Working Dog

[@MordorGundogs22]

If you like this episode please can you hit the like button on the video and leave a comment! Greatly appreciated 👍

[@fCLEF007]

What a lovely, grassy paddock. I live where it is very, very hot and my dogs have just sand, everywhere - just sand and bare earth. It's horrible for them. You are so lucky to have that lovely, cool grass! It's so green and comforting.

[@rnggall9640]

So nice to see a pup just older than mine being very silly. I'm raising my cavalier like a spaniel not a lap dog

[@lisasternenkind6467]

Dogs don't only learn while training practically, they also repeat their training afterwards in their memory while sleeping and while being awake in a calm mood and chilling on their bed or on your couch. The practical training does not have to be long, it just has to be repeated often, be fun, and end with success before the dog gets bored. Then play a little fetch or hide and seek or tug, and bring the puppy back inside after a short pee and poo session. This way training with their handler keeps being interesting and the dog is eager to train again. I usually train at least 6 times a day with each session no longer than 5 minutes, and after pee & poo, then 5 minutes of playing, and finally 5 minutes of sniffing, pee & poo. That's maximum 20 minutes all together, and 6 times a day, so about hours of outdoor time including training per day. P&P in the morning and before sleeping I don't count. Yet all training in the very beginning is done inside until it is clearly understood and also has a vocal command and a hand sign attached. Once a week on Saturdays, I go to the dog training place, which you might call a dog club or a local dog society, for extended training in obedience with distraction, just to do exercises on the doggy play and training ground according to the age of the dog, and also to repeat the already learned behaviour and commands in a different place and as I said with distraction. There the dogs also have the opportunity to socialize by playing with other dogs and befriending some of them. On Sundays, we go on adventure together by walking in the woods, going for a swim in the river or lake, by watching other animals together in a very calm and relaxed way, and by picknicking together. As there is enough training on Saturdays and Sundays when going outside together, I don't do additional short training sessions. While we wander around, with a puppy or young dog *always* on the leash and close by my side, there is positive and negative reinforcement and discouragement happening anyways. On Wednesdays, I also go to the dog training place for short obedience training sessions without the leash, for example the *stay* command or *call* command from afar, and for repeating commands in other places than at home or where we also do our relatively short pee & poo sessions / walks on the leash. At the dog training place, I have certain areas to lock down, so I have more control over the situation, even without using a leash. And when somebody else also comes on a Wednesday afternoon to this place, we try to also do a training session together. I also practice nosework in open areas at first there without distractions of people, animals or cars, later with other people and dogs around for distraction on purpose. Nosework is more a game we play, it's not perceived as work by the dog at this point. So on Wednesdays, most of my training sessions happen there. When the basic training is finished, I keep on repeating everything, and in addition I start preparing my dog for the companion dog test. When the dog matures, I get into the real training for him becoming a service dog and for obedience competition. I suffer from cPTSD, so I now do the main training of my PTSD service dog myself. For certain activities, that might bring up triggers for me, I have a specialized trainer help out, because I don't want to ruin all the good work I have invested already, by having my dog experience me different and therefore sort of mirror my emotions. So getting help for those parts, is okay for me. When we get tested to be legally certified as service dog team, we will have to prove our teamwork and how we do everything anyways and also without any of us taking medication for calming down. I find it the hardest part for the dog, when unusually dressed up men, for example with a complete face mask and a stick in the hand, come yelling towards me, and my dog is not supposed to even growl. This part of the test I had to redo with my Rottweiler three times until he finally could do it. But I clearly felt his tension of course. I personally believe that any dog must be allowed to protect it's family or handler, when being attacked. I am glad the test did not ruin my dog's will to protect me from harm. While just picking up the poo, I once was attacked from behind by a Pyrrennean Mountain Dog very early in the morning, whom I didn't even hear until the action was going on, and the woman didn't have her big white dog under control at all. My Rottweiler jumped in behind me and just stood there to take the jumping dog for me. He simply pushed him away from me, across the street to it's owner, while the other dog was snapping and trying to bite him. Growling and pushing was the most my Rottweiler would do when I was about to be harmed. Of course I don't know what would have happened if some aggressive people would attack me and not give up. Then maybe, at some point, my dog would have snapped or bitten someone, but luckily we never had this situation. Yet I am convinced that dogs have the right to fight off evil people with the will to harm their humans. What do you think? EDIT: I meanwhile don't use the knee up option anymore, because I realized with several dogs, that they simply don't care whether the attention is positive or negative. So I always torn away and step back a little, so the puppy jumps behind me and has no attention at all, and also did not even have the chance to enter my personal space.

[@davidstevenson5666]

Thanks for another excellent video Charlie. I have a Cocker, similar age to Waffle. I do not, however, have access to a penned off area where he can run around. That means he is being walked, trained on the lead in quiet streets / industrial areas. It also means that when I can let him have time off the lead (in local field) I cannot control whether pigeons / squirrels / rabbits etc may be around. Do you have any thoughts how I can keep him out of temptations way or is the occasional distraction okay?

[@hanshansen4267]

Great video again, thank you! Congrats on gaining 200 new followers since I last checked :) Does it make sense to teach a dog when they're hungry, tired or need to pee? We're trying to figure out if it's right to let our dog behave crazily even when he needs to relieve himself. I've noticed that Waffle doesn't smell around or chew on dirt or grass as much as our puppy. Can you suggest how to get a puppy to focus when they're munching on plants or objects lying around?

[@lisasternenkind6467]

@HansHansen I never start training or playing without a pee and poo session. If I plan to train outdoors, I remind my dog to drink some water, then we go outside to P&P, then we do some training, then we play, then we have another P&P session, and finally go back home. I start every training with the basics my dog knows, then I move on, and I finally finish with a successful task. My time plan is always set up as 5 minute routines, so it's 4 times about 5 minutes for everything. I do this 6 times a day. If P&P takes only 2 minutes in the beginning, I split up the remaining 3 minutes for training and playing. It always depends on how my dog's mood is at this time. If he is focused, I do a little more training, if he is not so focused, I do a little more playing. In the end, my dog is allowed to do the sniffing a little more excessive and not only to find a spot to P&P. That's positive reinforcement too. Playing actually also is training, but it's not so focused on obedience like for example *heel* exercise. But *fetch* or *tug* definitely also need a little bit of obedience skill. If my dog is tired, I train those exercises that go well with a tired dog. Tiredness sets the dog up for success if you aim for *patience* exercises. Setting up a dog for success is vital. I usually like to work with hungry dogs. In fact I always feed my dogs half of their food while training, especially puppies or young dogs. This way even not so willing learners are prepared to take an active role in training. But I also train with the empty hand. Playing and affection are also tools that can be used as positive reinforcement. Some dogs don't really like to get treats, like my last Rottweiler. He loved toys instead. He loved wild wood even more. And he loved cuddles the most. So it all depends on the dog, yet being filled with food makes a tired dog and tired dogs dont learn the things as good, that have activity involved. But, as I said, training patience, or frustration, or impulse control, might be best started out with a very tired dog to set him or her up for success. As dogs, also humans learn best with 1. Success and 2. Positive emotions. 😉 Now about the sniffing and grass distraction. 1. Don't have distracting objects lying around. 2. Don't let him even start with this and correct your dog immediately in a calm manner. Here is my routine with puppies: First P&P with only a little sniffing before finding the right spot. Then inside the house the training part. Then outdoor play time. A dog playing with you, will likely not get so distracted by grass or smells, if you find the right game your puppy loves. Try out a few. After playing again P&P, but this time with more sniffing and playing around with the grass. This is again a positive reinforcement. Your puppy will learn after a while, that excessive sniffing and grass time is always after the second P&P time and before going back inside again. And then it's the right time to try the training outdoors again. Later, when your dog is more trained, you can add objects to the environment for distraction on purpose. So always try to set up your dog for success, especially if it's learning something new or hard. And always react immediately, timing is crucial. Always be consistent and also have others living in your household do the same as you, when they are with your dog. A mature and well-trained dog can be able to understand different rules with different people. A puppy or young dog cannot. And player expect that your puppy will seen to have forgotten all of the training when puberty sets in. Stay calm and go on as usual, just repeat the basics. As soon as your youngster matures, all of a sudden his brain is back inside his head. 😉 I hope this helped. I am looking forward to reading or seeing more on these topics from others, for example Mordor Gundogs Kennel. 😊

[@lisasternenkind6467]

Ist es in Ordnung, dass ich auf Englisch geantwortet habe, oder soll ich meine Antwort übersetzen? Ich bin übrigens auch aus Deutschland. 😉

[@aloha1005]

I learn a lot from your video. Wish i had seen them earlier. My shiba is now 15 months. I went walking on the line with him outside our yard from age 10 weeks or so. Therfore he is not (and never was) perfect on the line. He can walk ahead of me at a nice pace without pulling, or he can pull terribly hard. I need to stop and turn many many times and start again. Not very pleasant walks as you can imagine. When he is good, he is the perfect dog. When he is scared or distracted, it is a nightmare. What would you suggest? Is a gentle leader an option? Can i do your exercises here even if he is 15 months?

[@c1gar]

Hi great video, love little waffle! Can I ask your thoughts on dog on dog play? Should working dogs have friends? Should they play with dogs they meet on walks? Or does this teach the puppy that dogs are more fun then humans?

[@agashire9837]

I would also like to know this

[@davidgeorge1281]

What kind of catastrophic event happened to you before filming...🤣

[@nickkaye-u2c]

Hi There , can you please tell me how you would end that training session with the ball. Do you keep the ball and walk away or say finish ? How would you do it. Thank you . Great videos !!!!

[@buffywhatever1093]

I always take the ball away, so the dog knows it belongs to me. And playtime is dictated by me not the dog. Ball in pocket, keep walking and the dog will move on.

[@nickkaye-u2c]

@@buffywhatever1093 thank you very much , shall try it . cheers to you all.

[@victorialedwold230]

Do you introduce a whistle ?

[@MordorGundogs22]

Hi Victoria thanks for your question?Whistles will be introduced in future videos

[@rossrritchie1400]

@MordorGundogs22 will you do a weekly video on labradors from pup to picking up etc?? Great videos keep up the good work and great videos

[@salesfocus6270]

My pup pays 0 attention to me unless i have treats. Is this the slip lead helping you with control?

[@lisasternenkind6467]

No. It's the handler that's more interesting. If you have trouble to be more interesting, use treats, toys, play time, or affection for positive reinforcement in operant conditioning. And always start to train without any distraction. This is vital. So if outdoors is too distracting, do your training inside and repeat outside later. Puppies don't need long walks, they need long times of closeness with their human for bonding. They also need many short training episodes and many, many, many repeats. I use the puppy's leash like an umbilical cord and have my puppy accompany me all day and everywhere. This way the puppy gets used to me being it's human, who gives him safety and is always there for him. Closeness creates bonding. That's crucial to know, because bonding is the basic of every training and it's so easy to bond with dogs - just keep them close. Now I don't know how your living situation is, but I always had the opportunity to be at home all day most of the time, as I had children and even worked from at home. I'm meanwhile alone, my kids are adult. But either way, I could always do the umbilical cord thing with my puppies, day and night. Yet I also did crate training early on for the few times I wasn't there. But even when in their crate, my puppies always were attached to me with the leash. It feels normal for the puppy to watch you and follow you everywhere when it's doing this at home as well all the time. While always finishing you, it experienced that you always do new interesting things, so you automatically get more interesting to the puppy over time. 😊 And it does not matter whether your leash is a simple cord or rope or a mega futuristic leash. Just keep the puppy close as long as possible, start your many short training sessions at home without distractions, repeat every comand your puppy knows and then repeat the commands your puppy is not yet an expert with, end the training session with success. Let the puppy have positive emotions when learning, set him up for success, and repeat, repeat, repeat. Most people tend to go on too fast to the next command. Don't do this either. Stick with the basics until they are expert level, then add a hand sign to the action. When also the hand signal is expert level, go on to add a vocal command. When this is expert level as well, try out a few distractions, but still inside. Have a toy lie around or treats. Correct your puppy the moment he wants to go for it. If he stops doing this, praise him like an emperor or greatest hero of all times and give him a jackpot of treats. Make this "ignoring distractions" a part of your short training sessions. Add more distractions inside while training. Also praise in between the moment your puppy looks at you or ignores on purpose. When your puppy is expert ignorer of indoor distractions, try out a training session outdoors. The puppy might now seem to start with every command totally new. That's okay. Dogs do discriminate. A SIT by your couch is something totally different than a SIT by the chair in the garden or the SIT by the bench in the park. Keep in mind, that the first time a puppy understands, that if you want a SIT outdoors, it's the same SIT you want indoors, might take a while. With every command he understands as being the same anywhere, your puppy will be faster at recognizing this aspect. And the more commands your puppy learns, the easier it learns. It's the same with humans: the more you learn, the more you know, the more you are able to learn by integrating into your already achieved knowledge. 😊

[@lisasternenkind6467]

May I ask what kind of working dog you are training?

[@salesfocus6270]

@@lisasternenkind6467 it's a working line golden. Thanks for the above. I think I'm doing a bunch of this. I'm training to leave it, sit, down, stay, wait, drop it, go to bed, to go crate and now heel. Problem is I get no obedience without having a treat in my hands or on my person. The moment I have a treat she will do everything I say, super food motivated. Doesn't seem motivated by praise or toys.

[@terrier-ist2760]

You just spent 1 minute at the beginning petting the dog up on you then he's not allowed, wonder why he keeps trying to jump up at you, nice way to create conflict