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Monday, January 30, 2012

She works hard for the kibble...

Some of Neko's favorite food puzzles (since it's one of the ways she works for her kibble, aside from task-oriented, "good dog" behavior):

Neko works the puzzle for a total of 1/2 her food (about 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup in the evening).  The other 1/2 comes from "treats" throughout the day for being a good dog.  Since these treats consist of merely kibble, she is not getting fat, but is motivated to be good, quiet, obedient in the office and on-leash because she hasn't had her full meal.  It's also helping with her digestion since, rather than eating 2 huge meals, she is eating 2 small meals (while exercising her mind and body) and having little bites of food throughout the day.  Hmmm...maybe I should try this on me...


And, courtesy of the Service Dog Training Academy: The "Kongsicle"
Westpaw Designs makes some great chew-toys (out of recycled materials)


I prefer the above toys to Kong because they hold more food and are made of recycled materials, but Kongs are great (and recommended by Neko's trainer) so...

It wouldn't be a blog entry without a photo of Neko, the Lady herself:
A day at the beach.



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Best Things in Life...

are aren't free (at least not for Neko, they aren't)!  So much for using song lyrics to guide your dog-training practice!

Our first day of kindergarten was extremely informative and worth our time!  I'm so glad, because I had a relatively negative experience with the trainer on the phone last week (when she called to cancel due to #snomaggedon).  Followed by a string of positive ones during class so all is forgiven/forgotten.

First of all, let's just say why it's really awesome to go to puppy class - all the puppies!  There are 6 of us: Golden Retriever, Yellow Lab (class know-it-all whose handler has trained service dogs before), Pit Bull (luckily is the youngest in class at only 9 weeks so still harmless), Pomeranian (poor thing is scared of her own shadow), and last (but not least) "Sparkles" the 14-week-old English Mastiff!  Sparkles is my favorite (excepting Neko, of course) because she wears all pink and is handled by a 4-year-old girl who takes the whole process very seriously and is, frankly, quite a good handler.

Our training program utilizes Animal Learning Theory (as opposed to Dominance Theory).  The best explanation from our trainer was, "dominance training was based on 2 captive wolf studies...think how you would behave if you were locked in your bathroom with 6 strangers...no wonder they came up with such a strange model".  I also appreciated how she explained that the dominance model does not explain how service dogs go through doors before their owners, don't maul disabled people (who are unable to "dominate" their dog), etc.

Animal Learning Theory seems pretty simple: behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated; behavior that is not rewarded is likely not to be repeated.  [Best part: all animals learn this way so there were many jokes about using these techniques on spouses & children.]  So, Neko's most serious behavioral problems are jumping on people and barking.  For jumping she got to be the demonstration dog for class - it's as simple as turning your back on the dog (not saying anything, not pushing them off) and when they stop jumping, you come back and tell them what a good decision they're making.  That's it.  Couple of minutes practicing in class and she's on her feet much more often than before!  Barking is harder.  You apply the same principle by turning your back and walking away until she stops barking for 5 seconds and then you come back.  The problem?  The bark is like a knife through your skull, and it's embarrassing to me...I'm working on it.

We use rewards to train behavior, only using positive reinforcement and extinction as methods.  No corporal punishment, no yelling...it definitely seems like the "kinder, gentler version" of dog training and I'm very happy we're participating.

I think the hardest part for me is the reward and the fact that the dog now earns everything she gets (including her regular meals).  So, if I ask her to sit during the day, she earns a few pieces of kibble...if she's calm in the office, a few more pieces...I currently have 2c of kibble in my purse - sexy!  Not sure this cute-dog-owning-thing is actually going to get me any dates after all - but I digress:
We take a TON of treats to school!
Neko is obviously responding to the style so we just need to keep her owner "on the program" to be sure that she achieves her goals.
Neko in my office
On a *bonus* note: there's a dog-friendly bar across the street from school, so you know where to find us on school nights...

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

[Yellow] Snow Days

Neko was supposed to begin her training this week in "kindergarden", but instead we had quite a bit of snow.  In Seattle, if there's enough to cover the grass in your lawn, it's "snomageddon" or the "snopocalypse" is coming...Just ask the local news media!



Neko loved making yellow snow:

We did our best to work on some basic obedience in the absence of class.  Her leash skills are getting better and she's very responsive to me.  We also started with bait/treats as prior to this point, she had only been eating kibble.  The only problem she's having with the bait is that she "talks" (barks) when she wants something.  I plan on taking this up with the trainer.

She received a ton of compliments on her jacket too!
We ended up being stuck at home for pretty much the whole week.  This does mean that we've modified our schedule and that Moose (the cat) is getting better and better with his new dog-friend.  I really hope someday they actually like each other since I miss having Moose around the house.
Moose does not like snow, yellow or otherwise. He stayed outside for about 5 seconds looking pitiful the entire time.
Neko's 15/16- week old schedule:
  • Cut meals down to 2/day @ 2c ea.  The rest of her calories she's now getting from treats.
  • Bathroom breaks have definitely been extended to 3 hours.  She seems to follow the rule of thumb there pretty well: 1 hr per 1 month of age (+1 sometimes).
  • She is relaxed and calm in the house for the most part as long as she gets enough exercise.  It seems like 1 long walk and/or 40 mins in the dog park puts her in a pretty good state (it's great to be allowed in the off-leash dog park now that she's fully vaccinated - she loves it and it has really improved her socialization).
Neko's latest not-very-ladylike habit:






Oh, yeah, I'm in trouble now - she's discovered my bed...


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Service Dog FAQ

Just wanted to post the FAQ sheet I made for my office.  We've already had quite a few inquiries about why Neko is at work all the time (she is obviously not a service dog yet and is a very boisterous pup) and it doesn't take much to explain what we're doing and get people to come around:

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

14 weeks and counting...

Neko got a clean bill of health from the vet yesterday and weighs in at 30lbs!  I just knew she was getting too heavy to be carrying around!  She's had a couple of destructive moments (the one that bums me out the most is she poked little puppy tooth holes in the back of my car seats - not really that noticeable but, still!) and continues to work on the barking.  We're both very excited to start puppy kindergarden next week!

We're also excited to go out into the big world in a week or so - the vet said to wait 5 days to a week to be sure this last round of  immunizations has a chance to take hold and then she's good to go anywhere/everywhere!!  She can't wait to get into the big-dog part of the dog park so she can play with the pack of Golden Retrievers we see every day at lunch. She had so much fun with her adolescent lab friend the other day (a friend's dog who I trust is fully vaccinated) she keeps talking to the other dogs at the park through the fence...
This is what Neko really wants to do!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Gratuitous Puppy Photos!

So, Neko's gorgeous and my friends are great photographers...  Here are just a couple of examples:
This one is now the background image for the blog - love the look on her face!

Really shows off her markings!

The Puppy Diarrhea Cure

Please allow me to preface this with diarrhea in dogs can be dangerous and lead to dehydration and may also indicate serious illness.  If you have any doubt, please contact your veterinarian (as I am not a vet).

That said,  my friend (and domestic goddess), Robin recommended this cure and I am here to tell you - it works!  Puppies have delicate digestive systems and stress, getting into things they shouldn't, trying the wrong treats with them, really anything can cause mild, acute diarrhea.  When this happens, try 1/4c pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling! Just regular canned pumpkin) mixed with baby rice cereal and some warm water as a meal replacement.  The dog will LOVE it and they should be cured in time for their next meal.  I occasionally mix a little pumpkin with Neko's kibble when she's had a few loose stools in a row as a prophylactic measure because she thinks the pumpkin is a treat.  
See my post about meals: I also give her plain, lowfat yogurt a few times a week to keep her little digestive track working well. 


Saturday, January 7, 2012

Fetch!

Best advice I've heard/read/received about teaching a dog to retrieve: don't take the object from them every time!  This isn't keep-away, you want the reward to be that you throw the object for them again.  For Neko, it's working pretty well so far (don't mind the audio, I always sound like a crazy-person when talking to my animals, but I think it helps keep her interest):

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Biting & Barking

We've definitely entered the "Seniority Classification Period" and Neko has found her voice and is biting more than she did a few short weeks ago.  We've had a lot of success with teaching bite inhibition using a very overdramatic, "Ouch!" followed by "No bite!" and "good girl, kisses".  Barking has proven more difficult to break so far.  I initially ignore her when she barks and then follow with a loud "Quiet!", then "good girl, settle", but I will admit that it doesn't always work.  I'm trying to just remain consistent and I'm counting down the days until we go to puppy kindergarden and she starts formal training - I can only hope this will be a cure (and I'm very excited for her to socialize with more puppies!)!

I found this article helpful re: stages of dog development and what to do about it.

Also, I keep referencing the Monks.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

12-week-old Schedule

I have always been a big fan of the Monks of New Skete and their book The Art of Raising a Puppy.  Of course, they gear their advice toward German Shepherds (which I also have some experience with) so it's been important for me to modify their advice to the softer, gentler Setter personality.  Starting with their basic advice about kennel training and feeding schedules this is where we are right now:

[somehow it seems easier to start with bedtime and work from there]
10pm - Neko goes in her kennel, located at the foot of my bed.  Lights are out, house is quiet.  If she whines or paws at the kennel door (she stopped doing this after her 2nd or 3rd night with me) I open the door, grab the scruff of her neck, say "No, quiet" and then "good girl, settle" when she's quiet.  I usually hear a sweet yawn a short time later and she's out.
1am - potty break #1 (she has been occasionally sleeping through this over the past few nights, which has been a great relief).  I use "hurry up" as her command for going to the bathroom since I don't really want to be saying "go potty" all the time.  Once accomplished, she goes right back in her kennel, no fuss just a "good girl, settle" and we're back in bed.
3:30am - potty break #2.  This one is more difficult to get her to settle back down from and I will admit, I'm sometimes a sucker and take her to bed with me once we're inside.  Not always though as I don't want her to learn that she doesn't have to sleep in her crate/kennel.
5am (or sometimes a blissful 6am) - we're up!  Go outside for a potty break and then back inside for breakfast (1 1/2c Kirkland/Costco Puppy Chow, softened with about 2 oz warm water).  This is another point at which it's important not to coddle her.  She gets 15 minutes to eat and drink water and then I pick up the bowls and take her outside.  They learn pretty quickly to concentrate on eating and missing a meal while in this learning process will not hurt them at all.
45 mins later - as soon as she's "eliminated", I put her in my car (which I'm training her to equate to her travel kennel).  I go back inside, shower, grab food for her lunch, and then we're off to work!
7:30am - arrive at work.  I'm very lucky that my job allows Neko to come into my office while she's in the socialization process and she is very welcome (I work on a college campus).  She spends her crated/kenneled time in the car (hence the training that car = kennel) and I'm right here to check on her and play with her at lunch, etc. without having to hire a dog-walker.  Again, I'm lucky because the weather in Seattle is fairly mild so I can keep her in the car...
8am - into the car for ~2 hours.

~10am - quick potty break, "hello, Neko, good girl, hurry up" and back to the kennel.
~12pm - LUNCH.  Once a day, at lunch, I give her 2-3T lowfat, plain yogurt to soften her kibble.  She enjoys it and therefore associates my office with this "treat".  We usually go on a long walk and play at lunchtime and then back in the car/kennel.

~3pm - potty break and then she comes into my office to socialize and (hopefully) chill out on her dog bed.

~5pm - usually her human has something to do after work (like workout, go to the store, etc.).  This is yet another reason I am really liking this car as kennel idea.  She's very good in there and lets me do my thing.  It's a safe place for her and I am not looking forward to the summer months when this is no longer an option.  Hopefully she'll be far enough along in her training that she'll be starting to go everywhere with me...cross that bridge when we come to it...
~7pm - DINNER.  This meal tends to be difficult for her.  I'm not really sure why, but I think it's because of the let-down.  We're back home, she's distracted by the renewed "newness" of her toys and space, she wants to "talk to the cat"...too much to do to eat!  We're working on this time as it's been hard to deal with.  If she's going to get in trouble it's usually sometime between 7-8pm.
9:30pm - last walk and potty break and then we're in bed.

The biggest thing the Monks taught me is that if you stick to a schedule and give the puppy plenty of opportunity to "eliminate" in the right place (outside), they will teach themselves to be houstrained.  It works!  I've only had Neko for a few weeks and she's already very good about asking to go out!  She makes mistakes, of course, but I'm very pleased with her progress!