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Imagine what would happen NEXT, when:
1. You are walking your dog on-leash; your dog lunges at something, and the
leash breaks.
2. Your dog is in his fenced-in yard; as your dog hits it, a section of the
fence falls down when a herd of deer runs by.
3. You open the door of your house or your car, and your dog bolts outdoors
towards the busy street.
4. A deer/bunny/bird/squirrel/cat/rat/horse/ cow/sheep/(any wildlife or
livestock)/jogger/child runs in front of your dog.
5. Your dog sees or hears a car/truck/bus/ motorcycle/
bicycle/skateboard/airplane/motorboat/baby carriage/ bird passing by.
6. Your dog is outside somewhere. Another dog comes into sight and then
freezes/runs away/runs after something else or approaches/sniffs/threatens your
dog.
7. Your dog is loose and sees a beloved human across the street/or a stranger
approaching the front of your house.
If what you imagine NEXT is nightmarish— (because you don’t think you could use
your voice to control your dog safely)—then….we invite you to attend Camp Come!
CAMP COME!’S FOCUS: Teaching you how to teach your unleashed
dog to respond immediately to your “come” command, to return to you regardless
of:
• distracting circumstance, thing, or activity,
• regardless of time, distance, or level of stimulus intensity.
You will have 5 days to focus on improving your dog’s responsiveness to your
“Come!” command. We hope you will be able to absorb the information and
training exercises we present at camp. By week’s end, you should see notable
improvement in your dog and have plenty of training tips and ideas to put into
practice at home. A fun Come! exam will test your dog’s progress at week’s end.
As is true of all dog training, how successful your dog will be will depend
largely on how trainable YOU the human are.
DOGS: ALL BREEDS, AGES 8 MONTHS & UP who need to learn how
to “Come!” immediately on command. Dogs must be healthy, up-to-date on
vaccinations, and not have been in contact with communicable canine diseases
within the previous 30 days. Although dogs attending camp may be reactive and
uncontrollable, they should not have a significant aggression history-- talk to
Carolyn if you have any questions.
TRAINING METHODS: We offer at least 4 structured, individual
training sessions per day per dog.
Short seminars on training topics are alternated with training sessions and
“play/rest” periods. We invite you to watch and help each other train your dogs
while your own dog rests.
* Because we are positive reinforcement dog trainers here at Raspberry Ridge
Sheep Farm, * because the training techniques are effective, and * because we
believe any summer camp, even dog training camp, should be fun,
we are going to emphasize teaching you and your dog how to get fast
responsiveness to your “Come!” command using:
1) positive reinforcement training techniques,
2) some Pavlovian associative conditioning training and
3) some assistance from neurological-biological facts sprinkled in.
OTHER TRAINING: During the process of teaching your dog a
fast, reliable response to the “Come!” command, you probably will learn
something about how to train other behaviors, too.
For example, we may teach your dog:
• to “go on (go away) or “go visit” on your command,
• to “stay” in place on your command,
• on a cue, to go to a mat/place
• on your cue, to pick up, hold, and fetch a toy,
• to learn how to pay attention and watch you voluntarily (without your cue)
• to learn to respond to his/her name,
• to move or stay according to your hand direction signals and whistles,
• to stop or turn away on command (get back/leave it/out),
• to “lie down” or “sit” immediately,
• to fetch, find, or play tug-of-war,
• to track,
• to learn a strong “positive marker.”
Dogs and owners will receive coaching so that when the dog is leashed, the way
the two of you interact does not interfere with the dog’s willingness to
“Come!” when off-leash.
Examples of other training topics that may be covered:
* reading your dog’s body language,
* determining your dog’s “flight/arousal zones,”
* re-arranging situations for more behavioral success (“doggy feng shui”)
* using body language and positioning, voice and silence for effective
communication.
Although we might have some campers who also herd with their dogs, who wish to
work on their recall away from livestock, this camp does not focus on herding
training. However, we will take advantage of the availability of sheep and
herding set-ups for our training sessions in Camp Come!
Please note: Because most dogs need both on-leash and
off-leash skills to cope with real life; because some dogs may be unable to
resist the temptation of other dogs; and because sheep may be out grazing in
unfenced areas, until your dog develops a 100% reliable recall, we request that
your dog remain on a leash/long line or fenced-in under your control in between
training sessions.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: All work and no play would make for a dull
summer camp. You will have plenty of time to play! Camp Come! is fun!
There will be time for you to explore the local area, with or without your
dogs. The farm is located on a ridge next to the Pocono Mountains. Those who
are interested can pay extra and arrange to go off-site to canoe or raft down
the Delaware River, buy a license and go fishing/boating/sailing at Lake Minsi
(sorry, county park--no dogs allowed), go gliding, play golf, go swimming,
shop, eat, or see the local sights—Pez Museum or Crayola Crayon Museum in
Easton, PA or Wolf Sanctuary in Columbia, NJ, or Snake & Reptile Farm in
the Poconos, Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, PA etc. There are also
extensive hiking trails for you to walk in the nearby Delaware Water Gap
National Recreation Area.
DRESS & SUPPLIES: Casual. Daytimes can be hot, nights
cool. Bring rain gear. Bug spray to ward off gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks, sun
block, light-weight long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks, covered shoes, and
hats & gloves are all useful. As is true of every place outdoors in the
U.S. Northeast, you and your dog are potentially subjected to ticks and
tick-borne diseases. The use of tick preventative measures and checks are
suggested for both humans and canines. We also have poison ivy—bring gloves and
gear you can rinse thoroughly with water, and any preventatives that you
habitually use. BRING A SMALL NOTEBOOK TO RECORD TRAINING OBJECTIVES AND
RESULTS DURING CAMP. Bring flashlights with plenty of batteries. Bring a
knapsack-- it's handy. Bring a bathing suit and wading shoes if you wish to go
river or pool swimming off-site.
Don't Forget the Stuff for Your Dog! Dog food, treats, toys, leash (short,
approximately 6 foot long and a long— approximately 25- 50 feet— lead), a
carabiner (for hooking your leashed dog to posts) normal collars and harnesses,
clicker, water and food bowls, tick and flea control products, shampoo, dog
crate (for giving your dog a safe, cool, & quiet place to sleep while you
listen to a lecture, baggies (for collecting dog poop), AND A BELLY POUCH OR
CARPENTER’S NAIL APRON (to put dog treats, water bottles, & other training
supplies in!!!).
LIMITED TO: 6 Campers (You can bring extra, not-for-training,
companion dogs if you like, or bring more than one dog for training, although
we highly recommend that you bring just one lucky dog for a special week of
bonding. [Note: More than 1 human per family can accompany one main dog at no
additional training charge. Talk to Carolyn for details.
About Carolyn Wilki ... attended Cornell University, graduate of Bryn Mawr
College, psychology major. Herding and dog training since 1987, teaching and
writing about training since 1989. Trains all breeds of dogs, lives with Border
Collies and German Shepherd Dogs, who herd, of course! Has trained dogs and
owners to over 150 herding titles, including advanced titles and multiple high
in trial distinction on a variety of herding courses. Has specialized in
helping owners with dog aggression rehabilitation issues since 1995.
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