In the spirit of the holiday, I’d like to present you, Dear Reader, with a trick, a tag, and a treat.
What, you’re not familiar with the middle part of that phrase? It’s a new Halloween tradition. Trust me on this.
Want to know what that undead-Michael Jackson has to do with all this? Read on. (Hint: he’s part of the tag bit.)
So all that chat in Part 1 about how to avoid creating problems while socializing a puppy was nice, but you’ve got an adult dog — and whether you made some socialization mistakes or whether you inherited a bad socialization legacy along with the dog, things just aren’t the way they should be. Is there hope?
Yes, of course there’s hope! But again, here is where mistakes happen in the name of “socialization.” Don’t make them.
After I posted a copy of Notes From A Dog Walker‘s DINOS PSA on our own Facebook page, we were swarmed with likes and comments, and over a hundred shares. Obviously this topic is one more than a few of us have struggled with!
Whether it’s a new puppy or a newly adopted adult dog, many new pet owners want to immediately start showing off their new dog, and with justifiable pride. But sometimes their approach can make the transition more difficult than it needs to be.
I have seen some criticize clicker training as impersonal and artificial — what do you mean, I’m not supposed to talk to my dog? He’s supposed to work for food instead of me? Hands-off? I’m not supposed to touch my own dog?!
Of course this is a skewed view at best, and occasionally outright wrong, but it can be propagated by well-intentioned but confounding directions from some clicker trainers. Let’s clear this up!
(In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, today’s post is in that vernacular. Tomorrow will show a translated edition.)
I have seen some criticize clicker trainin’ as impersonal and artificial — what do you mean, I’m not ‘posed t’ talk t’ me dog? He’s s’posed t’ work for food instead o’ me? Hands-off? I’m not s’posed t’ touch me own dog?!
Of course this be a skewed view at best, and occasionally out-starboard wrong, but it can be propagated by well-intentioned but confoundin’ directions from some clicker-ers. Let’s clear the decks!
Note, this is more of a fence-climbing solution, rather than fence-jumping. If the dog is pushing or pulling himself over the fence, this will help; if he’s leaping the fence in a single bound like old-school Superman, this is a great solution for a different problem.
Okay, so you’re well into your new conditioning plan, with graduated protocols in place to reduce your dog’s noise fears or phobias. You’re taking it slowly and making good progress. But suddenly it’s Independence Day or Guy Fawkes, with fireworks going off all around, and a thunderstorm rolling in to boot, and you know you’re not ready for all this. How do you survive tonight?
You’ve tried everything — desensitization, counter-conditioning, safe places, and more — and it’s not enough? Or you know your panicked dog needs relief now while you start other protocols. Here are some more tools to consider.
As I write this post, thunder is rolling overhead with enough resonance to shake the house. As I write this post, a Doberman is curled up at the foot of my bed. That’s our only storm coping tactic at the moment. How does this work?