[nagdu] Improving House behaviors

Cindy Ray cindyray at gmail.com
Sat Aug 2 23:02:23 UTC 2014 

You could have two places for him, one that he recognized as when you are in the living room and one in the bedroom. I think he’d get that.

Cindy

On Aug 2, 2014, at 4:44 PM, Julie McGinnity via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Thanks guys.
> 
> I think it would help to give him a place out here.  His place is in
> my bedroom, and I usually eat and hang out in the living room.  But
> it's easy enough to bring his bed out for the day or give him a
> blanket to lay on out here.
> 
> I like the trade idea...  He doesn't destroy my things, just likes to
> have them in his mouth.  I swear this dog has some kind of oral
> fixation.
> 
> I know tie-down is not a punishment, but I don't want him to think it
> is.  Unfortunately, I somehow did things wrong with my first dog, and
> she started to think it was.
> 
> I don't only use the word no.  Sorry if that was misleading.  If I say
> no, I use leave it, or out (for drop it).  Then yes, I usually give
> him a toy of his or make him chill.  This dog goes a mile a minute,
> and sometimes I just need him to lie still while I figure out what to
> do with him.  Lol
> 
> The suggestions are helpful.  I may work on the trade idea, and once I
> get a new clicker.  (Yes, Danielle, I left both of mine in New York)
> I'll work more on the to your place than I have been.
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/2/14, Danielle Antoine via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Oh I haven't been on the list for so long. So tami you got a new pup?
>> What happened to Mitzi?
>> 
>> 
>> On 8/2/14, Tami Jarvis via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 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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>>>>>> m
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
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>>> 
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>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> 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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> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
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