Luna is a Great Dane x English Mastiff mix pup chosen as a candidate for Mobility work for a handler with Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy. Follow her journey from birth to graduation covering all of her training and adventures.
Over the last few weeks, Luna has settled in, gotten to meet and experience any new situations on her socialization checklist and started working on passive skills of calmness and impulse control.
We are working on skills from many different places right now: PASSIVE SKILLS - just asking general calm behaviors and good choices SUE AILSBY's TRAINING LEVELS 1 (and a few LVL 2) C.L.A.S.S (Canine Life & Social Skills) BA/LVL 1 OFF LEASH Focus and Recall Skills
She also got to join my Thursday Group Class to work on some new skills and behaviors around other dogs she had never met. Overall - very pleased with her progress. She is a wonderful little pup.
People have asked what sort of things Luna will be training on and what kind of timeline I expected her to be completing things in. It always varies on the dog's individual personality and learning style as well as other developmental factors but this is the schedule of progress I am aiming for with her.
One of the first 5 behaviors taught in SUE AILSBY'S TRAINING LEVELS is the COME GAME which basically gets a dog coming quickly and enthusiastically between at least 2 people.
This is a great game for Luna's family to play while she is on her overnights with them and we will be adding all kinds of extra bits to make it more challenging for her. This teaches her not only to come to each of them, but in the event there was ever an accident or she was hurt, frightened or lost - I would rather her go to someone willingly than run.
I know so many handlers that don't want their dogs to go to other people for various reasons, but I would rather my dog willingly go to someone and be safe than run the streets or worse, get hit by a car because they were never taught this simple game.
Luka is a good example. He has been with me for years now but came to me as an unadoptable rescue. He was the last of 6 siblings the rescue was trying to place, had no people skills and did not want to interact in any way, stayed to himself and if he got out - you weren't going to get him back without MAJOR effort on your part.
He was 7 months old in this picture and already a jaded soul. It took us a very long time to create a positive people response in him but it is still weak in regards to other people outside of his close inner circle.
This was tested one day when he and 3 of our other dogs managed to find a weak spot in the fence and escape. They happily gallivanted for much of the day before we were able to locate and grab them.
But Luka, my dear sweet medical misfit who was already going blind and partially deaf, was having none of the catching him business. He ran from the ACO, the police, the people trying to cajole him into coming. He was in the woods, crossing rivers, clearing fences like a gazelle and all in the wrong direction. The more people tried to reach him - the further and faster he went - he wasn't having any of that catch me business.
I finally was able to get him when he realized it was me calling and came to the edge of the woods, stopping long enough to realize a familiar voice but even then it took him about 10 minutes to trust it was me.
He is a prime example of why this early training is so important. He has come so far with me and my close family and he continues to improve - but to be honest as his eyesight has gone and he has little hearing left - he is more content to just hang out. He gets around really well for a dog with as many issues as he has (you'll see him in the occasional video cameo) but for the most part - he is an old man at 5yrs old.
We work on his recall passively and it is pretty good if he hears you (and there isn't a deer running in front of him) but it could be better. Most dogs recalls could. But that is why this is in the top 5 first things to teach this little lady. COME saves doggie lives. I will be adding a whistle cue to her training from this week as well. I look forward to her progress with this!
Body positions form the basis of many more complex behaviors and tell the dog where you want their feet and body to be. There are 3 base positions - SIT, DOWN & STAND. As they progress we add criteria to sharpen the behavior.
DURATION (how long you want them to stay like that)
DISTANCE (how far away you want them to do it)
DISTRACTION (yes, still do it even though this exciting thing is happening over here)
DIVERSITY (that they can do it on a mat, near a hat, with a cat or beside a rat...anywhere)
FLUID CHANGES (they can go from DOWN to SIT without standing in between or STAND straight to DOWN without sitting
SPEED (how quickly they respond)
SIGNAL (hand/foot signal only, verbal only, handlers back turned)
But before we can do any of the more complex things - we have to teach the base behavior. I really enjoy using Sue Ailsby's TRAINING LEVELS as a structured order of teaching things and have used it for years. I actually run a free FaceBook training group teaching this for anyone interested in anything from increasing their pets skills to dog sports to service dog work.
In the beginning of this video is Luna working on understanding her base body positions and basic impulse control around high value food and other dogs. Several of the exercises she has had no previous exposure to at all (STAND and TWIST/SHOUT).
I start adding snippets of other criteria from above like Duration and there is obviously Distraction and as she becomes more solid in each aspect, I will separate and build on each part.
Towards the end, you will see I introduced a completely new concept with the spin circles. It seems weird to think that a dog is not aware of their body, but puppies especially don't seem to know that their hind end does more than wag and follow along.
When you are going to be teaching things that involve the dog moving their back end like swinging into HEEL position, or backing up into a tight space or from under a chair or even something as fun and simple as a BOW - they need to know they have a back end to be aware of.
There are several exercises you can use to teach this which Luna will learn and tonight we worked on the first which is simply to lure her into a circle and flex her body both to the left and right. Because she was just trying to back up, a put my hand behind her to stop that and get her to just follow through with the curl. This will quickly be faded out as she learns it.
There are many ways to teach this behavior - this one was lured meaning she was following a treat but as she learns targeting this week, I will be changing to following a target instead of a lure.
We also worked on PASSIVE MANNERS skills at the end - PUPPY ZEN - where we are teaching that to get what we want, we don't mug the hand but SIT instead. This week we are introducing another two skills - LEAVE IT and TARGET and refining the ones ones she is already working on.
Learning appropriate play response to a variety of other dog sizes, breeds, play styles, reactivity responses and learning to share space and resources is crucial to any pup.
But owners of giant breeds need to be sure that they expose their pups to small breeds early on in my opinion so they develop a gentleness and don't decide that Whack-A-Mole is a great way to interact.
Luna has met and interracted with a variety of dogs ranging from the Mastiffs Qui and Hoodoo, to Rebecca's little ones Izzy, Lilo and Laney (Boston Terrier, Frenchie and Frenchton) and of course she has my guys - a Collie, a Giant Schnuazer mix and the Scruffermutt Fizz.
She is pretty well versed in every size, shape, hair type, infirmity, age and play style by now but it is important to keep building those skills.
Tonight she attended my group class with Dusty, a 9wk old Collie pup and Luna, a 1yr German Shepherd.
Here is a clip from the social interaction and play portion as well as a bit of the GO FIND game.
We have had a bit of unexpected tummy trouble for the last few days and I was concerned Miss Luna was looking a bit skinny in comparison to her siblings, so just to be sure everything was okay - we made a trip to the vet today.
There are many reasons pups can develop upset stomachs and although she was not running a temperature or showing any signs of distress, she does have some loose stool and I wanted to just rule out that she needed another worming and that she was negative for things like coccidia and giardia.
Both of these are common in puppies and even more common when pups have access to "farm/country" life where they could eat other animal feces or drink from puddles/streams where an infected animal may have pooped etc.
It also happens in dog parks, city streets and your own backyard, but an estimated 35-60% of puppies will contract one of the two in their lifetime - so better safe than sorry. Sometimes the only symptom is diarrhea and though she wasn't that bad - we just wanted to be sure.
We had a short wait to see Dr. Munich so I took this time to work on some general handling skills on the table, like checking her ears, teeth, tail, feet and eyes. The girls took her back and weighed her and trimmed her nails as well. She was unfazed even though I noticed they quicked one of her nails in the front.
9wk weight = 17.1lbs which is a gain of 2.3lbs in 6 days. So although she is looking very leggy here, Dr. Munich is happy that she is putting on weight at a regular level and we will see at her next vaccination appointment on 11.24.17 how that is progressing.
We practiced her Settle (which is an over on one hip, relaxed DOWN with duration) behavior on the table, even when people arrive or walk past. She did great and even fell asleep waiting on her fecal test results. (All negative)
Living rurally has many advantages and one of those is the ability to safely be able to work on off leash skills with the dogs on our morning walks.
Luna gets a chance to practice many skills on these walks - environmental exploration, handler focus, off leash recall, listening around distractions and other dogs - all very important foundation skills for any dog but especially service dogs in training.
She gets to learn not to eat deer and bunny poop - unlike her adorable hairy sister!
She gets to practice listening in a highly distracting environment which means that when we begin doing her public access work - she has already developed a foundation of listening even though her nose says there is something very interesting just over there...
By establishing these behaviors now, she has a huge leg up on other behaviors later.
When we were at Rebecca's meeting her crew (Izzy, Lilo and Laney) we picked up a few things she had set aside for us and one of them was this little plush bed. Luna has decided - if it fitz - she sitz - at least until she falls out...and she's a snorer!
4.30am potty run in 28° weather will keep you on your toes... But thank you for telling me you needed out Baby Girl. She was not impressed with the weather the last few days - hoodie or not.
We are working on Ring a Bell training for when she is out with me during the day, but at night she is developing a good whine to let me know she needs to go out.
Right now, I have about 3 minutes to get up, get shoes on and get her outside. She has been very reliable with this and has begun ringing the bell on her own for the first time today.
But for now - it's cold and wet so we are going back to bed...
NARCOLEPSY is an often misunderstood condition that I have seen joked about and very rarely taken seriously outside of those who suffer from it. People think someone is just being overly dramatic, complaining about being tired all the time - or that it is funny to have them fall asleep in public.
There are pranks and videos that circulate regularly at the expense of these people who want nothing more than to just live as normal a life as they can with a condition that effects every hour of their life - waking or asleep.
I recently had this great little video come across my FaceBook feed that does a wonderful job of explaining part of what this little one is in training for. Plus the illustrations are AWESOME!
I hope this gives you a little insight into the work this little one will be doing.
At casual glance, you might think this is just a regular old bed lovingly being shared by two BFFs. And to a degree, you're right. But there's magic in 'dem 'dere hills - errr - well bed legs and this one simple thing can make all the difference in the world to a whole host of situations.
GO TO MAT / PLATFORM WORK is a skill I think every dog should have.
It stops so many issues in their tracks and literally saves dogs lives. If your dog reliably knows how to go to their place (I recommend a raised bed of some sort) - you can change so many behaviors:
Gorgeous Giant Schnauzer pup - SIRIUS - practicing on his mini trampoline
* No more door dashing * No more jumping on guests when they arrive * No more going crazy at the sound of the doorbell / mailman / delivery drivers * No more begging at the table * No more chasing the cats * Makes teaching Wait/Stay much easier * Teaches impulse control and patience
Pups are never too young to learn and it is easy and fun to teach. Luna already finds being on the bed reinforcing as she, like many Mastiffs and Danes, finds comfort to be of the utmost importance. It is also important for her joints that she isn't lying on the hard floor.
I have old hardwood floors in this house and this ensures she doesn't have too much pressure on her growing limbs. She will of course outgrow this one soon, but we have all the sizes up to her adult one on hand...LOL
Right now, it is not just a resting place, but it also is a spot she is choosing to go to for a variety of behavior choices.
Since I do a lot of my computer work in the kitchen, if I am having lunch - she chooses the bed over begging. Great choice! Wants to lay down and work on a Frozen KONG - she chooses the bed. Another great choice.
Wants a break from Fizzy? Bed again. It is these choices that make matwork such a great compliment to training any basic behavior.
You can pair the behavior of going to the mat/bed/spot with a sound that may be triggering behaviors you don't want. Another gorgeous Luna I worked with this past year did really well with her first attempts at learning to Go To Mat when she heard a knocking sound.
Luna learning the mat is more rewarding than running to the door.
This is a great way to teach excited dogs an alternate behavior for when company comes over. We are also using it to curtail her desire to rush out the door after the kitties when they are being fed.
I love these particular K&H Pet Cots - easy to put together, washable covers and durable as long as you don't leave them to be chewed on...LOL
The slightly raised platform not only gets them off the ground, but also gives a distinctive boundary edge to behaviors like Stay/Wait. Here is ONYX, a Lab pup working on learning to Stay while toys are being thrown around for distraction. When they can master this - they really can master changing any of the above mentioned behaviors!
These adorable squishy faces belong to Rebecca, a dear friend in Christiansburg VA that I don't get to see nearly enough. Meet IZZY (Boston Terrier), LANEY (Frenchton) & LILO (French Bulldog) - all completely unrelated. They are all still young - Lilo and Laney are still pups.
Rebecca and I finally got to catch up last night and I asked if I could bring Luna along for some socialization. It it so important for pups of her age to meet other dogs that I know are safe and cared for and not a health hazard.
I realize many vets are still recommending that people do not let their dogs touch grass or be around other pups until they are fully vaccinated and some vets still say 6 months.
This is NOT a good idea. Yes, parvo and distemper can be extremely dangerous and am not advising you not to be cautious but the truth is both can be transferred on your shoes, clothing, soil, water, toys etc and are more commonly picked up AT the vets office - where sick dogs are on a daily basis, or from animal shelters, than are contracted at puppy classes or in the general public.
The current position standing of the AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior) is that socialization should begin at 7-8 weeks and has been their position since 2008. Key learning opportunities are missed if you wait 4-6 months to begin socialization. This doesn't mean taking them everywhere indiscriminately and just plopping them down, but it does mean careful exposure to situations and having playdates like these.
We arrived at Rebecca's after a very uneventful car trip (1.5hrs). She is settling into her rides much more easily now. We had Rebecca's group behind a baby gate so I could control the interaction. You don't want to bring a new pup into an established group's house and just let it all fly.
Rebecca's dogs were curious and excited but polite.
They are a more vocal bunch than what she was used to so it took her a second to brave the gate.
I just supported her through it - giving her a chance to approach or retreat as she felt she needed to.
Rebecca worked with her crew on the other side of the fence and we introduced them one at a time into the living room starting with the more mellow Lilo.
After much sniffing - he was just ready to play. Then we introduced Izzy and finally added Laney as she is the youngest and most energetic. It didn't take long for everyone to settle down and act like it was just a normal day in the neighborhood.
Luna thought Rebecca was just the bee's knees and was quite happy to just sit and cuddle.
Once we got dinner sorted, we moved into the kitchen and Luna got to practice her Matwork skills in a different place and different bed. She isn't picky. She is all about her comfort and quickly made herself at home in the first available bed.
Rebecca's guys didn't mind sharing. Overall everyone did VERY well. I picked up the raised beds I had ordered so I can put a smaller one in the kitchen for her to hang out with me on at night - at least for a few months before she out grows it.
Rebecca gave her a little cuddle bed that she just fits in now as well and she thinks that it the best thing ever. If it fits, I sitz!
As I was prepping KONG toys for the furkids, I realized not everyone knows about these great options for Doggie Brain Games and Mental Stimulation exercises.
WHAT IS A KONG EXACTLY?
KONG itself is a company that makes a great range of toys for dogs but many people refer to other types of similar toys by the same name. Generally these are made of rubber or a similar polymer and you can fill them with kibble or treats for a dog to get out.
WHY WOULD YOU STUFF ONE?
Stuffable toys like KONGS can serve many purposes:
Mental Stimulation - dogs that are easily bored, hyper or need daily challenges can really benefit from this type of enrichment.
Slow Down - some dogs eat far too quickly and inhale their food and this is one of many great options to slow them down, reducing the chances of complications like choking or bloat.
Confidence Building - winning at this game can provide dogs that are insecure or anxious with a well deserved confidence boost for interacting with their environment.
Crate Destressor - some dogs are stressed by their handlers leaving for the day and giving them a puzzle like this is a great way to take their mind off of the act of the handler leaving and refocus it to a positive - dogs with anxiety disorders may not be able to redirect, but a dog that is simply fussy can often come to see this "prize" as a real highlight and begin to look forward to their daily crate time.
Variety - This type of toy breaks up the day for any dog and gives you a chance to offer different types of food/reward in a controlled exercise.
SO HOW DO YOU USE IT? WHAT DO YOU USE TO STUFF IT?
There are lots of recipes that you can use, and a lot of Kong type toys, but the most basic process is to use it to feed meals with basic kibble and a stopper of something like peanut butter, canned dog food, cream cheese or canned pumpkin. Having said that, I know people who use banana, mashed potato or even raw meat pieces to fill the end. It depends on what your dog finds rewarding!
You can also mix things into the kibble part itself like dry treats, apple or carrot slices or cheese cubes (but I will say the cheese tends to clump the kibble together and if your dog isn't determined enough it can just frustrate them).
GETTING SETUP
Toys to Fill
Kibble
Peanut Butter
Cream Cheese
Treats
Apple or Carrot
Cheese
Putting down a section of cling film makes this much easier. It stops anything falling out and creating a mess in your freezer.
WHY FREEZE?
A frozen Kong lasts longer, presents more of a challenge and can help teething puppies gums feel better.
FILLING
If the toy has a small hole on one end, like a standard Kong, you will not need to do anything except fill it with kibble and a stopper of your choice.
If you are using another type of toy like the Kong Dental or Dogzilla toys, with a larger hole on both ends, you want to cover one of the holes with your filler first. I am using peanut butter or cream cheese here. Once you fill that hole, turn the toy upside down on the cling film and fill with kibble. (If you are using apple or carrot, put that in first then fill the kibble to the top around it.
Taking too long or making a mess with the kibble? If it is small enough kibble, use a funnel... Don't have a funnel? Take a sheet of paper and roll into a funnel-like shape... Don't have a piece of paper? Ummmmm... That is probably beyond the purview of this article.
So you have the Kong full - now just cap the remaining hole with your choice of filling, pull the cling film up/around it and freeze overnight.
You don't need to let them thaw first - the whole point is to have the dogs work for it so give it to them straight from the freezer. Check the specifics of each toy, but in general, hot soapy water is enough to clean them or a occasional run through the dishwasher is fine for most of them.
KONG WOBBLERS
Wobblers are like giant Weeble Wobbles - they weeble and they wobble and they throw food around...but that's half the fun! Unlike the other KONG type toys, these are a hard plastic with a weighted bottom, not rubber.
All you need to do for this is twist off the bottom and fill the toy with kibble. They do come in a few sizes (the pink and blue are Puppy ones). Make sure your kibble is small enough to come out of the hole otherwise you get a frustrated doggie slamming the toy into your walls!
Normally you wouldn't add anything over the hole in these but some dogs struggle with how to get started. When I first gave this to a recent boarding pup, he looked at me like - "What am I supposed to do with that"? LOL
I added some peanut butter to give him a headstart and after the first session, he didn't need any filler - just his kibble. Then there are other dogs, like Barrow here that get it straight away.
Either of these options can be a great way to help your dog learn some problem solving skills, keep them entertained for awhile and offer a novel approach to feeding time. They'll thank you for it!
