Friday, August 26, 2011

Training Video: Dog Introductions

Jondi and Atomic Betty helped us demonstrate dog intros recently. Intros are always a little different depending on the dogs that are involved, but a few key points are 1) take your time 2) praise any appropriate behavior 3) keep yourself happy and the dogs will read your confidence 5) keep it short and stay determined to set both dogs up for success and 6) end on a positive so the dogs walk away feeling good about their interaction.

I should spill that just before this intro, Jondi was busted for spitting obscenities at Betty through the fence. She avoids her a lot in this video, in part, because she got a scolding for that. The intro helped us end that bad day on a good note. We sure love us some Jondi.

15 comments:

  1. GREEAT video i run a small rescue and its so nice to pass on great pitty knowledge!!

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  2. Very nice! Can you believe it wasn't until I got this link on my Facebook Page that I learned you had done other videos? Can I share them on my website? I am so proud of all you do for the breed.

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  3. Someday I'm going to come out there, Donna and Tim, and you're going to teach me how to read that behavior where the dogs are close, very stiff, with tails wagging. I have such a hard time knowing whether that means they're about to play or they're about to get huffy with each other. I always get gunshy at that point and redirect attention, ask for sits, praise, and treat. I never have the confidence to let them keep their attention on each other at that point -- right around 3:45.

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  4. Andrea, please share! Our stuff is meant to be shared. Thank you.

    loveandaleash, those could-be-tense moments are always a leap of faith, but if you've set the dogs up right and if they trust your voice and your leadership, you can lead them right back out of being huffy if they go there. In this case, we were familiar with the play style of both dogs so were able to say "oh look! they're having fun" If we didn't know them, it would be a little different - we might not let them get to this stage. With Tim hanging all over them, they know they're under his thumb a bit, so that's a help. We love this part of dog-work, it's super exciting and fun and so gratifying too.

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  5. Awesome! If I could ever get my girl that close! But the treats with all three dogs - wonderful. My two can do treats by each other but girl has to always be watched. I get a little envious of the "packs" that can lay around together chewing on bones without a care. Not my two! It's a dream for me but for now - separate rooms is what works and I am fine with that too! Thank you so much for these videos! Extremely helpful!

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  6. Phenomenal video!!
    I am currently enrolled in classes for dog training and when I start my own training classes this will definitely be a "must watch" for my students. :)

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  7. I agree with loveandaleash, that is where I get a little gun-shy too! My Kylie seems to feed off that tension. We have my husband introduce her to new dogs for the first positive experience and then I take over the next time. Watching helps me gain trust in her & my training through the next positive experience seems to be building her trust in me. Thanks for these videos, it's so fun to see!

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  8. Thanks ladies. Sarah - I agree 100% that having a dog that trusts you through your training relationship gives you the advantage. We didn't even think to introduce Jondi to other dogs until we'd known her for awhile. Betty's about the most challenging dog she's met, but she had plenty of other easier dogs to practice with first. Baby steps. You've got it figured out!

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  9. Thanks for the great video. What do you guys recommend when you have a big bubba head (aka The Funasaurus) who loves everyone so much that he goes berserker when he sees his friends (dog & human)? As our obedience class trainer put it, he gets overwhelmed by his feelings and has a volcanic eruption of happiness. (Then he doesn't understand why everyone doesn't want to hang out with him.) We have been working hard on lots of sits in order to get any attention but our Funasaurus is a handful.

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  10. Wow! That's impressive! As a previous owner of two males that started fighting each other at about 5 years and 2½ I have extreme dog fight fear...
    I had both of them since very young. One was born to my female pit and the younger one was a rescue from about 8-9 months old.
    This would've made me extremly nervous.
    I don't know how to overcome it....

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  11. Sarah - LOL. Are you talking about Bouncer? We'd wear him out before class as much as humanly possible and probably use a prong collar to curb some of his initial hip-hoppity-ness. Then, ask him to do lots of little exercises 'touch' 'shake' 'spin' ' to keep him from getting distracted and erupting into Volcano Man while he's trying to stay put.

    Deborah. People who've seen fights can be some of the best dog handlers because their instincts are so much sharper! i would trust you over most people we work with on dog-dog greets. This video was just a snapshot of the girls -- We've been getting to know them for weeks/months so have a really good sense of where they are with their body language. If they'd had previous fights together, we would never let them get this excited. You would totally be able to do this if you were as familiar with them as we are. But not everyone has to sort out dog/dog greets! It's perfectly understandable why some would rather take on a different role in this work.

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  12. Great video, and good point about Tim's presence as a moderator. My 18-month-old pup trusts my instincts so much, he hides behind me, waits for the okay (post-fellow owner consult), and then it's fair game! It's so much fun to watch uninhibited play with his fellow pit bulls (especially females), labs, boxers, and the occasional Rhodesian Ridgeback. He is okay with other males, but prefers "gentle giant" puppies (Great Danes, Weimaraners) with the right attitude and willingness to take turns at submission.

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  13. I love when you post videos like this. I always learn something new. I love educating myself about pit bulls. Thank you!

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  14. Thanks, Donna. Funny you mention Bouncer - we read his blog all the time because he cracks us up and reminds us so much of the Funasaurus (who goes by Baron when he's trying to have a big-boy day, which is pretty much never). Baron's motto is go big or go home. Like, why just try to eat the lawn chair when you could also drag the lawnmower 10 feet and tip it over to see what it is? Seriously, what do you recommend for an introduction in this scenario? Baron is fixed, about 1.5 yrs old and 80 pounds. He lives with his best friend Sheena (aka Tinkerbull), who's a 40-pound fixed pibble girl. Baron has a through-the-slatted-fence fixed girlfriend named Ginger (a 60ish-pound beagle mix). Ginger's person and I want to try having Ginger in for a yard visit. All of the dogs have been very friendly through the fence. Thanks in advance for any advice!

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  15. Hi
    Nice Video sharing.Building a good relationship with your puppy and Improve the pet's behavior with tips from these videos.

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Thanks for your comments, questions and feedback!