Nika and the Spring-Mounted Hello

Nika and the Spring-Mounted Hello by Frances McCormack | Learning with Nika I knew it didn’t have a future when I found three holes in my favourite trousers from a small 15-week-old paw clawing at my legs, but I am almost ashamed to say that it wasn’t until she climbed me like she was going to build a treehouse on my shoulder that I moved it up to the top of the long list of learning priorities and finally got my act together. I’m sure she’s part cat? She can leap from one item of furniture to the other, disregarding the existence of or necessity for the floor. Anything that she thinks predicts a reward finds her launching to the point where she expects it will be delivered. She likes to try to scale T’s platform that is stored almost vertically against the living room bookcases. We’re getting closer to her adolescence now and…keep me in your thoughts, won’t you? Greetings have been becoming increasingly less pleasant for all humans concerned: the sharp puppy nails combined with her developing physical strength and power, and her improved motor skills, have meant that “ow” has become a synonym for “hello.” Yes I left it rather late to address this, and therefore had to row against the tide of learning that was already in place (she repeats it because it works, right?), but I eventually got my oars in gear (geddit?) and began to steer a more fruitful course. That course was NEVER going to be one of suppression . Instead, my aim was to find a mutually acceptable way of providing the rewards that she sought. While the guardians of new puppies are coached in various recipes that purportedly will “stop the dog jumping up,” it was my intention to address the spring-loaded hello by encouraging jumping up (or at least climbing). In order to allow Nika to fulfil her desire of being near my face ( that part of the greeting is rewarding for both of us), I would invite her onto a surface where she could reach me comfortably without the need for the method that was causing discomfort and shredded clothing. Puppies have a very strong innate desire to greet the face of adults which can become over enthusiastic and require much leaping when the face to high up in the air. The jumping up had been rewarded by tactile contact that sought to prevent it escalating. So rather than her learning the frustration and disappointment of ignoring or suppression – that something that had previously been successful no longer worked – it much effective and even appealing to her once we established a mutual understanding that greeting would happen on the back of the sofa where she would

n’t need to stretch to reach me. Clearly cued at first, the new greeting routine was so rewarding to her that she learned incredibly rapidly. As did T. Several months of learning that jumping up “works” (of sorts) may still bring resurgence of the jumping, and for that, a safety protocol of “hold off” will be further bumped up the learning priorities list. Meanwhile, the promise of affectionate contact that the cue predicts is lessening the likelihood that I’ll have to buy another box of sticking plasters before the week is out. Dog help anyone who’s sitting on that sofa when I return from grocery shopping, though. Be-toothed Learning Machines The thing they don’t tell you is that raising a puppy is DANGED HARD WORK. Biting everything, peeing everywhere, eating anything; not for the faint hearted. Read More A New Puppy. Oh Joy. Impulse buying the wrong sofa can be rectified if you swallow the expense. Impulse buying a puppy can result in personal grief for you and your family and quite possibly result in a very unhappy future or end the life of that puppy. Read More Obnoxious Puppy The delight of your new puppy is probably going to last a few weeks, maybe four if you are lucky. When 12 weeks old hits, and you will feel a slam, the Delight is going to demonstrate ungrateful, obnoxious traits. Read More Dogs are Born To Learn We can build tremendous learners when we get beyond the idea that “dogs are trained”. Read More It’s Not Training A carefully planned learning pathway, paced to suit that particular learner for their life ahead. Read More Building A Generous Future Maybe it feels like a doddle because my life with her wasn’t one of competing against who she is, trying to mould her into something else, or even just worrying about the potential fallout of every decision I made. Read More A Day of Learning A no-training day does not mean he gets a lazy day lying idly in the sun. Learning is still happening and this is significant and important for his development. Read More The Experienced Dog Knowing your dog has receive sufficient preparation does not mean every eventuality, but a range of different conditions so that when the unexpected happens they will draw on their skills and solve the issue. Read More Surprising Puppy Surprising Puppy. With obnoxious moments. After introducing the obnoxious puppy as a youngster I am knocked over by the Delightful Young Man he is turning into…… Read More A Road to Nowhere When familiarity is stripped away we seek recognisable signposts that will take us back to comfort and security. This is survival instinct. It is

worth listening to as it keeps us alive. Read More Don’t Let Them Learn Becoming aware that we share our lives with premier learners, dogs, is about saving you frustration, despair, anxiety and endless hours further down the road. Read More Duration or is it Breakfast in Bed? Teaching duration has become a very muddied understanding or what it is and how to teach it. This is partly due to how we use words that are the same but have entirely different meanings. Read More More than words We expect our dogs to understand the meaning of words and signals, but if you have ever worked with computers you will know that what you say doesn’t always turn into an actionable response. Read More What’s Cooking? A Warning About Recipes Recipes for “training” dogs are so prevalent in how we live with and talk about them that their existence often goes unquestioned. Read More The choice of lure Luring teaches trainers essential skills: how to use suggestion and guidance, explain dynamic movement in the cues from our hands. Read More Do you see what I see Doing better is the reward from doing the work. This work needs to be the right work at the right time with the right intent done in the right way. Read More Release cue or stay cue Many of us begin with teaching sit or down, and this is one of the earliest experiences of training with reinforcement. Is the sit, or down, going to be a terminal behaviour, or a temporary position? Read More Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Δ