Dickens a 5 mos old mini dachsie with a very big and persistent bark!
Using only a Clicker, Treats and a Sense of Humor to help a mini daschund and his family.
The family purchased Dickens from a breeder, Dickens was 5 months old at the time of purchase. The breeder did not allow the family to see the entire litter nor the mom & dad to the litter. The owner brought Dickens up a flight of stairs and said “I pick this pup for you”. While the family was slightly put off by the interaction and the inability to view the entire litter or meet the mom & dad, Dickens ran right over to them and snuggled and won them over immediately. He seemed happy and playful, and they took him home.
Over the next several days, the family had company to show off their new pup. To their dismay, Dickens would charge toward their company, then back up, all the while barking hysterically and nonstop. This was not the cute and sweet and friendly puppy they thought. They called the breeder to ask if Dickens had ever met other people, to which the breeder replied that she herself had been sick so the pups really hadn’t met anyone. No one. Not one person other than herself for 5 months. The most tender and most important socialization period for any pup of any breed is the first 16 weeks during which time this particular puppy only knew his litter-mates and the one woman, the breeder.
This family previously had a mini-dachsie for 14 years who had passed away in 2011. This dog had issues with aggression toward other people and other dogs for its entire life. They had tried training but didn’t care for the techniques recommended. The trainers they hired all used corrections of different sorts which only made the dog worse. They stopped all training and just secluded the dog when company came over. The family was clear that they were not willing to endure another 14 years of a dog who couldn’t be part of their family when guests were in the home. This family is very social, they have regular company, they like to take their dog places with them. They were heartbroken and understandably unsure what to do.
Upon taking their initial telephone call, I told them there were no guarantees but the pup is young and if they are committed the prognosis is probably good. I assured them that all training would be positive, force-free and tons of fun. Training should always be fun for the dog and handler no matter what we are trying to train. While skeptical, they set up some appointments with me.
Lesson #1: When I arrived to the home, they had the dog in the bathroom with the door closed so that I could enter safely and say hello. After talking for a few moments, they released Dickens who came rushing out, barking hysterically. Dickens would charge forward, back up, then move forward toward me, then back up over and over but never coming close enough to me to bite nor did he look in my direction. He wasn’t looking at anything, it was frantic hysteria. I watched this for about a minute and then I tossed several treats toward him, and away from me which he immediately scurried around to collect. YEA! I thought. The dog takes food, he can be easily trained to give alternate behaviors to barking and hysteria. And I was right! This was a smart little pup!
I charged the clicker and effected quiet behavior simultaneously by Clicking and tossing him a few freebies, always tossing away from me, Clicking and tossing him a few freebies, tossing all over the kitchen to keep him scurrying around, and quiet. I explained to the family that practice makes perfect and right now Dickens is practicing being quiet and having a great time. He was also having a great time with a guest. After 3 or 4 tosses, I waited before tossing again. I wanted 3 seconds of quiet behavior. So I counted to three and Clicked and tossed treats. After several times, I counted to 6 and Clicked and tossed treats. Dickens was having so much fun while learning that just being quiet feels better than hysterical barking. In that one lesson we had 30 minutes of working with Dickens and no barking. I moved about the home while they counted seconds of quiet and Clicked and treated.
We also worked on initial Name Game training and a good Recall. They did a great job of saying Dicken’s name and Click & treating Dickens for responding to his name by looking at the person who called it. This was also quite fun for Dickens. Recall training was very successful! Dickens ran from room to room in the home to the person who called him. Each time, running right past me while giving cursory looks but not being stressed.
Homework #1: Click for quiet behavior, which means being proactive and counting the seconds between clicks and not waiting too long. Name Game and Recall.
My hope was that when I returned for lesson #2, Dickens would have an immediate response to his owner when he heard his name called AND a fantastic recall.
Lesson #2: I enter the home Dickens barks for only a second when they recall him and toss a handful of treats, tossing across the room from where I stood, which Dickens scurried all over to find and collect. His recall was immediate and successful and I was so thrilled! He noticed me and did not bark. He also looked happy. The family reports that Name Game and Recall are going fantastic, but that he’s also doing some demand barking during the Recall games. I suggested that they pre-stuff several puppy kongs, and when Dickens recalls reward him with the stuffed puppy kong. This will keep him busy and help him relax in between recalls thus practicing being relaxed, practicing being quiet and not demanding in between recalls. This technique could also be used for company, give him a stuffed kong on his bed for when company arrives. Practice makes perfect and practicing relaxing and being quiet with a kong is good training.
As we were talking about their week of training and about Dickens’s behavior in general, they said “Wow Donna, we didn’t really think that something so simple would work, we are so impressed”. They were able to have company a couple of times during the week and Dickens would lay on his bed with a kong, or would hang out quietly and wait for the next treat. The family gets a ton of kudos here, they worked so well together as a team. If one family member was talking to guests, another family member was counting to 30 so as to Click and treat quiet behavior before any barking ensued. It was a choreographed team effort between family members that led to wonderful success!
I was actually able to work on Sit and Down with Dickens during this lesson. He wasn’t ready for me to pet him yet, but he was a hard working dog! I could lure him and boy does this little guy learn fast. Sit and Down on hand and voice cue in about 5 minutes flat. In between working on Sit and Down, the family and I were talking when Dickens does this little spin with a hop while looking at me; and he was quiet! I was very quick to click and treat that and he did it again nearly immediately. I couldn’t stop laughing at how cute this little guy is! All family members worked on Sit and Down and they would Click and treat for the spin and hop as well. Dickens appears to enjoy the laughter as much as he enjoys the treats.
Lesson #3: Wow is this the same dog? Like a good pup, he alert barked for about 2 seconds and then went right over to his bed upon being recalled and was given a stuffed kong. He layed there so calmly while we talked and moved around the home. They report that over the Thanksgiving holiday, they had many people in their home, and Dickens was amazing, in their words. Dickens didn’t bark at guests, he did his spin & hop for people, he sat and layed down and he relaxed on his bed. The family reports they could not have asked for a better dog on Thanksgiving and their guests complimented them on how wonderfully behaved Dickens was. As they tell me their Thanksgiving story, they were all beaming with pride.
During this lesson we worked on Hand Targeting. This gets Dickens to touch my hand. Dickens LOVES this game, and ultimately let me pet him.
After 3 lessons, Dickens no longer barks uncontrollably, no longer charges toward then retreats from guests and his obedience is becoming more reliable all the time. The family has no intention of giving Dickens up, he is fun, sweet and has learned to enjoy company.
With just a Clicker, some treats and a sense of humor, this formerly hysterical barker is now calm and fun loving and he shows off his tricks for company.
Not only did this family work nicely together as a team, they never said “how many treats?” They used the dog’s food for training and eliminated the use of a food bowl. They were very generous in the beginning, which meant they successfully trained longer and longer durations of quiet behavior which translates to fewer and fewer treats.
Simple and fun training resolves problems both big and small and keeps families together.
