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| Jack enjoys laying at my feet when he's visiting. |
Jack is unaware of where his body is, or that he shouldn't lean against some thing, or that he's walking on my feet or bumping into me. Communication is becoming a priority as Jack has come very close to tripping me or throwing my balance off bad enough I may fall. We are working on it in everyday living at this point and Jack is slowly learning to give me space. He does need some mat work so that he can give space in when I am training Emma and when I am working in the kitchen.
As a result, today I began shaping Jack onto a mat and until then brought in a tether and tethered Jack to my wheelchair. It is clear he's never been tethered before and he was a bit fussy and worried about being tied to my chair. Since I used a cable tether, he couldn't chew through it, which he did try to do and finally laid by my recliner, which he would almost reach, and gave Emma and I time to focus on our training.
One fantastic thing to see if Jack is in the game. He wants the food I am offering and he's willing to work for it now. He worked for 3 minutes on Zen this morning, twice, and was happy doing so. He didn't disengage and was a bit surprised when I called the game off before he was ready to do so himself.
He also was willing to work for 2 minutes on Sit today. I used soft treats for his Sit training to help lure him into position and slowly began fading the treats. What amazed me was his tail waving in a happy metronome as we worked - training is making him happy and he's enjoying the happy feelings.
He is starting to respond to his name, though we are still playing the Name Game to teach him what his new name is. Shortly I will begin the Come Game with him, since he currently has no recall, but I will need to arrange it so that it's just him and I in the house, since he's so sensitive about other dogs getting to his kibble first he won't run after the kibble if another dog starts toward it.
He's calmer and happier today, compared to the previous days we've worked together and I can see him settling in nicely.
Today's Lessons:
Zen
Jack is working on Level 1: Step 2 Zen. Jack is still doing a bit of the nose bump when I offer treats to him in my closed hand, so I am working from Step 1 to Step 2 several times over. Currently we are up to 2 seconds of time between offering my Zen hand and clicking. Each time he bumps my hand we go back to the beginning and review what we are working on.
Jack is enjoying this game now and is fully engaged when we play. The clicks are coming in rapid fire and the treats are dropping quickly as we work, which is keeping his interest in the game. I can see the wheels starting to turn in his head which means it won't be long before he's a thinking dog who enjoys learning.
Jack will continue to work on this Step until he is able to make eye contact with the person after pulling his nose away from the treat.
Go To Mat
Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Go To Mat. Though this is a huge jump for Jack, it is a needed skill in my home. Jack is literally standing over the top of Emma when we work and trying to steal the kibble I am offering her out of my hand or her mouth when working with Emma. We need Jack to give Emma space, so teaching him to go to his mat and park like Max does will give us that space.
Today I laid out three mats. Emma went to one and laid down and put her head down while I worked with Jack. Max went to another and laid down and put his head down while I worked with Jack. Attitude sat on Jack's mat. Attitude has figured out that Mat training means she might be able to steal kibble. As much as I enjoy seeing her eat kibble again, I really need her to stay out of the working dog's spot and will have to bring out a fourth mat.
I used shaping with Jack and clicked for any head or body movement toward the mat. When I tossed his treats Attitude shot in and ate them, so I scooped her up and put her in my chair and parked her there. Once this was done Jack quickly began to get the idea that maybe it had something to do with the mat. We worked for 3 minutes on mat work and got Jack to stand on the mat with his front feet.
There is not way I can get Jack to sit and stay on his mat in one session, so I instead went out and got a tether and tethered him to my wheelchair so I could train Emma. I moved his mat by him and had one by me and would give him kibble whenever he was on a mat on the tether.
Jack will continue to be shaped and rewarded for being on a mat until he understands that being their pays heavily in my home.
I brought out the mat a second time and Jack quickly moved to step on it and sniff it. Jack is starting to understand that the purpose is to find the mat. I only have two feet on the mat at this time, so I will continue to work until Jack has all four feet on the mat.
Sit
Jack is working on Level 1: Step 1 Sit. I cut up some Nature's Balance Roll Dog Food to use as a lure to teach him Sit. He's starting to get the idea and I am fading the treats as a lure now. He still doesn't understand the hand signal, but he's starting to get the idea and I can see he is thinking and trying to communicate with me to get me to feed him. This is a fantastic thing to see!
Jack is clearly starting to understand and meet me halfway for the game. He's wagging his tail and staying tuned in as we work. I am loving watching another dog figure out how to communicate with humans.
Jack will continue this step until he knows it in his bones.
Update: I spent time with Jack at his Ronda's tonight and he was offering sits for treats and affection. I had my clicker in my pocket and I would click when he sat and Ronda would treat him. It was a wonderful 15 minutes of training while he played and offered a behavior he's finally started to think of as a part of his toolbox.
Field Trip
Tonight Ronda and I took Jack to Petsmart again. Ronda got a cart this time and after I showed her how to manage a cart and a dog together she worked with him walking with her while working the cart. He was unconcerned about the cart and walked loose lead most of the time. He's starting to understand how to stay on her left side only and not wrap behind her to her right side while walking. He needs a bit of work on Zen with objects on the shelves and people passing by, but overall he's progressing nicely with his training.
We spent approximately 30 minutes in Petsmart tonight. He was more confident and calmer on this field trip.
Observations
Jack clearly didn't spend a lot of time just living with people in a house. He is curious about everything in the home and his nose is his primary way of exploring. If he finds something of interest he simply takes it - be it a stuffed toy I put on my end table when removing it from play to trying to eat off of plate or out of bowls resting on tables or counters when he likes the smell.
He has no concept of personal space and is always touching or so close to me I am at risk of stepping on him. He sometimes rests his head over my knees and just lays it there and sighs with contentment at being touched. I think, with a lot of social interaction with people he'd make a fantastic therapy dog also.
He has the gentlest and softest mouth I have ever felt on a dog. He loves to nose touch my hands as I am walking and rubbing his canines or inner lips on my fingers, but he never truly mouths me or uses any force with his mouth.
Jack is gaining, quickly, the lessons he needs to live happily in a home with people. I encourage exploration, so his head goes into things like my fridge or dishwasher or dryer without rebuff - since those are items he'll be working with over time as a service dog.
He does tend to get very focused on whatever I am giving to another dog. I need to rub either Emu or Coconut Oil on Max's lips daily to keep them from peeling and bleeding due to his non-systemic Lupus. Today I was rubbing Coconut Oil on Max's lips and Jack was in there licking it off of Max's face and my hands while I was rubbing it in. Jack needs to learn to give space to me when I am working with another dog.
Each time I bring out something new, like the vacuum or steamer or a new pot or pan I let him explore it for a moment to build up his socialization. I will start adding new types of clothing styles, such as capes and draping clothes, and hats and umbrellas and such as we progress in our training.
In general Jack is not longer finding trouble in the house, but he is in need of basic manners with people and dogs in relation to space. It won't take long. It took only a day to convince him eating my furniture was not okay and 3 days of training to start seeing him in the game, so I suspect he'll be giving more space by the end of next week. He's a smart boy and I truly love training him.
We are seeing the first signs Jack is in the game with us. He's willing to work for food and willing to work on figuring out what we are clicking for. He's starting to think he's making us click and feed him and he's starting to think of offering behaviors for rewards. Jack is becoming a thinking dog.
Level 1
| Zen | Target | Come | Sit | Down | |
| Step | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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