Dog Training Expectations

Performance is something that changes moment to moment. When you are training your dog, you need to always pay attention to how well she is doing. If she is consistently distracted by something in the environment which causes her behavior to fluctuate, you have a couple of options.

1. Train another day. You might be at the dog park providing your pooch with some much needed exercise and you realize that she is extremely distracted and not paying attention to your cues. Get SOMETHING - even as simple as a sit - and then let her play.
2. Move farther away from the distraction and keep working. Do a quick session and then reward a snappy response by allowing her to go back to what she was doing.
3. Provide more help. If she is distracted and is not listening when you say, "Come!" have her trail a leash and hold it before you say it again. Then, say, "Come", gently pull the leash towards you, tap your leg, walk backwards, etc. To help the behavior happen. Then, reward her and do it again. When she does the behavior on her own, let her go back to what she was doing.
   

More tips like this can be found at my online video site.

Choke chains can increase aggression

I got a sad call from a new client yesterday. She said her dog was showing signs of dog-dog aggression and, from the advice of someone in the dog park, she hired a trainer that uses choke chains. She said initially the training wasn't too physical, but she ended up firing him because of his increasingly abusive techniques when dogs were around her dog.
She noticed that since those sessions, her dog has gotten worse, and more anxious when dogs come into view. I was not surprised and told her that is one of my main reasons for never recommending physical, or fear-based training.

From a learning perspective this is what can happen and probably happened in this case:

• Her dog showed signs of aggression
• She got "popped" with the choke chain which is called "positive punishment" (many people and trainers incorrectly call this "negative reinforcement")
• The pain possibly stopped her barking, but actually increased the anxiety (she was anxious about dogs coming into view because now it meant pain for her)
• Her behavior escalated over time because now she became anxious about getting anxious. The way I explain this is that the pattern has been consistent that she will bark at some point, and now she has to worry about two things: the dog and the pain associated with the dog
• She can't win. Either she shows anxiety and gets choked, or she has to quietly endure a situation that causes her fear

Dog-dog aggression can be modified using only positive reinforcement. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I am going to write a Dog Aggression E-book as soon as I can. I am editing videos for my dog training video site, but it will be a while before I have a dog aggression video. An E-book can be helpful and I have to help people realize that you don't have to use abusive methods to work with an aggressive dog.

Not enough time for dog training? Tips to find time.

Everyone is busy. My wife and I are taking a guitar class together and it is amazing how the week flies by and I realize I haven't practiced enough.

I am sure you are busy as well and can never find enough time to train your dog. Here are some tips to help you find the time.

• Do short training sessions before EVERYTHING that your dog wants. Examples include walks, dinner, belly rubs, games of fetch.
  
• Use what I call the Calorie Bowl. Portion out your dog's daily food including a few tasty treats and put it on the counter out of reach. Grab handfuls of it throughout the day and do quick training sessions. When the food is done, your dog is done eating for the day. No worries about overfeeding and it forces you to think about daily training.
  
• Use Kongs to feed your dog. Extracting food out of Kongs is a great way to provide your dog with mental stimulation.
• Have a favorite outside-only toy that your dog gets for good behavior on walks. Give it to him or her for a snappy behavior such as walking next to you for 20 steps. Then, take it away and ask for more of the behavior before your dog gets it back.
  
• One of my favorites: put training sessions in your calendar. Everything else is scheduled, why not training? One of my private client's favorite things about our sessions is that it reminds them to do weekly training. If you schedule it, you will find the time!

More tips like these can be found in my streaming online dog training videos.

Dog Summertime Safety Tips

Wow is it hot. In Chicago it has been near 90 degrees every day for more than a week. I feel for those of you in hotter areas such as California or Arizona.

But wherever you live, it is important to keep in mind some basic safety tips for dogs. If you ever suspect your dog having problems due to the heat or ingesting something, get him or to the vet immediately.

Summertime hazards can be found in many places. This is not a complete list, but some of the more common issues. You can also visit the ASPCA site for up-to-date information on a variety of issues.

Overheating. Dogs can overheat on normal walks or even faster in the the car. Take lots of water with you, avoid the heat of day, take shorter walks, and NEVER leave a dog in a car alone, even with the windows open. A car can heat up to a lethal temperature in minutes. Just don't take a chance.

Theft. Dogs can get taken for medical experiments, dog fighting, or for their companionship. There has been a rash of small dogs getting taken out of cars in Chicago. The thieves smash the windows and take the dogs. Some police think that the thieves might look for reward signs and return the dog to the rightful guardian to claim the reward. Evil. Dogs also can get taken when tied up outside of stores or coffee shops or out of backyards. Be careful.

Ingesting Antifreeze. This is the main reason I never let my dogs drink out of puddles. I don't want them to get in the habit of doing so. Even a small amount of antifreeze can kill a dog, and to make it worse, the sweet taste attracts dogs.

Ingesting chocolate. There is a lot of great information out there about the toxicities in different types of chocolate. Dark chocolate and baker's chocolate is the most dangerous, but it is a good idea to keep all chocolate away from your dog. Here is an article about the dangers of chocolate at About.com.

Ticks. Ticks have got to be the nastiest looking creature out there. Besides the skin irritations they can cause, they can also carry Lyme Disease. Make sure check your dog thoroughly after every romp in a potentially tick-infested area. Learn more about Ticks at this informative website.

Giardia. Dogs can get this parasite from feces of other dogs. So, if you are out more with your dog in the summer, make sure you are in a clean area. Here is an article about Giardia. As you can see, it is a complicated topic.

There are a lot more dangers for dogs out there, if you have more that you would like to talk about add a comment to this post.

Have a safe summer.

Dog training guaranteed

I use this post to get people to think about dog training, but also want to make sure you know about my online dog training website. You can learn how to housetrain your puppy, learn how to train your dog to perform proper leash walking, teach your dog to come when called, no jumping on guests or counter surfing.

I am currently working on my next video which will show you how to teach your dog to Stop on cue.

The videos are extremely high-quality and since they are so good, I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee. You can review the videos and the accompanying notes for 10 days.

I put a lot of time and energy into producing a product that is helpful, easy-to-use and can help dogs all over the world. I hope you like it.

Watch and Train.com, online dog training videos.

Please check dog trainer references

I was interviewed in April by the Chicago Reader about a horrifying situation about a dog trainer in the Chicago area arrested for animal cruelty. Read the article. I was interviewed to get a the perspective about, as a positive reinforcement trainer, why I think other trainers use abusive methods.

A lot of people don't think about the implications of who they hire to give them advice about the raising of their pet. Whether they think it is "just a dog" and you "just train it" or they just assume that dog trainers are screened by the state in which they operate, I am not sure. Besides requiring a business license, dog trainers are not screened or regulated in any other way at this time.

I don't think that this is critical because then it could open up all other kinds of questions. Who would do the screening, what would the criteria be, what types of training would be allowed, etc.

But, what you can do is to screen dog trainers yourself. Check references, check their training credentials, go watch them train if they teach classes. A bad trainer can give you terrible advice and really ruin the physical or mental well-being of your pet.

Dog trainers should be versed in learning theory, be members of organizations such as the APDT, attended seminars by other skilled trainers, studied at schools such as the Academy for Dog Trainers and/or worked closely with other trainers in a internship or apprentice situation.

You are hiring someone for his or her knowledge and experience. Make sure you know what you are getting.

Teach a dog to Come when called - the importance of consistency in dog training

"Come on guys let's go for a walk."

Blank stares . . .

"Ranger, Trooper, Linus, Come."

Three furry friends come running.

I realized that I never taught my dogs what "Come on guys let's go for a walk" meant. That was many years ago, and since then I have taught them that, but it reminded me of the importance of consistent teaching and that . . . dogs don't understand synonyms! We talk this way all the time and humans are able to fill in the gaps based on the context of the situation or the sentence. Dogs might be able to understand based on inflection, situation or body movement, but they need consistent patterns to understand what we mean.

Try this: work for 30 seconds on your dog's easiest behavior -usually sit - rewarding each behavior and then at some point say, "blah blah blah" and just look at your dog. Most likely your dog will sit, but you did not ask her, did you? What you did was create a pattern of:

1. You say something
   
2. Your dog does something
   
3. Your dog gets a reward

Your dog tried to fill in the blanks about what you were asking her. She tried a behavior because it had been working for her in the past because she was motivated by the reward. Motivation is the single most fascinating subject on this planet because it drives all species every moment of the day.

So now let's get back to the original topic of teaching Come and apply the demonstration outlined above. You can use this information to be a great teacher by following the simple pattern of:

1. Say the cue (or make a visual cue with your hands) for Come
2. Help your dog get it right by gently helping her come to you either by gently pulling on her leash, tapping your leg, running the other way, crouching down, etc.
   
3. Reward
4. Say the cue
5. Delay the help just a bit to allow your dog to try and connect the dots
6. Help, if necessary
7. Reward
8. Repeat

You are creating a consistent pattern that will motivate your dog to do the behavior when she hears the cue. That is dog training!

You can get even more step-by-step instructions including high-quality video and downloadable notes at my online dog training website.

Happy Training!

Housetraining tips - what not to do

It still amazes me the frequency I hear people talk about pushing their puppy's face in an accident to teach her housetraining. This is a sure way to greatly increase your puppy's anxiety and potentially teach your dog not to go potty in front of you at all for fear of punishment.

Just don't do it.
What you do want to is to manage your dog to prevent accidents and motivate your dog to hold her bladder and reward her for going potty in the correct location. My favorite management option is a crate.

You can learn step-by-step crate training and housetraining techniques at my online dog training website.

Dog scared of fireworks?

I was interviewed recently by the Chicago Tribune as well as a couple radio stations to help dogs overcome fear of fireworks. Here are the links if you want to read the information.

Pets Unleashed - Chicago Tribune Blog

107.5 Frank FM Radio Interview, July 2, 2007

710 AM, Seattle, WA Radio Interview, Friday, June 29, 2007 - Link to come