Wilson Traning Blog Week 1

Wilson Traning Blog -- Week 1


October 20????????????

It has been a great weather here today. The dogs enjoyed early morning play time and I tried to capture a few pictures. Im really trying to get one of Vinnie doing the puppy play-bow.




Wilson and Vinnie played for quite a while until Wilson discovered Howie playing with a soft-toy and a stick. The tenacity of a dachshund says you are NOT going to take my toy from me-- so this investigation from Wilson led to a little altercation. The good news is Howie won. Howie laid himself over the toy to protect it and and Wilson laid on Howie. A lot of snarling was going on, but a firm verbal warning from me separated both of them. Wilson does a lot of vocalizing, but is really a big baby. Thats really the good news about Wilson -- hes pretty submissive to the other dogs. He backs his butt up, does the play bow, and is easy warned by all my pack members.

Wilson started tonight having to sit and wait for his food delivery. It only took a few attempts before he realized he was not getting fed until his butt was firmly planted on the floor.

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Vinnie plays keep away from Wilson, by standing on the toy!

• See you all Monday for Wilsons first "real" obedience lesson. Should be fun, and I think hes actually going to be pretty easy to train. Famous last words? Well see.

October 19

• Wilson woke this morning feeling great. He was allowed to go out in the yard off-leash with the other dogs. He got a case of the zoomies and just had a grand time, even though hes not supposed to be overdoing it. Video: http://youtu.be/iQfASo9RYJM
• He and Vinnie have become buds today, though I did allow Vinnie to tell him to back off on the humping. Lexie did too this morning. Wilson is wide open and there is no better trainer for a dog than the pack.
• We are still working on the house-training. He went outside this morning, then came in and did it again! And he discovered counter-surfing. He quickly jumped up on the counter -- trying to nab a bottle of medicine and then a decorative object! These are the reasons you cannot leave a dog unsupervised. Living in a house my foot -- I dare say hes never been in a house. He has no boundaries on whats acceptable and whats not.
• I feed dogs separately. There is just no reason to have them all sharing a space to eat. So Wilson was fed in the x-pen in the front room. After my doxies finished eating they tend to see if anyone has dropped food from the raised bowls. Wilson guarded his empty bowl from within the xpen. So theres an issue we need to work on.
• I had some friends over tonight -- Dane Rescue savvy peeps and Wilson did very well to begin with, but then he got a little growlie as we were having some food and even when one of the men guests tried to pet him. (Hmmm, thought he liked men?) These are issues were definately going to need to work on, and Wilson is very likely headed for a pinch collar. Ill discuss more about that training tool next time --- I can assure you its not the medieval device some think that it is, and far better than allowing a practiced inappropriate behavior that can lead to a bite. Would treats and clicks work??? -- depends on how long youre willing to wait and how much risk youre willing to take.
• He also got a little growlie with the doxies when food was around, even though the dogs were not eating. So Wilson was sent to kennel to just chill for a while, until we can work on these issues another time. It had been a big day and it was time for hime to take a break.

October 18

• Wilson is at the vet today for neutering.
• He pooped in my car on the way there and then trampled in it. Dogs do not generally poop where there rest or where they will be standing or laying in it. This suggests to me that Wilson has had no experience in the house, and probably lived more often than not in his own feces prior to being taken to the shelter. Thats a hard thing to overcome.
• Wilson is home now from surgery and doing quite well. He was a little growlie with the girls at the vet but did seem to warm up to them as the day progressed. They were all cautioned to take it slow with him. He said bye to everyone one the way out without any trouble. He seemed to have no trouble with men in the office.
• Hes confirmed to be no more than 7 months old based on the new arrival of his canine teeth. He weighed in at 76 pounds.
• Hell rest quietly tonight, and have limited activity this weekend.
• Hes got a skin irritation that will require medicated baths.

Previous Entries:

Thoughts from The K9 Coach: Dogs learn something from us in every single interaction they have. Wilson is learning Im the leader of this pack. That he can trust me, and I will give him a shared respect. Hes learning there are boundaries that he has to abide by. From me he will not only get obedience training, but hell learn confidence and how to handle new and stressful situations. Hell be exposed to many new things.

His first outing probably will not occur until mid-next week and well take it very slow. He may see people, but not be petted for a while. And it may be weeks before we begin work around children. He will have to have great reliability with other distractions before I put him in that scenario. Im confident I can help him overcome his fear around kids -- but he may prove to be a rescue who cannot be placed with kids based on his history of being taunted and having rocks thrown at him. But well have to judge that in due time.

Wish him well during surgery tomorrow.

He looks agressive -- right?

Well, no. But theres much more work to be done.

October 17

• We started the morning with a nice potty break and walk. He was quite playful this morning. So I gave him a toy and he played with it for quite a while.
• I also decided to sit on the ground with him to get eye-level with him. He tried to hump me. Thats not allowed. So he was definitely corrected for that. He tried again. And then he acted like he was going to pee on me. Seriously, Wilson. Not going to happen.
• After a correction, he came and sat in my lap. Progress. Hes buying the leadership.
• I brought him into my office where he chilled at my feet for a little while. And then allowed him to play with my two dachshunds. They will put him in his place in a second if he gets to be too much. As they nestled in their favorite chair -- he backed up to them butt first as if to say, "here, smell me & lets be friends!". Thats a great sign.
• I then allowed him another short time with my pack -- and he thought humping my 165lb Great Dane Vinnie was a good idea. Vinnie did nothing, and I called Wilson off and all is good. Supervision is necessary at all times, and Vinnie trusts me to deal with the new kid!
• Well do another training walk this afternoon, but formal training wont begin until Monday. He gets snipped tomorrow. Bye Bye Woohoos. Hell need a few days to recover, and then the training plan startes in earnest.

October 16, 2012

• He was crated for the morning because I had a dental appointment and I didnt want to risk him toppling the xpen and being in my pack unsupervised. He pooped in his crate. A lot.
• Late yesterday afternoon we began a little bit of training. Just working on "heel" and "sit" Words I dont think hes entirely familiar with.
• I did not begin any sort of correction with Wilson in Sit training tonight. I offered some treats, a gentle touch to the butt to encourage him to put his butt on the ground and lots of Praise. Verbal and Physical touch. This too seems a big foreign to him.
• Why no correction yet? Well hes likely been abused, he doesnt trust me yet, and its more about teaching him how to learn than requiring him to comply at this point. Obedience requirements will come in a few days. And to be clear -- a correction is NOT something that is harmful, painful, or intimating. Its just a reminder than not doing what hes asked will not be acceptable. (We will talk more about that when we start obedience training next week).
• And yes, he pooped in my house twice today -- on the carpet. Try having to clean up poop after dental surgery -- yay pain meds :-)
• He was allowed a short interaction off-leash with the rest of my pack today -- everyone napped.

October 15, 2012

• After spending the weekend with volunteers he was transported to me on Monday afternoon. After he was taken out of the truck, he felt the need to snap at me. I had approached him sideways, but I made the mistake of making eye contact a bit too soon. Yep, he may have a little issue with women and a bit of fear in general.
• After a 2 hour ride home, I took him out for a nice long walk. While there was no obedience training taking place or even any leash work, he walked along side me nicely. It was just a bit of time to bond and give some soothing communications.
• You can see in the picture I took after we got home, that there was still a fair amount of uncertainly in his eyes.

• When I bring a foster into my home, I always take about 24 - 48 hours (or more) before I let them interact with my pack directly. They get to smell each other from behind a metal baby gate briefly, and then the new arrival is crated or put in an x-pen to chill out from transport and to get acclimated to my house and my pack. In less than 5 minutes, Wilson met me in the kitchen along with the rest of my crew. He had made a very silent leap across the baby gate. Lets just say hes athletic.
• Even though there were no issues, he was still removed and put into a tall xpen to relax.
• New arrivals at my house are also not allowed off-leash in the yard for the first first days. We go out on a long line. Why?
• One I dont want them chasing the other dogs and potentially starting a fight. You never know! and Ive come to expect the unexpected. This way I can control a separation if I need too.
• Im never sure if they are going to be a fence jumper. And until they learn to trust me and we can begin working on recall and on making them think my yard is far more enjoyable than anything on the other side, I play it safe.
• Within minutes of eating, he pooped in the house. Yay -- Hes not house trained. Im guessing he was never taught. So were starting with the basics -- the beginning. (See my house training document on FB.)
• And then bedtime -- after a little bit of whining, he settled and slept all night

October 12, 2012:

• GDFRL contacted me to ask about foster to train. I agreed. Hes only six months old and I felt confident we could work to rehabilitate him and find a good handler for his forever home. He was pulled that day by two GDFRL volunteer in Raleigh and kept for the weekend. He warmed up easily and playfully to the husband, and with a little more time warmed up to his wife. Both are experienced dog owners and Great Dane Rescuers. Over the weekend someone came to their home with a child, and even with the Wilson secure inside and out of side, he reacted poorly to the sound of the child. So we know we have lots of work to do to address this issue.

October 10, 2012 ---

• GDFRL received a message on Facebook about a young male puppy in a shelter who was showing aggressive tendencies with the shelter employees.
• As an owner surrender, kill shelters like the one he was taken to can put the dog down immediately. Couple that with the fact they deemed him aggressive, and there are few chances for this boy to be adopted. Other rescues in this area, rejected him and even suggested calling GDFRL.
• We understand that Wilson was allowed to be taunted by children who threw rocks at him, and he had become "aggressive" and did not like women.

New information on Doggy Blog Clips

Just to let my readers know that Doggy Blog Clips has been updated today with some new and interestings clips... just click on the link under the Pet Grooming Information link on the left-hand side... the last link.

You will find Doggy Blog Clips has new content added most days... why not make it a habit to check it out?

More tips and frozen water warning new blog

The winter here in the UK seems to have been going on for ever! Dogs get covered in mud or soaked every time they go out for exercise. Not to mention the dangers of frozen stretches of water in ponds and canals especially - lets hope it is soon over and we get a drier and better spring and summer which is more suited to outdoor pursuits, especially dog agility!

If you are experiencing difficulties when drying and cleaning your pet, then get your dog used to being cleaned up after its walks by using a reward - its easier if there are two of you - one holding treats, and the other doing the necessary cleaning.

There is a new blog which has just started at Lhasa Apso Potty Training which deals with all sorts of doggy behaviours. Do please click over and see what you think!

Doggy Blog Clips

The following message from Flyball Dogs is being added to all our dog blogs today... just to update everyone on these new additions to DBC. Youll find hours of fascinating reading there in addition to our own archives - which I keep harping on about... after all the oldest archives are the most on-target part of most blogs!

"Check out our left-hand margin for the Doggy Blog Clips link if you are at all interested in Large Breeds of dogs [like the Pyrenean Mountain, Pointers, and more] - or if you are interested in grooming videos - because links to these subjects have been added today!"

Visit our New Blog The K9 Coach Unleashed

We are upgrading our blog to make it more user friendly and helpful for you!   The content here will remain active through October 31.  It will be retired after that time.

Go ahead and join us on our new blog at:
http://thek9coachblog.com

New content will be added there moving forward, and the content you find here, will be migrated over to our new location in the next few weeks.

Join us on any of our social media sites for great dog training tips and content!
See you online!


Dana
9/3/2014

Four Doggy Blogs plus Doggy Blog Clips

Secrets of Dog Training is just one of four doggy blogs which I maintain.

Though you may be interested in just training your dog, or want to learn more about it, where to find help, or have arrived by mistake! ... all the blogs are, in reality, interrelated and can help you in your quest for knowledge.

All are about an interest you have in dogs, and are about the dogs themselves - and adding an extra interest for them in their lives.

First must come training at an early age - hence puppy training secrets. Then remember, your pet must be well trained and obedient before taking on any other interests - hence secrets of dog training.

After the initial training, which is best accomplished when your pet is interested, remember short training sessions are best... then you can go forward to other interests for both you and your pet... maybe agility or flyball, or you could take on obedience.

Both sports suit different dogs, see which your dog prefers... and remember if you go for agility... you will need to be quick too, and give good and consistent hand signals. Both you, and your pet, will make new friends here - and your pet will not suffer from boredom in the way many pets can, if not stimulated sufficiently.

Two vital things to remember with this blog... if you want to learn basics, plus what is the main focus of this blog... THE OLDEST, & OLDER ARCHIVES ARE THE BEST PLACE TO START READING... also, you will find lots of useful info in the left-hand margin, including a link to Doggy Blog Clips - which is crammed full of interesting articles.

FREE blog traffic

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Wilsons Training Blog

This training blog is to show the progress, methods and potential setbacks of pulling a shelter dog deemed "aggressive".  My goal is to educate you on the process and training techniques I will use with him can help rehabilate through postive associations and obedience training this dog and get him placed in the best possible forever home.  Youll see that we take things slowly and work to address the needs we know about and those we discover as we go. 

I am a Professional Certified Dog Trainer, Member of the IACP and APDT and a foster home and volunteer to Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love.    My business is The K9 Coach.

If you have not already -- please "like" my Facebook page

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Wilsons Story:  

December 28 -- Wilson time with me has come to an end.   At least his time as a foster and trainee.   He will never leave my heart and he will forever have a place to come home to if he needs it. 

Wilson has come a long way from that wild-eyed stressed out dog I took to the park the first week.   Hes not reacting negatively to the sight of kids, but he still is a quite leary of strangers.  It  angers me that people can take a beautiful puppy and damage him in ways that change him forever.  How can parents allow children to poke an taunt a dog.   Its wrong no matter how you slice it but with a powerful breed its just stupid.   Yes, I said stupid. Its senseless.  Its outrageous.  They made him fearful of people and it takes him a long time to trust anyone.  He is forever different than the dog he could of been, though he is still fantastic.   I know he learned to trust me and was an absolute joy to have in my home.   I am thankful for the experince  Now, he has a new start and I know he will learn to trust his new family. 

Hes off to a new home of his own, in Morehead City.  I wish I could go with him to the beach.   His new parents are expereinced Dane owners, but learned over the last 2 days that even experience doesnt always prep you for the next dog.   Yes, we spent time over two days getting Wilson acclimated.  

I like Jackie and Mike -- a lot.  They are the kind of people I could be friends with.   I believe they will do eveything possible to give Wilson a loving home and to keep him safe and to continue his training.   Wilson has issues from his past abuse that may forever be part of his personality.  He may never be the kind of dog they can let off-leash at the beach, allow friends to pet, or grandkids to hug. 
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We spent an hour or so at Petsmart last night and they got to see first hand that he is very well behaved in public, but that everyone wants to pet him.   And they are going to have to be willing to tell people, "Thank you but no he cant be petted right now."  It was an hour well spent for them to see the reality.    Not to mention Wilson go deer antlers, squeaky toys, and treats!

He loved the fact they kept giving him treats, but a 1/2 beat to long as Jackie tried to pet him too soon led him to grumble at her. Lesson learned. Slow it down. Really slow. He wasnt ready for that kind of intimacy, even from his new mom. 
 
They assume a great responsibility in adopting a rescue dog.   They are prepared for it and committed to it.   They have promised not to let me or Wilson down.   His future success is all in how they build a bond, establish leadership and give him love.   He has to the tools he needs to be successful and I know that he will.  

They have already called me to say hes riding well in the car, following the commands they give him, and has nuzzled up to Jackie to lay his head on her arm.... well at least when he stops chewing his new antler ....

Much love to you Wilson.   Have a great life and I do hope to see you again soon with your new family!   Maybe Ill vacation at the beach.......



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Best Buddies
Photo by Amy Breckenridge Smith

December 19 -- Wilson is off to Club K9 for the holidays.   Im really going to miss him, but Im sure Cosmo will miss him the most.  Its a big test to see how Wilson does away from "home" for a week.  The folks at Club K9 have all been informed about his issue with eye contact, and the need to let him approach them, to go very slowly and build trust, etc.    He should however love playing with other dogs for the week.   

He has a potential adopter coming after the holidays to meet with him.  So well see how things go and maybe hell have a new home for New Years.....

??Yes, Im just a bit sad -- but its what we do.   Sadly, we have to do it over and over again.    And so begins Zoes journey training with me this week.   2 dogs in the house reactive to other dogs should be quite the challenge....  

December 9  --  Wilson and Cosmo went on a little pack walk with a new friend Atlas Thursday.  They both did really well as we passed people and dogs on the greeway.  We also passed an elementary school with about 50 kids out for recess.   You know kids squeal, run towards the fence, and make all sorts of rukus.   Wilson got a little vocal, but it wasnt growling.   Just mostly excitment.  He was easily controlled and able to continue a sit/stay and down/stay across the street from the school.    We also encountered a man who had a few "issues" shall we say.    The man didnt quite understand that I told him he could not approach to pet Wilson.   He kept asking if he was "nice".   As the man got closer Wilson barked, and it startled the man a bit so he finally understood not to come closer.   Wilson held his down stay a moment, before we turned to head back home.

On Friday he went for his eval at Club K9.  He had an absolute ball.   The folks there are great at helping to deal with a dog who has issues.  They are very experienced at working with dog.    Wilson loves other dogs, but it was the staff we wanted to be sure he would respect.    They respected him and he did great!  He came home and passed out!  

He did really well at Starbucks on Sunday.  You can still tell that when someone looks straight in his eyes for a 1/2-beat too long hes a bit threatened.   But when they have treats in their hands and come in side-ways -- hes good to go!  It will continue to be a requirement to manage Wilsons intros to people and watch his signals.     I had a visitor over on Friday and Wilson did great having someone in the house for a few hours and greeted them easily for petting.

December 5 -- My goodness, its been a while since we posted an update.   Wilson is doing GREAT!   He now weighs in at 102 pounds - thats up from 78 when he came in.   Hes very atheletic, but hes also a silly goofy dane puppy.  Hes rolled of the bed twice!   Today, I couldnt help but laugh.  Hes stretched out relaxing and then plop, right on to the floor.  He had no idea he was going to fall off.   All I saw after was one paw stretch up in the air as if to say "Im good, I meadnt to do that".

 

He and Cosmo as having so much fun together!   Wilson is relaxed and happy.  But both are still looking for homes of their own.  Wilson has had several outings this week testing him with strangers and hes amost seeking out people on his own now -- and loves when they give him treats.   Having treats on hand will be a continued exercise for a while and his future parents will always need to be observant and manage his greetings -- but hes ready for his forever home.  

 

Heres a video of him trying to get my dachshund to play.    They seem to be the funniest in the early mornings. 

 

More pictures of Wilson can be found on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/thek9coachcharlotte   -- Please "Like" and "Share:  :-)

November 27--

Avoiding Eye Contact With Me
Required to Down Stay

Wilson hit the point in training that he decided he needed to challenge me.   Hes done exceptionally well in learning the basic commands, rules of the house, etc.   As with every dog, he decided its time to challenge authority to see how serious I am about things.   It started with not coming in when called -- and Id go get him everytime.   Then it because a refusal to not lay down on command.

Last night, Wilson and his new buddy Cosmo decided that they needed a little rough-housing play-time in the house.    Now if you have never seen a Catahoula and a Great Dane get wound up -- well youve missed some joy and some chaos.    

I told them both to settle down, and to lay down.   My rule is you do perform the command when and where youre told.   Cosmo complied.   Wilson decided he needed to go lay on the dog bed.   Nope, youre coming back to the center of the room, and youre doing to lay Down.   He did and in 2 seconds bounced back up and headed to the bed.   Rinse and Repeat several times.    Each time I led him back to the spot the command was issued and repeated the command.   Then he tried to sit, or to stand.   So we had a little exercise in discipline and authority.  He finally stayed in place about 30 minutes before I released him.   I missed most of the TV show I was watching -- but life lessons are more important.     

Video of Wilson and Cosmo  

More on Enforcing Commands

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November  18

Wake Up!  Its time for Mass ODanes

Lesson for the day -- dont get lulled into a false sense of security!   Wilson was a grumpy-butt at Mass ODanes today.  Despite how well he has been doing greeting people for the last few weeks, he just really wanted know part of anyone today.    Do you ever have days like that?    Im sure we all do.  Id rather get the warning rather than the reaction so that as the handle you have time to respond and address the behavior.   The problems is that some dogs just lunge and snap.   Thats what happened to another foster dog today.   After a few weeks in her foster home, today, she lunged at several people for no apparent reason. 

So how do you address this -- well leadership has to be in place in all aspects of day to day life, and obedience training is a good foundation.   Does it solve everything -- no,  but it definately gives you a means of communication with the dog and a foundation to build trust and expectations.

Somes dogs will always require supervision & awareness from the owner to read their signals and respond to them before the dog takes matters into his own hands.  In time they get better and better -- but a responsible handler can never take for granted what may happen.

Look for more information coming this week on my blog about reactive dogs.

November 15

Wilson made a new friend.   A new board and train came to me this week who has taken to Wilson quickly.   In part because Wilson is such a good energy when he greets other dogs.  He knows to offer all the right cues that say "I mean you know harm -- I just want to play!"

This new dog is a bit uncertain around other dogs.   So he can definately learn from Wilson how to play and relax. 

November 11

Wilson gets some gentle pets from a little girl and some treats too to create a positive association.     (This scenario was well managed, took 3 weeks to get to, and involved a very dog saavy little girl who is part of our rescue organization).  

Giant step forward for Wilson!

November 8

Its official!   Wilson is going up for adoption this week.   Wilson is doing really well in his training.   Im having really no issues with him beyond typical puppy stuff.    Hes still cautious about meeting people, but hes looking to me (handler) for queues which is great!   There is still work to do, and living with kids is not an option -- but hes ready to find a home where an expereinced handler can continue to work with him on his developmental needs and enjoy him as a puppy.   If you have had a Dane puppy -- you know exactly what Im talking about :-) 

November 3 & 4

Days with no house accidents -- Caught in the act.   Lets just say as soon as Wilson eats you better send him outside.   No time to finish what youre doing.

His obedience training is going great.  Hes learned the commands and is able to do them with distractions and in public locations. What were working on now is having him hold the commands and distance work.  Hes in that phase where hes figured out the leash and thinks if its not on that all bets are off and the rules dont apply.

Petsmart yesterday was a big test.    We got surrounded by 3  children in the fish alcove.  Wilson was not distressed at all and was able to heel and walk right pass them to more open space.    Another young boy (10ish) came rushing over to pet Wilson and I stepped in front of him and told him he couldnt pet Wilson, that he was in training.   I took an educational moment to tell what happened to Wilson and to explain to the kid AND his mother, that they always need to ask permission to pet a dog.

Wilson wore himself out at Mass ODanes today.  Lots of people.  Lots of dogs.   I think he just reached a point of fatigue.  He got a little grumpy near the end.  He gave a couple of warnings to say hed had enough to another dog and to one of our rescue members who was leaning lover him a bit too long.  Id rather him warn than to just lash out -- so thats good.  But he was still corrected.   He will get better and better over time, but like you and I we all have limits and we all need to respect that. 

He has spent the last 2.5 hours napping in his xpen.   He put himself there as soon as we got home. 

Oct 28 - November 1
Days with no house accidents -- We are on a roll!!!  

Sorry for not having a post this week.  Ive been crazy busy and have had to make a couple of trips to visit family out of town.  

Wilson is doing great!   On Monday, I had to leave the entire crowd crated for the day and have a friend come over to let them out.   Wilson did well in the xpen and also was good with my friends.   Wilson is actually laying in his xpen right now sound asleep.   l love when they learn that they can just chill in their own space!

He and Vinnie play a lot.  Its fun and entertaing to watch.   I understand that while my friends were over on Monday, Vinnie actually hid in the bushes and caught Wilson with a surprise run and tackle.   Wilson loves it -- its a lot like watch a little boy idolize his big brother :-)

Were heading back to the park tomorrow and over the weekend to continue our work around the kids.   I dont anticipate any problems, and think that we should be able to start looking for Wilsons forever home soon, with an experienced handler. 

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