Guard dog (or lotto) wanted; Apply within

Learning to get dressed

I'm one of those people who believe what you think about you bring about. Lately I've been wondering about the soundness of Toad's protection gene. He's so much softer then any other dog I've lived with. He a super sensitive creature really.

About a three weeks age, we were snuggled in bed, all the lights off and it would be a daunting task for anyone to come to the door in the dark. Yet at 9:30 (yes I typically go to bed early and watch tv for a bit) I heard a distinct knocking at the door. Toad never budged. With the past boys, I always looked to them to see if I needed to worry about a noise. They alerted me. Yet with this knocking, Toad had zero reaction. ZERO! I was more then a little freaked out by the sudden visitor (I'm a by appointment only kinda gal), so when a friend texted me 10 minutes later and asked what I was doing, my reply was "coming to your house for the night"

Then... it dawned on me... he doesn't even get up when I get home. He doesn't look at who's coming through the door. He doesn't bark, he doesn't greet, he does nothing.

Dapper in Plaid

All of which got me to musing about his protective gene. He seemed to show it when I first brought him home. He barks to get back inside when he's done peeing/pooping. He will bark if he's outside and the neighbors are making noise or if he sees them. He will answer Opi's bark (or start it... Opi is the awesome dog next door). So I know he sees and hears just fine.

So there I've been, wondering what his reaction would actually be if something was amiss.

Last night, well the wee hours (or this morning)... my fish tank broke. Truly, more like cracked. The sound of water leaking/dripping/running woke Toad, who came awake growling and barking. The second I was awake, he stopped making any noise at all. I heard the water... went to investigate and Toad promptly went back to sleep.

Belly bands to curtail marking

Buffer would have led the charge, ready, willing and able to take on whatever demons dared enter unannounced. Bosun, I used to joke, would have to make sure they didn't smell prior to biting. Toad though.... nada. Apparently his job is merely to alert the human. He didn't even walk down the hall with me.

Other then to come out to pee about 15 minutes into working though the mess, he left me to my business of mopping up water, re-homing fish and sorting it all out.

45 minutes later he somewhat grudgingly allowed me back in bed.

Funny how he's gone from living in a shed to hogging the creature comforts of living in a home.

Mental Note to Self;  Instead of wondering how Toad would react to an intruder... perhaps I should be wondering how Toad would react to becoming wealthy.

Driving in my car.... got the radio on...

That car though!

Toad, as you can imagine needs work in the car. He's gotten to a point where he relaxes and sleeps when I drive, which is terrific! (one of his first drives he landed on my head in a leap that accentuated his lack of grace and load of ... well... endowment).

In no particular order he needs refining on marking his "territory" inside the vehicle. He needs training to stay put while I exit the car. He needs reinforcement on "not being in the drivers seat". And he needs to learn to stay calm while people walk or drive by.

We set out today to sit in the car parked in the parking lot of the local grocery store. Sunday is a slower day in a slow town (important to allow him to process not just burst). The goal was to stay long enough that he could self calm, respond to requests and get through his initial anxiety. 

Toad's time line went something like this; 

Arrival

10 minutes; whining

20 minutes; increased/louder

25 minutes; more frantic

30 minutes; whining slowed

35 minutes; able to lay down (self calm)

40 minutes; up and sniffing/exploring car

50 minutes; more active, no whining, able to do commands

60 minutes; good eye contact, panting from tired

Shake Hands

He was concerned about one couple (the man was carrying a fairly large.thick stick), interested in a skateboarder and keen to be with when he went around the corner and out of sight. Got more worked up at the 20 minute mark when a truck blocked his view and then the man proceeded to talk to him. He started to get bored with the outside world just past 1/2 hour mark. Was himself at about the hour mark.

We worked quickly on "get in back" with treat lures being thrown, and "sits". He is still sleeping 3 hours later. These things/training outings completely get rid of all mental energy leaving  him drained. I'll schedule him to go back mid to late week and see how quickly he goes through the paces.

I feel one hour was a quick turn around from no eye contact to being able to do his basic obedience (especially since we've not overly practiced his commands in the car, so they are technically new to him)

He's such a willing participant.... he's getting to go on more drives (my past bully went everywhere with me, so I'd love for Toad to get to that point). He gets excited when he realizes we're going in the car (his tip off is me getting my purse, which doesn't come with us for walks, smart booger). I'd like for him to be able to relax in the parking lots and that means spending some time rewarding calm behavior, modeling calm behavior and ignoring the rest! He'll get there... we'll get there. 

Core Strength

It's been a busy week at work, hopefully next week will be a little less so. Toad has rolled with the punches for the most part. He's hanging his head and giving me full on guilt over going to his crate, but I'm not ready to leave him out for extended periods of time.

He's gotten great at sleeping with me, yes, it was definitely a learning curve! In fact he's discovering the joys of blankets, and more specifically being underneath them! Mostly I forget that he hasn't been a house dog for a full year, he's come so far. I still use "stop" in my half sleep stupor to get him to cease bouncing all over me in the morning when he knows I'm awake, but trying to greet the world in a quiet and easy manner. He's training me to mumble "down" instead... I'm a slow learner it would seem.

With time being at a premium lately we train when/where/what we can. I like to take advantage of quick/repetitive moments.... like his treats before bed. He always gets two (and yes I swear he can count them!) I've been teaching "place", meaning his bed on the floor... or the really cushy mat I walk across on the way to the shower. Place teaches body awareness, adds a word to our repertoire and will, hopefully, help me when it comes time to introduce him to people. Because of all the clicker training we've done, he knows that when I say a word, he's supposed to figure out what I want.

When clicker training new words, there is often a behavior burst. Meaning Toad offers everything he knows, and everything that's ever gotten him anything in the past. Sometimes, with surrendered dogs you can discover a trick they know, or see a behavior from their past. Toad's pretty limited to what I've taught/rewarded. He, after 5 days, sits his butt in a whirling/spinning/dizzy making speed on his bed once I've asked for "place". A little mental energy burn off before bed... win win!

Puppy sit ups is another one we've been working on. Getting a dog to do a sit then down, then sit/down... is trickier then it seems on the surface. Initially it took a lot of luring. Thankfully Toad's motivated to get the treat as productively as possible. Meaning, he cuts out as many steps as he can, as quickly as he can. We're getting there, but not anywhere close to "proofed"

The last one, is to build core strength. Sit Pretty. These chunky monkeys poop muscles, but not necessarily core muscles. Yes it's a thing  with dogs too. Yes, it's why some dogs can "sit pretty" and others cannot. It takes time and conditioning for those who cannot. Toad is on the cannot list. Slowly, a few quick times a day, I can see his balance/strength and focus getting better. In this case, he knows what I want, but simply cannot do it yet, he will with time, repetition and something to lean on.

Core Strength. It's what separates the winners from the whiners. Facing the tough things little bits at a time is how we all get through. We all work on core strength, we all get rewarded for our practice. A friend reminded me recently that no matter how much we do, or how well there will always be 10% who are not happy. I'd like to thank those 10%, they make me sit taller, longer and with more conviction. You keep pushing, I'll keep working, Even when I need to lean.

Sit Pretty, even when it isn't.

Rescue Remedy

He's a rescue. He had a rough start. He was beat.

Let's be clear, if your dog is misbehaving it's because you are not training him to do otherwise. Its not because he was tied, or left in a shed or starved. It's not because he doesn't know how to learn. It's not because he doesn't want to please. It's simply because he's never been consistently shown that it's not acceptable. (medical and temperament issues aside)

Dogs that pull on leash are allowed to pull (don't think I'm right? next walk, picture yourself in a white wedding gown holding a glass of red wine in your leash hand and see how much more consistent you become) Dogs that bark, are getting rewarded by you barking with them. Dogs that jump on people get rewarded by you handling/talking to them while pulling them off. Dogs do what gets rewarded. I see it every single day.

I detest, hate, abhor the phrase "he's a rescue". First because "rescue" is a verb, once the act is complete it becomes "rescued", PAST TENSE. And truly, it's a fire word, a word being used to trigger an emotional response. To make you feel something, to allow smoke and mirrors, to excuse lack of training. It's not accurate or productive.

Second because it seems to magically alleviate any responsibility from owners to correct behavior. It seems to be a catch all excuse for every bad behavior in the books. When the bad behavior that needs to be address is walking upright feeling big about this selfless act they have performed; they rescued a dog.

No, no they didn't.

I run a program called Oops! Puppies. I primarily take in litters of puppies that are unwanted or unplanned. They go to great homes, with great families. When time and space allow I take in adult dogs. Some dogs have sketchy pasts, most are mundane. Not a single one of them has been "rescued". None were falling through ice when I took them in. None were being beat to death. None were balancing on the side of a cliff. None.  I do not give past stories. I don't want the people who are looking to adopt a story to tell at barbecues. I want people who will step up and give the dog a great home.

I feel we get pompous about ourselves as humans. Look how great I am, look what I did... you know what? Dogs would fair much better in the wild then we would. Your dog would find food, shelter and water first, then share it and never refer to you as his rescue.

We say we don't want to see the sadness then buy into these words.


By all means adopt a dog. They are wonderful. Question your shelter about behavior modification, Question them about unwanted behaviors and what's being done/what works to correct it. Find a trainer that will work with you through specific issues. Do the time, train the dog. Do not stop at "he's a rescue." Insist on light not fire.

Toad is a lot of things. Strong willed, Brilliant, Loving, Manipulative. Handsome. Loyal. Bad. He's funny and sweet. He's easily offended. He's learning as fast as he can. He ate my belt this morning and stole my coffee.

He is a bull terrier, he is mine.

He is not "a rescue."

Clowns to the Left of Me

Toad has learned all his basics and some common phrases. It's hard to believe he's been here 6 months, and yet when I think about where we started he's a pretty darned amazing boy. He knows; Back up, Stay, Sit, down, Roll, spin, inside, outside, stop, wait, easy (on leash), off, shake, high five, go lay down, pick a hand, hug, go around, Momma help.

We are working on personal hygiene items now. No licking, let me see your teeth, open your mouth, and a personal favorite; hold still while I wipe your crazy large testicles where poop had smeared them/it. Someone posted this pig photo and asked if maybe I got the species wrong.... there is an uncanny resemblance. (for those who don't know, Toad experienced a trauma and cannot be operated on, you can read more here; Momma Help )

I read a week ago that bull terriers are not dogs at all (not news to anyone who has ever lived with one) but their explanation seems legit. The author went on to explain how they are actually aliens who tried to assimilate with humans in the form of a dog, and missed the mark. It would explain the triangle eyes, the egg/cement block head, and the antics! 

We needed a break from formal training and I recently signed up for a trick training group. It was just what I needed. And as it turns out Toad's going to be a lot of fun not to mention a willing participant. 

Until today I'd just been reading other's posts. Refreshing my memory on training methods and thinking about what I'd like to train. What I think he'd naturally do.

Today I picked up the clicker, a tool he's so familiar with he almost starts drooling in anticipation of treats, just say the word Mom and it's a done deal! 

Today I just wanted to free shape, no pressure, no expectations. Basically what that means is I wait until he does something I like and I click/treat in the hopes of getting it repeated. You can lure a dog into a position, you can shape them or free shape them.  I never would have guessed what he offered, I was thinking we'd be doing more of a basketball backboard (with me being the backboard) type *trick*

Now I need to confess that I am a hopeless person when it comes to telling my left from my right. I've begged my nephew to reprogram my GPS to say "my way and your way" instead of left and right (and putting an end to her judgmental and angry voice telling me to make a legal U-turn when I get it wrong). So when Toad offered to look a particular way, I clicked/treated.

He offered and got rewarded enough times I felt it was pretty solid. The problem was having to halt the training session so I could figure out if he was looking left or right,,, and he was facing me, so I had to reverse it... and then remember it so I could google the lyrics to see if the jokers or the clowns were on the right... suffice to say, Toad had to perform the stunt numerous times for me. 

God love him...even with his bumbling Momma he now has mastered in a mere 3 short session looking to the right when I ask him "where are the jokers" Brilliant! 

I've always said the first step in training is to be smarter then the dog... not sure I accomplished that today, but he pulled me through. 

Should be a cute trick once complete!!!! 

That was Then

There are weird things happening around my house. Things like no warning barks coming from the bedroom when someone walks past the house. Things like my bed staying made all day. Fewer doors needing to be opened and closed. The food container doesn't need to filled as often. Bosun's painful to watch 6 rotations before finally laying down on the sofa isn't happening.

Normally I'd head to the woods to sort these things out. Normally I'd take Bosun and we'd go. I knew I could completely relax and not be concerned about my surroundings, that Bos would keep watch. That he'd check back regularly. That he would just be "there". Unconditionally, forever. And therein lies the problem. Bosun's "forever" got cut short. Much too short.

Last Saturday he became suddenly, seriously sick and needed me to allow him to pass. He went from 100% fine (we were headed to an off leash park for a party) to needing emergency vet care. He had a cyst burst on his spleen and there were no warning signs, trust me, his last 6 months are stuck on replay.

Toad, has suddenly had new expectations imposed. I need him to be free range while I shower. I want him to be able to sleep with me. I want to have him stop trying to bite the tears because it's the only thing he can see that may be causing me distress. It'd be great if I could trust him enough to head to the woods to work this out in my head. Or maybe it's my heart that needs catching up.

 He has taken up new habits like chasing his tail. Bullies tend to lean into this behavior, but it's new for him. Its a sign that his anxiety is getting high. He's jumping on me and nipping again. He's taken up chewing my shoes and hoarding things in his crate. Hes become vigilant and is reacting more to outside noises. Another sign that his adrenaline has been pushed.

We did a practice run with the sleeping in bed with me. My top concerns are bodily harm (he is very much a 55 pound puppy, so he gets excited), him marking the new to him room, me not getting sleep. He was pretty great for the nap, however once complete and he was aware I was awake, he bounced and bucked like something that should be entered in the Calgary Stampede. I was quite sure concern #1 was on it's way. I was trapped under the blankets, my timing was horrid, every time I tried to peel them back he was on his way to bouncing on that side.... it was comical and scary and oh so Toad.

Overall Toad is becoming predictable. He regresses with stress (don't we all?) He's becoming this cuddly, sweet companion. He is learning faster now, words like inside and outside are almost mastered. He's learning to be calm. He's doing really well with leash walking. He's my boy. He has big shoes to fill. He has a spirit big enough to tackle it.

We miss Bosun. We've spent a lot of time just being quiet, and maybe that's his super power, getting me to sit quietly when my body just wants to run away. For the millionth time since he landed with me I am grateful to share time and space with this little train wreck I call Toad.

Regression

I think that it's normal to circle back once in a while. To return to the comfort of our old ways. Old habits. Old friends. I think its normal to take a break in learning. To relax the expectations. To regress.

Toad went to a kennel for night last weekend. Now this particular kennel is great for dogs like Buffer and Toad. Buffer I wanted zero handling, he would bite, I was 100% sure. Toad is less of an issue, but not a dog I am ready to ask friends/family to watch. So off to the kennel he went.

I'm told he was great. Minimal barking/marking/crazy. Not a surprise for me. He's really come a long way. This was a test for him, and me, and the training. It was a test to show I'd come back. A test of his new habits. A test of his tolerances.

He came back exhausted, as I expected. He tried to crawl inside my body once we were tucked back in the car. He settled for half of his body on my lap as I drove. He's not left my side.



We have a regression of some habits, like marking. It's as if he needs to re-assert that this is his home.

We had gotten to a place with his nail dremelling that I could just do it without any luring. He's now back to sound sensitive. We are back to peanut butter in a kong. It took me a bit to figure out why I was getting resistance and stink eye... back feet are fine, front feet not fine. I forgot how far we had come. How far away simply filing his nails seemed.

So, for now we back up, we keep the expectations set, and reward the behaviors we want repeated. He will bounce back once he's caught up on rest. It's tiring mentally and physically for them to go to the kennel. So many sounds and smells and restless moments.