trainer "corrects" the object, with the idea that the dog will try to avoid getting the object in trouble again.
Um.
I once yelled at my computer and punched a chair because tech support was giving me hell. Gatsby wouldn't look at me for fifteen minutes.
Really. Clicker training is just easier.
And. Seriously. It seems the more the traditional a trainer, the more totally crazy their training fixes will be. My favorite is where the dog interacts with an object/prop and when he messes up the trainer "corrects" the object, with the idea that the dog will try to avoid getting the object in trouble again.
Um.
I once yelled at my computer and punched a chair because tech support was giving me hell. Gatsby wouldn't look at me for fifteen minutes.
Really. Clicker training is just easier.
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Public Service Announcement
I NEED A TOLLER.
Like, yesterday.
We now return to your regular schedule of Schnauzer-related programming.
Like, yesterday.
We now return to your regular schedule of Schnauzer-related programming.
Monday, September 20, 2010
State of the Schnauzer
This is going to be long, and emotional, and full of my flavor of crazy.
It's really demotivating to go to shows and trials full of stable, normal dogs.
It's extra demotivating when you decide it will be a good, low-key situation to bring your dog so he can experience a trial environment and in contrast to every other normal dog is a shrieking reactive mess that can't see another dog pooping fifty feet away without getting set off.
I just get so frustrated. Indoors he's practically attached to me, right now he's sprawled across me from knees to shoulders, and if I say his name he's right there looking up at me with utter adoration. But, get his nose past a doorway and he's just gone. The lights are on but there's nobody home.
It's so hard because there is nothing I want more than to run agility. I've been madly in love with this sport since I was eight and it's a huge part of why I got a dog in the first place. I'm not content with just a pet. I want to compete. I want to win. I want to train the nitty gritty technical skills that lead to HIT, Nationals, FCI World Agility Championship winning runs. I love dog training, it's the most fascinating thing I've ever done and I absolutely want to train dogs professionally some day, but I feel like such a sham when I can't get my dog to LOOK at me. And I hear stories about how other people took their messes-of-dogs and turned them around and are doing the things I want to be doing and I think why am I not there? No one knows dog training theory better than me. My mechanical skills are decent, but I could shape anything. I get dog training. I have a very high level of general competence; there isn't much I'm not sufficient at without much practice. I want so bad to be good at this. But my dog won't look at me.
And so, I want a puppy. I feel like if I can just read enough and think enough and watch enough, I can get a perfect puppy and do everything perfect and never hit any snags ever. And I know that's not how it works but if I just try harder I can make reality work as well as it does in my head. And then I get this paralyzing fear that if I mess up I'll end up feeling about that puppy the same way I do about Gatsby.
I like him the most when he's sleeping. When he's not trying to scratch through the screen door because the wind deigned to move a leaf, not when I'm picking him up because carrying him is better than making a scene that everyone thinks involves my dog trying to kill another dog with excitement, not even when we have an actual good day in class and he walks on a leash like normal dogs do. Just when his little warm body is curled up against mine and we aren't doing anything.
It's really demotivating to go to shows and trials full of stable, normal dogs.
It's extra demotivating when you decide it will be a good, low-key situation to bring your dog so he can experience a trial environment and in contrast to every other normal dog is a shrieking reactive mess that can't see another dog pooping fifty feet away without getting set off.
I just get so frustrated. Indoors he's practically attached to me, right now he's sprawled across me from knees to shoulders, and if I say his name he's right there looking up at me with utter adoration. But, get his nose past a doorway and he's just gone. The lights are on but there's nobody home.
It's so hard because there is nothing I want more than to run agility. I've been madly in love with this sport since I was eight and it's a huge part of why I got a dog in the first place. I'm not content with just a pet. I want to compete. I want to win. I want to train the nitty gritty technical skills that lead to HIT, Nationals, FCI World Agility Championship winning runs. I love dog training, it's the most fascinating thing I've ever done and I absolutely want to train dogs professionally some day, but I feel like such a sham when I can't get my dog to LOOK at me. And I hear stories about how other people took their messes-of-dogs and turned them around and are doing the things I want to be doing and I think why am I not there? No one knows dog training theory better than me. My mechanical skills are decent, but I could shape anything. I get dog training. I have a very high level of general competence; there isn't much I'm not sufficient at without much practice. I want so bad to be good at this. But my dog won't look at me.
And so, I want a puppy. I feel like if I can just read enough and think enough and watch enough, I can get a perfect puppy and do everything perfect and never hit any snags ever. And I know that's not how it works but if I just try harder I can make reality work as well as it does in my head. And then I get this paralyzing fear that if I mess up I'll end up feeling about that puppy the same way I do about Gatsby.
I like him the most when he's sleeping. When he's not trying to scratch through the screen door because the wind deigned to move a leaf, not when I'm picking him up because carrying him is better than making a scene that everyone thinks involves my dog trying to kill another dog with excitement, not even when we have an actual good day in class and he walks on a leash like normal dogs do. Just when his little warm body is curled up against mine and we aren't doing anything.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why do people think we don't want them to own dogs?
In this particular case, I don't know if this guy was being facetious or not, but it is not the first time I've seen the phrase "so I guess you are trying to dissuade me from getting a dog," or some variant therefore of, thrown back in the forum collective's face when we suggest that maybe dogs are too much for them right now. I want to tackle the "I want a smart dog (read: I want Aibo)" thing too, but not now.
Let me just put this out there: We love dogs.
We love them. Every single person responding to you has a deep and meaningful relationship with one or many dogs that is just the most fantastic thing in the world. We LOVE dogs. A perfect world would have everyone enjoying that magical connection with dogs. It's not like we don't want you to have a dog because we want every dog for ourselves or some nutty thing like that. We love our dogs and sharing our dogs with other people because dogs are freaking awesome.
BUT, we make sacrifices to own dogs. For most of us this isn't a big deal (if the sacrifices outweighed the joy we get from dogs, we wouldn't own dogs), but like hell we're going to suggest you go ahead and get a smart dog because you think it's easier (biggest lie ever told) if you're not aware, willing, and able to make those sacrifices.
Yes, that forum can be a little harsh on people that are just uninformed, but you gotta run the gauntlet.And for the dog's sake, listen! These people know their shit. If you want to learn to get the most out of your camera, you go to camera experts. If you want to get the most out of your dog, you go to dog experts. Would you go to a mainstreme photographer to learn to take mainstreme photographs? I mean really.
This post is dedicated to mikedavid, who deserves to be mascot of the internet. I have never seen anything unite the internet into a shining beacon of solidarity like that man.
Let me just put this out there: We love dogs.
We love them. Every single person responding to you has a deep and meaningful relationship with one or many dogs that is just the most fantastic thing in the world. We LOVE dogs. A perfect world would have everyone enjoying that magical connection with dogs. It's not like we don't want you to have a dog because we want every dog for ourselves or some nutty thing like that. We love our dogs and sharing our dogs with other people because dogs are freaking awesome.
BUT, we make sacrifices to own dogs. For most of us this isn't a big deal (if the sacrifices outweighed the joy we get from dogs, we wouldn't own dogs), but like hell we're going to suggest you go ahead and get a smart dog because you think it's easier (biggest lie ever told) if you're not aware, willing, and able to make those sacrifices.
Yes, that forum can be a little harsh on people that are just uninformed, but you gotta run the gauntlet.And for the dog's sake, listen! These people know their shit. If you want to learn to get the most out of your camera, you go to camera experts. If you want to get the most out of your dog, you go to dog experts. Would you go to a mainstreme photographer to learn to take mainstreme photographs? I mean really.
This post is dedicated to mikedavid, who deserves to be mascot of the internet. I have never seen anything unite the internet into a shining beacon of solidarity like that man.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Upcoming Events
Sept 11-12: GSD Specialty in Big Bend, WI with Jackie and Erin from Dogforums.com
Status: Completed and awesome. Meeting internet people in real life is always stressful (because everyone on the internet is a 40 year old man who wants to rape and axe-murder you, dontcha know), but it was a really good experience. I pet dogs, judged ringside (always a fun game) and was outraged at judging inside the ring, and learned I am no where near fit enough to show dogs, let alone run agility. In my defense, I would like to point out I had a major health crisis this summer in which the words "almost died" were thrown about. So, yeah. Excuses.
Sept 17-19: ASCA Stock, Conformation, and Agility Trial hosted by the Rock River Valley Australian Shepherd Club in Saukville, WI
Status: Upcoming and pending. Camping with Erin and her dogs, because I love to camp. I might take Gatsby, it should be a smaller trial and spread out enough that he's not constantly brain-mush. Maybe he'll even, gasp, relax once in a while. Longshot, I know. But it's a good chance to expose him to some things, I think, and it's close enough that I can always take him home if it's too much.
Sept 22-26: NSDTR-USA 2010 National Specialty in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Status: I have to order food! Hotel is reserved, itinerary is printed out, boarding for the Gatz is booked. I am stoked. We're making a family trip out of it, Aunt and Grandmother are going to go gamble while I ogle dogs and network and try not to make an obnoxious ass out of myself.
Dec 4-5: Winnegamie Dog Club Novice Agility Trial in Menasha, WI
Status: Oh doG please let us be ready. I want to trial SO BAD, but there is SO FAR to go. Anyone have a 2x2 weaves DVD they aren't using? A dog with the ability to think continuously about something for more than five seconds?
Status: Completed and awesome. Meeting internet people in real life is always stressful (because everyone on the internet is a 40 year old man who wants to rape and axe-murder you, dontcha know), but it was a really good experience. I pet dogs, judged ringside (always a fun game) and was outraged at judging inside the ring, and learned I am no where near fit enough to show dogs, let alone run agility. In my defense, I would like to point out I had a major health crisis this summer in which the words "almost died" were thrown about. So, yeah. Excuses.
Sept 17-19: ASCA Stock, Conformation, and Agility Trial hosted by the Rock River Valley Australian Shepherd Club in Saukville, WI
Status: Upcoming and pending. Camping with Erin and her dogs, because I love to camp. I might take Gatsby, it should be a smaller trial and spread out enough that he's not constantly brain-mush. Maybe he'll even, gasp, relax once in a while. Longshot, I know. But it's a good chance to expose him to some things, I think, and it's close enough that I can always take him home if it's too much.
Sept 22-26: NSDTR-USA 2010 National Specialty in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Status: I have to order food! Hotel is reserved, itinerary is printed out, boarding for the Gatz is booked. I am stoked. We're making a family trip out of it, Aunt and Grandmother are going to go gamble while I ogle dogs and network and try not to make an obnoxious ass out of myself.
Dec 4-5: Winnegamie Dog Club Novice Agility Trial in Menasha, WI
Status: Oh doG please let us be ready. I want to trial SO BAD, but there is SO FAR to go. Anyone have a 2x2 weaves DVD they aren't using? A dog with the ability to think continuously about something for more than five seconds?
Sunday, September 5, 2010
In Which the Government Buys Me a Puppy
Do you know what day Friday was?
Student refund check day!
I have some unique circumstances which results in enough financial aid to cover my entire tuition (and yes, I know how amazingly lucky I am, and here's an internet shoutout to the spectacular people who support ,e while I languish in undergrad) and since I moved back home to take care of Gatsby, the money that would go toward my room & board gets refunded.
Friday afternoon I opened a savings account for my puppy fund. This is real, folks. :)
Although most of it is going to pay for the exorbitant medical bills I incurred this summer (good health insurance is a MUST, people), there's some "play" money left over which I'm going to use to start building a grooming kit.
Who knew Dremels were carpentry tools, not specifically manufactured for grinding dog nails?
Student refund check day!
I have some unique circumstances which results in enough financial aid to cover my entire tuition (and yes, I know how amazingly lucky I am, and here's an internet shoutout to the spectacular people who support ,e while I languish in undergrad) and since I moved back home to take care of Gatsby, the money that would go toward my room & board gets refunded.
Friday afternoon I opened a savings account for my puppy fund. This is real, folks. :)
Although most of it is going to pay for the exorbitant medical bills I incurred this summer (good health insurance is a MUST, people), there's some "play" money left over which I'm going to use to start building a grooming kit.
Who knew Dremels were carpentry tools, not specifically manufactured for grinding dog nails?
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