Hi From Phoenix Az

tylerthegiant

tylerthegiant

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself and my furbabies!

I have four dogs, 2 boxers and 2 great danes. I have Apollo (male fawn boxer, four this month) Mia (female fawn boxer mix 2), JJ (female black GD, 2) and Lucas (male white GD-deaf and visually impaired, 2). I started out with Apollo and Mia, and adopted the GDs later, which is why the last 3 are the same ages but I didn't get them all at the same time)

All of them have had some behavioral issues and I feel like I've mostly worked on those but since any PR is good training they do know some tricks as well, just to continue their education but I'd love the teach them more!

I am fairly new to clicker training, shaping and am a PR convert, very passionate about it and love the results. Looking forward to learning from you all and teaching the furbabies some impressive tricks!

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Thank you for the welcome and the compliment, Brody is adorable too! What kind of dog is Brody?

Apollo I got from a breeder, Mia was rescued as a puppy, JJ was rescued at 10 months, Lucas at 15 months. I don't regret getting any one of them even though they are a handful at times!
 
tylerthegiant said:
Thank you for the welcome and the compliment, Brody is adorable too! What kind of dog is Brody?

Apollo I got from a breeder, Mia was rescued as a puppy, JJ was rescued at 10 months, Lucas at 15 months. I don't regret getting any one of them even though they are a handful at times!
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Brody is a Border Collie mix. He is 10 months old. We adopted him from the SPCA on February 15, 2013. He can be handful, too, as all rescues are.
 
Hi and welcome! You have an adorable bunch! :love: Welcome to the world of P+ training, isn't it great? One of our moderators can give you lots of insights into deaf training, I'm sure she'll chime in. Have fun on the forum. Feel free to jump in anywhere or ask anything - there are loads of talented people here to help.
 
Thanks for the welcomes guys! PR is the best! I would love some insight into deafie training! Lucas is very biddable, very teachable, but a very independent learner. I use either a flashlight to clicker train with him, but it doesn't work so well in well lit areas, or a vigorous head nod as a marker, which has some limitations because he has to be looking at me to mark, and by then it's not as clear what behavior is being marked. So considering the great traits he has I can work with it's a little more slow going to teach the behaviors I want. Sometimes I feel a little stalled with him, and because of his behavior problems (which have very little to do with his impairments and more to deal with his previous environment and how it to led to his adaptive behaviors with his impairments) I really feel like it's time to expect more from him.
 
I see she uses a flashlight as well! Yes, I love that deafies adapt so well, they can do anything any other dog can do! There is no reason anyone should shy away from deaf dog ownership if the dog fits their household in every other regard. Most people don't even believe me that Lucas is deaf. I don't know what they might have been expecting a deaf dog to be like, but I assure them, he IS deaf! :rolleyes:
 
brodys_mom said:
He's not so great with the basic commands, but he really loves trick training!
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LOL he's a teenager, and just like the human ones, is showing you he's totally independent! Don't worry, one day he'll 'suddenly' remember all those basic commands, my boy was exactly like that!
 
Ooops, haven't even welcomed you:D So welcome it's great to have you on board.:) Thank you for rescuing so many beautiful dogs, and they're ALL beautiful, that's for sure. Sara, as Jackie has said, is an amazing deaf dog trainer, though she'll deny that one, and I know once she hears you have a deaf dog she'll give you loads of advice. P+ training is just awesome, wouldn't use any other type of training, the bond you develop with the dogs is truly awesome.
 
Welcome, your dogs are so cute. I love how you have two boxers and two Great Danes. I've been around both breeds and they are great dogs.
 
Thanks guys.

Boxers and danes are my fav breeds, although there's a lot more I'd consider in the future. I can say though, I'll always have a dane. Someday I'd like to adopt a nice, chill senior dane. The seniors are so hard to get adopted.
 
tylerthegiant said:
Thanks guys.

Boxers and danes are my fav breeds, although there's a lot more I'd consider in the future. I can say though, I'll always have a dane. Someday I'd like to adopt a nice, chill senior dane. The seniors are so hard to get adopted.
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Senior dogs are awesome, it's nice to have a calmer dog, though they can be moody. My senior is 16 soon to be 17.
 
Hello and welcome to the DTA!

I am the aformentioned deaf dog owner :) I currently have 2 (my Mom stole my first deaf dog, or I'd have 3) and I've fostered several more (Including a Dane who was deaf and nearly blind, for a short time). I actually prefer deaf dogs to hearing dogs. I tell people all the time that I never wish my deafies could hear, but constantly wish my hearing dog was deaf! ha ha ha. I get varying reactions to that, but hey, it's true! I also just adopted a deaf cat to round out my family :) My 2 Dachshunds are deaf for the same reason your dane is, Double Merle, one of my Dachshunds is also very vision impaired (the one in the vid Jackie posted) Yet, I find Mouse very easy to train.

I do use a very bright LED keychain light for a clicker for Mouse and Boo. I used a thumbs-up for Scout, however we were somewhat limited in what we could teach using that method (due to her having to look). You can also condition a touch as a click (tap on the shoulder, or wherever you decide) but you have to be careful not to replicate that in normal every day interactions. We actually just started up a clicker training for deaf dogs facebook page, if you're interested.

I do tend to do my clicker sessions with Mouse and Boo in low light situations, so it's easier for them to see the light, but I don't have to do any outdoor sessions with them, so don't need a "bright light" option for them, though Mouse does understand clapping motions as a "click" too.

My deaf cat is learning tricks using the light as a clicker too :)
 
Unfortunately I already conditioned the double tap as a "pay attention to me now" quite some time ago. Now I'm kicking myself for not having a way to mark when he's not looking, but I think it's too late now, and I can't think of another physical marker that wouldn't be easily confused with something else. He is very touch sensitive around his face and neck, I don't know if he can't see really well what I'm doing, or if as I suspect his past owner put a shock collar on him or if he's just one of those dogs that doesn't like being touched in that area.

One of the HUGE things we needed to work on was lose leash walking. He needed to go on walks for us to bond (he had no innate affinity for pleasing me but he loved his walks) and to get out that energy he has. He wanted to chase anything that moved and he's a massive, super strong dog, it was very unsafe for both of us. It did get hard to walk him not being able to mark behavior I wanted, so instead I just concentrated on attention exercises and counter conditioning triggers below threshold. He's been conditioned to pay attention so well he now constantly checks in with me! I think for something like heeled walking I'd have to reinforce it strongly in the house first, flashlight clicker it and then take it outside.
 
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