Obedience training a dog when dog is in a wheelchair

[mercury1]

My rat terrier had a bulging disc which resulted in partial hind limb paralysis when she was a little under two years old. She can stand and walk a few steps, but her balance is shot and she falls over and drags herself after a few steps if not in her wheelchair. She is not likely to recover full use of her hind limbs, as it has now been a full year since her injury.

My question is does anybody have any hints or suggestions on how to go about teaching stay and other obedience activities that we were just beginning to work on prior to her injury. We have just now gotten to the point that we have a routine (she is incontinent) and her disability is just part of daily life now.

But she has become a bully to the other dogs, knocking them over with her cart and she won't stay or stop barking or obey in general. With the others I always started with sit, then stay, then come. Meaning I gently make them sit, reward with treat and praise and repeat. Then progress to sit and stay, putting them back in sit to enforce the stay command until they understood the command and then rewarding. Following with the come command. This is all out the window with her. She also pulls all around on the leash during walks because she has more pent up energy and the cart gives her extra propulsion against me.

All my Google searches pull up information on how to train service dogs or get dogs used to the wheelchair (whether it be using the dog wheelchair or being around a human wheelchair). Is it just that the majority of the dogs in wheelchairs out there elderly and thus already obedience trained?

[Bobbie]

Well, mine were trained basically first, but I did train them for Rally trials in the carts.

I used clicker training exclusively. You can google it and learn how, and it is great for dogs in wheelchairs as it doesn't involve any tugging or yanking. It's especially good for stays as you click to reward without having to walk to the dog- so they don't break the stay as easily. For heeling I just first taught them to come to heel position at my side, then I walked and they did, too.

For sit, they just stayed. My corgis can down, so they did that for down. Otherwise, it wasn't that different from training any other dog. Obviously they walk a little bit further to your side.

Here's a video of Candy doing Rally. I have to admit, he came to me mostly trained, but I did have to learn those particular exercises with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkqH6Ep6gAU

[Bobbie]

I should add- you can do Rally in competition in a number of venues, also obedience in a few. Competition can give you incentive to train, and it is fun, and a great way to showcase what a disabled dog can do.

[FYI]

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Clicker-training_for_cart_use

[CarolC]

My rat terrier had a bulging disc which resulted in partial hind limb paralysis when she was a little under two years old. She can stand and walk a few steps, but her balance is shot and she falls over and drags herself after a few steps if not in her wheelchair. She is not likely to recover full use of her hind limbs, as it has now been a full year since her injury.

I know this is not your question, but I will comment anyway...if your dog can stand and walk a few steps, you actually can get her walking more than she is doing now. You already pointed out the key. My experience is with my dog (another active breed, a chihuahua ). She was completely paralyzed and she had so much energy that if I didn't spend at least half an hour letting her get her energy level down, she would drag off to the four corners as soon as I set her down to try to work on walking. So we had to take a 30-minute scarf walk first (wheelchair walking should work as well), and then work on walking. In this way, she went from where your dog is to being able to really walk.

It is described on her website. If you don't have time, then just read the last entry for 11-27-03.

http://www.fourfurfeet.com/2003-page2.html

I would like to add one more thought. It is something I call close focus walking. If your dog is in an environment where there is very high interest densely packed into a small area, then she will focus there and not want to tear off across the yard in search of something else. Examples of high interest places for my dog were around dumpsters, under picnic tables or sports bleachers, or the outdoor patio of a restaurant, anyplace with lots of smells and hopefully tidbits of food. We lived near a shopping center that had a dollar store and barber shop and Mexican food restaurant and Chinese food restaurant and places like that, and that was also good for walking. I think the sidewalk had a lot of interesting smells.

And one more thing. Slopes. When my dog was at the point where yours is right now, I discovered she could walk best going down slopes. She did not lose her balance and fall over as much. We practiced on every gentle slope we could find. I would put her at the top and we would walk down together, repeat. It's a great way for her to be able to practice taking steps. If she falls, untangle her and put her back on her feet and let her go again. It sounds like you are so close to having her walking.