One of the conditions of the placement is working with a dog with a specific problem, often the problems, of course, in addition to training and working with other dogs. Mitch was my patient. Mixed, terrier mix. Reason - in appearance reminded me of my first dog. I started to work with him in early November. Mitch got a white fever at the sight of any dog, even if the dog loomed on the horizon somewhere. Reactivity on a leash is not always reflected in the reactivity without a leash, are dogs that like and play with other dogs when they are not on a leash and turn into demons when there is a barrier - leash, my Mitch to them, unfortunately, did not belong. My newly acquired knowledge and skills were put to the test. Although I must admit that when I started to work with him, I never thought that I chose a special case.
Moments later, there were doubts, but fortunately, my colleagues were more objective in assessing progress than I am and directed my attention to changes in the behavior of Mitch.
Mitch drew up the plan of rehabilitation itself, asking other coaches, observing, fanning the literature, sometimes through trial and error I discovered the best method. I did not know if we have time, or earlier committee decides that progress is too slow ... ..
In any case assured Mitch good PR - made sure that everyone's progress was all known.
basic plan was simple:
a) Very much traffic - a lot of problems disappear or become much smaller when the dog is provided with an appropriate dose of the movement. With that there was no problem, favorite toy and Mitch ran like crazy for half an hour until I fell ... for 3 minutes and record breaking speeds start from scratch:)
b) Mitch received food only during training with the dogs, eating a higher value than dry food, which is a very popular product here called the natural balance, as well as chicken, cheese, baby food (jars), etc..
c) Zero tolerance for barking and throwing themselves on a leash at the sight of a dog. Of course, I did everything to avoid uncontrolled encounters with dogs, but this is not always possible when one is training in a shelter full of dogs. One bark, and came back to his stall or for the nearest door (depending on where exactly we were.) Time out, the short duration of detention dog is extremely effective, provided the proper implementation.
d) Impulse control exercises, or exercises control of reflexes, including:
> Sitting and waiting for my 'ok' in front of each door, gradually opened the door wider and longer I waited, then came near us, people passing by, then the dogs field of view, etc..
> My favorite "leave it", or "leave it '-' it 'meant food, toys, pig ears, the various achievements of the street, pigeons, dogs found on the street. This command is a variant of "me", we train in such a way that the dog comes to us, leaving it what we want to leave. Mitch "leave it" mastered to perfection, to the extent that at the end of training, when he played with many different dogs, and sometimes, as it happens, wywiązywała a row (even then he was not the initiator), enough for a 'leave it 'and sprang away like scalded Mitch and sped to me:)
> Sit stay and become a lie - from 1 second and a half steps back to the runners around the dog toys fruwających in the air and me disappearing from sight.
e) The important part of training is a relaxation. At the beginning looking at the lying Mitch had the feeling that lies on the needles. Massage TTouch method or simply massage the ears (receptors), head and back. At the beginning of Mitch stroked only if he was lying to the zrelaksował and had positive associations with the position of lying. His company is a frog relaxed position (in pictures):)
f) Adequate equipment, which is very popular here gentle leader and a sensation harness (harness type), which helps VERY nice walk on a leash and give you more control over the dog without side effects , which often occur when using chains or terminal kolczatek.
Generally, the training came down to a change of perception - I wanted Mitch loves other dogs, because all the good things he met in the presence of other dogs - food, massage, stroking, play, walk, etc..
For the first month of training are not we left the gym. When I started training Mitch was a barrier on one side of the room, and 40 yards away with his back still another dog, so called. dog-therapist, with the coach. Day 1 - a few seconds out from behind the partition - furious jaws and throwing up on a leash. But gradually we were able to get closer with Mitch, change the dog next door, the dog has sat motionless just started walking, Mitch was more relaxed. As a rule, I trained with him 1h - 2h five - six times a week, of which four were training with other dogs, and the other without dogs. Just not always been another trainee or trainer on site to work with another dog. After about a month of training it was possible to walk two dogs with maintaining a distance of about 5-6 feet apart, so we went out with friends and a dog. Maintaining distance was still necessary because, despite improvements in a controlled test, Mitch dog attacked without warning, well, that he had a muzzle, because polałaby the blood ....
walk outside for a dog is a completely new situation, so we lower the criteria. I started walking the dog therapist at a large distance, and make sure that that all foreign dogs were far from us. With time, the distance is reduced, until we got to walk two dogs together, then changed the dogs at our side, we stopped to avoid dogs, strangers and started to pass on the sidewalk.
My walks with Mitch differed from walking the dogs, which do not react to other dogs. I've always been "armed" in a sachet with food and Clicker. Each dog encountered this exercise. Mitch looks at the dog, I click when he looks and cliques is a treat, so Mitch looks at me, and I give him a treat. If the dog is focused on us when passing another dog also reward.
The training helped me in the form of a case of mice, which Mitchie grabbed during one session (in mice SPCA sometimes, just when he was sowing). It was a breakthrough, Mitch that day he behaved as if they discovered that, since Mice in the world are, then why bother with the dogs:)
Akurat there was no one to help, so we went around the building looking out for dogs, we finally found the dog and to my surprise, without any negative reaction from Mitch, we were able to pass relatively close to . Mitch was still evident in the intoxicated after having caught a mouse.
The department bought a cat squealing mouse delusion reminiscent caught the mouse. Since then, introduced to training and a long leash when the dog appeared, Mitch received a coveted mouse to play. Since new dogs were still more attractive than the mouse, and at this stage of training I did not want to be greeted Mitch with other dogs, I changed my order - first joint walk without obwąchiwania, and then playing with his beloved toy "in the company," another dog. The idea here is that the new dog is no longer new. After a long leash
swapped plus short muzzle with the hole in front (for treats) - at this stage, I brought a few seconds greeting other dogs. Nice greetings were rewarded with applause that just like Mitch won the gold medal and, of course, delicacy, and too intense minute retreat ended at the door.
Kim, my mentor and one of the best trainers in California, decided to photograph a muzzle and Mitch slowly released from her dogs, Bichonami (small, white, shaggy).
Mitch did not know what to do, he did not know how to have fun. Praise, short retreats, food, warnings, commands, rewards slowly worked out quite a nice style of play.
When I first played, really played with, still a little "too sharply" with another dog, I had tears in his eyes. Since mid-January, Mitch played with many dogs, was therapy dog \u200b\u200bor other dogs. His favorite dog is a shepherd dogs, which have a fairly unique style of playing and Mitch certain behavior, not entirely by me and other dogs like, since they took over. But generally the improvement is huge. Nice greets the dogs, doing a break in play, great read body language of other dogs.
In mid-February has been moved to the official part of the shelter (this is nice) and I took care in finding candidates for the roommate. His first roommate was a shy Custard, two times more from him, which they liked very much, but had fun together, so I moved it to the lovely Cuddles (Australian Shepherd mix), with whom I adored. Mitch was still peppy, but since I lived with Cuddles spent so much time to play, that he had ceased to run like crazy in the gym. Well, unless he was there along with Cuddles:) Cuddles was adopted, zeswatałam Mitch Joy. Mitch from the beginning it was delighted with Joy concerned the reserve, but at the second meeting between them, something clicked and Joy introduced to Mitch:)
Walking outdoors is also an amazing improvement compared to the early our cooperation. Increasingly, we were able to pass on the sidewalk of a foreign dog without any real reaction from Mitch, but there were also those days .... When the dogs were still in the spotlight. Since moving to the center of adoption was led by him on walks mostly volunteers, and although many undergo training, not everyone is doing with the dogs of this caliber.
I helped Mitch, and Mitch helped me. When I started training with him, Kim said that if I can manage with Mitch, it'll be fine with any dog. This is not entirely true, but I really learned a while training with him very much. By Mitch gained recognition and trust of experienced trainers with great experience. My rights trainee increased over the standard. It's nice, very. And motivating, because now the expectations and demands on me are higher. Ironically, I think that helped me relatively little experience in working with these dogs. My goal has always been full rehabilitation of Mitch, which according to many coaches may not have been impossible, but very unrealistic.
Everybody used to tell me that I should adopt Mitch, because he is so attached to me (is that) and I know him as no one else and I know how to deal with it. I love Mitch, and much care about his fate, but I can not adopt every dog, the longer the school. After all, not after it, do it.
Mitch received a special form adoption, to the very first stage of selecting the wrong people to reject and thereby avoid further disappointment of his life. The requirements were quite high, preference were those who previously had terriers, required a large garden, a dog walker (a person engaged in the Exit dogs) or min. 2h daily walks / play with Mitch, active lifestyle, participated in training with Mitch, the family had the potential to describe your day with Mitch. Mitch looks innocent and those who have not seen him biegającego, it's hard to imagine how much energy is hidden in this small ciałku, in contrast to trying to topple you from happiness Labrador, where you know right away what kind of "problems" you have to do:)
Perhaps some people think I'm exaggerating, but just as with the new associations (dog = food or fun) and consequences (tear at the end of the leash = walk, walk nicely on a leash = delicacies nice voice, touching, fun), just a few bad experiences and return to the starting point or its vicinity:) I do not know what caused his behavior, moreover, it is not until this matter.
Most importantly, the training proved to be effective.
March 7, 2009 Mitch has found a new family and moved to Napa Valley, land of wine.
I spent several hours with his new family by talking about Mitch, and teaching them the manual of my pet. Basically met all the criteria and seemed very nice. Of course, shed a few tears when saying goodbye to a very Mitch confused, in the end we spent together over 4 months old and very together zżyliśmy ... ...
The end.
Happy End:)
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