Wednesday, April 29, 2009

04-29-2009

Duece hasn't quite caught on to the "PVC pipe garden" or I haven't been able to show him how it works. Maybe it's because I didn't follow the transition protocol learned in an e-Training for Dogs class we took, taught by Janet Wilts. Duece just doesn't show the drive when outside as he did with the pigeon hole board. We have also been working on Duece's fear of 'things that move' when he climbs on them. He used to jump up on most anything I tapped and said "Gitup" but we had a large popcorn tin fall over and a couple other things. My problem is patience and dealing with frustration but Duece absolutely only responds to fun things so I'm gonna have to deal with it if we want to be successful. Classic case of the problem is more than likely not on the furry end of the lead.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

04-26-2009

We haven't done a whole lot. A couple of days ago we took a drive for about 12 miles on back roads around home just to get out. Joker and Ziva, in their crates and Duece on the front passenger seat. It was pretty much uneventful, which is what we want, but I could tell the anxiety was building and maybe it should have been a shorter trip. We set up our., 'PVC pipe garden' and Duece is figuring out how it works. It's six pieces of PVC pipe that sit up and can hold a glass jar containing scent material. We started with the hard to smell bone but should have used the stinkier material as it was hard for Duece to find in the wind. So far he hasn't gone directly to the pipes and checks out other areas as well. We also need to work with more distractions as Duece is easily distracted, cars driving by, neighbor's dogs, etc. Duece is learning to sit when he finds it when it isn't at the pigeon hole board. He even dips his head back to the source when asked to "Show me" although it isn't very consistent yet.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

04-17-2009

Today we took a trip to town, with Joker & Ziva. Duece did fine in the front seat until after our stop at WalMart. We were headed over to look at a car from a private seller when Duece's stomach started to churn. I could see it coming but just wasn't quite quick enough to get stopped and let him out. We did a quick clean-up and continued on. I left the dogs in the suburban while I test drove the car and they were fine when I got back. When we left, it was about 4 miles out of town when it happened again. I guess we'll keep trying and washing those blankets and hoping he'll grow out of it eventually.

We are open to ideas if you have one.

What's worked for others: use candied ginger, ginger snaps, sprinkle food with ginger; don't travel on empty stomach; always travel on an empty stomach; line his crate with hay; coca-cola syrup; take short trips and slowly increase them; play with him in the vehicle when it's parked; don't put him in a crate; put him on the passenger seat beside me; Through a Dog's Ear CD (on order); covering the crate; bring his favorite toy along; Rescue Remedy; Aconitum Napellus 30X (homeopathic); and some I probably missed.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

04-15-2009

Tonight we tried some new scent material that Duece wasn't very familiar with. It was hidden in a water tank/ flower pot in the yard. It took awhile for him to get his nose close to it and he was praised and rewarded when he did. Then I tried to have him "show me" after we had stepped away from the flower pot. He sniffed around and before I had a chance to stop him, he jumped up into the flower pot and spilled the scent container. Serves me right for not anticipating and setting up the hide correctly. I yelled at him to get out of the flower pot, not wanting him to step in the material, which set training back a little just because I was stupid. A little later we did another search with material he's more familiar with and he didn't do his sit indication when he found it. We have a lot more work to do! Yesterday and today we did short trips in the suburban with the 'cheese in a can' reward. He loves to get the leash put on in the house, but won't load into the suburban, but lays on the seat while we're moving. We added a couple extra miles today and he got some cheese upon loading up and at a couple of stop signs as well as when we unload. Just going to take some time.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

04-12-2009

I'm getting behind blogging Duece's training. A couple of days ago we did some hides in the snow and other places around the yard. Since Duece forgets to sit as an indication and wants to dig up the hide, we were advised to put Duece on a long lead. I found a small nylon rope about 35 feet long and put a snap on one end and we hooked Duece up. He doesn't like the lead but adapted pretty well other than some tangling problems that were probably caused by the opposite end of the lead. The long lead worked as with gentle reminders, Duece was more apt to sit than dig.

Friday, we went to town. Duece on the front passenger seat and playmate, Ziva, the corgi, in a crate diectly behind the front seats. We stopped at Helen's work and both dogs had an exercise in socialization. Ziva growled at someone, and Duece wanted to jump up on everyone. Duece thought it was some kind of fun and even rolled over for a treat which he usually only does outside. Ziva loves to ride, though not so much in the crate. Duece doesn't like it when I leave him in the vehicle while I go into a store, but that's just as important as the ride to get there. All in all the day went well except it ran on into about 4 hours and about 10 miles from home, he showed me what he had eaten that day, all over the console and seat. I guess we'll have to take more shorter trips and build up to the longer ones.

We set up the pigeon hole board this afternoon. Duece remembered to check the higher holes in the board. Even though he's supposed to sit, his indication on the high holes is a 'spread-eagle' against the board with his nose straight at the correct hole. We'll have to build on it. Afterwards, I set the scent container in different places in the garage,just to get Duece used to finding the scent other places than the board. When given the search command, he would head over and check out the board and then work his way to where it was hid. We still have to work on the sit indication but it comes easier. Then to finish off the day we went for another ride. This time I had the 'cheese in a can' ready for a reward. He got some when we loaded, at a stop sign and finally when we got back home. Now, if we could just get him to wipe his feet before coming in the house . . . . . . .

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

04-08-2009

Duece and I have made a few short trips with him in the front passenger seat and it seems to be working. We'll find out on Friday since I need to go to town instead of the 8 mile short trips we've been doing. We haven't had time to do much pigeon hole board but a couple of days ago we set up in the garage again only in a different place. We start with the bone since it doesn't seem to me to have a strong scent like the other material. We also put some of his dog food in the 'decoy' container. He stopped a couple of times and sat for a very short time at the decoy hole, but seemed to realize it wasn't what we were doing. We used the lower holes with the bone and when we move to the other material we moved up to the higher holes. We could see the frustration in Duece as he seemed to know the wcent was there, but he didn't know to jump up to check them out. We tried to tap on the board, stick our fingers through the holes and tried a "check" as we tapped along the higher holes. He would reach as high as he could but would sit or lay down and star at the board. The next day we set up the board outside and with the wind coming from the back of the board. The 'decoy' container had some Beggin Strips in it and they are the same treats we use for rewards when working the board. We did things about the same as yesterday only this time Duece realized he could jump and stretch to the higher holes and indicate by scratching or sitting after checking out the correct hole. He tried a couple of times to sit at the 'decoy' hole but his body language was different, it was almost like he was testing us to see if we would treat for that hole. Once he realized we wouldn't, he moved on. A couple of times he went behind the board but we wouldn't let him stay there and check out any of the pigeon holes. We also set up a couple of hides out in the snow and let him find them, only he forgot he was supposed to sit and he dug up the container. We are going to put him on a long lead and work some more problems and we can stop him from digging with a small tug on the line and a sharp 'sit' command. We also need to do a whole bunch more time at the board so the 'sit indication' becomes instinct.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

04-02-2009

Yesterday evening, Duece & I headed into town to pick up some donated training material. This time we put a couple of blankets on the front passenger seat and wrapped a leash around the set to hook Duece in. When I put him on the seat he didn't start watering at the mouth like he did when loaded into a crate. He sat up and looked around a short distance and then lay down on the seat with his head on the console watching me. I was able to talk to him while keeping my free hand scratching him. He was fine until I got out at WalMart when he started drooling and when I get back he had thrown up a little.WHile driving around he sat up a couple of times and drooled a little but preferred to lay down. We had another stop to make and he drooled some while I was away from the vehicle, but overall we had a good trip. He wasn't soaked like he usually was after a ride. We're crossing our fingers and plan to do a bunch more trips before we leave for the NASDN seminar in Nebraska.