Comments on: Why you are lucky your dog is distracted, and how to use that to train perfection.

By: Walkies – torture or pleasure? « pawsitive dogs

Walkies – torture or pleasure? « pawsitive dogs — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:30:45 +0000

[...] BAT (Behaviour Adjustment Training) is a relatively new training development from Grisha Stewart – this therapy is still very much in its early days but so far those employing it (including myslef) have seen really nice results in several cases. This is another part of Pet Central’s protocol for helping reactive pets and their people. [...]

By: Reactive dog class 8 | Amika's Dog Blog

Reactive dog class 8 | Amika's Dog Blog — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:30:34 +0000

[...] working up the back, I tried some BAT work (behavioural adjustment training) just a couple of times. Yes, I can see how this would work [...]

By: Grisha

Grisha — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:23:44 +0000

Hi Sudha,

You nailed it: “the problem is, these walks are regular consistent part of the dog’s life so the are likely more reinforcing (and fun) than the 10 minute daily training.” It sounds like you are spending 10 minutes training each day and entire walks *untraining*. You really can’t blame the dog for that, or anyone else.

Your dog will learn very quickly if you set up the environment correctly. You don’t want to waste time, so either just skip those 10 minutes each day and give up, or take some time – a couple of weeks, a month, to do a set-up each day that begins to approximate reality. Rather than all of the distractions at once, work inside your house, or the yard, or in front of the house, etc. The mental exercise from training should help tire him out, but if you need more, use food puzzles inside the house, switch to the back of a harness and run with your dog, or go to a park if that’s possible. Fetch in the yard or in the house. There has to be a way. “Yes, but…” doesn’t train the dog. Only positive thinking about how to set your dog up for success will do that. You can do this!

By: sudha

sudha — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:33:33 +0000

this is useful but difficult in practice – especially for a city dog where everywhere we go there are numerous distractions. So, although we’re doing trainings and working on a daily basis – as soon as we go on our daily exercise walks all lessons are thrown out the window as my dog is quickly overstimulated by other dogs, people, smells etc. If we were to stop for each we’d have to take 2 hours at the minimum to get the walk in… the problem is, these walks are regular consistent part of the dog’s life so the are likely more reinforcing (and fun) than the 10 minute daily training…

By: Jenny G

Jenny G — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:58:03 +0000

I also make my 1 yr old dog calmly sit as we encounter ‘exciting’ things on the bike trail like other dogs, skateboarders, men working on the side. When he seems less interested, I restart our walk (I dont often remember to carry treats). Is this enough of a reward for him? He seems to be getting better at it but never really does it on his own.
Thanks.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:50:59 +0000

We have been using cheese on AM walks/runs for awhile now to get Jake to associate “bad” things like other dogs and joggers with his favorite thing — string cheese. Today I tried to persuade him that if he responds to the joggers and dogs by sitting and gently taking his cheese, they will go away. Except for one episode when there were THREE dogs in the area at once, and Jake was totally overloaded, this seemed pretty effective today.

By: Sandi Curry

Sandi Curry — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:12:44 +0000

I agree with FrauStrub (although here in Seattle, thank goodness I don’t have to worry about kangaroos being a trigger!). My Zeke is a chihuahua/terrier mix and definitely the terrier emerges when there is vermin like a squirrel to chase. I can’t imagine he’ll ever “look adoringly” at me, even as a way to ask permission to get closer to the squirrel. We walk a regular route and he remembers the places where he saw a squirrel and will look up and around at that same spot for several days after!

If a squirrel has triggered him, I do the distract and escape maneuver.

By: FrauStrub

FrauStrub — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:01:55 +0000

That is all good and fine and I have been doing that training for a while but it is almost impossible for me – it seems – to apply that to rabbits or roos.
I have trained – and it works – with horses, cattle etc – but roos and rabbits….not a chance – any tips?