tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317644555901726552024-03-05T21:40:29.561-08:00Dog NotesSite about Dogs, For all Dog LoversSteven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-83564645433690462342010-04-02T14:24:00.000-07:002010-04-02T15:23:17.653-07:00Identifying Effective Rewards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZZj-E17qs-hKKtEacNVkO2YeSutdPjh7IBC8sFGcjq1EOARxfL2D3tw9E0aeEeDJkr6CZKePDTD3NgMXcA7n2UWQJsaOWK7Q8RPx0SHVDEpN94VogQXeO1AWMc62TiYn7pEiEeTSp_o/s1600/IMG_0236.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZZj-E17qs-hKKtEacNVkO2YeSutdPjh7IBC8sFGcjq1EOARxfL2D3tw9E0aeEeDJkr6CZKePDTD3NgMXcA7n2UWQJsaOWK7Q8RPx0SHVDEpN94VogQXeO1AWMc62TiYn7pEiEeTSp_o/s320/IMG_0236.jpg" border="0" alt="Dog and his Toy"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455654657398793394" /></a><br /><br />Knowing what your dog considers to be a reward and having the ability to use that as an advantage in training can make the difference between making a behavior 99.99% reliable in a couple days and making it reliable in a couple weeks. <br /><br />Giving your dog a piece of cheese or a good pat on the head is all find and dandy but it might not be as effective as we think. If the dog's main attention is on something else, or expecting something completely different, the "Good boy!" and the pat on the head is a poor reinforcer. <br /><br />As a rule of thumb whenever you want to find a high reinforcer for your specific situation ask yourself this simple question: "What does my dog <i>really</i> want as <i>this moment</i>?"<br /><br />Lets see a few examples:<br /><a name='more'></a><br />A playful Golden Retriever is learning to bring you the ball during his most favorite game in the world: fetch. You have him drop the ball in front of you, you pick it up, and reward him. Your reward for bringing the ball is a warm "Good Boy" and a good rub behind the ears. While there is nothing wrong with doing the latter, it isn't he most effective way to tell the Golden that it's done a wonderful job. Why? Well ask yourself the question we talked about earlier and you'll figure out what that dog wanted most. In a case similar to this, 9 times out of 10 the Golden will have wanted you to toss the ball back immediately, the game itself is the biggest reward. The "good boy" and ear rub is at best "the icing on the cake" at worse its annoying, because its making it take longer for you to throw the ball. So what can you do to make the reward more effective? As soon as the dog drops the ball, pick it up, <i>quickly</i> give verbal praise, and throw the ball again. Later on, when this behavior (fetching and dropping the ball) is well ingrained you can work on impulse control and frustration tolerance (we'll save these two for a later discussion).<br /><br />Here's another example:<br /><br />You are working on a sit-stay with a mildly fearful dog. Generally we would have the dog on the sit and stay, then begin to inch away, give verbal praise and toss the dog a tidbit for staying put. If the dog is food motivated he may take it and feel a little better, but sometimes fearful dogs may not even eat (the more severe cases) so what can you do? Consider what may be the biggest reward for the frightened dog at the moment.... To feel safe, correct? If the dog is attached to you personally, then being near you may be a good reward for him. Now, I'm not talking about coddling as this is counterproductive but simply allowing the dog to be near and comforted by you. So, for instance, after the fearful pooch stays successfully for a set amount of time, verbally praise and invite the dog to come to you in an excited and warm tone. While thinking that a fearful dog will stay put, away from its owner because he's going to get a food treat may be reasonable, its more probable that the dog is willing to stay put because it knows that <i>eventually</i> it'll get to come back to safety. <br /><br />The fearful dog example is a just an illustration of what I mean when I say that some reinforcers may not be as effective as we think...in truth fearful cases can be much more difficult to handle and since dogs don't generalize well it may take lots of repititions (althought the same could be said about the food treat). However the two cases mentioned above are good examples of how the popular food+verbal reward may not always be the best choice. Knowing what exactly your dog wants at the moment can help correct behaviors happen quicker and more reliably than if we stuck with food treats only. However, this doesn't mean that food and verbal praise make poor reinforcers all the time, absolutely not! If your dog will do <i>anything</i> for a small piece of ham then it can be a very strong reinforcer, same for verbal and physical praise if your dog just melts when it gets attention. <br /><br />Now you may have noticed that in the two examples we kept the "Good Boy" verbal praise, the reason for that is that even though its not the highest reinforcer, it serves as a "marker", to let the dog know <i><b>we</b></i> consider this a good behavior. <br /><br />Keeping in mind that, what we may think is a great reward may not always coincide with what our dogs consider the <i>the highest value reward</i>, will help not only help reinforce behaviors better,it may also be a great way to stop inadvertently rewarding problem behaviors. To correct inappropriate behaviors without use of force just ask yourself "What does the dog consider the greatest reward at the moment of the behavior? Identify it, eliminate it, and if possible use that reward to encourage an alternate and more appropriate behavior. <br /><br />If you can learn to do this when training your dog, you'll notice you will start to be more 'in-tuned' with your dog in many other aspects and training them will be that much easier. <br /><br />If you'd like to give your opinion about this, feel free to do so on the comments below or visit my <a target=blank_ href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/dog-training-and-behavior-f7/appropriate-rewards-t497.htm">dog forums</a> to share your thoughts. <br /><br />Till Next Time,Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-14129300733534341392010-03-24T14:07:00.000-07:002010-03-24T15:01:50.714-07:002 year old girl had jaw ripped off by dog.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnsuvq9eV3K9ZLEYsqGgLiwwvyBn9nnmdabxnO-znDuYAfZHsNCk5MMQyiL4Lm_JtsLizt8NKHu-lyGIsOKLH7BJdXw-nNQNaunPFBr8PQyiwVGj84DHbkgka4qXgYXnMY1EV34Ivt5s/s1600/article-1260070-08D67D37000005DC-686_225x232.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnsuvq9eV3K9ZLEYsqGgLiwwvyBn9nnmdabxnO-znDuYAfZHsNCk5MMQyiL4Lm_JtsLizt8NKHu-lyGIsOKLH7BJdXw-nNQNaunPFBr8PQyiwVGj84DHbkgka4qXgYXnMY1EV34Ivt5s/s320/article-1260070-08D67D37000005DC-686_225x232.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452318971290702162" /></a><br />This news story absolutely blew my mind!<br /><br />Here's the link if you haven't already read it: <a target=blank_ href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1260070/Girl-2-jaw-ripped-family-dog.html">2 Year Old Girl Mauled by Dog</a><br /><br />Basically in a nutshell, this young 2 year old girl was playing with toys and the drawers in her bedroom (apparently with the dog in there) and the father was there supervising. He turned away from "2 seconds", heard a growl and when he turned back the dog was mauling the young girls face. The father beat the dog off of his daughter, took her to the neighbors, went back and stabbed the dog with a knife. <br /><br />Alright here is what I have to say on the subject.<br /><br />Let me say it right now, I feel really sorry for the poor girl (Taylor), the poor child wasn't even screaming when the dog was taken off of her, which goes to show how traumatic this experience must have been, and will most likely leave emotional scars on her for the rest of her life. I honestly hope she gets better. <br /><br />Now here are some things that seriously bugged me. I completely understand a desperate father's attempts at trying to save his daughter by punching and beating the dog, its a moment where one doesn't really think and time is of the essence. I don't judge the father for that whatsoever. But the fact that, after he took his daughter to the neighbors, that he <i>left her there</i> and went back to <i>stab the dog</i> is outrageous! Should have something been done about the dog? Yes. But stabbing the dog? No. The last act was purely out of revenge, not self defense seeing how no one else was in danger, and would justly fall into the category of animal abuse.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />To make matters worse, (probably still acting out with revenge on his mind) he orders his Alsatian (German Shepherd Dog) to be put to sleep because its a "dangerous breed". And said he'd like to campaign for all "dangerous dogs" to be made illegal. Once again, I don't want to seem insensitive to the father's feelings in that wanting to protect his family is priority number one, but euthanizing the dog was not the way to go, especially considering that it didn't have anything to do with this. The dog could have been re homed if there was no previous aggressive tendencies. <br /><br />In all honesty, this is a classic example of how mistakes on the part of the owner must be paid by the child and the dog. <br /><br />The father and owner of this dog made several grave mistakes:<br /><br />1. Leaving a child and dog unattended, yes even for '2 seconds' (which I find hard to believe). <i>Any</i> dog with teeth, can bite. And a child not knowing how to interact with a dog can easily and quickly make even the gentlest dog snap/bite. <br /><br />2. Keeping a dog with a history of biting. The report from the link above said that the Grandmother of Taylor (the 2 year old girl) stated that the dog had bitten her brother 2 weeks prior to the incident. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, you can't just ignore this, its a serious problem. While I don't agree 100% with the grandmother's asking to put down the dog back then, this could have been solved with a phone call to a behaviorist or by giving the dog up to a shelter/rescue. <br /><br />3. Having a child in the same house as two male dogs and a female dog <i>in season</i>. Intact dogs that are around females in heat tend to be unpredictable and maybe in some cases aggressive (if there is competition). Why was there intact dogs, a small child, and a female dog in heat under the same roof? I have no idea but my best guess a backyard breeder with little insight to dog breeding and behavior. <br /><br />4. This is pure conjecture, but generally true. Resource guarding, meaning the dog growls or snaps because someone takes food or possessions away, doesn't appear overnight. The owner should have taken measure to train the dog not to resource guard, and if there were cases before of resource guarding (we'll never know) then the dog shouldn't have had access to toys when around other dogs and especially little kids that will take stuff like that away!<br /><br />5. Another of my observations but also conjecture is that the dog went almost directly to mauling. A normal dog doesn't usually do this. First the dog may growl, then snap and as a last resort bite. The only way a dog goes straight to biting is if the dog has been scolded in the past for growling. Because of the negative connection to the action they skip it and go straight for the bite. Now I believe the report said that the father heard a growl, but either the negative association to growling made this stage incredibly short (because he was only turned away from 2 seconds) which is no better than a dog that goes directly to biting or he was actually turned away for a longer period of time. If Mr. Leadbeater ever punished the dog for growling (instead of correcting the root of the behavior) he inadvertently caused this problem....however once again we'll probably never know this for sure. <br /><br />Anyway, in conclusion, all I can say is that this is a typical case in which people in the general public will blame the dog breed, as Mr. Leadbeater did, and when we look deeper into this the one at fault is quite obvious. All I can hope is that the child will recover and that people will see this incident for what it is, bad decisions on part of the owners.Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-46735810299000569722010-03-16T13:58:00.000-07:002010-03-16T15:12:38.494-07:00Two different kinds of walks.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjel2hYnartI0bUDFL0DM9IcoTD5JMPsE4HRhz_bIHXS2LEgUEuv-nXqfkq6zvATQuszNGlmQS8vXd-9iSdHAEJVlPAXQZrgh0NxjA0MFlWkmjHv4yuHJmE7SreChJ_whbnE-oVEMXJU/s1600-h/JR.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjel2hYnartI0bUDFL0DM9IcoTD5JMPsE4HRhz_bIHXS2LEgUEuv-nXqfkq6zvATQuszNGlmQS8vXd-9iSdHAEJVlPAXQZrgh0NxjA0MFlWkmjHv4yuHJmE7SreChJ_whbnE-oVEMXJU/s320/JR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449354306279991826" /></a><br />Not long ago a dog trainer brought to my attention something, soon after I inquired about Junior's pulling tendencies. What he mentioned wasn't anything highly complexed, as a matter of fact it was quite elementary, but it's a piece of information I've never been able to forget. He told me that there are two kinds of walks on which to take your dog on: the <i>dog's walk</i> and the <i>owner's walk</i>.<br /><br />He didn't realy coin those terms but to make it easier to explain I've given each that name. A 'dog's walk' is when you take your dog out and let it explore to it's heart's content. The 'owner's walk' is where a dog should be at the owner's side, heeled, at all times and not being distracted by anything. One is definitely much easier to go on than the other but in truth neither is more important over the other and almost every dog should be taken out and trained for both kinds of walks. <br /><br />Now we all know how important walking our dogs is, after all a 'tired dog is a good dog'. Going on walks helps use energy that could build up and become distructive behaviors. For others its a good way not only to keep their dog's in shape but themselves too! Regardless of why we go on walks, both the dog's and owner's walks help in separate aspects and one shouldn't be written off as unimportant. Lets take a closer look at each one. <br /><a name='more'></a><br /><font size="3"><b>Dog's Walk</b></font><br /><br />This is the kind of walk where the dog gets to explore, sniff, and run as much as it likes. Many times this is done while the dog is offleash either following the owner or in a set location, at other times dogs can go on dog walks on long leads as is the case with me and Junior. So how is this beneficial? Seems like the dog gets to do whatever it wishes without regards to its owner. Well that isn't entirely correct...<br /><br />A dog's walk is important for many reasons. The most obvious is that allowing the dog to explore and take in new scents/sights doesn't only physically stimulate a dog, it also mentally stimulates them. Those with energetic dogs can attest to the fact that to have a well behaved high-energy dog one needs to do both physically and mentally stimulating activities. The next benefit may only apply to some particular dogs, I'm talking about those that like to mark. Marking helps a dog's esteem to some degree, and this can be a helpful thing when it comes to the more shy dogs. If your dog occasionally does mark, remember that it should never be in places where it would be considered inappropriate. Lastly, as far as I can see, is that allowing a dog to explore helps a them become more well balanced and less jumpy of novel things, in short its a great aid in the socialization process. <br /><br />There should be a clear distinction between explore time and heeling time, so when taking your dog out to explore, offleash or on long lead, be sure to put it on cue. For instance, before the pooch goes off you can say "Play Time!" or "Explore!" and encourage the dog to go out. Every now and then you can condition the recall (come)command by asking the pooch to come when called. This doesn't only make the command more reliable but it also prevents the dog from making the connection between "come" and the end of explore time. So when you call, praise and then immediately allow the dog to go back with the cue you decided would mean explore time. <br /><br />All in all <i>dog's walk</i> can be lots of fun, but always remember safety and etiquette must come first. This means that the dog shouldn't engage in activities that may put it in danger and that he/she should be allowed offleash/on a long leash in property where it might be considered inconvenient.<br /><br /><font size="3"><b>Owner's Walk</b></font><br /><br />These kinds of walks are more strutctured and quite often stressed (by traditional trainers) to be the proper and only way one should walk a dog. Well it shouldn't really be the only way to walk a dog but doing it in this manner is definitely helpful in some ways. The owner's walk consist of having the dog to one's side, in heeling position, at all times prefereably not distracted by other things. It takes lots of training and proofing to get it right. <br /><br />Having a dog that will walk heeled on command is helpful and convenient especially in situations such as areas with lots of traffic, indoor facilities (vet's office), locations where straying off could be dangerous for the dog, etc. The first thing one needs to do in order to go on a proper owner's walk is teach the dog to heel and sit. This may take some time to do but with some consistency most dog's will get the hang of it. This blog won't go over the step-by-steps of heeling but here are some short videos that might just help:<br /><br /><a target=blank_ href="http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/leash-heeling-training-companion-dog-3-%E2%80%93-walking-heelingl">Heeling Video 1</a><br /><a target=blank_ href="http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/leash-heeling-sirius-puppy-training-classic-0">Heeling Video 2</a><br /><a target=blank_ href="http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/heeling-explained-%E2%80%93-sirius-adult-dog-training">Heeling Video 3</a><br /><br />Something else that will aid you is teaching your dog impulse control, meaning he learns to better control impulses such as lunging or darting to get a piece of food on the ground. The following link describes something called "Doggy Zen" which has 10 steps to help strengthen your dog's impulse control:<br /><br /><a target=blank_ href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/dog-training-and-behavior-f7/doggy-zen-t19.htm">Doggy Zen - Impulse Control</a><br /><br />And lastly, proofing is an important step in making sure that the pooch doesn't become distracted by it's environment. This is usually done by using a combination of desensitization, counterconditioning, and different sources of distractions. Or you can simply proof a command such as "Watch me" which would have the dog look at you instead of something that might make distract him/her. <br /><br />As you can see from the steps explained above, the obvious benefit of the <i>owner's walk</i> is that it teaches the pooch to better control itself, and gives the owner full control over a situation in which an uncontroled dog may constitute a nuisance or even worse, a danger, for themselves or others. <br /><br />Well that pretty much covers it! Knowing the difference between the two walks and the different benefits each of them have separately should help to better structure our walks and take out the confusion for the dog of not knowing when he'll be allowed to roam around and explore and when he's expected to stay at your side at all times. If your walks are too much of one and not of the other there could be some imbalances, too much of dog walking doesn't help teach a dog to stop pulling and that there are times where he needs to stick by your side for his own safety, and too much of owner walking can be boring and unstimulating for the dog and may be passing up some good socialization chances. <br /><br />If you'd like to comment on the subject, feel free to do so on the comments below or at <a target=blank_ href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net">K9academy</a>!<br /><br />Till next time,Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-10201245773195932292010-03-12T23:16:00.000-08:002010-03-16T13:56:29.951-07:00Housebreaking: Are you expecting too much?Its not uncommon to get frustrated dog owners on forum and q/a communities asking what is wrong with their 3 month old pup that continues to have accidents in the house. The answer is always the same: your dog is still too young. I can say from experience that housebreaking is one of the most tedious and frustrating problems one comes across in dog-ownership. However we should try to avoid expecting so much in so little time.<br /><br />Most pups may not develop full bladder and bowel control till about 6 to 8 months. Take this and add to it that most pups haven't yet learned a way to let us know that they need to go to the bathroom and you can easily see why a pup has frequent accidents at first. <br /><br />So what can you do? Well its true that in time the pooch will eventually be able to hold it in, but you can't simply stand back and watch. There are plenty of things you can do to speed along the process. The first thing is never to set up your dog for failure, if you know the pup can't hold it in for long don't allow long periods of time to go by without having had taken out the pup. I usually recommend after meals, after play time, after exercise, before bed, when you wake up and maybe even once during the night.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />If you use something called the "umbilical cord method" you will always be able to catch the puppy on the act or even better; anticipate when the pup needs to go out. This method simply has you have a leash attached to you at all times with the pup on the other end. This way the young dog doesn't leave your sight and doesn't get the chance to go off into some corner and do his business.<br /><br />In time the pup will begin to get the idea that going potty in the house is not correct. This will eventually lead the pup to do <i>something</i> to let you know it needs to go outside, this can range from a whine to scratching at the door (my dog licks the door when he needs to go out). When this happens you've had a breakthrough! Make sure you give lots of praise and let the dog out immediately. <br /><br />Well that's about it on that topic, if you need more tips feel free to check out an article I wrote on K9domain about <a target=blank_ href="http://k9domain.org/potty_and_crate_training.aspx">potty and crate training</a>. If you need some one on one assistance stop by the <a target=blank_ href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net">K9academy message boards</a> and tell us about your problem. <br /><br />Till next time!<br />-StevenSteven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-41578241309432130922010-03-05T16:21:00.001-08:002010-03-05T16:41:00.484-08:00A Great Dog Training Book!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg482ClRyhGLAeqJ_zAJasPh_Qn3qiycc5PDfL26bFv1zcv0eFNByubx9LQfwaSrwysIvd-s515zzNp5G7Op0S-NAmBYKt7a3rvY2jj0AHs8_EMeFBFgqtZQ2yZpgz4_d5oXtP3cB1JCl4/s1600-h/reaching_animal__300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg482ClRyhGLAeqJ_zAJasPh_Qn3qiycc5PDfL26bFv1zcv0eFNByubx9LQfwaSrwysIvd-s515zzNp5G7Op0S-NAmBYKt7a3rvY2jj0AHs8_EMeFBFgqtZQ2yZpgz4_d5oXtP3cB1JCl4/s200/reaching_animal__300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445309436731397858" /></a><br /><br />I wanted to share with everyone a great book I just finished reading. <u>Reaching the Animal Mind</u> by Karen Pryor.<br /><br />This book has taught me a whole lot about clicker training and operant conditioning. I actually wasn't all too comfortable with the thought of using a clicker as a reinforcer but the simple and clear explanations given by the author along with some great examples teaches you just what you can do with a bit of shaping. <br /><br />This might be an excellent read for those that are reluctant to stop using "traditional" means of training dogs such as dominance or force. There are chapters dedicated to talking about the effect of fear on learning as well as explanations as to how the clicker works in the brain. <br /><a name='more'></a><br />If you were like me and weren't 100% convinced about clicker training or have some questions about it there is also a whole chapter dedicated to answering some of the most common questions regarding Clicker Training. <br /><br />Don't be fooled though, even though this is a great book for those of us interested in dog training; the book itself doesn't only deal with dogs. There are examples including horses, cats, fish, ferrets, hermit crabs and even people!<br /><br />So if you get a chance, I highly recommend you go and see if you can acquire it. I got mine by searching the county library system.<br /><br />Lastly, if you want to read some parts of the book here's a link to google that lets you do that: <a target=_blank href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FSN_VDlw79wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=reaching+the+animal+mind&source=bl&ots=_X6n9ErRXi&sig=VC0-bNP3DhF4idASs0vgy7_kUuM&hl=en&ei=_qKRS6T8DJDesgOS-IT9Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false">Google Preview</a><br /><br />Also, along with this book is a site where you can see videos of the examples used in the book. You can see some of those videos here (ordered by chapters): <a target=_blank href="http://www.reachingtheanimalmind.com/chapter_01.html">Reachingtheanimalmind.com</a><br /><br />I wrote a more indepth review at my forum: <a target=_blank href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/books-tv-f15/reaching-the-animal-mind-by-karen-pryor-t447.htm">Dog Message Board: Book Review</a><br /><br />Hope you guys enjoy!Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-70000446951381122602010-03-04T11:42:00.000-08:002010-03-04T12:36:27.140-08:00Why not advise Aversive Techniques on the NetMany people that advocate the use of aversive or negative techniques often say that they DO work and that its worked wonders for their dogs. I don't think we can argue with them on that point, because if they didn't work then trainers back in the 1960's who were using them wouldn't have had a job! Of course the more modern trainers don't question IF they work but rather <i>how</i>, <i>why</i>, and <i>for how long</i> they work. But thats a different story that we may touch upon on another blog. I just want to focus on the following two points of why its not appropriate to advise using aversive techniques on the internet.<br /><br /><b>The Skill Required</b><br /><br />The skill to effectively administer an aversive training technique is not present in everyone. In an article I wrote debunking the alpha theory, I wrote a little about <a href="http://k9domain.org/alpha_theory.aspx">why punishement wasn't an appropriate tool for average owners</a>. It explains how most people's emotions rule the severity and length of the punishment and how timing and consistency is usually not a strong point in those that aren't well acquainted with how dog's think. <br /><br />Simply because an aversive method worked for you personally doesn't make it ok to go on the internet and argue with those that offer more dog friendly methods and suggest that others use it because it worked for them. People reading that may not possess the skill to do the same thing and have it work for them. Not to mention used incorrectly aggressive methods have been proven to cause aggressive behaviors in dogs. Suggestions of this nature have only made the problem worse when it could have been avoided with more modern and positive techniques.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Just because someone had sucess using a punishment to rid themselves of a problem behavior doesn't mean that they should be giving other less knowledgeable owners a false sense of security in that it works and can be done by everyone; remember that every dog and owner is different. It would be a different story if that person where there to guide the owner to doing it correctly but posting things of that nature on the internet makes that impossible. <br /><br /><b>Quick to Accept and Pleasing Too!</B><br /><br />Another reason to avoid the topic all together is that people are often too quick to accept the idea that punishing their dog is an effective way to eliminate a problem behavior. They don't, in the least, know why they are doing it, what the root of the problem is or what consequences there may be; they just know that someone on the internet (someone that they think knows more on the subject that they) said its ok and that it'll work. <br /><br />The problem with aversives is that over time they aren't even used mainly to try and cure a problem but rather as a vent in which to channel the anger that a problem behavior causes. In other words...it become <i>rewarding</i> to the punisher. The idea sounds sickening and barbaric, no? Because thats exactly what it is. I don't mean that the owner will hit the dog because he's had a bad day, but I'm saying that it will relieve the frustration he feels because, lets say, the dog had <i>another</i> accident on the new carpet. <br /><br /><b>In the end.</b><br /><br />Its not that those that offer dog friendly methods think we are higher or more elite than those that advocate aversive methods. Its that they are not only more humane but they offer a stress free way to solve common dog problems while at the same time opening a door to the owner to understanding how and why a dog works the way it does.<br /><br />Its not a matter about whether those methods work or not, like I said in the begining; but rather a matter about acknowledging the possible consequences that they may pose to both dog and owner as compared to other more modern techniques. If you think that there is no way to completely teach a dog without using punishments of some sort I highly recommend that you read <u>Reaching the Animal Mind</u> by Karen Pryor, an see what modern training techniques have to offer. <br /><br />Feel free to comment on the subject either here or at my <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/dog-training-and-behavior-f7/why-not-advise-aversive-techniques-on-the-net-t444.htm">dog message board</a> and maybe we can have a nice discussion.Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-83571912819274475092010-02-23T14:10:00.000-08:002010-02-27T15:58:56.261-08:00Secret to having two dogs meetAlright its not really a secret but here are some good tips to keep on hand when you are having your dog meet another. <br /><br />Not too long ago I took Junior along to the park with me, there really isn't all too many dogs there since it isn't a dog park but it is dog friendly. On this occasion Junior had to socialized with two different dogs.<br /><br />One important thing to do is to know your dog, always look at him/her to make sure that you aren't stressing them out more than you should and to make sure that they aren't going to start going crazy. <br /><br />Next important thing is to be calm. Honestly, we tend to tense up so much because we don't know whats going to happen. It happened to me in the park as well, the other dog in this case was a friends of mine and it was smaller so I didn't want anything to happen to her. But I noticed that I was too tense, I had the leash held tight and I was hardly controling my breathing (I was holding it in). So I shook that feeling off, I let the tension out of the leash and I took a deep breath all at the same time. Junior stop pulling, stopped that little throat growl of his and went up my friend's dog and did the typical k9 greeting ceremony. After that they were both just fine. Junior was now more interested on continuing his walk!<br /><a name='more'></a><br />In this case I also had some treats. Depending on your situation these can be a good thing or a bad thing to have. The main point is to make the event positive in the dog's mind. I knew that for Junior the walk and food were his highest motivators so I used them to my advantage. Every now and then I'd let Junior take a little tidbit and continue his examination of the other dog. If your dog has problems with resource gaurding this may not be the best approach and instead continue your walk.<br /><br />I knew that exploring together was also a good icebreaker between two dogs, so I asked my friend to come along on a walk with Junior and I. They both did great, no more growling, just simply exploring. <br /><br />Later on in that same day, there was someone else with a Staffie puppy walking around, the pup didn't have a leash and walked up to Junior. Instinctively I froze up, Junior wanted to see the pup and so I let the tension out of the leash and allowed him to do so. In this case I knew that the pup didn't pose a threat and that the only problem 'could' be Junior, if I didn't react correctly. So by relaxing and allowing him to sniff the pup, he did just fine. After a little sniffing the pup went back to his owner.<br /><br />Always know your circumstances. In both the cases above, I knew I had control of my dog and the other owner would have control of their dog or that the other dog wouldn't pose a threat. However there are some cases where its best you just walk away or avoid the situation all together.<br /><br />An example of the above is what happened yesterday. I was walking with Junior and we met an adult Blue Staffordshire Terrier on the road. Instead of just letting them work it out and hope for the best where I was the only one that would have to stop a possible fight, I chose to put Junior to the side of me, away from the dog. I stood straight and without hesitation told the dog to go home. I made no threatening gestures just told her to go home in a neutral tone. Suprisingly she did, and I walked with Junior around her. <br /><br />The reason why its best to avoid situations where a fight is possible is because negative associations can leave a lasting impression on your dog, making it much more harder to get your dog to meet others peacefully.<br /><br />So in review, you can say that the key to having two dogs meet succesfully are the following:<br /><br />A. Know your dog.<br />B. Relax, control your breathing and don't hold the leash tight.<br />C. Assess your situation.<br /><br />And of course what always helps to be in a neutral environment (place where neither dog have been to before) and treats if your dog won't be aggressive because of them. See if that works, also here are some other tips by Virginia Wind about other <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/dog-training-and-behavior-f7/having-two-dogs-meet-t13.htm">ways to get two dog's to meet.</a><br /><br />If you have any questions or comments, feel free to voice them either here on the comments or at my forums at <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/forum.htm">K9Academy Dog Message Board.</a>Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-54292146392207491522010-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:002010-02-23T13:56:27.154-08:00Sheetza<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTaZlV3At_HCqxmzxcHoK7cicenQpUxuiGTPSx750PNxpZM7Pi2OjzYb7MzEVje5imv49uUkk_MDWZGaYGPJSDydvwJBF7pjFkEDk40CmT4-H385ulczA48iXpwdzBu0Y6hilzcvuEDw/s1600-h/Sheetza_Flower2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTaZlV3At_HCqxmzxcHoK7cicenQpUxuiGTPSx750PNxpZM7Pi2OjzYb7MzEVje5imv49uUkk_MDWZGaYGPJSDydvwJBF7pjFkEDk40CmT4-H385ulczA48iXpwdzBu0Y6hilzcvuEDw/s320/Sheetza_Flower2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441558914533001266" /></a><br />Here's our little Dachshund! Her name is Sheetza, yes I know its the weirdest name for a dog, but that's the name we got her with. We actually got her quite young, about 8-9 months I think, one of our close friends gave her to us, and so we were less inclined to change a name that they had given to her. <br /><br />From what we are told, she didn't have a very good puppyhood (before our friends got her), and as a direct result she tends to be fear aggressive of people and some dogs. Other than that, she fits the doxie description pretty well, she's a one person dog, wary of strangers, and a surprisingly loud barker! <br /><a name='more'></a><br />We are currently working on her fear issues, we take her to the park every now and then for her to meet our friends, and we have them give her treats. It works exceedinly well up until someone tries to pet her...*sigh* everyone is inclined to pet a little dog... So we have to constantly tell people that petting her on the head will make her aggressive. It works...for some.<br /><br />Hopefully I'll be blogging about her progress and challenges with her training in the future, in the mean time here are some pictures of her:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2_Nv5oVF0QPdTTRFmTSuepmDc3zipp3BQbM-L9o__UkLaj6Pqre1Ch4kZ946EfVa_g7xXZk7Z-pZd7x2xASbwMlwORqLlq-78FdTYr_itqyzYUXo13uWwnE56eLOzZfspuv58mixDSU/s1600-h/Sheetza_Flower.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2_Nv5oVF0QPdTTRFmTSuepmDc3zipp3BQbM-L9o__UkLaj6Pqre1Ch4kZ946EfVa_g7xXZk7Z-pZd7x2xASbwMlwORqLlq-78FdTYr_itqyzYUXo13uWwnE56eLOzZfspuv58mixDSU/s400/Sheetza_Flower.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441559470714056146" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HS46z4ViRvboRkZCZHyDjutQgHGUOWJ7W952wFafsWzVd7vRs1-aKq3v9ZhlE94Mp0P5CLRFauoVb-dCxQp0ObaWReyMTy5AWTGMnXVurAgjNJEY03HkgSRWyLTz_XIA6pIJGh2C_no/s1600-h/IMG_0223.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HS46z4ViRvboRkZCZHyDjutQgHGUOWJ7W952wFafsWzVd7vRs1-aKq3v9ZhlE94Mp0P5CLRFauoVb-dCxQp0ObaWReyMTy5AWTGMnXVurAgjNJEY03HkgSRWyLTz_XIA6pIJGh2C_no/s400/IMG_0223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441559470438318338" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbx759F2kvVkWZE8K3tlolGJY9XbT2GgUNWJEX2HRK-EFLmaPJJwRxlboP5xobPFTtbalgU5CfG1AJ8iWYKoWJpk7-14FM0BiXQqCmOYqt_WSwLIXv1TZbEHEKoryNJmw91pSWi0hPEM/s1600-h/Sheetza.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbx759F2kvVkWZE8K3tlolGJY9XbT2GgUNWJEX2HRK-EFLmaPJJwRxlboP5xobPFTtbalgU5CfG1AJ8iWYKoWJpk7-14FM0BiXQqCmOYqt_WSwLIXv1TZbEHEKoryNJmw91pSWi0hPEM/s400/Sheetza.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441560109653943954" /></a>Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-77932903129669896322010-02-05T12:18:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:06:21.485-08:00Junior My Chow Mix<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 204px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykQpKvFsHdQqSCUoeOlAEnVTlCshgqpXW6i4ycME0TPD6ZE-nXsezzIVILyKy_FU2HT-Fh7g_nmStj8_kvpQsozU9tGpfSW2xfrtC4XHk0so-QnvaDsjDSCpk3eQJUtEAbRQo21pwGRg/s400/Junior.bmp" border="0" alt="Dog-Notes: Junior, Chow Mix"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434861691787681858" /><br />So I said in a blog before that I'd talk a little bit about my dogs. Well first lets start off with Junior, he's my chow mix. I didn't receive him as a puppy, as much as I would have liked, he actually belonged to someone else that I knew in the neighborhood. I actually didn't get him till he was three years old. <br /><br />A little about Junior? Well he's a HE, many people seem to mistake him for a her...I'm not sure how...Currently (2010) he's 5 years old. I'm positive he's a chow mix although I have no idea what other breeds he might be mixed with, my best guesses would be Golden Retriever and Finnish Spitz. He's got an incredibly high prey drive, meaning he'll chase rabbits and squirrels like crazy, also has some trouble with pulling on the lead, which I'm working on.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Despite the fact that his previous owners didn't really socialize him, he does exceedingly well with strangers. Not so much with other dogs. He isn't, but I don't think he knows how to interact with them. Since I've had him he's met quite a few dogs without problems but there have been a handful that he growls at. If we're on a walk and there's another dog he'll growl if the other dog is going crazy with barking but will sniff another dog if they don't seem to be aggressive. Lately we've been going to the park so he can meet other dogs and the few that he's met he's done well. <br /><br />Junior's highest reinforcer are walks and food, he goes absolutely crazy about them. He'll usually eat anything, provided that its not green. You can give him a tiny piece of sandwich and he'll eat everything except the lettuce! <br /><br />As far as trainability goes, he's wonderful! He learns tricks with ease and has the ones he has previously learned well memorized. Tricks he knows include sit, lay, paw, kiss, jump, crawl, stand, fetch, and some few more he's working on. <br /><br />Well I think that's it! Other than that here's some picture I've take of him, enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCanI7u4nLrcJG_wd5u8la-GggmkqvIb4pD_YqnB7xGPcz3oZqy9AGtiZhAb3qx0EkYDi1Q6MDA8j6LENWLmCVLEyLYVG6sKNjj5yYxxwQmNZFlZAqloHxqHpOsyDMep2echuVg9Y40I/s1600-h/IMG_0237.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCanI7u4nLrcJG_wd5u8la-GggmkqvIb4pD_YqnB7xGPcz3oZqy9AGtiZhAb3qx0EkYDi1Q6MDA8j6LENWLmCVLEyLYVG6sKNjj5yYxxwQmNZFlZAqloHxqHpOsyDMep2echuVg9Y40I/s400/IMG_0237.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441562426079351138" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje_Hs7i_WdMmyI3d3ExpRgLGMKgdM-U_yAPq5tlvSB6jVjsdkeyEN-RLkNWJwdpv5kurFXJmOGaPQHQDuTT5t-R5loUQ02-QmUJXdGUzRukrSjP5q55seB2YAr2Hd3HRvpojHIV6m-WE/s1600-h/Jr_Sunglasses.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje_Hs7i_WdMmyI3d3ExpRgLGMKgdM-U_yAPq5tlvSB6jVjsdkeyEN-RLkNWJwdpv5kurFXJmOGaPQHQDuTT5t-R5loUQ02-QmUJXdGUzRukrSjP5q55seB2YAr2Hd3HRvpojHIV6m-WE/s400/Jr_Sunglasses.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441562424623269026" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0Nh7xXjQ0mH2dx8e7l6FArdXZ0GQ4Z1SlEzVDNo0ThjR53rmTTOdquxPRQ88p3V2FpVNj9Aeat3_cLlbufj3xYyz4wStNgRTlEL0PlzznDsOlMD4s_muSuLam415U042dQTIHv8YCNc/s1600-h/IMG_0235.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0Nh7xXjQ0mH2dx8e7l6FArdXZ0GQ4Z1SlEzVDNo0ThjR53rmTTOdquxPRQ88p3V2FpVNj9Aeat3_cLlbufj3xYyz4wStNgRTlEL0PlzznDsOlMD4s_muSuLam415U042dQTIHv8YCNc/s400/IMG_0235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441562414231576594" /></a>Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-61444357072167872082009-12-21T16:23:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:06:56.992-08:00Dog ForumsI love being on forums, mostly I contribute to subjects that I know well and feel comfortable with…mainly dog training and behavior. I’ve joined many dog forums since I first started navigating the internet, because of time restrictions I’ve only stuck with a few though. I even made my own dog forum, simply because I wanted to see what it takes to build an online community. Let me tell you it’s been hard albeit really fun. As far as my forum goes I’ve got a few members that contribute regularly, a great group of people! It takes a lot of work on our part to keep the forum looking active. <br /><br />I honestly think that forums are a great source of information for those looking to become ‘experts’ in a certain subject. Not only do you read info from all sides of the argument, but you meet people that know lots more than you in certain areas, you find links to useful places, and the discussion atmosphere really gets your mind going not only digesting information you would usually do in a regular article website. But honestly it can be a tad hard to integrate yourself into a forum…<br /><a name='more'></a><br />I found that your first 200-500 posts will usually shape what people think of you. Depending on the activity of that forum even getting to 200 posts can be a challenge! Not only that but most usually ignore you as the “newbie”, and don’t really pay much attention to you until you start quoting others or being the devil’s advocate. Regardless once you break the ice it’s pretty easy sailing from then on and then the real learning begins. <br /><br />I’ve met several people on forums that come in as newbies that know very little about dogs and after a few couple months they are very knowledgeable dog owners! It really is amazing. I don’t know if it is all the information that they read or maybe the pressure of being correct (or at least being able to effectively defend one’s opinion) but it really happens. <br /><br />Anyway, with that I highly encourage anyone reading this to sign up for a forum if they haven’t already. It takes time and dedication but it can be really rewarding. Although which forum you join is completely up to you, I’ve found that forums with lots of members tend to be more ‘clique-ish’ and those are usually the harder ones to get noticed and fit in, but these tends to have much more information to offer. Smaller forums are easier to follow along and get to know the people better. These usually won’t have too many heated discussions but you’ll find good advice there. I have noticed that smaller forums also give better welcomes…probably because they don’t often get members, who knows; but don’t be surprised if you join up to a big forum and you only get 1-3 responses…it happens.<br /><br />Well this has been my experience with dog forums at least; maybe the experience is different for forums in different niches? I’d definitely like to know, so feel free to comment here or talk about at <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/">K9Academy</a>!<br /><br />Till next time,Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-47002543285790207582009-12-21T16:20:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:07:20.954-08:00Dog Savvies’ Pet PeevesProbably the topics that I usually see spark up the most heated discussions are those that include: designer breeds, Cesar Millan, Pit bulls, and wolf dogs… but none of these come close to the flaming that any topic regarding dog breeding can generate (although Cesar Millan issues come close…). <br /><br />The typical responses to people that come to forums to ask advice about their pregnant dog, wanting to breed their dog, or breeding in general include but are not limited to:<br /><br />“Get your dog fixed”<br />“You know how many dogs are dying in shelters?”<br />“You’re a backyard breeder”<br />“If you have to ask you shouldn’t be breeding”<br />And of course…. “Don’t feed the troll!”<br /><a name='more'></a><br />In my own person opinion I agree and think that people that say those things have every reason to. After all it is true that you do your dog a huge favor by fixing them if you aren’t breeding them, definitely true that hundreds of dogs die each week in shelters for lack of homes, by all technical definition these are BYB’s, and obviously someone that has to ask such elementary questions isn’t ready to take up breeding but…. Is this any way to answer someone that is asking a question?<br /><br />Although I will admit there are those who have absolutely nothing to do in their lame lives but join up to dog forums and pester the member’s with questions about breeding just to spark up trouble (these are the trolls), but what if a person asking that is sincere in their question and they get answers like that?<br /><br />It was once brought to everyone’s attention (at a forum) that if people get responses like that they are less likely to listen or change their ways. They might even think of us as extremist (think PETA….that would most definitely not be good).<br /><br />So what would be a better alternative? One that would let them know that they most likely aren’t ready for breeding dogs but also that doesn’t offend them or make us seem like extremist? There are many people that have realized the problem with the answers above and their responses usually include: <br /><br />-First and foremost an answer to the specific question asked (no matter how dumb)<br />-Bringing up how much money it might take to raise the pups<br />-Make the person understand about Health certificates and their importance<br />-Clear up any misconceptions/myths in a polite manner<br />-Links to breed clubs/reputable breeders<br />-Bring up the point about there being too many dogs in shelters and the possibility that the pups might end up there too.<br />-Mention the benefits of altering<br />-Describe what reputable breeders do different<br />-Never adds sarcastic, condescending, or rude remarks<br /><br />That being said, no matter how passionate we feel about this topic, we won’t do anyone any good by being rude to people that ask about breeding, quite the opposite really… It’d be a good idea to try these ‘good’ responses out and see how the person asking the question reacts…we never know! <br /><br />I know that this really IS a topic many are passionate about so maybe you have a differing opinion? If so let me know either in the comments below or at my <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net/">dog forum</a>!<br /><br />Until later,Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231764455590172655.post-79962604097900741632009-12-17T17:08:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:07:37.433-08:00My First PostThis is the first time I've ever done blogging. I'm still getting the hang of it but for the most part it doesn't seem too difficult! I hope to post things such as short informative articles, opinions on discussions/news, and anything that happens in my life that is dog-related. <br /><br />I love writing, website desgning and anything related to dogs! I've combined my interests and have a website up that offers tips and advice for dog owners, you can find it at <a href="http://k9domain.org/default.aspx">K9Domain</a>. I also have a dog forum that is connected with k9domain called <a href="http://k9academy.dogboard.net">K9Academy</a>. I usually post content on there and have a wonderful group (albeit small) of people that help with responding and posting themselves. <br /><br />Soon I'll be posting a bit about my dogs and what things I'm working on training them. Until then!Steven Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797994209361759328noreply@blogger.com0