Dog Behavior and Discrimination how come my dog listens to my husband but not me

16.55 in and, behavior, but, come, discrimination, Dog, how, husband, listens, me, my, not, to

I know, nowadays the word "discrimination" can be a negative thing. As socially conscious humans were not supposed to discriminate - at least when were talking about certain human characteristics. But trust me, we discriminate all the time - and its a good thing, as youll see below. How does discrimination relate to dog training? First a general definition of discrimination: 

• the recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another: discrimination between right and wrong | young children have difficulties in making fine discriminations.
• the ability to distinguish between different stimuli : [as adj. ] discrimination learning.

With consistency, and precise timing, we can actively teach dogs to discriminate. Check out the video of me and Poncho the dog. Im teaching him to discriminate when to jump through my legs. Turning my right leg out is the cue for him to jump through. Turning my left leg out, he isnt supposed to. He got his reward for staying put. 

Poncho learned pretty quickly that: right leg turned out = jump through = gets rewarded. Left leg turned out = stay = gets rewarded. If he didnt jump when he was supposed to, or jumped when I didnt want him to, then Id give him a "too bad", which is the cue for "no reward". The punishment is he doesnt get a food reward, and he has to wait to try again. 

Another human world example:

• Green light = "go", Red light = Stop, Yellow light = "slow down in preparation of stopping" (although some folks define the yellow as "speed up and get through the intersection"). 

In this example we, as humans, discriminate between the different colors of the traffic signal, and based on what weve learned, we know what to do for each one. I dont know about you, but when I was a child, I quickly learned which parent to go to for what, and when to ask. This is example of "discriminative learning".

As a certified pet dog trainer, I often hear comments or get questions, either from my manners class students or my Noozhawk advice column about "Why does a dog do one thing for one person and not another? Why does my dog pull on leash with me, but not my spouse?" Well, the simple explanation is: One person is more consistent with teaching and rewarding what they want and/or punishing out what they dont want. In a case like this, the dog in question has been able to discriminate which parent to go to for what! 

Dogs, just like small children, dont have the mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. They arent born with the section of the brain that is wired for it, and they never really develop it. However, they are very good at differentiating between safe and dangerous. Along with discriminating between safe or dangerous stimuli, they are masters at discriminating between finite cues - provided passively or actively. For example:

• Passive cue: sneakers = going for walkies, dress shoes = dog stays home while human goes to work. 
• Active cue: human places specific blanket (environmental cue) on couch = dog gets to hang out on couch. No blanky on couch, doggy isnt allowed on couch.

So, if your dog is behaving differently for you than they are for someone else, ask yourself: 

• What am I rewarding or not rewarding my dog for?
• Am I being consistent?
• What cues am I giving my dog?
  

Then, once youve answered yourself, you can then fix the problem, if there is one. 

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Im NOT a chew toy!

07.57 in a, chew, Dog, im, not, toy

One of my great Inquisitive Canine manners students writes: 

• Joan, I am having a few issues with Scout being mouthy to me and others. What suggestions do you have? Thanks, Steve C, Santa Paula California 

Dear Steve,

Ugh! Im sure its frustrating to be treated like a giant chew or tug toy. Ill go through the "flowchart" paths of behavior, just like class. 

1. Is it "normal" doggy behavior? Yep, sure is. Exploring the world with their mouth, using it as a "tool", using it to initiate fun games with others - dogs and humans. 
2. Is it a behavior Scout wants to do more of, or is it something you want him to do or like? Hmm, Id say he wants more of it :-) So that means its based upon the "Consequence" path of learning. Its Scouts behavior that will earn him more or less of it happening again in the future. 
3. Have you taught him what you want, in a way that he understands? Have you been consistent in educating him? Rewarding an undesired behavior, even once in a blue moon, will most likely reward it just enough to keep him trying again and again. (Think "Vegas"). Or, only "punishing" him once in awhile can send mixed messages too. 

So, where do you start? Simple: 

1. FIRST: REWARD WHAT YOU WANT! Remember, positive reinforcement will make the desired behaviors happen more frequently. Whenever you or others are around him, and he is behaving in the exact manner you like, acknowledge it! Bump it up and reward with food and play! 
   
2. Provide "legal outlets" for chewing and playing. Keep large tug toys around for Scout to put his mouth on. Whenever he makes the right choice, again reward what you like! Reward with both a game of tug, and yummy treats! "Yea, scout made the right choice!" 
3. Decide what "punishment" youre going to use. The best punishment I can think of is the absolute "game over!!!" response from you (or others that are playing). Meaning, all play, all interaction, all attention stops completely! 
4. Once you re-engage, keep up the same rules. I use the 3-strikes for something like this. 

I think the most important points: rewarding what you want and consistency in the two choices youre giving Scout. The right choice, and the other one :-)

Hope this helps Steve! Keep me posted on the outcome... 

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To Blog or Not to Blog

20.23 in blog, Dog, not, or, to

Id like a little feedback, from the people who have started to read my blog.  What would you like to read here?  Ive been at this for a few months now, and have a small number of readers (thank you), but Id like to have more.  What would keep you coming back, hungering for more?  Is it articles and how-tos on dog behavior and training?  Or is that too much work, too much like studying?

Maybe youd be excited to read more about what I do as a dog trainer - how I spend my days, what my cases are like, the strange things that happen when you train dogs for a living (yes, there are some weird things...), and what I do to make a living with this career.  Or possibly its more postings about my family of dogs (and kid)?

Maybe you want a mixture of these topics, or maybe something all together different.  Well, heres your chance.  Post a comment, send me an email or send up a message with a sky-writing airplane pilot.  Let me know, because the whole point of writing something is to have people enjoy reading it.

Thank you!

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Why has training not worked for your reactive dog

10.00 in Dog, for, has, not, reactive, training, why, worked, your

Why has training not worked for your reactive dog ?

There are lots of reasons why our dogs might be slow to respond to training or behavioural modification. By incorporating the tips and training methods found in this blog and from the trainers at Sussex County Dog Training your dogs behaviour can improve. Your daily interactions with your dog and your dogs interactions with the world around them will become as you understand your dog more and are able to better shape your dogs behaviour.

There are several barriers to improving your dog’s behaviour these include:

Using the wrong methods - to improve a behaviour on a permanent basis the root cause of the behaviour must be addressed. If the diagnosis of the cause is incorrect or training is simply addressing the symptoms then the real cause will go unresolved and the behaviour problem will continue. Common incorrect diagnosis often include dominance, guarding the owner and being a "bad" dog. Finding out why the dog is behaving in a certain way is step one, identifying the reward to the dog (the dogs reinforcement for performing the behaviour) is step two. Once we have done this we can look at how to reduce or prevent the dogs reinforcement and use appropriate methods to treat the dogs behaviour based on the root cause (such as fear).

Lack of Practice – our dogs may need more practice to become fluent. Dogs need far more practice than most of us realize to really ‘get it’. And, they need to be trained in a variety of environments with a variety of distractions before they understand how to apply knowledge to any situation, this is called generalization.

Lack of Relevance – our dogs can question the relevance of our requests. We need to help them understand that our requests have meaning and consequences to the dog. This may be that a word that means reward or a behaviour that leads to a consequence.

   

Punishment - our dogs may have been consistently punished when s/he behaved in a set way. A good example of this is when your dog barks at someone we punish the dog with a lead jerk and a firm “NO” – if the dogs outburst was caused by fear we have paired an aversive or negative feeling with the person the dog had barked at –not improving but damaging the dogs expectations of future encounters with people. Even if the dog stopped barking it has probably only suppressed its feelings rather than learnt not to do it in the first place. Be aware that using "training" tools which also punish the dog such as check chains, prong collars, citronella collars and electric or e collars will also suppress the behaviour of a dog without curing it. They can cause further mental and physical damage to the dog and carry a heavy negative moral burden.

Lack of Focus– our dogs may not be focused on us enough to hear our requests. They may be under too much stress, suffering from sensory over load or worried about what is going to happen next.

Lack of Impulse Control – our dogs may not have learned how to control their impulses (or self control) around certain distractions yet. If we can improve impulse control we can often reduce reactivity.

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Not the high fiber diet I wanted my dog to have!

07.08 in diet, Dog, fiber, have, high, i, my, not, the, to, wanted

Last Saturday morning found me and my little family off to Santa Barbara for an early morning race. It was kinda rainy, and a little windy. For those of you who know my beloved little pooch Poncho, he is not a fan of the wind! (HA! no pun intended) Im not a big fan of the wind either, but for a different reason. Anyway, we didnt want to leave him here, so off we went on a family adventure. 

For as long as I can recall, my darling husband gives extra "rewards" to Poncho by allowing him to lick the leftover crumbs from his napkins and wrappers. And, for as long as I can remember Ive asked him not to. Hmm, I guess this trainer doesnt know her animal,  since weve been having the same conversation over and over. Trust me, Ive used every approach of Skinners Operant Conditioning Quadrant, mostly sticking with positive reinforcement, ("Good job honey, thanks for listening to me, thanks for giving Poncho the crumbs out of your hand instead of the napkin!) And negative punishment, (I take Poncho away from him if I see a napkin about to be presented)... Well, I guess my "animal" still hadnt learned! 

So, Im

 out on my 1/2 marathon course...in the meantime, my hubby has run and finished his 5K, gone to the car to get Poncho, walked him around, then proceeded to get snacks (human treats) at the post-race finish area. They greet me excitedly when I finish. Im thrilled beyond belief to be done with it... Then, my darling hubby decides to drop the bomb...nice way to end a perfectly good race... 

• Hubby: "Uh, honey? I gotta tell you about Poncho."   
  
• Wifey: "Oh really? What did he do? Was he a good boy with all the people and dogs?"
• H: "Has nothing to do with his behavior. Poncho is doing great with everyone."

Okay, so this is where the look on my face completely changed, you know, into the: this look I have on my face predicts nothing good for you! 

• W: "Oh dear gawd what happened!?"
• H: "Poncho ate a muffin wrapper." 
• W: "HE WHAT??!!!" "How the......!!!!!" "WHAT THE....!" (insert multiple expletives here)

Needless to say, I finally made my point about dogs and paper products with crumbs on them! 

Yes, Poncho was being rewarded with the opportunity to lick the muffin wrapper that was so generously given by my husband - When my hubby tried to take it away, Poncho decided it was quite delicious and didnt want to give it up - "guarding it" if you will, which hubby and I know is not only "normal" in dogs, but very strong in our dog - at least with food. 

Was I concerned? Yes, you bet. Did hubby at least call the vets office? Yes, you bet. They confirmed that Poncho should be okay, and to watch his behavior: breathing normal? Check! still eating? Check-check-check! Still energetic? Check! Peeing? Check! He even pooped too! Normal all around...so we decided not to rush him off to the vet emergency. We would observe for any changes, and take him in if things got bad or we got worried. 

So, after I calmed down (now my heart rate was up because of the wrapper incident), I actually said "thank you" to my hubby for being truthful (want to reinforce those behaviors we like and never want to punish him telling the truth, right?), and for taking action by calling the vets office. Then we went about our day, while keeping a close eye on Poncho...the happy ending? Five hours later it passed :-) Phew... 

Which brings me to the topic of dogs and consuming anything that isnt nailed down! Check out the photo op of Sir Poncho the Graduate chewing up his latest Manner Class certificate... Fortunately, it was for the pleasure of chewing and not consuming. 

Lets revisit what dogs are: scavengers, predators, and omnivores! >>> theyll eat anything at any time, and its more fun

 if its moving! They are also chewers! And they chew for a variety of reasons.... Put it all together, theyll eat anything! Sometimes they just chew it, sometimes they eat it, and sometimes theyll even "guard" it so you wont take it from them! Hello? This is normal 

behavior, and its hard-wired into their doggy DNA - its one characteristic that makes dogs dogs!

I recall during my training up at the San Francisco SPCA there was one particular dog (Freddy, see pic of the handsome shepherd mix) that was very clever at grabbing the trainers treat bags

 off their waistband, removing the ziploc baggy of treats from inside of it, and ingesting the entire thing! I wasnt there either time, but the first time he was rushed to the vets, the second time the trainers rolled their eyeand remembered not to use a treat bag when working with him. Live and learn, right? You would think dogs would learn too, but alas, it seems the ingesting of something, even some innate object, is usually more motivating than the punishment of aftermath. 

One other comforting thought was when my dear friend Emilia emailed me on Monday saying she was swamped the entire weekend because her dog Nellie had eaten a highlighter! Emilia 

and her hubby realized this after seeing all the ink on Nellies rear end. They spent their weekend observing Nellie for "odd" behavior...(odder than usual I guess?) :-) Check out Nellies pic on the left... I guess she was considering interior decorating as a new career. Fortunately mom and dad have provided many new legal outlets for her, and the pillows are no longer an appealing choice. 

Well, I guess if Nellie can tolerate a highlighter, then Poncho and his extra fiber would be okay...although, I would never ever ever add something like that into his diet intentionally, nor would I risk leaving something like that around - As we have come to learn, dogs sometimes dont have the best judgement when it comes to meal planning. 

Another few things Id like to add about dogs and chewing/ingesting anything is:

1. If your dog does, or you think your dog did ingest something that could harm them TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE VET! (or at least call your vets office) Its not our job to evaluate our dogs health if were not a professional veterinarian. 
2. Determine WHY your dog is chewing, destroying, or eating things they should be chewing, destroying or eating! Is it boredom? Is it because of isolation distress or separation anxiety? Is it because theyre teething? There are many reasons why dogs do any of those things. First determine "the why", then you can make plans on what to do about it, if in fact you need to change your dogs behavior. 
3. Supply your dog with "legal" items, then reward them when theyre making the better choice. Check out the picture of Poncho and his "legal" items. 

For more intriguing anecdotes on items that dogs eat, check out this great Web site that Matt Goodman and his dog Watson have developed called: Things My Dog Ate! After looking at his site, I can honestly say Poncho aint that bad when it comes to ingesting the non-food items... well just keep the wrappers away, and count our blessings.

If you have questions about chewing, ingesting, or guarding, or want to teach your dog some training exercises that would help with any of these issues, please contact me. My classes and workshops at the inquisitive canine studio and Ventura College Community Education, and of course privates can help you and your dog. 

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What not to do when training your dog

08.36 in beginner, do, Dog, not, to, training, videos, what, when, your

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Dog Training Tips Really Not In This Dog Trainers Opinion

06.16 in Dog, in, not, opinion, really, this, tips, trainers, training

There are a lot of great dog training tips out there - really. I provide many myself, as you probably already know, on this dog training ventura blog as well as the Noozhawk dog behavior advice column Poncho and I write for. Although Im a certified dog trainer, and one that prefers practicing more of a science-based methodology, I ask you, please, be a critical thinker when it comes to adhering to some of these "tips". Mine included! 

Some of the ones Ive seen out there just amaze me! Do people really believe some of this stuff? These are just a few that I came across:

• "Do not tell your dog “it’s okay” or “don’t worry” while they are acting fearful or aggressive. Showing affection to your dog in those states will reinforce the behavior you do not want. The dog reads your affection as praise and believes that’s the behavior you want."

• "Grabbing the scruff of your dog can help him calm down. That is how mothers carry their puppies after they are born. However, you cannot be angry when you do it or your dog will pick up on your energy and fight it."
  
• "Dog training classes aren’t necessary. Classes only benefit the dog in the aspect of socialization and very basic obedience. You don’t need to pay money for this. The time is better spent out on a walk."

• "Be the first to walk out the door. Pack leaders are ALWAYS the first through passageways."

OH MY GOODNESS! Really??? Yikes! Just like the "Lose 10 pounds in one day." It sounds like its time for a "dog-training-bust-a-myth" moment...at least in my opinion. 

First off, when Im scared, if my husband consoles me Im certainly not going to want to perform that scared behavior more. If anything, itll help me relax, and may even help build my confidence, which would come in handy if I were ever in that situation again. 

For example, when it comes to flying Im not real keen on the take-off and landing part. He knows this. So whenever we fly together he takes my hand during both these times and talks to me in soothing voice - he doesnt yell at me or ignore me. Geez, if he did that Id hate take-off and landing even more! Nope, he does show affection - and ya know what? This makes me love him even more! 

As for the other examples of "tips" that I mention above, let me just say:

1. Im pretty darn sure our dogs know were not dogs or wolves, and that grabbing their scruff doesnt make them think we are, nor do I believe my own dog Poncho, or any dog would "feel calm" if I were to grab him by his scruff. If anything, I would think Poncho would be reacting out of fear from me grabbing him in such a manner - which I would never do. 
2. Dog training classes "arent necessary"??? Its all about finding the right class. One that is educational, fun and rewarding for both the dog and their humans. Even if youre not taking one of my manners classes at the inquisitive canine studio, or at Ventura College Community Education, there are still plenty of fun dog training classes out there! It sounds to me this person found classes very punishing...too bad, maybe they will want to attend one of mine. 
3. I dont care who goes through the doorway or "passages" first. I do like to set boundaries, but Im not a complete control freak. Ill ask for a sit, or four-on-the-floor before giving the release cue to "go on". Shoot, sometimes life is really exciting and our dogs want to get there first! Just like us humans and getting in line at the movies, or concert, or roller-coaster! Its called "impulse control" - dogs dont have much, which is why its important to teach them such exercises....Hmm, maybe those dog training classes are important. I teach many of these behaviors in my own dog training classes. 

As Ive said before, dogs (like all animals) do what works! They perform whichever behaviors gets them more of what they want, to keep themselves safe, and to prevent from getting hurt, or avoiding anything that would cause them fear, pain, or death. Duh. 

So before you start listening to tons of advice out there, please, be a critical thinker. If you dont feel comfortable doing something, dont. Or at least ask questions. Education is good! Knowledge is even better! 

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Dressing Dogs Up Borderline animal abuse Not if you make it fun!

23.08 in abuse, animal, borderline, Dog, dogs, dressing, fun, if, it, make, not, up, you

I just read a question posted to a reporter news feed about wanting opinions from animal professionals on the topic of dressing dogs up... Okay, so this just happened to fall on the birthday of my beautiful, handsome, lovely, love of my life, baby boy Poncho! Of ALL days! Why today??? Today is one of those days Im going wear my "dog mom" hat - not my professional certified pet dog trainer, dog behavior counselor hat! 

Whats my opinion? Hmm, my usual m.o. is to change up his collar...I admit, Poncho the dog has quite a few to choose from. I switch his license and ID tag to whichever he ends up wearing. As I tell my dog training class and private dog training clients, one key element in being a responsible pet owner: "Your dogs collar is similar to our wallet. Its used for carrying ID and license. Other than that it can be used for a fashion statement, personality statement, or to match your outfit." It shouldnt be used for "training" (like those nasty aversive training methods using collar correction). 

As for other "outfits"? Yes, Poncho has various sweaters, t-shirts, a couple of vests/jackets... and the ever popular lobster costume he wears at Halloween, the hawaiian lei I have him wear many times throughout the year...we do live in Ventura, which is a beach town. Besides the annual Halloween event, all of his clothes are more about function...if its cold out. Oops, wait a minute...some of his t-shirts are more about statements I want to make...like when he goes to races with me. Poncho is one of my running partners, and he likes to brag about that. 

This specific reporter asked the question: "Other than essential winter coats, do dogs generally hate having to wear people clothes, and is it cruel to dress dogs up?"

My answer to that: I have no idea what theyre thinking. Therefore Im not sure if they hate it or not. I know that when I dress Poncho in clothing that hes not used to, like his fuzzy green birthday hat, or lobster costume, I head down the "creating pleasant associations" path, and feed him little bits of yummy high-value treats while hes wearing them. This way, hell learn to love the outfits! Classical conditioning is a wonderful thing! 

As for the latter part of the question, "Is it cruel?" That all depends upon the motivation of whomever is dressing the dog up. If the person is intending to hurt, humiliate (intentionally), bully, coerce, or intimidate the dog in question, then "yes" I do think its cruel. If the person is doing it to have fun, provide love, attention, and steak for their dog, then why not? Just like when my parents dressed me in striped pants and paisley shirts - they werent cruel, it was the 70s. 

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To Raw or Not to Raw

12.00 in Dog, not, or, raw, to

Proper nutrition is essential to a happy, healthy pet.  But how do we provide the best nutrition possible?  There is still debate on that - likely there always will be.  While some things are fairly certain (grocery brands are usually inferior quality, corn is bad, red dye is bad, etc.), the benefit from feeding a raw diet is still unclear. 

Raw food is just what it sounds like - feeding your dog a mixture of raw meats, bones, eggs, vegetables and other ingredients that amount to a nutritionally sound meal.  Feeding raw diets used to be a cumbersome, expensive and even gruesome process as the dog owner had to buy ingredients and chop, grind and blend them into something their dog could eat.  It was an easy excuse not to feed a raw diet!

Today raw food is available in many pet stores and can be purchased in pre-packaged easy-to-feed nuggets or patties.  All you need to do is thaw a few days worth of food in your fridge, then dole it out at meal time.  Your dog gets a nutritious (and well enjoyed!) dinner.

But what about the expense, and what if you are traveling or just cant prepare a raw meal one night?  Although raw food has come down in price, it is still an expensive option.  However, raw food is highly digestible (as compared to some of that nasty grocery store food that is mostly cheap filler ingredients like corn - not that Im biased or anything).  And the more food your dog digests, the less of your money gets, well, pooped out in the back yard!

One way to bring down the price is to feed a mixture of raw and kibble.  Thats what I do, for many reasons, including expense and convenience.  For example, Apple eats 2/3 a cup of dry kibble mixed with two nuggets of Primal Canine Chicken Formula (you guessed it, raw is also available for kitties!).  It doesnt cost me as much as feeding exclusively raw, and if theres a night where I just cant manage to feed raw, she can eat kibble without any issues.  And Apple loves her meals - theres never a scrap left behind!

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Not All Domestic Dogs Enjoy Being Bathing Beauties

16.01 in all, bathing, beauties, being, Dog, dogs, domestic, enjoy, not

Throughout the summer, and even heading into our warm-weathered Fall, Poncho and I have received a few questions through our Dear Inquisitive Canine dog behavior advice column from dog guardians regarding their dogs "freaking out" when it came to swimming pools. The dogs either didnt want to go anywhere near it, or would bark and patrol the area when their human family members splashed about in the water. Even if the dog would jump in and out of the pool on their own, playing and going after toys, their reaction would often change when people would all of a sudden "disappear" underneath the water.

Being a dog mom myself I can surely attest to this. Poncho is definitely not a water dog. Hes

really not into going into any body of water. (Although, he does seem to enjoy bath-time; probably has more to do with the snackies).

Ive also witnessed my friends lab Chief jumping in and out of the water, playing and fetching his tennis ball. But as soon as his human family members dive under water, he begins barking and patrolling. Whats he thinking? Who knows. Im not a mind reader. Why is he doing what hes doing? Hmm, my best guess is that pools are just weird to dogs. And some dogs adapt more easily than others.

Whats the solution? Simple. Condition (teach) these dogs to adapt to these bizarre surroundings, watch for the behaviors you do like, even the smallest ones, and reward him or her for their "bravery" of being around pools. Keep in mind that it is always important to gauge a dogs comfort level, which you can do by reading their body language. And always take care in not pushing him or her beyond their “threshold.” Meaning, small steps to help get them used to being around a pool. Making it enjoyable for them, so they can build their confidence. Just like the old fashioned way of teaching us humans to swim by throwing us into the deep end has taken a long walk off a short pier, its not the best approach to teaching our dogs either.

For the complete article on the german shepherd being afraid of the swimming pool, please see our Noozhawk Dear Inquisitive Canine column. The following are additional training tips for helping your dog in stressful situations. In addition to the above suggestions, youll want to:

• Gauge your dogs comfort level by seeing how easily s/he engages in the play activities, and if s/he is taking food rewards. Few animals eat when they’re scared and stressed. If they are eating tidbits of steak or chicken then use these items to reward him or her being near the pool. No pool, no high value treats. In this case its not punishment. Your dog is clearing letting you know theyre uncomfortable.
• If s/he is not staying focused on you when near the pool, and not eating, this can be interpreted as being beyond his or her level of comfort, also known as his “threshold”. We all have a breaking point. It’s best to keep your dog below his or her level of stress so they can build their confidence and comfort level around the pool.
• To help the process move along even more rapidly, you can begin the “pool = good stuff for your dog" training plan by introducing him/her to it slowly. Start out with just the two of you, sitting poolside, enjoying the sunshine. Play, have snacks, cuddle, then go inside - stop all rewards and attention. Do this a few times before making it more difficult for him or her. You can then sit with your feet in the pool, but not go all the way in. Those times when s/he chooses on their own to go lie in the water to cool off, go in with them, but wade in the area s/he is in, again providing all rewards that your dog responds well to.

So, if Poncho isnt a water dog, why did I go to the trouble of trying to get him in? Well, I wanted him to practice getting out of the pool. In case there was ever a time that he fell in a pool (we dont have one, but we have friends that do), he might be less scared. Yes I was hoping that he would enjoy it. But nope, even steak, chicken, and his tennis ball didnt change his mind. Sure I could take the time to condition him to love the pool. But since we dont have a pool, and its not a huge concern for us, and not a big priority, Id rather spend my time teaching him things that are more important for our lifestyle such as discrimination and agility. If I want to go swimming with dogs I have plenty of my friends dogs to choose from.

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Its Not Easy Getting Old

03.13 in Dog, easy, getting, its, not, old

Poor Timber.  Tomorrow is the visit to the vet to check up on why he is drinking and peeing so much.  In the meantime, were all about ready to be done with the accidents.  When Timber has to pee Im not sure he always knows or has control over it.  The good news is that because he drinks so much his accidents are practically just water.  But we did need a solution.

Theres a great pet store on the north east side of town called Pets on Broadway.  When I went in to pick up dog food for the boys (they eat Fromm Gold and no one on our side of town carries it) I decided it was finally time to get Timber a belly band.  For those of you not in the know when it comes to belly bands, well... be happy about that.  It is a simple device that literally wraps around the belly of a male dog (similar products are available for females, but we wont go there today) to prevent him from peeing inside the house.  Its essentially a diaper for males who are problematic markers (which I think is really any male that marks inside instead of out!) or incontinent dogs.  Ive also known of people using a belly band during house training, but please, if it comes to that, call a professional (like me)!

Its awkward enough buying a diaper for your male dog, but standing in the aisle reading the packaging to figure out what size you need and exactly how much liquid the thing will be capable of holding, you feel pretty strange.  Fortunately Pets on Broadway has great staff, and one of them (sorry I didnt get your name!) patiently helped me through the whole process.  The icing on the cake was one brief line on the instructions.  To quote the Simple Solution Washable Male Wrap, "Position the wrap so the microfiber pad covers your dogs masculinity."  Oh my goodness, is that what we call it?

Next it was time to try convincing Timber that this belly band was a good idea.  I mean, hey, he doesnt care if we are wearing out the mop. I affixed a pad to the proper place on the wrap, then proceeded to cover poor Timbers "masculinity."  Timber was indulging to a point, but would not be convinced that it was safe to lie down with such a dangerous piece of fabric attached to him.  So I did what any good dog trainer would do.  I got out the chicken and gave Timber the "down" command, thinking that if I directed him to lie down a few times hed understand that it was okay.

Now, Timbers not a huge fan of obedience training, but fortunately for me, he is a huge fan of chicken. 

"Down," I said.  Thunk went Timber. 

I did it!  He smiled up to me.  Chicken now!  Timber was pleased with himself, but something was missing from the equation.  His back end.  Timber had happily performed the portion of the "down" exercise he was comfortable with, and maybe he thought I wouldnt notice the rest.  He was in a very nice play bow, front end down on the ground and butt (and belly band) up in the sky.

At least he got a laugh out of me, because that much effort didnt earn him the piece of chicken he had been hoping for.  We tried again.  And again.  We were finally successful, and Timber got lots of chicken for his tolerance and obedience.  Tonight weve had one near accident (fully caught by the belly band, hooray!); tomorrow will be our trip to the vet, and hopefully a solution that Timber is more accepting of.

Timber doing "down"

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Toto Ive a feeling were not in Kansas anymore!

23.46 in a, anymore, Dog, feeling, in, ive, kansas, not, toto, were

Yesterday I saw a production of Wizard of Oz, my clients dogs did AWESOME! When the 5 heros get sleepy in the poppy fields, Klitie popped down and became motionless, head on the ground. Stellar performance from both talented dogs.  Tashi will have her oppertunities in the future no doubt!

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Does your dog have a waist

07.34 in a, do, does, dog, have, not, to, training, waist, what, when, your

If you are interested in working on tricks and behaviors with your dog, your dog should be the proper weight to prevent injury, discomfort and disinterest in working. A dog that is even slightly overweight can loose interest in working for food (not all dogs mind you!). If your dog is slightly overweight, try to maintain your dogs appropriate weight and see what a difference it can make in training. All dogs should have a waist!!! Depriving a dog of food is not the idea, the dog should feel comfortable not hungry. If your dog is ravenous, feed a small meal before training, to stop frustration.

I got this weight chart off the internet, I could not find who is the actual artist who created it, as it was on many internet sites without credit. So if you know where this diagram originated, please let me know so I can give them credit for their work!



A lot of vets will not tell you that your dog is overweight! It is up to you to assess your dogs weight and decrease or increase calorie intake accordingly. It is especially important with toy dogs as they can gain and loose weight rapidly if you feed a varied diet.

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