Blog Posts

Six Steps to a Reliable Recall

3/22/2018

I find that many people try to ask too much of a dog when training a recall. Here are some steps to break it down and make things easier for you and your dog. As I always say, "If my dog has messed up it is because I have messed up."

NEVER punish your dog for coming to you
If you are angry about your dog chasing a cat/bird/dog/person and call him to you and punish him, he will remember that coming to you means unpleasant things will happen. ALWAYS reward your dog for coming to you, ALWAYS. If you aren’t prepared to reward your dog then do not call him to you.

Don't call your dog unless you're 99% sure he will respond
Set him up to succeed every time. Start with short distances and minimal distractions and gradually work up from there. Use a long line if necessary. A good way to poison your recall cue is to call and then have your dog not respond. This teaches a dog that he can choose to ignore you.

Start small
A truly reliable recall is built on tiny baby steps. This means ALWAYS setting up the dog to succeed and creating a rock solid foundation where your recall word creates an instant association in your dog's head with FUN! Again, short distance and minimal distractions and gradually work up from there.

Add Distance
Once you've created a positive association and the dog is enthusiastically returning for a reward, you can start adding either distance or distraction but NOT at the same time. Start with your dog five feet away and build up from there. Repeat this 10 or more times before increasing the distance to say, 10 feet or so. Repeat 10 or more times before increasing the distance.

Add Distraction
If distractions are present you must shorten the distance between you and your dog before calling him. If another dog is near or there is an attractive toy close by, then stand closer to your dog before calling him. If possible, after the dog has come to you, reward him then RELEASE the dog to go and explore the distraction. You will be showing him that a recall does not mean "the fun stops now."

Don’t overuse the recall
Don’t use the recall command as your “go to” word to get control of your dog. Instead of calling your dog to you to leave the dog park or his favorite playmate, go up to him and hand him a treat while you put the leash on him. Then release him to play again for a few minutes. Do this a few times before taking him away from the park or his playmate. If he is going to jump up on a person ask him to sit and give him a reward instead of using the recall yet again. If he darts out the front door, don't rely on constantly recalling him to get him back in. Instead, teach him that staying inside the door is a rewarding and fun experience.

GUIDE TO A RELIABLE RECALL:
Getting your dog to come to you EVERY time you call him.

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Five Steps to Reduce Barking

2/23/2018

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I am writing this blog for Nancy and her dog Carrie. Maybe someone who reads this has a similar situation and may find this information helpful.

Carrie likes to bark at things and Nancy would like to get that under control. Here are five steps I am recommending for reduced barking.

Step One - Identify what causes Carrie to bark. We have found it to be the television, noises she hears, things she sees when she is on a walk.

Step Two - Identify what you can do to manage the situation. "Managing" is all about controlling the environment so the dog is not exposed to those things that make her bark. Turn the television off. Divert away from triggers while on a walk. Have guests text when they arrive instead of ring the doorbell. Close the curtains or use a barricade to give the dog more distance from the windows. Managing the situation is critical when you are not with the dog. If Carrie is barking at things while Nancy is not home, she continues to practice the barking. And, as we all know, practice makes perfect!

Step Three - Change Carrie's reactive response to a different response at an emotional level. We have determined that Carrie really likes chicken. Every time Carrie sees a dog on television or hears the doorbell, drop her a piece of chicken. Repeat, repeat, repeat until Carrie begins to expect the piece of chicken. Yes, she will still bark, but when she turns to you for chicken afterward is the sign that we are ready to move onto Step Four.

Step Four - When Carrie barks, wait for her to look at you before dropping her the piece of chicken. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Step Five - Add in a hand touch before giving the chicken. When Carrie barks, wait for her to look at you, offer your flat hand and wait for her to touch your hand (taught separately before introducing it during barking sessions). Then give her the chicken. You can gradually add more into this sequence such as a hand touch, then a sit, then toss a squeak toy or give a piece of chicken. Switch it up. Make it fun and unpredictable.

Yah, there are a lot of variables that can happen each time Carrie barks. But this is a start and it is rather difficult to cover every possible scenario in a blog post. :)

Cheers!

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Should I let my dog on the bed or furniture?

1/24/2018

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Hilarious Lab pile photo courtesy Cindy Freeman

During the "dominant dog" craze, spurred by television programming, some people got the idea that their dogs were frequently challenging the pecking order. They obeyed the advice of being the dominant leader by eating before the dog does, walking through the doorway before the dog, and never letting the dog get up on anything higher than them.

While people are starting to realize that a relationship with a dog is about being a respectful leader, consistency, communication, and teaching a dog what TO DO instead of what NOT TO DO (and no longer focusing on the dominance myth), I still have clients who sheepishly ask if their dog should be sleeping with them on the bed. My reply? Of course, as long as it is safe for you and safe for the dog.

Dogs who urinate in the bed, or keep their owners awake with snoring, shifting, or self-grooming should probably sleep elsewhere. Dogs who may hurt themselves jumping up and off of the bed should probably sleep elsewhere or have the appropriate stairs. I once traveled with a snuggly Dachshund who burrowed under the covers but would growl at me when I repositioned myself during the night. He ended up sleeping elsewhere.

If you are sharing a bed or couch, and your dog tends to be pushy in nature, I would definitely recommend training him to wait for permission to get on the furniture.

Look at these dogs on the couch and on TOP of their crates behind the couch! Photo credit: Cindy Sturges

Some people dedicate a certain piece of furniture to their dogs. Humans, find a space if you can and enter at your own risk!

Photo credit: Cindy Ellis

Good night!

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DO instead of DON'T

12/5/2017

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DO instead of DON’T

Dogs are born with behavior traits that don’t fit so well into our human lifestyle…..like biting, chewing, urine marking, barking, jumping and humping. Punishing a dog for these natural behaviors pretty much goes against the whole idea of having a loving companion pet relationship. However, we CAN reduce unwanted behavior with prevention and management and we CAN replace naughtiness with socially acceptable behavior and good manners.

Teaching a dog what you DO want:

Enables the dog to earn rewards instead of receiving punishment or having rewards withheld.
Has much more physical clarity to the dog than getting him to stop doing something that might simply be an emotional reaction like barking or jumping up.
Will cement your dog’s trust in you and prevent him from becoming sneaky to avoid punishment.
Does not require you to become increasingly harsher with your punishment if the dog feels it is worth getting punished.
Can be used to calm a dog that is exhibiting over-aroused behavior. In my experience, over-aroused behavior such as barking, nipping, lunging, and jumping, is the most common challenge of dog owners.

How to DO it

Step ONE:

Decide what you DO want: sit, lie down, to go crate, touch nose to palm of your hand, etc.
Train your dog to do this behavior consistently and reliably with a high rate of reinforcement.
Gradually introduce distractions.

Step TWO:

Identify what you DON’T want: barking, jumping, lunging, etc.
When, or just before your dog initiates the unwanted behavior, cue him to DO the replacement behavior and reward generously.
Be consistent and persistent.
Always plan ahead so you have something for your dog to do to divert him away from unwanted behavior.

Over time, and after many repetitions of getting rewarded for what you DO want, your dog will start offering these behaviors instead of those behaviors that you DON’T want.

What you invest in training today will give you a lifetime of enjoyment with your dog.

Best to you and yours,

Janine

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"Will I always have to _______?"

9/26/2017

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One of the most common questions that I get asked while coaching a dog owner through training steps is, "Will I always have to __________?"

I get that. We all want results and we want them NOW. It probably doesn't help that we've seen a few television shows or infomercials that show dogs quickly transformed by magical, whispery techniques. I once asked one of these personalities - one using modern, science-based training methods - what she liked least about the edited version of her sessions. It was the amount of time and important steps that were deleted from the show. Steps that are very necessary for building a relationship that allows owners to work with their dogs in very challenging situations. Steps that have the dog practicing being good - and being rewarded - in easy situations before being put in challenging situations

But what about the shows that don't do much editing from start to finish? Well, intimidating a dog with imposed control - especially with scary or painful devices - can have side effects and definitely WILL break down your relationship. Trust goes out the door and the dog hesitates to offer any good behavior for fear of making the wrong choice. He also must be supervised and told what to do instead of intrinsically offering good choices through his impulse control.

So what is my answer to my training clients? Everybody, humans and dogs, need to learn the easy stuff first. They need to feel good about succeeding and then move on to more challenging tasks. This will create a desire to be challenged instead of a fear of being challenged.

I would ask right back:

"When you had to take your puppy out every two hours for the first two weeks did you think you would be doing that forever?"

"When you held onto your child's bicycle seat and ran alongside her did you think you'd be doing that forever?"

"When you started your online educational course did you think you would stay on Page One forever?"

Dog relationships are built with trust, patience, practice, and consistency. The more you do this the faster you will get to your goals.

Find a good trainer!

Love and hugs to you and your dogs.

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Crate Training from Association of Professional Dog Trainers

8/26/2017

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I would like to share this position statement from APDT as my clients, fellow trainers, and I have reaped many benefits from having crate trained dogs. I highlighted one sentence below in purple that I would like to comment on in the event that it might be interpreted that dogs with anxiety should not be crate trained. Certainly, with the help of a certified trainer, one can address the anxiety AND start some very simple exercises involving the crate.

And now I present the following cut and paste from APDT.com:

The following statement reflects the opinion of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.

The Association of Professional Dog Trainers recommends the use of crates for puppies and dogs as a short-term training tool and as safety equipment throughout the dog’s life.

Crates are a valuable tool for house training, as well as for managing the environment so dogs avoid developing problem behaviors such as destructive chewing and counter-surfing. Crates also provide safe restraint in the car, and make it easier to travel with your dog by providing short-term confinement options in a hotel or anywhere else you might visit. Crate training also helps minimize stress during times of emergency, while boarding in a kennel or while spending a night at the vet clinic. When introduced properly, a crate becomes a safe place that many dogs seek out when they need a break from a hectic home environment.

Introduce dogs to the crate gradually and make sure that it’s a pleasant experience. It is important to choose a crate of appropriate size and adjust confinement times as the dog matures in order to build long term success. Avoid using the crate as punishment, and avoid crating a dog who is experiencing anxiety, whether that anxiety stems from the confinement itself, separation from a loved one, or from environmental factors like a thunderstorm or other dogs.

The APDT does not recommend the use of crates as a confinement tool for extended periods – this is a tool best used in conjunction with a comprehensive training and socialization program guided by a professional dog trainer. To find a trainer in your area visit the APDT trainer search page.

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Six Steps to a Reliable Recall

Five Steps to Reduce Barking

Should I let my dog on the bed or furniture?

DO instead of DON'T

"Will I always have to _______?"

Crate Training from Association of Professional Dog Trainers

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