This video is a how to on how to change your dogs emotional response to something they are frightened of. The example in the video is my dog Kiko who suddenly became fearful of crossing the kitchen floor. Common issues with dogs can be- shiny floors, stairs, man hole covers, grates, metal, wet grass, a crate they had a bad experience in… the list goes on. This same technique can be used in all those situations.
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wonderful tip! I’m sure this will help a lot of dogs. 🙂 Keep it up!
@JDurbie That is really horrible, but sadly clickers are made to be super loud. I don’t know why! Check out the beginning of Dogmantics Episode 1, it shows you how you can put poster tack on the dimple of the clicker to make it sound very quiet. Then you can start over. Perhaps click the dog from far away and toss the treat while the sound is barely audible, then decrease distance.
Sadly I think Splash might be part of the reason Kiko is nervous in the kitchen in the first place. Sometimes Splash runs through the kitchen and Kiko goes scuttling and slipping and sliding to get of the kitchen when Splash is in there. But many times I use the dog that is not scared of something to show the other its ok. 🙂
Actually I did do that, but there was so much footage I edited it out. I also used her mat and put it down on the scary area as a trick to speeding up the process. I think it depends on the dog regarding throwing the treat away, if it works do it, if it doesnt try something else. I found with Kiko it didnt work well, because moving fast over the floor made her nervous. She started hanging back to where the treats were being thrown too. So I stopped quickly
My dog gets really excited when you come through the door, even if you’ve only been out for a minute, but it isn’t too bad, he’s just really affectionate, but sometimes he gets way to excited, and starts jumping on your, running around, and because there’s laminate near the door, he always slips into stuff but doesn’t stop him running.
Any ideas on how to calm him down a bit when someone arrives home? Takes a good 5 minutes of him going crazy lol
hey
First I have to say thank you for this video,it will be a big help with my problem! My dog has the same “nightmare”, he makes himself slip when he goes off the carpet floor onto slippery wooden one (but this doesn’t happen every time)..
I’m just curious, how many clicker lessons does it usually take? I guess it’s a good idea to repeat this exercise daily,for how many days? Cause with my dog it’s like: today he doesn’t remember he’s affraid, but tomorrow he’s terrified. Thanx for the help!
another great video emily! ***** but if you have two dogs and you’re training them in a same room and when you click to a certain dog, wouldn’t the other dog get confused whiether the owner is clicking for him or the other dog?
Great video with very helpful information! My chi, River tends to get fearful of certain things if she has one negative incident with it, so this will come in handy.
I have to say that I just love Kiko. She is just so elegant and adorable. I didn’t know about her ankles though.
I’ll be sharing this on Fbook!! Thanks!
I just love to watch little Kiko. Thanks for posting Em, have passed this along to a friend whose dog is afraid of the stove because of the timer noise. Excellent vid!
I used this same technique for sleet when she took an intense dislike for a burnt out car that suddenly appeared on our path we walk each day. The day after I did the CC and desensitization, we went the same way again and sleet went off in front. I found her already at the car with her front paws on it waiting for her click and treat….obvously it worked, haha.
That’s great! Its so gratifying when they get over their fears 🙂
My dog used to be terrified of novel objects on our normal walking route (would hackle up and bark at them and refuse to pass them). To show her it wasn’t a scary thing I would let her stay where she was while I walked over and touched the object calmly, and then after a moment she’d follow and cautiously check it out (people probably thought I was nuts but nvm).
Now when she sees new objects she’s still wary and will look at me for my reaction, but she doesn’t hackle or bark anymore and if I tell her it’s ok she will approach and check it out on her own without me having to go first.
I love how this video shows that Kiko was so scared at the start and then built up and up 🙂 my brothers dogs don’t like the hard floors in his house so I will have to show him this video. I’m jealous of how clean your kitchen floor is, mine is always caked in mud at the moment as the dogs keep rushing in and out of the garden. I also just have to say how much I like kiko, she is SO pretty 🙂
Great training! This is a good video 🙂
WONDERFUL video! Great job. To think, she has no ankles on her hind legs and can still do such a great Celtic dance!!!!
I love your videos! You make it look so easy! I haven’t found a treat that my Bichon feels enticing enough to work for! She just can’t be bought for food or attention.
Great video.I met you at Liberty Sta and U gave us a clicker 2 help get my dog’s attn at the park…it works at home all the time, but not at the park. Here’s my dilemma. My dog is afraid of vacuum clnrs, plastic bags (the sound they make when they’re stepped on or balled up) and sudden movements. He loves walks, people, and other dogs. He is NOT motivated by food or praise and doesn’t like affection. We don’t know where to start with him. He’s 2 1/2 rescue pit,akita,pointer.Had him 2 years.
I just got a new rescue Red Heeler and she’s very scared of the bathroom. We’ve been using your technique and she can now come all the way in and put her nose on the side of the bathtub. Hopefully in the next couple weeks or so we can give her the bath she desperately needs 🙂
A big THANK YOU for this video! My dog is super scared of slippery floors as well and I have really tried everything to get him to relax. It hasn’t exactly been easy, but I will certanly try this method to build his confidence to the slippery floor.
Nice video! Love how you place your food for position or movement depending on what you want!
The only thing is isn’t counter conditioning (that’s a type of respondent conditioning). This is operant conditioning because the consequence, the click and treat, is what is changing the behavior.
Love your videos though, they’re great!
Thank you for this. My service dog in training developed a weird floor thing and I don’t know which floors will cause it. Having a tool like this available will be priceless as we start our public access training. In a few short minutes, I can get her comfortable on a floor so that we can move on to what we were actually going to train. I’m very excited to try this.
Very helpful, even though old. By the way, Kiko has ankles. Hip, knee, hock, toes. I see all of em. 😀