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.
Prevent rehearsal: Managing situations so that unwanted behaviours cannot or do not occur. Each time the dog does the unwanted behaviour, the “pathway” in the brain to that behaviour gets used and something like “muscle memory” is established. These things make the behaviour a more likely option the dog will turn to when presented with similar situations in the future. Not all behaviours can be prevented completely, but recognising what triggers the unwanted behaviour will help you prevent that situation from occurring.
Train a substitute behaviour: If the dog is not doing the undesirable behaviour, he is doing something else. If he’s being quiet, he’s not barking. If his feet are all on the floor, he’s not jumping. When behaviour gets a reward (either from you, the environment or the dog himself) it will be repeated. You need to be sure that it’s the desirable alternative that gets the reward and attention from you. Think about what you want the dog TO DO rather than what you want to stop. Try to get the dog to do the desired behaviour in place of the unwanted one. Be sure to reward heavily for the desired behaviour, especially if the dog chooses that behaviour on his own.
Understand normal dog behaviour: Often, a behaviour people don’t like is perfectly normal for a dog to do (or for the breed of dog to do.) In some cases, such as chewing, it’s a behaviour the dog NEEDS to do. By giving the dog an appropriate outlet for these natural behaviours, the dog will be much happier and more relaxed. You can use these highly desired behaviours as a reward for when the dog does something you like. If your puppy is chewing on furniture (then you have not taken appropriate steps for management/prevention) but you can ask the pup to sit and then reward that desired behaviour with a Kong he’s allowed to chew on. Often supervision and redirecting the dog to an appropriate outlet is the best solution for natural dog behaviours.
Be consistent: Dogs learn much faster when the rules remain the same. If you sometimes got a pay cheque for going to work and sometimes got it for staying home, but the rules about which was which weren’t clear, you would have some stress and confusion. People do this to their dogs all the time! Jumping up is OK unless I’m wearing nice clothes or your feet are dirty. Barking is ok unless the neighbours have been complaining or a sleeping baby is visiting. Sometimes it’s ok to get on the sofa, sometimes it’s not. The problem is compounded when more than one person routinely interacts with the dog. Make sure all family members understand and apply the same rules. Dogs are often willing to follow the rules when the rules are clear and consistent.
Nothing in Life is Free: The “Nothing in life is Free” program, when implemented in a reasonable manner, can greatly help increase the odds of good behaviour. When the dog learns that the way to get what he wants is by doing something you like, your dog will start doing what you like more often. This program also helps teach the dog the concept of self-control. If mugging you for food works, why should he sit politely during meals? If pulling on the leash works, why should he try to keep the leash loose? But, if the dog has to sit before he gets a treat and has to keep the leash loose before you are willing to move a single step, he has more reason to try self-control. This program goes hand in hand with helping the dog toward an acceptable behaviour and then rewarding that behaviour with something the dog wants.
Look for the good: We are a punishing species. It is a proven fact that when a person uses punishment and it gets results, the use of punishment is more likely. However, the same can be said of using rewarding methods. If you are watching for behaviours you can reward (& you reward them) those behaviours will become more frequent. This works better than always looking for what the dog is doing wrong so you can yell or jerk on the leash. The punishment method will cause a dog to hide the behaviour from you. The reward method will cause the dog to bond with you because he wants to figure out what you want him to do (so he can get what he wants.) For some complex behaviours, you might need to gradually “shape” the behaviour of the dog to get it closer and closer to the desired behaviour. You can do this by timing your rewards in a way that keeps the dog trying and moving toward the desired behaviour.
Be active: Most dogs do not get the exercise they require. Many are overweight and bored out of their minds. By keeping their mind and body active, the dog will have less time to get himself into trouble by creating his own fun but often troublesome games.
Don’t mix signals: As humans, we communicate primarily with words. Dogs, however, are best at reading non-verbal signals like body language and tone of voice. We also tend to use our words in a confusing way- saying “down” when we mean “get off” and repeating the cue so fast it becomes a new cue (“sit, sit, sit”.) Now the dog waits to hear “sit-sit-sit” before he responds. Our message and tone can be confusing too. Saying “come here!” in a rough and growly voice does not indicate to the dog that going toward you will be safe. Dog’s are masters at reading our body language. Even subtle changes like breathing patterns and raised eye brows are often noticed by dogs. Be aware of what you are saying with your tone and body to be sure it’s not confusing the dog. If your dog is not correctly responding to what you ask, check to make sure your body language and tone aren’t asking for something different (or indicating a bad mood that could make the dog hesitant to respond.)
Train, train, train: Dogs do not come with “good behaviour” naturally. In fact, most behaviour that DOES come naturally to a dog is in direct contradiction with what we want. By looking for and rewarding the desired behaviours, and redirecting unwanted behaviours into ones we can reward, you will be teaching your dog what you like and expect. Just as with raising a small child, teaching dogs what will make you happy and what will upset you is a 24 hour/ 7 days a week job! Dogs and children are always learning. You need to make a decision to be sure they are learning what you want them to learn.
Love your dog: It is very easy to get frustrated, when this happens, take a moment to take a deep breath, then assess the situation. What can you do to prevent it? What should you have done to prevent it? What alternative behaviour can you try to get the dog to do so you can reward it? Is it a natural behaviour the dog needs an outlet for? Is anyone else allowing the dog to practice the unwanted behaviour? Can you use the situation to teach the dog self-control? Does the dog need more exercise? Would the dog be doing this behaviour if he was tired? Are your desires being communicated clearly to the dog? When you answer these questions, it is likely that you will have something to work with. You’ll have behaviour (or more than one) you can watch for and reward. You will understand how to prevent the unwanted and reward the good dog.
If you are unsure how this advice applies to your case please discuss this with your trainer:
Miranda Sasse miranda@sussexcountydogtraining.co.uk07958522732
Jeff Sasse jeff@sussexcountydogtraining.co.uk07861121079
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.
Okay folks, heads up! This Ventura dog trainer says its time we look at "treats" and rewarding our dogs in a new way. Ive been doing this myself for quite awhile now, and Id love for you to join me in this new way of thinking.
I think we, as humans, are programmed to look at the word "treat" as that something extra we "earn" doing something thats considered "difficult" for us. Maybe something mentally challenging like studying for an exam, and passing with flying colors, "Hey I deserve a treat tonight." Or little Johnny getting an "A" so he gets a piece of cake. Maybe something physically challenging like training and competing in a triathlon...to celebrate, athletes will take themselves out for a nice meal...or ice-cream! Or parents will take their kids for pizza after a game. We earn it, we deserve it... If we dont do something extra special we dont get it...
Okay, thats fine for ourselves, but what about our pet dogs? Most people end up giving their dogs their meals out of a bowl without asking them to do much of anything besides "sit" before its placed on the floor... big deal. Then I get training calls about needing help with being quiet in the yard, jumping up to greet people, walking poorly on leash... Well geez, why not use your dogs meal and give them pieces of it whenever theyre doing something you want? This way your dog is "earning" it, but youre training at the same time...getting more "bang for your bowl" so to speak.
Ive been taking Poncho out a lot, all over town, teaching him to run next to me while on leash. I seem to be the only one using "treats"... but what Im actually using is his meal. Sure Im using higher value stuff because I want the behavior badly, so Im going to use something more motivating...at least for now. Once he "gets it" and is trained, Ill be able to use less and less... or something lower value.
Im not looking at it as "rewards", Im looking at it as his meal, his daily sustenance, and when were running I look at it as his personal "aid station". I mean come on! When Im running a race there are aid stations every mile! Water, electrolyte drinks, oranges, energy gels, bananas, protein bars, and much more.... a lot of non-food items too - just to make everyone happy and as comfortable as they can be. So why cant I be Ponchos "aid station"? His kibble, turkey, and roast beef are equivalent to my energy gels and protein bars?
So the next time you pack your own lunch, your own snack, your kids snacks, or pass through the burger drive-through or a Starbucks, remember to pack snackies for your dog too... then use them to reward those behaviors you want!
BTW, this ice-cream moment was because Ponchos dad happened to be eating an ice-cream and Poncho ignored the mail truck driving by...thats a huge "win" in my book! Bonus!
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.
