I had done a post on shadow chasing a while back, and I decided to submit one of the comments to the expert to gain some, well, expertise..so here it is
The Question:
My dog, Cali, is a year and a half and she has had a fixation with shadows for some time now. She gets regular exercise every day, I run with her at least 3 miles, rollerblade, bike with her and if not that she runs around the dog park for at least an hour, usually more, anyway, you get the picture. I have been to a beginner dog training class, I have done hours of web research and her shadow fixation has not seemed to get any better. Once she fixates on a shadow she acts as if nothing else exists, she ignores me, dogs, toys, or anything for that matter. I read one of Cesar Milan’s books and there was one dog that seemed to have a similar problem, his diagnosis was that the dog was insecure. This dog was always being dominated by other dogs so, to him, shadows were an opportunity for him to dominate something, it was a sure thing and so he began to fixate on them. Cesar would tug on his leash in a way that would not hurt the dog but just lightly remove him from the shadow and after some repetition the dog stopped going after the shadows. I have tried this with Cali and she still has not stopped. I have tried to distract her with toys which does not really help. So far the best thing that I have found to control her fixation is to use treats as positive reinforcement for her “come here” command. As her response to the command gets stronger with the treat rewards I can control her fixation on shadows by allowing her to willingly remove herself from the situation and focus on me. It takes ALOT of repetition and patience on my part and on her part. I still continue with other methods of distracting her with toys and tugging on her leash but the “come here” command has the best affect so far.
The Answer:
Dear Worried Dog Owner,
I am impressed by your love and dedication to Cali. You are actively implementing methods to reduce her energy level and to create a state of balanced energy. I see that you encourage Cali to exercise at a level that is safe for her age and fitness level. You have created a wonderful leadership foundation.
Dogs that have an obsession with chasing shadows, as you have found are so mesmerized by their addiction that nothing can redirect their attention. You have written that food seems to be the one thing that will redirect Cali away from shadows.
In this case, I would recommend that you use food that Cali finds impossible to resist. For some dogs this could be cheese, chicken breast or even Cheese-Whiz from a can. Other dogs have a sweet tooth. I knew of one dog that would ignore every type of training treat except marshmallows!
The first step is to create a list of premium dog foods & dog treats that your dog loves-and yes you can use human food. Rank your dog’s treat preferences from one to ten and create what I call “Doggie Trail Mix”, a delightful mixture of irresistible treats that you can pull out to reward your dog for ignoring the shadow.
When you begin a training exercise to teach your dog to turn away from a shadow, make sure that Cali is very, very hungry as this will make your “Doggie Trail Mix” even more desirable.
Create an opportunity for the shadow to appear and use the leash tugging technique to physically redirect her away from the shadow. When she turns, make the turn (even if it is just her nose) and reward her lavishly with treats. Since the shadow chasing behavior is so strong you may have to give her a ‘jackpot’.
A jackpot is a big handful of treats that is presented with the dog when it responds to your request. The jackpot, if it is used sparingly, will increase your dog’s desire to turn toward you instead of the shadow. The best way to use the jackpot is in a random pattern. Perhaps six tiny pieces of food and then one jackpot. You always want to mix it up so that Cali never knows when a jackpot will happen.
Try the ‘jackpot’ technique along with the leash guidance for two weeks and write back and let me know if this tip increases your success in reducing Cali’s obsession.
In an earlier post, I wrote about the benefits of playing with your dog, using games to build trust and communication, not to mention expend the inexhaustible canine energy. Well, recently my boyfriend begin roller blading with Stranger. Inspired by the Dog Whisperer, he thought roller blading would be ideal, a fun workout for both of them. We chose early morning and a quiet street in our neighborhood to limit traffic and survive the heat. I stood by, worrying about my boys.
What if a roadrunner distracted Stranger? What if they became tangled? What if they ran into a car?
The pair started out pretty comical. Stranger was very excited but had no idea what he was supposed to do. Wasn’t he supposed to stay by our side? Isn’t that what we were always insisting? Now we want him to run full speed ahead? Humans are weird.
I started running ahead of them, calling Stranger to me as I went. Eventually, he started running ahead. Nick bent his knees and focused on his balance. I stepped out of the way, and off they went, disappearing around the bend. After a few minutes, I became very nervous. My mind started to fill with terrible scenarios. Just as I was about to go looking for the two loons, they appeared, exhausted and ecstatic.
A couple more rounds…
Stranger took a two hour nap, and my boyfriend drank some water and collapsed on the couch. I sat down to write, thinking “hmm, I should do this more often.”
I highly recommend roller blading with your dog if you are very comfortable on blades. If not, get comfortable before you attach a dog to you. A fun ride can easily become a dangerous situation so there are a few very important things to keep in mind:
Choose an area without traffic or any other distractions. Try to find a quiet path with shade.
Wear protective gear, helmet, elbow and knee pads
Use vocal signals to warn pedestrians (better to do it in a place or a time where there are few if any pedestrians)
Use a longer leash than normal. Its length should be able to alert you if your dog takes off unexpectedly and enable you to stay connected with him if he needs help.
Strengthen commands like heel or stop or slow (this is a tough one!)
A harness leash is best to avoid choking the dog if you have to stop unexpectedly.
Keep yourself and your dog hydrated. Make sure his pads aren’t getting worn out. Be mindful of how long you’ve been at it and how tired your dog is.
Enlist a wing man or woman to help
Have fun : ) And as always, let me know if any of you have tried this with any success (or failure).
BioArts, a California based company, recently held an essay contest that asked “Why Does your Dog Deserve to Be Cloned?” and as the prize, offered to preserve the dog’s DNA and clone it. The winner is a Canadian search and rescue dog named Trakr. Trakr is a 15 year old German Shepard who helped rescue the last survivor from the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001.
BioArt will send Trakr’s DNA to its South Korean partner, the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, and Trakr’s clone should be ready by the end of the year.
Trakr’s owner, ex-police officer James Symington, joyfully declared, “Trakr means the world to me. To know that part of him is going to live on is just beyond words. It’s the greatest gift I’ve every received.”
What do you think? Wasteful? Exciting? Flying cars and bad business for the taxidermy industry?
It is undeniable that dogs do respond to a small selection of words, sit, fetch, stay, come, food but do they really have a capacity to understand more? Recent research shows that dogs possess a profound intelligence with the average trained dog knowing 160 words. Some dogs’ capabilities with language can even be compared to a three year old toddler.
And as long as I’m bragging, I might as well mention that dogs are also incredibly perceptive of body language.
One of my proudest accomplishments with Stranger is training him to wait until I wake up, rather than be woken up. Every morning, I wake up and after a few lazy belly rubs, I let the mutt outside for a couple minutes. I make some coffee, and Stranger no longer growls as the coffee maker gurgles. Maybe, he no longer feels threatened by its inanimate essence, and maybe he’s just gotten sick of me laughing at him as he tries to pick a fight with my morning rub. I give him some water but wait about an hour to feed him (this may have something to do with why I no longer wake on his terms). Lately it’s usually too hot to take him on a daytime walk, so instead, I have gotten into the habit of taking my cigarette break outside, using it as fetch time. So the first half of the day is filled with 15 minute sessions of fetch. It’s one of my favorite things to receive the morning with him. We see it so differently. I’m sketching to-do lists in my mind, while he is frantic with curiosity about the white butterfly roaming around, or slight and significant changes in scent that make him roll around on his back in happy delirium. Then, I give him 2 cups of Orijen adult dog food that he proceeds to eat over the next hour. I sit at my computer, check my mail, horoscope, yada yada while he proceeds to investigate the house for any changes or threats. I view this as a brave and protective act, how sometimes he feels in charge of my security.
As I cook lunch and run errands, Stranger either follows me around or naps or chews on a toy. Around 6 or 7 in the afternoon (depending on the heat), I take him to the dog park. We probably go to the dog park every other day, followed by a walk on the adjacent trail. On weekends, we go down to the woods and river and let him run around unleashed while maintaining strict limits on how far away from us he can go. And again and again, I witness and envy his relationship to nature, how aware and curious he is of it, of how much he sees in a single foot of flame brush.
We come home, and Stranger eats another cup of dog food. I prepare dinner or do some more work. By this point, he is tired and calm. Sometimes, I watch a movie and he snuggles by my side. Then, bedtime! He usually falls asleep by the bed a couple hours before I’m ready to call it a day.
Since I started to work from home, I’ve been lucky enough to get a lot of time with Stranger. We’ve established a very steady routine together, and I think it’s brought us much closer. I’m sure much of this sounds mundane, and I hope I haven’t bore you, but it’s companionship in the simplest tides that keep us close and strong, allow us to see the world through each other’s eyes.
Some romance, huh?
Do you have a routine with your dog? Tell me, what’s the highlight of your day?
