The Right Tool at the Right Time

Not every canine behavior needs to be changed through training; sometimes, simple managment is more effective.

Few dogs behave in ways that please us all day every day – especially puppies, adolescent dogs, or newly adopted adult dogs who have little experience living closely with humans. “Training” is what we usually call our formal efforts to teach dogs how to behave in ways that please us more – and most frequently, dog owners use that term to describe what is needed to prevent their dogs from causing chaos in or destruction to their homes, or upsetting or harming other members of the household (whether human, canine, feline, or anything else). But when discussing behaviors that we’d like to prevent our dogs from practicing, many trainers would likely say that what’s needed in many of those vexing situations is better canine management, not training!

What’s the difference? “Management” generally means using simple tools – such as leashes, fences, doors, and gates – to prevent the dog from practicing behaviors we don’t want him to do (such as wandering away from home, chasing your cat through the house, chewing your sofa cushions, helping himself to food from the kitchen garbage or on the counter, or jumping on visitors).

In contrast, “training” usually refers to situations where we are teaching the dog what to do.

Both management and training are highly effective in modifying our dogs’ behavior so that they can share our lives and homes more peacefully and pleasingly – but it’s helpful to be aware of the difference between the approaches, and use each to its best advantage, in order to most effectively and efficiently (and humanely) get our dogs to behave the way we’d like them to.

I’m a trainer, and believe me, I love training, and am fascinated by any pain- and fear-free method that can be used to teach dogs to perform behaviors that are helpful or just plain enjoyable to us. But there are many instances when training is not the most efficient or effective way to change a dog’s behavior!

“Counter-surfing” is a perfect example. When a dog has learned to help himself to food that’s on the kitchen counter, some people will set up elaborate traps that are meant to scare the dog and teach him not to jump on the counters any more, or spend time teaching him “off” or “leave it.”

However, dogs who are highly motivated by food may find the prospect of finding food so rewarding that they gladly run the risk of whatever traps their owners devise (or learn to identify the traps and detect any time the traps haven’t been “set”). And expecting a dog to perform a behavior in the many hours you are absent is unrealistic; why would you expect him to “leave it” for hours when you would never expect him to, say, hold a “down/stay” for the same period of time?

In this case, managing the dog’s behavior – by preventing him from being able to do it at all, by, say, using a baby gate to keep him out of the kitchen altogether – is a far simpler solution than training.

In contrast, there are also instances when we can use a tool to manage the dog’s unwanted behavior, but it would be even more helpful if he learned to do something that we like better. That’s when training is indicated.

Complementary techniques
Here’s an example: If you have a dog who is prone to chasing your cat in the house, you can manage his behavior by keeping him on a tether at all times, or using gates that your cat can jump over, go through, or run under to evade your dog’s pursuit. This is a good, first-line-of-defense strategy that will protect your cat, especially when you are not present. But teaching your dog to look at you or come to you when he sees the cat will be a better long-term solution, one that may eventually result in the animals’ peaceful co-existence.

I have lived this example for the past 10 years, ever since my husband and I adopted a young Cardigan Welsh Corgi from a shelter. Lucy spent six months’ worth of evenings on a leash next to me on the sofa so I could prevent her from leaping after Barney, our black-and-white tuxedo cat, when he bounced into the living room. That was management.

But while I managed Lucy’s cat-chasing behavior, I also worked to convince her that cats appearing in the living room makes treats appear for her to enjoy. That was training – and it pays off to this day, almost 10 years later. Just this evening, as I sat on the living-room sofa, fingers on my laptop keyboard and one eye on the television, I noticed Barney waltz into the room. Next to me, Lucy sparked alert.

I watched and waited. A second later, her head swiveled toward me. Ah! Good girl! I usually reward her with a treat; I almost always have some in a pocket or on a nearby table. Sometimes her reward for a behavior that I like – such as looking at me – is a few moments of petting and praise, or a chance to chase a toy.

The right time
When does it make the most sense to manage your dog’s unwanted behavior and when should you work to train him to do something you like more? It’s almost always most effective to immediately manage the dog’s environment to prevent him from practicing (and being reinforced for) the unwanted behavior. In some cases, that’s all that’s needed – especially when a simple management tool replaces unrealistic training expectations. For example, if you really don’t want your dog to snooze on your sofa while you are at work all day, it would be far easier and more effective to simply block her access to the room with the sofa than it would be to devise, set up, and monitor some sort of remote surveillance and training system to teach her to stay off the sofa when you aren’t there.

In other cases, it makes sense to manage the dog’s environment (again, to prevent your dog from practicing the unwanted behavior) for just as long as it takes you to teach the dog a new, more appropriate behavior. For example, you may want to use a head halter or front-clip harness to prevent your large dog from pulling you off your feet when you take him on pottying walks, while you also take a class or work with a trainer to teach him to walk politely with just a flat collar in slowly increasingly distracting environments. This will set him up for eventual success, while (we hope) preventing him from ever experiencing the thrill of pulling the leash out of your hand in order to bolt after a squirrel on the sidewalk across the street.

Caveat: Failure factors
I’m a big fan of management – good management tools and practices can often salvage a previously frustrating dog/owner relationship – but management does have a bad name in some training circles. “Management always fails,” some will pontificate, meaning that there may be a high price to pay if you rely solely on a gate or leash to control your dog’s behavior, and someone forgets to latch the gate or the leash breaks. I try to avoid saying “always” or “never” to my clients, though. I prefer to say, “Management has a high likelihood of failure, so if you plan to manage a behavior, be aware of the potential for failure and what the risks are if management fails, and make training and management decisions accordingly.” It’s not as snappy a sound bite, for sure, but it is far more accurate.

When you do decide to employ management – whether as an alternative or a complement to training – it pays to be thoroughly aware of its potential for failure and the potential risks of any possible failures. What do I mean by this? Let me flesh out one of the examples above. Say you have adopted a large dog who hasn’t yet been trained to walk nicely on a leash, and who is reactive to other dogs. You are taking a group class with a good trainer, and working hard to improve his social and on-leash skills, but his behavior is much better if he gets a lot of exercise. So, even though it’s challenging to take him on walks, you use a front-clip harness (management tool) to help control him on walks, which you take very early in the morning (management technique, to try to avoid seeing many other dog walkers).

There are many risks of this approach: The harness or leash could break; the dog could pull the leash out of your hand with a strong bolt; he could pull you over (if there is a size/strength disparity between the two of you); or someone else’s dog could get loose and come after your dog and you might be unable to pull or summon your dog away. If your dog got loose in one of these ways, he might run off and get hit by a car, or initiate a fight with another dog.

Then there are the mitigating factors: you bought good equipment; you check it frequently to make sure it’s not chewed or frayed and that the leash snap is not cracked and its mechanism is working properly; and you keep your cell phone in your pocket and stay attentive to the appearance of any other dogs on the horizon, so that you are ready to execute a quick turn in the other direction. All of these things will minimize the risk of your temporary management strategies.

Potential for Management Failure and Failure Risk
When considering management, short- or long-term, as an option for dealing with a behavior, it’s important that you make a realistic assessment of the potential for and risk of management failure.

Factors that contribute the likelihood that management will fail include but are not limited to:

Poor-quality equipment (such as frayed or chewed leashes, doors that don’t latch properly, inadequately installed gates, fences in poor repair)

Children in the home

Lots of activity/traffic in and out of the house

Multiple residents in the home (especially if some aren’t conscientious about management protocols)

Lack of commitment to or inability to implement management protocols

Creative, persistent, determined, and/or anxious dogs

Intensity of behavior

Predictability of behavior (either extreme)

Consider, too, the potential risks (to your dog or other family members, or other people or animals) if your management techniques or tools fail. What is the most serious or tragic thing that is likely to happen if your management does fail?

Management is not an appropriate option if the likely consequences are very serious, such as someone (a human or animal) being badly bitten or even killed, animal-control action being taken against you, someone filing a lawsuit against you (and possible loss of homeowner’s insurance), or significant damage to valuable possessions.

Remember, every behavior and training scenario invites you to make choices about how much to manage and how much to train. Choose wisely – your dog’s well-being depends on it.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog-training classes and courses for trainers.

(From The Whole Dog Journal, Dec 2014)

Reward based dog training – without using treats!

(From The Whole Dog Journal)

Five ways to reward your dog when you don’t want to use treats.

By Mardi Richmond, MA, CPDT-KA

Food treats are an easy and effective reward for a dog when training. But food rewards are only one way to build strong behavior. There may be times when you do not want to or cannot use food, and there may be times when the best reinforcement is something other than a hot dog! Here are five great ways to reward your dog when you don’t want to reach for the treat pouch.

1) Play with your dog! Anyone who has trained for an active sport like agility or flyball knows the value of using toys, games, and play in training. But toys, games, and play don’t apply only to the sports-minded. Playing with your dog can be a powerful relationship-building tool, as well as a potent reward. Tugging and retrieving may be the most obvious play rewards, but playing games with your dog is limited only by your (and your dog’s) imagination.

2) Use “life rewards.” These are things that your dog enjoys in his daily life, such as going for a walk, running in the backyard, or splashing in a sprinkler – and they can be harnessed by using the Premack Principle.

This principle says a “low-probability behavior” (one that the dog or other subject is less likely to perform, such as waiting calmly at the door) can be reinforced by a “higher probability behavior” (one that the dog prefers, such as getting to race happily around the yard). For example, to strengthen your dog’s sit, ask him to sit before giving him access to any of the things he really enjoys – running with his pals, swimming in the pond, or cuddling next to you on the couch. This type of reward is easy to integrate into your daily life, and can be especially helpful for dogs who need assistance with self-control.

3) Offer a warm word. Praise, “happy talk,” or a simple “Good dog!” may be the most common type of reward there is! Some dogs naturally find praise rewarding, but even dogs who don’t seem to can become praise seekers if you frequently pair your praise with other great things. For example, if you teach your dog to “down” with a click, followed by a treat or tug, you can add in “Good dog!” as you deliver the treat or play the game of tug. Soon, your dog will learn to associate that happy praise with the treat or tug, and “Good dog!” will become its own reward.

4) Touch him where he likes it. Touch can be a wonderful reward for some dogs, but it is also a tricky reward to use. Before using petting, rubs, or massage as a reward, first consider two things: What types of touch does my dog enjoy? And, when does he enjoy being touched? For example, your dog might enjoy a chest scratch, but may shy away from a head pat. Long, slow strokes may feel good and be rewarding when he is settled next to you, but irritating if he is waiting for a run in the backyard. Pay attention to what your dog does when you touch him; if he ducks away or does not engage with you, it probably is not rewarding. If he engages, comes toward you, or asks for more, then it probably is rewarding.

5) Create space. You can use space as a reward by increasing distance or by removing social pressure. In the right situation, space can be very powerful reinforcement. For example, a dog can be rewarded for an appropriate behavior (such as looking away) in the face of an anxiety-producing trigger (such as a scary person) when you increase distance by moving the dog away from the trigger. (This tactic, described as “Behavioral Adjustment Training” or BAT, is more fully discussed in Pat Miller’s article, “When Packmates Fight,” in Whole Dog Journal April 2010.)

In your day-to-day interactions with your dog, you can also use space in smaller or subtler ways by removing social pressure. If you are teaching your dog to stay out of the kitchen by using gentle body blocks, for example, you can reward your dog’s acceptance of the kitchen door boundary by simply backing up a little bit – or removing the social pressure of the body block.

These are just some of the many ways you can reward your dog when you don’t want to use food or treats. Remember, when you are thinking about rewards, you can consider anything your dog finds valuable

Mardi Richmond is a writer and dog enthusiast in Santa Cruz, California.

Teen Angel – dealing with canine adolescence

(From The Whole Dog Journal, Nov 2014)

Your dog’s adolescence can be trying – to you! Here is how to get through this stage with grace.

Is your once cute, cuddly, and well-behaved pup suddenly acting out? Is your dog ignoring you, taking off if he sees something interesting, and chewing on everything in sight? Did his once perfect “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “come” seemingly disappear overnight? Are his friendly, social ways being replaced with rowdy, over-the-top greetings? Is he sometimes cautious or even suspicious? Does he occasionally look at you as if he hardly knows you?

If your dog is between six and 18 months old, he is in the adolescent phase of life – where his body looks full-grown but his brain is still developing. Many of the so-called problem behaviors seen at the age, such as chewing, overexcitement, and distractibility, are a result of normal physical and developmental changes. Along with the brain maturing, the adolescent body is also going through growth spurts, secondary teething, surging hormones, and fear periods.

The teenage months are often a dreaded stage in a dog’s development; many dogs are given up to shelters or rescues during this phase because they are destructive or out of control. But adolescence doesn’t have to be terrible. In fact, it can be an exciting and fun time. As with their human teenage counterparts, adolescent dogs can be energetic, playful, full of curiosity, enthusiastic about learning, and ready for just about anything.
These following tips will help you not only survive your dog’s adolescence, but also help you both thrive as you travel through this challenging age.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Adolescent dogs seem to have unending energy and stamina. Even an hour-long on-leash walk may fail to make a dent in your dog’s energy. Leashed walks often need to be supplemented with dog/dog play, high-energy games of chase, swimming, and opportunities to run and explore new areas. The more physical and mental exercise you can give an adolescent dog, the better.

However, adolescent dogs need down time, too. Quiet rest for a portion of the day can help keep his stress hormones from soaring too high (which can contribute to overexcitement). Balancing rest, physical activity, and mental activity will help your dog behave his best.

Also, keep in mind that adolescent bodies are still growing and that joints are not fully developed. To reduce the risk of injury, wait until your dog is more than a year old before you start repetitive, joint-straining activities such as agility, Frisbee, or long-distance running.

Create positive social outlets. During adolescence, it is imperative that you continue to provide positive social experiences with humans and other dogs. To keep up your dog’s social skills with humans, take regular walks in your neighborhood or other areas where you will see people. Invite friends to your home so your dog will continue to understand that people are welcome in your house. Practice “four on the floor” or “sit to greet.” When people come over, use a leash if needed to prevent your dog’s jumping – and of course, use treats, attention, and/or petting to reward appropriate interactions.

For socializing with other canines, identify your dog’s favorite playmates and arrange times for romps and rowdy play. Walk in areas where your dog will see other dogs. For on-leash walks, be sure your youngster learns how to pass by other dogs politely, without saying hello.

For the opportunity to meet and greet new dogs, try beaches and hiking paths where dogs are allowed off-leash. Help your young dog learn to greet briefly and move on by reinforcing him with especially high-value rewards (whether super yummy treats or your dog’s favorite toy) for continuing with you on your walk.

Train! Previous training often flies out the window when a dog reaches adolescence. When you say “sit,” your dog may sniff the ground. When you say “come,” he may act as if he doesn’t hear you. His attention may be everywhere but on you. Try not to take it personally! Developmentally, adolescent dogs (like human teenagers) are learning about the world, their place in it, and their own limits. They may be less interested in you and more interested in friends and the environment. They are learning to think for themselves.

Continue to train – or get started training if you haven’t already. Make training fun, and mix play and training time to keep your young dog engaged. Practice in the real world, but in situations that are not too challenging for your dog, so that he can get a lot of successful practice. Gradually work toward more distracting environments.

In addition, balance “impulse control” behaviors such as sit, down, and stay, with fun and expressive activities such as tricks. Reward your dog generously when he makes good choices on his own, as well as when he appropriately responds to your cues. Use not only treats and food as reinforcement, but also attention, running together, games (like tugging), and the opportunity to explore.

Your adolescent dog’s reliability may be hit and miss. Keep working with him, but remember that he is still growing, developing, and learning.

Manage the environment. One of the most important pieces of surviving adolescence is managing your dog’s environment in such a way that he simply cannot get into a lot of trouble. For example:

-Limit your young dog’s ability to be destructive when he is not actively supervised by confining him in a crate or puppy-proof area, with plenty of exciting “legal” chew items.

-If your dog is still learning to come, always use a leash or long line when you are out in the world, allowing him to be off-leash only in areas where he cannot get into trouble and where you can easily capture his attention (or capture him physically!) when play time is over.

Your young dog will not know how to handle the world! Help him make the best choices; use leashes, long lines, crates, and baby gates to help prevent him from practicing unwanted behavior. Remember that adolescent dogs often forget what they are supposed to do, or get too overexcited to do what was asked. Be ready to help them in those moments.

Enjoy your dog’s youth. Your dog’s adolescent energy, enthusiasm, and excitement can be contagious. Take the time to appreciate what your dog is experiencing and learning. And keep in mind that everything is not always easy for the adolescent dog. Other dogs and people are often annoyed with them. The world is sometimes overwhelming or even scary. Adolescent dogs don’t always know how to behave and that is stressful for them, too.

Celebrate your dog’s adolescent antics – his frequent invitations to play, zoomies through the garden, and his delight over the smallest things. Consider looking at the world through your adolescent dog’s eyes – explore with him, and try to enjoy where he may lead you.

Adolescence is the time your dog is becoming an adult. It is also the time your relationship is growing, developing, cementing. Think past surviving your dog’s adolescence to thriving with him through and beyond this developmental period.

(Writer and trainer Mardi Richmond lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her wife and her Cattle Dog-mix. She is the owner of Good Dog Santa Cruz where she teaches group classes and provides in-home training. She enjoys working with adolescent dogs because they are so much fun!)

5 keys to handling a dominant dog

(from Cesar Millan)

Like humans, very few dogs are natural born leaders, but you may wind up with a dominant dog that would normally take the lead position in the pack. If you are not the Pack Leader yourself this can cause problems, as a dominant dog will gravitate toward being in charge given the chance.
However, if you take the steps to establish yourself as leader of the pack, you can have a wonderful and balanced relationship with a dominant dog. Here are five things to keep in mind when dealing with an alpha dog.

You need to be even more calm-assertive
Dogs will not follow unstable energy. This is even truer of alpha dogs, who will try to correct what they see as unbalanced behavior. This is why, when dealing with a dominant dog, you have to be even calmer and more assertive than normally.

If you’re anxious or nervous, your dog will sense this, and a dominant dog will see it as their cue to take charge. On the other hand, if you are calm and assertive, a dominant dog will read this as everything is all right, and they won’t feel the need to protect and direct their pack, i.e. you.

Set rules, boundaries, and limitations
Again, rules, boundaries, and limitations are even more important for dominant dogs because it focuses their dominance and gives them a way to express their confidence without using it on you.

At a minimum, there should be rules for where they can go in the house without your permission, they should always have to wait before going in or out the door, and they don’t get their food until they are calm and submissive.

With dominant dogs, you can take it a step further with things like agility training, which allows them to use up excess energy while leading themselves through the obstacle course.

Don’t force affection
Dominant dogs are naturally more aloof and solitary. Remember, in the pack, the leaders do not approach the followers. The followers come to the leaders. The trap that it’s easy for humans to fall into is to pursue their dog to give affection when the dog isn’t “cuddly” enough, which puts the dog in the leadership position.

If your dog is dominant, the best approach is to ignore her. When she wants attention, she will come to you, and this reinforces your role as the Pack Leader.

Use meal time to your advantage
In the pack, the leaders eat first, and the same should be true when the leaders are humans. For dominant dogs especially, you need to create a boundary around the family table, with the dog not allowed to approach while the people are eating.

When it comes to feeding time, your dog must be calm and submissive before you even begin the process, and wait in that calm submissive state until you have put the bowl down, walked away from it and given the “okay” for your dog to eat.

Give your dog a job
Dominant dogs in particular need to fulfill a role in the pack, which is why it’s important for you to give your dog a job. This can be as simple as having them wear a backpack on the walk, or you can train your dog in agility, search and rescue, obedience, herding, Treibball, and more.
If your dog is dominant, then you need to be an even stronger Pack Leader. Keeping these five points in mind will help keep you on top and your relationship with your dog happy and balanced.

Read more: http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/basics/5-keys-to-handling-a-dominant-dog?utm_content=5%20keys%20to%20handling%20a%20dominant%20dog&utm_campaign=CW.com%20Article&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=dominant%20dog%2Cbasics%2CTips%2Cdog%20training%2Cdog%20behavior&utm_medium=1414253282#ixzz3HBIwdEQN

Hand target training

(Victoria Stilwell – “Positively”)

The ‘Touch’ cue teaches dogs that an approaching hand is not a threat and therefore does not require a negative response. Many advanced behavioral issues can often be traced back to seemingly innocuous beginnings like a puppy reacting nervously to an outstretched hand or general human touch.

The key to avoiding the escalation of such issues is to desensitize the dog to things that might be considered scary (such as human hands) as early as possible. Teaching the ‘Touch’ cue is a great way of building that foundation and is a useful cue to teach both puppies and adult dogs.

‘Touch’ is also a great confidence-building exercise and can be used to help all dogs accept the approach of a human hand, something that is likely to happen to them many times throughout their lives.

Training Technique:

Dogs are naturally curious animals, so start this technique by presenting your hand to your dog. As he goes to investigate your hand and touches it with his nose, praise and reward him.
Take your hand away, put it behind your back, wait a second or two, and then present it again.
Repeat this exercise until your dog is touching your hand whenever you present it.
When your dog is good at this task, start adding the word ‘touch’ as he goes to touch your hand with his nose. After many repetitions you will find that he will respond as soon as you ask him to ‘touch.’
Try this exercise with both hands so that he gets used to touching either one.
When he is reliably touching your hand, use this cue around the home. Call your dog to come to you, and as he gets close, extend your hand and ask him to ‘touch.’
Every touch should be rewarded at this point–some with praise and others with a treat.
When your dog is responding well indoors, take the exercise outside where there are more distractions.
Gradually increase the distance between you so that your dog has to travel farther to touch your hand.

Why Does My Dog Need To Know This?
The ‘Touch’ cue can also be used if you want your dog to touch other things with his nose such as an object or toy. It can be taught as part of a retrieval exercise or if you want your dog to close a door or switch on a light. This cue is regularly taught to dogs that are being trained to assist people in various ways. ‘Touch’ can also be used to distract dogs that are nervous or fearful of certain situations. Teaching your dog to play the ‘touch’ game by extending your hand to your dog, rewarding him for touching it and repeating the exercise until the perceived fear has passed, gives him something positive to focus on rather than the person or situation that makes him nervous.

https://positively.com/dog-behavior/basic-cues/hand-target-training/