The Waggin Tails Adventure blog features stories about the dogs we walk, our favorite places to go, vacation care updates, and upcoming dog-related events in the Seattle area

Bella, Dora, Gus

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I am blessed to have the pleasure of the wonderful doggies in my care.  Thank you.

Bessie, Baron and Pebbles

Since adopting Mazie 17 months ago, I have been learning more and more about clicker training.  I am finding clicker training to be a fantastic training choice and I am incorporating it into Maize’s day to day training on a regular basis.  Recently, I began using clicker training to teach Mazie to lay on her bed quietly when she comes into the kitchen while I’m cooking or eating, or loading the dishwasher.

If you’re like me, the kitchen is a place that stimulates a feeling of stress with my dog around.  And, before I began really using clicker training consistently in the kitchen, I often failed at my attempts to teach Mazie this skill of lying quietly.  But, when I really stop and think about the kitchen from Maize’s perspective, I connect with what an incredibly stimulating environment it is.  There’s the kitchen counter, the fridge, the dishwasher often with smelly dishes in it.  And, mom is often in there moving all these smells and foods all around.  Poor Mazie!  All those smells and food and she’s expected to resist her primal urge to go after this moving food.

I used to dread going into the kitchen and would often kennel Mazie when I cooked or loaded the dishwasher because I experienced so much frustration at my failure to get the result I was looking for.  Goodness, it would take me forever to just load a pile of dishes into the dishwasher.  Then, I began really implementing clicker training in the kitchen and committed to seeing the training through with patience and love for Mazie and myself.

I placed a small bed near but not right next to the fridge.  I allowed Mazie to enter the kitchen at will.  I absolutely made sure that there was no way she could self-reward if she chose to paw up to the kitchen counter.  Then, I waited for her to make the choice I wanted.  As soon as she exhausted her efforts to get treats off the counters, she finally went to her bed and lay down.  As soon as she lay down on her bed, I clicked then gave her a really high reward treat with lots of praise.  She started to get it!  Success!

Over time, the way I reinforced my desire to have her lay on her bed rather than grabbing food or dirty dishes, was to click and reward Mazie every time she chose to turn away from food, the kitchen counters, the open fridge door, or the dishwasher and instead, lay on her bed.  Every time, she got a click, a really tasty treat, and lots of praise.

With the open fridge door and open dishwasher door, I at first, had to body block her when she attempted to self reward by grabbing something..so, the only choice she had for reward was to lay on her bed.  There was no scolding, no punishment, just me making 100% sure she would never get food from the fridge or counter or dishwaher.  With the counters, I did not body block, but instead, made absolute sure that there was no food whatsoever that she could grab if she made the choice to paw up on the counter.  My reason for this was to give Mazie as much room for self choice as possible which I have learned gives her the best chance at really integrating this new behavior.

After using clicker training in the kitchen for a few weeks, I no longer kennel Mazie  when I’m in there.  We are still in the process of teaching Mazie to automatically ignore the various food options and lay on her bed.  The progress is wonderful.   Nor do I dread needing to be in the kitchen feeling like a failure in my training.  Now, I actually see the kitchen as an exceptional training tool and look forward to being in there to give both me and Mazie the chance to feel proud of ourselves for being successful.  What a smart, obedient girl my Mazie.  I’m so proud that you are my companion, Mazie!

Here are Tio, Baron, Lulu, Bella romping at Magnuson

Tio, Bella and Lulu