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ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING IS VERY
IMPORTANT-
Here you have links to different things that we train on.
Press links further down.We have all the
time beared in mind that Ambrosius will be a VERY large
and compact dog. Therefore it was important for us that
he already as a small puppy got trained and learned
certain things that we thought was good to know.
EVERYBODY
just looooves the little qute puppy and says "oh no
it doesn't matter, he is so small and qute". I have
told these people that I will be very angry at them if
they don't say the same thing when he weighs 60
kilograms.... if they not obey MY rules when Ambrosius is
small.
We
thought it was most fair to the dog to NOT let him do
things as a puppy that he wouldn't do as a adult dog.
This means for example - never jump up on people. THE DOG
CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE COULD DO IT BEFORE - AND
SUDDENLY ISN'T ALLOWED...
I made
up a list on things that I wanted Ambrosius to "put
out with" and since then we have trained a lot on
these things. My list has been enlarged from time to time
since I got new impressions, insights and thought all the
time.
We have
always thought of treating Ambrosius in various
situations as though he already is a grown up BIG dog.
The more you put your dog to in a planned way, the more
calm, safe and not afraid dog you will have. I read in
several books before we bought Ambrosius and I decided,
and wrote down, some things I wanted him to know and
obey.
PLEASE
NOTE! Think of not talk very much or give the dog special
attention when you put it through environmental training.
To not do any "affair" out of it helps the dog
to understand that YOU does not think it is something
special - and then the dog don't think it either. IF the
dog gets afraid or unsecure just talk with a nice voice
and do NOT avoid the thing/s. Start instead to walk
around it at a little distance and slowly approach it.
Also think about that the dog does not HAVE to learn
immediately. Sometimes it can take several times of
practising before he relaxes. Take your time and do not
put too much pressure on your dog.
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RIDE THE CAR
We started out
with just sitting in the car, me and Ambrosius. He got to sit at
the floor in the passengers front at a blanket. I brought a
newspaper and sat reading and pet him. At first he wondered what
this was.... but after a while he just lyed down and fell asleep.
We did this for a few times. OM he tried to climp up into the
seat I said firmly "NO!" and lifted him down to the
car-floor again. When sitting still I praised him and gave him
treats.
After a few
times, when noticing that he did not think it was frightening, I
started the car and we just sat still again. I pushed buttons,
blinked with the light, honk the horn, turned on the radio and so
on so that he should be familiar with the cars sounds. All the
time I praised him when sitting och lying still.
When this also gotten
into a routine I drove around at the parking lot so that he could
feel the car moving a little. Hit the breaks (very light). After
about 5 - 6 times of this car practise I had a puppy that didn't
care much about the phenomenon riding a car. It is also nice if
the dog gets the experience that riding the car means
"coming to nice places". After a while you will have a
dog who loves to ride with you.
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DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DUSTBIN MAN
The Dustbin
truck is very noisy - especially when emptying glass bottles and
metal cans. Every time I heard the "dustbin man" in our
neighbourhood I took Ambrosius out on a walk... At first he
thought it was VERY scary. We started out just walking around at
a distance. The chauffeurs was very nice and talked and pet
Ambrosius. He still do not LOVE this truck but he is not afraid
of it anymore.
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BIRDS
We do not know w
h y Ambrosius were so afraid of birds when he was a little puppy,
but we confronted this problem immediately and took him to places
where we could meet a lot of birds. A large pond with ducks,
visiting the harbour when the fishermen came in (a lot of
seagulls came also), the market place in the towns' city have a
lot of pigeons when feeding with bread...
It took some
times but suddenly one day he did not care much about them. He
was MORE interested in eating their bread crums... and chasing
them, but then mistress said NO!!!! with a loud voice...
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LOTS OF PEOPLE
-Visit city
centre.
-Market places and carnevals
-Procession of demonstrators
-Outside schools and daycare centers when the children is outside
playing
-Shows and exhibitions.
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FIREWORKS AND SHOOTING
About one week
before New Years Eve the children at our neighbourhood started to
shoot their fireworks. I told the children that I was training
Ambrosius to not be afraid and they just loved to help me....
hahaha
We walked around
the children in a wide circle - slowly, slowly approaching them.
This was good training for him and it resultet in that he was not
at all afraid on the New Years Eve 2000.
We have also
went to the shooting-area here in our town (people who is
practising and contest with shooting guns). I found out which
days they were training and then Ambrosius and I went there and
walked around outside the area.
I pretended as
if I thought this was the most natural thing in the world so
Ambrosius also thinks that nowadays.
Read the
report on Ambrosius
first new years eve.
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Report from Ambrosius first new years eve
You can really say that his first new years eve was a
TRUE ONE... Millennium 2000 and wow guess if there were a LOT of
fireworks in our neighbourhood. When the clock stroke five
minutes to midnight it was as billion camera flashes was turned
on. There were no end of the light phenomenon.
We went outside
without Ambrosius. We gave him a pigs ear to chew on while we was
opening our bottle of champagne right outside the front door.
Watching the fireworks and saying "Happy new
year!!!!!!" to each other. After five minutes I was totally
exhausted about worrying about Ambrosius inside.
Five minutes
past twelve I could not wait anymore. We opened the front door -
and there he was - calmly and methodically chewing at his pigs
ear... He did not worry a bit even though it was a real inferno
outside. He approached us happily waving his tail and wanted to
follow us outside. We let him go outside - leaving the front door
open in case he changed his mind...
Ambrosius seemed
VERY happy being with us outside. He looked up into the air at
all the "stars". Waving his tail and VERY interested in
misters champagne-glass... he was allowed ONE zip from the glass
- after all it was millennium.
To tell the
story shortly, Ambrosius took the New Years Evening very calmly
and was not the slightest exhausted. We pretended as though this
was very normal (fireworks and their noise) - so he also thought
that.
Niiiiiice to not
have a dog afraid of firework.
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FANS
Fans and other
similar sounds can be experienced as "dangerous" by the
dog. We always confront Ambrosius with various sounds.
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MUSICIANS at
the city centre
First time
Ambrosius experienced a music-group playing at a jippo in the
city centre he started to bark at them. Often there are various
entertainers in our city so it is a good idea to confront the dog
to it. Often it is very loud and noisy with a lot of people
standing around listening.
We started out
walking quite far away and slowly approached the place. It was
five guys from Mexico playing pan-pipes, guitar, drums and
synthesizer - it was really loud and it took quite a while before
I could get the dog to pass without barking.
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PROCESSION OF DEMONSTRATORS
This is a good
exercize. People shouts in megaphones and the adrenaline is
flowing in the bodies of the "trouble-makers". Keep
your distance so that you don't end up in the middle of a
fighting crowd.
Ambrosius and I
have visited one demonstration and more will come because this is
a good exercize for him. This time he also get to say hello to
Police men watching the demonstration. They had their big yellow
jackets on and was VERY interested in pet Ambrosius. He just
loves to be petted so he enjoyed it.
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NOISY SIRENES
This exercise
demands more time from you..... go to the police station or
hospital emergency unit and wait until a vehicle starts with its
sirenes on. It is good if the dog have heard this noise.
Don't go too
close at first. Let the dog be familiar with the noise at a
distance at first.
Ones a month the
city is testing their alarms over the town and those days I just
opens all doors and windows so that we really can hear this noisy
sound.
The first time I
thought Ambrosius should die.... he was stiff in his body and
just stood there with his eyes wide open. I just sat down beside
him and lightened a cigarrett. Sitting totally still smoking and
pretending as if this was most ordinary event. After a while he
relaxed and started to smell at the flowers outside.
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NOISY CHILDREN
Ambrosius and I
went to a place a couple of times where some day-care-children
were on an outing. I had to tell all the children to sit down in
a ring around Ambrosius if they wanted to pet him. Then I told
them that if they could speak with a whispering voice and pet
with calm hands they would not be "bitten" by his sharp
puppy-teeth.
I explained to
the children that Ambrosius was just a little baby and that he
did not understand that he had sharp needle-teeth that could hurt
their little hands.
It was adorable
to stand in a park and see 15 kids who sat in a ring with
Ambrosius in the middle. All where whispering and stretched their
little hands in slow-motion towards him. Ambrosius was looking
with BIG eyes at all the little fingers that were stretching
towards him.
The three
day-care-teachers were also looking surprised, almost with tears
in their eyes at this harmonic, peacful sight.
When we meet
this day-care-group nowadays all the children starts to move
slowly towards Ambrosius - and he gets soooooo happy of all this
attention.
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STRONG NOISE
I have never
"dropped" so many things in my life since Ambrosius
came into our house. I train him to not bother about noises so
therefore I "drop" kitchen gears often.... Cans, forks,
metal bowls and so on...
Maybe he jumps a
little, but comes immediately forward to see what it was she
dropped NOW... hahaha
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TRUCKS
We went visiting
the post office terminal where Ambrosius master works. There is a
lot of trailers and trucks and this place is very noisy.
Ambrosius has spent some time down there just to get used to this
noisy world with its BIG trailers.
When he was
afraid I went to a trailer and "pet" it - just to show
Ambrosius that it was okey. He approached it and sniffed at it,
and then he did not bother anymore.
If you don't
know anyone who is working in such a place I am sure that you can
visit for example the public bus-station. Just tell them that you
are training your dog and I think they will let you go around in
the area.
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HOME
ALONE
We started immediately to train Ambrosius to get use to us coming
and going. Doors opens and shouts. We were careful with not doing
any affair of this. Of course we did not stay outside any door,
it was opened again IMMEDIATELY so that he never got any reaction
by feeling abandoned.
When Ambroisus
lived with us for a couple of weeks and so to say "find his
home" we started -very carefully- with the training to be
home alone. We went into the bedroom and closed the door, just to
open it again a very short while after. If I for example should
put the newly washed sheets into my closet I closed the door
behind me.
When he did not
react at this small moments being left alone we started to do
this for a little longer while (some minutes). We also started to
close the frontdoor with the kee so that he got used to this
noise.
After that the
next level was to leave him when going to the dustbin, which
takes about 3-5 minutes.
We also closed
the front door with the kee. Then we sat right outside the
frontdoor (quietly). We sat there and listened. As soon Ambrosius
did scratch with his paw on the door, we said "NO!" and
continued to be quiet for a LITTLE WHILE. Then we opened the door
and came home.... we did NOT do ANY affair of coming back. Not
pet him very much.
In this way we
trained him until he didn't care at all - it took about one week.
PLEASE
NOTE: Ambrosius was not left alone for real more than
1½ hour until he was about 4 months old. Now he is 8 months old
and the absolutely longest time for him to be alone is 4 hours.
This is not happening very often.
IMPORTANT: Do not do any
"affair" of the situation when you leave the dog or
come home. If you do the dog thinks "oh dear, my mistress is
very exited about this... it must be something special with this
situation..."
The best thing
to do (my personal opinion) is to show the dog by doing.... It IS
very normal that people come and goes all the time. The dog will
also think that after a while.
WE USED THE
WORDS "COMING SOON" WHENEVER A DOOR WAS CLOSED SO TODAY
HE KNOWS THAT HE WILL BE HOME ALONE FOR A WHILE BUT THAT WE
ALWAYS COME BACK TO HIM. WE HAVE WATCHED HIM OUTSIDE WINDOWS SO
WE KNOW THAT HE GOES TO SLEEP WHENEVER WE ARE LEAVING HIM.
Do
not put pressure on your dog IF you notice him/her to be very
anxious... train with calm and respect.
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HOUSETRAINING
There are three
rules that you HAVE to obey.
Immediately
bring the puppy out on the grass after:
- eating
- sleeping
- playing
Watch your
puppy, you will soon recognize the "signs" when he has
to go...
Praise A
LOT when the puppy is doing right.
IF you see the puppy doing in the house, say NO! and lift it up
and run out to the grass. If/when the puppy continues on the
grass give A LOT OF PRAISE.
I used the word
"pee" whenever Ambrosius did it outside... after a
while I only had to bring him outside and say the word, and then
he peed...
IMPORTANT
TO KNOW:
When the puppy is very young it is IMPOSSIBLE for it to hold back
his needs, because his body is not yet fully developed for that.
Please be
patient and watch your dog like a hawk. Remember, it is NOT the
puppies fault if it does inside... it is YOU who must watch it
more!!!
Good Luck!
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CLIP CLAWS and HANDLING
YOUR DOG
Immediately when Ambrosius came to our home I started to train
him to be "handled" in many different situations.
The first
exercise was to teach him to relax and let me touch him
everywhere.
I teached him to
lay on his back and be pet, scratched and squeezed on (carefully
of course). I smelled him in his ears and put my fingers gentle
into his ears. I looked often at his teeth, lifting his lips and
PRAISED a lot saying "Oh what niiiiiiiice teeth my puppy
has" in a VERY positive voice.
I lifted his
eye-lids very carefully. I squeezed the penis and looked and
touched a lot at his paws and between his toes.
All these things
I have done EVERY DAY for about ten to fifteen minutes and it
have resultet in that Ambrosius thinks this is VERY normal and
nothing strange at all.
When I noticed
that he was totally relaxed and didn't bother I put in some new
excercises such as grease his paws with vaseline and clip his
claws.
The first time I
decided to just clip one paw at a time. The one day I clipped one
paw, and the other paw the next day and then I went on like that.
I even did clip when not needed... I pretended clipping (just one
millimetre) just so that we got to practice. This is a good way -
because WHAT says that all claws HAVE to be clipped at the same
time?
Ambrosius has
done rebellious tries to get away, but I have not given up so he
has now understood that he can just as well surrender and lay
down because "mistress n e v e r gives up". WHEN he has
tried to get up from the floor I just layed my hand on his cheek
and held him down. I never says anything in situations like these
- just waiting for him to lay down again and relax... and then I
just go on like nothing has happened. When he lyes still I do
some smalltalk with him and we have a cosy moment where our bond
is strenghten. THIS IS A VERY GOOD LEADERSHIP EXERCISE - to get
your dog to fully trust you and be able to relax is a very good
thing.
It is of utmost
importance that you are MORE stubborn than your dog. Never let
your dog walk away from you until you have succeeded in what you
did plan to do!!!!
To have
a dog that is nice and easy to be handled have many advantages:
- I will
immediately discover if he has got fleas or ticks.
- I will discover if he has some injury.
- It is more nice to take him to the veterinary if needed.
- It is good if he is used to be touched everywhere.
My
guiding thought is to do thing OFTEN - it makes the dog
understand that it is nothing dangerous or strange at all.
Here lyes Ambrosius with
his own socks on his paws... well maybe you think that I am
STRANGE but his paws often gets cracked and dry. Therefore I
grease them with lots of vaseline sometimes.
Wise of
experience to have a dog that suddenly gets up from the floor
with vaseline on his paws I puts socks on his paws for about 30
minutes until the vaseline is sucked into the paws. With socks on
Ambrosius he can not lick and bite on the paws and walks around
in the house, greasing my floors and rugs.
PLEASE OBSERVE watch your dog if you do
like this. It is HARD for your dog to raise with socks and
vaseline - it can happen that he strech himself if he gets panic.
I sit with him and pet him and give the command "lay down
and stay".
Do not think for a
minute that Ambrosius loves his mistress' strange ideas - BUT
this is a good leadership exercise. A mistress SHALL be able to
do almost anything with her dog without him mind too much.
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SUNGLASSES -
MACHO MEN
July 2000.
Ambrosius is now 1 year and one month old.
Ambrosius has
REALLY gotten into the "final battle state".... A
couple of days ago he barked at everyone who passed outside our
gate. We told him NOOOOOO and corrected him each time. So he has
calmed down.
BUT TODAY we
discovered another new phenomenon....
A friend to my
husband came forth to say hello to Ambrosius when he was in the
car. The door was open and I stood right beside the dog. The
friend approached Ambrosius and I heard with horror a terribly
low dangerous GROOOOWL from Ambrosius.
The friend
didn't bother!!!!!!!! For a split second I was chocked - he has
NEVER done like this before. ALWAYS loved everyone...
Suddenly I
understood what it was... My husbands friend weared SUNGLASSES with
glass that reflected as a mirror....
I quickly told
him to take them off and the dog calmed down...but was on his
guard.
I have not
thought of this in my environmental training.... but NOW
I will train, train, train him not to bother about such
things as sunglasses.
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