play with your dog

When I first was interested in dog training I was introduced to choke chain. It was on my first BC Divo who was just one year old then that I needed to train. He was a great puller as all young BCs are and I'd had difficulties to go out with him on leash.

Dono

I fitted them on his neck properly as instructed and started to walk with him on heel position. With the choke chain on him he started to walk as usual and he suddenly stopped before he made the second step forward. Yes, the choke chain worked as I'd been told.

I was told that they did not hurt dogs. But then why my Divo stopped? The effect shocked and horrified me. I was in love with Divo at first sight and could not bear to think of hurting him.

The choke chain could be the very useful tool  because the dogs trained with them I knew were all nice dogs. But I thought I needed the skill to use them without hurting the dog. I was sure that Divo would be grown up before I got the skill to use them.

from left: Oribe, Dada, dono, Pepper, Jody

So I chucked them away. I lurked around. I needed someway to tell him what "heel" meant but could not find it for about six months.

Meanwhile because I was in love with him I needed to please him. I played frisbee with him. I started Agility. Divo was really good in both of them. But still I could not teach him how to heel.

One day I found an article in an English dog magazine. It was about how to teach competition heelwark. It was with a ball to play with dog as rewards but there was no mentioning of pulling leash. It just said not to let the dog make a mistake. That gave me the idea how. When I tried it with him I saw Divo's eyes said, "Ya, now you are talking. I've got it."

That was seventeen years ago. Just around that time the reward base dog training with the learning theory was started to be introduced to Japanese dog owners. Now many people knows how to teach dogs with rewards, mainly food.


In freestyle we teach our dogs many "tricks". When I saw the Crufts International these top freestylers performed many "tricks" one after another.  I would say that with these punishment base training with choke chains seventeen years ago it would have been very difficult to teach these tricks to dogs even for the professional dog trainers.

But now at my next freestyle lesson of the Cruft International there were two dogs who were taught to step on the handlers feet with their front paws, the popular trick of this year. That trick could be taught ( if not proofed) by family pet dog owners with using clicker/treats in rather short time.

They all came to me but does not mean
they would dance with me happily

So why and how there could be so many freestyle dogs who cannot simply perform two min. routine without losing the animation, attitude and attention?

Why and how there could be so many freestyle handlers who cannot keep their dogs' animation, attitude and attention for just two min?

Food rewards are very effective to teach dogs behaviors. But that doesn't mean we can cultivate co-operative working spirit in dogs. 

I tell people in my class to play with their dogs without treats in their hands for two min. with the music on. If they cannot keep the dog's attention then, then how could they expect the dog to perform the routine without treats in thehandler's hands in public?

Hot days

Hot days!

Usually we are in the rainy season at this time of the year in Tokyo. But the last few days it have been like the middle of the summer, crazy hot.

In such days I'm busy before going out for a walk with dogs early in the morning.

It starts the day before.

I put two 500ml water bottles which are filled up to one third with water to the freezer. The next morning the water in the bottles are frozen. I fill water over the ice and during the walk dogs can drink cool water. They would be in my bag.

I put the wet cool dog t-shirt to a plastic bag then pack them to my bag. These t-shirts are for dogs to wear on the way back home as the sunshine would be too much for the black dogs. The water would be evaporated from the t-shirt and they would keep dogs black coat temperature low.

(This is the cool t-shirt that I made from pillowcase cover. The material is said to  well absorb and evaporate water.)

I have to apply anti bugs spray to dogs. This is my original with tea tree oil and seder wood vinegar (with patchouli -- this is my favorite scent).

I apply sunscreen to myself and I apply bugs spray myself as well.

Of course I need to carry poo bags. I need balls as the training aid and towels to clean the balls, and I carry some treats as well. The foldable bowl should go to the bag so that the dogs can drink water from it. These are not especially for summer. Everytime I go out with dogs I carry them.

The problem is that the dogs are always excited when going out. They hurry me up with following me here and there when I'm getting ready with these too many items.

Then I forget something. Yesterday it was t-shirts. I put them to the plastic bag but forgot to pack it to my bag. The other day I forgot the foldable bowl.

Maybe I have to train them to sit or down quiet to wait for me. I know, yes, I know.

Maybe tomorrow, or sometime I will.

But it's tooooooooooo..... hot to do such training!