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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.”

Down While Already In A Down

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!

Pet Disaster Preparedness For Maryland

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:

• Hurricane Irene 2011 Animal Rescue Resource Page
• Hurricane Irene: Lost & Found Pets
• Office of Emergency Management for Anne Arundel County

Vote For BARCS in Baltimore

The shelter we mainly help out is BARCS in Baltimore, MD.  And let me tell you, they need your help right now!  How can you help you ask?  By taking ten whole seconds out of your day for the next week and voting for them on The Animal Rescue Site.

With several borderline bashing articles in the past month, it makes me wonder if some people doing the complaining are trying to be a part of the solution or exacerbate the problems? I just don’t get it. Sure BARCS has problems. But guess what? So does every other shelter out there, and most have the *exact* same problems: Low funding, an older facility, and few active volunteers.  The overlooked difference at BARCS is that the staff & volunteers care for all of the animals there with such a passion, I can’t even begin to describe it. They go out of their way to come in early and stay late. Plus, with the help of Best Friend’s Animal Society and Animal Farm Foundation, several new programs started a few months ago (yet were conveniently left out of all the “BARCS Sucks” articles). And I’m telling you, they are amazing!

Photos courtesy of Brian George

BARCS started play groups to get the dogs out of their kennels for social exercise. And yes, BARCS has a ton of Pit Bulls (over 90%). Yes, that’s right, play groups with Pit Bulls.  Because no, Pit Bulls are not evil creatures who are waiting to steal the covers, your lunch money, or your first born.  There are several runs to manage incoming and outgoing dogs or to simply give a dog a break during playtime.  BARCS should be commended on allowing friendly dogs to have supervised social interaction.  But no, that was left out…

BARCS also started a clicker training program (with yours truly).  So far the noise level in the kennels has dropped significantly, as we’re reinforcing quiet kennels.  We also started reinforcing sitting (instead of jumping) as it helps increase the likelihood of being adopted.  Dogs who need extra training or have been at the shelter for a long time (1+ months) have the opportunity to enroll in a training class.  Dedicated volunteers not only bring a dog to class each week, but every single one of them takes turns during the week to do a little training with all of the dogs currently enrolled.  BARCS should be commended on the steps it has taken to mentally stimulate the dogs.  But no, that was left out too…

Besides classes, the clicker training program also helps with enrichment and reduces stress while in their kennels.  BARCS wants all of their dogs to (as much as possible) enjoy life at their shelter.  So, some of the training is done while they are in their kennel.  This gives a positive association that being in their kennel isn’t so bad.  Plus the shelter staff goes out of their way to make creative kennels or interactive toys.  Things like shower curtains make nice scenery and are easily cleanable.  BARCS should be commended on actively creating a better living space for the dogs, with the very limited resources it has.  But no, that was left out too…

BARCS also has a dog walking program.  And again, it wouldn’t be possible without dedicated volunteers.  I’ve seen some volunteers stay at BARCS for hours just taking dog after dog out for a walk.  Some shelters don’t even have a dog walking program and the dogs are kenneled up all day.  BARCS volunteers should be commended on everything they do, or at least recognized as making a difference.  But no, that was left out too…

There’s a saying, “You don’t have at attend every argument you’re invited to.”  So, I’ll vent my frustration on the lack of truth about BARCS here and now.  And I say with UP YOURS to all of the “BARCS Sucks” articles that were written lately.  Get your facts straight, and come back for seconds.  Want to help but don’t have the time?  Be a part of the solution and donate funds, enrichment items, and don’t forget to vote!

But He Plays With My Neighbor’s Dog

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!

Does Your Dog Have Class

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.

Is The Left Right

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.

How To Prepare For Your New Puppy

How To Prepare For Your New Puppy

1. Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places and walk around barefoot in the dark.
2. Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.
3. Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain saying,”Be a good puppy, go potty now – hurry up – come on, lets go!”
4. 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.
5. Play “catch” with a wet tennis ball.
6. Run out in the snow in your bare feet to close the gate.
7. Tip over a basket of clean laundry, scatter clothing all over the floor.
8. 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.)
9. 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.
10. Put chocolate pudding on the carpet in the morning, and don’t try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.
11. Gouge the leg of the dinning room table several times with a screwdriver.  It’s going to get chewed on anyway.
12. 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.
13. 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.

Anti-Bark Collars Increase Barking

Yes, you read that right.  Anti-bark collars increase barking behavior.  And you’re probably thinking, “no way, the dog knows when that collar is on and doesn’t bark.”  And I tell you…. that is the kicker.

You see punishment is a funny thing.  It has a bunch of side effects.  One being the punisher needs to be present for the behavior to happen.  (Think of driving the speed limit.  Do you slow down until you see the speed trap?)  The other side of this coin is once the punisher is not present, the “undesirable” behavior is reinforced automatically.  (Once you pass the speed trap, you go right back to speeding.)  With this concept being understood we can move on.

Slapping an anti-bark collar on a dog, whether it electrocutes them with a shock, sprays citronella in their face, or makes an ear splitting sound is the punisher.  And I’d be hard pressed to find a dog who doesn’t know the collar is the “speed trap.”  Ever take that collar off the dog?  What happens?  Does the dog bark?  You bet’cha.  And usually with even more gusto.  So, is the dog trained at all?  Nope. Have you ever been stuck behind pokey the wonder sloth while driving?  You know, the huge truck going 10 miles under the speed limit.  Let’s pretend you’re behind this slow poke for a good 15 minutes.  Who doesn’t hit the gas (no matter the intensity), after he finally turns off the road?  Doesn’t it feel good too?

The problem with anti-bark collars (besides, in my opinion, they are down right cruel) is that they don’t train squat.  And if you truly understand behavior, you know they actually increase barking problems.  Because as soon as you take it off, barking continues.

Barking is never the issue anyway.  Barking is always a symptom of an underlying reason.  And if you figure out the reason, you get rid of the barking.  Don’t treat the cough, treat the cold.  Don’t focus on the barking, focus on why the dog is barking.

Reasons such as frustration, fear, anxiety, or aggression are challenging enough, so adding an additional “icky thing” only makes these problem worse.  If a dog barks at guests when they enter the house because he’s scared, a good solid spray in the face (or electric shock, or ear pinching sound) doesn’t help.  It only proves the dog’s point that people coming in the house cause super annoying, harmful, or additional scary things to happen to him.  So don’t be surprised to have a dog flip out and road rage on your guests.  And trust me, you want a dog who will warn.  You want a dog who will bark first.

If you know of a dog who is already wearing an anti-bark collar, let the owner know they are in for one heck of a behavior burst.  So, step one go out and buy yourself some ear plugs.  Step two, bring the anti-bark collar to its final resting place and file it away in the round file.  Step three, call a trainer.

I Told You To Don’t

I’ll never understand it.  I won’t.  I’ve tried and tried.  But sorry, why do so many people constantly say, “NO” to their dogs and think the dog actually understands them?  Just because a dog stops what he’s doing doesn’t mean he understands anything.  And if I had to guess, it’s the way the, “NO” is said that interrupts the dog.  (I mean come one, who says it all chipper and polite?)  But training?  Nothing!  Absolutely nothing!  There’s no difference whatsoever if I said, “Don’t think of pink elephants.  Matter of fact, don’t think of a baby pink elephant riding a tricycle down your street right now.”  And voilà!  You’re probably not thinking about how the stock market is doing.

But seriously, I hear it all the time.  “Well I told him NO.”  How much info is in “NO” anyway?  Is there anything at all, even remotely, driving your dog into the direction of behavior you want?  Why so anti-yes?  Why not tell the dog what to do instead?

It really is a choice.  Saying, “NO” to temporarily stop a behavior with little to no learning, or telling the dog to do something he knows and reinforcing that behavior instead.  One way (if done over and over again, over time) will damage the relationship between man and his best friend.  The other will strengthen the relationship.   Personally, I’d rather not have a dog who wants to take his ball and go find a new home.

Here’s an example.  If there’s a smelly sock on the floor, and your dog is about to investigate it, you could say, “NO.”  However, you could also say: leave it, sit, down, come, roll over, give me a paw, target, where’s your ball, want to go for a walk, let’s go bye-bye in the car, back up, spin, watch me, sit pretty, bow, heel……   and on and on.  (As well as pick up your freakin socks).  So, I suppose the sarcastic “down side” is the dog in question actually has to know a few behaviors first.  It’s not cool to spout out, “finish” if you’ve never taught it.  However, personally I think saying, “NO” is just as much as a “read my mind and what I want” as well.

Just say, “NO” to being anti-yes!  Don’t tell your dog to “don’t.”

The Balanced Dog Is Mentally Unstable

Warning: This post is a bit of a rant.

I have heard all this rubbish on how balanced training is more humane, and sorry to pop the bubble, but IT’S NOT!  Newsflash: just because you use treats, doesn’t make you a positive trainer.  And even though I can’t stand traditional training methods, they are more humane than the so called “balanced” training methods.  Why?  Why do I think that?

The style of traditional training teaches the dog to avoid something (generally a leash pop).  It also squashes a dog’s willingness to attempt to try new behaviors, but that’s another post.  So if you’re a dog, you know you need to do as little as possible and avoid the punishment you don’t like.  Fair enough, because it’s clear.  Bottom line, dog tries to avoid something.

In the more modern positive style, the dog learns to keep trying until he figures out what we want, to get something he wants.  There’s no fear of “that’s wrong” because attempting to problem solve isn’t punished.  In basic terms, the dog is trying to get something.  Fair enough as well.  Bottom line, dog tries to get something.

Now, enter “balanced” training.  There’s potential for both punishment and reinforcement.  This is confusing as hell.  This is mentally screwballing the learner.  Should he try?  There could be a pay off or a punishment.  Think of this scenario.  You’re out in Vegas trying to learn a new game.  You don’t know the rules or how to play.  You just get plunked down at a random card table.  You could win big money, or the dealer can come out and shave your head.  Would you play?

A real life dog example just happened to one of our recent clients.  We were (get this) the fourth trainer to help him.  The last one just about killed the cue “bed” where the dog would go to his bed.  I mean, you even said, “bed” and the dog’s body language would shut down!  And balanced training is to blame.  The previous trainer would say, “bed” and then leash pop the dog (basically drag the dog) over to his bed, then treat.  Um… ok…  Here’s the dog’s point of view:

• standing doing nothing, hear “bed” get leash jerked
• standing doing nothing, get treat

The dog didn’t associate it was standing on the bed.  The dog had no idea why he was being punished.  And consequently by conditioning, the balanced trainer managed to kill the word, “bed” while he was at it.

I don’t think balanced training is fair to the learner.  And I think mixing punishment only causes anxiety and frustration.  No wonder dogs road rage during this method, and shut down.