Dogs And Today's Feelings

If you work enough dogs for long enough, you'll notice that they don't perform exactly the same every day. Just like some days you feel better than others, same thing happens with dogs.

I read dogs, I don't just plow ahead without observing them.

I recommend you do the same.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Bad Play

I’m all in favor of playing with your dog. It is good. But… 

What I’m not in favor of is play that escalates into more than play. For example, rough play that escalates to a contest of win-lose where someone or another dog gets hurt. I have had students that thought it was fun to get their dog to do this or that. Until it wasn’t so fun or safe anymore. It wasn’t play anymore. In some cases, the fun becomes too rough and someone gets hurt in the competition. In other cases, the fun becomes scary and the dog now doesn’t trust some individuals or types of people (such as new guests), and then the dog becomes scared or scary.

Then I am asked to come in and try and unravel all of that.

Don’t mess with dogs beyond normal play. Don’t let others mess with your dog and take your dog to levels that can easily backfire. 

Plan accordingly.

Dogs From Top To Bottom

Behavioral disturbances can occur within any of the behavioral systems of a dog.

You must study the entirety of the dog to find, diagnose, treat or prevent them in individual dogs.

What is within a normal range of behavior within that system?

The body of required knowledge is vast, well beyond just training a dog to Sit instead of jumping on guests coming in the front door. 

Plan accordingly.

Dogs And Dopamine Gimmicks

Ooh… a dog trainer just told you about their dopamine dog training method or tool. Must be some kind of Jedi Master dog training guru stuff, right? (MORE)

Dogs And The Cult Of Positive Reinforcement

Do I think there is anything wrong with using clickers and positive reinforcement? No way. I probably have a clicker in my pocket right now. However, there is a lot more to training a real-world dog than just this. You’ve got to understand dogs. Positive reinforcement is easy to learn. Understanding dogs takes a lifetime, and that is hard to learn... (MORE)

Dogs, Egypt, And Anubis

Archeological studies indicate there were at least 12 dog breeds in ancient Egypt. 

Much of the history of dogs isn’t written down, and we can only surmise how dogs were domesticated. There are various theories, but no way to prove them one way or another. 

Dogs and people fit together. That is clear. Across the world, humans have had some kind of relationship with dogs. You even find buried pets, sometimes alongside a human. 

Dogs are intensely interested in what we do, what we do with them, and any opportunities to learn. A good portion of the wolf has been taken out of our dogs. That isn’t a bad thing. You wouldn’t want to own a wolf. 

I’m reminded of something my grandfather taught me. He had a pet raccoon as a kid. He said they made great pets, until they got about a year old. Then they became nasty. Having a wild animal as a pet isn’t the same as owning a domesticated animal for any purpose. 

I also am now thinking of the ongoing Russian domestication experiment on foxes. They interbred the most social foxes over decades. They now mostly look like a Border Collie and act mostly like a pet dog. Unfortunately, all that inbreeding has resulted in numerous health problems, something that isn’t talked about all that much. It is worth reading the National Geographic magazine article. 

To me, dogs are endlessly fascinating. And in many ways, there is nothing new under the sun. Ancient Egyptians liked and used their dogs, and even worshipped Anubis, a man with the head of a Jackal. Just 60 years ago, before genetic testing, scientists were speculating the origin of the dog, whether it was from a wolf or jackal heritage, or a combination of both. It is possible that jackals were interbred along the way to create the domestic dog. 

We like dogs. Hopefully no one worships them. 

Do you like to read? Go down the rabbit hole that is about the history of dogs. You’ll find it an interesting adventure. 

Dogs: What's The Beef With Doodles?

What is the beef with Doodles?

The main arguments are:

1. They aren't "purebred". Well every breed at one point wasn't "purebred". Someone mixed two or more dogs, over and over again, until a type of dog was created and standardized.

2. Adopt Don't Shop. I get the idea that animal shelters are overflowing with dogs and many are killing for space. But most of the dogs in shelters are a.) not Doodles; and b.) are not purebred dogs. Breeders are not the problem. The problem is that municipal shelters are poorly managed and are not meeting the needs of the public. They have no business being in business. We all knew the economy was in trouble. How many reports do you need to know that? There are lots of things that could be done. Slamming Doodles isn't going to make a hill of beans difference. 

3. They are crazy dogs. No, they aren't. Raise and train any dog correctly and a magical thing happens: they turn out well.

4. They are medical basket cases. No, they aren't. 

Squeaky wheels always get the grease. For some reason, the anti-Doodle trolls have become visible critics. In the meantime, shelters need reforming. That would be a better cause to pursue. 

Plan accordingly. 

Is Your Dog Bored?

I feel sorry for most dogs. They live boring lives. Some worse than others.

They are loved. Good health. Nice home. 

Bored.

Dogs are intelligent animals. They love to learn and love to figure you out. The limited activities of daily life are not a challenge. Give a dog some novelty, you'll see their head tilt, and they will be compelled to check it out.

I think training is much more than teaching fundamental life saving skills. It is a healthy activity for an intelligent animal like a dog. 

Most people will never enter some kind of competition with their dog. Besides, a lot of that work is a grind. Most people neither have the time or the inclination to get a ribbon of some sort. Most won't want to turn their dog into some kind of working dog either. But, they still want to do something with their dog.

I've had students who took their dogs from the very basics to advanced, for no other reason than to give their dog an enriched life. Enrichment isn't licking peanut butter out of a Kong toy. It isn't giving them a food puzzle. It is the provision of a full life for a dog. Dogs in shelters are especially bored; no wonder they break after several weeks.

Plan accordingly.

Dogs And Training Guardrails

If you have worked with me, you know I use a light touch on all dogs. I try to be smarter, not harsher. I’ve spent over 25 years coming up with and testing more non-aversive tools than you could probably ever dream up. Yet, as every good highway has guardrails against danger, sometimes you need to install some guardrails, in the form of course corrections, for the safety of your dog and others. Having guardrails isn’t the same as condoning animal abuse... (MORE)

What Is Wrong With Dog Competitions?

Almost all the handlers I see, from beginning to advanced, regardless of the type of event, look like toy soldiers out on the field.

That is the current culture and tradition. 

It never seems like they’re just enjoying working with their dog and vice versa. 

It never seems loose in a good way and teamwork.

It looks insincere, artificial, unnatural, uncomfortable, insecure.

The dogs all look the same: it reminds me of all those fake, filtered, enhanced models on social media these days.

I often don’t like watching.

It is also not a good guide as to how to relate to your dog in the real world.

Plan accordingly.

Dogs, E-Collars And Opponent- Process Theory

Can a dog trainer “addict” a dog to an e-collar, meaning causing a dog to want to repeatedly receive an aversive stimulus (of any kind)?

Those making those claims are most likely trying to apply Opponent- Processing Theory, postulated by Solomon and Corbit (1974), which generally makes the following argument... (MORE)

Dog Training Or The School Of Hard Knocks

Every species on the planet is corrected in some form throughout its life. Those corrections don't harm the species. Adults correct the young. Physical obstacles are always out there to correct mistakes, often painfully. Others in their species, as well as encounters with other species, will involve corrections. Those corrections assist proper learning for the survival of that species. Even amoeba avoid some stimuli in various concentrations (pH, gravity, heat, cold, vibration, electricity, sound, etc.), and if they don't avoid those stimuli, they might perish and not reproduce. It isn't abuse for an animal to live in the real world. Our job as dog owners might be, at times, providing substitute corrections to prevent the dog from experiencing the real thing, thus saving their lives.

There is a cult of internet dog warrior trolls who are all into saying that dogs never need corrections in order to be trained. They also don't prepare their dogs for the real world. The weird thing about cults... they all seem to feel entitled to correct YOU if you don't join up. Hmm... What's that all about? This is especially an important topic when it comes to rescuing dogs in shelters. This cult has infected these institutions, and it has become accepted that it is better to kill a dog with problems rather than properly correcting those problems instead. Is that humane?

Plan accordingly.

Disrespectful Dogs

Is it disrespectful for a dog to follow you around the house or lean on you? No. Who gave you that dumb idea? 

STOP with all these dumb rules. Do social wild animals fret about these things? No.

Plan accordingly.  

Happy, Animated Dogs

There is nothing wrong with a happy, animated dog, regardless of size, age or breed. 

I don’t condone the idea of forcing “calmness” on all dogs or diagnosing the above as some kind of behavioral problem and calling it “anxiety”. 

Ever see a group of small kids playing, running around, having a good time? Do we force “calmness” on them? Is all that fun a sign of a behavioral disturbance, such as “anxiety”? 

And what of the parent that forces immobility on a child, or a forced run, every time that child is happy and excited? 

No wild animal does to their offspring what some advocate for your puppies or dogs. The problem isn’t a problem with the dogs, that is for sure.

No one needs you to be the Fun Police.

Re-think all this stuff.

Why would a trainer promote a program that emphasized "calmness"? BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO OTHER THAN SHUT THE DOG DOWN.

Plan accordingly. 

Tired Of The Positive Reinforcement Arguments?

How many boring and harmful trolling posts do we need to see, from internet warrior dog experts, proclaiming to the world that the only necessary tool for training dogs is positive reinforcement? The Breland and Breland study (1961) on raccoons proved the invalidity of these of these claims about training animals. It is like they can’t see or do or accept what the Kwisatz Haderachs, the high-level real-world dog trainers, are doing every day. (If you haven’t read “Dune” by Herbert, then you won’t understand this reference.)

They have no clue about dog behavior. More is going on when working with a dog than what was written about in the positive reinforcement experiments on rats and pigeons in cages and boxes, pushing or pecking on levers. No one puts a rat or pigeon in the same kinds of social and physical situations and dangers as we do with our dogs. Dogs are not rats or pigeons, so they train differently, as well. They are also moved by forces that have nothing to do with positive reinforcement. 

The trolls are novices, stirring up dust clouds to gain your attention and make money, regardless of the effects on dogs and owners. Novices shouldn’t be teaching others. White belts don’t teach the black belts. 

The trolls are still clinging onto the 4 Quadrants terminology (1. positive reinforcement; 2. negative reinforcement, 3. positive punishment, 4. negative punishment) with their cold dead fingers. They are stuck there. Despite ample proof to the contrary, the 4 Quadrants were never proven to be a tool, as claimed by others, to control human society or the “be all and end all” for training dogs. In fact, the raccoon experiments proved that.

I’m not ranting here against positive reinforcement. I heavily use it every day with every dog. 

That’s not the point. I’m talking about the indispensable understanding of the mechanisms of behavior that make a dog a dog. Dogs are complex, higher order mammals. It’s better to not be about 65 years out of date.

Riddle Me This Batman: What are the mechanisms of training dogs other than the 4 Quadrants?

Figure that out. Stop following novices.

Plan accordingly.

Dogs And Gooey Cakes

Have you ever baked a cake? Pulled it out of the oven thinking it was done. Only to find out later as you see the center of the cake has slumped, and the inner core is still gooey? Either you took it out at the wrong time, or you mixed the ingredients in the wrong proportion.

You rushed it along. Now it is impossible to fix it.

When I train a dog, I don't want to end up with a gooey cake. But many training programs are out there selling gooey cakes. 

Good performance takes time for a dog to master. Same with a handler. Unfortunately, some think they can rush the process by punishing the dog. It might look like properly baked cake on the outside, but when you look closely, it has slumped, and it is gooey on the inside. Sometimes that can be fixed with a dog or handler. Sometimes the dog will never quite be as good as it could have been, or the handler still is doing things wrong and perpetuating the problems with that dog and all future dogs. 

My advice? Don't take the cake out of the oven until it is finished. Don't think you can make shortcuts by leaving out important steps along the way.

Plan accordingly. 

Rescued Dog Training

What is the difference when choosing a training program for a rescued dog versus a dog that you purchased from a breeder? (MORE)

What To Do When A Bonded Dog Dies?

There are times when the passing away of one bonded dog causes the other dog so much distress that it can cause the second dog to pass away. I have heard of these cases, and believe them to be true.

 

I understand the grief when a pet passes away. It is heartbreaking, and many times people aren’t ready to welcome a new pet into the home. However, if the second dog is truly suffering, I believe it is wise to introduce a younger, opposite sex, social dog into your home right away. 

 

Plan accordingly.

Smart Dogs

Sometimes smart dogs can be problem dogs.

The good thing is that if you know how to work with smart dogs, the problems go away even faster.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Teaching The Place Command With A Clicker

Here is an example of using a clicker to teach the Place command (or some would say "cue"). This is just a first step (MORE) 

There is a lot more to be learned from clicker training than what you see. I can use this task, as demonstrated, as an object lesson to teach my students much bigger and more profound concepts. Can you guess the bigger picture? 

Clicker training advocates have typically overpromised and underdelivered. They refer to laboratory experiments since that is most of what is written on these topics. They are missing the bigger picture. While the above exercise is interesting, to get to advanced level handling, and high level performance from dogs, students need to master many concepts and be able to apply them with their dogs. It isn't just a rat or pigeon in a box.

Teaching individual tasks with a clicker is small potatoes. If that is where you are at, that is a good beginning, but there is more for you to figure out. Mechanical understanding of Operant Conditioning is for beginners, but is not a demonstration of your mastery of the bigger concepts.

Homework for this week: puzzle and ruminate upon all I explained and what you saw today with your dog. Watch that video about 100 times. Can you figure out more than the obvious of the dog being clicked for being on the dog bed?

Plan accordingly.