#konmari my dog training

[blueboyluca]

@konmari-dogs's post reminded me, I read a lot of dog books this year! My biggest tip for reading more is put a bunch of books on your phone and just dip into them when you can. I think I originally got this tip from Milly, but it really works. If you are getting sick of one or need a break, you can easily flit to another. You can get a page or two while waiting for appointments or at a cafe or something. Really easy to read a lot more.

Anyway, I read a lot of crap this year but also some gems.

Hit list: The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. I finally read this classic. I skimmed most of the training stuff because it is a bit outdated now, but I really liked the allegorical parts, the actual bits that are why it is titled the way it is. That stuff is still really relevant today.

Dog is Love by Clive D.L. Wynne. I enjoyed this. It followed the story of how Wynne convinced himself that dogs do love us, through various scientific disciplines. I also think this guy is a compelling speaker, if a little pompous.

Wonderdog by Jules Howard. Loved this one, excellent overview of dog science throughout history. Really worth the read.

The Secret History of Kindness by Melissa Holbrook Pierson. My favourite read this year, an incredibly moving overview of the history of training dogs.

In Defence of Dogs by John Bradshaw. I started this one more than a year ago and finished it this year. It was pretty good, but a little outdated on the science now. Still worth a read.

The Great Grisby by Mikita Brottman. I enjoyed this, it was about various dogs in literature or real dogs owned by famous people, mostly Victorians. It was a fun read. The focus won't be for everyone.

How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends by Mark Derr. I started reading this like 5 years ago. I really enjoyed the first half then dropped off it. I finished it this year and I am glad, but there wasn't as much good stuff in the second half. Still, I reference it a lot and I love the way he writes about early dogs.

Shit list: Living with Border Collies by Barbara Sykes. This one is a mess. Very few useful ideas, mostly just batty nonsense.

Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis. This was the only novel I read this year and it was garbage. Do not recommend.

How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger. You all know I hated it. I am stunned when people recommend it to others to get into dog buttons. I thought the narrative itself was a steaming pile of garbage and I thought the tips on how to get started with buttons were vague and unhelpful. Cannot understand this fad at all.

The First Domestication by Brandy R. Fogg and Raymond Pierotti. I started this a year or two ago and finished it this year. It was a mess. I appreciated the parts where they ripped into Coppinger, but there were tons of other really questionable bits so I basically think the whole thing is a wash.

Dogs: A Philosophical Guide to Our Best Friends by Mark Alizart. It wasn't terrible, but it was quite strange. I appreciated it sent me down a few rabbit holes though. I tried reading some more philosophical books about dogs but they fall apart as soon as the authors show they know nothing about modern dog science.

Dingoes Don’t Bark by Lionel Hudson. This one also wasn't terrible but it was also kind of nothing. Not a lot of information about dingoes. I think the documentary it pairs with would be more worhtwhile. I think it's from the 70s, maybe 80s.

Still reading: Level Up Your Dog Training by Natalie Bridger Watson. This is for beginners, but I am enjoying it as another resource for my club.

The Wolf Within by Professor Bryan Sykes. This is good but thick and science heavy, so I know it will take me a long time.

Treat Everyone Like a Dog by Karen London. I am not enjoying this at all. It will inevitably make it onto my shit list one year.

What Dogs Want by Mat Ward. Really loving this very cute and modern take on basic dog care for new owners.

What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren. I am really loving this so far. It's my kind of book, a mix of dog science and memoir.

Our Oldest Companions by Pat Shipman. I am not that taken in by Shipman. I've read one of her other books and I don't find her particularly compelling. I am finding Sykes more interesting than this one.

Aesop's Animals: The Science Behind the Fables by Jo Wimpenny. This one is pretty good, not sure if I will finish it though because I read the dog and wolf chapters already.

Positive Herding 101 by Barbara Buchmayer. I am enjoying this. I got through all the beginning stuff and have finally reached the chapters that will talk about herding training.

Enrichment Games for High Energy Dogs by Barbara Buchmayer. This is good enough that it made me buy her other book. I haven't finished it yet though.

[boofblr]

hi! i remember you (and others) talking a little while back about how sometimes people can exaggerate the exercise needs of certain breeds to new dog owners. this is definitely a stumbling block i'm having, i feel very nervous about the idea of getting a dog that could end up sad and understimulated. in that vein, i was wondering if you could share what an average *week* with kima is like - people tend to phrase exercise needs as "x hours per day", but i work 12 hour days on my feet, usually back to back, and i know there will be days i cannot do much more than potty walks. but on the other days, id love to explore, walk, run, hike, train, etc. theres so many dog sports im interested in, my absolute dream would be to someday have a cadaver dog. is it possible to "make up" for it, or do higher energy dogs need a lot of exercise every single day?

the short answer is: it depends. different breeds have been bred to have different needs. while every dog needs some mental and physical stimulation, individuals need varying amounts of each. some need a lot of both, some need more of one than another, etc.

here’s the longer answer: from what i know about cadaver dogs, which is essentially nothing, i would assume the breeds that excel at it are scent-hunting types i.e. bloodhounds, beagles, otterhounds, dachshunds, coonhounds, probably spaniels amongst others. their needs are going to be different from border collies, even if they’re both considered high drive and high energy dogs. tbh “high drive” and “high energy” are both subjective terms, so whenever i interview breeders i ask specific questions regarding their dogs’ ability to settle, how much activity the breeder provides their dogs with each day, what their daily schedule looks like, if and how their dogs are contained during “chill time,” what their training style / philosophy is, and how motivated their dogs are by food vs play. getting a dog from a breeder who strives to produce the kind of temperament that you’re looking for is so important; make sure you’re as clear as possible!

with that said, my usual week with evdakim literally changes with the seasons. currently, in the middle of winter, we formally train a little bit (probably around thirty minutes or less, though sometimes more) every afternoon / evening. each training session is different — one day we’ll get the flirt pole out and revisit herding basics, the next we’ll practice competitive obedience & rally, or we might go for a walk around the block and work on passive attention and not reacting to scary humans and dogs that silently appear out of the dark. once a week we have an early morning herding lesson. that’s… literally it. otherwise we hang out and nap together.

during the warmer months, we’re both more active. this last summer in quarantine we spent practically six hours outside every day hiking, playing, and training, although the majority of that time was spent with me, reading, and him, trying to catch bugs in the grass or napping. often he joined us on errands, like going to the local farmer’s market or pet food store. we attended a handful of outdoor conformation classes too.

hope that helps! idk if anyone on dogblr does cadaver work with their dogs, but @konmari-dogs and @fidgetspringer do extremely cool scentwork things! they may have some useful takes and resources

[elvenferretots]

Hey! I'm the anon who asked about the dog training resources. I've bookmarked all the books and looked up Hannah and what not! I dont have a dog just yet- planning on rescuing when we finally move unto our house- but I love being prepared. I've just recently started following you, so I'm not sure if you'd be able to help fully- but do you have any tips and resources on training dog sports? Or any Tumblr users you can redirect me to that may be able to help?

That’s so awesome, Anon! It’s so exciting, getting prepared to adopt a dog. I waited to answer this because I wanted to use an actual computer to add links. Depending on the dog sport, I can probably point you to a resource or someone who knows where to start!

Any AKC sport can be found on their website. That’s a great place to start if you are in the US. Other countries all have their own kennel clubs, and their websites should have the basics on registration and titling (mixed breeds can also participate in most sports as long as they are altered!). FDSA is a great place to start for foundations in a lot of these.

Traditional Obedience: This is my favourite sport! It’s all about precision and teamwork, but does not require intensive speed. This is the stuff that Hannah Branigan’s book is about, and what most training clubs teach above “pet” classes. Your local kennel club or training club is a great resource for this sport, especially if you are able to attend a trial. You can see how the sport works and network with the local community. @theadventurek9 has titled her aussie in obedience (and also does disc, agility, dock diving, and Rally)! You can always shoot me specific questions about this sport and I can point you somewhere or put something together with TenSoon.

Rally-O: Rally Obedience is a lot of heelwork, and is judged less strictly than traditional obedience. You are allowed to cheer on and guide your dog in early levels. Signs guide you through the course, and you can get the first AKC title online this year. Details for online titling are on the website. This is a super fun sport to train, and also likely available at local training clubs. I really like this sport for clicker training and building teamwork. TenSoon and I are not experts, but here’s a video of us doing a practice course in my yard. The signs can be confusing, so I recommend taking a class online or in person if it’s your first sport, but FAQ and all the signs are here. Some of the signs are hard and some are self-explanatory, but training a heel (dog walks with you, shoulder to your left leg), front (dog comes and sits straight in front of you), stay, tucked sit, down, and kickback stand are an excellent start. You can find those in the Awesome Obedience book. I like classes, because there’s a lot of ways to teach, and an instructor can find a way that jives well with you and your dog. You can also always shoot me specific questions about this sport and I can put something together with TenSoon.

Tricks: You can get trick and stunt dog titles for your dog! The book 101 Dog Tricks is the go-to resource for training, and you can title through Do More With Your Dog and tranfer titles to AKC, or title directly with AKC. My first dog was a trick and stunt dog, and it’s a lot of fun. Clicker training can help with more complicated tricks. Most dogblrs teach tricks.

Disc: Disc is just frisbee for dogs! I post the most about disc, because it is just so fun. There are several associations for the sport, so local disc clubs will often play with many. The titles from UpDog transfer over to AKC. I really like Flying Dingo Dog Training videos on YouTube for foundations! This is a sport you really don’t need classes or anything for. You just need you, your dog, and some discs! Less mobile dogs can compete in UpDog with rollers, so as long as your dog likes to fetch, it can play.

Tracking: Your dog follows a scent to an end goal! This is TenSoon’s favourite sport.There are several kinds of tracking, and Ten and I do AKC-style. I took FDSA classes on this at Gold level, and honestly, it was spendy but worth the money to be able to submit video for critique. This sport requires a lot of setup, but most of your training will be alone. Once you have the procedure down, you just keep setting tracks and increasing difficulty. The whole sport is on-leash, and involves learning to trust your dog and think ahead. Then if you run into a problem, you can bring it to someone who has a few more miles in the sport. I’m always happy to talk tracking. @konmari-dogs and @rustpup both track with their springer spaniels. Bitesport people also train tracking, much more meticulously. @shotinthekidney may have some input, as well as @werewolvesinthewoods; although I know tracking isn’t always a bitesport favourite to teach.

Scent work: Unlike tracking, a dog does not follow a trail for scent work, but rather looks for a certain scent in a container. It’s similar to what drug detection dogs do. It’s an ideal sport for older or less mobile dogs, so I’m holding off on learning this one until I have to retire my dog from other sports. I don’t know any dogblrs who do scent work, but The National Association of Canine Scent Work has an instructor directory and FDSA almost always has classes. 

Barnhunt: Like scent work, but the dog finds a contained rat in a barn around obstacles. I don’t know any dogblrs who participate, and have no desire to encourage my dog’s prey drive like that (or keep him from peeing on the hay, which is a disqualification). But I know a TON of dog people, especially terrier people, love this sport! Any dog can play, and title with AKC through the Barn Hunt Association. I know @doberbutts has had some positive experiences with barn hunt, even if it isn’t his sport, and may be able to point you to where to start.

Dock Diving: If your dog loves to swim and fetch, dock diving is the perfect sport! If you have access to a dock, you can train with just a dog and a toy, encouraging longer and longer jumps. Dog pools are also available at some training facilities, which may offer rented pool time or lessons. NADD titles are recognized by the AKC, but there are other organizations as well. @pseudopoodle and @twobigears dock dive. @spanishmal also used to do some dock diving, I believe? She does lure coursing, mostly, which is only open to sighthounds. But if racing sounds fun to you, FAST CAT is an option that her gorgeous dobermans did and is open to all dogs. 

Agility: This is a super popular sport! It’s fun and fast and flashy, and training can be good exercise. It’s entirely off-leash and is not a great match for overly reactive dogs or dogs with mobility issues. If you have a herding breed or mix, this may be a great match, but all breeds can play. I don’t really have any interest in agility, but know a lot of dogblrs who do: @dndogs @thepastisthepast2 @pawsitivevibe @twobigears @canisitsnotlupus just to name a few...

Weight Pull, Mushing, and Carting: @pulldogs does weight pull with a popular breed for the sport (apbt’s). @malinwoman also does for-fun weight pull with her malinois. Just like it sounds, your dog pulls weight on a special pulling harness. A lot of bully breeds and high drive dogs enjoy weight pull, and it can good to burn a lot of energy in a leashed dog. Any size dog can compete, and you should see those little dogs go! Carting is a sport I am interested in that involves the dog pulling a cart like a pony, with either a rider or freight; @smoothexpression carts, and FDSA may offer a class in the near future. Bernese Mountain Dog and rottweiler clubs often hold carting events, but it can just be fun to do in your neighborhood or to help with chores. @darkwood-sleddog mushes and backpacks, and has a ton of valuable information on those sports, as well as the equipment and training involved!

Sorry if I missed any dogblrs or sports! There are a lot more dog sports out there, but these are some of the most accessible that have a following on Tumblr. Most others are either going to be breed-specific and likely unsuitable for a rescue dog (bitesports, conformation, herding, retrieving, barnhunt, earthdog, etc.) or obscure and hard to get involved in as of yet (treibball, wall climbing, mondio OB, etc.). Hopefully that covers the bases you were looking for. Good luck, and if you need something more specific, my ask box is always open!

[fidgetspringer]

Do you have a specific training guide for røst's tracking? I've been trying to find one but they dont really go into detail. Ruby really enjoys our tracking games and she's doing alright in my opinion, but I never know if what I'm doing is the best way to teach her lol.

I don't have a specific guide unfortunately, and training method will depend on type of track and what goals you have in mind.

And it's hard to give advice without knowing exactly what you're doing and or struggling with.

I only really know Blood tracking, mantrailing etc is completely foreign to me. However @konmari-dogs has more experience in that area.

The basics of tracking is to encourage a dog to follow a scent, but with as little intervention or encouragement from you as possible. Rewards should all come from the track itself in form of treats laid along it, and a big jackpot reward at the end. You're only observing your dog, holding the leash and throwing a party when the dog finds the end!

That's pretty much the basics of tracking! From there your training changes depending on your goals with it. For fun? Keep it up! Add some angles abd obstacles, let the trail sit for a few hours before you put your dog on it, add distractions a meter or two off like toys or weird objects, change up the surface you're tracking on! Do urban tracks!

Want to compete? Look for groups on facebook for the type of tracking you want tp do, follow people online. Increasing the difficulty of your competition tracking depends on what type it is so i can't really help much, but adding in 90 degree angles and increasing the lay time are pretty basic ways to start adding difficulty!

To me if the dog is reliably tracking and reaching the end of the trail then you're doing great! So from there you kinda have to troubleshoot a bit if you're not happy with your dog's efforts.

Unfocused or unmotivated? Amp up the reward! Put a tin of wet food at the end!

Too fast and strong? Have your leash attached underneath the dog, or lay high value treats along the track so the dog realises it's missing out by being strong (this is important in blood trail, but maybe less so for other kinds of tracking)

Losing the trail frequently? Consider the environment you're tracking in. Scent won't evaporate as well off of wet and cold ground. Asphalt and gravel are some of the hardest surfaces to track on. But losing the trail every now and then is fine and it help you learn how to recover.

Golden rules of handling:

Nose up - stop

Nose down - go on

Don't let your dog continue until that nose is down and on a scent! Hold your line loosely above your head and encourage your dog to circle the area, but never let them continue back where you came from.

Golden rules of laying a track:

-Never retrace your steps. Your dog can tell what direction a track is going, if you walk the same route back you could confuse your dog. Always walk a big detour around your track on your way back to the beginning to avoid contaminating it

-Never cross your trail. This one is kinda obvious.

-Try to not lay all your tracks yourself (though this is only really important if you have competitions etc in mind.)

Yikes this is a lot of probably not suoer useful info 😂 Hopefully some of it can help you!

[divine-peach]

My big goal right now is to graduate ^-^ Smaller but no less important goals include: training my dog (he loves to learn

(I love Marie Kondo!)

[blueboyluca]

I would like to thank some folks who always comment on my posts and provide encouragement, support, observations, advice and kind words: @wyrddogs @doomspaniels @archy-with-a-y @lloonlloon @konmari-dogs @dontstopretrieving @fayeandknight @beansnpeets @sammythesheltie @as-old-roads

I appreciate also everyone who leaves the occasional comment, emoji, like or ask. It is nice to know that people are on my training journey with me.

[elvenferretots]

Malinois or Dutch Shepherd? Shih Tzu or Havanese? Brittany or Springer Spaniel? Briard or Old English Sheepdog? Beauceron or Dalmatian?

Ooh, so many! :D

I like the Dutch aesthetic, but probably mal. I think I would actually enjoy a lower key show mal.

Havanese! Those little dogs are just so wonderful, and really ought to be more popular. They’re one of like one or two dozen “ideal companion” breeds I’ll recommend like crazy. And... I don’t like shih tzus. I just don’t. I think they’re one of the only breeds or mixes I just straight up do not enjoy at all. They’re brachy and sassy, hard to groom and not a dream to train. No offense to those who love them, but I just don’t.

Brittany! They’re a bit sportier and more my kind of dog than the springers I’ve met. I did grow up nextdoor to multiple generations of byb dogs with “springer rage” that make me slightly wary getting or even meeting them that might be swaying me, although some dogblrs on here really have changed my perspective on springers, particularly @konmari-dogs and @rustpup

Probably Briard. Big hairy sheepdog isn’t really my thing, but briards seem bright and active enough to be a lot of fun. I do love cuddling a good OES, though.

Dalmatian! I like beauceron aesthetic, but they don’t really have any traits I want that I couldn’t get in a doberman or gsd. Dalmatians have been on my serious consideration list for a while, and will very likely be my next show/sport dog.