September 22nd, 2010
I’ve written before about dealing with barking here on The Positively Well-Behaved Dog, but since this week’s Never Shock a Puppy blog posts are supposed to focus on barking, I think a few points are worth repeating—and adding. In doing so, I can’t help remembering a much loved dog who departed for The Rainbow Bridge nearly eight years ago.
His name was Cory, and he was a gorgeous Shetland Sheepdog. No dog I’ve met before or since worked as hard as Cory did to be his idea of what a good dog was. Unfortunately, though, Cory’s idea of being a good dog included a lot of barking. He’d bark when we opened and closed the dishwasher, when we opened or closed a window, or even (sometimes) at leaves blowing down the street.
When Cory was a puppy, my family and I thought these barking episodes were funny. We actually encouraged some of them. Little did we know that by the time Cory became an adult, his by-then-entrenched excessive barking would get really, really old. By then, of course, the barking was extremely difficult to control. We took care to stop encouraging Cory’s vocalizing, to try to divert him by having him perform maneuvers that were incompatible with barking (for example, asking him to lie down and stay when we opened or closed a window). But for the most part, we learned to live with Cory’s excessive diligence.
If I knew then what I knew now, of course, I’d handle things very differently. I’d start teaching Cory the “quiet” cue as soon as possible during puppyhood. I’d take care to not encourage excessive barking from Cory while I performed routine tasks. And I’d give Cory more physical exercise and mental stimulation, which can go a long way toward mellowing out a chronic barker, simply because he’s too tired to sound off.
Finally, I’d be realistic. Certain breeds bark a lot, Shelties among them. It’s not for nothing that some Sheltie breeders debark their dogs (no, I do not condone that practice. I’m simply saying I understand how noisy a pack of Shelties can be). And I’m sure that plenty of frustrated Sheltie owners—particularly if those dogs are in apartment buildings—are at least tempted to use citronella or even shock collars on their dogs to limit their vocalizing. I sympathize; however, in my view, such tactics aren’t okay. It’s never okay to inflict pain or discomfort on an animal who’s simply doing what comes naturally to him. The burden’s on us—out of love for our dogs, not to mention simple human decency—to show our dogs what we want them to do, rather than hurt them for doing what we don’t want them to do.
(Pictured above: a barking Sheltie who looks a lot like Cory did, courtesy of Sheltie Nation. A Sheltie breeder’s defense of debarking is here.)
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August 11th, 2010
Much of what I’ve written about in this blog focuses on how we can train our dogs ourselves. Every time we teach our dogs something new, we deepen our relationships with them just a little bit more. With that deepened bond comes greater enjoyment and more meaningful companionship for person and pooch alike; that’s why we add dogs to our lives in the first place.
As enjoyable as dog training can be, though, that fun isn’t a given. Sometimes training a dog can be downright frustrating, especially if you’re not succeeding in dealing with a canine behavioral problem. But how do you know when you need help from a professional trainer? I put this question to several dog trainers I know. Here’s how they responded.
Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA, co-owner of Dream Dog Productions in Woodbridge, VA, has a short and simple answer: “Generally speaking, I’d say any time [you] have questions about your dog.”
Victoria Schade, CPDT-KA, owner of Life on the Leash in Doylestown, PA, elaborates: “My rule of thumb is that people should seek help when they feel overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed is just a few steps away from being angry, and nothing good can come from trying to work with a dog when angry. It’s easier to address a behavioral challenge before it takes root!”
Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC, owner of Peaceable Paws in Fairplay, MD, agrees with Schade. “Across the board, behavioral problems are best addressed at onset rather than waiting until they have become well-practiced, well-established behaviors,” Miller says. “I work with clients who bring their dogs to me at the first glimmer of an undesirable behavior, as well as those who wait longer, sometimes years, to address a problem. Invariably, we can more successful at extinguishing ‘glimmer’ behaviors than those that have become deeply ingrained in a dog’s behavior repertoire.”
Miller adds that another reason to call a training pro is when “an owner realizes that what she is trying—[whether] her own approaches or those suggested by other dog-owning friends—are not only unsuccessful but perhaps even making the dog’s behavior worse. [Then] it’s time to call a qualified behavior professional who uses a positive reinforcement approach to behavior modification.”
There you have it. If you’ve determined that you and your dog meet any of these criteria, but need help finding a behavior pro, click here.
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June 30th, 2010
My Golden Retriever, the Divine Miss Allie, isn’t always so divine when we go for walks. Specifically, she’s quick to engage in what sounds to me as though she’s trash-talking other dogs. Let me explain.
All can be well while Allie and I are strolling around our neighborhood. But if another dog enters the picture and dares to bark at her just once, Allie will bark back—not once, not twice, but repeatedly, and otherwise get herself all worked up at what she apparently perceives to be the other dog’s effrontery in daring to speak to her (yes, I know I’m anthropomorphizing—but that’s really how she sounds to me). Dealing with this behavior has been a challenge, to say the least.
Fortunately, a little over a year ago, I attended a seminar at which the featured speaker was the wonderful, writes-like-a-goddess animal behaviorist, Patricia McConnell. She suggested teaching dogs like Allie a cue called “Watch”—or more specifically, “Watch Me.”
To learn this cue, your dog should already respond reliably to her name. To teach the cue, do the following:
- Leash your dog, and put both a clicker and treats into your pocket.
- Head out on your walk, and at a completely random moment, call your dog’s name. When she turns around to look at you, say “Watch me!” At the same time, hold up the treat and lure her into a sit while she’s facing you. When she sits, click (or say, “Yes!” if you’re not using a clicker) and treat.
- Keep practicing this cue while you’re out on walks, but don’t use it when other dogs are around until your own dog is responding very reliably. In the meantime, if you do see other dogs, turn around and walk the other way, or do something else to make sure your dog doesn’t see the other.
- When you’re absolutely sure your dog has mastered this cue, try it when you see another dog. Have your treats ready and when the other dog comes into view, give your dog the cue, and treat when she responds. Keep treating until the other dog has passed.
Be sure to bring treats with you every time you take your dog for a walk, and be consistent about using this cue every time you see another dog. With time, patience, and consistency, your dog is likely to associate the sight of another canine with scoring a goodie from you. That’s happened with Allie and me: these days, if she sees another dog (including the really nasty, snarly, fence-running dog a block away from us), Allie immediately looks at me and sits, as though she’s saying “Okay, the other dog’s out there. Time for my treat.” Frankly, I’d much rather have her ask me for goodies than engage in a barking frenzy with the other pooch. It’s a win-win situation all around: she gets treats, and I get a peaceful, stress-free stroll with her. What’s not to like?
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Training Your Dog Without Trying
May 5th, 2010
Even when we don’t think we’re training our dogs, we are. I learned this several years ago, while I was housetraining my Golden Retriever, Allie. Per my own advice, I kept her to a strict schedule of potty breaks, play breaks, feeding, water and naps while she was learning basic potty protocol. Allie took her naps in her crate, so at every nap time I would put her in her crate and tell her, “Nighty night.” Allie’s a pretty smart girl, so before too long, she would take herself to her crate whenever I uttered those two words.
Allie’s “nighty night” maneuver exemplifies a person unintentionally teaching a dog to do something. In this case, that something turned out to be a good thing. However, all too often, our actions teach our dogs something that we don’t want them to know or to do.
For example, if you slip your dog food from your dinner table, you’re teaching him that hanging around the table while the humans eat will result in the dispensation of goodies. In other words, you’re teaching your dog that begging is okay—and while that behavior may not bother you, not all your dinner guests will be thrilled with seeing your dog sit next to them and stare at them as though he’s trying to hypnotize them into slipping him a piece of chicken or beef.
Begging, although obnoxious to some people, is still a relatively benign behavior. For most people, though, barking is not. Non-stop canine caterwauling will set the teeth of even the most passionate pooch lover on edge. Stopping such barking, though, can be problematic. That said, one sure way to ensure that the barking continues is to yell at the barker to “Cut it out!” “No barking!” “Shut up!” or some variation thereof. The reason is simple: if you yell or shout at your barking dog, he’ll think you’re joining him in vocalizing.
Yelling at your dog for other transgressions can be even worse. Take, for example, housetraining accidents. No one likes to come home to see a little puddle or pile in the middle of the hallway—but yelling at the canine perpetrator of that puddle or pile will not change the situation. That said, if your consistent reaction to bathroom booboos is to yell at your dog, you do teach him something: to be afraid of you when you come in the door. In other words, that droopy tail, sad eyes, and laced back ears you see when you come home do not mean your dog feels guilty. They mean that he’s scared—of you. That’s hardly the message you should be sending.
So how do you keep yourself from teaching your dog these unintentional lessons? The answer is to be as aware of how you’re behaving as your dog is. The next time you think about slipping your dog a goodie from the table, or open your mouth to berate your dog for barking or committing some other transgression, think about what these actions will teach him. Then, consider what you want him to learn—and revise your interactions accordingly. Next time, I’ll discuss what those revisions should be.
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Teaching Your Dog Not to Pull on Leash
April 28th, 2010
When you walk your dog, does he pull ahead so hard that you get an unplanned upper-body workout? This problem can be very frustrating, but—trust me—it is solvable. Here are some tips for teaching your leashed dog to walk with you politely instead of attempting to run his own version of the Iditarod.
Get in gear. The right equipment can go a long way toward helping a dog learn to walk politely on leash. Start with a simple leather or nylon collar that buckles or snaps closed, and a six-foot leather or nylon leash. Avoid other types of collars, such as choke chains and prong collars, which can cause a dog to react aggressively or become fearful during walks. Another no-no is retractable leashes; although they’re very popular, they actually encourage a dog to pull, and they can be difficult to hold on to if the dog suddenly bolts.
Bring some treats. One reason that dogs find it difficult to walk nicely on leash is that doing so requires them to bypass distractions (e.g., squirrels, other dogs, any vertical surface) and pay attention to you. By bringing along some treats that your dog really likes–preferably soft, chewy, flavorful treats that are easy to break into small pieces–you’ll be offering a powerful incentive for your dog to focus on you instead of that other stuff.
Get moving. Have the leash in one hand and treats in the other. Then, begin walking, and feed your dog a treat every couple of steps. As he gets better at sticking close to you, you can walk further between treats. Some trainers advise having the dog sit each time you stop; others advise continuing to walk but using the treats to keep your dog close to you. Try each method and see what works best for your dog and for you.
Call a halt. If your dog suddenly bolts in front of you, stop immediately so that he can’t go any further. Eventually, he’ll turn around. When he does come back to you and the leash slackens, resume walking. If he bolts again, stop again. Be consistent about stopping whenever he surges ahead, and he’ll learn that pulling won’t get him where he wants to go–but that walking nicely does.
Help the stubborn puller. Dogs who can’t seem to give up their pulling habit may need slightly different equipment, such as a no-pull harness. With this device, the leash is attached from the dog’s chest. When the dog pulls, he feels pressure similar to what a horse feels from a rider’s legs, which helps the dog sense how to follow a leash. Another option is a no-pull leash, which wraps around your dog’s rib cage, just behind his legs, and works in a similar fashion.
So if walking your dog has seemed more a trial than a pleasure, take heart. A little time, a little patience, plenty of treats and the right equipment can turn your would-be sled dog into an appealing walking companion.
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Bring Your Jumping Dog Back to Earth
March 3rd, 2010
When my Golden Retriever, Allie, came to live with me and my family, I often wondered if we should have named her Jacqueline—as in “Jumpin’ Jacqueline Flash” (apologies to the Rolling Stones).
That’s because as a puppy, Allie loved jumping–especially at mealtimes. Whenever I prepared her meals, she would jump literally straight up the length of my back. I sympathized with her food cravings but didn’t appreciate her knocking me chest first onto the kitchen counter while I was dishing out dog food.
Not so long ago, trainers would have suggested that I deal with Allie’s jumping in one of two ways: turn around and put my knee to her chest to knock her off her feet, or grab her front paws and hold onto them until she decided on her own to return all four paws to the floor. But even if those approaches had worked, they had several down sides—not the least of which was that I could have injured Allie by employing either of them. I was sure there had to be a better way to curb my puppy’s pogo-stick behavior.
Fortunately, there was—and if your dog is a jumper, these approaches can work for you, too.
First, understand why your dog jumps. He’s not trying to hurt you, and he doesn’t mean to be obnoxious. He simply wants something and figures that jumping is the best way to get that something. Often, all your canine jumping jack wants is your attention. And every time you react to that jumping—even angrily—you’re giving him some attention. Therefore, it stands to reason that a good way to put the kibosh on your dog’s upward mobility is to withhold the attention he seeks. In other words, if he takes a flying leap at you, ignore him. Literally turn your back on him, maybe even walk away from him. Do this every time he gets airborne. Once he figures out that jumping doesn’t get him your attention, he’ll try doing something else.
And, happily, you can help him find that something else. In Allie’s case, it was sitting. Once I’d taught her to sit , I could forestall her mealtime jumping by turning around to face her as soon as she entered kitchen, and asking her to put her fanny on the floor. Once she did, I’d reward her with a treat, after which I’d give her her breakfast or dinner.
Today, I don’t even have to ask Allie to sit when she comes into the kitchen for her meal or just hoping to score a goodie. While I’m prepping her breakfast or dinner, she simply comes to my side, sits and looks up at me expectantly. I’m happy to meet that expectation by giving her a treat and then her meal. It’s a win-win situation for both of us, just like training should be.
Posted in K9 Training, Uncategorized | 10 Comments »
February 17th, 2010
What do you think is the first thing your canine companion needs to know to become a positively well-behaved dog?
Sit? Nope.
Down? Nuh-uh.
Come? Wrong again, although that cue—in trainer-speak, the recall—certainly is very important. So are the “sit” and the “down.”
But before you can teach your dog any of those cues, you need to get his attention. And the best way to get that attention is to teach him his name. A dog who knows his name is a dog who turns to you when he hears that name and awaits further instructions. He’s a dog whose focus you can regain when he’s distracted. He’s a dog whom you can redirect when he’s doing something he shouldn’t.
Before you teach your dog his name, though, you need to choose one. Take this process seriously: make sure that your dog’s name is simple and easy for everyone in your family to pronounce. And resist the temptation to give your dog a name that elicits laughter; in the movie Legally Blonde, protagonist Elle Woods’s decision to name her Chihuahua Bruiser was not a good idea. Dogs don’t like being laughed at any more than people do.
Once you’ve settled on your dog’s name, you can teach him to respond to it. Have a clicker and treats nearby; then, do the following:
1. Wait till your dog’s looking at you.
2. When he does, say his name, click your clicker (or say “Yes!” if you’re not using a clicker), and give him a treat.
3. Repeat this sequence several times, until your dog clearly associates the sound of his name with scoring a treat.
4. Wait until your dog looks away from you; then, say his name. If he looks at you, click and give him a treat. If he doesn’t, do not repeat his name; instead, make a kissing or similar noise to get his attention. When he looks at you, give him his treat. Then, go back to the previous step until your dog obviously associates his name with getting a goodie.
Don’t expect your dog to learn his name all by himself. He’s certainly capable of doing so, but he’ll take longer to learn it on his own than if you take the time to teach the name to him. The time you lose letting him figure out his name for himself is time you could spend teaching him other cues and otherwise building the bond between you.
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Susan McCullough has been a professional writer for 30-plus years, but didn't start focusing on dogs until 1996, when an overzealous Sheltie attacked and shredded a message that had been faxed to Susan's office. Instead of merely telling the sender "My dog ate your fax," Susan decided to see seek expert advice about how to share an office with one's animal companion. She turned that advice into an article for a national pet magazine, and she's been writing about dog behavior and care ever since.
