TRACTOR SUPPLY SOCIALIZATION & POSITIVE EXPOSURE OUTING

One of my favorite places for early positive exposure and socialization outings is our local Tractor Supply.

The staff are amazing, the store has enough traffic to make it interesting but not overwhelming and they are happy for me to bring in my new babies and work with them there.

We will do a lot of our early pet friendly Public Access behavior training here. Every trainer handles public access training differently in terms of when and where they go, but for me personally, I don't take pups into non-pet friendly places until they are completely housebroken and have some good core skills in manners and obedience.

Which is why when Luna has a potty accident in Tractor Supply, it wasn't a problem. We had a clean up and moved on, and in all fairness to her, I now know that I was right thinking she was getting antsy because she might need to potty, but I waited too long to respond... Completely my fault there honey!

All too often, I see handlers dragging puppies through Walmart before they are ready and between the lunging, barking fake service dogs and the overwhelming nature of Walmart on its own - it is not a wonder that these puppies develop nervous or anxious behaviors and often burn out or even wash out from service training completely.

Socialization and Exposure are NOT the same thing... And negative exposure can be worse than no exposure. How you introduce a pup to new things - especially around their fear period time frames - makes an enormous difference in how they perceive the world and cope with stress.


Please, if you are unfamiliar with fear periods, socialization protocols, how to create a positive exposure experience (it's not about the treats), how to read canine body language and how to desensitize and counter condition behaviors... Get with a trainer who knows!!

But back to our star...

She did beautifully meeting a variety of people including men in hats/sunglasses and some with beards, people who came down to her level and some who bent over her and she just took it all in stride. She is learning to keep her feet on the floor and offer a Sit when greeting people and she did so almost everytime with no prompting from me. Very proud of that girl!

Then we did some tough stuff - exposure work to unusual sights (giant stuffed dog) and sounds (construction toys) which she did so well at also.

She breezed through the visual one and showed me, we will need to work a little on the auditory one.

Exposure to scary things is an important part of training but has to be handled delicately.  I use her response to decide whether we are ready to try again.  If she will still approach and interact, take food and isn't shutting down - it is okay to push that little bit.  There is a fine line between desensitizing a puppy to something and overexposing them which can create a lasting impression that you then have to work much harder to change later.  Keep your sessions short and productive instead of trying to force the issue and stop before they get stressed.

We couldn't leave empty handed so she got a selection of new toys and I may have cleaned out a bit of their treat clearance bin... LOL  She also got a new bed for the car which she promptly put to use!  All that work tires a baby out.  Which is good news on the containment frustration issue - she slept all the way home!

CONTAINMENT FRUSTRATION - DAYS 4-6

We have been working on Luna's frustration levels in regards to being contained in the car, behind a baby gate and in the crate.  She is making fabulous progress in under a week.

I am using a system of capturing and shaping her OFFERING behaviors such as getting into the crate, choosing a calm body language like Sit or Down, choosing to remain in the crate on her own, not stressing over the door being closed, not stressing over me going out of sight and finally her remaining quiet at lights out.

This is a long video (11:30min) but shows how we worked through it.  She has gone from literally hours of fussing to the occasional few minutes in less than a week.

I'm very proud of her!

PLAYTIME & RESOURCE GUARDING OBSERVATION

The girls are a pretty even match right now, but Fizz will have to use her speed soon as Luna is already double her weight.

We've had a lot of rain over the last few days, but Fizz doesn't mind.

LUNA, she is not loving it. I am actually going to get her a couple of sweaters and hoodies tomorrow.  She will play in the rain some, and it is good exposure to get her used to wearing things so when she gets her first training cape it is not an unfamiliar sensation, but it is also because she gets the Chihuahua shakes right now if it's wet or cold and I want to make her more comfortable.


I'm watching them play this morning and something interesting in the second part of this video is I noticed some minor resource guarding behavior and stopped filming to go interrupt. No idea what she thought was valuable - I couldn't find anything up there, but the body language changes are very distinct and readable which is a good thing.

Resource guarding happens when a dog finds something innately valuable and defends it again other dogs/people/pets.  Some dogs have no desire to guard anything and others seem to guard the very air itself.  This is not a behavior you want to let develop as it can lead to reactivity and behavioral issues that quickly spiral out of control if not addressed.

She didn't do anything wrong here, and it is certainly nothing to worry about but it is interesting from a canine communication standpoint.  She is very clear in her language to Fizz that she doesn't want to play - no matter how much Fizz tries to instigate play.

Can you tell what I am talking about?

Can you identify when she is playing and when she is defending whatever it was up there?

Do you know what signs to watch for in your own dogs play and how and when to interrupt?

THESE TWO!

I do a lot of my photo and video editing at the kitchen table and although Luna has the choice of several places to lay in the evenings, she normally wants to be within about 6' or so of me.

She's not clingy (thanks to our hard work on barrier frustration which has made a huge difference) but she likes to be with you and keep you in sight - good traits in a service pup.

So I put a blanket down for her by the washer. I live in a little 800sq ft old farmhouse that we are fixing up as we go (my landlords are awesome) and with baby gates up between rooms, it hasn't been hard for her to learn to settle in the evenings with a chew or Kong and just chill. She will play with Fizz and then seek out her blanket when she's ready to head to bed.

I'm going to put a raised bed there for her this weekend as capturing a Go To Mat behavior with her is going to be really simple I think.

SHARING IS CARING

Sharing a cow ear with her Scruffy sister - FizzGig. Fizz is almost 4 months old to Luna's 9wks but they are pretty close already.

(Cows ears are just that, dried cow ears - tattoos and all sometimes. I prefer them to pigs ears as they are much cleaner and less greasy, do not tend to upset their tummy, are generally larger and more robust, don't have swelling or blockages concerns like rawhides and for pups with baby teeth, can be a great teething aid)

It's important for Luna to learn to be around dogs of all sizes as there are two Pugs with her family, so learning polite manners with little ones is crucial.  And that applies to the pug boys as well so this is something we will be working on during her monthly visits to her family.

She doesn't need much help here though, she has been very good so far.

My very dear friend Rebecca has graciously allowed me to bring her to visit her babies this weekend for some small dog playtime.

Rebecca has a Boston Terrier, a French Bulldog and a Frenchton...the cuteness overload from photos this weekend will be insane!

1st WELLNESS CHECK COMPLETE

We just got back from our first Wellness Check with Dr. Munique of Veterinary Associates of Princeton.

I chose Dr. Munique to be her vet because we are on the same page about the importance of growth plate closure before spaying, she has a great understanding of Giant Breed nutritional needs and we are on the same timetable with vaccinations and parasite control.

It's nice to work with a vet that sees things the same way you do and isn't pushing to fix a giant breed puppy at 4 months old.

They were quite busy when we arrived and it was almost an hour before we were seen. Luna couldn't have behaved any better.

While we waited, she met some great people who learned about her breed / training and loved on her.

She was very settled and relaxed around the cats and other dogs - many people complimented her on her behavior at such a young age!

She settled on the bench and after about 30min, she was sound asleep.

When it was our turn, she did beautifully with her exam and Dr. Munique said she is in wonderful condition.

Current Weight: 14.8lbs
Heart / Lungs / Ears / Eyes:  All Clear
Body Condition: Great

Again, so many thanks to Shawna for producing such a wonderful litter and putting the extra time and effort in to help us choose the right pup...

She is amazing!

CONTAINMENT FRUSTRATION - DAY 1-3

Containment frustration is a common thing for a lot of dogs.  Whenever they are behind any type of barrier - in the car, behind a baby gate, in a crate - and they don't want to be there - they can certainly let you know with no shortage of vocalizations.  So what do you do?

First, it's important to understand WHY this is happening.  Most barrier issues stem from one of two places - frustration (over excitement or boredom) or anxiety.  Not all - but most. 

While there are certainly similarities in how you handle it - it is important to identify the CAUSE instead of just lumping it as a bad behavior and throwing a cookie cutter solution at it.

LUNA started the week VERY frustrated at any separation.  The car ride home was a tribute song to her people and the first night in the kennel was very, very long.  Neither of us got much sleep!

So why do this?  Why kennel her?  Why not just let her out?  How can you listen to that and not SAVE THEM!!

The answer is threefold:

• All dogs need to learn to cope with stressors but especially Service Dog candidates.  Trust me - there is a difference between a panic cry which would be addressed and general frustration. 
  
  Just like the divided camps of letting babies cry it out in the cot - trainers are divided on this issue as well.  I fall in the middle.  I will let a pup cry if it is a much higher level of frustration than actual distress and do not open the door if they are in an all out tantrum.  This WILL teach them if they cry longer, harder, more intensely - you will give in and let them out.
  
  Obviously if you live in an apartment or have a living situation where you can't allow this to happen, you have to have a different plan but in my case here, my dogs and I are the only ones effected.

• I honestly believe ALL dogs should be crate trained, regardless of if you are going to use a crate as part of their daily routine or not.  If the first time your dog ever goes into a crate is at the vet or the groomers - this is VERY stressful for them.  I include crate training in every dogs life, just like any other part of the HAPPY HANDLING series for vetting and grooming.  This is the same reason I believe all dogs should be taught to wear a muzzle - if the first time they ever have to is when they are in pain or shock from an accident - it causes a huge amount of stress.

• Luna will not be sleeping with me, as much as we both may want it.  People ask how can I let a dog go after they have been with me for so long, and this is one of the ways that happens.  Imagine how bonded she would be to me if I spend all this time training and living with her but create no coping skills for independence.  She can sleep with Daishia to increase their bond and sleep in her kennel to facilitate independence during her training here.

Her first day - she cried the majority of the ride in the car, anytime I closed a gate between us and for almost 2 hours that night, then anytime she woke up. A very long and unsettled night for all of us.  Gryphon actually came and stood by the bed staring at me like - Moooooom - Do something!

Keep in mind - this is perfectly understandable - she is away from her littermates for the first time, away from home and everything she knows - she has been in the cars for days and like an overstimulated toddler - she is just overwhelmed.

It will get better as we work on it.  If she is out WITH me, she settles and sleeps beautifully.  She has adopted a spot in the kitchen and will go there to rest whenever she gets sleepy.  She fell asleep chewing her cow ear the other night.  She just wants to not be separated which is understandable.

Day 2, we had 45min of crying and were starting to see breaks in it of up to a few minutes instead of a few seconds.

Day 3, we are seeing improvements again - I think in about a week or so we should have this much more under control!

LUKA & LUNA LOVE

So apparently this is going to become a normal thing.  LOL

Luka doesn't normally have too much to do with the boarding dogs.  He likes them okay - but he has a host of medical issues and even though he is only 5, he acts like he is 90 most of the time. 

He seems to be really taken with Luna though - everytime I have checked this morning, they were together.  

SHAPING EARLY OFFERED BEHAVIORS

One of the great things about positive training is you are always looking for things to "capture" that you might need later. 

Capturing is when you see a behavior that you like or may be able to use later so you acknowledge and reward it when it happens.  

Since one of the ways Luna is going to learn to alert for Daishia is to put her paw on Daishia's leg while sitting, when she offered this behavior - we had a puppy praise party! 

You don't have to have treats or toys or anything ready - just acknowledge and recognize the behavior when you see it and begin to pair it with the cue you are going to use if you know it. 

Little one is already learning!

SETTLING IN NICELY

Since she had such a big few days, we are just hanging out today and letting her find her feet here. She has done very well and fits in really well with my crew.

We are working on passive house manners behaviors like waiting at the door, soft recalls (meaning just hanging around in general and checking in as opposed to the more formal recall we will teach), learning property boundaries, general polite mannerisms... Nothing specific... as I see it we work on it.

Her only two issues at the moment are:

• Mouthing too hard - I don't want to discourage putting her mouth on things since we want to teach retrieves but we do have to curb the strength behind the bite as she doesn't know when to stop and goes too hard.

• Containment stress - she is not a happy girl if blocked behind a barrier of any sort. In the car, behind the fence, in the crate - she has a powerful set of lungs and will sing the song of her people at full volume for awhile in an attempting to persuade the hoo-man that she will likely die if left there.

Neither of these are in any way worrying and are things I am already seeing improvement in.

Her first night of crating, we had hours of unsettledness, last night was significantly better and hopefully tonight will be better still.

It is about reducing stress in those situations and building value to being in the place they don't want to.

While it is certainly a work in progress, I think in a week or so we will have it most of the way resolved...

MILEMARKER 001 - SOCIALIZATION CHECKLIST

Luna made a huge dent in her SOCIALIZATION CHECKLIST in just her first day. 

GETTING COMFY

She has fit right in.  We had a rough night getting her settled, so we are running on only a few hours sleep at the moment but so is the life of many a new puppy handler! 

I let everyone out for a potty break and the yard was still wet from the rain and fog last night.  We started introducing the bell by the door for Potty Notices and this will be one of the first few things she learns.   Of course there will be more information and videos of this as we go so if you are struggling with potty training or just want more information on this technique, stay tuned!

She had a pretty full on last few days so the next few will just be her having a chance to settle in, get her head around her new life and relax with my dogs. 

I had to laugh at her ingenuity this morning.  I come back from starting a load of puppy laundry from the car to find her having solved the issue of how to stay warm and dry in an otherwise wet yard - just use Luka as a pillow of course!  Yeah - she's going to fit in just fine here!

FINALLY HOME!

After meeting up with her family, we still had a 4hr trip home which Luna slept beautifully through. I had some car trouble coming home and it had been a long few days but we finally got home just after 1.00am.

I let my personal dogs out to meet her.

Living with me are:
Gryphon - 3yo Rough Collie
Luka - 5yo Giant Schnauzer x Standard Poodle
FizzGig - almost 4 month old Yorkie mix

Within minutes she was exploring the yard, had let everyone have a good check over of her, was not intimidated in the slightest by the 80lb boys (but then again when your parents are Giant Breed dogs, these boys are probably small) and was running around the yard with Fizz.

MEETING THE FAMILY

Our next stop was the most important of the day - Luna's family had been excitedly waiting to meet their baby all day and the time had arrived.  She had a good nap on the drive out to them so she was ready to be a real social butterfly.

Her upcoming handler is Daishia, the young lady above.  First we did introductions to the family and let Luna settle into the new space. 

She made herself right at home.

They have two adorable pugs, Steeler and Brutus (Buddha) who were excited to meet her too. 

So somewhere, somehow along the way, my new Samsung Note 8 decided to randomly delete photos and videos I had taken and so there is a bit of a gap here in with her interacting with the boys.  This will be a work in progress to get them used to having another dog in the house.  She was pretty unphased and I think should handle her stays with them well.

After much playing and a little play biting which we need to work on, she settled down for some cuddles and Daishia ended up putting her to sleep with a puppy head massage.  LOL  She won't fit in laps for long, but for now she was a very contented pup!

It was getting late and I still had 4 hours of driving to do so sadly we had to start wrapping things up for the night. 

I will be bringing her up every month to work with Daishia and stay with the family but a month is a long time when it's your new baby we're talking about.

All in all, I think this match is going to be a good one.  I was really happy with her behavior overall, the family are in love and I already see a lot of potential in this little spark.  Congratulations Gainer family!

MORE MASTIFF FUN!

After the Botanic Gardens, we met up with another service dog team for a puppy meet and greet and some socialization with Ana and her dogs Qui (her retiring Mastiff) and Hoodoo Moon (her Mastiff service pup in training).

Ana runs the West Virginia Service Dog Support Group up the Morgantown way and works closely with the Hearts of Gold program at WVU there.

Hoodoo is a stunning reverse brindle, full English Mastiff like her predecessor Qui.  (In the background there) - She's 18wks old now to Luna's 8wks and a little much for her but it won't be long before I think these girls will be BFFs.

FIRST THOUGHTS

 
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS:
* She is a confident, friendly and outgoing pup.
* She readily explores new surroundings without hesitation.
* She is not distracted or bothered by loud sounds (gunfire from a firing range) in the distance.
* She redirects well and offered several self paced check-ins.
* Although initially unhappy about the leash, she settled into a good rhythm after about 20min.
* She met several groups of people who wanted to greet her and she kept her feet on the ground for the most part, approached willingly and was not phased by sunglasses, hats, bulky jackets or purses.

She seems to be exactly what we hoped for so far!

Follow her on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/lunasdit/

BATH TIME!

I'm taking LUNA out to meet her family on my way home, so we made use of the Self Service bath at the PETCO in Morgantown.  She was not a huge fan (not many babies are) but she handled it very well given they were really busy, dogs barking, dryers going - it was a lot for me audibly so I am very proud of her! 

 By the end, she just laid in the tub and waited for me to finish drying her.

SHE'S HERE!!

TODAY IS THE DAY IT ALL BEGINS!

I have picked up the baby girl, who the family have decided to name LUNA.  She is sooooo adorable and full of delicious puppy breath!  My initial thoughts are very good with her.  Even after spending forever in a car, she is friendly and engaged.  I will do a full fill in as we go!