Raging Rotties

New Website

2008-05-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Please check out my new website :

http://K9ClickerTraining.co.uk

I've created a new website to document my training methods and behavioural techniques.

I've integrated a blog into my new site so I wont be posting on this site any more.

Please visit my site and feel free to email me with any comments or suggestions.

Sometimes it doesn't feel that good

2008-03-14T00:20:00.000-07:00

My line of work delivers a very mixed bag of emotions. I get enormous pleasure out of helping dogs and owners co-exist with each other.

I meet all sorts of people from the extremely wealthy to the OAPs who are living on the breadline. Most of them share the same problems and seek the same goals.

Unfortunately it is not always a bed of roses. Here’s an example of the dark side of my work.

I received a call from a woman asking for help with her newly adopted Collie. The wee dog was a perfect gentleman indoors. Unfortunately, he was getting very stressed when he ventured outside. He was getting so wound up that he was barking and snarling and performing crocodile death roles whenever he saw other dogs. This was deeply distressing for the owner.

I could tell by the owner's voice that she was not one to be crossed and would not suffer fools gladly. She told me that she had owned dogs for years and that she knew how to train a dog. I got the impression that she had trained dogs in the past with a heavy hand and a course voice. I used to frown on this type of treatment and stay clear of people who handled dogs in this way. I now look on it in a different light. My view is that I can make a difference by educating these owners how to achieve results using humane methods.Seeing is believing. Running away or turning your nose up at these people will solve nothing.

Anyway, I said that I would visit the owner and assess the dog. These situations are never easy because some owners do not like being told the truth.

I entered the house and performed some basic clicker training with the dog. He was very amicable and gentle. I then placed a gentle leader on him and clicked and treated him for remaining calm. After a few minutes, I attached a 6-foot lead and gave him time to settle before I walked him quietly outside.

I walked around the streets with the owner and attempted to settle the dog down whenever he got upset. I managed to keep him fairly calm but he was a handful and it took all my handling abilities to stop him from going over the edge.

We returned home and I had to give my assessment of the dog’s behaviour.

This was a handsome, intelligent little collie.The owner had attempted to amend his behaviour using the traditional methods that had worked with her previous dogs but this guy requires a different skillset. I was in no doubt that he required some extreme socialisation and expert handling if he was to overcome his hang-ups. The town where he lived was highly charged with criminal activity and drug abuse. There were dogs being kennelled in every other garden and the negative atmosphere was electric on the streets. The town is renowned for having packs of dogs running wild in the streets and it’s certainly not the environment for socialising a stressed out collie.
The owner was getting older and was not fit by any means. On top of that the birth of her grandchild was imminent. The dog had already attacked a few of the neighbour's dogs and had bitten the owner’s son twice in the last few weeks.

I always say I’m in this for the dogs and I stick by that statement. I took account of the overall situation and my recommendation was that it would be best if the wee dog was returned to the rescue centre and re-homed into a more suitable environment. This dog needs a home where he can be socialised and stimulated. This wee guy needs loads of free running and plenty of jobs to do to keep him occupied. In a perfect world I would have adopted him myself and brought him on but this is not a reality at the moment.

My decision broke the owner’s heart and I’m not proud of it. The owner had formed a bond with this wee guy and she doted on him even though he had put her through the mill. The woman stayed by herself and he was her only companion. I found this decision easy to make but very difficult to implement. I know in my heart it’s the best course of action. I would feel responsible if anything happened to the owner or the new baby because I had lacked the bottle to make an unpopular decision. I must stress that this was a recommendation not an ultimatum and I was not enforcing the separation. However, the owner agreed with me that it was the best course of action. The owner she said she just needed closure from another person.

Unfortunately, common sense and best practices don’t count for much when your losing your best friend. I feel deeply saddened at the pain and anguish that this poor old woman is going through. I would have preferred to make a more popular decision and guard her from this suffering but I had to act in the best interests of the dog.

I genuinely hope my decision pays off for both dog and owner.

I would like to offer the owner my sincere sympathy and wish her all the best for the future.

This situation “doesn’t make me feel that good”.

Bonnie and Jasper

2008-03-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

Most of my posts concentrate on dog aggression or behavioural dominance.
Every now and then I come across a case that encompasses a new challenge. This case is definitely one of the most unusual.

I received a call from Pamela one Friday afternoon. The conversation went along the following lines. “ Hi Paul, I got your number off Julie at the dog’s trust. I have 2 dogs named Bonnie and Jasper. Jasper is fine most of the time but Bonnie has started snarling at my 11 month old daughter and she snapped at her the other day.We’ve had some training advice in the past but we were unable to keep up with it because of our busy routines. I really feel that it may be better if we could find a good home for Bonnie as I’m terrified she bites my baby. We also come down every morning to find a terrible mess in the office where the dogs sleep. My husband Steve walks them both for around 45 minutes every night but they still mess in the house”

I agreed to see Pamela and to be honest I had almost resigned myself to the fact that we would have to rehome Bonnie. I had mailed Julie at the dog’s trust saying “I’m very hands on with most things but I refuse to put a baby’s life in danger. If we need to rehome this wee dog, so be it”.

I arrived at the house to be greeted by a couple of noisy dogs. I introduced myself to Pamela and Steve and I began to discuss the ins and outs of the co-existence of dogs and babies in the same household.

I could see that the thought of rehoming Bonnie was ripping their hearts out and I was attempting to manage their expectations and guilt. I explained that sometimes it can be best for dog and owner to part company. I referred to Mary with little “Jake the peg nipper” who have forged a super relationship and are as happy as can be. I felt the best I could do was to try and be responsible and stop the baby getting hurt.

I noticed that all the time I had been chatting to the owners, Bonnie had been hiding in the office and had occasionally been popping her head out and having a snarl and a few nervous barks. I was just about to leave and I had an overwhelming urge to look at Bonnie. I knew I had to assess her so I mentioned to the owners that I should take her outside to get a feeling for the kind of home that would be suitable for her.

I walked Bonnie outside with Steve and performed some loose lead training. I was clicking her when she kept pace with me. I noticed that this nervous wee soul was transforming before my eyes. I noticed how alert she was and how she was now walking with her neck arched and her ears up. She was obviously enjoying the mental stimulation and attention.

We returned indoors and I decided to try something. I asked that her mat be placed at the side of the sofa. I placed a house line on her to ensure that the baby was not going to be put in any danger. I started to click her for sitting on the mat beside me. Bonnie appeared to be quite happy to sit and be rewarded for sitting on the mat. Suddenly this “no hoper” wasn’t looking that bad and I had a feeling that we may just be able to do something.

The owners appeared to be quite happy to give Bonnie another chance so I advised them that Bonnie should not be permitted to run away into a room at the back of the house and snip and people. I advised that Bonnie be encouraged to sit on her mat when both Steve and Pamela were at home.

My hope was that Bonnie would learn to tolerate the baby being handled by Pamela and be happy to be involved in family life. Obviously she would be treated for sitting and staying on her mat while the baby toddled around the room. The real objective was to make Bonnie face up to reality and deal with the fact that the baby will receive more attention than her. The other side is that she would be rewarded for exhibiting good behaviour and still be a valued member of the family.

Next step was to have a go at tackling the messing in the office. This type of behavioural problem is really difficult to cope with and most owners are extremely intolerant of it. There is nothing worse than knowing that you are going to be “welcomed” by a terrible, smelly mess first thing in the morning. This is especially true when you are making the effort to ensure that the dogs are being exercised regularly.
The situation in the office was that one dog slept in an open cage and the other dog slept in a dog bed. My advice was to lock one dog in the cage so we could establish who was making the mess.
I worked with the family via email for a few days where we made a few minor adjustments and eventually we discovered that Jasper was the culprit. We subsequently realised that Jasper would not eliminate in his cage if he was locked in. As time progressed both dogs started sleeping in the cage and as I write this I understand that the office has been mess free for over 2 weeks.

I also worked on allowing the dogs to bark once when the doorbell rang but to place them behind on a line while I answered the door. I rewarded them for being quite and sitting while I answered the door.

So the first visit had been quite fruitful and I had learned “never say never” and always to give things a try. The owners were keen to continue. I had proved my worth and by this time I had my heart set on trying to stop this clever, misunderstood wee soul being dumped into a rescue centre with the label of “not being good with children”

So we set up another visit. Things had definitely improved around the house. Bonnie was much more content and was sitting happily on her mat when I entered the room.

I chatted with the owners and I could sense that Pamela was still not convinced that keeping Bonnie was the correct thing to do. Incidentally, it was apparent that this was causing Pamela a great deal of stress and upset. I don’t like upsetting people and I hate to see anyone crying. I knew I had to try and get to the bottom of things so I asked Pamela a few questions about how she felt and what would make things better for her. There were a few fundamental issues that emerged. The first was a deep maternal protectiveness that was only natural. Pamela had been frightened when Bonnie snapped at the baby and she was not prepared to let this happen again.
The other resounding factor was that Pamela was under pressure looking after the baby, phones ringing, dogs running around, trying to do housework and all the other usual distractions. On top of this, I was requesting that the dogs be stimulated mentally and physically throughout the day and this all just seamed too much for Pamela to handle. The fact that she had to ensure that Bonnie was never left in the room alone with the baby was just another responsibility that Pamela could do without.

I decided that the only way forward was to build up the relationship between Bonnie and Pamela through very short 2 minute sessions scattered throughout the day. I walked out with Pamela and showed her how to train Bonnie to follow her on a loose line. Pamela and Bonnie performed very well and both appeared to enjoy the experience.

The next step was to attempt to stop Jasper barking and whining when the phone rang. This was a weird one and I had never encountered anything like this before. Whenever I come across a new problem I try to put myself in the dog’s place. Suddenly it dawned on me.

Pamela had been letting Jasper outside to run around the garden when the phone rang. Jasper had come to associate the phone ringing with grabbing his toy and getting released into the garden. He had discovered that whining or barking got him released into the garden quicker.
My first move was to remove Jasper’s toy. This would be the first step in breaking his association with the phone ringing and him being released. I then started clicking him for running to his bed and sitting. Next step was to get Steve to make the phone ring. Within a few minutes Jasper was associating the phone ringing with him being rewarded for sitting in his bed. This is known as a replacement behaviour where we use the same trigger but create and shape a replacement outcome. As time goes by, the dog associates the trigger with the replacement behaviour.

My next visit was to get Bonnie involved with normal day to day activities. I had my son Louis with me along with super stooge dog Lulu. I showed Pamela how handle dog aggression. I then showed Pamela how to train Bonnie to walk along side the pram. This would allow Bonnie and the baby to go for walks together and would help strengthen the bond between Pamela and Bonnie.

This encounter has introduced me to lots of new behavioural problems and taught me how to appreciate the emotional anxiety that a baby can excerpt on owners and dogs.
From a dog’s point of view, babies can destroy the bond that has been established between them and their owner. It is understandable why some dogs attack babies in a bid to “remove the problem”. Owners need to ensure that the dogs don’t feel too left out by ensuring the good times and great.

My job was made easy with the help of 2 really nice owners who had the dog’s best interests at heart. Hopefully with a little work, the owners, dogs, and baby will be able to co-exist in harmony.

There's nothing as queer as folk

2008-02-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

Were do I start?
I run up and down the country with the sole objective of stopping dogs getting returned to rescue centres. I hold down a demanding full time job so my dog work has to be done at night after work and after I’ve attended to my own dogs. This equates to me being on the go for up to 18-hours, 3 or 4 nights per week. On top of that, I donate most of my earnings back into the rescue system. I’m not looking for sympathy. I choose to do this work and the plus side is that my advice is generally welcomed and appreciated. I find my dog work extremely rewarding and I know that sometimes I make the difference and stop dogs being dumped in rescue centres or being put to sleep.

Every now and then, situations occur that make me question if all this hard work and sacrifice is worthwhile.

I recently experienced a situation where I had given some pre visit work advice via email and telephone. I visited the client and spent over 2 hours working through numerous situations. At the end of the appointment, the client didn’t have any cash and asked me if it would be OK to write me a cheque or pay me next time. I said next time would be fine because I usually donate my earnings or use them to subsidise other people who cant afford to pay for training so its no hardship for me to go unpaid now and then. The following morning I wrote a mail to the client covering the things we had worked on and outlining things that should be progressed etc.

Later that day, I received a mail stating that the client wanted to delay any further sessions because the whole experience was way too stressful for her and her dogs. I think delay was a nice way of saying “forget it and don’t come back”. This decision had been prompted because one of the dogs had wet his bed overnight. The owner accredited the bed wetting to an extremely stressful training session. She was concerned that because the dog had a rough past and because she had not had him for long that my training session had put the dog back. This owner reckoned that the dog had been distressed because he had let out a light squeal when I took hold of his collar to remove him from the room. This wee dog was really content and happy by the time I left the house. He was sitting with his neck arched, ears forward and tail wagging. This is not the behaviour I’d expect from a stressed out puppy.

I always try to look at everything positively and this post is not a jibe at the owner. To be honest, she has the dog’s best interest at heart and she’s trying her utmost to ensure that her dogs have as happy a life as possible.
I’d hazard a guess and put the bed wetting down to the dog wondering if his situation is about to change again. He may have come to associate a new handler with a new home. Does wetting his bed constitute absolving him from any future training or discipline? I think not.

The reality is that any training program is a behaviour modification process. By definition “modify” translates to “make a change or transformation”. To change a behaviour there has to be a crossover point. This crossover point usually means “No, your current behaviour is unacceptable and I wont tolerate it anymore”. The owner’s intolerance is normally the reason that I get called in the first place.

My training methods are based on positive reinforcement and negative punishment. PUNISHMENT, I hear you say? Well, we all use some kind of punishment when we modify behaviour. Negative punishment is when you remove the dog from a desirable situation or when you remove a pleasurable stimuli. E.g. if the dog is trampling over your flowers in the garden, you remove him from the garden for a few minutes then allow him out again. The idea is that you translate that the flowerbed is out of bounds to him and he will be removed from the garden each time he enters it. In time, the dog gets the message and refrains from assaulting the flowers in the garden. THIS IS NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT. Negative punishment does not cause any pain or physical suffering.

I hate being negative and I don’t like crossing paths with anyone but I deeply resent being labelled as a heavy-handed trainer.

I do excerpt my dominance on dogs but not in an aggressive or bullying manner. I’m NOT in favour of any kind of positive punishment even rattle bottles or choke chains. I will not tolerate petulance and I refuse to be pulled, jumped upon or bitten by a dog and I will react swiftly to remove a dog from a situation if it attempts to dominate me. I place myself in a leadership position and reward the dog for complying to my requests. I like to think of myself as a good boss to work for. I do have standards and I’m demanding but I will reward generously and consistently. All my videos on this site show happy dogs willing to work NOT quivering wrecks frightened to step out of line.

On the plus side, this experience had a few aspects that are worth mentioning.
The first is that the owner was humanising the dogs. The dogs were being treated as equals and as such were operating like equals. The owner had received letters of complaint regarding the noise that the dogs were making in the house and in the garden. The dogs were constantly jumping up on visitors. They had also been allowed to run loose and had previously ran up to strangers and jumped all over them. This kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable. These behaviours need to be modified and there may be an initial period where the dog will feel out of place because he is not being allowed to operate in the fashion he is used to. Owners need to realise that after this initial crossover period the dog will start to conform and be much more content.

The other resounding aspect of this case was that the owner appeared to be extremely mindful that the dog had been mistreated previously. Lets get real. There is nothing I or anyone else can do about the incidents that occurred in the past. We CAN modify the dog’s behaviour and make his future more enjoyable. People need to stop getting hung up about the past. We’ve all experienced pleasure, pain, hurt, mishap and misdemeanour. We don’t have to mention it to everyone we meet or let it affect our future. I sometimes believe that owners use dogs to express their own emotions. I’ve no issue with that as long as it doesn’t put the dog’s welfare at risk.

On a serious note, there are amendments to the dangerous dogs act being presented to the Scottish parliament. These new laws could make life very difficult for owners who let their dogs interfere with other people. Owning a dog in the UK is going to become much more demanding than it is at present. The days of letting unruly dogs disturb neighbours are numbered. This owner could potentially end up being charged under the dangerous dogs act if her dogs continue to operate in this fashion.

Some owners like the notion of having an obedient dog but have no idea of how to put it in place. Some people go through life getting their own way by throwing strops or by getting moody.Dogs dont care if you're moody.You'll have to be better than that if you want your dog to obey you. Dogs are pack animals that are guided and dominated by a strong and worthy pack leader. Don’t think you can reverse thousands of years of evolution by “being nice or throwing a strop”. Share your space or food with your dog and suffer the consequences of canine equality. Be inconsistent or unreliable and your dog will repay you with similar attributes and acts of petulance.

There is a huge void between love and respect and a dog may love you but he will not respect you unless you show him that you are a worthy leader.

I’d like to thank the owner for this experience. I’m sure it will make me a better trainer.

Alfie

2008-02-13T02:32:00.001-08:00

Rodger and Margot contacted me regarding Alfie, a labradoodle just over 1 year old and already in his 3rd home. Second chance readers will be familiar with Alfie as he’s been a regular presence on the site over the passed few months.

Alfie is a handsome chap with tons of drive and a personality that would charm the knicks off miss world. He was showing some petulant behaviour towards other dogs and had a “talent” for pulling his owners on the lead.

I arrived at the house to be assaulted by this big hairy lump. Alfie was not aggressive towards me. He was just exuberant and playful.

I introduced myself to the owners and spoke about domestic behavioural do’s and don’ts. I performed some clicker training with Alfie to get him to sit in his bed. Alfie was very enthusiastic and really enjoyed the clicker training.

Next step was to tackle the lead work. We walked Alfie to an area nearby and performed some loose lead work with him. Alfie soon got the hang of things and was happy to keep pace with me in return for some tasty liver cake.

I noticed that Rodger and Margot were speaking too much to Alfie.These vocal cues were not being interpreted correcty and Alfie's response was unreliable and inconsistent. I advised that they reduce the amount of verbal commands and concentrate on clicker work where Alfie can be encouraged to offer them behaviour.

My next visit was going to handle Alfie’s aggression towards other dogs. I had my son Louis and my young dog Lulu with me to act as decoys. We walked Alfie to an open area nearby and Louis brought Lulu into the frame. Alfie initially got very grumpy and snarly. I decided it was better to control his head so I placed a gentle leader on him. I find a gentle leader is great for calming dogs down and after the initial rebellious antics; most dogs walk really well and don’t mind them too much. As expected, Alfie tried to release himself from the halti by twisting and stopping but soon calmed down when he learned that there was no escape.

Next step was to get Margot to handle Alfie while I walked beside them with Lulu. As soon as Margot took charge of the lead, Alfie attempted to manoeuvre himself into a position where he could have a go at Lulu. I pointed this out to Margot and instructed her to take the strong position where he could be corrected if he moved out of position. Within seconds Alfie was walking perfectly with Margot. Rodger then took charge of the “controls” and I started to introduce some distractions like throwing a ball in front of him and getting Lulu to retrieve it. Within a few minutes Alfie was walking to heel with Rodger totally ignoring Lulu – job done.

Alfie has a similar temperament to my own dog Oscar. He has a hard edge and needs to kept interested. Like all these high drive dogs; Alfie is very intelligent. He is capable of assessing situations very quickly and working out where he sits in the large scheme of things. I’ve no doubt that Alfie’s previous demise can be attributed to his ingenuity and ability to work out who he needs to pay attention to and who he can ignore. These types of dogs need very consistent and deliberate handling.

I think Alfie has found his forever home now. My only concern is that Alfie’s owners will continue to let him dominate situations. This is never advisable for dogs with a strong will and inevitably leads to further misdemeanours and disobedience. Sometime I think dogs like Alfie adopt a "I will because I can" policy and if they are not set straight, they continue to rule the roost.

Alfie’s owners are not looking for a dog with robotic obedience. My objective was to help them get Alfie to a position where he can be walked without pulling their arms out their sockets or barking and snarling at other dogs. I’ve gave them the foundations and the tools to achieve this. Hopefully Alfie will continue to improve with the application of consistent handling and solid leadership.

Lulu and Oscar in Action

2008-01-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here are a few clips of my dogs having fun around the house.

The first clip is Lulu shutting the door in the living room. This is a handy trick when you're settled in your chair to watch the football and can't be bothered getting up.

The bottom clip is Oscar running onto his barrell and showing off with a waive and a bit of verbal.

These tricks are great for keeping the dogs stimulated and interested.

enjoy .........

Jasper - Alive and Dangerous

2008-01-18T07:15:00.000-08:00

Well there are some dogs that are pretty straightforward and just need a few pointers and they are sorted. At the other end of the spectrum there are dogs like Jasper.

I’ve been involved with Jasper for a few months now. Jasper has to be one of my greatest challenges to date but he’s taught me so much and I'm grateful for the experience.

I initially got called asking for help with a 2 year old rescued GSD. He had just been neutered and he was requiring a "little help".

Jasper dived on top of the sofa barking and growling when I entered his house. I got him off the sofa and he instantly urinated on the carpet. I took him out the front door and he eliminated all over the pathway. It was obvious that I was dealing with a troubled character.

I walked Jasper down to the small park down from his house and did some loose lead work with him. Jasper was great so we progressed to leaving the ball when it was dropped etc.

I advised the Jasper’s owners to ensure they took all the usual behavioural precautions, lifting his food, daily routines etc.

I received a call a few weeks later saying that Jasper had bitten the man of the house. The attack was totally unprovoked and he had badly punctured the skin. Again I advised that the behavioural process was put in place and to ensure he was not allowed to invoke play, demand food etc. It appeared to me that Jasper was getting his own way and he was getting upset when things were not as he expected. A few weeks later and I received another call saying he had bitten again and this time Mark had to be hospitalised.

I asked about the daily routine that Jasper was getting and I advised the he was exercised in the morning as well as night time. I also advised that he was stimulated mentally with games etc.

After 2 biting episodes, I decided I needed to see Jasper again. I arrived at the house for the second visit and Jasper defecated all over the living room carpet as soon as I walked in the room. This was extreme stress and I immediately I had my suspicions that all was not well. I actually said to the owners “I could end up getting bit by this dog tonight”.

The main complaint was that Jasper was being very aggressive when he was out and was pulling on the lead incessantly so I walked with the owners down to a roadside and started working him along the road. Jasper was doing OK and the owners were amazed at his lack of aggression. I then asked Karen to walk with him. Jasper immediately turned into a monster, patrolling frantically with his head and tail up ready for action. I let things be for a short while and when things were not settling down, I took him off Karen and walked him away from her. By this time Jasper was stressing. I thought he was just playing up so I persisted to walk him away from Karen. I tried to settle him down but he was very upset. I still couldn’t work out what was wrong. I walked him back to Karen and he started to pull and fret. When we got to Karen I attempted to walk passed her but Jasper stopped dead in an attempt to get near her. I insisted he came with me and he just snapped and latched onto my arm, twisting and turning and biting straight through 2 layers of clothing to the bone. I forced him off me and still insisted he walked with me because I could not let him see that biting would get a result. On top of that I had been taken by surprise and needed to regroup.

The whole situation began to unfold before my eyes. Jasper thought Karen was his mate and he was willing to protect her against anyone. I got Jasper home and asked what was really going on in the house. Jasper has been allowed to sleep in Karen’s bed when she was out. He had bouts of tearing up the bed clothes when Karen was at work. It also unfolded that Karen was lying cuddling Jasper at night on the sofa when she returned from work. It also transpired that Mark was doing most of the walking so whenever Karen walked him, Jasper felt the need to protect her. Jasper had formed a bond with Karen and he was being loyal by protecting her, even if it meant biting anyone who came near her.

I now insisted that Jasper be removed from sofa and beds and Karen had to show Jasper that Mark was higher in the pecking order than him. I also advised happy “find it” games. My main concern was that he was not allowed to be stressed or upset unnecessarily but he still had to learn his place in the pack.

A few days later I received a call saying that Jasper had bitten a man jogging in the park. To make matters worse, He had pinned and held him down. I now had fears that we were dealing with a dog that had been bite trained. I advised that Jasper was muzzled whenever he left the house.

I did not want to explore Jasper’s biting potential but I was interested to see if he had any professional training or tracking experience. If Jasper knew how to track, we were definitely dealing with a potential killing machine who had been trained to bite and hold.

I arranged to meet the owners and Jasper in a quiet field away from distractions. I placed Jasper on a 30ft line, planted his favourite toy, laid a track and asked him to find it. It was obvious that Jasper had never done any tracking before. I must admit I was relieved with this result. This indicated that he was an instinctive rather than trained biter.

I worked with the owners and Jasper in the field performing recalls etc and Jasper had a great time. I also brought Lulu with me and we tried to desensitize him to her. I got the impression that Jasper just didn’t know how to communicate. He was really keen to return to his owners. At least this was a step in the right direction.

My next move was to introduce clicker and focus activities in the house. My aim was to get Jasper to offer his owners focus. I sent clicker training instruction to Jaspers owners and booked another visit. The owners had not had much success with the clicker so I was keen to see what was going on.

When I arrived for this visit I asked that Jasper be brought outside the house. I did not want anymore stress and accidents in the house.
I met Jasper outside the house and he was OK. We started to walk down the street and immediately Jasper was trying to pull Karen’s arm off. I took Jasper from her and just stopped walking. I rewarded him for coming to me and I proceeded to walk again. I stopped and reinforced the reward for keeping pace with me. After a few minutes we walked quietly back to the house.

I then started to do some focus work in the house with Jasper. Jasper was too excited to use the clicker so ball focus work was the best candidate. Jasper was happy to play but there was not enough room so I suggested we go outside. I asked that Karen make him wait when she walked out the door. Jasper was totally excited and was barging his way out the door as soon as he saw the door handle move. I now began to realise that Jasper was getting into a stressful state before he even left the house.

I got Karen to do some body language work with Jasper to make sure he waited at the door until he was asked to proceed. This went very well and Karen was pleased at being able to control him.

I subsequently added distractions in the form of myself and Karen’s friend standing at the end of the driveway. Jasper and Karen did very well.

I also worked on getting Jasper to go to his place and wait. Again this went very well and acted as a great confidence builder for both dog and owner.

This is still very much work in progress and Jasper will take a lot more work to get him stable. It’s all about winning small battles with a dog like Jasper.

Jasper is a very complicated and volatile character. The other side of him is a big handsome dog with an affectionate, loyal nature. I don’t think Jasper is out and out aggressive. He’s more of a pitiful soul than an arch villain.

This whole experience has been a long haul for all concerned and I’ve been very demanding on the owners at times. Dogs like Jasper need lots of positive encouragement to build confidence. This type of dog also needs firm leadership to set and maintain the boundaries. Unfortunately Jasper is the type of dog that usually gets misunderstood and ends up being put to sleep.

Karen and Mark have had to put a lot of work in with Jasper. It is not easy living with a dog like this. You have to be super vigilant and patient. On top of that I have been demanding and abrupt at times to ensure that my instructions were adhered to. It’s all for the good of the dog but sometimes I can get very animated – it’s just my passion to succeed.

Jasper is definitely a much calmer, happier dog since I started working with him. He may end up absolutely fine. Never say never.

Thanks for the experience Jasper - you’ve made me a better trainer …………….

Jake - The Peg Nipper

2008-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

Mary called me with regards to her Parson’s Jack Russell Jake.

Jake has had a chequered past, being shunted from home to home for being aggressive and dominant. Jake has a history of biting feet when he gets stressed.

Mary adopted Jake to live with her other dog Shandy. Both dogs lived contentedly together for some time. Sadly Shandy passed away and Jake reverted to his old habits.

I arrived at Mary’s home to meet Jake excitedly jumping and bounding all over the room. He was intent on jumping on the sofa to elevate his head position and show his status within the pack.

It was obvious that Jake thought he was the leader of the house by the way he projected his protective body language. Poor Jake thought his mission in life was to protect Mary.

I asked Mary to put a house line on Jake. Jake soon commandeered one of his toys and lay down in front of Mary, guarding it. I knew this was a protective, dominant communication so I approached him quietly to take hold of the line. Jake immediately pounced at my feet and started biting. I swiftly marched him straight out the room and shut him in the hall for a few minutes then allowed to re-enter the room.

I removed his toys and started to clicker train him to sit in his bed. To be honest Jake responded very well and was happy to sit in his bed on command for a click and a treat. This was the foundation replacement behaviour for jumping on the sofa. I suggested that Mary take Jake’s bed into her bedroom and night and encourage him to sleep in his own bed rather than Mary’s bed.

The next visit was always going to be a little tougher than the initial one. I was accompanied by my son Louis and super stooge dog Lulu. The good news was that Mary had already noticed a difference in Jake. He appeared to be much more relaxed and content.

We practiced some bed commands when Louis with Louis walking in and out the house. I went over the basics of intermittent clicking to ensure that Jake understood that he had to stay in his bed when instructed rather than simply sit in it for 2 seconds and run out again.

We then tackled Jake’s lead pulling and aggression issues. I walked him outside performing my loose lead techniques. He soon got the hang of things and was happy to keep pace with me and get rewarded.

The next stage was to integrate him with Lulu. Jake got very aggressive when he saw Lulu. As soon as he pulled on the line I turned and marched quickly in the opposite direction. I kept an eye on him and praised him when he gave me his focus. I kept repeating this until he was happy to walk up to Lulu without trying to nail her.

I also enforced my authority by standing between Jake and Lulu and made Jake deal with the situation. I made sure he did not cross the line between me and Lulu.

I then started walking along the road in parallel with Louis and Lulu. I corrected Jake if need be but I made sure he was rewarded for compliance. Next stage was to take Lulu and Jake around the block together.

I asked Mary to take Jake while I walked along side her with Lulu. Next step was to start feeding both dogs together - job done.Jake had been totally desensitized to Lulu and was happy to share food and walk with her.

I must admit that I’ve never been a terrier fan but the more I work with these spunky wee guys, the more I like them and I’ll probably end up owning one in the future. They have boundless energy and are keen to please once they understand what is expected of them.

Jake still has a long way to go and there’s every chance of a relapse if he starts getting the wrong signals. Dogs like Jake need consistent reinforcement and stimulation to keep them interested. Mary will have to create a daily routine that will exercise his body and his brain.

I’ve no doubt Mary just loves Jake to bits. There was never a question of the two being separated but hopefully my help will strengthen their relationship and make life more enjoyable.

With solid leadership and plenty of positive stimulation, I’m confident that Jake will settle and become the companion that Mary is looking for.

Rotties - Villains or Victims

2007-12-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Well I’ve listened to a weekend of Rottie assaults by the UK media and I’m using my blog as a “blowout” mechanism. This blog is regularly read by lots of nice people along with a few healthy critics and a couple of knob heads who think they know better than everyone else but never deliver the goods.

Firstly I must send my sincere condolences to the parents of the little boy who was mauled at the weekend. The thought of losing a child to this kind of attack is absolutely unthinkable and my heart genuinely goes out to the parents and relatives.

Predictably, the UK media jumped on this heartbreaking incident and treated it as an opportunity to give the Rotties some serious stick. The UK media openly criticised the government for not adding Rotweillers to the list of dangerous dogs claiming that there had been numerous calls for this to happen.

How long is the constant victimisation of this noble breed going to continue?

The UK media go out their way to portray Rotties as "Devil Dogs", an unpredictable, unstable breed capable of turning on anyone at anytime and inflicting serious damage.

Listen dafty!!! - It’s not a specific dog or breed, it’s the lack of socialisation and experienced handling that leads to attacks.

So what would make it better? - Well there are lots of measures that could be put into force that would help. Unfortunately most of them would take a great deal of effort to police.

I think the “long and the short of it" comes down to responsible ownership, regular physical and mental stimulation along with consideration and respect for the people and dogs that you interact with on a daily basis.

Too many poorly equipped people are getting their mucky, unclean, inexperienced paws on these noble creatures. These dogs are not for the first time owner or the thug who wants to look tough walking down the street. These dogs require an experienced handler capable of training or modifying behaviour using positive training methods. As always I'll throw in my tuppence worth and say these dogs need to know their place in the human pack.

I see lots of so called aggressive dogs in my line of work. I’ve seen 2 Rotties in the past year and both were in a training capacity. I see far more Terrier mixes with aggression problems than any other breed. I’m not making terriers out to be bad guys either - I’m simply making the point that I don’t have many dealings with aggressive Rotties, GSDs, bull terriers or any other "dangerous" breeds.

I’m not going to be insensitive and poke my finger into the incident that occurred at the weekend. All I'll say is most attacks have undertones or mixed signals that get misinterpreted by the dog and subsequently trigger the aggressive outburst.
From the news coverage alone, there were some dubious actions that preceded the attack. The whole incident is terribly sad for all in sundry.

Please don’t be drawn in by all the negative Rottie press that is blasted over the tabloids. Yes, Rotties are capable of doing serious damage but no more than any other large powerful dog. When socialised and handled properly, Rotties are a joy to share your life with. They are truly noble creatures. They are highly intelligent, loyal and full of character. My Rotties make me laugh every day. Just look at the photo of Oscar after he's had a "row" off his mum.

The UK press are intent on brainwashing the British public into thinking that Rotties are some kind of evil presence put on this earth with an agenda of mauling young babies at every opportunity.
Lets get it straight,Rotties are an ancient breed of noble origin and have been used in Germany for herding and guarding since Roman times - much longer than the trash media tabloids that malign them.Rotties are not some kind of macabre satanic invention.

We need to educate owners how to socialise and handle these dogs properly.

We do not need to ban Rotties in the UK.

Sermon over …………..

Pet Dog Obedience Program

2007-12-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a compilation of short videos filmed on 23rd December 2007 starring my young rottie Lulu.

To be honest, there's nothing startling about any of the exercises filmed in this videos. These are simple exercises that can be performed as part of your daily routine to maintain an acceptable standard of obedience.

I plan to introduce a program that will be geared towards working with clients and their dogs with an objective of attaining this standard of obedience. My intention is to progress an untrained dog to the standard shown in the video within 4 or 5 sessions.

The video is showing the outdoor routines.The program will also incorporate domestic manners, pre and post walk routines and clicker training. The program will involve continious assessment and a final test.
Please feel free to mail me (paul@gaughan.com)for more details

Paddy

2007-12-21T12:00:00.001-08:00

Meet Paddy. Probably the biggest, softest, gentle lump you’ll ever meet.

Paddy is still a baby and has at least another year of growing - he's going to be a big boy.

Emma called me enquiring if I would give them some advice. Emma and husband Matt had decided to rehome Paddy who had previously been rehomed at 5 months so this was going to be his 3rd home.

To complicate things even more, Emma and Matt had no experience of dogs.

I mailed Emma back and forth giving advice on various things and agreed to see Paddy after he had settled in for a few weeks.

I arrived at the house and was greeted by this big lovable lump. He sat in front of me looking at me wondering why I wasn’t cuddling him. Next minute Emma’s little girl runs into the room, puts her arms around Paddy, says “night night Paddy" and gives him a big smacker of a kiss on the side of his face and runs out of the room.

Paddy soon gave up on me offering him any affection and fell asleep on the floor.

I spoke to Emma and Matt about what I do and my training philosophy etc.

We took Paddy for a walk and introduced him to loose lead training. I praised him for following us and paying attention. I altered pace and direction to ensure that he kept focusing on us. This serves as a preliminary exercise for off leash distance control. I controlled him by focus and concentration rather than physical restraint. We used praise is a reinforcer, just like treats or cuddles or play games. Paddy had a great time, waggling his whole back end with enjoyment everytime I said "that's good, well done Paddy"

I also demonstrated the male mounting position while I was grooming him. This is a great tool to enforce your dominance but in a nice positive way and it increases the pack bond.

I also introduced Paddy to waiting while I walked in the back gate. This is good manners and enforces pack status.

We covered loads of things in one session.I must admit that there were two elements of our conversation that “made me happy”. The first was when I threw in the cheeky question to Emma “Do you not fancy giving him away?” Her retort was “ What Paddy?? No way, he’s our dog now and he’ll stay with us forever”. The other one was when Emma was discussing how Paddy had went to the doggy parlour to get his nails cut and shampooed and Matt said “We have to keep him in good condition so he’s healthy and make sure he stays like that.” These comments were genuine statements that Paddy is regarded as an important edition to their family.

I’m never optimistic about non-doggy people getting giant breeds because I know from experience that these dogs are high maintenance and can be extremely dominant. Seeing how content Paddy was made me feel much more comfortable with the situation.

I've not had many dealings with Mastiffs but I know Boxers inside out and both breeds share similar traits. I find the best way to deal with these dogs is to humour them into doing good things and to involve then in everything. They really love being involved and appreciate being thanked for good behaviour.

My only concern is that Paddy needs to learn how to ignore other dogs on command and not get involved in any fights or swabbles as this could ruin his temperament. Emma and Matt need to be careful when they’re walking him to ensure that he doesn’t charge over to other dogs.

I think Emma and Matt are getting on great at the moment and Paddy is really happy. As such I don’t think anything fundamentally needs fixing urgently. I’m happy to help at a distance and visit again if need be.

On a serious note, it’s great to be called before thngs go wrong. I think Emma and Matt were very responsible to call me and get advice and I wish more people would follow their lead speak to me in the early stages of behavioural issues.

I must admit Paddy is absolutely fabulous. I just know he would make an excellent “pets as therapy” dog simply because he is so laid back, gentle and completely irresistible.

I deal with so many stressed and aggressive dogs – it’s great to work with something as gentle and charismatic as Paddy.

Good luck Emma and Matt.

Polly and Murphy

2007-12-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

Gill called me asking for some help with her terror terriers.

On my first visit I arrived at the home and totally ignored the dogs when they entered the room. I explained my methods to Gill and her husband and asked them what their canine behavioural and training goals were.

Gill’s request was pretty standard.

To be able to let the dogs off the lead and call them back

To have the dogs walk at heel and not pull everyone off their feet

To stop being aggressive towards other dogs

To stop being aggressive in the garden

To be able to take the dogs to their son’s football match without them causing mayhem.

First I tackled the heelwork with Gill and Murphy. I done the usual long line training techniques where I encouraged the dog to follow not lead. We then introduced a wait command.

During our walk we encountered another dog. Murphy was "asked" to stand behind me when the other dog approached. He tried to resist but soon realised that it was a better idea to sit patiently and let the dog pass. (i.e. I asserted my leadership skills and let him know that I was capable of dealing with the situation and did not require his help)

We also performed a desensitization exercise when he saw another dog approaching. (i.e. as soon as he noticed the other dog we started walking briskly in the other direction. As soon as we got his focus we praised and encouraged him to follow by increasing pace)

Next up was Polly who is a Jekyll and Hyde character. Polly is so sweet and loving until she sees another dog then she turns into this aggressive little monster.

Gill's husband Richard and Polly went for a quite stroll and I demonstrated the long line technique and the wait command. Unfortunately we never seen another dog.

I then demonstrated how Gill and Richard could incorporate some basic commands and good manners into their daily training routine. This encompassed waiting at the door then waiting at the garden gate on the way to and from the exercise area. I also enforced the no eye contact when entering the room and no dogs on the sofa rules. All this was demonstrated in a very calm easy-going manner without stress or confrontation.

My next visit was geared towards tackling the dog aggression stuff. Enter super stooge dog Lulu. I arrived at the house and spent some time introducing Richard to Lulu.

I got Richard to walk Lulu back and forth along the perimeter of the garden. I placed the 2 dogs on a long line at made them sit behind me without barking or snarling. I rewarded and praised the dogs for good behaviour.

I then walked Murphy out the garden and controlled his aggression when he could see Lulu at a distance. I praised his good manners. I gradually moved closer to Lulu, turning and walking in the opposite direction each time Murphy snarled. This is basically testing the behaviour with a distraction and conditionally praising or correcting the outcome. This modifies the dog behaviour using positive consequence of action. After a few corrections Murphy was walking parallel to where Lulu was standing.

I performed the same stuff with Polly then I handled the two dogs at the same time, praising for good manners and correcting undesirable behaviour. This was my way of controlling pack power.

Next step was to walk up and down the street with Lulu, Polly and Murphy together – job done.

To reinforce the behaviour we all went back in the garden were all 3 dogs ran around in peace while we chatted quietly. To top it off we entered the house and let all 3 dogs settle down.

This is a classic desensitisation exercise I perform to show the aggressive dog that there is no need to protect or get aggressive. By enforcing control at a distance and gradually moving closer we take the sting out of the situation.

One thing I must stress about desensitisation is that the behavioural side must be firmly under control before any dog aggression training can work properly.

Some dogs get so aggressive with other dogs and people simply because they are trying to “protect” their perceived mate or dependants. This side of dog behaviour is tragically misunderstood and many dogs are needlessly put to sleep.

Make sure the dog is not suffering from separation anxiety and knows his rank within the human pack before you attempt to desensitize outdoor aggression.

Care must be taken to ensure you do not confuse a protective behavioural issue with a dog-to-dog dominance scenario.

I left the owners for 2 weeks to get on with things. Gill had encountered some mixed results with the dog aggression stuff. Polly was doing really well but Murphy was having the occasional relapse.

I decided to take my son Louis to handle Lulu on my next visit so I could concentrate on helping Gill. This time I raised the bar by sending Lulu out at full speed around the park while the dogs where being controlled by their owners. This definitely heightens the stress levels in aggressive dogs, especially sight based terriers. I then worked with Gill getting her to walk Murphy passed Lulu. We then incorporated Polly. Everything went OK.

Next up was Murphy’s fascination with chasing footballs. I asked Gill’s son to kick the ball up and down the path next to where Murphy was standing. I kept turning Murphy away from the ball and praised him when he gave me focus. We gradually moved closer until we were next to the ball. He wasnt perfect but this was a giant step forward to his usual manic tantrums.This kind of fascination cant be corrected in a single session so it was more a point of letting Gill and Rich see how to go about the desensitization process.

After the session all 3 dogs went back to Gill’s house. The dogs were happy to lie together with no aggression. This would never have happened previously.

These cases can never be totally cured in 2 or 3 sessions. The owners need to enhance and build on the desensitization processes I put in place. The dogs appear to be much calmer and generally happier now. I firmly believe that these dogs will become well-balanced individuals if these techniques are implemented and exercised regularly as part of the dog’s routine.

So getting back to Gills original goals. Well hopefully I’ve given them the tools to achieve all their goals. The off lead recall is an exercise that needs to be tackled after the desensitization is firmly engrained. Long line distance training is probably the best route to go to achieve this goal. The heel-work is definitely getting there. The desensitization to other dogs and footballs is an ongoing process but there is no reason why these dogs should continue to be aggressive.

I really enjoyed working with Gill and Rich. They’re genuinely nice people who want to make the dogs part of their family and include them in all their day-to-day activities. I’ve given them the tools and the insight into modifying their pets behaviour. I quietly confident about this one.

Rex - An old dog with new tricks

2007-12-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Well meet Rex, an 8 year old collie mix forcibly removed from his last home by the RSPCA. Luckily Rex was rescued by some genuinely caring people who will care for him for the rest of his days.

Rex’s new owners Brian and Kati had an old English Springer spaniel named Skipper who sadly passed away earlier this year.

My initial meeting with Brian was down to my own dog Oscar. Brian was greeted exuberantly by Oscar one day in the woods .Oscar was just a puppy at the time but he’s always been such a likable character. Oscar loves to run to Brian and deliver his compulsory cuddles each time they meet.

Anyway I met Brian on his Sunday morning walk with Rex. Brian told me his story how he had to be removed from his last home because his owner was not fit to look after him. Rex was very barky and nervous, almost on the brink of being aggressive. My solution was simple “let him off and they’ll work it out”. Brian released Rex and after the usual few minor swabbles Rex was trying to get involved with Oscar and Lulu. It was obvious that he just did not know how to communicate and just need to mix with other dogs.

Brian was having trouble with Rex walking to heel so we had a session with a long line, a ball and some liver cake. Rex was an absolute star. He was really keen to be an active participant in the session and just loved to work and train.

I met Brian a few weeks later and we all went for a walk. Again after the initial swabbles everything settled down and all the dogs were running around happily. Rex is progressing each time I see him. He is sociable and loves playing with his ball and he is very active for an “old guy”. So many dogs like Rex end up being put to sleep. This just confirms my theory that most dogs can be turned around with a little patience and hard work.

I’d love to take the credit for this but really it is down to Brian, Kati and Rex. There is one thing for sure “You can teach an old dog new tricks”.

Leaders and Leads

2007-11-22T02:58:00.001-08:00

The title sounds like one of they shonky team building seminar titles.

By leader I refer to pack leader. By lead I refer to the leather thing that attaches to the dogs collar.

Leader : My definition of a leader is a person who rules, guides or inspires others. In the context of pack leader I would make the following statement “Pack leaders lead - pack members follow. Pack members take notice of the pack leader because they respect him NOT because they fear him”

So in the context of dog walkers, how many dog walkers “lead” their dog down the street or around the park? An honest answer is not very many. Most dogs are permitted to haul their owners through doorways and along the street taking little heed of any commands issued to them.

In the wild the lead wolf always takes the initiative. The lead wolf puts himself in a position where he can make an educated decision in the best interest of the pack. The best position to do this is normally at the front of the pack where he can assess the situation.

In our world, allowing your dog to walk in front promotes him up the rankings. This normally leads to confusion and canine equality. I would urge owners to maintain their rank as pack leader and insist that the dog walks beside or behind them.

Personally I like my dogs to walk with their back legs at my heel. This allows me to see them out the corner of my eye while walking. I would stress that my dogs are very perceptive of my movements and can sense a change in pace without loosing position or being corrected. This is practiced every day as part of my daily training routine by asking them to stay in at heel on the way to and from the exercise area. I also have a “change side” command that gets exercised most days. The “change side” command allows me to control where each dog is and is great when I want both dogs to walk on the same side or move one dog to the opposite foot. (e.g. I request each dog to walk on the left when I see a person with a young child or pram approaching. This goes a long way to instilling confidence, especially with the press that rotties have, and is normally appreciated by the passing party). I see this as part of being a responsible dog owner.

Leads : I view a lead as a device to stop the dog doing something silly. I train heelwork on a long line by encouraging the dog to follow me. I set the dog up for success and reward desirable behaviour. As the dog advances through the exercises I shorten the lead and increase my standards. I carry a variety of leads with me. I have double clip leads for use on haltis and gentle leaders. I have a general purpose 6 foot lead and several training lines of different lengths and materials. I believe in encouraging positive behaviour not punishing or correcting undesirable behaviour.

I see so many dogs that have been permitted to develop a resistance to tight leads. One of my clients told me a trainer had advised that he shortened the lead to gain more control. On the face of it this sounds OK but really it just taught the dog how to pull even harder and resulted in a stressed out dog and an exhausted handler. Even after I got the dog to walk at heel the owner was inclined to tighten his grip on the lead. He eventually came around when I walked up the street with the lead hanging on the end on my little finger.

Tight leads encourage dogs to pull. The traditional way of stopping dogs pulling is to inflict punishment or pain by hauling on a choke chain or pinch collar when the dog pulls.

Mmmm!!! So we educate him by punishing him each time he pulls? – He’s never been introduced to the behaviour we would prefer but we’ll punish him when he performs a behaviour we don’t like? Would you teach our kids in this fashion? I don’t and never will.

Here’s my advice. Don’t give a dog the chance to pull in the first place. Stop a dog pulling by encouraging him to follow you. Be unpredictable in your movements but reward him consistently. This will encourage the dog to pay attention to you. From there you can sneak in stays, leave it and focus commands. I normally achieve this with 20 minutes in my first session.

Don’t believe me? - Test me or simply ask any of my clients.

Here's a pic of my son Louis performing some heelwork with Lulu.

Nanuk

2007-11-17T10:37:00.001-08:00

I’ve been interested in wolf hybrids and wolf look a like breeds for some time.

I was thrilled when Mhairi from second chance kennels told me they had rehomed a Northern Inuit and arranged for me to visit.

The Northern Inuit is considered to be the result of inter-breeding GSDs, malamutes and huskies although there is some conjecture over the inclusion of real wolves in their ancestry. Surprisingly, Inuits are renowned for being very placid and non confrontational. Inuits are generally not aggressive and are great with children and other dogs. They make great companions and bond deeply with their owners. The other side of Inuits is that they hate being left alone and can be very destructive.

So I dropped in to visit Nanuk. The less educated dog lover would liken him to a white GSD but a closer look reveals the Malamute strength and bone. Nanuk also has an attractive tinge of red running through his is coat. Nanuk is a good-sized, well-built specimen with a proud noble head. Nanuk is also bi-eyed (a brown eye and a “wall” eye). Nanuk’s temperament is fantastic and he just loves everyone. Nanuk is not just a big sop; he has character and real presence. I performed a little clicker training with Nanuk and he was responsive. I also performed some body language stuff on him and he was very submissive which was a true indication that he understood what was being asked of him.

I enjoyed my visit. Nanuk is a lovely dog and is adored by his owners.
I’m always in favour of dogs that are bred to be good with children and other dogs. I would say this breed “fits the bill” as a family pet far more than GSDs.

I’m always interested in meeting new breeds. I can’t see me owning an undocked Rotweiller or boxer so I’m already on the lookout for the next recruit. The jury is still out on what my next dog will be. If I’m honest, I’m not sure if the Inuits have enough fire for me. They may be too placid and have too short an attention span for the type of work I do. The Malamute may be a better candidate from a training perspective.

There are other breeds that resemble wolves such as the Utonagan, British Inuit, Tamaskan and Czech wolf dog.

Here are a few links to wolf look a likes :

http://www.northerninuit.moonfruit.com/

http://www.wolfdog.org/eng/44.html

http://www.utonagan.co.uk/

http://www.tamaskan-dog.com/

Roscoe - Spoilt brat or misunderstood protector

2007-11-14T04:43:00.001-08:00

Angela called me to discuss her Alaskan Malamute Roscoe. Roscoe had been showing signs of stress when Angela was leaving the house and had started chewing.

I instinctively knew that this would be more than a simple chewing scenario.Malamutes are renowned chewers, escape artists and bond deeply with their owners.I arrived at Angela’s home and was greeted by Roscoe and his little cross Westie companion.

I performed my usual routine to communicate my intentions. Roscoe was intent in making his presence known. He was trying to jump on my back, barking, mouthing and generally getting very upset. After a period of time the dogs settled down. After a brief explanation of my methods we took Roscoe out to the back yard.

I did my loose lead work with Roscoe and he responded very well. I then trained the wait command on a long line and again Roscoe was very responsive. There was a very noticeable behaviour occurring repeatedly while I was working with Roscoe. Roscoe was constantly attempting to gain entry into the house and get back to Angela. This is a classic protective behaviour where the dog is stressed and worried about protecting his family and his property. This is the root of most destructive behaviours and can be addressed and cured with some simple living adjustments.

Anyway, we were making progress and I wanted to assess Roscoe’s lead work so I walked down the street and back again. Roscoe was an incessant puller. I asked Angela to walk with us and Roscoe improved so this was confirming my thoughts about separation anxiety and protection mechanisms.

I decided to try Roscoe with a gentle leader. I’m very much in favour of anything that makes the dogs and the handler’s life more enjoyable providing it has no adverse effects on the dog. I find that a gentle leader works great for calming dogs down. I must stress that gentle leaders and haltis must me operated with a loose lead. Creating tension around the head on the neck will place the dog under more stress and will defeat the purpose.
As expected Roscoe was initially unhappy and unsettled with the gentle leader but with gentle assurance he soon showed signs of acceptance.Before long he was walking very well on it.

My advice to Angela was that she needs to start ignoring Roscoe when she enters the house and she needs to stop letting Roscoe follow her around the house. Also Roscoe has to be stopped from barging through doors and sitting in front of Angela in a protective stance.
Roscoe should walk patiently at heel and should sit behind Angela when other dogs approach.Roscoe would benefit from a daily routine that involves physical and mental stimulation.

Personally I would have Roscoe performing lots of daily chores and I’d make him work for his keep. I’d also be tempted to introduce him to tracking and working trial disciplines. So back to the title of this post. Is Roscoe a spoilt brat or is he a misunderstood protector of the realm? I think he’s a bit of both.

Roscoe is instantly likable through his handsome looks and playful personality. Unfortunately, Roscoe has been used to demanding attention and getting everything he desires. Roscoe’s owners love him to bits and spoil him. This simply makes Roscoe more petulant and bad mannered. I think his resourcefulness shows the underlying intelligence of the dog and should be harnessed in the handlers favour. Dogs like Roscoe normally make great problem solvers and benefit from being stimulated mentally.

On the protection side, Roscoe thinks he has to protect his mum and his property. This leads to him getting extremely stressed when left alone and results in him getting destructive. Angela needs to convey her non compliance to Roscoe when he demands attention, food, cuddles etc. My opinion is the Roscoe’s tantrums will stop if/when he learns his place within the pack and realises that he has no need to worry about looking after his property or its inhabitants.

I must say it was a pleasure to meet a dog like Roscoe. He is full of spirit, has a boundless enthusiasm and is an absolute character. I loved working with him; he’s handsome intelligent and willing to learn.

Angela and Billy love Roscoe to bits. They were responsible enough to ask for help before the situation got out of hand.They want to share their life with Roscoe and have invested both financially and emotionally in making life as pleasurable as possible for him. I'm always happy to help owners like Angela and Billy and will continue to work with them if need be. I just wish all my owners were like minded.

Clicker training - Not For Dummies

2007-11-07T09:59:00.001-08:00

When I say Not for Dummies I'm not referring to the dogs.

I suppose all I should say is that clearly understanding clicker training is no simple matter.

I constantly witness people attempting to simplify clicker training. In effect these people are training with a clicker not clicker training.

So lets have a go at uncovering the world of clicker training. Clicker training cannot be confused with using a clicker to train a specific behaviour. Clicker training is a method of encouraging the dog to be a fully active thinking participant in the training session which in turn allows the trainer to tap into the animals maximum potential. The dog learns how to learn - from then on, we strip the constraints of verbal language and introduce the dog to a world of positively motivated canine education.

Here are a few terms used frequently in behavioural circles:

I think the important thing to remember is that positive means adding and negative means removing.

Positive reinforcement: The act of adding desirable stimuli (E.g. reward the dog with treats when he sits.)

Negative punishment: The act of removing desirable stimuli.(E.g. stop playing with the puppy when he gets too rough )

Counter Conditioning: Also related to replacement behaviour, counter conditioning is the act of training an animal to display a behaviour that is opposed to a current unwanted behaviour (E.g. The dog is trained to offer the postman a paw instead of biting and chasing him out the garden)

Replacement behaviour: This is when an unwanted behaviour is replaced with an acceptable behaviour. The trigger for the unwanted behaviour is used as a trigger for the positive replacement behaviour.

Shaping behaviour: Building a particular behaviour by using a series of small steps to achieve it. Shaping allows you to create behaviour from scratch by drawing on your animal's natural ability to learn. Shaping creates behaviour without the use of physical control or corrections.

Desensitization: This is the process of gradually exposing the animal to a situation that provokes an unwanted behaviour but at an intensity low enough not to trigger the negative condition. Gradually the intensity is increased without provoking the unwanted behaviour until the animal accepts the situation.

Positive punishment: The act of adding stimuli that the dog dislikes (e.g. collar pops, verbal reprimands, physical punishment when the dog steps out of line)

Negative reinforcement: The act of removing stimuli that the dog dislikes - normally when the dog stops displaying unwanted behaviour (E.g. stop the electric collar pops when the dog stops pulling)

There is a lot of confusion around the association of negative reinforcement and positive punishment. This is mainly because in order to remove aversive stimuli (i.e. negative reinforcement) you have to initiate positive punishment. Take the example above – the electric collar pops are stopped when the dog stops pulling. The fact is that the collar pops must have been initiated when the dog started pulling - hence negative reinforcement and positive punishment tend to get confused.

Some conventional trainers use negative reinforcement or positive punishment to stop unwanted behaviours and non-compliance. This normally takes the shape of punishing unwanted behaviours using prong collars, electric collars, rattle bottles and water sprays to name a few.

I have a sympathetic approach to stopping unwanted behaviours. I tend not to go down the positive punishment route preferring to favour the implementation of replacement behaviours and reward based desensitization. My argument is that most pet owners have a lifetime to train their pet so a consistent positive reinforcement program normally produces the goods.
Clicker training is universally recognized as a mechanism used in desensitizing dogs to stressful situations.

Please remember : Clicker training is not about training a specific behaviour. Clicker training is a behavioural modification system, almost a mindset, intended to open the dogs mind to a world of positively motivated education. Let your dog see the big picture ......

Here are a few things to keep in mind when attempting to clicker train:

Each Clicker training session should be viewed as an investment in the future learning ability of the dog. Don’t mix negative reinforcement with clicker training. (E.g. don’t reprimand him in one hand and click him in the other - clicker training has to be a positive experience)
Clicker training is a behaviour modification process. The click marks the behavioural instant when a behaviour has been displayed that is enough to earn positive reinforcement.Hence the click must be administered accurately and consistently.
The reward must be delivered as soon as possible after the click. You can hold out before you click but you must not hold back the reward. The association between the click and the reward is paramount. The minimum delay between the click and the reward is vital in reinforcing the behaviour.
The dog should display a happy demeanour when he hears the click. (E.g. a tail wag or a look at the treat bag. The dog should be anticipating his reward) Don’t let the click be overshadowed by a lure or a prop, as this will confuse the dog and potentially numb the effect of the click.
Make the dog work during the session. Don’t have the dog in a static position with the trainer running around. Let the dog produce the goods while the trainer administers consistent solid reinforcement. Using too many trainer aids or focusing too much on a learned behaviour will result in the dog getting passive and he will rely on hints from the trainer to perform. Let the dog work it out for himself – it will pay dividends in the long run.
Focus on learning how to learn. Sacrifice instant compliance to gain momentum for accelerated future learning.

I learned to train dogs many years ago using traditional “clean and jerk” positive punishment methods. These methods focused on making the dog understand that he would be punished for unwanted behaviours. I know lots of people still train using these methods and enjoy a degree of success. Still it does not make it right. There are better ways.

Clicker training is the complete opposite of the traditional methods that I was raised with. Clicker training is a positive reward based training method that opens the dogs mind to an enjoyable lifetime of canine education.
Some people question its reliability. If this is the case, how did US military trainers manage to train dolphins to swim 30 miles through shoals of fish to stick a sensor on an enemy submarine and return for a click and treat? How did the same trainers manage to train starlings with cameras attached to them to fly across cities and press themselves against office windows to photograph the contents of the room. None of these animals were trained using negative methods so why do we need to apply negative reinforcement and positive punishment on our so-called best friends. Today assistance dogs, dogs for the disabled, guide dogs and even gun dogs are being trained using clickers.

My opinion is that clicker training is a philosophy that goes far beyond dog training. The ethos of clicker training promotes a positive way of living. Positive reinforcement embodies the principals of rewarding application, effort and hard work. Positive reinforcement can be applied to all our lives and interactions - give it a try - it may change the way you look at yourself and others around you.

Consequence of Action

2007-11-06T04:04:00.001-08:00

“It’s a consequence of action” - I often find myself saying this phrase when I’m training dogs.
I’ve been perfecting a loose lead training method to overcome dogs that are strong pullers. The dog learns that keeping the lead loose and paying attention to the handler results in positive rewards like tasty treats or a game of tug. The behaviour is shaped and perfected until we have the dogs focus and eventually solid “heel” behaviour.

I think we all understand the consequences of operating outside the law; be it coming home late from the pub or speeding in a built up area or causing harm to another human. These actions all break rules and we have to suffer the consequences of our actions.
Dogs are slightly different because they have another factor to take into account. This other factor is interpretation. Dogs have to interpret what is required from them during a training session. The application of corrections in our society is acceptable because in most cases humans understand the rules and the penalties that apply to breaking the rules.If we are caught breaking the rules we understand that there will be a penalty to pay.
On the other hand if a dog has not been properly conditioned to understand the requested behaviour, the application of corrections is unfair and confusing.

I attempt to train in a way that brings positive consequences to the fore. This makes the interpretation process more enjoyable for the dog.

Here are a few golden rules I try to adhere to:

• Train the behaviour without the use of a verbal command.
• Associate a command with the behaviour when the behaviour is engrained
• Introduce distractions to test the behaviour under pressure
• Use positive corrections to reinforce the behaviour under distraction.

The trainer must attempt to understand how to promote positive consequences. Consistent consequences of action help the dog interpret the requested behaviour. I often think of positive methods as a drip feed. You won’t change engrained negative behaviours overnight but given time the dog will learn that positive consequences are rewarding and fulfilling.

Buddy

2007-10-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Janet called me asking for help after her 13-month-old lhasa apso dog bit her on the face. Janet was really upset because, in her eyes, the attack was completely unprovoked. I arranged to see Buddy a few nights later.

On the night that I was to see Buddy, I received a call saying that Buddy had viscously snapped at Janet’s husband Dennis. This was the final straw and Dennis had insisted that Buddy “had to go”.
I spoke to Dennis at some length and convinced him that I could help. Eventually Dennis agreed to let me speak to the family about reversing Buddy’s aggressive behaviour.

After a conversation with the owners a classic case of canine hierarchical promotion within the human pack began to emerge.

Buddy shared the human’s sofa and he was adored and treated just for being Buddy.

Buddy had access to food all day so he could pick whenever he liked.

Janet would always greet Buddy when she entered the house. Incidentally Dennis was not being greeted so Buddy assumed he was higher up the pack than Dennis.

Buddy pulled Janet when they were out for a walk.

Buddy would bark aggressively at other dogs.

Buddy would bark at strangers passing or entering the house.

In short, Buddy had been involuntarily promoted to pack leader. Subsequently Buddy had expressed his displeasure about something or other and had lashed out. Pack leaders are allowed to express their displeasure and lash out. In Buddy’s eyes he had done what was required to keep his pack in shape. The other thing to bear in mind is that Buddy is approaching sexual maturity so his hormones are raging and he is capable of mating. This is another indication that he is ready to take over as pack leader.

My Visit

This was an easy one for me because buddy was more than happy to relinquish his leadership. I made this worth his while ample rewards of my famous liver cake.

I explained what had happened from a dog’s point of view. I showed the family what this wee fella was capable of. I also demonstrated clicker training with Buddy.

This is a classic small dog scenario where owners forget that they have a dog and attempt to treat it as a child substitute.

The family need to put the following measures in place immediately:

Buddy must have a house line on him when the family is at home. THE HOUSE LINE MUST BE REMOVED WHEN BUDDY IS LEFT IN THE HOUSE ALONE. The house line will allow the family to remove Buddy from dangerous situations by taking hold of the line and gently walking away from the situation without causing any conflicts.

Buddy’s food gets lifted after 10 minutes. Regular food is a luxury NOT something that’s at his disposal 24 hours a day.

Buddy is never allowed on the sofa

Buddy has to work for his corn. Buddy is not to be petted or treated unless he's done something to earn a reward.

Buddy must wait and let humans pass through doorways in front of him.

Buddy must be ignored when anyone including Janet, Dennis or Stuart, enters the house. Absolutely NO EYE CONTACT is permitted unless Buddy is being asked to perform a task. After the person has entered the house and Buddy has settled for at least 5 minutes, the person can ask Buddy to perform a task like sit and wait then reward him for his patience and good manners.

I would suggest that the bed command is trained and that buddy is rewarded for going to his bed and waiting when someone comes to the door. This takes all the frantic aggression out of things and turns a negative experience into a positive rewarding experience.

Buddy needs to learn how to focus on his owner when walking. I demonstrated this on my visit by constantly turning and walking in the opposite direction when he pulls.

I would seriously consider a training program with Buddy. He is an absolute brain box and needs to be stimulated mentally. I’m sure there is a good training class in the area.

Buddy needs a good daily routine to stimulate him both physically and mentally

Summary

Buddy is a fantastic dog that would make a super assistance or obedience dog. However, Buddy needs to be stimulated both physically and mentally on a daily basis to get the best from him.

The sad fact is that Buddy has been setup for failure by being spoiled and petted.He genuinely thinks he is in charge because no one has shown him any proper leadership. To make matters worse Buddy was about to be either rehomed or put to sleep as a result of this poor handling.

Buddy is a product of centuries of selective breeding, bred for boldness and spirit.

This is a classic small dog scenario where owners forget that they have a dog and attempt to treat it as a child substitute. Dogs are not teddy bears. Nearly all dogs have been bred with a specific purpose in mind. This dog is a product of centuries of selective breeding, bred for boldness and spirit to guard the temples of Tibet. This cannot be turned around with a few cuddles and treats and poor management.

I am not willing to stand by and see this dog put to sleep for a crime that is not his fault. I will personally take this dog, train and rehome him before I will allow this to happen. He just doesn’t deserve it.I genuinely think this dog can be turned around with some proper canine behavioural management.

I hope my visit inspires the family to change the way they handle Buddy and allows them all to live together in peace.

Bad Mannered Bob

2007-10-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

Kirsten called me with regards to her 3 year old neutered Jack Russell / Dandy Dinmont mix named Bob.
Bob had decided that a selection of visitors will get a nip when they try to leave the house. Bob’s other party trick was to nip some people after they’ve stroked him.
Kirsten had previously enrolled the help of a behaviourist with limited success.
A few nights previous to my visit Bob had bit and drew blood from Kirsten’s sister when she picked him up.

Bob’s party trick was to nip people after they’ve stroked him.

Kirsten homed Bob 2 years ago. There was a 2-week honeymoon period where Bob was the perfect addition to the house then all hell broke loose.

Bob shares the house with 2 other dogs - Tiser, a 4-year-old Border collie and Murphy, a 13-year-old senior citizen mix breed.

Kirsten stays with her husband John and daughters Jade (15) and Gemma (18).

I arrived at the house and was met in the garden. Kirsten had locked Bob away for safety.
My instructions were to release Bob and I would enter the house wander around doing my body language stuff then walk out the house with Bob and work with him.
I entered the house and Bob came running out barking and snarling. I initially walked past him ignoring him but when he came at me I faced him up and made no mistake in letting him know that I wasn’t going to tolerate his bad manners and disrespect.
Like all traditional bullies Bob ran away when confronted by someone who would challenge him.

Kirsten put my 6ft lead on Bob and I walked out the house with him. Again Bob attempted to exert his dominance by running in front of me through the doorway. I corrected him. We then went outside and I performed my usual body language turning and waiting while clicking and treating him. Bob responded really well. After a few minutes I started stroking him and he was fine. A few minutes later and I had Bob in my arms. This had been an absolute “no no” and would normally constitute a biting offence in Bob’s book so it was a sure sign that he understood who was pack leader. I also done some drive and focus work with Bob - he responded in typical terrier fashion with an abundance of enthusiasm.

We returned indoors and everything was much better with Bob. I was explaining my methods to the family and during the conversation Kirsten instructed Tizer to lye down. He received firm commands 4 times before he went down. I suggested that clicker training was a better solution and I sat on the floor and was working with Tizer. Of course at this point Bob wanted to be part of the action. I decided to click and down Bob and Tizer. This was a mistake on my part because Bob recognised my sitting on the floor as a “fall from grace” and thought he could assume dominance.

Bob decided to try and have a nip at me. I corrected him immediately and got off the floor. Next thing Bob was guarding Gemma. I recognised this instantly and walked over to him. He attempted a nip at my feet and he was confronted. This time he reneiged and ran out the room. However within a few minutes he was back in, standing, guarding Kirsten. I challenged him and once more he ran out the room.

This shows the importance that dogs put on stature and head position.

I spent a long time with the family and walked them through my theories and methods.

Bob is showing signs of protective and aggressive behaviour. These signs are being permitted to happen due to a lack of leadership.
I get the feeling Bob is a care substitute and is receiving leniency that is being interpreted as equality within the pack.

Bob is bad mannered and disrespectful. This is due to his elevated pack status.

Bob is bad mannered and disrespectful. This is probably due to his perceived elevated pack status. Bob really thinks he’s equal to everyone in the house (possibly with the exception of John) and feels the need to protect.

The implementation of my usual behavioural rules is paramount in reaching a solution with Bob.

The following advice was issued:

Implement control mechanisms at feeding time

No sharing of sofa or bed

No acknowledgement when entering the home

Always walk through doorways before Bob

Do not allow Bob to follow Kirsten around the house.

Do not allow Bob to guard the family (i.e. stand or sit in front of them) when visitors are in the house.

I advised the following training goals to help Bob

Bob needs to learn the place command so that the family can isolate him and stop him getting into dangerous positions (i.e. guarding Kirsten or Gemma) when visitors are in the house.

The family needs to learn how to get Bob’s focus quickly. This will allow aversion and stop aggression towards other dogs etc.

Visit 2

Things had been going pretty well and Bob had been behaving much better. Bob was no longer permitted to lye on the bed or sit on Kirsten’s knee. The family had been doing the gesture eating and in general Bob was beginning to calm down and be less protective.

The family had invested in 2 beds, one for Bob and one for Tizer and they had been working on getting the dogs to go to their beds.
I walked into the living room and Bob came off his bed to see me. This upset Kirsten because she had worked so hard with Bob and was keen to show off his talents. I played this down because Bob was put under extreme pressure with me entering the house and I didn’t think he was ready to be tested with this type of distraction.

I asked for Bob to be put in the back room and had a discussion with the family on how things were going and what their expectations where.
We got Bob back in the living room and I displayed my way of clicker training to get Bob to go to his bed and then let the family have a try. To be honest Bob was really good and was happy to perform. In general Bob was making great progress.

Visit 3

The next issue to address was Bob’s aggression towards other dogs. I brought my stooge dog Lu along to act as a decoy. I asked that Bob was brought outside the house and given time to settle before I appeared with Lu. Bob instantly went off on a tantrum when he saw Lu.

I decided to take charge so I put Bob on a 15ft line and walked away from the other dog. As soon as he came with me I rewarded him. Bob soon caught on that if he stayed with me there was a reward in it for him. However Bob reverted back to his bad behaviour as soon as he received his reward. I relate to this as “Show me the colour of your money before I do anything”. This is a result of food bribery not a food based reward mechanism. To combat this I insisted that Bob gave me extended focus after he received his treat. In true Bob fashion this was no problem and was behaving really well within five minutes.

Bob and Lu shared some treats in the back my car showing no signs of aggression or bad manners.

To top off the session Bob and Lu shared some treats in the back my car showing no signs of aggression or bad manners.

My advice was to perform loose lead training for 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day and slowly introduce distractions. Bob needs to learn to walk with his handler under minimum distraction before the dog aggression problem can be tackled properly.

I’ll update the blog as training progresses but I’m very happy with the progress of this feisty wee chap.

I’m going to write a post on loose lead training. I use this method constantly to reinforce a positive reward system and it works particularly well with clicker training.

Lu Retrieving over a fence

2007-10-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

This is an old video of Lu retrieving a ball over a fence.

She was just over 12 months at the time.

I'm not really in favour of jumping young dogs especially rotties until they are fully grown but this is in very light ground; she's very light on her feet and she just loves chasing after a ball.

I now use the play tug and retrieve as a reward for Lu.

enjoy !!!

Target Training

2007-10-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

Target training is a great foundation for lots of handy behaviours and I recommend it to everyone. I normally start with a target stick then move on to other objects.
My theory is to get the dog to understand the touch command. From there you can train closing doors, ringing bells, switching lights on; the list is endless. Target training is also a great way to train a send away.

Here is a video of my 2 dogs targeting a ball on a plant hanger - forgive fatty Arbuckle with the clicker - someone will have to put him on a diet before he turns into an Easter egg with feet.

Enjoy!

Dont blame the dog

2007-10-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

It’s not the dog - It’s YOU !!!!!!!

I frequently attend follow up sessions where people claim “It’s not working - the dog wont do what it’s told”.

I walk into the house and do my thing and the dog responds immediately to my requests. I enquire about the events that have occurred in the period since my last visit. Invariably when I delve deep I uncover “kinks in the armour”.

Although my methods are really simple and straightforward to implement, some owners have difficulty accepting them or choose to revert to their old ways after a few days. The dog usually assumes his previous pack status very quickly and can be very reluctant to relinquish his position for a second time.

Another scenario I see frequently is when a dog gets one up on the owner and interprets the “one-upmanship” as a promotional signal. This can be as simple as the dog continuously winning a game of tug or running away with a ball or even failing to stop barking at a stranger passing the gate.

I’ve listed the most common behaviours that break down positive behaviour.

Inconsistency

Assigning dominance then offering equality just confuses the dog.

Acknowledging the dog when you enter the home after being away for some time.

Sharing food with the dog

Permitting the dog to share your resting or sleeping area (e.g. the sofa or the bed)

Inconsistent control and correction of misdemeanours (e.g. correcting a bad behaviour inconsistently)

Allowing the dog to pull you through doorways and gates

Allowing the dog to constantly steal and run off with household items.

Increase consistency by incorporating training tasks into a daily routine. Read my article on consistency here

Lack of awareness

The dog offers the handler behaviour like walking to heel and looking up but the handler isn’t paying attention and fails to recognise the dogs efforts.

The dog constantly pushes the boundaries and is not being corrected because the owner does not notice the dogs deterioration.

The dog constantly tries to edge in front while walking.

The dog is always wanting the final yelp or growl when he has been instructed to be calm.

Here are a few tips to help maintain focus and increase awareness:

Learn how to stimulate your dog mentally.

Invent games that will tax his instincts.

Invent jobs for him to do like putting his toys in a box or lay out his toys in a row and ask him to fetch his ball or his kong or his teddy.

Build drive and focus with high activity ball games and tug o war.

Most dogs start their training at an early age. Owners should realise that they have a lifetime to perfect their training and exercise more patience.

In the case of rescue dogs Owners have to tread carefully. Most of these dogs have been at the mercy of inexperienced handlers and their memories of training are less than favourable. Rescue dogs often need special help to build confidence or to desensitize their fear or dislike of real world objects.

Sometimes you have to regress to absolute basics before you can move on. This is particularly relevant in nervous dogs where instilling confidence is the key to bringing them out of their shell.

If the dog is not responding as well as I would like, I always examine my training methods and adjust accordingly.

I believe training to be mostly translation and interpretation. The trainer translates his request to enable the dog to interpret and execute the command.

See my other post on daily training routines for more info.

Finger Lickin Chicken Clicking

2007-10-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a video I sourced on YouTube demonstrating clicker training.

Chickens are commonly used to instruct clicker trainers how to shape behaviours.

Chicken Clicking encourages the handler to observe the behaviour and be fast and deliberate with a clicker.

My experience with most handlers is that they click indiscriminately and inconsistently and are nowhere near fast enough at delivering the reward.

I thought this video may be of help

enjoy !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjzivL2gIu4

Oliver - film star material

2007-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Rhona called me with regards to her 6-month-old terrier mix Oliver who misbehaves when people come to the house or when he meets other dogs when he was out walking. He also gets very excited and pulls on the lead at times.

I arrived at Rhona’s house and was greeted by the handsome wee fella who was delighted to see me. He tried to jump on me,then he jumped on the sofa and was just bounding around with excitement.

I totally ignored him until he settled down then I started introducing him to the clicker. Oliver took to the clicker with ease. He’s a bright little fellow and is very keen to please.

We went outside and I started working Oliver up and down the driveway. I was clicking him when he turned to heel and he was responding well.

I then introduced him to my bitch Lu and again he was fine. He was giving me focus when I requested it and he was happily walking by Lu without a fuss.

I gave Rhona a try at the clicker training. Clicking looks really easy when an experience trainer is working but it can be awkward until you get coordinated with the clicker, treats and lead. After a few goes Rhona looked like she would get the hang of it with a bit of practice.

Oliver is a fantastic little character with a bubbly personality and loads of charisma.

We ventured back indoors and Rhona’s friend Norma was invited to enter the house so I could see Oliver’s reaction. To be honest Oliver wasn’t bad at all. Yes he attempted to jump on the sofa to see Norma but soon settled down when Norma ignored him and was duly rewarded.

We then introduced a cat into the room. Oliver showed some interest in the cat but he was reminded to behave and he settled down and got praised for his efforts.

I then demonstrated how much more consistent clicker training could be over traditional voice based training by asking Rhona to call Oliver over and ask him to sit. Oliver took around 4 shouts before he wandered over then didn’t bother sitting when he was asked. I walked across the room with my clicker and had him recalling and sitting very consistently with virtually no English words spoken - just a clicker and a lump of liver cake.
This was an an unfair test because I had been working with Oliver and by this time he understood that focus would bear rewards.

The point is that I displayed the benefits of positive body language training over traditional English based training methods.

When the behavioural issues are addressed, the training side of things fall into place.

Here I go again nattering on about body language versus the spoken word.

Oliver is an absolute star. There is no badness in this wee fella. Yes I’ve no doubt he could get boisterous and very excited at times but he’s still a baby and his exuberance can be handled gently without saying “NO!!!!” - just using positive training methods and consistent reward mechanisms.

A few of my recent cases could have been interpreted as simple training issues when I initially received the call. The interesting thing about this and a few other recent cases is that when the behavioural issues are addressed,the training side of things fall into place very easily.

I normally get called after the damage has been done. It’s really nice to get a chance to influence a dog at the start of his life for a change.

Hopefully I can make a difference and set Rhona and Oliver up for a happy life together. All in all I think Oliver will turn into a fantastic little dog.