Diego, a Golden Retriever, Had Car Anxiety
Patty came to me with Diego, a Golden Retriever Mix. She was very stressed because Diego had much energy. Her biggest problem was getting Diego in the car. He was scared. So when she would walk him towards the car, he would pull her in the opposite direction and Diego pulled hard. I came to her home and did in home dog training in Newbury Ohio.
When I first started, with them, I didn’t realize how big Diego’s fear was with the car, until, we started training together. He barley wanted to walk toward the car. He would feel fear, freeze, cower and avoid. I quickly, decided to make it more positive for him. We did a technique called treat and retreat. As he walked toward the car willingly, we would give him a treat. Then, we would immediately turn around and allow him to retreat away from the car.
Enjoying the Dog Training Journey
We started with just walking a small amount towards the car. It really was a baby stepping process. Dog training in Newbury Ohio was about enjoying the journey. When we are attached to the goal, we generally use will power. This can result in force, pressure, criticism and control. When we come from pressure, our dogs get more stressed and act out. In Diego’s case, he would have shut down and avoided the car more.
Coming From Flow Instead of Control
So it was important to follow Diego’s energy while also giving him some guidance. Watch a river flow. Notice, how the current is strong in one direction. If you fight the current, it will feel challenging. If you go with the flow of the current, you will flow with the river. To create success with dog training in Newbury Ohio, you will want to come from flow and follow the energy. Sometimes, the training plan may need to be changed. If you are following the energy, you are more likely to listen to the dog and course correct as needed.
By being present with Diego’s fears, the training process was fluid. As his fear, lessened he naturally wanted to move closer to the car. We gave him treats as he was moving towards the car and the the option to retreat BEFORE a large amount of fear set in. His confidence grew. He also began to trust his owner, Patty. Patty was also feeling more confident with her dog training in Newbury Ohio.
“Go Find It” is a Great Dog Training Game
As he wanted to stay longer by the car, we began a “go find it” game. This was fun! We would drop extra yummy treats on the ground and say “go find it.” He began to associate these words with fun and excitement. His fear began to lessen. He began to sniff the car and put his head into the car.
Every time he sniffed the car or put his head into the car, we clicked and gave him a high valued treat. He began to want to interact with the care more often. At times he would put his front feet into the car. We gave him a large amount of treats, called a jackpot, for that that behavior which is. This was an exciting time for both Patty and myself.
On one session, I went into the car with hotdogs and Diego immediately followed me. He received a huge reward of hot dogs. We kept giving him a huge reward of hotdogs for going into the car. As a result, he began going into the car more and more often. Eventually, he wanted to stay in the car for awhile, and he received many hotdogs.
Now Diego Loves the Car and Your Dog Can Too.
Now he can go into the car easily. He wears his seat belt and rides to get ice cream! His owner loves him so much, he gets to go to McDonalds in Middlefield. Good job Diego!
When training your dog, you will have the most success when you go with the flow and break the training into successful approximations. How can you help your dog be successful following the flow and breaking the training into successful approximations? I would love to hear from you in a post on our Facebook Group.
Want to Take a Group Dog Training Course?
Check these out
- Elementary Obedience Course for dogs 8 weeks and older held at the Geauga County Family YMCA in Chardon. We cover all the basic obedience commands in this course.
- Junior Leash Walking Course for dogs that have completed a basic obedience course first. This course helps your dog to learn to walk loosely on the leash in distracted areas. For the winter, it will be held at the Tractor Supply Store.
- CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR TO REGISTER FOR THESE CLASSES
0 Comments