"Off-Switch"

MyDogBitz

MyDogBitz

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Bomber will turn 1 on New Years Eve. The last several weeks have seen a dramatic improvement in his ability to turn it off. One thing I did on the recommendation of some trainer friends that I really respect was to totally eliminate indoor training. Even though I have a dedicated space for indoor training, he was really struggling with generalizing between the training space and the rest of the house. That was a really big help. Another big piece of the puzzle was just ignoring him when he was bouncing off the walls and showing attention when his energy was appropriate. He is just chilling and vibing so much better now. The next step is getting him used to sleeping through the night outside of his crate. IMG_20251207_153324707_HDR.jpgIMG_20251116_220518217_HDR.jpgIMG_20251207_143856850_HDR.jpg
 
Well done Bitz and Bomber! It sounds like his off switch is coming along really nicely and he's on the verge of more freedom at night. What a great feeling to see the hard work pay off.

Bomber looks good in the teal collar.
 
Andre said:
Well done Bitz and Bomber! It sounds like his off switch is coming along really nicely and he's on the verge of more freedom at night. What a great feeling to see the hard work pay off.

Bomber looks good in the teal collar.
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Thanks. 👍

I'm always putting different collars on him. I picked that up on sale at Canine Athletes and figured it was cool being a different color that's not used for dogs a lot. I agree, it does look good. Better than I expected. I have something cool coming for him from Supreme K9 but their lead time is so slow. 🙄
 
That's awesome! He looks like a comfy boy in those photos!

Also thought it was funny my baseboards look the exact same, is Bomber the culprit? 🤣
I know mine is haha

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MalikethGSD said:
That's awesome! He looks like a comfy boy in those photos!

Also thought it was funny my baseboards look the exact same, is Bomber the culprit? 🤣
I know mine is haha

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Yeah, he's such an ass, chewing my 90YO wood trim. 🙄😂

He wants to eat it sooo bad. He'll lay down and put his nose right on it and let out a sigh. LOL.
 
MyDogBitz said:
Thanks. 👍

I'm always putting different collars on him. I picked that up on sale at Canine Athletes and figured it was cool being a different color that's not used for dogs a lot. I agree, it does look good. Better than I expected. I have something cool coming for him from Supreme K9 but their lead time is so slow. 🙄
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My vet said she thought my tactical collar was "...a choice." Girl I have a tactical fur missle let me LARP.
 
This is such a good example of management doing the heavy lifting. People underestimate how much environment influences behavior, especially with high-drive dogs. Removing indoor training entirely and letting the house become a true off-switch space is a huge move and clearly it clicked for him.

Ignoring the chaos and only engaging when his energy was appropriate is another piece a lot of folks struggle with, but it’s powerful. Dogs like Bomber learn really fast when calm is what opens doors.

You can see it all over that photo too that’s a dog who finally understands the assignment. The crate transition will come with time, but you’ve already built the hard part: clarity. Really nice work.
 
Malakai The Great said:
This is such a good example of management doing the heavy lifting. People underestimate how much environment influences behavior, especially with high-drive dogs. Removing indoor training entirely and letting the house become a true off-switch space is a huge move and clearly it clicked for him.

Ignoring the chaos and only engaging when his energy was appropriate is another piece a lot of folks struggle with, but it’s powerful. Dogs like Bomber learn really fast when calm is what opens doors.

You can see it all over that photo too that’s a dog who finally understands the assignment. The crate transition will come with time, but you’ve already built the hard part: clarity. Really nice work.
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There's a lot to do still. He's going to be the oldest dog I've ever owned to be crated at night. But he's not ready yet.
 
MyDogBitz said:
There's a lot to do still. He's going to be the oldest dog I've ever owned to be crated at night. But he's not ready yet.
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That’s totally fair, age matters a lot less than state of mind. Crating at night isn’t a milestone you rush; it’s something the dog earns when they can truly settle.

You’re doing it the right way by letting readiness dictate the timeline instead of a calendar. If he’s calm, regulated, and sleeping well now, you’re already winning. The crate will be there when he is, not the other way around.
 
murph said:
I didn't leave Murphy out at night until she was 3 💀
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I'm thinking that's where Bomber is going to be. It's not that he can't settle and relax, but he goes from 0 - 100mph whenever anyone in the house moves and he still has a tendency to want to chew things. I can envision a scenario where someone wakes up to use the bathroom the loses his mind with excitement and then goes and starts eating something to self satisfy. LOL.
 
MyDogBitz said:
I'm thinking that's where Bomber is going to be. It's not that he can't settle and relax, but he goes from 0 - 100mph whenever anyone in the house moves and he still has a tendency to want to chew things. I can envision a scenario where someone wakes up to use the bathroom the loses his mind with excitement and then goes and starts eating something to self satisfy. LOL.
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When Murphy was around 24 months old. She picked up a 10 GALLON humidifier, turned it upside down, UNSCREWED the bottom, and dumped all 10 gallons of water on my floor.
 
Murphy sleeps in her crate during the day som
Malakai The Great said:
That’s totally fair, age matters a lot less than state of mind. Crating at night isn’t a milestone you rush; it’s something the dog earns when they can truly settle.

You’re doing it the right way by letting readiness dictate the timeline instead of a calendar. If he’s calm, regulated, and sleeping well now, you’re already winning. The crate will be there when he is, not the other way around.
Click to expand...

Malakai The Great said:
That’s totally fair, age matters a lot less than state of mind. Crating at night isn’t a milestone you rush; it’s something the dog earns when they can truly settle.

You’re doing it the right way by letting readiness dictate the timeline instead of a calendar. If he’s calm, regulated, and sleeping well now, you’re already winning. The crate will be there when he is, not the other way around.
Click to expand...
Murphy sleeps in the crate during the day sometimes when she feels like it. I'm glad she knows it's her space and she can (mostly) come and go as she pleases.
 
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