With a newfound intensity to be better for Cooper. I went on a journey to find the greatest teachers and mentors in the dog training world. Cooper was the light that lit the flame, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do for my goober, my main man!
We had a preliminary plan to make interactions with people as positive as possible. Per the previous blog post, Trish, Emma, and Kristi were initially fundamental to Cooper’s rehab program.
We started with the primary step of getting him comfortable to even look directly at them from a distance… this was one of the most challenging steps for him because he did not want to acknowledge the existence of other people at that point. We played fun food games in their presence and kept the sessions short and sweet, ending with a net positive.
Where It Began.
We began our training by coming outside, and Cooper turned his back on our helpers at a distance he deemed safe. Gradually, he began sitting and looking towards them for food from me. Slowly, we were able to decrease the distance between himself and other people.
We were having a lot of small wins, and when you have a dog with fear, anxiety and aggression issues, focusing and celebrating all the small wins along the way is necessary. That is where the beauty of training and any rehab lies.
Eventually, after many, many months of using multiple food-based training exercises, Cooper became comfortable taking food from our helpers. In the end, these helpers were a part of his inner circle.
Please Note – if your dog has issues with people, avoid getting people to feed them directly, as this can leave the dog feeling conflicted when the food is gone. Seek the help of a professional dog trainer with experience dealing with aggressive behaviour in dogs.
"If you don't understand how something works, you can't improve upon it."
- Ivan Balabanov.
The Evolution In Our Training.
Cooper’s behaviour was very reliant on me and very reliant on me having a food reward on me at the time. It just wasn’t enough. It meant that if I wasn’t paying attention at the moment or wasn’t set up ready to go, he would look to me, and I could see that he wasn’t working through the behaviour to the point where I needed him to be self-reliant in making good choices.
The biggest problem was, with his previous history of reinforcement, what empowered him when he was feeling uncomfortable, was the behaviour pattern of putting teeth on people to make them go away… a very inappropriate way of communicating in our human society.
I needed to learn more. So, I started deep diving into all facets of dog training methodology and understanding behavioural science.
Learning From The Masters.
To better understand every aspect of training, I attended as many seminars as possible, and Cooper attended many with me.
Eventually, I knew my favourite trainers and the direction our training would take.
I started learning leash pressure and eCollar fundamental training with Josh Moran the same weekend, seeing control and precision work with Forrest Micke.
We trained to build confidence with box training, NePoPo and further eCollar fundamentals taught by Pat Stuart, learnt through Bart Bellan.
I learnt the Layered Stress Mode and how to incorporate food and toy play with Cooper through Jay Jack.
"Great dog trainers have broad skills, not inflexible ideologies."
- Ralf Weber.
Throughout this time, I have also worked with Alex from Refine Your Canine.
Everyone that has assisted with Cooper over the years, no matter how small or large, are my heroes.
Through all this training, I was able to provide Cooper with the clarity he needed to live safely and happily in the human world.
He makes good decisions when he is uncomfortable in the presence of people when we are out in the world. We have a protocol for introducing him to new people in his world so that he is comfortable with them in his inner circle.
My Main Man.
The road has been a challenging one. There were many bends and turns, mistakes made and plenty to celebrate. There is a saying in the dog training world – you don’t get the dog you want, you get the dog you need – and I am so grateful for Cooper coming into my life as he has been my inspiration and my greatest teacher, which is why he is this girls best friend.
For dog obedience training and behaviour modification services in Geelong, the Bellarine,
Surf Coast and Golden Plains regions, contact King’s K9 Dog Training.