BAXTER + DARWIN + ROSIE

 SCHEDULED SESSIONS

07/20/2023 - 07/23/2023: Pet sitting

SCHEDULE TRAINING

GENERAL TRAINING TIPS

USING “YES!”: The “yes” acts as both a marker and secondary reinforcer. The “yes” marks the precise moment that a dog rehearses a specific behavior that is going to elicit the primary reinforcer, usually tasty treats. The dog now knows that when “yes” is communicated, the behavior they just performed is about to be rewarded. This association of the marker with a primary reinforcer also means it is a secondary reinforcer, which promises the delivery of the reward in the near future. You don’t have to use “yes”, you can choose any word you would like or you can use a clicker as well.

HIGH vs. LOW VALUE REWARDS: I recommend using lower value treats (kibble) in less distracting environments, such as inside the house. Save the higher value treats for outside where there are more distractions.

RATE OF REINFORCEMENT: The rate at which you reward your dog may need to be increased when there are more distractions or when a distraction is particularly stimulating. For example, practicing settling on the bed inside your house without distractions will require a lower rate of reinforcement as compared to when a new person enters your home which will require a higher rate of reinforcement that may feel like you are constantly marking and rewarding back to back.

JACKPOTS/FOOD SCATTERS: Jackpots and food scatters are similar in that they are both unexpected, large, and valuable rewards, and can contain the same amount of treats, but they are different in terms of the purpose they serve. A jackpot is used to provide multiple treats, to possibly increase the value of the reward, whereas a food scatter is intended to provide a break while the dog sniffs and searches for each piece of food.

08.01.23 darwin + baxter Acceptable URINATION TRAINING PLAN

  1. We’re ditching the diapers!

  2. Darwin + Baxter should not be allowed to roam the house unsupervised. This means back to crate training or contained to a small gated off area/x-pen to start off. In this area, they should have access to a pee pad (they won’t need a pee pad if they are in their crate).

  3. Maintain a consistent schedule that you take Darwin + Baxter out each day so they can depend on going to the bathroom outside at a particular time each day. This is especially critical at the beginning of the potty training phase.

  4. ALWAYS bring tasty treats in a training pouch when bringing them outside on a walk or to the backyard. Mark and reward ANYTIME they go to the bathroom. This DOES NOT include marking but DOES include if they go #1 and #2. It may be difficult to discern marking from a regular #1 so it is a good idea to mark and reward the first time they go #1 when you go outside, but discontinue marking and rewarding for continued #1s.

  5. It is important to keep a close eye on Darwin + Baxter especially if they are in a gated off area of the house. If you ever catch them marking in the house, clap, rather than saying their name, in order to interrupt the behavior, and carry them or leash them up and take them outside immediately in order to finish their business. Even if they are finished, still proceed to take them outside in order to associate the behavior with being outside/something they should do outside instead.

  6. Slowly give Darwin + Baxter more space and roam of the house by extending the gated off area, to see if they are successful with more freedom. Decrease the area if they continue to struggle with marking. Continue to expand if they are successful.

  7. This is something that will take time, so allow for mistakes, time, and patience while Darwin + Baxter adjust. Slow and steady progress is the goal.

  8. If Darwin + Baxter adjust successfully and are only going on the pee pads indoors, the next step would be to discuss how to transition the pee pads out of the house for all dogs. At this point, if you would like, we could also discuss a way to introduce a bell on the door or something similar, as a way for the dogs to indicate that they would like to be taken outside/need to go to the bathroom.

  9. I also believe continuing to practice basic manners with all your dogs will help strengthen your relationship with each dog, provide enrichment, as well as an outlet for each dog that may decrease stress. It is my recommendation to be practicing these basic manners skills in addition to potty training. These skills include but are not limited to sit, stay, recall, down, off, heel, watch me, look, leave it, take it, drop it, etc.

  10. Continue using your enzymatic cleaner to clean all soiled accident areas.

  11. Rosie can roam the house as she pleases but I believe it would also be good for her to spend a good amount of time with her brothers in their gated off area as well. She may provide good company to Darwin + Baxter as they go through their potty training transition.