Video: Djamila doing tricks

Djammy

Hello everyone,
I finally managed to find the time for rolling some short videos during our training session with some of Djamila's (aka Mila or Djammy) tricks - and more importantly assembling and editing them.
I am so pleased to be able to demonstrate how smart and complying those furry little creatures are!
She is now 18 months old. The other day I found a piece of video with my very first attempts of training her at the age of 12 weeks in it. It was so cute! I am really proud of her, because she has learned so much in the meantime (even more than the video shows).
We are currently working on some more tricks and I hope I'll find the time for another video in the future.
She loves our training - and so do I
If you guys have videos of your dogs doing tricks, I would just LOVE to see them, too!
I can't get enough of watching dogs doing cool stuff. Besides, I am always looking for new ideas of tricks we can learn.
The last part of this video is my personal favorite. Sorry for the quality, I had to zoom it in. It is something I once saw on Youtube in another video with a Bull Terrier!  It was so cool and I wished my own dog could do that, too. But it is a hard task and I wasn't actually sure, if Djamila would grasp the idea and be able to do it. It took a while, but ...
Well, see for yourself ...

tazmaniandevil

Brilliant!!! I would love vinny to be able to perform these tricks

philsergeant

Great Job! She really is a prize!

Djammy

Thank you!

We are working on her "speaking" (barking) and being silent on command since new year's now.

So far I could not manage to make it crystal clear to her that I WANT her to BARK.

Some tricks require some creativity and take a while, before I figure out a way to make myself clear to her.

As for our barking exercise for now she often thinks that I want her to jump up. I must have rewarded that unintentionally a few times too many. So she offers that, or she barks AND jumps at the same time - just in case.

If she is absolutely NOT sure what I want, she raises her paw for a wave "bye bye" or offers a "complimentary" roll over, because she knows that always makes us laugh. So that can never be wrong.

As we are practicing the NILF principle, she always has to do something to earn her treats. That helps a lot with shaping her muscle memory.

However, sometimes her excitement before having that nice rawhide chew affects her coordination skills. Then the most funny part starts:

A demanded rollover ends up with Djamila throwing herself on her side like a sack or staggering across the living room half standing like she were drunk, because she cannot manage to coordinate her limbs adequately.

Hilarious!

MikeSBT

Amazing =D> =D>

BulliesofNC

Wow, you did a great job with making that video and Djammy is a very smart Bullie!

I took a video with my wife having Kolohe do some tricks a few years ago but my video but just a continuous footage with her doing a few tricks. Nothing fancy about my video but enough to cast a smile on the faces of those that love Bull Terriers.

Djammy

Actually, Steve, this or a very similar video of yours that you have published on your website for a long time is one of those sources that really encouraged me to try teaching my furry little "stubborn" girl.

So, this video has done more than you think already!

Your uncut version also shows that the tricks are not only some "coincidence" and that the dogs are able to focus on their training. This is why I like this way of presentation a lot, too!

There are so few videos to be found on the internet of Bull Terriers doing tricks or learning them, EVERY new video is of great value to support the idea of Bull Terriers being supersmart, positively creative, eager to learn and to obey. Characteristics that many people doubt in Bull Terriers.

I too was very hesitant in the beginning, because I found lots and lots of video tutorials for the training of other breeds, but hardly any material about the "untrainable" Bull Terrier.

Then I stumbled upon the book “When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs” by Jane Killion, read and decided to at least give it a try with the clicker training.

Sadly, I am not very good in front of the camera when it comes to demonstrating exactly how to TEACH the tricks. If I were, I would love to produce some educational training videos with Djamila.

Just because I think many owners would love to train their Bull Terriers, yet have the same reservations that I had before.

And this could show that training is a fun way to easily "connect" with your Bull Terrier AND have a great effect on your dog’s behavior in addition.

But maybe our videos here are already able to reassure other willing but hesitant private dog trainers.

Side note: I love your Kolohe - not only since I saw this video! She is a great dog, just as all of your EBT's!

BulliesofNC

Thanks Dorothea. Kolohe is an old lady now but she's probably the most loyal Bull Terrier we have ever owned. I love her to death and hate seeing her age.

philsergeant

Kolohe is so special Steve, how old is she now?

BulliesofNC

She's about 10 years young! But I think she could pass for a 5 year old beauty   

Djammy

I wish for you and her that she still has a lot of good years ahead of her! Well passing the ten and then heading straight towards 15 does not seem to be unlikely among Bull Terriers. Just read about one that even hit the 17.

BulliesofNC

Yes, I've heard about many Bull Terriers that lived Long Lives and on the other hand I've also heard of many passing away at much earlier time frames. One of the benefits I have is the mere fact that she's around many other Bull Terriers and still tries her best to hang with the young ones. Unfortunately, she has developed some arthritus in her front feet. I know it bothers her because I can tell she a lot slower coming back in the house than she used to be. She will still bolt out the door for excited play but she soon learns she has limitations. I learned later that her mothers bloodline had some health issues that I was unaware of back then. Her father was a excellent example of a Bull Terrier and was a very sought after stud of ours named Ching Ching who came from Ann-Dee's back when Elaine Bernard was still with us. I had a lot of respect for Elaine and enjoyed converting with her. She was well respected within the Bull Terrier community as was her mother Betty Desmond. I don't know Pam Desmond all that much but I know she is still heavily involved with the breed. 
Here's some old photos of Kolohe's sire "Ching Ching" who is deeply missed:

philsergeant

And for those Bullie Enthusiasts that haven't yet lost a fur baby... Trust me, you want to keep them alive as long as you humanly possibly can, because, in my humble opinion, there is no scar that pierces so deep as the loss of your Bullie... it tears at your soul the way the loss of people can't.... So feed & care well and love hard!


P.S. I don't know how we ended up talking about longevity under "Djamila doing tricks"... but, whatever.

Djammy

@philsergeant, I think it's just the realization that even their magic cannot last forever in our perishable world.

Heaven just needs some more angels every now and then. What can we do.
Well, in our hearts they live forever!

As far as it concerns the older "angels-to-be" in our homes, for them I wish for a loooooong remaining earth time to fill our hearts with happiness!

philsergeant

I know there are many that believe that only humans (deserve to) go to heaven and that there is no heaven available to dogs. I myself believe that the converse is more likely true.

RoscosMom

What an awesome video!!  She is so smart, great job!!!

Djammy

Hi everyone,
it's been a while. Work keeps consuming my time.
Fortunately doggie was very cooperative when I decided it's time to roll another fun video.

I hope you enjoy watching it. As last time, I've saved the best for last in the short clip.
And to all of you with few months old stubborn, nagging, destructive, razor-teethed little fur-monsters: Keep the faith! It WILL get better! And then they are just so much fun! )

BulliesofNC

I got to hand it to you, you make such awesome videos!!!

Quinnofhearts

I'm impressed!! We quit after sit and shake... I guess Quinn won't ever be a show dog. I love Djamila's spots on her chest!!! And her bully run at the end was funny. )

BulliesofNC

I'm going to tell you right now that 99% of the "Show Dogs" aren't trained like Mila. Yes, they can walk around a ring and look sharp but nothing beats a well trained obedient Bull Terrier. I'd toss Mila a Blue ribbon any day. Showing a Bull Terrier is easy, training them to this degree like Djammy has done takes far more effort.

Quinnofhearts - If you took your Bullie to a show I guarantee you'd be proud of his performance and more proud of his behavior outside the ring when you viewed the behavior of some of the show dogs.

Seon

I just watch some youtube videos on a couple of EBT running thru
the agility courses.  Talk about patience...the owners/handlers certainly
wins hands down and of course you got to love those bullies.

Djammy

Hi everyone,

thanks for the feedback.

I’ve never given the entire show dog matter much thought, because I was never very interested in it.

For breeders or people who find their passion in doing it, that’s probably quite a different story.

I always thought that excellent behavior is part of those competitions. But, what do I know

It is funny to watch the nonchalant way Bull Terriers tend to do their stuff.

They always seem like they do it for the fun of it, but never for the duty!

So, don’t fall for the assumption that my dog always walks quietly exactly 3 inches away from my leg like a tin soldier.

She still IS a REAL Bull Terrier.

They really are little slobs. But that’s exactly what I love about them.

I am happy that you like what we do and flattered by your compliments. 

Somehow it makes me smile, because I still remember very well how this whole thing started for me:

I was afraid!

Afraid of maybe getting a doggie character I couldn’t handle. Sure! I’ve had a Bull Terrier before. But Fancy was so very special.

When it comes to naughty and stubborn, she just wasn’t the typical Bullie. She was so fragile and shy … and she never ever in her life destroyed any of my stuff or was disobedient - all of that with minimum training.

Somehow I knew that in the next Bull Terrier I’d have to find a different “special”.

I had this saying circle in my head before we got Djamila that I once heard: “When choosing a puppy from a litter, don’t take the one that eats last or gets pushed aside by the others. This one often is weaker than the others and more prone to illness.

On the other hand don’t take the first one at the bowl either. Because this one has the biggest ego and is likely to be up for a lot of mischief in his life.”

Well, I never saw Djamila’s behavior with her siblings at the bowl, because she is from another state. But I can TELL you, if there is anything true about this saying, in her litter SHE was FIRST at the bowl! I’d bet on that!

My biggest miracle of the last months was to discover that there are no “puppy-devils”. It all depends on how you perceive and how you handle them.

Boy, I can’t tell you how relieved I am today!

I was prepared for living with a little monster puppy, but instead I’m living with the most wonderful dog!

Training has turned out to be valuable for me in so many more ways than just being able to ask my dog how to sit on my command or leave something alone I accidentally drop to the floor. 

Anyway, I don’t consider Djamila (Mila) any more or less special than any other Bull Terrier. Also I am anything but a professional dog trainer.

There is still A LOT we can learn together, both obedience exercises and tricks.

Well cut videos do not reveal how many tries and stages go into the training and that patience and circumstances are a huge part of it. They also don’t show what the dog can’t do.

But it is all fun. I don’t consider training an additional effort any minute in my life today. It’s such an amazing fun tool to bond and improve communication!!!

Now used to training, she masters one or the other trick so quickly it takes my breath away. Other tricks take months of work. Teaching more complex exercises forces me to get creative, find a way to break down the steps for her. It also has taught me patience - which by nature I was never really that good with

On the other hand it also promotes her own mental development. She - and I bet all of your Bullies do that to - is studying everyone in our household and loves to figure out situations she is able to reproduce to make someone happy.

Attention, praise and making others happy is what feeds the Bully’s ego. While they sure are different in many ways, this trait probably does not part them so very much from other dogs.

But to me it seems like a trained dog becomes even more proactive in these efforts.

Watching her offering more and more behaviors that she knows we like or have made us laugh in the past, really just fascinates me.

She like most other Bull Terriers is also no different when it comes to pushing limits.

After reading a lot in this forum I feel like there’s only one difference between me and some other owners encountering this with their dogs today: Being involved so closely with Djamila has helped me to a better understanding of why she does things, how far she is willing to go and what I can do about it without losing my temper.

Training is my means of correcting her behavior in a fun way for both of us. This tool gives me a feeling of control when I know my dog is constantly trying to teach me HER ways.

Even more it has practically erased my ability to get mad about her or to suspect her having bad intentions at all.

Training has shown me that whenever she does something I don’t want, this is just something I have missed to set the rules straight enough for so far.

And there is also another advantage: Djamila is a little bit double-minded when it comes to playing. One time she loves just to run her *** off in the dog park after a ball. The next day she doesn’t move an inch and gives me that look: “What are we doing here? Seriously? Running? After that ball?”.

The trick and obedience training is not only my way to shape her behavior. It’s also the perfect addition to my other options of keeping her busy and entertained. I can challenge her mind, interact with her and provide her with a feeling of success.

You see, after all it’s all not rocket science. But I still love that you like what we do.

Quinnofhearts

To be honest, I'd rather have my dog do stuff like Mila does than show her in the ring. I think it's more interesting and honestly more fun and rewarding for me. This is completely subjective though. I definitely get the appeal of showing dogs and really being proud. It is disappointing to hear the terrible things breeders do and the horrible behavior at shows. You'd think dogs would need to be well behaved and socialized to be around that many dogs but I guess some people don't see it that way (not to mention I'd consider it poor breeding to produce from an aggressive dog...).

You've done a great job with her. Quinn is more of an instant gratification type, but maybe we can work on that.

BulliesofNC

You're going to see both good and bad behaved dogs at shows. In the event the judge viewed a dog showing aggression they are supposed to be disqualified which is normally what happens.

You must remember, the sole purpose for conformation shows is to display "conformation" so breeders (and owners) can receive recognition for the qualities they produced that are in line with the Breed Standard. They are not intelligent contests or performance contests. However, many of the dogs shown at conformation shows are trained by the owners to conduct many tricks as displayed by Djammy's Bullie.

Those that take conformation shows seriously not only appreciate the qualities within the structure, appearance, and movement of the dogs that do well but also the obedience and discipline they display in the ring.

Sometimes watching a dog walk around the ring appears to some as though the dog has minimal training in regard to seeing a dog sit, fetch, shake hands, etc. However, noting a dog's confidence in a ring when there is thousands of other dogs surrounding them and they are capable of listening to commands, healing to the side of their trainer, and staying focused is actually harder than it appears. The judge actually takes note on several elements besides structure and conformation. As an example, when each dog enters the ring the lead is usually draped over the shoulders loosely and while the handler is displaying the dog and walking it as well as jogging it around the ring the judge will in fact look to see if that dog is being manipulated by the handler or if that dog is naturally staying to the handlers side without the need for correction. It's often pretty easy to see if correction is being utilized by how tight that lead around the shoulders becomes. To test this kind of training and obedience try conducting this at a dog bark while there's distraction of dogs present and barking in the distance.

Here's a video of Nitro practicing prior to a show. I not only look at his structure and movement but also his obedience, confidence, and ability to stay focused on his handler. Note the tension of the lead during the exercise. To some, they may find this type of training a littler harder to master than tricks with treats. To others all they see is a dog walking next to their owner in a circle.

Djammy

".....Quinn is more of an instant gratification type, but maybe we can work on that...."

@Quinnofhearts

Don’t be fooled by Mila’s seemingly endless patience. This is only the result of the training or in other words: experience.

Young Bullies in general tend to have ants in their pants. But even they are willing to learn patience - once they've figured out it pays off for them.

Imagine ONLY rewarding patient behaviors of your dog and ignoring any pushy behavior.
First, only split seconds, a glimpse of the will to be patient, then seconds, then maybe even a minute.

They can do it, as long as they know: pushing does not pay off, patience does.

Mila is in no way more patient than other Bullies - she is only playing her cards.

Trust me on this one!

Also this seemingly calm Bully is only a snapshot. As Steve is showing in his video and explaining already, dog training - obedience as well as tricks, for the dog that’s all the same - is all about getting the dog’s attention … and keeping it!

Dogs can be perfectly behaved in calm and controlled environments - and little devils that completely ignore and embarrass you in a crowd with lots of distractions around. They don’t mean to embarrass you. It’s only that in this moment their focus is anywhere but on you. 

This is the ultimate goal of all training - having the dog focus on you in the most distracting situations. But that cannot be achieved without going through different stages.

Mila and I are by far not “there” yet.

For example, her barking. Originally I have trained her to “speak” in order to be able to make it clear to her when I want her to be quiet. She gets the hang of it and I manage to shut her up every now and then.

But she is young, full of steam, a little protective and “goes off” a lot.

When it happens, it is very hard to get her attention. And even when I do, she sometimes just makes me laugh, because she looks at me like “I know you don’t want me to bark, but there’s something I need to yell (not tell) you!” She does it in that special voice, which is really cute. But it’s still barking. With me laughing, of course I have a funny moment, but at the same time I slow down our progress, because I am sending a mixed message. I show her that her barking makes me happy. So, guess what's going to happen.

I am trying different strategies now. But long story short … this will still take a while.

Or going up. Sure, I can tell her to “Stay off” a rack or table, when I notice she is about to go up. Or if I am too late, I can at least command her “Off!” Once she has heard my command, like under a spell she can’t help herself but do as I said. Not p**** her people off luckily is her number one priority, which is my ace.

However, she still does go up now and then on furniture or people when she thinks it’s ok.

It’s a tricky situation. I like her to go up on me. But I don’t want her to bother other people.

We still need to work on her knowing the difference.

Keeping her off would probably work much faster, if in general I forbade her to go up, did not invite her to do it occasionally on me and intervened every single time I notice it.

Shaping very targeted behaviors is always a little more tricky than deciding for black OR white in general. Because black and white is just easier to grasp for the dog.

I also currently train her to walk into her crate on command when someone rings the doorbell or knocks. All of that works perfectly fine when a family member or a friend helps us with this exercise.

Once a stranger rings the doorbell, she rushes to the front door and won’t move like she is glued to it.

Of course she notices the difference between a training set-up and real life. It’s just a perfectly different story. Different in ways we don’t even realize. Again this situation is about distractions, overriding her excitement and getting her attention.

Knowing commands and following them in certain situations does not mean that the dog is perfectly trained. It all depends on circumstance!

Walking: She knows how to heel. She even knows that “SLOW!” means that I want her to walk slower on the extended leash. And she does that.

The problem: We live in a very rural setting and I barely get the chance to do our training in an environment that provides a lot of distractions, which always MUST be the next step.

I know that after the basic commands are known and shaped in a calm environment, dogs need to get familiar with hectic environments by training and experience. I also know that they need a chance to encounter situations multiple times in order to get used to them. It’s part of the learning process.

In big cities this familiarization with hectic and noise almost happens automatically.
But some situations are just not that easy to create for a training situation.

I frequently embarrass myself by introducing her to hectic situations - take her to the airport, restaurant, mall, pet mart. Only to give her the chance to get used to the situations and manage her own excitement.
In a lot of those situations she has already made me very proud. But we are still far away from perfect.

I once read that dogs can literally go temporarily deaf when they are excited. The theory says that they do not disobey, because they are ignoring you. They don’t obey, because they literally don’t HEAR your (otherwise known) command.

From all I know from our training so far, I think there could be something true about this theory.

Luring or being more exciting than the distractions theoretically often would be the owner’s best bet. Yet, in practice it’s often not working, because unless you want to make a total fool of yourself in a crowd, there’s not much you can do command-wise.

So, as I understand what Steve says, some owners at dog shows just seem to manage their dogs (by a tight leash) instead of working with them, because neither dog nor owner have trained enough to work together as a team in stressful situations.

Looks and behavior should go together, that’s for sure. But for all I know about training so far, I can somehow explain to myself, why someone may rather want to focus on having his dog polished and trimmed for a show, than trained to also handle the stressful situation.

Straight rules, consistency and a frequently raised level of distractions, trust games and bonding experiences - all of that can grow into a level of communication that almost knows no boundaries.

But it’s a long road to go.
I sure can understand why many people like to only go the quarter mile with their pet or choose "short cuts", such as hiring professional trainers, using training aids (e-collars) etc., when it comes to obedience training.

I am happy that I have found so much fun in doing the training myself, I do not consider it a burden. I’ll keep doing it and I am really excited to see where we will be in a year or so.