Comments on: What makes something scary? http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/ a serial for positive animal training Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:46:10 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Training Your Horse to Wear a Fly Mask | Stale Cheerios http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/comment-page-1/#comment-6697 Training Your Horse to Wear a Fly Mask | Stale Cheerios Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:54:54 +0000 http://stalecheerios.com/blog/?p=466#comment-6697 [...] liberty builds confidence because the horse has control and knows he can escape. New things become a lot scarier if the animal thinks he can’t escape. (Note: If you horse is constantly trying to leave or [...] [...] liberty builds confidence because the horse has control and knows he can escape. New things become a lot scarier if the animal thinks he can’t escape. (Note: If you horse is constantly trying to leave or [...]

]]> By: Mary H. http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/comment-page-1/#comment-289 Mary H. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:46:35 +0000 http://stalecheerios.com/blog/?p=466#comment-289 Thanks for commenting, Wishbone! Gradually desensitizing an animal to scary sounds (blending, vacuum, etc) can take a lot of time and patience! I think gradually decreasing the distance the animal is from the object and reinforcing good behavior when the animal approaches the object both work well. I'd be a bit cautious about waiting until the animal is tired or sleepy to work on introducing new objects. Some tired dogs have a shorter attention span and could get frustrated or scared more easily than an alert animal. Thanks for commenting, Wishbone!

Gradually desensitizing an animal to scary sounds (blending, vacuum, etc) can take a lot of time and patience!

I think gradually decreasing the distance the animal is from the object and reinforcing good behavior when the animal approaches the object both work well.

I’d be a bit cautious about waiting until the animal is tired or sleepy to work on introducing new objects. Some tired dogs have a shorter attention span and could get frustrated or scared more easily than an alert animal.

]]> By: wishbone http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/comment-page-1/#comment-263 wishbone Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:26:33 +0000 http://stalecheerios.com/blog/?p=466#comment-263 You can also try to work on his confidence on what he see so he would figure out things. My dog used to scared and bark so much with the blender, vacuum, etc. We tried to use those things when he feels so tired and sleepy so he will ignore them. You can also try to work on his confidence on what he see so he would figure out things. My dog used to scared and bark so much with the blender, vacuum, etc. We tried to use those things when he feels so tired and sleepy so he will ignore them.

]]> By: Mary H. http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Mary H. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:58:26 +0000 http://stalecheerios.com/blog/?p=466#comment-256 Interesting Matt. Sometimes when we intervene with treats, I wonder if it makes it harder for the animal, especially when dealing with fear or aggression issues. Also, you could have unknowingly been reinforcing the barking by creating a behavior chain of barking --> leads to sitting --> leads to quiet --> leads to treat. and the dog could have learned that by barking, he would eventually get a treat. You could have (unknowingly) also been reinforcing un-calm behavior. It will be interesting for you to see how much, if any, the barking decreases over time. Don't you wonder what he was barking at, though? :) With the horses, they'll often spook or look at something, and I have no clue what they've just seen. Often it would be much easier to deal with the behavior if I knew what was causing the behavior! cheers, Mary Interesting Matt.

Sometimes when we intervene with treats, I wonder if it makes it harder for the animal, especially when dealing with fear or aggression issues.

Also, you could have unknowingly been reinforcing the barking by creating a behavior chain of
barking –> leads to sitting –> leads to quiet –> leads to treat.
and the dog could have learned that by barking, he would eventually get a treat. You could have (unknowingly) also been reinforcing un-calm behavior.

It will be interesting for you to see how much, if any, the barking decreases over time.

Don’t you wonder what he was barking at, though? :)
With the horses, they’ll often spook or look at something, and I have no clue what they’ve just seen. Often it would be much easier to deal with the behavior if I knew what was causing the behavior!

cheers,

Mary

]]> By: Matt http://stalecheerios.com/blog/horse-training/what-makes-something-scary/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Matt Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:31:26 +0000 http://stalecheerios.com/blog/?p=466#comment-252 It's so interesting that you should post this today. My dog had been barking a lot at random things lateley and I decided instead of getting him to be quiet using sitting and a treat reward after sitting quietly for a while, that I would just let him bark and see what happened. He generally calmed himself down fairly quickly. But what I noticed was that he was way calmer after calming himself down that when I would intervene to calm him down. It was kind of amazing. We went on a whole walk where I basically let him lead the way and bark if he needed to and move wherever he wanted. He actually in the end barked less than he would have otherwise. I also felt he had learned something from each experience and that he was more secure for it. He pulled on the leash less, seemed less stressed. It was very interesting for me. Because I still don't know what he was barking at most of the time, but he seemed to take care of it himself. It wasn't easy to let him keep barking at first, but I think today at least, it worked out really well. It’s so interesting that you should post this today. My dog had been barking a lot at random things lateley and I decided instead of getting him to be quiet using sitting and a treat reward after sitting quietly for a while, that I would just let him bark and see what happened.

He generally calmed himself down fairly quickly. But what I noticed was that he was way calmer after calming himself down that when I would intervene to calm him down. It was kind of amazing. We went on a whole walk where I basically let him lead the way and bark if he needed to and move wherever he wanted. He actually in the end barked less than he would have otherwise.

I also felt he had learned something from each experience and that he was more secure for it. He pulled on the leash less, seemed less stressed.

It was very interesting for me. Because I still don’t know what he was barking at most of the time, but he seemed to take care of it himself. It wasn’t easy to let him keep barking at first, but I think today at least, it worked out really well.

]]>