Gorky and the Grab

I had mentioned that Gorky has learned in his previous home that to be safe it's best to stay just out of reach of human hands if they are trying to reach for you.

This is the first thing we are working on which I'm working on in a bit of a round about way.

First off, I'm teaching Gorky that I am a wild and crazy treat dispensing machine. I want him to get a bundle of experience that when people are around great things happen. Remember, a dog often has a long history that has created a certain behavior, in this case avoiding a collar grab. Our job is to teach them that something else is a better option. The better option I'm giving Gorky is that when he hangs out near people, treats rain down from above and toys are offered.

Some dogs are too worried to approach people so you have to start out by tossing treats. Happily Gorky is willing to take treats from my hand already before he darts away. Remember that a training plan is always a unique plan, based on the dog you are working with. There is no such thing as one size fits all training. Your dog decides where the "starting line" is and with what speed the plan proceeds.

The other thing that I'm working on with Gorky is that looking at me is rewarding. I want to build up our relationship so he knows that checking in with me and paying attention when I call his name makes great things happen.

So now I have a dog who is paying more attention to me, and wants to come when he's called because it means his person might give him something tasty.

Now I sit down and wait for him to tentatively approach for pets. He gets love and attention and during this I gently hold his collar, still laying on the charm, and then I release the collar, give him a treat and lots of praise and maybe throw a toy. The key is to practice this a lot so that he doesn't learn that collar grab = end of fun time. Coming to his person should always be positive.

Gorky has proven to be a very smart guy and even after just a few days he's spending more time approaching me and asking for attention and less time worried that someone is going to grab him and do something unpleasant. Good job, Gorky!