How to Start Training

[VickiCharity]

Hi!

I have two dogs, Roxy and Ryder. Roxy is around 7 years old and was adopted (and unknown to us, pregnant) in Nov. 2018. We kept one of the puppies, Ryder. He's now 2 years old. He has a sensitive stomach so I have not been able to train him with lots of treats. He's now on a home cooked diet, moving towards raw. Roxy is transitioning from kibble to a dehydrated raw diet since that is the easiest for now. My dogs are separated because when they play it turns into nipping and fighting fairly quickly. I want to know how I can use low and high value treats without kibble or store purchased treats. Nearly all treats I have tried, included home baked, give Ryder loose stool. I entered the program awhile ago, but felt discouraged because of the treat situation. Both of my dogs sit well, Ryder went through obedience classes so he knows touch, down, etc. I have tried to teach Roxy to lie down but she's so focused on getting a treat she has no idea what I want! She can wait or stay until I say "ok" and open my hand to give a treat. I think the airplane game is perfect for her because she jumps on guests, she gets too excited when people come over and tries to run out of the front door when anyone comes to the door. Ryder is the alarm dog, barking at the door bell. He's not near the door so he cannot approach guests (tall gate). He's fearful and reactive to people and dogs. Please tell me where I should start and what I can use for treats (low and high value). I do not walk the dogs because their reactivity levels and are very strong. I practice leash walking in my backyard, giving them each as much time as I can to be outside. 

Thank you for your suggestions!

Vicki

[Adrienne]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

When dogs have sensitive stomachs, I think the best approach is to use whatever the dog is being fed for his meals. This offers the big advantage of having the dog work for his meals (which means also no extra calories) and is cost-effective. If the dog loves his meal, this is therefore a win-win.  If you can provide me more info of what type of raw diet you are planning of feeding I can provide some possible options to make it less messy. 

As to what to work on first, it is always good to start with the obedience training for better impulse control, and some brain games to keep those minds busy and stimulated. However, if you are dealing with particularly urgent challenges, it's fine to give those priority. 

With Roxy's trying to run out of the front door when there are people, I think management would be best for now as she hasn't received much training. In other words, keep her on leash with you when you open the door or install a tall escape proof baby gate or pet gate (I wouldn't keep her with Ryder to avoid any redirected aggression or cause to influence her) and keep her behind it so that you can open the door without worrying about her bolting out. You can provide her with something to keep her busy like a stuffed Kong or long-lasting chew while there. This is for her safety and to prevent rehearsal of the escaping out behavior, which tends to become more and more addicting, the more the dog gets to do it. 

The issue of barking and being reactive requires more behavior modification than training. You can see a sample of the work I do with dogs who are reactive towards guests coming in the home here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/

An easy exercise to start with is working on creating a strong response to the smacking sound:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

And then applying it to this exercise where we have our dog learn to look at people or other dogs pass by the window and come to us for a tasty food rather than reacting:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

Most of the behavior modification techniques I use aim to create setups using baby steps (low level exposures through desensitization) to prevent the dog from going over threshold and creating positive associations through counterconditioning. With repeated exposures, I aim to get what's known as a positive conditioned emotional response. You can read more about these methods here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

For safety and correct implementation of behavior modification any time there is aggression and therefore potential risks involved, I always recommend working along with a dog behavior professional using force-free behavior modification methods. 

I am glad to hear that Roxy has learned to wait or stay until you say OK. That's a great start for good impulse control training. With the struggle in lying down, I would need more info. What happens exactly? When you are drawing your imaginary "L'" is she following it? Is Roxy a small dog?

Here is video demo of the motion needed, let me know what happens when you do this.

It is good that you are taking a slow and steady approach to teaching your dogs to walk on leash and are starting from a quiet area. When there is reactivity involved, we are still looking for behavior modification, as we aim for changing that emotional response to people/other dogs. When dogs are in a too reactive mode, it is difficult for them to be in a thinking state and therefore they will not be very responsive to our cues. 

Here is an example of a case I worked on, although consider that every dog needs a more individualized approach, so this is just a sample:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/03-homer-homers-reactivity/

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others.

[VickiCharity]

Thank you so much! I’ll look through all of your suggestions and links. Roxy is on a leash all the time. She is a strong pitbull and even though she’s not people reactive, we don’t want her running out, especially since she’s dog reactive. We get sales people or neighbors at our door unexpectedly so we keep her on a leash. I usually step outside to talk to someone. That also helps Ryder calm down. He’s half pitbull, half German shepherd so a big guy! I have been considering muzzle training him with a large muzzle, plenty of pant space, because I’m not sure I can get him out of the car safely at the vet etc.  I estimate he’s about 75 lbs. I don’t think he’d bite a person but he has bitten a small dog on our property so I don’t feel safe having him in public. 
 

Right now as he’s transitioning to raw. He eats 1 cup cooked turkey, 2 cups cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup bone broth, 1/3 cup ground turkey necks (Halshan is the brand), 1 tsp kelp, 1 opened capsule ashwagandha, 1 digestive enzymes tablet, 1 tsp fish oil +E (and probably something I’ve forgotten) twice a day. A snack midday of 1 cup blueberries and about 1/2 cup cooked veggies. I will increase the raw every couple of days and decrease the cooked and veggies keeping a little veggies for now. I’m working with a nutritionist. Once he’s on all raw meat I add an egg, ginger & zinc. Roxy is almost completely transitioned from kibble to Spot Farm dehydrated raw with a urinary supplement from Mercola (just finished antibiotics for a UTI). My 20 year old son has been looking for a place to move with Roxy. I didn’t think he’d do a cooked or raw diet so I opted for dehydrated. She absolutely loves it, pushing the kibble away and eating it last. 

Thanks again, I’ll try to prioritize your suggestions and see what I can do!

Vicki

[Adrienne]

Thanks for the extra details, they are very helpful! Lovely dogs! It's wonderful that you are working with a nutritionist.
 
Blueberries can be great training treats, they are low calorie, and it seems like Ryder has tolerated them. These are on the rather lower value side, but all dogs are different. 

Another option is to bake some of the food or freeze dry it until fully dried. When baked, you can form it into small training treats. You can even freeze tiny training session portions that you can thaw and use up in one session. When dehydrated, you can store it in air-tight container.  This type of treat would be on the higher-value end. 

With raw food, you can also make ground meat into small meatballs and use those for training. Alternatively, you can try to make small meatballs and simmer those lightly and see if they holds together and then offer that in small pieces. Start with a small amount first to experiment. As always, when handling raw, it's important adhering to good hand washing and washing of all surfaces used. 

For enrichment, you can place a some raw on a Lick-mat or inside a Topple (by West Paw) or Kong and offer that. You can use a metal muffin tin. You can ask for a sit or down before providing that so you can use these both as reward/enrichment. Of course, it's important to wash any food-dispensing toys properly after each use. I like to use a bottle brush to getting inside the deep part of the Kong. 

Since you are working with a nutritionist and he/she prescribed this food, he/she is really best person to discuss this since they are they ultimate experts. I would consult with them to be safe. They may also offer more options as to easy to digest whole foods that may OK for certain food sensitivities. 

I am happy to hear that you have taken so many steps to prevent your dogs from going over threshold. Rehearsing problem behaviors allows them to put roots so it sounds like you are doing very well management-wise, not exposing your dogs to full intensity exposures. 

There is a guide on muzzle training here. In the video, I am using a nylon muzzle, which works OK for brief use (like when the vet needs to give a shot or draw blood) for longer use as for car rides, entire vet visits etc, a basket muzzle is ideal. You can feed treats through the holes. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/

 

[JMFS]

Popping in to say you have Gertrude's twin!  If not for his size we'd have a tough time telling them apart if they were playing together.

[VickiCharity]

Thank you for the ideas and a muzzle link. I feel like I should get a wire muzzle that is bite proof, I’d feel safest with that. I’m in an FB group called muzzle up pup! It’s very supportive and encouraging. I like the idea of low value treats being blueberries and I can use cooked meat from bone broth for high value for now. It’s a lot to keep track of! I’ll ask the nutritionist if she has any ideas too!😊🐾

[VickiCharity]

On 5/14/2021 at 8:25 AM, JMFS said:

Popping in to say you have Gertrude's twin!  If not for his size we'd have a tough time telling them apart if they were playing together.

Please post a photo of your dog Gertrude! We had 9 puppies (our dog Roxy was pregnant when we adopted her). Whenever I see twins to the families I’m in contact with I always share a photo. We met a lot of dog lovers in a very short time!😄

[JMFS]

You don't have to ask me twice to share this beauty.  💕

[Adrienne]

Oh wow, they really do look alike now that I look at them side-by-side. That's funny!!!😄