#clickertraining

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Aug 30, 2019
1 min

Manding with Krysta– 7 1/2 Weeks of Age

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Krysta is a masterful puppy trainer. Her enthusiasm draws the puppies to her, and her excellent timing of click and reinforcement lets the puppies know exactly what she is trying to say. The pups quickly become confident in their ability to make Krysta pay them – and snuggle with them! A good time is had by all, and the puppies never suspect that they are being “trained.” Perfect. I’m certain that from their perspective, K

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Aug 30, 2019
1 min

Manding – 7 Weeks of Age

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Teaching 3-5 week old puppies to mand is very easy. Their pudgy bodies end up in a sitting position frequently, which provides ready opportunities to click and reinforce the behavior. Working with pups older than this is more challenging because they have lots of learned behavior and muscle memory in moving around as puppies do rather than thinking about how to get a person’s attention. The other challenge can be getting a

Rosie Goes To The Vet

Aug 24, 2019
2 min

Rosie Goes To The Vet

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtrainingRecently I had the occasion to take six-month-old Rosie to the vet; you can see how stressed she was! Situations like this are where you can really see the benefits of the novel stimulus training pay off. Rosie and I were at the clinic for two hours. The techs took her to the back to draw blood, get a fecal sample, do a thorough exam, and who knows what else. The whole vet hospital fell in love with Rosie on this day as she

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Aug 24, 2019
2 min

Leash Work & Car Rides – 14-15 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining And now the real work begins…. Feeding puppies three times a day, poo cleaning, clicker training, livestock introductions, field transitions, and all the rest are easy – they are nothing compared to what is to come. To this point we have worked with the full litter as a group. Now our focus will shift to working with each puppy singly or in pairs. From now and until the pups leave me it is my goal to have them on leash onc

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Aug 24, 2019
1 min

Big Field Transition – 13 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining This field is our last big transition for the pups in terms of changing the fields they are responsible for. This transition is a favorite of mine, and for my puppy trainers, because it is such fun to watch the puppies explore this very big area that has so many elements in it that the pups have never seen before. The Blush pups did a wonderful job of owning this field right from the start! I always have volunteers station

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Aug 24, 2019
1 min

Pool Party! Novel Stimulus Challenge at 13 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining At this point in the pup’s training, it becomes more and more challenging to come up with things that they will experience as novel because we have done such a thorough job of convincing them that Martians could fall from the sky and they’d be just fine! This novel stimulus toy is one that I save to near the end of my puppy training window of time because it has the potential of really frightening the pups, and that is NEV

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Aug 24, 2019
2 min

1st Clicker Session For This Litter At 7 Weeks of Age

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Serendipity’s litter of ten pups, sired by our Benson Ranch Bonavento, was born on July 7, 2019. Training is what I love to do, so I thank Dr. Laura Bailey, the owner of Serendipity, for the opportunity to purchase five of the pups. Laura started these pups well using the Puppy Culture guidelines. The pups have acclimated quickly to their new life here on the ranch. They have the Blush puppies (now 15 wks old) as neighbors

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Aug 22, 2019
1 min

Training During a Fear Period – 13 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining The “fear period” is actually just a time of heightened sensitivity for pups. Typically these transient periods last for just a few days. It is important that extra care be taken during these times so that pups continue to learn only positive lessons; our training tasks are adjusted accordingly. I do very little novel stimulus work if any of the pups seem wary – there is still lots to do! Environmental challenges are appro

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Aug 21, 2019
4 min

A Language All Their Own

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Written by the owner of these animals: "This is a short video of Luna, a 5-year-old Maremma, and Stella, a 15-month-old Nigerian Dwarf who was new to the property. Her attempted introduction to the dogs had taken a bad turn when she panicked and butted, then kicked, my younger dog, who then retaliated. His retaliation was actually appropriate, and he didn't harm the goat, but obviously, we wanted to avoid that again. It

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Aug 2, 2019
2 min

Grooming During a Fear Period – 12 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining It is easy to teach puppies to be comfortable with necessary husbandry care, such as toenail trims, clipping, brushing, etc. if you listen to them and let them feel that they have some control over the situation. On this ranch, I have a lot of demands on my time and tend to be task oriented. If I make the time to do grooming with one of the dogs, I like to be able to complete that project and cross it off my list. I have l

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Aug 2, 2019
1 min

Food Exchange – 12 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Resource guarding issues are among the most common problems LGD owners have with their dogs. This behavior is learned – that is an important point. It is also a VERY easy behavior to prevent. This does not ever involve scolding the dog. Dogs that worry about needing to protect their resources are frightened or insecure. Telling them they shouldn’t feel that way or behave that way doesn’t make sense to them, doesn’t change

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Jul 28, 2019
3 min

The Difference Between a Command and a Cue

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Yes, I know. Not a Maremma. Not in a field. But this was the best video example I could come up with to illustrate the use of a cue and the willing participation of my dog. This is Josie, my three-year-old Miniature Schnauzer. I am taking part in a six-month intensive dog training course and Josie is my training partner, in part because she has to travel with me for the course. What is important for my course is the way th

Not “Sit”

Jul 27, 2019
3 min

Not “Sit”

#bensonmaremmastraining, #clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining I do not teach my dogs to “sit” and in fact this cue/command is a hot button for me. Here’s why: My problem isn’t with the behavior, necessarily, but with why and how it is usually asked for or ordered. Let’s start with what is always my primary consideration in training, which is the perception of the dog. I want my LGDs to feel powerful ownership of the fields they live in. Telling a dog to sit c

Introducing Puppies To New Livestock

Jul 27, 2019
3 min

Introducing Puppies To New Livestock

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining #clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Managing the environment for young LGDs as they learn their job is the safest, most effective way to be sure the pups get off to a confident start. I use great care when introducing puppies to any new livestock. Because I place only adolescent pups who have quite a bit of experience with livestock it usually takes the animals the new owner wants my dogs to protect longe

Novel Stimulus & Pavlov’s Dog

Jul 27, 2019
2 min

Novel Stimulus & Pavlov’s Dog

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining It is very rewarding to work with puppies. One of the most valuable tools a puppy in this age range can be taught is a positive emotional response to novel stimulus – a positive CER. Pups that have been taught a positive CER greet new things with confidence and curiosity. This becomes an automatic response in the pups – it isn’t a decision they consciously make. In layman’s terms, to the pups, something new means treats, o

The Magic Window of Time

Jul 27, 2019
2 min

The Magic Window of Time

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Puppies between three and twelve weeks of age are amazing learners. An eight-week-old puppy has the learning potential of an adult dog. Training done during this precious time frame actually increases the number of neuro-pathways in the brain. It increases the physical size of the pup’s brain and increases the potential for intelligence - forever. This early programming changes the quality of the dog’s life; it shapes his

Why On Leash?

Jul 27, 2019
3 min

Why On Leash?

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining For companion dog owners things like loose leash walking, sit, stay, heel, etc., are goals on the horizon. For me, with my Maremmas, I consider those things “parlor tricks.” Yes, I could teach those skills to my dogs but why would I want to? What I want to teach my dogs is to be bold, curious, and engaged in their environment. I use the leash while I further teach them to do this because having a line on them may help keep

Teaching An Incompatible Behavior

Jul 27, 2019
3 min

Teaching An Incompatible Behavior

#bensonmaremmastraining, #clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Remember that training is about creating behavior – not stopping it. Telling a dog to keep his feet off of you isn’t the same thing as manding, although in both cases the dog’s feet are indeed off of you. Teaching the dog that if he comes and sits in front of you he will indeed have your attention, and that he will be rewarded for doing so, builds relationship. Keeping the dog’s feet off asks for a

Using a Clicker to Teach Confidence

Jul 27, 2019
2 min

Using a Clicker to Teach Confidence

#bensonmaremmastraining, #clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining Clicker training gives me a tool that I can use as an emotional re-set for the pup in any situation. Puppies learn so fast and so well. I build such a strong reinforcement history with the sound of that clicker that just the sound itself makes the pup happy. I use this tool a lot in teaching the pups to be confident in situations they otherwise might worry about. If the pup is unsure I watch for th

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Jul 26, 2019
2 min

Barrier Challenges – 10 wks

#clickertraining #maremma #puppytraining #dogtraining When we finished our ramps game, we quickly moved on to the next challenge before the pups fell asleep and quit on us! Puppies have bursts of energetic play sessions and then take long naps; I wanted to take full advantage of having Barry’s help. There are several small and not-so-small fields that are attached to our main barn, all with areas inside the barn. Most of these fields and stalls are places the puppies had not

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