WEDNESDAY'S WORD OF THE DAY

Wednesday’s word is “Management.”

  Management is defined as " the process of dealing with or controlling things or people..”  When you have multiple dogs, you need to engage in some form of management.  I’ve had a lot of calls recently from homes

 with 3 or more dogs who aren’t getting along.  One of the first things I do in such cases is to look at the living situation and determine what triggers are provoking the conflict,and how those triggers  can be minimized or avoided.  As I have been known to tell people, when families get together there can be conflict, why should it be any different for dogs?  Management is NOT a substitute for training, but is an important adjunct to it.  The first rule is to keep everyone safe and under threshold.  Just like people, some dogs can have an extreme dislike of another. Occasionally this can  never be resolved completely, but even then, the situation can be improved.  Patricia McConnell recently wrote about how she introduced a new dog into her home, for her blog, click here:

  http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/introducing-a-new-dog-maggie-and-willie-as-a-case-study

WEDNESDAY'S WORD OF THE DAY

Wednesday's word of the day is Attention.

  Attention is defined as"... notice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important."    If your dog's not paying attention, it's hard to get her to do what you're asking her to do.  When you're getting a dog ready to show, you work a lot on attention and focus.  In the "old days" of training, we used to do this by setting the dog up to be inattentive--or rather, fail--and then correcting the dog.  A better method is to reward attention and gradually increase the amount of time you are asking the dog to be attentive, then work the dog in  more and more distracting environments. The point of adding distractions is to teach the dog how to work through the distraction, not as a "Gotcha!"  By gradually working through it in this manner, the dog gains confidence and learns to look at you as a way to avoid the distraction but in a way that keeps trust in your relationship.  Even if you don't show, it's hard to teach your dog anything if you don't have her attention.  By systematically rewarding attention and keeping it interesting, you'll develop a dog into a partner who's willing to work with you

 It's a lot more fun for the two of you that way.

Missy and I at a trial in Louisville KY

WEDNESDAY'S WORD OF THE DAY

Wednesday’s words are Keep Away, as in the childhood game. Dogs love to play this game.

 

Hops playing Keep Away with Missy

It's ok for them to play Keep Away with other dogs, but when they play it with us, that can create problems.  For safety's sake, we need to be able to take things away from them, and they need to learn to give items up to us, even high value ones that they don't want to give up

   

 When dogs are playing Keep Away with us,  it’s usually in the context of  “I've got this and you can’t have it,” and it often involves grabbing something and holding it in their mouth, just out of your reach or in conjunction with the "Catch-me-if-you-can" game.  You can’t win this game and it’s not one you want to play, at least by their rules.  If your dog finds something you don’t want him to have, a good technique is to play the" Trade Ya" game, where you offer the dog something he’d like better, such as a really tasty treat, or another toy of greater value.    Too often the dog grabs something, we either lose our cool or try to grab it back, and they’re much quicker than us. Dog also learn it’s a good way to get our attention.  Some dogs learn that by using their teeth or showing aggression, they’ll get to keep whatever it is. Confrontational techniques (no matter what you may have seen on TV) will make the situation worse in the long run, so a trade is much better. If you always use certain words, such as "Trade Ya," when you make the trade, eventually this phrase becomes a cue for your dog to give you the item, whether or not you've got something in return.   And if your dog—as Missy did—begins to offer you stuff in the hopes of getting a treat?  Hey, no problem, you don’t need to always give a treat in exchange and at least he understands the game. I consider that a Win-Win for you both!

Hops giving up the bird at a retriever Working Certificate Test

WHAT DOES GOOD DOG TRAINING AND CANDY CRUSH HAVE IN COMMON?

Like a lot of people, I play computer games, and          
 the one I play the most right now  is Candy Crush.

I understand the theory of variable reinforcement
 and why gambling can become so addicting,
Behavior nerd and doggy fanatic that I am, I started wondering, what is it about Candy Crush that makes it more addicting than so many other games and how can this help us in relation to dogs?
  So, I did some research on the matter.
 According to designers and psychologists,
 the game has some unique factors that make it compelling http://business.time.com/2013/11/15/candy-crush-saga-the-science-behind-our-addiction/ .
 
The following is taken from this article (I admit to picking and choosing these depending on what I feel is the relevance to dog training and dogs).

1.  We get praised when we make a good move.  Even though the automated voice overs are contrived and machine generated, they may still subliminally affect us.  We all like praise, even computer generated praise, apparently.  According to experts in gaming, people play the games to feel good about themselves, and in general,praise increases motivation.  Feedback is even better than praise at influencing behavior change.


 In training,  it helps to have a mental picture of what you want and the feedback needs to be immediate. Candy Crush doesn't say "Sweet!"  5 moves after you've done a good one.  It also has different terms for  more difficult combinations.  For dogs, jackpotting is one method of letting the dog know they've REALLY done something hard or special, as is saving special rewards for certain behaviors. My Lacy had a hard time learning Utility signals and performing them in the ring.  This isn't unusual, many dogs flunk the signal exercise, especially in Utility A, where it's the first exercise the dog does.  I used to use a really high-value treat for that exercise, and the only time she got the treat was when we did signals.  Likewise, with dogs in class who have difficulty with the "down," besides different ways to work on the exercise I'll recommend that the owners have a special "down cookie" *just* for doing downs, and to let the dog know this is their "special down cookie."  Almost without fail, people who do this will have a dog willingly going down when asked  the next week in class.

2.  It's time limited and makes you wait for more. The game only gives you 5 lives, than you have to wait.   One of the things that we tend to do when working with our dogs, is that we'll do the same thing over and over.  Dogs DO need repetition to learn, but most get bored after a while (except perhaps for some over-the-top OCD border collies, but that's a subject for another day).

  My second golden,  Bleys, taught me this well. He was way too smart to be a dog and was easily bored. Not only that, but he wasn't  very food or toy motivated.  If he did something the way I wanted once, it was best if I moved on. I could come back to it later, but even doing the same thing 3 times in a row was enough to cause him to start putting in variations or want to quit. Owners who just can't help drilling their dog over and over need to establish some stimulus control over their own behavior, by either taking out only so many treats or marking down so many reps to be crossed off, and then stop when they're done.  This often tends to happen to obedience competitors right before a show. Both the anxiety of the upcoming deadline and an exercise that the dog may be having problems with will cause the owner to do it over and over, thus almost guaranteeing that the exercise will deteriorate even further, which leads to more anxiety, etc....you get the idea.  (And yes, most of us have all been there at some point).

3.  This is related to point #2--it leaves you wanting more.  Given that it is time limited (and I know there are ways around this), it makes you quit before you're ready.  Again, dogs have limited attention spans, and it's a good rule to quit while you're ahead and resist that temptation to do it "just one more time."  Once you do that, you'll often find yourself on that slippery slope where the dog isn't mentally capable of continuing and by insisting on it, what you're teaching will deteriorate, which then causes you to want to keep going until you get back to the point where you were at. By the time you do stop, you and the dog are both discouraged and sick of the whole thing, and when you go back to it later, the dog is already mentally "checking out" before you've even started.  Especially if you're doing something that involves either a lot of energy (mental or physical), it's best to do it in short sessions.

 I've had many dogs with various  training problems related to anxiety and/or fear.  Once the dog has gotten up her courage to do whatever it is (which hopefully you've gradually worked on) don't make the mistake of asking her to do it over and over. Charm had a big fear of the teeter in agility. Again, this isn't an unusual fear, and I probably contributed to it in my training, but once it was there, I had to work on it (which I actually had to do twice because she regressed after slipping off of it at an outdoor show one morning when there was some frost on it that the host club hadn't removed).  Since your dog only has to do the action ONE TIME in the ring, don't make her do it over and over--do it ONCE, and quit and have a party.  If you were terrified of heights and I got you to climb up on the roof and you did, how would you feel if I told you to do it again? And again?

4.  It taps into our inner child. Dogs are notoriously good at giving "unconditional regard" and it can be fun to act silly without feeling like we're being judged.  Training should be a lot like play, the dog doesn't know the difference.

5.  It's social.  If you're taking a class, you're meeting with people once a week and chances are you all are having similar issues.  People in puppy class love commiserating about their puppy's chewing, swap stories about housebreaking, and have a good time watching the other puppies.  They also see progress if they work with their pups even a little bit during the week.  If you show and compete, you soon find yourself going to shows and seeing the same people regularly.Since you spend a lot of tine just sitting around and waiting, soon you'll get to know each other.   Some people even join dog clubs, which in the days before computers, was one of the few ways we had to connect with other similarly dog-obsessed.

6.  It's an escape. Training your dog helps you live in the present. You need to forget about everything else and just concentrate on you and your dog. If you've had  a bad day leave it at the door and do something fun with your dog.  Sometimes just doing that can put you in a better mood.  Not only that, the activity can help you both. Sweet!

FOREVER AMBER

Amber at 9 weeks

At this time of the year, like many people, I get reflective. I was going through some old pictures and came across some of my first golden retriever, Amber.   Marjo's Amber Melody CDX was her full name, although she had many names depending on my mood at the time.  It was around this time back in 1988 that she became ill with what we learned--at autopsy--was a very aggressive form of lymphosarcoma. 21 days  from her first symptom (vomiting after eating as a result of pressure from what we later learned was a  mediastinal tumor), we took her to UT vet school and they recommended that she be put down. Cancer had spread to her liver,she was jaundiced, and chemo wasn't an option at that point.

 But that's not what I want  to write about.  Training and showing Amber got me started on this long journey in the dog world. Through her, I made lots of new friends and  relationships, many which I still have today.  I learned a lot about dogs, about training, about doing things I never thought I could do, and about myself in general.  While showing isn't for everyone, when you're training your dog to show in a performance venue the relationship you have is different.   It's not about the titles, or the ribbons, or the placements, qualifying scores, etc. it's the times you shared together.  Your dog doesn't understand about those things, but dogs do know if they're included in what you do and if you are enjoying spending time with them.  Sometimes things go well, sometimes they don't, but they're still your dog and even a terrible run can lead to a fond memory after your dog is gone.

We learn something from each dog we have, and when they go, a part of us goes with them.  I have many memories of Amber, from the time she was an active puppy in her first obedience class and the instructor took the leash, saying "This little puppy has NO IDEA what she is supposed to do!"  (I was lucky that I found a great place to train that emphasized having a happy working dog, back then not all did).

Me and Amber when she was about 6 months

 Amber was the only dog I had whom I considered to have a "conscience,"  I can remember one Christmas when Bleys was a puppy and I was in another room frantically cleaning in preparation from a visit from my mother, and I looked up and Amber was standing at the doorway, staring at me with a stern look on her face, her "he's doing something he shouldn't" look. I rushed out and Bleys had taken down an ornament from the tree and was chewing it, hook and all.  I've not had a dog since then who would "tell" on another.

  I remember how she loved the Drop On Recall exercise and would hit the mats so fast when I told her to Down when running in, that she would slide, then wag her tail and look around to see who was watching.

Amber doing the Drop on Recall at a show

  I remember lots of things, and I remember the day we took her to UT, never to bring her home again.

So as we start a new year, take a few moments to remember the ones we've lost, but also remember that they're not totally gone as long as we can remember them, a part of them will always be with us as well.  And when your "new" dog does something totally obnoxious, or you have a bad time in the ring, remember that this, too, shall pass, and one day you'll be looking at them one day wondering where the time went. And in the meantime, enjoy the moment. Dogs do, and we should, also.

Marjo's Amber Melody CDX
8/21/1984 --1/18/1988

"STUBBORN DOG?" TRY ANOTHER WAY

 Before I went to graduate school, I worked with severely handicapped adults. As part of my job there,  I went to a seminar entitled "Try Another Way." The presenter was Marc Gold, an educator who worked with developmentally disabled clients and individuals with multiple handicaps. His idea was that if people weren't learning, it was up to the teacher to figure out a way to help them learn; it wasn't due to the incompetence of the student, but of an inability of the teacher to figure out a way to teach the material .He gave these workshops back in the 1970's and his methods were new at that time.  He died in 1980 but his ideas live on.

I often get phone calls from people saying their dog is "stubborn," that he doesn't "listen" to them. Miriam Webster lists the definition of stubborn  as "...refusing to change your ideas or to stop doing something."  I don't know about changing a dog's ideas, but if your dog isn't doing what you want, rather than consider him "stubborn" ( I prefer to call such a dog "persistent," anyway), it's more helpful to look at what he's doing from a behavioral point of view.   Rather than worrying about your dog being "dominant" or whether you're "alpha,"   just teach the behavior you want.    Besides, I doubt dogs really stay up at night plotting Machiavellian ways to take over us or the world; when they're barging through a door ahead of you, it's not because they're being dominant, they just want out the door, they're really not thinking of you at all.

 If your dog's not learning what you want him to learn, instead of labeling him as stubborn, take a step back and observe what's going on.  What exactly is the dog doing? When does he do it? What happens when he does it? What happens right before he does it? How often does he do it? What's he getting out of it, what's the payoff?  These questions will help you more in the long run than a label.  When I do this, usually what I find out is that the dog really doesn't know what he's supposed to do, and dogs being dogs, he's doing  something that we consider obnoxious but which he considers great fun. In that case, it can be matter of showing people how to be clear and consistent in how to get and maintain the behavior we want.

 Learning theory and behavior modification are the best ways to change behavior in dogs, and we  are beginning to learn more about the behaviors we can't usually see, such as brain function, through the use of  fMRI. Obviously, we have to take into account the dog's genetic and physiological make-up--they don't know what words mean unless they've been taught, they can't read, they emphasize scent and body language more than we do, they have smaller brains, different breeds may have different characteristics, etc. -- so  we have certain parameters we need to follow.

But what if the owner is doing what generally works with most dogs, and this particular dog just doesn't seem to be getting it?  When that happens, it's easy to get frustrated with the dog and ourselves.  Since dogs are so tuned into our emotions, they sense this, and the whole process can turn sour.  Instead,  we need to come up with a plan, and that usually involves flexibility on our part. The basics of "Try Another Way"  was to think about new methods to teach a concept. I  might need to break the behavior down into smaller chunks to make it easier for the dog to grasp, something called behavior analysis. I might need to think of a unique way to get the behavior, maybe something that is better suited to the dog. Maybe the reward I'm offering isn't as strong as the rewards the dog is getting for doing the behavior. Maybe something the dog has learned previously is interfering with the dog's learning now, either because what he's doing is such a habit (such as jumping up), or due to something else, maybe an internal response such as anxiety, fear, etc.  One thing to keep in mind is that the reason a behavior initially started, and the variables maintaining it, don't necessarily have to be the same.

Whatever the reason, it helps to remember that the dog isn't really "out to get you" or being "defiant."  He's probably just being a dog; and you're being a human, and our methods of communicating aren't the same. Maybe the dog thinks we're the ones being stubborn,  that we're just not getting it. Take some time out and  watch him get enjoyment out of doing silly doggy stuff, and remember why you wanted a dog in the first place. Then, call a trainer if you need some guidance to get your relationship on track.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

We've all heard that statement.  The more we do something,

 the better we tend to get at doing it, whatever "it" is.  

Want to run faster?  Don't go out and run slow for hours, 

throw in some interval training to work those fast twitch muscles.

  Want to learn to play piano?  What's the way to Carnegie Hall? 

 Practice, practice... 

 There's even research to help explain why this is 

the case--http://blog.brewire-your-brain-for-better-performance. 

 Our brain neurons are continually rewiring themselves, and  

what we do most of the  time   becomes the path of least resistance.  

In dog training, most of what we want to accomplish with our dogs is NOT what they naturally want to do. Jumping up, sniffing, barking, stealing food and items, these are all behaviors that come naturally and are precisely the types of behaviors we want to change.  That's one reason why it's easier to start with a puppy IF you start from the beginning to teach the puppy what behaviors you want and reward the pup for doing those rather than doing other behaviors.  It's very important to show a dog what you *want* rather than just punish what you don't want.  I always tell people, that if you just stop the behavior, even momentarily, there's often 10 other obnoxious behaviors your dog can do instead that you don't want either.  Rather than try to punish all of them, it's better to show and reward some behaviors that you do want.

If you acquire an older dog who may already have some bad habits, this doesn't mean that you're out of luck.  Dogs are situational, and don't generalize easily in most cases, so use this to your advantage. The dog doesn't know what rules apply at *your* house, so take time to show the dog from the beginning what you want.  You may have to overcome more "baggage" than with a puppy, but the principle is the same.  Instead of lunging and grabbing something, teach sit.  Same with greeting behavior.  In fact, if your dog learns only one thing, a default SIT tops the list.    

In working with an older dog, think about how many times that dog has probably jumped up in his life. Probably 1000's of times. So, you want this new behavior to become a habit. It's going to take practice.  Lots of practice.  Muscle memory takes time to become automatic.  There is some research to suggest that it can take at least 66 days for people to form new habits.: http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php  I'd argue that it takes longer for dogs, and even the article above admits people vary in how long it takes to form new habits.  Don't despair, though, if you're dealing with an out-of-control dog.  Once you begin to work with your dog, and the two of you develop a system for communicating, you'll find your dog becoming a willing partner rather than seeming to always be at cross purposes.  And if you need some help, call in a trainer!  Trainers can often show you how to get what you want quicker and with less frustration than when you're going it alone.  

After taking a prolonged summer vacation, the blog is back!  Stay tuned for more...