REACTIVE ROVER MAY 6TH – MAY 27TH SUNDAYS 10AM

HELEN ST. PIERRE, CPDT-KSA, CDBC, OSCT

WHAT CAUSES IT? -  Socialization (or lack of) -  Breed and Age -  Past experiences

-  Barrier Frustration

-  Reinforced Behavior

THE A, B, C’S A – Antecedent or trigger (what happens before your dog acts like a lunatic) B – The behavior you are here to change

C- The consequence of that behavior is what drives the dog to do the behavior again

We just need to change the ABC!

MAKE YOUR OWN A – before (triggers)

B – behavior you don’t like (barking lunging pulling)

C – what happens? (we leave, person leaves etc)

MANAGEMENT AND TOOLS Stop practicing bad behavior!!!

- window and door plan

- car plan

- midnight dog walkers club

- gates

Walking – Gentle Leader? Harness? Muzzle?

BEAU

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE INSTEAD? Auto check in! -  What next please?

-  “HERE!” – MEANS TURN AROUND AND COME BACK TO ME FOR THE BEST TREAT IN THE WORLD!!

-  Can use your dogs name if you like -  Gateway to other cues

BEAU WORK

BTS TREATS! Value matters! -  Chicken -  Cheese

-  Babyfood

-  Cheese whiz!

-  ONLY USED FOR HERE!

PRACTICE AT HOME NO distractions SMALL distractions (someone doing something in the same room etc) BIGGER distractions (BUT NOT TRIGGERS) – Spouse coming home, toys, etc.

HOMEWORK Management plan! -  Windows -  Doors -  Crates -  Tools

“Here” work begins -  Not for triggers yet!

Reactiverovernmb PASSWORD!

WEEK 2 “Here” work – where are you? Can you here your dog from distractions?

What tools are you using?

What’s your BTS treat?

THRESHOLDS What it is and why it matters If your dog is too stressed, he isn’t learning.

WHEN TO HERE You must “HERE” your dog BEFORE they go over threshold, but also when they’ve noticed the trigger. What does that mean?

-  Distance

-  Type of stimulus – easy at first – dog/person etc

-  Good stuff

-  As soon as you get “the look”

IF HE’S BARKING You’re too close! If he’s not eating?

You’re too close!

If he’s disinterested?

You may not be close enough!

EXAMPLES

WHAT NEXT? After you have started to get some good “heres” you can start seeing if your dog will do it on their own! JACKPOT FOR THIS!

Then only “here” again if you have to.

Sometimes we add a sit!

YOUR TURN - HOMEWORK Out and about you go! Success is in the set ups! -  Lift some of the barriers, work on hereing a few times a

day! (inside and outside) -  Stalk areas first before taking dog there

-  Petsmart parking lot -  Whites park -  Rollins park -  Vet offices -  Dog park parking lot!

REMEMBER Don’t go too close too fast! Your dog MUST see the trigger first before he can get paid for “here”

Quickly start to pay for “auto here”

Short sweet and positive sessions. End on a good note!

WEEK 3 Where are we? Conditioned responses? Tool issues?

Problem solving and brag moments!

WHAT’S NEXT Leash skills and “let’s go” -  Once your dog is starting to really give good conditioned

responses you can now start working on actually moving around or PAST triggers.

-  Leash work takes practice and time and you CAN combine it with “here” or conditioned responses

- Decrease distance from triggers and start making it harder

LEASH WALKING

LET’S GO -  Moving quickly AWAY or PAST a trigger and rewarding

heavily at the end (or even during the moving) -  Finding a hiding spot -  Practice even when there’s no triggers

-  Reset and then begin walking again

-  Examples of hiding spots are

-  Parked cars -  Trees -  Side of buildings

REALITY CHECK -  “We were doing so well and then”

-  Spontaneous Bursts are normal and part of recovery. Remember that this does not mean the training is failing

HOMEWORK KEEP GOING – get closer and add more difficulty Leash work

Let’s go!

Prepare for some blips but be ready to recover!