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Sabtu, 25 Oktober 2014
IS YOUR DOG BAD BECAUSE IT FAILED A DOG TRAINING CLASS
I have had many clients whose dogs where kicked out of dog training classes by dog trainers. The trainer told them that their dog was hopeless and bad. Some of them where even told that the dog should be put on drugs or euthanized.
So is it true, is the dog bad?
The answer is no, the dog is not bad!
Because I have had no problem working and assisting the dog and its people. The difference is that I understood the dog - I did not try to communicate with the dog by only using my voice and I did not try to use dominance and / or treats in place of proper communication. I also do not think of myself as a ‘Trainer of Dogs’. I think of myself as one who coaches and mentors dogs, trains the dog’s humans and in exchange I learn from every dog I work with. I see working with a dog as a position where I must give and engender respect and understanding, not arrogance and conceit.
Ask the trainer how they learned their trade. If the answer is I learned from ‘so and so’ or I took this course, and that is the end of their explanation, I think you have your first indication of a problem. To understand a dogs you must also learn from dogs - not just learn from people.
I understand that I must work from my heart and soul, and rely on my instinct, intuition and common sense, just like a dog does.
To affectively understand and work with a dog you must first have done the hard work of understanding and being aware of yourself, your emotions and how you communicate.
How can you work with a dog...
A - If you do not understand all the ways in which a human communicates and how a dog communicates?
B - If you do not understand anything of the real psychology of a dog?
C - If you have never taken the time to see and listen to what a dog is teaching you?
How can you work with the dog’s human...
If you do not consider and respect the psychology of the individual person?
Most trainers employ obedience training’…teaching a dog to repetitively respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay" and so on. Teaching a dog to be a well adjusted social member of society is no different than teaching a child - when one fails to teach in a holistic, empathetic and understanding manner much can be lost and much can go wrong.
A trainer who has not learned to understand themselves first cannot hope to train another person let alone a dog. They can however cause great havoc and trauma. If the trainer fears large dogs, does not know how to properly communicate to an overly energetic dog, a nervous or fearful reactive dog they will make the dogs state of being worse. Instead of having the capability to identify the issue the exacerbate it and then say the dog is bad.
For example most aggression in dogs occurs due to lack of leadership in the dog’s life - in the absence of proper direction a dog may become anxious, insecure and fearful. If dogs were pre-wired to be aggressive rather than social there would be very few dogs left standing. A dog in its natural state is a social being, a pack animal with the potential inherent to get along with others. There are very few dogs born with bad wiring’. When a dog goes bad it is almost always a human who is responsible for the bad behaviour.
When puppies are young they learn their social skills from the adult dogs in their dog family. Now, as long as the adult dogs’ natural social state has not been negatively disrupted by human influence the adult dogs will teach their young how to get along without being aggressive.
Teaching a dog is really about taking over that socialization role - teaching, coaching mentoring - not training. I use the term ‘coaching and mentoring’ as it speaks more of commitment to imparting learning and understanding rather than habit, working towards creating a relationship/partnership, a foundation of knowledge based on learning, sharing and mutual respect.
Obedience implies compliance with the direction or command given by the ‘handler’. But a dog can easily learn to do all of these things and still not be ‘obedient’. A dog can go through Obedience training and not be obedient. Why? Because the dog has simply been taught a repetitive action and little more. Just as you can teach a child to sit, every time you tell the child to do so, does not mean that the child will be a well adjusted, social being.
And I am sorry, but if the trainer sought to teach you to train your dog using only treats - the trainer has set you and your dog up for ultimate failure. Dogs do not teach other social skills using treats. Dogs teach each other social skills using calm assertive communication - body language and state-of-being. Why would you try to teach a dog using only treats? Why would you not seek to teach a dog using the same methods dogs use to teach each other? Would you teach your child to be a well rounded human being by only using treats?
If the right communication method is used, even a very young puppy will learn when it is being requested (without-voice) to sit. The early you start the earlier the positive gain begins an exponential build-up of understanding. The more you time you invest in mentoring using a complete kit-of-tools the more aware, the more attentive & sensitive your dog becomes to paying attention to you. This when coupled with your own ability to read & understand your puppy becomes a powerful tool to build an amazing partnership.
Dogs are intelligent, sensitive beings and need to be treated as such. Trainers who fail to recognize this, trainers who fail to train themselves to communicate properly set dogs and their people up for failure. They traumatize the human and the dog and can cause real psychological trauma. Yet I have no trouble working with the same dog and its human. So who has failed? The trainer who has not done the due diligence of training themselves - not the dog, not its human.
As a professional I personally believe that when you are engaged by a client you have an ethical and moral responsibility to take real ownership for what you are doing and understanding you capabilities. If you do not have the skills to help the dog and its human you should not accept the commission to do so. Working with dogs and their people should never be just about making money and it should never be about your own ego.
So, if a trainer has kicked your dog out of a training class, told you your dog is bad - don’t take what they said to heart, don’t believe that what they have said is true.
A trainer is only as good as their own limitations. Remember, if they did not explain to you the psychology of the situation, theirs, yours, your dog’s, if they just said your dog is vicious or your dog is hyper, your dog does not listen those are your first keys to understanding that the trainer does not know what they are doing. They are looking for excuses to cover up their lack of knowledge. There is no room for arrogance when teaching a dog or it’s human. They are a part of the problem. Your dog did not create the behaviour and your dog is not hopeless.
A client that I worked with in the fall was told by two different ‘reputable’ trainers, one dog behaviourist and one dog care facility to put the dog on drugs and/or euthanize their dog. They called me in to help - absolutely nothing wrong with the dog other then the fact that not one of the professionals they had gone to bothered to really observe and understand the dog. The dog just needed some simple understandable direction to understand how to relax.
Additional Assistance
If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…
Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:
- In-Person sessions are available via this service
- On-Line consultation and sessions are available via this service
Diet, Nutrition Wellness Services:
- Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
- Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service
Selasa, 21 Oktober 2014
TO STOP YOUR DOG CHEWING THINGS IT SHOULD NOT CHEW
DOGS CHEW FOR MANY REASONS…
Puppies
Puppies, just like human babies get itchy sore gums when their teeth are growing in. Chewing also helps to remove loose teeth (which can be very uncomfortable) so adult teeth can grow in. You can provide a few seconds of temporary relief by rubbing your puppys gums, this is also a great way to build puppys trust in you! Make sure puppy has safe items of his own to chew.
Teenage and Adult Dogs
It is normal for a dog to chew - chewing is a dogs way of gaining and maintaining strength in its jaw - essential to survival! Depending on what they are chewing on, chewing can also help keep a dogs teeth healthy and clean.
An anxious dog may chew to expend some of its anxious energy. To resolve this type of chewing you must understand, address and cure the root of the anxiety.
A dog may chew as an outlet to expend unspent energy. Make sure your dog gets enough exercise on a daily basis. Unspent energy can lead to frustration, anxiety and reactivity, aggressive behavior.
Remember that we do not always learn or choose to do as we are asked to do the first time either! Dogs are intelligent, they have a mind, will and personality of their own - just as humans do. Shift your expectations to understand that they are independent, intelligent and very sensitive beings who require coaching and mentoring by a leader, not a dominator. And by the way, dogs do not like hypocrisy any more than humans do...so if you yell, get angry, get frustrated - you loose your audience.
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| Robbie chewing a stick on the trail |
TO STOP YOUR DOG CHEWING THINGS IT SHOULD NOT CHEW
As guardians to our dogs it is our role to coach and mentor our dogs - to teach with patience and understanding - not with tension, frustration and anger. When we attempt to instruct a dog and we are not calm, confident, firm and fair we are setting the dog up for failure. Instead when we correct and follow-through with calm confidence we are providing the dog with the information it requires to make better choices.
So if your dog is chewing something you do not want it to chew...
One - Make sure you are calm (without excess emotion),and ready to coach with fair, firm confidence. Dont be aggressive, dont raise your voice in anger.
Two - Lead...addressing from a distance is not leadership, calmly but with assurance get up and walk over to your dog.
Three - get your dogs attention, you can touch your dog firmly but quickly with your fingers - at its neck or waist, you can snap your fingers and say hey firmly, but not with anger. Never touch or talk in anger as you then lead by the wrong example!
Four - Tell your dog what you want i.e. no, dont touch and then say leave it I have ten dogs - different breeds, from tiny to large - they all understand this type of direction...as do the dogs I work with for my clients.
Five - Tell your dog what you would like it to do instead i.e. go sit down etc.
Six - Follow through...if your dog goes back to the object and starts to chew again - dont get angry, simply correct as per the steps above.
Seven - Depending on the circumstances, as a final step to this process, you may want to offer your dog something that is safe and acceptable for it to chew.
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| Jordie chewing rawhide |
PROVIDE YOUR DOG WITH GOOD THINGS TO SATISFY ITS NEED TO CHEW
Providing your dog with the right things to chew ensures that this need is met in a safe and healthy way. Dogs that are in a balanced state of being are unlikely to chew other items such as your shoes or your hands if they have safe durable chew toys and rawhide. The same toys and rawhide can also help to keep your dogs teeth clean.
The basket shown above contains some of my packs chew toys. The pink, orange, red and blue chew toys are soft, durable and non-toxic; they also make a squeaky noise when chomped on at the right place. Kongs are another very popular dog chew toy. Even the smaller parts on these toys cannot be chewed off - these are chew toys that the dogs can have unsupervised.
The pink toy is Sarahs favourite. If I ask Sarah "wheres your Piggy", she will go get this toy and bring it to me. If she has lost her piggy under one of the couches (when she tosses it in the air it often ends up rolling under), she will show me which couch and where along the length of the couch the Piggy is.
The blue two tone bone and the orange ball with feet are Buddys favourites.
The various types of rawhide shown in the basket are all natural rawhide (no chemical flavour additives or food colouring). These are only given to the dogs when I am around to supervise.
It is very important that rawhide be given to dogs only when you are around to supervise.Some dogs are really good about taking their time to chew properly and others are not so cautious and will not chew the entire rawhide properly. They will attempt to swallow larger pieces. These pieces can become lodged in the dog’s throat and cut off their air supply. Most of my dogs are careful, but Robbie is a repeat offender. There have been occasions when I have had to put my hand down his throat to remove a good size piece of rawhide.
As an added and nutritious treat, I put natural peanut butter on their rawhide. The nutrients in the peanut butter are good for them. The peanut butter also encourages them to take their time and lick the rawhide, helping to soften it before they chew. I choose natural peanut butter as the only ingredient in it, is peanuts. Other peanut butters include sugar and salt - ingredients that are not so good for your dog.
If you would like more detailed information on safe and healthy things you can give your dog to chew you can read this article on How to Select Safe, Effective Teeth Cleaning Chews & Dental Chews for Your Dog.
As an added and nutritious treat, I put natural peanut butter on their rawhide. The nutrients in the peanut butter are good for them. The peanut butter also encourages them to take their time and lick the rawhide, helping to soften it before they chew. I choose natural peanut butter as the only ingredient in it, is peanuts. Other peanut butters include sugar and salt - ingredients that are not so good for your dog.
If you would like more detailed information on safe and healthy things you can give your dog to chew you can read this article on How to Select Safe, Effective Teeth Cleaning Chews & Dental Chews for Your Dog.
Additional Assistance
If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…
Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:
- In-Person sessions are available via this service
- On-Line consultation and sessions are available via this service
Diet, Nutrition Wellness Services:
- Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
- Holistic Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service
Senin, 08 September 2014
Dog used to stay in the yard but now he runs away Is it spring fever
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| Eddie |
"Is it spring fever?" she asked.
No. It is definitely not spring fever.
The first question to ask yourself if youre encountering such a problem is, have I done any active training, using a positive reward method, to teach my dog that hes supposed to stay in my yard?
A dog does not inherently know that his territory has boundaries. Thats the first thing that needs to be taught. Secondly, he needs to be proofed against any and all distractions that he may encounter while in the yard.
What do I mean, proofed against distractions? Well, how about rabbits, deer, birds, other dogs, cats, people walking by the road, etc. If he saw a rabbit in the backyard and it took off running into who-knows-where, what would he do? Dog law says hed probably chase it. That much is inherent. And so, you have to train against it. Usually, you do this with a recall command. And remember, whatever youre asking your dog to do has to be more attractive to him than whatever it is you dont want him doing. So ask yourself, does coming to you for a dry dog treat compare in the least to chasing wildly and freely after a bunny rabbit? Probably not. Chasing a bunny is probably a 10 on most dogs scale of awesome things to do; getting a dry dog treat from you in exchange for coming when called is probably like a 4.
This means you need to activate the prey drive in order to train against the prey drive. I followed instructions in Culture Clash (book by Jean Donaldson) and used a brand-spankin new toy — a stuffed animal rabbit, just to be cute! — to train the recall. I put Sensi in a sit-stay, starting at about 5-feet away from me, and when I called him to come, I spread my legs out (and brace for impact!) and tossed the toy through my legs and behind me, creating a tunnel for Sensi to run through in order to chase after his toy. Now, youre activating the prey drive while teaching the recall command. I gradually moved him and practiced at different distances. Then, Id surprise him while he was just moseying around in the backyard. Then, we practiced the same exercise in the front yard, the side yard, etc.
But theres a problem with this training, and that is the fact that it relies on your presence to call the dog. If you want to be able to just let your dog outside and feel confident hell stay within the confines of your yard, its not going to help. You can instill the strongest recall in the world, but if youre not there to give the command, the dog is going to do as he pleases.
Personally, Im not sure its possible to proof against every distraction that could possibly show up while in the yard. You cant control the world outside your house, right? So how can you be sure youve proofed against every possible situation?
Because of this, I do not condone the theory that you can just let your dog out to do his thing, totally unrestrained, and trust him to follow human rules that he really doesnt know and hasnt been taught. If he spots a person walking a dog in front of your house, how is he supposed to know that its rude to walk over to them and introduce himself? How does he know that hes not supposed to follow that scent of rotting flesh from a dead raccoon deep in the forest? He doesnt. He just doesnt.
Fortunately, theres a myriad of solutions out there to help you keep your dog in the yard — fences, zip-lines, chains, invisible fences, etc.
But, why is that Eddie is doing this now, as a 3-year-old, when he has no history of doing this before? Its hard to say why, but this is something I often try to express to dog owners: why matters very little. Why is not necessarily going to let you know how to fix the problem. What you think may be "why" may have nothing to do with the behavior problem at issue anyhow, and we cant really check with our dogs to find out whether were right or wrong. So go ahead and muse about the "whys" but understand theyre not critical. The critical element is finding a way to fix the behavior problem. Why the behavior problem exists may or may not be something you ever figure out, so its best to put that question in the rearview mirror and drive on forward for the sake of solving the issue at stake.
Either way, the fact that Eddie is not neutered is going to contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to whether he can learn to stick around. Non-neutered male dogs are the most likely to roam and the most likely to cause trouble while theyre out and about. You cannot turn off the sex drive on a non-neutered male (unless you neuter him, of course!) and being as such, he has an inherent, instinctual need to find a mate. And dogs will travel miles to find one.
In addition to this, you have take breed into consideration. He is part Jack Russell and all terrier and what does that mean, folks? He has energy that will never wane, a fierce independent streak and a strong prey drive. This is a breed that needs not just daily exercise, but VIGOROUS daily exercise. He also needs some good mental draining exercises too to satisfy the independent hunter in him — hide and seek in a sand box (bury toys, make him find) is an ideal exercise for these breeds, which originally were used to dig varmint out of the ground. Treat dispensing balls, hide-and-seek with treats inside the house, agility and similar activities are also excellent outlets for these dogs.
Ive known at least one person in my life who has adopted a Jack Russell, only to find they cant handle the breed and wind up giving it back to the shelter. Dont let the size and cuteness fool you — these guys have some serious energy. As always, the first step in improving your dogs behavior is to make sure its needs are met. With a Jack Russell, that can be a challenge.
Of course, nothing is impossible. Check out this story about a North Oakland woman who trains her Jack Russells for agility: Stray brings home luck
And, heres some previous posts about why its so darn important to keep your dogs in your yard:
Another good reason to keep your dog in your yard
Dont let your dog go
Does anyone use a leash?
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