When Your Dog is Smarter Than You.

I think it is important that I personally have confidence and knowledge of the products that I sell in Dogism's store.  I test most things on my own dogs or my friend's dogs. Since I am on a kick to teach my boys new tricks, I decided it was time to train Luey on the Treat House that I sell.  The idea of the Treat House is that the dog drops a ball into the top of the house, triggering a lever that kicks out a treat.  Luey is already trained to "take it" so he can pick up the ball, no problem.  He knows "drop it," so basically all I have to do is teach the location of where to drop the ball.  That should not be too hard.  What I failed to consider was the mind of Luey.  The king of treat toys like Kong, he is always up for the challenge of new treat filled toys.  So when I put this treat filled house in front of him, it didn't take him long to figure out that if he just flipped it over with his nose or paw, it would drop treats with about the same reinforcement ratio of the treat toys. 

I have somewhat successfully walked him through the proper use of the toy, but usually when I offer him the tennis ball, he just looks at me like "stupid human, why would I go through all that?" and promptly tips over the house with his nose. 

See the Treat House here.

A Final Truth About Dog Training

Okay, so I have shared with you some of the ugly reality about dog training.  It is not going to be easy and it is not always fun.  But it really is worth all the time and energy you put in.  It is a great feeling when you are out in public with your dogs and they receive compliments on their behavior.  It is also empowering to know that you have (some) control over your dog if you find yourself in an uncontrolled environment such as a loose dog while walking or getting your dog away from "that dog" at the dog park.  Some of my favorite times with my dogs are my training times, especially when teaching tricks.  Sure, many are goofy.  But then again, so am I and so are my dogs. 

All good behavior requires a foundation of the basics.  Take your time to learn them now and I promise, it will get easier and easier to train your dog to do anything.  Eventually, you will be able to enjoy your training times and reap the rewards and compliments of your beautifully behaved dog.  Best of all, the bond you create with your dog is not teachable or found in any book.  You alone create that and what could be more rewarding?

Some Truths About Dog Training Part 2

One of the first things I tell my students and repeat again and again is that training has to be fun.  I channel my inner cheerleader and show just how exciting training your dog can be.  In reality, training is not always fun.  It can be time consuming and frustrating.  Training every day is ideal, but even a few minutes can be hard to find some days, or when the weather is bad.  Dogs often pick up some behaviors very quickly and others take much longer.  If your dog just does not seem to be getting it, sometimes you feel like giving up.  You may blame yourself or your dog.  Forget blame and don't feel bad if you are not always having fun.  It is important that your dog always think it is fun however.  Why would a dog want to learn something or behave in a way that is not fun or at least worth the effort in the end?  For example, "stay" is not necessarily fun for the dog, but there is a reward at the end for doing so.  If you never offered the reward, you are not likely to get a reliable stay. 

So if you have had a bad day, it might be better to just skip the training and have some nice play time.  If you are frustrated but want to keep going, here is my favorite tip: in your best happy, overly enthusiastic voice, tell your dog how you feel.  In my "good dog" voice, I have often told both my dogs that they being bad or bratty and that they are driving me crazy.  Because it is in the same tone that often accompanies treats, they wiggle and stay motivated and I feel better having let out a little frustration.

Some Truths About Dog Training

Dog Training, Puppy Training, Making your Bad Dog Good... there are more books and websites out there on the subject than one could possibly read in their dog's lifetime.  Some try to simplify dog training into as few steps as possible and claim you cannot go wrong (you can).  Some rehash psychology 101 and bog you down in conditioning terminology.  The right book/article is somewhere in between.  Depending on what you need and your dog's personality, there are a few of you and a few dogs that will succeed with the minimalist, somewhat automated approach.  Most people and dogs need a bit more.  A little reminder of classical and operant conditioning and seeing these concepts through the eyes of the dog goes a long way.  The more you can think through your actions and how your dog reacts to them, the better off you will be in the long run.  These concepts work in so many aspects of your dog's behavior.  You will start to understand your dog at another level.  You will also bring your relationship with your dog to another level.  That is what dog training should be about, improving your bond, not automated responses.

As a dog trainer, I try to read all the books I can, if for no other reason than to know what my clients may be reading.  While there are many I have not yet gotten to, one I have read that I like is Gwen Bailey's  The Perfect Puppy.  It may be a little on the heavy side, but an owner that puts the time into reading this book is the type of owner the luckiest dogs have.  Another great book, not so much for training, but for insight, Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash. I am kind of a huge fan of hers!

Please be honest with yourself when it comes to more than just basic training.  If your dog needs actual behavior modification, you may want to consult a professional.  Please feel free to contact me, if I can help, I will.
www.dogism.com

Pets and Death

There is never a good time to talk about pets and death.  There is a worse time however and that is in the moment.  Have you prepared for the actuality that something can happen to you and your pets would be left without you?  Jason and I recently prepared wills on the insistence of my father.  I procrastinated as long as I possibly could.  I do understand that something could happen to either one of us every time we leave the house (even in the house).  Accidents happen.  But if something happens to me, Florida law states everything goes to Jason and vice versa. Simple enough.  Then it hit me.  We were preparing for a trip out of state for the long weekend and it really hit home that something could happen to both of us at the same time.  Florida law also states that pets are property, nothing more than our sofa.  Without a will, I do not even know what would happen to the sofa, so I could not chance it with my pets.  Yes, we have friends and family that would step in and take care of them, but again, the worst time for any of them to have to decide something like that is in those overwhelming moments.  (Let's be honest here, no one would really wants the bird, so I have to be sure I have her covered, if nothing else).

I am not even going to pretend to really understand probate law, but a quick internet search taught me that you have to be very careful in your wording and have a trust set up if you have particular financial and care giving wishes for your pets.  We would probably want a good lawyer for these documents.  For now, we have kept it simple.  We have designated our furry and feathered property to people we know will love and care for them or find the best possible new home.  I really do not care what happens to the sofa, but there is now someone to take care of that too.

Dog Talks

Do you have conversations with your dog like I do? If I stop to think about it, I know they understand very little of what I am saying, but I talk away at them anyway. Sometimes, I even get responses back that seem eerily appropriate. Dogs can pick up on a lot of cues, from our tone and cadence to body language and respond to that. Sometimes, they hit the nail on the head and reinforce our belief that they understand us so well. I think many people do not give dogs enough credit for what they understand. However, we can also confuse our dogs and make learning more difficult if we don't stop to consider the perspective of the dog. Dogs learn human language as we do, by association and repetition. It does not matter what words you use for any behavior, as long as you are consistent. Students are constantly asking me what words to use for specific behaviors and every time I answer, it is up to them. The dog only knows what they are taught. Recently, I was doing some training with a woman and her puppy. I showed her how to teach the puppy to spin in circles. She loved it and was excited about the puppy learning to "dance" with her kids. The next week, she was frustrated that the puppy was not doing the trick well and told me that she even tried changing the cue word from "dance" to "spin". Her thought process was that the puppy knew it was not really dancing and therefore would respond better to "spin" since that was what it was actually doing. I could not help but chuckle a little. In the same week, I had an agility student question if using the word "charge" to refer to the A-frame was too exciting for her naturally hyper dog. I asked her if she had already taught the dog that "charge" meant to be excited and she said no, but that it is a common use for the word. It took a full explanation on my part to make her understand that her dog had no predisposed understanding of the word "charge".

Now, once we teach these words, we need to use them correctly. I am often correcting students who are telling their jumping dogs to "get down". I ask them, are you really looking for a "down" here (as in lay down) or are you wanting the dog to "get off".
I too am guilty of this. Since my dogs have so much freedom when walking on retractable leashes, they will often make a turn at a sidewalk intersection, but I want to continue straight. I will say "this way" and they know to change directions. One morning, we were near the end of our walk and we hit a point where we could go right or straight and still get home. Luey was ahead and turned right and I said to him, "oh, are we going home this way"? Of course all Luey heard was "blah blah blah this way" and immediately changed direction. I felt bad because he was tracking a scent and I pulled him off of it for no reason other than a poor choice of words.

Go ahead and enjoy your little chats with your furry friend, but if you are having any behavior issues or not getting training results, take a look at how you are acting first and remove extraneous words and actions, it may be that simple.

How Soon We Forgive

Dogs can have a profound effect on our emotional state. Usually, it is positive. They make us smile when we come home, they make us laugh with their silly antics. They are comforting when we are down and soothing while we relax. When bad things happen to our dogs, we naturally worry or cry. The loss of a dog can take a terrible toll on us. But how often have you noticed a dog making you feel hurt or jealous? Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? But it is true. Even though they have no way to knowingly cause these feelings and we really shouldn’t take their actions to heart, we sometimes do. In my current puppy class, there is a Havanese pup that is home with “Mom” all day and “Dad “works. There is a strong bond between Puppy and Mom that is actually interfering with Dad’s ability to form a bond. He tries to act tough, but you can tell it is hurting his feelings a little. Mom had to work the dog most of the class, but Dad still carried the little girl out, snuggling her against him.

Recently, Bailey spent the weekend with his breeders, a mother and daughter, at a conformation show that we were unable to attend. Brittany, the daughter, is Bailey’s handler at all conformation shows. She has a special relationship with Bailey; she was around for his entire singleton puppyhood and now gets to see him with some regularity because of shows. After the three day weekend, Brittany brought him home and he was his usual wild self, not even calming down to say good bye to Brittany. She tried so hard to get his attention and have him be still just for a minute and he would not. Finally, she said “fine, jerk”. I could tell that it hurt her feelings just a little that she could not get the attention she wanted from him. I too felt bad because I would (and have) feel that same way if I wanted his attention but he was more excited about something else. (Like how he completely forgets I exist the second he gets to doggy daycare and then refuses to leave after an entire day). Bailey has no idea what he is doing; he is just living in his happy moment, being a dog. But we emotional humans feel it inside, even though rationally, we know we should not. Like a good dog, we do not stay upset for long. As Brittany turns to leave “the jerk” still bouncing around the yard, she calls behind her in the usual sweet voice reserved for him, “I love you”.

What on earth(dog) is bikejoring?

Obviously, I am a fan of dog sports, but I had no idea what bikejoring was. Bikejoring, in a simplistic explanation, seems to be the off season sport for sled dogs. Using specialized harnesses, dogs pull a rider on a bicycle. (In my defense, Florida has a rather limited dog sledding season). Earthdog, a sport I have only seen on TV, is for the small terriers. Natural “ratters”, terriers navigate through tunnels trying to locate vermin (who have been safely placed in the tunnel) and perform a series of instinctual behaviors to find and indicate the presence of the vermin. The bird dog version of this is a hunt test and a new favorite activity of Bailey. Quail is planted in large open fields, two dogs run together, tracking the birds by scent. When they find the bird, they offer the classic “point” position for the handler to find and flush the bird. The bird is shot by a designated shooter and retrieved by the dog back to the handler. While I am not happy about the fact that live birds are used, this is exactly what these dogs were bred to do and it is pretty special when you see a dog allowed to behave so naturally. I have also never seen dogs so happy and excited and I have seen some pretty excited dogs at agility trials.

There are many, many dog sports, some more familiar such as agility, obedience, flyball, dock diving etc… I personally love it when you can find a sport that compliments your dogs natural instincts as well as its abilities. For example, dock diving and Labs, a pretty perfect match. Unfortunately, a variety of dog sports are not easy to find in a lot of areas. People are getting creative though. At one recent event, an organization was set up featuring border collies who played soccer. The idea is for people and dogs to play soccer together, check out soccercollies.com. I was also able to attempt lure coursing with Luey at another event. A fuzzy something was tied to a pulley system and was pulled in a large circle around a makeshift track. Dogs were having a blast. My velcro dog however, would not chase past the first turn as he would lose sight of me. Luey has his own unique instincts.

Type “list of dog sports” into Wikipedia for a lengthy list of sports with links that explain each to find your next dog sport.

Bacon Dog Treats

6 slices cooked bacon – crumbled (extra bacon never hurt anything)
4 eggs, well beaten
1/8 cup bacon fat
1 cup water
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 cups graham flour (which I can never find so I use whole wheat flour)
2 cups wheat germ (substituted whole oats when I ran out one time)
1/2 cup corn meal

(I will give you the directions as is, then I will add what I have learned)
Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Yield: about 4 dozen dog cookies. – Bullwinkle.com

Okay, here is what I have experienced when making these: a strong spoon does not help when the dough is so thick my arms are not strong enough to mix it. I just roll up my sleeves and get my hands messy. The dough also does not spread at all. Whatever you blob on the cookie sheet is what will come off the cookie sheet. With the bacon bits and any crisping the cookies do, there can be sharp little points if you just blob it on. I recommend forming small-ish, flat-ish circles or in this case, hearts. The dough is pretty sticky, so I spray my fingers with cooking spray to manipulate shapes. The flattening of the dough also helps with more even baking. My cookies usually bake for longer than 15 minutes, I look for browning and I do leave them in the oven overnight. Other than the samples the dogs get of course. Yield: two happy dogs in my house.

An Exceptional Read

I just finished a very interesting book. I use the word interesting because it was not a story, but a scientifically based education on dog physiology, psychology, biology, other ologies, behavior etc… it is called Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. She has a very clever way of explaining scientific study, research, theory and conclusion in a non technical way and weaving it into story like prose. She uses examples from her own relationship with her dog, Pumpernickel. She shares with us how to relate the information to our own dogs. I found myself connecting with what she was explaining and at times exclaiming “my dog does that”! She goes into careful detail regarding the physical make up of a dog, how they see, smell and hear. She explains how their senses are similar and different to ours. There is no way I am going to do justice to this book trying to explain it. What I can tell you is that I feel a deeper connection and understanding of my dogs by having read this.
I believe this to be the reason she wrote the book. The book centers around the idea of seeing the world through a dogs perspective. Only a dog can really do this, we can only infer, just as any other person cannot really see the world as we do. Consider when someone says to you “I know how you feel” and you think, how can they know how I feel? Sometimes it is even upsetting that someone “thinks” they understand your feelings when you know they really do not. Now consider when your dog does something you are unhappy with. We often jump to human like reasons the dog got into the garbage or destroyed an object. Many feel their dog is upset with them or being vindictive. Did they consider that maybe the garbage just smelled really good and it is in a dogs nature to find and eat the source of the really good smell? Did they consider that the texture and taste of the leather shoe was highly appealing to an animal who naturally chews? The book will make you stop and think before you create an anthropomorphic reason for every action your dog makes. I can now think a little more about what something is like from my dogs perspective and tailor my actions or reactions for my dogs benefit.
This book will not be for every one or even every dog lover. While she has written a much easier and much more fun read than the dry and technical dog behavior text book I am struggling through, she does include much study and research. If you are not one to find the nitty gritty of behavioral science interesting, dog related or not, you will probably not find this book as enjoyable. Or if you do not want to know that there may be other reasons your dog licks you other than the equivalent of a human kiss, you will not want to read this.
The author however, is clearly a dog lover before a scientist. She readily admits that she still applies some human like traits to her dog, scientifically based or not. She is offering a new, better way of looking at our dog, not trying to spoil all of our fun.

http://insideofadog.com/index.php

The Name Game

Since we are on the subject of names, let’s talk a little bit about what your dogs name means to you and to him/her. Think about how often you say your dogs name and for how many reasons you say your dogs name. Sometimes it is a greeting upon entering the house. You say your dogs name to call them to you, to stop them from doing something, to get them to do something and I am sure there are other times. Now let’s think about how many different tones and cadences we use. We can say their name in a high pitched excited voice, we can drag it out, we can sing and we can shout it. Do you find there are times when you say your dogs name and you instantly have their attention (you are probably in the kitchen or have something they want. And there are those times you call your dogs name and they ignore you completely (they are playing with another dog, happily munching on a bone or understand from your tone that you are not happy. Have you ever thought about all this name calling from the dogs point of view? They are hearing a sound that they understand to relate to themselves, but sometimes they hear it before you give them a treat and sometimes they hear it just before you give them a smack. How confusing and frustrating this must be. How is this affecting the relationship you have with your dog?
In my basic obedience classes, I teach all of my students the name game. This is where you say your dogs name and when they look at you, they get a treat. It is that simple. (I recently attended a seminar with a very highly regarded trainer and she too emphasized her version of the name game. This helped reaffirm to me that this is an important exercise). The point of the game is to be able to always get your dogs attention. If they think they are getting a treat, they are very likely to look at you, no matter what they are doing. The second part of this however, is once you have your dogs attention, let them know what you want from them. If your dog is doing something you do not want them to do, simply saying their name may get them to stop, but it was luck and your dog learned nothing from it. You need to say what you want. Luey… stop. Bailey… come. You will only hurt your relationship with your dog if you say their name in a mean voice (because you want them to stop, but fail to say so) and then continue to say their name in a mean voice and then use some type of physical touch to make them stop. From the dogs point of view, you said their name harshly and then did something unpleasant. What a dog takes from that is to fear their name. If you are trying to get your dog to “come” by only saying their name, they are going to tune you out after about the third repetition of their name.
An alternative scenario is giving your dog a command without getting their attention first. If the dog does not perform and you do not consider the fact that maybe they did not hear you, once again, you are going to speak harshly to the dog and physically manipulate them in an unpleasant way and they will not understand why. This does serious damage to your dogs ability to trust and want to be with you. Without this foundation of trust, everything you try to do with your dog will be that much more difficult. So grab some treats and get started on the name game. You gave your dog that name for a reason, you want them to love it. Such a simple and rewarding exercise will make your dogs day and keep that trust in your relationship. You can play this anytime you or your dog needs a little boost. It is an instant connection with your dog.

What's In A Name?

Dogism is obviously all about the uniqueness of your relationship with your dog. A name can be a large part of that relationship. There are times when you do not choose your dogs name, especially in rescue or foster cases. Usually though, you find the name is well suited. For those names that we do choose, there are defining factors that usually relate to what we are passionate about. My brother named his dog Lotus, a definite clue about his love for sports cars. Luey is partly a tribute to his mother’s name, Lu Lu. It is also a tribute to a favorite Tampa Bay Lightning player, Martin St. Louis (pronounce it like the French do, not the city in Missouri). When St. Louis scores, the classic “Louie Louie” by Richard Berry is played. Jason will tell you that is only part of the story. Yes, St. Louis is an excellent hockey player. Can I help it that he is a hotty as well?
Bailey is a tribute to my mother. She had chosen the name Bailey (after the irish cream, one her favorite special treats) for the Cavalier King Charles puppy she decided on after the death of her beloved Sheltie. She was never able to have her Bailey, so I believe she sent me one.

Sometimes, your dog chooses their name for you. We had a chow chow named Kodiak because he resembled a bear. My Aunt and Uncle once had a Ryder after finding their puppy was a “good rider” in the car. You never know where inspiration will strike.
This is clear by the top dog names of 2010. It is not a surprise that people would name there furry friend “Buddy” or after the King himself, Elvis. I must admit, I did not see “Oprah” as a top dog name. 15 years from now, you can use this list to remember the pop culture of the time. Maybe it is just me, but Lady Gaga does seem a more fitting name for a dog than a person…

There are no rules or judgments (shame on me) when it comes to naming your dog, as long as it is all part of your dogism.

See the top dog names of 2010 at dogchannel.com

Who's A Big Dog?

When reading the title, be sure to move your head back and forth and use baby talk, because that is they way I said it when I asked the big dog in the story below this same question. Laugh and deny all you want, but we have all spoken baby talk to a dog before. It helps them understand right? :)

Over the holidays, I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle and played with their beautiful, exuberant, Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain Dog mix named Bailey (yes, we are a two Bailey family). When a dog of his size and energy is in the room with you, he is pretty much the center of attention and conversation. At one point I referred to him and his breeds as “large breed”. My uncle, the large dog lover, sort of chuckled and pointed out that while most people refer to this 107 pound beast as “large”, he does not think of him that way. He reserves “large” for the nearly 200 pound St. Bernard’s he used to own.

This reminds me of a time when I had a good laugh. A long time Papillion owner walked into the dog training club one day with a Rat Terrier at the end of her leash. She introduced me to her new breed and explained she had wanted a bigger dog. I suppose relative to a Papillion, Rat Terriers are indeed “bigger”.

So how do we define small breed? What makes one a large breed or a giant breed? Or should we refer to them as small dogs, medium dogs, etc… There does not seem to be any qualified definitions for these classifications that we use and hear every day. Some definitions seem to be based more on weight, while others look at overall physical size. The AKC probably does not have defining these classifications high on their priority list of things to do, so be careful when you use or see these generic descriptions of dog sizes. Try to have/get examples or comparisons. The receiver of the information may have a very different perception than intended.

If you would like to see Big Bailey, as I call him, he is in the pictures section of Paw Pages, which can be linked to from www.dogism.com. My Bailey is the main face you see in the picture associated with this blog. Luey is peering from behind.

Timing Your Treating

Okay, as promised, how and when you treat is as important as what you use. I tell my students on day one to reward the behaviors you want and ignore those you don’t. (There is an exception here for aggressive and dangerous behaviors). Sounds simple enough, right? It can be, but depending on how fast your dog tends to move, how fast you move, the level of difficulty of the behavior etc… it gets harder.
Let’s quickly define a “reward”. Anything that the dog finds pleasing and will want again. Praise, a food treat, a tug on a toy, a thrown ball etc… are all rewards. Food treats are the most convenient and easiest to use initially, so hopefully, you have a treat motivated dog. The thought of a reward motivates a dog to do a behavior again, so it gets the reward again. We do not have to get too detailed into that. Just be sure you are actually rewarding your dog from your dog’s point of view. Not what you think the dog should like. Rewards might also change. After three straight weeks of hot dog treats, your dog may no longer find the hot dog rewarding. Change it up.
The general rule of thumb is to treat your dog within 2-3 seconds of the behavior. Obviously, sooner is better and sometimes necessary. This is where clicker training or a “marker” word are needed. A “marker” is the sound the clicker makes, or the word you use the exact millisecond the dog does what you are looking for. The marker is associated with the reward in the dog’s mind (there is a process to this association that I am not covering here. If you do not know how to make this association, you can find it online or contact me). So even if you cannot reward the exact moment the dog does something right, you can use your marker. My marker is “good”. Many people use “yes”. Simple, quick and easy to get out. Or use a clicker device.
Let me put this into action for you. If you are teaching your dog to “sit” for example, you will want to have the treat ready and offer it to the dog as soon as the butt hits the floor. At the same time, you are giving your marker. If you are not ready and super fast, some dogs will pop back up before you have a chance to move your hand the two inches necessary to treat. That is why your marker must be instantaneous with the action. If the dog is already standing when he gets the treat and you did not mark the sit, you just rewarded the standing position, not the butt on the floor. I see very often, a dog that did a very nice “down” and was immediately marked and praised, but the handler is standing, fumbling for a treat. 5seconds later, the dog is jumping up, sniffing for the treat and the reward is being given to a dog that is jumping (which would usually be a behavior we ignore). Marker or not, how confusing is that to the dog? In the dog’s mind, he thinks the behavior is to down and then jump up so he can get the treat. That is why the marker is key and reward timing is everything. You have to be quick, especially when you are first teaching a new behavior. Be on the ground with your dog if you have to. I understand that the timing is rarely perfect early on, just try to do the best you can and really pay attention that you are rewarding the correct behavior and only the behavior you are looking for.

What's in YOUR treatbag?

I learn with every new class I teach something that I now know as common knowledge is not necessarily for those new to dog training. Unless you have one of those dogs who just is not treat motivated, treats will be a part of your training forever. More so in the beginning than later on. I tell my students the first week of class to bring more than one kind of treat. Not only do you need treats of different value, but you need variety to keep the dog interested. Not that I couldn’t eat chocolate chip cookies all day long, but it is better to mix in a peanut butter cookie now and then.
I usually have 4 types of treats in my pouch. Fortunately, with Bailey, one of those can be dog food. Sometimes I make it more exciting by mixing the dog food in with a freshly cooked, still steamy, hot dog. The grease from the hot dog rubs off a little onto the food. I also always try to have Zuke’s products or similar. The Mini Naturals are a perfect training size for all but the largest of dogs. Jerky Naturals and Solid Gold are nice sized squares. They break easily into 4 or 2 pieces or you can give the whole thing for a jack pot ( a super big, super yummy reward for finally accomplishing a behavior or performing a task the dog generally dislikes). There are those who say that treats can be tiny, nothing more than a taste to be effective. My boys disagree. However, you should not give large pieces all the time either. Dogs can fill up quickly and too many treats can pack on the pounds.
Anything soft and easy for you to break (or bite off) and the dog to chew are good training treats. String cheese, hot dog slices, diced veggies if you can get away with it. I once read a training book which suggested not to use fatty ham trimmings as treats. Okay, um, good advice. I do not think I want to reach my hand into a pouch full of fatty trimmings. Hot dogs and the like can get a little greasy, but your dog will happily lick your fingers (smelly hands can also make a dog think you have a treat when you do not). I also wear my grungy jeans when training, so I can just wipe my hands on them! One trick with hot dogs and other meats, I line my pouch with a baggie so it does not get as greasy. Sometimes, I have the baggy on top of dry treats if I do not want to mix the two. Roll the top of the baggie down for easy access to the hot dogs, yet it is still easy enough to reach underneath.
What you use is important, but so is how you deliver the treat. We will talk about that next…

Luey is a good dog.

“He's a good dog”. A simple statement, but something I needed to be reminded of. I will try to make a long story, not so long. I spent this past weekend at an agility trial hosted by our dog club. For those of you not familiar with these, as members of the host club, you spend pretty much all day at the trial as a worker when you are not running a dog. For me, with one dog, running time totals all of maybe 2.5 minutes. The rest is waiting and working. And this day, there was a lot of waiting and working on top of a very unsuccessful day in terms of agility runs. My day started with a beautiful Jumpers run by Luey, that I blew on the very last jump by not being in position, causing him to knock a bar. Completely my fault, completely avoidable. Our second run of the day, well, we can probably blame some on Luey. He missed a contact and for whatever reason, known only to him, he would not complete the weave poles on two tries. While I am not generally competitive by nature, I do like to succeed and meet standards that we are capable of meeting. Neither myself nor Luey met those standards that day. So I was a little frustrated and unhappy about the day.
A casual joke with an acquaintance regarding my frustration resulted in her stating the obvious about Luey, “he's a good dog”. With that statement came a million thoughts in my head and my having to agree that yes, he is a good dog. Maybe he is not a superstar agility dog, but neither am I a superstar handler (or a superstar anything for that matter). What he is however, is everything that I want him to be in so many ways. He is my boy. He is my silly, tail wagging, wiggly, advanced obedience and trick performing show off dog who loves agility, works as a therapy dog, happy to be anywhere as long as he is beside me, whether it be an all day dog event or a lazy day on the couch. And at the end of each day, he must be snuggled next to me in bed with his nose buried under something.
I would not trade any one of his quirks for all the clean runs in the world and I am embarrassed that I forgot that for even one day. Luey IS a good dog and never again will anyone have to point that out to me. So I look forward to finding out what we can get wrong at our next trial in January. I will be fine with it, because I have such a good dog to get things wrong with.

Meat flavored pills are fooling no one

Rhymes with Orange is a comic in one of our local papers. Today’s strip featured the head of a dog and the caption “Canine Anatomy: What you didn’t know”. The picture pointed out the teeth, tongue and throat complete with spring loaded flipper for pill expulsion! How funny and how true.
Dogs and pills have always been a mystery to me. Our late beloved Chow was not overly excited by toys or treats. You could put a couple of dog biscuits down and they would eventually be eaten over a day or two. Believe me, I tried to find a treat he would eagerly accept, but I really never did. So, nothing about that “meat flavored” heartworm pill was appetizing to him. My trick was to mix them in with some canned food. That was his idea of a treat. Then came Luey, who is a treat hound, only turning his nose up at certain all natural treats which advertise no this and no that and apparently no flavor. I have had some pretty bad all natural, vegan type cookies, so I know where he is coming from. He also wants nothing to do with his meat flavored pills. I can trick him as well with the canned food. Once in a while he finds them, but usually he does not.
Then came Bailey, dog equivalent to a Hoover vacuum. This is a dog we can reward with his own dog food. So when he turned his nose away from the flavor tabs, I was floored. But no big deal, I can just hide them in canned food for him as well. Wrong. The little bugger finds them in there too! What is in these pills that a dog who rarely actually even chews can detect and eject? I am going to have to get creative now… the challenge is on!

Pet Safety

We are almost half way through October and I have failed to mention it is National Pet Safety Month. It is also Adopt a Shelter Dog month and Wishbones for Pets month and I could go on and on. I believe pet safety is of uber-high importance, it is something that we need to think about every day. I actually have had pet safety on the mind recently as it is now very dark in the early morning when my boys get their morning walk and soon it will be dark by the end of our longer, evening walks. Fortunately, we live in a neighborhood with sidewalks. We constantly work on staying on said sidewalks and not wandering out into the street.(Yes, I am talking to you Bailey). We have also taught the dogs to stop where roads intersect the sidewalks. My favorite safety step are the lighted, flashing collars they wear, which are conveniently sold at dogism.com. These are just a few examples of safety on leashed walks! Pet safety can be overwhelming. We have to worry about the foods they eat(or might eat despite our best efforts), plants we keep in the house, chemicals we use in and outside the home, toy parts on both dog and children’s toys, how we transport them… you get where I am going with this.

Pet safety even changes from season to season. However, a lot of keeping pets safe is common sense. Training your dog is also a good step towards safety. There is a ton of information out there on keeping pets safe. Some of it might not be so good, so verify anything questionable. Remember there are products out there too for keeping your dog safe, from harnesses in the car to high tech identification tags. So if October gets you thinking about your pets safety, you have a lot to think about this month!

What month would make a good National Dogism month…??

Doggie Stay-cations

Going out of town and leaving the dogs? Where oh where to leave them? Who do you trust and what can you afford? From standard kennel and pet resorts, to dog walkers and overnight sitters, there is an option that will most likely work for your dog and your budget.
When I was a child, we would take our dog to the vet to be boarded. I am pretty sure my Sheltie was kept in a cage and let out in a little yard a couple of times a day. You could not pick up your dog after 5pm or on Sunday. That was pretty much how it was done and the fact that he came home safe and sound was really all my parents were looking for. Today, we have a whole new outlook. I also believe, price is not as big of a factor as it used to be. We are no longer leaving our dogs to go on vacation, we are sending them on a vacation of their own.
Our first dog was a Chow my husband and I, um, acquired (a story for another day). He had a good temperament, but had his issues. Boarding was not a good option. We were lucky enough to have a friend come stay with him most of the times we were away. If it was a quick weekend, we could get away with a dog walker coming by. He was fine alone and could hold it forever. When we got Luey, it was a different story. Luey would not do well left alone for any length of time, nor was he a fan of the doggy daycare type environment. Our luck continued that we had good friends either willing to come stay at our house or take him in. We saved money too by swapping dog sitting services with each other. Adding a puppy changed things a little. Dealing with puppy issues and puppy energy is not for everyone. We had an occasion where we could not find a friend available for the weekend, so we simply split the dogs up so it was not so much work for one person. I know they enjoyed their one on one time as well.
There are professional pet sitters you can pay to come spend the night in your home if you do not have a friend who can do this. I have seen many people willing to open their homes to a small number of dogs and take them in as one of their own pets. They sleep on dog or human beds and just become part of the house hold activities. These might be good options for shy or nervous dogs.
Then there is the “pet resort” environment. These can be found as standalone facilities or a part of someone’s home. Rarely is a crate or dog run to be found, instead the rooms are furnished with comfy dog beds, usually music and/or a television, a half or windowed door so the dogs do not feel closed in and frequent outside play time with other dogs. Many offer grooming services, even spa like treatments, so your dog is pampered, beautiful and clean when you pick him up. Often, you can even watch your dog via “dog cams” over the internet while you are away. At a family event this past weekend, my Aunt and Uncle from Virginia were telling me what they saw their Bailey doing at “camp”. From what they described, it really was pretty much like camp.
It might be a good idea to check out some local options now, before the time comes that you have to decide where your dogs will vacation while you are away. Do some online research and then check out your favorites. Dog walkers and pet sitters usually insist on a meeting in your home before they commit. Pet resorts and hotels might have certain hours where they have the extra staff to walk you around. I would recommend checking for proper licenses and insurance, but small scale operations might not have this, even though they are very loving and reliable. Use recommendations from friends and trusted sources and most of all, go with your instincts. If something does not sit well with you, keep looking. There are worse things than wondering “does my dog even miss me”?

There is more than one way to skin a cat

If you do a search or browse books on a term such as “dog training”, you will be slightly overwhelmed by the various options and opinions. Many of the methods out there do tend to fall into general categories such as positive reinforcement, dominance theory, luring , shaping, clicker etc… the modern version of two broadest categories can be simply defined as “the Ceasar Milan way” or the “Victoria Stillwell way”. Please understand that neither Ceasar nor Victoria developed their methods from scratch. They are both based on long term dog theory, the dominance theory (Ceasar) being in existence longer than the positive reinforcement methods of Ian Dunbar(Victoria). Researcher beware – there are very strong opinions on both.
I encourage anyone who is interested in any dog training to do their own thorough research. Personally, I feel that there are pros and cons to both methods and which ones to choose or what combination of trainings to use depends largely on the dog and the handler. I also believe that as a trainer, I should understand and appreciate each method for what it is and while I can have an opinion, it comes down to what my students want and need. I would of course refuse to use older, harsh training methods that border on abusive. This can be a fine line, a very gray area to some, but I use my common sense.
Maybe both fortunately and unfortunately, there is a lot of emotion that plays into most if not all of the decisions we make regarding our dogs. Take care not to let emotion make the decision for you, but use your emotion to help you make a training decision you are comfortable with and not what someone tells you to be comfortable with.