Keeping a Crate Bound Dog Busy

Some one recently asked me to post what I did to keep Blue stimulated and happy in her cast for 12 to 16 weeks.

Blue, who will be 7 in October, was about 2 years old and very active. She blew a hock at agility practice.

I had to come up with a plan.

I looked at every idea that was sent to me and thought about what
I could train on a lead, in a crate, on a mat or in an exercise
pen. I picked something to work on for a couple of minutes every hour that I was at home and awake. And every potty break is a training session.

Mainly I used Sue Ailsby's training levels ( www.dragonflyllama.com then click on dogs and training levels) and Shirley's keepers (shirleychong.com) to guide me in building a training plan.

Feed all meals from Kong's, paper towel cores and brown paper bags. Keep the raw beef rib, necks and knuckle bones and macho/bully sticks. Move the dog from the crate, to an expen, to a tether. Have crates all over the house.

The Training Plan

-- Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol (in a down instead of a sit.)
-- pick up (as in let me pick you up)
-- nose touch to target / object (naming objects or just pointing) with duration
-- nose touch to end stick with duration
-- nose touch to my hand with duration
-- paw touch to target / object (naming objects or just pointing) with duration
-- paw touch to stick with duration
-- paw touch to my hand with duration
-- follow target stick
-- follow my hand
-- Husbandry - accept any type of handling
-- LLW to potty and back
-- Leash manners
–- Leash on / Leach off
-- Shirley Chong's say please
-- Shirley Chong's conditioned relaxer
-- Shirley Chong's induced sleep
-- Shirley Chong's Retrieve
-- Shirley Chong's Recall redux
-- find Mine - Scent Discrimination
–- find this on - Scent Discrimination using essential oils
-- settle (lie down flat on side)
-- Take (shape a hold using wood, plastic, leather, metal)
-- Give (shape a give using wood, plastic, leather, metal)
-- Sit
-- Sit stay
-- Sit for exam
-- Down
-- Down stay
-- Down for handling
-- Zen
-- Go sniff
-- Sit at door
-- getting teeth brushed
-- Yes (same as click)
-- Thumb up (same as click)
-- collar grab
-- ruff grab
-- urinate on cue on a short lead on any surface
-- defecate on cue on a short lead on any surface
-- Use a specific place in the yard as an outdoor bathroom
-- quiet (no bark) on cue
-- Speak
-- whisper
-- Ready (look at me)
-- pronto (classically conditioned recall cue- come now and let me touch you)
-- eat (clean you bowl immediately or it will be removed.)
-- drink (take a couple of lick from what I offer you)
-- mat go and stay until called or release
-- crate enter and stay in crate until told to leave with door open
-- Sits to leave crate. Walks out and sits again. (WALKS out instead of bounding and spinning)
-- Look at cat then automatically look at me. (without barking)
-- Stand
-- Stand stay
-- Stand for exam
-- classically condition love of a head halter
-- classically condition love of a life jacket
-- classically condition love of a back pack
-- classically condition love of an elizabethan collar
-- classically condition love of a muzzle
-- classically condition love of nail grinder
-- classically condition attention to me when I sing twinkle twinkle little star
-- classically condition attention to me when I wear a black wrist band on my left wrist
-- auto watch me
-- Find it (treat dropped or hidden near the dog to teach her to sniff for it)
-- Name (look at me when I say your name)
-- Dogs (look at me when I say your dogs)
-- Ring Name (look at me when I say your ring name)
-- Auto Check In
-- Easy (slow down)
-- Wait
-- Build a motivating toy
-- Build a desire to tug (laying down and sitting?)
-- One meal a day spread in a scent box
-- scenting (from training levels)
-- Ring bell with nose
-- Ring bell with paw
-- Roll over
-- Lay on back with feet in air
-- Rub back on floor
-- Shake hands
-- other hand
-- Paw wack
-- Other paw wack
-- Both paw wack
-- High Five
-- other high five
-- Wave
-- other wave
-- give a back paw
-- give other back paw
-- Cover your eyes
-- stretch - captured when she leave crate
-- bow
-- U-turn (Turn 180 back towards me and touch my hand)
-- here (come up behind me and touch what ever hand is presented)
-- safe (sit behind me. it is okay to look out between my legs)
-- kiss
-- smile - captured (mouth slightly open, ears back, eyes soft)
-- sing (howl)
-- look (the way I point)
-- Right (dog's)
-- Left (dog's)
-- Shaping games
-- Bang (play dead)
-- Cross paws - The dog is laying down, with one paw crossed over the other
-- Chin (rest you chin in my hands so I can clean your tear ducts)
-- Pull on rope
-- Find/bring car keys
-- Push something with the nose
-- Sneeze
-- Stop / freeze on cue
-- stationary left heel
-- stationary right heel
-- Back Up
-- Teach names for toys (Get or touch a toy by name)
-- Put Away The Toys
-- sit go wild sit
-- Be a wolf Bare teeth
-- Cock your head to one side
-- Growl
-- Nod your head
-- Rub muzzle on floor
-- Shake your head
-- Wet - Shake yourself
-- Wag tail
-- Yawn
-- Look cute (ears up)
-- Balance treat on the nose
-- Toss up and catch a treat from nose

Spoon Heeling

Gotcha

Loose Leash Walking

Shaping your dog to do a hand stand

Circus Poodles

Here is the finished product of excellent training! I think I'd be a good trainer if I had a poodle.

See if you can spot the dogs getting treats in the ring.

Ideas for Keeping a Dog Busy

A couple of years ago, Blue blew out a hock.

In an effort to keep both Blue stimulated
and happy in her cast for 20 weeks
I had to come up with a plan.

I looked at every idea that was sent to me
and thought about what I could train on a lead,
in a crate, on a mat or in an exercise
pen. I have been picking something to work on for
a couple of minutes every hour that I am at home and awake.

And every potty break was a training session.

A lot of the stuff we had been working on already,
Blue after all was my agility dog.

Mainly I am used Sue Ailsby's training levels
( www.dragonflyllama.com) and
Shirley's keepers (http://www.shirleychong.com)
to guide me in training.

Blues training plan
-- pick up (as in let me pick you up)
-- nose touch to target / object (naming objects
  or just pointing)  with duration
-- nose touch to end stick with duration
-- nose touch to my hand with duration
-- paw touch to target / object (naming objects
  or just pointing)  with duration
-- paw touch to stick with duration
-- paw touch to my hand with duration
-- Spin
-- Twist
-- follow target stick
-- follow my hand
-- Husbandry - accept any type of handling
-- LLW to potty and back
-- Leash manners
-- Shirley's say please
-- Shirley's conditioned relaxer
-- Shirley's induced sleep
-- Shirley's Retrieve
-- Shirley's Recall redux
-- find Mine - Scent Discrimination
-- settle (lie down flat on side)
-- Take (shape a hold using wood, plastic, leather, metal)
-- Give (shape a give using wood, plastic, leather, metal)
-- Sit
-- Sit stay
-- Sit for exam
-- Down
-- Down stay
-- Down for handling
-- Zen
-- Look at That
-- Go sniff
-- Sit at door
-- getting teeth brushed
-- Yes (same as click)
-- Look back at doorways
-- Crate games
-- Leash on and off
-- collar grab
-- ruff grab
-- urinate on cue on a short lead on any surface
-- defecate on cue on a short lead on any surface
-- Use a specific place in the yard as an outdoor bathroom
-- quiet (no bark) on cue
-- Bark on cue
-- Ready (sit and look at me)
-- Taz (short for Tasmanian devil which is her nick name)
  look at  me and see what I will ask next
-- pronto (classically conditioned recall cue-
  come now and let me  touch you)
-- eat (clean you bowl immediately or it will be removed.)
-- drink (take a couple of lick from what I offer you)
-- mat go and stay until called or release
-- crate enter and stay in crate until told to leave with door open
-- Sits to leave crate. Walks out and sits again.
  (WALKS out and turns to look at you)
-- Look at cat then automatically look at me. (without barking)
-- Stand
-- Stand stay
-- Stand for exam
-- classically condition love of a head halter
-- classically condition love of a life jacket
-- classically condition love of a back pack
-- classically condition love of an elizabethan collar
-- classically condition love of a muzzle
-- classically condition love of nail grinder
-- classically condition attention to me when I
   sing twinkle  twinkle little star
-- classically condition attention to me when I wear a
   black wrist  band on my left wrist
-- auto watch me
-- Find it (treat dropped or hidden near the dog to
   teach her to  sniff for it)
-- Blue (look at me when I say your name)
-- Dogs (look at me when I say your dogs)
-- Easy (slow down)
-- Wait
-- Build a motivating toy
-- Build a desire to tug (laying down and sitting?)
-- One meal a day spread in a scent box
-- scenting (from training levels)
-- Ring bell with nose
-- Ring bell with paw
-- Roll over
-- Rub back on floor
-- Shake hands
-- other hand
-- Paw wack
-- Other paw wack
-- Both paw wack
-- High Five
-- other high five
-- Wave
-- other wave
-- give a back paw
-- give other back paw
-- Cover your eyes
-- stretch - captured when she leave crate
-- bow
-- U-turn (Turn 180 back towards me and touch my hand)
-- here (come up behind me and touch what ever hand is presented)
-- safe (sit behind me. it is okay to look out between my legs)
-- kiss
-- smile - captured (mouth slightly open, ears back, eyes soft)
-- sing (howl)
-- look (the way I point)
-- Right (dog's)
-- Left (dog's)
-- Shaping games
-- Bang (play dead)
-- Cross paws - The dog is laying down, with one paw
  crossed over  the other
-- Chin (rest you chin in my hands so I can clean your tear ducts)
-- Pull on rope
-- Find/bring car keys
-- Push something with the nose
-- Sneeze
-- Stop / freeze on cue
-- stationary left heel
-- stationary right heel
-- Teach names for toys (Get or touch a toy by name)
-- Put Away The Toys
-- sit go wild sit
-- Be a wolf Bare teeth
-- Cock your head to one side
-- Growl
-- Nod your head
-- Rub muzzle on floor
-- Shake your head
-- Wet - Shake yourself
-- Wag tail
-- Yawn
-- Look cute (ears up)
-- Balance treat on the nose
-- toss up and catch a treat from nose

Java runs the jump chute

Java runs the jump chute after our Control Unleashed class.

Red Plays with Lynnda

Red plays with Lynnda after Control Unleashed class.

Dog in a box

Jane brought Finn, my God dog, to visit and show off his box trick. For a clicker class that Jane is taking, she shaped Finn to drive to a box, leap in and lie down. He worked his trick with joy and enthusiasm.

Dog Training

What!?! On a dog training blog?

Using breakfast (kibble for training) I worked both dogs today:

Red worked on the fold back down.

Blue worked on go to mat as it was tooo cold to work on Loose Lead Walking outside. Ms. Blue pulls like a freight train.

XXXXXXX

Red will offer his relax down (turn around three times and flop down
flat on his side) or his regular down (fold over on left hip then
lower chest and chin to the ground) most often, even with a lure.

I started requesting a regular down and tossing the treats behind him
so he had to get up. Over and over again. When he got tired of
getting up from that position, he folded into a down. That was the
first time I clicked. So he did it again (with out my asking for a
down - which is a good thing I realize as I want to keep the regular
down. I tossed the treat to get him up and he offered it again. I just
clicked and tossed, clicked and tossed. We did about 15 reps with him
offering.

Silly me to see what he would do, I asked for a down. He sighed and
gave me his regular down. I treated him and freed him but did not
click. I had to toss a treat to get him on his feet again. I waited.
He offered the fold back down. I clicked and quit. When I get to the
naming point, I think I'll call it drop.

Blue's training involved sending her across the room to her mat. We
just did six reps at eight feet and quit. My goal is to be in the
kitchen out of sight and send the dogs to mats in the living room. I
had to put Blue outside while I worked with Red. She was not a happy
camper. Red was happy to be fed just for laying on his mat while I
worked with Blue.

Yesterday I worked both dogs at the same time on the mat as a magnet.

Red Goes Around

Lynnda uses Red and then Java to show how to teach a distance exercise. It is easily to teach your dog to work reliably at a distance. It is also one of life's necessities.

Lynnda shaped Red to go near the cone – click for being near it, for looking at it, for walking toward it, etc – AND she lured Red into position by tossing each treat further along the path she wanted him to take.


This was Red's first work on the cone exercise and he got it fairly quickly. Lynnda doesn't know him well enough yet to see then he is over loading and getting ready to zoom. He did manage to get two laps around the ring in before she could get him back.

A well trained dog

Here is a video that I like but did not take. This is a well trained dog. I wonder if they used a clicker.

Two Dog Training Diaries / Blogs

Here are two well done training blogs / diaries to read. Record keeping, however you'd like to do it, is important to progress.

Dazzle's Blog

Stitch's Blog

Record Keeping for Dog Training by Jane

I suck at record keeping for dog training so I asked my friend Jane how she does it. This is the comment she left for me.

Jane said...

A simple way to track progress:

1. Decide how you want to count the treats. I make piles of 15 treats. Other people use a cup to count, and put one treat in the cup for each treat they give to the dog.
2. Set the timer to 3 minutes.
3. Toss a treat for each click.
4. At the end of your 3-minute session, count how many treats you gave out.
5. Write it down, along with any comments about your session.
6. Divide the number by 3, and that’s your rate of reinforcement. If you want to do shorter sessions, that’s fine too. Just do the math.
7. Chart it out on a spreadsheet or piece of graph paper.

What’s interesting is that you can actually see whether you’re making progress or not. When I was doing this with one of Finn’s exercises, I thought we were making progress, but then I looked at my graph and could see that we weren’t. So then I had to change something. (I changed the session length and that seemed to work. In a duh moment, I realized he couldn’t sustain the behavior for 3 minutes!)

So that's simplified record keeping. For two dogs you'd need to be sure to figure out a counting system so that you can keep track of the treats given to each dog.
~Jane

Thank you, Jane. I will try counting during today's training.

Easter Basket

Jane is teaching Finn to carry a basket. He showed off the early stages of his trick for me today.

Great Puppy Raising

Dog training goals

My goals for Blue include basic social skills and team work.

I want her to sit, down and go to mat (and stay there) regardless of the distractions.

I want a rock solid come to front and either side, her to stay with me while working off lead, a supervised separation (so she'll allow a helper to hold her in agility class), and her to ignore other dogs even if they jog towards and then pass her with their handler.

I want to be able to leave her in a down stay while I walk the rally course.

I want Blue to be able to play with me and a toy anywhere.

I want Blue to be able to run with me (circle work) without herding me.

My goals for Red are fewer.

I want him to happily get into his car crate.

Finn Skates

Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse

There is an excellent book by Mark Rashid about training horses called “Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse".

The six rules he gives work as well for dogs as they do for horses.

Rashid's rules are:
1. Carry a non-confrontational attitude.
2. Plan ahead.
3. Be patient.
4. Be persistent.
5. Be consistent.
6. Fix a setback and move on.