K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) Dog Blog

Why Do Some Puppies Go Limp When You Lift Them Up? | Psychology Today

2012-01-26T10:43:00.000-06:00

Very interesting article by a great dog thinker! Discusses genetic left overs in regard to behaviors. Really cool you should read! Why Do Some Puppies Go Limp When You Lift Them Up? | Psychology Today

Let's Talk: Do You Use Retractable Leashes, or Do You Think They're Completely Lame and Dangerous?

2012-01-25T14:29:00.000-06:00

Great article and even better question... Take a look and let me know your thoughts? I will reserve my opinion till later...

Let's Talk: Do You Use Retractable Leashes, or Do You Think They're Completely Lame and Dangerous?

Do Dogs Love People More Than They Love Other Dogs? | Psychology Today

2012-01-05T07:07:00.000-06:00

Wow another article that shows why and how dogs are not like wolves! I guess we all ought to rethink all that alpha stuff maybe ???? Do Dogs Love People More Than They Love Other Dogs? | Psychology Today

You did WHAT to your Dog? « Wilde About Dogs

2012-01-05T07:03:00.000-06:00

This article really hit home for me, read it, learn from it and always remember to listen (I know this is something that I and I am sure the rest of us could improve) You did WHAT to your Dog? « Wilde About Dogs

Great Adoption TShirt for $5.00!!!

2012-01-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

Check out our $5.00 Adoption T Shirt. Get em while they last! My Best Shirt

Train Your Dog Month

2012-01-03T11:24:00.000-06:00

Hey check out this cool link. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers has an entire page promoting "National Train Your Dog Month"! Lots of cool and free stuff about dogs and dog behavior. Take a look and if you need help, KISS Dog Training would love to help! Train Your Dog Month

Look out.... Ninja Turtle

2011-12-29T16:34:00.001-06:00

You just cant judge a book by its cover... Otherwise a ninja turtle just might beat you senseless :-)

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Angels-in-our-Midst.html?soid=1103672706670&aid=xwtspYlM5nk

2011-12-23T11:55:00.000-06:00

You gotta check out this local Kansas City "Free" Magazine! It is an awesome resource for all things pet... I would even say that not having an article in it every month :-) http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Angels-in-our-Midst.html?soid=1103672706670&aid=xwtspYlM5nk

Norwegian soccer players create electric shock soccer (video) | Off the Bench

2011-12-18T11:24:00.000-06:00

OK you know I dont like schock collars. You know I live to use humor in my training, and you know it drives me nuts when folks say shock collars don't hurt. So you know I was in Heaven when I found a video that illustrated all three! Even if it is no in English, you will have no problem getting the point! Norwegian soccer players create electric shock soccer (video) Off the Bench

Preparing to put a puppy under the tree - CNN.com

2011-12-16T12:33:00.000-06:00

As Santa Said "You had better think twice" Great article about whether or not to get a puppy or dog for Christmas or The Holidays? Please share this info it really is important! Preparing to put a puppy under the tree - CNN.com

My dog pulls on the Leash…So What Do I Do Now???

2011-12-15T06:48:00.000-06:00

Several months ago (or maybe longerJ) I wrote an article on “WhyDogs Pull on the Leash.” And while it was well received, I left those who were alreadyhaving issues with dogs that pulled on their leash to wait for the next articlefor help. Well, after several reminders via email (thank you to the readers!) Ihave finally gotten around to writing it. So let’s get started!

OK, we know your dog pulls, but let’s delve a little deeper.What is the reward for your dog when he pulls? Honestly, he figures that thefastest way to get from point A to point B is…well to drag you along J There is no dominance,thinking your dog is trying to take over the world or any other is just plainsilly. It is just the fact that Fido (and you) are here and he wants to gothere. So guess what, you are going along for a ride (or drag!) After all, youare connected by this goofy rope thing aren’t you? Put simply, your dog hasnever been taught to pay more attention to you than to his environment; and atthis point there is a lot of cool stuff in the world Fido wants to see, so getready for the ride.

First, ask yourself one very important question, “Whatreward does Fido get from being on a walk”? Think hard, because the answer isirritatingly simple. It is the walk itself. The reward your dog gets from goingon the walk is actually the walk. Now the next question with another irritatinganswer (I promise there is a point to all of thisJ)“If Fido is inappropriate on a walk, what action do we take?” We already knowdogs only do what is rewarding right? If the walk is the reward and theunwanted behavior is pulling, what is it that we must do before anything else?That’s right, we must stop walking! If Fido is not walking correctly then thewalk must stop. This is the easiest technique to use to stop a dog from pulling,but we can’t forget the other side of this equation…if we don’t want himpulling and we stop every time he does pull, do we have any idea just what itis we want Fido to do???? Without this answer, it’s going to be pretty darnhard to get any level of reliability when walking without pulling.

My suggestion is simple; we want Fido to pay attention to uson the walks instead of all the other crap he has been paying attention topreviously. I know this may sound simple (solutions usually are!) but a dog thatis paying attention to his/her owner is not pulling, it is basic physics. Wenow know how to let Fido know you don’t like his pulling, by stopping the walk,and we know what it is we want Fido to do on a walk, to pay attention to us,but just how do we accomplish that?

First off, let’s start with the command Watch Me. Thiscommand is simple when you point to your nose… Fido looks you in the eye and isrewarded for that contact (check out the blog for the ‘how to’ of Watch Me).Once you have a good Watch Me, throw Fido a curve ball, turn your back on himand wait. In a matter of moments Fido will come around and look at you with outyou having to ask! Jackpot time, give him a nice big reward and turn aroundagain. Before too long this becomes a game and you are on your way to having adog that is paying attention to you. Oh, and by the way, at this point in thegame we should not even have Fido on leash.

As Fido gets better at this, the game will become boring andonce again it’s time for the curveball. Now, instead of just turning your back,take 1 giant step away from Fido and wait. Yep, he will still come around frontand look at you, but this time looking at you is not good enough. Patience…just keep waiting. If you have taught your dog that all the good stuff in lifecome after he/she sits (say please), then before you know it Fido is going tosit in front of you! The important part is not asking for the sit but waitingtill you get it. We are teaching Fido that whenever we stop he must come aroundin front of us and sit and wait for further instructions. Now I am sure youhave figured out that the next step is simply more starts and stops until thebehavior of front and sit are reliable at least 85% of the time! (Come on noone is 100% at anythingJ)So start moving in all directions and with different numbers of steps, until everytime you stop, no matter where you are, you are getting a front facing sit.Once that accomplished, it is time to back-track to the Watch Me game; onlythis time with a leash and while increasing number of steps and varyingdirections, while still getting the front facing sit.

Are you ready to take this act on the road? You’ve been inthe low distraction environment of your living room up to now. So what is thesecret to successfully loose leash walk with your dog? Guess what? It’s simplypaying attention. Too many people check out while walking their dogs, they getbored and then the pulling begins. So begin immediately where every 50 to 75feet you stop and practice the front facing sit! If you want to get reallycrazy, start practicing all your commands on your walk. 50 feet sit, 75 feetdown, 50 feet front facing sit, and so on. One last thing…I want you rewardingthe dog for correct decisions and paying attention, so take treats on the walk.After all, you are expecting Fido to consider you more rewarding than thesights, sounds and smells of the walk, so give him a reason! J

Retractable leashes pose problems for people and their pets

2011-12-14T14:05:00.000-06:00

WOW!!!! I HAD NO IDEA THESE WERE DANGEROUS. I always tell my students that retractable leashes can actually create a pulling problem. Now I read this article and find out the damage they can do damage to the owners as well! If you use a retractable leash please read this article for both your sake and that of your dog! Retractable leashes pose problems for people and their pets

"Dogs in Cars" - A Video by Keith Hopkin

2011-12-14T08:12:00.000-06:00

I know I put a lot of heavy deep thinking stuff on this blog but you know every once in a while you need something to just make you smile and this video does the trick! ENJOY...."Dogs in Cars" - A Video by Keith Hopkin

Why dog trainers will have to change their ways | Science | The Observer

2011-12-14T06:54:00.000-06:00

I had not heard of this book or this scientist but after reading the article I think I might need to get this book. Sounds like someone has finally done some real scientific research on dogs and dog training (real long term research) Love it Love it Love it!!!! Why dog trainers will have to change their ways Science The Observer

Santiago’s Brain–And what it has to do with Dogs « Wilde About Dogs

2011-12-13T10:01:00.000-06:00

INCREDIBLE ARTICLE BY ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHOR/TRAINER! IT COVES THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING, IMPORTANCE OF EXCERCISE BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL. IF YOU HAVE A DOG OR FOR THAT MATTER A CHILD. YOU NEED TO READ THIS!Santiago’s Brain–And what it has to do with Dogs « Wilde About Dogs

The Most Popular Dog Names in the English Speaking World | Psychology Today

2011-12-12T10:40:00.000-06:00

Well I must not have what it takes in the naming category, cuz non of my four dog's names are on the list, oh well... It is an interesting article, enjoy! The Most Popular Dog Names in the English Speaking World Psychology Today

16 of the Weirdest Things Dogs Have Ever Eaten

2011-12-12T06:37:00.000-06:00

These are really important pictures for people to see. Also a great reminder that dogs must be supervised all of the time. 16 of the Weirdest Things Dogs Have Ever Eaten

What a Dog’s Tail Wags Really Mean: Some New Scientific Data | Psychology Today

2011-12-06T09:49:00.000-06:00

Great Article about the meaning of a tail wag. Those of us in the business of training and/or reading a dogs behaviors have long known that a wagging tail does not always mean they are happy. This article goes into great detail on the what and how to determine what paticular tail wags mean. This is a must read for those working or volunteering at shelters, trainers or people who a just plain interested in canine communications! What a Dog’s Tail Wags Really Mean: Some New Scientific Data Psychology Today

The “Living Room” Dog - July/August 11

2011-12-05T19:08:00.000-06:00

An article I wrote in Metro Pet magazine a while ago. It describes one of the most common reasons for problem behaviors! Enjoy and get outside and start practicing The “Living Room” Dog - July/August 11

Missing Dog Found 8 Years Later, 3000 Miles from Home - The Daily Treat: Animal Planet

2011-12-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

I love the heart warming stories !!! Missing Dog Found 8 Years Later, 3000 Miles from Home - The Daily Treat: Animal Planet

December 11

2011-12-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

My latest article for Metro Pet magazine. Enjoy! December 11

De-Bunking the "Alpha Dog" Theory - Whole Dog Journal Article

2011-12-03T11:40:00.000-06:00

Well thought out article about the differences between dominance or alpha type training vs. positve reinforcement training. I really like the fact that the disagreements are based on facts not emotion. Remember that one of the main ideas in Positive training is to ignore the bad and reward the good. It drives me nuts to hear positive trainers trashing other trainers and their methods. We know what we believe in and it is up to us to show by the dogs we train. De-Bunking the "Alpha Dog" Theory - Whole Dog Journal Article

THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

2011-12-02T21:51:00.000-06:00

I worked hard and long on this book. Take a look and pass the info on to someone who needs it.THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

Misreading Dogs « Wilde About Dogs

2011-12-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

I just love this author and her blog is really cool! This article drills home the point that learning to speak dog as second language (DASL) is way more important in the long run than any amount of obediance training. Don't confuse my meaning here obediance is important, but ask yourself how on earth are you going to teach commands with out being somewhat profecient at reading your dogs signals??? Great post Misreading Dogs « Wilde About Dogs

Bunny's Blog: Pet Owners Use GPS Devices to Find Lost Pets

2011-12-01T09:30:00.000-06:00

Technology at its best. Check out this new option for your Houdinni Dog... Bunny's Blog: Pet Owners Use GPS Devices to Find Lost Pets

Richmond County Daily Journal - Are Chinese imports making pets sick

2011-11-29T13:30:00.000-06:00

Important info on dog safety and possible recall and/or warnig about chicken jerky treats for dogs. Thank you to Pets for Life KC for the email, I had yet to hear about this! Richmond County Daily Journal - Are Chinese imports making pets sick

2011-11-29T06:57:00.000-06:00

Nothing to serious or "thick" to read toay, just a little Christmas humor to make you laugh! Now that you have had a laugh share it with a friend :-)

Dogs with dementia could aid Alzheimer's fight

2011-11-28T08:44:00.000-06:00

Interesting article about the pros and cons of using dogs in medical research. Discusses both positive and negatives for both humans and dogs as well. Would you allow your dog into research if it could prevent, slow down or cure dementia in your dog. Keep in mind that as with any research there are no guarantees??? Dogs with dementia could aid Alzheimer's fight

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/DogsLifeKC---News---Updates.html?soid=1102619973224&aid=wz-aT_tDf2s

2011-11-22T13:07:00.000-06:00

Great group in KC area for all things you can do with your dog! If you love dogs you need to be getting these updates! Especially if you live in the KC area! http://myemail.constantcontact.com/DogsLifeKC---News---Updates.html?soid=1102619973224&aid=wz-aT_tDf2s

Separation Anxiety: Could it be in the genes? « Wilde About Dogs

2011-11-22T10:15:00.000-06:00

With my background in psychology, and in paticular nuero psych, I have always thought a majority of problem behavior (in any species) have at least some brain/genetic basis. I dont think you can ever seperate nature from nurture and vice a versa! Anyways cool article and finding that there is a gene that might well unlock a lot of answers for kids and dogs! Separation Anxiety: Could it be in the genes? « Wilde About Dogs

Thinking about Dogs as If They Were People: Is Anthropomorphism a Sin? | Psychology Today

2011-11-22T10:09:00.000-06:00

OK after readng Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, and being almost done with the book Merle's Door... I think rethinking the idea of Anthropomorphism might be a good thing! Not to the point of crazyness, but to a point where we at least think about it! Thinking about Dogs as If They Were People: Is Anthropomorphism a Sin? Psychology Today

Comments on “Alpha” Dominance Theory - Whole Dog Journal Article

2011-11-20T18:27:00.000-06:00

I get phone calls and emails from folks asking how to become a dog trainer? Well this article would be a great place to start your research. For that matter if you like dogs, enjoytraining or just want to learn a little bit more on where dog training is heading in the future, then check this article out! Comments on “Alpha” Dominance Theory - Whole Dog Journal Article

Personality or Behavior???

2011-11-18T13:56:00.000-06:00

I get phone calls every day asking if I can fix this problem or can I get a person’s dog to quit doing this or that. It kind of reminds of a bumper sticker I saw recently which said “I am a beautician not a magician.”  Don’t get me wrong, as a dog trainer it is my job to get people to relate, understand and fix the rapport between them and their dogs; but unfortunately many people just don’t understand the difference between a behavior and a dog’s personality. So I am going to attempt to break down the difference between the two, and hopefully help you understand what each means and how it relates to your dog and their training.

Years ago when I worked in management, in the real world, a very wise man told me that you can fix behaviors, but to try to fix personalities was about as fruitful as squeezing water from a stone. It was his way of helping me understand just what I could fix in my employees and what I could not! The basics here are simple…a behavior is a choice that can be changed and a personality is a mindset that is unchangeable. That might be a tad simplistic, but overall it is a true statement. Take this scenario as an example; Fred is 44 years old and just had a heart attack. He works 65 hours a week, drinks too much, smokes, never exercises and always has to be in control. His personality type would be considered “Type A” by most people. As he is recovering in the hospital, his doctor comes in and gives Fred an ultimatum, “you can keep living life as you have and die soon, or you can start exercising, quit smoking, quit drinking, cut down on the number of hours you work, get regular check-ups, take proper medication and live to be an old man.” Fred does as the doctor directed and lives to be a ripe old age of 94 years old then dies in his sleep. Now for the $64,000 question…was Fred still a Type A? The answer is of course he was, he simply changed his behaviors. But deep down his personality didn’t change – he was still a “Type A”. So whether we are looking at people or dogs, we must realize that yes, you can change behaviors, but trying to change a personality is well like peeing in the wind (sorry, but it is true).

Your first job as a dog owner or trainer is to determine whether the unwanted action of the dog is due to a behavior or a personality trait. Did you know that a dog’s socialization period (the time frame where they learn to accept and like situations vs. being scared and anxious around the situation) is only from about 3 weeks to roughly 18 weeks of age? Considering the fact that most people don’t bring puppies home till they are between 10-12 weeks old, new dog owners only have a very small window to affect their puppy’s personality. How owners do or don’t socialize the pup will have a direct effect on the behaviors the manifest, based on what the dog’s personality ultimately becomes. So as a trainer I will say (AGAIN) that I would be out of a job if folks would only ensure that all puppies get tons of positive associations during those first few weeks; they learn that the world is a fun environment that is not only safe, but in many cases full of rewards. Unfortunately, many dogs, which as puppies are ignored, are in shelters or for many other reasons are not exposed to the world at all. This leads to the dog learning to be anxious, nervous, scared and even aggressive when exposed to anything new, and unfortunately anything new to a dog is in most cases scary.

So what does this have to do with the personality vs. behavior discussion? Simple, the overall emotional make up of a dog is the personality and it can rarely be fixed. In my mind those less than desirable personality traits (being nervous or anxious) must be managed instead of attempting to train them away. Then the actual behaviors that come from those traits (hiding, growling or barking) can, in most cases, be replaced with what are known as replacement behaviors. Put simply, you are making the new behavior more rewarding than the unwanted behavior.

The moral of this story is to look at behaviors as something that can be changed while personality is something that we are born with. (OK, really they are created by our experiences during critical developmental periods!) The only thing we can change with our dogs, kids, wives, employees or bosses are the specific behaviors that we have the ability to create more rewarding replacement behaviors for.

As I have said for many years, and will continue to say…please, please socialize your puppies when you get them, and you will never have to call me or one of my colleagues! If you get an older dog, realize their personalities are what they are. But never fear, you can always work on specific behaviors.

The Magic Pill for Puppies | petMD#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook

2011-11-18T07:26:00.000-06:00

I LOVE THIS ARTICLE IT IS GREAT AND COVERS A SUBJECT NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. MY HAT IS OFF TO THE WRITER, PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE! The Magic Pill for Puppies petMD#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook#.TsXRmRKK0il.facebook

Veterinarians Recommend Flu Shots for Certain Dogs - ABC News#.TsZA7_F-FqJ#.TsZA7_F-FqJ#.TsZA7_F-FqJ

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Now, this is something I had never heard of before. If there are any vets in the KC area with info on this please comment and let us know!!! Veterinarians Recommend Flu Shots for Certain Dogs - ABC News#.TsZA7_F-FqJ#.TsZA7_F-FqJ#.TsZA7_F-FqJ

Is there a right way and wrong way for dogs to greet each other?

2011-11-16T06:25:00.000-06:00

Interesting take on how to let dogs meet and say hello to each other! Is there a right way and wrong way for dogs to greet each other?

Dog Saves New Family Six Hours After Being Adopted - Animal News: Animal Planet

2011-11-15T08:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I am not saying that this is common in all adopted dogs, but it is a great story to encourage the adopt not shop idea :-)Dog Saves New Family Six Hours After Being Adopted - Animal News: Animal Planet

Something to make you smile!

2011-11-14T11:58:00.000-06:00

Remember rewards are not what you think your dog likes.... You actually have to figure out what they like!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/CSD-Launches-New-Intake-Form.html?soid=1102932850537&aid=hqfJ-qKcCj0

2011-11-14T11:46:00.000-06:00

Great info on Shelter Dogs and how to! Saw a seminar from these folks last year in Iowa! http://myemail.constantcontact.com/CSD-Launches-New-Intake-Form.html?soid=1102932850537&aid=hqfJ-qKcCj0

Reduce the Epidemic of Diabetic Cats

2011-11-14T07:19:00.000-06:00

For our Cat Cousins..... Reduce the Epidemic of Diabetic Cats

TETHERS – Part 2 THE TRAINING TECHNIQUES

2011-11-04T12:52:00.000-05:00

In the last blog, I highlighted the mechanics of the tether and indicated there were three specific training techniques that the tether was outstanding to be used for. So let’s get to it!

The first technique I want to cover is how to greet people at the door without barking, jumping and or freaking out when new people enter the front door. I really wish more people understood that dogs can learn as much if they are never presented the opportunity to make mistakes than waiting for bad behaviors to be learned and then fixed. When I have a client call me and talk about a dog that rushes the door, jumps on people or is just plain snarky at the door when people are trying to enter the house, I will recommend using a tether to eliminate the chance for making a mistake and to teach the Park It command. I encourage the client to make sure they are also using the 15 minute ignore as part of this training to change the behavior. Park It and 15 minute ignore are already articles on my blog, but suffice it to say, Park It is a command like go to bed or kennel up, but only in a different location such as the their tether spot. The 15 minute ignore is simply a technique where by giving no attention to bad behavior as well as time to calm down, most dogs will choose the behavior we want.

The scenario goes something like this…the doorbell sounds and guess what…so does Fido. Next we use the Park It command to get Fido to go to his place; a nice comfy bed by the tether point. Once the dog is on the bed you connect the tether. Then you answer the door. Fido can still bark, but can no longer make the mistake of rushing or jumping up on your house guest. Then you incorporate the 15 minute ignore by having the house guest grab a seat and ignore the dog. Obviously, you need to pick a tether spot where the dog can see the door but can still give your guest a dog free route to a chair or couch. You then explain to your guest that you are working on training Fido to greet people in an appropriate manner, and they can help you by simply not looking at, talking to or, for goodness sake, touching Fido for roughly 15 minutes. Whether you know it or not, most dogs have an attention span somewhere between a rock and a gnat, and if ignored they quickly realize the behavior is not getting them what they want (attention) and they give up on the behavior. This gives us the opportunity to have our guest ask Fido for a sit and give him a treat, all while Fido is tethered so he still cannot make the mistake of jumping up. Once Fido is calm with this step, then and only then do we disconnect the tether.

Another positive outcome of this technique is the fact that once Fido sees you interacting with the guest and being totally okay with the situation, Fido starts to think “well if Mom is okay with this person, I guess I am too.” You have now eliminated the mistake of rushing and jumping on guests, reinforced the command of “Park It” and begun the process of positively associating new house guests with presents (rewards/treats.) In the end, you and your guests end up with what you both want; a calm dog that knows how to say hello the right way. The tether is actually only needed early on to reinforce “Park It” and help eliminate the dog from making mistakes. You can even begin using the “Park It” command at dinner, to eliminate the begging dog scenario during meal times. But remember to give your pooch a reward for being on their place during dinner. After all, they should be rewarded for this type of behavior. I use stuffed Kongs and stuffed femur bones as a way to reward such polite behavior!

The other main way I use a tether is to take commands like sit, down and stay to the “graduate” level of learning or being able to get these commands to work from a distance. In essence, if my dog is 15 feet from me and I say sit, I want the dog to sit where they are, not come all the way to me and then sit. Another quick tip on dogs is that they are unable to generalize or transfer a skill from one situation or location to another different one. That being said, a dog that you can ask to sit and stay, while you walk 15 feet away, and still reliably hold the stay will not be able to relate to a command given at a distance until they are re-taught the commands from a distance. This is where the tether comes in. Once again, we only use the tether to introduce the new idea and to eliminate the chance of making a mistake.

Remember that your training sessions should be short and sweet, about 15 minute each, a couple of times a day. We don’t want Fido to lose interest. So, how do you do it? The first step is to ask the dog to Park It or go to their place and attach the tether. Now put 4 to 5 feet of distance between you and the dog and begin the training process of asking for different behaviors such as sit, down, watch me or even stand. After several days or maybe a week, the dog should be comfortable with their newly learned skills, and the tether should be removed. Again, the goal is to help the dog jump start their learning and to eliminate mistakes. The tether is, in many ways, much like the clicker, something to help facilitate training, not something that has to be used forever.

There are many instances where I see absolutely no place for using a tether in dog training, but the training techniques mentioned above are very useful and still positive in nature. As I have said before, no tool is positive or negative; it is how people use them that should be judged as right or wrong!

Tethers, What are they and Should I Use Them

2011-10-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

Now that is a word that brings up all sorts of emotions in pet owners; some positive and some negative. I hope this article helps to lay some ground rules for using tethers as well as give you some examples of how I use them when training dogs. You might even learn how tethers can stop some problems behaviors before they start!

Let’s start simple. Just what is a tether? It is a metal cable that is coated in plastic or rubber and has dog leash connectors at each end. They are tools that if used correctly, can teach a dog a great deal; but unfortunately many people use them the wrong way. This is why I think some people do not like them, or have a negative outlook on them. So, to make sure we start on the right foot, let’s share the ground rules first!

1. You never, ever, under any circumstance, leave a dog unattended while on a tether. The tether is a tool…not a babysitter.

2. Always make sure that the dog’s associations with the tether are positive. The tether is in no way to be used as a punishment.

3. The duration of time spent on a tether should always be considered. If there is no training taking place, then there should be no tether. Once again not a baby sitter.

Next is to set a tether point permanently or set one temporarily. The permanent tether point is the one I use in my house and is reasonably simple. Buy an eye hook, pick your general spot, find a stud in the wall and screw the eye hook into the baseboard. Make sure you go through the baseboard and into the stud or your pooch will end up pulling 8-10 feet of baseboard molding off the wall. Once done, simply connect one end to the eye hook and the other to the dog. The temporary point is easier but will have to be set up each time you wish to use the tether. There are basically two ways; 1) Wrap the tether around something heavy like the leg of a couch. (Make sure you pick something heavy enough to keep the dog in one spot.) 2) Take the cable under any door and then bring it up to the door knob on the back side of the door, or attach some form of stopper that can’t fit under the door when closed. Shut the door and wha-la you have a temporary tether. You can Google pet tethers and get really good images of either of these ways or just give me a call and I can help (I make my own and keep them on hand at kennel.)

Okay, so now you are probably thinking to yourself, just what am I supposed to do with these tether things? Well, I use tethers to facilitate the teaching of three specific skills; 1) greeting people at the door nicely while using Park it 2) the technique of the 15 minute ignore 3) learning basic commands at a distance. As you can see, these are specific skills and the use of the tethers during the training of these skills will be just as specific. I also use tethers to facilitate the feeding of multiple dogs at the same time in the same room. I feed my dogs Kongs, filled with dog food and other tasty stuff and frozen, while they are tethered. Feeding them on tether also associates a good thing with their “Park It” spot at their tether, so they tend to go there automatically when it’s time to be fed. It makes me smile to have my youngest say “Park It” and have all four dogs go to their own spot at the same time! 

The next blog will focus on the three specific training techniques and how they are made much simpler through the use of the tether!

Mike Deathe CPDT-KA - FastPencil

2011-10-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hey I am not above shameless self promotion :-) Here is the link to buy our book on house training dogs. You can get a real book or an eBook.... Mike Deathe CPDT-KA - FastPencil

Hand Feeding Your Dog – Why You Should!

2011-09-22T15:11:00.002-05:00

I always get one particular question from folks when they find out I am a dog trainer. “What can I do to make my dog pay attention to me?” Well that’s a bit like asking what a person can do to get better gas mileage. Trust me; there are more than just one or two answers! That being said, there is one thing I wish all dog owners would do. And of all the things I could teach them, the one thing that will produce the fastest and biggest change in a dog’s behavior is to hand feed your dog.

Okay, I know many of you are wondering if Mikey has finally lost it, but I really mean it. When you hand feed your dog, you make yourself more important, you teach bite inhibition and you get your pooch to pay more attention to you, all without being mean to your dog! Let’s break this idea down into the three smaller pieces to get the whole picture!
The first thing that hand feeding your dog does is make you more important in your dog’s eyes. Some trainers call this “being the pack leader” others call it “being the alpha dog.” I simply call it making yourself the most important or necessary thing in your dog’s life. To be honest, I don’t put any credence in the idea of pack theory or could care less who the “pack leader” is in my house (unless you are referring to my wife!) The way I look at leadership with my dogs is that if I control all the really important resources in Fido’s world, who is really going to be calling the shots? So, if I could get people to hand feed every piece of food to their dog for at least 30 days, the dog is going to very quickly understand that without Mom or Dad Fido might not get fed! This is not only a great way to bond with and build a better relationship with any dog, but it works even better when the dog is new to the family!
So how does hand feeding impact bite inhibition? I believe that all dogs need to be taught to be careful with their mouths and teeth when interacting with people. There is no better way to get this point across than by hand feeding. It gives me the perfect opportunity to focus on giving pieces of kibble, one or two at a time, and teaching the command “gentle”? If the dog touches my finger with teeth, I can squeal “ouch,” with a calm voice use the command “gentle” and withhold the food for, let’s say 10-15 seconds, then repeat the process. Before you know it, the shark you have been living with is now the polite and patient dog you wanted in the first place! In fact, if you do it right, you will find that when you say “ouch” anytime a tooth is felt, most dogs will actually begin licking you as a way to express their own apology and realization they got to rough. So simply by feeding our dogs by hand, we are teaching mouth skills (or bite inhibition) with humans who they need for the stuff they want. But wait there’s more…
It makes sense that hand feeding your dog would help get your dog to pay attention to you, right? But why does that matter? Regardless of whether you are dog or person, we all tend to pay way more attention to the person in our life that doles out the rewards, paychecks or praise. Unfortunately, the opposite can be said for those who punish, write up or take things away (we avoid them like the plague) So by simply looking at the relationship between you and your dog, and determining who controls the resources, you can put yourself right at the top of Fido’s list of people he/she needs to survive in this big old world!
I hope as you are reading this article you are starting to inventory all the resources that your pooch has and how you can use them in training. I do want to share with you a very critical distinction and mistake many people make when trying to control resources with a dog; that control has to be in some way negative. Think of it this way…spoiling a dog or child is thought to be a bad thing; but what if the spoiling only occurs when the dog or child has earned it? The ultimate goal is to be necessary in their life, not control that life! So get out there and hand feed your pooch and see the differences it will make!

Update.....

2011-08-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Hey all just wanted to say hello and let you all know I have a bunch of new articles coming and I have not forgot about the blog. Boys are back in school on the 15th of August and with that the writing will begin in earnest! I have three articles in the pipe and am almost half-way done with the next book on how to "tips" for shelter volunteers! Thanks for all the support and keep spreading the word about the Keep it Simple Stupid Dog Blog!!!!!

2011-07-21T15:10:00.001-05:00

Very interesting article on some new research concerning dogs and dog behavior!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1377190/Dogs-watch-people-treat-work-approach-food-scientists-claim.html

Share this one if you like it!

THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

2011-07-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

Guys I need your help! Please spread the word about KISS dog training's first book! And for those of you who already have a copy please go and and review it online to let people know what you thought!

Thanks
Mike

The "Living Room" Dog

2011-06-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight at class, one of my students gave me inspiration for this article with one simple question. Why is it that my dog does all the exercises and behaves so well at home, yet completely falls apart when we try the same stuff on his walk? Simple I said, “You have a Living Room Dog!”
Okay, let me try to make sense out this last statement.
Let’s start with the fact that there are 3 D’s in dog training; Duration, Distance and Distraction and the realization that you have to do them in that order for success. For example, I must first teach Fido a solid 30 second duration stay and only then do I add, let’s say, 6 feet of distance. Only when I have both duration and distance under my belt and working well will I dream of adding the last and toughest “D”, DISTRACTION. Now, how and why we use and adapt the 3 D’s in training could be its own separate article; but suffice it to say that Distractions are the hardest thing any person will ever have to deal with when training their dog…not to mention the it is the starting point in creating a “Living Room” Dog
The next thing you need to understand about the “LIVING ROOM” Dog is the fact that dogs do not, cannot and will not generalize training the way we humans understand the concept of generalization. If I I teach my son to hit a baseball in a batting cage, chances are he will be able to take that skill to a new environment, let’s say a baseball diamond. Unfortunately, dogs often times do not have this ability. Teaching a dog a skill in one environment and expecting it to translate into a different situation or place is just not going to happen in most instances. A good example is that crazy dog that can fetch and retrieve toys inside the house perfectly, but could care less about the game in the backyard. Why is that, do you suppose? Maybe it’s not the fact he/she could care less and it’s more the fact they have not learned the game in that particular situation or environment.
Each week you go to class then you go home with your head full of great ideas. You practice every morning before work; you come home and practice every night and everything seems to be going great. That is, until that one night you decide to take Fido for a walk (instead of practicing in the Living Room) and all hell breaks loose! Fido doesn’t listen, won’t sit, barks at everything and generally acts like the goon you had before you started classes. You are embarrassed, not to mention frustrated and probably a little P.O.’d. This brings us (full circle) to you or my student standing in front of me or any other trainer and pleading to know why your dog falls apart outside the house. Like or not, you just met the “LIVING ROOM” Dog!
The problem was not your dog or you. It was the fact that you forgot, or were not taught, about the two critical aspects of training discussed earlier…Distractions and Generalizations. You mistakenly thought your dog would take the things learned in the living room and translate them to the world outside their living room! As you are now beginning to realize (or maybe remember), the outside world is very distracting. The only way to make a dog reliable in all situations...is to practice in all situations. So I hope you take heed to these ideas and are ready to go after training in a slightly different way. If not, it is likely that you too will complain about having a “LIVING ROOM” Dog and be one of the many people who only experience the well-behaved and smart dog in your own living room. Personally, I would prefer to experience life with an “EVERYWHERE” Dog!

Help, I need a Dog Trainer!!!

2011-05-31T14:09:00.000-05:00

So there you sit, looking at a list of dog trainers on your computer screen. Your wife has made it perfectly clear…if you don’t get the dog’s “fill in the blank” behavior fixed, either you or Fido are going to have to find a new home. Just how are you supposed to pick a trainer and what is it that you and Fido need to learn? I bet you wish someone had gone over all this stuff before this “fill in the blank” behavior started…it would sure have made your home life a little easier.

First we’ll start out with that huge computer screen of trainers and just how to make sense of all those choices! In my humble opinion, it comes down to two things: one, does the trainer have any certifications and two, are they positive reinforcement based? Unfortunately in dog training, anyone who wants to can claim to be a trainer and start their own business. I personally think that anyone who wants to make a career out of training dogs should take the time and effort to pass a test and gain their certification. In my case, I am certified CPDT-KA and am a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. I specialize in what I refer to as Pet Dog Trainer, or helping people live happily at home with their pets! My training is based around the idea that “Pet Dogs” must have 5 basic skills:
1. Basic obedience Commands
2. Good mouth skills or bite inhibition
3. Good social skills (they like people and other animals)
4. Good leash skills
5. Good understanding of recall or come when called
There are many trainers out there, and each will train dogs differently. Who and what type of training you choose is up to you, but I believe a great place to start looking for a trainer is The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com)
As for the positive reinforcement aspect of training, interview at least three dog trainers and for goodness sakes ask questions! This is the only true way to gauge a trainer’s view on how to train dogs. Ask how they deal with pulling on the leash or what techniques they use to deal with puppy or play biting. Specifically ask about your “fill in the blank” behaviors that are driving you nuts. I have a really simple litmus test; any technique that you use on dogs should also be able to used on kids. So if you are hearing things you would never use or try on a child…in my opinion you have not found the right trainer. Call the next trainer on the list till you find the trainer that relates to you and your dog the best. Let’s face it, no matter how good the trainer is, if you and he/she don’t synch together, then there is going to be very little learning going on for you or Fido.
OK, so now you have picked your trainer, but now you have to choose between all these options of instruction type: group classes, in-home private lessons, one-on-one session with a trainer, formal obedience instruction, pet dog training, and so on. How on earth are you supposed to make this decision?
Well there are several things to consider; cost, time investment, severity of the problem, type of problem and even the location of the problem behavior. For example, if you have a young dog who has had little if any training, group classes are probably the best bet so that you can get as much and most comprehensive training possible. Maybe, you have a dog who is very scared of strangers and barks at everyone in the house. In this case, private training is probably best, but you will want it to be at your house so that your trainer can see the problem behavior in the environment in which it happens. What if on the other hand you have a problem behavior like potty training or pulling on the leash? These are problems that could easily be taken care of through a one-on-one session with your trainer at their facility, and that could save you money! You also have to consider the time investment. Some behaviors will take a considerable time to correct or manage and others not as much. In my opinion, your trainer should be there to teach you and to instruct you in ways to correct the behaviors and teach your dog. Dog training should be about fixing behaviors not starting therapy that takes years  Last, you have the cost factor. While shopping around for the best deal is a great idea, in many cases you get what you pay for with dog training. Make sure to ask lots of questions including “why are you half the price of most trainers”?
In the end, choosing a dog trainer is a personal decision that you must be comfortable with! I by no means know everything nor do I claim to, but I can tell you if you follow your head and your heart, chances are you will not go wrong! So get back to that computer screen and grab the phone. Start asking questions, become your dogs advocate and get busy fixing those “fill in the blank” behaviors that are wrecking the harmony of your happy home…Good Luck!

Final Thoughts on, 28-Day Eukanuba Challenge

2011-05-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Final Thoughts on, 28-Day Eukanuba Challenge

Well I have finished off all the large breed Eukanuba dog food and I have to say, Bear really did like the food. And yes he did gain weight!!! I was pleasantly surprised how well he did with the food. In my opinion I use a dog food (Nature’s Variety Prairie) that I feel is higher quality (and more expensive) but Eukanuba performed really well. I know that in many cases my clients ask me about lower cost options for feeding their dogs, and I will recommend this food!
The big thing for me was there was no stomach upset what so ever, during the switch and the fact that Bear really did like the food. I like the ingredients for the most part and would have very little to say on changes other than I would like to see the wheat and corn go away but understand that is how cost are kept down.
Obviously, I will go back to my usual food, but know I will keep this product in mind when giving options to clients for lower cost, but higher quality food. I want to thank Eukanuba for allowing participating and allowing me to be part of this test….
Mike

Why Do Dogs Pull on the Leash???

2011-04-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

So why do dogs pull on the leash? Well the simple answer is…they have never been taught not to. I know that seems very obvious and probably a little on the frustrating side but it really is the truth. You have to remember that puppies and even dogs, for that matter, were not born wearing collars and leashes, and they really have no idea what these contraptions are for, unless we teach them. Dogs, like many people, are instant gratification animals. If they see something they want or are interested in, they go investigate! Unfortunately if you are connected to afore mentioned dog via a leash, they simply drag you along for the ride! A dog that pulls has nothing to do with dominance or malice; they simply don’t yet understand what these tools are for and why on earth you have chosen to make them wear these weird feeling things.

Without getting into name calling, let’s just say some people in the realm of dog training look at the pulling on a leash as a direct challenge to their authority and a way for a dog to dominate them. Really? Come on now, do you really think dogs are in the “world domination” business? Dogs do not have the cognitive ability to make or even attempt these grandiose power grabs…at least in the way some humans interpret them! Dogs, if left to their own devices (without prior training,) simply figure out what works and what does not! I am a firm believer in the fact that dogs will not do anything that is not rewarding to them! Up till now, in Fido’s life he has learned that the fastest way to get to that “crazy squirrel” is to save time and drag Mom or Dad over there as well! It has always worked in the past and Mom & Dad must not mind because all they do is hold on and yell (bark) like crazy on the way. Have you thought that to the dog, it might just appear you are having as much fun as he/she is on the way to see said squirrel??? So how do we go about teaching Fido not to pull, you ask? Well in this guy’s opinion it starts with wrapping the leash around your waist, putting one foot in front of the other and using a basic obedience command! This does NOT mean using choke chains, leash jerk, raised frustration and increased blood pressure for both you and the dog!

As we discussed earlier, puppies/dogs have no idea what a leash or collar are for and it is our job to teach it right from the beginning. So, let’s start simple and use the idea of tethering to teach Fido that being close to mom or dad is a good thing! Start by cinching a 6 foot leash around your waist and attaching it to the dog! Now you have, in a matter of speaking, an umbilical cord between you and your dog! Not to mention, and very important, you have eliminated your hands from the picture! In many cases we create our own problems with leashes by constantly tugging, pulling and jerking on our dogs without even realizing it! Remember Newton’s third law of motion? Every action has an equal and opposite reaction! By putting pressure on the dog’s neck, even without realizing it, you are the one creating the opposite pull by the dog! By simply taking your hands out of the equation you are starting the learning process!

The next step in the process is asking the dog for a sit! If you have not taught your dog this command, stop immediately and go back to the blog posts on this command and learn sit! You cannot continue leash training without this basic command! Now, with the dog attached to you via the leash, but without the use of your hands, take one giant step in any direction and ask Fido for a sit! Once the dog is sitting, CLICK, LAVISH WITH PRAISE AND GIVE A FOOD REWARD! Again, take one giant step, ask for a sit and reward. Before you know it, you are walking all over the house one step at a time, while keeping the dog’s attention and guess what…no pull! As you get better, you will now take two giant steps then up it to three between sits; and as time goes by the giant step become normal steps and now we are walking. When you get really good inside the house, take this show on the road! Remember however, that walking in the living room and the front yard are totally different ball games! The distractions of the front yard are really hard and you will probably have to go back to the one giant step stage for a while before moving on!

This sounds really simple and it is, but it teaches three critical aspects of dog training! First that to walk a dog well, you need to have a loose leash! The dog should follow you and your movements not the directional’s they feel on their neck! Two, that by keeping a close eye on their owner and paying attention (see “watch me” command) Fido is rewarded on a walk, and third that anytime the human stops on a walk the dog should also stop and sit, waiting for what’s next!

This, in my opinion, is the perfect way to teach a puppy or young dog to walk nicely on a leash. But what, if anything, can be done with a dog who has already learned that pulling is not only allowed, but also rewarded? Don’t worry, we can handle that one also, and in many ways it will follow these basic principles, just using different techniques! Be aware, it will take time and practice to change bad habits. So, get your walking shoes, your dog and be willing to admit that it won’t be a quick fix. Then, enjoy the next post on “what to do when walking is already broke?”

A funny little look at the insides of a Dog Trainers Brain…..

2011-03-31T22:55:00.000-05:00

One of the most frustrating things about being a Dog Training is trying to explain and illustrate the importance and idea of management! So, I am going to attempt to use humor as a way to teach just what a trainer means when we say “management.” As you read this, it might leave you laughing, or it might just make you mad. Either way, I hope it will make you think about the myth of training; and how at least half, if not more, of the answers to the riddle lies directly in the definition of the word management.

In a nutshell…management means paying attention to your dog, puppy, spouse or child. My mother used to say “Idle hands are the Devil’s play thing;” and nowhere is this truer than with a dog or puppy! Let’s face it, a puppy will never get a chance to chew up your brand new red leather Manolo pumps unless you have conveniently “spaced out,” leaving them on the floor (unattended) after coming home from a hard day’s work. So with that being said, here are my Top 10 “management” customer comments and the corresponding internal thoughts of a trainer, upon hearing my customers’ lamentations:

1. “My dog keeps peeing and pooping on the comforter in the back bedroom.” > IF YOU WOULD JUST PAY ATTENTION TO FIDO THE 5-6 TIMES HE TRIED TO TELL YOU HE HAD TO GO; OR KEEP HIM IN HIS CRATE OR X-PEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO WATCH HIM...THIS PHONE CALL WOULD NOT BE TAKING PLACE. YOU MIGHT EVEN TRY KEEPING THE BEDROOM DOOR SHUT TILL HE LEARNS THE RULES…

2. “Can you believe the nerve of my dog…? She keeps eating the crotch out of every pair of underwear I own!” > EVER HEARD OF A LAUNDRY HAMPER? OR MAYBE PUTTING THE “CLEAN” CLOTHES AWAY INSTEAD OF LEAVING THEM IN THE BASKET ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR? I MEAN REALLY, ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THAT HE OPENED UP YOUR UNDERWEAR DRAWER AND GOT THEM OUT HIMSELF?

3. “I really need your help, my 16 week old lab puppy just ate our second couch while we were at work, and my wife says if we can’t get the behavior fixed, the dog has to go” > REALLY! I SUPPOSE YOU ALSO JUST LET YOUR TWO YEAR OLD LOOSE IN THE DEN WHILE YOU “RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE?” SERIOUSLY, YOU EXPECT A 16 WEEK OLD PUPPY TO “BEHAVE” ALL ALONE, WHILE YOU ARE AT WORK? HAVE YOU HEARD OF CRATE TRAINING OR DOGGY DAYCARE?

4. “I am at my wits end, Fido, jumps all over everyone that walks through the front door, and now he has broken my mom’s hip. I mean, it is okay for him to give me hugs but he needs to know better with guests.” > AND I SUPPOSE YOUR THREE YEAR OLD SON KNOWS WHEN AND WHERE YOU EXPECT HIM TO THROW A TEMPER TANTRUM AS WELL…IN DOG TRAINING AS IN LIFE YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU ASK (TRAIN) FOR.

5. “How do you teach a dog to quit begging at the table? I mean it is getting really bad, our dog has even started taking food right out of our kid’s hands at the table!” OK, WE BOTH KNOW SOMEONE IS FEEDING THE DOG AT THE TABLE!!! CONGRATULATIONS…YOU (OR SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR FAMILY) HAVE NOW BECOME A SLOT MACHINE FOR FIDO. “YOUR DOG IS THINKING I MIGHT AS WELL JUST KEEP STARING OR STEALING, AFTER ALL IT WORKS MOST OF THE TIME!”

6. “I just don’t know what to do… Every time I open the front door the dog just barrels through and it takes us 30 minutes to catch him!” UM…MAYBE YOU SHOULD WATCH TO SEE WHERE THE DOG IS BEFORE YOU OPEN THE DOOR…OR MAYBE YOU COULD JUST TEACH THE DOG TO SIT AT THE DOOR? YOU PROBABLY WANT TO TEACH A GOOD SOLID RECALL BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS…

7. “Can you explain to me why my dog runs from me every time I yell at him when he gets loose?” HMMMM…A CRAZY, UNSTABLE HUMAN THAT IS AT LEAST 6-10 TIMES MY HEIGHT IS YELLING AND RUNNING TOWARDS ME…YEAH I THINK I WILL JUST STOP HERE AND WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS…NOT

8. “I am so tired of this, every time my dog does something bad, I tell him very clearly he has been bad, but it is just getting worse. How long will it take before this dog out grows this behavior?” YOU LEARNED AS A KID THAT THIS DID NOT WORK WITH YOUR PET ROCK, DIDN’T YOU? IS THIS QUESTION REALLY SERIOUS OR ARE YOU JUST MAKING A “FUNNY?”

9. “Just how long is it going to take before this damn dog can sleep through the night without waking me up at 3:00 in the morning to pee?” I WILL BET A HUNDRED BUCKS THIS PERSON LETS THE DOG TANK UP ON WATER AND/OR EAT WITHIN AN HOUR OF GOING TO BED…THAT OR THIS IS A PUPPY THAT CAN’T YET HOLD IT ALL NIGHT…

10. “Why is it every time I try to establish dominance with my dog he just squats down and pees on the damn floor?” HERE WE GO AGAIN…HOW ABOUT LET’S TEACH FIDO THE “HOUSE RULES” BEFORE WE ENFORCE THEM. I WOULD SUGGEST TRYING SOMETHING ELSE QUICKLY BEFORE YOU FIND YOURSELF WITH FEWER FINGERS THAN YOU CURRENTLY HAVE.

If we could, dog trainers in general would all be millionaires and would have already published the book including the “secret” of dog training…but UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO “SECRET!” Unless you think the ideas of “dogs only do what is rewarding and what they are allowed to do” is a secret. So trust me, I can save you money and time by saying “A BEHAVIOR NEVER TRIED IS A HABIT NEVER LEARNED.” So focus on “mistake-free” training with Fido and be ready to redirect or eliminate opportunities for Fido to make mistakes. That is what all dog trainers mean by management. It’s like a saying I learned when I had a “real” job; “ONLY EXPECT WHAT YOU INSPECT.” If you don’t pay attention or actively train, then know something bad is going to happen. So put down the phone, car keys or computer keyboard and save yourself some money by NOT calling a dog trainer. Instead, go spend the time, pay attention and manage the behavior of that furry little ball of fur you love so much!

28-Day Eukanuba Challenge

2011-03-18T20:25:00.000-05:00

Well I am a week into the 28-Day Challenge and I can tell you one thing, Bear my GSD mix definitely likes the taste. Bear has always been skinny and hard to put weight on so when Dog Time asked if I wanted to participate in a test of the new large breed variety of Eukanuba dog food, I was more than willing to try it. Upon getting my bag of dog food I immediately went to the ingredients... As you all should, and what I found was, well both good and bad.

It should be noted I usually use Nature's Variety Prairie Chicken and I am very happy with this food. Eukanubas first ingredient is chicken which is good, but the second ingredient is corn meal. Many people do not consider corn meal as a filler, but to me any corn or wheat in dog food is just that. As with anything there are two sides to everything and I have had this discussion with many... Bear definitely likes the food and he is at this point maintaining his weight, not gaining nor losing. I will say that many of the vitamins and minerals, glucosamine and chondroitin are great ingredients and are a welcome sight.

I know how much I spend on a bag of Nature's Variety and know that Eukanuba will come in lower I am sure... So at the end of week one my thoughts are simply this: are there better foods on the market, yes. Are there worse: a whole bunch. Can everyone afford the an expensive top shelf dog food, no. I think at least at this point Eukanuba's new formulation could be a middle ground that people could utilize to upgrade from the cheap grocery store "El Cheapo" to something more affordable and better for their dog...

One other side note, I do not use dog bowls to feed. Rather I use frozen Kongs to feed my dogs their kibble. The large kibble that Eukanuba uses is more difficult to use in Kongs compared to the food I now use.

I will let you know as we go forward how Bear does and give you, as always my honest opinion...

THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

2011-03-15T18:34:00.000-05:00

Hey if you have noticed a drop in the number of posts, well here is the reason why.....

KISS Dog Training announces our first eBook/Book.... The Dog Owner's Book Of Poop And Pee!!!!

Click on the link below for more info!

THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE!! - FastPencil

Dog Training 101: Dont Ever Assume Anything

2011-02-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

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Last week I had two real interesting situations while teaching my beginner class. One concerned a 3 pound Chihuahua and the other a 55 pound Great Pyrenees puppy. One dog refused to sit and the other put the brakes on every time he felt the leash on his collar. On the surface, these two dogs appeared to have very little in common; but in the time between classes I came up with two very different solutions for these behaviors, that came from the same idea. Never assume you know what a dog is thinking (or feeling) and don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

With our spunky 3 pound Chihuahua that would not sit, it took simple detective work. I asked the owner if the dog sat at home. The answer was yes, but not on command. As I sat at home wondering what was going on, and I had a thought; could it be the floor? Let’s face it, this dog is obviously small, and Chihuahuas don’t have what most would call a lot of fur. The training facility floor is concrete; could this little girl be cold or uncomfortable? So the next week I brought a blanket, and guess what? Within 10 minutes, she was “sitting pretty” and doing just fine. Many people would have labeled this dog as stubborn or just plain dumb; when in reality she just did not like the type of floor. As easy as it would have been to get frustrated wondering what I was doing wrong, I forced myself into the dogs “paws” for a minute, and the answer was right there looking me in the face!

Now as far as “big boy,” the 50 pound Great Pyrenees puppy…well, he was a real head scratcher. He would walk on leash for about 10 minutes and then just stop cold and refuse to move. When the owner told me about this behavior, I asked her to “show me.” I very quickly noticed that the moment he slowed down, the owner did not notice and would keep walking. The minute the leash caused the collar to put pressure on his neck he stopped, and would refuse to move. I did all the trainer stuff; asked if any leash corrections had been used in the past; had the owner focused on keeping the leash loose; I even used toys to keep his attention. Of course, as any good positive reinforcement trainer does, I even tried treats as lures.  Nothing worked! I suggested we work on other things and told the client to relax and keep calm and we would start fresh next week. Once again, I went home and just thought about the situation. The problem was not the walking on the leash in so much as it was the pressure on the neck! Then it came to me…quit trying to train the dog and instead start listening to him. The problem was (again) right there in front of me. The pressure on the neck caused by the collar was the reason he was having issues being loose leash trained. The solution was simple; a standard harness to take the pressure off his neck and move it to his shoulders! (Yep it worked) Now when he slows down, the owner does nothing different; but the pressure is now on his shoulders which doesn’t bother him so he has no negative reaction!

In all honesty, I should have seen these issues right off the bat. In the case of the Chihuahua, she looked nervous, confused and not her normally happy self when asked to sit. Same story with the Great Pyrenees, I missed the look of fear and stress in his eyes when the pressure was inadvertently put on his neck by the owner. Yes, I am admitting that I missed the signals both of these dogs were sending me. (I got too deep in Trainer Mode!) However, when I went home and thought about the situation and forced myself to…

• Think outside the box,
• Look at the situation from the point of view of the dog and
• I forced myself to stop training and just Think 

It is our job, as owners of dogs, not only to train them but also to be their advocates! Never be afraid to think outside the box and try to look at problem behaviors from the perspective of the dog; and for goodness sake do not assume anything! Remember that we are the ones with the great big brains, opposable thumbs and the ability for complex thought. It is our job to look at training through the eyes of our dogs when setbacks happen or better yet become more fluent in D.A.S.L. (Dog as a Second Language.)

Isn't using treats just bribing the dog?

2011-02-16T22:09:00.001-06:00

How is adopting related to training dogs?

2011-02-16T22:09:00.000-06:00

Problem behaviors and punishment.

2011-02-16T22:08:00.001-06:00

So how do I tell Fido he did something right?

2011-02-16T22:08:00.000-06:00

So just how do I tell Fido he has done something wrong?

2011-02-16T22:07:00.000-06:00

What kind of Dog Trainer am I ?

2011-02-16T15:55:00.000-06:00

SO JUST WHAT ARE NON NEGOTIABLE RULES?

2011-01-30T19:31:00.000-06:00

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Over the course of my blogs and my training classes, you have heard me refer to the “non negotiable rules” when it comes to human and dog relationships. It occurred to me that while I might give examples and even talk about them from time to time, I have never really defined what they are and why I stress using them so much. With that said here we go.
Non negotiable rules are the behaviors you expect your dog to exhibit every day; not only to instill good manners, but to put you, the human, in a role of leadership. These rules also give us the opportunity to work with our dog, without carving out “training” time each day; instead you just live your life as normal and you and Fido just live by the rules you have chosen. Without even realizing it Fido gets trained without even thinking about it! These rules are also crucial in embedding impulse control in Fido! Based on my observations, lack of impulse control is responsible for roughly 60-70% of all problem behaviors. So, just what rules should you require?
That is a question that you as the “owner” have to come up with! Your trainer can give you suggestions of ways to achieve the goals you have for Fido; but in the end you have to decide what behaviors are wanted vs. those that are unwanted. The fact of the matter is…what I want from my dogs might be totally different than what you want from your dog! This is the main reason I refer to myself as a Pet Dog Trainer rather than obedience or even a plain old dog trainer! My job is to help people successfully live with their pet dog based on what they want and need!
As you are thinking of what your rules will be, let me share with you, my “top ten list” of things I require from my dogs every day. These things improve my dogs’ behavior and keep me in the role of “Top Dog” without having to resort to being a “Butt-Head” to my dogs.
These are my Non Negotiable Rules:
1. Sit and/or Down at every door
2. Sit and/or Down before every meal
3. Sit before leash is put on
4. Ask permission before getting on furniture or beds
a. This means a sit, then being invited up (you make the final choice)
5. Walks only continue if there is no pulling
a. Fido pulls - walk stops until dog calms down and sits; then we will try again
6. Go to crate on command using “go to bed” or “kennel up”
7. Crazy behavior equals no attention
a. If the dog gives any unwanted behavior – I ignore for 2 minutes
8. Dog must have a reliable leave it command
a. Dog should know that leave it means move back and wait for further instructions
9. Dog must have reliable recall or consistently come when called
a. This should work in the house, outside, at the park and yes, even the dog park
10. Dog must stay behind you on stairs, with the “wait” command. This should be used at doors as well. Dog knows to stay behind you until invited to move forward.
a. “Excuse me” or “Back up” is the other side of this coin, where the dog understands to get out of the way for you to move through…
In the end, people find it hard to “make the time” or “be consistent” when it comes to training their dogs! Creating your own list of non negotiable rules and sticking to them fixes both issues.
I’m sure that you are aware of the idea out there, that in dog training we must “rule over”, “be the boss,” or in some cases even dominate the dog to achieve and keep a leadership role. In my opinion, this is not at all necessary and in many cases is “just plain mean.” Leadership, whether with dogs or people, is all about resource control! If I control the dog’s most important resources; food, water, access to my attention or even access to other things he enjoys (like furniture, beds, toys and so on) I will naturally become the leader without having to resort to physical force. In a matter of speaking, this is as simple as relying on your brain instead of your brute! So get out paper and pencil and come up with you own list of non negotiable rules; start using them and in no time you and Fido will be on your way to living a happy, healthy and relaxed life together!

Thought from Seminar Last Weekend!

2011-01-18T17:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I attended a seminar in Des Moines, IA on better ways to evaluate shelter dogs! It was put on by the Iowa Animal Rescue League and was given by Dr. Amy Marder. She is, with many other, folks working on a program to make evaluations more scientific and by definition less subjective for those animals which are being brought into the shelter environment. The real beauty of this program will be an actual numeric evaluation score that will not only help with placing dogs in “forever” homes but as time goes by creating a national database of information on dogs, their scores and trends in behavior as they relate to adoptability! For me this is a welcome and needed change in the dog training and adoption world, where in the past it has been more humanistic and less scientific. I personally think that bringing science into this realm could very possibly revolutionize shelter evaluations and our end goal of finding more homes for dogs in general!

The process is simple, requiring only two people; an evaluator and a handler! As the handler goes through the testing process the evaluator observes and notes certain behaviors. The beauty of the program is there are only two possible answers for the evaluator… Behavior Happened or Behavior Did Not Happen! This removes all grey area from the evaluation process! We are no longer trying to determine the motivation and are concerning ourselves with only the question, “Did the behavior happen or not”. If we take this idea one step further, how handy would it be for all shelters nationwide to have the same scoring system… A person in Kansas talking to someone in Boston referring to a #16 dog and both knowing and understanding what they are talking about? Would this not make transfers of animals or discussing other options, so much easier? Not to mention the unbelievable benefits of having a national database of information to pull from, in regards to trends and certain dog characteristics?

For my money it was a fantastic seminar and I fully intend on talking to the shelters where I volunteer, urging them to take part in this new opportunity! If you want more information you can visit http://www.centerforshelterdogs.com and click the link for “Match Up II” it is the actual evaluation! Within months the scoring aspect of the evaluation will be launched on the website as well! Making the process even easier! For those concerned about the time involved, I might add, we did several evaluations that day and they only take about 15 minutes! Kudos to Dr. Marder and her team for this idea and their efforts in “saving” more lives… Well Done!

Problem Behaviors In Dogs Are Like a Hydraulic System

2010-12-22T23:14:00.000-06:00

Every hydraulic system has a set pressure it can withstand. Go over that allowed pressure (or exceed “critical mass,” and…well BOOM)! You can look at Fido’s behavior the same way…each behavior has its own tank; barking, digging, jumping, play biting and yes even pulling on a leash! If we are smart owners, and keep the pressure under “critical mass,” the behaviors remain normal, problems never surface and life is good! But if we allow the pressure to build…you probably already know and may be experiencing that answer or you would not be reading this blog! If your dog pulls like a demon, you have allowed that tank to overflow and consequently, you probably hate walking Fido! What you have not considered is that once the walking tank overfills, that pressure has to go somewhere. Now you not only have a leash issue, but Fido has started barking at everything. As the barking tank overflows, Fido might now start digging to China in your back yard…and so the story goes until I, the dog trainer, receive a phone call from a prospective client telling me their dog is completely out of control! But the simple translation is a dog whose pressure capacity has been taxed to the point of complete hydraulic failure! At this point, take a deep breath and realize this now out of control conduct actually started with just one behavior and the only way to fix this, is to fix the behaviors the same way they occurred, ONE AT A TIME!

The key to a happy, healthy and well behaved dog is simple…exercise! This is the action we very rarely consider for our out of control, over pressured and now bleeding hydraulic systems! The only way to fix the leak is to first lower the pressure in the system (exercise) and re-train (increase the pressure capacity) of the system! So, what is energy in regards to a dog, and just how do we exercise or vent the system? While it might seem a simple question, all dogs are different. That means energy types and requirements are as different as the dogs in question! Take, for example, a Golden Retriever - they have been bred for retrieving, thus their energy type is generally running and fetching things. In comparison, a schnauzer, bred as a varmint hunter, has energy geared to tracking small moving critters, and they really like to bark! Beagles are similar in that they love to bark, but they use their nose vs. tracking the moving objects. What about a Husky or a Malamute? They were bred to pull sleds (and everything else attached to them), or an Australian Shepherd, whose goal in life is to herd things. Now, consider the classic (and my favorite) the Mutt! They could have parts of some if not all of these dog energy types! Needless to say, you had better be willing to do some “homework” on your dog and really find out what “trips their trigger”!

I bring this up because, to many dog owners, the backyard, a 15 minute walk (really only an excuse to pee!) or a day or two a week in “doggy day care” are foolishly considered to be enough of a mental and physical work out for their furry, four legged best friend! This is the point, as a dog trainer and volunteer in animal shelters, I stress - people must think before they get a dog as a pet! If you know your lifestyle is one where hour long walks, trips to the dog park, ability to afford or schedule classes in agility, rally or scent work (let alone basic obedience) are not achievable…DON’T do it! Dogs actually require work! There is no law saying every family is required or even ought to own a dog. OK off my soapbox and back to exercise.

Exercise needs to be both mental as well as physical! Dogs cannot live off bread (exercise) alone, they need some variety! Simply walking your dog daily won’t cut it! You might need to add agility, and/or rally obedience work, to exercise the mind as well. It might even require finding a herding class to allow your dog’s more primal needs to come to the surface! If, as an owner, you are going be unable to exercise your dog on any given week, maybe you could add 3 days a week of doggy day care, which will also help with socialization! The point here is, there is no one “magic bullet”, but we do know that what you are doing now is not enough! Unless of course you are a dog junky or trainer, and are reading this blog, nodding your head in agreement because you have a dog whose pressure regulator is in tip-top condition! :)
So what do you do now? I cannot believe I am saying this, but calling a dog trainer is not the 1st step! You need to take a serious look in the mirror and ask yourself, am I giving my dog all the exercise and mental stimulation needed to make him happy and balanced? I would guess if you are honest, the answer is no, and your first step to fixing the problem is staring back at you in the mirror…it’s you! Before calling a trainer to prescribe a “magic” dog training pill - get out and start living life with your dog and help them! Spend time with them and just be with them! If you are lucky, you just might solve your “problem behaviors” without having to call a dog trainer!
So you’ve determined Fido’s energy type and needs…what’s next? Well, you might need to call that trainer with step 2, for help with the retraining to find better outlets for the behavior to allow for a higher pressure limit in your dog’s hydraulic system! But calling a trainer before you actually take the time to exercise your dog is futile and expensive, since all we (the dog trainers) are going to do is charge you hard earned money to tell you to walk your dog more, take them to a dog park, enroll in a fun competition style class or challenge their mind with interactive toys or games. Doesn’t that sound just like what I shared with you in the above paragraphs, and for free??? Why, you ask, is this exercise piece so important? Because, without cutting the edge (decreasing their pressure) from the dog first, formal training or obedience will be essentially impossible!

I guess the take away here is…there is no magic pill or silver bullet when working with dogs or kids for that matter :)! There is only time and effort! You and your dog will bond better, love more and be better friends the sooner we get everyone on board with this idea! I leave you with two thoughts to chew on…

1. A Tired Dog Is A Good Dog!
2. Nothing good ever comes from less, only from effort!

As always…Keep it Simple Stupid, and please don’t forget to have some fun while you are at it! Wasn’t that why you got your dog in the first place??

New Blogs Coming!!!!!

2010-12-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

Hey guys and gals! I have not forgot about you! Been crazy around here with the launch of the new websites and the holiday season, but there are two new posts coming soon! One on "dogs who pull on the leash" and the other on how to look at "problem behaviors in dogs"! Should have a new article coming soon in Metro Pet Magazine, and just got word that the publishers of K9 meadia.net will be using some recent articles as well! I hope to have some new stuff out in a week or two! Remember you can always visit our FaceBook pages for Muttz "R" Us and Keep it Simple Stupid Dog Training for more fun and free tips on all things dog! If you have ideas for blog posts or questions regarding dogs and their behavior, just let us know!!!!

Thanks for the support

Mike

Learning Theory for a New Generation

2010-12-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

www.muttzrus.com
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID DOG TRAINING

Learning Theory for a New Generation
What I learned from Dr Dunbar at a weekend conference!

I spent three days sitting in a conference room listening to Dr. Ian Dunbar talk about dogs, training and learning theory; and somewhere during day three I had an epiphany! You see, I have a degree in psychology and always thought I really understood learning theory. But during this seminar, I started looking at learning theory in a different way. I am not sure if this was Dr. Dunbar’s intention, but it radically changed the way I look at the subject.
In college I learned several different premises under the auspices of “learning theory,” but each was taught individually as a “stand alone” idea. After hearing Dr Dunbar speak, I realized that the three major corner stone’s of learning are actually pieces of a much larger and complete way of looking at learning. I was originally looking at this based on how it would apply for dogs, but as I flesh this concept out, I think this will transcend dog training and help explain successful training for all! But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about the three cornerstones of learning theory and their “fathers.” Thorndike, addressed do it right=reward, do it wrong=punishment or binary learning. Skinner (operant conditioning) covered the four quadrants of punishment and rewards. Pavlov (classical conditioning) champions learning through associations, either positive or negative!
Thorndike’s law of effect states: The law of effect principle developed by Edward Thorndike suggested that responses, closely followed by satisfaction, will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated. Conversely, if the situation is followed by discomfort, the connections to the situation will become weaker and the behavior of response is less likely to occur when the situation is repeated. In essence here, we are speaking of binary learning, learning that occurs through one of two choices and their eventual result…positive or negative, reward or punishment, black or white!
B.F. Skinner, whom many would say is the father of operant conditioning, provided us the following: Operant conditioning (sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning) is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. This association is where positive dog training has taken its lead from - the four quadrants; positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative reinforcement and negative punishment. To save time, I have included a link for the definitions of each HERE. Suffice it to say though; many who claim to be positive reinforcement trainers only rely on one of the four quadrants. Those who many consider to be “aversive” or positive punishment trainers again only rely on one of the four quadrants…albeit a different one! The other two quadrants, even though proven in the laboratory, are much less used methods in dog training, and care best described as torture/nagging (negative reinforcement) and the giving of a time out or being grounded (negative punishment).
Ivan Pavlov is credited by many as defining the key to classical conditioning and it is a technique used in behavioral training, especially in dog training. A naturally occurring stimulus is paired with a response. Then, a previously neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus. Eventually, the previously neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response without the presence of the naturally occurring stimulus. The two elements are then known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. The way I have always thought of this is to make associations either positive (reinforcing) or negative (scary or threatening) from a dog training perspective.
I do not want to get into which of these three is right or which is wrong. I would much rather look at them as a whole, realizing that each is simply a part of yet another larger and more complete theory on learning; where each existing and proven theory plays a vital role in the dog being able to learn and retain the knowledge! In many cases, the existing learning theories have brought dog training light years into the future; but because we are human, it has allowed us as trainers to segment and alienate certain parts of training as right or wrong! We have even allowed ourselves to demonize certain aspects of learning as cruel. If I learned anything in college, it was that you can prove anything with statistics and logic. So now we have a situation where dog training, which has made huge leaps in the last 25 years, has now bottlenecked to a standstill. This is because we are more interested in who is right, rather than what is the most comprehensive and best way for the dogs to learn!
If you look at any hot button argument in the world today there are always two sides, and the opposite ends of the spectrum are the loudest and most vocal for their respective sides! Remember that we were taught in statistics about something called the standard deviation (or bell) curve? It simply tells us that for any population, 12.5% will fall on each of the far ends of the population, but 75% will fall somewhere in the middle and out of the extremes. I really want to stress here that because of this right & wrong, black & white, positive & negative perspective that has been at the forefront of dog training of late, we are now creating dogs that have very little reliability; and in the end don’t really know what we humans want or expect from them! With that being said, I firmly believe that the reality, the truth, the answer to reliability and more successful dog training(whatever you want to call it) falls in that 75%, the biggest section of the bell curve!
Dr. Dunbar, in his seminar, had a really unique 1-2-3-4 process for teaching dogs that moves them through the Cue (1), Lure (2), Behavior (3) and Reward (4). The uniqueness of this process is that, over time, you eliminate steps 2 and 4 leaving you only a cue and the behavior, as well as a dog that does not require lure or reward because they are working for life rewards or the positive feeling created just by giving the behaviors. The first thing you do is 1-2-3-4 which gets you the behavior. Then you will do 1-3-4 to teach and/or learn the behavior. Finally you will only have to do 1 and 3. Now you have a dog that is given the cue and responds to the behavior, all because of the process of learning! A real life example might be teaching a child to clean their room! Early on, the parent has to tell the child to clean the room (cue) and then show the child how to clean their room and offer some enticement (say an after-school snack) to get the ball rolling (lure)! The behavior is easy - cleaning their room, and the reward is - let’s say - an allowance. As time goes on, the parent most likely still has to tell the child to clean their room, but does not have to entice them to do it, because the allowance is sufficient to get the behavior! Fast forward many years and the child owns his/her own home. Guess what? If the house is dirty (cue) they clean it (behavior!) Why…the pride of seeing their own home clean (life reward!)
As you can see in the above example, by the time the child grows up and buys his/her own home, the behavior of cleaning has become reliable, right? Well, this is the main reason for coming up with the 1-2-3-4 method. Over the last 25 years, Dr Dunbar had noticed that training (while becoming much more kind and gentle) with such dependence on luring and rewarding, was actually killing the reliability of behaviors. While in the prior history of dog training, before positive reinforcement training, reliability might initially be stronger with the positive punishment methods, many of those dogs fell into learned helplessness due to the use of only those punishments. Remember the previous discussions on the extremes? Hopefully some of you are thinking HMMMMMMMMMMM? Once again, the answer lies with the words punishment and reward! By definition, punishment means anything that decreases the frequency of a behavior! Likewise, rewards are nothing more than something that increases the frequency of a behavior! If you decide to follow only one or the other, then here’s a little baseball analogy to put it in perspective…try to hit a fastball with only one half of a baseball bat! To me that sounds kind of like using your forehead to drive a nail, very painful and not very productive! This, in a matter of speaking, is the bottleneck I previously mentioned. Positive Reinforcement training relies too much on food (lures and rewards), creating dogs that will only work when they see or smell food. Positive Punishment training uses only punishment, ending up with dogs that just give up! There has to be a middle ground to direct us to the 75% or Promised Land, and there is!
As I sat there in the seminar listening to Dr Dunbar explain the 1-2-3-4 method to teaching; it made me, as a psychology major, attempt to figure out where this idea would fit in learning theory. Then it dawned on me that it not only did not fit into my own mental constructs’ of learning theory it actually redefined it! It was like a splash of cold water in my face when I realized that using only one of the learning theories was now no longer an option. The time of considering yourself classical, operant or a disciple of Thorndike was really not possible. But maybe, just maybe, combining them could be the answer. What if each of them was just a different way of describing the 1-2-3-4 method all of which should be taken into consideration when training?
Not to make light of Thorndike or the law of effect, but his theory is the broad, base of learning that we all understand at some intrinsic level. Let’s consider it to be the bottom layer, or foundation of a pyramid. We know that all decisions we make, we do out of some sense of survival…gaining pleasure or avoiding pain! In other words, things we like - we do more often and those we dislike - we do less often, if at all. But where do we go from there? Next up we have Skinner and operant conditioning where we are using a reward to teach a behavior. Finally we come to Pavlov and Classical Conditioning to associate the behavior with something positive. Well according to the 1-2-3-4 method we first ask for or name (cue) the behavior (let’s use “Sit”.) Then we lure a behavior to teach the dog the “how- to” of the behavior (for a sit we take a treat and move it over the top of the dog toward the tail…till the butt hits the ground (behavior)!) We then say thank you and give a treat (reward). Over time, the act of sitting on command becomes the reward itself because of the associations of the treat we have used in the past, as well as the “thank you”, other praise and pets. The key to this learning is to make sure not to pigeon hole yourself into one style, thought or aspect of learning theory. It’s best to incorporate them all into a simple and easy to understand idea that everyone can understand! 1-2-3-4 anyone! The goal of any training: people, dogs, goats or monkeys; is to get the behavior you want, when you ask for it, without a lure or a reward. For those parents with kids getting an allowance, I am sure none of you expect to be paying out when they are 40 do you???
So while I sat and listened (at least most of the time, when I wasn’t frantically scribbling notes), I figured out how to make learning theory fit inside in my own head. But once I got home and re-read my notes, I realized there was an even easier way to explain Dr. Dunbar’s 1-2-3-4 method and to convince/explain to people that by fading out steps 2 and 4 (lure and reward) we could once again revolutionize dog training.
The biggest difference between operant and classical conditioning is position in the world and perception! The order they follow is also incredibly important. We now know that to be reliable, you can’t only use one of these; so which came first - the chicken or the egg? As we discussed earlier, the emergence of positive reinforcement and positive punishment training both jump started dog training as well as bringing it to a screeching halt; but it alone is not the problem! We have fallen into our pit of success! We found out 25 years ago that using rewards (food) was a much more productive way to getting behaviors quickly than the status quo of training using aversive methods that came home with soldiers after World War II. But what we did not realize was that we, humans, always ruin a good thing! We got so caught up in food training and changing the mindset of training from negative to positive that we did not even see the writing on the wall. We have been creating treat addicts for the last 25 years! On top of that, we did not even notice that while we were busy changing the world, dogs were becoming less dependable, and in the end more interested in the lure than they were in the behaviors we were teaching! Why you ask? Well, because we forgot to reward our dogs and got into the habit of only luring our four legged friends! We started a generation of politician dogs that were not interested in the end game “reward” and were only interested in the “quick fix” lure. Does this sound familiar, “Nope, not gonna do it, cause I don’t see the pay off”? I really hate to admit it, but all that the kindness and the human aspect positive reinforcement brought to the table was, in the end, the downfall of reliability and expectation in dog training we all experience every day! Ok, so the sky is falling, what do we do now?
Dr Dunbar nailed it with the 1-2-3-4 method he introduced at the seminar in Kansas City I attended, and in this case it was not what he added, but what he subtracted! We must fade out the lure and the reward as quickly as possible so that in the end we end up with a dog that receives a cue and gives a behavior of his/her own accord! That in itself sounds pretty positive doesn’t it? I am honestly ashamed I did not make this connection myself! In the end, you still need both operant and classical conditioning! I am just of the opinion that our definitions have been slightly out of whack! Let me explain…
The keys to the 1-2-3-4 method are steps 2 and 4, the lure and reward! If we continue as we always have we will never fade either out and have dogs that just wait to see the treat before giving the behavior that we are asking for (cue)! All we have to do is change our perception of lures/bribes vs. rewards/motivation! Do we work harder (over time) for a boss that gives us more money or for the boss that gives credence to our work? Do people or dogs for that matter find money or praise more important? I say it is how life and those around us have raised us. If you ask me, step 2, the lure, is 100% operant conditioning and step 4, the reward, is one of two things, depending on whether you did it wrong or right! If you have been bribing your dog, the lure becomes the reward and then they become the same thing! These are the dogs we have all seen, that refuse to work unless a treat is available! Not fading the lure makes the reward a bribe! If, on the other hand, the lure goes away and the behavior is insisted upon before the reward, the integrity of the reward is still valid! Don’t get too excited, just because the lure is gone you still run the risk of the reward not living up the demands of the behavior expected! Have you, or anyone you know ever quit a job out of dissatisfaction or frustration only to be offered more money to stay? In the end it was not the wage (reward) that made you decide quit the job it was you realizing that no amount of reward (money) was worth staying. This brings us back to the idea of reliability! Reliability is not something that is bought with money or reward; it is something you choose to do internally. Some call it pride, others self worth, but in the end it comes from within! What an epiphany! Thorndike gives us the parameters in which to learn, operant conditioning gives us the lure to keep interested, but classical conditioning is what builds the associations that create rock solid reliability that make us choose to do what we are asked! Put in the simplest terms I can think of… operant conditioning relates to the lures and rewards that come from an external source and can get the ball rolling, but classical conditioning refers to the associations that come from within that make us choose to do requested behaviors! In the end, life rewards will and should always beat out lures and food! Learning Theory models going forward must delve into how they work as a unit for success not how they work individually to fail! Who would have thought learning theory would be as simple as 1-2-3-4?

Dog-Runs Are Not For Long Term Confinement!

2010-11-27T17:28:00.000-06:00

As trainers, and parents of 7 and 10 year old kids, we learn about dogs and kids from their behavior by living life and learning from our mistakes! Today was no exception!!! My sons learned a valuable lesson this morning; and two of my dogs are licking their respective wounds…
This morning, like any other morning, my sons were doing their chores, taking the dogs outside to potty, getting Kongs ready for breakfast, and then the mistake…instead of bringing them in to eat, they decided to do kids stuff and forgot about feeding the dogs! My wife was working on the computer and I had run to the kennel to get some MRU Training product. You know life in action! Now, having the dogs together is not necessarily a bad thing, but as with life - the unexpected always occurs! Remember Murphy’s Law!
Turns out, two of our neighbor’s dogs got loose and guess where they headed…Right up to our dog run! If you weren’t already aware, when dogs get over-stimulated, they will sometimes lash out at whatever is closest…Walla - Penny our smallest (but in her mind, mightiest) lashed out at Lexi (our lab mix) and well…let’s say Lexi did not take this insolence kindly! Next thing you know, I have one dog with a puncture on the leg and the other with a small laceration on her shoulder. Now, in terms of a dog fight, this would not be a considered a “really bad” dog fight, but it was still a very stressful situation for both the family and the dogs. What this does point out is a huge buga-boo about dogs owners that drives me nuts! Leaving dogs alone outside (in a run or backyard) for prolonged periods of time!
Let’s face it, dogs are social animals and they love being around us. By the way, they deserve no less. If you have a dog, or are planning on getting a dog, and are thinking about leaving them by themselves outside all day while you are at work or solely for your convenience, then a dog might not be the pet for you!!! They require your time and attention…period! Do you think my kids expected the neighbor’s dogs to get loose and then to be the catalyst to a dog fight? Of course they didn’t. But as most of us have already learned - life (or the other four letter word) happens! Just like kids…dogs left unattended will result in something bad eventually! Not to mention, if we keep dogs with us and around us, WE control the situation! We can choose what behavior to reward and what behavior to correct or coach. Far too many people just deposit their dogs in dog run or back yard, leaving them to their own devices, and then act shocked when something bad happens! In my case, the entire situation came to fruition in under an hour!
Am I mad at my sons? Of course not, they did not mean for the fight to happen, but unintentionally put an unforeseen chain of events in motion without realizing it! Today was what many trainers refer to as a “teachable moment”! I sat down and let them know that the responsibility of owning dogs does not end when we want to listen to an IPod or play the Wii; it is a full time job! In the end, the dogs are OK (even if a little sore) and my wife and my stress levels are coming back down to normal, and all involved have learned to be more aware. The key to dog training, heck life in general, is to learn from mistakes and move on! So take heed…use my mistake to look at your own situation and adjust for success! I guess in the end, situations like this explain why I chose the name Keep it Simple Stupid for my dog training business! :)

Sorry Its been so long....

2010-11-27T09:15:00.000-06:00

Wow, it has been over a month since my last post! Well I can tell you its good to be back! We have been in the process creating new websites for both Muttz R Us and Keep It Simple Stupid Dog Training, and I am proud to announce that they are both done! We split the companies into two distinct websites and now even have an e-commerce site for MRU so our customers can order online with out having to call us! Well I am sure every one is enjoying the Holiday weekend so I will say goodbye till next time!!! If you want to take a look at the sites the links are below!

Muttz "R" Us

Keep it Simple Stupid Dog Training

Petting Party Part 3: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??? HOW TO CONVINCE FIDO TO LOVE HOUSE GUESTS…THE RIGHT WAY!!

2010-10-29T13:07:00.000-05:00

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This blog post will discuss the differences between puppies and older dogs when you are hosting a petting party.

If you are dealing with a puppy at this stage (between 8-18 weeks of age,) then the more people and interactions, the merrier! Invite everyone…kids, adults, older folks, people with beards, different races (other than your own), people with crutches, canes, or wheelchairs, and if you can find them, someone with purple hair would be great as well! The more diverse the crowd, the better socialized your dog will wind up! The trick is to assure a positive experience. It is important to remember that if you over stimulate your dog, creating fear and anxiety; you’ve just shot yourself in the foot! Start small (2-3 people) and based on how well it works for Fido, continue to add folks each week through the Superbowl, where you could have as many as 10 people! Remember that each dog is different…some love as many people as they can meet and others find 4-5 to be a little scary. Your job will be to observe Fido closely as you continue to add new and different guests, to ensure he is not getting fearful or showing signs of anxiety. This would be a great time to invite your dog trainer to your party…they can make sure that you are dealing in positive experiences for Fido. Now for the secret weapon…those folks who are not “regular visitors” to your home will get special treats to give to your dog (and these would not be those folks that you invite over every Sunday to watch the game.) These special treats can include canned chicken, any soft, chewy, tasty treat, or any other treat your dog just goes nuts for! I want the dog to realize that those people that are outside their normal daily associations are the best and that they also bring the best treats to the party! The reason why dogs react to those that are different than you is that to a dog, different is scary; and we want to make that association a positive one from the get go! Kids, whether you have any or not, always fall into this “different” category! The main reason for this is because kids are lower to the ground and can be perceived as more threatening to a dog than adults who are generally taller. Have you ever wondered why so many kids get bit in the face? It’s because they are directly in the line of fire…literally on the same level with all the things dogs covet. I want kids to hand out cheese, hot dogs or canned chicken (high value treats!) If we pull off the entire football season with kids taking part, then they are no longer threats but become “red carpet” guests that your dog will always love to be around!!! Puppies tend to be pretty easy to get comfortable with the door bell and visitors to your home, plus you have the added benefit of working on the socialization of young Fido! This is your chance to stop a bad behavior before it starts; prevention is paramount to all dog training! If people would take this advice to heart…I’d be out of a job!

Since folks aren’t following that advice, we next have to focus on dealing with an adolescent or adult dog (typically over 18 weeks of age, as they are becoming “dogs” and their jaws can do some damage) that is convinced that all people other than his pack are to be the main course; we have to handle it a little differently! We are going to ease Fido into the idea of this “football petting party.” The first week I will do everything the same, but only invite one other couple. The second week I might add a second couple (depending on how week 1 went) and a third couple in week three! I will wait until at least week 4 to start bringing in “different guests” and when kids are brought in (week 5 or later,) it is always under strict adult supervision! This is where it is extremely important to pick the correct parents as well as the kids! Don’t pick your niece and nephew to help if you know their Mom and Dad will “check out” the minute they see the little smokies on the kitchen table! You need parents that will be actively engaged in this process. The principle of these petting parties is the same, but if the dog does not like strangers, then you must tread lightly and slowly, so that the change in associations is truly worked into the dog’s subconscious! Any mistakes at this point will only allow the negative associations the dog already has to grow and bloom into the one thing no one wants…a “dangerous dog”. With that being said, this second example of the petting party should really be organized and managed with the help of a professional pet dog trainer, not only for the safety of the guests but for the dog’s mental health as well. Most novice people and some trainers will, at times, move too fast which causes undue stress…and that alone could end up in tragedy! Done correctly however, many dogs that don’t like strangers will become “social butterflies” by the time the play offs start!

The goal is to give those folks whose dogs have problems a chance to fix them, work as a team and have fun in the process. It’s also a call to arms to anyone with a puppy to realize that now is the time to seize the day and make sure we give our puppy every chance to be the dog we want and not the issue we could create!

Now go watch some football…but stay tuned. While you might think this is the most important thing you can teach your dog…it is really number two. The next blog will cover what dog trainers refer to as bite inhibition.

So as always, Keep It Simple Stupid and never forget to have some fun along the way!

Petting Party Part 2: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??? HOW TO CONVINCE FIDO TO LOVE HOUSE GUESTS…THE RIGHT WAY!!

2010-10-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

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Let’s go back in time a bit to one of our September blog posts…Petting Party Part 1. You’ve got your friends lined up, you know the schedule of the games you are watching…so what’s the game plan?

You are going to provide the beverages (adult and other) and each of your guests will be bringing pot luck, for whatever theme you decide! Just ask your guests to each bring an appetizer of some sort, and you are almost ready. Now, for the subterfuge! As with all classical conditioning, we need lots and lots of repetitions! Granted, 10 folks watching a football game would give you just that, but we need targeted repetitions that involve not only greeting guests in your house, but also repetitions that relate to the front door, the doorbell and even someone knocking on the door! So here is where we get sneaky! Remember how you are providing the beverages? The twist here is that you’re not going to put those drinks in the fridge, you’re going to put them in a great big cooler full of ice that you will place right out in the front yard! Why, you ask? Well, every time any of your guests need a beverage, they have to leave the house and reenter through the front door (and no…one person isn’t going to bring in drinks for everyone!) You figure even your conservative friends will have 3-6 drinks over a 3 hour football game (maybe even more if they are of the non-alcoholic kind!) Now, are you seeing how this party is going to work? (P.S. I would love to take credit for this idea, but it was Ian Dunbar (the puppy professor ) that I got it from!!! He even suggests that none of the bottles be twist tops, but require a bottle opener which you have “conveniently” hidden outside as well. You won’t inform the guests of this until they are already in the house the first time, causing them to exit and reenter again!!!)

I wish it was just that easy, but there are still some housekeeping items we need to go over, as well as getting Fido on board with the idea! There will also be two very different techniques to follow, depending on whether the dog in question is older and not (at this point) very welcoming to visitors or if we are dealing with a 10 week old puppy! Needless to say, not only do we have to explain the procedure to our guests (and what we are trying to accomplish) but we have to make it “idiot proof.” So, I need you to go get your car keys and head to the local office supply store and have a sign made (just a simple photo copy that’s laminated) that says “Entry into this house requires four things…1) ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door; 2) taking 3 treats out of the mail box; 3) entering the house; and 4) asking my dog for a sit, saying thank you, rewarding my dog and then reaching down to provide a pet or scratch on the head with the praise of “Good Dog”!!!” Yes that’s right, you will be using the mailbox to store the treats; and you guessed it, every time your friends go outside to get a beverage, they will have to repeat the process in its entirety. It is important to make sure that the friends you invite will abide by your rules…see post Petting Party Part 1 on how to select appropriate guests. By the end of the evening your dog is going to love hearing the sounds associated with people coming to visit you in your home (yes the doorbell or people knocking on the door!) In fact, you just might have a trained butler ready to correctly say hello by the end of the first night! But remember that all dogs react differently, so it might take several weeks of this “petting party” experience before Fido completely grasps the concept. It is also important to keep in mind that dogs will naturally bark at the sound of the doorbell or a knock on the door…we aren’t going to stop that, but we will minimize the dog’s excitement, decrease your embarrassment of having a “misbehaved” dog and increase your ability to socialize in your home! If you need more information on dealing with specific behaviors, see the earlier blog posts on barking dogs.

But, before we get this “party” started, remember how I said that you have to address puppies and older dogs differently? The next blog post will go into the explanation of what those differences are and why it’s important to know the distinction between the two age groups! Possession of your fingers may depend on it!

Update on Group Classes in Kansas City

2010-10-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

Just a heads up to all the folks in KC!!!! Keep it Simple Stupid Dog Training is now enrolling for group classes that start on November 1st, 2010, at Broadmore Kennels, located at 20614 W. 47th St, Shawnee, KS! We will be offering beginner classes at 5:30pm - 6:30pm and puppy classes from 7:00pm to 8:00pm Monday - Friday evenings. So give us a call at 913 269 7595 or call Broadmore Kennels to enroll directly at 913 441 5026! Below is a description of each of the classes and our unique pod/session format to the classes....

Group Sessions - Begin Nov 1st, 2010

•Puppy Class (8-18 weeks of age)
•Beginner Dog Class (18 weeks & older)

My Group Classes Are Different!

I teach classes in a pod format. What this means to you is never having to schedule a make-up class. Every Monday is level (pod) 1, every Tuesday is level (pod) 2 and so on. If you miss a week just come the following week on the day you missed. This also means that if you and/or Fido didn't quite "get it", you can retake that level (pod) before moving to the next level (pod) of the class. Both puppy & beginner have 5 levels (pods.)

Beginner Dog Class (18 weeks & older) - $199.00

In the case of the beginner class, the age requirement is 18 weeks; there is no upper age limit. What does this mean to you? If you take my beginner class, you have the opportunity to take each level up to four times for one enrollment fee. This gives you and Fido the ability to learn at your own pace and not be rushed through a pre-determined course schedule. This class is taught on-leash. How smart will your dog be at the end of up to 20 sessions of training versus your typical 8 week beginner class?

Puppy Class (8-18 weeks of age) - $199.00

My puppy class is taught in a much different format than you are used to seeing. I have borrowed principles from Dr. Ian Dunbar and have a truly off leash puppy class. That is why it is so important the puppies not exceed 18 weeks of age. Around 18 weeks of age, puppies become dogs (adolescents.) At this point, being off leash becomes more risk than reward. With this format, a person putting their puppy into class at 8 weeks, will be able to take each level (pod) up to 2 times (a total of 10 sessions.) However, the older the puppy is when they start the levels (pods), the fewer repeats of levels (pods) will be possible. As a consolation, all of my puppy students are given the opportunity to take the beginner class (upon completion of puppy) for a 50% reduced rate. This not only allows for continuing socialization, but polishing of commands, cues and techniques. The prerequisite to join this class is a puppy between 8-12 weeks. If your puppy is between 12-18 weeks, instructor approval will be required or Fido will be enrolled in the beginner class at the age of 18 weeks.

If you would like more information on the topics in the class, contact me and I will email you a glossary of terms covered. You can also visit my blog and get more information on what I am all about. And remember to Keep It Simple Stupid!

Petting Party Part 1: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??? HOW TO CONVINCE FIDO TO LOVE HOUSE GUESTS…THE RIGHT WAY!!

2010-09-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

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How would the guys in the audience like it if I told you how to get your wife or girlfriend to actually appreciate and even encourage you to watch every football game this season? Ladies, how would you like your husband or boyfriend to finally get off his duff and teach that damn dog to quit going nuts every time the doorbell sounds and, for that matter, to stop growling and/or jumping on your house guests? What would you say to the opportunity to actually do something together as a team, while enjoying good food, great company and being able to include the dog as well! This is no pipe dream, it’s a football (or pick your favorite sport) petting party. And the best part is, that all it’s going to cost you is some adult beverages, pop or other drinks and the time to invite people who enjoy football (and dogs…but more on that later!) By the end of the regular season you will have a much busier and enjoyable social life as well as a dog that can’t wait for the door bell to ring, and who no longer exhibits those habits you find so annoying!

If you have read my post My Dog Barks…What Can I Do? Park It Part 2…Wireless Door bell and practiced this technique, you might have been only partially satisfied with the results! Yes, the doorbell does not cue your dog to bark anymore, but maybe now you have Fido waiting for the door to open just so he can announce to the world “one more step and I will bite your leg off,” only to find your mother-in-law on the other side…(Stop laughing that is not funny) You may have even noticed that your dog will grumble for what seems an eternity or that you have to put him away for the safety of all concerned. Or maybe you have a dog that well, “loves too much,” and just assaults everyone who comes through the door by jumping up on them with love and affection! Either way, with some good, old, basic classical conditioning, combined with some football, beverages and a pot luck supper; we can fix the problem before the play offs even begin! How does that sound?

If the annoying behaviors listed above sound like those that you see at your house with your dog, trust me…I hate to bring this up again, you are once again reaping what you have sown! You did not do enough during the critical socialization period with your dog and that is why he goes DEFCON 4 whenever a stranger rings the door bell (or, for that matter, comes through the door.) So as always, I recommend you begin this technique when the dog is a puppy (8-18 weeks) for prevention, to keep the problem from ever occurring! But do not despair, this technique will also work with older dogs as long as you use a little caution and ensure appropriate friend selection prior to the exercise! Keep in mind that the reason your dog is freaking out is that people make him nervous, anxious, scared, territorial, excited, overly happy…pick any damn adjective you want; and we never taught him to associate house guests with rules or something positive! That is all about to change!

You and your spouse must now pick 10 close friends (no…they will not all show up week 1!!!) that can help you with this problem. Let’s set some guidelines for starters…your aunt who is still single at 48 and lives with 32 cats will not be a good selection. Neither is your best friend, her husband and their 8 kids under the age of 10…at least not during week 1’s game! We might introduce kids at week 4 or 5, but slowly…not 8 at once! I need you to pick friends who own dogs and also have lots of patience! Inform your friends of what is about to happen, and make sure they are the kind of friends that can follow directions! We don’t need that yahoo standing at the front door saying “Oh relax, I’m a dog person,” and trying to use his years of “TV Dog Training,” only to be rushed to the emergency room! You might even call your dog trainer or Veterinarian and ask them if they would be willing to help you. They will probably be glad to lend a hand, and they might even bring other dog people with them! Let’s face it he/she and their friends will be perfect! Ok, so you and I are hopefully on the same page and you have made your list, called your friends and are ready for SOME FOOTBALL! Now what?
Glad you asked, now for some party planning!!! The next blog post covers the logistics of your Football Petting Party.

Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday…Part 4!!!

2010-09-19T20:35:00.001-05:00

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The Third Technique…Make your dog work for their food!

So now we’ve made it to the last (at least on this topic) technique! We are feeding our dog(s) everyday using toys. We are even using part of our dog’s daily food ration to feed them by hand! We are paying close attention to make sure that all associations during meal time are positive, as well as making sure our dogs realize that feeding time is a PARTY and an opportunity for everyone to have fun! So, what else does this crazy dog trainer want us to do? Simple…this final part of the dog bowl aggression series is to make sure that our dogs actually work or show behaviors we want during the eating process! At this point, we switch from Pavlov to Skinner and are now dealing in the world of operant conditioning, where we reward those behaviors we want to see continue and increase. In other words, I choose the behaviors I want to reinforce…ignore the bad & reward the good. This isn’t just during meal time; it includes treat time as well. For me, I find it easiest to use the command sit and use it most often (see the blog Sit…Say Please), but there is no limit to where we can take this principle! When we walk up to our dog with their frozen Kong, we need to ask for a sit or a down! We can even ask for a shake or roll over. The key is before we share the food with our dog they must work for it! If I have a child bring a piece of cheese to my dog during dinner, I always have them ask for a down or maybe a shake depending on the child’s size! But keep in mind, with some dogs, just allowing a child to approach them and being happy to receive the surprise, could be considered work as well. Dogs that are never asked to work for a resource tend to view the resource as theirs and possibly as something to guard…so make ‘em work!
This technique has an infinite number of possibilities…going through doors, being allowed on beds or couches, problem barking and being appropriate meal times. Let’s take getting on the couch as an example...Some people don’t want their dogs on the couch and that’s OK, YOU set the house rules. But, I do let mine on the couch (when my wife is not around since she is a no dogs on the furniture person!), so let me explain to you how I make them work for that privilege!

1. The couch is mine and I decide whether to share it with my dogs!
2. My dogs must say please to get permission to get on the couch! and finally
3. They must be invited up on the couch.

Ok, so how does this play out in my living room? Let’s say I’m watching a Jayhawks basketball game, crashing on the couch and Lexie decides she wants to join me! The following must happen…she has to say please (come up to me and sit) and I then have to decide whether I want her on the couch. If I do, I invite her up and we watch the Jayhawks dismantle another team (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!) If not, I simply instruct her to lie down and reward her for accepting my choice! Keep in mind, if you are going to tell the dog “NO” and you are expecting the dog to live by that rule, they need to have something of equal (or greater) value to enjoy in lieu of the couch…i.e. a dog bed. If you do not provide such an alternative…what do you think will happen when you leave them alone in the house…couch anyone!?!?! If you have crate trained your dog from the beginning, this will probably not be an issue when you are away. Remember, a problem prevented is a habit that never begins.
What if she just hops up on the couch without being asked? Well, she is immediately told “off” with a disapproving tone and sent to her space (bed or crate) and ignored for a couple of minutes to let her know the decision was inappropriate! An important distinction here is that an increase in volume is not necessary, but your tone or inflection of voice is critical. Over time she has learned the rules and has no real problems with them. Don’t be misled; dogs, like kids, will occasionally test their parents. To be honest, how you deal with their mistakes will have a huge impact on their future decisions!
Hopefully you now have some ideas to help create the dog you have always wanted!!! But a word of caution, while these techniques can work for a dog that is aggressive around the food bowl, I don’t recommend trying them alone. Aggression is a tricky and sticky situation and should be dealt with; but with the help of an experienced positive reinforcement trainer! This is not only for your safety, but for the safety of the dog as well. That being said, the earlier we start teaching good behaviors, the less likely you will ever have to deal with these problems. But know that if you do have these problems, help is only a phone call away! My suggestion is to go through the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) to find a trainer in your area and remember to Keep it Simple Stupid, and don’t forget to have fun!

Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday…Part 3!!!

2010-09-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

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free dog training tips....

The Second Technique…Feed your dog from your hand (or by hand!)

So usually we look at feeding time as a hassle and waste this precious resource, then complain to our dog trainer (or anyone who will listen) that we just don’t have time to work with our dog…sound familiar!?!?! Well I am here to tell you (and hopefully teach you) that we have plenty of opportunities to work with our dogs! Based on the earlier post, we have hopefully given up on the “food bowl” and started using toys to feed our dogs! This should help positively impact high energy levels, problem solving, associations to negative stimuli, and understanding what is and is not appropriate for chewing. But now for technique number two…FEEDING YOUR DOG BY HAND!
Each morning I put each dog’s food (yes all four) in plastic storage bowls. 2 cups for Penny, 3 cups for Bear and Lexie, and 4 cups for Leo! I then load up the Kongs and put them in the freezer and the magic begins! I then take a handful of the remaining food from the bowls and begin to hand feed my dogs. Donovan and Dylan usually help with this! We go from dog to dog, and spend about 10-15 minutes hand feeding (while the Kongs are chilling in the freezer!) By doing this, I am killing three birds with one stone…I am building positive associations between my dogs and my kids, promoting that “warm fuzzy feeling” of the dogs being around the kids while they get their most important and fun resource and I’m also reinforcing the old adage “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” I have even been known to have people new to the house walk up to my dogs while they are eating and give them surprises! I have the strangers toss special treats to the dogs while they are enjoying their Kong. For example, I try to have kids give the best surprises (hotdogs, leftovers or canned chicken.) Adult friends of mine will give liver treats or whatever other treat I have laying around. I do this so that no matter who comes up to the dogs during feeding time, the dogs will always look up as the stranger approaches wondering what kind of surprise is coming, and not wondering “Oh my gosh are they taking my food?” Guess what, my dogs now actually love having people around them while they eat! Why, because people always bring gifts!
This technique can be used outside the house as well! After I have filled the Kongs for the day, I can then bag up the leftover food, in a Ziploc or treat bag, grab the leash and take this show on the road! Let’s face it, if you have read my blog you know I believe in walking your dogs daily! It not only works off excess energy, but also helps with training your dog in more distracting environments than your living room! Let’s face it…most of our dogs are great in the house but out in the great wide world, well that’s often a different story! So grab that food and head out the door (after they sit and say please for the leash and of course provide you a nice wait at the door!) The beauty of this technique is you can focus on almost anything! I can simply walk the dog and every 50 feet ask for a sit, maybe a down or even a watch me! And you all think you don’t have time to train…is it possible that you are not only wasting feeding time but the walk as well? You could find a nice park bench and just sit down and wait for dogs, kids, cars, skateboards or anything else that might trigger your dog, and use your leftover food to associate good times with that “evil Tony Hawk” wanna be that drives your dog crazy! Switch it up and just make sure that you are hand feeding your dog 10-15 minutes a day while working on whatever you learned that week from the crazy dog guy in class or on whatever drives Fido nuts! The simple truth to hand feeding is not only associating food (a positive) with everything possible, but to bond with your dog. I want you to stop reading for a moment and tell me what kind of relationship you would have with your dog if you had started this process the day the pup came home! Don’t lament too much, rather get out there and make up for lost time! I hope you are thinking I can’t wait to get the party started!!! But wait; there is still one more technique to add…Nothing in the world is free!!! This topic will be covered in the next blog post!

Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday…Part 2!!!

2010-09-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

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Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday…Part 2!!!

The last post gave you the skinny on the problem behaviors that food bowl aggression can lead to and why they happen. The next three posts will provide some options for ways to incorporate meal time into your dog’s training!
There are three basic techniques that you need to be familiar with as you work with Fido to eliminate the dog bowl aggression…
1) Use toys to feed your dogs
2) Feed your dogs from your hand
3) Have your dogs work for their food

So let’s take a look at each of these ways to use feeding time as a training tool!
The First Technique…Use toys to feed your dogs
As queried in an earlier blog post, why are we wasting feeding time and only giving the dog 60-90 seconds of unsupervised activity time from a bowl? (Thank you Dr. Dunbar!) Instead, we could use feeding times to teach, train and mold our furry four legged friends to use proper doggie manners! To get started, I suggest you feed your dogs at least twice a day (three if your schedule allows) and do not use a bowl. I want you to split up the feedings so the dog has their favorite point of the day (meal time) multiple times vs. only once. Toys will give your dogs more mental stimulation, thus helping to wear out the mind, which is much better than just letting them wolf down their food in 60-90 seconds which would leave them bored. (Remember idle hands…?) More importantly, toys make the dogs work for their food instead of just waiting for their human to fill the magic bowl!
It is important to remember classical conditioning at this point when you are feeding your dog (Pavlov anyone!) This is a great opportunity to build positive associations with food! Previously, we had just the 60-90 seconds to pair an association with dinner time, but as we use food dispensing toys, we might have upwards of 10-15 minutes to make those same connections! You can even freeze the toys with food in them and gain additional time while you eat! What do I mean by associations and classical conditioning? Well, if my dog is aggressive around, let’s say kids, while eating; I want kids to be present around the dog while the dog is eating! I always take steps to ensure safety, but with kids, you have to be extra careful! A simple and easy safety measure is to tether the dog when feeding them (remember to use a toy) and simply having the child in the room with the dog (but NOT sitting right next to him!) Tethering is also effective when you have multiple dog households, dogs that don’t really like each other or even with cats. Through use of toys as the means to deliver the food, you are positively reinforcing the association of chewing on toys as an appropriate behavior (rather than chewing on the couch, pillow, shoe, etc…!!!)
The goal is to create a subconscious mindset in your dog that all the good things in the world (food) happen when this stimulus that makes me nervous (child) is around. Please remember that this is not going to make your dog think “I love kids” just because they are around during meal times; but it is more like that warm fuzzy feeling those of us who love coffee get when we walk into a Starbucks. We associate the smell of coffee with a sense of well being!
Once again I want to stress that this does work with dogs with problems, but it is not a quick fix! I find that if I can teach people to use these techniques from puppyhood, these problems will rarely occur. So to those of you that have dogs that already have food bowl aggression, it’s time to get busy; and for those of you who have a puppy…let’s get started young so that you can build a positive association at feeding time from the very beginning!
Now we have toys at feeding time working for us…so what’s next? What about making food even more important (as well as your status and relationship with your dog?) Why not feed your dog by hand?
See the next blog post Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday…Part 3!!! which focuses on the Second Technique – feeding your dog(s) from your hand (or by hand.)

Dog Bowl Aggression, and the Wonderful Resource We Waste Everyday!!!

2010-08-30T10:38:00.000-05:00

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I got an email from an old friend of mine about their young Great Dane pup who was showing some nasty habits around the food bowl. Turns out this dog would growl and snarl around the food bowl, and Tracy (friend) has three small kids! This story plays out every day throughout America, and whether you have kids or your dog is a Great Dane or even a Pekinese, it is a very serious issue! No one wants to deal with a social deviant with four legs!
What if I told you that in many cases we cause this behavior ourselves! The ironic part is that we create the problem each and every time we get or fill Rover’s bowl with food! This topic will require several blogs, but hold on and let’s get started by talking about how we feed our dogs and what can be done about that food bowl or resource guarding grumpiness!
First off, let’s take a look at how a dog in the wild would eat, and compare it to how we, as humans, usually feed our dogs. In the wild, a dog left to its own devices would spend roughly 18 hours each day looking for and eating its food. They are scavengers, hunters and opportunists. Since food is the most important resource they have, they would spend the majority of their time getting it. Now let’s look at how we as humans do it! It’s 7:30am and you are running late; the kids need to be at school by 8:10; you have a conference call at 8:30; and…oh crap! Fido hasn’t been fed yet! You throw some food into a bowl and slap it on the ground, and Fido goes to it! 60 seconds later, Fido is done eating so you rush out the door and Fido is left to figure out what to do for the next 23 hours and 59 minutes!!!! If you are a “really good” dog owner you might repeat this process 2 to 3 times a day, using up to 2 or 3 total minutes of Fido’s day relating to eating, but really, what does he do with his free time till his next meal?
How about…
• Eating the couch or some other fun piece of the house?
• Barking incessantly at squirrels (garnering complaints from the neighbors)?
• Peeing and pooping all over the house?
• Looking for, destroying and/or eating, underwear, socks, shoes or any other item that smells like their owner?

Do any of these sound familiar???
This list could go on forever, but suffice it to say that the way we feed our dogs leaves them with a lot of “free” time (see blog posts Why do dogs bark & what can be done about it? Parts 1 & 2). And as my mom always said “Idle hands are the devils play things”!!!
For the time being let’s get back to food bowl aggression, and how solving that behavior will circle back to fixing these other problem behaviors! In fact, by the end of this series of blogs, you will hopefully realize that by feeding differently you can positively affect all problem behaviors…with just a couple of changes in your dealings with Fido.
Okay, why would my loving dog all of a sudden become a social deviant around their food bowl? Well the simple answer is…we are taking a basic survival ritual (hunting, finding and finally eating their food) and making it last roughly a minute! Not to mention we are using a food bowl (inanimate object) to hold the resource they covet the most. And finally, we are not making them work for this resource! In essence, the frustration of only getting 60 seconds of time to eat, in a predetermined place and out of an inanimate object and not having to put in any effort to get the food, leads Fido to believe the bowl and whatever is in it is his property! Now, is it any wonder why Fido growls, snaps or gets grumpy around the food bowl? It is important to recognize that if Fido is behaving this way, you will really want to think twice about using some of the dominance theory you may have seen on TV last week! Hopefully you can see that yelling, slapping, touching or correcting a dog in this situation is probably not going to be effective, might even escalate the behavior and have you leaving this world with a few less fingers than you entered it with!
First off, if you are reading this and are saying “I don’t have that problem,” that’s great! But understand that it’s important to make sure you never do! The techniques I am going to share with you in the upcoming posts are for dogs on both ends of the spectrum…those with problems and those without; with the goal of making sure they never have the problem and maybe fixing a few other “unrelated” problems along the way! So, I really recommend starting these ideas with a puppy before the bad habits form, but since this topic is what to do when the problem is already present, let’s go ahead and get started and see what we can do about it!
The next two blogs will focus on the steps you can take to eliminate dog food/bowl aggression!

HEARTLAND POSITIVE DOG TRAINING ALLIANCE

2010-08-23T11:44:00.000-05:00

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INTRODUCTION TO A NEW CHAPTER IN KANSAS CITY DOG TRAINING!!!!!
HEARTLAND POSITIVE DOG TRAINING ALLIANCE
aka HEART!

A new group has been born right here in Kansas City where educating others about humane, effective, science based dog training is the goal. The brain child of Patty Homer, Skip Daiger & Kay Lampe, this group was created for like minded trainers, pet professionals and dog owners to meet, learn, discuss and collaborate on all things dog. A place where we can be part of the positive training revolution taking place in dog training today, and make a difference for not only the dogs of Kansas City but their owners as well.
One of the main tenants of positive training is what I like to call ignoring (or redirecting) the bad and rewarding the good. With that being said we are not here to put down any other trainer or ideas, but rather we are here to focus on improving the lives of our furry four legged friends. With quarterly educational opportunities and 2 membership levels (professional and supporting) we hope to change the dog training world by showing the results of our techniques and methods in hope of giving people alternatives to the traditional correction based approaches. As with any group we want to be diverse, but at the same time true to our core values. As a member of HEART all we ask is;
• Use the least aversive methods possible to mold, shape, teach and modify canine behavior
• Not using collars that offer a shock option or choke chains
• Using pinch or prong collars only as a last resort
• Never using corporal punishment, physical or verbal abuse
• Train through positive motivation, kindness, love and patience, not fear, pain or intimidation. Much the same way we raise our kids!
Anyone with different views is always welcome to attend HEART’S educational events, but membership is limited to professionals and dog owners who believe in the above statements. We understand there are many views on dog training; HEART’s focus is to promote positive training through education.
We will be promoting this group through trainers, veterinarians, dog boarding facilities and anyone else who wants to be a part of this organization. As we grow we hope to be able to draw local and national professionals to help educate the group, and others, on all things dog. We will also do our part in the community. We are in the process of introducing a free “ask a trainer” resource for the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, and sponsoring events such as Canine Good Citizens evaluations at local pet fund raisers!
In the end Heart is here to help spread the word about positive, scientific based training methods for both dogs and people. We believe with time and effort, our results are best for both, and through healthy dialog and education we can impact more change as a group that we can individually. With that being said please join us to bring a little more heart to dog training in the heartland.

Mike Deathe
Charter Member HEART

To join, request HEART’s newsletter or for more information about HEART please contact pattythepuppypro@gmail.com

Jumping up Part 2…..Ignore the Bad, Reward the Good – 15 Minute Ignore!

2010-08-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

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Now let’s look at the fourth way to deal with the jumping up problem, the one that most folks don’t remember or enforce, the only one that will address the issue of a dog that jumps up...IGNORE THE BAD BEHAVIOR! I don’t care how hard it might seem, you will not talk to, look at, or address the dog in any way while the bad behavior is happening! You will start by walking in the door and not looking at the dog. If they jump up on you, you will not touch the dog. Rather you will turn your back on the dog or preferably you will walk right by. Some dogs are over the top and will jump up on your back. In this case, you may have to leave the room and shut the door. Go in the kitchen; make yourself a glass of iced tea (or maybe an adult beverage – age consenting of course!). If the behavior continues, go into the bedroom and change clothes, and shut the door if necessary. The goal here is that until you get the behavior that you want, which should be a dog that is not jumping on you, you will not respond. By ignoring the behavior, you are withholding the reward which is your attention and this is where owners fail. Read on and I will explain how to start training your dog using the 15 minute ignore, rather than Fido training you!
The entire objective of the 15 minute ignore is to take back leadership in your own house! Hopefully I have convinced you that in many cases your dog has learned how to push your buttons and get exactly what he/she wants from their favorite human. Don’t feel bad, my wife points out to me on a regular basis that if I can see this in my dogs, why do I let my kids rope me into this scenario daily. So, you let dogs push your buttons and I let my 7 and 10 year old boys push mine! (That should make you feel better) The end result is the same, we allow ourselves to forget to ignore the bad and reward the good. I simply ask for 15 minutes max and we should be able to fix both the dogs and the kids!
Let’s think about our kids when they are young. We go through the store and do everything we can to avoid the candy aisle, but that one time we take a wrong turn and there we are. Our kids start asking for candy and we tell them no. Then our kids start yelling and screaming that they want the candy, throwing a fit right there in the store (haven’t we all been there at one time or another???) We are mortified as people start to stare. Here is the turning point…we can give in to stop the embarrassment and give them the candy, we can pick them up or take their hands and leave the store (without finishing the shopping) or we can ignore the behavior, continue down the aisle and complete the shopping, without reacting at all to the temper tantrum. Sound familiar? Read on…
We are back to not touching, talking or addressing the dog, in essence, you need to ignore them. Be ready though, Fido is not used to this insolence from his human and trust me, he will try every trick in the book to get you to flinch (much like your children.) Do not blink. Most dogs don’t even make it 15 minutes, at the 8-9 minute mark they get pissy and say “TO HECK WITH YOU” and sulk off in the corner and lay down with that huffing noise that only a disgruntled dog can make. Be careful and don’t get cocky because you are only half way there. You must now wait a couple of minutes and allow the dog to remain in a relaxed state. This is the moment you have been waiting for. NOW REWARD THE DOG FOR THE GOOD JOB OF BEING CALM!!!!! Go to the dog and lavish him with love. If you can pull this off for let’s say 4-5 weeks, you will have a dog that will not jump up on you when you walk in the door, because that behavior gets them nothing positive! Fido now realizes if he wants Mom or Dad’s attention, being calm will get him what he wants.
Now if your dog is already comfortable with the sit command and is regularly using sit to get what they want (remember post Sit - Say Please???) you may have something to incorporate into the 15 minute ignore, sitting down. If, after you have ignored the jumping up behavior, FIDO comes to you and sits on his own, you need to take advantage and reward that behavior. This means he has figured out that rather than behaving inappropriately, if he sits at your side, that is a suitable behavior rather than jumping up, so he gets your attention. Take advantage of this and lavish him with love. As time progresses, FIDO will begin to use sit, or he’ll go lay down, sooner upon your entry into the house and there will be fewer instances of the jumping up to greet you.
After all that, you can finally answer the question of who is training who… the right way! Remember…Keep It Simple Stupid! Ignore the Bad; Reward the Good, or if you’re really smart…Redirect the Bad; Reward the Good!

The Jumping Dog and the Usual Ways We Handle It - Reinforcing the Problem Behavior!

2010-08-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

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Let me paint you a picture! You walk through your door at the same time every day and WHAM! Fido puts both paws right in the middle of your chest and you end up on your butt on the floor! Before you know it, you have been given a bath in doggie kisses!! Now imagine this scenario playing itself out every day, not only to you, but to every person that walks through your door. Whether the dog is big or small, this reunion/welcome that plays itself out daily is both embarrassing and dangerous. Does this situation ring true in your house? How does it make you feel? Well, what I am about to tell you is not going to make you feel any better. You are getting the exact behavior from your dog that you have been asking for! Yes… you are the reason your dog acts this way every day. Now don’t shoot the messenger, just read on and let me explain.
There are four ways I have seen people deal with a jumping dog, and three of them positively reinforce the bad behavior of jumping. The fourth, unfortunately, is the one people don’t think of, and is the only way to eliminate this common problem behavior. Let’s look at the wrong answers first.
1. The pogo stick: This one seems to be very popular with the big dogs where they either look like a bucking bronco or jump up and put their front paws square in the middle of your chest. This behavior in big dogs is especially scary for visitors that are small, frail or already scared of dogs. Little dogs are notorious for the simultaneous bark (that sounds like they are going to eat you) and the jump up on the legs, scratching bare legs, ruining pantyhose in the process, which many times triggers a push or swat. So, small Fido comes running up and jumps up on us and we immediately push or swat the dog away, or large Fido plants his paws on our chest and we push or knee them away (the pogo stick.) Now let the games begin! Fido is thinking “awesome, man do I have my human trained well, see how fast I can get them to play this cool game!” They jump… you swat or push; they jump…you swat or knee…over and over and where it stops…Sorry, but I still get a kick out of watching the owners get madder and madder at the behavior while the dog is going “do it again, do it again!” Remember, I am laughing with you, not at you 
2. GET DOWN…STOP…OFF (translation to dog BARK, BARK, BARK): So, you’ve walked in the house and the dog jumps up on you and you start by saying “Get Down”, “Off” or “No”! The more Fido ignores these commands, the louder you say them! No offense folks, but this one fits all of us at some point or another…well mostly! Guys seem to be more programmed to yell and scream. I rarely see this one with the girls, but sometimes they lose it too. Please try to remember, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! So no matter how much you yell, scream or plead, all your dog hears is BARK, BARK, BARK. Fido is more that willing to join in, barking in excitement at the game, and before you know it, you the human, are having a wonderful conversation in dog! Once again, Fido is so proud of how quickly he has been able to train his human into this wonderful conversational game! Additionally, if the commands aren’t working, you might start to swat or push (pogo stick) and you are now encouraging two bad behaviors (jumping and barking!)
3. OH honey I missed you come give mommy some love: Okay girls, now it’s your turn. This one is usually all yours. It’s been a long day at work, the boss has been a jerk and there is Fido waiting at the door just for you. When you walk in, FIDO jumps up on you, and before you know it, you are on your knees giving your best friend a great big hug with kisses and all. Guys, don’t laugh, I have seen you do it too! You just wait until you think no one is looking. And with the little dogs, you are way more apt to pick FIDO up when he jumps up on you and also encourage visitors to pick him up when he is jumping up on them since “he just wants to love on you!” (Bentley… inside joke!) or at least that is what you think!!! Same as the other two though above, Fido can’t wait to tell his friends how quickly he figured out what buttons to push to get just the right behavior out of his human.
If you are thinking “oh crap” at this point, that’s good. The first step in fixing the issue is knowing what the problem is, so you are on track. You recognize the bad behavior. Now, what behavior are you looking for? You have to make a conscious decision on what you want your dog to do instead of jump on you – right? So, now it’s time to figure out how to address Fido’s behavior so that you are responding appropriately when he jumps up on you or your visitor!
Check out the next post… Ignore the Bad, Reward the Good – 15 Minute Ignore!

My dog barks...What can I do? Park it Part 2…Wireless Door bell (thank you mister Pavlov) using Park it along with the door bell.

2010-08-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

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Now that you have park it down and it is working during dinner and when new people enter the house, you are ready for the graduate school level of park it! Let me ask you a question, would you be interested in having your doorbell be the cue for Fido to park it? Think about it, when you say park it, the dog goes and lays down on his or her blanket or pillow, right? What if we add another cue, in this case a bell that would mean the same as the words park it! Sound too good to be true? Well it isn’t, read on and make Pavlov proud! Classical conditioning or Pavlovan psychology simply works off the idea of associations. We are going to do nothing but pair another association to the verbal cue “park it”. If this sounds a little fuzzy, go back and review my posts on terminology and it will clear right back up!
Needless to say, all we need is the new cue (doorbell) and the cue that already works (park it) and of course the behavior (lay on your bed). I know this is going to sound crazy, but I want you to go directly to Home Depot and buy a wireless (remote) door bell and head back to the house, ‘cause we are going to have some real fun! We are going to do what in dog training we call combining cues. We will teach Fido that the noise of your new wireless door bell means the same thing as the words park it. Why a wireless doorbell? Because you can cheat! Yeah I said it…CHEAT! Remember that when you combine cues, you must lead with the unknown cue (go review the post Training Terminology 2 - Cues) which is the nonverbal cue (the door bell ) and follow it immediately with the spoken cue park it. Over a period of time (probably 4-6 weeks of 15 minutes a day practice) you will have a dog that instead of charging the door barking when he hears the doorbell, he will go to his or her bed and wait for the next command!
This all seems pretty simple, but why you ask, the wireless door bell? Because I said you could CHEAT, it makes practice easier, and you can do it yourself. How? Keep it Simple Stupid! You can put the ringer in your pocket and have the door bell with you while you practice! And you don’t need your spouse, neighbor or kids to help with this one since you’ve got the remote ringer! Trust me, it works. All you are doing is basic behavior theory! As I said, Pavlov would be so proud.
If you really wrap your head around this idea, you can easily see how many problem behaviors can be fixed! We are always ready to let a trainer know what our dog is doing wrong (what we don’t like!) but spend very little time on what it is that we would rather do (what we would love to happen!) This is exactly the $64,000 question in dog training. What it is we want? Don’t waste time trying to get inside your dogs head, or asking the philosophical question “What is motivating my dog to behave this way?” Focus on just two things! What is the behavior I don’t like (what I want to go away) and what is the behavior I want to see (what I want to reinforce.) Do this and you will be on your way to becoming an incredible dog trainer, not to mention a wonderful dog owner! I’d like to mention at this point, this idea does not end with dogs; it works on kids, spouses and even the mean and nasty boss! You cannot change an existing behavior without knowing what different behavior it is that you would like to see! The next blog will take this idea into another common problem dog behavior...The dog that jumps all over you!!!!

The Barking Dog and Command "Enough"

2010-07-17T23:35:00.000-05:00

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Are you tired of having your dog bark for 15 minutes every time the door bell rings, or for any of the infinite number of other reasons dogs bark? Well so was I, and like any good dog trainer I took a step back and compared what the dog was doing to what I expected him to do and put together an action plan to get what I wanted (not what the dog wanted!) This action plan relied on the fact that the only way to change a behavior is to ignore the bad (unwanted behavior) and reward the good (new desired behavior.) What I came up with was a unique extension to the command “Watch Me”, which my dog already knew. I call this command Enough! If you haven’t read the blog post on the command “Watch Me”, I would suggest you take the time now before continuing through this post. The issue I noticed was that whenever the door bell went off so did my dog – exhibiting an unwanted behavior! I recognized the fact that dogs can’t focus on more than one activity or behavior at a time and I knew if I asked for a “Watch Me”, the dog would stop barking in order to pay attention to me! Just like kids, dogs can’t chew bubblegum and walk at the same time and you can use this to your advantage! I also understood that this request for a “Watch Me” would only give me a few seconds, so I had to reward the dog almost instantly when Fido looked up at me. But even in that short time-frame, a seed was planted that the teaching of the command Enough was possible!
This is how I got started…as the doorbell went off and the dog started barking, I would begin by negatively marking the behavior using the EGGGGGGH! noise (see terminology post on positive and negative markers) to interrupt the barking. I would follow immediately with a “Watch Me” command and reward the dog with a yummy treat. As the training continued, I would add time between the “Watch Me” and the treat (duration, yeah there is a post on that too, the 3 D’s!) As I built more and more time of non-barking after the ringing of the doorbell with “Watch Me”, I pulled a dirty trick on my dog!!! I switched the cue from “Watch Me” to Enough, and then would count to three before the dog got the reward! I know that three seconds doesn’t sound like much, but believe me, this gives you a way to let the dog know that you appreciate his or her bark and that you know that someone is at the door. The big difference is that you now have a way to turn off the bark…Enough! If you have read the post on the “3 D’s – The First Two”, you already understand how to take those glorious three seconds of silence and make them last well as long as you want. Simply take is slow and don’t forget to Keep It Simple Stupid!
Now you have your baseline behavior (3 seconds), and after you work for several days you will add two more seconds, practice for several days, add two more seconds, and so on. Remember, the dog will not receive the treat until the time is achieved without a bark! Before you know it, Fido understands that not barking is what is getting him the treat, and he will choose to not bark because he gets a reward, while barking gets him nothing (ignore the bad reward the good!)
Keep in mind that this technique can work in all examples of a barking dog. But remember that the more distracting the environment, the harder the command Enough will be to learn. For example, a dog barking at a squirrel in the back yard will probably not stop barking if we use the command Enough from the back door, and many times will not stop barking even if you are in the back yard with Fido. Since the distractions outdoors are so intense, I have found Enough to work way better inside the house than outside. But, as in all things, the more you practice, the more solid your command becomes. So, start in the house, then gradually move outside, knowing that distraction is the hardest thing to deal with and there will be setbacks. As parents we understand and avoid the candy aisle at Wal-Mart to keep from dealing with the whiney kids. In comparison, is it fair to relegate our dogs to the backyard for hours, with all of those wonderful distractions, and not have them bark? By simply managing your dog’s outside time, you can avoid the entire barking issue since you are not allowing the dog to learn the bad behavior. Otherwise you will be calling a dog trainer to help you unlearn a bad behavior that you in fact allowed.
So, is there an easy way to train this behavior? How does a wireless doorbell sound? It has the advantage of allowing you to practice during the day without having your neighbor, kids (though they’d love it!) or wife  standing outside ringing the door bell over and over. You have the button in your pocket where you can practice without the dog realizing it! Who would have thought a trip to Home Depot would have been so damn rewarding (yes, we work off rewards as well!)
See next blog on Wireless Doorbell and Park It Part 2 for more techniques on how to deal with a dog that barks at the ringing of the doorbell.

Why do dogs bark & what can be done about it? Part 2

2010-06-28T00:31:00.000-05:00

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So, now we have arrived at the other big reason dogs bark…exercise (or lack thereof). Let’s be honest, most of us do not give our dogs enough exercise, let alone mental stimulation (boredom anyone?) If you are not walking your dog at least an hour a day, at least six days a week, you are not even going to touch their energy level! And as we stated in an earlier post, we have jobs, spouses, kids, dinner and of course the boob tube to contend with, so what do we do?
Besides us walking our own dogs, which we should all be doing anyway since it’s good for us as well, we can use doggy day care or professional dog walkers! If you own a dog and cannot afford the 10-20 bucks a day for doggy day care or professional dog walker and if you don’t have the time to exercise the dog because of the hecticness of your life, I really need to ask the question “should you own a dog?” I know that is a cruel question, but it is not fair to relegate a social animal such as a dog to solitary confinement 18-20 hours a day! This is a question you and your family must answer on your own, but unfortunately not everyone should own a dog.
Sorry… off my soapbox and back to doggy day care. Facilities such as this will not only give your dog exercise, but will allow the dog to, well, be a dog! I am a big believer in the fact if dogs are not allowed to interact with their own kind (outside of the pack they have at home) they forget how to speak dog. Doggy day cares are a great way to keep them proficient at their native tongue, while properly socializing them. It also allows dogs to spend some quality time away from Mom and Dad, realizing that being away from the family is not a bad thing, but is actually fun! It can actually help prevent, and even help in some cases of separation anxiety! This being said, doggy day care will not be a good fit for every dog, and any reputable facility will tell you if you have an anti-social dog. Dogs, like people, have different personalities, just like some people don’t like being around other people, some dogs don’t like being around other dogs. (See later post on how to choose a good doggie day care/boarding facility!)
Now you are ready to experience a worn out dog. One of the first things I teach in my classes is “A tired dog is a good dog!” This alone, with some dogs, will have a marked difference on all sorts of problem behaviors, including barking. If not, you can at least work with the dog since their attention will be more focused because of the exercise and socialization from the doggy day care facility or the exercise from other sources. Think of it this way, we have a first grade class who does not get recess, and is given 2 pounds of chocolate to eat and Mt Dew to drink! Do you want to even try to teach them arithmetic? But say we have kids who get physical exercise with 2 recesses a day, socialization with Gym class and a healthy lunch, now how about arithmetic? I’m pretty sure I would choose the second group of kids!
So the next step is to get started with some cues/commands (now that we have the edge off with exercise) that can help you get barking, and even some other problem behaviors more under control. Think about it this way…our kids have had recess & now it’s time to learn our ABC’s.

Why do dogs bark & what can be done about it? Part 1

2010-06-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

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Excessive barking or nuisance barking is one of the most frequent issues I encounter as a trainer. The “why do dogs bark” question is easy (as you will see), but the “what can be done about it” is a lot more difficult. Dogs bark for a number of reasons including boredom, lack of exercise, protection of territory or even fear, not to mention that barking is a natural behavior for dogs. Humans (and their neighbors) have decided, albeit unfairly, that a barking dog is annoying. Unfortunately, in all of these cases, barking itself is rewarding, because it falls into the “feel good” category of helping the dog relieve stress or fear. How, you wonder? The act of barking actually releases what are known as endorphins, found in the brain, causing a feeling of increased well being. The exception to this rule is fearful or protective barking. The difference here is not only the reward of an increased feeling of well being but also that the perceived threat goes away either by intention (because Fido barked) or by accident (the UPS guy getting back in his truck and driving away). The “feel good” scenario helps explain why a dog that starts barking will sometimes continue nonstop. Since many scientists compare endorphins with opiates, it becomes very clear that convincing a dog that barking just once is trickier than we might have originally thought.
A big culprit most people never consider as a reason for barking is boredom! This, along with lack of exercise (covered in the next post), are what I believe are the two most common reasons people have dogs with barking issues. Think about it…if you were only allowed 2-3 hours a day to be part of the family, you would go a little stir crazy too! Many people with barking issues work full-time jobs (meaning out of the house 8-10 hours a day) while the dog is either in the back yard, left in the house, or crated alone. You get home and let the dog loose with the family. But by the time you cook dinner, get the kids bathed and of course sit in front of the boob tube for a couple of hours, it is time for bed. Guess what? The dog that didn’t get a walk or real interaction is once again left alone or crated, while you go to bed so you can get up and do it all again tomorrow! If this sounds even a little bit familiar, it’s no wonder our dogs require a little primal scream therapy to get through the day! (Keep in mind that some dogs will also bark to get attention, and there are a number of behaviors that are triggered by need for attention – all of which will be covered in a later blog post.)
Let’s start by debunking a huge myth right here and now…the backyard as appropriate exercise. If I had a dollar bill for every time I heard “My dog gets plenty of exercise, we have a huge backyard and he runs out there constantly,” I would be a very rich man and would be sitting on a beach in Key West right now and not writing this blog! Since there is no Margarita in my hand, I am here to tell you, outdoor time is good, but the backyard alone is by no means exercise. Think of it this way, have you ever been to a zoo? Have you noticed that some of the animals pace back and forth along the cage? (To be fair, many zoos are doing a much better job in regard to the size of the pens and access to items that provide mental stimulation.) What you need to understand is that the pacing is stress, not exercise or relaxation! Many dogs will become bored after they have thoroughly investigated their backyard (which takes all of 15 minutes, in some cases). Then they either choose barking or other destructive behaviors; chewing, digging and even fence running (sound kind of like the zoo example???) as a way to deal with the stress and boredom of being left alone in what they see as solitary confinement. Hint, hint… if your dog is a Houdini and jumps fences, then boredom is most likely your issue. Consider how many hours of alone time Fido is getting before blaming him for wanting to explore the greener grass outside of their “cage”!
Dogs are social animals and must be allowed to be such. Getting a dog and keeping them outside all of the time not only could be causing most of your problem behaviors, it is just plain cruel! They need to be around their pack! Ask a first grade teacher how their day goes when it is raining and the kids don’t get an outdoor recess. This example should shed some light on how too much pent-up energy can trigger barking or any problem behavior, for that matter.
The next blog post will focus on lack of exercise as a reason for barking, as well as what can be done. “Why do dogs bark & what can be done about it? Part 2”

Park It .... the advanced level of Go To Bed

2010-06-01T19:32:00.000-05:00

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Once you get Fido reliably going to bed on cue, we can now begin to work on Park It, a command that is very handy in dealing with problem behaviors such as barking, charging doors, begging at the dinner table and bothering new visitors to your home. This one might be a little more challenging than teaching go to bed, but the results will be far more advantageous! The goal here is to condition the dog that the snap of your fingers and a point to the location where you want your dog to park (your hand signal) and/or the words park it (your verbal cue) will tell the dog to go to a particular place and lie down and settle. The simplest way to think of park it is as an advanced level go to bed, and yes, the way you teach this command is somewhat similar to the method we used to teach go to bed. The technique will be a little different though. First and what is most difficult, you need to be able to snap you fingers  Now that we have that task down, we then begin by shaping this behavior. First pick a spot in the room where you spend the most time, the den or living room (the room with the boob tube in it!) Next, get a bed of some kind, it could be a blanket, a fancy bed from the pet mart, or if you are mean you can even pick just a spot on the floor. So we have a cue - snapping fingers, a location, now all we need is a way to get the dog on that spot! Enter the treats! First, call your dog to the location (snapping your fingers and pointing to the spot,) then lure the dog onto the spot with the treat and ask for a sit. As you are reading this you are probably thinking to yourself, he said the dog needed to be lying down and settled, didn’t he? Yes I did, and we will get there, but just as always it will take patience. Early on as I started training, I did lure the dog into a down and attempt to work on stay while they were in the park it. But I quickly found that because down is a submissive position for a dog (that will come in a future post) they constantly tried to get up and move because they were uncomfortable, or I, as the trainer, was not patient enough and moved training too fast (even a trainer needs to know when they screwed up ) So I found another way around the same problem! I simply asked for a sit and was patient this time, waiting for the dog to get tired during the stay and guess what, they laid down on their own.
Let me warn you now, don’t get in a hurry on this one. The distractions under which you will be working will make this command very hard to achieve with reliability. Think about it, you will use park it in situations such as dinner, new people and barking, so if you expect Fido to learn fast YOU WILL FAIL! Let me illustrate this with a story…When I started teaching my dogs park it, it was because the family was tired of having six eyes staring at us during dinner! Here’s the bad news, it took me six weeks to get them kinda reliable, let me repeat KINDA! I SPENT SIX WEEKS EATING, STANDING UP IN THE DOORWAY OF THE KITCHEN RE-PARKING MY DOGS EVERY 5 MINUTES! But then it was every 7 minutes then 9 and so on…I am happy to say that now my family can, for the most part, eat without interruptions, but there are still times where we have to do some reminding! This being said, remember to take it slow and build up to reliability. One final note on this command, do not use it on problem behaviors until the command is at least at an 80% reliability with at least 10 minutes of duration. We will cover how to use park it for specific problem behaviors in future posts.

Go To Bed

2010-05-24T07:25:00.000-05:00

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This post is about how to teach go to bed. If you have read my work, you know I believe in crate training, that is where go to bed comes in. It is a command that can be used to let your dog know it is time to go get in their crate. This is where I start! Park it comes later, once go to bed is reliable. Park it is teaching a secondary go to bed command. The difference is, when I say park it, the dog will go to a particular spot in the house and lay down on a bed, blanket or area of floor! In my house I say go to bed and the dogs scatter to their bedrooms and get ready for going to bed. However, when I say park it, keeping in mind that each of my four dogs has their own blanket in the living room, they settle there. I use this command while we eat, watch TV or just need to calm things down.
Why do I need these commands? Like most other commands, if used correctly, these two can be useful obedience commands, but more importantly, they can be used to eliminate problem behaviors. Let’s start with crate training. Crate training can help eliminate many slippery slopes, such as separation anxiety, clingy personalities, puppy and adolescent destruction and yes, even potty training issues (I cover this in great detail in What is Potty Training!) Many people feel that using a crate is in some way cruel or restrictive to a dog. But in reality, dogs are den animals…they prefer being in a close fitting enclosure, where they feel safe and not vulnerable. The people who feel that crates are cruel, tiny cages usually feel that way because the first night they had their puppy, he cried! The owner feels like the dog hates the crate, and the owner lets the dog out! So, what has the dog learned? If I cry, these new people come and get me! Anyone who has had small kids is most likely giggling or crying over the realization of what has been going on. Remember, like most things with dogs, they don’t speak English, and we don’t speak dog. When the dog was crying, it had nothing to do with the crate…it was all about the fact that they are social animals that want to be close to their pack. When we let them out of the crate when they whine, we are teaching them the crate is bad! Ironic ain’t it? So, if we focus on making the crate a positive environment, we eliminate the crying and the anxiety. Then guess what…we have a dog on its way to liking a crate.
So how do we make the crate a positive experience? This is where the crate training begins…all the other stuff was prerequisite info and laying the ground work. Let’s start with how we get the dog in the crate. The dog goes in the crate on their own; we do not put the dog in the crate! We can lure with treats, we can feed the dog in the crate, we can put Fido’s toys in the crate and then reward with treats when he goes in to get them. What we cannot do is force the dog into the crate, or do anything else that negatively affects Fido’s view of being in the crate. The real problem here is that we, as owners, are the reasons why our dogs like or dislike their crate. If we extrapolate this idea to training in general, we can make the leap that most problem behaviors we experience with dogs are generally due to our actions or reaction to them. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm?
So how we break this down, in regards to crate training, is to first focus on making Fido’s time in the crate as positive as possible. Next, combine the act of going in the crate with the verbal cue go to bed. It’s a really good idea to keep a treat jar on or near the crate to reward Fido when he goes into his crate when you use the cue go to bed…(for those of you that are thinking you’ll be giving Fido a treat forever, refer to the post, Will I have always have to use treats.) In no time at all, you will have a dog happily enjoying their own personal condo on cue! Remember that we can’t expect our dogs to go into the crate and stay there 8-10 hours on the first try. This is one of the biggest mistakes many folks make that gives the crate a negative association to Fido; remember to go slow. It is imperative that we follow the rule of 2 (See post on 3 D’s) and gradually build up the time the dog spends in the crate. If you don’t take your time acclimating your dog to the crate, it becomes your fault Fido doesn’t like his crate, not his.
Next we will focus on Park it – the advanced version of go to bed.

Watch Me....First and Foremost

2010-05-16T23:45:00.000-05:00

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Watch Me should be the first command people teach their dogs! Let’s face it, if you don’t have a dog’s attention, teaching them anything else is pretty much futile. This is exactly what watch me is! I want to teach a dog that, with either a hand signal or a verbal cue (watch me), FIDO will stop what he is doing and look me in the face and wait for the next command. Watch me can be used for a variety of reasons, but for me it’s the first step in stopping problem behaviors. Put simply, dogs rarely can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, so if Fido is engaging in a behavior I don’t like, the first thing I will do is ask for a watch me. For that split second when the dog stops the inappropriate behavior, I have, in essence, won the battle, but not the war! The war is teaching the dog an alternative behavior to replace the bad behavior. For example, if my dog is chewing on my prize pair of shoes, I will first negatively mark the behavior (make the EGGHH! noise), then ask for a watch me (to gain attention) and finally ask for a sit (alternative behavior) to take the place of the chewing of shoes. As many of you know, I truly believe that the smartest trait a dog trainer can have is the ability of IGNORING THE BAD AND REWARDING THE GOOD. This becomes the first tenet for winning the war of bad behavior, and watch me becomes the first line of defense for your campaign! So how do I teach my dog this wonderful little trick???
Start with a high value treat, and place it right on the end of your dog’s nose, but don’t let him have it yet. Once you have the dog’s attention, move your hand up towards your face. When your dog looks at you (at this point really looking at the treat) Click, (see my post on clickers – Training Terminology…What it All Means) and reward. As the dog becomes more comfortable looking up at your face, begin to shape your verbal and hand signals. I use my index finger pointing at my nose for my hand signal and simply say the words watch me as my verbal cue. As the dog builds stronger duration and distance capability (see post on the 3 D’s), you will be able to continue your work in more distracting environments. This command not only works on chewing on shoes, but can also be used for barking, jumping up, rushing the door and even aggression with dogs and people! In all situations watch me becomes your main way to refocus your dog’s attention from something you don’t like back to you, so that you can then ask for and build the habit of a behavior you do like.
Many times I hear “My dog does not want to look at my face.” Let’s face it, watch me can be a pretty strange idea to a dog. Think about it, what does it mean when two dogs lock eyes and don’t “blink”? That’s right, it’s a challenge; and some anxious, shy or I guess even aggressive and fearful dogs may not want to participate in this cue. Let me be clear…if you’re dealing with aggression I don’t recommend you trying this by yourself; call a trainer or behaviorist. Do not risk challenging an aggressive dog. That being said, the best time to teach watch me is as a puppy. The tabula rasa or blank slate will make this much easier. All commands and cues are easier to teach before bad habits start, and if all owners did this I would be out of a job, but business is still good. Don’t worry though, even an older dog or one with baggage can learn watch me. But let me warn you, it won’t be hard on the dog…but it may be more difficult for you! Let me clarify, it really isn’t harder, but it will require patience; and many dog owners seem to think patience and difficult are the same thing. Remember to relax and go slow. If the dog will only glance at you with the treat, start there, and work towards a more reliable watch me. It might take a lot of time, but trust me, it will be worth it. A quick hint on clickers…if your dog is scared of the clicking noise, don’t worry! Use a click style pen which is a much softer noise, and then gradually move to a clicker. And if you always have to use a pen, who cares? Chances are, you always have a pen with you so it’s an easy substitute.
So what have we learned?
• Watch me should be one of the first commands taught
• Simply getting your dog’s attention away from a bad behavior is the start to fixing that behavior
• Watch me is a great way to teach your dog to keep attention on you
• You cannot stop with the cue alone, you must replace the bad behavior with an alternate one. REMEMBER… IGNORE THE BAD AND REWARD THE GOOD.
• AS WITH ALL DOG TRAINING, GO SLOW, BE PATIENT AND RELAX. THIS COMMAND COULD BE THE CORNERSTONE TO YOU AND YOUR DOG HAVING A BETTER RELATIONSHIP!
The next topic will cover park it and go to bed.

The Three D’s – The “Big” One "DISTRACTION"

2010-05-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

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Now for the third “D”, the one that is typically the root of all evil when it comes to problem behaviors…DISTRACTION! As you can probably guess on your own, Distraction is the hardest issue for people who own dogs. Ironically, it is also the biggest challenge for parents, spouses, students, and the list goes on. So, why do we get so frustrated when dealing with our dogs? Typically it’s because we don’t properly know how to deal with the intense distractions our dogs encounter outside the home, which triggers frustration and lack of patience on our part. I try to get across to my students that most dogs I teach will be with their owner for at least the next 8-12 years, so you can hardly expect them to be trained in 8 weeks! It takes our kids 12 years just to “be ready” for college, let alone to be grown up enough to make all the right decisions. Do not fall into the mindset that any dog problem can be solved in only an hour (and that includes commercials!) I am here to tell you that training a dog does not take an hour, a week, or can it be accomplished through a beginner obedience class; it takes a lifetime! This relationship is why we adopt, rescue and save dogs (I hope!), so relax and enjoy it.

With distraction we can also use the “Rule of 2” (see post on “The 3 D’s The first 2”), but we will have to change the idea of using numeric intervals, because at its heart, Distraction is measured by the intensity of the Distraction, not the number of distractions. This alone should explain why a dog that is great at recall in the living room, runs for the hills right outside the front door. In this case, under a low level of Distraction (living room,) Fido does fine, but when we up the strength of Distraction (front yard) he fails miserably. Once again, teaching Distraction, like Duration and Distance, requires not only patience but the elimination of our frustration as well.

When I begin to teach Distraction control in my classes, one of my primary goals is to emphasize that dogs do not generalize when they are being trained. A dog who is a champ at fetch inside, might be totally clueless when we try the same behavior in the back yard. It is very important to understand that as we move through each level of Distraction we must do some re-teaching! Don’t worry though, each time you teach the same behavior, even in a new environment, it will come easier and faster with repetition; but we cannot expect a dog to carry his past lessons to the next level we are teaching without more opportunities for experience.

For example, if I am teaching recall, I start inside the house - the area they are most familiar with. Once the dog is reliable there, I move to the backyard - the next most known area. The next step is the front yard - this one will take longer and I use a long line to help ensure safety and success. To reinforce this behavior, I begin to work in city parks and then finally in off-leash dog parks (using a long-line at both locations for safety and ultimately success.) At the end of this process (and trust me…it won’t be mastered consistently for many months!) you will have a dog that has a reliable recall in most situations. This process of starting with less Distraction and moving to more Distraction should be an aha moment for most. If I had a dollar for every time I got the question “Why does Fido do this perfectly at home, but when he gets to class he forgets everything?” I’d be very wealthy! The simple answer to the question is that Fido has not forgotten anything! He just doesn’t know how to react with this new level of Distraction. Be patient and allow him to learn at a normal pace or, if possible, move to a less distracting environment (sometimes success requires taking a step backwards!)

I hope this last piece of information to finish the discussion on the “Three D’s” makes the path you are following as you train your dog more understandable. In the end, you should have more information, a lot more patience and be less frustrated with Fido the next time he does not “get it!”

What should you do if you find a stray dog…microchipping your pets is a must!

2010-05-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

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I am writing the blog on this topic because a good friend of mine, Mark Garcia, recently had to answer this question himself. As the founder of www.muttzrus.com and owner of Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) dog training, I felt this topic needed to be covered. I also want to offer a special “Thank You” to Mark for doing what every person in this situation should!

Mark was doing what many of us do every morning, going to Starbucks for his start of the day cup of coffee, when he noticed a small terrier mix running around the parking lot! This little dog was going in and out of traffic and running up to everyone he met, saying hi, and looking for help! As Mark headed in to get his coffee, another customer asked “what do you think we should do about this little guy?” After some discussion it was decided Mark could, while on his way to work, drop the little guy off at the police station! 

But on his way there, Mark had another thought, what if this dog was micro chipped? Mark knew that both of his dogs were…what if this little guy was, as well? Mark knew that taking the dog to the police station was a one way ticket to the pound and a sure fire hefty fine for the owners. So instead of dropping the dog off at the police station, Mark decided to go to the nearest veterinarian, Oxford Animal Hospital, 13433 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS 66213, and have the dog checked for a micro chip. Guess what, this little guy had one (his name is Benji), and in a matter of hours (with the help of the folks at Oxford Animal Hospital) Mark was talking to some very appreciative dog owners that not only had their dog back (without fines), but three very happy kids who thought they had lost their family friend forever! Dr Allison C. Bradshaw, D.V.M. stated, “Here at Oxford Animal Hospital we are strong advocates for the microchip system. About once a month we are able to return a lost pet to his/her owner. Collars and ID tags are very important, but are not permanent means of identification. Microchips are the only permanent means of identification that we have available, and they are very reasonably priced. They are easily placed with an injection and just take a few seconds! We always scan stray or found cats and dogs and have found pets, but many times owners forget to update their registry when they move, so this is important as well.”

There are two very important lessons to take from this story:

1. If you find a dog, don’t assume the animal shelter or police department is the best place to take a lost dog. And for those who just look on and keep driving, shame on you. Either of these choices just puts more pressure on an already stressed resource! Take the time to help out someone you have never met. A chilling fact to support this…the Humane Society estimates between 3-4 million pets are killed each year in shelters! If each person reading this does just what Mark did last week, think of the difference we could make!
2. MICROCHIP YOUR DOG!!!!! The cost here is minimal, at the high end, it will cost you around $40, and if you go to some of the local pet events in your area, I have seen them done for as little as $5 per dog.

So the moral of this story, treat others as you would hope they would treat you. Thanks to Mark’s decision to go a little out of his way and stop by a Veterinarian instead of the city pound or police station, Benji’s owners now have their dog back along with some very happy kids. I know that if they get the chance to do the same for someone else, they most certainly will. Thanks to the personal phone call from the owners, I know Mark would do it again! Now the big question…how many of you will go out and micro chip your dogs (if not done already), or will take the extra time to stop and pick up the next dog or cat you see and head to the nearest Veterinarian and most likely make someone’s day! I think Mark put it best when I asked him why he did it…“My main objective that morning was to reunite the dog with its family/owner. When I found out that the dog was micro-chipped I knew that reunion would take place before the day ended. Receiving the phone call from the owner showed their gratitude with thanks and praise for my actions, and that was all I needed. My last words were to pass it forward, meaning that if you encounter a similar situation make the next person happy and keep the cycle going.” I think we could all learn a lot from Mark, and owe him a big thank you for a good deed that we should all do as well!

The Three D’s – The First Two

2010-04-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

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In my opinion, there are three basic stages in teaching a dog anything. Whether you are teaching sit, down, watch me, stay or recall for that matter, you must learn, understand, and deal with the 3 D’s of dog training. They are Duration, Distance and Distraction, and no matter what you are teaching Fido, all three will figure in to how well your dog understands the task at hand and will determine your success or failure. Each “D” is important, and it is critical that you introduce each at the right time and order; please do not attempt to skip ahead for convenience (human translation: the owner’s frustration and lack of patience!)

The first and most basic stage is Duration, or how long a dog can hold a command or cue. Think of it this way, Duration is the “bricks and mortar” of all successful dog training. We all remember the story of the three little pigs and know that using the right foundation is critical to the durability of any given house (behavior); and training is no different. If you bypass the concept of Duration so that you can attempt to add Distance or Distraction to make your life easier, failure is almost certain - the house is blown down!

When I teach a puppy or beginner class, I start with the basic commands; watch me, sit, down and stay. Duration is very important to successful mastery of each of these commands. For solid Duration stays, I want my student standing right in front of the dog (no more than 2 feet away) and working on a duration stay only. This is, in essence, what duration is all about; being able to control the dog at a close distance. Not until the dog is able to reliably hold the cued position (30 to 45 seconds) do we move on to the second of the three D’s, Distance! And I don’t even attempt it in a Puppy or Beginner class; I wait and start my Intermediate classes with Distance.

Distance is exactly what it sounds like… being able to take our already reliable duration and add space between you and the dog! This sounds simple, but in my experience, people have a tendency to get in a hurry (too much, too fast) and then seem to always be playing catch up, with 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. Keep in mind that sometimes when a dog fails, you have to go back farther than where you were before the failure, actually netting zero or even negative progress, which fuels frustration! Distance in dog training requires two things…simplicity and patience! These traits (or lack thereof!) led me to name my training business Keep it Simple Stupid dog training; and if you read on, you will see why!

When teaching how to add Duration or Distance to a stay command, I always start with “The rule of 2.” This rule simply illustrates that it is easier to learn in small, steady increments, rather than jumping ahead in large or intermittent steps without yet being proficient at the beginning levels. This idea will work in all areas of dog training, but let’s focus on Distance. First, get a baseline. Let’s say the dog is rock solid with a 30 second duration stay at 2 feet. Why would I tempt the gods by jumping to a 5 or 6 foot distance next? Remember the comment on simplicity and patience? Here’s your next assignment! I want you to go from 2 feet to 4 feet and practice at that distance for at least 3 days! When your dog is rock solid at 4 feet, for at least 30 seconds, move to 6 feet and so on. The idea of training (dogs, monkeys, killer whales or even 4 year olds!) is to build on successes, not failures; for every success, you gain another 2 feet. While those who attempt too much too fast are going to fail and inevitably blame the dog for being “dense” as the reason for the failure (in this case we need to really ask, who is to blame for the failure?) This is where “Keep it Simple Stupid” comes in hard and heavy. Trust me, the “Rule of 2” works. Teach in increments of 2 and continue to practice till you succeed, then add two again. This concept also works very well with Duration, simply by adding 2 seconds each time you go to a new level.

The next post will focus on the biggest reason for problem behaviors…DISTRACTION!

Letter To the Editor: Readers Digest

2010-04-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

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In the April 2010 issue of Readers Digest, in the Ask Laskas section, Jeanne Marie Laskas gave some advice to the owners of a couple dogs with a barking problem! After reading the question and the responding advice it made me ponder why some dog training does not work…..

My wife and I have two dogs that we rescued from a shelter and love very much. They are well behaved, except that they bark at pretty much anything that moves. My next door neighbors, have never talked to us directly, but they’ve recently started to blow a loud whistle when the dogs bark and to yell at them to “shut up”-sometimes adding profanities. I’ve tried three different trainers all of whom tell me. “Dogs bark” We can’t afford to build a privacy fence or to move. Is it worth trying to talk to the neighbors? Their reactions have been so hostile that I am afraid to go over there

Advice: Dear Rescue,
Two words; bark collar. It’s safe and humane and follows the same training principle as the popular invisible fence. When the dog barks he hears a warning beep. If he continues barking, he gets a small “correction” in the form of an unpleasant jolt. (There’s also a collar with a citronella spray instead of a shock.) It takes only a few times before he gets the message. I live with four dogs and I would never recommend something harmful. We animal lovers need to be respectful of our neighbors. A constantly barking dog is like living next to a jackhammer. Do the responsible thing, for your dogs’ sake.

First, I am a dog trainer, second, I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and third, I do not know everything, but I have a different solution for the above question. I am not the kind of trainer that will say using a bark collar is a sin, but a bark collar as the first solution, is, in my opinion, a very premature option (whether it is safe and humane we will leave to someone else). Why did the first three trainers fail? Maybe because they went to the fastest & easiest (for them) harshest & most direct (for the dog) solution first; and when it did not work, they had no plan B. Too often, we are more interested in a “silver bullet” type solution than we are in finding out why the dogs are barking. I am not trying to call anyone out, but if you don’t know why a problem behavior is occurring, how can you assume to know what will fix the problem? In some cases (I believe rarely) a shock collar might work, but only if all other options are attempted first. Starting with a shock collar is much like bringing a nuclear weapon to a knife fight, effective but totally unnecessary! Let’s look at some possible reasons for excessive barking.

• Breed of the dog…A bark collar might not be a good solution for, let’s say, a beagle, a breed that was developed to have and need an excessive bark.
• Age of the dogs…If they are puppies and have yet to learn impulse control, is it really fair to put a bark collar on them?
• How many hours a day are the dogs stuck in the back yard? If the owners are leaving the dogs outside 12 hours a day with no stimulation, would a bark collar be a good choice?
• Amount of exercise…Let’s say the dogs spend 10 hours a day in a crate and another 10-12 hours in the back yard on a chain? Might the barking be a problem with the owners, not the dog?

Any of these reasons can be dealt with in a myriad of ways; from doggie daycare, to obedience to just daily walks to take the edge off the dogs. A dig box is a great way to give a bored dog an activity to enjoy during the day. There are even sonic devices that rely on high pitched noises as a correction for barking.

My point is that we cannot focus on the solution without knowing the problem. All of the above questions and scenarios needed to be reviewed before ever suggesting a solution to the problem. And even if the neighbors appear “hostile”, we were all taught that honesty is the best policy. I would assume that these neighbors, like most, would appreciate an update and upcoming action plan for how you are dealing with the problem. It would not surprise me if the three trainers that failed made the same and common mistake of trying to train away the symptom without knowing the disease. Remember, there is no such thing as a “silver bullet”…the only way to solve problem behaviors is to know what the triggers for those behaviors are, and then spending the appropriate time to find a cure.

Mike Deathe
Founder of MuttzRus.com and
Keep it Simple Stupid Dog Training

Will I Always Have to Use Treats?

2010-03-28T22:39:00.000-05:00

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This is a common question that rarely gets a complete answer, and to give you the best answer, this post will be a little heavy in terms and psycho-babble…I’ll apologize up front, but I have a BA in Psych from KU (Rock Chalk!) So, training in a positive reinforcement manner requires two things; a behavior that you want and a reward to maintain or reinforce that behavior. The problem is, many people think that rewarding a dog is synonymous with bribing them and once started, it will have to go on forever! This is an untrue statement (bordering on a lie) that is commonly used by those who want to punish or correct a behavior in order to gain control. It is my job in this post, and as a trainer, to convince anyone reading that using treats or rewards is the best and correct path to take; so let’s get right to it!

There are three things you can do to a behavior; reward it, punish it or ignore it. Let’s take the example of showing up to work on time (or not.) If I punish someone who does not show up on time, I become the bad guy and my employees learn to avoid (or hide from) me, or they only show up late when I am not around. If I ignore it, my employees see that nothing happens when they are late and learn they can continue with the behavior with no effect, good or bad. Finally, I can reward showing up on time with praise or a reward (a raise) and they will continue to replicate the behavior because it feels good. The reason for sharing this example is to show the futility in ignoring or punishing behavior…those responses do not necessarily reduce or eliminate a behavior over the long term. You may get some immediate change in the behavior, but no lasting effect. Unfortunately it breeds avoidance, indifference or lack of motivation. I think each of us have had a boss that fits this bill at one time or another.

So let’s get back to dog training. When I first begin teaching a behavior, I reward for every success. If I am teaching sit and the dog’s rump hits the ground, I follow up the behavior with a tasty treat. This is where most opponents to treat training start screaming “see, I told you they bribed the dog” or “my dog does what I tell them because I am in control” (sounds like that boss we were talking about, doesn’t it?) What those folks don’t see is that all good positive reinforcement trainers will begin to fade the reward as the dog becomes more reliable with the requested behavior; showing the reward doesn’t have to go on forever. Humans figured out long ago that if we continue to reward every time a behavior is given, the reward eventually loses its effectiveness. Think about Vegas. If you walked into a casino and saw a slot machine that paid out a dime for every nickel you put in, you would probably sit down and start playing! But if you found out that you could only put in one nickel per play, after a period of time the dime pay out would get old and boring. If, while feeding one nickel into your machine at a time, you notice the person next to you playing a quarter slot and all of a sudden their machine went nuts and started making noise and paid out 46 quarters, which one of these machines would you want to play? This is an example, simply, of what psychology refers to as continual vs. intermittent reward schedules.

How does this relate to dogs and training? Simple, when we first teach a behavior, we reward every success (continual). We continue this until a predetermined level is reached, then we switch to rewarding only randomly (intermittent). For me, this predetermined level is an 80% success rate. This means that when a dog is successfully performing a behavior 80% of the time I ask for it, I believe they know the material and are ready to move to “Vegas Style Training”. In other words, their rewards are ready to come randomly. This improves behavior because now you choose which version of behavior to reward. In other words, a slow “sit” would get nothing while a prompt “sit” would be rewarded!

So why 80% and how often will I have to reward…read on! 80% is a level that I picked based on my own personal experience (that you might all be able to relate to!) When I was a kid, if I got straight A’s (90% or above) my parents made a huge deal out of it, it was a PARTY!!! If I got all C’s or lower (>70%) it was not a pleasant night in the Deathe household. If I got all B’s (80%) nothing much was said because I knew the material, not well enough for a Party, but good enough to NOT get in the dog house. At 80% the dog is ready to move on to an intermittent reward schedule. So how much should you treat your dog once you move them to the intermittent reward schedule? I use a treat 20-30% of the time (2-3 treats per 10 correct responses). The magic is that once you have this level mastered at 80%, you replace treats with affection and life rewards for the dog. By this, I mean love and pets become the reward used in most cases for positive reinforcement. Even though my primary reward system for my dogs has moved to affection, I continue to use food treats periodically to keep interest and motivation going strong, and especially when I’m trying to reinforce a behavior or when I’m teaching a new trick! So I ask you…are using treats in dog training the right or wrong way to relate to your four legged friends? Only you can decide!

Sit Part 3…Signal & Cue!

2010-03-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

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Now you have to decide which verbal cue or hand signal you will be using for “sit”. As with all of my training, I focus on hand signals first! Remember, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! I simply modified the luring movement of my hand with the treat, to become my hand signal for “sit”. Imagine taking a treat between your thumb and index finger, palm facing down, and then flip your hand palm up. My hand moves about 12 to 18 inches upward from waist level to nearly shoulder height. If you have been consistent with using the lure and clicker, the addition of the hand signal should be very quick. So, is my hand signal the only one you can use? No, I am simply explaining the hand signal that I use. There are many out there and none are any better than the other. But you need to make sure that each signal you use is distinctive and not at all similar. If they are too close in similarity, it could cause real confusion for the dog. Imagine if your hand signal for sit is pointing down with your index finger and your hand signal for down is pointing down with an open hand. Not very different are they? Once you determine the hand signal you are using, you should spend at least a day working with the lure (treat) and clicker and several days thereafter solidifying the hand signal. Within the week, the hand signal should be working at least 70-75% of the time if you are practicing in a non-distracting environment. It would be foolish to expect this to work at, let’s say, a dog park this early in the training. The topic of distraction will be covered in a future post as well as “The 3 D’s” of dog training.

Notice that at this point there is still no verbal command…no “sit”! This is intentional. I don’t want to add a second cue until Fido is proficient with the hand signal. I always start out with a hand signal first because body language and body position are the easiest forms of communication for dogs to learn. Remember, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! It is important here to understand that until the first cue (hand signal) is successful at least 80% of the time, trying to combine or add another cue is not advisable. Let’s assume though, that Fido is now at or above the magic 80% level and we are ready to name this behavior! Now it doesn’t matter what we call this behavior because DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! I could call it “sit” or I could pay homage to one of my favorite musicians and call it “Margaritaville”. The word itself matters little to the dog; it is just easier on us to call it “sit”. So how do you do it? The key is knowing which cue to lead with, and trust me it is important. To combine cues, make sure to use the unknown cue first. Just say the word sit (or Margaritaville) right before you give the hand signal for the command and in no time the dog will “combine” the cues and learn that each means the same thing! Saying sit before the hand signal is the key. If you were to give the hand signal first and then say “sit”, the verbal cue would be ignored because it would become background noise, since the hand signal is the only thing that has meaning at this point. Think of a school crossing guard with the hand signal to stop and the stop sign (verbal command). Granted, they do not use a verbal signal to the cars, but the hand signal is the universal command for stop and the stop sign is a written translation of a verbal command. So, people first learn to stop with a hand signal, as dogs learn to sit with a hand signal. Later, people learn to read a sign indicating they need to stop (equivalent to a verbal command) just as Fido learns to recognize the word “sit”. In both cases over time, the cues are combined and end up meaning the same thing.

Continue to work with your dog, using treats, practicing both the hand signal and verbal command together until the dog reaches the 80% success mark. At that point, I recommend spending several weeks where you continue using treats, but practice the hand signal and verbal command separate from the other to make sure each is understood independently. When we can say Fido has each version of sit down pat, we will begin to do what is known as fading the reward. This idea will be covered in the next post; “Will I always have to use treats?”

Don’t forget to take the time to vote on the poll question….What topic do you want covered next?

Sit Part 2....How it's done and using a clicker!

2010-03-07T10:09:00.000-06:00

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OK, at this point you know that a polite “sit” is the way your dog asks for something or says please. Now for the big question, how do we teach sit? Well, we know that “sit” is when a dog puts his/her rump on the ground, right? So, let’s use a little bit of physics to help us get this behavior. Put simply, where the nose goes, the butt follows! I start with a basic luring technique. I hold a treat near the dog’s nose until Fido is interested in it, and then move my hand with the treat in it, back over the dog’s head towards the tail. You will notice that as the dog tries to follow the treat with their nose they fold into a sit so they can get to the treat! This sounds really simple and it is; but you have to consider the value of the reward and the speed in which you lure the dog with the treat! With a couple of tries and some patience you should be able to consistently lure the dog into the sit position! The mechanics are easy; the process is a little more complicated! When do I click? Do I say “sit”? When do I treat? Do I use a hand signal? The answer to all of these is yes, but the order is specific and important!

As you are luring the dog to this position you need to also be using the clicker! I know that some people are not fans of this device and debate its usefulness, but if you have been reading my blog at all, you know I am a big believer in these simple noise makers as a way to tell your dog they have done something correctly. To those who are new, see my post on terminology for explanation of positive markers. The idea of a clicker is to bridge the time period between performing the right behavior and getting the reward. The click will be used as a way to let the dog know that what they have done is correct, and that a treat or reward is on its way. So, as you lure the dog into a “sit”, make sure to click the moment Fido’s rump hits the floor, and follow with a tasty treat or toy, to let them know they got it right!

I need to mention at this point that a release word must also be worked into the picture. If not, you will find the dog releasing their “sit” at the sound of the clicker. Remember, the click is the positive mark (letting the dog know they have done something right); but how do we let the dog know it is OK to come out of the sit and get the treat? Enter the idea of a release word. The release word is used in conjunction with the positive mark (clicker). The idea here is the clicker tells the dog something correct has happened, and a treat is on the way, while the release word tells the dog the behavior is complete and now you can come get the treat or reward. So, after the rump hits the ground and you click, you will need to say the release word (all done is mine) then allow the dog to have the treat. As the dog becomes better at the command sit you will begin to add time between the click and the release word, which will start building time (duration of the command) or what we call stay (this concept will be covered in a later post.) As you go forward you will find that many dogs will begin to work just for the noise of the clicker! At this point, we not only have a dog that can be lured into a sit but one that is working for the positive mark of the click.

So now you’ve got “sit” mastered with the click, release word and treat. What is the next step? Check out the next post to learn the importance of timing as well as the difference between the hand signal and the verbal command. You’ll then determine if it is more important to speak human or dog!

SIT... Say Please

2010-02-20T18:52:00.000-06:00

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Have you ever wished your dog could say please? Wouldn’t this be an awesome way for our dogs to show their manners? Imagine having a command that required your dog not only to ask for something but also to show the proper energy level when asking, before receiving permission to get or do something!

Sit is something every dog does, but we rarely take advantage of that behavior. We should be using it for more than a simple obedience command. I’m not talking about a Sit with the body vibrating or the tail dusting the floor, basically out of control. I’m thinking of a Sit where the dog is focused on you and what you are offering. Sit is usually the first thing we ask our dog to learn, but we never really use it to achieve anything else. So, how can we use this basic command to teach our dogs manners? Simple, from this point forward, we are going to use Sit as a way for our dogs to say “please”. This command will become a condition for our dog to receive our okay as well as controlling Fido’s energy level during everyday life. Sit will now be used for specific reasons…for example; to identify who controls the food, where Fido sleeps, where he is allowed to be and how he asks for things! Up till now we have pleaded, cried, and even screamed at our dogs to get what we wanted. Some people resort to manhandling their dogs to get a behavior. As we have likely figured out, forcing our dogs to do something they don’t want to do rarely yields positive outcomes. Why not try getting our dog to present proper manners and appropriate energy to get what they want? I promise I will go into much greater detail on leadership and resource control in a future post, but for now let’s just start with, DOGS DON’T GET ANYTHING FOR FREE! In addition to giving us a wanted behavior, they must also present an appropriate energy level. Simply put, they must sit “say please” with the proper energy level before they get anything!

Unlike many trainers, I don’t like to use sit as my primary stay or duration command. I find that when a dog is asked to sit/stay for longer than 30 seconds, many simply get bored and lay down (can't say that I blame them!) I tend to use Down for duration stays (future post on Down) and Sit for “please.” So why use Sit for Please? It’s all about leadership!

You need to be seen as the leader in your home, but leadership with dogs is created through resource control not some of the CRAP (excuse my choice of words) you have either read, seen on TV or been told. It does not necessitate scruff shakes, alpha rolls, pinning down a dog or staring them down. What this means is that before they go outside, get their food, get their leash put on, get some pets/love, or even hop up on the couch with you, they must SIT, with the correct energy, and say please! To walk you through how it works, let’s take a look at feeding time in the Deathe household. But, before we start, answer this question… if I leave food out all the time and do not require the dog to work for his/ her meal, who owns the food resource? Yep, you got it, the dog! This is not an issue for all dog owners, but if there is confusion over who owns the food resource, snippy/snarky behavior around their food and/or food bowls, can be a result! So what do we do? I ask my dogs for a SIT before I place the bowl on the ground. After setting it down, I cue the dog to wait (see blog on Wait vs. Leave It) and then release (all done) the dog to eat his meal. Fido has worked for his meal and has shown the proper energy level needed to be released to receive it. If feeding time is done correctly, your dog makes the connection that you, not him, control the food resource in this family. Where do you think the phrase “Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You” comes from? As time goes by, you will notice that Fido will offer this “please” (sit) command without being asked. This is basic Psychology…the cue becomes conditioned as a way for the dog to get the desired response (we get the manners and they get their reward.) I’ve taken this one step further by having my sons Donovan and Dylan do the daily feeding with the dogs. I do this because I feel the food resource is the easiest for a child to control. Let me be clear, at no time do I recommend a child be left alone with dogs! I oversee the process while my sons actually do the feeding. It is a great way to for me to bond with my kids and it’s also a way my sons can bond with the dogs. This is just one example of using Sit to control manners and energy levels. Here are some other times saying “Please” can be used.
• Getting the leash put on
• Going in and out a door
• The proper greet (upcoming post)
• Being allowed on a couch or Bed
• Getting pets/love

I am sure that as you begin this technique you will continue to find more everyday examples of how this can help you keep the family unit in the right order. Keep it up and don’t give in to your dog, otherwise you might have to ask yourself “Who is Training Who?” In the next post, I will specifically go over how to teach the Sit command both with hand signals and verbal cues. I will also talk about where and how to use the clicker, release word and treats.

Training Terminology 3 - Release Word (s)

2010-02-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

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We know how to tell our dogs what we want them to do (see Training Terminology 2 – Cues.) So how do we let our dog know when we (and they) are done? This is one of the most forgotten parts in dog training, but if you ask me it is very important! We must use a release word. Trainers must have a sound or word (or maybe even a hand signal) that tells our dog they are done working. I simply use the words “all done.” Some popular choices are “well done”, “go play”, “free dog” and “release”. Heck, I don’t care if you say Pavlov as long you are consistent with it. Remember, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! I will warn you not to use words like “OK” or “Good Dog” as your release word and here is why! Let’s say you are in a big box pet store buying dog food (40 pound size) you have your dog on a leash in one hand and the other has the bag of food. You get to the register and put your very well behaved dog in a down stay so you can swipe your card and sign the receipt…enter stage left, your neighbor comes in and says “Fido what a Good Dog!” Guess what, your very well behaved dog was just released and now is running head long into the parking lot to say hello to the world. Obviously this situation is not funny and, in fact, it is potentially life threatening for your dog. With that in mind, let’s agree that it is better to have a somewhat unique release word(s) instead of a common word or phrase. Heck, come up with a nonsense word if you want. I have a friend who is a huge Jimmy Buffet fan and she uses “Parrot Head” as her release words. Have fun with it!

So, once you have decided what you are going to use for your release word(s), how do you teach your dog that they are done working when you say it? It is important that you get in the habit of using your release word(s) when your dog is done working. Again, consistency is essential. This really is not that complicated. Simply put, the dog is not offered the reward immediately after doing the requested behavior, but is offered the treat when the release word is spoken. This lets them know the requested behavior is complete and now they will get their reward. This will help improve your dog’s impulse control and be a big step in building a solid stay cue (more info to come in the blog post on stay.)

It is extremely important to keep in mind that when you first teach the basic commands (watch me, sit, down and stay) do not make the time between the requested behavior and the release very long as this could confuse the dog. As a general rule, when starting training with a dog, the faster the time between the dog completing the behavior and you giving the reward the better. As the dog masters the commands, we can begin to add the release words, incorporating duration into our dog’s repertoire. (See future posts on the 3-D’s; Duration, Distance, Distraction.)

One very important piece of advice to remember…if you are using clicker training (which I strongly recommend) make sure to click as your positive marker only!! The click must happen immediately after the requested behavior occurs to tell the dog what they did was correct. This not only marks the dog for doing well, but becomes an intermediary signal to the dog before the release word and the reward. Some novices will click the moment the rump hits the ground, and then reward…so what is the release? The click, in this case, became both marker and release. If that happens, it will make distance stays really tough in the not so distant future. The marker (click) and release (word or phrase) need to be distinctly different and separated by time (duration) so they become separate commands. If we look at the command “sit”, the order of events should be…rump hitting the ground, click (which tells the dog what they did was right), the release (command finished) then rewarding the dog (good job Fido!)

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Training Terminology 2 - Cues

2010-02-06T19:28:00.000-06:00

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Okay, we know how to tell our dogs what they have done right and what they have done wrong. Remember the last blog post…positive and negative markers? So now have to address how we tell our dogs to do something (cues).

For me they fall into two basic categories, verbal cues and hand signals. A cue is nothing more than how we ask a dog to do something. For example, I can ask Fido to put his rump on the ground by saying the word sit, or by flipping my hand upward, palm up (my hand signal for sit.) Both, if taught, will work. So is one better than the other?

I don’t really think so, but I do think that you must first start by teaching hand cues or signals when training a dog to do something. Just so there is no confusion, the words cue, command and signals are all synonymous in dog training, they mean the same thing. I don’t care to argue subtleties or word meanings here; suffice it to say they all mean the same thing. So why do hand signals need to be taught first? Simple, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! If you have read any of my blogs you have noticed that this is a common theme in teaching dogs anything. I am here to tell you that making dog training easier for dogs is the best way to make dog training easier for people! I know this won’t be popular with all, but I have learned that if you insist on teaching a dog like a human, you will fail; but if you think like a dog as you teach, you will be much more successful with your dog. Remember, dogs have no ability at all with what English teachers call syntax (i.e. sentence structure, meaning or understanding with context.) So, speaking to our dogs is about as helpful for them as us understanding who is on the phone by the sound of the ring! (Cell phones with special ringers don’t count!) Instead of expecting the dog to conform to us, we need to conform to him. Dogs do understand body language and body position very well, so why not start there? Walla - hand signals. Remember the following motto…Keep it Simple Stupid! I have basically 5 hand signals I use with my dogs. They are for watch me, sit, down, stay and come. What they are is not as important as consistency of use. Mine are pretty simple; Watch Me… pointing my index finger to my nose; Sit…bringing my hand upward ,palm up; Down...bringing my hand downward palm down; Stay…showing the dog my hand palm foreward and Recall…my arm straight out from my side and bringing it down and slapping my leg. As we go on with the blog posts I will discuss each of these in detail. In fact, recall or come when called has already been done! (see the posts on Recall) Once a dog is reliably responding to your hand signal (80% of the time) it is time to add the word or combine cues.

The trick to this is to always lead with the unknown cue or command…which in this case is the spoken word. Why? Because if I gave the dog the hand signal before saying the cue he/she would simply ignore it. Remember, the verbal cue has no bearing since the dog already knows what to do when they see the hand signal. After several repetitions of saying the verbal cue, such as sit, and then following immediately with the known cue or hand signal, something amazing happens; they begin to mean the same thing to the dog! Now I have two cues, verbal (command) and body language (hand signal), that are interchangeable to the dog. From my prospective, the word is simply to make us primates feel better, but the body language (hand signal) is really what facilitates communication between our two species! With enough practice we could say “pineapple sherbet” instead of “sit” and it would work as well! A fine example of how dogs don’t understand English.
So remember that cues are simply how we ask our dog to do something. What we say is not nearly as important as how we relay the meaning. Training will go much faster if you start with a hand signal then combine it with a word at a later stage. The goal here is to make training easier for the dog and you, so think less like a human and more like a dog!

It is not as much about the time invested in training a dog, but more about the consistency of the training that is important. It would be better to spend 15 minutes a day, seven days a week rather than spending 2 hours a day, three days a week. Remember, having fun is vital to teaching anything to anyone so RELAX.

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Look for the next blog post…Training Terminology 3 – Release Word(s)

Training Terminology: What it all means!

2010-01-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

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As I read through some of the old posts, I find I am using dog training terms and verbiage without really ever having explained them or for that matter defined them. Bad Trainer! Well, we are going to take care of that right here and now. We are going to cover the meaning of positive and negative markers.
Markers are nothing more than how we let our dogs know when they have done something right or wrong. Let’s start off with the positive marker. Most people simply say “good dog” when the dog does something correct. I, on the other hand, use, a clicker a simple noise maker that when you depress a button it makes a clear and consistent noise (or mark) the dog can relate to. There are several reasons for this but the biggest is “DOG’S DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH”! I know there are people out there that will argue this point with me, but dogs don’t really understand language the way humans do. Yes, they can, over a period of time, learn that Sit means put my rump on the ground, but they can also learn that Pineapple Sherbet means put my rump on the ground if I spend the same amount of time associating the word and the behavior! I have also noticed that different people use a different tone of voice when marking a behavior either positive or negative and this one can confuse a dog since their main way of understanding is tone and body language. The other real reason for my preference for using a clicker is timing! We as humans very rarely mark a behavior with our voice with the correct timing. We are either early or late and that can make for a very confused dog. Let me give you a really oversimplified example that might shed some light on this. Let’s say we are working with Fido on Sit and we say SIT and presto Fido puts his rump on the ground, but we were not quite ready and we say “Good Dog” a little late. In those precious couple of seconds Fido has not only sat, but he has chewed a flea, seen a purple butterfly and smelled the poop in the neighbor’s backyard! Now in Fido’s world, he has to figure out which of these four behaviors got him the good dog. Yes, he will figure it out in time, but why not use a positive marker that can pinpoint the exact time the correct behavior happened, and take all the human inflections out of the picture? Enter the clicker. The idea is that at the exact moment Fido’s rump hits the ground we click and then reinforce with a reward, maybe a nice liver treat! Wow, would Pavlov and Skinner be proud of you. Yes, you already knew this from your high school or college Psychology 101 class; do you remember operant and classical conditioning?
Now what about the negative marker? Well from my vantage point as a trainer, I am shocked that most dogs don’t think there name is “NO, NO BAD DOG” Because that is what most owners say when their dog has done something inappropriate or incorrect. Once again I will repeat, “DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH”, so yelling, pleading, explaining or discussing will not make a dog understand what in the world you want. Let’s say you want to be concise and clear and decide to use just the word NO to mark a bad behavior for your dog? Well you are back to being human and forgetting to think like a dog! Does it mean NO or KNOW? If you live in a household like mine, where there are 6 and 10 year old boys running around, how many times is that word used daily? Next thing you know your dog will have a nervous twitch and hide in the corner because he has no idea who is getting the mark. This also brings up the idea of learned indifference. Let me give you an example. I am a Dad to the afore mentioned boys, and I hear the word Dad 4,362 times a day. You honestly think I don’t tune out that word from time to time? “Dad, Dad, Dad, DAD!!!!!!!! Huh…were you talking to me?” Sound familiar? The moral of this story…don’t be that dog owner saying a command over and over and over. The real message here, communicate with your dog like a dog not another person! So, what do I use as a negative mark? Just a simple sound, one syllable AAAGGGH! (Not sure of the spelling) but it is sounds like the word egg with out the hard G at the end, very guttural.
Keep in mind that the negative mark is less about the dog doing something wrong and way more about getting the dog to stop the inappropriate behavior long enough for me to direct the dog to an appropriate behavior, so that I can then reward the good! This is the basis of dealing with most, if not all, problem behaviors with dogs and will be the subject of a future post. But we still need to cover release words and cues (both verbal and hand signals) in the next post, TERMINOLOGY PART 2.

Emergency Whistle… Recall 103

2010-01-18T15:15:00.000-06:00

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Ok, now you have a dog who is recalling to their name on a regular basis, and quite frankly, you are pretty darn proud of you self, until…Yep it happens to all of us, the dog gets too far away or something really interesting pops up, like that squirrel that just took off in front of Fido right out into oncoming traffic. Now what! An emergency recall cue, simply put, a whistle!
A whistle, whether old school, from the mouth or one bought (I can’t whistle to save my own life) might be the only thing between your dog and a ¾ ton pickup truck! The technique for teaching whistle recall is much the same as all the other recall training we have done up till now. It only differs in the fact we will be combining cues. Put simply, the dog will have more than one command or cue for recall. One might be a simple slap to the side of your leg (hand cue); another might be their own name, spoken (verbal cue) and this one, another noise, the whistle (emergency cue). Each is different in form, but the meaning is still the same…come see me and get a groovy tasting reward!
The trick here is getting one recall cue down pat before trying to combine another. So far, with all the posts on recall we have used a verbal cue, the dog’s name. We have even made sure that the cue works in ever more distracting environments. Remember…in the house, the backyard, the front yard and then to the dog park or city park? We now want to add the sound of a whistle to mean the same thing. The trick is the order of the cues given! If I were to call the dog by name and then whistle, the dog would have a hard time understanding they meant the same thing. Think about it, the dog already knows that when they hear their name they are to come running for the reward, right? The whistle in this case becomes background noise, and never really becomes synonymous with the other cue. However, if we whistle first then call their name, both noises begin to mean the same thing. This is about the time where I start adding a hand signal to the mix as well. When your dog is out side and at a long distance. Once the whistle has gotten the dogs attention, I make sure that when they look at me my right arm is straight out. I then bring it down to my side slapping my leg before I call the dog! Over time all of these signals become part of recall. As important as this command is the more the better.
The nuts and bolts of the technique are the same, get your long line out and let your dog explore. Once they are out a distance from you, give the whistle two short bursts and then immediately follow it up with the dog’s name. When the dog recalls, reward and repeat, again and again, till both cues have the same meaning. Off leash work is important to fine-tune the whistle recall cue, but only attempt it in a secure area where both you and your dog are safe. With practice 10-15 minutes a day for several weeks your dog begins to recall as well to the whistle as they do to their name. Before you know it, people will be asking you how on earth you got such a smart dog! Now you have an emergency cue for recall! And please don’t forget the most important part of all of this; make sure both you and your dog are having fun!
Why a whistle you might wonder? From my experience, there are two reasons. First, a whistle is louder than you are, so the sound works much better for long distances. Second, since a whistle is so much louder, you can get the dog’s focus off the distraction and back on you. I believe the second reason is considerably more important than the first. We have all seen a dog’s focus lock on anything from a deer to a kid on a skateboard, or maybe even on a squirrel. Choose whatever distracts your dog the most and with the use of the whistle, you now have a fighting chance!
So, why not just use the whistle as a negative marker (something that tells the dog their behavior is inappropriate)? Because I want recall to be 100% positive! By making the whistle a recall cue, there is always a reward to them for coming to you. Yes, the noise might shock the dog off the distraction, but if trained correctly it will also cue the dog to run back to the owner for the expected reward. This might seem trivial to some, but to me it is a very important distinction between using something as a negative or as a positive! I guess I am a glass half full kind of guy. The meaning and use of both positive and negative markers, as well as other terms will be in an upcoming blog.

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Recall Anywhere…Recall 102

2010-01-15T08:41:00.000-06:00

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At this point you should have your dog coming to you when called anywhere in the house. Whether you are in the same room as the dog or elsewhere in the house, all you need to do is call and the dog should come running to find you and get their reward. If this is not happening, you need to review the posts on the “non-negotiable rules” and “games to play”, because apparently the dog is not yet having fun. Remember, the dog has to look at this as a game! And as I have said from day one, if the dog is not having fun, they are not learning. So before we move on to distractions and being able to recall anywhere, we must be at a level of recall that works well inside the house.
Our next step is to move the game playing into the back yard. It is more distracting than the house, and gives us a chance to introduce another working environment! At this point, it is important to realize that dogs do not generalize very well, and there is a distinct possibility that he/she will act like they have no idea what ping pong or hide and seek are in the back yard! Take it slow and start with the basics (AGAIN!) The good news is they should pick up faster the second time around. A word of warning, DON’T GET COCKY! Just because your dog is showing great prowess at recall in the house and the backyard, don’t be fooled into thinking it will work anywhere! If you do, you will be cussing me because you went too fast too soon, especially since there are still two steps left!
We now move to the front yard, and let’s face it; this is where most of the recall whoopses happen. We have all been there, chasing a dog up and down the block with most of your neighbors standing on the front porch laughing hysterically while you scream, cuss and plead with your dog to just sit and stay for goodness sake. Sound familiar? Why is the front yard so hard? Well, because it is not a working environment and it is way more distracting than either the back yard or the inside of the house. Think about it…how often is your dog off leash or loose in the front yard? All he/she wants to do is check out this new world, and it usually happens when the dog darts through the front door, or manages to get past you, out the car door, after a wonderfully enjoyable ride in the car. I do not for one moment recommend that you work with your dog off leash in the front yard, but rather I encourage you to work with your dog on a long line. I would suggest you work with a 15-20 foot line. (Cotton will not tear up your hands, but boy nylon will!). You are going to simply allow the dog to investigate and experience the area till the line is taught, then call the dog back to your side, and reward. Practice this at least 10-15 minutes every day. It would be best if you can do the exercise twice a day for the 10-15 minutes. You are not only working on dealing with the distractions of the front yard, but are also creating an environment in which your dog is used to working. This way, when Fido does get loose in the front yard, he will be as likely to come running to you for the reward as he is when inside or in the back yard!
Final exam time! TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE DOG PARK. Use the long line and practice in the most distracting area known to dogs...except for a city park with 9 soccer practices going on (this is another great place to practice!)  Make sure to keep the same routine. Practice the first 10 to 15 minutes you are at the park, and don’t forget to reward BIG TIME! You have to be at least as important or interesting as the 30 other dogs running around. As time goes by, you will find that you have a dog that has learned that staying close and continually checking in is a good thing and fun to boot. You will also have a dog that will be the envy of every other doggie mommy and daddy at the park. Now beaming with pride you exclaim my dog knows recall, but what happens when the distraction goes beyond other dogs? Let’s say a deer running through the park, a cat running out in front of you, or the squirrel that bolts straight out in front of you and into a busy street? Stay tuned…we tackle that next with: Emergency Whistle… Recall 103.

Games to Play: Recall 101

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

As with any dog training, you need to make it fun. If the dog is not having fun, neither will you. So why look at recall any different? We are going to introduce two games that, if used properly, will start you down the road to having a dog that always comes when called. I’m referring to ping pong and hide and seek. For now, I want you to focus on playing these games inside your house. We will expand the range and the amount of distraction in the next blog… Recall Anywhere: Recall 102.
The first game we are going to play is ping pong. This game is very reminiscent to “monkey in the middle”, and requires two people and the dog. The dog will be in the middle. If you don’t have another person, you can still make this game work. We will introduce this technique in the next blog when we go outdoors to practice. So if you are solo, work on Hide and Seek, or call a friend! Pick an area of your house with plenty of room. A hallway or large living room works great! Have each person start with 5 treats, stand at opposite ends of the room or hallway and take turns calling the dog back and forth till the treats are gone. The cue or command here is simply the dog’s name. I don’t use the word come. To me this is redundant, and just one more spoken word your dog has to master. Why not just build the understanding that when you call a dog’s name they should check in? This game does two things. It teaches the dog that every time they recall to their name they get a reward (the treat) and also that when they can see you and hear you use their name, they need to come to you. I recommend practicing this game one to two times a day with each person having five treats. As with all training, it is not the amount of training, it is the consistency in which you train. So it is better to have one good, short, positive session every day for a month than to have 10 really long sessions that your dog tunes out after 10-15 minutes.
The second game we are going to play is Hide and Seek, and yes it is basically the same game you played as a kid. The major difference for the dog is that this game adds the element that they can hear you but can not see you. However, the end result should still be the same as when playing Ping Pong…the dog needs to come when called. I know this will sound a little crazy, and it is not the first time I have been accused of being such, but you will need to have treat jars all over the house. I have 8 located throughout my house! Now that you have the positive reinforcement (the treats) located all over the house, you can begin playing the game. This game complements your everyday life, by adding times to practice each time you see a treat jar. For example, I keep one jar in the laundry room and when I am doing a load of laundry I call one of my dogs to me, and if they show up they get the treat. If I am upstairs in the bathroom brushing my teeth I call a dog, and if they show up they get a treat. Before too long, your dog realizes that even if they can not see you, but they can hear you, they need to find you. Guess what? They love this game too, since there is a reward when it’s done right.
To add a twist, incorporate another person into the game. Have one person hold the dog while the other goes and hides somewhere in the house with a Jackpot of treats (2 or 3) in their hand and then they call the dog. When the dog eventually finds you they get the Jackpot of treats! I will be completely honest; adults hide in really boring places! So if there are kids in the family, this is one of the best times involve them. My six year old will actually make his bed so that he can pretend to be a pillow under the covers to try and trick the dog. What an unexpected benefit of dog training…a six year old that makes his bed!
Practice these games for a couple of weeks, but be aware that just because they work in the house does not mean they will work in the big, wide world outside the house. In fact, that is exactly what we will tackle in the next blog…how to recall effectively with distractions like those found outside your front door: Recall Anywhere: Recall Part 2.