Training focused attention in heeling

As promised, this embarrassing video shows what happens when you don't have good focus in heeling. This was an official AKC Obedience trial, held outdoors at Purina Farms in Missouri. Obedience trials are different from Rally trials because you are not allowed to talk to your dog or use multiple hand signals. One command, and your dog is expected to follow. A second command is allowed but will knock points off your score. At the Novice level, the heeling pattern is first done on leash, then repeated off-leash. You lose points if your dog doesn't stay with you, and you lose additional points if at any time you have a tight leash.

One thousand reasons, aka excuses, why Atlas and I did poorly in this trial.  It was our first outdoor trial, and earlier in the day there had been sheep and pigs in that same ring.  You can imagine the heavenly smells for a dog to sniff.  We hadn't practiced as much as we needed, obviously.  I had never trained a dog for obedience trials before Atlas, and all our training was done indoors. Can you train focused attention in an outdoor environment? Absolutely! Had I done it? The video speaks for itself. Atlas was supposed to stay nicely by my side through the whole off-leash heeling, and you can hear sympathetic giggles from the audience as he chose to sniff and left me to continue the heeling routine sans dog. I was hoping when I started the "fast" jog, that my movement would catch his attention and bring him back to me.  When that didn't happen, I resorted to calling him again, but it wasn't enough to save our performance.

The moral of the story here?  Training is a continuum, and this Obedience trial was simply one pit stop on a long journey towards having a well-behaved dog. Atlas and I continued to practice, we worked on focus, and we were able to improve significantly.  One training trick that made a huge difference was when I incorporated "jackpots" into my training.  A jackpot is a series of treats, given one after the other, continuously, like a slot machine paying out a prize.  Sometimes it can be 3 treats, sometimes 5, and sometimes even more.  But it is never a rote reward to be given after every exercise.  The jackpot makes the dog want to work more, and work harder, because he never knows if this will be the moment that will earn him the jackpot.  Like a gambler becoming addicted to the slots, the dog starts thinking that training is fun and cannot wait for the next chance to win the big prize.  I saved the jackpot for exceptionally good performance on a single exercise, and it caused him to focus intently on me for a much longer period than if I just gave a single treat after every exercise. Repetition=boring. Variety is the spice of life!

The next video shows what happens after I started incorporating jackpots into my training routine, and stopped giving treats routinely.  Unlike in Novice Obedience, Rally Advanced is done completely off leash but allows the handler to talk and encourage the dog. I have to say, this was one of the proudest moments of my life.  Enjoy!

Think Twice Before Leaving Your Dog on a Tie-Out

Your dog loves to sunbathe and watch people and animals in the neighborhood.  A little fresh air is wonderful for Doggie, and he loves being outside and getting some exercise.  If you don’t have a fenced backyard, a tie-out seems like a reasonable alternative, right?  You only leave him for a couple hours at most, and you provide fresh water and shelter.  So what’s the big deal about leaving Doggie on a tie-out?

Protective and Guarding Traits

Let’s look at it from the dog’s perspective.  Every dog, no matter the size or breed, has instinctive characteristic that make him a dog.  An ingrained canine trait is a need to protect his belongings and space from trespassers.  When your dog is loose in the house, the house becomes his territory and he wants to protect it.  When your dog is contained in a fenced-in backyard, the backyard becomes his territory.  When your dog is on a tie-out, the neighborhood becomes his territory.   His need to defend doesn’t stop at the end of his chain, and this can cause some serious barrier frustration.  The other major issue becomes who your dog sees as “part of his group” and who is considered a trespasser.

Barrier Frustration

For some dogs, especially puppies and young dogs, everyone and everything is their friend.  They want to meet, play and explore with humans and other dogs.   However, the tie-out doesn’t let friendly dogs meet other people and dogs.  Instead, it builds frustration that they can never quite reach the thing they want.  The result of pent-up frustration is an increase in stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can take days—that’s right, days-- to work its way out of Doggie’s system!  This stressful situation is magnified in dogs who don’t want to meet others, but feel the need to protect their territory and themselves.

Trespassers Beware

Some dogs are suspicious of anyone or anything different.  They may not like other dogs, men in hats, squirrels, people in uniforms, or kids on bikes. . . the list goes on.  For these dogs, the tie-out chain protects passersby, but makes the dog feel vulnerable and in need of protecting itself and its territory.   Doggie protects himself by barking ferociously, charging to the end of his tie-out, and acting threatening.   His bluff almost always works, as the person (or dog) walking past will keep on walking.  Over time, this behavior becomes habitual so that anytime Doggie sees a trespassing person or animal, he will act ferocious to scare them off.  In essence, the tie-out creates an aggressive-acting dog, who may or may not know how to truly defend himself in a fight.   For these dogs, the tie-out is absolutely one of the worst things you can do for their long-term health and well-being.

Better Alternatives

It takes more work, but the best alternative is to go outside and spend time playing with Doggie.   You can play “fetch” using a long leash, tossing the ball first in one direction and then the other, or you can take your dog for a nice long walk.  If you are physically unable to exercise Doggie, consider hiring a professional dog walker to walk him for you. If Doggie has issues with other people or dogs, find a good trainer or behaviorist who can help you work through those issues in a positive way.   Please be aware that painful or harsh training methods will cause Doggie to react even more negatively and/or fearfully to the world around him.  

If exercising your dog outside is not an option, then by all means, he can get some exercise in the house.  You can let him play “nose games” by hiding a few biscuits or kibble around a room and letting him find them using his nose.   You can also stand at the top of the stairs and toss a small treat downstairs; after he retrieves the treat he has to return to you for another small treat.  Finally, mental games can be a workout of their own for Doggie—check out a book on Clicker training and try to teach him some tricks!

Getting Started with Crate Training

It is a common misconception that dogs are “den animals".   Domesticated dogs are not wolves, and even wolves only use dens for birthing and raising pups.   Dogs need to be taught to enjoy their crate, and the easiest way is to start by tossing in tiny treats for the dog to sniff out and eat without closing the crate door.

Dogs often need encouragement to get into a box or crate.

This is important--- you do not want to force your dog into his crate in the beginning!  If the dog is terribly nervous, maybe offer a few treats just outside the open crate door.  After a few sessions, or when the dog is comfortable with that, you can toss the treats just inside the crate door for a few more sessions.  Gradually toss the treats in further, praise your dog for going inside, but still you should not close the door!  You can also feed your dog’s food in the crate, keeping the door open until he is comfortable with that environment.  Place the bowl all the way in the back of the crate so the dog needs to turn his back on the door.

When your dog is confidently walking into the crate to chase treats or eat, you can close the door, but only for a few seconds, and then immediately open the door again.  Practice this several times in a 3-5 minute session, and practice several sessions each day.   Your goal is to open the door before the dog starts to whine, bark, or paw at the door. 

Soft crates are only for well-trained dogs!

Ideally, you do not want to open the crate door any time the dog is whining, barking or clawing.  If you do, you will be encouraging him to repeat behavior you don’t want.  If he is acting up when you want to get him out, wait patiently with your hand on the door latch until the split second he is quiet.  If you cannot possibly wait, toss in a treat or a bunch of treats, and the instant he quiets down, open the door.  You don’t want to teach the dog to bark in his crate to get treats, so only use the treat-tossing if you cannot wait for the dog to settle down on his own.

Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of all this training--- you need the dog in the crate, immediately.  In that case you can help the dog adjust by stuffing a Kong or hollow bone with peanut butter and putting it in the crate, or anything else that might distract him for a length of time.

Important note:  some dogs have gotten their collars caught on the wires of the crate and hurt themselves or even suffocated.  For his safety, please remove your dog’s collar before putting him in any crate. 

Agility Equipment in Public Dog Parks

Ribbon cutting on the beautiful new agility equipment!

Today the Lake in the Hills dog park had an "open house" which included a ribbon-cutting on some beautiful new agility equipment.  The equipment includes a half-height teeter-totter, half-height dog walk and A-frame, several jumps, two tables and a set of weave poles.  I applaud the efforts of the Boy Scout, who worked tirelessly on this Eagle Scout project to make his dream a reality-- in the hopes that he could teach his own dog some agility.

Many owners think it would be fun to try agility with their dogs, but maybe they don't have the money or time to take agility classes.  If you want to try the agility equipment in a dog park, here are some tips for getting started.

1.)  Do not force your dog to do anything he's not comfortable doing.   Bring lots of small, tasty treats so you can reward your dog when he does something that makes him nervous-- like taking a step onto the dog walk.  Be generous with the treats!  Imagine that you are afraid of heights, and your friend wants you to climb a 150-ft. ladder for a one-dollar bill.  Would you do it?  Not too likely, but how about if your friend gave you $100 for every 5 rungs you climbed? I'll bet you'd climb at least 5 rungs, maybe more.  The same goes for your best friend:  give him a treat when he puts his front paws on an obstacle if he is nervous.  Give another treat if he gets another paw up.  He doesn't have to conquer the dog walk on a single outing. Patience and consistency are worth more than gold when it comes to dog training!

2.)  Please be very cautious when other dogs are around. Your dog may not be able to focus on the equipment when he'd rather play with other friends.  Especially use caution if someone else is trying to use the agility equipment.  The last thing you want is two dogs meeting at the top of an A-frame or halfway across the dogwalk.   The best time to work on agility equipment is when nobody else is around and your dog can focus on you and the obstacles ahead of him.

3.)  No leashes, please!  Leashes can get tangled in the jumps or accidentally pull your dog off an obstacle.  If you think you need the leash to guide your dog up to the obstacle, then you need to spend more time working with your dog's focus before attempting any obstacles.  The weave poles may look safe enough, but it is very difficult to teach your dog the correct way to go through the weave poles, and if his leash wraps around a pole and pulls him out, it will be much more difficult to get him in next time.  You can use a treat in front of his nose to guide him through, instead.

4.)  The teeter-totter is a very scary obstacle for most dogs at first.  Many dogs in agility classes are scared of the sound of the teeter banging on the ground--- and this is before they even approach it!  Work with treats to get your dog to climb up the teeter, then gently push the end to the ground  to encourage your dog to walk off it carefully.  Agility competitions require that dogs touch both the first and last parts of the teeter, A-frame, and dog walk so that they don't hurt themselves by flying off an obstacle in midair.   A good way to encourage your dog to the bottom of an obstacle, without jumping off, is to place a treat at the bottom for him each and every time he goes over it.  He will learn to expect that treat at the bottom and will look for it every time.  Once your dog is not afraid of going on the teeter, A-frame, or dogwalk, ALWAYS move with him in the direction he is moving.  You never want your dog to turn around on any of these, which could happen if you stop or move away from the equipment.  Your job is "moral support," to be next to the dog on this equipment!

5.)  Jumps are the easiest things for the dogs to start learning.  To teach your dog how to jump, set the jump height very low and run with your dog next to you, jumping over the jump with him.   Praise and reward him when he achieves this baby step!  The next step might be to set the jump a little bit higher, again running and jumping with your dog, using a cue such as "Jump!" to tell him what to expect.  The next step is to run alongside your dog, cueing him to "Jump!" while passing next to the jump.  If the dog tries to run around the jump, don't make a fuss over him, but don't reward or praise him, either.  Another method is to throw a toy or treat over the jump and encourage the dog to "Jump!" to get it.

6.)  In agility competitions, the table requires a lot of self-control for a dog.  The dog has to jump on the table and stay on it until you tell him he can come off.  Most dogs like running and jumping, and waiting at the table is just a pain!  To teach this in classes, we give small treats between the dog's paws almost continuously until we release the dog with a release word such as "Go!' or "Free!" and maybe a treat tossed in the direction we want them to go.

7.)  Have fun!  If you find yourself getting frustrated, let the dog do something he is good at ("Sit!...  Good sit!") and end on a good note.  Dogs can easily read our emotions, so try not to train when you are frustrated or mad at your dog.    Dogs have good days and bad days, and don't get discouraged if your dog suddenly seems to not "get it."   That is a normal part of the learning curve.

Treats, treats, treats!

Beginner students always want to know, “What are the best kinds of treats for training?”  Ideally, treats should be

1.)    Small—roughly pea-sized or smaller

2.)    Smelly—holding a smelly treat in front of a dog’s nose is most effective at getting the dog’s attention

3.)    Soft—hard treats require chewing and generally are not as enticing or smelly

4.)    Variable—dogs get bored with a single type of treat, so mix it up!  Your dog never knows, in advance, which kind of treat he’s getting.  Training night is like Halloween trick-or-treating for dogs!

For the first night of a beginner class, you will need a lot of treats.  However many treats you think you need, multiply by four.  It’s OK to have too many, but training is very difficult in the learning phases when you run out of treats.

Recommended treats:  far and away, my favorite choice for a treat is Natural Balance Lamb or Turkey

dog food rolls.  Sliced into ½” thick slices, they are easy to break into pea-sized treats, nutritionally balanced as dog food, and most dogs love them!   The downside is that they need to be refrigerated after opening, and they will turn to crumbs if they are smashed in a treat bag.  Petco sells these rolls. 

Petsmart sells something similar, and also good, the Pet Botanics Dog Food Rolls.  You will need to experiment to see which ones hold up best (some are more moist, while some are more crumbly).

Other great options are diced pieces of chicken, turkey, ham, braunschweger, cooked liver or steak, small pieces of hot dog, or string cheese.  Check out the deli section of your local grocery store.   You definitely want to test these with your dog before bringing a huge amount to a training class.  For my dog, too many hot dogs will cause diarrhea, but he adores, and is fine with the messier turkey-cheese dogs!   Too much cheese can also cause digestive problems for some dogs. 

A final healthy option for dogs is dehydrated liver or dehydrated meat.  Most dogs go bonkers for the dehydrated treats, but they are expensive and very difficult to break into smaller pieces, so I use them sparingly.

Occasional treats:   variety is the spice of life, so I mix in some “occasional” treats while training.  Some dogs like crunchies: mini-Milkbones, Charlee Bear treats, or even Cheerios.  Try them first to make sure

your dog likes them—my dog likes the egg and cheese Charlee Bears, but not the liver variety.  In the “junk food” category of dog treats, are marketed soft dog treats like Bil-Jac Liver treats, Pupperoni sticks, Canine Carryouts, Milo’s Kitchen, and Beggin’ Strips.  These are not the healthiest choices for your dog, but may be okay in small amounts.

Things to AVOID:  Avoid any treats made in China, especially chicken or duck jerky.   The FDA is currently researching Chinese jerky treats to determine why so many dogs are getting sick from them, but for now, simply avoid them and make sure if you buy something with chicken, it is made in the U.S. or Canada. For info about the FDA and chicken jerky, click here: http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm092802.htm

Important reminder:  Your dogs will get fatter than a turkey at Thanksgiving if you start training them regularly and do not reduce their regular food intake.  If you are training at home, it is perfectly okay to use part or all of their regular meal to work with them.  Dogs are generally happy to work for their ordinary food, if they like their food. However, ordinary food will not entice them when they have extraordinary distractions such as other dogs and new smells in a training class.  Bring the good stuff to training and reduce their food for the day.  Your dog will thank you!

An introduction to AKC Rally

This video was taken several years ago, when I was competing in AKC Rally with my Giant schnauzer Atlas.  For those who aren't familiar with Rally, according to the AKC, "Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the rally judge. The judge tells the handler to begin, and the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations (10 - 20, depending on the level). Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed."  The signs test your partnership as you ask the dog to perform maneuvers such as "left turn", "halt", and "send your dog over the jump".

The Advanced level, seen here, is more difficult than the Novice level because the dog is off-leash for the entire performance, and some of the course signs are more difficult than a Novice level.  As a handler, you are allowed to talk to your dog and encourage him as much as needed, and you can use hand signals and repeat them as needed.  In AKC Obedience sports, the handler needs to either have their left arm swinging naturally at their side, or have their left fist held up at the waist so it doesn't bonk the dog in the head.   AKC Rally doesn't require any particular hand or arm position, but I adopted the traditional obedience posture out of habit and to avoid accidentally hitting my dog.

In this video, Atlas is frequently gazing up at me intently to follow my next move.  This is exactly what you train for in obedience and rally.  It looks like the dog is completely devoted to his person, but in reality it is a behavior: practiced and trained and practiced some more.  That devoted, loving gaze is the same loving gaze you see in your pet when you are eating something delicious like a steak or a hot dog! In fact, the way I trained the sustained attention was by holding a hot dog in my left hand, and offering Atlas little tiny bits of it whenever he offered to look up at me.  For an AKC Rally trial, however, the dog has to learn to work without food, so it is important in training to gradually wean them off the expected treats.

For the record, we earned a perfect score of 100 with this routine.  It was definitely one of the best moments ever in my training with Atlas.  What was surprising, though, is that during the previous Rally trial, roughly 2 months earlier, Atlas and I disqualified because Atlas decided to go exploring the course without me and generally ignored me.  This is a common problem with dogs, and in the next video I'll show an embarrassing example of this and explain how I worked through those difficulties.

Finding a Good Dog Trainer

Currently, there is no licensing or credentialing system required in Illinois to be a dog trainer. Anyone can claim to be a trainer.  How can you find a good trainer?  Here are some questions to ask:

• Does the trainer have experience working with your breed of dog?  Each dog breed has different characteristics, and a good trainer will have experience with multiple dog breeds and hopefully with your specific breed.  A trainer who only works with German Shepherd Dogs, for instance, may not fully understand the timid nature of an Italian Greyhound or the tenacious focus of a Jack Russell Terrier.  
• Does the trainer keep up with the latest scientific methods of learning and behavior?  A good indication of this would be if the trainer is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. If the trainer is doing the same thing they've been doing for years, it indicates they might not care about finding the best methods of dog training. Older, outdated methods of training can be effective, but often are unnecessarily harsh.

  

  Group training classes cannot fully address
  difficult-to-manage behaviors at home.

• Will the trainer work with you to practice in your home, neighborhood, or areas of difficulty?  While learning in classes can help create good behavior, problem behavior is best addressed at the source. Correcting problem behavior almost always requires some creativity and a willingness for the trainer to observe and make recommendations based on the dog's environment during the behavior. 
• What training tools will the trainer use with your dog?  ​A trainer's motto should mimic a doctor's creed, "First, do no harm."  Find out specifically what the trainer will do to correct problem behaviors. Does the trainer plan to use a prong or pinch collar; an electronic collar; a harness; head halter; clicker and treats; or toys? If you are not comfortable with it, do not let him or her do it.  You are responsible for your dog's well-being.  Your dog depends on you to protect him in the human world.  You have the right to refuse any part of the training regimen that you think will be detrimental to your dog, no matter how learned or experienced the trainer is.  You know your dog best.  
• Finally, observe the trainer in action.  If a trainer isn't willing to let you see what he or she is doing, you probably don't want him or her touching your dog!