Training on Means Street

Valentine was amazing in class this last Saturday.  She was very excited to leave the shelter and go downtown.  She patiently waited in the car while we got her stuff together and got her ready.

 She did a lot of work outside in the room.  In the above picture you can see one of her classmates on the other side of the room working with his mama.

When Valentine is getting overwhelmed she shows us by focusing less and trying to wander off from training more.  We then tell her that we are going to "take a break" and put her behind her barrier for a little while.  We have her settle on her bed back there and get her to relax before taking her back out.

Valentine needs regular breaks while working, but she is such a good girl.  She did not react vocally, aggressively, or in any other real negative way.  She just quits working.

We always make sure she gets plenty of water breaks.

Here she is resting on her side.  She is not all the way there yet, but a dog relaxing completely on their side is one of the most relaxed positions they can be in.

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                                    Here I am trying to get Valentine to relax on one of her breaks

This is a sign Charlotte got for any of the dogs we bring to training so they can work without people approaching them.  It is a great idea.  If you want one for your dog, there are plenty of places you can order them online!

Adopt Valentine.  She deserves a good home. lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org

Arabia Mountain Photos

Valentine hanging out on the Arabia Mountain Bike Trail with Charlotte.

These signs really alarmed Valentine when she first saw them.  She had never seen anything like it before.

Charlotte is helping Valentine to realize the sign is nothing to be afraid of and letting her safely gain information about it from a distance.

 

This is a picture of valentine feeling a little stressed.  Her ears are pinned back, and she has the sideways glance.  Her body is tense.  Over time, she got more comfortable.  Charlotte hung a sign on her collar saying not to approach her because she was in training.  It is important that when you teach your dog to be comfortable with someone, some place, or something new that you allow them to explore, sniff, and examine things at their own pace and do not force them into close, uncomfortable encounters.  If they have positive experiences over and over again their fear will begin to disapate.  Vally is always shy and nervous in new places, but once she has been there and done that she is her normal cocky, energetic, and playful self.

 

Yesterday, a wonderful couple took Valentine out for a walk around the trail at PAWS.  I talked to them, at length, about her story.  They were gentle with her but also firm.  She was smitten and was quickly walking well with them on a leash, sitting beside them when they stopped walking, and responding to her word cues when they asked her to.  They left without taking an application, but it was a great experience for everyone involved!

Arabia Mountain

Charlotte had the day off work so she came up to PAWS to get Valentine out for a field trip!  They went to Arabia Mountain.  Vally was very alarmed by the tall signs.  She had never seen anything like them before but as she walked on she got more and more use to everything around her.  Other dogs would walk by, and she would turn her head away from them and strut right past.  Valentine has been at the shelter since she was a baby and she can be nervous when doing new things for the first time.  This is not surprising considering her experience but what does surprise me is how quickly she can learn to be comfortable with things if her handler (aka her friends at the shelter) knows how to make her feel safe.

 

Yesterday, we just hung out in the offleash area at PAWS.  We worked on some agility and then hung out and "settled."  I love watching her run through that tube!

 

Hanging out With Her Classmates

Canine PhD is currently located in Atlanta off Means Street.  In the picture above,Valentine is leaving class with volunteer, Charlotte.  She had a good class and got out in the room with the other dogs who were also out from their corners.  The dogs are kept behind barriers where they cannot see the other dogs, though they can smell and hear them, while they settle down.  When they are in a relaxed state, they are brought from behind the barriers into the mainroom so they can work in each others company.

Valentine never fully relaxed, though she got close a couple times.  She was very aware of everything going on.  She gets so excited by treat rewards that we actually have to limit what kind and how many she can have.  We make sure to use a clicker, soothing pets, soft voices, and calming body language to show her that we want her to relax.

It was a rainy afternoon, and there was a lot happening in Atlanta this Saturday--protests, sports games, construction.  Given all of the unknowns, we are very proud of how well Valentine did.  We are going to continue working on relaxing and settling at the shelter so she gets better and better for her classes.  For a shelter dog, relaxing is not always easy.  They live uncertain lives but, if we can teach them how to soothe themselves, they will have tools that they can use the rest of their lives.  In the shelter and in their adoptive home.

Contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org if you or someone you know is interested in Valentine.

Valentine's First Class!

Valentine went to her first group class at Canine PhD this past Saturday.  We had the dogs relax in each other's presence.  This was just a basic introduction so we kept the dogs behind visual barriers and had them focus on laying down on their "places."  We then passed the "places" (little carpet squares) around so each dog could sniff the other dogs.  Dogs are less visual than we are and can get a lot of information through sniffing and listening.  They are able to "meet" each other in this way without being overwhelmed by too much new stimuli. 

 

While class was in session, Meredith and MarLee would drop in on the dogs to see how things were going and offer advice.  They would also throw treats to the pups to get them use to surprise visits or for following commands like "sit." 

 

Overall, Valentine did fantastic.  She was able to relax in a brand new facility with brand new dogs for brief periods.  And even when she was more alert than relaxed, she kept a positive attitude and listened well to commands.  She was constantly checking in with Charlotte, and we couldn't be more proud.  We are all looking forward to our next class!