Monday, March 25, 2013
Hungry
I wanted to see what she did when she got hungry. It's quite funny.
She's even more vocal than Sam, when she's hungry. A symphony of moans and grunts and ostentatious walk-by's, sighing and collapsing on the ground next to me with dramatic eye-rolls...
Don't worry, I did feed her (though I waited till she lay sleeping, didn't want to reinforce THAT behaviour)
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Recap
OK, after two weeks, time to inventory.
She's less reactive when I walk her, doesn't lunge at people or bicycles any more.
Birds still startle her more than they should, and she is far too aware of her surroundings, and far too little aware of me (when anything catches her attention, she does not react to anything I say or do, even the high value treats are ignored).
Other dogs elicit a dramatic response from her, frantic barking and lunging... that gentle leader is no luxury, I would have been quite injured by some of her responses: she is a strong dog and unafraid of using her strength to get what she wants.
The chickens are still a trigger for her, but she is starting to get that under control and can sit and watch them for a long time without lurching into a lunge. The rabbit is another story, she becomes quite distressed and still lunges at it furiously even though the gentle leader must hurt her quite a bit. There is some habituation, though it's effects are not at all strong.
I let her out through the back now, and praise/reward her profusely whenever she walks past without an "event" (lunge/attempted lunge/fixation followed by attack). Even though the weather is arctic, we walk past there a number of times when I let her out, trying to get her to have a succesful pass. Only the succesful passes are rewarded, the others get nothing. I try to have minimal to zero anger response to the lunges, try to keep my response calm and measured and definite. Chipping very small inroads, this will take some time. If she's even halfway this reactive by May, I'm not at all sure I should be taking her along to Drenthe to the woods, it will be an exercise in stress for her (and me).
I had hoped to see more progress with other dogs, outside, but that's not to be helped. In time things will get better, I am sure of that. The back yard is also no fun, but that will also improve over time.
On a positive note, she now recognises her name, knows the commando sit and will sit without instruction for her food. She also learned hand signals for sit. The lie down command and hand signal is not at all strong yet, that needs some work. She understands Stay even if she does not follow it all that much, and i'm working with the clicker to get her to make eye contact (which has been poor, except when she wants a scratch).
She and Sam are still great together. I still place Sam in the bench whenever they are alone together, though, and will continue till she's been here for over a month.
She's a lovely girl and I'm glad I adopted her. Yes, she's work. But in the end, she'll be a happy girl, and be shaped to be the best dog in the world for me!!
She's less reactive when I walk her, doesn't lunge at people or bicycles any more.
Birds still startle her more than they should, and she is far too aware of her surroundings, and far too little aware of me (when anything catches her attention, she does not react to anything I say or do, even the high value treats are ignored).
Other dogs elicit a dramatic response from her, frantic barking and lunging... that gentle leader is no luxury, I would have been quite injured by some of her responses: she is a strong dog and unafraid of using her strength to get what she wants.
The chickens are still a trigger for her, but she is starting to get that under control and can sit and watch them for a long time without lurching into a lunge. The rabbit is another story, she becomes quite distressed and still lunges at it furiously even though the gentle leader must hurt her quite a bit. There is some habituation, though it's effects are not at all strong.
I let her out through the back now, and praise/reward her profusely whenever she walks past without an "event" (lunge/attempted lunge/fixation followed by attack). Even though the weather is arctic, we walk past there a number of times when I let her out, trying to get her to have a succesful pass. Only the succesful passes are rewarded, the others get nothing. I try to have minimal to zero anger response to the lunges, try to keep my response calm and measured and definite. Chipping very small inroads, this will take some time. If she's even halfway this reactive by May, I'm not at all sure I should be taking her along to Drenthe to the woods, it will be an exercise in stress for her (and me).
I had hoped to see more progress with other dogs, outside, but that's not to be helped. In time things will get better, I am sure of that. The back yard is also no fun, but that will also improve over time.
On a positive note, she now recognises her name, knows the commando sit and will sit without instruction for her food. She also learned hand signals for sit. The lie down command and hand signal is not at all strong yet, that needs some work. She understands Stay even if she does not follow it all that much, and i'm working with the clicker to get her to make eye contact (which has been poor, except when she wants a scratch).
She and Sam are still great together. I still place Sam in the bench whenever they are alone together, though, and will continue till she's been here for over a month.
She's a lovely girl and I'm glad I adopted her. Yes, she's work. But in the end, she'll be a happy girl, and be shaped to be the best dog in the world for me!!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Gentle leader
Today was obviously the first time she ever had a Gentle Leader on, and she really didn't like it.
Walked with her, praising profusely. Thankfully, we didn't meet any dogs or cats on this walk... there really is no option, she has to go with this till she is fully trained on the leash to not pull. Hopefully she will learn in time, otherwise this will be a permanent fixture. She is a very strong dog, and utterly undisciplined on the leash, and extremely reactive with cats and other dogs. If I don't, it's only a matter of time that somebody gets hurt.
I really hope this next week will show much improvement. I'm going to start taking her out back on the Gentle Leader too, past the chickens and bunny. I think she won't be able to lunge and jump like she did before, tomorrow will show one way or the other.
I wish the weather would improve, so we could go sit in the garden and desensitise her a bit. I already see some progress with the chickens (and rabbit too, she stiffens and fixates but does not immediately lunge any more) but it needs to go a lot faster and deeper, I want her "bombproof" with these animals asap.
PS fyi, I'm so busy with training her, almost every minute spent with her has some training element in it... so I'm not taking as many pictures as I'd like.
Walked with her, praising profusely. Thankfully, we didn't meet any dogs or cats on this walk... there really is no option, she has to go with this till she is fully trained on the leash to not pull. Hopefully she will learn in time, otherwise this will be a permanent fixture. She is a very strong dog, and utterly undisciplined on the leash, and extremely reactive with cats and other dogs. If I don't, it's only a matter of time that somebody gets hurt.
I really hope this next week will show much improvement. I'm going to start taking her out back on the Gentle Leader too, past the chickens and bunny. I think she won't be able to lunge and jump like she did before, tomorrow will show one way or the other.
I wish the weather would improve, so we could go sit in the garden and desensitise her a bit. I already see some progress with the chickens (and rabbit too, she stiffens and fixates but does not immediately lunge any more) but it needs to go a lot faster and deeper, I want her "bombproof" with these animals asap.
PS fyi, I'm so busy with training her, almost every minute spent with her has some training element in it... so I'm not taking as many pictures as I'd like.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Cat-launch
When I let her out today, I didn't notice the black cat sitting under a tree.
She did.
Those cartoons, where you are launched into the air with feet flying behind you???
Yep. That was me.
There are deep brake tracks where the grass is churned up - that was me trying to stop her full tilt attack run.
The cat was long gone by the time she managed to come down to earth.
This is a much better upper arm workout than any gym could offer...
(the gentle leader I ordered is no luxury item)
So yes, Dharma remains upstairs for now.
First the chickens (she's mellowed towards them)
Then the rabbit (still triggers her, but not instantly any more - she can watch it for quite a few minutes before the impulse wins out and she tries to rush it)
Only then will I start to teach her to accept THIS cat.
Lots of work ahead.
Good progress: she understands her name now and comes when called (most of the time).
She will sit when commanded even though very grudgingly at times, and at glacial speeds when the reward is not big enough to suit her.
Sam behaved like an obnoxious teen today and still she remained calm and level in her response to him. I'm so very pleased by that.
She got less food today, and these past days Sam also received much less. She does require a surprising amount of food though, so I stocked up again today. At this point I'd rather have her a little overfed and dopey than hungry and jittery for food.
Tomorrow, we continue with the exposure to the chickens, a bit longer every time. I really hope the weather will improve so I can sit outside in a chair with her on the leash next to me. I still have the goat anchor, I might use that while she sits next to me, that will spare my arm.
I really hope it won't take too long for her to become habituated. Once she is calm around the animals outside, I'll allow her to approach them for a good sniff until even that becomes boring (as it did with Sam).
She did.
Those cartoons, where you are launched into the air with feet flying behind you???
Yep. That was me.
There are deep brake tracks where the grass is churned up - that was me trying to stop her full tilt attack run.
The cat was long gone by the time she managed to come down to earth.
This is a much better upper arm workout than any gym could offer...
(the gentle leader I ordered is no luxury item)
So yes, Dharma remains upstairs for now.
First the chickens (she's mellowed towards them)
Then the rabbit (still triggers her, but not instantly any more - she can watch it for quite a few minutes before the impulse wins out and she tries to rush it)
Only then will I start to teach her to accept THIS cat.
Lots of work ahead.
Good progress: she understands her name now and comes when called (most of the time).
She will sit when commanded even though very grudgingly at times, and at glacial speeds when the reward is not big enough to suit her.
Sam behaved like an obnoxious teen today and still she remained calm and level in her response to him. I'm so very pleased by that.
She got less food today, and these past days Sam also received much less. She does require a surprising amount of food though, so I stocked up again today. At this point I'd rather have her a little overfed and dopey than hungry and jittery for food.
Tomorrow, we continue with the exposure to the chickens, a bit longer every time. I really hope the weather will improve so I can sit outside in a chair with her on the leash next to me. I still have the goat anchor, I might use that while she sits next to me, that will spare my arm.
I really hope it won't take too long for her to become habituated. Once she is calm around the animals outside, I'll allow her to approach them for a good sniff until even that becomes boring (as it did with Sam).
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday
OK taking stock:
All in all, this is manageable and should not take many months to convert her to a happy, safe and confident dog. Hopefully, my shoulder will withstand the strain.
- She's excellent with Sam, hasn't shown even the smallest bit of aggression towards him.
- She shows no food aggression whatsoever.
- There's no separation anxiety - some whining at first but then she settles in.
- She seems to respond fiercely to cats, which is why our cat is now living upstairs (the stair gate prevents her from going upstairs after her). It's not a situation that can continue indefinitely our cat loves to be outside and must be able to move freely through the house. Introducing them, and making sure she knows not to chase/attack her, is a priority.
- She's very leash reactive - at first to people as well as dogs and birds and anything that moves. I'm keeping her on very short walks, familiar ground only, as little exposure to the stressors as possible. The behaviour seems to be extinguishing towards people and birds, but not to other dogs (where even great distance elicits a major stress response). Reducing the leash reactivity and making her safe around people and animals is a priority.
- It seems likely that someone tried to train the hunting reflex out of her with a fear/pain stimulus - she showed a lot of lunging/aggression behaviour to the chickens and rabbit over the first few days. I'm working on very short and safe exposures, desensitising her to the chickens and rabbit is a priority. It seems to be working but will take some time to have her safe with the animals in the back yard. I'm certainly not considering letting her loose out back anytime soon...
- The diet is sorted - she is 100% BARF now and will remain so.
- She's hardly been trained at all and there's the language barrier. She has to learn the most common behaviours such as sit, lie down, stay, heel... and/or learn the terminology. Training her in the basics of dog obedience is a priority.
- She does not respond to her name at all, so I've decided to rename her to Ruby. Getting her to respond to her name is a priority.
- She does not make any eye contact with me. That's also a priority, since it's hard to train her without eye contact.
- She is responding to clicker training, but I haven't found the best high value treat for her yet that she will also take from me when outside on the leash. Finding a high value training treat is also a priority.
All in all, this is manageable and should not take many months to convert her to a happy, safe and confident dog. Hopefully, my shoulder will withstand the strain.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Saturday, March 16
Another day of sleep and food and not much else. She was much more relaxed outside today, though not even close to where she needs to be... but hey, it's not even been a week. I think she is doing splendidly, all things considered.
Clicker training is going well, she's a neophyte but seems to be picking it up nicely. Sam of course, is only there for the treats and boy oh boy is he harvesting them. He is going to gain weight shamefully... I think I really need to have blood panels done again to see if he has some systemic condition that allows him to gain weight so fast, on so little (call that wishful thinking). He DOES drink a lot of water, and is possibly the laziest dog I have ever encountered!
I've taken her out back a number of times, very short forays every time, on a fixed and very short leash. Mostly, she sees the chickens and becomes intensely focused on them but not any more to the point that she's stiff as a board and ready to rush them. Now, she will look at me quickly when I demand her attention (and then look back immediately). She willingly turns around and goes back inside to lavish praise and a treat, but won't take a treat from my hand while looking at them outside. I'll consider it progress when she does, and am experimenting on which treats have the highest value to her. Twice she saw the rabbit and fixated more strongly on her than the chickens, but did not try to rush her like before. Both times I let her look a very short while (less than one minute) before turning and going back inside. I'm very satisfied with our progress.
I did notice when I moved my hand very fast around her head, she flinched strongly and squeezed her eyes shut. Quite a telling reaction.
On the leash outside, she still pulls strongly. Yesterday and today, I began the full stop each time she'd really lean into the line, moving forward only when she'd relax the tension on the line. It's too soon to see real progress but I think she is starting to understand what I want... the tension lightens quite quickly now.
Today we encountered a passel of teenage girls right in front of my front door when we left the house, and she didn't try to rush them or bark at them. That's also progress.
She is eating like a champion and is going through staggering amounts of food. She polished almost a week's supply in two days!!! Where Sam eats less than he should according to the general BARF rule of thumb, I think she will need more than the average dog. Perhaps the next deworming dosage will make a difference, but I doubt it.
All my couch are belong to her... Ruby, I really think her name will be Ruby.
Clicker training is going well, she's a neophyte but seems to be picking it up nicely. Sam of course, is only there for the treats and boy oh boy is he harvesting them. He is going to gain weight shamefully... I think I really need to have blood panels done again to see if he has some systemic condition that allows him to gain weight so fast, on so little (call that wishful thinking). He DOES drink a lot of water, and is possibly the laziest dog I have ever encountered!
I've taken her out back a number of times, very short forays every time, on a fixed and very short leash. Mostly, she sees the chickens and becomes intensely focused on them but not any more to the point that she's stiff as a board and ready to rush them. Now, she will look at me quickly when I demand her attention (and then look back immediately). She willingly turns around and goes back inside to lavish praise and a treat, but won't take a treat from my hand while looking at them outside. I'll consider it progress when she does, and am experimenting on which treats have the highest value to her. Twice she saw the rabbit and fixated more strongly on her than the chickens, but did not try to rush her like before. Both times I let her look a very short while (less than one minute) before turning and going back inside. I'm very satisfied with our progress.
I did notice when I moved my hand very fast around her head, she flinched strongly and squeezed her eyes shut. Quite a telling reaction.
On the leash outside, she still pulls strongly. Yesterday and today, I began the full stop each time she'd really lean into the line, moving forward only when she'd relax the tension on the line. It's too soon to see real progress but I think she is starting to understand what I want... the tension lightens quite quickly now.
Today we encountered a passel of teenage girls right in front of my front door when we left the house, and she didn't try to rush them or bark at them. That's also progress.
She is eating like a champion and is going through staggering amounts of food. She polished almost a week's supply in two days!!! Where Sam eats less than he should according to the general BARF rule of thumb, I think she will need more than the average dog. Perhaps the next deworming dosage will make a difference, but I doubt it.
All my couch are belong to her... Ruby, I really think her name will be Ruby.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Friday!
This day can be categorized as the big sleep. Both dogs ate, slept, pooped and peed, ate and slept some more. Lots of stretching and sighing and grunting and groaning going on.
Since it was snowing all day with a nasty sharp wind blowing, it's just as well.
Ruby. I think her name will be Ruby.
I had to go to Amsterdam for a work meeting today, left here around 10.30 and came back around 15.00. I hung around in front for a while before leaving, the dogs were quiet. When I came back it was still silent and both dogs had been sleeping, they woke up when I opened the door.
Gloria/Rosie/Ruby still goes nuts when she comes across another dog, even if it's a good distance away from her. Other people make her very nervous as well, she tries to rush them and lunges as much as the line will let her. I keep her on a short leash now and keep my eyes on stalks to make sure we aren't surprised by other dogs/cats/people/ufo's.
I'll give it another week, then i'm going to take her for long walks, expose her as much as possible to the outside world till she becomes bored with it all. For now, i'm clicker training and also doing short exposures to the chickens, keeping a close watch to forestall any fixation behaviour. So far, so good, haven't had any incidents again.
The two dogs are interacting more each day. They are still being totally non-agressive to each other, but still I'm keeping Sam in the bench whenever I'm not around.
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