Wins Are Everywhere

The problem with reactivity is that it can be a problem for a long time. A very long time. So, I haven't posted in a few days because we just have been chugging along. We have major "wins" (and some fails) on every single walk, so they are a big deal to me, but maybe not blog material.

I have started a journal in just a plain old notebook, I am taking notes on every single thing we do - walks, training, everything. I am taking down note on what she's eaten, what training tools we used, what training we worked on, every last little detail to help myself remember so I can go back and reflect. I also take notes on what changes I want to make, or what I want to try for next time. This journal, only a week old at this point, has already been a huge benefit. I am already noticing patterns and it is already informing my decision making. I highly recommend it for anyone training.

Other than that, we have had some ups and downs. One wild reaction this week to a few dogs walking by on-leash across the street, but many more instances where Rocket obviously came to a mental fork in the road and chose to not freak out.

I am working on getting quicker with noticing where she is at on the reactivity scale, and stopping escalation before it starts. This, for me at least, has been difficult to learn and master, and takes a lot of time. Reactivity takes forever to fix not just because its hard to change a dog's hardwiring, but its hard to change our own as well. We must allow ourselves time to become more adept trainers with quicker reflexes to situations.

One of my mentors, a professional handler, is practically telepathic with dogs. She is always 5 steps ahead of the dog. She's not just fast, she's in the future...and she is excellent. She makes working with dogs of all kinds look easy. I hope someday I can have at least a smidgen of as much talent as her!

So, we keep going. I am trying to celebrate every single success. Did Rocket check herself and look at me instead of chasing after the squirrel? Win. Did Rocket ignore the child that approached us (before I told her to go away, poor kid)? Win. Did Rocket approach a neighbor today, who was at a distance, and literally not give a single care? Win. Did Rocket walk by the scary man with the scary weed whacker blaring away and keep her focus on me? Win!

The good thing about having a dog that is this bad, is everything is a big deal, which means wins are everywhere!

Stay positive!

For A Reactive Dog, Calm is Important All the Time

Rocket missed her calling as a racing greyhound

My boss, an avid dog lover, and I were discussing Rocket's reactivity today and she brought up some really amazing points on calmness. She got the conversation going about times when maybe dogs are not so calm, maybe even reactive, and we as owners might "let it go" - to their detriment.

If reactivity is an episode where the dog goes over threshold, and we assume this episode can/does alter their brain chemistry, which in turn will increase the likelihood of future, and possibly more violent, reactions, then it is our goal to never allow our dog to go over threshold. Each time he or she does, we take a step back. This is why it is so important to remove a dog from the stimulus as soon as we recognize there is a problem, to stop the dog from "rehearsing" the behavior, and therefore making the problem worse and more long term. It is always important to stay away from the problem situations until you can get professional help.

Up until recently, I really only thought about this in terms of the environments where Rocket had reactions that I deemed problematic. I have been lately thinking about all the other times she might raise her arousal levels too high. What about when looking out the window? What about seeing the squirrels in the backyard? These are all instances when Rocket has a reaction, maybe a different kind - not nearly as bad as with dogs on leash - but still, arousal is happening. She is getting keyed up, and we are throwing adrenaline into her system. I then assume that with these added doses of excitement  we must be hurting our chances of success for when we get into the "big deal" situations...such as on-leash.

This line of thinking has been in my head the past few weeks, and I have been working to make Rocket's in-house time as calming as possible. Then, today, my boss mentioned something that really flipped my thinking on its side.

What about when she goes running off-leash? It got me thinking to how a typical off-leash romps go for her. (These are in a safe, enclosed, empty dog park).

Rocket will run, and run, and run, and run. She will gladly chase a ball, but she's in it for the running, and will often not bother to bring the ball back, and just go for another few loops. She is starting to make me think she's an "adrenaline junkie" - because Rocket will just run, for however long you let her, and now I have to ask myself, per the inspiration of my boss' comment, at what point is she running for joy, and and what point - if this is happening - might she be tipping over into "joy meets fear = system crash" levels of adrenaline. This theory could be supported by the fact that after a good bit of running, Rocket will start doing things like running the fence or barking. These could be identified as anxiety activities. Originally, I would assume that all exercise, all running is good for her - but now I have to wonder, is it really? Or, should I be on the lookout for activities that might be adding to her reactivity?

The bottom line is this: many of the things I used to think were "she's just being a dog" activities I am examining with a closer eye.

How many people see a dog that gaurds the door constantly and deem that dog "a good guard dog"? How much do you want to bet that dog barks its head off at everything that walks by? Or the dog that barks at sounds...is this dog "just a good guard dog" or is it an anxious dog, a dog that never can relax?

What about the dog that melts into a wiggly, licking, whimpering pile when meeting someone new? Someone might say "Oh what a friendly dog, he loves people!" We have all heard this - but we must actually listen to the dog. Is this dog really friendly and loving of all people, or is he actually quite worried or uncomfortable and acting ultra-submissive?

Lastly, this is the reactive dog owner's arch enemy, the "friendly dog". The dog that lunges, barks, twirls, whines, screams, and nearly kills itself trying to get to your dog when passing by on a walk. One might say "Oh he's friendly! He loves dogs!" Well, maybe both of those things are true, but maybe this dog is not experiencing life in a comfortable or healthy way. Maybe this dog initially was both friendly and dog-loving ten minutes ago, but maybe now he is presented with a stimulus that he cannot, or does not know how to, handle, and is so overloaded with adrenaline that he can't really even function anymore. Maybe this dog is reactive.

Our dogs cannot speak to us, so we must listen to what they can give us, and we must start to look at our reactive dog as a reactive dog all the time, and promote calm and confidence all the time. Some of the "dog just being a dog" activities might not actually be normal, or healthy. We have to re-examine what our criteria for our dog's wellbeing are. In the past, maybe this behavior seemed "okay", but the more we learn, the more we must challenge traditional approaches to dog behavior. Our goal is a healthy, happy, calm dog...what does that really look like all day, every day?

The Importance of High Value Treats

The past few "field trips" we have been on has really made me want to write this post about treats.

Long story short, high value treats and a high rate of renforcement is critical. I cannot say this enough, and it may seem obvious, but I think it needs to be said...and have its own post to boot!

Rate of Reinforcement
This is something I was lacking on but have started to fix. I realized that my rate of reinforcement was just not high enough for certain situations. Think about if you are treating often enough. For example, if the dog is walking past a distraction, think about breaking that exercise down into the "baby steps". A dog might not be able to complete an entire walk-by...you might want to be treating for every two or three steps. This is a higher rate of reinforcement and at the same time, you are breaking down the task into easier chunks.

Something as little as taking a step can be monumental for a dog, so remain sensitive to this fact and treat accordingly.

Treats
I always make sure I have more than enough treats in my bag. We are still at a point where if I run out of treats, I am completely unarmed to deal with any situation. I always make sure we head home before the treats run out. I say "before" because if I run out and then turn to head home, get in the car, walk five feet from point a to b...you can bet that something catastrophic will fall from the sky right into Rocket's face. It always does. I know this from bad experience!

So, load up that treat bag and be ready!

Currently in mine we have cheerios, soft chewy treats, kibble, and then I carry in the front pocket "the big guns" - hot dogs and cheddar cheese. I like to switch up every so often to keep things exciting and interesting, and I like to make sure I leave some very high value treats for only very "special" things - such as recalls.

Rocket will actually work for kibble, which may not work for your dog, but this and the cheerios count as low value treats. I give them for when she offers a behavior that maybe wasn't "that big of a deal"...and on the reverse, I break out the hot dogs for the "big deal" and for emergency situations. She loves food, so she is always more than happy to work for kibble when she is at stress level zero. As distraction/stress increases, then I have to remain aware of what I am giving her.

Other dogs = hot dogs. Sitting when no one is around and she's totally calm = cheerios.

I like all of these things because they are small which means I can literally be shoveling treats in her mouth for the whole session and not actually feed her too much. I always take into account her treat intake to make sure she is getting balanced nutrition.

Please remember, always make good choices when it comes to your dog's diet: consult with your veterinarian.

References
Notes From a Dog Walker: High Value Treats for DINOS

Kikopup/Emily Larlham: Calm Treat Deliveries

Kikopup/Emily Larlham: What Treats to Use

Trying Again After a Major Fail

I gave Rocket a day off yesterday save for a walk. Our walk was a little discouraging, as she barked at a neighbor who was a considerable distance away. No walk, however, is just a walk. I was armed and ready with treats and the second he came into our view, I was working with her.

I have been watching Leslie McDevitt's video "Pattern Games: Clicking for Confidence and Connection" and have learned a bunch of new patterns we can use - a couple of which are already working well for us! I highly recommend this video.

Today we went to the dog supply shop I mentioned in a post (the day when everything went terrible). I know, I sound foolish - why am I taking her back there when I just said I wouldn't? Well, we took a different attitude toward it.

We did not go in, did not even get near the door. We just hung out around the place, walked around the shopping mall, and stayed at a very far distance. This was actually the right amount of stimulation for her. We only saw a few dogs and they were all very far away, and we worked on reacting to people and sounds. The place had the right amount of business that we had things to do, but never got overwhelmed. We did pattern games, worked on exercises, played lots of Look at That!, and clicked for looking at me instead of distractions. It went pretty well, she had amazing focus and seemed to really enjoy some of it.

Positives:
1. Offered lots of great behaviors, started making a lot of choices about looking at me in the face of distractions.

2. Offered great obedience, was able to work even with people walking by for the most part.

3. Barking did not seem like "normal crazy reactive dog" barking...but I put this in negatives too because I dont want it happening!

4. Beautiful focus and heeling

5. Loose leash walking was really phenomenal today.

6. I worked on catching her even earlier with stares and other would-be-reactivity behavior. I started to realize this while watching McDevitt's video.

Negatives:
1. It continues to shock me just how hypervigilant she is. I'm paying more and more attention to how she is in and out of the house, and its really a concern. I am starting to get a deeper and better understanding of where she is really at, and it can be very sad for me to see her like this.

2. People reactivity. Some people she was fine with, others she would bark. She only barked a few times, and it was not a reactive mess like in the past, but nonetheless, I want to prevent this as much as possible.

3. More on the barking: she is doing this "BARK then turn and look at me all at the same time" thing which makes clicking a little bit of a challenge! I dont want to click for barks, I do want to click for turning to look at me! Its hard when the neck turns and the bark comes out at the same time!

4. A growl. Rocket growled at a woman that passed by. It was quick and as she was walking toward me as a part of her "look away from the distraction and look at mom to get a treat" (basically same timing as with the barking - growl happened simultaneously with the head turn). I did not correct her and I didn't click her. I immediately increased distance (I already was doing this at the moment of the growl anyway) and got her focused and then began clicking for those exercises. Again, this wasn't really high reactivity/over threshold moment. She was in a heightened state, but not over...but she still growled. After the incident she seemed a little more tense, but focused just fine. This really bothers me.

References
For the Look at That! Game and other great stuff:
McDevitt, L. (2007). Control unleashed: Creating a focused and confident dog. (1st ed.). South Hadley: Clean Run. Retrieved from http://controlunleashed.net/book.html

First Day at the Dog Gym

Our first day at the dog gym went very well. I am calling it a dog gym for a reason - it is a place that is open all day and you can reserve training space. They have classes and other fun activities for dogs to do - it is a genius plan.

We reserved a time during the day when there was very little activity, and it went really well. We were blocked away physically and visually - since seeing things is what gets Rocket keyed up - and we had some fun practicing obedience and playing.

She only looked away a couple times and maybe "woofed" once or twice.

I was like a ninja trying to get in and out of there with her - and the owner helped me to make sure the way was clear to avoid any run-ins with dogs.

For a long time I was really unsure about telling people Rocket is reactive - people really dont like reactive dogs, and for good reason. For this place, however, I contacted the owner and told her our story, and she has been extremely helpful.

So my tip for today, be honest, ask for help, don't ever let your worries get in the way of helping your dog!

Some Days Don't Go So Well

Today we went to our favorite dog supply shop to buy some things and take Rocket out into the world. I had spent all week being in no-dog zones with her, working on her games, and really getting her ready, so I thought we might be ready to try a place with a couple dogs around.

It went okay, but then again, it was not a good day for me. Rocket never went over threshold into full blown reaction, but she was chomping down on her treats like jaws to the point where it got painful and we had to work on just that, and things in general just weren't working. I get so focused on her body language and where she is at, I just know when she is just barely riding the line between okay and reactive. It was a rough, rough trip, and we cut it short and got the heck out of dodge.

I knew I made mistakes, which frustrates me. I should not have taken her there, which also frustrates me. I think I had confidence because our trainer was able to take her so many places. We spent so much work on focus and I felt like I had set everything up correctly, but it just didn't work out.

Working with a reactive dog is an emotional roller coaster. Some days are good, and some are bad. Its frustrating and it hurts to see the dog that you originally had big plans for unable to simply leave the house. It is extremely frustrating to just not have the skill level as a trainer to handle such an advanced dog.

We will dial back the criteria and try again, in a better situation.

The Potty Yard

If you could bling out dog ownership, I would argue that the potty yard is a necessary item: the bitchin' potty yard. Seriously though, this is the singlemost handy, amazing, luxurious item you can have for yourself if you own dogs. Or dog.

The concept is simple - a small, enclosed space in your yard with bedding such as pebbles or rocks (that aren't sharp!) with good drainage that is optimal for potty-ing. The best potty yard is situated so you can easily just walk over to your door, open it, and let your dog out into its safe, enclosed space to pee. Then that would optimally open up into the larger enclosed space of your yard for fun time!

When I say "small", that can be relative to your dog and your needs. If you only have one dog and its quite tiny, then small will mean something different for you than if you have 7 standard poodles - but what you are looking for is this: manageable, not the whole yard, and a not super interesting place.

I say not super interesting because, at least in my opinion, the ideal set up is a place where your dog just goes potty. Once potty time is over, they can get on with their lives and go do something fun, like run in the rest of your yard! This will speed up the time it takes your dog to potty - they know what the space is for, they wont mess around. This makes it easier on you to stay and watch them go, which is really the best thing to do for a number of reasons - the main being safety of the dog and if you are keeping and eye on how things are "going", you can better monitor your dog's health.

The potty yard is also ideal for other reasons - no dead grass, no mud, no poop all over the yard, its even washable!

How to build? Well, this is where you can get creative, but below are some ideas to get you started!

The T-post Fence - Super cheap, you can make it any size and shape you want

 The Kennel Run - Buy it at a place like Lowes or build it yourself, great option for potty time

Modified X-Pen Situation - What is nice about this option is you can take it anywhere. The x-pen is how dog show enthusiasts and professionals let their dogs out to potty while at shows - you can make up a more permanent version at home just by reinforcing it with T-posts. To make it so pee will soak through, you can put down an ex-pen mat (google it! CleanRun has them!) or something similar.

Decorative Garden Fence Panels - Pretty, easy to do, cheap, and can be re-inforced with T-posts!
(picture coming soon)

Then of course, you can just go for gold and actually build a fenced in area! This is the most expensive option, but if you are staying put for a while, is the prettiest route.

Whatever you do, just make sure its high enough! 48 inches high at a minimum is good for taller dogs, but you can ultimately decide what is best for your dog!

When you introduce your dog to its new potty yard, you might have to do a little training! Be patient. My suggestion is in the morning when you know they really need to pee, take them out there for the first time, and wait for them to do the deed, and praise them so they know that this is alright! Introduce them to it when you know they really gotta go! Some dogs will not know what to do when they are placed on a new surface, so be patient and work with them, do some crate training if you need to, and once they have to go bad enough, they will probably give in and give it a try! After the first few times, it will make total sense to them. If you want to try to make it seem more homey, you could maybe place some droppings on it. I just wanted to put this disclaimer in - dogs do need to be trained to go in new areas, so don't despair if it doesn't go smoothly at first!

I was finally able to build and finish my potty yard for Rocket with the help of my mother and husband. It is amazing.

That shadowy thing is my dog

It has changed dog ownership for me, forever. I know I am being really dramatic but its so true. I open the door, she walks out, I get to stand there safe on my covered, screened in porch, she can go potty, then she comes in with clean feet. Picking up poop is even easy! I LOVE this potty yard. I hope you will be able to have one, and you'll love it too!