Uncivilized Behavior - Who's Really the Animal Here?

Having owned dogs my whole life, and learning so much about their behavior, I was bound to notice that there are people who truely do not understand how a dog is feeling by its behavior. I've seen people scare the life out of their dogs, and all the while, the dog is performing appeasement gestures left and right out of fear, all of which are completely ignored by said owner. There have been times when I've told people, "The dog is scared," and they've denied it, because they were completely unaware of the signs.

The most recent instance of uncivilized behavior toward dogs has been toward my own dogs, which finally inspired this article. A person close to me has lately been acting unpredictably toward my dogs, which finally made me uncomfortable enough to let them know - probably not in the best way - by snapping at them, "Don't DO that!" They don't seem to understand that dogs do NOT like having random objects mock-thrown or swung at them out of jest. Dogs do NOT like being randomly jumped at or barked loudly at, and especially not a combination of the two! They do NOT like being randomly tapped roughly on the hindquarters when they're not expecting it, even if it was meant to be playful. Do these things to the wrong dog, and you're likely to have your face bitten off. In order to put this into perspective, I am going to offer a scenario, from my corgi's point of view:

You are a dog and you're a foot tall, and have grown up with giant, two-legged creatures who speak a gibberish you cannot comprehend. You are staying at a strange house with some giants you don't know very well. Suddenly, one of those giants starts swinging objects at you, tapping you roughly on your hindquarters (which to you is one of your most vulnerable spots), or jumping at you, making loud noises that you don't understand. This giant gives you NO WARNING what is about to happen. You see this as an attack. Frightened out of your mind, you run and hide under the coffee table so the giant will stop attacking you.

For the rest of the day, you are very cautious around this particular giant, walking low to the floor, holding your ears down, and giving appeasement gestures (turning your head to look away, yawning, licking your nose) in an attempt to calm this giant so maybe they will not attack you again. Suddenly, one of the times you have to walk past this giant, they randomly throw a huge shoe at you! Frightened, you duck out of the way and immediately run to hide under the coffee table, since that thwarted this giant during the last attack.

Today, at this strange giant's house, you have learned that the giant who lives here is completely unpredictable, that you should be extremely cautious at all times at this house, and that you should hide from and avoid this giant any time you can. Since your guard has been raised at this house from the stress of being attacked constantly, if you cannot escape the next attack, biting might be your best option.

If you were a dog, with such a different language and behavior setup, wouldn't you be scared to be around that particular giant if you never knew how they'd act toward you next? I sure would be! So I am writing this article in an attempt to get people to understand better that dogs view the world differently than we do. What we may think is funny or playful toward each other might scare the daylights out of a dog.

Dogs are scared by things that fly unexpectedly toward them, sudden loud noises, or people or other animals who are seemingly lunging toward them. The best way to handle a dog is GENTLY, using a normal voice. If you are holding something in your hand, it is best to refrain from suddenly swinging it toward the dog, as this scares many dogs. Even if you are playing, the dog may not think so. Suddenly tapping a dog roughly on the hindquarters is not only rude and unacceptable from the dog's point of view, but it can also be dangerous when done to a dog with a low bite threshold. It's best to call the dog to you and pet it GENTLY, when the dog is expecting it, rather than be unpredictable.

I know many people simply don't realize how rough they are being, so I hope others will read this and pass it on, for the sake of all the dogs who are being inadvertently treated in an uncivilized manner.

All articles on this blog are written by Victoria Steen unless otherwise stated. They are NOT to be redistributed.

Teaching "Take It" the Fun Way!

I keep watching and reading about the "ear pinch" method of teaching a dog to retrieve, or to hold something in their mouths, and what I've read and seen, and the pain caused to the dog just makes my jaw drop! There are much better and more fun methods to teach something like that. I am trying out one of them right now with Shippo. Here is how it goes:

Take a nice sturdy toy, like a rope toy or plushie, and tempt the dog to mouth it. When he puts his mouth on the toy, click and treat. Shippo got this after the first click! He tilted his head, as if to say, "You mean all I have to do is put my mouth on my favorite toy, and you feed me?! Cool deal!" We repeated this several times in a 5 minute session.

Next, when the dog knows he's supposed to put his mouth on the toy, you'll connect a cue to it, like "Take," "Take it," "Hold," etc. Repeat. Then you would start rewarding longer and longer instances of the dog having his mouth on the toy, and eventually, progress to letting go of the toy.

I will be editing this into a real article with more detail once I am done teaching Shippo "Take It."

All articles on this blog are written by Victoria Steen unless otherwise stated. They are NOT to be redistributed.

He Passed!

Well, today was the big day - the CGC Test. Shippo PASSED! He's now a Canine Good Citizen! I'm so proud of him. Next will be a therapy dog test. But for now, we're both pooped, so I think we'll go take a nap!

Nice Experience at the Park

Tonight, I decided to take Shippo to the park before it got dark... I had already taken Eevee earlier today, and it was his turn now. When we got there, it was PACKED, so we weren't able to play fetch, because both baseball fields were occupied. So instead, I got him out of the car and prepared for a little training around the park. I didn't get 20 feet before a girl ran up and asked to pet him. But this time, I decided to try out a new tactic (people ALWAYS interrupt when we're in the middle of training). I simply said "No, sorry, but we're training right now." She was disappointed, but accepted that and went away.

We walked around the park and did random training. There were food wrappers etc. lying on the ground, and he ignored them on command like a good boy. There were crowds gawking and pointing at him, and he ignored them. He even ignored the guy on the skateboard who came right by us a couple times, which was great! We found a secluded part of the park and I did some trick training (currently, we're working on "sit pretty" although I'm not going to call it that), and I had people walking by watching him sit up and talking amongst themselves.

When I got back to the beginning of the park, the girl returned and asked again to pet Shippo. This time, I gave in, but had to be strict with her, as she nearly approached him the wrong way - by running up to him. I told her, "No, no, don't approach him like that, it scares him." She was slightly confused, but listened to me when I told her to squat down a short distance away and let him approach her (he automatically waddles over for petting if you squat down). I told her about the traumatic experience he had with a little kid as a puppy, and she understood why I am so strict about the way people approach my dogs.

After that, we ran into a couple who had seen me training him, and he got lots of attention from them as well, and I got complimented on how well behaved he is (Yay!). They let their two kids approach and pet him as well, and these kids also listened to me when I told them how (three in one day is an amazing record for me, they usually don't listen)! After that, I was being eaten alive by bugs, so we came home. Shippo is now passed out next to me. He must have had fun too!

I think he is ready for the big test...

Teaching Calm Attention

Before you teach your dog any basic commands, such as "sit," it's very useful to teach your dog how to calmly focus on you. Some dogs are unable to learn anything before this step, because they are too busy jumping all over the place to focus on what you're saying. Luckily, calm attention is very easy to teach!

Begin by grabbing a pocketful of treats and calling your dog over. Without saying a word, show your dog a treat. If the dog becomes excited, simply ignore and wait until he calms down. Eventually, the dog will stop acting so excited, and just look up at you. This is what you are waiting for. Once the dog is calmly standing there, looking up at you, praise and treat. The first few tries may take a while, but it should only take a few times before your dog catches on and starts breezing through the exercise!

If you want to go a bit further, you can also teach the dog to associate a word with focusing on you. Just say something like "Watch me," right as your dog begins focusing on you, and then praise and treat. After many repetitions, start hiding the treat while you give the command. If your dog focuses after you've given the "watch me" command, praise and treat. If not, he doesn't yet know what the command means, so simply go back one step to giving the command while he is focusing on you.

The calm attention exercise will open up many training doors for you and your dog. Once your dog has consistently learned to focus on you, you're ready to start teaching commands, and training will be much easier!

All articles on this blog are written by Victoria Steen unless otherwise stated. They are NOT to be redistributed.

Early Prevention of Bad Behaviors

There are several different dog behaviors that are considered "rude" in the human world that can be prevented easily at an early age. I just wanted to share some methods that I have used.

-Jumping Up
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent a dog from learning to jump up is simply to ignore from the beginning. If the dog jumps up, pretend he doesn't exist. Take your hands away, and look somewhere else. Stand up if you have to. What the dog is looking for is attention, so don't give in. Even telling the dog "NO" is attention.

As soon as the dog puts all four feet back on the ground, give lots of praise. He will quickly learn that jumping up gets absolutely no reaction from you, and isn't worth trying, but if he has all four feet on the ground, he gets all kinds of love and attention! Teaching the dog not to jump up can take weeks to months from puppyhood if you are consistent.

-Chewing Inappropriate Objects
Two great methods for preventing chewing from becoming a bad habit is confining the dog when he's not being supervised, and catching him in the act of chewing so that you can trade the the wrong object for the right one.

Crating is a great way to prevent your dog from getting into things he shouldn't when you're not around. It can also prevent him from getting into dangerous situations, such as being tangled in wires, eating toxic things, and many other dangerous things young, untrained dogs tend to do when they're alone.

When the dog is out, and you catch him chewing on something he shouldn't, you can get his attention with a sharp "Ah, Ah!" or something similar. Try to get him to trade for the right object, such as a chew toy, by holding it up for him so that he stops chewing the inappropriate object and goes for the toy. When he lets go of the inappropriate object, you can also say "Trade ya!" before you let him have his toy. This exercise can also teach another valuable tool - trading for another object - which can help to prevent resource guarding in the future.

One other thing I must mention is that you should ALWAYS have lots of things for the dog to chew on, no matter what age he is! Dogs never just grow up and stop chewing. They need to chew throughout their lives.

Teaching a dog to chew on the RIGHT things can take a lot of time and consistency, but don't give up!

-Getting Into Trash
There is a VERY simple solution for this, and I don't understand why people refuse to do it - Get a covered trash can, or put your trash in a cabinet, or behind a gate or door where your dog cannot access it! Out of sight, out of mind!

-Excessive Barking
Play sessions are a great way to help prevent unwanted barking. While you are playing with your dog, be it tug or fetch, or whatever his favorite game is, pay attention to how loud he's being. If he starts barking, you can immediately get up, put the toy out of reach, and end the play session for a few minutes. This is a very quick and humane way to teach the dog that if he starts barking, it causes you to quit playing with him. It really does help to curb a lot of unnecessary barking in the long run.

All articles on this blog are written by Victoria Steen unless otherwise stated. They are NOT to be redistributed.

Potty Training

Before other training is covered, the dog should be potty trained or in the process of being potty trained. You can do this while you train other things, but it must be done, or your house will be a mess! I'm listing several different methods that are used to potty train, with a description of each. Some I recommend. Others I recommend avoiding, but I will include them here anyway to explain why I dislike them.

Contents
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*Crate Training
*Tethering
*Just Plain Supervision
*Paper/Puppy Pad Training
*Follow-up on Potty Training

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-Crate Training
There are several suggested methods of potty training, but I find that the most effective is crate training. Crate training is a method where you confine the dog to a crate/kennel when it's not being supervised so that it does not have a chance to have an accident on the floor. Using this method, the dog will quickly learn that outside is the place to go.

First off, you will need a crate for the dog. A crate should be the appropriate size for the dog (only big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down). It's easiest to get the dog used to the crate before confining it. Put treats or toys in the crate and encourage the dog to go into it without closing the door. Show your dog that the crate is a good place to be. While you're introducing the crate, you will want to supervise the dog a lot since it's not actually being confined.

When you finally close the door, put in a toy like a Kong or favorite chew toy to keep the dog busy. You can also feed the dog its meals in the crate. Only keep the door closed for 5-10 minutes and praise profusely while the dog is in the crate. Repeat this many times, and gradually leave the door closed for longer periods of time. Introducing the crate shouldn't take more than a day or so. Remember to put distractions in the crate! It makes it easier. NEVER give a dog attention for crying/whining in the crate. This means even telling the dog to be quiet, giving up and letting the dog out, etc.

Once the dog is used to being confined, the real training starts. Any time the dog is not being closely supervised, it should be crated. As soon as it's let out of the crate, it should be taken straight outside to potty. No eating, drinking, or playing till the dog goes potty! When the dog does its business outside, praise PROFUSELY (as a friend of mine said once, if you don't look totally insane to all passers-by while praising, you're not doing it right). Then it is okay to play inside or out and eat/drink for the next half hour or so. Once play is done, crate the dog again. If the dog ate or drank while it was out, maybe take it outside to potty once more before it's crated.

Dogs are actually very clean creatures, and a dog will learn very quickly that it does not want to soil where it sleeps/lies. Once you are sure that there won't be any accidents in the crate, you can put some soft bedding down like a blanket or crate mat. Always crate the dog when you are not home, but remember not to leave it crated for more than a few hours (puppies for even less). You might want to give a friend or family member a spare house key so that if you are gone for too long, they can let the dog out to potty while you are away.

In several weeks to a few months (depending on the dog), times between crating the dog should increase until you really shouldn't have to crate them at all unless you leave the house. After the dog is fully potty trained using this method, it's up to you whether or not you continue to crate them when you leave the house. Some people continue to do it just for the dog's safety.

-Tethering
Tethering is a method in which you tie the dog to yourself, so it can't stray off someplace and have an accident. The dog will have to follow you around the house and stay with you, and thus, can't sneak off. Most people loop the lead around an arm or leg, or buy a special lead that hooks to a belt. This method also involves keeping a close eye on the dog and watching for signs that the dog needs to go out, such as pacing, turning in circles, sniffing the floor more than usual, etc. If you spot these signs, immediately carry or lead the dog outside where it can do its business. When the dog goes, praise him profusely.

Using this method alone, you'll have to watch the dog like a hawk to prevent any accidents. Remember, if the dog doesn't have any chances to have accidents, it will not become accustomed to going in the house.

-Just Plain Supervision
This method is just as the title sounds. Basically, the dog is not crated or made to be near you. It might be locked out of certain areas of the house, but it's not really confined. You have to watch the dog constantly, like a hawk, to make sure there are no accidents. If the dog shows signs of having to potty (pacing, turning in circles, sniffing around more than usual), immediately carry or lead it outside to do its business. Once it goes, praise profusely. This method requires the MOST supervision when used alone, and is very difficult for the vast majority of people, because we are only human, and can become distracted and forget we are watching the dog. Distractions are the cause of most potty accidents in the house. Therefore, I do not recommend the use of this method alone. It is best used in conjunction with crate training or tethering.

-Paper/Puppy Pad Training
In the world of dog training, there are great methods of training, and then there are horrible methods. I'm listing this method as the worst, least-effective potty training method I know of.

Basically, you teach the dog to potty on newspaper or specially-made puppy pads. Usually, the dog is confined to a certain area, like the kitchen or bathroom, and newspapers are spread throughout the whole area, or a puppy pad is put down (most have pheromones in them which attract the dog). The dog is encouraged to potty on these and is praised when it does, and quickly learns that it's supposed to potty on the paper or pad in the room. Once it has learned this, it is confined less and a pad or newspaper is kept down in certain parts of the house, which is where the dog goes.

Owners will sometimes continue putting down paper in the house throughout the dog's life (perhaps if they live in a small apartment), and I've also seen owners put puppy pads inside crates and allow the dog to go on it INSIDE the crate (NO! BAD owner *slaps with paper*) but ideally, when the dog has fully learned to go on the paper/pad, the owner will start to slowly move the paper/pad toward the door each day. Eventually, the paper/pad will be outside, so the dog will have to go outside to go on it. After this, the paper/pad is removed, and the dog will start going in the grass instead.

...Or this is how it's SUPPOSED to work. I strongly dislike this method, and here is why:
It teaches the dog that it is okay to potty inside the house
Once you move the paper/pad outside, you change the rules and the dog is no longer allowed to potty in the house. This confuses the heck out of the dog, resulting in accidents.
A large percentage of the time, the dog just doesn't catch on, either because the owner wasn't doing it right or the dog is just confused.
I find paper/puppy pad training to be a majorly outdated method of training, and I recommend that dog owners avoid it at all costs. However, SOMETIMES it works, and it's a common method still, so I did include it on the list.

Follow-up on Potty Training
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-What To Do if There IS an Accident
If the dog does happen to have an accident inside, avoid any harsh punishments (hitting or ANY kind, screaming, scruffing, etc). Either give it no reaction when it goes inside, or choose a phrase to mark that the dog has made a mistake ("Nah uh! This goes outside!" etc.). Then quickly carry or lead the dog outside to finish. Praise it if it goes the rest of the way outside ("GOOOOOD potty!"). Harshly punishing a dog for accidents in the house can result in hard-to-fix psychological disorders such as coprophagy (the instance in which a dog eats its own excrement, in this case, out of the fear of punishment). It also doesn't teach the dog much else except that it's wrong to potty in front of you, and so instead, the dog will sneak off and potty where you're not watching.

Do's and Don'ts of Potty Training

NEVER crate a dog as punishment for ANYTHING, including potty accidents.
ALWAYS give loads of praise when the dog goes outside.
NEVER harshly punish a dog for accidents.
ALWAYS watch the dog closely if it's not confined.
NEVER put puppy pads in a crate.
ALWAYS let a dog out of a crate every few hours for attention.
ALWAYS take a dog potty after it eats/drinks/plays/sleeps/leaves the crate.

All articles on this blog are written by Victoria Steen unless otherwise stated. They are NOT to be redistributed.

The Search is On!

Well, Shippo did fine being left with a stranger for 3 minutes! I'm so proud of him. Also, he impressed the heck out of the trainer at work with his coat and temperament. *Gloat* Now it's time to find a CGC Evaluator and take the test!! Wish me luck.

A Hike + More Work Towards CGC

On friday, I took Shippo for a nice hike at The Garden of the Gods, which ended up being FILLED with tourists. This ended up being a good opportunity to practice walking through a crowd of people, to see how he'd react. He did awesome! He stayed with me the whole time, no pulling or anything, and we were able to walk up to a few people who asked to pet him! We seemed to turn heads the whole time we were there, because I kept hearing people telling each other what a gorgeous dog he was lmao.



Then we got lost, because the maps there suck, so we walked around aimlessly till we found the exit again. When we were exiting the park, I heard somebody telling his group of people how he "potty trained" dogs by rubbing their noses in it, hitting the dog, and throwing it outside. It's hard to imagine that people are still using such outdated methods.

In other news, a co-worker of mine is a trainer, and she said to stop by Friday, so we can test Shippo and see how he reacts to being without me for 3 minutes - another crucial part of the CGC test. I couldn't imagine him reacting badly, but you never know I guess. More on that later...

Intro

Ok, it's time to start my dog training blog (great idea, Tebbs)! With this blog, I can record my training progress with my two dogs. First things first, here is a little info about me:

Name: Vicki (preferred name online is Cheetah)
Occupation: Crap job at Petsmart
Interests: Dog training, canine nutrition, photography
Favorite Trainers: Victoria Stilwell, Pat Miller
Dogs Sports/Activities Interested In: Agility, Flyball, Therapy, maybe Herding
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My Dogs:

Shippo, Male, 1.5-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Shippo came to me from a show breeder in Canada, whose bitch threw two fluffies in her litter. Fluffies are pet quality, but they sure are gorgeous, and I can still do everything else with him except conformation. I plan on doing agility, therapy work, and possibly flyball with Shippo.
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Eevee, Female, 7-year-old Border Collie Mix

Eevee came from the local Humane Society when she was 8 months old. She was dumped there because her previous owners were moving, and apparently didn't bother to find a place that allowed dogs. But that's okay, because otherwise I never would have found my heart dog! Eevee and I have been through a lot together.
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