Carmen Comes Home For A Visit

Carmen is just a year old and is about as rude and jumpy a dog as I have ever seen. She came home to visit and stayed long enough to learn that she really didn't have to jump up all the time. There are many reasons why was so rude (she is a singleton pup- stayed with her mother etc.) and it truly does not matter, my focus this past week while she was visiting with me was to teach her what to do INSTEAD of jumping. She really had no clue what my goals were- whenever I went out to greet her she tried really hard to get me to notice anything- if jumping on my front didn't quite work, then she jumped on my back. She would come up and goose me, get me sideways-body slam me from across the yard. I had to use a laundry basket to keep her from hurting me that first day, she was that bad! She had no idea that I did not want her mugging me or that she was not to put her paws on me ever. She weighs 80 pounds so jumping up with this dog is not a minor issue. At this point I was wondering to myself if I needed some sort of tranquilizer for this dog! She was truly a wild child. 

How do you correct or punish a dog that doesn't care? YOU DON'T- You teach them. Clicker and treats in hand we started our lesson. I established just one thing in our first session- anything other then jumping got her clicks and treats- this is what I did:

1. I let her loose by herself in the garage (training area)

2. I tossed treats on the ground and clicked as she ran to eat them

3. As she turned around to run back and pounce on me, I clicked before she got to me- trying to catch when all four feet were on the ground.

4. That worked, she stopped and sat- another click/treat. She got up

5. Click/treat for standing

I got in 15 reps of her doing these things:

Standing,

Eating treats off the ground

Sitting and the best of all-

Touching, she bumped my hand with her nose.

I taught her a hand touch would get me to click and treat anytime she offered that. All she had to do was touch my hand with her nose- I could see the wheels turn "Neat, food for a nose touch- COOL!" It was a typical one year old Labrador reaction and such fun to watch.

None of these simple behaviors could be done at the same time as jumping up- these were either/or. This is often the way to change behavior for good, to teach something incompatible with the unwanted behavior. Start a new neural pathway, a new good, better habit. The new behavior has to be reinforcing in order for it to last. You need to find what floats their boat, what is in it for this dog- is it food or toys or a retrieve?

For a Lab that wonderful reinforcer can be many things, next I'll teach Carmen to pick up a toy on cue- so when she runs to me I can say- "Go get your toy" and she can turn and find a toy instead of jump on me. The chance to get her toy(which she loves) will replace the jumping up. And then we'll work on teaching her "Shamu" - a fun trick which is just a high nose touch on my hand. It looks like Shamu the whale touching his target and very fun for a jumpy Labrador to learn. It keeps her off my body at the same time. The fun thing about clicker training (read: awesome, incredible, unbelievable tenets) is that once learned the behaviors stick and you can quickly move on to teaching new things.

After touch I then worked on down, how about a moving watch? How about stand pretty and back away? Then left touch, right touch, paw touch, man- this dog is a genius! And this was not in a different session- this was in that same FIRST session, she would not stop. Carmen was also not stressed- she was having fun so I continued. And this dog, this amazing puppy was locked up in the owners backyard pen because no one thought to teach her anything. Such a shame and very hard for this breeder to understand.

This IS the dog breeders conundrum. But, if people knew better they would do better so it is my fault for not educating this puppy owner. And I give out a book of handouts, there were many other factors as I came to find out. Most of you will get it and take that puppy to class regardless of what is happening in your life- you too may get the dog of your dreams in less then a year. This really is not rocket science- just dog training.

It is not hard to teach a dog what to do instead of jumping but you do have to do it- you have to take the time to stop wishing the dog would behave and figure out what you MUST DO to change the behavior. Carmen needs practice but a handful of treats and the clicker and she showed me just what a smart cookie she is.

Good Girl Carmen!

P.S. A post-script to this blog entry, as of June 5, 07 Carmen is back home for good! I talked her family into giving her back, she is thriving, is losing weight and we are looking forward to a fun year ahead.