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Canine Behavior Counseling, LLC with Judy Moore

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                          Judy Moore Owner of Canine Behavior Counseling, LLC 

     

5 Body Postures, A Dog is Asking For Space

If humans better understood dogs body language then we would have less dogs resorting to a bite when they feel stressed or threatened.  We see several cues that this scared boy does not want to be touched.  Signals that are asking for distance are often very subtle.

Level 1 distance Cues:
1. Dogs body is leaning away from the approaching hand.
2. Dogs paw is raised in a submissive manner.
3. Head is moving away asking for increased distance.
4. Eyes are avoiding the stranger
5. Mouth is closed, rather than open and relaxed.

Dogs often ask for distance in the only way they know how, but if the scary hand keeps coming, your dog may resort to a level 2 distance cue like a Growl, lip curl or show of teeth with a rigid body.  I HOPE your dog growls rather than bites. Hence, do not punish the growl as it is an effective distance cue.  When the dog is punished for growling, but is still afraid of that hand coming as it predicts pain, he may bite to protect himself.  

Have you heard of someone who was bitten by a dog in the face while they were attempting to pet him or rub his belly?  It is probable the dog used some distance cues before he resorted to a bite. Unfortunately, it is likely the human did not understand the signals and continued forward until the dog felt so threatened he did not have time to use a more moderate level one or level two response.

Dogs that are fearful or have been threatened by a previous human will be on guard and defensive.  Canine behaviors asking for distance are far better than an attack with a bite, so please do not punish them. Rather, simply remove the approaching stimuli. Can you teach a dog a level 1 distance cue like a look away? Absolutely, but it takes time and patience -- and it is well worth the effort!

One Behavior You Must Teach Your Puppy?

To Sit?  That is a nice default behavior, but not the most important one to teach.

To Come?  Great behavior to have consistently for sure!

To Leave it?  Awesome behavior to have, great on walks both on and off leash!

hand feeding for good behavior

How about not to bite human flesh?  Sounds pretty important to me! Bite inhibition is the technical term for a dogs ability to control the pressure they use when biting. If you could only teach your puppy or new rescue dog one behavior, please remember to teach him a soft mouth -- aka bite inhibition.

How?  By giving your dog appropriate feedback.  Over several days with the following positive techniques, your puppy will learn this life saving skill.

1. Hand feeding daily meals, release the food when your puppy is gentle or licks.  If you feel teeth, wait until he softens, then reward.
Example:  Say your pups name and when he look at you, offer a piece of food.  Say your pups name and "come" offer a piece of food as a reward.  Reward your puppy for coming and sitting 10 times per meal and you will have a solid sit and a softer mouth!

Playing Tug can teach a soft mouth

2. Play tug, using the rules of tug you can quickly help your puppy learn that when you feel teeth on your skin, playing stops.  Remember, do not drop the toy or you could teach your puppy that biting is how they do get the toy.  Instead, ask for a sit to begin the game, then say "take it" and play "tug" keeping the toy low to the ground.  Next, put a treat to the pups nose and say "leave it" and
exchange with the food while putting the toy behind your back.  Repeat, sit, take it, tug, leave it.

flat pan cake hands are non threatening

3. Body handling your puppy with a soft, flat gentle hand.  If your puppy bites your hand, then let your hand go limp, dead like, and wait until the puppy removes his mouth from your hand.  Repeat slowly and gently as your pup learns that hands predict good gentle scratches and massaging.  Some puppies respond if you scream, but some thing you are simply playing, so this feedback may help and it may not as all puppies are different.


4. Allowing your puppy playtime with another friendly dog or in a puppy group.  Playing with other pups will surely help your puppy learn

Puppy play group

not to bite too hard, many pups learn to use a soft mouth when playing with their mother, however some pups miss out on this lesson and will therefore learn it while playing with other puppies and of course playing with you.

Teaching your puppy a soft mouth or  good bite inhibition is the ONE most important behavior you need to teach.  Remember, your pup will not stop using his mouth on you and your clothes in 1 day as he has been using it with his siblings for 8 weeks,  be patient and give your puppy the feedback he so needs to be able to live with humans.

What should you not do?  Scare your puppy or teach him that human hands are to be feared, as this tactic will most likely make him want to bite hands more.  Why?  Science has taught us that dogs who are handled in a physical or rough manner are more often to bite later in life.  Science has also taught us that aggression breeds more aggression.

If you do not want your puppy to use his mouth to resolve conflict, then please do not use your hands to resolve conflict.  Science has taught us that rough hands on a pup, will create unwanted behavior changes as the pup matures.  Example: Submissive peeing, over the top wiggly greetings, worse mouthy behavior, biting later as an adolescent dog, growly and avoidance behaviors.

For a reference on teaching a soft mouth, refer to Sophia Yin's Low Stress Handling techniques
Dr. Sophia Yin, Low Stress Handling.  Although Sophia passed away just yesterday, she will always be a source to reference because she educated those of us in the Pet Industry that the emotional well being of the animal is essential to avoiding unwanted behavior changes.

Why is my Dog Lunging on the Leash?

Do you own a dog that does not act "normal" when he sees another dog on leash? 

Learning good emotional control takes practice

Many dogs do not have good coping skills to greet another dog when confined by a leash.    You may describe this type of dog as fearful, hyper vigilant, aggressive, reactive, out of control, barks all the time, rude, pushy, anxious or even clingy.  Dogs who exhibit these behaviors are cruelly labeled and often given up on, but the truth is that these behaviors are your dog's way of begging for some help.  If your dog is displaying these emotions he is clearly not a calm dog, and therefore not a balanced or content dog.  Unbalanced dogs are riddled with emotions they cannot control, which make them difficult to live with and own, but these are the dogs that need us the most.....

With effective behavior modification programs, these anxious reactive dogs can thrive in our homes and communities.  Having a plan to keep them safe, predictable exercise routines, desensitization tools, healthy nutrition, doggie Zen and possibly medication, these dogs will love us unconditionally.  Just look in there eyes and help them feel safe, always..

If you have taken on the task to raise a dog with fearful reactive behaviors, know you are not alone.  I personally have three dogs who each have different levels of fears and often use distance cues with humans and dogs.  I understand your stress of owning an unbalanced dog....  Even my family members have called them names, not truly understanding my dogs level of stress. I feel an enormous amount of empathy for these animals as I see in their body language how much more worried they are then other dogs.  I have spent hours counter condition their fears to various stimuli and I work very hard to have a plan each time I take them in public so I can set them up

Thinking through arousal...

for success.  I manage for safety, continually counter condition their fear emotions to positive ones so they know what to do in different situations and cherish each calm moment we have together.  My two females came to me with bite histories and have each received their Canine Good Citizen Certification from two different trainers.  One has gone on to be Therapy Dog International Certified, so do not lose hope and celebrate each small daily success!  

Using the right balance of tools, your dog will one day be able to think through his arousal so you can reward him and not be frustrated with him.

Don't Shoot the Dog - Jackpots Revised

Many of you have read Karen Pryer's book, Don't Shoot the Dog  It is an educational book for parents as well as dog owners.  After 20 years, Karen explains how the use of jackpots can work when used effectively.  The below insert is straight from Karen's Blog and is worth reading:

Remember, though, that no one is always right. We all keep learning things all the time, revising and adding to what we knew before. That's one of the joys of science and a valuable phenomenon in the clicker training world.

Looking back at the jackpot section in Don't Shoot the Dog, now, twenty years after it was written and six years after the revision supervised by Murray Newman, I think that I failed to differentiate between jackpots as I see them, and another tool altogether: the non-contingent reward.

A non-contingent reward "just because"

A non-contingent reward is also something you get by surprise, but it is not associated with any particular behavior. One example in the book was the two free fish we gave to a discouraged dolphin, which perked her up and set her to trying to earn reinforcement again. Another example in the book was the ticket for ten free riding lessons that my parents bought me when, at sixteen, I was behaving poorly for weeks on end. It instantly corrected my bad mood. I included these as jackpots, but they were not; they were both examples of a non-contingent reward. The most powerful use of a non-contingent reward is to counteract the effects of an extinction curve; I know the dolphin in question was undergoing extinction of a bunch of operant behaviors; probably this sulky teenager was, too. Getting the news that good things are still available revived the efforts to seek reinforcement again.

Like the jackpot, a non-contingent reward is a tool to use rarely. And, like a jackpot, if it is going to work, you only need to do it once.

Positive Reinforcement Training is Best

Interesting study reported in Psychology Today. I am not surprised by the findings — just further confirmation of my Training approach. Judy Moore

The Effect of Training Method on Stress Levels in Dogs | Psychology Today

The Effect of Training Method on Stress Levels in Dogs

Discipline-based training increases stress levels in dogs.

At a dog training seminar that I attended recently I found myself engaged in a familiar conversation, namely the effect of various types of dog training methods on the behavior of pet dogs. Nowadays the line seems to be drawn between two camps, one advocating "positive dog training" (which uses rewards such as food and play) versus "discipline-based training" (which incorporates slip collars and leash tugs and other physical interventions to enforce compliance).

To give you a bit of a technical background, in reality there are only four methods that are used to teach dogs the kinds of tasks and behaviors that we humans are interested in having them learn. The first is called positive reinforcement, where the term "reinforcement" refers to anything that increases the likelihood that the dog will repeat a behavior. The "positive" refers to the fact that we give the dog something that he wants, like a treat. The second method is called negative reinforcement, where the "negative" refers to taking something unwanted or annoying away, so for example, if you pull up on the leash causing a choke chain to tighten and push down on the dog's hindquarters while you tell him to sit, the negative reinforcement comes when the dog goes into the sitting position you take away the pressure around his neck and on his lower back. The other two methods involve punishment. A punisher is anything that reduces the likelihood that a dog will repeat a behavior. Positive punishment refers to the fact that when a dog does something which we don't want him to do we apply something the dog doesn't like, which could be a slap or a loud reprimand. Negative punishment involves taking something that the individual wants away from him. A human example would be if the child acts out the dinner table he doesn't get dessert when everybody else does. Positive dog training is almost always based on positive reinforcement, while discipline-based training uses a combination of negative reinforcement and positive punishment.

Prior to the mid-1940s, most dog training was done using discipline-based training, since most of the early training models came from military dog trainers who had the idea that a dog should be trained using the same kind of discipline-based procedures that were used for human recruits. The change toward more positive training came about because of a series of books written by Blanche Saunders. Although by today's positive training standards she was still a bit harsh, she clearly recognized the value of rewards and was much softer on her canine students than most trainers before her. Over time, positive dog training has come to dominate the canine training scene, following much along the model of the techniques used by Ian Dunbar and others. However over the past few years, due to the influence of certain high profile dog trainers who have popular television series like Cesar Millan, discipline-based training has begun to gain in popularity.

One of the people in the group that I was speaking with insisted that discipline-based training procedures should not have been abandoned, and that no real proof exists showing negative effects on dogs. She complained that there was a bias among canine researchers, who she referred to as "foodies" since they usually reward the dogs with a stream of food treats. "Just because we live in a kinder and gentler world doesn't mean that we can't teach a dog that when he does something we don't like it has negative consequences," she said. "Properly applied, by people who know what they're doing, there's nothing wrong with negative reinforcement or a little bit of punishment. The problem is that most researchers and the people they get to train the dogs they test probably don't really believe in discipline-based training, and so they either overdo it, or don't work as hard at using it properly."

As luck would have it I had just finished going over an article that was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior* that directly dealt with this issue. It was done by two French researchers, Stéphanie Deldalle  and Florence Gaunet who wanted to test the effect of the two training styles. They wanted to use the most naturalistic setting that they could find, and to collect data based on observation rather than upon changes in blood chemistry or heart rate or other invasive procedures. What they did first was to attend a number of dog training classes in their vicinity and observe the training procedures that were used. In the end they selected one class which used positive dog training methods almost exclusively and contrasted it to another dog training class which used discipline-based methods (mostly negative reinforcement). They reasoned that the instructors in both of these classes were teaching their students using the method that they favored because, as trainers, they believed it was the most efficient system and would produce the best results.

Once the classes were selected, dog and owner pairs were brought in and tested on familiar exercises such as heeling and sitting on command. There were 26 dogs trained using discipline-based procedures and 24 using positive training. The researchers were not looking at actual learning performance, but rather were measuring the amount of stress that dogs appeared to show when performing their learned exercises. They used easily observable behaviors associated with stress, such as mouth licking, yawning, scratching, sniffing, shivering, whining, low posture, attempts to run away, and whether or not the dog avoided making eye contact with their handler.

The results were rather straightforward. If we simply look at whether a dog showed any of the stress related behaviors we find that 65% of the discipline-based trained dogs showed at least one such sign, as compared to only 8% of the positively train dogs. For some selected behaviors the differences were quite striking, such as in mouth licking (38% discipline; 8% positive), yawning (23% discipline; 0% positive), and low posture (46% discipline; 8% positive). One of the results which I found most interesting had to do with whether or not the dog looked at the owner's face. Both humans and dogs have a tendency to avoid looking at things that raise their stress levels or make them uncomfortable, so the fact that only 38% of the discipline trained dogs looked at their owners faces as compared to 88% of the positively trained dogs seems telling.

This is a small study, but because it is done using actual class trained pet dogs and instructors who believe in their particular training method, it is quite interesting. It seems to be just one more study that suggests that using punishment and negative reinforcement can produce potentially harmful and unwanted emotional changes in dogs. For additional findings on similar topics click here or click here.

Stanley Coren is the author of many books including: The Wisdom of Dogs; Do Dogs Dream? Born to Bark; The Modern Dog; Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses? The Pawprints of History; How Dogs Think; How To Speak Dog; Why We Love the Dogs We Do; What Do Dogs Know? The Intelligence of Dogs; Why Does My Dog Act That Way? Understanding Dogs for Dummies; Sleep Thieves; The Left-hander Syndrome

 Copyright SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. May not be reprinted or reposted without permission

* Data from: Stéphanie Deldalle & Florence Gaunet (2014). Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog (Canis Familiaris) and on the dog-owner relationship. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 9, 58 – 65.

Preventing Dog to Dog Aggression

Protect your dog from becoming aggressive by knowing where he is and who his playmates are.  The topic of leash aggression arises so often, I feel the need to address it often in my blogs.  For dog trainers it is very clear why we do not let our dogs greet unknown dogs while on leash. I want my dogs attention on ME when I have him on a leash.  I prefer he not pull my shoulder off my body when on leash, so I never let him greet other dogs when on leash and guess what?  He does not ask anymore because he knows the rule structure. In my opinion, the BEST reason to avoid letting your dog greet unknown dogs while on leash is to keep him or her safe.  Once your dog gets into a scuffle while on leash, just the site of a dog while on leash can become very scary for your pup.

tight leash is nearly un avoidable.

We have all seen or heard stories of two dogs greeting on leash and it ends badly.  Let's think about it, when dogs greet off-leash they are able to circle, sniff and have the freedom to move away if one dog becomes stiff and worried.  When on-leash we often tighten the leash, which makes the dog feel trapped because it cannot flee the environment. As a result, the constrained dog may send the other dog a distance cue like a hard eyed stare, a lip curl or a low growl.  Depending on the social skills of the other dog, this may turn into an unwanted scuffle. 

If you want your dog to have good social skills and avoid aggression, let him have an opportunity to socialize and play with other GOOD dogs. Start with an AKC STAR Puppy class, teach your dog leash manners throughout his adolescence and set up off-leash playdates with dog-friendly dogs that you know he enjoys playing with and who have owners that you are comfortable with.

Social dogs can relax in the presence of other
dogs even while being on a leash.

A large part of my business is helping dog owners understand why their dog is jumping and snarling when on a leash in the presence of another dog.  This behavior is done by your dog because he has learned that it keeps him/her safe.  Dogs that have been traumatized by another dog, or multiple dogs, learn that their best defense is a good offense.  If this behavior works for them, why would they need to change? Being safe simply feels good.

I do understand your dog needs daily exercise to get him through his adolescence. If your dog plays well with the neighbors dog, then your dog is already social! Walking on-leash together is a great way to learn leash manners around other dogs. Or, hire a dog-walker who only brings one dog to your session and watch how your dog interacts with that dog.  Your dog-walker will help him learn leash manners and prevent any unwanted behaviors from being reinforced.  Many dogs are surrendered because they can no longer cope with being on a leash in society.  Who's to blame?  These dogs were not born dog-aggressive. Rather, it is learned by putting them in environments that are out of control and scary.  So please know who your dog is playing with, and if the play is appropriate.  We can all agree that aggression breeds more aggression, so please know

who your dog's friends are!

In the photo to the right, my Outdoor Adventure Class is open to dog friendly dogs.  Dogs that have good emotional control, dogs that can sit and watch a dog go by without demanding to get to it, and dogs that are not overly pushy.  If your dog is demanding to say "hello" to every dog that goes by, think about why that behavior is developing and where it is being reinforced.   I hope to see you and your dog in a training class, while on-leash and enjoying each other's calm company!

A growl is better than a bite!

I am often called to a home where a dog has nipped or bitten a child.  I realize many think that a dog should NEVER use his teeth to resolve conflict with a human, and I agree in a perfect world, humans should NEVER hit a dog with their hand to resolve conflict either.

When there is a language barrier between two species, communication is often misunderstood and

Socializing pups with calm children is essential.

conflict can easily follow.  A three year old running at a dog with an object in his hand can be scary. How many times does your dog have to get up and move away to keep himself out of trouble before someone slows down the noisy moving child?

If by noon, the dog has looked away three times, offered a few tongue flicks, turned his head away five times and gotten up from his resting place four times to avoid conflict with the little tornado, then on the twelth time he may give a growl.  I can not tell you how tolerant a dog should be, but I can tell you that they all have a threshold or a breaking point just like we humans do.  I hope you recognize the growl as a low level warning that your dog is asking for space, and please do NOT punish the warning growl.  In the future, I guarantee you would prefer your dog growl as a distance cue rather than use his teeth!

What other pet animal is so tolerant of children?  Bunnies will squeek a warning and nip, cats will hiss and claw out, hamsters have also learned that nipping gets them safely back in their cage.

I like this child, she is not moving and she feeds me!

I am happy to report that many moms have asked me to speak to their children as a way to educate the child on how the dog is "feeling" when they are near.  While some dogs enjoy having kids around, clearly others do not. Our responsibility is to step in and help our dogs feel safe so they do not have to resolve the conflict alone.

If you live or work with children, it is especially helpful for you to know your dogs signals that he or she may be feeling worried. That way you can intervene so that your dog never has to growl or nip, or reach his or her threshold point.

I am certain that the dogs in the above photo, who are being fed by the young girl in the stroller, are feeling pretty good being fed by a child that is not running around.  However, if she were to get out of the stroller and run at these dogs, they would not feel the same way and one of them would need to be removed to keep him from hitting his threshold.  With lots of positive associations and yummy treats, both these dogs can learn to enjoy children running around them.

So please, if you observe a dog feeling worried about a child moving nearby, remove either the child or the dog so that the dog is feeling safe and the dog does not get into trouble.  An ounce of knowledge can go along way to helping both dogs and children grow up together in a positive way.

New Year! New Puppy?

If you are enjoying the beginning of 2014 with a soft cuddly new puppy, then congratulations!!  As the owner of a new puppy, you have some responsibility to the puppy and to those who come in contact with your new puppy.  While you must certainly be enjoying the new puppy smells, sounds and soft fur, you may also be a bit tired from late night potty trips outside, managing all the winter gloves and hats that puppies love to chew on,  and you may possibly have a few scratches from your pups needle sharp teeth.

First, it is very normal for your puppy to mouth you as that is how dogs gain information about things near them.  If you have ever watched two dogs play, they often use their mouth during the interaction.  The primary puppy behaviors you need to teach your puppy? 1.  Not to bite humans, called "bite inhibition" 2. Potty training, for your own sanity.  3. Calm behaviors, as everyone loves a pup with good emotional control  4. Socialization to a variety of places, people and dogs in a positive way. Finally, prevention of guarding and becoming overly mouthy, as these two behaviors can lead to an unwanted bite.

There are numerous Certified Pet Dog Trainers who can help you teach your pup appropriate behavior to succeed in a human home.  Using Positive Reinforcement Communication and lots of patience, you will eventually have a wonderful family dog.  To find a Certified Pet Dog Trainer in your area, investigate this link: CCPDT Certification for Pet Dog Trainers

 I have 3 basic rules that I use often with new puppy owners:

Socialized dogs, enjoy life enrichment activities

1. Manage your pup so it is not practicing any unwanted behaviors. For example, use a crate or x-pen to contain your pup if you can not watch him.  This is not only for his safety, but so he does not learn how good it is to chew on your favorite boots.
2. Reward your dog all day long for appropriate behaviors.  Example, if you are going to let your pup out of his crate, then put your hand on the latch, if your puppy is calm open the crate and reward with freedom.   If however he climbs on the door and barks at you. Take your hand off the latch and wait.  When your puppy is calm or sitting, then you can open the door, if he tries to bolt out, close the door quickly, and wait until he sits or is calm, then reward with freedom!
3. Show your puppy what it is you prefer he do and reinforce it with something.  For example, if your puppy bites on your hand, remove your hand and quickly replace it with a toy.  Move the toy around on the floor and praise your puppy when he chases, and mouths the toy.  If he bites your hand or arm let him know it hurts and replace it with a toy.

Keep in mind your puppy has been using his mouth to play with his siblings for weeks, so he is conditioned to do so.  It is your job to help him learn good bite inhibition and socialize him well with new places, people and allow him to play with other puppies to help him learn good social skills.

In this photo to the right, the 13 week old Malamute started to bark at the 4 year old Dachshund.  This Dachshund is not happy about having to potty in 10 degree weather and so is not interested in playing.  He signals this to the pup by closing his mouth, freezing his body, making direct eye contact and then begins to give a low growl directed at the puppy.  The young pup quickly began to back away and go look for another playmate.  Helping this Malamute have good social skills is important as we do not want him to grow in to a large bully.

To ensure your puppies behavior is shaped to be a calm family pet, consider a puppy socialization class taught by a professional!  CBC Puppy Class Schedule

Once a guarder, always a guarder?

Go away!

Zeke, my foster dachshund, was surrendered because he continually fought with another dog in his home.  This was particularly sad because he was given up by the family who adopted him as a pup. It was the only home Zeke was familiar with.  On the other hand, if Zeke was fighting with another dog in the home, did he feel safe in that home?  Why did he constantly want on his owners lap?  Was he guarding her, or was it that he felt safest when near her?  Why did he guard his crate?  Again, was it his or was it that he felt safe there? What made this behavior rewarding to Zeke?

I am pleased to inform you that after less than 3 weeks, Zeke has developed a trusting relationship with my three dogs.  Why is that important?  Because many dogs that guard are also fearful and defensive.  Once I reduced his fear, he now moves through the house with bones and toys in each room, and he no longer chases my dogs away from them or even gives them the "look".  They have walked past toys and bones so many times (and there are plenty to go around!), so guarding is not rewarding anymore.

I am warning you!

That does not mean he may not fall into old habits in his new home, but it does mean that I personally believe Zeke's underlying habitual guarding behavior stems from very poor social skills with both people and dogs.  Developing a trusting relationship with dogs in the home, and devaluing the objects he found high value, have been a successful plan for Zeke.

When Zeke, the Dachshund, would show his teeth at my dogs to gain access to more food I was holding, I walked him away and gave his share to my dogs.  I waited about 2 minutes and repeated this exercise of feeding everyone some chicken.  When Zeke focused on me and ignored my dogs, showing no distance cues at them, I rewarded him with chicken. Hence, he learned good social skills always gets rewarded in my home.

Canine Body Language Seminar

Presented by

Judy Moore ACDBC

Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant

When:    Saturday, January 4, 2014

Where:   Poetic Gold Farm 

              7 Trillium Lane, Falmouth, ME 

Time:    10am- noon

Fees:    Dogs attending for evaluation $75

            Attendees for audit $25

  

who is the most worried here?

I'll will review how canines communicate with each other and how they try to communicate with us. You will learn to identify signs of canine stress and fear which can assist you in preventing unwanted behaviors such as a snap or bite.  Many dogs offer distance cues, however we as humans miss them; therefore many dogs resort to a level 3 bite because no one respected the level 1 or 2 distance cue.

 If you work with, own, or live with a dog who exhibits shy or skittish behavior, you will benefit from a basic understanding of how they "speak" to us with body language. 

Live Demo dogs and Q&A discussion included!

For more information or to attend contact Judy at Judyamoore@mac.com

Maine's frist Match!

Dog Training Seminar to Benefit

Pets for Vets

Topic: Object and Food Guarding

Speaker/Evaluator

Judy Moore, ACDBC, CPDT-KA of

Canine Behavior Counseling, LLC

held at

PoeticGold Farm, 7 Trillium Lane, Falmouth ME

Home at last!

Saturday, December 14, 2013 from 10am-noon

Do you own, foster, or work with dogs that growl when you approach them while eating or when on your bed, or when being held? This seminar will address techniques to devalue items your dog thinks are high value using a Positive Approach.

Registration options:

1. A limited number of spaces are available to attend with your dog and have him/her evaluated at the seminar the fee is $75.

2. To attend the seminar without your dog but with questions about your dogs behavior and the opportunity to learn the techniques through observation the fee is $25.

For more information or to attend email Judy at judyamoore@mac.com

20% of the proceeds will go to support the Pets for Vets Program

http://pets-for-vets.com/category/northeast/portlandme/

Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant now available in Portland Maine

BIG NEWS!!

I am very proud to announce my hard work and continued education has earned me the title of

Happy clients and well behaved dogs

Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant- ACDBC.  I am the only ACDBC south of Bangor, and the only one in Portland, Maine.  My desire to better understand dog behavior and behavior problems is on going and I will continue to study and learn to better help my clients.

For clients in the Bangor area, please reach out to Don Hanson, of Green Acres Kennels as he is a CDBC and a person I myself reach out to.  Welcome to Green Acres Kennel Shop - Green Acres Kennel Shop

Already have a dog trainer?  Please be sure you are using someone certified by a recognizable organization such as:

APDT  the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 

IAABC  International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

CCPDT Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers

For help in setting you and your dog up for success, I certainly recommend a Certified positive reinforcement trainer.  

Pets for Vets Program Launched here in Portland, Maine

I am happy to announce that Portland, Maine has an official Chapter for the Pets for Vets Program and I am the official trainer of the canines for this wonderful program.  I will be assessing, training and matching dogs with Veterans in need of a companion dog.

Tom Targett, Chapter Director is to be recognized and thanked for his dedication in getting this Portland Chapter off and running.  Tom is an ideal Director as a returning Veteran himself and his understanding and love of dogs.

Our mission at the Pets for Vets program is to help support veterans while providing a second chance for shelter pets by rescuing, training and pairing them with veterans right here in our community who could benefit from a companion animal.

I am pleased to inform you that we will be introducing our first match early in December!  I am not sure who is more excited about this upcoming match?  Tom, my self or our Veteran, we are all simply joyful to be a part of this first match!

Each Monday from November 18 to December 10, from 6 – 8 p.m. Pets for Vets, Maine Chapter will be near the Santa photo area at the Maine Mall in Portland.

For further information about our new Portland, Maine Chapter, contact:
Thomas Targett -  tomt521@aol.com
http://pets-for-vets.com/category/northeast/portlandme/pme-news/

Good Things Happen...

When I introduce a new rule structure to my dogs or to my clients dog, I make sure good things happen when the dog performs the wanted or desired behavior. We can all agree that consequence

drives behavior in all of us, but I really want you to think of the consequence as a positive and rewarding one.  It is not just that I believe it works, it is scientifically proven that if a dog does a behavior and what follows is rewarding, the behavior will be repeated.  This repeated behavior performed several times per day and continued over a few weeks becomes a desired habit.  Is that not what we all are trying to do?  Shape our dogs behavior into good habits?

Here are a few examples you might want to try:

1. Good things happen when you are on your mat! 

Good things happen when you go to a mat,
these two are chewing on stuffed kongs.

Simply have your dog near you with a handful of treats and your dog's mat.  Lay the mat on the floor and when your dog sniffs it, looks at it or step on it, say "yes" and drop a treat or two between his paws.  Ask your dog to get off the mat, pick it up and walk a few steps with it in your hand.  Repeat the process of laying the mat down and rewarding your dog for moving onto the mat.  You can initially walk around the mat and stop while facing your dog with the mat between you two.  When he steps onto it, say "yes" and reward generously.  Initially, put the mat away between sessions and play this game a few times per day.  When you see your dog get excited that you are about to lay the mat down, add a cue like "go to your mat" just before you lay the mat down.  Once your dog is walking on the mat quickly, wait on the "yes" and see if your dog offers you a sit, then say "yes" and reward.  Eventually your dog will offer you a down and then you can jackpot this behavior.

To maintain this behavior of "go to your mat" you will want to randomly reward your dog when you see him go to his mat without being asked.  This can be a good massage, kong time, bone time, yummy treat or a good scratch, whatever your dog finds rewarding.  I use this each morning as we enter the kitchen, each of my dogs will move towards their mat and I will eventually feed them while they are on their mat waiting patiently.  I no longer ask them to go to their mat, they know going to their mat predicts they will get fed, which is rewarding to them and nice for me not to have 12 paws under my feet!

How does your dog feel when he looks at you?

2. Good things happen when you look at me!
Training your dog to perform a simple behavior is nearly impossible without first having your dog's attention.  If your dog is not quick to look at you, teach your dog that looking at you is ALWAYS followed by a reward.
Again, begin with a handful of your dogs yummy treats and your dog near you, maybe on a leash if necessary.  Say your dog's name, and when he looks at you say "yes" and toss him a treat.  Wait a few seconds and repeat, saying his name, and marking the moment his head turns towards you and rewarding.

Another game that works well to get your dogs attention is to simply sit in a chair with some treats in hand.  Toss a treat on the floor and when your dog eats the treat he will most likely look at you to see if more food is flying.  When he looks your way, say "yes" and toss another over his head.  When he eats the treat he will come near you again and you can smile and say "yes" when he looks at you and repeat the process.  Your dog will learn that looking at you predicts Good things happen, and will repeat the behavior.

If you are reading this Blog, then I assume you have a dog or are thinking about getting a dog.  My hope is that you are a positive influence in training your dog and not one who feels they need to dominate a dog.  Consider how effective science-based training is, and how your dog "feels" when you are training.  I hope your dog feels good when you are near, when he looks at you and when you reach to touch him.  If not, read more of my blog to learn how to train your dog while also having a happy, healthy and trusting relationship.

Puppies First Impressions

When you bring your puppy home, you want to raise him or her to be the best Family Dog possible.  We all have good intentions when raising a puppy, however there are some mis-guided and uneducated people who will tell you that you need to dominate your dog so they respect you.  This is not only poor advice, once it is done, you may not be able to take it back.

I am bonding these small pups to
human contact.  

Imprinting is life long and can not be overcome; Dr. Konrad Lorenz first studied imprinting in birds, primarily geese in 1935, so this concept is not new.  What he found was that different species of animals have an early/critical period in their learning development which cannot be reversed.

Helping puppies associate hands as being gentle is
crucial for a soft mouth

In addition, Evolutionary Biologist Kathryn Lord at the University of Massachusetts Amerst suggests that different behaviors are related to the animal's earliest sensory experiences during the critical period of socialization.  This critical period in dogs is from 4 weeks to about 8 weeks; during this critical time, puppies begin walking and exploring without fear and will remain comfortable throughout their lives with environmental stimuli they encounter during this time with low levels of fear.  But as the period ends at 8 to 10 weeks, fear will increase and after the socialization window closes, new sights, sounds and smells will elicit a fear response.  

Imprinting establishes an individual animals preference for a certain species.  Hence, if a puppy in its later stages of his critical period is subjected to a traumatic event such as rough handling by its breeder, vet, or trainer, it may result in a defensive attack or behavior pattern when the animal is touched in a certain way -- even a year or more later in the dogs life.

Common to trainers is the puppy that is fine with Dad, but bites hard at mom or the children in the home.  This scenario is all too common when Dad has used his hands to reprimand the pup in a forceful way for biting (which is a normal way for a pup to interact).  While the pup does obviously require feedback on what to sink his teeth into, too often Dad holds the pups mouth shut, pushes his lip onto a tooth, scruffs the pup or holds him down.  All of these actions will make this puppy bite others in the family more often and with greater force.  Another negative side effect is the 10 month old puppy who cannot sit still for petting.  He is too nervous and worried to just sit, so he wiggles and wiggles his body in an "over the top" appeasement behavior pattern, all the while turing his butt towards the person and lowers his head to ward off the scary behavior which he had to endure as a young pup.

Now that you know how important First Impressions are to your puppy, always be a Positive influence in your puppies life.  Not only for the well being of your puppy, but for those who may be learning from your example also.

7 Day Challenge

Many clients ask; "How do I train my dog?"  First and foremost, to train a dog, you must have the dog's attention!  Can you get your dog to sit for one minute without a leash on?  If so, then you have already

Puff in a down stay, I
rewarded him with food about 6 times in 1 minute
to help him build duration in this behavior.

learned how to get your dogs attention -- wonderful!  If not, then I ask you to take my 7 day challenge!

I ask that you hand feed your dog every meal for 1 week, every meal, and see how your relationship changes in just 7 days.  You might keep a journal and really see your dogs attention on you grow with enthusiasm and duration in many different behaviors.

If your dog can already sit and stay in your home, then I suggest you take your training on the road and

Focus here at 4 months. 

see if your dog can perform the same behaviors in your front yard, down the street, and at the local park.  Training in environments with lots of stimulation takes practice, tasty motivation and often lots of patience.  If your dog cannot sit and stay in your yard, then you simply are not ready to ask for this emotional control at the park.  Set your dog up for success and begin developing good habits in just one week!

Ideas for training:  come, come/sit, shake, down, leave it, touch, roll over, high five, speak, sit/stay, down/stay, wait, watch me, you get it!

Outdoor Adventure dogs have good focus.

What if my dog will not look at me?  Simply use his meal mixed with some yummy treats and sit down in a chair.  Toss a treat on the floor near your dog, while he is eating the treat, say his name in a happy tone.  When he looks at you say "yes" and toss another treat.  Continue playing this game for the entire meal. The next day you can try playing this game outside or add different criteria like "Fido come" when he is eating the treat and reward by tossing another treat away from you.

After training!  

Have fun, motivate using your happy pitch and smile at your dog every time he looks at you.  If you are frustrated and using a firm tone, he may comply but I'd bet he avoids looking at you.  I want your dog to offer behaviors such as coming to you because it makes him feel good, not come to you to avoid a correction.  There is no relationship building in correction training, as the dog is simply performing a behavior to avoid the punishment -- Life is Not Good for these dogs!  So, try rewarding with every meal for 7 days and I am sure you will see a new relationship building and love it!