Spring is finally here and with it the daily opportunity to take a walk and enjoy the change in season. It's so refreshing to take a dog along for a long walk in the neighborhood or for a hike in the woods or the beach. One thing I've noticed however is that the nicer the weather gets and the more folks who are out, the more dog owners I meet who are not being very considerate of other folks who are out as well.
For instance several times in the last week I have had to deal with loose dogs charging my dog and I as we were walking in a leashed area. I don't like leash laws anymore than the next guy but often these laws exist to keep dogs from becoming an nuisance in public areas. When dogs run loose in areas they are not suppose to be loose in, it causes problems for everyone. One major problem is the pressure the loose dog puts upon the dog that is on leash and his owner who is just trying to enjoy a walk. Most dogs even if they get along with other dogs can act aggressively toward an off leash dog if they themselves are confined to a leash. This is the surest way to cause a dog fight or an accident.
Yesterday I was playing at a park with my children when an off leash dog charged a man walking two dogs and pushing a baby carriage. The dogs ignored the little dog until it came too close and then lunged and barked at it. The man had trouble managing the two dogs and almost lost control of the baby's stroller as it tipped dangerously to the side. I held my breath for a full minute while he got things back under control. The owner of the loose dog had a stupid smirk on his face like his dog had nothing to do with it and didn't even bother to call his dog or apologize. This is rude of course but more than that it's downright dangerous. What the owner of the loose dog failed to realize is that not only did he almost injure a baby but he put his own dog at great risk. The dogs with the baby had every right to attack him and chase him off if they perceived him as a threat to their baby and they could have teamed up and hurt him really badly. To me that is not fair to any of the dogs. If he loved his dog he should not have put him at risk.
About a week ago I had a similar incident with one of my own dogs. I was walking on a country road and enjoying a nice sunny day when a car pulled into a driveway at the top of the hill I was about to climb. The person pulled into his driveway and evidently opened the door to his house and let out his 5 dogs all at the same time. There were 4 little dogs and one large dog. The large dog did it's business and went back in the house. The 4 little dogs spotted me from the top of the hill and became hysterical barking and charging down the hill at us. The dog I had with me at the time was Rush, a 3 year old intact male Golden Retriever. I stopped walking so he could assess the ridiculousness at the top of the hill and he laid down to get a better view of the tiny little terrors. When he was ready we climbed the hill. Some of the dogs changed their mind about charging us but one in particular kept running up to us. I told Rush to leave it and tried to keep walking up the hill, moving as far away as the road would allow. Rush ignored him for the most part and when he came close enough he sort of tucked him under him, gave a litttle grump and pushed him away with a bump of his head. The little dog squeaked in surprise and then took off back to his house. Meanwhile as I reached the top of the hill the owner of the dogs, the person who had let them out in the first place was just standing there watching his dogs menace my dog as we tried to walk by his house. The right thing to do would have been to at least attempt to catch the dogs or apologize or not let them out in the first place until the coast was clear. As the owner of a multiple dog household he had a responsibility for his own dogs' safety to not let them out until there was no one around. I was walking in a remote area but on a public road. There isn't that much traffic but waiting the 5minutes it would have taken me to pass by would have been the considerate thing to do.
As dog owners I think we share the responsibility of educating each other and sometimes though it's not pleasant, letting someone have an earful when they are not being a good neighbor. It's hard to believe sometimes that they just don' t know any better but if we don't speak up they might never know. The more people who behave this way get away with it, the more likely laws will be changed to ban dogs from beaches, parks and open spaces. The bad manners of the few should not outweigh the needs of the many.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Training Your Dog is Forward Investment !
Enjoying the companionship of a well behaved dog is a gift. Ask anyone who has ever lived with a dog that was a pleasure to be around and they will tell you that the bond they shared with their pup was special beyond almost anything they have experienced.
You are a unique dog owner because you have taken the time to train your dog and develop a relationship with him. Many fellow dog owners have not, and this is why though they love their dogs, many don't enjoy them as much as they could be.
I was amazed several years ago to learn that the average dog owner in America considers training classes for their dogs a failure on their part to "train" their dog. I was baffled by this because I couldn't understand what is wrong with asking for help when you need it. For many of the dog owners in America however the standards for living with dogs are quite low. Many people are happy that their dog uses the outside for his bathroom, and doesn't bite (at least with malice). Yikes those are some pretty low standards considering we know what dogs are capable of and the rewards waiting when you finally make the connection to really working together.
Most of you folks realize that when you get a puppy or adult dog the first two years are going to be spent training, socializing and problem solving with your pup to get him to point where he is a pleasant companion. A client of ours recently signed up for a twelve week block of classes. She cleared her calendar to train her dog. She explained to me that the last dog she adopted needed about that much time to really get it and she wanted to accelerate this process as much as possible. This is forward investment. She recognized that the problems the dog was having were not going to go away without training and management and little bit of commitment from her. She signed up for 12 wks of modular classes and came religiously twice a week. You know what the result was ? She has a trained dog. She has a dog that is no longer reactive on leash, who sits , downs, stays , comes and walks nicely on a leash and leaves it when told to. This little dog sits when she is greeting people and when they are petting her, she goes to her bed on cue, and stays there. She ignores other dogs when she is working and as a added bonus has come nose to nose with many without aggressing. I have seen this little dog who came in so anxious and reactive, blossom into a well behaved, confident companion to be proud of. I am proud of our client too, for being so smart and committed to her dog, she believed in forward investment and took the time needed ot make sure her investment will be one she can rely on for the next 12 yrs or so.
You are a unique dog owner because you have taken the time to train your dog and develop a relationship with him. Many fellow dog owners have not, and this is why though they love their dogs, many don't enjoy them as much as they could be.
I was amazed several years ago to learn that the average dog owner in America considers training classes for their dogs a failure on their part to "train" their dog. I was baffled by this because I couldn't understand what is wrong with asking for help when you need it. For many of the dog owners in America however the standards for living with dogs are quite low. Many people are happy that their dog uses the outside for his bathroom, and doesn't bite (at least with malice). Yikes those are some pretty low standards considering we know what dogs are capable of and the rewards waiting when you finally make the connection to really working together.
Most of you folks realize that when you get a puppy or adult dog the first two years are going to be spent training, socializing and problem solving with your pup to get him to point where he is a pleasant companion. A client of ours recently signed up for a twelve week block of classes. She cleared her calendar to train her dog. She explained to me that the last dog she adopted needed about that much time to really get it and she wanted to accelerate this process as much as possible. This is forward investment. She recognized that the problems the dog was having were not going to go away without training and management and little bit of commitment from her. She signed up for 12 wks of modular classes and came religiously twice a week. You know what the result was ? She has a trained dog. She has a dog that is no longer reactive on leash, who sits , downs, stays , comes and walks nicely on a leash and leaves it when told to. This little dog sits when she is greeting people and when they are petting her, she goes to her bed on cue, and stays there. She ignores other dogs when she is working and as a added bonus has come nose to nose with many without aggressing. I have seen this little dog who came in so anxious and reactive, blossom into a well behaved, confident companion to be proud of. I am proud of our client too, for being so smart and committed to her dog, she believed in forward investment and took the time needed ot make sure her investment will be one she can rely on for the next 12 yrs or so.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Does Your Dog Lunge and Bark At Other Dogs On Leash ?
A growing problem among dogs and their people is their reactivity toward other dogs when they are out for a walk,. Most of the private training that I do involves dogs that bark and lunge at other dogs on their walks in their neighborhood. The puzzling thing for most people is that many of these dogs have had a lot of socialization with other dogs, and are often fine off leash. So what's going on ? Why are they ok sometimes and act aggressive and uncontrollable at other times ?
I have found that there are at least two different types of dogs that are reactive toward other dogs. One type suffers from a lack of early socialization and experience with other dogs and their aggression stems from a fear of the unknown. They don't understand other dogs and don't know how to communicate with them. The best offense is a good defense and so the result is a dog that barks and lunges when it sees other dogs hoping that those dogs will go away. Sometimes this category of reactive dogs has had some socialization as a puppy but upon taking a good history I have found that this socializaiton was not ideal. These pups were particularly shy during their puppy kindergarten experience for instance. Their owners took them to the dog park on a regular basis but stopped after a short while because all they did there was hide and act miserable. Their pup got along ok with a relative or neighbors dog and so the only experience this pup got was an ocassional visit with a dog that wasn't really that interested in them.
Good socialization comes in the form of actual contact with other dogs and people. It's not enough to take your dog to new places and make an effort to be around new dogs and people on a regular basis, he or she actually has to interact with the new people and dogs and have fun. This is not always possible with a scared pup without the hlep of a professional. A pup that is too scared to socialize with new people and dogs needs help right away so that he can begin his journey toward behavioral normalcy. Good social experiences are essential in order to raise a dog that is behaviorally healhty and does not grow up with social problems. This is a challenging task with a scared puppy but it can be accomplished with the right guidance and coaching.
The other type of dog that is reactive around other dogs is not as serious. These dogs are implulsive and though they have had a lot of social expeirence they react to other dogs on leash out of excitement and over stimulation. This might start out with the bad habit of barking at the sight of other dogs or pullling on their leash and vocalizing their exictement at the sight of other dogs. They go to the park and see dogs and start carrying on, barking, lunging and vocalizing , trying to get to the other dogs. Oh, he's just excited you think at first and let him go. Well, other dogs don't like to be rushed at by an out of control exuberant dog and one day another dog tells him off. Not being all that dog savy, he reacts back and is involved in a minor altercation that if he is lucky does not result in blood shed , but does leave a very bad exprience worth remembering. Serves him right you think and move on, not realizing exactly what your dog has learned by this experience. You may not realize you have a problem until 6 mths from then when you let that leash go and your dog runs down another dog and attacks it. The victim is usually a puppy or other inexperienced dog and you are mortified by his behavior. He's never done that before you think, what is his problem ? Scared and embarrased you apologize to the other dog's owner and call me. I have seen this problem so many times, I've lost count. This problem which has turned into an aggression problem is not nearly as serious as the handler usually fears but it does need training in order not to go further down the road of aggressive interactions with dogs. In a nut shell this type of reactive dog needs to be taught some better on leash manners, he needs to learn to control his enthusiasm in public and he needs to be resocialized in a controlled environment where his play can be redirected and interupted as necessary to make sure that he is neither bullying or being bullied. These dogs are treatable and do quite well with the right training plan but it does take time.
Training is always an investment in the future and though problems like reactivity are not going to go away quickly, with the right tools and coaching handlers can greatly improve the way their dogs behave around other dogs on leash. Being able to take a walk with your dog without being embarrassed by his behavior will only benefit the both of you as you continue your journey together !
If you have a reactive dog and would like some help in acquiring the right tools and coaching look no further ! Canine University offers private consultations to evaluate and develop a training plan as well as one on one coaching to help you implement that plan in real life. We also offer our very popular Rowdy Rovers Class for handlers that want to practice the skills they have learned in a group setting. We will be offering this class throughout the year and giving you the opportunity to take it multiple times as you and your dog gain more skills and learn to work through the issues.
Next Rowdy Rovers class starts 2/17 at 6:30pm. Cost is $125 for 4 wks . Call or email for more details 781-324-3722 or training@canineuniversity.com.
I have found that there are at least two different types of dogs that are reactive toward other dogs. One type suffers from a lack of early socialization and experience with other dogs and their aggression stems from a fear of the unknown. They don't understand other dogs and don't know how to communicate with them. The best offense is a good defense and so the result is a dog that barks and lunges when it sees other dogs hoping that those dogs will go away. Sometimes this category of reactive dogs has had some socialization as a puppy but upon taking a good history I have found that this socializaiton was not ideal. These pups were particularly shy during their puppy kindergarten experience for instance. Their owners took them to the dog park on a regular basis but stopped after a short while because all they did there was hide and act miserable. Their pup got along ok with a relative or neighbors dog and so the only experience this pup got was an ocassional visit with a dog that wasn't really that interested in them.
Good socialization comes in the form of actual contact with other dogs and people. It's not enough to take your dog to new places and make an effort to be around new dogs and people on a regular basis, he or she actually has to interact with the new people and dogs and have fun. This is not always possible with a scared pup without the hlep of a professional. A pup that is too scared to socialize with new people and dogs needs help right away so that he can begin his journey toward behavioral normalcy. Good social experiences are essential in order to raise a dog that is behaviorally healhty and does not grow up with social problems. This is a challenging task with a scared puppy but it can be accomplished with the right guidance and coaching.
The other type of dog that is reactive around other dogs is not as serious. These dogs are implulsive and though they have had a lot of social expeirence they react to other dogs on leash out of excitement and over stimulation. This might start out with the bad habit of barking at the sight of other dogs or pullling on their leash and vocalizing their exictement at the sight of other dogs. They go to the park and see dogs and start carrying on, barking, lunging and vocalizing , trying to get to the other dogs. Oh, he's just excited you think at first and let him go. Well, other dogs don't like to be rushed at by an out of control exuberant dog and one day another dog tells him off. Not being all that dog savy, he reacts back and is involved in a minor altercation that if he is lucky does not result in blood shed , but does leave a very bad exprience worth remembering. Serves him right you think and move on, not realizing exactly what your dog has learned by this experience. You may not realize you have a problem until 6 mths from then when you let that leash go and your dog runs down another dog and attacks it. The victim is usually a puppy or other inexperienced dog and you are mortified by his behavior. He's never done that before you think, what is his problem ? Scared and embarrased you apologize to the other dog's owner and call me. I have seen this problem so many times, I've lost count. This problem which has turned into an aggression problem is not nearly as serious as the handler usually fears but it does need training in order not to go further down the road of aggressive interactions with dogs. In a nut shell this type of reactive dog needs to be taught some better on leash manners, he needs to learn to control his enthusiasm in public and he needs to be resocialized in a controlled environment where his play can be redirected and interupted as necessary to make sure that he is neither bullying or being bullied. These dogs are treatable and do quite well with the right training plan but it does take time.
Training is always an investment in the future and though problems like reactivity are not going to go away quickly, with the right tools and coaching handlers can greatly improve the way their dogs behave around other dogs on leash. Being able to take a walk with your dog without being embarrassed by his behavior will only benefit the both of you as you continue your journey together !
If you have a reactive dog and would like some help in acquiring the right tools and coaching look no further ! Canine University offers private consultations to evaluate and develop a training plan as well as one on one coaching to help you implement that plan in real life. We also offer our very popular Rowdy Rovers Class for handlers that want to practice the skills they have learned in a group setting. We will be offering this class throughout the year and giving you the opportunity to take it multiple times as you and your dog gain more skills and learn to work through the issues.
Next Rowdy Rovers class starts 2/17 at 6:30pm. Cost is $125 for 4 wks . Call or email for more details 781-324-3722 or training@canineuniversity.com.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thresholds In Training...a Key to Success !
Thresholds In Training……
A threshold in respect to training dogs is the point at which an animal can still think and perform a behavior reliably with short latency, speed and precision. Lots of things effect thresholds and your dog’s ability to respond reliably to learned cues. Things like being outdoors, other dogs, noise, traffic, cars, wildlife, food distractions, people passing by, bicycles, loud noises, etc all effect a dogs threshold for being able to block out the distractions and perform the learned behavior reliably. Not paying attention to your dog’s thresholds for distractions might be a problem in getting reliability from a dog that understands the cue in a quiet environment and then goes to a busy one. Or a threshold violation might totally trump a dog’s ability to think and respond to his owner in an acceptable way in a particular environment.
When a dog is within it’s comfort zone and is able to think and respond to his handler we call this being sub threshold. This means that the dog can easily respond to a known command, respond to it’s name, and pay attention to it’s handler. When a dog is over threshold it means that the environment is too much for the dog to ignore and be able to think and process information given by his handler. What this means for most dogs is that they can not learn anything because they are way over stimulated and overwhelmed by the environment.
Thresholds are important to consider in all training but especially when training reactive or shy dogs . For these dogs their fears combined with a busy environment will push them over the edge until they are frantically reacting and no longer thinking. You can not teach a stressed dog anything. The part of the brain that can process information and learning has to be present in order for training to be effective and if a dog is reacting continuously to things in the environment and can’t calm down enough to think, no real learning will take place.
This is both good and bad news. The old thinking of not comforting a dog when they are frightened for fear of reinforcing their fear is not scientifically valid. You cannot reinforce an emotion, you can change an emotion by pairing a behavior with reinforcement but you can not make an emotion worse or better by paying attention to it. If your dog is frightened by all means comfort it, if your dog is angry, aggressive and reactive lead him to safety, take the pressure off make the scary thing go away. This will build your dog’s confidence in your ability to help him when he needs it. You will show him by your stepping in and removing him from situations which he has no skills to handle that he can rely on you to help him when he needs it.
So what about the Dog Whisperer and what he says about being the leader and forcing your dog to just get on with it and deal with it ? Well, for those of you with scared or aggressive dogs has it worked ? Most of the private training I’ve done is for reactive or shy dogs whose owners are at wits end to help their dogs overcome their fear and aggression. In the hundreds of people I have counseled I can tell you first hand the report…it doesn’t work. If it worked I’d be out of a job :).
Sure with some dogs that aren’t that reactive or shy they get over it for the moment and the behavior their owner didn’t like is supressed. This means they no longer tell anyone how they feel anymore, but I can tell you from experience that they don’t feel any more confident, any less scared and given the right circumstances will fall back on their own ways and in some cases be far worse.
Don’t be fooled by those who claim to have a permanent solution to a problem that doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part. All training takes time and the only thing that works to permanently change behavior is a solid training program based on the science of how dogs learn with a way to measure results and track progress so that we can make sure the behavior is moving in a desirable direction and not just covered up !
Considering your dog’s threshold is vitally important to this success. Without planning for this your training program will fall apart and you will not make progress with real measurable change. For those who say they’ve tried training but it hasn’t worked this is the problem, the threshold not the method. If you change the threshold and train the dog where he can still think over time the threshold will expand and the dog will be able to handle more distractions, more noise, and more stress.
Hope this helps you get your training back on track !!!
Happy Training !
A threshold in respect to training dogs is the point at which an animal can still think and perform a behavior reliably with short latency, speed and precision. Lots of things effect thresholds and your dog’s ability to respond reliably to learned cues. Things like being outdoors, other dogs, noise, traffic, cars, wildlife, food distractions, people passing by, bicycles, loud noises, etc all effect a dogs threshold for being able to block out the distractions and perform the learned behavior reliably. Not paying attention to your dog’s thresholds for distractions might be a problem in getting reliability from a dog that understands the cue in a quiet environment and then goes to a busy one. Or a threshold violation might totally trump a dog’s ability to think and respond to his owner in an acceptable way in a particular environment.
When a dog is within it’s comfort zone and is able to think and respond to his handler we call this being sub threshold. This means that the dog can easily respond to a known command, respond to it’s name, and pay attention to it’s handler. When a dog is over threshold it means that the environment is too much for the dog to ignore and be able to think and process information given by his handler. What this means for most dogs is that they can not learn anything because they are way over stimulated and overwhelmed by the environment.
Thresholds are important to consider in all training but especially when training reactive or shy dogs . For these dogs their fears combined with a busy environment will push them over the edge until they are frantically reacting and no longer thinking. You can not teach a stressed dog anything. The part of the brain that can process information and learning has to be present in order for training to be effective and if a dog is reacting continuously to things in the environment and can’t calm down enough to think, no real learning will take place. This is both good and bad news. The old thinking of not comforting a dog when they are frightened for fear of reinforcing their fear is not scientifically valid. You cannot reinforce an emotion, you can change an emotion by pairing a behavior with reinforcement but you can not make an emotion worse or better by paying attention to it. If your dog is frightened by all means comfort it, if your dog is angry, aggressive and reactive lead him to safety, take the pressure off make the scary thing go away. This will build your dog’s confidence in your ability to help him when he needs it. You will show him by your stepping in and removing him from situations which he has no skills to handle that he can rely on you to help him when he needs it.
So what about the Dog Whisperer and what he says about being the leader and forcing your dog to just get on with it and deal with it ? Well, for those of you with scared or aggressive dogs has it worked ? Most of the private training I’ve done is for reactive or shy dogs whose owners are at wits end to help their dogs overcome their fear and aggression. In the hundreds of people I have counseled I can tell you first hand the report…it doesn’t work. If it worked I’d be out of a job J. Sure with some dogs that aren’t that reactive or shy they get over it for the moment and the behavior their owner didn’t like is supressed. This means they no longer tell anyone how they feel anymore, but I can tell you from experience that they don’t feel any more confident, any less scared and given the right circumstances will fall back on their own ways and in some cases be far worse. Don’t be fooled by those who claim to have a permanent solution to a problem that doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part. All training takes time and the only thing that works to permanently change behavior is a solid training program based on the science of how dogs learn with a way to measure results and track progress so that we can make sure the behavior is moving in a desirable direction and not just covered up ! Considering your dog’s threshold is vitally important to this success. Without planning for this your training program will fall apart and you will not make progress with real measurable change. For those who say they’ve tried training but it hasn’t worked this is the problem, the threshold not the method. If you change the threshold and train the dog where he can still think over time the threshold will expand and the dog will be able to handle more distractions, more noise, and more stress.
Hope this helps you get your training back on track !!!
A threshold in respect to training dogs is the point at which an animal can still think and perform a behavior reliably with short latency, speed and precision. Lots of things effect thresholds and your dog’s ability to respond reliably to learned cues. Things like being outdoors, other dogs, noise, traffic, cars, wildlife, food distractions, people passing by, bicycles, loud noises, etc all effect a dogs threshold for being able to block out the distractions and perform the learned behavior reliably. Not paying attention to your dog’s thresholds for distractions might be a problem in getting reliability from a dog that understands the cue in a quiet environment and then goes to a busy one. Or a threshold violation might totally trump a dog’s ability to think and respond to his owner in an acceptable way in a particular environment.
When a dog is within it’s comfort zone and is able to think and respond to his handler we call this being sub threshold. This means that the dog can easily respond to a known command, respond to it’s name, and pay attention to it’s handler. When a dog is over threshold it means that the environment is too much for the dog to ignore and be able to think and process information given by his handler. What this means for most dogs is that they can not learn anything because they are way over stimulated and overwhelmed by the environment.
Thresholds are important to consider in all training but especially when training reactive or shy dogs . For these dogs their fears combined with a busy environment will push them over the edge until they are frantically reacting and no longer thinking. You can not teach a stressed dog anything. The part of the brain that can process information and learning has to be present in order for training to be effective and if a dog is reacting continuously to things in the environment and can’t calm down enough to think, no real learning will take place.
This is both good and bad news. The old thinking of not comforting a dog when they are frightened for fear of reinforcing their fear is not scientifically valid. You cannot reinforce an emotion, you can change an emotion by pairing a behavior with reinforcement but you can not make an emotion worse or better by paying attention to it. If your dog is frightened by all means comfort it, if your dog is angry, aggressive and reactive lead him to safety, take the pressure off make the scary thing go away. This will build your dog’s confidence in your ability to help him when he needs it. You will show him by your stepping in and removing him from situations which he has no skills to handle that he can rely on you to help him when he needs it.
So what about the Dog Whisperer and what he says about being the leader and forcing your dog to just get on with it and deal with it ? Well, for those of you with scared or aggressive dogs has it worked ? Most of the private training I’ve done is for reactive or shy dogs whose owners are at wits end to help their dogs overcome their fear and aggression. In the hundreds of people I have counseled I can tell you first hand the report…it doesn’t work. If it worked I’d be out of a job :).
Sure with some dogs that aren’t that reactive or shy they get over it for the moment and the behavior their owner didn’t like is supressed. This means they no longer tell anyone how they feel anymore, but I can tell you from experience that they don’t feel any more confident, any less scared and given the right circumstances will fall back on their own ways and in some cases be far worse.
Don’t be fooled by those who claim to have a permanent solution to a problem that doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part. All training takes time and the only thing that works to permanently change behavior is a solid training program based on the science of how dogs learn with a way to measure results and track progress so that we can make sure the behavior is moving in a desirable direction and not just covered up !
Considering your dog’s threshold is vitally important to this success. Without planning for this your training program will fall apart and you will not make progress with real measurable change. For those who say they’ve tried training but it hasn’t worked this is the problem, the threshold not the method. If you change the threshold and train the dog where he can still think over time the threshold will expand and the dog will be able to handle more distractions, more noise, and more stress.
Hope this helps you get your training back on track !!!
Happy Training !
A threshold in respect to training dogs is the point at which an animal can still think and perform a behavior reliably with short latency, speed and precision. Lots of things effect thresholds and your dog’s ability to respond reliably to learned cues. Things like being outdoors, other dogs, noise, traffic, cars, wildlife, food distractions, people passing by, bicycles, loud noises, etc all effect a dogs threshold for being able to block out the distractions and perform the learned behavior reliably. Not paying attention to your dog’s thresholds for distractions might be a problem in getting reliability from a dog that understands the cue in a quiet environment and then goes to a busy one. Or a threshold violation might totally trump a dog’s ability to think and respond to his owner in an acceptable way in a particular environment.
When a dog is within it’s comfort zone and is able to think and respond to his handler we call this being sub threshold. This means that the dog can easily respond to a known command, respond to it’s name, and pay attention to it’s handler. When a dog is over threshold it means that the environment is too much for the dog to ignore and be able to think and process information given by his handler. What this means for most dogs is that they can not learn anything because they are way over stimulated and overwhelmed by the environment.
Thresholds are important to consider in all training but especially when training reactive or shy dogs . For these dogs their fears combined with a busy environment will push them over the edge until they are frantically reacting and no longer thinking. You can not teach a stressed dog anything. The part of the brain that can process information and learning has to be present in order for training to be effective and if a dog is reacting continuously to things in the environment and can’t calm down enough to think, no real learning will take place. This is both good and bad news. The old thinking of not comforting a dog when they are frightened for fear of reinforcing their fear is not scientifically valid. You cannot reinforce an emotion, you can change an emotion by pairing a behavior with reinforcement but you can not make an emotion worse or better by paying attention to it. If your dog is frightened by all means comfort it, if your dog is angry, aggressive and reactive lead him to safety, take the pressure off make the scary thing go away. This will build your dog’s confidence in your ability to help him when he needs it. You will show him by your stepping in and removing him from situations which he has no skills to handle that he can rely on you to help him when he needs it.
So what about the Dog Whisperer and what he says about being the leader and forcing your dog to just get on with it and deal with it ? Well, for those of you with scared or aggressive dogs has it worked ? Most of the private training I’ve done is for reactive or shy dogs whose owners are at wits end to help their dogs overcome their fear and aggression. In the hundreds of people I have counseled I can tell you first hand the report…it doesn’t work. If it worked I’d be out of a job J. Sure with some dogs that aren’t that reactive or shy they get over it for the moment and the behavior their owner didn’t like is supressed. This means they no longer tell anyone how they feel anymore, but I can tell you from experience that they don’t feel any more confident, any less scared and given the right circumstances will fall back on their own ways and in some cases be far worse. Don’t be fooled by those who claim to have a permanent solution to a problem that doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part. All training takes time and the only thing that works to permanently change behavior is a solid training program based on the science of how dogs learn with a way to measure results and track progress so that we can make sure the behavior is moving in a desirable direction and not just covered up ! Considering your dog’s threshold is vitally important to this success. Without planning for this your training program will fall apart and you will not make progress with real measurable change. For those who say they’ve tried training but it hasn’t worked this is the problem, the threshold not the method. If you change the threshold and train the dog where he can still think over time the threshold will expand and the dog will be able to handle more distractions, more noise, and more stress.
Hope this helps you get your training back on track !!!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Fall In New England
November is here and with it comes the beautiful colors of Fall, the cool temperatures of Autumn and the threat of winter. When I was younger I use to dread this time of year because I love the warm weather and being outside and always thought of November as a depressing month. As I get older though and my children grow up I have found things to like about this time of year. Though I love the summer, I have to say the Fall is welcomed relief from all the humidity and heat of the summer months. At our house we consider Fall “dog weather”. Our Goldens love the change in season and love to run in the woods and swim any chance they get. They will swim until the ponds and lakes are frozen so cold temperatures don’t bother them in the least. They love to run in the woods but where we like to walk it is hunting season this month which makes our walks a little more risky. A blaze orange bandana, a cow bell on the collar and bright orange hats for the humans is a necessity so as not to be mistaken for a deer J ! We try not to walk anywhere where there would be hunters but sometimes trails and wooded areas overlap or are not clearly marked and you never know. In November we tend to do the longer hikes on Sundays where there is not suppose to be any hunting. Some of my favorite memories of dogs past were made walking a quiet trail on a crisp Fall day, leaves crunching underfoot and my goldens running full tilt , ears flying, tongues lolling, a look of complete joy on their faces. Eye candy for those cold winter days when I can’t bear to be outside for more than a 1/2 hr before I want to come in and warm up !
During the summer, the nice weather makes being outside high on my priority list, the Fall and winter starts to invite more down time indoors and with that extra time the chance to work on some training projects and catch up on my reading. I usually have a very long list of books I want to read, some fiction, some non-fiction. Training books tend to pile up on my bookshelf while I get through all the other things I have to do and I look forward to finally getting to read them. Journals and magazines also start falling into that category and they are so full of good information I can’t wait to get through them. I am always amazed that despite having 20 yrs experience training dogs there is always something new and fresh in my reading that I can share with my clients and the dogs I train. This year I am hoping to get back to teaching more tricks and getting more of the started behaviors on cue. I’m sure that this happens to you too, but I am guilty of having started to teach a lot of fun behaviors but never actually put them on a reliable cue. Every once in a while I get serious about finishing what I’ve started and go back and get those started behaviors on cue.
Recently I was asked to provide Golden Retriever puppies for a photo shoot for Oreck vacuums. The producer wanted cute fluffy golden pups for both the still shots of the model with the vacuum and a short commercial where the pups had to sit on a white chair while the model vacuumed and them jump off the chair and leave the set. Luckily I had bred a litter and had access to the pups so it was a cinch to provide them with what they needed. The producer, photographer and camera people had really good animal sense and had very reasonable expectations. The pups were only 10 wks old so they were not expected to hold a stay or pose but because they had so much socialization and handling, thanks to my wonderful staff and puppy families and friends, they not only went along with everything we wanted they lasted a really long time. The staff could not believe how long these little puppies worked for before they needed a break. We accomplished everything in 2hrs and they were thrilled with the results. This just goes to show you that the real work of raising a well adjusted dog goes into the time you put socializing the dog and teaching him basic rules of living with people, including the quirky stuff. It’s not so much the trained on cue behaviors that are so important, it’s the handling of the feet, ears, holding, picking up, brushing, grooming, handling feet, trips to new places, noises, dogs, cats, kids, and all different types of people. If you live in the city go and explore the country, if you live in the country go and explore the city. Don’t just go once and think you’re done, go on a regular basis until nothing fazes your pup. Scared pups need slower more careful socialization, bold pups need to learn moderation in all these new environments, both personalities need frequent field trips to these places so that they acclimate and process the experience and learn from it. Whenever I have an experience like this I remember how important the basics are and even though it’s fun to teach fancier behaviors that are polished and on cue they will never be more important than building a strong foundation for learning and surviving in our crazy world. A pup who is given a lot of social experiences is ready for life and can learn anything you care to take the time to teach him as an adult dog. This is comforting as the list of “things I want to finish teaching the dogs” grows longer each year.
The schedule for the New Year is finally finished and should be posted on the website soon. We have added a lot of fun classes for our clients who want to come out and have fun with their dogs. We are offering a Tricks class, Fun and Games, and Agility in addition to our Beginners 2 and Intermediate Obedience classes. We hope you can come join in the fun !! We are also offering some seminars including two new offerings that we think you might enjoy. In addition to our very well attended and popular Dog Speak Seminar we are offering a Dog Chiropractic Seminar which will be presented by Dr Sheryl Russell a human and animal chiropractor and a Raw Feeding Talk offered by a fellow breeder/groomer Shannon Gervais. Shannon owns 3 of my Goldens and has been feeding raw and raising her dogs naturally for many years. Paul and I have been raising our dogs on raw food and using alternative medicine for years now and we want to share some of what we have learned through these offerings. There is always something new to learn and improve in raising dogs and we are working hard to bring them to our clients who want to learn more. We hope that you will join us.
Enjoy the nice Fall weather and get outside and enjoy your dogs !!!
During the summer, the nice weather makes being outside high on my priority list, the Fall and winter starts to invite more down time indoors and with that extra time the chance to work on some training projects and catch up on my reading. I usually have a very long list of books I want to read, some fiction, some non-fiction. Training books tend to pile up on my bookshelf while I get through all the other things I have to do and I look forward to finally getting to read them. Journals and magazines also start falling into that category and they are so full of good information I can’t wait to get through them. I am always amazed that despite having 20 yrs experience training dogs there is always something new and fresh in my reading that I can share with my clients and the dogs I train. This year I am hoping to get back to teaching more tricks and getting more of the started behaviors on cue. I’m sure that this happens to you too, but I am guilty of having started to teach a lot of fun behaviors but never actually put them on a reliable cue. Every once in a while I get serious about finishing what I’ve started and go back and get those started behaviors on cue.
Recently I was asked to provide Golden Retriever puppies for a photo shoot for Oreck vacuums. The producer wanted cute fluffy golden pups for both the still shots of the model with the vacuum and a short commercial where the pups had to sit on a white chair while the model vacuumed and them jump off the chair and leave the set. Luckily I had bred a litter and had access to the pups so it was a cinch to provide them with what they needed. The producer, photographer and camera people had really good animal sense and had very reasonable expectations. The pups were only 10 wks old so they were not expected to hold a stay or pose but because they had so much socialization and handling, thanks to my wonderful staff and puppy families and friends, they not only went along with everything we wanted they lasted a really long time. The staff could not believe how long these little puppies worked for before they needed a break. We accomplished everything in 2hrs and they were thrilled with the results. This just goes to show you that the real work of raising a well adjusted dog goes into the time you put socializing the dog and teaching him basic rules of living with people, including the quirky stuff. It’s not so much the trained on cue behaviors that are so important, it’s the handling of the feet, ears, holding, picking up, brushing, grooming, handling feet, trips to new places, noises, dogs, cats, kids, and all different types of people. If you live in the city go and explore the country, if you live in the country go and explore the city. Don’t just go once and think you’re done, go on a regular basis until nothing fazes your pup. Scared pups need slower more careful socialization, bold pups need to learn moderation in all these new environments, both personalities need frequent field trips to these places so that they acclimate and process the experience and learn from it. Whenever I have an experience like this I remember how important the basics are and even though it’s fun to teach fancier behaviors that are polished and on cue they will never be more important than building a strong foundation for learning and surviving in our crazy world. A pup who is given a lot of social experiences is ready for life and can learn anything you care to take the time to teach him as an adult dog. This is comforting as the list of “things I want to finish teaching the dogs” grows longer each year.
The schedule for the New Year is finally finished and should be posted on the website soon. We have added a lot of fun classes for our clients who want to come out and have fun with their dogs. We are offering a Tricks class, Fun and Games, and Agility in addition to our Beginners 2 and Intermediate Obedience classes. We hope you can come join in the fun !! We are also offering some seminars including two new offerings that we think you might enjoy. In addition to our very well attended and popular Dog Speak Seminar we are offering a Dog Chiropractic Seminar which will be presented by Dr Sheryl Russell a human and animal chiropractor and a Raw Feeding Talk offered by a fellow breeder/groomer Shannon Gervais. Shannon owns 3 of my Goldens and has been feeding raw and raising her dogs naturally for many years. Paul and I have been raising our dogs on raw food and using alternative medicine for years now and we want to share some of what we have learned through these offerings. There is always something new to learn and improve in raising dogs and we are working hard to bring them to our clients who want to learn more. We hope that you will join us.
Enjoy the nice Fall weather and get outside and enjoy your dogs !!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Living in the Moment
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dogs give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dogs give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Advice From the Dog.......
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dog’s give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dog’s give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
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