The Trials of Positive Training

I have 4 dogs running around my home.  I have only trained two of them.  It's making life a tad difficult at the moment.

Kirby is next up for training.  Backing up, Frankie and Jake were both trained 'correctionally'.  Jake was trained by my previous coworkers from the bird dog training facility I used to work at.  Jake was a 'guy's dog and he was a Lab, so he had to be a bird dog apparently.  So while I went about my business, I'd bring my dog along to work and the guys would take him out when they had extra time between client's dogs.  He was trained harshly, almost boot camp style, as bird dogs usually are.  To teach him to 'heel', they would walk him and give him a sharp snap on the neck with a check chain if he ever went out of heel position. Jake learned to heel within 3 minutes of walking with those men. I am a dog person now, I wasn't really back then.  I didn't know any different.  Jake was my first dog. Don't judge me.

Frankie was also trained correctionally.  But this time, I took her through an actual obedience class so that I was in charge of how we progressed.  For this training, we also used a check chain.  I spent hours upon hours walking with her, giving her a gentle tug back if she stepped out of heel position, and one day she just 'got it'.  It was fascinating.

Since then, I have joined a fantastic group of dog lovers, all of whom seem to be positive training fans. I was intrigued. Correctional training could be defined as correcting a dog when they make a mistake or offer unwanted behavior.  It does not mean that it's harsh.  I am a big fan of correctional training because I have seen it's wonders.  I never once hurt Frankie during our training process, and we both very much enjoyed going to 'school' every week.  Getting out the check chain sent her into a flurry of excitement because it meant we were going to work.  Frankie loves to work.

Positive training is marking a good or wanted behavior with a word (I use Yes!) or a click with a clicker, then treating immediately following, and then ignoring and/or walking away from unwanted behavior.  With Kirby, I made the decision to take him through training the positive way.

A friend recently described the difference for the dog, and it made sense.  He said that correctional training molds the dog so that they do what they are asked to avoid being corrected.  Whereas positive training has the dog doing what they are asked because they want to, and because they understand what is expected of them.  It makes sense.  Would I rather work for food or be 'punished' for doing what I wasn't supposed to?  It only makes sense to make the jump to positive training.

Well, that's easier said than done.  Understand, correctional training comes very quickly and very naturally to me.  I've been a dog owner for the last 6+ years and my body's instinctual reaction to unwanted behavior is to stop it immediately, either by touching or using words.  If a dog jumps on me, I instinctually bring up my knee.  If a dog starts chewing on me, I press his lips into teeth so he chews on himself instead.  If a dog is pulling me on a walk, and pull them back into place.  If dogs are fighting and its getting out of control, I start yelling and grab one by the scruff and pull them off.  It's worked for our household.

Positive training requires that I reward the good and ignore the bad.  I like the idea of rewarding the good.  It makes us all feel good.  But it's extremely difficult for me to ignore the bad when I'm so used to automatically correcting the bad.  I shouldn't say bad.  'Unwanted' rather.  I get frustrated and my dog gets frustrated.  I have adopted using a marker word and I like it, its coming more quickly and more naturally to me.  I hate the clicker.  I loathe the clicker.  I have carrying the treat bag around.  All of my dogs know what it is and they are on me like vultures if they see it at my hip.  I can't train all of them at the same time, and its very difficult to work one with the other dogs around, so I have to put everybody else away.  But I am to get in multiple 1-3 minute sessions with Kirby and that requires me to constantly be putting me dogs in and out of their crates.  I dont like it.  The reason we have four dogs at home is because I like being surrounded by them.  I dont like putting them away from me.

Fortunately for me, and for my dogs, I have a multitude of new friends who are very familiar with positive training and have never done anything but. Friends who are more than happy to help.  I spoke with my friend Han for an hour yesterday and I have a play/training date with T this weekend.  T, from The House of Misfit Dogs, has a blind border collie, a deaf border collie, and is fostering a 3 legged cattle dog mix.  She is truely the queen of positive training and she's got these dogs doing some incredible tricks.  I hope to learn many new things in the upcoming months, especially now that the disc season is over for the year. 

But it's going to be a difficult, frustrating road for me.  I have no doubt.

The Queen is Back!

Let me start from the beginning.  Maggie is a dog that we rescued from a kill shelter a couple of years ago and the last time she was here was before my blogger days.  So you have never heard of her, though some of you family members have probably met her.

Maggie is a now 5yo Corgi female.  We pulled her from a high kill shelter in October of 2007.  Upon arrival, we thought we were getting a male Corgi named Wally.  We obviously soon discovered the truth about her and took her home to foster.

Red fell head over heels immediately and named her Maggie.  She was a sweet little thing who has weak knee cap muscles which causes her rear end to flip flop around when she runs.  But it doesnt cause her pain nor does it affect her ability to get around.

Maggie was quickly adopted by a sweet family.  Red was heartbroken but happy that she had found a home. But within a few months, life changes forced them to return her.  Maggie was back.  Red was thrilled.  She was again quickly snatched up by a lovely family with a small child.  Again, Red was saddened, even though I had pressed to adopt her at the time, he'd refused. There she remained for a year and a half, happy and loved.

The other day, I recieved an email.  The family had a new baby and they couldn't get a handle on Maggie's shedding or give her the time she deserved.  The typical stuff, ya know.

Well, this was difficult.  The deal was that by adopting Kirby, we were done with rescue.  Well, there are appx 200 dogs out there that we have rehomed and it's my duty to be there as a safety net should something happen where a family can no longer care for them.  In most cases, I would first try to A) network with other local rescues to help or B) find a foster home who could care for the dog until a new adoptive family is found. 

But this is Maggie.  Maggie.  Maggie the love of Red's life, Maggie.

So, I met her family and picked her up this morning.  I put her in her bed on Red's recliner as a surprise.  He wasn't home yet and I sat there wondering what to do.  I was wishing that they had emailed a month earlier before I'd even met Kirby.  It's no secret that Red and Kirby aren't best buds.  I swear Kirby tries to annoy him.  But I can't give him up.  He's my dog.  But at the same time, Maggie is Red's dog.  She always has been.  And when he came home and saw her, I could see the sheer happiness in his eyes.  Red isn't even a dog person.  But he and Maggie have always had something.

Any other dog, he would be upset that I'd broken our deal.  But I knew he'd make an exception for this gal.  Now I'm faced with a tough decision.  Do I give up Kirby to keep Maggie?  Or do I once again break Red's heart and make him watch yet another family take his dog away?  Or do I do neither?  It was a little chaotic with 3 dogs.  But with 4, it's strangely calm.  Maggie is helping me with the pack leader stuff so I can clean the house.

Anyways... On to happier stuff and the point of this post. 

The Queen is back in the house.

Maggie may have tiny little legs.  And those tiny little legs may be near crippled.  And her sweet, easy going nature may put even the dumbest dog off.  But let me tell you... This little dog doesn't take any crap!

And eventually... Everybody bows to her.

Even us humans.  You know, it always ticked me off when I watch these dog shows (Dog Whisperer, etc) and they have these little dogs that can get away with anything and everything.  I completely understand now.  Not that Maggie will ever do anything wrong.  Because she can't.  But if she did, I couldn't be upset with her.  She's not a normal Corgi.

So far, the 4 dogs have been nothing but peaceful.  Once Maggie put all of us in our place, of course.

The Dog Days of... Autumn?

It was a gorgous night so I took my dogs and my camera outside to play.  I just wanted to share them with you!

 

Oh Frankie.  She is my baby.  My beauty.  I love her. 

What do you mean, what about you, Kirby?  I love you too!
But, you actually are a baby... soooo....

Yup.  Way to act mature, Kirby.

Nice catch, Jake!

You too, Frank.

I love my dogs.  I love them I love them I love them!

Fall

Today is the first day of fall. Happy Fall! I don't know how I feel about it. Fall signals the end of summer. Fall also signals that winter isn't far behind. But fall also brings beauty and that lovely coolness. As a sweatshirt and jeans person, I have to say that I love the fall coolness.

I'm quite an emotional person. I go out of my way to do things that make me happy, and I go out of my way to avoid things that make me feel sad or depressed. I try to surround myself with warm, caring, friendly people, and avoid people and situations that make me uncomfortable. Social anxiety disorder, anybody?

Decorating for the holidays makes me happy. I want to decorate now. After all, the stores already have Christmas stuff out and on display! But I am trying very hard to wait until the first weekend in October to start my decorating. For Red's sake. I plan on going all out this year. I want pumpkins and fall wreaths and one of those sweet scarecrow guys on a stake in the front yard. Because that's what makes me happy. And if I have to accept fall's arrival, than I have to make the best of it.

I think I've had a mild case of the stomach flu or something for the past week. I haven't felt myself and I'm noticably ill. But not so bad that I can't function or go about my normal day. I think I have developed allergies over the last couple of years.

Our disc doggin season has ended as of this past weekend. And it bums me out quite a bit. There are a couple more comps hosted by other clubs that we will try to attend, but then that's it until spring. I thought that I was looking forward to the end of the season. I have a new dog that I need the off time to work on, and I have new stuff to work on with Frankie that I just couldn't really do with comps every other weekend. The off season is the time to work on yourself and your handling of the disc. But, I'm just not ready for it to end. Or maybe it's just that I'm not ready to say goodbye to the club for 4-5 months. Last year, it wasn't such a big deal. I joined long after the end of last season and I didn't really know anybody. I met some of them at a late fall playdate and didnt see anybody again until March. But now I've spent nearly the entire summer with these people and these dogs and they have come to mean a great deal to me. The thought of having to say goodbye until spring frightens me. We'll be able to communicate daily via the forum, but it's not the same. I guess it will make me appreciate them all the more when I see them again in the spring, right?

Kirby and I start obedience class on Thursday. I am looking forward to it! Kirby is young and demonstrates his lack of... life knowledge... daily. He needs socialization and training. But he's coming along. Jake and Frankie were both trained using correctional methods. With Kirby, since I've finally seen the light, we are going to try positive/clicker training. It will be a tough transition for me, since it's not what I'm used to. But I think it will be good for all of my dogs.

That's all I have for now. I'll leave you with a photo full of dogs.

Art by Abby Cline

Last weekend we attended our disc dog club's state championship comp at a campground. It was a weekend full of camping and disc doggin and fun. I finally even got Red to come and watch.

Abby Cline is one of our club's rockstars, as are her dogs. She's a very free spirit and she makes art in the form of homemade dog bowls. They are customized and durable and one of a kind.

This is the one I snagged. She was selling them at our comp the other day.



I dont know the meaning behind the kitchen sink on the side of the bowl. So don't ask.

Frankie likes the bowl. So does Kirby. The fact that this bowl is sturdy enough to stand up to Kirby is a testament to it's durability. Kirby picks it up in his mouth, carries it around, and drops it on the floor when he's done.

One of my favorite aspects of this bowl is that on the back, she engraved the recommended amount of food per the size of the dog. Abby is sick of seeing so many fat dogs. I agree with her.

If you'd like to get yourself one of the handmade, one of a kind, customizeable dog bowls, head on over to P-Vybe and get in touch with Abby! It might not hurt to watch some of those P-Vybe videos and learn some stuff for your dogs as well!

Finished

I swear to you, I'm done with the blog changes. For now.

The trees are telling me that they are going to continue changing colors, no matter how much I protest and stomp my foot and throw tantrums about it.

So I've finally decided to embrace fall and all it brings by reflecting it in my blog. Not winter. I won't embrace that fall brings winter. But at least I get to experience fall before I have to tolerate winter.

So for those of you sick of me changing my background and banner...

I'm finished.

Thank you and have a nice day!

Do You Remember?

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when there was an attack on our country, eight years ago today?

Growing up, I would hear stories from adults who had been alive during some national tragedy. Even if their memories of the days before and after the events were fuzzy, they can recall details from exactly those moments. When a war ended. When a beloved president was assasinated.

What was on TV? The radio? What were you wearing?

The morning of September 11th, 2001 I was a senior in high school. I was in my auto maintenence class. One of only 2 girls in that class. My best friend Keith was at my side when there was an announcement. Keith was trying to explain why it was important that I not break the piston rings I was holding. The teacher turned on the TV. We watched a plane fly into a very tall building. Then an explosion at a five sided building. I was nieve enough to not even know the importance of those buildings at the time, or what they would come to represent. I didn't know any of the people who lost their lives that day. But I still well up everytime I see one of those paintings with the Bald Eagle and the Twin Towers in the background.

I remember that I was wearing a Carhartt sweatshirt and jeans with oil all over them. And I was very blond back then. And I remember that I didn't break any of those piston rings. I also remember that for the rest of the school day, while the teachers attempted to keep some normalcy going in the classroom, overall we just sat in horror and watched the news.

Please keep in your prayers those who have died for our freedom and our safety.

Ottoman Re-Do

I had so much fun doing the first DIY with the decorative plate! I don't have a lot going on this holiday weekend, and Red is out fishing, so I dove into my next project and actually finished it in just two hours!

This ottoman belonged to Red's late grandmother. It was given to him a couple of years ago. We only recently began using it, but it just really didn't even kind of 'go' in our living room. It was a weird, faded pinkish maroon color. Our living room colors all tie into the checkered rug, and this ottoman does not.

I asked Red's permission first, as it was his piece, and he agreed. I didn't even push him or anything! So I searched a little manically for the right fabric to recover this ottoman. Ironically, I found it this morning in the Wal-Mart sale bin.

I began by taking the hardware off. I set the bottom half aside so I could work on the top.
Sylvester helped keep the bottom half from going anywhere.

At first I thought this would be easier than I'd anticipated. I mean, make sure the fabric is strait and attack it with the staple gun.

But I'd forgotten about these little button thingys. I had no plan for them at all. I sat for a half hour, staring at them, before jimmy rigging a new string set through the wood. Also, glue guns are a life saver.

(I would LOVE to hear how some of you DIYers have recovered these button thingys!)

The bottom was pretty easy too. I 'hemmed' the side pieces with the glue gun and just stapled the fabric into insides.



I'm pretty happy with the finished product.



I still have some tweaking to do around the corners. They stick out too much for my liking. You can't really see the colors, but its maroon and tan and white and it works very nicely now.



Linked up to DIY Thursday at Kimba's ASPTL!

Linked up to Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage!

My first DIY

It's probably not my first. I mean I have re-done stuff in the past. But I went at this one with a purpose, and I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Let me start out by giving you a brief history on the piece. Every year at Christmas time, Red's family has a get together and we play dirty bingo. There are often 15-20 people playing and it's actually a pretty good time. A couple of years ago, we were playing the annual dirty bingo. There was a large pink Victoria's Secret bag in play, and it became the hot item to steal in this dirty bingo game. We ended up with the bag and in it was a decorative plate. Nice, but ugg-lee.

It was a color green that didn't go with a single thing in our home. Its been sitting atop our microwave as a catchall for the last couple of years.

I didn't feel the least bit sorry about making it my first DIY project.

The plate:

Please forgive the lighting in some of these photos. Many of them were taken in the garage and all I had was overhead and flash lighting.

I began by sanding 'er down to give the primer a little something to grip. In all of the DIY's I've been reading via Kimba's site, sanding seems to be the one step you just can't ever escape.

Please don't mind the big, ugly scar on my hand. Thank you and have a nice day.

I had to whipe it down really well after the sanding. I didn't want any little imperfections.

Next, I went and dug up the oldest, most rusted out hoe that I could find to pry the lid off of the primer can.



Now, I understand that there is also really good spray primer that you can buy for these kind of projects. It was my intention to buy the spray stuff because it was cheaper and I didn't need to be all that fancy about my first DIY. But the guy helping me at Lowe's just wouldn't stop rattling on about this amazing can-do-anything primer that I finally gave in, grabbed a can and ran away.

And now that I think of it, I don't know if that little tool is actually called a hoe.

I put on two layers of primer. Which come to think of it, was probably one or two too many. But whatever. I guess I didn't know if spray paint would stick to such a slick gloss or not.





I then put two coats of spray paint on there. And forgot how much I loved spray paint. It's so versatile.




At this point, it was still pretty flat after it had dried. But luckily I read enough other DIY blogs to remember to pick up a can of gloss spray. A coat of that and half the day to dry and I'm pretty danged happy with the result. Now it has a 'home' in my house rather than collecting junk.



Linked up to Kimba's DIY Thursday at ASPTL!