Splash and Tug train some GSD pups

09.56 in a, and, are, behaviors, Dog, gsd, like, notes, on, piano, pups, some, splash, train, tug

Splash and Tug teach Bella and Bear that hanging out with other dogs can not only be fun but also relaxing

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Behaviors Are Like Notes on a Piano

10.58 in 4, a, are, art, behaviors, Dog, dogging, dvds, like, notes, of, on, piano, set, the, trick

“Think of your dog’s repertoire of behaviors as keys on a piano. To create variety you will need to play songs of different length, tempo, and tune- Never play the same song repetitively. Never play all the notes just because they are there!”- kikopup

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Are We Breeding Shelter Dogs

10.10 in are, breeding, Dog, dogs, shelter, we

Ive been up in Oakland at the APDT annual conference for the past few days. Yesterdays Fear and Anxiety in Dogs symposium had some good information, but one topic Im quite passionate about is the issues with dogs ending up in shelters. Whose fault is it? In my professional certified dog trainer opinion, its certainly not the dogs.

I dont believe its anyones intention for dogs to end up in shelters, even breeders. Just like when parents have children, Im sure its never their intention to breed criminals - but it happens. Unlike humans though, dogs often arent provided an environment where they can make choices we want them to make. Theyre left to fend for themselves, then get blamed and in trouble for acting like a dog - humans get frustrated, then they take the dog to the shelter attaching labels like "My dog it aggressive and dominant, I cant deal with him (or her) any more."

What can be done? Prevention and Socialization!!! Sure, puppy training classes and basic dog training classes are great, but it needs to go beyond the basic 6-session dog obedience class. Just like humans go through a multitude of developmental stages, so do our dogs. It doesnt stop at just one class.

• Teach dogs behaviors they need to exist in our human world. And continue reinforcing those skills learned.
• What items to chew on and when.
• How to be alone and entertain themselves through enrichment programs designed for dogs.
• Meet and greet hundreds of humans while theyre young pups, and again continue allowing them to meet new people, in different places and in different situations.
• CONTINUE socialization during adolescence so they can continue learning and adapting to their environment.
• Understand what normal behaviors are for dogs.

For many of these dogs its the environment they are born into, and are raised in, that is often the cause for the issues that land them in the shelters - so again this falls back onto the shoulders of the humans that have the most influence over them and their quality of life. I only wish that some day there are universal training protocols, "Gold Standards" if you will, for dog training. Until then its wise to be critical thinkers, use common sense, and plan for how to raise a healthy and happy dog in order to keep them out of the shelter.

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We humans are the worst hosts ever!

15.06 in are, Dog, ever, hosts, humans, the, we, worst

OMG it occurred to me tonight while cooking dinner for my hubby and myself, that we humans are horrible hosts when it comes to our dogs! 

Lets face it, our human world and all of our customs revolve around food. Am I right? Everywhere we go, everything we watch, everywhere we turn there is something about food. Someone dies, we bring food. A baby is born, we bring food. Someone is ill, we bring food. We have meetings, there is food offered. Friends visit, we offer food. Family visits, we offer food. Food-food-food!!! Parties, potlucks, three course meals, drive-through... OMG its everywhere! And aside from standing in longs lines during the holiday season, there isnt much "hunting" going on... its all easily accessible. 

So why is it we get so angry and frustrated when our dogs want to get in on part of the action, huh??? Is it because they dont understand our concept of the ever-loving "potluck"? Yes, there are dogs that offer up "presents". You know, items theyve stalked and hunted etc...but to actually bring something to us that we could share at a party, I think not. They would more likely be the ones eating everything, and enjoying themselves, and maybe even licking the plates clean... but thats about it for contributing. 

After Ive put myself in my own dogs position, looking at the world through his eyes, seeing us eating large meals with lots of "prey" animals, and him getting his Tricky Treat Ball of kibble and a bowl of vegetables, I say "Poncho, Im sorry. I wont give you a hunk of daddys filet mignon, at least not tonight". If there is some leftover, I will use it to my advantage. Maybe when the mailman is around, because I want you to enjoy the mailman bringing the mail. Or the UPS truck, Harrison, or FedEx...but certainly not for free, giving it away willy-nilly. 

I will however be happy to bring any potluck item Poncho wants, as long as hes organizing the party or cooking the meal, until then...I guess its enrichment for him and earning the higher value items during training with me. 

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Dog Play Behavior Are they fighting or playing

13.06 in are, behavior, Dog, fighting, or, play, playing, they

"What is dog play all about?" This is one of those comments I hear from various folks...and often get questions about. Both in and out of the studio classroom - especially when folks first start bringing their dogs to our dog socials at my studio - The Inquisitive Canine here in Ventura.
Humans commonly assume that dogs that "hump" or "mount" just want to have sex with them, or that the dog is attracted to them etc... Ugh... really? Do you really think youre that charming, and that maybe all of the spoiling has lead your dog to want to return the favor in a way they think you might like? Come on... heres a quickie lesson on dogs humping and dog play:

Dog play is practicing of "the four Fs" - meaning, if they had to survive out in the wild so they could pass on their genes - surviving, hunting for food, creating more of themselves in order to pass on their genetics (cause thats what its all about, right) - survival of the fittest so you can pass along your DNA... This is the list of the four Fs:

• "Fight" - dog play can get really rough - think two young human male children playing and wrestling about - With dogs its: I mouth you (practice biting but inhibited bites in play), you mouth me, I pin you, you pin me etc...
• "Flight" - I chase you, you chase me
• "Feed" - meaning all the steps of the predatory sequence, including the "grab-shake-kill" - chasing, stalking etc...
• "Fun!" (fornicating etc...) - I mount you, you mount me... Unless both dogs (one male one female) are actually intending to breed in order to make more of themselves, then the whole humping action is just play! Thats why you see males humping males, females humping females, females on males, dogs on humans etc...and humping in positions that are not related at all to actually "doing the deed"...

Its important that dogs learn what proper dog socialization play is, and what is appropriate - that is what dog social time is for!!! Yes, we can give the dog a "time out" if we dont like something... but dogs (really important for puppies especially) are learning about what play is - and doggy DNA is telling them to "hump" - most likely trying to get the other "animal" to play... If humans dont like it, the best thing to do is completely walk away and ignore the dog completely, but throw a party and play like crazy when he is playing the way they want... Older, well socialized dogs, who have great play skills can help "guide" younger pups...the older one will "tell him" (growl or a snap) to knock it off if he or she has gone 

too far...

*A BIG note of importance: DOG PLAY SHOULD BE: RECIPROCAL and CONSENSUAL! Sure, for some dogs theyd rather be the chasee vs the chaser. How to tell? Look at the one being chased - are they running off and trying to hide the entire time? Cowering under things? Trying to find their guardian? Or are they egging the chaser on? "Come on! Chase me!!" 

As for consensual: look at this picture of Freddie (the one mounting) and Jazz (the one in the red harness). Jazzs face is relaxed, focused on something else at the moment, doesnt appear to care. If it werent consensual, Jazz would have turned around and growled or snapped "Knock it off!!!" 

Providing opportunities for our dogs to socialize and play is very important for their well being, and development as well-mannered canines - dog training classes and dog socials can help provide them. You just want to keep an eye on the situation, making sure that play-time is safe and fun. 

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How Sensitive Our Dogs Are

16.44 in are, Dog, dogs, how, our, sensitive

It never ceases to amaze me how "tuned in" our dogs are to our lives.  They have a wonderful understanding of any patterns and routines we follow - what time we get home from work, when it is time to get up in the morning or eat dinner at night.  I dont know how youd prove it, but Im sure our dogs understand many more things, like our favorite spot on the couch, the order in which we clean the house, and what we do when we get upset.

So it should be no surprise that events which throw us off (a new baby, a change in jobs, the death of a close friend) also disrupt our dogs.  And so it happened that two days after my hip surgery (which went very well by the way!), Pistol and Timber got into a fight.  A big ugly fight. 

The boys have never gotten along particularly well, something I blame on my "not-positive-enough" training when they began living together.  They have always had the occasional spat, something that used to be ended with some loud, stern words from me.  Just a few weeks ago they got into a fight when the pet sitter was here, a fight that was a warning to me because it was more intense than usual and actually resulted in some scrapes and scratches on each dog.

And now, after my surgery, the dogs lit into each other again.  They show me just how much chaos I have caused in the house with my crutches and a funny anesthesia smell, visitors bringing pre-cooked meals and my mother filling up our guest room with a months worth of belongings.  The dogs are unhappy about the shift in our normal routine.  Life is off kilter, and when the dog-to-dog relationship is barely peaceful to begin with, a big ugly fight is the end result.

Pistol and Timber barked and growled and snapped and snarled.  My mother yelled at them to stop, and I yelled at her to not get her hands in their way.  Fur literally flew.  I found my crutches and managed to hobble over to the anarchic crime scene.  My mother had somehow pinned each dog apart from the other.  We separated the dogs to different rooms and I examined both of them from nose to tail, checking for blood and holes and any other injuries.

The end result is some painful looking bite wounds, but fortunately all surface scrapes and no expensive (veterinary visit worthy) puncture wounds.  What do I, as a dog trainer, do?  First, I grimace with embarrassment at the horrible behavior of my personal dogs.  Then, since Im bound to the couch for recovery time, Ill make some changes to their living arrangements until life returns to "normal" and I can work on some behavior modification (couples counseling I suppose) for Pistol and Timber.  There will be separate sleeping quarters at night, and any unsupervised time (that includes time when I am around, since I am useless to control two ornery dogs right now) will be spent in different rooms.  For now its management, not training.

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Here are a few reasons why one shouldn’t use Positive Punishment

01.48 in a, are, Dog, few, here, one, positive, punishment, reasons, shouldn’t, use, why

Positive Punishment is defined as adding anything that will decrease a behavior (this could mean anything from saying “no!”, “eh eh”, or using physical Positive Punishment- choking, shocking, kicking, smacking etc)

Here are a few reasons why one shouldn’t use Positive Punishment:


1- Without perfect timing, intensity and consistency, the intended positive punishment actually becomes abuse.
2- The dog learns to avoid the punisher in order to do undesirable behavior.
3- It can cause irreversible emotional damage to the dog or human, even irreversible changes in the brain.
4- Positive Punishment is scientifically proven to increase stress hormones, arousal and aggression.
5- Animals habituate to positive punishment – meaning the intensity will have to keep increasing.
6- You cannot make children, dogs or anything for that matter reinforcing for a dog using Positive Punishment, you can only suppress the behaviors punished.
7- Positive Punishment causes dogs to hide their warning signs before a bite.
8- Dogs trained with punishment feel trapped when with owners, as leaving a ‘stay’ or leaving the owners side to escape from a child can cause punishment. Dogs that feel they have no escape tend to bite rather than move away.
9- Intended punishment can actually INCREASE the behavior you wished to extinguish. As attention was provided.
10- - The punisher becomes less reinforcing to be around for the dog. If you use punishment with your dog, there is no way to compete with the reinforcement value of other things in the environment. Your dog will find other stimuli in the environment more reinforcing than you because the dog has a history of punishment with being near you.
11- Dogs who are punished do not offer behaviors as readily, so they are harder to teach new obedience behaviors, sports or tricks.
12- People who use positive punishment will punish more readily in the future as it is positively reinforcing to use. Using punishment causes ones own behavior patterns to change towards dogs and people. Some people will find that they cannot stop using positive punishment even if they want to, and will need to seek help to change their behavior.

-Emily Larlham

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Why Yawns Are Contagious Calming Signals in Dogs and How We Can Use Them

22.24 in and, are, calming, can, contagious, Dog, dogs, how, in, signals, them, use, we, why, yawns

We all know that dogs can’t talk (whether or not we care to admit it is another thing altogether).  What they do rely on is body language – lots and lots of body language.  While we might approach a stranger and say, “Hey, I’m new here. It’s nice to meet you,” a dog might walk up to another dog in an arc with a slow, circular wagging tail, its ears back and drop into a butt-up, front down stretch.  They are both ways to express “I’m friendly and mean no harm.”

Calming signals are just what they sound like.  They are behaviors offered by a dog in an attempt to keep a situation calm.  We aren’t completely sure if they are used by one dog solely to calm another dog, solely to calm themselves, or a combination of both.  My feeling is that the latter is true, especially since calming signals are often both offered and returned.  We can help our dogs feel comfortable by learning what their calming signals are and respecting them, and even by responding in kind, repeating their gesture as best we can (tail wagging obviously excluded).

Before getting into what calming signals can be, I want to emphasize that context is important.  Think of how a person telling another “you fool!” can be issued as an insult or an expression of teasing affection.  Context is important, regardless of species.  For example, ears held back on a dog’s head can be a calming signal, a sign of fear, or even just the physical nature of the breed. 

You may or may not notice calming signals with your own dog.  Unless you recently adopted your dog or have a new puppy, chances are your relationship is fairly established.  Your dog may not feel the need to offer these signals on a regular or frequent basis.  Unfortunately we can also extinguish calming signals in our pets, even without intention.  If a dog offers calming signals that are repeatedly ignored or corrected, eventually they will stop trying.  Think about people – if your partner brought you flowers after a fight and you always responded with snide comments about wasting money or stinking up the house, chances are your partner would stop buying flowers – at least for you!  Since we are frequently our dog’s entire world, our response (or lack thereof) to their behavior is critically important.

Calming signals may include:

·         “Look aways” (turning the head to the side, away from the other dog or person)

·         Yawning

·         Sniffing (becoming very interested in not much of anything)

·         Paw raises (raising one of the front paws off the ground)

·         Shake offs (can be a slight shake off or entire body, as if wet)

·         Scratching (like they are itchy – a sudden case of “fleas”)

·         Blinking

·         Lip licking (or nose licking)

·         Moving in an arc (approaching or leaving in a semi-circle, not a direct path)

·         Sitting or lying down

·         Stretching (particularly into a play bow position, though not quite the same behavior)

·         Making a “soft face” – ears back, soft eyes, etc.

There are a few signals that you may want to try, either with your dog or a dog you are just meeting.*  They can help a dog feel more comfortable, and may even be offered back to you.

Blinking is pretty universal between species – go for slow, deliberate blinks (not fast fluttering). Lip licking is also simple to duplicate.  Again, make it slow and obvious. You can actually lick your lips or even just stick your tongue out a few times.  “Look aways” involve turning your head to either side, away from the dog. You may then look back, without making eye contact, then look away again.  A paw lift is a little more difficult (largely since we don’t have paws and walk on two legs, not four).  But if you are feeling daring you can try it with one arm, holding it as if you were imitating a hurt paw. 

You may have figured out now how yawning can be contagious.  Offered as a calming signal between dogs, or even from dog to human (and human to dog), a yawn is much more than feeling sleepy.  It can be offered back and forth, and maybe thats why we feel the urge to yawn when someone near us yawns.

For additional information on calming signals, read On Talking Terms with Dogs by Turid Rugaas.  Rugaas is an internationally acclaimed dog trainer from Norway who has done extensive studies on calming signals in dogs.  You can visit her website at http://www.canis.no/rugaas/index.php .  A good visual example of using calming signals with dogs can be found in KikoPup’s collection of YouTube videos (http://youtu.be/MgnLgHFRJu4 ).  While you’re there check out her other videos – Emily has produced a goldmine of how-to videos on clicker training everything from cool tricks to problem behaviors.

 Video: KikoPups How To Communicate With Dogs in Their Own Language

* Offering calming signals doesn’t make it safe to approach an aggressive dog.  When in doubt, keep your distance.

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House Training Dogs Who are Visiting Your Home

06.49 in are, Dog, dogs, home, house, training, visiting, who, your

My inquisitive canine Poncho the dog was working overtime yesterday (while hubby and I were stuck in traffic) to help our friend Karen Lee Stevens of All For Animals. She had written to us about providing a few dog training tips she could use while taking care of a foster dog Tinker during the holidays.

Poncho did an excellent job of providing dog training tips on his Ponchos Prose blog, including making sure she was creating pleasant associations so Tinker would enjoy anything new &/or different - people she met, places she went or situations she encountered. Poncho also included tips that focused on house-training for dogs and how best to introduce cats and dogs, especially since Karen is the proud parent of Bella, a doggy loving kitty cat.

Karen, who is a columnist, editor and writer herself, had a follow-up question regarding the issue of house-training. Well, I thought Id give my hard working inquisitive canine some time to relax (it is his favorite day - Garbage Truck Monday) and Ive addressed it myself. The following is Karens question to me, with my answer - hopefully Poncho will approve.

If you too have any questions, please feel free to submit them to our Dear Inquisitive Canine dog behavior advice column that can be found on both Noozhawk and Powerwomen Magazine, both online news websites.

Thank you for such a thoughtful blog, just for Tinker and I!!! She spent the first night at my house last night and I quickly discovered that shes not housetrained!! Three accidents, including one on the bed. I take her outside every two hours and she wont go, but the minute I bring her back inside, she lets loose. Do you think scented potty pads will help?!

Other than that, she and my cat are doing great together -- Miss Bella is especially interested in the new variety of food being served in the kitchen. :)

Best, Karen

Hey there Karen! As a certified professional dog trainer (and in my personal opinion), taking the extra time to teach Tinker to eliminate outside (or the #1 place you want her to go) is ideal - as opposed to allowing her to potty in multiple places. Unless you live in a high rise building or your living situation (weather/your age/your physical limits/dogs age/dogs physical limitations) doesnt allow you to take your dog outside, then I personally like to avoid pee pads. Dogs dont discriminate too easily between pee pads and a nice soft mattress :-)

So, these are a few things Id suggest you do:

• First thing in the morning or 30 minutes after you feed her, grab your laptop, newspaper (for reading), DS, iPod, favorite book, a snack for yourself, and a yummy treat for Tinker, put her on leash, get her outside where you want her to go, and wait...wait...wait...walk her around to sniff...wait...wait...wait...walk her around...And as soon as she goes - reward her heavily with petting, praise, and that yummy treat youve been holding in your pocket! Youre basically throwing a huge potty-party! If its safe you can take her off leash too for fun and games...(freedom is another reward).
• The "enrichment" for yourself is so youre entertained while ignoring her. Try to refrain from saying things like "go potty honey" - because until she knows what that cue means, youll be wasting your breath - and probably getting more frustrated.
• If youve waited for at least 15 minutes, and she still hasnt gone to the bathroom, then bring her back in, but keep her tethered to you, or in your lap - Dont allow her to wander off on her own...Then, take her out every 20-30 minutes until shes gone! She will go, trust me! You just have to be patient.
• Oh, and finally, once youve started the reward process, continue doing it over and over and over....we can never be thanked enough times for performing behaviors others want from us :-)

Speaking of, THANK YOU for writing to me and trusting me to help you reach your goals!

Joan

For additional house-training tips for you and Tinker, please see Ponchos blog posts on house-training dogs from a canines point of view, and my own dog training house-training tips right here.

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Are Dog Breed Biases Really History Repeating Itself

19.04 in are, biases, breed, Dog, history, itself, really, repeating

As a society, isnt it time people use their critical thinking skills and take the time to get educated? The dog picture is of a Pit Bull Terrier - before all of the body altering. Remember: nature, nurture, and above all, a product of our environment. Violence begets violence! Banning breeds isnt going to make people smarter - just more fearful. Its time to educate in order to help prevent fear and ignorance from driving our decision making.

For more information on Pit Bulls including rescue information and how you can help, please visit Pit Bull Rescue website.

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