tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678310843328793262024-03-13T15:18:55.909-04:00SmartPupsThe Smart Pups blog is dedicated to providing education and general advice on dog training and behavior; our goal is to help you and your dog be your best!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-69905972925442986742018-04-05T14:27:00.001-04:002018-04-05T14:27:33.637-04:00Transitions Part 1Every day, I go to work and get paid to hang out with dogs. It's a pretty sweet deal most days, and I am grateful that working with them helps us pay the bills. The days it's not all awesome are when I am overbooked and feel rushed (which is my fault), or days when I encounter dogs who have a history of being trained using punitive techniques. I walk away from these dogs with a heavy heart but usually with some hope. Once I explain to their human families that the dog is not acting out of a need for dominance; that the barking, growling, snapping, or biting is out of fear or frustration, we can start rehabilitating their beloved pet.<br />
<br />
With coercive training techniques, success is hailed as a dog who appears submissive or quiet. Just because a dog stops reacting strongly does not mean they stop feeling anxious, fearful, or frustrated. If a young child is hit or yelled at for acting out of frustration because they do not have the skills to cope well, does it really stop the <i>feelings </i>they have?<br />
<br />
No. They simply learn to hide it, which is something dogs are really, really good at. When a dog is shocked, jerked, or hit for doing something wrong, they simply <i>stop trying. </i>They stop jumping or barking because they are afraid of what will happen. That dog is not any less upset or excited by the trigger of the mailman or a visitor, and in fact is probably even more anxious because she cannot respond in a way that is normal for her- she is left with no way to cope with the situation. She tucks her tail, she sits and waits for the situation to be over. This is not an obedient dog; this is a scared dog. Any trainer worth their salt can tell you the difference- it's very obvious.<br />
<br />
Enough from me though, I want you to check out someone else's experience. The article below was written by a trainer who made the transition from punitive training to positive training, what it taught her, and why she will never go back.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/12/18/why-i-train-dogs-the-way-i-train-dogs/">http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/12/18/why-i-train-dogs-the-way-i-train-dogs/</a><br />
<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Making that transition is tough, but stick with it because your commitment will be repaid. It is so worthwhile to get to see a previously shut-down dog begin to have confidence and actually enjoy training- it's a beautiful transition.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-83254456723656987832018-03-13T14:09:00.000-04:002018-03-13T14:09:08.130-04:00Really Nice to Meet You..!<i>This article first appeared in the Winter 2018 issue of Delmarva Unleashed. It's part of my series on dog behaviors that are perfectly normal in the minds of dogs but entirely socially unacceptable to us humans. I think that its useful to understand that dogs have reasons for their shenanigans, even if they make no sense to us and even if we want to change that behavior. If you know why a behavior happens, you can make better progress in changing it!</i><br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the funniest things I hear from clients (and friends and family) is how frustrating it is when their dog acts like he has a mind of his own.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s <i>so silly </i>because of course your dog has a mind of his own, he’s not a computer program! He needs that mind, with the ability to think and reason so he can survive, just like other animals.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, it is ok to be surprised about your dog’s ability to reason, just as it’s ok to be baffled by some dog behaviors that seems insane to us, though they do have evolutionary roots.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Crotch and butt sniffing are two dog behaviors that are quite obtrusive to people but perfectly normal to dogs. This is because we are two different species. Most people seem to get that we are not dogs, but stumble to grasp that dogs are not us. By this I mean that dogs and people have slew of behaviors that are different but perfectly normal and functional in our society. Crotch and butt sniffing are as normal to dogs as us shaking hands with a colleague or neighbor. The reason dogs do this is to learn more about you. There are specialized sweat glands called apocrine glands spread throughout the bodies of all mammals, but they are concentrated around the genitals. These glands release pheromones containing all kinds of information- sex, age, mood, health, estrus, pregnancy, etc. This is very helpful information to learn about another dog, so it’s only natural to want to know the same about their human counterparts. As weird as it sounds, your crotch and butt can tell a dog a lot about you quickly. The other piece of the puzzle we have to put in place is that dogs are made to use their nose, literally. Dogs have a scent detection system<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>called Jacobson’s organ, which is a highly specialized pouch of cells just above the roof of their mouth. It contains ducts that are open to the mouth and nose, allowing a great number of scent molecules to get in and a rich blood supply which allows it to function exceedingly well in finding and discriminating scents. Did you know that there is even an area in the brain of your dog that is dedicated to processing the information from just this system? All so they can smell every little thing about you.</span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">As weird as it is to us, this crotch sniffing is just part of life for dogs- maybe similar to the way we use social media to learn about someone new!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So, instead of getting upset and yelling when your dog does this, try to calmly redirect him to a toy or something else better to sniff. Better yet, teach your dog how to do polite human greetings with a sit-stay next to you as you shake hands and they wait for a pat on the head. It is rude in human society to go around sticking one’s head on the crotch or rear end of someone else, so be sure you take the time to practice what is expected of your dog so he knows how humans expect him to act.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<i></i><br />
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px}
p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-57831434977102775172017-07-23T16:15:00.001-04:002017-07-23T16:32:43.024-04:00Click and Treat, But Why?I use clicker training with the majority of my clients, or at least with their dogs- people look at me funny when I start clicking and giving out M&M’s. I love clicker training, there’s no hiding it so I won’t even try. It fits perfectly in my force-free philosophy and makes training fun and fast for everyone. There are a few exceptions to this- homes with multiple small children can mean the parents have to be extra careful and put more work into hiding the fun little noisemaker and folks who have slower reaction time due to age, physical handicap, or disease. In those cases, we tend to use a verbal reward marker, like “YES!”
Let me take a step back and explain all about the clicker. The clicker utilizes the principles of classical conditioning, which is based on the work of Ivan Pavlov. Like so many scientific discoveries, Pavlov stumbled upon Classical Conditioning (CC) by accident. The Russian physiologist was studying canine salivation rates in response to meals back in the 1890’s when he realized that the dogs began to salivate when he (the person feeding them) would enter the room. He put together that some things are innate for animals- drooling is something that a dog naturally does when food is around, so that response does not need to be trained. We call these responses Unconditioned Responses (UR) and they are generally paired with an Unconditioned Stimulus (US). US are things that trigger an innate response; food makes hungry dogs drool because their body begins producing saliva to aid in chewing and digestion- dogs don’t need to <i>learn</i> to do that. What Pavlov accidentally did was to pair the UR with something new, something without meaning- a Neutral Stimulus (NS). Next, the can opener that he used to open the canned dog food was paired with the food enough times that the dogs began to have the same response to the can opener as the actual food. He took this farther and tried pairing the salivation with another NS- a bell. He wound up with dogs who would drool at the sound of a bell ringing. That is exactly what we do with the clicker- it starts out as this noisemaker that means nothing, but quickly becomes an indication that the dog will get a treat for doing what we want- a reward marker. Do you know why clicker training became so popular with marine and other large mammals? Because it allowed people to train and work with them without punishment. There a few problems with using coercive techniques with animals who weigh tons more than people- the people can get hurt and if uninterested, the whale simply swims away or the elephant stomps on the human who keeps hurting him. Clicker training is used with dogs, horses, chickens, and a world of animals in zoos. It allows us to work with them safely and build a healthy, strong relationship with the animal and a tool to effectively communicate.<br />
<br />
You have questions, I know. I have the answers:<br />
<br />
Do I always need a clicker?<br />
Of course not, you also don’t need a pouch full of jerky, either. These are only needed for initially training a behavior or cue. Once fluent in the words we teach, you will begin to fade out the use of treats and the clicker. We then use real life rewards- toys, free play, tug, belly rubs- whatever the dog loves.<br />
<br />
My dog doesn’t need more food, he’s already overweight.<br />
That's fine. You can use part of your dog’s daily food as rewards during training most of the time and if you need to use more tasty treats, you can simply cut back on their regular food. Also, you won’t always need treats, over time your dog will do what you ask for petting, praise, toys, tug, fetch- whatever he likes. Lastly, we use really, really small pieces of treat in training- my rule of thumb is that the treat should be no bigger than a pea.<br />
<br />
Does this really work?<br />
Yes. Do you go to the door when you hear the doorbell? Do you answer your phone when it rings? Those are both examples of things that were at one point in your life, neutral stimuli but were given a new meaning; that’s all we are doing with clicker training. If you need further proof of how it works in people, check out this article on TAGTeach, which is essentially clicker training used in people, especially for young athletes to perfect form and to help those with certain developmental challenges.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><a href="https://clickertraining.com/node/402">https://clickertraining.com/node/402</a></u>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-51448485086372246602017-07-02T11:15:00.000-04:002017-07-02T14:30:27.290-04:00Your Dog On DrugsIt's almost time for the loudest holiday in many cities- July 4th. Fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers and lots of bright lights in the evening. While many of us get to enjoy the festivities, this night can be a harrowing one for dogs who have aversions to noise. How do you cope? Well, you start by working on desensitizing way before July 2nd. You may feel your dog needs medication and you may be right, but that can be where the real frustration starts. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcJsSakYvsE/WVk7vPqKb0I/AAAAAAAAAVE/u-2H2jrvHo47X9Rkx2MpY1qiS05VDOjIwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1600" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcJsSakYvsE/WVk7vPqKb0I/AAAAAAAAAVE/u-2H2jrvHo47X9Rkx2MpY1qiS05VDOjIwCLcBGAs/s320/DSC_7852.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It seems as though we are a society more and more dependent on pharmaceutical intervention. This is a great thing much of the time- people are living longer, better lives, and doing more with illnesses that would have limited them severely in the past. The same is true for our dogs- since dogs are similar metabolically to humans in some ways, your veterinarian can prescribe similar medication (or the same at a different dose) to help with a variety of disorders and diseases. Antibiotics, anti-fungal, insulin, thyroid medication, even anti-anxiety medications can be commonly prescribed. The world of canine medication has advanced significantly and our dogs are (usually) living better lives because of it.<br />
I want to say this: I am not inherently against medication at all. What I am cautious of is over-prescribing and inappropriately prescribed medications. I am not a veterinarian and have no legal right to prescribe or recommend medications for any dog. That is a discussion to have with your veterinarian. If your veterinarian is unsure about behavioral medications, they should get in touch with a veterinary behaviorist. Many veterinary behaviorists across the country will consult with your local veterinarian for free or for a low fee to help out if your area is under-served in that specialty. Let me be clear- medication can work wonders for dogs, but it has to be the correct medication for your dog, so ask your vet and seek out a veterinary behaviorist if necessary.<br />
<br />
Generally, I see problems in dogs who are put on a medication that is essentially a tranquilizer to aid in anxiety. Let's look at Acepromazine, which is regularly used pre-surgery in cats and dogs and likely too often used in an effort to reduce anxiety in them. This medication has been around since the 1950's and works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is responsible for perceiving pain, pleasure, aiding in motor function and digestion. The patient's blood pressure, heart rate and temperature are all decreased on this medication. This is acceptable in surgery, since all those will be monitored the whole time anyway. The problem comes when the medication is used in an anxious dog because it tends to be the opposite of helpful. I will explain why in human terms.<br />
You are out at a bar with a friend. Your friend goes outside to take a phone call and warns you it will take more than a few minutes, which you are kind of ok with- you don't really like being alone in this poorly lit place, but you figure you can handle a few minutes. As you sip your drink, you realize that you aren't able to move as well as you should be, your motor skills are not where they should be. Either your drink is really strong or someone has put something in your drink. You look around for your friend but suddenly the lighting seems worse and you can't see much. You try to get up and stumble off the barstool...<br />
That is what it's like for (many) dogs on acepromazine. Imagine if you are a person who already has a very high level of stress associated with a bar and this happened to you. Would you feel better not being able to respond to what you perceive as threatening, realizing you physically cannot do what you want? It actually makes anxiety worse, but the symptoms are masked by the medication so to the untrained eye the dog looks "fine". In surgery, the drug is given IV and the dose is relatively low since it is only needed short term and the muscle relaxation is useful in that context. After all, nobody wants a twitching leg in the middle of an ACL repair! Now, acepromazine is just one example; there is a world of drugs out there and new ones are developed regularly. What I want to stress is the importance of getting the right drug for <i>your</i> dog, monitored by you and your veterinarian. Most of the time, a simple sedative is not the right choice for anxiety or aggression and will likely make those behaviors worse. Remember that aggression or fear is a response on the dog's part to a perceived threat, however unjustified we may see that perceived threat. The right medication may take weeks to take effect and you will also need to do some behavioral modification training with a certified trainer fluent in reward based training (adding in the stress of a physical corrections, shock, pinch or prong collars does no good). In the best case scenarios, a dog is on a medication for a period of time, goes through training which includes desensitizing, counter-conditioning, and teaching more appropriate responses to triggers and is able to be weaned down to a low dose or no medication at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1830389/?page=1">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1830389/?page=1</a> (study questioning the ineffectiveness of acepromazine not long after it was introduced into human mental health)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/anesthesia.html">http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/anesthesia.html</a> (use of operative and pre-operative drugs)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-166271113666522262017-06-05T14:24:00.001-04:002018-03-23T15:19:21.911-04:00The Fallacy of Dominance Theory; Flawed Science (part 1)<div class="p1">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fair warning, there are citations of peer-reviewed articles in this post and it might get a little technical. Where I can, I have linked to a copy you should be able to access to read for yourself, otherwise you may have to check out your local library or university for access to scientific journals. Enjoy!<br /><br />When observing a demonstration of the skillset of a working police K9 recently, my heart sank. It wasn’t because I saw a dog being abused, but because I saw the normalizing of a training method that has been proven to cause problems. This was all before the dog was out, too. The police officer was explaining the equipment to a small crowd, including a child who seemed to be 3-5 years old. The police officer was showing all the typical tools meant to cause… well, let’s just say discomfort to be diplomatic. Prong collars and shock collars were among the mix. It was being explained to the group that these things don’t hurt the dog at all. I had to walk away for a minute, because that was ridiculous. They do cause pain, or at least discomfort, otherwise they wouldn’t work. When a dog is highly aroused, like in police or military work, they are in a part of their brain that will only respond to pain. Saying that it doesn’t hurt dogs is a flat out lie. You know what else was once common belief about (non-human) animals? That they couldn’t feel pain; that even surgery could be done without medication. We were wrong about that one, what else could we have wrong? Training an animal should never be a situation where force or pain are status quo; the belief that it's the only way to get reliable behavior is simply not true. I do understand the importance of the work of military and police dogs and I love that they have such an important place, but I have seem military working dogs from European countries who can do all the same work, without the pain. Maybe it’s time to leave the past behind and move away from a training protocol that was developed for WWI. <br /><br /><br />When dog training first started on a big scale, for the war, it was commonly believed that the only way to communicate with any animal was to use force. It worked. Dogs learned quickly what not to do. There were also many dogs deemed “too stupid” for work because they could not learn this way. This belief was further cemented by a study done in 1975 on the behaviors of captive wolves. These wolves were not a familial group, as wolves in the wild are, and they were in what was to them, a very strange environment. The researcher, Zieman, saw some pretty intense displays of aggression including the now well known “alpha roll”. The animals sustained major injuries. He proposed that there could be a multitude of reasons for these incidents including time of year, standing relationships between the wolves and status, but seemed to harp on the status part. With this, the industry continued on this path and wolves were compared-incorrectly- to our own dogs. Despite the work of other researchers explicitly demonstrating that this is not normal behavior for wild wolves (Mech 1999; Fatjo et al, 2007), this fallacy persists. During 13 summers in Canada, on Ellesmere Island, Mech never saw displays as violent as the ones observed by Zieman. He saw what is most common in all animals- subtle and not so subtle body language meant to communicate in social situations (Kerkhove 2004 p 281). In the study by Fatjo et al, similar results were found in wild wolves: “overt aggression was rarely observed in the pack included in this study and never led to open wounds in any of the wolves involved in agonistic encounters.” It seems that the most logical conclusion to be drawn is that unrelated wolves in captivity is what caused the severe fights, not simple rank determination displays (Kerkhove 2004 p 281-2). Despite these findings, too many people out there still believe the words written in a 42-year old study. <br /><br />Since the theory of dominance cannot be unilaterally applied to wolves, it is not logical to apply it to modern dogs, who diverged on the evolutionary path from wolves 11,000-16,000 years ago (Freedman et al, 2014, pg 1, 5). Furthermore, there is no need for dog owners or trainers to establish themselves as the ‘alpha’ or ‘pack leader’ in an effort to prevent or stop canine aggression since most aggression is actually in defense or due to general anxiety (Herron et al 2009 p 52). Punitive displays on the part of dog owners have a correlation with increased aggression displayed by the dog, so trainers and owners may be endangering themselves and family members when attempting to train this way (Herron et al 2009 p 52, Hiby et al 2004). The theory of dominance and the belief in a rigid social structure for wolves and dogs has simply been debunked. The rules of this theory do not accurately apply to wolves or their distant relatives who now occupy our homes. <br /><br />To paraphrase another trainer, have you seen a wolf “dominate” a monkey? No, because alpha based dominance is within that species. The wolf could show aggression towards a monkey I suppose, but that would not be dominance. It would be something akin to “hey, outsider, get out of here!” Would the wolf go back to his wolf buddies and say “look, I totally dominated this monkey today, now he knows I’m the boss!” The type of dominance people refer to when excusing the use of force it called Alpha Regulated Dominance. It only exists within a species. By exerting ‘dominance’ over your dog, you are attempting to do something that a logical animal would not do (see above monkey example). By doing an alpha roll, you are being irrational and mean and your dog does not understand what is happening or why; they only know you are mad as hell and they will do everything they can to not make you mad in the future. A human attempting to ‘train’ using force in the name of dominance is bullying, plain and simple. Teaching our dogs to live this way seems to me analogous with staying in an abusive relationship because that person provides you with a place to live and food to eat. We tend to believe that people deserve better; don’t our dogs also deserve better?</span><br />
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Citations:</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of these I have been able to link to the full text and others are just the abstract, so again check with your library or local university for scientific journal access.</span></i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>
</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">1. Zimen, E. (1975). <i>Social Dynamics of the Wolf Pack</i>. In W. M. Fox (Ed.), The wild canids: Their systematics, behavioral ecology and evolution (pp. 336–362). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. (This one is a book)</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">2. van Kerkhove, W., 2004.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> A fresh look at the wolf-pack theory of companion-animal dog social behavior</b>. J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci. 7, 279-285.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">link:</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
</style>
</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/279-285-A-Fresh-Look-at-the-Wolf-Pack-Theory-of-Companion-Animal-Dog-Social-Behavior.pdf">http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/279-285-A-Fresh-Look-at-the-Wolf-Pack-Theory-of-Companion-Animal-Dog-Social-Behavior.pdf</a></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">3. Mech, L. D. (1999).</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Alpha status, dominance, and division of labor in wolf packs</b>. Canadian Journal of</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Zoology, 77, 1196–1203.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/2000/alstat/alstat.htm"><span class="s1"><u>http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource</u></span><u style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">/2000/alstat/alstat.htm</u></a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">4. Herron et al (2009)</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a data-auto="citation_title" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="citation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors</b></span></a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
</style>
</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.vlib.excelsior.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=f6ec765c-bc6b-4d21-8201-eca5de31c548%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=S0168159108003717&db=edselp">http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.vlib.excelsior.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=f6ec765c-bc6b-4d21-8201-eca5de31c548%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=S0168159108003717&db=edselp</a></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">5. Hiby et al (2007) </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261106650_Dog_training_methods_Their_use_effectiveness_and_interaction_with_behaviour_and_welfare">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261106650_Dog_training_methods_Their_use_effectiveness_and_interaction_with_behaviour_and_welfare</a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">6. Fatjo et al (2007)</span></div>
<h1 class="svTitle" id="" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2e2e2e; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ambivalent signals during agonistic interactions in a captive wolf pack</span></h1>
<h1 class="svTitle" id="" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2e2e2e; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(06)00374-1/abstract" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(06)00374-1/abstract</a></span></h1>
<h1 class="svTitle" id="" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2e2e2e; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</h1>
<div>
</div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style><style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-13537440566135260872017-03-05T13:03:00.001-05:002017-03-05T13:03:19.938-05:00Everybody Poops... Hopefully Not On The RugHouse training, potty training, housebreaking- whatever you call it, teaching a dog to poop and pee in the appropriate place can be harrowing. Most puppies learn early on to poop and pee away from where they sleep and eat, though not all. You may recall my post on <a href="http://smartpupsdogtraining.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-way-puppy-grows.html" target="_blank">puppy development </a> where you hopefully learned that very early on, puppies learn to go to the bathroom in the right place when they start leaving the den:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Transitional Period: Days 11-21</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Motor and sensory skills start to develop, eyes and ears open, and they start to walk instead of crawl with trepidation. Their teeth are coming in, so they can start on soft meals (sometimes regurgitated by their momma), even though they will still be nursing for a few more weeks. Louder vocalization occurs when they are left in a new environment and since they can hear, they will initially startle at noises. At this age they also start to navigate away from their nest or den to go potty, because they can go potty without mom's help and realize that they don't want to sleep near that. Up until this point, their sweet momma has probably been eating their poop. The puppy is able to adapt to new stimuli and develops the senses through experiencing new stimuli like handling, playing with toys, experiencing new types of floor, bedding and climbing on stuff (not unlike human babies). Play fighting will begin during this time and positive reinforcement training can be used to teach them (by their mom or their humans). An interesting side note, potty training is already starting at this point and what happens here will have a lasting impact:</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">"From this point on, the puppies should have the possibility to leave the nest site to eliminate. <i><b>Puppies who have been thwarted from doing so may become almost impossible to house train."</b></i></span></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See that? As early as three weeks old, your puppy could be delayed in potty training if their environment is not ideal. Puppies who come from pet stores are notoriously bad at learning to potty appropriately. Due to the nature of the setup, their poop and pee tends to not get cleaned up right away and they become accustomed to it, even in their kennel. This makes potty training especially difficult because you are limited in where the puppy can be placed while you are unable to watch him. Other puppies are raised using potty pads, which can have an effect on house training. This is typically done for puppies who are born during winter in cold climates or toy breeds who could be picked up by a bird of prey when out on a potty excursion. Now, potty pads are not inherently bad and they can be really helpful for tiny breeds and folks who live in high rise apartments and condos. The problem is when a puppy generalizes the padded surface of the pad to any soft surface of the house- the bathmat, the front door mat, the dining room rug, etc. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uOZ4agS4maE/WLuIzscawpI/AAAAAAAAAUk/F8XJkb1b-D8DkURvuiwZP-HUomHRStGHwCK4B/s1600/IMG_7036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uOZ4agS4maE/WLuIzscawpI/AAAAAAAAAUk/F8XJkb1b-D8DkURvuiwZP-HUomHRStGHwCK4B/s400/IMG_7036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Oops...my bad."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Since this whole potty thing can be so frustrating, I wanted to pass along some potty training DO's and DO NOT's. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. DO NOT punish your dog for having an accident. It was an accident, your dog doesn't know any better, or they do not have sufficiently developed muscle control to hold it when playing/excited/very full of pee or poop. This means you should not yell, scold, or rub your dog's nose in the excrement. This is pretty rude of you and will confuse your dog. It can also lead your dog to be afraid of going potty anywhere around you and learning to hide it better when he does go in the house. You will find poop in a shoe in your closet suddenly, and your dog will be afraid of going potty around you, even outside. That makes it pretty hard to adapt appropriate potty habits. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. DO NOT let your dog watch you clean up the poop or pee on the rug. Admittedly, I'm not sure exactly what goes on in your dog's mind when they see you clean up, but I suspect it's something like "oh, wow! I left that there and now look at how dad is enjoying it! He's sitting on the floor, rubbing that towel on it, he must want to keep my smell forever. I will have to do this again later on, so he has more to play with!" Have another family member take the dog out to finish going potty or just sniff around while you clean, or have the dog crated or gated where he cannot see you cleaning up. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. DO NOT let your dog outside in the yard and assume they are doing their business out there. That is like sending a 3 year-old into the bathroom and expecting them to go potty. They might, the might not, they might flush bath toys down the toilet. It's really a toss up. If you are having trouble potty training, you need to know if your dog is going outside so you know what to expect when he comes back inside. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. DO NOT free feed a dog who has poop accidents in the house. Remember that if food goes in at fairly predictable times, it will come back out at predictable times. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. DO take into account the size of your dog. A Chihuahua and a Great Dane will see a 1200 square foot apartment as very different space, and potty problems may develop as a result. A 7-pound chihuahua may have no problem pooping on one side of the living room and sleeping on the other side. It's enough distance! The Great Dane on the other hand, may not want to poop anywhere inside that home because it is all too close to where he will sleep. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6. DO clean up with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle or Anti-Icky Poo. This actually gets rid of the proteins left behind. Using Resolve is great for us, since it smells pretty, but to dogs it smells like the poop/pee and that weird fake flowery smell, so they have no problem going there again. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
7. DO reward your dog for going potty outside. This can be praise, but a treat given outside, right after a pup goes potty where you want can go a long way in them repeating the behavior. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8. DO label the 'going potty' with a term such as 'go potty', 'make', 'go to the bathroom', etc. It really doesn't matter what term or word you use, as long as you don't mind saying it out loud and sharing it with anyone who will care for your pup. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
9. DO keep track of when and where your dog goes potty, this way you know what to expect as a pattern develops. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
10. DO remain consistent with taking the dog out at regular intervals and taking them to a designated potty spot. This will set him up to be more likely to go outside when you take him. If you are keeping track of when and where it happens, your consistency will result in a predicable potty schedule. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See how painless that was? The truth is, with some dogs this takes weeks to months. With a pup who has been having accidents for a long time, it will take longer to break the habit of peeing or pooping anywhere. If a dog has been going to the bathroom indoors for 4 years, it will take more than 4 days to change the habit. Consistency and patience are the key here, as well as a good carpet shampooer! Of course, if you are struggling, you should contact a certified dog trainer who can help you and your dog. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-22295023240745729592017-02-20T20:50:00.000-05:002017-02-20T20:54:04.785-05:00Choosing The Right Dog For You (Part 2: Breeds and Keeping the Odds in Your Favor)I will start this post with a disclaimer- it is chock full of stereotypes and generalizations. I'm not typically a fan of stereotyping, but when considering a new pet, I think it's best to put the odds in your favor. Knowing what different breeds generally are and how they typically behave will help you to choose a new family member who will be a good fit. So many people love the idea of getting a border collie or cattle dog because they are very smart breeds; people see them do tricks, agility courses, jump to catch a frisbee, or are fascinated by their ability to move a herd of animals. Unless you have a herd of sheep, cattle, or literally hours to devote to teaching and training new behaviors, tricks, and exercises, you do not want one. Trust me. Those are two of my favorite breeds, but they require a very specific type of life and a very specific pet parent. Odds are, you are not that type. I'm sorry, I wish you were. I wish I were, but I know that I'm not at a place right now where we can be a good home to a high maintenance dog like that. We have two small children and both my husband and I work full time. We have just enough time to play tug or fetch and go for walks with our 8 year old pit mix. She is low-key and easy to please, and fits perfectly in our life now.<br />
<br />
I am a proponent of adopting from rescues and shelters, though if you are certain you want a specific breed and you are sure you want a puppy, I think a reputable breeder is a also good direction to go. I really prefer you not buy from a pet store or from someone selling a dog online via Facebook or Craigslist, as you may be supporting irresponsible breeding or a puppy mill. It's easy to rationalize it as the puppy getting a better home with you but you are still financially supporting that industry so it's a double-edged sword.<br />
Anyway, you have decided you want a dog, you can worry about where he/she comes from later.<br />
<br />
First, you need to figure out what type of dog will fit in your life well. These are the same questions I ask when someone wants me to help them pick out a new puppy. Let me tell you right now, hearing my response when I look at client's answers to these questions seldom makes them happy. They are often disappointed because they had already decided on a specific breed. Sometimes, people get angry. I don't blame them. I dislike being told what I can and cannot have- after all I am an adult! Once they get past the disappointment/anger/sadness/confusion, I explain that if they are really set on a breed, they should contact a few (reputable) breeders and explain all the same information to them. The breeder may echo my advice or may say that they have the perfect pup. If the breeder has a litter where one pup is not the norm and may fit in that home, it can work perfectly. I also tell them that if they are fully committed to any dog, they will have years of happiness.<br />
Things you need to ask yourself and answer <b>honestly</b>:<br />
<br />
<i><b>How many hours a day do you have to spend with a dog? </b></i><br />
-You will need to commit significantly more time to a puppy than an adult dog, no matter the breed. Getting a puppy is a lot like having a newborn; the exceptions are that puppies have more hair and legally, you can lock up a puppy in a crate for a few hours at a time (doing that with your kids is frowned upon).<br />
-Any working breed including herding and scent/sight hounds, will need adequate mental and physical exercise to stay happy and out of trouble. A smart dog needs a job and needs to solve problems; if you don't provide that job or problem to solve, these dogs will find something to do, like how to get into the trash, the bathroom, how to open the door to the playroom and chew up all the legos, etc.<br />
-This is also true of any dog bred for field work- a labrador who comes from hunting lines who is not worked in some way will have trouble doing well in a house where his day is divided between looking out the window and going for two short walks a day.<br />
-This time does not necessarily need to be consecutive hours, but you need to have time to devote to a dog, period.<br />
-Even if you get an adult dog and not a puppy, you need to be prepared to sacrifice free time to be with your dog! Getting an adult dog can be like adopting a toddler or elementary-school aged child. They need a schedule, fair rules, and consistency to thrive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fn0KEGAHGl0/WKpw8syTRfI/AAAAAAAAATw/T0t2rsNnHW8JQM016MmiRh_Gvz2xs0wKwCLcB/s1600/DSC_7983.NEF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fn0KEGAHGl0/WKpw8syTRfI/AAAAAAAAATw/T0t2rsNnHW8JQM016MmiRh_Gvz2xs0wKwCLcB/s320/DSC_7983.NEF" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>How many hours a week do you work?</i></b><br />
-This is an extension of the first question, but time you are spending at work is generally time away from your dog. If you work 16 hour shifts, seven days a week, that only leaves eight hours when you are not working. You may need to sleep on occasion and though my dog has tried, it's hard to play fetch or tug while sleeping.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Are you physically active? Can this activity involve your dog?</i></b><br />
-If you are a runner, this can be wonderful physical exercise for an adult dog, as well as added security if running at dawn or dusk.<br />
-If you tend to bicycle, this may not be the best activity for your dog to partake in with you, are you willing to take some time away from this to be with your dog?<br />
-If you like to stay at home and do yoga, you can probably involve your dog from time to time, though a puppy will get bored with this quickly at first.<br />
-If you are physically active and strong you may be able to get a bigger dog and not get pulled down. I would not recommend a 130 pound mastiff to an 80 year old, for what should be obvious reasons.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Do you have a yard? Is it fenced?</i></b><br />
-You do not necessarily need a fence to have a dog, and many times people think that having a fence means they can let that dog out in the yard to play and that counts as exercise, which is wrong. Having a fence makes it easier to play outdoors without worry, though.<br />
-You should have space for a dog. If you do not have a yard, is there someplace you can take tour dog for walks, exercise, long-leash or off-leash play? Dogs (generally) like the outdoors- it's full of sights and sounds that change day-to-day, even by the hour, and getting out there together is really fun for your dog!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8kZ0famIkE8/WKpwT9yDG0I/AAAAAAAAATk/wWm_r6e_xuAzMT9-Jh8QiX_5RaQX5haeACK4B/s1600/IMG_4400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8kZ0famIkE8/WKpwT9yDG0I/AAAAAAAAATk/wWm_r6e_xuAzMT9-Jh8QiX_5RaQX5haeACK4B/s320/IMG_4400.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><i><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Do you live in a house, apartment, or condo/townhouse?</i></b><br />
- Is that apartment/townhouse pet friendly?<br />
-Are there breed restrictions or size restrictions?<br />
-If you are renting a house, are there pet restrictions?<br />
(you would not believe how many people do not look into this before getting a dog)<br />
-Is there actually room for that dog in your small apartment?<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Do you have children? How old are they? </i></b><br />
-A good dog and good kids can live together, with responsible parents<br />
-If you expect your 7-year old to be responsible for all the care of a 50 pound dog, you need to reconsider your connection with reality.<br />
-If you have small children, a small dog may not be the best, as they can be too in-your-face. Also, a herding breed can have trouble with small children who move quickly, unpredictably, and make squeaky noises.<br />
-Any training you do should involve your children, and kids should at least help with the daily routine. My kids (age 4 and 19 months) argue over who gets to feed the dog each meal and who gets to snuggle with her.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Bq5HI93oTs/WKpvpj7JRSI/AAAAAAAAATY/BR4bwAmg0GgJ2VfxHeuueyVhdx6Gk3IDACLcB/s1600/IMG_4945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Bq5HI93oTs/WKpvpj7JRSI/AAAAAAAAATY/BR4bwAmg0GgJ2VfxHeuueyVhdx6Gk3IDACLcB/s320/IMG_4945.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i><b>How much money do you have? </b></i><br />
-I don't phrase it like this when I talk with clients, but you need to be sure you can actually afford a dog. I'm not trying to be a scrooge, but if you can't afford your current bills, you should not get a dog and add to it. If you want a companion, volunteer at your local shelter, pet-sit for friends; don't go buy a dog because you are lonely. That is selfish and only serves you; a dog is a living being whose well-being need to be considered. <br />
-A good 'doggie savings' plan is to put away some money each month or each paycheck- put it in a savings account in the bank and see how much you have after at leads 6 months (a year is better). Dogs are not cheap. Puppies are even less cheap, they need booster vaccines evert 3-4 weeks from the time you bring them home (depending on what the breeder did), until they are about 17 weeks of age. Plan to spend at least $100 on annual vet visits, more for heartworm prevention and flea/tick prevention. Oh yeah, then there's things like emergency visits, or at least unexpected visits between those bi-annual ones. Pet insurance can help, just buy before you have a problem or it won't be covered. Keep in mind that pet insurance is reimbursement- it's not like your own health insurance where you see the bill saying how much the company covered- you pay the vet, submit your request and get refunded by the insurance company for a portion of the bill.<br />
-Food- your dog needs to eat and there are enough options out there to make you dizzy. For a good food (research and ask your vet), you should plan to pay at least $45 per 40 pound bag. For a medium sized dog who eats a couple cups a day, it's not terribly expensive, but if you have a large breed like a Great Dane or Mastiff, you will go through that bag of food in just a matter of weeks.<br />
<br />
Now that I have said all that, keep in mind that even with the stereotypical cattle dog who needs to run and play and work lots, a committed and imaginative pet owner can have a great pet (and lots of fun). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwzXvopTsnfWcEhMaD3NRd5uCwhEFSw_WvhEcTcy4vKhVIa_AUbNi0rLg0KCRE6DHq6fXzDEuCupKQ2XWDzPA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The key is to pick a dog who will fit with your family- energy level, time, and your general lifestyle, then fully commit to the dog. Keep up with medical needs, buy good food, have a good selection of toys (and play with the toys with your dog), and please teach your dog some basics like sit, down, stay, impulse control, and come. I'd prefer you use a force-free trainer, of course! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">If you still have questions about getting a new pup, feel free to contact me and I can do my best to help you out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1643747651"><br /></a></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1643747651"><br /></a></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Resources:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/caninevaccineguidelines.pdf">https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/caninevaccineguidelines.pdf</a></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-4436557433055361422017-02-12T14:07:00.001-05:002017-02-12T14:07:31.167-05:00Why We (Usually) Can't Use Sex To Motivate Dogs <br />
I really just used that title because it made me giggle, though it is true. I could tell you a story about working on a pig farm and a discussion on power tools and breeding pigs, but I'll leave it to your imagination (nobody was hurt).<br />
I'm going to let you in on yet another dog trainer secret. I keep doing this because I really want what's best for your dog; you being educated is really great for your dog. Us dog trainers have a pretty good handle on motivators and how to use them to teach dogs. Really good dog trainers even know what motivates their human clients!<br />
<br />
First, some basics about motivators. Every living thing has motivators- things that provide a reason or stimulus to do something. There are three basic elements of life that are important to all animals (even people): food, sex, and fear. There are pros and cons to each one:<br />
<br />
<b>Food</b>: fast, fun, easy, allows quick learning in different situations, BUT you do have to learn how to fade out the food rewards and still have a strong behavior.<br />
<b>Sex:</b> very motivating, fun, BUT it is not ideal for achieving quick learning, quick repetitions AND it requires another animal.<br />
<b>Fear:</b> Changes behavior quickly, BUT the animal tends to over-generalize and have trouble learning distinctions when in a fearful state. Studies have also shown lingering effects of punishment based techniques (see resources).<br />
<br />
It should come to no surprise to you to hear that I prefer to use food as a primary motivator and reinforcer in training, at least initially. I always teach my clients about fading food rewards, which you can read about in another post coming soon. To train your own dog, you have to understand what motivates him. Food is a solid motivator for all animals since they need it to survive. The only times a dog doesn't want food are when he is already full or is over-threshold and is going into fight/flight mode. When initially training a new behavior or cue, food is a wonderful way to keep your dog engaged, get quick repetitions (as long as you keep treats small), and keep the training enjoyable for you both.<br />
Some dogs are differently motivated from the start; my buddy Darwin loves nothing in life more than his frisbee:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Catching a frisbee: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6bvJHKIshM/WKCtLtLFaUI/AAAAAAAAAS4/_biY6gSEttkEOk1NnTlgX4Npa6SI5_KbwCLcB/s1600/DarwinFrisbee2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6bvJHKIshM/WKCtLtLFaUI/AAAAAAAAAS4/_biY6gSEttkEOk1NnTlgX4Npa6SI5_KbwCLcB/s320/DarwinFrisbee2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Holding a frisbee: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWezQbjhBWI/WKCtL0B_maI/AAAAAAAAATA/lHHBpPlClyQonsM7Wg0lGo5zNMolPhaQwCLcB/s1600/Darwinfrisbee3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWezQbjhBWI/WKCtL0B_maI/AAAAAAAAATA/lHHBpPlClyQonsM7Wg0lGo5zNMolPhaQwCLcB/s320/Darwinfrisbee3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even when the snow is up to his belly: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZqWM8TrhrA/WKCtLrG683I/AAAAAAAAAS8/DWrQhKUv1XYV_5XKyhCRcqOdJ3qRp5YnwCLcB/s1600/DarwinSnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZqWM8TrhrA/WKCtLrG683I/AAAAAAAAAS8/DWrQhKUv1XYV_5XKyhCRcqOdJ3qRp5YnwCLcB/s320/DarwinSnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I have known dogs who like attention more than food, or the reward of running with another dog more than food. Motivators will not only vary by dog, but by situation. When a dog is in high-energy exercise like running an agility course, he may not want to stop to eat a treat (it's physiological), but will gladly play tug or fetch with his handler for a minute. It keeps him excited for the agility course and is a reward- perfect motivation! When a dog is in his home with minimal distractions, his own dry food or petting and attention from his humans may be sufficient to drive him. In class, with other dogs, smells and sounds, his humans will likely need a more tasty treat to keep their dog engaged and motivated while learning. When a dog is overstimulated and stressed, food will not be high on their priority list. If they are fight/flight mode, digestion is shut down and they will not stop if you toss a steak in front of them. Humans are the same way- if you are trying to escape a burning building, you probably will not stop to grab a slice of pizza from the fridge because food is literally the last thing on your mind. A good trainer will know this and actually wants to keep a dog from feeling this stressed while training, and in every day life. I'm not saying dogs have to have perfect lives where everything is handed to them, but the things that really upset them and make them freeze, growl, bark, bite- those should really be removed and reintroduced properly (read: gradually with the help of a certified trainer). A dog who is scared is not going to learn anything good; I know I keep saying this but only because it's so true. We want the best schools for our kids because it's the best environment, right? Free of undue stress, filled with teachers who want them to succeed, even if they learn differently than other students, right? Why not get the best for your dog? If you are enlisting the help of a trainer who lets your dog get into that stressful state time and time again, especially if they are adding in any coercive method, they are not really helping your dog. They are scaring or hurting your dog, no matter how it is sugar-coated or how many different ways they come up with to describe a shock, choke, or prong collar, it's still something that is meant to be uncomfortable to dogs. For more on reinforcers check out my <a href="https://smartpupsdogtraining.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=hU5qNVoBAAA.0o0LEqsQj3jxjFz2aGycAXnQQR6SAMs2YXE6E-5T5esPq3CFa6uqHBWlpYO8zIaekv9vYRoxZK3fD3Gmfh-WkA.-9Nc6a4sGoC7llbdlmGpiw&postId=4471598781094874456&type=POST" target="_blank">post</a> from a little while back.<br />
<br />
Want to know more about motivators and why they make a difference to dogs? Check out the resources I read for this article!<br />
<br />
Resources:<br />
<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them,</i> By Pamela Reid</span></span></h1>
<div>
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}
</style>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/279-285-A-Fresh-Look-at-the-Wolf-Pack-Theory-of-Companion-Animal-Dog-Social-Behavior.pdf">http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/279-285-A-Fresh-Look-at-the-Wolf-Pack-Theory-of-Companion-Animal-Dog-Social-Behavior.pdf</a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(08)00371-7/fulltext">http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(08)00371-7/fulltext</a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(11)00087-6/abstract">http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(11)00087-6/abstract</a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-44925357416333750882017-01-07T13:57:00.002-05:002017-01-07T13:57:22.506-05:00Like a Pack of Wild DogsActually, the dog on your sofa or floor is not a wild dog or a wolf and has not been for somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 years. That isn't to say that today's dogs are not pack animals- they are in fact, quite well suited to live in a family group.<br />
I prefer the term family instead of pack, because when we start tossing around the word 'pack', somebody inevitably feels the need to talk about a 'pack leader'. Then they tend to jump to the need to "establish dominance" or "assert dominance". The problem with those terms is that the come from observations on captive wolves from the 1940's. There are a few fallacies here, so I'll briefly put it in human terms to highlight the important ones.<br />
Think about how human behavior was understood in the 1940's, how well understood were human psychological issues and human development compared to today? (Take a look <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143860/" target="_blank">here</a>) They were starting to turn away from old traditions that we would pretty much consider barbaric or torturous today and look into science- <i>starting. </i><br />
Now, if we didn't even understand our own brains, how could we assume to understand those of dogs, especially wolves who were in a situation very different from a family/pack in the wild? How could we assume to think that those wolves in captivity, living in what was quite different from a wild pack of wolves and were thousands of years different genetically from our own dogs, could be accurately compared to our pets at home? We were wrong. It's ok though, everyone makes mistakes, right?<br />
The problem is that these beliefs are still haunting us and our dogs today. It's right under our noses at the vet clinic or the groomer who roughly handles dogs in an effort to be efficient, though they do have the dog's best interest at heart. We even see it in the hands of some dog trainers, who believe that coercion is the best way to train a dog.<br />
It is true that wolves and dogs are social animals, just like people are social animals. It's true that there is a need for some balance within any social group of animals, it's just not as serious and intense as the 'alpha' folks would have you believe. The fact is that even in packs of wolves or in groups of animals put together in captivity (as long as they are grouped well), there shouldn't be frequent violent displays or pain inflicted regularly. In groups of wolves, just as many familial groups of animals, there is a general acceptance of those in the family and a general (at least initial) apprehension towards outsiders. Simply from an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense to be suspect of someone new wandering into your pack- if they are a good fit personality-wise, it's still another mouth to feed. This could explain some of the more severe aggressive displays we observe at times, but there's more.<br />
Within all social groups, there needs to be communication for everyone to get along. Good communication includes signals on what is ok and not ok, what the animal intends to do, and even random movements at times (after all, animals are not machines!) Good communication is clear, precise and effectively gets the message across, right?<br />
Right, it gets the message across with <i>minimal effort</i> on the part of the animal(s) communicating. Now, this is where those who believe in alpha rolls and other threat displays are put in a funny place. As a pack animal, living in the wild, why would a wolf use any more energy than necessary in a social situation? They don't; it wouldn't make sense. Energy is conserved and used when necessary, not just to prove they are bog and strong. They use exactly what the situation dictates, so in the wild and even in domesticated dogs, you will see a lot more subtle forms of communication in the majority of situations. Using something dramatic is usually not necessary, except in an extreme circumstance; so using an alpha roll or a shock on a dog who simply did not know that he wasn't supposed to pull on leash is certainly an overreaction. Redirecting with a u-turn for pulling is a lot easier and less dramatic. Using an alpha roll on a dog who is just confused will only confuse it more and can lead to fear-based aggression.<br />
Dogs and wolves do utilize a hierarchy in social settings, but it is more fluid than many humans tend to think; many aspects of behavior are situational and are not the only way differences are sorted out.<br />
So many trainers out there use more forceful (or intentionally painful and life-threatening) techniques in a misguided effort to dissuade dogs from trying to establish 'dominance' over us. This is another one that baffles me. Again in human terms, how many of us out there really want to be a president or world leader, or even a mayor? I can't tell you exact numbers, but I guarantee that every person you see walking down the street wants to be in charge of every other person walking down the street. We are not all built that way. Dogs are the same, wolves are the same, all animals are the same- we don't all want to be in charge. Most of the time when I see a dog that another trainer describes as 'dominant', it's either an adolescent who simply does not have manners or a grasp on basic cues or a dog who is so terrified that it is reacting defensively to everything as if it's a threat. With both, the problem can be solved with simply teaching basic cues, impulse control and by the human(s) being consistent in their expectations and training. This can all be done without inflicting pain, by the way. <br />
Since we are not dogs and we can't possibly perceive everything as a dog does, we should not go around tossing in phrases like 'dominance', 'pack leader', or 'alpha' because we only know them in human terms, not canine. This and our ignorance to much of the subtle body language of dogs and wolves put us in a dangerous place when we try treating our dogs like wolves. Worse, it puts our dogs in dangerous situations when they are treated like something they are not- they are not wolves and they are not humans; simply dogs. Let's learn more about them and treat them accordingly, doesn't the pup keeping your feet warm deserve that?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Aggression in Dogs; Practical Management, Prevention & Behavior Modification by Brenda Aloff Pages 30-33<br />
<br />
https://vimeo.com/19472436 (NOVA documentary on canine understanding of people, compared to other animals; differences between dogs and wolves<br />
<br />
http://www.anchorholdfilms.com/ (short Documentary on the fallacies of punishment training and "alpha" fallacies)<br />
<br />
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143860/ (NIH study on Clinical Psychology in the United States between 1940 and 2010)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-62301490791966817682016-10-19T11:18:00.001-04:002016-10-19T11:18:18.295-04:00Stop the Flooding!It's no secret that I like dogs. It's also no secret that I'm not a huge fan of spiders. I know they have a purpose and I really appreciate that they eat other bugs, but I feel a little uneasy when a spider is skittering across the ceiling in my bedroom. My husband thinks this is hilarious. He likes to catch spiders and hold them up to my face, or worse, over my hair. Uggghh. I don't mind spiders outside- that's where they belong. My face is not any spider's natural environment and I do not like them there. He even went so far to yell "SPIDER!!" while we were swimming in the ocean one day. I won't lie to you- I did look around frantically and start swimming. After a few seconds, I realized how ridiculous it was and proceeded to laugh with him. In addition to the good belly laugh he gets out of it, my husband claims that he is trying to help me get over my spider aversion. The problem is that he is going about it all wrong. He is only making me trust him less, not feel any better about spiders.<br />
<br />
My husband is attempting to <b>habituate</b> me to spiders- <i>to get me used to them by exposure over time. </i>His idea is that the more I see spiders, the less scary they will be. This could work, if he was using the correct method of habituation. With putting spiders close to me (or pretending to do so), he is using a technique called <b>flooding-</b><i> repeated exposure to a high intensity stimulus without any means of the subject escaping or changing the situation. </i>This can work in some cases, where the stress level is relatively low and the animal is very resilient. What usually happens is that the animal becomes so stressed that it physiologically cannot respond any more and shuts down. To the untrained eye, it looks as though the animal is fine. What is really happening is that the animal is so terrified that it has accepted it's fate and stops responding, even though it still feels that anxiety/stress/fear. The other response of flooding is that the animal turns it's frustrations on someone or something else. The case of me hitting my husband repeatedly with a foam baseball bat is an example of the latter.<br />
<br />
This actually happens in dog training all too often, especially by those on television who are looking for drama to increase ratings. That may make for good television, but it does not make for smart dog training. I have even seen trainers do this who are not on television, trying to pass it off as a legitimate training method. When flooding is used in training, the dog will sometimes respond well and no longer exhibit fearful behaviors. Most of the time, we get one of two results though: fighting/bullying of people or other dogs, or a complete shut down and cessation of responses across the board. Here is how you can tell the difference: a dog who is properly habituated will learn to perform simple commands in the presence of the scary stimulus; the will have relaxed body language and will happily take a treat (as long as they are a food-motivated dog). A dog who is flooded will still respond the same way to the stimulus- act out aggressively, try to get away, or shut down and not respond to anything- not the best treats or a simple cue. They are in "flight" mode but cannot flee; it's pretty heart-wrenching to watch. Those trainers who use floding along with tools like prong, pinch, or shock collars do so when a dog is already over threshold and over-reacting. The reason pain works is that this is one of the few things that any animal in this state can actually respond to, unfortunately. Trainers who use these methods in flooding are taking a stressed out dog and making it worse, which only reinforces the dog's fears about the situation.<br />
<br />
So, what should we do instead? I'm SO glad you asked! Two of my most favorite words are coming up, are you ready?<br />
Desensitization- <i>presenting stimulus at a low stress level (at a great distance, or a less scary version), then gradaully increasing the intensity of the stressor over time</i><br />
and<br />
Counter Conditioning-<i>pairing scary stimulus (at a low level) with something the dog loves</i><br />
<br />
Think of it this way: habituation has two kids, <b>flooding</b> and <b>desensitization</b>. They are capable of all the same things, but flooding is kind of a jerk all the time- in your face and loud. Desensitization is more reserved and calm. If they are both means to the same end, why not hang out with the nicer one? When <b>desensitization </b>is used in training, the dog is exposed to a low level stimulus, so their reaction will not be so severe and they actually have the opportunity to learn that it's not scary. This is the technique that my cousin uses with spiders- she sends me pictures of spiders and fills my Facebook page with posts about spiders. I still don't like spiders too much, but I don't jump out of my chair when I see a picture of one and I would trust her not to toss a spider at my face, unlike my husband (ok, he <i>probably</i> wouldn't do that). With desensitization, the stress level is gradually increased over time and the dog remains under threshold so they can actually learn that the scary stimulus is not really a threat.<br />
It is worth mentioning that habituation is something present in our dogs minds (as well as ours) for a very specific evolutionary reason- so they learn subtle differences in situations to properly asses threats in life. A small spider isn't as scary to me as a big one; a spider outside hanging out on it's web doesn't bother me like one skittering across the floor in my kitchen will. It's all part of the habituation process. Like so many learning processes, habituation can be really slow, as it should be. To learn all the possible different situations I may find myself in with a spider can take years. With training, we add in <b>counter conditioning</b> as a means to speed up this process a bit. Instead of nothing bad happening when I see a spider, what if I am offered a cookie whenever I see one? Since I am food motivated and enjoy cookies, I would begin to anticipate the cookie when I see a spider, then I would actually look forward to seeing spiders because it would mean more cookies. I would learn that not only are spiders harmless, but they also mean that good things happen when I see one. It's not that I am so happy about the cookie that I forget about the spider, but since the spider is small and far away, I don't feel threatened and can actually enjoy my cookie. Counter conditioning changes the emotional state of the subject, and changes the association they have with the stimulus. With dogs who bark out of fear or excitement, we work on getting them to sit and take treats and enjoy petting and praise from their people in the presence of that scary stimulus. As we change the way they think about the stimulus, we change their emotional state from a reactive one to a relaxed one. This change in behavior causes the external signals (barking, jumping, etc) to cease because they don't fit well with the relaxed body language. Since we are letting the dog decide on his own and set his own boundaries, they learn that they have control over their own life and are less likely to over-react in the future. <br />
The very last piece of the training process is to use <b>operant counter conditioning</b> to train different but appropriate behaviors in response to the stimulus. My favorite example of this is teaching dogs who like to chase cars to sit every time they see a car. I bring this up because other trainers like to show off videos of dogs who are doing down-stay on sidewalks or parking lots with cars driving through. Many times, these dogs are laying down and not getting out of the stay, but they are terrified- there is tension all over their bodies and their eyes are darting all around in search of safety. Having a dog sit-stay or down-stay no matter what is certainly an important skill, I'm not debating that- the use of coercive techniques in these situations is what does. In my experience, a dog who is scared is more likely to react in an unpredictable way and that's not what you want next to a busy street. Generally, dogs chase cars because they are moving and it's fun to chase things. Some dogs don't like things that move in a way that doesn't make sense to them (cars can fall into that category), and other dogs don't like engine sounds, so they chase the car to 'get rid of it'. By training more relaxed body language (sit, down), the dog learns that it is more rewarding to relax when cars go by. By not forcing the dog to lay down and shocking them or jerking their collar when they get up, they actually are relaxed and not fearful. Again, we do this by starting with the cars far away and move closer over time- it takes longer and makes for really crummy television, but in the long run it makes for a healthier dog and better relationship.<br />
<br />
<br />
References:<br />
Exce-Erated Learning by Pamela Ried, PhD<br />
Reaching the Animal Mind by Karen Pryor<br />
<br />
Today's question:<br />
What is your dog afraid of and how have you tried to change it?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-18991445588774269952016-09-03T12:19:00.001-04:002016-09-03T12:39:33.632-04:00Doggie Outtakes; Whispering Dogs Part 2 <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This week, I want to see if you paid attention to the last post. It's like a little quiz, with pretty pictures of cute pups and a great sense of pride if you answer the questions correctly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, last <strike>week</strike> time (was it three weeks now or a full month?!) I wrote about how dogs have basically three levels of communicating: whispering, talking, and yelling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here's a recap of the things you want to look for at each level:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Whispering:</u> lip lick, short stare, slight head turn, scratching frequently or out of context (like in the middle of play), sniffing the ground out of context (in the middle of play or when meeting someone), leaning away, looking away, low tail, yawning, moving slowly</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Talking</u>: hyper-vigilant (looking around quickly), excessive yawning, panting when it's not hot, freezing in position, moving away, "whale eye" (looking so far in one direction that you see the whites of the dog's eyes), sudden loss of appetite, tucked tail, curved spine, dilated pupils, shaking/trembling, shaking off (this is a displacement behavior that we see frequently in play)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Yelling</u>: lip lift, closed mouth, showing teeth, snarling, growling, barking, lunging, biting </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, I have some outtakes from graduation photos. I love keeping these to look for little body language cues. In reality, the time from the first shot as dogs get lined up and that final shot where three out of four dogs are lined up for a half decent picture is three to five minutes. I probably get 30 pictures in this time, and each one can capture at least one different signal from each dog. Most of the time these dogs are just excited and want to play, but you still see the displacement and calming signals. My goal in training, especially in group class, is to keep everyone under threshold. That means you won't get the chance to see much "yelling" in these pictures. I'll work on that for next time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First up, who in this picture is nervous, who is excited and who is blurring the line between healthy interest and play and over-the-top play?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sBZTpQE9LBQ/V54Qc3N0sGI/AAAAAAAAARQ/OUHh68ru7PUjNA8g_PjbI-_B2-1UCz0xACLcB/s1600/DSC_7415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sBZTpQE9LBQ/V54Qc3N0sGI/AAAAAAAAARQ/OUHh68ru7PUjNA8g_PjbI-_B2-1UCz0xACLcB/s640/DSC_7415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The lab-pit mix on the left has her ears pinned back, probably because she just wants to go play with her big brother next to her and mom is asking her to hold still. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The big mixed breed in the middle there is very uneasy with the dog all the way on the right. He is turning away, looking away and has a little paw lift going on. All of this tells the other dog that he is no threat and really doesn't want to do anything. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The pit mix on the right really wants to go investigate the other dogs. She is very sweet, but her normal play level would be way too much for the arthritic big guy next to her. Her weight is to the left- in the direction of the other two dogs. She wants to go check them out and her human mom is blocking her. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What do you think of this guy? Happy? Sad? Mad? Scared? A little warm?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j28GeaT099M/V54QamEB0YI/AAAAAAAAARI/g1IefwksplMG4jgVYYLEuOAJHSAWEQe1ACLcB/s1600/DSC_7425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j28GeaT099M/V54QamEB0YI/AAAAAAAAARI/g1IefwksplMG4jgVYYLEuOAJHSAWEQe1ACLcB/s640/DSC_7425.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You may have to turn up the brightness on your computer, but look at Howie's eyes- he's squinting. It's not because it's bright out, but because he's uncomfortable with the fact that I had been taking his picture for a couple minutes at this point and he thinks the camera is scary. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here is the first picture I took of him, about 35 seconds before the above picture:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KvcrpDUj3uE/V54RtjjRUqI/AAAAAAAAARk/QeW5WV9xT6IpVnVaUeqAUelZsPZVRZdzgCLcB/s1600/DSC_7424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KvcrpDUj3uE/V54RtjjRUqI/AAAAAAAAARk/QeW5WV9xT6IpVnVaUeqAUelZsPZVRZdzgCLcB/s640/DSC_7424.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By the time I got that second picture, he was squinting and turning his head away from me, whereas here he is looking right at the camera. His ears are pinned back because he doesn't like the sound the camera makes when it takes the picture in addition to the big, scary lens.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_mdL60wPpg/V54Qb9_LhfI/AAAAAAAAARM/z8gmJH28sxUiJ_zLAzFXa_JEtVotKViEQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_mdL60wPpg/V54Qb9_LhfI/AAAAAAAAARM/z8gmJH28sxUiJ_zLAzFXa_JEtVotKViEQCLcB/s320/DSC_7428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Contrast that with Gracie, who doesn't really care that I'm taking pictures. Her face is relaxed with the exception of her panting because it was about 80 degrees out on graduation day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Next, is everybody alright with what's going on in this picture?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PdH6qXsITYk/V54QgEDzbgI/AAAAAAAAARU/tKhM0KdFgak7mtwBgq7RD9stWrIHrzlWgCLcB/s1600/DSC_7516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PdH6qXsITYk/V54QgEDzbgI/AAAAAAAAARU/tKhM0KdFgak7mtwBgq7RD9stWrIHrzlWgCLcB/s640/DSC_7516.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The chocolate lab on the left is watching the other dogs, because she wants to play.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The doberman in the middle is in the middle shaking off- she really wants to play with the lab but we told her she has to wait util class is over. This is the human equivalent of an exasperated sigh. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The little schnauzer on the right is really not sure about all this movement. She has a history of reactivity and the fact that she is at such a low stress level around two other dogs and four people who aren't mom is <i>really good</i>. She is still unsure- leaning away and looking away from the other dogs. I intentionally put her on the end next to the doberman for the picture because I knew the lab would be too excited to be next to her.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So they are all ok, because they are communicating well with each other and I won't make them maintain that close proximity too much longer! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Look close, how has the dynamic changed from the previous picture?</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rjFva8R-jg/V54Qgtw-sMI/AAAAAAAAARY/wcKOeHuH3Ioz1soa9h5MCv_xemlIouZ0QCLcB/s1600/DSC_7518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rjFva8R-jg/V54Qgtw-sMI/AAAAAAAAARY/wcKOeHuH3Ioz1soa9h5MCv_xemlIouZ0QCLcB/s640/DSC_7518.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The doberman in the middle wants to play with everyone with the full exuberance of a 1 year old pup, but the schnauzer is standing her ground as well as she can. She's got extra confidence because mom is there, so her weight is evenly distributed on all four legs, indicating that she doesn't want to back down.<br />The lab on the left is in the middle of a lip lick as a way to diffuse the tension of the two dogs next to her and is probably wondering why she can't bum rush the other dogs to play. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ok, I tricked you. Those last two pictures were switched in reality. There was a moment after this last picture where everybody needed to refocus on their owner and then be asked to sit down. Everything worked out just fine and they finally relaxed for a decent graduation picture. This happened because the dogs were all communicating and their owners were paying attention to them! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last one, I promise. The two dogs you can see, the Labrador and the Wheaten Terrier, how are they feeling about this situation?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/---EJXShCLyo/V8r7eXVg5hI/AAAAAAAAASI/HpUVHBIqbUIPD-7bBAFdwWpsSh6NBLVyQCLcB/s1600/DSC_8107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/---EJXShCLyo/V8r7eXVg5hI/AAAAAAAAASI/HpUVHBIqbUIPD-7bBAFdwWpsSh6NBLVyQCLcB/s640/DSC_8107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The dog you can't see (because she is blocked by one of her humans) is jumping up to get a treat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Wheaten Terrier in the middle really wants to play with the lab but his mom is trying to hold him still so he's not fighting it too much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Lab is trying to go smell the terrier but his dad is adjusting his harness and he is holding still. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you look at both dogs, you will see they both have weight evenly distributed on all four legs and they are panting with open mouths. It was really hot by this point in the day- graduation for the noon class was about 1:00pm and it was one of those oppressively hot days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now go out and watch your dog! Watch your dog play with a doggie friend! Take notes and learn about your dog so you can be a better human companion! </span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-57905281270498908962016-07-31T10:25:00.000-04:002016-07-31T10:25:03.984-04:00Whispering Dogs<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's talk of dog whisperers and horse whisperers and ghost whisperers- wait, that last one I'm not so sure about. Anyway, people can call themselves whatever they want, but it's actually more important to hear a dog whisper than whisper to a dog. How does one listen to a dog? It actually has much more to do with observing than listening, though your ears will come in handy.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dogs are always communicating with us and we are often too ignorant to realize it because they communicate mostly in tiny signals. It's not entirely our fault that we are ignorant to these tiny things; they are tiny and fleeting and generally below our eye level. The thing is, we owe it to our dogs to try a bit harder. This guy summed it up nicely:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.2px;">“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="line-height: 23.2px;">—Josh Billings</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 23.2px;"> </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 23.2px;"><br /></span></i></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's usually those little things that tell us what our dog is feeling and thinking. By understanding these little things, we can actually be better people for our dogs. Imagine, knowing the instant your dog is bothered by the toddler grabbing his tail (ok that one is pretty obvious), by the heavy-handed petting by crazy aunt Myrtle, or that the new puppy is just too much for your 13 year old dog to have patience for. When we see and understand these things, we can get our dog out of situations before anything bad happens and we can be much more successful with training and behavior modification. If you can't tell when your dog is going over threshold when working with a scary stimulus, how can you be sure you are doing behavior modification correctly? If you can't see that your pup is getting more and more agitated in class, how can you expect them to focus on you or learn anything?</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll put this in more human terms to demonstrate the escalation of behaviors. In a way, dogs have three basic levels of talking to us- whispering, talking, and yelling. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Whispering</b> is the first signal they are uneasy about something and they will try to whisper until they feel they are not being heard. Whispers are little body language signals which a dog exhibits to express their discomfort. A lot of whispers are actually displacement behaviors and calming behaviors, which are used by dogs in an attempt to diffuse stressful situations and communicate that they are not a threat to that scary stimulus. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If their whispering is ignored, dogs will try <b>talking</b>, which are signals that are a little more obvious (at least to the dog). Dogs will usually still offer displacement and calming signals at this point, but will probably offer more stress reactions to let you know that they want out of the situation. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When those two are ignored and the dog feels under severe stress or pressure, they start <b>yelling</b>. As people, we tend to wait until our dog is yelling to do anything. Dogs will no longer offer displacement or calming behaviors at this point, because they see it as pointless- they have been trying those for so long and they have been ignored so they need to protect themselves at this point. The yelling is actually what we people are great at seeing, but by then your dog is at or way over threshold and might as well be having a panic attack. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is where people who use shock collars make their money- a dog who is way over threshold cannot be lured back with treat or toy and can't be called back with commands, just as you would not be talked out of a panic attack by someone saying "oh, it's ok, just calm down- have a cookie." That's not how the brain works. By the time a dog is that upset, they are in fight or flight mode and digestion is the last thing (literally) on their mind. Then, someone comes in with a coercive method like a physical correction. Aside from removing the dog from the situation, something like this will unfortunately be the only way to get their attention in that situation, because pain or discomfort is the only thing that will register with the part of their brain that has taken over. The problem with this method lies in the fallout- a dog is unsure of kids on bicycles, then one day one gets way too close and the next thing that pup knows, she is getting yanked around by the neck or shocked. Why on earth would she ever begin to like kids or bicycles?! That only reinforces her beliefs that kids and bicycles are dangerous. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A much better method is to first know when a dog is showing little signs of stress and help them cope at that level, then gradually add in higher level stressors as long as they stay under threshold. Ideally, this is done under the instruction of a professional trainer or behaviorist. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few examples of each:</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<u style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whispering:</u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> lip lick, short stare, slight head turn, scratching frequently or out of context (like in the middle of play), sniffing the ground out of context (in the middle of play or when meeting someone), leaning away, looking away, low tail, yawning, moving slowly</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<u style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talking</u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: hyper-vigilant (looking around quickly), excessive yawning, panting when it's not hot, freezing in position, moving away, "whale eye" (looking so far in one direction that you see the whites of the dog's eyes), sudden loss of appetite, tucked tail, curved spine, dilated pupils, shaking/trembling, shaking off (this is a displacement behavior that we see frequently in play)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Yelling</u>: lip lift, closed mouth, showing teeth snarling, growling, barking, lunging, biting </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look back over those signals. There are a lot of them, and that's just the ones we humans can easily perceive. Dogs will always use these signals before they do something like biting. The only times they don't are when they are consistently ignored or punished for whispering or talking; then they go to just yelling all the time. This is how we get dogs who seem to bit out of nowhere, or dogs who "seem fine" and then "suddenly bite". Short of a chemical imbalance, it is quite rare for a dog to go from "fine" to biting. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Usually, a dog who is just not reacting visibly is what most people see as "fine". A small dog who is very still and looking away from a big, scary dog is just "fine", right? Wrong. They are uneasy and trying to say so as politely as possible. If you don't give them some distance from that big scary dog, they will start talking louder and yelling. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this gives you some insight into your dog and can help you to be a better dog owner. Don't you want to be the best possible person for a face like this?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVXiMARjg74/V54JzayirLI/AAAAAAAAAQw/zWPkfGyqJT44i94H2qgmo_fDIM-FbG0rgCLcB/s1600/DSC_7971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVXiMARjg74/V54JzayirLI/AAAAAAAAAQw/zWPkfGyqJT44i94H2qgmo_fDIM-FbG0rgCLcB/s320/DSC_7971.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resources and recommended reading on this topic. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have included so many resources on this one because I believe that understanding your dog is the most important part of owning a dog (short of feeding and medical care, that is).</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interview w/Pam Dennison on reactivity</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dogcastradio.com/flashplayer.php?episode=155">http://www.dogcastradio.com/flashplayer.php?episode=155</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals, Turid Rugaas</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calming Signals: What Your Dog Tells You – DVD – Turid Rugaas</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Other End of the Leash – Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stress in Dogs, Martina Scholz and Clarissa von Reinhardt</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Language of Dogs – Understanding Canine Body Language and Other Signals- DVD’s – Sarah Kalnajs</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="height: 0px;">
x</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-35911400169526739382016-07-10T15:39:00.000-04:002016-07-10T15:39:04.393-04:00The Nitty Gritty of Clean Training, Part 2: Reinforcement SchedulesAs someone who uses reward based training, I hear this one all the time: "but if I train with treats, my dog will only ever listen when I have treats!"<br />
That could be true- if you never change your reinforcement schedule and never fade out food treats. If you work with a trainer who understands reinforcement schedules and how to use them to fade out food treats and fine tune behavior, this is never a problem.<br />
<br />
I will fight my natural tendency to give way more information than is necessary in this post, but this is one of those topics that gets a bit tricky so I use extra words to explain and re-explain myself. I apologize in advance for all the repetition.<br />
<br />
A <i>reinforcement schedule</i> is a rule or pre-set program that determines how and when a response will be rewarded. Different stages of learning use different reinforcement schedules- when learning a new behavior we reward differently than when strengthening or proofing a known behavior. We also use different reinforcement schedules for different reasons in training, depending on the behavior we are encouraging or discouraging.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Look at you, learning about training! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Easy, painless, and you are still awake. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's dive in to the good stuff! </div>
<br />
When I being training a new behavior or cue with a dog, we will begin with a <i>Continuous Reinforcement</i> S<i>chedule</i>, which abbreviated as CRF. In this type of reinforcement, the dog gets a reward every time they offer the desired behavior. We use this when teaching new behaviors because we want the dog to learn that the new behavior is a really great thing to do- it always gets attention and a treat! If your dog gets a treat, pat on the head, and an enthusiastic "good boy!" every time he sits; he's going to try sitting more often. This comes in handy when we build behaviors on top of each other, because they always have a strong base behavior to fall back on if there is a regression in training. Regression can happen because training suddenly stops for a period of time or because of a change in environment/stimuli. When using a CRF, it is important to only use it until the dog understands the behavior, then switch to a less predictable schedule (this is also when we begin to give different rewards based on the quality of response, but that's covered below in Differential Reinforcement Schedules).<br />
<br />
<i>Partial Reinforcement Schedules</i> (PRF) reward the desired response only after certain responses, either after a set ratio (number of responses) or interval (period of time). We can use these schedules to fine tune behavior once the basics are understood.<br />
Within this schedule, there are five different types of reinforcement:<br />
<ol>
<li>Fixed Ratio: The dog gets a reward after a predetermined number of responses. For example, you can train your dog to "count" using this method by rewarding after say, three barks and labeling it "count to three". This could be done with any number, of course! </li>
<li>Variable Ratio: The dog gets rewarded after a different number of responses, but the average of them getting the reward is determined by you. If you want an average of three responses, you would reward for: 1, 4, 2, 3, 2. The average of these responses is 3. This is what I use to start fading out treats in training the 'heel'. At first, the dog is rewarded every step for staying in the 'heel' position. As the get better with staying in position in anticipation of treats, the treats are given after one step, two steps, four steps, three steps, two steps. They are getting rewarded on average every three steps, but it's not always three exactly and they are getting fewer treats than in initial training. Over time, we simply make the average a bigger number. </li>
<li>Random Ratio: This is the other way to build strong behaviors. In random ratio, the dog gets a reward sometimes, but not other times. It should be as random as possible. Truly random rewarding is hard for us people to wrap our heads around; we try to make patterns so it makes sense in our minds. Dogs are great at figuring out patterns, so they soon learn if we are actually making a pattern and predict it. This can be used in training the 'heel' just like the above example, but we would want to keep it random, instead of aiming for an average number of steps. </li>
<li>Fixed Interval: The dog gets a reward only when the behavior is offered when a set period of time has elapsed since the previous response. <span style="background-color: white;">This is something that we don't really use much in training because it actually isn't terribly useful in most training situations. The idea is that a dog offers a behavior, like 'sit' and gets a reward. There would be a predetermined interval, lets say 4 seconds, that the dog needs to wait until it can offer the 'sit' again and get a reward. If they sit at 1, 2, or 3 seconds, they get no reward. Any 'sit' after 4 seconds gets a reward. Over time, responses on the part of the dog go up because they know they have to offer the behavior to get a reward. It's a fun thing to do, but really has little real use in day to day training. The problem is that a dog can get distracted and forget to respond with the correct behavior in that interval, so we can't effectively train anything that's well remembered. </span></li>
<li>Variable Interval: Just like variable ratio above, this is a reward for different responses, averaging a number you have picked. The difference is that this is rewarding for a period of time instead of a number of responses. The dog would get a reward for the correct behavior after a period of time has elapsed, but that interval of time will vary within an average. Like fixed interval this can result in a steady string of responses, but since the response is dependent on the animal offering it, can be tricky to use in training. </li>
</ol>
When using a <i>Differential Reinforcement</i> <i>Schedule</i>, rewards are given after certain types of responses are offered or after certain rates of response are offered. Basically, this means that the dog gets a reward based on the quality of their response or the frequency of offering the correct response. This is what we use to fine tune behaviors, to build complex behaviors, or work with especially nervous, anxious, or reactive dogs.<br />
<br />
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
1. <i>Response Type schedules</i> are simply the quality of the response- a 'down' with the belly all the way on the ground is preferred over a 'down' with the belly tucked up and not touching the ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Within this, there are three types of schedules which we use to get the desired behavior and remove unwanted behaviors:</div>
</div>
<div>
<i style="text-align: center;"> a.</i><span style="text-align: center;"> Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors</span><span style="text-align: center;"> (DRI): A dog jumps to greet people will be rewarded for any behavior that they can't do while jumping. Sitting, laying down, or simply standing would all be considered incompatible behaviors. These incompatible behaviors become more rewarding than the problem behavior (jumping).</span><br />
<i style="text-align: center;"> b. </i><span style="text-align: center;">Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors</span><span style="text-align: center;"> (DRO): A dog who barks at passers-by on walks can be rewarded for doing anything that is not barking. These other behaviors become more rewarding than barking, so the barking starts to diminish. </span></div>
<div>
<i style="text-align: center;"> c. </i><span style="text-align: center;">Differential Reinforcement of Excellent Behaviors</span><i style="text-align: center;"> (DRE): </i><span style="text-align: center;">A dog who perfectly heels on command when asked the first time, then sits in position when the handler comes to a stop would get a reward because that is an ideal response. We tend to reward these great responses a bit longer because they are the ultimate goal and we want them to become the normal. By rewarding these great behaviors, all others extinguish themselves. </span></div>
<div>
<i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i></div>
<div>
<span style="text-align: center;">2. <i>Response Rate Schedules</i> are ones that require a dog to respond at a certain rate for that reward. The reward is based on the offering of the correct behavior within the correct time period. Much like fixed interval and variable interval training, these aren't of as much use in dog training, but here you go anyway. </span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Differential Reinforcement of High Rates</i> (DRH): A dog is only rewarded for offering the 'look' behavior if it occurs within 7 seconds of the previous response. If the dog looks at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 seconds, they get a reward. If it is 7 seconds or more they get no reward. This is used to build a steady stream of responses.</li>
<li><i>Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates</i> (DRL): A dog is only rewarded for offering the 'look' behavior after a specified period of time has elapsed, lets say 7 seconds. Any look after 7 seconds gets a reward, anything before 7 seconds does not. </li>
</ul>
<div>
A <i>Duration Reinforcement Schedule </i>requires the dog to respond throughout a set period of time; these periods of time can be fixed, variable, or random. The classic example for this is the 'stay' cue. A dog is asked to hold the stay position for a period of time. Initially in training, we work with a short period of time and build it up gradually to longer duration and out of sight stays.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Fixed Duration: The dog has to stay for 1 minute to get a reward. If they get up before that minute is up, there is no reward. </li>
<li>Variable Duration: The dog has to stay for an average of 1 minute to get the reward. This is the best way to lengthen the duration of a stay because you are on average staying within the time period you know the dog will tolerate, but can gradually increase the duration by increasing the average.</li>
<li>Random Duration: The dog is asked to stay for random periods of time, rewarded only if they do so. This is a great way to lengthen duration also, because the dog can't predict how long you will be gone. If we simply leave for longer each time, the dog predicts that the time period will be longer, since they are good at putting together patterns. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Still awake? Good job, you're almost done!<br />
<br />
<div>
So what does all that mean? It means that you can fine tune and train different behaviors using different reinforcement schedules. Within this, you can even give different types of rewards based on responses (more on that another day).<br />
There are three lessons I want you to come away with from this:<br />
1. there is strong relationship between continuous reinforcement and degradation of behavior even before the food is faded. If a behavior is always followed by a treat, over time the dog has no motivation to offer the behavior quickly or perfectly. If a behavior is always followed by a treat and the treats suddenly stop, the behavior stops too because the behavior is no longer paying off as it had been! Dogs who are on a continuous reinforcement schedule too long end up with sloppy or slow behaviors and behave like spoiled children, demanding things they want.<br />
2. Random and variable reinforcement always result in the strongest behaviors, with much lower incidents of the behavior extinguishing as rewards fade. If a behavior is always rewarded initially and then randomly or variably rewarded, there is still always the possibility of a reward, so the behavior continues with the same strength. This is how a slot machine works. The machines pay out on a variable or random schedule, though it is very difficult to predict exactly when it will. The longer you keep putting coins in, the more convinced you become that it will pay off next time.<br />
3. It is very difficult for us humans to be truly random, which is why we tend to use variable rates of reinforcement in training. That way, your human need for some order is met and your dog is still not getting rewarded every single time, so we still get strong behaviors. </div>
</div>
<br />
The real point in telling you all of this, aside from giving you great reading material for your next bout of insomnia or a new drinking game (count how many times the word reinforcement is in here) is to demonstrate that the person who trains you and your dog should know a LOT about learning and training. It's not just a matter of tossing a collar on a dog and grabbing some treats- my 3 year old son can do that. It's not a matter of putting a pinch, choke, or prong collar on your dog and yanking him around to demonstrate "who is boss". Training and subsequent learning should be intentional, systematic, soundly based in science and well executed. There should be some room for flexibility with each individual dog/human pair and nobody should be pushed to the point of breaking or shutting down in training. Once you reach that point, <b>nothing good</b> is being taught.<br />
<br />
<br />
Resources:<br />
Excel-Erated Learning; Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them by Pam Reid, pgs. 48-59<br />
<br />
http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/behaviorism/Skinner.html<br />
<br />
http://www.educateautism.com/applied-behaviour-analysis/schedules-of-reinforcement.html<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-44715987810948744562016-06-07T15:06:00.001-04:002016-07-03T16:25:54.546-04:00Conditioning: The Nitty Gritty of Clean Training, Part 1<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you know that proper conditioning is important for your dog?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In training, we use both Operant and Classical Conditioning and I am using this post to tell you all about Operant Conditioning and hopefully not bore you too much. I'll go into Classical Conditioning in the next couple weeks, but for simplicity sake we will say for now that it's the part of training is learning by association.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Operant conditioning involves using reinforcers and punishers to get the desired behavior or stop an unwanted behavior.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reinforcers-generally speaking, this is something the dog likes. It is important to keep in mind that reinforcers are not universal and therefore depend on the individual dog. Most dogs like food, so using treats in training will work for most dogs. Some dogs prefer a tennis ball, squeaky toy, belly rub, or playtime with another dog or their handler.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reinforcers are used to encourage the repetition of a behavior. </span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, a dog is asked to sit. If they sit, they get a tasty treat or a squeaky toy to play with for a minute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Punishers- generally speaking, this is something that the dog doesn't like. Just like reinforcers, these also vary by individual dog. Some dogs don't like a stern verbal correction, some don't like being ignored or denied the opportunity to play. Most dogs don't like physical corrections because they are uncomfortable (or painful).</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Punishers are used to decrease the repetition of a behavior. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, a puppy starts biting their owner's hand during play. The owner can say "no" and walk away as a punishment. The puppy is losing the opportunity to play and has been given a verbal correction. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to highlight again that there are many different types of punishers and many different types of punishers. In my experience, a lot of folks out there assume that a reinforcer is always food and a punisher is always pain. Since reinforcers vary by dog, how on earth could this be true?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll tell you a secret- it's not. I use both punishers and reinforcers in training: I don't limit myself to only rewarding with food and I steer clear of using physical corrections as punishers (we will get into why a little later). </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next part of Operant Conditioning involves the application of these reinforcers and punishers and here is where it gets a little tricky. I have included a couple of great visual aids that I had nothing to do with creating so I'll credit them to where would up when I did a google search of the quadrants of Operant Conditioning. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll start with the pretty pictures that I didn't put together:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is from <a href="https://fedupfred.com/2016/04/12/the-four-emotional-quadrants-of-operant-conditioning/" target="_blank">Fed Up Fred</a>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqDVeedh8ss/V1cLF2RFXuI/AAAAAAAAAQg/I7GKtoGCJ88ZmTmbmeyZli4aeCo-HQoogCK4B/s1600/emotional-quadrantshorse.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqDVeedh8ss/V1cLF2RFXuI/AAAAAAAAAQg/I7GKtoGCJ88ZmTmbmeyZli4aeCo-HQoogCK4B/s400/emotional-quadrantshorse.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one is from a <a href="http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/4-quadrants-operant-conditioning-23702/" target="_blank">dog training forum</a>, originally from a ClickerExpo: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUMWotgFw5I/V1cLF-KPv8I/AAAAAAAAAQc/1FBThfRZAW0hgd03pYSqFXEr_HBUIIKKACK4B/s1600/leashwalkquadrants.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUMWotgFw5I/V1cLF-KPv8I/AAAAAAAAAQc/1FBThfRZAW0hgd03pYSqFXEr_HBUIIKKACK4B/s400/leashwalkquadrants.jpg" width="380" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To use these reinforcers and punishers, we can give or take them away from our dog. Giving or adding a reinforcer/punisher is considered positive (+). Again, positive isn't necessarily a good thing, it simply means something is being added to the scenario as a result of the dog's behavior. It is being added to either encourage or discourage the behavior. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taking something away from the dog is negative (-). Negative isn't exclusively a bad thing, it just means we are taking away something from the situation or from the dog. It is being taken away to either encourage or discourage the dog's behavior. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, now we have reinforcers (R) and punishers (P); and positive (+), or negative (-) applications. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take a look at those charts again, or just look at the one you like best. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">R+ is Positive Reinforcement= <i>something the dog likes</i> is <i>given</i> to the dog to <i>increase </i>the behavior that immediately preceded it. The dog who gets a treat for sitting is getting positive reinforcement. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">R- is Negative Reinforcement= <i>something the dog does not like </i>is <i>removed</i> in an effort to <i>increase </i>the behavior that immediately preceded it. Pressure from a choke or prong collar is released once a dog stops pulling on leash. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P+ is Positive Punishment= <i>something the dog does not like </i>is <i>given </i>to <i>decrease</i> the behavior that immediately preceded it. A "collar pop" is given as a response to a dog lunging on leash. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P- is Negative Punishment= <i>something the dog likes </i>is <i>removed </i>in an effort to <i>decrease </i>the behavior that immediately preceded it. A dog jumps to greet me as I reach for a treat- I immediately put the treat away and turn to ignore the dog- he has (momentarily) lost the opportunity for treats and attention, which he likes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, remember earlier when I mentioned that people generalize reinforcement as treats and punishers as pain and how they are wrong in painting it all in black and white? Well, you can read that fourth paragraph again but I really did say it. I do use mostly R+ training, though I will use P- and R-. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few examples that I have used just this week:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-A dog who runs to me quickly and immediately when I call him will get a treat and lots of praise and attention as a reward (to increase that behavior). This is R+</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-A dog who jumps to greet or play will experience me walking away, putting my treats away or will get a 5 minute time out if he can't be redirected from the jumping. Since he is jumping for attention, I remove the thing he wants to decrease the jumping! This is P-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-A dog who is fearful of men in hats will get more distance from that scary guy in the hat 20 feet away if he can look at me or sit when asked. Something he doesn't like goes away when he offers the behavior I want, which is paying attention to and trusting me. This is R-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P+ is the one I really do avoid using, but that does not mean I don't understand how it works. I know that it is meant to stop behaviors quickly since the dog will be trying to avoid something they do not like. I know it can work or seem to work on plenty of dogs, my concern is more with the fallout from using such methods. Some dogs will react quite adversely to corrections like this and become aggressive or reactive in defense. This is because we can't actually say to a dog "ok, you will be getting a shock or "collar pop" now, because you ran after that kid on a bike". For all we know, the dog just wants to run and play with the kid on a bike, but he may have different ideas and need to attack those scary tires. All our dog knows now is that whenever a bike goes by, something not so fun happens. This is where aggression and reactivity can increase because of P+. The other thing that I have seen happen is a dog actually shutting down and becoming fearful of bikes, children or their handler. If you want to really ruin your day, read about <a href="http://study.com/academy/lesson/how-seligmans-learned-helplessness-theory-applies-to-human-depression-and-stress.html" target="_blank">Learned Helplessness</a> experiments that were done on dogs in the 1960's. You may be outraged about the fact that it happened 50 years ago, but what I agonize over is the fact there are trainers out there using very similar methods today in an effort to extinguish behaviors and train basic obedience skills. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition, what usually happens isn't that a behavior is stopped- it's just suppressed. It may stay suppressed forever, or the dog can become like a ticking time bomb and one day they can't take it anymore. That's pretty extreme but I have seen it happen. I have seen playful, carefree puppies change to reactive, shut-down pups when a shock, prong, or choke collar is used. By studying canine body language, you can see for yourself that a dog who is being walked "under total control" is actually fearful and unsure. I don't know about you, but I'd rather my dog have a good time and be relaxed. So, yes P+ may work on dogs, but why take a chance on traumatizing your dog, ruining your bond and changing their personality? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For more on why I don't like to use P+, check out my <a href="http://smartpupsdogtraining.blogspot.com/2014/08/calm-submissive-state-my-a.html" target="_blank">post</a> on how a "calm, submissive" dog is an oxymoron. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next time, I will delve into using conditioning over time to ensure that your dog will respond in a variety of situations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Resources:</span><br />
<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; line-height: 1.3 !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them,</i> By Pamela Reid</span></span></h1>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training, </i>By Karen Pryor </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.britannica.com/topic/learned-helplessness</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-61291775615371884312016-05-03T14:58:00.001-04:002016-05-03T14:58:12.503-04:00Setting Up For Success and Other Reasons Your Dog Trainer Sounds CrazyOne (yes, there are more than one) of the things I say to clients that gets eye rolls/giggles/crazy looks is when I tell them about setting their dog up for success. It's not because the idea of setting up your dog for success is a crazy idea, but more the way I say it. Usually it's something like this:<br />
Me: "Since he's good and tired from that walk, let's go ahead and work on the 'stay' cue."<br />
Client: "Well, that will be easy.."<br />
Me: "Yes! That's the point! Practicing a new behavior like 'stay' when he's tired isn't cheating, it's setting him up for success!"<br />
Client: (Laugh, snicker, eye roll, general puzzled look)<br />
<br />
The thing is, it's not cheating when it's a NEW behavior. If I waited until my 8-year old dog started circling on her bed before I asked her to 'down', that would be cheating. She knows 'down' and can do it at the drop of a hat (usually). When we teach a dog a new behavior- especially a puppy, especially teaching something like down or stay to that puppy- it is essential to put that pup in a situation where he has the best chance at success. Without a chance at success, there's no way that puppy can learn.<br />
This is why with training, we start with minimal distractions- so that your dog has the best chance at paying attention to just you and learning what you are teaching them.<br />
<br />
Just as you wouldn't enroll in an advanced physics course at your local university without some knowledge of at least basic physics, your dog can't succeed without some solid basic skills. Setting up for success allows our dogs to develop these basic skills.<br />
<br />
To continue with the same example, I'll use the 'stay' cue to further explain.<br />
I think that anyone who has had a puppy or adolescent dog understands that the stay behavior can be tough for some dogs and puppies because they don't want to sit (or lay) still. There is a lot going on in the world, and they don't want to miss any of it! In our human life, we like our dogs to sit in one place from time to time for various reasons. As long as we are reasonable and aren't using this to harm our dogs or other animals, that's just fine. The stay can actually be really useful for anxious or hyper active dogs- they sometimes need to be reminded that it's ok to relax and turn off for a few minutes and trust their human(s) to keep an eye on things. A dog who can hold stay for a long period of time can go out in public, to restaurants, to events, to places where there are <i>people and food and attention!! </i>As much as we explain the benefits of a good stay to our dogs, they usually don't give a hoot. Instead we start out slow; we do a short distance, short duration stay and build up their skills with practice over time.<br />
<br />
I'll put it this way, would you go out and expect to run a marathon in under 2 hours on your first try? Since the world record is currently 2 hours, 2 minutes and change, I doubt it. Would you expect to walk out onto the mound a pitch a perfect baseball game the first (or even second) time you pick up a baseball? You would sure have high hopes if you did, but I don't think it would happen. Why not? Because you need to learn how to run first, or how to pitch a baseball. Setting up for success is the first step in teaching them, then they get to practice their new skill.<br />
<br />
You start your dog out with basic skills like sit, down, come, and stay. Then, you combine sit and down to do puppy push ups. You have your dog hold the sit or down to get a stay. You combine the sit and stay at your doorway to greet visitors politely.<br />
Your dog learns to look at you on cue and how to walk politely on leash. Your dog then learns to combine leash walking and the look cue to pay attention to you on walks. Your dog then learns to walk next to you on leash, which is the heel behavior. You combine this with the look and you have a dog walking next to you, maintaining eye contact.<br />
<br />
Everything in training builds on simple behaviors, or at least it should if you want to train your dog in away that makes any sense.<br />
<br />
In addition to practice, dogs need to work on <i>generalizing</i> these new skills. That means they typically need to learn that the same rules apply in different situations. Dogs aren't always good at generalizing the things we teach them, so we need to work with them in new situations with their new skills. This is where we humans really get tripped up with training- we don't always recognize that a situation has changed. You sitting on the floor next to your dog and asking for a 'down' is not the same situation as you standing next to your dog, asking for a 'down'. It's not the same to your dog. Dogs are really good at taking snapshots of a given situation and understanding that if everything present in that snapshot is present, there are clear rules that they have practiced, they know what to do and what is expected of them. Dogs are a little too good at this sometimes; if even one part of that snapshot is different, they seem unsure if any of the rules are different. Your dog may be great at listening at home and during group training class, but at the park he seems to have amnesia. Not to be rude, but it may be your fault. Have you practiced everything at the park like you have at home and at the park? Have you given him time to build his skills in this distracting, exciting environment? Have you considered the fact that you are different at the park? Even your mood can influence your dog's performance. My point is, if you want your dog to listen to you at the park, go to the park and practice. You may well have to re-train initially in the different environment and <a href="http://smartpupsdogtraining.blogspot.com/2014/12/i-like-my-expectations-low.html" target="_blank">lower your expectations</a>.<br />
<br />
If you start out with reasonable expectations, allow your dog the time to learn, give them opportunities to practice and take steps back in training when your dog is having trouble, the sky really is the limit. By setting your dog up for success, you will find that there really are no limits to what you or your dog can do using reward based training.<br />
<br />
Honestly, the only limits to training are physical limitations of the dog and/or human and things that the human doesn't know how to teach!<br />
<br />
<br />
References:<br />
<br />
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2077<br />
<br />
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2279<br />
<br />
http://www.caretoadopt.org/info/display?PageID=2138Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-46803957577327735792016-02-17T21:57:00.000-05:002016-02-17T21:57:57.306-05:00Consultations Not Optional (Or Free)<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">While this is a big pet peeve of mine, I actually don't have many people ask if consults are optional or if they are free; and I consider myself lucky in that regard. Actually, it's probably the potential clients who are lucky. If presented with those questions, I try not to laugh and then (if we are all lucky) diplomatically explain that I cannot help without getting a thorough history and assessing the dog in person.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I can't stand it when I see that other trainers offer free consults. For one, it's devaluing their time and expertise, which is not the way to run a successful business. This makes me sad for them. Second, it's devaluing the time and expertise of all other trainers. If it seems acceptable for one trainer to not charge for consults, people expect all trainers to do the same. That devalues my job, which is not nice and not cool. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
Aside from people not taking seriously things they do not pay for (an unfortunate truth) the consult is usually the most important hour (or two) that I spend with a client. While it may seem like I am just asking a bunch of questions, typing on my iPad and occasionally petting or tossing a treat to your dog, I'm doing a lot more. With any dog I will be working with, I need to establish a baseline of what their "normal" is before I can start any training or behavior modification program. Everything I do and say during a consult is for a reason- except when I mispronounce your cat's name- that's just me being absent-minded!<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
The first step in discerning this is when I meet you and your dog at the door. With the exception of aggression towards strangers in which there is a different protocol, I will allow your dog to jump a few times to greet if that's what they typically do. I allow this to see first how your dog jumps (if they greet with exuberance, if they have any awareness of their own size, if they nip, if they bring me a toy, if they jump gently and barely touch me, etc). The other reason is that I want to see how you react to this behavior. I'm not trying to encourage it, and again, with aggression it's different and there's usually at least a leash and a gate involved. I want to learn a few things:</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
Do you yell at your dog?</div>
<div class="p1">
Do you laugh? </div>
<div class="p1">
Do you apologize? </div>
<div class="p1">
Do you grab her by the collar and push her down to the floor? </div>
<div class="p1">
Do you ask her to "off" or "sit" about 30 times in a 1 minute time period? </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Whatever your response is, it's your dog's normal and I want to see it. I also want to see how your dog responds to your response to their behavior. This tells me a bit about your relationship with your dog. Sometimes, the relationship between dog and owner is one of the problems we need to fix, and I need to know that- so do you!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Next, we sit down and go through your dog's history. Knowing a dog's past can help us determine why certain behaviors have started or persisted and what has or has not worked in the past. Knowing a dog's daily routine gives me insight into the amount of time you spend with your dog and the amount of time you will likely have to put into training. I'm not going to be very helpful to you or your dog if I can't come up with a training plan that you can actually use and follow through with. I ask you what your training goals are and what behaviors are most bothersome to you. This tells me whether or not your training goals a realistic given your time and your dog. While I am typing up notes, I want to see how your dog responds to the sudden stop in treats from me- this lets me know how your dog deals with frustration. Lots of dogs are not good at dealing with frustration well and are lacking self control. Handing out free treats for a minute and abruptly stopping is an easy way to test this in most dogs. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Just a quick note on what I am <i>NOT</i> doing in a consult- I'm never going to judge you during a consult or any other time. I may ask probing questions, but it's not so I can go talk to all my trainer friends about how inept you are, I promise. I ask tons of questions about time in the crate and daily walks so I can <i>understand </i>what you have to offer and to make sure we really can meet your goals. If it's just not feasible to meet your goals, I will tell you. I will also offer good alternative goals that are attainable. Plenty of times there are goals that seem out of reach but they just take a little longer to attain and I'll tell you that, too! </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Last, we will work on one or two easy commands. I will teach your dog first, then you practice with me watching you so I can make sure you do it right <i>and</i> to make sure your dog is responsive to you. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">That's it, that's what happens during a typical consult. More complex behavioral problems may have a slightly different protocol, but it follows the same pattern. After I leave your house, I go home and type up notes, do research, and develop your training plan. For every 1-2 hour consult with a client, I am spending an additional 2+ hours at home making sure we have a solid training plan that will work. If we need to tweak it down the road we can, but we need to start somewhere. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Without knowing your dog's normal, I can't help you. Without taking the time and finding out a thorough history and setting clear training goals, we can't resolve problems. With something so important, why would I not charge for my time and more importantly, why would you not want me to? Just as you won't take seriously a service that is free, why would I take seriously work that is costing me time and gaining me little in return? Not to sound like a money-grubbing jerk, but this is my job. The money I make training dogs is income for my family, so it is very important to me. I'm very fortunate that I get to make money doing something I love, but I still take it seriously and so should you. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-76457218027728710392015-11-12T23:02:00.001-05:002016-10-23T16:05:27.603-04:00The Way A Puppy GrowsMaybe you don't have a mother and aunts who love to sing like mine, but I have this one stuck in my head from my aunt singing it to our son the other day:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Oh, I think it's rather silly, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the way a puppy grows</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a little on his waggly tail</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a little on his nose</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a little on his tummy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a little on his ears</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I guess he'll be a dog alright</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in half a dozen years"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2USJZXKqmgw/VkVguYVi1NI/AAAAAAAAAP8/BXVQoz-kQZU/s1600/DSC_6111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2USJZXKqmgw/VkVguYVi1NI/AAAAAAAAAP8/BXVQoz-kQZU/s320/DSC_6111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm certain they didn't come up with the catchy tune all by themselves, unless perhaps you ask them, but it got me thinking about the way a puppy grows. I did a <a href="http://smartpupsdogtraining.blogspot.com/2015/10/picking-winner-part-1.html" target="_blank">post</a> a few weeks ago about the importance of a good breeder, because that initial environment has a big impact on who that puppy grows up to be.<br />
<br />
As an example of the impact, I have a client who has two dogs from of the same breeder, same bloodline, bought a few years apart.<br />
<br />
The one pup (we'll say Fido for simplicity sake) is friendly, social and accepting of people and has been from the beginning. Their other dog (Fuzzy) is reactive, nips people and barks (a lot) and has since they brought them home. When they got Fido, they were brought into the house where the puppies and their momma were living with the human family. They were exposed to the family including children, older family members and cats. When they got Fuzzy, the dogs were staying in a nice house of their own without people constantly around. They were well cared for, clean and healthy looking. Fuzzy's litter was not exposed to various people and other animals. Fuzzy is reactive and fearful, Fido is friendly and confident.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at what happens those first 8 weeks, before puppies even go to their new home, and why it's so important.<br />
<br />
Neonatal Period: Days 1-12<br />
The puppy is pretty helpless at this stage, eyes and ears are not open, motor skills are limited, cannot regulate their own body temperature and need stimulation (licking by momma) to pee or poop. Puppies in this stage will whine or cry to attract their mother's attention, and already has a sense of balance, taste, smell, touch and can detect changes in temperature (meaning they will move toward warmth). Even at this stage, the environment will shape the puppy. Gentle handling such as picking up and holding and moving to a slightly different surface for a short period of time (less than a minute) will help the puppy later on:<br />
<br />
"If puppies are handled and exposed to mild environmental stressors, it can have a positive impact on them in later years. On the other hand, pups left undisturbed or raised in isolation during this time can be emotionally reactive when they reach adulthood. You may not see visible signs until they reach adulthood, because the signs are so subtle that the novice eye would not recognize them as a potential future problems." *1<br />
<br />
"Mild stress of the neonatal dog, such as induced by handling or placing the puppy on a cool surface, increases the puppy's ability to cope with stress later in life" *2<br />
<br />
Transitional Period: Days 11-21<br />
Motor and sensory skills start to develop, eyes and ears open, and they start to walk instead of crawl with trepidation. Their teeth are coming in, so they can start on soft meals (sometimes regurgitated by their momma), even though they will still be nursing for a few more weeks. Louder vocalization occurs when they are left in a new environment and since they can hear, they will initially startle at noises. At this age they also start to navigate away from their nest or den to go potty, because they can go potty without mom's help and realize that they don't want to sleep near that. Up until this point, their sweet momma has probably been eating their poop. The puppy is able to adapt to new stimuli and develops the senses through experiencing new stimuli like handling, playing with toys, experiencing new types of floor, bedding and climbing on stuff (not unlike human babies). Play fighting will begin during this time and positive reinforcement training can be used to teach them (by their mom or their humans). An interesting side note, potty training is already starting at this point and what happens here will have a lasting impact:<br />
"From this point on, the puppies should have the possibility to leave the nest site to eliminate. Puppies who have been thwarted from doing so may become almost impossible to house train." *3<br />
<br />
Socialization Period: Weeks 4-14<br />
Social play is the primary endeavor at this time, as puppies are learning social cues and subsequently, the rules of normal play. This is also the time when they learn all about people-what they are and what they do. Puppies can be taught cues and behaviors using positive reinforcement and they are learning about bite inhibition from their litter mates. Spending time with people and their litter will ensure a well-rounded dog who is comfortable in different social settings. Through play fighting, they experiment with biting, grabbing, shaking and holding. Puppies start to learn about bite inhibition when litter mates yelp at too hard a nip or grab. The yelp will (typically) stop play for a moment because of the alarming sound. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Socialization to dogs and to people has to occur during this time. If this opportunity is missed, he puppy will most likely always be fearful of dogs and/or humans. During the socialization period, the puppy should also be exposed to all situations that it is likely to encounter during its life." *4<br />
<br />
Hold on, Now here's a really important part of the Socialization Period:<br />
<br />
Fear Imprint Period: Weeks 8-10 (or more)<br />
At this point in development, puppies will <i>retain</i> fearful experiences/stimuli which they encounter.<br />
"If 5 week old Beagle puppies were punished (e.g., with an electric shock for approaching a person), they shoed fear, but approached that person again when retested later. If the puppies were between 8 and 9 weeks of age, they <i>retain the fear</i> of that person...Any aversive experience during this time is to be avoided, since it may have lifelong effects on emotionality, anxiety, fear, hyperactivity and reactivity and aggressiveness." *5<br />
<br />
That's it, just the first few months of a puppy's life and look at all that has happened in such short time! All of that stuff a puppy experiences before you even meet them for the first time really does impact who they will be.<br />
<br />
There are more stages of development that your dog goes through, but we will stop here today because I've typed enough for one night and I think this is a good place to start. If you want to know more, you should check out the two books that I cited here, they are both great books. <br />
<br />
Citations:<br />
<br />
*1:<br />
Raising Puppies and Kids Together, by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt Page 12<br />
<br />
*2:<br />
Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 188</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*3:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 188</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*4:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 189</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
*5:</div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 190-191</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Resources:</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
Raising Puppies and Kids Together, by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt (a great read if you have puppies and kids, btw.)<br />
<br />
Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-84660676569504348292015-10-27T23:00:00.002-04:002015-10-27T23:00:49.654-04:00Food Bowl Woes I'll admit that we use a plethora of things to feed Roxie and a regular food bowl is at the very bottom of the <strike>list</strike> closet. Literally, in the floor of the hall closet collecting dust when our son isn't fishing it out to use as a boat for his animals.<br />
<br />
We have a couple of food dispensing balls that she can roll around, a Buster Cube to roll around, a handful of Kongs and two Kyjen Slo-Feed Bowls that we alternate. We generally stick with the slo-bowls for her meals because her (human toddler) brother likes to help feed her and these are the easiest for him to help with. The Buster Cube we only use if we are heading out for a few hours since it's a little noisy. Her food-dispensing balls are used every other day or more and the Kongs are used a few times a week when I actually have the forethought to fill and freeze it before I leave- room temperature peanut butter is way too easy for her.<br />
<br />
<div>
Sometimes, during a voyage with animals, the plain food bowl gets left out and our son is amazed that it can also be a vessel for Roxie's food, "like OUR bowl, mom?" Unfortunately, the novelty stops there. If we dare to feed the brat-queen with this strange stainless steel creation, she looks at the bowl and then I swear rolls her eyes before looking at it again and eating. Don't get me wrong, she loves food and this exchange lasts about 18 seconds, but I'm pretty sure she's ticked off about the bowl.<br />
When we use any of the alternative food delivery methods, she jumps around a bit before sitting with her tail wagging so hard her whole body is wiggling around.<br />
<br />
Why does she get so excited about eating her food in a different way?<br />
Because it is a more natural way for her to eat. I am not saying she is a wolf and needs to hunt for her own food or that she would be able to catch her own food if she had to, but there is a level of predatory drive that just isn't provided by a plain, easy to eat out of bowl. When she uses the food-dispensing toys like the Buster Cube, the food falls out randomly and she smells around on the floor for it. This may be the messiest way to feed her, but definitely keeps her busy the longest. When she eats out of a Slo-Bowl, she gets to lick around and catch the little pieces of food as they slip away from her in the maze of a bowl. Sometimes, she goes back a few minutes later to see if there were and pieces that she missed. When she eats out of a plain, boring bowl, she comes to find us and glances longingly at her empty bowl. She gets the same amount of food no matter what we use to feed her, but 30 seconds of food feels like less than 10 minutes of chasing it around the living room.<br />
Back to the natural way to eat thing. Dogs have evolved as scavengers in their many years living with people, so having to do a little more than scarf it down from an easy bowl is only natural.<br />
You know what else it is? Mental and physical exercise. Mental and physical exercise are two of the most important things you need to provide your dog to help them be happy and healthy!! As a scavenger, she would have to search out food in all kinds of places and it would not be as easy as finding a bowl with food waiting for her three times a day. Even waaaay back when the common ancestor of current domesticated dogs and wolves was loping around, they were hunters and scavengers- they had to work to get their food.<br />
<br />
Also, she eats slower so she is less likely to choke or get bloat or eat so fast that she pukes it all up (she's done this a few times in the past). Now, she's not a large breed so bloat really isn't a concern. I will say that with some dogs, the Slo-Bowls are not ideal to help with bloat because they get so excited/frustrated trying to get each piece that they take in more air, which really isn't what you are after. If your dog swallows a cup of food all at once, try feeding a little at a time and waiting a few minutes before giving more. Of course, with anything medical you should always consult your trusted veterinarian before reading anybody's blog. The food-dispensing balls and food puzzles are great though.<br />
<br />
This week, do your dog a favor and recycle or donate that old food bowl and get a new way to feed! There are tons of different kinds out there and there is bound to be one that works for you and your dog.<br />
<br />
Please, remember to always supervise your dog with any new toy or feeding device the first few times, so you are certain they won't eat it in addition to the food!<br />
<br />
References/some of my favorite alternative feeders:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://outwardhound.com/shop/dog-bowls">http://outwardhound.com/shop/dog-bowls</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jjdog.com/product/Buster-Cube/Dog-Toys-Tugs-and-Rewards?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=4436&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=31333138&gclid=CP2Dlp6V5MgCFVcSHwodousEYw">http://www.jjdog.com/product/Buster-Cube/Dog-Toys-Tugs-and-Rewards?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=4436&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=31333138&gclid=CP2Dlp6V5MgCFVcSHwodousEYw</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/interactive/wobbler-2/wobbler/">http://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/interactive/wobbler-2/wobbler/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://store.petsafe.net/busy-buddy-kibble-nibble">http://store.petsafe.net/busy-buddy-kibble-nibble</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130302-dog-domestic-evolution-science-wolf-wolves-human/">http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130302-dog-domestic-evolution-science-wolf-wolves-human/</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-61794066190896437362015-10-12T15:03:00.000-04:002015-10-12T15:03:36.802-04:00Picking a Winner (part 2)<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Last week, I went through the reasons why you should care about the breeder you choose if you are going that route with your next puppy. This week, I have put together the things you should look out for so you know exactly who to avoid and what questions to ask. </span><br />
<span class="s1">Whatever your reasons for wanting a purebred puppy, you should start with your veterinarian, trainer, groomer or even a breed-specific rescue. Typically they can point you in the right direction, or at least tell you who to avoid. A rescue may give you a little grief about not choosing them, but if you have good reasons, they will probably listen and offer advice.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We start with red flags; if you experience any of these with the breeder you choose, put on the breaks and ask more questions. If a breeder doesn't like you asking questions, you probably want to go elsewhere. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RuYuJOtkTCw/VhwDmR3UTRI/AAAAAAAAAPg/FnSMn8tsPDo/s1600/IMG_3095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RuYuJOtkTCw/VhwDmR3UTRI/AAAAAAAAAPg/FnSMn8tsPDo/s320/IMG_3095.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of these came from a reputable breeder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Red Flags:</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Meeting anywhere other than at the breeder's home</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Not being questioned about your lifestyle and family, including hobbies, work (hours per day and per week outside of the home), whether or not you have a fenced in yard, children in the home, etc.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Not meeting with the breeder prior to getting the puppy</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-An advertisement in a newspaper for litter </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Little or no knowledge of the puppies lineage and personality</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-No vaccination or de-worming records</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Dogs (including puppies) are kept exclusively outdoors or exclusively indoors*</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Puppies are wary of people</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Shipping puppy unattended</span><br />
<span class="s1">-Offer multiple breeds for sale</span><br />
<span class="s1">-Offer puppies for sale under 7 weeks of age</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Puppies available year round- litters are born many times each year</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Unhealthy looking mother, puppies or father- a nursing mom should be allowed sufficient food to maintain body weight and feed her puppies. If she is malnourished, her puppies probably are too. If she is sick, her puppies probably are, too. If the sire is on site and looks ill, ask questions. He may just be under the weather- which is fine, but you need to think about genetic problems that you may be taking home. When in doubt, ask questions (see a trend?)</span><br />
<span class="s1">-Offers 'designer' breeds </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
*some toy breeds are kept indoors when young so they aren't carried away by prey birds</div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
A good, reputable breeder will show you that they care about their puppies and the breed, so these things usually mean you are on the right track.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
A good breeder will:</div>
<div class="p1">
-Provide lineage of your puppy (and probably have it memorized)</div>
<div class="p1">
-Want to meet you in person, before you get your puppy</div>
<div class="p1">
-Have a puppy or a few puppies for you to choose from based on your lifestyle and the puppies' personalities- odds are you will not have your pick of the litter</div>
<div class="p1">
-Have a waiting list<br />
-Want referrals from you (veterinarian, trainer, groomer</div>
<div class="p1">
-Have referrals from their veterinarian and a close relationship with their veterinarian</div>
<div class="p1">
-Have clean and adequate space inside and outside for the puppies and at least the mother</div>
<div class="p1">
-Only have a couple litters per year at the most</div>
<div class="p1">
-Have a contract for you to sign, including requirement to spay/neuter and to return the puppy to them if you cannot care for them in the future for any reason, among other requirements<br />
-Have at least as many questions for you as you do for them<br />
-The earliest puppies will be available is 7-8 weeks, and if you need to postpone pickup because of work, vacation or a family emergency; they will hold the puppy for you<br />
-Decline to sell you a puppy because of your long work hours, many kids or small apartment- depending on breed<br />
-May offer "working quality" vs "pet quality" pups*<br />
<br />
*Working quality dogs include any sporting or working breed that has been bred to do their job. A working quality hound is not what you want in your condo. A pet quality dog is just as healthy and well-bred, but does not posses (either by intentional breeding or genetic chance) the traits preferred for the breed specific work.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind the breed you are selecting and your lifestyle; these things have to mesh well and your breeder will want to be sure that they do. Some breeders only breed working dogs, and may not often have "family pets" for sale. As frustrating as this is, it's a sign of a good breeder. If you have 5 kids under age 10, you really don't need a working quality Cattle Dog or Border Collie, trust me- it will be more work than you have time for to keep that dog happy and well exercised. If you really like a breeder who focuses on the working dogs, talk to them and explain that you would love a puppy who is pet quality. Not every pup in every litter will be working quality, so you can probably get what you want eventually. Some breeders focus more on family pet quality pups, and if they have any pups in a litter who are more working quality, they may have a special contract or a home already lined up that is appropriate for them.<br />
<br />
A final note, remember that you are applying to buy this puppy, you are interviewing to have this pup. A good breeder may come across as snobby or rude, but they may have good reason for being selectively friendly. They aren't trying to make a sale, they are finding a home for one of their babies, so be kind and patient- it will pay off. Most good breeders do it as a hobby and to better the breed. not to make money.<br />
<br />
For an example of a good, local breeder her on the shore, check out <a href="http://www.marshyhopelabradors.com/" target="_blank">Marshy Hope Labradors</a>. I'd love to come back as a puppy born here in my next life. In the meantime I'll have to make do with visiting when she has her next litter.<br />
<br />
Did you choose a specific breed, and why?<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-8142771362515336402015-10-08T22:37:00.000-04:002017-01-24T14:28:18.884-05:00Picking A Winner (part 1)This is actually the next in my series on choosing the right dog, but since this evolved into two parts, I used a different title. <i>My</i> mind works like that, are you telling me yours doesn't?<br />
I'm not gonna lie, I started typing this two weeks ago and when reading it over today, I realized that it was going to be a two part post. My bad. I could have totally had a post last week and not been a slacker.<br />
This is clearly part 1, which outlines the importance of choosing a good breeder. I am not in any way supporting breeders as opposed to rescue or adoption, just trying to help out people who choose to go that route.<br />
When I meet with a new client, one of the many questions I ask is where they got their dog. I don't ask this so I can give a lecture on the impacts of buying from a breeder as opposed to rescuing a dog or the pitfalls of choosing a puppy from a pet store. I ask because the first environment that a dog has does make an impact on their personality. I have worked with dogs from reputable breeders, puppy mills and those found on the side of the road- the good news is that with time and patience, they can all be great dogs.<br />
If you have the choice and you want to buy your next pup from a breeder, I'm not going to stop you and direct you to the nearest shelter, but I think you should be educated in choosing that breeder. There are some red flags that you should be aware of when selecting a breeder for your next companion and knowing ahead of time can save you a lot of headache and potential heartache.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UTZd5Wtb6NA/VhcoFf9cX5I/AAAAAAAAAPI/CWnWLW_gPK8/s1600/IMG_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UTZd5Wtb6NA/VhcoFf9cX5I/AAAAAAAAAPI/CWnWLW_gPK8/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
First, why should you care about the early environment and bloodlines that your puppy comes from? The first obvious factor is genetics. A responsible, reputable breeder will have vast knowledge of the lineage of your puppy. The breeder cares about this because they want healthy dogs and they want to better the breed. Appearance and conformation are great things to be aware of and should be taken into consideration, but alone they do not make a great dog- good breeders select for demeanor too! Health concerns are another genetic factor- many purebreds are predisposed to health problems- your breeder should know about all the specifics for that breed and do what they can to avoid keeping these health problems in the bloodline. For example, large breed dogs generally will come with PennHip X-Rays, which are done to check for hip dysplasia. At the very least, both parents should have had these done.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to delve much into the physical effects of poor breeding programs, but I will tell you that I have seen 8 week old puppies with grade IV heart murmurs and severe hip dysplasia- yes, at that age the entire litter of 9 puppies was diagnosed. These puppies were the result of extremely poor breeding; we found out during the course of the appointment that the parents of the litter were mother and her son (from a previous litter obviously). The person had no idea that this was not a good way to breed- the veterinarian explained.<br />
<br />
As far as personality, it is very difficult to predict what exactly will happen in a given litter- it's a breeder, not a mind reader. What a breeder can do is know the two dogs they are pairing for a given litter and select them based on demeanor in addition to health and appearance. If either parent has a history of serious behavior problems, they should not be selected to breed because it could very likely be passed on to puppies.<br />
Aside from genetic factors, the early environment that a puppy experiences can have a huge impact on who they become. Dogs who are abused, neglected or otherwise ill-cared for show that as adults.<br />
<br />
WAIT!<br />
<br />
Time for a super quick, simplistic review of puppy development.<br />
For the first 12 days, the puppy is completely reliant on the mother for their care and can't do much more than poop, pee and nurse.<br />
Around 2 weeks, the puppy begins to control bodily functions, the eyes open and they start to wag their tail.<br />
Starting around 3 weeks, puppies begin to develop awareness of their environment and begin to learn some canine behaviors. At this stage, they can also differentiate between human and canine behaviors (if exposed to both).<br />
At 7-10 weeks, most puppies are ready to wean and go to their new homes and begin learning some manners and basic cues, as well as how to bond with people and other animals (using reward based training, of course).<br />
At 5 weeks, the fear imprint period can begin, though it typically peaks at 8-10 weeks. Scary things at this time will remain scary for a long time.<br />
There are more development periods, but that is for another post.<br />
<br />
These periods matter because if a puppy is in a less than ideal environment, it will have an impact on their development. If a puppy is born to a mom who is young, inexperienced and unhealthy, they may not have the care they need in that early stage when they are vulnerable and dependent. As those puppies spend more time in that stressful environment, they will learn all about stress and how to respond to it. Those responses vary from cowering and hiding from stimuli to barking, growling and biting as a response. The problem is that they may be in such a stressful place that their responses are excessive and they retain the behaviors into adulthood. Any fearful experiences are made worse by not having a good coping mechanism. If that early environment is not clean, you will have the special joy of potty training a puppy who does not mind pooping and peeing where they sleep and eat (I see this a LOT in puppies from pet stores).<br />
<br />
It's not just scary experiences that can shape behavior- lack of experience with new things can be just as detrimental. Puppies who don't see people with hats, other animals or hear loud noises tend to over-react to these is introduced suddenly later in life.<br />
I am hoping that by now I have you convinced to go for a good breeder if you are going to go that route.<br />
Tune in next week for the red flags to be on the lookout for when you are selecting your breeder!<br />
<br />
Resources:<br />
<a href="http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-personality-development">http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-personality-development</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houstonspca.org/site/DocServer/developmental_stages_of_puppy_behavior.pdf?docID=369">http://www.houstonspca.org/site/DocServer/developmental_stages_of_puppy_behavior.pdf?docID=369</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-57602063960373559142015-09-20T22:18:00.001-04:002016-07-16T14:16:49.805-04:00 Face It (Canine Body Language part 3) As promised, I am continuing my efforts to tell you as much as I can while I still have your interest with part three of Canine Body Language.<br />
Today, we talk about dog faces... actually their heads and faces in general. Now, I will preface this with saying that we as dog trainers and we as people tend to anthropomorphize dogs without thinking about it, when in reality we don't know what they are thinking. The best we can do is examine body language in a given context and what happened before and after. Based on the outcome of a given situation, we try to figure out what happened. That's all I'm trying to do here- show you certain characteristics that consistently pop up in dogs in certain situations and what happened before and after. That's pretty much the best we can do until we develop a way to read their minds, or dogs learn to talk like us. So, when I use terms like 'happy', 'mad', 'scared' or 'frustrated'; it's based on a situation and the outcome. Sometimes these things can be measured scientifically, but I can't run EKG's, ECG's or measure cortisol levels on all (or any) or my clients. I'll try to use neutral terms like 'relaxed' and 'tense' as much as possible, since I don't actually know their emotions.<br />
<br />
We all (hopefully) know the difference between a dog that is relaxed and happy and a dog who is tense and upset, but here's a little quiz just in case:<br />
<br />
Which dog would you rather pet?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BIqX3BkJV70/VdjIuIZ_hoI/AAAAAAAAAMM/3Y_nPkDHjB8/s1600/DSC_2461%2Bcopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BIqX3BkJV70/VdjIuIZ_hoI/AAAAAAAAAMM/3Y_nPkDHjB8/s320/DSC_2461%2Bcopy.JPG" width="249" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oscar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GLsjvimVHRY/Vf9dmRZlStI/AAAAAAAAAOw/m_bAe1uHWe0/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GLsjvimVHRY/Vf9dmRZlStI/AAAAAAAAAOw/m_bAe1uHWe0/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random Internet Dog, lets call him Fluffy<br />
(http://www.dougrichardson.com/blog/dangerous-game/)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Did you pick the grey and white cattle dog mix here? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Good job! You get to keep your appendages... for now. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Th reason you want to pet the cattle dog mix, Oscar is because he has what we call a 'soft' face. His facial features are relaxed, there is no tension in his lips, except that little bit required for a smile. His ears are facing outwards, not flattened against his head. There is no tension on his forehead and even the rest of his body is pretty relaxed. He's looking at his mom, who is holding either a treat or a squeaky toy- both are the best thing in the world to him. Oscar is a super sweet boy who lives in a house with other dogs, cats, and frequent visits from children. You'd be well-advised to pet him and he would be eternally grateful.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The other dog I found when I did a Google search for 'growling dog'. I decided that he looks like a "Fluffy", so for argument's sake that's this pup's name. Fluffy is displaying some pretty threatening behaviors. Hopefully if you see a dog like this, you choose not to approach and pet them- for your sake and theirs. I'll get into that in a minute, but first I want to talk about Fluffy's face. The most noticeable thing is those pearly white teeth. Baring teeth like that, and to that extent (more than just a few front teeth) shows that Fluffy is giving a warning "See these teeth?! I will use them!". I'm willing to bet that he means it, too. It looks like this little guy has dilated pupils, but we have no way of knowing the lighting in the picture since it's on a white background (odds are, the pupils are dilated because of stress and not just light, though). Pupil dilation is important because when an animal senses fear, the pupils dilate as part of the fight/flight response controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. His ears are back an down ever so slightly- he wants to hear everything in case the attack he perceives is on more than one front. There's more with his tail and body stance that tells us he's uneasy, but that is for another post.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Odds are that Fluffy is really, really uncomfortable with the situation. The situation can just be a camera that looks creepy, or a person who seems scary. Fluffy's comfort level is all up to him, we have to respect that and work with it so that he can gain some confidence. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ok, that was pretty easy. Let's make it a little more challenging. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What do you see with these two dogs, and which one would you rather pet?</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdZIF7_f1f4/VdjQCae3YWI/AAAAAAAAAMo/ZbA3lkpf3Ic/s1600/DSC_2290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdZIF7_f1f4/VdjQCae3YWI/AAAAAAAAAMo/ZbA3lkpf3Ic/s320/DSC_2290.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9zqo88WMY0/VdjPnQbtX8I/AAAAAAAAAMg/Iv7NFTf8a_Y/s1600/DSC_2984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9zqo88WMY0/VdjPnQbtX8I/AAAAAAAAAMg/Iv7NFTf8a_Y/s320/DSC_2984.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Jake, the yellow labrabor, right? Now lets talk about why.<br />
Look at his head, there is no tension there- you can even see a little wrinkle if you look closely. His tongue is out because this picture was taken in August during a birthday party so he had been playing with his human siblings. You can't see his eyes well because if the lighting, but they are just like Oscar's in the previous picture. His face doesn't look as 'soft' as Oscar's, but that's only because he's panting. His ears are relaxed and down.<br />
The black pit mix here is named Joie. She is a sweet, loveable girl who is overrun with anxiety. She is in a down stay, off leash but is still nervous. Her pupils are dilated even though it's fairly bright outside and she is doing a tongue flick. The tongue flick is an indicator of a stressor or something the dog is unsure about. It is partially directed at me because cameras are like big, scary eyes which make noises unpredictably. If you look at the top of her head, it looks like her skin is stretched tightly over her skull. At the sides of her mouth, you can see where her lips are sucked in tightly and tense. If you look at her ears, they are almost pinned back to her head as well. She has had a rough life with a few traumatic events in the family and subsequently reacts to all kinds of noises. Had I reached out to pet her instead of take her picture here, she would have smiled, licked me, and wagged her tail happily. If she were a dog I didn't know though, I would not reach out so brazenly. Instead I would let her come to me with the temptation of treats or a toy instead of push her past her comfort zone.<br />
Good job! You are getting really good at this!<br />
<br />
Next, which dog would you pet?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns3MaqGmHIU/VdjVF3xrmsI/AAAAAAAAANI/xTFnzHCUHMU/s1600/DSC_0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns3MaqGmHIU/VdjVF3xrmsI/AAAAAAAAANI/xTFnzHCUHMU/s320/DSC_0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RaA__VZno00/VdjVFdaQE9I/AAAAAAAAANA/NAV86Sz2CVA/s1600/DSC_2509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RaA__VZno00/VdjVFdaQE9I/AAAAAAAAANA/NAV86Sz2CVA/s320/DSC_2509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Did you choose the pit mix, Roxie? She's a wonderful dog, and I may be a little biased because she's my very own brat-dog. She's laying down on one side, which is our first indicator that she is pretty comfortable in her environment, but there's more. Look at her eyes compared to Pollo's. Yup- not dilated and you can't see the whites of her eyes. What Pollo is demonstrating perfectly here is what we call a 'whale eye'. There is something bothering him to his left, so he is looking away but doesn't want to look away completely. As I recall, there is a frisbee nearby that he wants, but his buddy Darwin owns it. He had a questionable start to life, so he is learning to accept people and new stimuli in his forever home.<br />
Just to be clear, here is a photo of Roxie looking at something to her left. You can see some of the whites, but this is not a 'whale eye'. Her ears and forehead are relaxed (you can even see wrinkles on her forehead) and her eyes don't have that peeled-open look like Pollo's above. There's more about the rest of her body that tells us she is more curious than worried, but that's another post!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhtg8BtThAc/VduEVSXqsBI/AAAAAAAAANo/6Ay8bKI-oHw/s1600/DSC_0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhtg8BtThAc/VduEVSXqsBI/AAAAAAAAANo/6Ay8bKI-oHw/s320/DSC_0436.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While we are on the subject of eyes, I want to talk about the 'hard stare'. In this picture, Roxie is staring at me because I am taking her picture and annoying her by asking her to stay when there is a toddler running around the deck with a pitcher of water (water is her Kryptonite). The look on her face isn't quite a 'hard stare', but if I didn't know her I would move slowly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZsq53Ui_eg/VduEW3jSNlI/AAAAAAAAANw/mOXRGzUSmHI/s1600/DSC_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZsq53Ui_eg/VduEW3jSNlI/AAAAAAAAANw/mOXRGzUSmHI/s320/DSC_0437.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If he comes over here with that water, I'm gone... for good this time!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok, last one for today. Who here is stressed out, who is excited and who is just hot?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8NaYKRqxn0/Vf8INIT968I/AAAAAAAAAOM/amSQMPsAtDU/s1600/DSC_1995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8NaYKRqxn0/Vf8INIT968I/AAAAAAAAAOM/amSQMPsAtDU/s400/DSC_1995.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3m57YZpmcU/Vf8INNYqXsI/AAAAAAAAAOU/SteShw6ZmCI/s1600/DSC_2292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3m57YZpmcU/Vf8INNYqXsI/AAAAAAAAAOU/SteShw6ZmCI/s400/DSC_2292.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGGkZX_kV70/Vf8INNhIt4I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/kWSWUYpKrhs/s1600/DSC_2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGGkZX_kV70/Vf8INNhIt4I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/kWSWUYpKrhs/s320/DSC_2380.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
So, this one is a bit more tricky and that's because we are looking at their tongues- this is a bit more subtle. </div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
Ryder is the stressed dog here, and aside from the dilated pupils, tight skin on his head and pinned back ears, he has what is called a 'spatulate tongue'. It looks like his tongue is stretched out at the edges as far as it can go. To his credit, it was also a warm evening, but there were lots of people around at a birthday party and he gets excitedly stressed with lots of people. He's a super sweet boy who probably wouldn't hurt a fly unless it threatened his human brother and sisters. If I saw this in class, I would have him get some distance, go for a lap outside the classroom or get him busy with a trick, game or cue. If he can't take treats or listen when he looks like this, he really needs a break. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That leaves one excited dog and one hot dog. (This should be pretty easy with Jake figured out). </div>
<div>
You got it. Violet is excited and Jake is hot. </div>
<div>
Jake is still at a birthday party, having lots of fun running around with kids but it's August on the eastern shore so it's pretty warm. His tongue is out but the edges are more rounded than flat and his face is a little more relaxed than Ryder's. </div>
<div>
Violet has her tongue out in anticipation of a toy, and because she's happy that Matt is petting her. She loves attention from people. Her tongue is out, but not flattened at all, so she's not terribly warm and she's not stressed at all. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good Job! You made it through with all of your digits intact (hopefully). Look closely when you are with your dog this week and see what you learn! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Resources:<br />
Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide, by Brenda Aloff.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response</a><br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-70749247035093424092015-07-16T17:17:00.000-04:002015-07-16T17:17:29.700-04:00Product Review: Kyjen's Paw HideThere are a ton of dog products out there- toys, leashes, harnesses, collars, bowls, feeders, the list goes on. I have recommended all kinds of products to clients (and friends and family) but I always have to add that "there is the chance it won't work for you/your dog as it has for me/other clients/friends/colleagues." Some dog related products can be pretty pricey and I don't want my clients wasting money on something that doesn't work as planned.<br />
In light of that, I have decided to start adding product reviews to this blog. I have wholesale accounts through a couple of companies so I buy extra items to keep for myself for Roxie to try so I have a good idea of how they work before I go selling or recommending them to clients.<br />
<br />
This time, it's the Kyjen Paw Hide:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://images.kyjen.com/i/GRP-DGPUZT/DG40112/thumbs/thumbs_DG40112_view_001.jpg" height="320" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320" /><br />
<br />
Using Roxie as our guinea pig, we tried out out for dinner time when it first arrived. To he honest, I'm not sure who was more excited- our son, myself or Roxie.<br />
<br />
To fill it is pretty easy; we just split up the 1/2 cup she gets for the meal into the 7 compartments, then place the yellow covers in them. At this point, we only fill some of them and do a couple rounds of searching so she is busy a bit longer. She definitely gets a little frustrated by the empty ones, but does still flip them over just in case, quickly moving on when they are empty. She doesn't try using her paws to flip the whole thing over at this point. There are actually little no-skid pads on the bottom to help prevent this and prevent it from sliding around, but as you can see in the video, it was still moving around a good bit on our kitchen floor that first time. On the carpet it's just fine so that's what we do-we have a toddler so we have crumbs to vacuum up all the time anyway!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I have uploaded videos of the first and fourth time she tried it out and she really seems to like it, despite the fact that it's a relatively simple puzzle. The first time, it took her about two and a half minutes to empty all compartments (with our son's help), in the second video she's down to just under two minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMz1JHdupW3zU87EnHUBzb0dOhg1FWOJs9WpBrWKBtTroVAtpYGEYHhf5xVnVHa5SnXltreCnrcXPJMpIgWg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1943904454"></span><span id="goog_1943904455"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyWKQB8tpo0E60B9eo_4SyLGB8j2YTxlrJOCjIgQ0amcSeCxJj2hflyJ6ubAa7UQxPMCubhsKDyjbzvyDFHnA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We don't use it every day; we alternate between two food dispensing balls that she rolls around the house, a Kyjen Slo-Bowl (I'll do a review of that one later!), her regular bowl, and this one. It depends on how much time we have, how much our son wants to 'help' her and how much extra dish washing we feel like doing. It is dishwasher safe, but we tend to wash big stuff like this by hand to save room for all the cereal bowls that we go through. It dries pretty quickly after washing, so if we were less lazy it would be do-able for breakfast and dinner for her. It's made of material that is FDA approved for food, and seems to be holding up pretty well to Roxie's use of it. Like I said, she's not using it every meal, probably 2-3 times a week and it's still looking good after 3-4 months. Upon close inspection there are a few scratches but so far so good!<br />
<br />
As far as puzzles go, this one is pretty easy for Roxie, but she really seems to like it, though it could just be that she likes food a lot. This is why we sometimes do a couple rounds of searching with it, so she gets more fun and we get more use out of it. I think this is a great starting point for young dogs or unsure dogs to build come confidence skills and burn some mental energy while using natural instincts to search out food.<br />
<br />
Here's a link to the Kyjen website, it's also on Amazon and your local dog trainer may also have it available for resale ;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://shop.kyjen.com/paw-hide.html">http://shop.kyjen.com/paw-hide.html</a><br />
<br />
Does your dog have a favorite food toy?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-63133186720067762932015-06-02T16:00:00.001-04:002015-06-02T16:00:05.567-04:00Mission Main Street GrantI'm taking a break from my series on canine body language to tell you about an amazing opportunity I found out about recently. Every year, Chase Bank gives a bunch of money in the form of grants to small businesses. This year, they are giving 20 small businesses $100,000 each and I would really love for Smart Pups to be one of the lucky recipients.<br />
The way it works is any for-profit small business that has 100 employees or less that has been in business for at least two years. There are a few more rules, feel free to check them out <a href="https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/rules" target="_blank">here</a>. Eligible businesses submit an application, complete with five essay questions:<br />
<ol style="color: #555555; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell us about your business and what makes it unique. Please provide a general description of your product, customers, competitive landscape and overall performance.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? Describe both your greatest achievements and biggest challenges.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How is your business involved with the community you serve? Examples include: giving back to the community, sourcing locally and/or contributing to economic development via hiring.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What would a $100,000 grant mean to your business and how will you utilize the funds? Please be as specific as possible.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What are your short-term (1-2 years) and long-term growth plans for the business? How will this grant contribute to your plan?</span></span></li>
</ol>
Those have to be answered in 200 words or less; let me tell you that was tough! Apparently I tend to use lots of words...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After submitting that, the small business isn't done- now they need to get 250 votes to get to the next stage of voting. The businesses that get 250 votes will then be reviewed by a panel selected by Chase, to find the twenty businesses most deserving of the grants. <a href="https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/panelists" target="_blank">Here's a link to this year's panelists.</a><br />
They choose the winners and notify them and the winners get to build their businesses and help their community. Oh yeah, they are all about how these winners will help their community. Not to brag or anything, but a dog trainer who understands dogs, people, science, behavior and communication is a perfect choice to help the community in which they live.<br />
Before you go voting or not voting, I just wanted to share with you my dream for Smart Pups and how I would use this grant if I were to win.<br />
Though I have faced challenges along the way in the form of difficult dogs and people, the biggest challenge I have face in the past 5 years has been finding a good, affordable facility for group classes. When Smart Pups was located in New York, I was lucky enough to build a friendship with another trainer who was generous enough to share her training facility when she wasn't using it. Here in Salisbury, I am currently renting outdoor space in an equestrian show ring, which works well. The downside is that it's outside so if it rains or it winter, I can't have class. The ring is not completely closed in and is outdoors so it's not fit for puppy class. What I plan to (someday) do it build a training facility, where there is indoor heated and cooled space as well as outdoor space for classes. With the indoor space, I won't have to watch the weather constantly and classes will have a more definite start and end date, making it easier to plan classes far in advance. With secure indoor and outdoor space, my clients will have the comfort of knowing their dog is safe and the environment is ideal for learning- no unexpected passers-by and comfort in all seasons. With a facility offering storage and more space, I could also offer more specialty classes like reactive dog class, puppy class and agility training. By offering more services, I could reach more of the dogs and their humans in my community and help them all to learn to be more polite and responsible when out and about. If more people understand their dogs, and more dogs are getting training and good socialization opportunities, the more well-behaved they are. The thing is, dog training isn't exactly the most lucrative career, unless you can get a T.V. show and work with celebrities. I don't see that in my future, so to build all this will mean saving up for a while and even then, taking out a loan to build. Not that I mind that- that's my plan and what I will do no matter what, but the opportunity to do it all so much sooner that I thought possible would be amazing.<br />
So, if you have a minute, please go to <a href="https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/vote">https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/vote</a> and type in Smart Pups in the box, then click on vote. It does make you log in with facebook, because they want to verify you are a real person, but it all seems pretty kosher to me :)<br />
<br />
That's it for this week- I'm going to finish up the next in the canine body language series and get it up (hopefully) within the next couple days.<br />
<br />
Thanks and please vote for Smart Pups!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-5780729386011450132015-05-18T15:42:00.003-04:002015-05-29T11:39:47.672-04:00Honesty Really is the Best Policy (Canine Body Language Part 2)<br />
I love it when new clients call or email before a consult and say something like "I'll have to muzzle her", "don't wear a hat", or "you can't shake our hands because it really freaks him out".<br />
<br />
I love hearing these things because it gives me an idea of what to expect from a dog that is new to me. It also gives me an idea of how responsible their human is- someone who wants to avoid me being mauled by their dog is a person I would much rather work with than someone who wants me to "see her at her worst". I really, really don't want to be a guinea pig- I want to see your dog's behavior firsthand or on video if possible, but I can generally ask enough questions to get a good idea without fighting off a dog attack. When someone describes a detailed routine that they use to have their dog greet new people, I learn that they are at least trying something to prevent incidents.<br />
<br />
Whether we end up going in a different direction or trying a different protocol, I am more than happy to work with clients like this.<br />
<br />
When I worked as a vet tech, it was the same way. Sometimes it meant clients being put into two time slots in the schedule, or bringing a dog-aggressive dog into the clinic through the employee entrance. When clients came in with their dog already muzzled, or they told us "he's better when I'm not in the room, so I can wait in the lobby", it showed not only how well they knew their dog and themselves, but how much they trusted us. Their honesty with us was a big factor in that trust ever developing, since trust is a two way street in any relationship.<br />
<br />
Why should this matter to you?<br />
<br />
Well, it's Dog Bite Prevention Week (read more <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>) and it seems like a fitting time to remind all both of the readers of my little blog (thanks Matt and Heidi) that knowing your dog can save you, strangers and the pet professionals in your life. Your dog may never bite or attempt to bite anyone in her life, no matter how many times she may be pushed, but it is still good to know some basic body language so your dog doesn't have to feel uncomfortable and so you don't find yourself on the wrong end of a dog bite(... not that there really is a good end to be on when there's a dog bite...)<br />
So, people who have reactive or fearful dogs have had to learn the hard way what body language means and you have me to help you learn some simple things.<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Tenseness in his face and body, especially if his whole body seems tense it means he needs a break from the situation or at the very least a good distraction- redirect him to you and ask for a sit, for example. The dog pictured here was unsure about the situation she was in (loud, unexpected noise) so I used the flash on the camera to highlight the tension in her body. We quickly redirected her after I snapped the picture so she wouldn't get more upset. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FP14UQN59mU/VVoz1WF9A4I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/a4LrbIqG3gY/s1600/demodogs0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FP14UQN59mU/VVoz1WF9A4I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/a4LrbIqG3gY/s1600/demodogs0001.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In this picture, Roxie is relaxed and tolerating Ethan's shenanigans. There is little to no tension in her face and her body is relaxed. She is extremely tolerant and gets plenty of breaks (and treats).</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
See the difference in their faces? Look at the top of the head of the dog in the above picture- there are no wrinkles and her skin and hair seem to be flattened to her skull; Roxie has a couple wrinkles and her skin is actually loose looking.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l07PzeroNO0/VVoz2Cu7KJI/AAAAAAAAAKo/H07Bbe8s-c8/s1600/demodogs0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l07PzeroNO0/VVoz2Cu7KJI/AAAAAAAAAKo/H07Bbe8s-c8/s1600/demodogs0005.jpg" /></a></div>
-A 'hard stare', like the dog in the picture in the link below (I don't have any of my own pictures of a hard stare, sorry). The dog is staring intently and seems to be otherwise unmoving. This kind of stare from a dog would result in me dropping/tossing a treat, clapping my hands, making a kissy sound or taking one step to the side (as long as he is on leash and not reactive to unexpected movement from people)- something to distract him and break him out of it. This kind of stare is seen at times before a growl, bark or pounce. It is sometimes defined as a stare held for longer than 2 seconds. Now, this dog is laying down and seems otherwise relatively relaxed, but I'd still interrupt and have that kid moved away from the dog safely:<br />
<div class="p1">
<a href="http://petsadviser.supercopyeditors.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dog-stare.jpg">http://petsadviser.supercopyeditors.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dog-stare.jpg</a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>-If his pupils are dilated, like the dog pictured in the above link he is similarly unsure or feels threatened. Pupil dilation happens as a fear reaction because the body is trying to take in as much information as possible to find a safe escape or resolution.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>-His tail is an obvious indicator, but is only part of the equation. A happy tail is a tail that is wagging loosely, in line with the body. An unsure tail is one that is tucked. A tail that is in play and/or prey mode can be held high, almost straight up. If the tail is low but wagging, he is likely conflicted. Here, Violet is happy and loosely wagging her tail level with her body. The rest of her body is relaxed and her face has little to no tension. If there is any, it's because of the frisbee that's out of the picture, which she had to put down a minute ago. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DlveoF2oZAU/VVoz1bKTddI/AAAAAAAAAKM/J9MXB1JOSfs/s1600/demodogs0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DlveoF2oZAU/VVoz1bKTddI/AAAAAAAAAKM/J9MXB1JOSfs/s1600/demodogs0002.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Compare that with her tail below, tucked tightly because she doesn't want Oscar to get too friendly. If you can see her face, her pupils are dilated and she is quite wide-eyed. She even has a little bit of what we call 'whale eye'. Her eyes are wide open and you can see the whites of her eyes because despite her discomfort with the situation, she doesn't want to let Oscar out of her sight. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I will admit that we did not move fast enough with this one- she did jump up and snap at Oscar about 3 seconds after this. I was actually looking more at Oscar than Violet in this one, so I didn't see the whole picture. Otherwise I would have had Oscar immediately moved away from her and I would not have attempted the photo. They got over it though- he's learned to be more polite and she is a bit more tolerant. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryuEt_SlkT4/VVoz1Ud3cFI/AAAAAAAAAKI/bclPh2FC1nM/s1600/demodogs0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryuEt_SlkT4/VVoz1Ud3cFI/AAAAAAAAAKI/bclPh2FC1nM/s1600/demodogs0003.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">-Avoidance- If a dog is turning or looking away from something, like Roxie is getting up and turning away from a young Ethan with a cup full of water (her Kryptonite), they need an escape. If left cornered, some dogs will resort to biting in defense. </span><br />
<span class="s1">No worries, After I took the picture I grabbed Ethan and the water cup and let Roxie go inside to escape the terror. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DURqlRi-mQo/VVoz13s9Z2I/AAAAAAAAAKU/y0H_cwiJ9A0/s1600/demodogs0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DURqlRi-mQo/VVoz13s9Z2I/AAAAAAAAAKU/y0H_cwiJ9A0/s1600/demodogs0004.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w3--0Y0zVHM/VVoz2LXMbCI/AAAAAAAAAKY/kapc4EIg2ro/s1600/demodogs0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w3--0Y0zVHM/VVoz2LXMbCI/AAAAAAAAAKY/kapc4EIg2ro/s1600/demodogs0006.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
All of that said, there's more. I'll do another post on body language next week as a follow up, but this is a good start for you. The important thing to remember with body language is that you have to look at the whole dog- not just the tail or face. You have to see everything in between too; know the situation and how the dog is when relaxed so you have a baseline. There are different levels of relaxed, excited, agitated, worried, etc. for every dog.<br />
<br />
You have homework this week: find your dog's baseline- take pictures of your dog, in everyday situations and in situations that your dog is unsure about (as long as you have at least one other person to help out with leash handling and removal of stimuli if/when necessary). It's amazing how looking at a picture can show us so much more than we see in real life. Getting to know your dog is the first step to communicating well and making the world a better place for you both, especially if you have a fearful or reactive dog.<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=267831084332879326" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267831084332879326.post-33385099849922286062015-03-16T11:05:00.000-04:002015-03-16T11:05:10.988-04:00Guest Post: CheesecakeI am so happy when my clients see an improvement in their dog's behavior. I am <i>absolutely thrilled</i> if they brag about their dog and mention me!<br />
This week's post is by a client of mine and one of the sweetest puppies I know, Cheesecake.<br />
Cheesecake had a rough start- probably not bred intentionally or responsibly and in her first home she was left alone in a bedroom for days at a time (at least she had food and water). I'm pretty sure she has forgotten most of that by now, since she lives with some really great folks who love her and want her to be a good ambassador for bully breeds.<br />
I'm happy to say that she's well on her way to being that ambassador after just a few weeks of training- I can't wait to see what else this pup will do to amaze us!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thecheesecakechronicles.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-just-fun-and-games.html">http://thecheesecakechronicles.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-just-fun-and-games.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
What skill(s) has your dog picked up that helped you to live well with them?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109797534451966325noreply@blogger.com0