Never Shock a Puppy

It's an interesting situation.  You see a perfect dog being handled perfectly without any apparent tools or a leash or a fence or food.  You want to know more -- no, you want your dog to know more!  And you are willing to do what needs to be done to get a dog even half as nice as this dog you are seeing.  So you contact the training facility, talk to the trainer, and get all signed up for classes.  You find out you  have a list of things you need before class starts.  One of the things on the list is a training collar.  You wonder what it is, especially since it's so expensive!  But you want that perfect dog and you did commit to the classes, so you order all of the things the trainer told you to get.  When they arrive, you do as your new trainer told you to do and you pack them up for the first class session.  When you arrive at your first class session, your trainer explains to the class that the way the trainer's dogs have learned so much is with the help of this training collar.  Now it's time to teach your dog the same way.  You put the collar on the way you are instructed -- your dog looking at you a little funny the whole time.  You tell your dog to sit, your dog continues to look at you funny and does not sit.  So your trainer tells you to push a button on the remote device in your hand.  Your dog yelps and hides behind a chair.  So much for class tonight!  Your dog is too upset to work at all.  

Contrast this situation with another class.  The trainers' dogs in this class are just as well-behaved, just as accomplished.  The only extra equipment needed in this class is a small, plastic noisemaker and some treats.  You get to class and the first thing you do with your dog is click the noisemaker and give your dog a treat.  Pretty simple and the dog loves it!  Next your trainer tells you to click the noisemaker and give your dog a treat when she looks you in the eye.  Again, pretty simple and the dog still loves it!  Now we are going to teach our dogs what the word "sit" means.  When your dog sits, click and treat.  Light bulb time!!!  Your dog looks at you and thinks "aha! when I put my behind on the floor after she makes that sound, I get a treat!"

There's an old proverb that says (this is my paraphrase), "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime."  Using positive reinforcement clicker training, we are teaching both ourselves and our dogs to fish!  Once we know how to communicate with our dogs AND our dogs know how to communicate with us, think, and learn -- we have set up our dogs to continue learning and growing throughout their entire lives.

That's why we support the initiative to "Never Shock A Puppy."  Through this campaign, monies will be raised to purchase dog-friendly collars and harnesses for dogs in Colorado during their "No Choke Challenge" in November 2010.  But it's not all about the money.  It's about spreading the word that training shouldn't hurt, shouldn't result in a dog hiding behind a chair, or being forced to do something.  It's about telling people that training is about relationship, about building the bond, about learning together.  

I know there are many people who use training collars.  This is not about arguing training methods.  You use yours and I will use mine.  This is about showing dog families that there are ways to train dogs that do not involve force or pain or special equipment.  Will your dog behave the same way with or without his training collar?  If not, then can you truly say your dog is trained?  I have well-trained, social, engaging dogs who have amassed many accomplishments (and will do it all on any collar, harness, or "naked").  Those aren't important here. What I am most proud of is that I have thinking dogs -- dogs who work out problems for themselves, dogs who offer to help in their training by showing me different behaviors, dogs who want to work day after day because it's fun and it's rewarding.  I have been there and done that -- I have trained with training collars and I will never do it again.  The results I see from positive reinforcement clicker training are far too good and my dog's well being is far too precious to ever go back.

If you feel compelled to do so, please support this cause (and not only through donations -- there are lots of ways to help) and Be the Change for Animals!

 

Why train?

Why train your dog?  My question is why not?  Spending time training your dog has so many benefits for you, your dog, and your relationship.  Training establishes relationship, enhances relationship, builds relationship, opens the lines of communication, teaches both you and your dog how to communicate with each other, helps you and your dog learn to focus and pay attention, shows the world that you care enough about your dog to expect certain things.  

I often compare and contrast dogs and children.  It's not necessarily a fair comparison as they are very different and should be treated in very different ways.  But, for us as humans, it's an easy way to learn about training our dogs and interacting with our dogs.  What comes into your mind when you see children misbehaving, throwing a temper tantrum, or wreaking havoc?  Most of us look to the parents -- the parents have not done something they should have or have done something they shouldn't have.  It should be the same with dogs.  If they are tearing up the yard, barking incessantly, or chewing on your furniture, we should be looking at ourselves and our relationship with our dogs.  We can love our dogs without limit, but we need to set limits on our dogs to show them, and the world, how much we love them.

Training your dog helps your dog to know what it is you want and expect from him.  There are an infinite number of ways to do things incorrectly, but only one way to do things the right way.  Using positive reinforcement clicker training, we can teach our dogs the one right way to do things and as a result, will find ourselves saying "no" much, much less.  If you pair positive reinforcement with absolutely no attention when your dog does something you don't want repeated, the results will be quick, long-lasting, and understood by your dog.

For example, does your dog jump on you or on guests?  Teach them what you would prefer them to do.  Get some yummy treats, your clicker, and your dog with his collar and leash on.  If you are alone, secure your dog to a banister or a table or something that will be solid; if you can get someone to help you, have them "be a tree" -- they will hold the loop of the leash tight to their waist, stand still, and do nothing at all.  Walk up to your dog, if he doesn't jump on you, click and treat.  If he jumps on you, immediately turn your back and walk away for a few seconds.  Return to your dog, repeat the sequence.  You don't need to say anything at all!!!  If you would like to praise your dog for good behavior, go ahead, but otherwise, you don't need to say anything.  Once your dog has figured out that jumping gets him nothing and keeping all four feet on the floor gets him a yummy treat, you can start teaching an "incompatible" behavior, like sitting when people come into the house.  If your dog is sitting, he can't be jumping.  Using the same sequence, we cue the dog to sit before clicking and treating.  At first, just wait for your dog to sit, click and treat.  When he's doing that, add a physical cue and last, add the verbal cue.  Ta-da!!!  Your dog is no longer jumping on people!!!  It really is that simple.  Train for a minute or two, three to five times per day and you will see definite results in a very short amount of time.  (Don't train for more than a few minutes at a time -- science tells us that most dogs learn best in short, frequent training sessions.)


We encourage people to seek out and utilize positive reinforcement professional dog trainers.  Even if you don't take a training class, their resources and knowledge are invaluable to you and your dog.  We (personally) are always happy to help people over the phone or via email -- our goal is to help people establish and maintain a positive relationship with their dogs.


Why train?  Because it's good for both you and your dog.  Today, teach your dog the right way to do something!  Happy Clicking and Happy Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!!!




 

Saturday Pet Blogger Hop

It's been a busy, busy week with the children, their families, and the staff of Lake Elementary and Walbridge schools in Lake Township, Ohio.  We have spent their first few days of school with them with our dogs helping to ease the transition into a new school year after a devastating tornado in June destroyed their high school and affected many, many lives.  It has been a humbling and blessed experience.  I don't have any photos yet, but will post some as soon as I can.  If you are interested in knowing more about this wonderful ministry of dogs and comfort and unconditional love, please go to the teams' national website at www.faceofcrisis.org.

Today is the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!!!  Please visit these great pet blogs soon -- enjoy this last weekend of August!!!

Philadelphia Freedom

We spent last weekend in Philadelphia with three other K9 Chaplain/Comfort Dog teams supporting the wonderful people at the Parents of Murdered Children National Conference.  It was a wonderful weekend spending time with old friends and making lots of new friends.  When the conference was over, we were able to check out a few of Philadelphia's hotspots with our youngest daughter and the dogs.  We hope to go back soon, bring our oldest daughter, and spend a little more time enjoying the history and the sights.

Marley and Husker hard at work!

L to R: K9 Chaplains/Comfort Dogs Marley, Daisy, Husker, and Connor

Daisy, Kendra, Husker and Ken running "Rocky's Steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Kendra didn't even know who Rocky was!  We'll be borrowing the movie from the library soon.

Waiting with the dogs for my turn to go see the Liberty Bell.

Ken, Kendra, and Husker outside the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

 It's the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop -- enjoy these fabulous blogs!

"Stubborn" Dogs?

I get many calls from people telling me their dog is "stubborn" and won't do what he is told or "stupid" and can't learn anything.  Nothing could be further from the truth!!!  This is a relatively simple issue -- the lines of communication are crossed, disconnected or otherwise compromised and the dog has no idea what you are asking him to do!

So how to "fix" this?  Find a positive reinforcement clicker trainer or a good clicker training book, dvd, or video online.  Introduce your dog to the wonderful world of "you do something, I click, you get a yummy treat."  To get you started today, get your clicker, get some fabulous, I-will-do-anything-for-you treats, and your dog (if your dog is confused or has never experienced this, he might try to walk away from you; put a collar/leash on him so he can stay with you and see how wonderful training is!!).  Click, give your dog a treat.  That's all.  Nothing else.  Don't ask him to do anything except eat the treat you are giving him.  Click, treat. Click, treat.  Do this about 10-12 times.  Send your dog off to be a dog!  Do this several times throughout the day.  Click, treat.  Click, treat.  This is "warming up" or "charging" the clicker.  This exercise first teaches our dogs about the clicker and as we continue to do it, reminds our dogs about the clicker.  (I still "warm up" the clicker pretty regularly with my dogs -- they love it!  It's easy, it's fun, and they love the treats.  It's a good reminder to both of you of the power of the clicker.)  

Wow!  You have just become really clear and concise to your dog.  Is he starting to sit, to down, to give you lots of eye contact?  Now you can use this little noisemaker and some treats to communicate with your dog!

The next thing I would click and treat is eye attention or focus.  When your dog looks you in the eye (or for some dogs at/near your face -- some dogs do not like to make direct eye contact, but they are still focused on you -- click and treat that), click and treat.  No words are needed -- the clicker and the treats communicate for you.  If your dog is fixated on the hand with the treats, bring that hand up to your nose, when your dog looks at you, click and treat.  Do this a few times and then wait for your dog to look at you -- be patient, it will happen!  Ta-da!  Your dog has just learned that the treat comes from the hand, but looking at your face causes that hand to open and share the treat!

Happy clicking!!!

In this first video clip, Husker, a clicker-savvy dog, is enjoying a routine clicker charging session.

In this second video clip, Izzy, a dog new to clickers is responding well to the clicker.  Even when she gets stressed and stops to scratch, she returns to giving eye contact for the click and treat.

It's the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop -- enjoy these great pet blogs!

Positive Reinforcement for this Trainer

I have a great job!  I get to play with dogs, write about dogs, figure out ways to teach dogs, read about dogs, judge competition dogs, and observe therapy dogs.  I also like to walk dogs, play with dogs, and snuggle with dogs.  I suppose you could (and probably should!) say I'm a woman of limited interests!  But sometimes the rewards for my job are limited at best -- that's when I have to step back and remember why I love dogs in the first place.

One of the best things about my job is when I get to work with a really great dog -- as a dog trainer, a lot of times I don't see good dogs -- I usually see dogs with issues or problems or when the family is at the end of their rope with what the dog is doing at home.  This week I saw some really great dogs and got lots of positive reinforcement!  I have two puppies in Puppy Preschool that are solid, with wonderful people and dog skills, who love to play and work with us.  One of these puppies is deaf, but you wouldn't know it as she runs around the training room playing tag with Daisy, my beagle!!  Then I met a dog yesterday who will be staying with us while her family is on vacation -- what a sweetie!  She is engaging and fun and I can't wait to have her stay with us.

I love all of my students, but I really admire and enjoy my competition and my agility students!  We have fun together while learning together.  How reinforcing for all of us!  These handlers and their dogs are top-notch while still remembering that, no matter what happens in the ring, they are still each taking the best dog home.

These are my rewards, my positive reinforcement (of course, chocolate works too!).  These are the reasons I keep doing what I am doing, these are the reasons I deal with the issues both dogs and people have that need to be addressed, these are the reasons I continue to come up with new ways and reinvent old ways to teach dogs and people to build better relationships with each other.  I am so very grateful to LL the puppies, to all the dogs, to all the handlers -- thank you for encouraging me just by being you!!!

Photo by Ray Dutton.

Thank you Daisy -- for making me smile, for helping me to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, and for always keeping me learning and growing.

It's Saturday and you know what that means -- the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!!!  Enjoy these great blogs!

Be the Change and Training Challenge

This week the Nevada Humane Society contacted me and asked me if I would share this very fun video on our blog.  Obviously we said yes! :)  It is a great video -- great job Nevada Humane Society!!!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

The Nevada Humane Society relies solely on donations to provide care for animals. Anyone can make a donation at http://www.nevadahumanesociety.org. They are no kill and have one of the highest county-wide save rates in the nation for homeless dogs and cats.


But being who I am, I got to thinking about the video and how to take it to a different level.  What if people got some friends together who had adopted dogs, did a little positive reinforcement, and put together a similar concept video only with dogs as the stars?!?  What fun would that be?  What a huge statement that would make for dog adoptions and positive reinforcement training!  It would definitely Be a Change for Animals!

If you decide to do this, please post your video and let me know so I can see it!  I am going to start putting some people, dogs, and a location together and see what I can come up with too.  I can't wait to see what everyone does!!!