Click to Calm update

[hotdog2007]

I posted awhile ago about Click to Calm for my 2nd dog, Dumpster, who had developed dog reactivity/aggression issues. I just wrote a whole long update but my laptop died on me and I lost the post, so I'll try to summarize it quickly. It is going pretty well so far! I taught her 'touch' and 'stand' with the clicker, and used it to reinforce commands she already knew (sit, paw, roll-over, down), and we practiced indoors and outdoors w/o distractions. Today my neighbor's chihauha was out roaming again (I've tried to explain to them that he might get hit by a car, but they don't seem to care/understand), so I took her outside on leash to practice w/another dog present for the 1st time. She did so well - she was totally focused on following the commands to get her click/treat, even when he came right up to her at the end. (The chihauha is friendly and I was prepared to pull Dumpster away if she was becoming tense.) We still have a long way to go, since Dumpster is already familiar w/the chihauha and she gets much more worked up around larger dogs than smaller dogs, but it's progress.

Dumpster also stayed at a daycare/boarding facility during the holidays. I told them that she about her fighting and dominance issues w/other dogs, but they said they could try to integrate her w/the other dogs since she had done well there before. Apparently she behaved perfectly during her stay - they said that the pack environment probably helped her.

 

[corgipower]

Great job!!! Go Dumpster! (Awesome name, BTW. ) Keep it up and keep us posted.

:thumbsupsmileyanim:

 

[cinnamon]

I love reading progress notes Good for you and Dumpster!!!!

 

[Doberluv]

Stupendous! You are doing super with Dumpster. Way to go! I'm so glad to hear how he's coming along. Be sure and keep us posted.

 

[Brattina88]

Ditto the others! Good work!

 

[Dreeza]

oh that is so great to hear!!!! sounds like you're making awesome progress! I Love his name btw!

 

[hotdog2007]

Just a quick update on our progress (and a couple of questions) . . .

Dumpster is still doing pretty well! We had a slow few weeks in there because I'm looking for a job (so stressful and time-consuming!) and we didn't come across many other dogs due to the cold weather, but I've begun making an effort to take her to places where we will run into more dogs again, and she is making some progress. When she is in the midst of performing tricks for her click/treat she is pretty oblivious to other dogs that are calm (haven't tried yet with other reactive dogs). We went for a walk yesterday on a path where a lot of owners walk with the dogs on-leash, and my boyfriend walked my other dog. When another dog and owner walked by us I would ask her to perform a trick and click/treat, which worked well. Would it be good to rotate between asking her to do a trick, and just clicking and treating when we see another dog? I feel doing the trick distracts her, which is why I've been focusing on that. I've also begun asking her to look at other dogs and clicking/treating, but she doesn't seem to be really looking at the other dog. Is there a good way to teach "look at that"? (She already knows "look at me" - especially if I have treats .