Come When Called Part 3: Adding Distractions

September 26, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called

Adding Distractions to “Come” Cue

If your dog ignores you and runs off, it might need some specific training. Here is the final installment of a four-part series on training your dog to come. You’ll learn:

How to perform an emergency recall
To call your dog indoors from the backyard
To call your dog back to you around distractions (squirrels, etc.)
How to teach multiple dogs to come back to you
Fun games

Directions

View first video and practice homework for seven days.
View second video, practice homework for seven days.
View third video, practice homework for seven days.
View fourth, and final, video.

Each video contains tons of information so re-watch them several times. Bookmark for easy future reference.

What you will need:

Delicious treats the size of a pea
Six-foot leash
Flat buckle collar or body harness
Clicker

Note: Always enroll your dog in a group dog training class. This video should not be used in place of dog training class attendance.

You’ve completed the “Come When Called” series. Revisit the videos as often as necessary for polite greeting behavior!

In case you missed it: Come When Called Part 1: Intro

German Shepherds

September 25, 2014 by Fanna Easter

German Shepherd Dog Information

While living in Germany, I was able to witness the German Shepherd dog in its true glory, as they originated from Germany, and learned more than I ever had before. I was lucky enough to attend many dog shows in Europe and watch them move like the wind across the ring. Also, we were part of a Schutzhund Club in Vilseck, Germany, where 90% of the dogs were GSDs. We saw every variation from East German, Czech lines, long coat, short coat to everything in between. Their coloring is usually black and red, tan and black and sable. While the white German Shepherd is frowned upon in the U.S., I did see many white German Shepherds in Germany and they were lovely!

The German Shepherd Dog was designed as a versatile dog and they can do anything! They excel at obedience, service dog work, military work, herding livestock, protecting their family and so on. Most are lighter weight than other guarding breeds, such as the Rottweiler, are able to walk across debris without it caving in and fly like the wind over fences.

Training and Temperament

During my group classes, German Shepherd Dogs excelled at learning new behaviors. Now, they will have fear periods just like any dog, but I feel herding and guarding breeds have a longer or more intense fear period than other breeds. Since these breeds are bred to observe constantly, they may see things a bit different than other breeds. With any fear period, it’s vital they learn positive associations with anything that may cause barking, growling or moving away. I like to play “look at the monster,” which means they look at the scary thing and I click/treat. Make sure you are at a safe distance from the “monster,” which means your GSD will look at you and able to take treats. When in doubt, move further away. This teaches him the “monster” is not that bad because every time you look at it, you get “cheese.” Never force your GSD to walk over or touch anything that causes him to be fearful. This can cause him to be permanently fearful of that object.

They are great family dogs. My best friend and godchildren have owned German Shepard dogs for more than 15 years, and they will sit and walk nicely on leash for my 4-year-old godchild!

Dog Grooming

Now, this breed does shed, especially during spring and fall, as they are blowing their undercoats. I recommend using an undercoat rake to remove excessive undercoat and keep shedding to a minimum.

Exercise

German Shepherds need a minimum of a 30-minute walk per day. Also, feed your dog using interactive food toys, which dispense food as your dog paws, moves or tosses the toy around. This will ensure they receive plenty of mental stimulation.

Learn more about German Shepherd dogs and rescue at German Shepherd Club of America and National List of German Shepherd Dog Rescue Groups.

Tell me about your German Shepherd dog in the comment section below.

READ ALSO: German Shepherd Training

Service Dogs

September 25, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Service Dog Training: What is it?

This topic pops up occasionally during class when someone wants to train his personal dog to become a service dog. There is a big difference between a service dog and a therapy dog. Let me explain the differences while including links for further information.

ADA Guidelines for Service Dogs

“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Some State and local laws also define service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about such laws can be obtained from the State attorney general’s office.”

From my perspective, service dogs are trained to perform a specific task for a person, and this can take years of training. Once the dog learns the task, he must practice this task in many situations. We call this generalizing a behavior. Generalizing a behavior, especially a complex behavior, takes lots of time.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs and their owners have been trained and passed required assessments, such as the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test, Delta Society Pet Partner Assessment and Therapy Dog International testing. While there are different variations of Therapy Dog Certification testing, those previously listed are the larger organizations.

It’s not only the dog that’s required to be trained and pass required assessments. The handler does as well, as they are the second half of the therapy team. Many times, we focus on teaching the dog how to handle certain situations, but he needs to learn how to politely ask a patient for permission to enter his room (not all people like dogs).

There are many places, which boast service dog training services, products and ID tags. Please always follow the ADA’s Guidelines and contact professionals at the listed Service Dog Directory for guidance.

Service Dog vs. Therapy Dog

Therapy dogs are taught to behave politely in specific situations (nursing homes, physical therapy gyms and hospitals). Service dogs are taught to behave politely in many situations (planes, restaurants, grocery stores and hair salons). They also perform a specific task for a person (picking up items, alerting seizures or low blood sugar and pulling a wheelchair).

Service Dog Training Tips

If you would like to teach your personal dog to become a service dog, I would begin your search at Service Dog Directory – Pet Partners. Also, if you are interested in learning how to become a service dog trainer, contact these folks too. They can point you in the right direction.

Service dog trainers, I want to hear from you! How did you become a service dog trainer?

You may also like: Types of Service Dogs

Therapy Dog Training

September 25, 2014 by Fanna Easter

How to Become a Healing Team

There is nothing more beautiful than watching a therapy dog visit a group of people. Therapy dogs almost have a sixth sense. They can single out the exact person who desperately needs attention on that day. If you’ve been privileged enough to hold the leash of a therapy dog, you know the “therapy dog sixth sense” I’m speaking about.

My first Bouvier des Flandres, Mekare, was a gifted therapy dog. She had a fondness for people who barricaded themselves from life. She would find them sitting alone in the corner and win them over with her soulful eyes. When she looked at her “selected” person, something magical happened. I could feel it. No one ever resisted her, and even the most stubborn patient learned how to use his hands again by brushing her long beard. Mekare was called many times for “shut down” patients and she worked her magic every time!

If you would like to follow this unbelievably rewarding path, I’ve got a few suggestions for you.

Your Dog Must Love People

Dogs that move people will seek attention, sit really close and look lovingly into someone’s eyes.

Train Your Dog

Train, train and train. Enroll in several group classes.

You and your dog need to learn how to walk through a crowded room, ignore loud sounds and wait patiently in the lobby.
Your dog should learn how to walk nicely on leash, ignoring items on the ground, sit and stay on cue, come when called and enjoy body handling and brushing.
You will learn how to approach a person, what to say and handle stressful situations.

Pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Class

Next, take and pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Class (CGC) together. The CGC is a wonderful standard and is often required by most facilities for polite dogs in different situations.

Get Certified

Take and pass a certification with Therapy Dogs International or Delta Society Pet Partners. Both of these organizations offer additional testing, support and liability insurance (a must have!).

Mekare and I joined Delta Society Pet Partners and the support was fantastic! They provided a list of facilities looking for therapy dogs so we got started quickly. If you and your dog love people, take it to the next step and become a therapy dog team. You will be rewarded with wonderful memories for a lifetime.

You may also like: Service Dog Certification

Multi-Dog Household Books

September 24, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Best Dog Books for Multi-Dog Households

Multi-Dog Household Books — Read the best dog training books for your multi-dog home. averyanova/Deposit Photos

If you share your home with two or more dogs, have foster dogs or pet sit multi-dog households, you need tips and tricks focused on living in a multiple dog household.

For tips on living in a multi-dog household, I recommend the two books below. Both recommend positive reinforcement training methods. 🙂

RELATED: Multi-Dog Household Tips

“How Many Dogs?! – Using Positive Reinforcement Training to Manage a Multiple Dog Household”

By Debby McMullen

This book is awesome! I highly recommend reading and referencing this book before bringing home another permanent or foster dog. It pays to be prepared. Debby really does an excellent job explaining how to manage several dogs in a household and introduce a new dog to an established resident dog. Another thing I really like is that Debby offers many non-traditional solutions, such as aromatherapy, which may be newer to some pet parents. Research has shown tremendous positive results so it’s totally worth a try. While some of her recommendations may seem a bit “out there,” I can tell you from personal experience, they work.

“Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household”

By Dr. Patricia McConnell

This is a booklet, which means less pages. However it’s packed with really good information. Dr. McConnell provides insight on preventing behaviors before they happen. Plus, Dr. McConnell’s writing is very entertaining and she’s a master at explaining complex situations in an easily understandable manner. This is an easy read booklet and a great place to start learning about multi-dog household management. I’m sure this booklet will answer most of your questions, but “How Many Dogs?!” by Debby McMullen provides a bit more in-depth information with additional topics. If you enjoy reading books that are short and straight to the point, then Dr. McConnell’s book is perfect for you.

What multi-dog household books do you recommend? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Come When Called Part 3: Adding Distractions

Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called

Adding Distractions to “Come” Cue