Category: Advanced Stuff, Fun Stuff ¤
  Author: Victoria Farrington ¤
   Title: Distraction Training (Dash and the Rabbit Pelt) ¤

The problem I posted about (and still have, actually) was/is my
"hyper-social" GSD pup who lunges (in a friendly way) at any and all
dogs we might meet up with on our walks.  I am still working on finding
my dogs's "rabbit skin," and this quest has become even more vital to my
ability to continue training, as my dog has now been placed on a special
diet, and I am therefore no longer able to use those yummy high-powered
treats.

So, anyhow, here it is, whether you include it as a Keeper, or not. 
By the way, I LOVE the Keeper page, and really appreciate you for doing
it!
 
Donna Fefee


        Oh boy.  If I had videotapes of the young Dash...He was so
excited by the world, its nooks and crannies, what might lie ahead, the
animals, the bushes...on and on and on.  Food meant nothing to him.
Leash jerks meant nothing.
        I got a rabbit pelt from a young hunter, stuffed it with cotton
and put a squeaker in, sewed it up and tied a long leather cord to it. 
I started when he was relatively calm (he was never really calm--he just
collapsed into deep sleep occasionally) and said HERE.  Then I'd wave it
around and let him tackle it, chase it in big circles, chew on it,
whatever, for long play sessions.  Then I'd take him out of the car in
strange places and as soon as he started to tremble and tug, I'd say
HERE and pull it out.  I wasn't doing c/t then--HERE was functioning as
both the cue and the CR and it was crude.  But it worked.  He'd just
started an obedience class.  I was shy about taking my old rabbit pelt
to class but HERE in the presence of dogs at other times kept him
turning to look at me when the other dogs were close in class. An
instructor told me afterwards he never expected to see me return, given
the way we entered those first classes, and he was even more astonished
when Dash became a dog who ignore dogs sniffing him, barking, eventually
toys rolled in 	front of him.  It was that ratty old bit of rabbit.
        Now Dash hardly pays any attention to other dogs and when he's
getting excited--about dogs or anything else--HERE still works to turn
him toward me.  HERE is now most often connected to his soccer ball and
using the clicker has made it a lot clearer.
        I'd find something your dog finds absolutely irresistible--some
kind of special food or treat or game, and link it to a cue that means
"Here it comes."  Start in places with no real distractions, then
gradually increase what she's ignoring to get what she will expect you
to have when you say the cue. I'd pretty quickly add a few simple
behaviors once you're getting her attention for the cue and then you can
click her for those.
        My dogs are terriers and when they want to play, food won't
distract them.  This has been my version of one of my dad's rules for
what all dogs should know about other dogs: most dogs are friendly but
boring; some dogs are a good time but not more fun than my owner; a few
dogs are bad news but it's not my business.  To convince my dogs that I
was more fun than happy dogs wasn't easy and took some time (and a
couple more nasty  rabbit pelts) but I'm glad I did it.
They're thrilled when I call them away from other dogs because they
expect a better time.  And they don't get stressed even when bothered
because they're anticipating fun for ignoring a pesty dog.
        Victoria Farrington




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