A Great Dog Training Book!

I wanted to share with everyone a great book I just finished reading. Reaching the Animal Mind by Karen Pryor.

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.

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.

Why not advise Aversive Techniques on the Net

Many 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 how, why, and for how long 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.

The Skill Required

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 why punishement wasn't an appropriate tool for average owners. 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.

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.

Secret to having two dogs meet

Alright its not really a secret but here are some good tips to keep on hand when you are having your dog meet another.

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.

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.

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!

Sheetza

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.

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!

Junior My Chow Mix

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.

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.