As a fellow dog owner, I know how important it is to keep an eye on your furry friend, especially when you're not around. That's where doggy cameras come in handy and for us, we use the Skyme Owl Camera! They offer a ton of benefits, including helping with your dog's training process. With cameras, you can monitor your pet's behavior and ensure their safety even when you're away. This is particularly useful if your dog suffers from separation anxiety. You can talk to them, reward them, and discourage destructive behaviors like counter surfing.
If you're on the hunt for a reliable doggy camera, I highly recommend the Skyme Owl camera. It's super versatile, with wheels that allow you to move it around the house and dual audio that lets you chat with your furry friend. Plus, it even has a treat dispenser that makes it easy to reward good behavior and keep your dog happy even when you're not at home.
While crate training is great for dogs, there comes a point when they're ready for a little more freedom. If you're curious to see how your pup handles this newfound independence, a doggy cam can be a valuable tool. It lets you keep tabs on your dog's behavior without worrying about potential sofa destruction when you return home. So go ahead and give your furry friend some more freedom - you can always check in with the doggy cam!
How I use the Skyme:
When dealing with dogs that have mild to severe separation anxiety, it can be very helpful to keep an eye on them when you are not around. For my clients who have earned my trust to provide them with in-home freedom when I'm gone, I begin by starting with short increments and monitoring them via the camera to see how they manage before I leave for real. I might just be sipping my morning coffee and reading a good book on the porch, taking a walk, or going on a quick trip to the store. Regardless, I want to ensure that my clients are safe as I transition them to this new form of freedom, and that's why I need to monitor them.
This tool can be a lifesaver when it comes to determining whether or not a dog is ready for such freedom. Many dogs suffer from mild to severe separation anxiety since they are pack animals that thrive on having someone close by. Some dogs have such a negative association with crate training that they will break their teeth trying to get out of the crate, and some dogs are even expert Houdinis that can easily escape their crates. In some cases, providing freedom for a single room when you are gone can be a better option than crate training. However, crate training is essential to ensure their safety, so Skyme can help keep your dog safe and happy while also helping to put your mind at ease when you're gone.
The most crucial thing I look for in dogs with separation anxiety is how long it takes them to relax once I've left. Do they pace around, whine obsessively, or become destructive? Dogs that pace for more than ten minutes probably shouldn't be given too much freedom alone yet because pacing increases anxiety, which can worsen this behavior rather quickly. Being able to see firsthand how they deal with it can help you determine whether your dog is genuinely ready for that level of freedom.
As a dog owner, I find the Skyme camera to be a very useful tool for training my dog. One technique I use is called "freeshaping," which involves rewarding the dog for good behavior. For instance, if my dog has separation anxiety and begins to relax, I reward it with treats. In another instance, if my dog is tempted to sniff the trash can but chooses not to, I reward it with treats and a verbal "yes." Freeshaping is incredibly effective, especially when I am not home.
Another way I use the Skyme camera is to redirect my dog's attention. Let's say my dog is reactive to the UPS man outside the window. I use the camera to redirect its attention to the movement of the camera and then give it commands like "leave-it," "quiet," or recall it away from the window. This technique helps my dog learn to follow commands and gets rewarded for doing so.
The Skyme camera is also helpful in reinforcing good behavior and discouraging bad behavior. When my dog knows it shouldn't do something but does it anyway, I can use the camera to reinforce good behavior. By using the camera, my dog learns that I am always watching, which helps with separation anxiety and ensures that it follows training standards. This reduces the likelihood of destructive or self-rewarding behaviors such as counter surfing or getting into the trash can.
Finally, the Skyme camera helps me train my dog against self-rewarding behaviors. Dogs often engage in "bad" behaviors when they think we aren't watching, such as destroying things or getting into the trash can. The camera helps me to train against these behaviors by making my dog think I am always watching, even when I'm not home. This technique is crucial in reversing self-rewarding behaviors that can be challenging to correct otherwise.
As a dog trainer, I sometimes intentionally exclude certain items that I believe could be destroyed by the client's dog or leave food out to reinforce their impulse control when I am not physically present but nearby. By consistently reinforcing commands and rewarding good behavior, I have seen remarkable success in eliminating self-rewarding behaviors in dogs.
However, it is essential to practice these behaviors when you are home frequently and ensure that your dog fully understands commands such as "no," "leave it," and "quiet" before expecting them to listen to you on camera.
If you are interested in purchasing the Skyme Owl robot camera and treat dispenser, it can be found on Amazon for $170 by clicking the link below:
While it might be more expensive than an average camera, using this type of camera system provides numerous benefits to aid you in your training process. It can help with separation anxiety, determine if your dog is ready to be left alone in the house, reinforce good and bad behaviors, and give you peace of mind when you are not home.
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