May
26
2012
Positive Trainers Don’t
- Focus on what the animal is doing wrong
- Treat the dog right after a leash correction (aka: the ‘balanced’ style of mixing punishment with reinforcement)
- Say “PSSSH!” “NO!” “UH-UH!” or any other “You’re doing it wrong!” noise while training
- Alpha Roll, Scruff, or ‘Physically Submit’ an animal
- Stare down an animal
- Tap (slap, spank, or hit), Tug (leash jerk), Physically Interrupt (kick), or Pinch
- Buzz, Stimulate, Tickle (sugar coating shocking your dog with an electric collar, and yes this includes electric fences)
- Lie about choke collars (no, you’re not “making a noise” to punish your dog, you are “choking your dog” to punish your dog. If you honestly think it’s the noise, get a harness and put a cat bell on it.)
- Use choke, pinch, or electric collars….. ever….
- Use or believe in the dominance theory, alpha crap, or pack leadership
- Force dogs into stressful situations above threshold
- Knee a dog for jumping
- Advise to over exercise your dog instead of actually training him
- Use commands, demands, or ‘physical help’ (push or pull a dog into a sit, down, stand, etc)
- Like most of the shows on TV
- Ever stop learning
I hate it when professionals say s/he use positive training techniques, and s/he so doesn’t. Some of our poor clients didn’t know any better and thought they were doing industry standard training, and were told they were using R+ and in fact the methodology they were taught wasn’t even close. Not even close. It makes me sad about all the sugar coating & flat out dishonesty some people use. Shocking a dog with electricity from a collar isn’t “a tickle.” It’s abusive. It’s absurd. And it sure as sh*t isn’t positive training. And leash jerking a dog’s collar to “make a sound?!!” Really…. Then use a regular collar or harness & put a kitty cat bell on it. See if it’s really the sound or if it’s the physical trauma to the dog’s throat & trachea. And still I ask, why make any sound? You’d only do that if you’re trying to punish and focusing on what the animal is doing wrong. Sorry, not a positive way to train either. I could go on and on, but why? If you’re looking for a positive trainer, I mean a really positive trainer – pick someone who encourages the animal with rewarding the behavior they want more of. Bottom line. That’s the key. Positive training means = Reinforce what you want the dog to do so you increase that behavior. I truly hope one day, the trainers who are positively not positive, will educate themselves, and practice humane techniques. But until then, this picture about sums it up…
May
6
2012
I’m not prejudice, some of my best friends are black.
Now I sure hope I hit a nerve with that last disgusting sentence. I even hope it made you mad. Because that is the same prejudice attitude that just passed the newest breed specific law in Maryland, Tracey v. Solesky http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2012/53a11.pdf. To put this new law in a nut shell it states that Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous animals, and owners & landlords are responsible for all damages. There are several articles already written about this poor decision by:
- Maryland Votes For Animals
- The Whole Dog Journal
- Maryland Injury Law Advisor
- The Baltimore Sun Newspaper
- The Humane Society of the United States
The CDC published a paper (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998) and yes, granted there are Pit Bull Dogs on that list, BUT SO ARE OTHER BREEDS!
Now, I want to make one thing VERY clear. I *strongly* agree that an owner should be liable for ANY damage their dog does to ANY person, pet, or property – regardless of the breed that did the damage. I also think there should be a ridiculously high fine for such damage. I mean come on, I see harsher fines for littering!
I personally believe an owner of a dog who is the attacker should be liable for ALL medical / veterinary care & fined at least $5,000 per attackee, per offense. Maybe then people will think twice about their dog causing anyone or anything harm. So in other words, I have nothing against Pit Bulls. I have a big fat problem with ANY dog who is dangerous. There is no excuse for lazy, or irresponsible ownership. Sorry, there’s not. Get a qualified (positive reinforcement) trainer to prevent problems, or involve a behavior consultant & join the ‘midnight walkers club’ (ie: manage when your dog goes outside). I myself owned a Mastiff/Shepard mutt, named Juno who was growling at people since he was four weeks old. I did extensive training, behavior modification, and behavior management. And I guarantee you Juno could have done a horrific amount of damage if ever given the chance to attack a person. If this stupid law was in effect, and lets just say for sh*ts & giggles that I’m an irresponsible owner, and Juno did attack someone (completely hypothetical situation here) – would I get a “free pass” because Juno wasn’t a “Pit Bull?” What makes that hypothetical dog attack & damages any less significant than any other?
The other issue I take with this ridiculous law is this: Take a look at the AKC list of breeds, there really is no such thing as a recognized standard for the “Pit Bull.” So now what? Any breed with a big head counts? How does one determine a dog is a Pit Bull? If I took a dog in for a DNA test, what would distinguish it from: an African Dogo Dog, American Bull Dog, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, etc.
Someone tell me how we went from loving this breed to blind, bigotry hatred. Remember Pete from the Little Rascals? He was a “Pit Bull” type breed…
I just wish if there are going to be laws passed, that they be fair and, oh… I don’t know… make sense. Contact your Maryland congress person here: http://mlis.state.md.us/
Additional reading for your reactive dog:
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More than 40 exercises in an easy-to-follow training recipe format, including how to desensitize your dog to approaching stranger dogs; have your dog perform canine calming signals, instead of aggressive displays, on cue; use your own body language when under stress as a cue for your dog to remain calm; and many more creative and effective uses of managing behavior through clicker training. | Dogwise Clickertraining.com Amazon.com |
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Learn how to turn stress into confidence and distraction into focus using methods that are 110% positive. Leslie McDevitt’s versatile Control Unleashed program is designed to help “dogs with issues” learn how to relax, focus, and work off-leash reliably in either stimulating or stressful situations. | Dogwise Clickertraining.com Amazon.com |
Apr
23
2012
Training Deaf & Blind Dogs webinar coming this week, April 26th 3:00pm – 4:30pm EDT. Register here: http://www.apdt.com/education/webinars/details.aspx?id=100088 This webinar is for all levels: beginner to advanced. This webinar will be recorded so you do not have to attend the live presentation on Thursday, you can watch it later.
APPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUs)
- CCPDT: 1.5 CEUs
- IAABC: 1.5 CEUs
- KPA: 1.5 CEUs
- IACP: 1.5 CEUs
- SAWA: 1.5 CEUs (pending)
Teach what are the common behaviors that owners want who have deaf, blind, or deaf & blind dogs using positive reinforcement. What are the “must do’s” specific behaviors for each of these dogs. And how train each of these dogs to do those behaviors. How to teach a dog who is deaf and/or blind basic obedience cues, manners, social skills, and safety cues using positive reinforcement. Also learn when and how to manage dogs with these special needs. Basic learning theory using “outside the box” thinking to reinforce and communicate as well as practical examples. Just because a dog is deaf and/or blind doesn’t mean his brain doesn’t work. These dogs are just as intelligent as “Joe Normal” dogs, and training them just means using some critical thinking to be a creative problem solver. Learn how to use the other senses to train the most requested owner behaviors using positive reinforcement techniques.
Some key points that will be covered:
- How do dogs become deaf / blind?
- What are the symptoms?
- How can you test if a dog is deaf?
- Are vibration collars a good idea?
- Why do some deaf / blind dogs become aggressive or develop anxiety?
- What cues and behaviors can I teach my dog?
- Is ASL the best for training a deaf dog?
- How do you communicate?
- How to handle relationships between other house hold pets after your dog goes deaf / blind?
- How to avoid major problems & aggression?
- Do I need to euthanize my dog?
Apr
13
2012
A few months ago I was contacted by http://www.mrchewy.com/ and was asked in exchange for a gift coupon, would I write an honest review about their business. So being the curious & skeptical person that I am, I accepted their offer. However, I did not just order with their generous coupon and call it a day. I’ve never felt comfortable giving a formal public review on one encounter for any business or product. Therefore, I ordered from them three times, and I had my mother order from them once as well.
I must say, each time was just like the last. Besides having products I like & refer to clients, the prices are very reasonable, the ordering system was easy, and orders shipped out quickly. I can honestly give MrChewy.com a five star, paws up glowing review and will continue ordering from them. My only “complaint” is they don’t (as of yet) carry my preferred flea & tick medication, Revolution. (More info here http://www.revolutionpet.com).
I encourage you to browse through their site and check them out for yourself!
-Jules Nye CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, ACDBC
Owner of Sit Stay & Play in Maryland
Nov
16
2011
Have you ever been so excited that your dog did what you wanted you said, “Good sit!” ??? I think almost everyone on the planet has been there. However, this is actually not a good idea. You see, the cue (Sit in this case), should be taught as a verb. It’s an action. When “Sit” leaves your lips, you want your dog to preform the action of “Sit.” After your dog is already sitting, saying “Sit” again is actually asking them to sit again. Because it’s an action cue.
Dogs don’t understand grammar. They don’t understand a word before can change the meaning entirely. Dogs don’t understand: Good sit, Bad sit, No sit, Do sit, Red sit, Blue sit. All the dog is hearing is: Good CUE, Good CUE, Good CUE. And unless the goal is to desensitize the cue as an action you want the dog to preform, you should save it as a requested action. Here’s a video example of a dog doing a down, while in a down. Notice how he tries to down again, even though he’s already in a down. This dog understands: “Preform the action I am requesting.”
Now, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve been doing this. Just realize there are other ways to praise your dog for doing a job well done. Instead of saying, “Good CUE” maybe just say “Good boy!” or “well done!” Don’t ever say something you usually want as an action, and the dog doesn’t do the action (holding still already in the position is not doing an action) and praise for it. That’s basically rewarding the dog for holding still. By saving the cue as a “please preform this action” and praising (or any other reward the dog likes) for quickly preforming the requested action. You should notice faster results, and a less confused dog!
Aug
26
2011
The PETS Act of 2006: When over 88,000 pets went missing after Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 2006. It makes state and local authorities include companion animals and service animals in their disaster preparedness plans in order to qualify for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
For Maryland Programs visit the Maryland Disaster Preparedness site (or just Google “Disaster Preparedness Your State“)
Helpful Links For Pets In An Emergency
- Preparedness information for pets by the American Red Cross
- Handling Pets in a Disaster
- From the Humane Society
- Pet friendly lodging facilities
- The American Kennel Club Rescue Services
- The effects of disasters on the animal-human bond
- How to trap an animal
Have a service dog? Look here at the Dept of Disabilities
Anne Arundel County, Maryland Advice on Preparedness for Pets
Other “no-brainer” info that can go overlooked:
- Go online RIGHT NOW and verify your pet’s microchip has all of your updated information on it
- Make sure your pet is wearing some sort of collar with an ID
- Pack food & water for your pet
- Keep an extra leash in your car
- Bring any medication your pet needs
- Keep a copy of your pet’s rabies certificate with you
- Have a pet first aid kit (the ASPCA has a good list)
- Take current pictures, especially of any specific physical characteristics to identify your pet should you become separated
Current Facebook Pages of Value for Hurricane Irene 2011:
Aug
15
2011
What exactly is socialization? What’s all the fuss about?
Some people don’t realize just how critical socialization is until the dog is older and fearful of the world. It’s more than just playing with your neighbor’s dog and meeting your grandkids. Way more. And FYI, it’s way more than just people and dogs. This big bright wonderful world is full of all sorts of things that are not people and dogs. There are other animals, sights, sounds, movement, and then how do you interact with various things in various environments? Socialization is getting used to new experiences. Proper socialization is reinforcing a puppy for interacting with a huge variety of new things, in new situations, in new environments, to create “new things are not bad things.”
You see, dogs (just like most animals) have an innate cautious response to “the unknown” probably as a survival instinct. Basically, if you don’t know what it is, you’re naturally cautious, because you’re not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing. And if you don’t know if “the unknown” is friend or foe, you’d better go slow with any introduction. This is where you’d see a puppy creep up and sneak sniff something or someone, in hopes that somehow he remains invisible to the sniffee.
However, what do we humans do? We lean over the puppy, look directly at him, talk directly to him, reach directly for him… (you can see where this is going). Or if it’s an inanimate object like some strange yard decoration, I’ve seen well intentioned owners dragging their puppy over to it all the while spouting “Oh, it’s OK! See?” as if the puppy would suddenly under English, or feel better with our blabbing while getting up close and personal to the creepy rainbowed colored snail reading a newspaper on a mushroom. Why not let the puppy look at it from across the yard, and reward him walking up to it all on his own?
Not only is exposure to new things (with a positive outcome) important, interacting with the real world is just as important. Does the puppy know how to go over, under, through, between, around, or into something? Have you ever seen a puppy when you’re first crate training? Or asking him to get into your car? Or unwrapping the leash around a tree? Talk about clueless! However, we just assume it’s no big deal. Probably because it’s been so long since we were babies and had to figure things out ourselves.
Sounds are another thing that the real world can dish out. If a puppy is home all day with nothing but classical music on, something like a smoke detector can seriously startle him. Professionals know that whenever an animal is intensely startled, there is a greater chance for future fear responses to the same trigger. So conditioning early that strange sounds can be rewarding can prevent a noise sensitive dog later in life.
Lastly there is handling. Not all socialization is the puppy interacting with the world. Sometimes it’s the world interacting with the puppy. So things like “Gotch” (a collar grab), picking up each paw, or gentle restraint is important to practice. Usually these things are seldom used if at all, but when they are done to the dog, it’s normally an emergency situation or medical care. Me personally, I’d much rather have a dog who’s practiced being handled and is stress free (or at least less stressed) during a veterinary exam. Or if heaven forbid he’s ever lost, a friendly stranger could grab his collar, and it’s no big deal.
So remember, it’s more than just, “but he plays with my neighbor’s dog.” Go to a puppy class!
Aug
12
2011
Does Your Dog Have C.L.A.S.S.?
Canine Life and Social Skills is starting to take off. It’s a new three part program from the APDT, which far exceeds most I’ve ever seen. It has obedience, manners, and real life training such as waiting to get out of your car. The objectives are to promote positive training methodology, strengthen the dog & owner relationship, encourage ongoing training, value real life skills, educate about dog behavior, and to promote the value of dog trainers & dog training.
C.L.A.S.S., through its evaluation, curriculum, and training resources, advocates the use of reward-based training. Positive, reward-based training minimizes the use of punishment and is fun for you and your dog! C.L.A.S.S. promotes relationship-based training, training in which the communication is two-way and the mutual trust is strong. It is training that is instructive, telling the dog, without anger or force, what we would like the dog to do.
There is also a shelter program that hopes to increase adoptions and decrease owner surrenders through this training program.
One of the goals of the C.L.A.S.S. program was to develop an assessment that is particularly beneficial to the needs of shelter dogs. To this end, any municipal shelter or registered 501(c)(3) shelter or rescue group may register their shelter for free and all dogs in your care may be tested in the program with fees waived. If you have a staff person who will be doing C.L.A.S.S. evaluations only on shelter dogs up for adoption, their evaluator registration fee is reduced from $40 to $25.
Once a dog has passed the initial B.A. level of the C.L.A.S.S. program, they may be listed on the C.L.A.S.S. web site in our “C.L.A.S.S. Dogs for Adoption” section.
I suppose what I’m most excited about is this isn’t just another obedience class. Far too often I hear “my dog needs obedience training” when the client really needs a manners or reactivity issue solved. And quite honestly I’ve *never* seen a dog lose his home because, “well… Fido just wouldn’t heel straight” or “Sparky didn’t have a fast down” or even “Fluffy only preformed ‘sit’ when I held a treat.” The main reason dogs under three years old are euthanized is because of behavior problems. And these “behavior problems” do not mean he wasn’t the rock star at obedience tasks. These behavior problems are usually no manners, anxiety, fear, or aggression. (Miller DM, Stats SR, Partlo BS, et al. Factors associated with the decision to surrender a pet to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:738- 742) I’ve seen a lot of anxiety & reactivity cases where earlier training might have completely prevented it. It’s a shame really, people don’t seem to realize the value and importance of good behavior training until there is a serious problem. Which brings me back to the C.L.A.S.S. program. Take a look at the three progressive levels.
The BA level:
- Wait at the door
- Come & getting leashed up
- Loose leash walking and attention
- Meet & greet
- Leave it
- Wait for food bowl
- Stay
- Settle
- Give & take
- Bonus, trick (roll over, spin, fetch, speak, or paw)
The MA level:
- Wait in the car
- Pass by other dogs
- Wait at the door
- Come & leashing up
- Sit, Down, & Stand
- Handling
- Loose leash walking & leave it
- Stay
- Bonus, targeting
- Bonus, trick
The PhD level:
- Loose leash walking
- Back up
- Stay
- Come & leashing up
- Meet & greet
- Attention
- Table manners
- Do you really know sit?
- Bonus, extra “Do you really know sit?”
- Bonus, targeting unfamiliar person
I personally like the “do you really know sit?” part because it promotes generalization of behaviors. All too often we only practice training with our dogs in front of us in the kitchen holding a treat. Then we go on vacation, visit a friend, or take a trip to the vet and the dog has no clue what sit means in those different situations and environments. An over simplification of generalization is, it’s training for real life in various places. Here are the possible variations to choose from: 1. Student sitting on hands in a chair 2. Student with back to the dog 3. Student with hands on head 4. Student walking around 5. Student standing 10 feet away 6. Student clapping hands 7. Student shaking hands with another person 8. Student with hand in front of their mouth 9. Student sitting on ground 10. Student bending at waist toward toes 11. Sit on recall (student has dog wait while student walks 35 feet away; student calls dog to come and when dog is halfway to student, student cues sit) 12. Student standing on a chair 13. Student holding one knee to chest 14. Student hopping on one foot 15. Student swinging arms 16. Student lying on the ground 17. Student jogging in place 18. Student doing jumping jacks 19. Student doing squats 20. Student doing leg lunges 21. Student doing push ups 22. Student doing sit ups 23. Student standing on hands 24. Student doing calf raises 25. Student doing a back bend
If you’d like more information you can download their student handbook HERE.
Tags: Behavior, Dog, Manners, obedience, Pet, positive reinforcement, Reinforcement, socialization, Training | 
Comments (0)
Comments (0) Jun
14
2011
What side are you supposed to walk your dog on? Well, ask any die hard obedience person and the answer is “the left.” Actually, ask most people and they’ll give you the same answer. However, the correct answer is, both sides – the left AND the right. Why? A little something called reality.
Most people walk on sidewalks and pathways however you drive. (If you drive on the right side of the street, you walk on the right too). So scenario, you’re walking your dog down the sidewalk, and someone else is walking toward you with an over sized baby stroller. Do you want your dog on the left? Do you think the other person wants to pass your dog right next to her baby? Courtesy would dictate pass with the dog on the right. There are even some pathways with posted rules on which side to walk your dog, because it interferes less with other pathway users.
Even if you’re on the street, I wouldn’t want my dog on the left. Standard practice is to walk against traffic (you bike with traffic). So again, do you want your dog closest to traffic? I wouldn’t.
Remember things are typically not set in stone. And the world will not stop turning if a dog walks on the right, or even in front of you on a loose leash.
Jun
6
2011
How To Prepare For Your New Puppy
- Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places and walk around barefoot in the dark.
- Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.
- Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain saying,”Be a good puppy, go potty now – hurry up – come on, lets go!”
- Cover all your best suits with dog hair. Dark suits must use white hair, and light suits must use dark hair. Also float some hair in your first cup of coffee in the morning.
- Play “catch” with a wet tennis ball.
- Run out in the snow in your bare feet to close the gate.
- Tip over a basket of clean laundry, scatter clothing all over the floor.
- Right before you have company over, leave your underwear on the living room floor after cutting several holes in the crotch area. (Because that’s where the puppy will leave it when finished chewing on it anyway.)
- Jump out of your chair shortly before the end of your favorite TV program and run to the door shouting, “No! No! Do that OUTSIDE!” Miss the end of the program.
- Put chocolate pudding on the carpet in the morning, and don’t try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.
- Gouge the leg of the dinning room table several times with a screwdriver. It’s going to get chewed on anyway.
- Rip out various pages of your new textbook and attack the cover with a hole punch. At least once a week, pour lemonade on the cover of a different textbook or tear out another few pages. Try to study from your damaged book while repeatedly squeaking a toy hotdog. Remind yourself to keep all your stuff out of reach of your puppy.
- Take a warm and cuddly blanket out of the dryer and immediately wrap it around yourself. This is the feeling you will get when your puppy falls asleep on your lap.
This has gone around the internet for a while, and the author still remains unknown. It is funny and realistic, while shedding light on the day to day messes a puppy can create. Planning and practice by fostering a dog, or pet sitting a friend’s dog will help prepare you for success. Enrolling in a good puppy class can also help with socialization and house training. When a dog lives for 10+ years, training for a few months is a drop in the bucket.
