Introducing a "Shy" Dog to a Pool for the First Time |
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Description: Clicker training is the ultimate confidence builder, not just in the moment, but for life. When a dog has had millions of repetitions of reinforcement for offering behaviors in a safe learning environment, she grows increasingly resilient in new situations over time. This is the first time my Zoë has even seen a full sized pool. Seven years ago, chances are high she would not have even gone near it. Throughout this session we repeatedly ask her "how is this for you?" by throwing treats away from the pool to give her a chance to choose to return again. "Eat treat and return to do another fun behavior" is a game she knows extremely well, and today each time her answer was "yes." This pool is a little more challenging than I would like because the steps are small and drop off quickly. But even so, after bravely offering to step in and stand on the first step for a minute, I love how Zoë then figures out how to use her "beep beep" back up behavior (something she has practiced many times during rear-end awareness exercises at home) to figure out how to exit again. It was also great that although she looks a little nervous about actually being in the water and stumbles slightly getting out, before we left she repeatedly showed interest in returning to the pool's edge again. Next session I am confident she'll even go a little deeper. 
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