A couple questions here. Aspen jumps A LOT! Out of excitement and because he has realized he is big enough to reach the counters and table now. I have been practicing having him sit when he gets really excited and jumpy in these situations. He usually sits after he has jumped up a couple times. If I am standing, I'll turn around but he still jumps and paws my bum! We are also trying to get him used to being out while we eat dinner so at those times I tell him to sit. Are there any tips you guys could give me? Or will he kind of grow out of it? Also, how do you teach "leave it" for if he grabs something he isn't supposed to have? He always steals tissues! Any help or tips would be appreciated. Thanks guys!
Hi, it would probably be useful to train him to go to his mat or bed for when you eat especially, if you haven't started that already it's really useful. With the tables and counters, it's really important not to leave anything on there that they can grab that's edible or of interest to them so that they can't self reward.
Hi all, I have just been to the vets this morning to get Riley her booster jab (she is two year old now) and she totally freaked out backing away pulling out of her collar and franticly trying to get away. With very great difficulty and two of us restraing her the vet managed to give her her jab. I don't know how to handle our next visit. I think this started when she had her kennel cough vaccine for the first time it was a spray up her nose she did not like that at all and since then she has been totally afraid of the vets. Can anyone give any advice on this problem. The vet just advised us to contact the Dogs Trust and get advice off them to see a behaveuralist.
Would it be possible to see a different vet at the same surgery? This may not then have the same negative associations.
@BigDutch Poor Riley being so freaked out. Could you maybe pop in randomly to your vet office just to sit in reception whilste rewarding Riley for sitting quietly? Getting her used to this environment in a positive way might help her. You don't have to see the vet but maybe the receptionist could give her treats to make a positive association. In time you could walk into the vet's office and out again treat her eventually allowing the vet to pet her. Doing this over many weeks will pay dividends as vet visits are inevitible. If you clicker train this is the perfect exercise to use it. xx
Do you go regularly for a weigh in or to pick up flea/worming treatment? Something that doesn't require the vet to handle her? My elder dog gets excited going to the Vets even when she has had all sorts done to her. With my puppy, I have trained touch and putting her head in a cone from early on with a view to maybe helping her at the Vets. I had used the touch exercise successfully to ask her to sit on the scales calmly to be weighed and also to focus her one time when she was being very bouncy with the vet nurse.
Poor Riley! Some really good advice above. We have a rescue lab adopted at 5.5 years, so quite set in his ways in terms of learned behaviours as a result of previous negative experiences. He had a habit of barking and lunging when we first had to visit the vets. We then popped in randomly, had him weighed, or asked one of the receptionist to come round and give him a biscuit. Then we would just leave. Another time we just walked in the door, I sat down on a chair, and we did lots of clicker training using hand touch, sit...etc. Now we have a chin rest on cue... and while we are waiting we practice resting his head on the chair beside me. The benefit of this is he is so focussed on the game, his head naturally still and turned away from the reception, that he doesn't notice any of the other dogs/cats coming into the surgery. A useful skill when being examined by the vet, his body is relaxed and chin resting, he is happy with the vet examining him. It might help also if Riley gets used to other people touching her, running their hands down her back, this would need to be done slowly, and at her pace, but using some sort of reward like a food treat at the same time.
Thanks all great advice I will try some of those ideas. I have been going into he vets over the passed couple of months just to sit her on the scales and get her weighed which was also a problem but that is getting a lot better now but I certainly will try sitting down with her in the waiting room and doing some relaxing training. I use the cue "yes" instead of the clicker so I will be going in a bit more often.
