Dog Training Turning Points

Life has turning points. These are key events, or milestones, in your life that change you forever. Dogs also have turning points. The question is always whether they will turn out for the good or bad… (MORE)

Therapy Dog

Scooter Pie, one of my students, scored 109 percent on his Pet Partners recertification last week!

Maintaining A Proper Mental Attitude During Your Dog Training Lessons

If you don’t learn and practice the proper mental attitude during your dog training lessons, you will not get the most out of the lessons, nor will you be prepared to use the training in real life situations. Similarly, if you don’t help your dog to learn and practice with the proper mental attitude, your dog will not get the most out of the lessons, and will not be prepared to properly respond to real life situations. Dog training is a lot more than teaching Sit, Down, Come and Heel… (MORE)

Help, My Dog Is Broken!

You are making breakfast. Without looking, your sleeve brushes your plate off the edge of the counter, it falls to the floor, and shatters. For some dogs, after being attacked by another dog, being abused, or having to defend themselves against a human, the dog changes. What was once a social dog is now wary or aggressive to other dogs or people. I’ve seen it many times. What should be done? (MORE)

Should I Get A Second Dog?

I am a big believer in having extras... I don’t just buy one tube of toothpaste, I buy 2. Two milks, two pairs of shoes, etc. You will always find things run smoother in your life if you have extras on hand. I also think it is a good idea, for most people, to have two dogs, here is why… (MORE)

What Is The Difference Between Good and Great Dog Training?

I have three levels of dog training classes: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Most students just do Basic, primarily because they feel this program is sufficient for their needs, and also because that is all that their budget will allow. Here’s more on how I see these classes. There are three common elements of each level… (MORE)

Is It OK To Take A Dog Training Break?

I have 4 students taking a dog training “break”? Here is my view on training breaks… (MORE)

Why Do We Train Our Dogs?

Because you and your dog are not going to learn new skills during an emergency. I play a bit of “What If” with all my students so they can translate what we are doing in class to what they are going to potentially face in the real world. What if the leash came off? What if your dog was attacked by a crazy stranger? What if a child comes up to pet your dog without permission? What if your dog escaped the front door and is running down the street? What if your dog gets lost? I start with training in the home... (MORE) 

Dog Training Exercises

When I first started out training dogs professionally, I used the same exercises that I learned from the classes I took. I then added exercises I learned from others, including those I found in books and videos. However, over time, these changed, and what I do today bears little resemblance to what I did years ago… (MORE)

Dog Training: Believe What You See

A major human behavioral error is believing what isn’t true instead of what is true. I regularly see this in dog training. Here is what I mean…

Most dog owners “know” some things about dog training. They’ve taken a few classes, watched a TV show, gotten advice from their best friend, read a post online, heard something from some authority (veterinarian, animal control officer, rescue volunteer, etc.), or they “grew up” around animals. Unfortunately, a lot of information is wrong.

Even when what they are seeing contradicts what they think they know, they will try to fit the dog to what they “know” rather than seeing what is actually happening with their dog, right before their own eyes.

Case in point… I was working a puppy and an adult dog alongside one another. Suddenly, the adult dog shut down in the middle of the lesson. The owner said she was being stubborn, seeking attention, and spiteful.

In fact, the older dog is still not settled with having this new dog in the home. Some adult dogs aren’t comfortable around puppies, and she is that kind of dog. She isn’t being stubborn. She isn’t seeking attention. She isn’t being spiteful. She was in avoidance, seeking to get away from the situation. She wouldn’t take a treat, ran into the home, wouldn’t come near the other dog.

By misreading the situation, the owner could have done something stupid with the adult dog. Instead, I had to help her understand what was happening, and how to relax and encourage the older dog to feel safe again. After a few minutes, I had the older dog working again, and then we ended the lesson. We will have to work on this over the coming weeks to get things to work out.

Most of what the public gets about dog training is both outdated and wrong. Even so, if they put aside what they “know” and really looked at what their dogs were doing, they could get a better result. However, that isn’t typical human behavior. Thus, people need experienced coaches and teachers, who are good at seeing what is actually going on, to lead them to the right answers and solutions. Unfortunately, many professionals are also trapped by what they think they “know” instead of seeing what is going on. The dogs suffer, and wrong solutions are applied.

Dogs need our understanding. Understanding means using comprehension, perception, and kind, approachable methods to train dogs correctly. My advice? Step back, don’t apply a reflexive response to what your dog is doing. Try to see what is actually happening. And if you can’t do that, find someone to help you figure out what’s going on. Then the right solution will develop.

Dog Training: Flustered?

It is normal to feel flustered when learning something new, or when increasing your skills to the next level. It is also normal for your dog… (MORE)

Dog Training: Skin In The Game

I teach and practice that good dog training requires students to have some skin in the game. That means they have to be involved in, and committed to, the training, and the more difficult the issue, the more I need them to invest in the process.

For example, I received a call the other day about an older dog that isn’t good with cats. It hasn’t been good with cats its entire life. The owner has the dog living with relatives right now, has moved in with her boyfriend, they have 2 cats. One of the cats isn’t good with dogs. So, she is shopping around for a trainer to “socialize” her dog. The problem is much more, and much worse, than this.

I first asked a lot of questions regarding the situation. I need to know who is involved, something about the dogs, the living situation, and what kind of time frame we have to work with.

From the nature of the answers, I recommended a solution. Part of that was explaining the time it was going to take, and the risks that might be involved for the dog, the cats and the owners. An aggressive fight can injure everyone. I also quoted the price. It wasn’t going to be cheap. I let her know that this wasn’t going to be one of those things that can be solved in 3 to 5 lessons, the standard answer given by what I sometimes call, “quick fix trainers.”

She thanked me, and moved on. I don’t expect a return call to set up lessons. I just don’t think she wants to put the necessary skin in the game. The dog will probably end up in a bad situation. She only has a few months to work this out before she either decides to keep the dog or give it away to a shelter (and most likely a certain death sentence).

If an owner wants me to put skin in the game, then they also have to put skin in the game.

Dog Training: The Learning Curve

Dog Training: The Learning Curve: The Learning Curve (LC) is a graphical representation of how learning increases over time. As a general rule, the more experience, knowledge and wisdom you have regarding a specific skill or topic, the greater the learning, and the greater the proficiency you develop over time. The vertical axis of the graph is the amount you have learned. The horizontal axis is the time elapsed. The curve starts at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal axes. The slope of the curve varies over time. The assumption is the steeper the slope, the harder the task is to learn, but also the faster the subject is progressing with the learning. I have many thoughts regarding using the LC concept when it comes to dog training. Here are two, of many, that I teach… (MORE)

Dog Training: New Dog, Old Dog

Right now, I'm training a new dog alongside an old dog I trained years ago. The owners are friends, but this is also business, and they get the same level of service as any student. And homework...

The first issue when getting a new dog is getting the right dog. After another of their dogs died of old age recently, we started this discussion. Since I knew that dog, knew the other dog they had, and knew them, I could give good advice. They started looking for a match, and eventually found a good prospect, paid for the dog, and had it transported to the Phoenix area.

I was there within 2 hours after the pup arrived. My first concern was that the dog had a low stress introduction to the new family, and that he did his first potty in the yard instead of the home. I then spent the afternoon with them, helping introduce him to the resident older dog.

The next day, I returned, spent more time there, and before I left, I wrote up a list of observations and training goals. Top priorities were getting the dog to bond to the family, getting the resident older dog to accept him, getting him house trained, and setting a training schedule.

The resident dog didn't like him at first. He is super friendly with dogs, but she wasn't having any of it. She wasn't the type to attack, but she bared her teeth and snapped at him a few times. We got to work on their relationship right off the bat. On the other hand, he had not been heavily socialized with strangers, so he was very tentative in meeting other people (he accepted the new family immediately). So, we implemented a plan for guests. That has worked out well.

We then began my Basic Obedience I program, plus a Tune Up for the older dog. He came as a "blank slate": a good dog, just didn't really know anything. Didn't know how to walk on a leash, any commands, how to get into a car, and so on. The good thing, he is a very adaptable and gentle dog, so he is moving along quite well with the lessons. He now loads up into the SUV perfectly. He is good in his crate. He now is fine on a leash without balking. He has a beginning understanding of Sit, Down, Heel and Come. We are also working on a number of other skills, such as Drop It, and laying a foundation for swim lessons this coming summer.

We are also beginning the Tune Up for the older dog. She has gotten rusty on her commands, and she needs to obey alongside him, as well. She knows a lot, but her response rates aren't up to my standards, so we are going to fix that. You have to keep a dog tuned up over the years, and if you don't regularly practice the obedience, it can get sluggish. That needs fixing now. She is now accepting of the new dog, but they are not yet playing together. No more snarls, no more avoidance, but I'm waiting for the day they start to play. We will get there.

New dogs added to old dogs is a project. Do it thoughtfully, and it is lots of fun. This dog has added new life to their home, and was a good decision. They are retired, and it isn't good to not have new challenges in your life. This dog is going easily because they involved me from the start, and they have trained with me before. We will do Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Obedience with him, and he will be quite the dog in a year. He is stunning to look at (a totally white Standard Poodle), carries himself well, social, confident, mild mannered, and playful. When we combine that with proper training, he is going to be like "power steering"... easy. Very easy to look at and live with.

Dog Training: What Happens In The Home Doesn’t Stay In The Home

I watch a number of reality TV shows… business rescue shows, for example… The Profit, Bar Rescue, Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back. I also watch Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles and New York. Plus, Hell’s Kitchen, Masterchef and Masterchef Junior. There are parallels between what you see in those TV shows and what I see in dog training… (MORE)

Dog Aggression

This morning, my first lesson of the day was continuing work with a female pit bull that wasn't good with other dogs. We are mostly past that problem now, and putting finishing touches on the training.

The current issues are reactions to seeing stray cats (which are many in their neighborhood) and bicycles/ scoooters/ skateboards.

This dog has come a long way. Today, we passed by several dogs, including some idiot with 2 small dogs on retractable leashes who feeds out the line to let his dogs growl and bark, face to face, at every passing dog. Fortunately, no reaction from my student's dog any more.

Next lesson was cancelled. My student is still sick with something like the flu. The other lesson after was rescheduled. Now I'm killing time until my first afternoon lesson, a doodle puppy starting Basic Obedience. And then my last lesson is another pit bull, which is good with other dogs, but not so with strangers.

Happy Training! Get out there, it is a beautiful day

Do Dogs Get PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder generally considered a result of real or perceived threat(s) to life, serious bodily injury, witnessed threat to others, destruction or loss of a home or community. Similarly, dogs can develop PTSD from these same situations. I’ve seen dogs after such events. The jolt, the pain, of experiencing one or more traumas were beyond what the dog was capable of handling. There are some very recognizable behaviors in a dog with PTSD. They can be grouped into two categories: fight or flight. Some examples… (HERE)

Dog Training A Cavachon

I am currently training two Cavachons, which are a cross between a Bichon Frise and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Cavachons are one of the newer "designer dogs". Similar crosses are the "doodles"... Goldendoodles, Schauzerdoodles, Labradoodles, Australian Labradoodles, etc.

One of the main reasons people get these dogs is to get a dog that doesn't shed. I understand the urge! There are a lot of breeds that I really like, such as German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, etc... but... they shed. A lot.

A dog's coat is selected because of a function. The coat has a purpose for the function. However, for pet dogs, who are mainly for companionship, there is less need for specialized coat types to deal with the elements. In a home, the excess hair, the shedding type of coat, isn't necessary or desired for most people, thus the rise of these designer dogs. People want a pet with many of the desired traits of the traditional pure breds, but the public wants dogs that are easier to care for in the home.

The tradeoff, however, is a dog that requires grooming, which is an expense that not everyone can afford. You might ask why they don't just adopt a short haired dog. It is partly because many people like the look of a fluffy "doodle" type dog. The other is because lifestyles don't always work out for a short haired dog, such as climate. Short haired dogs don't have as much "insulation" as longer haired dogs. I remember years ago... my Doberman shivering in the fall when I lived in Seattle. Winter was a hardship for him. I was assured by the breeder they would be fine in the cool Northwest climate. Not so. I learned, the hard way, that a short haired dog needed more protection than a longer haired dog. Living in the Phoenix area now, a short haired dog is much more feasible, such as getting a pit bull or Chihuahua. But, since I like to hike, I prefer a dog that has a coat for those cold mornings in the mountains, and to protect the dog from the burrs and needles that are part of the Southwest. It is desirable to have a longer coat to protect a dog if you are an outdoors person. You'd much rather have to brush burrs from your dog's coat rather than treating scrapes and cuts on a short haired dog.

So, back to the Cavachons. They are sweet small dogs, having the soft natured traits of their parent breeds. Expect the need to be more diligent in the house training. Be educated in how to work with sensitive dogs, because any training that is harsh will cow these dogs. They need a family life, they are gently social with their family, and are good with the kids. Also, set expectations higher for the amount of obedience training required. Many people never train their small dogs, so they pee and poop everywhere, and won't obey commands if they get loose in public. These are trainable dogs, and to get the most out of them, or any small dog: train them! Train them well, put in the time and investment early, so you get years of enjoyment.

I like these pups. They are very sweet and gentle. We are doing 3 lessons a week, and we started the lessons early on, at 10 weeks of age. I'll see them again on Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Training!

Don't Quit Dog Training

Are you about to give up on your dog? Why?

Dog training works. Get a good trainer, do your homework, dig in and work it out.

That is today's advice

Friday Humor