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7/24/2015

Canine Restoration Challenge Update # 2

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Puppy Love! Clyde has been really great to work with this week. Everybody we encounter on our adventures seems to fall in love with him. Throughout our training I have been having the time of my life. He is so smart and really loves to play. Using the concept of play in our training has really made a difference in his drive to do the behaviors. He might even like toys just as much, if not more, than food.

When I first started working with him, he seemed to like toys but would gravitate toward food in my hand more often. My theory for this was that he did not get a lot of interaction with toys before me. He may have liked to chew on toys before but nobody took the time to play with him. Thus, he had built a behavior of just grabbing toys and running off with them. He would think that "humans would not want to play toy games with me." 

Everyday he is getting more and more interested in bringing toys to me and having fun with them. At times he finds the occasional item that really is not a toy to chew on and play with but I just take the time to redirect him to an appropriate chew toy. In reality, he really does not know what is a toy or not a toy unless I teach him. Playing with toys is going to be a good way to achieve my next goal with him, performing the behaviors for The Canine Restoration Challenge without having to lure with food.

This weekend we are going to set up the challenges and do a test run to see where Clyde and I are in our training. We hope to see you all at the Austin Pet Expo Saturday August 1st, at 2 p.m. Check out the video below of Clyde having the time of his life at the park visited this week.

From Pack Dog to Family Member,
Trevor Smith
"Life seems brighter with four paws at your side"
#besomebody


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7/19/2015

Canine Restoration Challenge Update # 1

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   I am part of an amazing event called The Canine Restoration Challenge. For two weeks I get to work with a shelter dog and then on August 1st at 2:00 I will be competing with him at the Austin Pet Expo! The dog that I am working with is what seems to be a black mouth cur mix, whom I am calling Clyde. I changed his name to start fresh for training, in case there was any behavior baggage associated with his previous name. He seems to be a very sweet boy who loves to play.  I found out early on that he loves to put just about anything in his mouth. As a good 'ol southern boy, one of the first items he managed to find was a Bible. I think it was a sign that he was ready to change his ways. 
    This weekend's training was all about discovering what he was most excited about. Working with the idea of loving to find items to put in his mouth, we worked on a lot of toy play. Instead of scolding him for grabbing a wrong object like a sock or shoe I would simply gladly accept what he brought me and then trade it for a toy that he could chew. The key to redirecting his bad chewing behavior is to make the toys more fun to play with than the object you do not want him to chew on. They need to see that you are happier and more willing to give them attention for the correct chew items rather than the incorrect ones .
   This weekend we also went to two different parks to see how he would do around high levels of distraction. Because he is a hound dog, smell seemed to be more distracting for him than visual distractions like squirrels, people, or dogs. He responds well to toy rewards but a stinky and particularly novel food reward really does the trick. Food rewards can be tough if you always bring the same high value reward to the table. So far I been using mostly kibble for his food rewards mixed with other smelly treats. When we are at home I just use kibble for rewards. This tends to be a healthier, more cost effective, and better overall for training.
   Starting Monday morning we will begin to work through each of the behaviors he is going to need for the tests. Check out Doggie Dojo Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to stay up to date on Clyde's adventures here in Austin. We are looking for fun places to go visit in Austin. Please comment below on any places you suggest. 

From Pack Dog to Family Member,
Trevor Smith
"Life seems brighter with four paws at your side"
#besomebody

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    Professional, Certified Dog Trainer Trevor Smith

    Understands the importance of convenient, effective (and fun!) dog training solutions for busy professionals and families.

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