Stop Barking At Passing By Dogs

[Guest Ams]

Sylvie has the difficulty of living on a corner block on a curved T intersection with slopes. It is not possible to have a long view of anyone approaching the house.

Sylvie is it possible to place a covered crate out with you on the slab? That way he can be "with" you but not have the visual of passing dogs. I can lend you a crate or even some larger panels to make a temporary shield around part of the slab if you would like. You could then hang something over it so again he can't see passing dogs but gets to enjoy some evening outdoor time with you and OH. They are easy to put up and take down and have a slide pin to join them together.

This then gives you time to work on the LAT training either inside or in the back yard without distractions. Only when you have that training nailed do you try to use it on the patio where distractions are.

[Sylvie]

Sylvie has the difficulty of living on a corner block on a curved T intersection with slopes. It is not possible to have a long view of anyone approaching the house.

Sylvie is it possible to place a covered crate out with you on the slab? That way he can be "with" you but not have the visual of passing dogs. I can lend you a crate or even some larger panels to make a temporary shield around part of the slab if you would like. You could then hang something over it so again he can't see passing dogs but gets to enjoy some evening outdoor time with you and OH. They are easy to put up and take down and have a slide pin to join them together.

This then gives you time to work on the LAT training either inside or in the back yard without distractions. Only when you have that training nailed do you try to use it on the patio where distractions are.

A covered crate is a good Idea, thanks Ams. We have 2 dog houses (similar to the one in the attached photo) that came with the dogs when we got them. They were crate trained in it. I did not use them for a while now but he should be fine in it. The roof installation over the patio has just started today. Might not been finished for the week end but as soon as it's finished I'll put the dog house out there.

(Sorry I moved the photo of him to my next post )

Edited February 28, 2014 by Sylvie

[sheena]

He's very cute :)

[Sylvie]

He ends up relatively relaxed on the patio with us. The first 15/20 mins he is very alert and watch everything, checking every noise but if there is not dog in sight he does not move. If there is a dog he would stand up starting staring at it. That's when I start distracting him. After a while he starts to get used to all the noises and sit down or lay on the mat. He is still alert but not as tense.

We kind of like seeing him alert as he is a very quiet boy and he has been through a lot in the last few months. We lost his litter mate in November and have been living on a "construction site" ever since. All his little world has been changed and he has been very quiet for a while. He is better now, but he is an anxious little guy, and anything new is a worry, that's why we try to get him used to the patio slowly. We only go there for 1 hour or so every time for now.

Here are some photos of him checking out the world from the slab:

[Sylvie]

So I did get a clicker (I-Click as they are supposed to be softer) and tried to load it but it did not really work as planned. I put some treats on the floor, waited for him to eat one and clicked. He looked at me puzzled, then went slowly for an other one. I clicked as soon as he took it. He did not seem to like that, but went even slower for another one but as soon as I clicked he spit the treat out and walk away from the treats. I did try a few more times but it look like the click means "no" for him and now he won't touch any treats on the floor if the clicker is out. He looks so scared of it, it is pretty sad. It took him a little while to accept any treats even once the clicker was away.

So I think the clicker is out. I will have to work on my timing to get a better result with word marking and try and make the patio a fun (or at least safe) place for him.

[The Spotted Devil]

Hi Sylvie

I don't bother loading the clicker as most dogs pick it up super quick but if you want to you need to do it differently. Don't put the treats on the ground. Get some tasty treats in your hand and simply click and then give a treat - it's actually the opposite order of what you are doing and makes a surprising difference. If he's worried by the sound muffle it with a cloth. Hope that helps.

[sheena]

So I did get a clicker (I-Click as they are supposed to be softer) and tried to load it but it did not really work as planned. I put some treats on the floor, waited for him to eat one and clicked. He looked at me puzzled, then went slowly for an other one. I clicked as soon as he took it. He did not seem to like that, but went even slower for another one but as soon as I clicked he spit the treat out and walk away from the treats. I did try a few more times but it look like the click means "no" for him and now he won't touch any treats on the floor if the clicker is out. He looks so scared of it, it is pretty sad. It took him a little while to accept any treats even once the clicker was away.

So I think the clicker is out. I will have to work on my timing to get a better result with word marking and try and make the patio a fun (or at least safe) place for him.

You have to click BEFORE he takes the treat, so that click always means TREAT. You throw the treat on the floor (one treat) & just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up you click, then throw another & click just before he picks it up. Or hold them in your hand & click then treat & repeat. Are you using very high value treats. But I would say that the problem could be that you are clicking after he gets the treat, so he is totally confused. Did you not read that article I put up on "Introduction to Clicker Training"

ETA The link again Introduction to Clicker Training

Edited April 2, 2014 by sheena

[Sylvie]

So I did get a clicker (I-Click as they are supposed to be softer) and tried to load it but it did not really work as planned. I put some treats on the floor, waited for him to eat one and clicked. He looked at me puzzled, then went slowly for an other one. I clicked as soon as he took it. He did not seem to like that, but went even slower for another one but as soon as I clicked he spit the treat out and walk away from the treats. I did try a few more times but it look like the click means "no" for him and now he won't touch any treats on the floor if the clicker is out. He looks so scared of it, it is pretty sad. It took him a little while to accept any treats even once the clicker was away.

So I think the clicker is out. I will have to work on my timing to get a better result with word marking and try and make the patio a fun (or at least safe) place for him.

You have to click BEFORE he takes the treat, so that click always means TREAT. You throw the treat on the floor (one treat) & just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up you click, then throw another & click just before he picks it up. Or hold them in your hand & click then treat & repeat. Are you using very high value treats. But I would say that the problem could be that you are clicking after he gets the treat, so he is totally confused. Did you not read that article I put up on "Introduction to Clicker Training"

ETA The link again Introduction to Clicker Training

I did read the article. I did try to click before he takes the treat but he just freezes and does not pick up the treat (he even went back to his bed at one stage) ."Just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up" is the bit that I am not sure of (timing again!)

I will try again with more valuable treats. He is so food orientated (he would do anything for a piece of kibble) I did not think that would be a problem. I will also try to put the clicker in a cloth to smooth the sound a bit and give the treats from my hand. I just don't want to fail too much as it will be hard to overcome once he decides it is really scary.

It is frustrated as I had good success with just the Yes to get him to try and play with a toy: he now goes and grabs the toy on the groundwhen he would have run away from any toys before. Well, we'll see how I go.

Thanks for all your advices, very much appreciated.

[sheena]

So I did get a clicker (I-Click as they are supposed to be softer) and tried to load it but it did not really work as planned. I put some treats on the floor, waited for him to eat one and clicked. He looked at me puzzled, then went slowly for an other one. I clicked as soon as he took it. He did not seem to like that, but went even slower for another one but as soon as I clicked he spit the treat out and walk away from the treats. I did try a few more times but it look like the click means "no" for him and now he won't touch any treats on the floor if the clicker is out. He looks so scared of it, it is pretty sad. It took him a little while to accept any treats even once the clicker was away.

So I think the clicker is out. I will have to work on my timing to get a better result with word marking and try and make the patio a fun (or at least safe) place for him.

You have to click BEFORE he takes the treat, so that click always means TREAT. You throw the treat on the floor (one treat) & just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up you click, then throw another & click just before he picks it up. Or hold them in your hand & click then treat & repeat. Are you using very high value treats. But I would say that the problem could be that you are clicking after he gets the treat, so he is totally confused. Did you not read that article I put up on "Introduction to Clicker Training"

ETA The link again Introduction to Clicker Training

I did read the article. I did try to click before he takes the treat but he just freezes and does not pick up the treat (he even went back to his bed at one stage) ."Just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up" is the bit that I am not sure of (timing again!)

I will try again with more valuable treats. He is so food orientated (he would do anything for a piece of kibble) I did not think that would be a problem. I will also try to put the clicker in a cloth to smooth the sound a bit and give the treats from my hand. I just don't want to fail too much as it will be hard to overcome once he decides it is really scary.

It is frustrated as I had good success with just the Yes to get him to try and play with a toy: he now goes and grabs the toy on the groundwhen he would have run away from any toys before. Well, we'll see how I go.

Thanks for all your advices, very much appreciated.

Definitely don't have the clicker reaching out & close to his head. I keep my clicker in my pocket most of the time, or behind my back :) When he realises that a click means something really yummy is coming, the light bulb will go on & there will be no stopping him. But if he is really scared of the clicker, then use "yes" as a marker instead, but you should charge it just the same as you would with the clicker, for it to have real value & meaning.

[Erny]

I did read the article. I did try to click before he takes the treat but he just freezes and does not pick up the treat (he even went back to his bed at one stage) ."Just a millisecond BEFORE he picks it up" is the bit that I am not sure of (timing again!)

I will try again with more valuable treats. He is so food orientated (he would do anything for a piece of kibble) I did not think that would be a problem. I will also try to put the clicker in a cloth to smooth the sound a bit and give the treats from my hand. I just don't want to fail too much as it will be hard to overcome once he decides it is really scary.

It is frustrated as I had good success with just the Yes to get him to try and play with a toy: he now goes and grabs the toy on the groundwhen he would have run away from any toys before. Well, we'll see how I go.

Thanks for all your advices, very much appreciated.

Unless I missed something along the way through this thread ..... why don't you stick with marking with "yes" instead of using the clicker?

[Sylvie]

Unless I missed something along the way through this thread ..... why don't you stick with marking with "yes" instead of using the clicker?

I thought it could help me being more consistent. Some experienced trainer said the voice marker could be harder to implement properly and with consistency.

Being a first time dog owner, I am happy to try whatever is available if it can make it easier for both the dog and myself.

[Erny]

Yes - it can improve your timing, if your timing of the verbal marker is sufficiently 'out' to inhibit good and efficient training. But if previously using "yes" has worked for you and seeing as the clicker is a bit of a problem for your dog at the moment, I'd be inclined to stick with the verbal marker.

In the meantime, you can practice and improve your timing skills by using exercises with the clicker such as has been described to you amongst the posts of your thread, without your dog being involved.

Just an option to think about :) .

[sheena]

Yes - it can improve your timing, if your timing of the verbal marker is sufficiently 'out' to inhibit good and efficient training. But if previously using "yes" has worked for you and seeing as the clicker is a bit of a problem for your dog at the moment, I'd be inclined to stick with the verbal marker.

In the meantime, you can practice and improve your timing skills by using exercises with the clicker such as has been described to you amongst the posts of your thread, without your dog being involved.

Just an option to think about :) .

I agree with you Erny.....practice your timing without the dog. Whether you're using "yes" or a clicker, if the timing of the marker is out then you could be reinforcing the wrong moment.