# Riley---Study for behavior modification



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Riley is a 4 1/2 year old dog from a litter that I had bred. He is a neutered male that I may be acquiring because the owner is going through a divorce, planning to move, and feels that she will not be able to take care of him. I have been working with this dog for several weeks. I welcomed the opportunity to work with this dog. This has given me the opportunity to observe dog body language (while interacting with my dog), retrain unwanted behaviors, observe the current owner's interaction with Riley and help modify it, and do some additional obedience training.

Some issues:
1. Counter surfing
2. Unwanted digging in the yard
3. Need for calming
4. Some reactivity, not dog reactive
5. Introduction to my own dog who is a littermate. Actually a reintroduction.
6. Some resource guarding

Riley is really nice looking, smart, and was the pick of the litter. I will not rehome him, I will keep him for myself. 

Riley:


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## GoldenDude (Nov 5, 2016)

He's a handsome boy!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Riley is handsome, I'm so glad you have him back and will be able to work on his training. I bet the digging is a result of not getting enough exercise and will be less of a problem at your house. I hope you'll keep us posted on his progress.


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## LynnC (Nov 14, 2015)

He’s so beautiful  . Good luck!


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

He's a gorgeous boy.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

INTRODUCING RILEY TO THOR


I like to take my time with stuff like this. Riley of course got a whiff of Thor from my clothes and vice versa. I thought it would be good for the dogs to be familiar with each others scent. This was done over a period of a few weeks. I then had both dogs, seperated, in the same house for short periods---two gates with a "No-Man's Land" in between. This was done for a couple sessions. Then both dogs were walked together on opposite sides of the street. Thor showed interest in Riley but I kept a close watch for body language. Thor's body language was very good. We then had both dogs on leash, across the room. We put them on a sit stay and then released them. They met and had some brief play.


I need to mention that I don't take Thor to dog parks and I have not let him play with dogs, only his mother. Riley has played with other dogs. It was interesting to watch Riley try to play while Thor only gave brief periods of play. Thor has since played more with Riley. It seems that they needed to learn each other. Very interesting to me.


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## Lincgold (May 11, 2018)

Riley is beautiful and so lucky to have you. I loved the interaction and playtime with Lincoln and Bear. I miss that now that Lincoln passed in August. I hope you post pictures of Riley & Thor.


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## eeerrrmmm1 (Apr 15, 2018)

He's a beautiful boy. Good luck with retraining. Please update us on his progress if you have time.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Here are the boys playing. Riley on the left, Thor on the right.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Interestingly enough it took a while for the boys to learn each other's play. Thor is easily distracted from play but returns to Riley to continue. They play chase, keep away, tug, and they like to wrestle. They take turns at being "top dog". Here Thor is offering to go below Riley IMO.
I am thrilled because Thor has had bad interactions with dogs in obedience class. At least three times a dog while off lead has run to Thor to attack him while he was on lead. Typically Thor would put his right paw on the dog's shoulder and then pin him. (Guess who gets blamed.)


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I laughed when Thor picked up a piece of rag and literaly rubbed it in Riley's face to taunt him.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

gdgli said:


> I laughed when Thor picked up a piece of rag and literaly rubbed it in Riley's face to taunt him.


It's hilarious to see them tease and beg the other to chase them for the toy. Love the updates and so glad to hear that it's working out so well.


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## Remy (Feb 7, 2019)

gdgli said:


> I laughed when Thor picked up a piece of rag and literaly rubbed it in Riley's face to taunt him.


I too find this totally amusing. I now have three and watching they play dynamic is very interesting. I can almost see the wheels turning in their little heads. It's nice to see that they are getting on so well. :smile2:


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## Brodys Rockies (Jan 8, 2019)

Riley is a handsome boy. I so liked the photo you posted of Riley and Thor playing together. As you well know, it does take time for everyone to become acclimated. I agree with the comment made by Nolefan that digging may very well be due to a lack of buring off all of his pent up energy. I like that ole saying that a tired dog is a good dog. I would encourage daily hard running tongue dragging play. See if this helps any with the digging issue. 

Good luck with retraining. With your experience, I suspect you'll have Riley trained properly in time. Of course patience, love, and consistency will paly an important role in his and your success. Keep us posted.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

gdgli said:


> Interestingly enough it took a while for the boys to learn each other's play. Thor is easily distracted from play but returns to Riley to continue. They play chase, keep away, tug, and they like to wrestle. They take turns at being "top dog". Here Thor is offering to go below Riley IMO.
> I am thrilled because Thor has had bad interactions with dogs in obedience class. At least three times a dog while off lead has run to Thor to attack him while he was on lead. Typically Thor would put his right paw on the dog's shoulder and then pin him. (Guess who gets blamed.)


Rukie's Golden friend across the street is 10 months old but now bigger and heavier than Rukie. They also take turns being the bottom dog. They do this funny thing where one goes under the other while he's standing up and tries to run with that dog on his back. I stop it though, it doesn't seem safe. I'm glad Thor likes Riley. Chase and wrestle are such easy ways for them to burn off energy.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BODY LANGUAGE BETWEEN RILEY AND THOR


I frequently comment on body language between dogs. Watching these two boys has revealed a lot. First of all when they first looked at each other Riley displayed only soft signals (my term) as opposed to what happens with almost all other dogs. Thor responded in kind---friendly tail, relaxed ears, relaxed stance. Also they did not stare at each other. I never let my dog stare at other dogs. I have found that one dog will respond to a challenging stare from another dog and excitement/reactivity increases which I don't want.
I also notice that interactions and displays between Thor and Riley are very quick and hard to catch. But I am getting good at it.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BODY LANGUAGE---QUICK COMMUNICATION


I have been watching body language between the two boys closely and have been quick to interrupt if necessary. For example if both enter a narrow passageway from opposite directions I am especially careful that they do not approach directly face to face, nose to nose. Thor sees this as a challenge. Interestingly enough they will approach each other, bypass each other but find a way to avert each other's eyes. It is very quick. They make sure that there is no challenge in their approach. This is very different from encounters with rude dogs. 

Also I have been rewarding each dog for displaying calming signals when they look at each other, praise for relaxed posture, relaxed ears and happy tail wag. I do walk around with a treat bag so I can also treat for this.


This is very rewarding for me. I did not grow up with dogs. I am constantly learning.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

This is a very interesting thread - thank you! We are considering bringing an adult dog into our household in the next year or two, and I'm learning a lot from you. I'll be following your progress with interest!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BODY LANGUAGE---WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLAY BOW

When they first met, the boys did give each other play bows as an invitation to play but they were very brief, like under a second. Since then there are very few almost no play bows. Instead they have used other signals as invitations to play. There are different signals for each game. Very interesting to me.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BODY LANGUAGE---GROWLS

I probably won't correct a dog for growling. Growling is dog language. The dog is communicating with a growl. Do we really want a dog that bites without a warning growl?

Although I don't like having toys out when more than one dog is out this situation has exposed both dogs to multiple toys a the same time. They have been pretty good around toys. However there are two high value toys, a certain large squeaky toy (Thor) and a blue rubber dog bone (Riley). Thor approached Riley while Riley had his rubber bone. Riley growled and Thor just reversed direction. VERY COOL! Before I knew any better I would have thought that I had a near fight on my hands. Now I recognize this for what it is---Thor was getting into Riley's grill while Riley had possession of a high value toy. Riley felt uncomfortable, Thor understood the message, and Thor backed away. THIS WAS NOT A KEEP AWAY TOY, THIS IS NOT FOR PLAY!!!

Now growls in general. I did have contact with a reputable veterinary behaviorist at some point in the past. Growls are part of a dog's language. She said we should be thankful that a dog is communicating with us. In fact she recommended that we actually say thank you. The dog has let us know what makes him feel uncomfortable, maybe something we should counter condition.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

COUNTER SURFING---WHAT TO DO

Well Riley is one of the worst counter surfers that I have seen. However some of the incidents kind of explained what happened and actually offer a solution. 
Some examples:
"Riley grabbed the butter that we left on the table."
"Riley grabbed the crepes that my daughter left on the edge of the counter."
"Riley grabbed my son's hat and ate the sweat band out of it."

My take on this. This may be a tough one to deal with. Dog grabs item, immediate reward, self rewarding behavior, additional reward when the owner chases the dog around the house shouting and waving arms. I explained to the owner how counter surfing is rewarded.
My strategy: I confined the dog to the kitchen. I removed all tempting items and pointed this out to the owner. I have spent maybe 20 hours observing the dog. He hasn't gotten anything off the counter, tried only once when an item was at the edge. A behavior like this will decrease in frequency if it is not rewarded. I think that the owner now gets it. I guess I am training the owner. 
And to be honest Thor is the second worst counter surfer that I have seen but I have followed my own advice.


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## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

gdgli said:


> BODY LANGUAGE---GROWLS
> 
> I probably won't correct a dog for growling. Growling is dog language. The dog is communicating with a growl. Do we really want a dog that bites without a warning growl?
> 
> ...


I never thought about growls this way. This is actually very true. Thank you for sharing with us. Let's growl.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Peri29 said:


> I never thought about growls this way. This is actually very true. Thank you for sharing with us. Let's growl.


I actually had a debate with someone who decided to lecture me about growls. "Yeah, a dog growls and I would flip him over in an alpha wolf rollover and grab his throat. My dogs don't growl". I said great, you want to silence your dog and have a dog that bites without warning. That threw him off for sure. Antiquated training from someone who is not too smart IMO.

PS I have updated all my training methods, dropped the rollover years ago.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

CALMING---A SUCCESS STORY

One of the issues I have dealt with is Riley's reactivity. Not dog reactive but reactive to petting and being handled, reactive to new situations. He would get apprehensive in these situations. I recognized what was going on. Riley at this point needed counter conditioning to many things. 

Some things we have worked on:
1. Being petted
2. Being brushed
3. Being touched in different places, especially around the base of the tail.
4. Reinforcing calming behavior
5. Playing with the owner
6. Remaining calm when someone may surprise him by entering the room

Yesterday Riley had a visit with the vet. The vet: "I don't know what you are doing with him but keep it up. He is the calmest that I have ever seen him." To be honest when the owner told me this I felt great. I really felt a sense of accomplishment.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

CALMING---BEING PETTED

I used a technique where I lured the dog with a treat. In order to get the treat he had to brush past my hand, making contact with the hand. The contact is then extended to other areas. This really worked. Riley got comfortable with being petted and having people reach towards him. Of course this needed to be generalized i.e. expanded to include other people.

PS I always tell people how to approach and pet a dog. It helps.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> BODY LANGUAGE---GROWLS
> 
> I probably won't correct a dog for growling. Growling is dog language. The dog is communicating with a growl. Do we really want a dog that bites without a warning growl?
> 
> ...



I had an interesting experience with growling last week. Duster (3 years old and intact) is a sweetheart with almost all other dogs - he's playful and polite, and is very popular as a playmate - but has always been a bit of a wimp with assertive or aggressive dogs: he avoids confrontation, retreats, hunkers down or rolls over if challenged by another dog, hides behind me, etc. There is one dog in particular, on the agility circuit - a neutered male border collie - that hates him (hate is not too strong a word). This dog can spot Duster from afar, stares at him, lunges when close, etc. I have no doubt that it would attack if given the chance. Duster has always been terrified of it (he hides behind me when he sees it), and both I and the other dog's owner are always careful to keep them well away from one another. However, at last week's agility trial, the owner of the other dog was distracted and it spotted Duster, who was on leash with me in our shelter, lying by my chair. It dragged her 30 feet to our shelter, with the clear goal of attacking my dog. To my surprise, Duster leaped to his feet, puffed up and growled loudly at the other dog - which stopped in its tracks and backed up a couple of steps, giving the owner time to get it under control. It was clearly surprised by Duster's reaction. The other dog was dragged away (with profuse apologies from the owner). I praised Duster.



I think his reaction may have been due to the fact that the other dog challenged him in "his" territory (our shelter): perhaps he was being protective. The growl was obviously a very clear warning to the other dog. From his physical attitude, I believe he would have fought back if the other dog had attacked. It's the first time he's responded to aggression in this way. Perhaps he's becoming more confident? We haven't encountered the other dog since the trial, and I'll be interested to see how Duster reacts when we do. We have, however, encountered several other non-aggressive dogs and he's been his usual playful self.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ceegee

I find your incident very interesting. I welcome opportunities to observe these things. Were you able to observe other aspects of body language? It is difficult but I am learning to look for other signals---hackles, ear position, tail, etc. I think it helps in reading the dog. I also look at the lips. It seems that that there are different levels of growl.

I think I will research this more.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> ceegee
> 
> I find your incident very interesting. I welcome opportunities to observe these things. Were you able to observe other aspects of body language? It is difficult but I am learning to look for other signals---hackles, ear position, tail, etc. I think it helps in reading the dog. I also look at the lips. It seems that that there are different levels of growl.
> 
> I think I will research this more.



It happened very quickly. The other dog came at us "low and fast", border collie style, with his eyes fixed on Duster. He was showing his teeth, but was silent. Duster reacted by "puffing up". His hackles went up and he had a forward stance. I didn't see his tail and don't remember his ear position or his lips, but I did hear him growl very clearly and loudly. It was an obvious "challenging" stance, not an "appeasement" stance. When the other dog saw the reaction, it stopped in its tracks and then took a couple of steps backwards before trying to charge again. By that time its owner had got a handle on things. Duster was already on a short leash when the attack happened, but I didn't restrain him any more than I was doing before the attack. My immediate "gut response" was that it was important for him to have the sense that he could defend himself, since he seemed inclined to do so. In other words, I held the leash firmly but didn't pull him back. I would do the same thing if it happened again, I think. If the other dog had attacked, I would have let go of Duster's leash so he was free to defend himself, and I would have tried to grab the other dog's leash and pull it away.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

REACTIVITY---HAND SHY

I discovered that Riley is hand shy. I raised my hand over his head, he quickly pulled back and winced. I immediately said "This dog has been hit!"

I guessed it was the husband. I disliked him enough that I hesitated on selling them the puppy, THE PICK OF THE LITTER!!! It was obvious he had been hit although probably unseen by the wife.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

gdgli said:


> REACTIVITY---HAND SHY
> 
> I discovered that Riley is hand shy. I raised my hand over his head, he quickly pulled back and winced. I immediately said "This dog has been hit!"
> 
> I guessed it was the husband. I disliked him enough that I hesitated on selling them the puppy, THE PICK OF THE LITTER!!! It was obvious he had been hit although probably unseen by the wife.


I'm really sorry to hear this, I agree it's very easy to tell when a dog has been by their reaction and body language. 

This is a really interesting thread, lots of very good information. 

Thor and Riley are gorgeous.....


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

REACTIVITY---HAND SHY


I immediately started to counter condition, right on the spot. I had a treat bag with me. I treated Riley as I brought my hand over his head. This will need some extra attention and I will explain why later in this thread. 



Anyway, so far so good!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

SOME UPDATES

Counter surfing---Riley is making fewer and fewer attempts in the kitchen, now almost none. He has taken a look but no reward. Now very few looks. We will start to expand to the dining room.

Introduction to Thor---I am training them to walk together because they will be walked 3x-4x a day together. That is what I do with my dogs. They are also being trained to sit stay while I pick up poop.

Reactivity---Hand shyness is being counter conditioned. Also touching base of tail and surrounding area is being counter conditioned. He is a little apprehensive. Very useful for grooming and helping with removing hanging poop (pardon me for being very descriptive but it can be a problem.)

I am so pleased with our success.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

WARNING ON SPEAKING ABOUT DOG ISSUES

Unfortunately someone in my club is very jealous, always has been. Upon hearing that a dog is being returned to me this person is now spreading rumors that there is something wrong with my dogs' temperament.

Probably a good idea not to discuss your dog issues with anyone.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY-THOR INTERACTIONS


I love watching them interact. There are many subtle interactions. For example things like turning sideways to show non-threat, very low almost imperceptible growl--"this is my dirty dish to lick", averting direct stare, ear position, very quick play bows, and tail position to name a few.


There have been very quick exchanges of snarls. I have recognized that these are just normal communication between the two. No hackles raised and very brief. These are usually related to space. I am very happy to learn from these two.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> REACTIVITY---HAND SHY
> 
> I discovered that Riley is hand shy. I raised my hand over his head, he quickly pulled back and winced. I immediately said "This dog has been hit!"
> 
> I guessed it was the husband. I disliked him enough that I hesitated on selling them the puppy, THE PICK OF THE LITTER!!! It was obvious he had been hit although probably unseen by the wife.



That is horrible. Poor dog. If only they could talk.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> RILEY-THOR INTERACTIONS
> 
> 
> I love watching them interact. There are many subtle interactions. For example things like turning sideways to show non-threat, very low almost imperceptible growl--"this is my dirty dish to lick", averting direct stare, ear position, very quick play bows, and tail position to name a few.
> ...



Your comments are making me watch the interactions between our two more closely! It's fascinating, the small things they do that we humans don't usually notice. We have a size disparity as well (toy poodle - golden retriever). We have always known that the poodle is the king of the pack, but it's interesting to see the subtle ways in which he asserts his self-perceived superiority!


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## Aidan0311 (Jun 12, 2019)

Gdgli it’s crazy how some people are! I don’t understand how people just trash others over anything they can find!


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## ecaba (Aug 19, 2019)

I'm loving all these updates. My 10 month old girl has started growling at my TV as I play games on it (this game in particular has growling and snarling beasts in it as the main antagonist) and has made a point to get as close to me as possible (even laying on me) while still being in front as if she were protecting me. This is a dog who is currently not super cuddly or snuggly so it's a big deal when she does this. I always make sure to stop the game so that the noises stop and praise her for being my big strong protector because I really do like that she likes me enough to want to protect me from whatever was making her uncomfortable.

This has only really happened at night when she's super tired so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

I do agree that we shouldn't discourage a dog growling because they are communicating with us. Our trainer even went over all the ways that a dog tries to let us know what's making them uncomfortable so that they don't "bite out of nowhere" simply because we disregarded her warning signs. I want Zelda to feel like she can freely communicate her discomfort with us so that she can feel confident that we'll listen so that it never has to escalate to a bite. I also do my best to instruct people on how to approach my dog. She loves people and dogs and pretty much anything that breathes, but is a bit standoffish if not approached correctly. Some people just come straight at her with their hands outstretched to pet her instead of letting her come to them and she always without fail recoils to hide behind me. "It's ok. I love dogs." Yes, but you clearly don't have any idea on how to approach them when they don't know you. Even if they correct after this, Zelda is still not completely willing to greet simply because of that first interaction. And then they look at me like I'm the one not properly taking care of my dog simply because she's not all over them. It's irritating. That's my rant. Ha.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ceegee said:


> That is horrible. Poor dog. If only they could talk.





I know, it kills me!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ecaba


I always instruct people on how to pet the dog. It is a lesson that I was taught when I was maybe 6 and annoyed a dog at a family friend's house. The owner of the dog gave me great advice.


I will be speaking more about growling in this thread.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Lori Dwyer said:


> Gdgli it’s crazy how some people are! I don’t understand how people just trash others over anything they can find!



It is all about who has the best dogs...


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

I've really enjoyed this thread . Lots of interesting points and observations.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ceegee said:


> Your comments are making me watch the interactions between our two more closely! It's fascinating, the small things they do that we humans don't usually notice. We have a size disparity as well (toy poodle - golden retriever). We have always known that the poodle is the king of the pack, but it's interesting to see the subtle ways in which he asserts his self-perceived superiority!



I have several books in my dog library on dog communication. HOW TO SPEAK DOG by Stanley Coren is one of them. I read it and looked for these signals. I missed nearly all of them. However observing Thor and Riley has made me very aware of how subtle (to us) these signals are. The quickness may just be unique to these dogs but I don't think so. I now recognize many of the signals that I formerly missed.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I was thinking about this thread this morning. Rukie is very responsive to the pointed eye signals. He is supposed to be on his bed when we are eating. If he is at the chair we have to verbally tell him several times to go to his spot but if I pointed look at the food and then look over to his spot, he goes instantly. I also see him trying to pointedly signal me by looking at the plate and then looking at me. It always amazes me how well the eye communication works and I wonder if it also happens dog to dog. Any idea?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

cwag


Can't remember where I read it but I did read somewhere that dogs respond to eye signals.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I first heard of it on some documentary about dogs on Netflix a few years ago. When I started watching, I noticed my Bichon was doing it. She would look at me then look at what she wanted (could be the back door to go out or a toy or food). Then I started signaling Rukie with my eyes. Now that you are thinking about it, you can let us know if you ever observe the two dogs doing it. I never thought to see if it happened between Eva and Rukie.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

cwag


I definitely will keep an eye out for it.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---TRAVELING IN THE CRATE


Riley has no problem entering the crate. In fact he is crate conditioned. He spends some time in his crate at home. However getting into the crate in my pickup truck is a different story. He goes up the ramp, enters the crate but comes out again. 



The issues:
1. He needs to be conditioned to stay in the crate.
2. He needs to be conditioned to ride in the crate
3. His first experience wasn't good. A toe got trapped in the wire crate and he cried out in pain until I was able to release him. I have since covered some areas with duct tape.




My plan includes conditioning him to be in a crate in a covered pickup truck, then take a short ride, then gradually extend to longer rides


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## Lincgold (May 11, 2018)

cwag said:


> I was thinking about this thread this morning. Rukie is very responsive to the pointed eye signals. He is supposed to be on his bed when we are eating. If he is at the chair we have to verbally tell him several times to go to his spot but if I pointed look at the food and then look over to his spot, he goes instantly. I also see him trying to pointedly signal me by looking at the plate and then looking at me. It always amazes me how well the eye communication works and I wonder if it also happens dog to dog. Any idea?


Lincoln, who passed this August, would respond with just a look. When our adult daughter and son would come to visit, they would spoil him by allowing him up on the couch (which we never did) to cuddle. As soon as I came into the room, saw him on the couch all I had to do was give Lincoln a look (the..”you are not supposed to be up there” look) and he would jump down.

When I want Bear, 14 mos old, to come in the house after a long game of fetch, I’ll call him in. He looks at me...hesitates hoping I’ll throw the ball one more time. He’ll run around like mad, stops and looks at me again. All I have to do is put my hands on my hips and look at him. He instantly runs in the house. They are so smart and can easily read body language but then again, I can read there’s too.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RESOURCE GUARDING---ALL DOGS RESOURCE GUARD


From Erika Liebermann: "All dogs resource guard if we find something they designate as a resource. Dogs will protect their resources, it is a natural behavior."


A dog can consider a person as a resource. Since I had developed quite a relationship with Riley without the presence of Thor, Riley considered me as his resource. The day I introduced him to Thor, the boys had some play. At one point I was sitting on the couch and Riley came to me and put both paws on me. I pet him while he did this. Thor came up on Riley's right side to see me and Riley gave a low growl. Thor backed up and came around to Riley's left side to see me and Riley growled again. Thor then just backed off. Interesting---I was a resource and Riley let Thor know. There was another similar interaction but this time I let them know that I am not a resource that needs to be guarded. I am no longer a guarded resource.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RESOURCE GUARDING---ALL DOGS RESOURCE GUARD


What I did for the above:
1. I don't allow the same situation---I won't let Riley put his paws on me, it shows possession IMO.
2. Any focus on me by two dogs at once---they both get attention
3. For the second occurrence above, I interrupted what was going on---"hey hey" was enough. It was really one of their rituals in communicating with each other.


There have not been any more issues with resource guarding me.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Thanks for updating us. I've been enjoying each entry.... 

The resource guarding made me think. I've only ever had one thing I really couldn't overcome with Duke. It's a bully stick. He will not bite me, but he will not drop it. There is no higher value item that will make him give it up. We have only ever had them available a few times. I stopped having them in the house. I only noticed it was a problem when Moe was younger and I had both dogs. I had purchased them in an effort to satisfy his chewing and try to help his puppy teeth come out. Duke had his and it was time to put them away. I said drop and he growled. I put my hand on it and said drop and he just held on. He stopped growling, but wouldn't let go. In the end I won, but I've never given either dog one again. What would you have done?


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> RESOURCE GUARDING---ALL DOGS RESOURCE GUARD
> 
> A dog can consider a person as a resource. Since I had developed quite a relationship with Riley without the presence of Thor, Riley considered me as his resource. The day I introduced him to Thor, the boys had some play. At one point I was sitting on the couch and Riley came to me and put both paws on me. I pet him while he did this. Thor came up on Riley's right side to see me and Riley gave a low growl. Thor backed up and came around to Riley's left side to see me and Riley growled again. Thor then just backed off. Interesting---I was a resource and Riley let Thor know. There was another similar interaction but this time I let them know that I am not a resource that needs to be guarded. I am no longer a guarded resource.



How interesting! I often think that my gentle soul Duster would not dream of challenging our toy poodle's self-perceived superiority, but if the poodle (who is my daughter's dog) comes to sit in my lap in the evening, Duster will often slide up one side of the armchair to put his head on my shoulder. I guess that would be his way of "claiming" me. We can stay peacefully in that position for quite a while. However, while the poodle doesn't overtly guard his place - he knows better - sometimes Duster will come to do the head-on-my-shoulder thing and then change his mind at the last minute and slink away. The poodle doesn't growl or even become tense (I would feel that), but perhaps he's giving off negative energy in some other way. When this happens in future, I'm going to start putting the poodle on the floor. He may be guarding silently, and I don't want to be guarded, especially against my own dog.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> Thanks for updating us. I've been enjoying each entry....
> 
> The resource guarding made me think. I've only ever had one thing I really couldn't overcome with Duke. It's a bully stick. He will not bite me, but he will not drop it. There is no higher value item that will make him give it up. We have only ever had them available a few times. I stopped having them in the house. I only noticed it was a problem when Moe was younger and I had both dogs. I had purchased them in an effort to satisfy his chewing and try to help his puppy teeth come out. Duke had his and it was time to put them away. I said drop and he growled. I put my hand on it and said drop and he just held on. He stopped growling, but wouldn't let go. In the end I won, but I've never given either dog one again. What would you have done?


Getting a bully stick from a dog is extremely difficult. I would rather not have to do it. That being said, I would use the techniques that I used in training a conditioned retrieve. In training the conditioned retrieve I specifically train it for each item that the dog will be asked to retrieve. In my case that would be a conditioned retrieve to pick up a pheasant, repeated with a duck, repeated with a pheasant, repeated with a goose. And then I would repeat it for the bully stick. Because my dogs are working retievers I am very fussy about the give command. But I repeat I would avoid having to take it. If I really wanted it I would do a food scatter then get the bully stick.
You did say he wouldn't give it up. You know you may have inadvertently been reinforcing his hold because you tugged at it. When I give my dog a bully stick I just let him finish it. My dog finishes a 12 inch bully stick really pretty quick.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

DblTrblGolden2

Actually I will be training Riley's give command today. First time for him.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

gdgli said:


> Getting a bully stick from a dog is extremely difficult. I would rather not have to do it. That being said, I would use the techniques that I used in training a conditioned retrieve. In training the conditioned retrieve I specifically train it for each item that the dog will be asked to retrieve. In my case that would be a conditioned retrieve to pick up a pheasant, repeated with a duck, repeated with a pheasant, repeated with a goose. And then I would repeat it for the bully stick. Because my dogs are working retievers I am very fussy about the give command. But I repeat I would avoid having to take it. If I really wanted it I would do a food scatter then get the bully stick.
> You did say he wouldn't give it up. You know you may have inadvertently been reinforcing his hold because you tugged at it. When I give my dog a bully stick I just let him finish it. My dog finishes a 12 inch bully stick really pretty quick.



Duke is a trained hunting dog, duck and geese are his favorite. I've never experienced him refusing to "drop", which is what we say to get him to release to hand. I did end up getting him to give it to me, but it wasn't something I would like to go through on a regular basis. It involved him clamping his jaws shut and trying to spin in circles to avoid me, which has never happened before either. Thinking back I wonder if I was reinforcing his hold when I initially approached him??? (We just keep learning) Ultimately I made him sit and put pressure on his bottom lip by pushing it in until he released. I had to be much harsher then I would normally be. I have never purchased another bully stick, not really because of that incident, but if he wants them that badly it worries me it could cause more problems. It was just not typical behavior for him.

Thanks for the info.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

We sometimes inadvertently reinforce unwanted behavior. I am always learning.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---SOME THINGS WE ARE WORKING ON

1. Recall---while Riley plays, I call out "Come". He gets a treat each time he comes. I also cautioned the owner about saying come only to bring him inside. Saying come and ending the play is perceived as punishment by the dog. Riley's recall does need work.
2. Give---Riley has a new tug toy which is apparently low value. Perfect for getting him to give it up for a treat. Perfect. After this becomes consistent I will add the "give" cue.
3. Sit-stay---Not too bad. We are now looking at extending the duration of the stay.
4. Loose leash walking---We have started working on this. I am teaching him to ease up leash tension and return to me before we continue walking.

I must remember to train far away from Thor. Thor will bark and ruin the lesson. So far we are doing quite well.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RESOURCE GUARDING---RILEY'S CORNER---COUNTER CONDITIONING

Riley has made one corner of the kitchen "his". When he is in it and lying down and you approach him he may give a growl. I am 100% sure that this is at least partly due to being abused and then retreating to this corner. Even looking at him can get a growl. However he has never growled at me which says a lot.

My solution: Every time I enter the kitchen I say "Hey Riley" just to prevent surprising him and he gets a treat. I now approach him while he is in his corner and treat him. He has never growled at me, he will stand to get his treat. I now can reach for him while he is lying down and treat, he remains down with one paw curled up (calmness). This has been very successful. I now have the owner doing the same.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY'S CORNER---RESOURCE GUARDING


Here's a pic of Riley's corner. It is his safe space. This gives a good idea about what we are dealing with. We have 100% success. We can now approach him in his corner and he is calm, no reactivity.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY'S CORNER


Really in order to be complete I need to generalize this with other people.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---CALMING THE DOG


I was prepared to start a click to calm program. However my feeling is that this dog will benefit by having an increase in exercise. I am also hoping to get him retrieving. I think he needs work. Anyway after the owner saw Thor's excitability she realized that Riley really wasn't that bad, he in fact looks quite calm when compared to Thor.


Riley has one trained behavior that is very calming. The down command puts him in a down with his paw curled up, a very relaxed down. This would have been part of my program. I had encouraged the owner to put him in a puppy obedience class when she first got him and upon completion I would give a rebate. He went to class and I gave her a rebate. 

Working with Riley has made me aware that many Goldens would probably benefit from more exercise.


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## Bellbird (Feb 22, 2019)

re calming the dog ..

I followed Karen Overall's "Relaxation Protocol" with hyper-excitable Gemma. Over 15 sessions (a few minutes each) she learnt to stay calm and relaxed on her mat regardless of distractions or duration. I can't recommend it highly enough.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

CONDITIONING---COUNTER CONDITIONING---AGENDA FOR UPCOMING WEEK


1. Grooming---Riley has had lots of conditioning to being touched. I will groom him this coming week.
2. Truck Crate---Need to do this in earnest, we haven't done this for a while. He needs to be calm in the crate.
3. Digging in yard---I think the best approach is management. We are working on a behavior interrupter.
4. Object exchange---A little more work on this should do the trick. He is doing well so far.
5. Field training---I would like to do yard training with him. He has not done any retrieving work so far. However I see plenty of desirable traits to work with. In fact he will be on a long line today to start some retriever training. I plan to make him into a gun dog. Maybe introduce him to feathers today.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> RILEY'S CORNER---RESOURCE GUARDING
> 
> 
> Here's a pic of Riley's corner. It is his safe space. This gives a good idea about what we are dealing with. We have 100% success. We can now approach him in his corner and he is calm, no reactivity.



That is such a sad picture. Poor dog, that he's needed a safe space, but lucky dog, to have a breeder who cares. Thank you for letting us follow his story.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ceegee said:


> That is such a sad picture. Poor dog, that he's needed a safe space, but lucky dog, to have a breeder who cares. Thank you for letting us follow his story.


Thank you for the compliment.
I have had 100% success with this corner. He let me approach him, right paw curled under, and I treated him. He didn't move and showed no signs of apprehension. I now need to generalize this. He still is apprehensive with the owner, refusing to take the treat which is a sign that he is overfaced. However I have had so much success and he is so smart that I will succeed with all issues.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---GROOMING---THE BRUSH---GOING BACK A STEP

I have been giving Riley brief touches with the brush while treating. He has been conditioned to being near the brush. I put peanut butter on my hand and brushed his chest with the other hand. Everything was good until I brought the brush behind his shoulder. He then whipped his head around. HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE. I repeated. Still not comfortable. What to do? I must regain his confidence, backtrack and move slower. This is what you do in a situation like this. I moved just a little too quickly.

The key to dealing with stuff like this: Move slowly and backtrack if you must. Recognize what triggered discomfort and break things up into several small steps. Keep the dog comfortable!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

UPDATE ON RETRIEVER TRAINING

I am using a soft approach. I will say more about it if we have success. He reaches for the dumbbell. We have now started on hold. I am hopeful. I usually use a different approach.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Bellbird said:


> re calming the dog ..
> 
> I followed Karen Overall's "Relaxation Protocol" with hyper-excitable Gemma. Over 15 sessions (a few minutes each) she learnt to stay calm and relaxed on her mat regardless of distractions or duration. I can't recommend it highly enough.





I have followed CLICK TO CALM and the TACT program.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---REACTIVITY TO TOUCHING EAR FLAP


Riley's ear looks very irritated. He was very uncomfortable when trying to apply antibiotic the day before. I counter conditioned this in just maybe half a dozen interactions. I was finally able to apply the medication without any discomfort on Riley's part. He in fact kept smiling while I folded back his ear flap and applied the antibiotic. 

My method: Treat dog while touching safe spots. Then work my way to the ears. I used a happy voice for praise. I then folded the ear flap back and gently rubbed it. Repeat for several trials. Then later I applied antibiotic while treating.

SUCCESS!!!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

REACTIVITY---COUNTER CONDITIONING---THE TRUCK CRATE---UPDATE


A few weeks ago when I first tried to condition Riley to my truck crate he became reactive i.e. he became overly excited. During several trials he jumped in and out of the crate and was so ramped up that he banged into my tailgate, banged into the crate and got his toes stuck in the crate wires. I had to free him. I was surprised, he is so good going into his crate in the house and not reactive. What caused his reactivity? How to deal with this?

Well I decided that Riley has reacted to me. Why not? Whenever I visit we have fun training. I have been clicker training him for: scratchboard, targeting an object, "right here" command, counter conditioning him for guarding his corner. If you are a clicker trainer you know what happens---an operant dog can become excited when offering several behaviors. Riley is certainly an operant dog. I also decided that sitting in a crate needed to be generalized to my crate. It is in my truck bed with another crate next to it. 

My plan:
1. Start rewarding calmness, click for calmness when he sees me.
2. Have him enter the crate and reward, shut door for 10 seconds, reward for calm behavior, open door. He took the treat, he was not overfaced.
3. I will increase the time he is in the crate and condition him to a small drive. I will gradually increase the length of time involved.




REACTIVE DOG, REACTIVITY---Overreaction to external stimuli such as noises, people, dogs. Really anything.








My truck


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION---THE RETRIEVE---MODIFYING KEEP AWAY INTO A CONTROLLED RETRIEVE

Update

Riley and I have been working on "Hold" and "Give". Again I am doing things a little differently with him. The behavior he has is to chase a thrown object and then play keep away or lie down and chew. I lost a plastic bumper this way. Anyway I have been building a behavior chain for the retrieve by using a soft approach.
My Steps:
1. Teach give with a tug toy.
2. Teach hold and give with a dumbbell.
3. Teach heel and carry dumbbell.
4. Teach sit-stay while dumbbell is thrown, send on name, return and give.

"Give" took two sessions but needs polish. "Hold" was started with one session but it looks very good on the second session. "Heel and carry" were taught today followed by "sit-stay---send---retrieve". I am happy to get the complete retrieve. I have built a behavior chain. It needs polish but I now have the basic retrieve. The beauty of having steps in a behavior chain is that I can polish each step separately. And each succeeding step is a reinforcer for the previous step leading to the final step that has a reward.

BEHAVIOR CHAIN=a series of behaviors that are combined to create a finished chain. (Based on a definition by Denise Fenzi.)


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Riley is very handsome boy, I am glad you got him back and I hope you keep him. 

Very interesting read I have to say. As most of the times, would say close to 100% it is us the owners who crate the problems and setting up our dogs to fail. Every time we get upset or frustrated with them we should remember that little puppy we brought home while back, who relied upon us to teach and love him/her and make our home their safe place.


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## Val King (Jun 23, 2016)

wow! he is beautiful!!!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE

-Counter surfing---well managed
-Unwanted digging---behavior interrupter is an excellent management tool. I never get angry at a dog FOR just being a dog and that is what he is doing.
-No need for calming, increase in work is doing the trick. At this point work is obedience training. Also the husband is out of the house, source of great stress.
-Reactivity---He has been effectively counter conditioned. Will need to train the owner's kids so they can help generalize.
-Introduction to Thor---now they are as thick as thieves
-Resource guarding, Riley's corner---No problem but something we will continue to address just to maintain a relaxed dog.


***RETRIEVER TRAINING***
I had Riley giving up a dumbbell, then giving up a bumper in the house, giving up dumbbell in the yard but he would not give up the bumper in the yard. Hmm, need to generalize the give command. BEHAVIORS MUST BE GENERALIZED AND THE TRAINER MUST BE PATIENT.

I WANT TO RUN THIS DOG IN HUNT TESTS!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

ANOTHER RILEY UPDATE

-Riley spent two days at my house with Thor. They get along at Riley's house so now I had to test my house. They got along great.
-Riley's give command has greatly improved. He had the owner's shoe, started to chew, but the owner called the dog to her and said "Give" and he immediately gave it up. This is a BIG DEAL, there were struggles in the past with shoes.
-Riley and Thor took a ride together in the truck. They stayed in their crates while I had ice cream. To me this is important. They will be riding together. Also Thor accepted another dog in the truck, I wasn't sure that he would. Also I didn't notice any stress in the dogs.

Today I hope to do more work on teaching the retrieve.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I love this thread and am impressed with the progress you've made in such a short time. Riley is a lucky boy to have a safety net like you, a reliable and invested breeder.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

nolefan

Thank you so much. I had welcomed the opportunity to do remedial work with Riley. I have learned so much.
BTW I made the comment to a trainer/behaviorist-I don't want an easy dog to train, you learn nothing that way. She smiled, said "Good for you, I agree."


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY---TRAINED (CONDITIONED) RETRIEVE UPDATE

We have spent six days on "Hold". This may be the most difficult behavior to teach in the trained retrieve behavior chain. Today we made a big jump. Riley held the dumbbell nicely without any mouthing! Of course when training this new behavior (hold on command) other behaviors may slip a bit. I don't care, all will be fixed! My big reward was to see Riley smile and wag his tail once he realized that he got it. Very rewarding! 

I am training this somewhat differently than I have in the past. I am very careful and gentle considering the owner's husband had abused the dog. I also have to work with a dog who only knew keep away and tug, didn't know "Give".

BTW, Riley loves to learn! He so looks forward to any of these sessions.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

It's very interesting to follow your progress with this dog. I always look forward to your updates - thank you for doing this!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY---COUNTER SURFING UPDATE


OK, I made a mistake. While visiting the owner I had a snack, Graham Crackers to be exact. I left the package on the counter's edger and left the room. Of course Riley snatched the package and started to eat them. Hmm, I should have done a better job of keeping snacks unavailable to the dog. However this provided me with a training opportunity for the owner. She said to me "Aren't you going to do anything? Aren't you going to try to get the crackers?" And I said "No, I am not going to try to get the crackers. He already has them and is almost done with them. No good can come from getting excited, running after him and shouting at him and then wrestle the crackers away from him or try to dig crumbs from out of the back of his mouth. Best to remain calm. Shouting will not be associated with the act of counter surfing and has no training value. And I never promote the idea that you should be able to grab food out of the dog's mouth."
I must admit, shouting makes an owner feel better and it is hard to avoid, it may take some practice. However one must look at the big picture, we are training a dog. We must do things that don't ruin the training.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> (...)
> I must admit, shouting makes an owner feel better and it is hard to avoid, it may take some practice. However one must look at the big picture, we are training a dog. We must do things that don't ruin the training.



This is an excellent lesson - thank you!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---CUDDLING

Riley's owner has told me that Riley doesn't cuddle. However as a puppy he did cuddle and she showed me photos of this. I decided to try to change this. Granted not all dogs like to cuddle but considering that Riley used to cuddle I felt that we could get him to do this once again. So my plan is to let him know that there are rewards when he comes close and stays there. 
My plan
1. Put peanut butter on owner's cheek. Kneel and let the dog lick it. Kneeling is not an intimidating position.
2. Sit on couch, lure Riley in close with treats. Do not expect much for duration.
3. Repeat #2 but include sweet talking to the dog.
4. Repeat # 3 but now add petting.
5. Avoid the urge to hug the dog, hard to do. We must remember that Riley is not a human. Continue and work for duration of the closeness.
So far the owner is at stage #1 and transitioning to stage #2. Things are looking pretty good. The owner is now also recognizing training opportunities for this and other behaviors. Now if I can get her to walk around with a treat bag...


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

gdgli said:


> RILEY UPDATE---CUDDLING
> 
> Now if I can get her to walk around with a treat bag...


This made me laugh. I was doing some training with Moe the other night with a new treat pouch and when I bent down all the treats fell on the ground next to his place board. Lesson Over!


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

Duster is not a "cuddler". If he's on the couch and I go to sit next to him, he will tolerate me for a short while, then he leaves and lies somewhere else - close by, always, but not on the same piece of furniture as me. He's never wanted to share my armchair, and dislikes being picked up. He has, however, taken possession of my footstool, and will lie on that with his head on my leg. I've also taught him to put his chin on my shoulder, when I'm sitting or (before the knee replacement) kneeling. At first I didn't touch him when he did this - just spoke to him gently - but now he allows me to give him a loose "hug" at the same time. If I tell him I want a "Dusterhug", he now comes immediately and puts his head on my shoulder. It's very cute.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---THE TRAINED RETRIEVE

1. We have "give" on command.
2. We have "hold and carry while heeling". Seems easy, seems like dogs will hold onto the dumbbell while moving.
3. We have "hold" good enough that Riley will continue to hold when we stop heeling. 
4. We have him holding and coming to me and continuing to hold when he stops moving. Short distance right now.

I am absolutely thrilled. Although I may have used different methods and a different sequence in the past I believe that no harm is done. The beauty of the behavior chain is that you can work on each link/behavior separately and if one link needs polishing you work on that one link. 
Looking forward to more progress.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

UPDATE---COUNTER SURFING

Here is a real surprise. I have had Riley at my house for a total of four days. I am a terrible bachelor, my kitchen table is cluttered with paperwork, laundry on the massage chair, ironing board with laundry and mail on it. Riley has totally left my stuff alone!!!

If you have any ideas why, I would love to hear them.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

gdgli said:


> UPDATE---COUNTER SURFING
> 
> Here is a real surprise. I have had Riley at my house for a total of four days. I am a terrible bachelor, my kitchen table is cluttered with paperwork, laundry on the massage chair, ironing board with laundry and mail on it. Riley has totally left my stuff alone!!!
> 
> If you have any ideas why, I would love to hear them.


Great job Riley!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---RETRIEVE IN THE FIELD

Yesterday for the first time I took Riley into the field to do some bumper retrieves. I did let him drag a 20' lead. We did retrieves up to maybe 60 yards. I was very impressed---he went straight out and came straight back, and quick! His "give" command needs work. He does it in the yard but not in the field. OK, you don't know until you try. Needs more proofing, i.e. generalizing. Hope to post some video.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---THE TRAINED RETRIEVE


Soo...


I have been working on Riley's trained retrieve. He has a fairly good hold, a good reach upon saying "Fetch", and a good carry. The "Give" command needs work. "Give" is good in the house, it is good in the yard but breaks down under certain conditions. He will give when he travels short distances but it becomes a struggle if he carries over longer distances. For example heel and carry and give is good but is a problem when he carries a longer distance, he does not want to give up the bumper. The retrieve, i.e. the send, pickup, carry and give is good only for short distances, give a longer retrieve we get: Good send, good line, good pickup, good return but then won't give up the bumper.

My strategy:
1. Don't wrestle the bumper, don't tug on it.
2. More work in the house and yard at short distances, develop reliability.
3. Very gradually increase distances.
4. Any trouble with "Give" ends our time outdoors. Riley goes back in the house.

Yesterday I did "Give" in the house. Very good. I did "Give" in the yard, standing right in front of me. Very good. I did "Carry and Give" for a short distance. Very good. I did a short retrieve, very short. Success!!! Time to quit! I will very, very gradually increase the distance. I do not think he is a good candidate for force fetch considering he has been abused.

Now: Why trouble with "Give"? This is what happens when you play tug without teaching a "Give" command. It also happens when one of your dog games is throw a toy and then play "Keep Away" with your dog.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

gdgli said:


> Now: Why trouble with "Give"? This is what happens when you play tug without teaching a "Give" command. It also happens when one of your dog games is throw a toy and then play "Keep Away" with your dog.



Yes! Great lesson, thank you.


Glad to hear things are going well with Riley. I always look forward to your updates.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---CUDDLING


I must admit, I am a bit surprised at how successful our strategy has been. I told the owner that Riley needed to get comfortable around the family. Although he is very comfortable around me the rest of the family has not been getting the same reaction. Well now Riley is seeking the owner's attention---he has jumped up on the couch, he is enjoying the petting and is showing a much more relaxed body language. This is a big improvement. However I did tell the owner that Riley may not ever be a great cuddler but try to accept what he gives. Reminder: DOGS ARE NOT PEOPLE.


ceegee

I think that Riley is somewhat like your Duster.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---PHONE CALL FROM OWNER RE:CALMING, CUDDLING, AND GIVE


I got a phone call from the owner today. Her daughter, is in town and stayed a couple of days and will return to college. She had some friends over the house. 

1. Daughter and friends commented that they have never seen Riley so calm. They want to know how I did this.
2. Riley is staying close to the girls and seeking their attention to be petted. Let's call this "almost cuddling". He wants to get close and actually lied down next to the girls. This is new.
3. Riley grabbed the daughter's sock. No chasing and shouting, the owner said "Give" and Riley willingly gave up the sock.


I cannot tell you how pleased I was to hear all of this.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---RILEY IS AT MY HOUSE
I wanted to work with Riley one-on-one so I made arrangements to bring him to my house while Thor is away. We are working on some reactivity. Most of the reactivity is gone but there are maybe two or three scenarios that should be addressed. At the same time I am learning more about what has caused these issues that I now call phobias. They have all been caused by an abusive member of the household.
I attribute my success to my patience and commitment to learning as much as I can about conditions in the household. Yes, labor intensive but worth it. I can't forget, Riley was the temperament testers' pick of the litter. These phobias should never have developed. I am so glad that I am successful.
There is a lesson here: Patience and complete history of the dog is very helpful.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

gdgli said:


> RILEY UPDATE---RILEY IS AT MY HOUSE
> I wanted to work with Riley one-on-one so I made arrangements to bring him to my house while Thor is away. We are working on some reactivity. Most of the reactivity is gone but there are maybe two or three scenarios that should be addressed. At the same time I am learning more about what has caused these issues that I now call phobias. They have all been caused by an abusive member of the household.
> I attribute my success to my patience and commitment to learning as much as I can about conditions in the household. Yes, labor intensive but worth it. I can't forget, Riley was the temperament testers' pick of the litter. These phobias should never have developed. I am so glad that I am successful.
> There is a lesson here: Patience and complete history of the dog is very helpful.


This- There is a lesson here: Patience and complete history of the dog is very helpful.

Absolutely, this is crucial IMO.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY UPDATE---BIG BREAKTHROUGH IMO
I have been working with Riley on his trained retrieve. The difficulty arises from taking a pet who is used to playing and changing him into a working dog. I have struggled with the "Give" command when using a bumper and Riley thinks we are playing. Well I have introduced a very light leash pressure when using the "Give" command. I felt that I had to, he would give up the bumper and other items under several circumstances but when it came to retrieving the bumper it was too much like play. I felt that two months was enough time spent on "Give". Well I seem to have accomplished a few things:

1. The "Give" got much better.
2. He was introduced to the concept of relieving pressure.
3. Meaning of "Give" has been clarified.
4. Absolutely no tug of war with the bumper.
5. He showed no signs of reactivity to the pressure.

I am looking forward to more success.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

UPDATE ON RILEY---HIS SAFE CORNER

I feel tremendous success. I have posted Riley's picture of him in his "safe corner" of the kitchen. He has maybe another three safe spots in the house. I always felt he retreated to these spots to be left alone and to escape from the stress and abuse in the house. I have worked at de-stressing him and calming him. I am happy to report that Riley hardly goes into his safe spots! He would rather be out and about! I am thrilled that I hit on the right strategy. Okay, one can accuse me of over analyzing things, overthinking things but my strategy worked. He needed calm in the house. He also needed to build trust with his humans.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Awesome job-great to hear the progress Riley has made.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

UPDATE ON RILEY'S REACTIVITY---NIGHT TIME BLUES

I have been working with Riley for almost a year now. I am thrilled with our success.
However I have identified an unusual (for me) behavior. After dinner as the evening wears on Riley seems to become much more apprehensive. He seems to become unhappy. He does not smile. He seems to become very sensitive to sounds. His body language is "Don't bother me". He becomes reactive. This is not the same dog that wakes up in the morning.
I decided to approach this from the dog's perspective. Let's make evenings enjoyable. Let's have happy time. Evenings are now used for some playtime. Even if we do a little simple obedience training it is reward based, he loves getting treats. Anything for treats---find it, touch, scratch board treats, etc. The play changes his whole demeanor for the evening. He is now smiling in the evenings! His reactivity is much reduced.

I asked the owner if she had any idea as to why the dog stresses in the evenings. What changes in the evening? Well she told me that her husband came home in the evenings. This resulted in a stressed house hold---yelling at kids and dog, arguments, etc. He was always angry and had abused the dog. I think this is what did it. Then I read of a similar situation in HELP FOR YOUR FEARFUL DOG.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

> I asked the owner if she had any idea as to why the dog stresses in the evenings. What changes in the evening? Well she told me that her husband came home in the evenings. This resulted in a stressed house hold---yelling at kids and dog, arguments, etc. He was always angry and had abused the dog. I think this is what did it. Then I read of a similar situation in HELP FOR YOUR FEARFUL DOG.


That speaks volumes..........poor guy.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

gdgli said:


> UPDATE ON RILEY'S REACTIVITY---NIGHT TIME BLUES
> 
> I have been working with Riley for almost a year now. I am thrilled with our success.
> However I have identified an unusual (for me) behavior.* After dinner as the evening wears on Riley seems to become much more apprehensive.* He seems to become unhappy. He does not smile. He seems to become very sensitive to sounds. His body language is "Don't bother me". He becomes reactive. This is not the same dog that wakes up in the morning.....


I wish I lived close enough to train with you. I am so impressed with your observation and perception in working with Riley. Have you thought of writing your own book? You have a lot of useful information to share. Riley's story would be so heartbreaking if you hadn't given him a chance for a happy ending. If this is what that household did to a dog, I can only imagine what it did to the human children. Thank you for sticking with the dog and this thread, I am so happy for Riley and for you.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

nolefan said:


> I wish I lived close enough to train with you. I am so impressed with your observation and perception in working with Riley. Have you thought of writing your own book? You have a lot of useful information to share. Riley's story would be so heartbreaking if you hadn't given him a chance for a happy ending. If this is what that household did to a dog, I can only imagine what it did to the human children. Thank you for sticking with the dog and this thread, I am so happy for Riley and for you.


Your post is very flattering. I am envious of the professional trainers who can accomplish this at a quicker rate. I am very lucky because I have the time to do this where others do not. Also my approach is scientific---I keep notes, I am constantly observing and evaluating, I have a personal library with many books on psychology and training for reference, etc. I must also give credit to my obedience trainer, Rick Pisani, who has done several phone conferences with me. He has helped me with Buffy, Thor, and Riley.
I also like dogs that are a challenge. I always felt that they offer learning opportunities that you don't get with an easy dog. I have learned so much and have changed my training techniques as a result of working with these dogs. I will share more updates.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY---UPDATE ON REACTIVITY TO FOOT MOVEMENT

I do not want to represent Riley as a dangerous dog, he is not. However his abuse has led to reactivity to foot movement, especially when he is relaxed or apparently sleeping. Foot movement, ever so slight, may result in Riley snarling, jumping up, and moving toward the "offender". This can develop into a growl depending upon how the offender reacts. I felt that I had to let Riley know that I was not threatening in any way, my foot movement did not signal a threat. Now when this happens I turn to the side and do not look at him, I look away. I have seen Riley and Thor do this to each other in order to calm things down. This is definitely working. I don't know how long it will take or if it will disappear completely but this behavior is disappearing. My obedience teacher told me that I am dealing with several years of abuse in this dog and it will take a while. I am now also trying to show him that foot movement signals that treats are coming.
Overall, Riley's reactivity has become quite reduced, I would say almost all gone.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

gdgli said:


> RILEY---UPDATE ON REACTIVITY TO FOOT MOVEMENT
> 
> I do not want to represent Riley as a dangerous dog, he is not. However his abuse has led to reactivity to foot movement, especially when he is relaxed or apparently sleeping. Foot movement, ever so slight, may result in Riley snarling, jumping up, and moving toward the "offender". This can develop into a growl depending upon how the offender reacts. I felt that I had to let Riley know that I was not threatening in any way, my foot movement did not signal a threat. Now when this happens I turn to the side and do not look at him, I look away. I have seen Riley and Thor do this to each other in order to calm things down. This is definitely working. I don't know how long it will take or if it will disappear completely but this behavior is disappearing. My obedience teacher told me that I am dealing with several years of abuse in this dog and it will take a while. I am now also trying to show him that foot movement signals that treats are coming.
> Overall, Riley's reactivity has become quite reduced, I would say almost all gone.


I'm so happy you are in Riley's life but have to say that reading your updates and thinking about what would cause the reactivity to these situations is just sad. I will never understand some humans behavior. It's much easier for me to understand a reactive dog then an abusive human.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> I'm so happy you are in Riley's life but have to say that reading your updates and thinking about what would cause the reactivity to these situations is just sad. I will never understand some humans behavior. It's much easier for me to understand a reactive dog then an abusive human.


I also do not understand the abuse. I will say this, the abuse had a terrible effect on this dog. I am thankful for the progress.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

gdgli said:


> I also do not understand the abuse. I will say this, the abuse had a terrible effect on this dog. I am thankful for the progress.


You are doing a fantastic job with Riley, he's lucky to have you. 
You understand him and know what is needed to help him.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> You are doing a fantastic job with Riley, he's lucky to have you.
> You understand him and know what is needed to help him.


Thank you!
Riley and I have bonded.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I would like to give a summary on Riley's progress. I originally posted these issues:

Some issues:
1. Counter surfing
2. Unwanted digging in the yard
3. Need for calming
4. Some reactivity, not dog reactive
5. Introduction to my own dog who is a littermate. Actually a reintroduction.
6. Some resource guarding

Results:
1. Counter surfing has disappeared. 
2. Digging in the yard has nearly disappeared, pulling up some grass maybe once every 6 weeks.
3. Overall he is much calmer. Calming will be an ongoing process. I need to work on this when his brother Thor is not here.
4. Reactivity is much, much less. This will be an ongoing training goal. The damage is severe. He is hand and foot reactive, not visibly reactive to much else.
5. Riley and Thor get along great. 
6. Resource guarding will be managed. The resource he guards is me. He guards against Thor approaching us. Overall he is much improved, maybe three or four growling incidents---growling at Thor---in nearly one year.

Because Riley is hand and foot shy I have given the owner advice on some things. 
1. Pet Riley when he comes to you and is smiling.
2. Keep an eye on Riley's ears and smile (easy), and eyes (a little more difficult) when petting. If there are changes stop petting.
3. When petting, keep away from "trigger points", his tuck up and lips.
4. Do not try to pet him while he is lying down and you are standing. This actually came from a pro trainer. Many dogs do not like this.
5. Do not depend on tail wag to guess Riley's mood. Most people can't read a tail wag properly.
6. Do not stare at Riley! 
7. Make any visitors aware of the above.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

RILEY'S NEW BEHAVIOR

Yesterday I gave Thor his bath. I have trained him to get into the bathtub and Stand-Stay while I get him wet, shampoo him, then rinse off. So I took this opportunity to let Riley watch, maybe see that other dogs are not afraid of this. (Riley hasn't been bathed this way before.) Riley watched the whole time while in the bathroom, smiling and approaching the bathtub several times. I left the bathroom door open so that he could leave at any time. Some treats were given. I then got Thor out of the tub, gave another stand stay while I toweled him and blow dried him. Riley watched.

When I was done, Riley went into the bathroom and got right into the tub, no command, smiling the whole time. No bath yet, I just want him to get in and out of the tub. I think this is great! Next step: Wet him in the tub.


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