Meet Sadie & Rocco, Jack Russell Terriers from Watertown, MA

Article and photos submitted by Brad and Lisa, with dog training summary by Bette Yip, CPDT

We got Sadie and Rocco in April 2009. Right away we knew that with two energetic Jack Russell Terrier siblings at home, we would have lots of training challenges! We completed Level 1 training with Bette and her colleagues this summer, as well as some individual training sessions with Bette at home. Our little guys presented more of a training challenge than the retriever dogs I grew up with, but we have been rewarded many times over for our hard work with them early on.

Initially we had a lot of challenges when Sadie and Rocco encountered new people, and especially new dogs, for the first time. They would bark uncontrollably and jump up and down, escalating into higher and higher levels of chaos. Bette taught us a number of techniques to help with this situation, including (most importantly) staying calm ourselves, and then engaging the dogs with a "find it" or "doggy touch" activity to focus their attention on something else. We now take Sadie and Rocco for walks every day in our neighborhood, and while they still get excited when another dog walks by, we can control their barking and they no longer 'wake up the neighborhood.'

Our two older cats, Millie and Sophie, were less than thrilled with Sadie and Rocco's arrival. Bette helped us strategize about how to achieve harmony among our four animals. Incorporating Bette's suggestions, we now work every day with the dogs and cats, giving treats when Sadie and Rocco show calm behavior around the cats. We are confident that, as with other areas of their training, Bette's guidance, and our work to reinforce the training, will pay off.

There were times when this sister-and-brother pair seemed like "double trouble," but more often than not, they've actually been twice the fun. We are very grateful to Bette for all her help with what we thought was an impossible situation!

Dog Training Summary by Bette Yip:

Congratulations to Brad and Lisa on all their great progress with Sadie and Rocco. Such training is hard work! It takes patience, commitment and a lot of repetition. In a stroke of serendipitous timing, I was recently asked by the Tails Pet Magazine to share my thoughts on several dog training questions new dog owners might have. Among these was, “How can I train my new dog to ignore distractions such as moving cars and squirrels?” I beamed proudly as I thought back to the way Brad and Lisa sought help with such endeavors early on, and reflected on the huge strides Sadie and Rocco have made.

Here’s how I’ve answered that question for use in an upcoming Tails editorial—you get a sneak preview!

1. MANAGEMENT: Prevent your dog from learning to chase fast moving objects when you aren’t prepared to follow through with your training by keeping her on leash when these temptations might be around. In the car, keep your dog in a crate or use a doggy seatbelt to prevent her from noticing fast moving triggers outside—while you’re driving is NOT a good time to train!

2. TRAINING: Teach your dog to respond to focus cues such as “watch me,” “sit/stay,” “down/stay” and “heel with attention” in a quiet environment. I also like to make use of “find it” and “doggy touch” to help a dog learn to perform “calming signals” around triggers as a way to control her own arousal level..

Once she gets the hang of these, take them on the road. Choose locations where such temptations are likely to occur and stay on the lookout so you can begin prompting your dog to perform one of her focus cues every time the trigger appears. Be generous with rewards! In the case of temptations such as joggers, bikers and skateboarders, consider setting up role plays with a helper who can provide just the right level of challenge with your coaching. To practice setups for fast moving critters, try setting up a furry squeaky toy with a pulley system to make it “run” at your bidding.

Also play impulse control games, such as “Red Light, Green Light.” Start with a green light—run, play, be just wild enough to get your dog a little excited but not out of control. When you say “red light,” have your dog stop and focus until you give the green light to be a crazy dog again. At the next “green light,” run around with your dog, toss toys, and generally get her riled up again until the next red light. Refusal to calm down and focus during a “red light” ends the game and earns boring time in an unfun zone until the next session. Be fair about the behaviors you ask for during red light! You might start with a simple “watch me,” and build up over time to a varied routine of doggy calisthenics.

3. PROOFING: Once you’ve fairly taught your dog how to behave when fast-moving temptations appear, you might punish undesirable responses, preferably with a time out or in some cases, a startling sound. WARNING: be very careful not to scold your dog or use harsh punishments around triggers such as joggers, bikers and skateboarders—you don’t want to turn an exuberant desire to play and chase into a fear of such things! If you need additional help, private lessons would be the best way to problem solve for a specific dog in a specific situation.