[nagdu] Improving House behaviors

Sat Aug 2 15:08:12 UTC 2014

Julie,

We do "swap" around here, which sounds like your "trade." I also do a 
lot of saying "yours" and "mine" as I am presenting a chew toy in place 
of my shoe, blanket, book, whatever. I've never had the dogs bring me 
other things to trade, but I might see if I can extend the method into 
something of a retrieve. Well, I guess Mitzi was heading that way, but 
then I decided to try a method using x number of repetitions and lost 
any hope of retrieval with her. She still plays some of the fun games 
she invented trying to figure out what I wanted, so it wasn't a total 
loss. /lol/

This is the first time I've done a specific go to place, though I guess 
with Mitzi she had a place that she went to. I just didn't think of it 
the same or try to train it. /lol/ I'm doing it on purpose with the new 
pup, so it feels like training this time.

Tami

On 08/02/2014 05:55 AM, Julie J via nagdu wrote:
>   This is going to sound a bit crazy and maybe it doesn't work on all dogs, but for Monty it worked like magic.  When he was younger he loved soft fluffy things, well he still does, but at least he's over the destroying them phase.  He would also steal food.  So I used the trade method.  He'd grab something that wasn't his, I'd call him to me or got to him, tell him to give, take the object and then trade him for something appropriate.  It might be one of his toys or a piece of his kibble.  In the beginning I would trade for fairly high reward stuff.  Then later I toned it back to just his regular kibble.  One day he brought me a slice of pizza and dropped it on my foot so he could get a piece of kibble.   He didn't take a single bite out of the pizza.  I was amazed.
>
> Eventually he stopped picking up things alltogether.  I did worry that this method would teach him to bring me all manner of random things, but that phase only lasted for a short time.  I really have no scientific explaination of how this method works, but Monty is super good around food, shoes, and whatever else is laying around.  when I broke my foot I tried to teach him to retrieve my shoes and other items.  He was extremely reluctant to pick up anything that wasn't his.  I stopped trying to teach him a formal named retrieve.
>
> go to your place, like Nicole suggested also works.  I also would call Monty to me when I suspected he was about to get himself into trouble.  I could then offer praise, pets and a toss of a toy to reward him ffor coming, instead of correcting the bad behavior.  Eventually he stopped trying to get into things and spends a lot of time beside me.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> >On Aug 2, 2014, at 12:36 AM, Nicole Torcolini via nagdu<nagdu at nfbnet.org>  wrote:
>> >
>> >Okay... I am sure that others will have more to say, but here goes.
>> >    As various people have said on the list, you need to be proactive
>> >instead of retroactive. First, if you do not have a way of showing him where
>> >he should be, I would recommend getting a towel/blanket or a dog bed. Train
>> >him to go to that area on command (e.g., call it blanket). Reward him for
>> >going there and staying there. Give him lots of rewards and praise for going
>> >to his blanket. Whenever he gets up off of it without permission, send him
>> >back to it and reward. Okay, now you have somewhere to put and send him, so
>> >onto the next step. Tell him to go to his blanket and stay. Phrase and
>> >treat. Get some human food and walk slowly toward the couch, telling him to
>> >stay the whole time. If you hear him get up, put the food back and send him
>> >back to his blanket. Eventually, he will learn that being on his blanket is
>> >more rewarding than trying to eat your food.
>> >
>> >As for taking things, I would recommend not using the word no. No does not
>> >have any meaning to a dog. No. No what? As much as possible, try to keep
>> >things out of his reach. Does he know drop it or leave it? When he picks up
>> >something that is not his, tell him to drop it, and then tell him to go back
>> >to his blanket, rewarding him for doing it and possibly giving him one of
>> >his toys. You could also try just outright distracting him with one of his
>> >toys without even telling him to drop the object that he stole. Also, make
>> >sure that his dog toys are not stuffed animals or fabric like. Will he pick
>> >up stuffed animals and clothes if you are monitoring him? If so, you could
>> >do a training session. Does he chew on the items that he takes? Does he have
>> >plenty of toys of his own? Do you think that there is a reason that he finds
>> >your things enticing?
>> >
>> >I know that others will have more ideas, but these are my thoughts for now.
>> >
>> >Nicole and Lexia who does not kidnap stuffed animals
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity
>> >via nagdu
>> >Sent: Friday, August 01, 2014 10:07 PM
>> >To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> >Subject: [nagdu] Improving House behaviors
>> >
>> >Hi friends,
>> >
>> >I feel a little ridiculous even asking some of these questions, but my dog's
>> >house manners are not acceptable to me.  I've only had him for too months,
>> >so maybe I'm expecting too much out of him, but I hope not.
>> >
>> >First of all, if I eat a snack or a meal while sitting on the couch, he is
>> >all over me.  I tell him to sit, and nothing happens.  At that point, I want
>> >to put him on tie down, but I also don't want tie down to be a punishment.
>> >I do not currently have a crate and honestly don't have the funds to buy him
>> >one right now.  The other thing is that I want to deal with the problem; I
>> >want him to be able to lay down by me while I eat a meal or a snack.
>> >
>> >The other problem is that he picks up stuff-clothes, stuffed animals, stuff
>> >like that.  He does it sneakily, but even when I've found him taking things,
>> >he has not learned.  I tell him know and put the thing away, but he is not
>> >learning that this is not ok.
>> >
>> >Any suggestions?  Sometimes I feel like when I take something away from him
>> >or give him a command, it doesn't even register in his head that I'm telling
>> >him to do something or telling him he can't have something.  BTW, he listens
>> >well when we do obedience, and his guide work is great.  But I have high
>> >expectations when it comes to house manners, and I want productive ways to
>> >work on them.
>> >
>> >Thanks guys!
>> >
>> >--
>> >Julie McG
>> >National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National Federation
>> >of the Blind performing arts division secretary, Missouri Association of
>> >Guide dog Users President, and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008 "For
>> >God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
>> >believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
>> >John 3:16
>> >
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>> >
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