Archive for the ‘dogs’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Measure Your Success!

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

I recommend keeping a log or journal for everyone working with their dogs. This really helps you keep track of where you have been and how the training is progressing. This is really helpful with serious behavior problems and complex dogs. Find things to measure and keep track of the facts. For example for a dog that is afraid of passing people on rollerblades, you could count the number of rollerbladers that pass in an outing, whether your dog barked or made other sounds and for how long, and how long after the rollerblader passed did the dog take food. What was the number of rollerbladers on outing?

For example with my current dog, it used to be he would refuse even the best food when people passed on trail, then he would take food reluctantly if it had been 15 minutes since somebody passed, then two minutes, then thirty seconds, then he would instantly eat as single quiet person passed. Put as much detail as possible into your notes. This will also let you identify what elements seems to trigger your dog’s behavior such as, turns out your dog only barks when someone wears a hat. That really helps you fine tune and identify the different triggers for your dog’s behavior. It may help you decide to go a less populated since the number of people seems too much at this point or maybe the behavior is worse when you are walking with a friend or maybe it is better.

This is true for basic training as well. It will make a difference in your training. If you are working a sit stay for example keep track of the facts such as Ricky did a 90 second sit stay in kitchen with only you in room, then Ricky did 3 minute sit stay in kitchen with only you in the room, etc.

If you need to, just use quick hand in notebook or jot short hand notes on calendar. Keep these records to get an idea of how things have progressed over time.

Posted in clicker training, dogs, positive training | No Comments »

Do Dogs Need People to Think?

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Okay, this is going to be a bit boring for some of you but may interest those that read a lot of materials from the positive training arena. I have read over and over that some methods make dogs think. This always sticks in my craw because I love to watch dogs and I observe a lot of untrained dogs. Dogs are pretty clever! I had a dog that could shell peanuts very neatly with her paws and her mouth. Try that without thumbs! I had nothing to do with this besides providing the peanuts. She would also trick my other dog into leaving his bone by pretending someone was at the door by barking at front door and quickly doubling back to snatch the bone. Years ago my neighbor’s dog, to call this dog untrained would be an understatement, would steal all of my dog’s expensive toys and chews by only playing with him only if he brought his toy over to the gap under fence and then steal the toy. This dog basically charged my dog the price of his toys in exchange for playtime. Many dogs teach themselves to open fridge doors and open latches that take some finesse. Do dogs need us to think? Nope!!!! Do children need schools to think? Nope!!! Do they need classes to learn what we want them to learn? Yup!! Dogs learn and think on their own but we need to condition and train them how to live in our world.

What is so powerful about positive training, especially using a reward marker is it gives us a very powerful and precise communication with our dogs. You can communicate with your dog, now that is something to celebrate, accurate communication between species. Awesome!

I will say this method does foster a well-mannered dog that doesn’t lose personality through training. The dogs’ eyes sparkle with eagerness to enter this process with us since they are reinforced for doing and trying stuff. So okay, instead of saying positive methods make dogs think, I would say it makes them eager to learn stuff with us. What could be better than that?

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

Week Five with Our Adopted Dog

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

If you have adopted an untrained and unsocialized dog, let me just say you’re entitled to be tired and drained and maybe emotional. I am an experienced dog trainer and at week five I am tired, drained, and emotional. It is easier for me since I know how to deal with all the issues that can come up with an adopted dog so my hats off to all of you that take this on and have learn all this stuff along the way.

What helps me is to set dates on calendar to check in and see how things are going with our new dog Charlie. It took him a year to become the dog I adopted so we are going to redo the first year of his life from this point forward and it will probably take at least twice that time. Yes, we have missed that oh so important socialization stage of his development when he was a young puppy but we will do our best to have a do over. We will have to take it very slow since the world is very overwhelming for Charlie right now. My alarm clock even concerns him. I try to jot down a few words each day to record how it is going.

If you have adopted a dog or puppy be sure to mark your successes down on the calendar or keep a journal to see how far you have come. Sometimes we forget how things were on day one. We have achieved many things in five weeks but it could be easy to lose track of the successes with so many things still to achieve.

Some of our successes at five weeks are: being able to walk nicely and quietly by a horse, coming in the yard off lead when called, many weeks without any pee or poo in house, laying quietly in house and yard most of the time without barking at outside activities, not being afraid of stairs, the coffee grinder, the fire truck without siren, distant gunshots, trucks outside when riding in car. He is gradually getting better about being brushed. Learning some training basics at home and on walk like keeping leash loose, eye contact, sit and wait at door, retrieve, target hand and lid and Steve, come, and follow and lots more.

I have come to conclusion that it will be a long time until Charlie is able to go to big hectic dog events with me as I planned but that is okay. That is real life you have to adjust your expectations when the real nature of your dog is revealed, which took a few weeks for Charlie. Your new dog will change you and change your family just as any new member would and usually in the end it is for the better. Whether you end up being a more patient and sensitive person or even a more social person as you find yourself meeting people as you find avenues for your dog’s energy and intelligence.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

Smoke and Mirrors

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Well it is day six since we adopted our new dog and I am reminded of something an owner of a business once said to a friend in regard to managing people – “It is all smoke and mirrors.” Well, the key to having a new dog is much the same. You want to use your every advantage to direct their energy into activities you like and want to live with on a daily basis. So you set the stage. In positive training you reinforce the behaviors you want and ignore the behaviors you don’t want. The behavior that is reinforced increases. Behaviors that are not reinforced in some way should disappear. Of course the third part of the puzzle is that you are not the only one reinforcing behaviors, squirrels, mail delivery people, relatives, spouses, and the stinky socks on the floor can also reinforce behavior so you need to get ahead of these influences and set the stage so your dog learns what you want him to learn.

We are working on house manners so we have shut doors and blocked hallway access to the front of the house with chairs and boxes because we want to head off any potty accidents (there was one in front hall) and jumping and barking at front door, which happened once. We have tried to remove any tempting items and frequently put toys in his mouth and play with him. We distract him if he starts any unwanted behaviors and when we are out, of course, he is safely in his crate where he can’t get into trouble. Charlie is not trained to the yard yet so I have him dragging a rope attached to his harness that I can grab if I need to prevent him from learning any unwanted behaviors. This way I can interrupt and prevent any move to harass our wild bird population or our neighbors’ animals and allows me to reinforce all the things I want like coming when called, chasing and retrieving toys and staying away from fence. If I didn’t do this, he would inevitably find out it would be easy to run out of our grasp and harass the other animals and of course they would run or react, which would probably reward this undesirable behavior. Eventually he will have been reinforced so many times for doing wanted games in the yard that these activities will replace any unwanted behaviors and he will think I still can control him when I really physically couldn’t. Like I said, smoke and mirrors.

Dogs almost always learn unwanted behaviors when left on their own that is why controlling the surrounding area or setting the stage so they will follow your script is so important. We are doing this on a long list of behaviors but so far our diligence is paying off with great progress in a short time and I can usually see the mistake I have made in managing the setting when he does something unwanted like grabbing my slipper, which I should not have left on the floor. It is a lot like a preschool daycare teacher controlling a class. The teacher will put the toys and supplies she wants the kids to play with in front of them and be sure to remove any hazardous items or distract the children from doing any unwanted or dangerous activities like trying to climb the shelves. Dogs are always learning. Make sure you give them lots of stuff to do that is easy to live with like, activity toys, safe chews, games to play like fetch and tug, hikes and walks and get ahead of the game by preventing any unwanted behavior. No dog ever learned to knock down the garbage can if he never had access to one. All our trashcans are up high or behind closed doors right now just for that reason. Remember get ahead of the unwanted behavior so your dog won’t learn it in the first place. It will really make your life easier down the road.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

43 Hours Since We Adopted Our New Dog

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

43 Hours Since We Adopted Our New Dog

Things are going well. Our new dog is sleeping at my feet on his bed while I write this. I am groggy from almost two days of intensive work with our new doggy. I picked him about two days ago and he was a little anxious to leave his foster buddies but thanks to some tasty treat I brought for the ride and a good adaptable dog brain, he was lying down by the time we made all the way home. I had the crate, new toys, his food, beds, leashes, tags, and assorted treats prepared. He spent the first day on leash in and out of house with me, which helped bond him to me and calm him down and start with house manner training. I used positive reinforcement every time he did something I liked and distracted him from doing things I didn’t like, such as thinking about taking bite out Steve’s prized Jade plant. I put him in crate for our mealtime and when Steve was wearing his work clothes for breakfast.

The toys that were a hit:

One of my favorite’s and Jefferson’s favorite the Purple Twist & Spin Busy Buddy from Premier (Great activity toy and easy to clean). He is playing with it without treats too!

Rubber large rings that form 3 part chain, he had at foster’s house so he was familiar and loves to tug

Fleece braided tug toy from Petmart. Lightweight and great for walks and house play

Chuck It balls and ball with Frisbee type attachment

The toys he hates:

He is afraid of squeaky toy unlike my late dog Jefferson, he would promptly kill and disembowel all squeaky toys with great glee.

The round softer than a buster cube activity toy that you put treats in and the dog rolls and treats fall out at random. Although, he loves the Twist & Spin that does the same king of thing, Charlie has shown no interest in this toy.

Oh and he turned his noise up at expensive top of the line wellness treats. Well all righty then! Likes his food and chicken.

We worked on not pulling on leash and playing and paying attention on walks and in yard all on leash or long line.

The first night we took a gamble that he was housebroken and let him sleep with crate door open in bedroom. He was a little anxious and paced room whenever one us moved so I slept with one eye open. He was afraid of stairs and upstairs rooms and hall but he has adjusted well and has adapted to stairs. Day two we tried off leash in house since he seems housebroken and has bonded to me. I watch him constantly and give him feedback and bravery rewards since he is a bit of chicken. He has spent short periods in crate fine when I am out of house. We have a long list of things to work on but he is playful and joyful and adapting very quickly. He does an excellent Chewbacca imitation and pounces on his toys like a fox. He doesn’t mind tons of nose kisses and is pretty cuddly. Well nap time is over and it is time to play! More tomorrow. Jeni

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

The Power in Breaking Down Dog Training and Life Into Smaller Steps

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

I listened to a radio interview with the author of the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer the other day and couldn’t help but think of how some of these concepts apply to working with our dogs. I sat through a very technical science lecture at an APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) Conference and what I got out of it was this, animal brains resist big changes all at once but adapt well to small gradual changes. I have told clients over in over in past years, “It pays off to prepare your dog for any life changes in small stages.” An example I often give is I never leave a new dog alone for long periods at first. At first I will leave her for a few minutes a few times, then a bit longer the next week, and longer still a few weeks later so the change has been gradual. I will also leave my dog with a new sitter in stages, at first let them get to know sitter with me there, then leave her for a few hours with a sitter, always one overnight with the sitter before leaving for a few days. This has always gone smoothly for me but if I abruptly left my dog with a stranger for a week, I could come back to a traumatized dog that would then have anxiety around me leaving her for any amount of time. So it bears repeating, “It pays off big time to prepare your dog for big changes or new things in small steps.”

This also applies to dog training both for you as trainer and for your dog. Start with real easy gradual steps when learning something new and each day make it just a bit harder. For example, I teach all dogs to sit and wait for permission to go out doors to the outside for the dog’s safety and my sanity. The first twenty times through the door I look for just a real quick instant sit before I release the dog and she happily goes outside with lots of praise. During the following days I will add just a couple more seconds each day and gradually work up to a dog that reliably sits and waits at door even if is wide open and I am not physically in the way. The dog will reliably move through door after my release word. It has been easy and stress free training for the dog and me because we did it gradually over time. No sweat, I was happy with small improvements each day.

This works for you as trainer too. Set out to work on your training your dog with a small change to your daily routine. One small change at time and add a bit more every few days so you are gradually working training into your day. If you try to do too much at once, it will be stressful for you and probably for your dog too. This is what I do with a new dog and honestly the training is fun and no sweat this way. The dog is trained before I know it.

Listen to this interesting interview with Robert Maurer that inspired this blog post it aired on January 1, 2009 on The Kojo Gnamdi on WAMU 88.5 American University Radio http://wamu.org/programs/kn/09/01/01.php and it is free!

Happy New Year!

Jeni Grant
www.trainyourbestfriend.com

Posted in dogs | No Comments »

Mix It Up!

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Okay, I am going to tell you the secret dog trainers know and many dog owners don’t usually grasp that creates huge obstacles in training your dog to be well mannered throughout her life. That is what we want, a well manner delightful dog at 1yr and at 18 yrs. old and every day in between. Oh, and of course to have fun with our dogs!!!

Okay, you took a few positive training classes and learned some basic skills. It worked in class but now you have to apply those skills to every day life. Always think Mix It Up! Mix up the Where, What, When, and How.

Where-Take your dog training to many different locations. I have heard many people say they forgot to bring their training tools when they go on walks, or to the vet, on trips, that is EXACTLY when you must have the head halters, reward toys, reward treats, and clickers, whatever you used in class for training and I would say that is when your rewards should be even better. Always keep in mind if anything NEW is happening the dog may not understand the training because it is out of context. If you always wore your sneakers during training sessions, your dog may not understand you because he was looking for the sneakers to say it is training time. Do some retraining in NEW situations and the more you do this the quicker your dog will learn in all situations.

What-Don’t ask your dog to do the same thing all the time. If she always sits at the door, ask her to lie down. Before doggy dinner have your dog to all his behaviors for the great reward the meal. Sometimes use only hand signals. Sometimes use only voice signals. Never do the same thing in the same order. I would do some heeling with my dog around to house and then tell him to go up to the landing and wait until I released him for his meal and then the next meal we would do other tricks. He loved it so much I had to tell my sitters to play this game with him when I was away so he would eat!!! Make it different and always a bit more challenging for your dog. Keep them guessing. It makes life interesting for you and your dog.

When-Avoid ruts. I have seen the control shift from person to dog with ruts. Some people will feed the dog at 5 pm everyday because this behavior rut has been so ingrained that the dog fusses and actually gets upset if she doesn’t eat at the same time! Yes, feed the dog but mix up the times, sometimes 5 pm, sometimes 6:30 pm or 7 pm and always at your decision not because your dog is prompting you for dinner. This type of behavior rut can create a dog that cannot adapt to little changes and that is bad for the dog and you because of course you in turn worry about the stress of the dog. Mix up when you do your training behaviors. It will make life more interesting for your dog. You want an adaptable dog because we live in an unpredictable world. This is why very short training sessions randomly throughout the day are better than a set training time. You want your dog to be trained all day long not just during training sessions so keep it as random as possible.

How-Mix up how you ask your dog to do behaviors. Try lying on the floor or sitting if you always stand, remember at first your dog may be confused because you always stood before when training. Stand out of sight and ask for behavior and then check if she did the behavior. Ask your friends or different family members to signal the dog to do the behaviors so she learns to listen to people besides you. Wear different clothes; ask for behaviors while you swim in the pool for a ball throw reward. Bringing me to next thing to mix up, your rewards, mix up different food rewards, different toy rewards, different game rewards. I was walking my friend’s adorable Cavalier and I was out his treats so I would stop each time a car went by and wouldn’t start walking again until he looked at me. Sometimes, I would run a few steps as a reward and he loved it! Avoid ruts here too, your dog should think you are a magical creature and he will never know whether he will get a piece of steak, a new toy, a game of tug, a regular treat.

Just think Mix It Up and you will be glad you did. I promise!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

Make Your Neighbors Think Your Dog is Great

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

The truth is when it comes to the public your manners often matter more than your dog’s manners. In our society in every conceivable way including legally, the person that feeds and cares for a dog, is responsible for all of that dog’s actions. If your dog barks and annoys your neighbors, you will be held responsible.

One of the most common complaints about dogs is dog poo left on a neighbor’s yard or on public property to be stepped in by some innocent passerby. Obviously, it is not the dog’s fault, she has to go to the bathroom and she doesn’t have pooper scooping dexterity so it is up to the person to keep their dog off other people’s property by leash or fence and to pick up any doggy waste left on public property. Trust me there is no quicker way to make an enemy than have your dog poo or pee in their yard or along their favorite walking path in the park. So, it is simple pick it up or prevent it.

Barking is probably second on the annoying the neighbor list. Dogs are social beings that want to be with you so do not leave them in the yard alone, this almost always causes nuisance behaviors, if not more serious behavior problems and leaves them in possible danger from strangers, storms and other natural and man-made disasters. Find a comfortable place in the house for them preferably away from outside distractions like rooms that face the street and barking triggers like other dogs, joggers, and trucks. If you live in an apartment or other really close neighbor situations, you may need to invest some time training your dog and providing other busy work for your dog do when you are not home.

Onto common complaint number three, your dog should NEVER be allowed to approach, greet, or jump on a person or another pet animal without prior permission. If you have yet to train good leash manners, move your dog away or off the path so person or person with dog can pass. If the person gives permission and shows a real interest in meeting your dog, you can then let your dog greet the person or dog from a place of control. If you cannot physically hold your dog, such as you will literally be dragged where the dog wants to go, you need to invest in some equipment such as a gentle leader head harness and learn how to use it until you train your dog. Children are often unable to control a dog. An adult or an older child that has learned how to walk the dog should walk the dog. You will run into situations like another loose possibly unfriendly dog that will need the quick judgments of an adult. It is unfair and risky to put a young child in this situation. Involve young children in the dog walk in other ways. Maybe they could hold the dog toys or reward treats. If you cannot get your dog to come to you without hesitation in all situations, like when another dog is approaching, you cannot go off leash in the park until you have trained your dog. Remember your dog may be a lover but someone else’s may be a fighter and people with a fear of dogs can be quick to encounter a dog with violence unfortunately.

You may notice I have said little here about training and a lot about managing your dog’s actions. You don’t need to have a well trained dog to follow this advice just some good planning and preparation, bring the leash, head harness, dog poo bags and the use of fences, baby gates, and such can make your neighbors think kindly of your dog and you. While you are in the process of training your dog, use good management, which is about what you do to prevent your dog from annoying your neighbors. You may have noticed there are laws almost everywhere about all of the things I have mentioned but I urge you to keep your dog literally and figuratively out of your neighbor’s face, not because it is the law but because it is the right thing to do and for all the other dog people out there so they don’t suffer harsh restriction because of your actions.

Don’t wait until someone complains because at that point you and your dog have already left a probably permanent bad impression about your dog and all of us dog people. Stay on the side of being overly considerate when it comes to not allowing your dog’s actions to annoy others.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in dogs | No Comments »

Dog Breed Stereotypes Truth or Fiction?

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Years ago I took my semester animal control course with a wonderful teacher and on the topic of dog breeds she said, as I remember it many years later, that to talk about dog breeds is to talk about people and prejudice. I think this is true. People created the dog breeds and put all kinds of labels and beliefs about the different breeds onto these animals. Well, I guess I want to start this discussion by saying dogs are more alike than different as far as behavior. I trained shelter staff to evaluate a dog that was new to them by advising them to do almost nothing with the dog until they got a feel for the dog. Didn’t matter what breed the approach was always the same, hang back and let the dog show you who he is. If staff felt uncomfortable with a dog, someone who didn’t feel uncomfortable would care for that dog. Using this approach there were very few bites or even growls and this was a mix of stray dogs with unknown history, dogs from cruelty cases, and surrendered dogs. I would have to say most were nice gentle dogs (yes, they would probably jump on you looking for attention but they were good natured). It didn’t matter if the dog came from the streets or surrendered from a home. I would say the only real breed trait that would be obvious and somewhat predictable was energy level.

Yes, I do recommend considering what type of work traits have been selected for a breed. Definitely consider energy level. Most families should not get a breed with an energy level higher than medium, even medium energy level could require a couple hours of serious exercise with you. I don’t know anyone except dog trainers and working farmers that are able to devote the time for high-energy dogs. Many people just want to take the dog out for a long walk each day and be done for the day, that is a LOW energy dog and also appropriate for most families lifestyles. It is my opinion any dog that has been trained to guard or fight must be trained to advanced level and that level MUST be practiced daily. If you are a big mush ball, these are not the dogs for you. Most people are not willing to put in this much time to training and maintaining household structure so I usually do not recommend these breeds and I never recommend them as a first dog. I would include almost all terriers in this group. How independent is the work trait? Herding dogs and Alaskan dogs are bred to work livestock or with other dogs this is going to be a more independent dog and more complex. For most people you want to steer towards a breed that is known to be highly social with people and other animals by doing this you could avoid many difficulties with neighbors and at home. Cross check all the breed books in the bookstores and library as they all seem to be a bit biased and look for sneaky language. “Feisty or scrappy” may mean they will fight or bite. High drive could equal killing your neighbor’s cat. Be aware there are breed specific laws in some areas and many apartment and condo communities will prohibit specific breeds. Also, many insurance companies are dropping home insurance when you have a specific breed so do your homework to find if this will apply to you. I am completely and utterly against breed specific laws and prohibitions and I am completely for responsible dog ownership laws and the AKC Canine Good Citizen program.

Now that I have talked about breed tendencies let me say again NEVER prejudge a dog, any dog can bite you or love you. Keep your distance and keep an open mind when meeting any dog. It takes I would say sometimes over a year for a dog to reveal all of his personality and being social in one situation doesn’t necessarily translate to other situations. You could play a great game of ball and the same dog could be all growls and snaps by a food bowl or bone. I let dogs come to me, never force yourself on a dog, relaxed, quiet, and still, are all good ways to be around new dogs. I met two separate young goldens last weekend and boy they fit the super friendly stereotype to a tee but I still let them come to me all happy and wiggly trying to get as much contact with me, a complete stranger, as possible. A month ago I met another golden in the park that went against the stereotype of super social golden, this golden shrunk away in terror and I hadn’t even done anything except look in her direction. I don’t pet dogs that don’t approach me willingly. If you are looking for a new dog or pup, I highly recommend you bring an objective certified pet dog trainer to evaluate your needs and the dog whether it is an adoption or a purchase. You could be living with your choice for up to 19 years so make an advised choice on breed and individual temperament. Remember the shelter staff, rescue staff, and breeders are not objective they will be biased even if they try hard to be objective.

I will end by saying I have lived long enough to observe public perception of dangerous breeds change over time. Really this reveals more the ugly side of humanity to lazily blame a group by category in this case breed rather than the true source which is and always will be the people behind the dogs. In the shelter, people would ask for a specific color cat because they believed they were friendlier. Let me tell you friendly cats come in every color and people categorize too much!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in dogs | 3 Comments »

Go Out in the World with Your Dog

Monday, July 14th, 2008

The happiest dogs I have ever met over the years usually have one thing in common, their people bring them when they leave the house. These dogs are well behaved because their people have worked with them in many settings and taught them good manners in different places. These dogs go for car rides, into stores, outdoor cafes, parks, hairdressers, hotels, offices, and countless other places. Don’t assume these dogs are small! Most of them are over 80 pounds! A well behaved, socialized dog is welcomed with open arms by most people. These dogs are not just well trained, they seem blissfully content and delighted with their exciting and always changing environments. I know most of my dogs have literally charade style voted for new and different experiences, one of my dogs would stop and turn onto a new road or trails on walks or bring me his winter sweatshirt to say he wanted to “go out in the world” really bad!! The excitement, wags, and open mouth smiles were always bigger for a new experience! So get out of your routine rut with dog and go someplace new as often as possible. If you do this throughout your dog’s life, you could live with one of these delightfully content and happy dogs! Happy outings!

Posted in dogs | 4 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »