I overheard a conversation in the elevator the other day (it is hard not to in an elevator and the woman was not trying to be quiet by any means), a woman was telling her coworker she was finally able to keep her dog off the couch by using a shock collar. I grimaced instinctively, thinking this seemed a bit extreme just to keep a dog off the couch. She noticed my look and defended her actions by saying “It’s not like electrocution, just a little reminder zap.” I was only able to give her a I hear what you are saying, but not really buying it look before they exited the elevator. In hindsight, I should have been quicker to pull out a card for the local dog training club and let her know we have alternative methods. While my reaction was involuntary, did I really have a right to make a face? She was not speaking to me, I did not have the full story and she was using a training method easily found at PetSmart. I use training methods that Ian Dunbar and Victoria Stillwell supporters would not approve of, would I want someone pointing that out to me?
I know there are going to be people who feel it is responsible to speak up on behalf of the animal at all times, while others will find a gray area of appropriateness. Let’s all agree on one thing though, should you decide to voice your opinion to someone who has not asked for it, be respectful and informative, not accusatory. I believe people will be more receptive to listening or at least consider listening if you do not instantly put them on the defensive.

How good is your recall?

As an instructor, I harp on how important a solid recall is, how it just may save your dog’s life one day. As a busy dog owner, I too struggle to find the time and motivation to really proof that recall. It is hard to comprehend that your dog’s life could be on the line. I convince myself that my dogs would “know” I was calling them away from a dangerous situation, should the occasion ever arise. But the reality is, I am kidding myself. My dogs have better than average recalls, especially my older dog, Luey, but they are not good enough. Luey has shown me on a couple of occasions recently, that we need to proof the recall.
The first incident, he was not on a leash because we were going to the car from the house. It never crossed my mind to leash him. He saw a dog across the street he wanted to see and he took off, ignoring my calls completely. Since then, I have been more careful to have him on a leash and pay more attention to what is outside the garage. That practice could not help me in the next situation though.
We have a small park in the back of our neighborhood where the dogs run all the time. There is a retention pond at the back of the park that is full of water this time of year and surrounded by woods. Between the many conservation areas in the neighborhood and the woods, snakes are not an uncommon site. We have even had a couple of alligators removed. We do not let the dogs wander into the conservation areas, nor are they allowed in the retention ponds.
We walked to the park one hot, record breaking afternoon, and apparently Luey was just plain over the heat. He bee-lined to the pond and started swimming around, having a good ol’ time. Of course, monkey see, monkey do, Bailey was in right behind him. It really was only 20 seconds or so before they finally came to me and no harm was done, but it was a long 20 seconds. Enough time a snake could have bitten or whatever else could have happen that I do not even know about. Even though my husband laughed as I told him the story, I was fuming. Maybe partly because they had just gotten a bath the night before. That will teach me!
So I am now dedicated to proofing recalls, going back to the beginning, being sure I have a solid foundation and practice, practice, practice. As a visual person, I do not prefer reading and writing “how to train a dog”. I like to see a behavior, I like to show a behavior. But there are a few key points in recalls that can easily be expressed.
1. Never call a dog to a negative situation. Do not call your dog to "come" to scold or to something they do not like, such as a bath or nail trim. Find another way to lure your dog to the desired location.
2. If you are unsure that your dog will come, do not call until you have a way to enforce it. Have your dog on a long lead where you can bring the dog to you before you call or be close by so you can reach out to your dog.
3. When the dog comes, it is a Party! Have high value treats and/or a toy. This is motivation for the dog to come the next time he is called.
Finally, practice calling your dog away from fun situations, such as playing with another dog and then letting him return. If you only call your dog away from fun when it is time to go, he will associate the call with the end of fun time and not want to come.
This is by no means an all inclusive list, simply important tips to remember. Please share additional tips that you may have.

Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

I love to teach my dogs new tricks. My older dog knows all the basics, shake, high five, roll over, speak, balance the biscuit on the nose etc… and as silly as these are, people love to see them and most importantly, he loves to do them. I can hold a treat in my hand, go to the usual place we practice and he will start going through his whole repertoire of tricks hoping to find the one that will get him the treat. The puppy is still learning, “shake” seems to be the first thing he tries. Tricks are a wonderful way to keep dogs mentally stimulated at any age. Dogs always enjoy learning and to be given a job. I have some trouble convincing some of my students on the benefits of teaching their dogs tricks however.
I believe it is the word “trick” that is immediately associated with little dogs dancing in circles wearing tutu’s and playing dead when the owner shows them a finger gun. I do think these are cute. Silly and cute. And therein lies the problem. Some people do not want their dogs to be silly and cute. So I am coming up with a new version of tricks and giving them some clever name that has more to do with behaviors than tricks (still working on that though). For example, Luey has learned the verbal words for a ball and his favorite stuffed toy we call “green dog”. I can ask him to go get a ball and he is reliably bringing back a tennis ball. I can ask him to go find green dog and he will find the prized stuffed toy. A dogs ability to learn multiple items has been well established. I would like to take a behavior like this and translate it into a behavior that any student can find interesting. It may be teaching the dog to distinguish between a beer can and a beer bottle, or it may be a sneaker vs. a high heel shoe. Who wouldn’t be impressed when your dog skipped over the stinky Nike to retrieve a sexy red Jimmy Choo? Better yet, teach her to retrieve someone else’s Jimmy Choo’s (in your size of course).
Tricks do not have to involve any rolling over or costumes. They can be any behavior you wish your dog to perform on command. As with most things, some dogs will learn faster than others and certain behaviors come more naturally to certain dogs or breeds. I believe that a dog will learn just about anything that you keep motivating and rewarding. You are really only limited by your imagination and maybe your patience level. To get started, learn a little about the differences between luring and shaping. You will probably need a little bit of both. Remember that learning needs to remain fun and seem like play. Soon your dog will be bringing you your slippers and paying your taxes. Okay, that last one is going to require a lot of treats…

Dog Talk

I am not in any way an expert on dog communication. I may be pretty good at interpreting my dogs whines and nudges at me, but language between dogs is something I am just getting started in. It is certainly a growing area of interest among trainers and behaviorists. However, ask 5 “dog behaviorists” what the best book on the subject is and you will likely get just as many different answers. What I do know, is that dogs communicate very differently than humans and that is something we must all understand. Aggressive is a word that jumps to mind too quickly for most people when a dog communicates in a way that humans do not approve of. There is a lot of dog language that is not pretty, but it is also not aggressive. Recently, a student was upset when her adult dog reacted "negatively" to the persistent nagging of a very young pup. She grabbed her dog, looked shocked and said that he had never acted aggressively before. Fortunately, I saw the reaction and the owner of the puppy was also a trainer. We were able to explain to her how her dog had simply told the puppy to “back off” in very normal dog language. The adult dog was more vocal than anything, there was no lunging at the puppy, showing teeth or snapping. The owner of the puppy also showed her how the puppy was still trying to play with the adult dog, but had backed up a few inches, giving the adult dog some space. The owner was relieved and completely relaxed when just a few minutes later, her dog was inching forward, getting into play mode with the puppy.

Sometimes dogs just need a little time to assess a situation. This is important to understand as an owner. No one wants their dog mislabeled as aggressive, nor should an owner be overly fearful that their dog is aggressive when it is not. If an owner is uneasy, the dog will feel it and can react to it (misunderstanding the owners apprehension), thereby creating a problem that does not really exist.

I think it is a good idea for all dog owners to get a very basic understanding of dog communication. At least enough to know when to seek more information or professional help and when to relax . Check out your local library or dogwise.com for books on the subject and advice on how to find a good trainer/behaviorist.

The Competitive Spirit?

I am not a competitive person by nature. I would rather enjoy the game than win it. I like to make the rules up as I go along or do what needs to be done to keep it fun (i.e. repositioning the golf ball to make the putt). Of course I do like it when I win and I do usually try my best to be successful, but I think it is more important to keep in mind that a game is a game and not a life altering event.

The same can be said for most of us in the world of dog sports. How many of us are really "making a living" doing agility, freestyle or obedience with our dogs? Not many. There is some degree of credibility for trainers and some others to have accomplished dogs and there are a few professional dog sport players. But for the majority, dog sports are a hobby. So it concerns me that I am hearing too often from newbies just entering dog sports that the majority of people they meet at events are not friendly, welcoming or willing to help them. Is this a side effect of being too competitive or are "dog people" becoming more and more the snobby group they have been stereotyped as in the past? I do not want to offend anyone here, so I will not name any particular groups, but certain groups tend to be less open than others.

In dog sports, the sport is open to all dogs of any shape and size. AKC has now opened many of their events to non purebred dogs. We should be thrilled at the opportunity to get active, dog loving people together in one place for one common goal: having fun with your dog. We all know it takes hard work and dedication to get ready for competition. There are also a lot of rules that can be overwhelming and intimidating to the new competitor. It is so easy to get discouraged by all of this. Those of us with wisdom and experience can help to keep them encouraged, so they continue playing and overcome the early hurdles. A certain amount of competition is motivating, let's try to keep it that way for the good of the sport, our new friends and especially the dogs.

Learn more about getting your mixed breed into dog sports at http://www.akc.org/mixedbreeds/

Respect Thy Neighbor

Being a dog owner is not all that different than being a parent in many ways. One of those ways is seeing the faults in others parenting skills, while your children are perfect. I would have to admit to a little of this myself. My spoiled creatures are certainly allowed to get away with things in my home that other people find unacceptable. This can be difficult when asking others to accept your dog into their home whether it be during a visit while you are present or to watch your dogs while you are away. That is where good training can come into play. A dog that knows what “off” means, can be told not to get on the furniture in another home and usually will quickly learn the rules of that home. A dog that tends to bark when nervous can be taught new ways of coping with fear of strange places. Not only is this better for those around you, it is better for the dogs overall well being.

Too often, dog owners are not clued in to actions or behaviors that they may find perfectly acceptable (or cease to even realize are happening) while the behavior is unacceptable to others. Barking, for example, is a big one. I know a lot of dog owners who have simply tuned out the noise of their dog. They will carry on a conversation or about their business while their dog is barking incessantly in the background. Incessant barking is not really acceptable under any circumstance. A happy, content dog does not bark incessantly. Even if the dog is barking out of extreme happiness, it does not go on and on and on. Yet, many owners do not know how to handle the barking and simply choose to ignore it. If your dog barks constantly, chances are, someone else is hearing it too.

Another important behavior to watch out for is a dog approaching another dog. Not all dogs like to be approached by other dogs, even when neither dog is aggressive or means harm. Some dogs just like their space and will come toward the other dog when they are ready. As an owner of a dog who likes what I call a “controlled” introduction, I have to be on alert at all times that another dog is not invading Luey’s space before he is ready. Having the finicky dog, I accept this as part of taking him places and I am very aware, but I can get distracted. Often times, Luey is accepting of a new dog, but every now and then, Luey will need to tell the dog off and how the other dog and owner react is always a guess. I must take responsibility for my dog in these situations, but just as a child is taught to first ask permission to pet a dog, owners should follow this same advice when allowing their dog to approach and make contact with a new dog.

There are many other examples and I am sure those who know me and my dogs could say a thing or two about my habits, but that is not the point to all this. The point really is to try to be aware of how you and your dogs are affecting others. What might be okay to you, might not be to other people. Be aware of your surroundings and the people in them. When I am invited to someone’s house and they say I can bring my dogs, I fully disclose the personality of my dogs. Sometimes people are okay with it still, other times they change their minds about inviting the dogs. I respect that. I never want my dogs to be someone else’s problem. All I ask is the same respect in return.

Chew Treats

I am always on the search for a long lasting, healthy and safe chew toy. Neither of my dogs have ever been overly interested in Nylabones, though I do not know why. I think they are a great product and I have tried them all hoping to find "the one". Nothing against Nylabone, my dogs are just weird.

I felt especially challenged when Bailey, the puppy, was very young. He was having some digestive issues anyway, so I avoided anything that might upset his stomach. But he was also an aggressive chewer, so most chew treats safe for puppies lasted all of minutes. I finally tried hooves and they proved to be long lasting, did not splinter, did not upset any tummies and most importantly, my puppy loved them. Both of my dogs are chewing on hooves as I type this. My biggest problem with hooves is finding large ones. When I find them, I stock up. It helps that they are relatively inexpensive.

Now that Bailey is a little older, digestive issues solved, bully sticks are a favorite as well. These do tend to last if I buy the really long ones and limit their time with them. They are expensive, so they are more of a treat than something I keep around for daily chewing. The puppy will chew on a natural bone without the need for stuffing (most of the stuffing in those bones looks artificial and nasty) but the older dog, Luey, is not a fan. However, I have recently come across the stuffed natural bone by Red Barn. I love the Red Barn products already and now they have this great stuffed bone. It is an all natural bone stuffed with ground up bully stick. Both dogs are attracted to the bully filling. The filling is not easily removed, they have to work at it and with the larger size bone, they cannot lick it clean in one sitting. They are expensive, but last longer and hold their attention longer than any bone I have tried in Luey's 41/2 years of chewing.

Not that finishing anything in a sitting is much of a problem for my short attention span wild ones. We are apparently done with the hooves and now it is time to wrestle. This usually results in a game of tug of war with the nearest toy and ultimately, the death of the toy as its seams split and it is promptly de-stuffed.

Probably time for some intervention. So give the Red Barn bones or any other of their products a try and let me know what you think.