Canine Culture: “Stump the Trainer” Q&A - Part V!

Welcome back for the final edition of our “Stump the Trainer” series!

Q: My dog gets in the pond at the Ankeny Dog Park and will not come out. The only way to get him out is to be lucky and catch him. …. I have done lots of research on this and have some ideas and some training ideas. I would enjoy hearing your advice. 

A: As you know, a solid recall is an essential canine skill. Having a solid recall means your dog comes to you any time, anywhere – regardless of distractions and competing interests. If you always catch and leave vs. catch and release, then your dog has learned that coming to you means the fun is over – you’ve given him a disincentive to respond.

Until you can solidify your recall, DO NOT let him off leash anywhere that you are not 100% certain he will come to you. Giving him the opportunity to play “keep away” undermines your recall training efforts. The goal in teaching a recall is to make you irresistible! Practice at home and reinforce him with his favorite rewards (treats, toys, play, etc.) in escalating value to surrounding distractions. You can eventually fade rewards, but for now you want to pay your dog big time! Use a 9:1 recall/reward/release ratio – for every 10 recalls, give awesome rewards 9 times and release to play; only 1 recall actually ends the fun. Vary the ratio and add a sit, drop, or other behavior after the recall; then release to play again. Once you have had sufficient time to practice, test his recall in a variety of situations (use a long lead if unsure) before visiting the dog park.

A great resource is Susan Garrett’s online Recallers course: http://the5minuteformula.com/ Other options would be Recaller classes at Canine Craze when offered, or 1:1 training sessions.

Q: I have a 1 year old boxer who HATES his kennel. We've tried feeding him in it, crate games, medication...basically everything. When we leave him out he destroys the house, so that's not an option either. What can I do to not have him be a soaked to the bone (in slobber/drool) mess every time I get home?

A: This is a slow counter-conditioning process that involves increasing your dog’s comfort level in relation to the source of his anxiety. Excessively salivating is a sign he is being pushed above threshold. By breaking it down into incremental steps, he can be desensitized to the crate. While working through this issue, set up some other means of comfortable confinement, such as an ex-pen or dog proof a room. Below is a 13-step process. How long each step takes depends on your dog – don’t rush! Pushing beyond threshold can cause him to regress.

1) Use the crate tray (not inside the crate) and teach him go to a place
2) Set it in front of the crate and do the same things
3) Push it ¼ inside the crate
4) Push it ½ inside the crate
5) Push ¾ inside the crate
6) Push all the way inside the crate
7) Have him going in and coming out (door open) on his own
8) He goes in grab the door
9) He goes in shut door ¼ of the way
10) He goes in shut the door ½ of the way
11) He goes in shut the door ¾ of the way
12) He goes in shut the door all the way and open immediately feed and release
13) Slowly increase duration

Remember to look to your dog for cues. If he starts salivating or showing other signs of stress, then you’ve gone too far and need to back up a step. Good luck – let us know if you need additional help!

Q: I have a five month old puppy who can't seem to control his bladder whenever he gets excited. Is there any way to help him though, or is it just a matter of him growing out of it?

A: In puppies, this is usually a matter of managing his excitement level. However, if not handled appropriately it can become a habit that they don’t “outgrow.” To help your pup through this stage, keep his environment and human interaction low key, or him far enough away from excitable situations where he doesn’t “leak.” If he is able to focus on you and control his bladder, reward him with lots of treats. Teach him a behavior, such as a sit, that you can ask him to perform and reward instead of letting him get amped up. As he successfully controls his bladder you can work your way closer to excitable situations. For additional potty training-related tips:  http://www.clickertraining.com/housetraining

Q: 2 years ago I bought a 4 yr. old Shetland Sheepdog from a breeder who told me she was housebroken and didn't bark. After "Liza" stole my heart I learned the breeder had her "bark softened" and indeed she isn't housebroken. In fact she is scared to be outside and when I take her out and stop she hides beneath my wheelchair and has only by accident peed outside … A year ago she started going out to the living room … Our vet has said she will probably never be housebroken because even though the breeder wasn't operating a puppy mill, "Liza" didn't have the attention she needed. Any tips? 

A: Sounds like Liza needs some counter conditioning to work through fears and behaviors that are fairly well ingrained. My best guess without actually meeting her would be:  1) She never had an opportunity to potty on grass so it isn’t familiar to her as the preferred potty place; 2) Given her lack of socialization and fear issues, she may not feel secure enough in the environment (your yard) to relax and potty. To set Liza up for housetraining success, again here’s an excellent resource: http://www.clickertraining.com/housetraining

However, before you can truly address the potty issue, Liza will need desensitized to the outside environment to help her feel safe. See previous posts and the book: The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer their Fears, by Patricia McConnell, PhD, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). This process will be fairly involved; please consult a behavior modification trainer or let us know if you’d like additional help.

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Stump the Trainer series as much as we’ve enjoyed writing them! If you have any questions or ideas for future blogs, please let us know. 

Ask the Trainer:  Renee Jetter, ABCTC, CPCT
* Professional dog trainer; co-owner of Canine Craze Performance Center in Urbandale – an 18,000 sq-ft. dog training, daycare, boarding and events facility. Animal Behavior College, 2006 graduate.
* Expertise: puppy development; positive reinforcement training; obedience; competition; agility; tricks; freestyle; scent detection; canine good citizen/therapy dog testing; Paws & Effect volunteer service dog trainer.