Tinsel's Journey

Tinsel had his first session with Mirrka today. We had a private class and she got a better understanding of his issues. She decided we have should work on his fear of being approached and touched by others, learning to allow his feet and ears to be handled and getting him really good with the target stick instead of following the normal program right now. He did really good for his first time. There was a whirring noise going on in the background and then random ding dong noises when a customer would come into the store upstairs. It didn't bother him in the slightest. He did take his bait from Mirrka but it took some time for him to allow her to touch him but eventually he decided that she was someone fun. Oh yeah, he didn't have one accident the whole time he was there - yeah!!! I have lots of homework to do with him this week and she wants me to get as many dog savvy people to come over and do the same thing with him as she showed me. The new lesson is one hand goes toward him on one side of his body, then the other treats him and then immediate release. She's excited to work with us on this venture and has already emailed me with some suggested reading. Did I mention she's a scientist?? Good thing I love to read and learn because this is going to make me use my brain again -yippee!
 
Tinsel

Tagg said:
Tinsel had his first session with Mirrka today. We had a private class and she got a better understanding of his issues. She decided we have should work on his fear of being approached and touched by others, learning to allow his feet and ears to be handled and getting him really good with the target stick instead of following the normal program right now. He did really good for his first time. There was a whirring noise going on in the background and then random ding dong noises when a customer would come into the store upstairs. It didn't bother him in the slightest. He did take his bait from Mirrka but it took some time for him to allow her to touch him but eventually he decided that she was someone fun. Oh yeah, he didn't have one accident the whole time he was there - yeah!!! I have lots of homework to do with him this week and she wants me to get as many dog savvy people to come over and do the same thing with him as she showed me. The new lesson is one hand goes toward him on one side of his body, then the other treats him and then immediate release. She's excited to work with us on this venture and has already emailed me with some suggested reading. Did I mention she's a scientist?? Good thing I love to read and learn because this is going to make me use my brain again -yippee!
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I so love reading everyday what you post on Tinsel and you!!You can't help for cheering for him!!!Thank You for posting.
 
So glad training went so well! After extensive training Toby still would have barked at those sounds and his background isn't nearly as bad as Tinsel's.

Way to go Tin Man!
 
I'm so glad that you are enjoying this travel that Tinsel and Dave and I are on together. Hopefully it will help someone that is dealing with an issue or is considering taking a leap and rescuing. Tinsel is laying beside me right now with another toy he would like to destroy. He's getting good at chewing them to the point that they have to be discarded. I don't care -I'm just glad that it's not the furniture! I am under strict instructions from both Mirkka and Marie not to train for more than 3 minutes at a time - use a timer and change each training session to a different thing. For example, we might do target in the first session, then move on to touching him in the second followed by toy play in the third and back to target in the fourth. Regardless of what is happening in each session, whether he is getting it or not, I am to stop the play and let him rest. He will have two target things to work with. The first will be a target stick that he uses his nose to touch, the second is a mouse pad that he will learn to foot target. I will be making him tuna fish brownies tonight. Yummy, well I'm told they are anyway. Marie, a friend that is highly educated in operant conditioning, told me that I should keep rewards on me at all times when he is up and about. I asked her if that meant I have to get dressed immediately upon waking - not my norm - and she said to go buy pj's with pockets. Trust Marie. She suggested that I feed him most of his meals by using it as training rewards. She lives with a pack of terriers that she takes into the bush daily, off lead, and no matter what is going on it only takes one peep of her whistle and they immediately come back to her. Came in handy the day the black bear is what they went after!!
Phoebe just discovered why having a sheltie to share her play yard is such a good thing. He plows through the snow and she gets to follow in his footsteps. Remember, she is a West Highland Bermuda Terrier!
 
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Well I went to visit the training facility and wasn't impressed. There is no way that Tinsel would thrive there. In the meantime, my daughter suggested I give another one that she knew of a call. Aha! It is a Karen Pryor certified trainer that will tolerate no negative reinforcements, has no use for gentle leaders or prong collars, and has a maximum class size of 5. She is active in conformation and agility and my daughter says her Aussies are really well mannered, happy and beautiful. A match made in heaven. I have enrolled him and orientation is Wednesday. The downside is that it is a bit of a hike from here so fingers crossed that our Canadian winter won't get in the way of us getting there. I have also decided to try and improve Tinsel's enjoyment of going out for walks by laying a tracking trail of chicken weiner pieces and then guiding him to find the goodies. I know I might end up with a sheltie that acts like a bloodhound but he has to learn that walking is actually fun and I am ready to try just about anything. He also had a visit by the woman that used to part board my mare Kassy. Judy is a lovely kindhearted woman and Tinsel took very little time to decide to follow her into the living room so he could meet this gentle soul. It's the first time in over a week that he has initiated a meeting so hopefully he is back on track.
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Oh my gosh, sorry coming late into this thread, but good for you using operant conditioning!! Also so impressed you found a Karen Pryor certified trainer, that is definitely what you need with this little Tinsel, isn't it!? What a journey. I can totally understand about the extinction burst and the need to have patience in not luring.. it's SO HARD!
Have you ever read Silvia Jay's book 'The Dump Dog"? She rescued a feral dog and the book is about her journey with Willkommen (Will, for short). She is a dog behaviourist and she talks later about possibly having taken Will too early to too much socialization and to training centre, dog hates class environment... check her out if you have time, your journey sounds so similar! http://www.voice4dogs.com/feral-dog.html

I also always have treats on me not for luring but for learning opportunities that I feel need to be rewarded, like the decision NOT to chase or the decision NOT to try and tackle another dog, lol SO yeah I am all for Housecoats and PJ's with pockets in it!!! I use a lot of tiny, dehydrated liver pieces, find them in the oddest spots in my clothing sometimes.. even at work *sigh*
 
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Tagg

What joy to read your posts. I just want to give you hugs. You must write a book, about travels with Tinsel. So many positives from a negative. I look forward to reading his day to day adventures.

We have had two puppy mill rescues, much the same as Tinsel and realizing the ups and downs that you are going through but also that the ups outweigh the downs.


xx's oo'x

Kate and Harper Lee
 
Hi Toffee's Mom: I will be looking for that book. Sounds like a read that is informative. I just ordered "Mine" by Jane Donaldson and "Control Unleashed" by Leslie McDevitt on recommendation from my 2 ladies. Tinsel did really well yesterday and started out doing well today. That was until the bait pouch fell off my waist and to the floor in front of him. Scared the Belgian, her vision is not good, so Tinsel's reaction was bad as well. Serves me right for trying to do it up at my back instead of clipping it together and swinging it around. I obviously missed getting the catch done up properly. Oh well, we just went to another room, did a few targets and then came back to the kitchen. I think we will do body touch this afternoon and go back to target at suppertime. I'm cooking a roast as I type so we will give him a different treat with the 2nd target session.
I take it you have been doing this kind of teaching as well with you furry kid?
I'm not a big fan of rushing a dog to do anything. I told Mirkka that if all we were able to achieve in the next 8 weeks is his feeling comfortable with other people around and hopefully going out to his play yard and coming out of his crate then I will feel it was a successful first session. Unfortunately he does need to have another blood test, throat scoped, xrays of his jaw and his dew claws removed from his hind legs - that will probably set him back so we are going to do it all on the same day. If possible we will leave it until after the first 8 weeks of teaching.
 
absolutely!
Control unleashed by L Mcdewitt and anything from Jean Donaldson are highly recommended reads around the Dog behaviourists and Instructors I hang out with.

I am fairly new with real operant conditioning and Toffee is my first dog I am trying to train this way, lol. I messed him up with some dominance based crap when he was a baby and not a day goes by that I don't regret having been so uninformed and letting others determine my relationship with my dog!!
Never again, so I really applaud you for going this way instead of flooding and pressuring the poor dear!!!!

You're my new Hero :biggrin2:
PS:
Yes, it will be tough to try and do the health stuff that needs to be done,a nd not end up taking weeks back in your training... May I recommend NOT to let them take him away from you, but see if they will allow you to stay with him as much as possible...
 
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