Draken | German Shepherd | Huntington Beach, CA | In-training
- wyattoffleashsocal
- Jan 22, 2023
- 22 min read
Updated: Mar 13, 2024
Draken is a 7 month old German Shepherd who has joined OffLeash SoCal's Two-Week Board and Train Program. He is a young dog with a lot of puppy energy. He gets excited when he sees other dogs and fixates and barks. He is mildly reactive to bicycles and passersby. He pulls on the leash and is otherwise easily overstimulated. We are going to work on his obedience and learning to keep calm and focused in the presence of these distractions. Draken did come with a healing but sizeable hot spot on his rear end. Owner has provided medication and instructions for administration of the medication. Otherwise he is healthy and happy. Look forward to Draken's two week transformation!
Today was Draken's first day and my chance to observe the behaviors described at pick up. He was reactive and overly interested in other dogs and people to a lesser extent. He would fixate on bicycles and joggers and other moving objects. He barked and pulled to go and investigate what excited him. These are all normal puppy behaviors but we are going to help him get control of himself. The goal is neutrality to the world at large so you can give him permission to interact and he will find his rewards in the future rather than the present which he finds so overwhelming. Im enjoying his personality and building our relationship so he finds it easier to accept my guidance while I begin the process of shaping his various behaviors into commands.
Today we spent time working on come, heeling and showing Draken how to sit as well as a place command. I worked on using his name and telling him good when he gave me good eye contact/focus. You will want to encourage him to pay attention to you when it matters most and the basic first step of that is name recognition and praise. You can and should talk to your dog and tell him when he is doing well. Remember that he doesnt have a natural instinct to sit/place/down etc, however he does have a natural instinct to fit in with his family and not upset the hierarchy. Dogs are pack animals that thrive on structure and he is looking for guidance as well as praise, so if you provide him with praise and show him how to behave it will make him happier and more comfortable with his surroundings.
Whenever he looks to you or gives you that eye contact you can make a big deal out of it and tell him what a good boy he is. Also you can and should give him physical affection/petting but only as he calmly maintains his position.
I showed him how to sit first by gently applying leash pressure/stimulation combined with saying the command "Sit". I began showing him I can leave him in this position and he should stay there but that I will give him a ton of praise. As soon as he understood that I began showing him how to "Come" and walk around behind me as he finds the heel position. I then commanded him to "Sit" again when he was in the right place. I would of course reward him with praise and affection but I encouraged him to maintain his obedience and wait for me to say "Break" before looking to walk away or have some freedom.
I did repetitions mixing up the process but we worked on these skills altogether today and he was able to figure it out quite a bit! Important to mention: his hair is VERY thick around his neck and the contact points on the e collar that come standard werent doing a good job of sending the signal we want. I am sending him home with extra long titanium contact points to help him actually feel the stimulation.
I noticed his hot spot/skin irritation extends beyond the shaved area. I am treating what I see with the topical spray and giving oral medication at meal times.
Today we worked on heeling, come, name recognition, sit, place and introducing the down position. The earlier skills he has practiced continue to improve. He is learning at a good pace and for the most part is quick to respond to corrections/stimulation from the e collar. He is sometimes stubborn when he gets tired but if you stick with the program he does accept what he has to do and complies.
Draken is built like a lot of other German Shepherds currently and his rear legs arent very powerful. He doesnt enjoy jumping onto ledges or higher surfaces and generally I don't think he should be doing that kind of thing. It could be potentially dangerous for keeping his hips healthy and comfortable for his daily activities if he has much impact on his joints especially while young and still growing. A place can be anything easily discernible from the surrounding environment. A towel at the beach, a yoga mat, a big cloth napkin. So long as he can differentiate by sight, by smell, by touch he will understand that he is supposed to place there. But generally avoid anything he needs to jump down from as the impact over time can cause problems as well as the potential for a single traumatic event. That being said he seems to be moving ok but it is something to consider as he ages and continues to grow.
I worked on exposing him to more distractions like people walking their dogs or riding by on scooters and bicycles. He is holding his positions very well and starting to reliably come when called even at a distance. Around distractions his heeling still needs work but he is getting better all the time.
When I first started showing him the down position he was hesitant and didn't want to go with the pressure from the leash. I decided to use a clip of him protesting a little bit to show you what that looks like. Just stay consistent with the pressure and continue asking without escalating. His reflex is to oppose the pressure being exerted on him so we are trying to show him that when he yields to pressure it goes away sooner and he is comfortable again. The idea isnt to be painful or distressing but uncomfortable enough that when he wants to adjust and get into a better position he ends up doing what we are asking but he thinks it's his idea. A win-win is the best way to train especially for situations where a dog is being stubborn.
Today Draken and I met with some fellow trainers and took the opportunity to work on his reactivity around other dogs. We practiced the same obedience commands he has worked on so far but with the addition of multiple new dogs to work around. He was able to maintain his behaviors mostly without distraction but I did have to remind him not to break away a few times. It is going to be a continued effort after he returns home to get him the practice around other dogs in public so he can remain focused on the task at hand. He isnt a robot so expecting him to be perfect isnt realistic however with a little bit of consistent practice he will continue to behave with the same sense of calm and comfort that he has been for me.
His place command is getting stronger every day and he is good at holding his positions with distractions but the allure of another dog so far seems to be his biggest temptation to misbehave. He is still a puppy and his temperament is very sweet and gentle so I think he could handle learning to introduce himself and play with a friendly dog but the idea is to help him dispel the compulsive desire to play before we allow him to. This way he learns to control himself and the reward is interaction rather than interaction being so appealing he loses his manners. We want the potential play to reinforce the obedience and not to undermine it. It is a tricky thing to balance but he is figuring out the best way to access rewards is to be calm and responsive to my commands.
His skin is looking more clear, I think the medication is helping! We are getting along famously.
Today we worked on extending the duration of place as well as adding even more distractions and new environments. You will find that when you are in a relatively calm or relaxed environment with few distractions a lower level on the e collar is capable of correcting him but that when enticing distractions are overwhelming his self control-- that level will increase. Dogs approaching or even friendly people excite him but he is far more motivated to interact and say hello to new dogs. We will try a controlled introduction and see if he can maintain his good manners with a dog soon in the training but for now we continue building his self control and making the boundaries clear and easy to understand.
We practiced at a home depot as well as the busy parking lot and the sidewalk at the street. He is able to maintain his focus very well already and I am quite happy with his progress. I introduced him to a few people and he only broke his focus and wanted to fixate on dogs that walked by but otherwise didnt come out of position when he was offered affection. You will notice one of the people petting him reaches over top of his head and he ducks away from this...that is totally normal and why we encourage new people to pet under the chin as it is less pressure and less likely to result in the dog leaving their sit/breaking the command. Unfortunately people sometimes get excited or forget etc but he still did very well considering.
It is crucial to practice all of his commands and behaviors in different places and at different times of day in order to make the concepts more general and help him to understand that there isnt any one specific place he has to behave or gets to be wild. Remember even your living room or front yard etc places he normally spends time in should also be associated with good behavior and following commands. But its not all work and no fun! The break command is meant as a reward as well as a release to go potty etc. When you break the dog you can make a really big deal with your voice and give him a lot of love so he visits/checks in with you before wandering off to do his business.
He has had some loose stools yesterday and today but it seems to be getting better. I will update as the days progress.
Today we went to the Santa Monica Pier and worked on heeling and the "come" command. I have been able to practice his off leash manners in quieter environments but am still playing it safe and giving him extra help with a long line in busy and potentially stressful situations. He doesnt mind crowds or noise for the most part but does feel uncomfortable with people running up or passing at a fast pace.
I included in his video for today a moment where he felt uncomfortable and needed some extra help to show you what that may look like. Dogs arent robots! They are emotional creatures and will make mistakes. Thats ok! Its normal and all part of the process. To maintain your relationship and show him you are a trustworthy leader its important to not just tell him what to do or get frustrated when he makes mistakes and instead help him to reset and try again. Of course frustration is a natural emotion to experience when an unexpected change occurs but remember he is going to be very aware of whether you are pleased with him or not as praise is his pay check and adding even more stress on top of a break in behavior doesnt reduce the work load or relax him.
That being said you can and should still correct him so long as you remain calm and provide those little bits of help when he is struggling. We will continue to build his confidence and enhance the behaviors he has been taught while he is boarding however keep in mind that he is only a young pup and still maturing and helping him out with lots of praise and encouragement and patience will only help you in the long run. He will need continued practice at home to make sure these behaviors stay strong and that he is confident in himself in different environments.
With consistency in your reactions to his mistakes/correcting him in a peaceful patient and careful way, we can ensure that his own reaction to the corrections is one of seeking proper placement and behavior and not shutting down or avoiding conflict. You will notice dogs wanting to hold perfectly still or even run away back to a familiar and safe place when they are over stressed. It is part of the process to both avoid them shutting down in the first place by going at a pace that they can handle as well as making all of our commanded behaviors a safe place where the dog experiences praise and rewards so that when they feel compelled to "avoid" the stress they do so by running right into a "heel" or a "come" or a "down" etc. The commands are an island of understanding, familiarity and comfort amidst so much new stress and environmental pressure.
Dog training is about trial and error...when the dog makes a mistake we have to be able to show him both what was wrong and then what is expected instead and when he has fixed himself we reward him with plenty of praise. The reward is crucial to showing him the correct position is where he WANTS to be. Feel free to love on your dog a lot when he does his job! Its good for both of you to show affection when he does the right thing. He will seek out correct behavior in order to recieve affection even without you reminding him if you make sure to praise him a lot when he does a good job. Of course the balance should be to show excitement and love and affection so he feels very well compensated but without over excitement triggering him to leave his position early. Petting under the chin helps with this. When he is doing a very good job--heeling in proper position, sitting, downing, waiting at his place...whatever it is he is working on if he has been holding it for a little while be sure to tell him "break" and give him a huge reward. In this way we can mark the previous behavior as being the most desirable and release him to a big reward without the reward itself being a distraction. Alternate between praise while he holds behaviors and releasing him to rewards to have more variety and keep things fresh and fun while you train. It also helps him to distinguish between being told good when he is meant to stay put, and being told good when he is allowed to play. Making the rewards clear and distinct helps him to make better choices on his own.
We introduced Draken to another pup in training and they mostly ignored one another. He can control himself if given the chance! He did very well and I will try more introductions this week.
Today I worked on graduating from the leash to off leash in my living room. Confined spaces make it possible to work dogs off leash with more freedom for the dog to problem solve and self actualize without the potential hazards of running off or bumping into new stressors that you weren't prepared for. I worked on "place" and "come".
He was offering the behaviors without resistance consistently on leash so I felt confident he knew the concepts well enough to test him and correct him where he fails. He was stubborn and occasionally needed me to give gentle pressure pulling his collar toward the place bed but otherwise was able to work out his mistakes in a controlled manner without a lot of extra interference from me.
When it comes to mastery of concepts we are looking for gradual and consistent displays of the smaller parts that make a whole behavior. So in the video when he makes the mistake of running around the room I am able to correct him with stimulation and reminders with my voice...he eventually comes and finds my side. Is that the perfect final picture? No it isn't but the practice of him finding the right answer when he is wrong is equally as important as showing him the right answer when he doesn't know it yet. Now that we are sure he knows the ideas we can put him in situations where he has to work it out with less and less help. Of course still offering him help when he is truly struggling but still allowing him the time necessary to find an answer on his own using the tools we have provided to him.
Every time we graduate in difficulty we can expect more mistakes but with those challenges are the best opportunities to learn. We are teaching Draken how to learn and with his newfound abilities we can encourage his self discovery using the good habits we are instilling in him. The connections he makes on his own will be far more powerful and lasting than anything I can show him. But that's the magical part of dog training: when we present opportunities for self discovery we are helping the dog to teach itself the right things to do, building his confidence and making him prepared for a more nuanced relationship with the world around him.
We are making the right thing EASY and the wrong thing HARD. So long as the balance of right things is easy and wrong things is hard he will make good choices. Making something hard can be as simple as a pinching sensation in his neck or as complicated as sitting every time he enters or exits a doorway. The added extra step making the easy thing of running outside harder to do and more convoluted gives him time to think. And after it becomes a habit it is far easier for him to do the easy thing and sit for a doorway than it is to do the hard thing and recieve stimulation for being incorrect, so he makes the choice to sit for his own comfort and ease of mind as much as he does it to recieve a paycheck. Corrections and rewards need to be balanced to make a balanced dog. Keep working with him as much as you can and I believe you will enjoy the continued benefit of results long after he comes home! We are at the half-way point and going forward the goal is to polish and enhance these skills he has already learned.
Today I wanted to take Draken into the neighborhood and give him some freedom to exercise his newfound skills and confidence. We went on a walk off leash while he dragged a small thin line as a transitional step between my holding the leash and his being totally responsible with no added help. There were a few moments where he was anxious or wanted to avoid new places/objects that seemed scary or overwhelming. When he wanted to avoid I was able to use a low stimulus from the e collar to quickly remind him and my voice to reinforce the command he was supposed to be working on.
As I mentioned before we are creating islands of comfort and familiarity to return to when the dog wants to avoid something overwhelming. In this instance the heel position has become the familiar and when he is distracted or wants to avoid my reminder/e collar stim returns him to that place of comfort rather than adding to the overall stress of the situation (because of the work we have done showing him what the sensation means and how to turn it off with his own behavior it turns a problem he can't solve in the environment into an immediate problem he CAN solve). This enables us to work through those stressful situations by doing repetitions of familiar tasks amidst the new environments/distractions etc.
Over time this reinforces the stability of the familiar safe space that is our position we have asked for....and it also reduces the stress in the environment doing the familiar tasks until the environment feels familiar and safe as well. By leaning into what was a source of anxiety as an opportunity to build confidence all the while presenting it to the dog as a choice between "stressful" experiences and our commands-- they will make the choice to remain calm and controlled mostly without interference. Where it is necessary to intervene we need less and less influence to get them comfortable because they are practicing the skills necessary to self soothe all the while practicing our training! It becomes a self reinforcing process which is why it is so crucial to keep the relationship free from anger or frustration as they will then have a less clear distinction between the stress we are teaching them to overcome and their island of comfort/your side/the area you have "placed" them in.
When the relationship suffers or we attempt to use more force than is necessary the dog will perceive the stress but not have a clear route to take it away and solve his own problems. When this happens the self reinforcing aspect can trigger unwanted habits or fears to form. This is where good leadership comes in and being a good handler/dog owner counts the most. You want to be your dog's advocate even while we are showing him the tough love necessary to grow and problem solve on his own. There will be times that it becomes unfair to expect them to sort it out without our help as I have been explaining in my previous pupdates.
For example sometimes dogs will have a hard time focusing and it can seem like a correction or more repetitions is necessary....when they only need to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom. Of course try and give him plenty of chances to work through stress on his own slowly and with careful supervision....but don't ever feel ashamed to jump in and put a pause on training for a bit if he isn't figuring it out and is overwhelmed past the point of being productive. Run through a list of necessities and make sure the dog has everything he needs before asking him for anything in return.
That can look like the dog avoiding and wanting to shut down (meaning hold perfectly still, head down, low body posture, tail tucked and other classic signs of fear). Keep in mind the goal is to avoid this in the first place but sometimes through no fault of your own the environment can present stress that becomes impossible to ignore. For example a mentally ill person yelling and screaming or being aggressive toward the dog. There's not a lot of benefit to subjecting the dog to something unfair that we can't control to an extent so just collect him and get away from things like that. Of course if possible....get some distance and work as close as you can WITHOUT the stress reactions! Now it has become productive again. So keep in mind the dog needs to solve his own problems going forward but we as good owners and handlers need to make sure we aren't putting him into unsolvable situations or that we don't put him in a position he isn't prepared for yet. Growth requires discomfort but too much discomfort halts growth....this is about balance! Good luck!
Today we worked on dog reactivity and house manners. I alternated between "place" with my own dogs and heeling Draken around the living room. One at a time they would wait on a place bed and then I would switch them. My dogs are extremely dog reactive and also benefit from calm practice working with the distraction of another dog nearby. The practice they have had around many other dogs before has helped them to learn to ignore the impulse to interact. They were composed and obedient the entire time we worked them all together. Draken was curious of course but the few times he made to break his position I was able to redirect him with some e collar stimulation and my voice. You will want to practice things like vacuuming or other chores while he is maintaining his place around the house and other locations. Give him the opportunity to rise to the occasion.
My goal in heeling my dogs around Draken while he held place in the home is to reinforce his composure in public. You will find he is more rambunctious and likely to break the rules at home because he feels comfortable there already and has in the past been able to get away with things he isn't allowed to do any longer. If we work at home we remove those old triggers and recondition his response to that environment and it gives us a baseline to return to when we need to problem solve before adding the potential unpredictable hazards of training in public. We will address your part to continue the training in more depth when we meet for Drop Off but keep in mind consistency is key and he will grow with more repetitions of quality but there wont be many problems you can solve permanently with just one session. For example sometimes a dog can be corrected from jumping on the counter in search of food with only one session but the kinds of issues Draken is working on are all long term and require him to form good habits to carry forward throughout his life rather than a single event that he will be shaped by. That being said you will see progress that is gradual and then some days he will leap ahead. One of the joys in training dogs is when they surprise us as if they have been practicing without us present. Patience pays off! Being clear about what you want and going slow is faster than being in a rush and making mistakes or causing conflict in the relationship.
I also had him "break" in the house and waited for him to get curious in the trash can. He only needed one quick correction from the e collar and left it alone afterwards. Think of the single event learning type of moments as a "touching a hot stove" kind of lesson. He needs to learn it through self discovery which I have mentioned previously is the most powerful tool for learning.
I left my front door open and placed him on the bed while I went back and forth simulating trips with groceries or whatever else. He was relaxed and kept calm on the place bed. There were a few times he did break the rules and step off or want to investigate something. He needed a little help understanding returning to the bed to solve his problem but he is getting better at figuring out where to return.
His skin is looking better!
Today we went over to Offleash SoCal's owner's home in order to work with his personal dog Oso. Oso is a Chocolate Lab with years of prior experience helping to demonstrate the right attitudes to dogs in training. He has a perfect temperament for helping Draken: neutral and friendly. A neutral dog doesnt need to look for excitement in the world around him. He is able to be content and non-reactive to every stimulus. Being friendly is helpful because should Draken make any mistakes Oso is forgiving and gentle. Should you attempt to introduce or have any regular play partners, for example a friend or relative's dog that visits, I encourage you to seek out calm, neutral and friendly.
Draken can and will become overstimulated and in turn want to engage in play that wont serve him well in the short or long term. The potential for escalating conflict or a physical injury make it unwise considering his own exciteable nature and tendency to want to bite off more than he can chew so to speak. We have built into the training techniques for maintaining two dogs in a shared space to spend time together without necessarily having to always rough-house. That being said if he maintains his obedience and you can recall him using "come" or even "off" and then "come" out of a distracting/satisfying session of play then it will be ok to have those dog-friends for him that you understand to be friendly and neutral.
If he respects the obedience then he can be rewarded with more freedom. You have to be careful not to over encourage constant play or it will become a habit that may need more training to overcome. Social isolation isn't necessary but continue to give him time and gage how well he listens, have them coexist but not necessarily play for the first few times visiting and then slowly introduce them and observe. Allow chasing and wrestling and all the normal dog play behaviors but discourage any play that isnt going both ways. Meaning both dogs should appear to be "winning" in the interaction equal amounts of the time. Dogs that share in victory during play wrestling and chasing etc are displaying reciprocity which is a form of respect. If he is being respectful and his partner isnt, call him back using "come" and intervene by keeping them separate. However if he is being rude you need to say "off" and use the e collar stimulation to get his attention and correct the behavior. We aim to interrupt the bad behavior as it is happening.
We used a leaf blower around Draken today and he was able to conquer his discomfort around them by maintaining his "place" command. He was able to control himself without my intervention. He also showed incredible restraint around Oso despite obviously wanting to play and interact.
Today we worked on a practice run of our final video showcasing everything Draken has learned thus far. Keep in mind the scale of the stressors at play when working with Draken in public. It is good to test him and periodically bring him to high stress areas and work on exposure and desensitization but keep in mind working your way up naturally. Dont feel the need to take on more of a challenge than you feel comfortable with.
You will notice that as you work on the training and it becomes second nature your confidence in public will increase and your ability to be a good leader and navigate stressful situations with Draken will improve. He will be using your mood and energy as a sounding board to better understand his environment and if you are stressed out by the surroundings he will be too.
Remember you are also learning and going to be new to the new routine so be patient with yourself also. Its ok if you make mistakes! Just try to be honest with yourself about when it was your fault so you can set Draken up for success and keep him honest as well. It's good especially in the beginning to keep sessions short and rewards frequent and exciting. As you progress you will want to extend the duration of behaviors as well as how many different commands you ask him to perform before you reward him so that he can continue to delay his gratification.
Take it slow and enjoy all the little moments of success! The pride you feel he can also feel and there is a tangible improvement in training when you are enjoying each others company and having fun doing it.
Today Draken showed me a few little things to continue working on but otherwise I am very confident you will be pleased with where he is and also able to continue growing together for as long as you make the effort. I wish you all the success possible and remember your dog is trying his very best, reward his effort always!
Today we were able to introduce Draken to a totally new person he has never met and she was able to heel him off leash and perform his other commands. The goal is to produce behaviors that are easy for other people to reproduce when they are on their own and you will notice as I have said before that initially Draken won't be as sharp and on point for you as he may want to revert to the previous rules of the relationship. Don't worry! This is normal. This is the exact reason practice is so important, especially on your part more so than for the dog. You won't feel as natural and comfortable with the commands initially so it is important you make the effort to practice on your own without the dog. Get used to saying the commands and using the body language and the e collar remote in conjunction with each other but absent the dog.
If you take 5 minutes to run through the motions of each command every morning it will become second nature very quickly. It can be frustratingly easy to get confused in the moment and make the wrong hand gesture or say the wrong command. Also from my own experience there is a little bit of stage fright or just social discomfort you could say from speaking loud enough for your dog to hear you. We don't naturally want to draw a lot of attention to ourselves when we are still figuring out our skills. So don't worry! Everyone goes through it at one point or another and it just takes a little practice until you are saying the command and using your remote at the exact moment you recognize the need to without any hesitation.
Ultimately it is our goal to perfect the timing of our communication and if we are second guessing or clumsy with our commands it confuses the dog and isn't fair. Recognize there is a learning curve...everyone is different and you may not have trouble at all, however if you do just stick with the steps and follow the training.
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