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                          Judy Moore Owner of Canine Behavior Counseling, LLC 

     

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.

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.

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

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

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.  

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!

What Does Stress Look Like?

When I think of unwanted behavior, I think of stress as the two are often related.

This dog is worried

Go Away!

My goal here is to help you identify your dogs stress signals so you can get them help before this stress causes unwanted behavior. Science clearly states that stress leads to health problems, negatively affect relationships with others and can also make us grumpy, irritable, less tolerant and even aggressive.

Is it true if we humans are stressed our dogs can sense it?  Yes, when we feel worried, anxious or angry, our dogs will certainly be effected in some way.  Different dogs will react differently to mental and physical pressures in their environment.

How many of us often turn to physical exercise to relieve stress or tension felt from our environment.  Is your dog able to go for a daily jog to relieve the stress he carries around or is he confined to run the fence line and bark in frustration becoming more and more aroused.  Does he destructively chew your furniture, pace wildly and mouth your arms and hands when you enter?  You may perceive this mouthy greeting as excitement, but it is stress.

An unfamiliar dog has approached to the
right, this mix is looking away to avoid conflict. 

Signs of Stress come in many different forms:

• Does your dog ever bark rapidly, scan the environment for a threat, pace back and forth, tremble, chew in a ripping or destructive manner, pant when not tired, flatten his ears back, lower his head when approached (guilty appearance), cower or urinate when you or anyone else approaches, hide between your feet, growl, lick his lips when not eating,  yawn when not tired, turn his nose away from his favorite treat when in an unfamiliar environment.  Urinate or defecate when arriving at a new home, or training center.  
• Young adolescent pups may playfully mount dogs or humans or do this as a sign of stress as is biting the leash and excessive mouthing of human hands. Exaggerated self grooming which can cause hair loss, sudden outbreak of dander can also be stress related. 



White dog is fearful and sniffs
  to avoid greeting

• Does your dog often begin to sniff the ground when meeting new dogs, stop to scratch just as a greeting is about to occur, avoids the new dog completely?  We know stress can effect health, stress that continues over a period of time can cause a dogs immune system to become fragile due to increased cortisol in the system.  Have you ever considered that a dogs unpleasant body odor or bad breath can be the result of high stress. 

Environmental triggers are everywhere,  who is

Where is this dogs
weight shifted?

present, how many stimuli, if they are approaching slowly or quickly, how your dog feels at that moment, what smells are near, what he sees and hears are all triggers that can cause your dog stress and they are constantly effecting your dogs behavior.

Knowing the signs of stress in your dog is essential to keep him safe, happy and healthy.

For more information consider reading Stress in Dogs by Marina Scholz and Clarissa Von Reinhardt, well worth the time to read.

Bark For Life

Bark For Life
Bug Light Park, South Portland

May 19 2013

11:00 Registration Opens - Participants, Survivors & Caregivers check in.

11:45 – Noon Opening Ceremony
Noon - Walk Begins with the Survivor & Caregiver Lap around the park (both 4-legged and 2-legged) Participants will join in the 2nd lap

A variety of beautiful walks are available in the area. Maps are available
Noon – 1:00pm  Food & Refreshments available for a modest donation
Noon – 3:00pm Music, activities, silent auction, and demonstrations
3:30pm Closing Ceremony

 

Click here for more information and to register!

Here is a list of exciting demonstrations and activities that will be happening at Bark!

•   Poetic Gold will be doing a Rally-O demonstration
  
•   The American Red Cross – will have information for emergency planning for your family and your pets!
  
•   Bobby Silcott, head of the POM Project (Pet Oxygen Mask) will be in attendance to spread the word about this important project that could save the life of our “best friends”. He will also be representing Harvest Hills Animal Shelter
  
•   Judy Moore of Canine Behavior Counseling will be doing a behavior demonstration, and show us all tricks with her dog Pablo (he is a really cool dog)
  
•   Chris and Sully – dog therapy team!
  
•   Finish Forward Dogs will at the event to do a weight- pull and a mini-agility demonstration, and they will also be raffling off a gift certificate for a training class at their table!
   Gayle Hickok of Pawsitive Results K-9 Rehabilitation will be raffling two passes for her salt-water rehabilitation pool, two initial evaluations, and her famous doggie chicken jerky.
   DJ-Paul Robart will be keeping the energy high through the whole event.
    Roosevelt the Border Collie will be present. Roosevelt is in a wheelchair because he doesn't have use of his front paws
    My First School Preschool and Childcare will be doing face painting
    South Portland Police Department will be doing a K-9 demonstration
    Uptown Hound will be doing nail trimming.
    Kathy Young will have information about Reiki for pets and people
    Lori Sirois will also have a table representing Therapy Dogs Incorporated
    CCART – Cumberland County Animal Response Team will be in attendance
    Rescue Organizations that are participating: Lucky Pup Rescue, Almost Home Rescue, Fetching Hope Rescue, Border Collie Rescue, Tall Tail Beagle Rescue, CT Underhound Railroad Rescue, and Pug Rescue of New England.
    We are excited too that Guiding Eyes For the Blind – Maine Puppy Raising Region, and Maine Veterinary Referral Center will be attending!
    Silent Auction, games, and contests for dogs, adults and kids 

Puppy Socialization Classes

New puppy owner's may be unaware of the importance of Puppy Socialization Class.  Puppies have a "Critical Period" in which they should be exposed to a variety of environments, noises, smells, strangers and, of course, friendly dogs.  Without this process the puppy will grow up to be limited to where he can go and who he can be around.

Inadequate socialization with new stimuli does not only make the dogs life much less enjoyable, as confinement to the home or yard is boring and incredibly frustrating. Dogs who are poorly socialized also make life much more difficult for their owner.

Maizy, a foster scottie, was highly territorial and fearful of dogs.  She learned to meet and greet appropriately and made several friends while she was with me.  The approach used was called BAT, or Behavior Adjustment Training, which is a slow process of helping a dog obtain much needed information from a new dog in a way the dog can process it comfortably.

With BAT, older dogs can be socialized. But, keep in mind, it is a much slower process and becomes frustrating for many owners as you need to go at the dogs pace.

So, please set yourself and your new puppy up for success and join a Socialization Class by a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT). I recommend one where you stay in class with your puppy, and learn what play is appropriate and what is considered too much for your pup.  The AKC S.T.A.R. puppy class is a great way to get your pup started on being a canine good citizen and avoid aggression and other unwanted behaviors. I think we can all agree, that a trained, social dog makes a wonderful family pet, and unsocialized dogs that exhibit fear and aggression are often given up or euthanized -- a result that really could be prevented with proper socialization as a puppy.

Positively Rewarding

While working with a private client and her pup this week, she repeated herself many times by saying, "she is so smart", "I had no idea my dog was so smart!"  The funny thing is, I hear this from many clients when teaching their dog a new behavior.

When pet owners learn to teach their dog new behaviors using positive reinforcement, their reaction is always, always, the same: "I had no idea how smart my dog was!"  The only thing they did

differently was quickly rewarded the dog when it made the right choice, then repeated the reward when the dog did the correct behavior again.  We were able to teach her puppy to touch her hand with its nose and to lie down, in a matter of minutes using the pups mid-day meal.

Seeing how happy this owner was, and how quickly she became more connected to her pup, reminded me once again how effective positive reinforcement training is -- both for the dog and owner!

Staying Positive

I recently attended a Behavior Clinic where we taught our dogs new behaviors using a technique called shaping which is where we rewarded our dogs for making the slightest attempt at the behavior we wanted.

What I LOVED about this training seminar was that everyone was happy, smiling and really positive as they changed their dogs behavior.  Yes, that is right, we were getting new behaviors and everyone was happy!

Maisey's mom is always smiling and rewarding her!

So why is it when you teach your dog a trick like paw, high five, or roll over you get super excited when they make the right choice, "YES",  click, click "YES" as if one marker is not enough? Many of us repeat the marker due to our excitement!  The dogs clearly get that they did something right because our feedback to them is exactly that: "positive and rewarding."  Many of you can't stop there, you need to go show someone how smart your dog is, so you repeat the cue, your dog does the behavior and you again, shrill with "Yes" "Good Dog" and shower him with positive and rewarding feedback. 

You must be smiling by now because you know this to be true!  So, I want you to use the same positive feedback to reward your dog the next time you

Maisey's dad has a soft tone, loose leash and
 is smart to tell her what she is doing right!

are working with him.  The way I see it, behavior is behavior, and, although you may feel the need to be serious when asking for a specific behavior, your dog just knows you are tense and not as much fun.  So, I ask you to be more fun, smile and make a big deal when your dog does any small behavior you like.  I do think you will see a softer, happier dog that will be able to focus on you longer because you are relaxed, fun and rewarding to be with!

Can you still change your pitch while training?  Yes, but make the "positive" much more exciting and rewarding!

My Dog is Fearful

Many dogs are afraid of other dogs, men, strangers, children, loud trucks, bikes, scooters, skate boards, odd scents, noises, and many more stimuli.   I have spent the last 10 years helping my own dogs and many others live happier, less stressful lives.  The first thing you need to realize is that you are not alone! Many many dog owners are feeling just as you are.  While we are all at different stages of conditioning our dogs to feel better about certain stimuli, we all have similar fears and stressors.  Staying positive is essential! Right now, think about all the behaviors your dog has learned recently.  You know your attitude effects your dog, so stay positive! And remember: you are not alone!

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Seek out a Certified Trainer who has experience with insecure, anxious and fearful dogs, as they will have a better understanding of what you and your dog are feeling.  Find someone who has current testimonials or good references so you know they are using Positive methods.
2. Avoid expecting a specific goal, or anxiety will creep in when you fear you may not reach this goal.
3. Instead, set simple goals that you and your dog can meet together every moment, every day, week by week and be happy with these small steps.
4. Be honest with yourself right now that your dog will never be the "perfect" dog. It is okay, you will still love and protect him or her because he needs you to.
5. Think of the advantages of owning a shy or fearful dog:  

• He gives you unconditional love because he is worried about others.
• He only needs to be by your side to be content with life.
• His love is without strings attached.
• There are no pressures to earn titles, win ribbons or be the best.
• You will never lose him, as he is too worried about going too far away. 
• You will learn more about dog behavior than your neighbor.
• He will not pull you to greet everyone.

These are just a few but there are many advantages to owning a shy or fearful dog.  Sure, it can be scary at times! Just remember your dog is not acting this way to make your life miserable. Rather, he is coping the best way he knows how and is begging for some help!

As an example of a positive training attitude,  the photo below shows a handsome dog to the far left that is fearful of people, yet he is able to give nice eye contact to his owner.  When we began with this boy, we were happy when he could simply offer a quick glance at his owner when strangers were near by. After months of positive conditioning, he is much more comfortable as you can see in this photo.

I can assure you that his owner was thrilled with each small progression he made at gaining confidence, and was happy to reward him for looking at her even for 1 second when 50 feet away!  We slowly progressed, and while he will never be a therapy dog, does that really matter?  What sets this owner apart?  Her expectations are reasonable, and, when not met, she is still okay with the outcome!  Why?  Because she knows when her dog does fall back into an old, unwanted behavior it is because we pushed him too far too fast.

So please, set your criteria such that you and your dog can succeed together! Otherwise you will be disappointed and your frustration will simply make your anxious dog even more stressed. Keep your training sessions relaxed, and positive. Don't push your dog beyond what he or she can handle comfortably, or else the negative experience will just set you both back. Stay patient, stay positive and celebrate all the small successes along the way. You and your dog will be much happier as a result!

How Best to Feed Your New Pup

Many people are conditioned to put dog food in a bowl, ask for a sit and put the bowl down, end of story.  But we know that dogs learn through repetition just like humans do, so why not use feeding to teach an automatic behavior?

I believe we can truly prevent many unwanted behaviors by simply playing a daily game with our dogs during meal time.  Let's say you have a puppy who is a jumper or a dog with emotional control issues, a high energy pup, or a boxer that just can's stop climbing on you or a big rescue dog who is a bit reactive.  Having our dogs practice a bit more emotional control is a good thing, right!

Ok, let's begin, prepare your dogs meal as always and rather than asking him for a sit, take the bowl with you and go sit in a chair.  Think of a behavior you would like from your dog, maybe eye contact or a simple sit.  Wait for your dog to do this behavior and toss him some food over his head.  When he returns after eating, wait for the same behavior and repeat, repeat until his bowl is gone.  Do this once daily for several days. The first behavior you choose will most likely be the behavior he will offer you each day and all day long when he wants something from you.

I rewarded Puff for sitting politely in puppy socialization
so he kept coming back and sitting in front of me, each time
waiting longer and longer for the reward.

For example, you are rewarding the sit, your dog will begin to offer this behavior to have access to many things all day long.  Let's call this behavior the "automatic" behavior because your dog will automatically begin to offer this behavior when he wants his crate opened, or to go outside, to jump out of the car, to run into the dog park, or to have his leash put on, get his meal, receive petting from anyone, you to throw the toy, anything your dog wants in life will be asked with this automatic behavior.  With each pause you are lowering your dogs arousal and helping him think.  This game of rewarding your dog for a specific behavior and tossing food away and having him return to you and ask again is so easy and fun, even your kids can play!

To keep this behavior strong, I recommend you reward it often even when your dog offers it when you haven't asked!  Scratching, petting, massaging are all easy ways of rewarding a polite request.  Should you ask for the behavior?  Nope,  just let it happen, and reward it.  No behavior, no reward.  Your dog will be thinking rather than always needing to be told what to do.  Helping your dog learn to ask nicely to receive wanted resources will shape your dogs behavior into a calm, thinking dog, rather than a pushy reactive dog you will want to keep for a lifetime!

Learning How to Cope without Frustration

I find myself saying this to many clients, "your dog is barking because he is frustrated."  Many young pups and adolescent dogs become spoiled and then frustrated when they are not able to get to something or someone all the time.  You might think we could be discussing children, this emotion is very similar and difficult not to reward.

This behavior is apparent in many dog training classes, when an owner is playing with her dog using a toy, another dog will bark at them as if to say "I want that toy or I want to play too".  Motivating your dog to focus on you is a good place to start while in your own home where there are no distractions.

Leash Frustration

What about when a new dog enters the room?  Many dogs will bark and pull towards the new dog as if to say "I want to say hello."  If during the first 5 months of your puppies life you always let him pull you to new dogs you encounter, then your dog will be incredibly frustrated when you decide it is not a good idea to let him drag you around.  When a behavior has been rewarded repeatedly, then the reward is removed for the same behavior, frustration will certainly follow.

Picture a puppy that jumps on his owner then sits and is reward multiple times in his first few months of life.  When the puppy is about 45 lbs and is no longer rewarded for this jumping, the puppy will often jump higher or with more force, if this intense jumping does not work, then barking usually follows.  These puppies do not understand why their behavior suddenly is not working?  "I always get my owners attention by jumping and then get a cookie for sitting!"

Frustration enters the picture when punishment is applied or when he finds himself in a no win situation.  Asking any alternative behavior and rewarding it is so much better than just saying "no" which only increases the frustration.    Dogs can learn to cope with change and avoid frustration if they are rewarded for another behavior.

Helping your dog learn to live in a human world without becoming frustrated is a process, one that should begin the day you bring him home!

Puppy Play

Baden gaining confidence in play.

While many of us watch dogs play, we often wonder if the dogs are having as much fun as we think.

I believe it is important that both dogs are chasing, being chased and sharing time on top equally.  If not, stepping in and creating pauses in the play will be beneficial to the less experienced dog.

When a play session is one sided, meaning one dog is constantly on top of the other, this is not equal play.  While you may not hear any growling, one dog may just be coping and not enjoying the play.

Try taking the collar or harness of the dog on top and gently pull him away.  Now, see what happens?  Does the dog on the bottom run away in need of a break?  Does he lunge or run back to the dog on top as if to say "come on, let's play"!  This simple test will give you confirmation that everyone is feeling okay about the interaction.

Baden a young pup playing with Pablo

Interrupting the play with short pauses will allow the dogs to lower their arousal and have a brief conversation about their intentions.  Watch as they look at each other or away, kiss faces, move closer or farther away.

In the photo to the right, Brady the 5 month old pup was a bit worried to play with a bigger adult dog.  Pablo began to "handicap" himself getting lower and lower to encourage Baden to play with him.  I asked Pablo to take many breaks as I could tell his type of play was a bit over whelming for Baden.

Before long these two were in constant motion and I was reassured each time I removed either dog, the other one came at us wanting more.  Knowing the play was fun for both dogs was a win win!

Bouncy Bella

Bella is my current foster dog from Almost Home Rescue.  Bella is a bouncy 1 year old boxer mix puppy that loves, loves, loves her humans and is good with good dogs.  She came to us with little behavior training, but is making great progress!  She is up to date on her shots and learning to live in a home with 3 other dogs and plenty of human interaction which she loves!  She also loves to play fetch and will play for hours.

Bella is learning to walk nicely on a leash, she can also sit, down, shake, and stay.   She happily goes into her crate to sleep and enjoys running around the back yard and napping in the sun.

She is making many friends in her new foster home!  To the left she is watching her scottie house mate dig for a chipmunk in the rock pile and wanting to go join in.

Below she is rubbing in the grass during her morning walk with friends.