So we have had a bit of noise in the car: A couple of weeks ago when we were taking him to the dermatologist and struggled to park at the duck pond On the way to the common where he gets a lead walk, but used to get an off lead walk (this was pre surgery) After we picked him up yesterday, on the way home (we had a fair bit of noise, I found it a bit alarming, think he was stressed) So this morning, it was our first trip back to the common after surgery, and I was expecting a big fuss. OH was driving and I sat in the back seat. I clicked Charlie for lying down and no noise - he was completely focused on me, the clicker, and treats, and didn't make a sound. I clicked him every few seconds as we stopped the car and got out. He also was hugely better on his lead today, and I wonder if this was because we arrived totally calm, after clicking for calm through the journey (which is what I was doing, he recognises this). On the way back, he has never whined before, but was squeaking a bit today. Not much, just a bit. But I was in the front so couldn't C&T when he stopped. I think I got something out of this. A dog that arrived for his walk in a calm state, and focused on me. I am not so sure I've done anything about the noise though. Should I have actually waited for him to start whining and just rewarded the silence? I suspect he wouldn't whine though - if I'm there with a clicker he just switches into "what do you want" mode. Hmmm.....
Re: Click for quiet Hi Julie. Hope Charlie is well today? You aswell of course. Have you seen the thread I started in the clicker section 'what am I doing wrong' ? (sorry still dont know how to do links :) Rachael gave me great advice on how to stop Scott whining. It worked! (not doubting Rachael's advice but my ability) It only took a week. We now have a really reliable quiet command. You do need to try and have them in a situation where they will whine which isn't easy. Scott was guaranteed to whine while I was eating until I was trying to train quiet. :
Re: Click for quiet Thanks Jen, I did read that at the time, it was very interesting. I think I'm in a different situation though - I don't really have a deeply ingrained whining problem, I more have a few indications of a problem emerging (I can still count the times when Charlie has whined). Instinctively, in this situation, I think engineering the whine to put it on cue would be the wrong thing to do - but interested in thoughts on that? What do you think?
Re: Click for quiet You could be right. You don't want to encourage it. Does Charlie bark at something regularly?Like the postman or will he bark on command? Would you consider teaching a bark command? The only reason I ask is my quiet command has become interchangeable with all noises they make. It works for a whine or a bark. Rachael used the technique she told me to train Obi a bark command and then a quiet command. It might be worth a go. It won't do any harm as they are both useful commands and the hopefully the quiet will work for any whining he might do
Re: Click for quiet Very helpful to "talk" it over, Jen, I appreciate it. Charlie has barked 5 times, and one of those he was asleep. I think it would be difficult to put barking on cue and I'd worry about generating the barks, since he is pretty silent on the barking front. I don't know if that's the right or wrong way to look at it? Mulling it over...I wonder if I'm looking at this wrong. I'm tackling it like I have a big noise problem (habit or learned). I wonder if, given where I am, and reasonable reasons right now to be a bit concerned about whether Charlie is frustrated and stressed, I should concentrate on the calmness. I think what happened in the car was I was nearer Charlie and had his attention. He was calm, so no whining. Hmm....
Re: Click for quiet She is a Diva. If the Diva wishes to sing, the Diva sings. Julie, I'd probably just go for clicking for calm and quiet. And be grateful that you don't have an epic whiner like Jen and I have got ;D
Re: Click for quiet I'll keep it up for a week or so - he is back to normal today, calm and relaxed. I can't see any signs that he is not ok. If we still have whining after a week, I'll revisit. It's important to me. I hope to join a gundog class (how much I'm looking forward to that!). Worried I'll get kicked out for having a whining chocolate!
Re: Click for quiet Maybe it was a combination of things because he's been feeling a bit stressed what with everything that's been going on. He's been through a lot for a young lad. Like Rachael said I think I'd click for calm and quiet. He obviously isn't a vocal dog usually so its out of character. If possible and I appreciate it may be difficult with arrangements but when you take him back to greyfriars for his treatment I'd sit in the back C&T for calm like you did this morning. He might be associating car journeys with being taken there and you leaving so feeling a bit anxious. Trust me you want to try and prevent car stress before it starts my two sound like two squealing little pigs in the car. One of the many things I still need to tackle. : My old lab knew if we turned right down a certain road we were going to the vet and would start shaking. This only happened after I'd had to leave him for a minor op when he was three but he never forgot.
Re: Click for quiet [quote author=Jen link=topic=5277.msg66483#msg66483 date=1396788535] possible and I appreciate it may be difficult with arrangements but when you take him back to greyfriars for his treatment I'd sit in the back C&T for calm like you did this morning. He might be associating car journeys with being taken there and you leaving so feeling a bit anxious. [/quote] Yes, that's a good thought. Thanks. I think it might very well all be due to something along these lines.
Re: Click for quiet So the trip back to the rehab centre was fine - a few squeaks as we turned down the drive (which I couldn't do anything about as I was driving) but no big deal. Then this morning, we had a lot of noise on the way to the common! When he stopped, we stopped the car and I got into the back seat, and he was quiet apart from a tiny bit of squeaking and I rewarded when it stopped. Hmm....so, I was thinking I'll stick at rewarding for quiet on the way to the common. But I don't want this to turn into "I'm quiet when she is near me on the back seat, otherwise I'll whine and cry like a little puppy". I was thinking of just giving him a kong for the journey to keep him occupied and that might be just as a good to stop a bad habit from starting?
Re: Click for quiet I don't think I can help much because when we had whining I realised it was my fault....Dexter used to whine we he first came to us,he hadn't when he was travelling in the car when he lived with his breeder.we did c&t for quiet which is great when there are 2 of you in the car but when I was alone there was nothing I could do....his longest journey is only about 20 mins.i realised that when I started talking to him,he started whining....so I just started to ignore him...he tried it on a bit and I just continued to ignore him and by the end of that trip back he was quiet and we've never had whining since.....not much you can glean from that situation I don't think unless you just try it an send him cold turkey and ignore him?.Im sure a kong will help to distract him though ...and I think you've said before Charlie will chew himself into a doze ,one kong might not be enough for that though .....this might just fix itself when he is back to his normal routine but I can understand you wanting to not let it become a habit x
Re: Click for quiet Harley went through a stage of whining when we got our new car as she was in the boot, not on the back seat anymore. I tried talking to her calmly and it worked for a while, then stopped working. Since then I usually ignore her whining and it is now rare that she does whine
Re: Click for quiet [quote author=Dexter link=topic=5277.msg67939#msg67939 date=1397391408] his longest journey is only about 20 mins. [/quote] Charlie used to be up and down to Cornwall in the car (5 hours) most weeks, and never a squeak before now. Before all of this rubbish with his injury. :'(. I suppose if it's just a bit of whining, and worse about his harness, I can count myself getting off lightly for locking a dog in a cage for 6 weeks, and not letting him off lead for 7 months...
Re: Click for quiet I would not get into the back seat with the dog when you arrive, as your proximity and attention could be a big reward for the dog. If the dog is still whining, or starts whining when you arrive, turn off the engine and read/drink coffee until the dog is completely quiet and relaxed. You may find a tendency to whine resurfaces on occasion. As it is to some extent and involuntary reaction on the dog's part. In every case, if the dog gets nothing until he is quiet and relaxed, each resurgence of the behaviour will be shorter and less pronounced, until eventually the dog is completely quiet at all times.
Re: Click for quiet Thanks Pippa, no, I've been starting off in the back seat (apart from once when I got into the back seat halfway there). We don't stop the engine, or get out, unless he is quiet - we never have (we read that in Rachael's journey before we even got Charlie). The whining just starts on the way and is a very, very, recent thing. A small kong worked tonight - given before we set off, and we had total silence for the whole journey, and arrival. A bargain for just 15g of soaked kibble, but will he just whine again if he doesn't have a kong, or will it be enough to break a very new habit?
