Chasing Tail: Canine Body Language Part 1

My post last week about dog parks inspired me to discuss something too many puppy parents know all too little about- tail wagging. We've all heard someone say it, there have been times we've even said it about a dog: "if his tail is wagging, he's happy". The truth is that it's not always true. A dog's tail is just one part of his body used for communication, and just one thing we as puppy parents need to be able to decipher so we can understand our dogs.
Dogs communicate with their whole body, we simply aren't always good at putting all of the pieces together- I want all puppy parents to be better at that, if nothing else. With an understanding of what your dog's body language you can be armed to help your dog feel comfortable and keep everyone safe. So, this is part one in my series on canine body language. There will be a bunch of parts to this series... It may go on for months to be perfectly honest with you. It's that important. I'll try to include pictures as often as I can because I'm a visual learner and I like pictures of doggies (you know you can't argue with that logic).
Where was I? Tails- that's right. A dog's tail is one of the most easily noticed part of his body (unless your dog is a breed that is docked or has a naturally short tail) which is used constantly in communication with you and the world around him. For now we'll focus on just the tail- not everything else that's going on, because it's easier to start you in the shallow end than toss you in the deep end of the pool.
-You have probably heard that a dog whose tail is wagging means he is happy. This is true if his tail is wagging LOOSELY and EVEN with his backline. Picture a golden retriever wagging his tail. It's pretty level with his body, and is waving gently back and forth. This type of tail wag is a happy tail wag. If the rest of his body is pretty relaxed you're probably safe to pet this one. Here is a video of a past client, her name is Sydney and she is a sweet, loving girl who pretty much loves everyone and everything. This is a clip from one of our training sessions where we were working on less rambunctious greetings. As you can see, she is wagging relatively even with her body, loosely and she is otherwise pretty happy. If you were to pet Sydney, she would lick you all day long as a thank you. 

-A dog whose tail is wagging, but with the tail positioned up as opposed to level with his body can indicate a dog who is excited or on alert for some reason. Some breeds tend to always wag this way (pugs, huskies and other curled up tail dogs), but if your dog can relax his tail, look out for this. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means your dog is a bit more excited than normal. If you know your dog gets over excited or reacts to other dogs, cats, people, or anything and you see the tail go up and wag stiffly, it's time to redirect and prevent a sticky situation. In this picture Roxie's tail is almost straight up and stiff. If it were to wag, it would look like a little flag being waved back and forth. Hee ears are also up and back, indicating her interest in something. What you can't see here is the cat that just caught her eye- she thinks cats are great things to chase.

-A dog whose tail is down is unsure, and possibly nervous. The further tucked his tail is between his legs, the more pressure he feels from the situation. If your dog's tail does this, he needs a break from the situation or stimulus that is pressuring him. Please allow him a safe 'out' here, with you to support him. Dogs who are unsure, nervous and feel cornered are so scared that they can and will lash out at just about anything, especially anything new or scary. In the two pictures below, Blair is meeting a very calm, dog savvy girl during class. If you look at Blair's tail it is low, not quite tucked, but not up much from her legs. In the second picture, you can see that she is wagging her tail in this same position. Blair has had a few overwhelming greetings from strangers and is cautious with new people. No worries though, be the last week of class, she was pulling over to play with the girl and her sister, who gladly rewarded her bravery with gentle pets and kisses (probably some treats too!)

-Wagging stiffly vs wagging loosely- generally speaking, when a dog's tail wags loosely it means he is somewhat ok with the situation. When a tail wags stiffly, they are a bit more undecided and waiting for more information from the situation.

 In addition to my experience living and working with dogs, I have read a bunch of books-and have about 20 15 more (I read some of them!) on my Nook waiting for me to read- and compared notes with my other trainer friends to get this information. One of my favorite resources is the book listed below. If you have a reactive dog, a fearful dog, and aggressive dog, heck- a LIVING, BREATHING DOG, do them a favor and pick up a copy of the books below. They are both great resources for dog owners, especially if you have a new, fearful or reactive dog. Another great thing is to take pictures of your own dog- in everyday situations and in stressful ones (as long as you have someone else to help so nobody gets into trouble). Going back and looking at pictures of moments in time can really tell you a lot about your dog!

Resources:
Canine Body Language, A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog; By Brenda Aloff
On Talking Terms With Dogs, Calming Signals; by Turid Rugaas

Dog Parks- The Good, The Bad, The Scary

I'm not gonna lie.
I'm kind of opinionated.
I tend to keep my opinions to myself most of the time unless someone asks me for my thoughts; at which time they immediately regret asking.

I spent the last two posts telling you about one of the things I feel strongly about- puppy classes. If you missed it, then luckily you can go here and here to catch up.
Dog parks are another of those things that I feel strongly about. I feel very strongly that dog parks can be a GREAT opportunity for you and your dog to socialize and exercise, or a terrifying and dangerous place for you both. Why the extremes? Because dog parks can be very unpredictable, that's why.
Lets put this in human terms with a few different scenarios.

The first scenario is a birthday party for a close friend which naturally, you will gladly attend. You will know most of the guests in attendance and can easily converse and interact with them. You know who you like best and who you only talk to for a few minutes at a time. A good time is had by all, even the one guest who drinks a little too much and gets a bit loud towards the end of the evening. You all understand that he/she doesn't know they become such a close talker after a couple drinks, and otherwise they are a respectful, easy going person. This scenario is easy enough, you just take turns getting that person home safely and they apologize profusely the next day, but overall there is no harm done to anyone.

The second scenario is a work holiday party which you are ok attending, but you know it's more of a required duty for you all than an opportunity to get together and have a good time outside of the office. You make the obligatory rounds to the boss(es) and cordially greet everyone else along the way, being careful to remain professional. At the end of the night you realize you did have some fun, got a little fun gossip, and free refreshments for the minor hassle. There were a few people who got especially obnoxious by the end of the night, so cabs were called and the night ended with minimal offense and structural damage to the building. You leave the party tired and glad that it only happens once a year.

The third scenario is a party that your sister/brother drags you to because they want to go but don't want to show up all by their lonesome. You are really only there because you are being nice to the one person you know and you don't know anyone else there. You're not even sure you want to know anyone else there. Your sibling abandons you to go flirt with the real reason they are at the party and you are left alone counting the minutes until you can leave. You may find a few individuals who seem as out of place as you, but in the end it's an akward and lonely evening for you and you can't wait to get back home. You make your sibling promise to never torture you in such a manner ever again.

The fourth (and final) scenario is the mall on Black Friday. You were again dragged here by a friend or loved one, but you spend the whole time questioning this relationship. There are people everywhere, running, yelling and pushing. They run into you and you're pretty sure you were just pick-pocketed. You try desperately to cling to the one person you know in this madness; after all they have the car keys. She/he keeps telling you to go find something in a store that looks like an epicenter for the craziness so they can go to another store to find something even more important. You start pushing back and yelling because you can't take it anymore and it's getting hard to think, let alone hear which blender your friend needs. You end up grabbing an old lady's walker and throwing is across the store and just running out. She had it coming and you're 95% convinced that she just had it for sympathy anyway. As you walk out and breathe fresh air you are grateful that you don't have to navigate this parking lot, but can't understand how anyone can look forward to this every year. Regret for tossing the old lady's walker and screaming obscenities at strangers sets in and you want to curl up and sleep the rest of the week. You have vowed to lock yourself in your house next year to avoid all human contact on this day...maybe every day.

In my experience, dog park trips tend to fall into one of the above 4 scenarios. Some dogs will thrive in all of these scenarios, just as some people can go into a party where they know not a soul (or only one) and have the best night of their life. Unfortunately, this is not most dogs.

-Sometimes your dog is that person who gets to excited and annoys everyone.
-Sometimes your dog is the one who is squirming to get away and is counting down the minutes until it is time to leave.
-Sometimes your dog is so uneasy that she feels the need to defend herself with all these creatures she doesn't understand.
-Sometimes a dog park is full of friends and good times. These are the times when the park is a wonderful opportunity for the dog and dog parent- exercise, play and overall good times will ensue.
-Sometimes a dog park has some friends, but there is an underlying tension that keeps everyone from relaxing completely (maybe one individual in attendance is pressuring everyone in some way).
-Sometimes there are friends/family, but that one individual everyone tries to avoid because they are a little difficult to deal with due to social ineptness or annoying habits.
-Sometimes there are no friends, but your pup is able to make due avoiding just about everyone in attendance.
-Sometimes a dog park is a busy, confusing place where everyone else seems to have their own agenda and honestly, it is scary.

That is the answer I give when people ask me about dog parks. It can be a great place, it can be a scary place. It can be a few things in between as well. If you can take your dog to the park at the same time with the same dogs, and they all like one another (or at least know how to properly navigate each other) it's a good time had by all. If you show up with your dog on a Saturday morning with 20 other dogs that neither of you knows, it may be a bit stressful.

In addition to my long-winded answer, I tell people that there are great alternatives to dog parks if they are not something ideal for them and their pup. A group obedience class is a wonderful opportunity for socialization and exercise with people and other dogs (even though it's all on leash, there can still be opportunities for safe on leash interaction). A well run, organized, supervised doggie daycare that does assessments and places dogs in supervised play groups can also be a wonderful, safe play opportunity for your dog. Getting together with your sister/brother/aunt/uncle/parent/friend/coworker who has a dog your dog gets along with and letting them play off leash or go for a hike is another great play opportunity. What's the best way to determine whether your dog is happy or not? Watch your dog play. Is she happy when she gets there, but still able to listen long enough to get her leash off? Is she playing with her friends but taking occasional breaks to sniff around on her own or slurp up some water? She's probably ok. If your dog wanders off and never plays with other dogs or always clings to you or *eek* blunders up to every dog in sight like a charging bull (not a polite greeting in the canine world), you may need to rethink what's going on and if the dog park is your best option.
I'll go into detail later on about canine body language, but in the meantime I'll refer you to one of my favorite books- Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide, by Brenda Aloff. This is absolutely one of my favorite books and I end up referring it to my clients whose dogs are sensitive, aggressive and fearful, but it can be helpful for any dog owner.

A personal note: My dog would do one of two things in a dog park: play well with most of the dogs, but kind of harass everyone as she gets would up OR run up and grab onto someone's neck and hold on, having some trouble letting go. Oh Crap. Terrifying. For Everyone. The day she did that was one of the most terrifying and embarrassing days in my life. I had no idea she was even capable of doing such a thing, she had always played well as far as I knew and is the most gentle dog with people, especially kids. We hadn't had Roxie very long when this happened and honestly I did not know much about canine body language. Looking back, there were clues along the way that she was uncomfortable and the dog park was way too exciting for her. She's not safe to take to a dog park, so we don't. She is only off leash in the house, and if you passed us on a walk, you would only see a dog wagging her tail and looking at her human momma as you pass us. I think she prefers human company to dogs anyway, and she's great with our son, so she's doing ok without the dog park.

What has been your best/worst experience in a dog park?
Is your dog the annoying close talker that all the other dogs just put up with?

Puppy Classes Really ARE Safe

I can't tell you how many people I have had ask me about the safety of puppy class. If I had a dollar for every time someone disputed the safety of a Puppy Kindergarten class, I'd be writing this from my vacation home in Hawaii. It's not just puppy parents either- they are just worried because they are uninformed, by their breeder, groomer, veterinarian or Aunt Sue (if I had a dollar for every person who has a dog expert in their family, I'd have a nice vacation home on a private beach). Now, before everyone goes getting mad at me for disagreeing with their own pet expert- however experienced (or not) they may be, lets be clear. Most of these people are only speaking with concern for you and your puppy and that is commendable.
They are still wrong.
At least in regards to a well run puppy class, with an experienced, certified trainer present.

We discussed last week the requirements for my puppy class, but lets review just for fun:
1. Puppies need to be between 10 and 16 weeks of age at the start of class.
2. Puppies need to have had at least one DHPP vaccine (usually one is given between 6-8 weeks, with two boosters, given at four week intervals (6, 10, 14 or 8, 12, 16).
3. All dogs in all of my classes must have a negative fecal within the past 6 months.
4. Any dogs who show signs if illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, etc) are not allowed into the classroom.
5. All dogs in all classes are required to have a leash and collar/harness.

Now, lets talk about why these things are important and why they mean safer classes.

1-2. All the puppies are the same age vaccine-wise, and very close in age. This is planned so that both physically and developmentally they are going through the same things. This means that they are all at the same risk for disease. By requiring a minimum of one vaccine (most have two by the start anyway), there is very, very little risk for catching something like distemper or parvovirus. I have seen both of these diseases firsthand and have no desire to see the effects again, especially in a sweet puppy student! I could go on for days on this topic alone, but instead I'll refer you to a much more concise statement put out by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior on puppy socialization... right here... In short, it's really not worth the risk since there is very little chance of them actually being exposed to one of those nasty viruses. In addition to the vaccine safety, I like puppies to be close in age because they are developmentally the same- they are curious and playful before they are fearful in development. If we can get them to accept new things and explore in a fun way before they start developing fears, they will be better equipped to deal with new experiences in the future. The saddest thing to me is a puppy who is 6 months old and has had no experience with other puppies or only had exposure to a limited type of humans (no children, no hats, etc). By not being exposed to them early on, they can have trouble accepting these new things and can develop irrational fears. I know a dog who was obtained by a very loving family from a questionable 'breeder' and showed fearful reactions to many new things in this new home. In a effort to reduce his fears and stress, they tried to avoid these things, and still do to this day, 10 years later. While their hearts were in the right place, the fact that the dog has lived his whole life sheltered from these things and unable to cope with them is very sad. I do all I can to prevent this for my clients, and PK is a great way to start. Also, did you know that your new puppy is more likely to be euthanized because of a treatable, preventable behavior problem than a virus? It's sad, but true. 
3. Poop is gross. You know what's even more gross? Intestinal parasites. If you really regret your lunch today, take a look at this awesomeness from Novartis about them: http://www.students.novartis.us/pdf/InternalParasiteManual.pdf
Also, I don't typically recommend clients google much, but if you type intestinal parasites into a search engine, you'll get some pretty gruesome results. I promise.
Aside from the grossness, parasites can make your dog pretty sick, even kill them if they go unchecked for a long time. Usually it's just GI upset, but as you know by now if you read about them, they can cause some pretty severe damage otherwise. You know what else? Some of these nasty creatures can be transmitted to people. Hookworms, for example can be transmitted to people when a person is say walking barefoot in an area that is heavily infested with the little guys. The larva can actually BURROW INTO YOUR SKIN. Because of all that, I am not a fan of parasites. I do everything I can to keep them out of my class. I bleach the floor after class (when I have an indoor class), and I keep unknown dogs out of my class area when I have outdoor classes. If any dog has diarrhea, they have to skip that week. If an owner tries to come into class without proof of negative fecal, I stop them at the door and tell them they cannot enter without it. I have no exceptions with this rule. Dewormers are good at stopping intestinal parasites, but since there are so many different types of creatures, there are multiple types of dewormer and they don't all work on all worms. To treat a parasite infection, the correct dewormer needs to be used for the correct amount of time. That's one of the many things you truest your veterinarian for. I will never accept proof of deworming in place of a negative fecal and if I do, it's time for me to retire. Not only do I not want any of my clients dogs exposed to these buggies, I don't want to be exposed to them, I don't want my family exposed to them, and I don't want my human clients or their families exposed to them. I've gone on long enough about this. No clean poop=no class.
4. This is pretty straightforward, if your kid was puking, would you send her off to school? I certainly hope not. If you do, you are deciding to not only make your poor sick kid get up and go to school when all she probably wants to do is sleep, but you are putting everyone at the school at risk. Other students, teachers, aids, the school nurse, other kids families, etc. It's irresponsible and I don't allow it in my classroom. Things that are terribly contagious like kennel cough are hard to get rid of in a classroom and will spread like wildfire. One dog who has diarrhea in class can be exposing everyone else to what they may have crawling around in that poop. That vomiting dog? He may have a heavy load of parasites that are wreaking havoc on his body. The best thing for him and everyone around if to get checked out by his veterinarian so he can get better.
5. If a doggie parent does not have the proper equipment for their dog (leash or harness and collar), how can they keep track of their dog?! I will ensure that this equipment fits properly at the beginning of each class, on each client as they enter the room (you'd probably think I was just greeting you and your dog, but I'm really checking out his collar/harness/leash to ensure that everyone is safe. Why? Because I don't want anyone to get hurt!

Now I hope you have a better idea of how a well-run, organized class for any age dog should go. This is even more important for puppies. I work hard to ensure that every aspect of class is safe for everyone, and that there is as little risk of your puppy getting sick or hurt as possible (unfortunately, you can never get rid of all risk completely). My PK classes are fun for everyone, safe for everyone and we get some pretty awesome pictures from week to week. The next time someone tells you that PK isn't a good idea, ask them why- they may just not know how class should go for the little fuzzballs.


Resources:
AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines
https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf

Novartis Guide to Internal Parasites:
http://www.students.novartis.us/pdf/InternalParasiteManual.pdf

American Veterinary Society on Animal Behavior
http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/puppy_socialization.pdf

The Best Class I've Ever Taught

It's that time of year again. I know most of you are thinking of the Super Bowl, but I'm talking about the Puppy Bowl. Why on earth am I talking about the Puppy Bowl when the title of this post refers to the best class I've ever taught? Because the best class I've ever taught is pretty much every Puppy Kindergarten that I teach. Puppy Kindergarten is basically the Puppy Bowl, but in real life with a few commands thrown in.

First, lets go over what my PK classes are:
-a five week course, with class meeting once a week for about an hour
-open to puppies 10-16 weeks of age at the start of class (as long as they meet minimum vaccination and deworming requirements)
-a great socialization opportunity
-a super learning experience
-a ton of fun for everyone in attendance
-safe for everyone in attendance
-80-90% off leash play between puppies and owners

Back to the Puppy Bowl, because I want to paint a clear picture of this for you so you can love it as much as I do. The PB is a group of puppies running around, playing, wrestling and tossing toys everywhere. There is a referee to make sure everyone follows the rules and nobody gets hurt. If you've never watched it before the Super Bowl, do yourself a favor and watch it today. I guarantee you will smile and your blood pressure may even drop a little. It's that cute.
You still with me? Bundles of cuteness and fuzziness running all over in their perfectly sweet innocence... Now add in a certified trainer who is helping you to teach your puppy simple commands like come, sit, down, wait, and leave it. We only tackle one new command a week, so there no added pressure to learn multiple commands in an hour like more advanced classes (you have enough to worry about with trying to keep track of an excited puppy).
AND...
My favorite thing about PK? Puppies learn to listen to their owners amidst distractions!! That's right. I will make you practice recall while your puppy is playing with his friends. I will help you teach him some self control with 'wait' and 'leave it'. The other puppies will help him learn some bit inhibition. The other puppy parents in class will help to reinforce no jumping and no biting rules. I'll admit it is pretty tough to get a 12 week old puppy to choose you over his new friends but with practice it will happen, and it's freaking amazing when it does. Puppies who develop a strong recall in a super distracting environment like that will retain it down the road (as long as puppy parents practice).
Puppy parents are told to not give any attention when puppies come up and jump they are to turn around or walk away, so puppies learn not to do these things.
Puppies are introduced to different people- tall, short, male, female, kids, elderly, people with hats, coats, and gloves... and people with treats and love. Puppies learn that the people they meet in class are trustworthy, that people that their parents hang out with are pretty cool and that if they sit or lay down, they may get a treat and they will definitely get attention and verbal praise! I introduce puppies to a vacuum cleaner, mop and nail trimmers (among other new stimuli).
Man, doesn't that sound like fun? It does to me, and that's why I love teaching it!
Now that you're hooked on the idea of Puppy Kindergarten, check back next week for why (properly run) puppy classes are perfectly safe for everyone.

My Absolute Most Favorite Cue in the World.

I'm a dog trainer, I love teaching dogs (and their people). I get excited when a dog holds a sit-stay as their owner walks a full circle around them, when a dog gets the 'drop' part of the fetch game and... well... just about every time a dog learns something new, especially when their owner is having fun and sees a purpose. Let's face it, most dog owners want a well behaved dog who listens the first time with every cue, not a dog who does cute party tricks (though those are super fun too).
I'm sure I'll say this about another cue at some point, but right now my favorite cue is by far the "Leave-It" cue. I love it. Seriously. The "leave-it" is great for pretty much EVERYTHING. Don't want your dog to eat your toddler's toys? Leave-it. Does your pup love picking up dried up carcasses of who knows what kind of dead animal during hikes? Leave-it. Is Fluffy always going after the cat? Leave-it. (and maybe a kitty door into the basement or a bedroom).
The leave-it starts out as leaving food alone, I've said it before and I'll say it again: most dogs are motivated by food, so that's what I use for initial training of a cue. It is faded out and your dog will not just work for food, as long as you listen to the food-fade instructions given by your reward-based dog trainer. Like I was saying, it starts with food, which is faded, but during the whole magical teaching and learning process, you can teach your dog to leave just about ANYTHING alone. And they seem to have a ton of fun doing it. And their owners see training with a purpose. And, it's a pretty swell as a party trick. It is everything I love about dog training.
The leave-it teaches bite inhibition to an extent and it teaches self control. Who out there doesn't want a dog with self control?!

*Disclaimer: leave-it is not the same as drop-it. Leave-it is for preventing them from picking up something icky or dangerous and drop-it is for letting go of something icky or dangerous. They are two different behaviors taught in different ways. Got it? Good.

Ok, the good stuff comes next. Here are the instructions for how I teach leave-it. Everyone does it a little differently, but as long as you get the same end result without any force or pain on the dog, it's cool with me.
  

“Leave It” cue

Why: The Leave-it cue is very beneficial for both dog and owner. A dog who can leave something alone on cue is less likely to pick up something potentially toxic to him or her (many household items can be harmful to dogs, remember?). A dog who will leave something alone on cue is also less likely to chew up your shoe or your child's favorite toy!

What: Leave-it is having your dog leave something (treat, toy, squirrel, cat, another dog) alone and ignore it. For example, if my dog is in the kitchen while I am making dinner and I drop a piece of food I ask her to leave-it, since not all people food is good for dogs. On walks, if she sees a squirrel, I ask her to leave-it and allow her to smell the ground for as long as she wants after the squirrel is gone. This is rewarding for her-in exchange for not following squirrel up a tree, she gets to smell wonderful things!

-pocket/pouch full of treats

-hungry dog

-leash, attached to a collar or harness

-quiet, comfortable area

-patience!

How:

1. Start with a treat in your right hand. Place the treat in your palm and close your hand around it. Have your clicker in your left hand.
2. Let the dog smell and see the treat and lick your hand but not take it from you.
3. As soon as your dog stops licking/smelling and looks away from your hand, say “leave-it”, click and treat from your LEFT hand!
4. Repeat!
5. Your dog will get to a point where they look away almost immediately from your right hand and look for the left hand. At this point, switch hands on your dog.
6. Place a treat in your left palm, with your hand closed around. it. Have your clicker and reward treats in your right hand.
7. Let your dog see, smell, dig, lick and chew for the treat, but do not let him/her have it. This side will probably go a little faster, your dog is getting a handle on the game.
8. As soon as your dog stops trying to get the treat out of your LEFT hand, say “leave-it”, click and reward from the RIGHT hand.
9. Repeat!

Tips:

-It is vital that you give the reward from the hand that did not have the treat in the beginning, you want your dog to leave-it, not come back to it later!

-With leave-it, your dog is learning that there are some things they can't have and some things they can, but they have to wait for permission to take them.

More:

-As your dog progresses, place a treat on the floor in front of them and ask them to leave it, then reward with another treat.

-You can eventually place a treat on your dog's paw and work on leave it there!

-On walks, toss treats out in your dog's path, asking them to leave-it as you pass them. After passing by and not pulling to get the treats, walk to the treats and say "find it!" as you point out the treats. This makes walking with you lots of fun since you sometimes point out tasty things!

-Once your dog is really good, try the old treat-on-the-nose trick, by placing a treat on his/her nose and asking them to 'leave-it' until you say “ok!”

As you can see, the method I use to teach this cue helps with bite inhibition (chewing and biting to get what he wants won't work), and self control (I want that treat but I can't have it, at least not right now.)

The sky really is the limit with this one, what's your favorite cue?

Dog Breeds

This week, I wanted to provide a little input on your own dog, and what is going on in her head. I know, that sounds a little creepy- I probably don't know you or your dog, so how could I possibly assume to know anything about your precious pooch? 
I know a bit about dog breeds. I'm not claiming to be an expert on any one breed, I'm not a breeder or veterinarian as we all know; but I've worked with a LOT of dogs of different breeds over the years. And read lots of books. And I know a lot of veterinarians and breeders. 
What does that matter? It means that I know that the following information is generally true. 
*Disclaimer* 
While many of these characteristics are true for most individual dogs, there are always exceptions. In my opinion, that's part of what makes life fun! 

So, I hope this provides some good reading and insight...maybe even a few laughs if you have a Border Collie who loves sleeping all day instead of running and herding (have you checked her pulse?!)

Straight from my Problem Solving Booklet, something provided to all clients:

It is often very helpful to know what breed(s) your dog is to gain a better understanding of their behavior. Most dogs have been bred for hundreds to thousands of years to have certain characteristics. Knowing what your dogs ancestors have been bred to do will help you and your trainer to know what to expect and how best to design a training plan. Why does your terrier dig every time he is out in the yard? Why does your beagle have to smell everything on the ground on every walk? These are characteristics that were bred for- terriers were originally bred to hunt vermin and beagles have been used for years for hunting and tracking. A student once asked what was wrong with her German Shorthair Pointer- she assumed she just had a canine version of ADHD. I thought about it and told her, “because she was bred that way- she is a pointer, she was bred to look for anything moving in her environment and point it out for a hunter to see. To us, who are not hunting for game, it seems like she is constantly thinking 'something shiny! Ooh! Something moved! Ooh! Something shiny! Oh! I smell something!..' She was essentially bred to have what seems like ADHD!”. The owner, who was on the verge of quitting group classes and considering re-homing has since completed advanced obedience and multiple agility classes with her loving, loyal dog who was just doing what was natural to her. Please, read on and do not stop here! Read all you can about your dog's breed(s), the more you know the better off you both will be.

There are seven breed groups as established by the AKC:

1. Sporting
2. Working
3. Herding
4. Terrier
5. Non-Sporting
6. Hound
7. Toy

Sporting Group

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-American Water Spaniel -Chesapeake Bay Retriever -Pointer -Clumber Spaniel -Flat-Coated Retriever -Weimeraner -Brittany Spaniel -Golden Retriever -Vizla -English Spaniel -Irish Water Spaniel -Gordon Setter -Cocker Spaniel -German Shorthair Pointer -Irish Setter -Field Spaniel -English Cocker Spaniel -Spinone Italiano -English Setter -German Wirehaired Pointer -Sussex Spaniel -Welsh Springer Spaniel -Wirehaired Pointing Griffon -Labrador Retriever -Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever -Curly Coated Retriever

Common Characteristics:

• High Distract-ability- Helps these dogs to notice birds and other game when hunting, but may make group classes difficult as gaining and keeping attention requires constant work.

• Sensitive to Corrections (Spaniels and Setters)- Can make training easy, as they will remember any corrections, but if not properly socialized with people and children can be uneasy in families. If corrected using punishment methods, can react by shutting down or with fear-based aggression. 

• Insensitive to Corrections (Retrievers): Can make training a bit more challenging, as they can easily ignore corrections; they may also react by shutting down or sometimes with aggression to some punishment techniques. On the other hand these dogs are typically more tolerant of children, new people and other dogs.

• High need for Daily Exercise: These dogs have been bred to be outside assisting a hunter and as a result have plenty of energy to run off. They have been bred to notice everything and react instantly. A walk around the block will likely not be enough for these dogs as adults, a long walk or two or running daily is necessary to prevent problem behaviors such as digging, chewing or barking.

Working Group:

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-Akita -Bernese Mountain Dog -Bullmastiff -Black Russian Terrier -Anatolian Shepard -Boxer

-Doberman Pinscher -German Pinscher -Great Dane -Giant Schnauzer -Great Pyrenees -Komondor- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog -Kuvasz -Mastiff -Neapolitan Mastiff -Portuguese Water Dog -Newfoundland -Rottweiler -Saint Bernard -Samoyed -Siberian Husky -Standard Schnauzer -Tibetan Mastiff

Common Characteristics:

• Overbearing/protective: Many of these breeds have been bred as protective of home and family and to work independently. If not properly managed with positive reinforcement and a fair, consistent leader, these dogs may try to take a leadership role.

• Territorial/Possessive: Since these dogs were bred to protect their families and homes, they may develop issues with possession of objects, food or people. Proper socialization with new people and dogs as well as development of proper manners is important to prevent or manage this problem.

• Independence/Stubborn: The independence that has allowed this breed to be good protectors of a home can manifest as stubbornness in training. To ensure success, owners of these breeds should focus on positive reinforcement and give rewards for obedience at every opportunity.

• Insensitive to Corrections: Can make training a bit more challenging, as they can easily ignore corrections; they may also react with aggression or by shutting down to some punishment techniques.

Herding Group

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-Australian Cattle Dog -Australian Shepard -Bearded Collie -Belgain Malinois -Belgian Sheepdog -Border Collie -Belgian Tevuren -Bouvier des Flanders -Briard -Canaan Dog -Cordigan Welsh Corgi -Collie -German Shepard Dog -Old English Sheepdog -Shetland Sheepdog -Pembroke Welsh Corgi -Polish Lowland Sheepdog -Swedish Vallhund

Common Characteristics:

• High Prey/Chase Drive: These breeds have been bred to find and go after quick movement, such as a runaway sheep or a prey animal stalking the herd. Unless properly desensitized, these breeds can become overly stimulated by the activities of small children, bicycles or skates.

• Herding Behavior: Similarly, when these breeds see a quick moving object they have the strong instinct to chase and/or nip it. When these dogs live in a house with children, the children can become the flock that the dog needs to keep in check. Proper socialization and desensitization at an early age can help deter this.

• High need for Mental Activity: These dogs were bred to move a herd or flock of animals. They had to move them long distances or into specific areas. As a result they are excellent problem solvers and need mental stimulation on a daily basis or they will find problems to solve themselves (like how to get into that trash can or to the other side of the fence).

• High need for Daily Exercise: Again, these dogs were bred to move an entire herd or flock of cattle or sheep, as a result they have energy to burn. These dogs need vigorous exercise daily, at least two long walks or a run as an adult. If not properly exercised, these dogs can develop undesirable habits such as tail-chasing, pacing, digging and aggression.

• Easily Trained: Since these breeds were meant to work closely with humans, they tend to work well and learn quickly in classes.

• Overly Attached: Again, because of their history of working closely with humans, along with a high pack drive and desire to please, these dogs can be prone to developing separation anxiety. Dogs of this groups should be taught to accept time away from owner from a young age; crate training is highly recommended.

Terrier Group:

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-Airedale Terrier -American Staffordshire Terrier -Cairn Terrier -Australian Terrier -Bedlington Terrier -Border Terrier -Dandie Dinmont Terrier -Glen of Imaal Terrier -Bull Terrier -Kerry Blue Terrier -Lakeland Terrier -Irish Terrier -Standard Manchester Terrier -Miniature Bull Terrier -Norfolk Terrier -Miniature Schnauzer -Norwich Terrier -Scottish Terrier -Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier -Sealyham Terrier -Skye Terrier -Smooth Fox Terrier -Staffordshire Bull Terrier -Welsh Terrier -West Highland White Terrier -Wire Fox Terrier

Common Characteristics:

• Active and Tenacious: Many of these dogs were bred to hunt vermin and not back down when attacked by them. They can easily respond aggressively to punishment techniques and some corrections. Owners should be sure to positively reward all good behavior and avoid physical corrections.

• High need for Daily Exercise: As many of dogs were bred to chase down small vermin, they have plenty of energy. They need daily exercise such as a long walk, fetch or a session of tricks and obedience cues to exercise mind and body.

• Alert and Agile: As many dogs were bred to hunt and kill vermin so they are able to move quite quickly and find their way into small spaces. Owners need to be aware of this and able to keep up with them!

• Digging and Hunting Instinct: If not properly exercised these dogs will dig and hunt for things on their own. Providing an acceptable outlet for these activities like their own sandbox or doing nosework games and activities can prevent problem behaviors.

• Potential for Aggression towards other Animals: Since they were bred to hunt and kill vermin, they may not befriend smaller animals. Some terriers have been bred to fight other animals and as a result need to have good, positive socialization with other animals as early as possible. An owner who is aware of this and is able to redirect the dog before trouble arises will have a happy life with their tenacious terrier.

Non-Sporting Group:

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-American Eskimo Dog -Bichon Frise -Boston Terrier-Bulldog -Chinese Shar-Pei -Chow Chow -Dalmatian -Finnish Spitz -French Bulldog -Keeshond -Lhasa Apso -Lowchen -Standard Poodle -Schipperke -Shiba Inu -Tibetan Spaniel -Tibetan Terrier

Common characteristics:

• Mixed: One important thing to remember about this group is that is is a bit of a mixed bag. There are breeds that have some characteristics of the working group (keeshond, schipperke) while others have characteristics of the sporting group (dalmatian, finnish spitz, poodle). Some breeds within this group have been bred to guard (lhasa apso, chow chow, chinese shar-pei) but others have been bred as companions or literally lap dogs for royalty (bichon frise, tibetan spaniel, boston terrier, french bulldog, tibetan terrier)

• Difficult to Motivate: Since very few of these dogs were bred for 'hard labor' they can be difficult to motivate in training. This is a great example of how rewarding for performing tricks or cues can be helpful in keeping the dog motivated. On the other hand, since these dogs do not always need exercise (with some exceptions like those similar to working and sporting groups) they can make better family pets. Less of a prey drive can make them easier to handle. Since they were not bred to work, they do not feel that they need to work on a daily basis.

Hound Group:

Example breeds in this group: (this is not a full list, but should give you a good idea of who's who)

-Afghan -American Foxhound -Basenji -Basset Hound -Black and Tan Coonhound -Beagle

-Bloodhound -Borzoi -Dachshund -English Foxhound -Greyhound -Harrier -Ibizan Hound -Irish Wolfhound -Otterhound -Norwegian Elkhound -Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen -Pharaoh Hound -Plott -Rhodesian Ridgeback -Saluki -Whippet

Common Characteristics:

• Easily Distracted: These dogs have been bred to react to scent and/or movement. As a result they can be easily distracted by anything in their environment. Owner should be prepared to work hard to gain dog's focus. A plus is that being allowed to sniff can be used as a reward for some of these dogs.

• Independent: Since these dogs have been bred to work with but independently of people, they can have less of a drive to please their owner. Dogs can quickly become bored with repetition, owner should be prepared to keep dog motivated and interested.

Toy Group:

-Affenpinscher -Cavalier King Charles Spaniel -Brussels Griffon -Chinese Crested -English Toy Spniel -Chihuahua -Havanese -italian Greyhound -Japanese Chin -Maltese -Toy Manchester Terrier -Miniature Pinscher -Papillon -Pekingese -Pomeranian -Poodle (toy, miniature) -Pug -Shih Tzu -Silky Terrier -Toy Fox Terrier -Yorkshire Terrier

Common Characteristics:

• Small Size- Some of these breeds do not seem to know that they are in fact, smaller than other dogs. You will often find these small breeds confronting a much larger dog. Another thing to keep in mind is that because of their small size, these breeds can be easily intimidated by people. Owners and trainers may need to practice some cues or behaviors with the dog on a chair to reduce the dog's fear. Owners may also get tired of bending down to reinforce, so teaching these dogs to catch treats comes in handy!

• Delicate Physiology- Owners of these breeds need to keep in mind that their dogs are very delicate; they can easily break a leg jumping off a sofa. Owner should keep this in mind with training- it is best to avoid any physical corrections as they can easily cause injury to these small breeds.

Breed information courtesy of Animal Behavior College curriculum, stage 1, pg. 6-14 & American Kennel Club

Clicker Training Basics

Since January is National Train Your Dog Month- you probably didn't know that and I won't hold it against you; I really only expect total canine dorks like myself to know such things- I thought it would be a great time to talk about something that I use in training frequently.
Clickers.
Yup, these things.

You push down that little yellow thingie and it makes a distinct clicking noise. There are different kinds of clickers, this is an i-click type that was developed by Karen Pyror. She's a pretty smart lady when it comes to training and behavior. There are also ones called box clickers that have a metal tab you push down to get the same noise. The advantages of the i-clicks are that the noise is a little softer, so it is less intimidating to nervous dogs and if you drop it (happens to the best of us) you can still press the tab down with your foot! I order them by the case with my logo on them for clients, but they are available for purchase at most pet stores and of course, on Amazon.

First a general disclaimer: 
-I don't always use clickers in training:
     In multiple dog households, I stray away from them- unless they have a really big house and can train one dog at a time in a separate part of the house. You'll understand why this is important in a few minutes.
     Some owners are so overwhelmed by the thought of having to use another tool (leash, collar, treats/toys, dog) that I just don't add to their stress level.
     Some dogs are so freaked out by the noise that it would take more time to desensitize to the clicker and that would delay getting to the real issue.
     Some owners are opposed to the idea of a clicker, and as long as I am getting them to communicate clearly with their dog using reward based training at all, I'm happy with it.

In general, the last thing I want to do is be so stuck on ONE tool that I lose clients. I want to work with people to find a solution that helps them and their dog- if that means no clicker, it's no problem. If however, that means they want to beat their dog and use a choke chain we will have major differences in opinion!

Ok, now on to the clicker! There are some rules on what a clicker is and is not. The 'is not' list is shorter so I'll start with that in case you get bored and stop reading soon.

A clicker is NOT:
-A toy for your child to run around with, clicking all the livelong day. Unless you want to run around giving your dog a treat every time they hear the click so that you can still use it in training.
-A device for getting your dog's attention. I have taken clickers away from clients who tried this, so don't get me started!
-Something to scare or startle your dog. I don't use techniques like spray bottles and shake cans to change behavior. Things like that don't usually work long term anyway- eventually you'll put that penny can down and your dog will notice.
-A chew toy. This should be common sense, but I have known dogs who eat things like rocks and newspapers...and clickers. Do yourself, your dog and your veterinarian a favor and keep small plastic objects out of reach, please.

How does a clicker work in training?
There are two types of conditioning used with clicker training- Classical Conditioning  and Operant Conditioning. I'll get into Operant vs Classical Conditioning later on when I figure out how to add charts and pictures so it's easier to understand. For now, as a very general rule, lets just say operant conditioning works on the principles that any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and ones that are ignored or punished will not, and animals learn to interact with their environment based on these outcomes. In classical conditioning, the animal is simply learning an association between objects/events. Again, very, very simplified so this post isn't 5 pages long.
-Initially, the clicker is paired with treats so that your dog understands that it means good things will happen. This is classical conditioning at work: your dog already likes treats, making them an unconditioned reinforcer, their love of treats and excitement for them is an unconditioned response- they do it naturally.
-You pair the treats with something new like a clicker (neutral stimulus) and after a little time (usually 20-100 clicks for initial pairing), the previously neutral stimulus elicits the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. That is, after pairing, the clicker gets the dog excited for treats and fun (without seeing any treats).
-Clicker pairing is simply clicking and giving a reward to get them to understand that the -click- sound means treats! In training, we sometimes call this charging the clicker.
-Once the clicker is paired, you are able to communicate with your dog that they are right at the exact time they offer the behavior you want. If your dog knows she did the right thing and it made you happy and she gets a treat, she's going to do it again. Now that your clicker is paired, operant conditioning will take over. You will use the clicker to reinforce and reward all the good behaviors your dog offers. Remember, any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated by your dog.
 
A clicker IS:
-A tried and tested training method- it was first used with marine mammals to communicate without force; it has been used on different species in zoos and rescue facilities.
-A reward marker; meaning that it marks the moment in time when your dog offers the correct behavior. When your dog's bum is on the ground for the sit cue, you click AS SOON AS HER BUM HITS THE GROUND! This teaches her that when her bum hits the ground after you say that "sit" word, she gets a treat. Guess what? She's going to try sitting more often!
-A clear, concise method of communicating with your dog- it always sounds the same, no matter who is holding it or what kind of day they had. Yes, you say "good girl" differently when you've had a crappy day and your dog knows it. I mean it's still good to talk to your dog and I encourage you to do so, but for training, a clicker is great. Oh, and a clicker is way faster than you actually getting the words "good girl' out of your mouth. If you're anything like me, the fewer words you need to try getting from brain to mouth in the correct order, the better off you are.
-Great for working at a distance, so you don't have to yell!
-Something that is faded out after initial training of a new behavior. This is done with random rewards, rewarding only best responses and switching to 'real life rewards' like toys, praise and games.
-Something that needs to be rewarded EVERY TIME your dog hears it, if you want it to work in training. This is why it's not a child's toy.
-Something that, if paired correctly, is a very powerful training tool. This is why I don't recommend it to multiple dog households- if you are working with Fluffy on 'sit' while Fido (who already practiced sit and is now a little jealous) is eating the toilet paper on the other side of the room, you are rewarding two behaviors, but only one of those is a desirable behavior.

Ok, that's it from this end until next week- I want you to go out and train your dog, ok? Remember, playing games is still training, so have fun!

For more info on Train Your Dog Month, hop on over here- it's all been planned by the APDT.
It's really a great excuse to go out and buy more treats, fetch and tug toys for your pooch if nothing else :)

References:

http://www.clickertraining.com/whatis

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/primer.htm