Debunk Dog Parks

I have a dog that is very reactive; yet this was not always the case. When I first adopted Holly (the brown dog) she was really excitable and sometimes her enthusiasm ended in bodily injury, mostly mine. Nevertheless, she was a one year old playful pup. Because she had been locked up in a bathroom for most of her life, never trained, walked or socialized, she had really bad manners, with both people and dogs. I believed that I could train her how to interact properly with humans and that letting her work out her communication with other dogs would be the fast track to teaching her dog park etiquette. So, I allowed other dogs at the park to correct her and often to give her a little roughing up. She eventually started fighting back and now I have a fear-aggressive dog.

The most important thing I realized is that if you have an aggressive dog, the only way to control them is training them to do other things than aggress. Give your dog fun things to do and let them know that you make good decisions by not setting them up to fail. Honestly, I was the one who needed training. I could have avoided many of her problems if I’d known how to direct her energy properly. Afterall, often dogs will teach each other to behave like wild animals, whereas we want to teach them to behave like pets. You often hear people say in reference to dogs showing aggression toward each other, let the dogs work it out…and in some situations this is true. However, in the case of badly socialized dogs, they often make bad choices based on lack of experience. I mean would you let your kids work things out in the playground if one of the kids was a bully and punching the other kids in the face? Of course not, so don’t let your undersocialized dog just work it out.

Canine Cardio Bootcamp!

Canine Cardio Bootcamp is a training program that will give the dog and the owner a mental and physical work out! It is based on basic obedience commands mixed with fast heeling, jogging and play. I am finding that people, with their busy lives, don't have time to train their dogs, as well as exercise them and go to the gym themselves. The program is designed in a way that is fun for the dogs and the owners. It begins with practicing basic commands on six foot leashes and teaching the clients to use treats and toys to develop a dynamic training style. It also trains the dogs to be engaged with the owner, even when other dogs are present.

We start slow, reviewing basic commands and then pick up the pace, continuing with "on and off games", emergency downs, as well as honouring while the owners do jumping jacks and run circles around the dogs. The sections of jogging are broken up with games of tug, as well as short breaks for the dogs to calm down and the owners to catch their breath. The class starts with a fifteen minute warm up, working on focus games and simple commands, followed with short cardio sessions and ending with a cool down, possibly even a doggy massage on nice days. It runs between an hour and a half and two hours, with breaks and instruction periods. The pre-requisite is a few basic obedience commands, but we would also cover them in class.

For "On and Off Games" and "Emergency Downs", see Don't Give Up on Defaults, cut and paste: http://dgudogtraining.blogspot.com/2010/10/dont-give-up-on-defaults.html

I have been training my dogs Holly and Miko using obedience, play and engagement. It is a great work out! The bonus is that when the dogs get working, they do faster, crisper sits and downs! Also, they pay more attention to me because I am so fun! My goal is to get out there and develop this program, as well as get fit. I'll be teaching people to exercise their dogs in a way that is dynamic and fun for humans and canines. Depending on how many folks are interested, I would like to do it regularly at the same local park. (Confederation Park or at Central Park in Burnaby)

Turtle Garden Rescue

Turtle Gardens began on April 8, 1988 as a no-kill facility to address a very real need for a safe haven for unwanted animals. There were no shelters of any kind for 250 miles – from Prince George to Terrace – 17 First Nation Communities and 11 Villages and Towns. Twenty years later there is still Turtle Gardens. They have adopted over 5000 dogs since inception; an average of 227 to 250 dogs per year. This blog is dedicated to all the adoptive parents that come to the "dog runs" organized by Turtle Garden, here in BC. These dogs are adopted, many as adult stray dogs, who have been fostered and socialized a bit, but have little or no training. It is my hope that they can log onto this blog and find some answers to the common questions and problems that come with adopting one of these special dogs.

The strays from Turtle Garden Rescue, many of which have not been raised in home environments, are different from other rescues. On a positive note, they often do not come with many of the behavioral problems that many shelter dogs possess. Nonetheless, some of them may have been abused and are recovering from neglect. They may suffer from lack preparation, simply because they have not experience many of the pleasures of domesticated life. Their possible lack of experience may be confused with lack of obedience, but these dogs are smart and very willing to please. You just need to give them the information they need to understand what is expected of them and this can take some creativity.

To start with and I can’t stress this enough, don’t let your new dog off leash and expect it to come back to you, or to even know that “come directly toward you” is what you want from it. If the dog has never known the joys of recall, or that good things happen when your new mum or dad calls your name, it is unlikely to figure it out without some work and practice. That is why we keep a leash on our dogs at all times at first, to make sure it never practices not coming! If you start off your relationship calling your dog repeatedly and it doesn’t understand what is expected, you are effectively teaching it to NOT come. You are poisoning and making redundant the very word that may save your dog’s life.

Also, don’t start your relationship with your newly adopted dog by taking them to a dog park. You want the dog to bond with you, not the dogs at the dog park. If you’d like to take your dog to the park, wait until you have a relationship that can compete with this type of distraction. Dogs will generally choose to run with a pack of dogs, over coming to their human, so don’t set your dog up to fail. At first take your new pet for a short, low stress walks where you can be the centre of its attention and it can be yours. Keep it on leash, on a collar it can’t back out of.Eventually the dog will learn to choose you over distractions, but this takes time…be patient!

If the dog somehow does manage to get loose (accidents do happen) remember, when you chase an animal, it will almost always run away, especially at the park where chase is the name of the game. If it gets out of it’s collar or out of the house, try to engage the dog by running the other way and calling it playfully, showing it food. I have thrown food at a dog, handfuls at a time to lure the dog to me. The dog will grow to value your approval and affection, possibly even over food, but in the beginning, the way to a new dog’s heart is most likely through its stomach.

Teaching your dog a new name:

Hand feeding your dog makes it easy to get the dog to bond and pay attention to you. Combined this with name games, you can kill two birds with one stone. Also, by playing name games, you teach your dog to tolerate and eventually seek out eye contact. Teaching your dog its new name is easy and if you want to change it’s name, now is the time to do it! So here is how, each and every time your dog looks at you, say it’s name and follow it with a treat.

I have developed a program called the three R’s:

1.) Recognition- teaching the dog it’s name, or it’s new name.

2.) Recall- teaching to come on command.

3.) Release- to be fair, you let the dog know it is “okay” to go.

RECOGNITION: The dog’s name is really the foundation of all commands. You need to get the dog's attention before you tell it what to do. To establish name recognition, I call my dog’s name, wait until he looks at me and throw him a treat. Looking at me, on cue, is all he has to do to get a treat! Do this repeatedly throughout the day. The most important thing about name RECOGNITION is that it gets your dogs attention. You want to have, or be able to get its attention at all times. Repetition of this assures that your dog will be well practiced in looking to you. Keep a bowl of treats in a dish, or a pocket full of treats, that you can get at easily.

NOTE: If you are concerned with your pet gaining weight, cut back on its meal size appropriately.

RECALL: The dog might already be coming to you, in anticipation of a treat, when you call its name. However, if the dog isn't already starting to head your way when you say it's name; then simply throw it a treat for looking at you when you call it and then show it a second treat. It should start to head your way for more treats. When it is already in motion, give the COME command. When it reaches you, give the dog the treat. You can do this while walking on leash and combine it with the name recognition. Call the dog's name...take a step back and lure the dog with a treat. This doesn't take much time and is an easy way of strengthening the bond you have with your dog.

If necessary you can change your recall word to HERE, if you think it will help things along. For many adopted dogs rescued from bad situations, it is necessary to change, not only the recall word, but also the dog's name to start fresh. I recommend changing it if there has been a history of abuse, or if the dog thinks COME means RUN!

RELEASE: Once the dog has come to you, you must let it know that it can go free again. Simply say OKAY, or whatever word you choose, after you give the dog the treat for coming. The importance of creating a release word is that it can be applied to anything that is considered an endurance command. You want your dog to understand that you expect it to do what you want, or ask it to do until you say otherwise. When you choose the word most comfortable for you, use it with everything.

Eventually, when the dog is laying down while you are having dinner, because you asked it to...say the release word...it will let the dog know that it can get up. If you have asked the dog to sit until you unclip it's leash, or until you say it can go out the door or exit the car, then use the word to let it know it can move around now that you say it is “okay”.

The fourth R is repetition!

REPEAT-REPEAT-REPEAT!

Eye Contact:

Dogs don’t naturally give eye contact. In fact, in dog behavior, eye contact is usually a display of aggression or a play attack. So keep in mind that your new dog may feel shy when you stare at it. It will most likely not want to eliminate in front of you. This means it will wait until you are not looking, probably in the house, and learn to relieve itself in an inappropriate place. When you get your dog home, find a place that is quiet and preferably green with lots of foliage, not an open space, where it can feel safe to go potty. If your leash isn’t long enough to give the dog room, then turn around and wait it out. Do not look at the dog, let it sniff and find a spot along the trees or shrubs. If it doesn’t seem to have to go, you can bring it inside, but don’t leave it alone. It may be waiting to be alone to eliminate. Try again in a half hour and repeat the process until the dog goes. If you are lucky enough to have a secured back yard, then you can do this off-leash, if not, then you may have to take a few short trips outside. When the dog does do it’s business, don’t make a huge deal, just throw a treat on the ground and say good Fido, or whatever you have chosen as a name.

Be patient!

The dog you are about to embark on a new relationship with is not like any other dog you have ever met or owned. Every dog, like every person, is unique. They all take their own time to adjust. Keep in mind that the build up to this adoption may have been a joyous experience for you, but for the dog it has likely been a bit traumatic. Think about how confused you would be if someone scooped you up and transported you without you knowing what the future held. It may take a few days before the dog learns to know and trust you. Do not expect it to know what is expected of it and don’t leave anything to chance. You will either need to be with the dog at all times to start with, or crate it to prevent the dog from exploring and getting into trouble.Repetitive behavior becomes learnt behavior. Only let your new dog repeat behavior that you want to become learnt. If you can’t be there and teach your dog what you want it to do, you must at the very least prevent it from doing what you don’t want it to do.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

AND REMEMBER...BE PATIENT!

Yogadog Dog Training!

Yogadog Dog Training has a unique approach to dog training. It combines a variety of training methods, traditional and new age, to find programs that work for all kinds of dogs and people. The five programs that Yogadog offers are loosely and humorously based on practices of Yoga. All the courses are aimed at improving the bond that the dog owner has with his or her pet and establishing better communication. The classes begin with a short canine massage or meditation to help the canines and the students balance their energy before starting training. Warm ups are taught on mats, where dogs and humans are encouraged to let go of stress and really connect. It is not so much about teaching the dogs to obey, as it is about teaching the owners how to communicate better with their dogs. What better way to teach dogs new tricks than through positive reinforcement and team work!

Yogadog has recently teamed up with We Care Dog Daycare to offer classes in the evenings and on weekends. The doggie day care has just opened its doors this month to facilitate the growing working population in the Burnaby area with dogs. Russ Simpson, the day care founder is taking advantage of the boom in the pet care industry. More and more people are concerned not only with the health and welfare of their pets, but also the quality of life they are experiencing. Doggie day care is a great way to socialize your dog as well as keep it happy and safe while you spend long hours at work. The courses are offered in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate the busy lifestyle of the working person. The first two classes scheduled are Puppy Prana, beginning on March 20th and running until April 24^th and Canine Kundalini, beginning on March 23^rd and running until April 27^th. Programs that the day care offers are as follows and will be up and running in April, at the We Care Dog Day Care, located at 7840 Edmonds Street, near Canada way, in Burnaby.

“Puppy Prana” is a strictly positively based program on teaching puppies the skills they need to have a healthy, happy life. Prana simply means vital life. The dog learns to withstand and cope with measured amounts of social pressure, as well as socialize in a controlled fashion.

“Hatha for Hounds” is a basic course. It’s a great introduction to dog training and a perfect way to strengthen the bond you have with your dog. This class covers all the basic positions and loose leash walking techniques, as well as address a few common behavioral problems.

“Asanas Agility” class is an introduction to basic agility equipment and how to on train it. Get aquainted with the exciting world of agility "just for fun", while you gain the skills of competitive dog sport world. It is advisable for those interested to first take the beginner "hatha" class

“Advanced Ashtanga” reviews foundation behaviours and the basics of the beginner’s class. It prepares dogs and handlers for higher obedience and formal competitive heeling and teaching positions. This class focuses on better engagement and longer focus, as well as the control that is required to bridge to off leash work.

“Canine Kundalini” is focused on relaxation, impulse control and training tolerance, as well as balancing energy. It covers desensitization techniques and teach the dog and handler to remain calm under stressful situations.

For more information, e-mail me at shannon@dgudogtraining.ca

Impulse Control and Managing Aggression

A reactive dog does not become aggressive overnight. It becomes sensitized to stimulus, gradually and over a period of time. Often the owner or handler, looks back and can remember the first incident, but at the time it seemed minor. The aggression compounded over time, regardless of any efforts to extinguish the behaviour. The dog continued to react and repetitive behaviour became learnt behaviour. The more often the dog accessed the neural pathway the quicker and easier the behaviour triggered. Punishing the dog for aggressing may have worked to shut down the behaviour, but it didn't teach the dog to tolerate stimulus and decrease the stress on the animal. To begin treating aggression, we must first stop the dog from rehearsing the act of aggressing. However, to keep the dog from reacting, you may initially have avoid it's triggers and teach it coping skills that will lend themselves to impulse control and handling the stress of the modern world. Ideally we want to expose the dog to small amounts of its triggers and teach it to handle the stress, so that it can learn to cope. This takes time, cannot be rushed and does not happen overnight!

One common characteristic I have found amongst aggressive dogs, is lack of impulse control. The dog simply can't control itself or it's emotions under stress. Teaching our dogs to calm down and eventually putting it on cue takes time. We can teach the dog impulse control using toys and food and bridge this work to self control and controlling its impulse to overreact and aggress. For an excited, stressed out or fearful dog aggressing feels good and blows off a lot of steam. It allows the dog to release tension and frustration. The fear feels bad, but the outlet of stress feels good and often results in gained space or resource. Aggression in itself is a rewarding behaviour. That is why repeated aggression strengthens aggression and eventually the outburst become automatic emotional response systems. We need to teach the dog alternative behaviours that are incompatible to aggressing. To prevent rehearsal of aggression, we need to teach these behaviours outside the triggering stimulus. Start with no distractions and practice sits and focussed looks, as well as recalls, until they too are automatic response systems. Then we can use learnt impulse control when triggers are present.

I teach skills incompatible with aggression, without distractions and away from triggers, so I can use these skills when I need them. To put it simply, I am a better dog handler when my dog is not throwing a temper tantrum and my dog is actually able to pay attention to me when there are no other distractions. My fear aggressive dogs learn alternate behaviours like come or heeling off in another direction, or sit facing me, as well as calming down when I grab its collar. In order to do this you can teach the dog to calm down on cue using play. Get the dog excited, grab its collar with both hands, one on either side and gently pull up. With larger dogs I pull them up to my front, but with smaller dogs it is easier to bend down and do it to the side. The dog usually calms and I release the pressure, not the collar, just the tight hold. Keep calm and still, ask for a "look" or if the dog isn't already sitting and giving to the collar pressure, ask for a "sit". Now say "good" or "yes" to let the dog know it got it right, then release "okay". Now you can move onto other things or start the game again. Collar holds are very useful and when rehearsed, the dog will recognize the cues of collar pressure and can learn to succumb to a restrained sit. When the cues are easily recognized by the dog, it is easier for you to get the it under control. You don't want your dog to rehearse aggressing so this is a way to interrupt and redirect all aggressive behaviour. Practice your plan using play!

A rule of thumb, if you want your dog to calm down, you must calm down. If the dog gets excited, you get still. It brings the dog's energy down, or at the very least doesn't amp it up. However, we are human and we can't always preform well under stressful situations. If you find that are not capable of staying calm, practice calling the dog in your panicked voice when there are no triggers present. Use that loud voice and abrupt body language that you know you will use in the case of an aggressive display. Practice getting your dog to follow your change in direction, so you are getting the dog to react to your voice and body language, not just the leash. Ideally, the leash should be kept loose, but also rehearse you tight leash handling because that may be the grip you will use in case of emergency. Keep in mind though, constant leash corrections and constant pressure on the leash escalate aggressive behaviour because they activate the dogs natural resistance reflex. Nonetheless, you can teach the dog that your worried voice and tight leash doesn't mean anything bad is about to happen and that a sudden change in direction is a game. Desensitize your dog to your physical stress cues and if by chance you can't remain calm in the face of a potentially bad situation, at least you won't escalate the aggression by adding strange new body language into the mix. Practice all your leash handling skills when you don't need them, so they will be automatic when you do need them!

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Here is a little blog about prevention...

There is very rarely a truly bad dog, only an unprepared one. We humans sure expect a lot of our furry friends, especially around Christmas and New Years! I mean why would anyone put a freshly cut tree in the living room and NOT want their dog to pee on it? Just to make it all the more irresistible we cover it in BALLS so that our pets have something they can play with while we are out. You must teach your dog what to do in the presences of presents! Use this opportunity to teach a strong leave it cue, or to work on body blocking and spatial pressure to tell the dog in its own language that the tree is off limits. Also, if there is any chance your dog will knock down the tree or ingest the ornaments, don't leave him unattended amidst temptation!

Another thing that is humorous to me, is that we somehow expect our dogs to know that Christmas chocolates and baking that are left out on the counter top, even when we are out, are not for them. The funniest story I have ever heard is the case of the missing Turkey. Dogs are opportunistic eaters and any game is fair game! My sister's dog consumes his weight in chocolates every year. Thank-God it is the milk variety, which is less toxic. I believe that is the root of their outrageous doggie dental bills. For the record, most dogs will get hyper or sick from eating milk chocolate, but not poisoned. Nonetheless, it is bad for them, so don't leave out sweets. Dogs are omnivorous and have a sweet tooth!

Prepare your dog for the holidays and make it an excuse to train foundation behaviours like down stays and sit stays. It takes a bit of time, but do set ups to strengthen your "leave it" command and use this season to work on impulse control and training techniques. The door bell will likely be ringing and people coming and going. To prepare them for this, play the doorbell game below. If your dog can't handle the excitement, find a spot where you can shut him away or kennel him until he calms down and then let him out to meet people, leashed if necessary, in a controlled way. Also interrupt and redirect all jumping up, repetitive behaviour becomes learnt behaviour! Just because you like your guests, doesn't mean they like dogs!

The doorbell game: Twice a day I put my dogs, Holly and Miko, on a place (their beds) stick my hand outside the front door and hit the doorbell. It sends Holly and Miko into a fit. I interrupt, asking them to be quiet, "QUIET" when they are I say "YES" and treat, calmly saying "good quiet"...then ask them to go back to their place..."YES" and treat calmly saying "good place". I've been doing it five to ten times in a row, until they don't react. If the doorbell goes off unexpectedly and I don't have time to prevent the "barkathon" , they go in the back room. They don't get to come out until they are calm. My goal is to have them go to their place when the doorbell chimes, so that they will do this when company comes. Today for the first time, I hit the doorbell and they both just looked at me...like where's the treat?

Prepare your house and your dog for guests and make sure you have a plan to keep everyone happy and out of trouble. Put things away and out of mouth's reach. Also, teach your dog the skills to co-exist with the family over the holidays. Things to work on to prepare your pet for this joyous occasion are, "sit stay" and "down stay", the every popular "off" as well as "leave it", the trusty "on your place" or "kennel up" and for your guests "please don't feed the dog!" I hate it when people reward my dog's begging! Tiss the season to be jolly and an ounce of prevention can spare you arguments and frustration. It will definitely save your dog confusion and possibly a trip to the vet!

Punishment and Corrections

Punishment is the use of an adversary to decrease a chosen behavior. Leash corrections are a type of adversary that are commonly used in traditional dog training. I had to ask myself....why do corrections work? Perhaps they work because they interrupt the behavior. They also work because they let the dog know, in a clear way, that a certain behavior brings negative consequences, the basis of classical conditioning. A dog will be more likely to repeat behaviors that bring about desired outcomes and less likely to repeat behaviors that result in unpleasant or unwanted results. So, then how is it that sometimes punishment doesn't work? I believe it doesn't work because of its ill effects, like the stress it can put on the dog and the negative impact it has on the relationship we have with our dogs. Most punishment doesn't work out well because it is too harsh, badly timed, mis-used in anger or is inconsistent. I believe that there is a way to correctly correct a dog that won't damage it, but would alway recommend using positive methods over punitive. Nertheless, in some cases, especially where the dog is either causing harm or danger to itself or to humans, punishment can clearly be used in a constructive way.

When we watch wolves, the untamed but genetic equivalent to domesticated dogs, we see certain pack behaviors. These are based on instinct as well as learned practices. Dogs like wolves are very physical in the way they communicate. However, it does not suffice to say you can simply dominate your dog, as an alpha wolf would and solve the problems you are having with your dog. You must first take into consideration that you want a tame and people friendly pet, not a wild animal. Also, you must take into account the individual dog and your relationship with it. A soft, shy or even a newly adopted dog most likely will not have a strong enough bond to you to withstand a correction without a certain amount of negative fall out. If we simply use a few tricks to set up chain of command, physical dominance is never necessary. These are rules, such as humans come first, enter the room first, exit the house first, eat first and get first dibs on the couch. In fact they get access to all resources first and are the keepers of all that is good. Those good things include treats, toys, freedom and lots of affection.

Punishment doesn't mean abuse or physical dominance! It can be an effective adversary to simply withdraw attention or access to something to decrease a desired behaviour. The tricky thing with all types of punishment is that the adversary must be administered immediately and calmly in order to be effective. Regardless, it is always preferable to use positive reinforcement and reward based training systems. In my personal opinion, you should only use "punishment" when the dog clearly understands what is expected of it and that the correction is directly linked to non-compliance. You must use adversaries responsibly and thoughtfully. There are some dogs who can handle and possibly require strong corrections, but that kind of training should be left to seasoned professionals. For most dogs harsh adversaries can be dangerous and detrimental.

In closing I would like to stress that all corrections should only be done properly and calmly in order to decrease a behavior, NOT to "punish" the dog. Punishment is most often practiced in moments of anger and used inconsistently, sometimes after the fact. A dog simply cannot link a correction to something that is not going on simultaneously. It will associate the punishment with what is present at the time of the correction, most likely the handler. People unintentionally create serious fear and aggression issues by using inappropriate correctives. In training, the well being of the dog is the most important thing to keep in mind. Every dog has a different threshold for stimulus and a different temperament. Not all dogs respond equally to punishment. If a correction is not working, then it is not appropriate to simply increase the intensity of the correction. It may be that the dog is confused, or overwhelmed and shutting down. Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of reinforcing good behaviors and providing the dog with an alternative behavior to set it up to win. When you set your dog up to succeed, you both succeed!

Leash Pressure

One of the most common requests I get from dog owners is to help them teach their dog to walk politely on the leash. I don't want to confuse this with heeling, a very formal and complicated thing to teach, which requires a lot more training, patience and time than one might think. Rather I am referring to the dog not pulling its human around on the end of the leash and stopping as soon as it feels pressure on its collar, no matter the length of the leash, even without a command. Unfortunately, for dogs who have rehearsed pulling this can be a difficult thing to learn.

The reason for this is that pulling is a self rewarding behaviour, the more it is practiced, the more rewarding it has become. The dog is simply reacting to a natural resistance reflex. When you pull back on a dog, it wants to pull forward. So how do we stop our already pulling dog from repeating this activity? I suggest switching the dog onto a harness to manage the pulling and training with a new collar, one with action. Active collars tighten evenly around the dogs neck when they pull and release as soon as the pulling ceases. The idea of a martingale or choke collar is not appealing to some people, but an active slip or an active collar is often the only way to get a dog who is already used to pulling on a flat collar to give to leash pressure. Snug fitting martingale collars are often active enough to train more sensitive dogs, but more resistant dogs will be more likely to need a choke collar or a slip collar.

To begin with, if your dog is pulling all the time, you won't get it to stop dragging you around by just changing its collar. You must manage the behaviour on walks with a halter or front clip harness and teach the dog about the collar and how to turn off leash pressure as a separate thing. This training on the new collar must not be done while walking the pulling dog. You begin teaching leash pressure somewhere familiar, like in the house, with treats in hand, to ease the stress. You want to set the dog up to succeed. The point is to teach the dog the skill of turning off pressure without any other variables at play. These training sessions should be short and sweet until the dog gets the idea that pressure from the collar means back up or stop pulling. Eventually, you can transition to walking the dog on the collar, but to start with you need to work on this as a completely different sessions than the daily walks.

I like to put a properly fit slip or martingale collar on my dog ten minutes before I use it, so the dog doesn't associate the stress of learning this exercise with the new collar. If you don't know how to fit a collar properly, it should be snug and fit high on the smallest part of the dogs neck. Looser collars are not "nicer", they are just less accurate timing wise, there is a delay on the pressure release and they require more muscle to be effective. The dog may scratch at or be aware of the collar at first, but if you put it on well ahead of time they will get used to it before you begin the conditioning process. To begin the conditioning session, simply attach the leash to the collar and pull the dog forward, leash parallel to the floor and level with the dogs shoulders. The dog will probably resist, at the point in which it takes a motion or step forward, drop all tension on the leash and verbally reward the dog. Don't give it treats immediately...wait a few seconds before food rewards. Then repeat the exercise. The treats are just for reducing stress if the dog starts to shut down and to help break up the drill. The dog won't want to keep working if every time it shuts off the pressure by giving to the leash you immediately go right back to pressuring it again. So use the treats and praise to break up the process.

Next you want to teach the dog to move with the leash in other directions. To teach the dog to go to one side or the other, pull on the leash, parallel to the floor at the level of the dogs shoulders, toward one side, right or left past you. As you did with the forward pull, as soon as the dog moves in the direction you are pulling drop all tension and verbally reward the dog. If you are using treats, give the dog a treat after a few seconds to ease the tension. The dog should move a bit easier now that it is beginning to get the hang of it. If not, do not back down...keep the leash short in your hand and keep the pressure steady until the dog gives to it. If you let go, the dog will learn that if it resists pressure it can shut it off, the opposite of what we want. Repeat this on both sides so the dog is moving to the right across you and also to the left across the front of you. Remember to break the stress up with praise and even some treats if the dog is shutting down, however, don't use any obedience commands during this learning phase. This type of stress can be hard on some dogs and we don't want to colour it with any other variables. We are just concerned with the dog's giving to leash pressure outside any other activity or situation.

Finally, you want to teach the dog to back off the leash. You want the dog to feel the pressure from behind and stop or back up as soon as it feels you pulling on the leash from behind him. This is what will help us teach the dog to NOT PULL. So stand beside the dog, on whatever side you walk it on and line the leash up behind its head, parallel to the floor at the height of its shoulders and pull back along its spine, steady and slow. You must have the leash short, so only your arm moves. You must not pull up or the dog will most likely sit. You want the dog to back up...as soon as it does, even an inch, release all pressure. If the dog is used to pulling, this will be challenging, but don't give in! You need the dog to give to the leash, even if you just feel it stop resisting, that might be enough to reward. You can work on this for a few repetitions and then shelve it for the day. I stress, keep your sessions short and do them daily for few days if the dog isn't giving readily at first. Then go out and have some fun with your dog...make sure if you are going to walk him, do it on a harness, or even a haltie, but keep the collar on for a while after training. Keep in mind not to switch to the collar for walks right away because you have just taught him to give to leash pressure, don't undo your work by rehearsing pulling right after.

Now that you have introduced your dog to the idea of giving to leash pressure, it is time to put it to use. To begin with, just attach the leash to the active collar and work it in the house without distractions. Remember we want to set the dog up to succeed. You can just use a treat to lure and treat your dog into a desirable position, on your left or right, your choice and take a few steps. If the dog gets ahead of you, stop dead in your tracks, lean back and become a post. When the dog stops pulling, release the tension and praise the dog. Call him to you and give him a treat. We don't want there to be extended pressure on the collar, so don't pull your dog to you. Encourage your dog to come to you, rather than correcting the dog for pulling and making him associate coming with something negative. I would recommend keeping training to a couple short sessions a day until you can get the dog to give easily to pressure and recall in the house or back yard with success. Then you are ready to take it out into the world. Don't be in a rush, you only want to do a block of this at a time and build up to durations. As a management tool, use the harness or haltie and practice calling your dog to you for treats or a bit of play while out on walks. Walks and training will be separate at this point, but don't let the dog rehearse bad behaviour on walks either. Just try and get the dog to stop excessive pulling by calling it back to you and rewarding it with treats for not pulling. The most important thing is that if it is pulling it isn't doing it on the training collar and becoming resistant to the feel of the pressure.

Although, positive punishment (like leash a correction) is sometimes necessary, we can use positive reinforcement, toys, treats, playing and other reinforcement to get the dogs to do most what we want them to do. I read recently that corrections make some dogs crazier. It is true in certain cases. I have seen corrections used intentionally to frustrate a dog to make him more excited and intense. The fact is, in the case of highly motivated dogs restraint and physical pain actually lead to more frustration and the heightening or the building of the behavior that most people do not want! People think that strong leash corrections will actually stop a behavior, but constant leash pressure and ill timed leash corrections are actually a form of restraint. Restraining a dog bred for sport or protection dog is actually how trained professionals get the dog to commit more to an object to want something more. This is how they get police dogs and hunting dogs to want an item more...not less. So if you want your dog to stop pulling, teach it to give to leash pressure as a separate skill and then incorporate that skill into your daily walks bit by bit. Eventually, with consistency and patience you can get your dog to be polite on leash.

A work of caution, don't use the heel command with this type of training, as it won't lend itself to formal heeling. The point is to teach the dog leash manners. To begin heeling work is an entirely different approach, of which giving to leash pressure is only one component. If you have the dog understanding how to back off the leash, you may one day want to teach it to heel. So don't pollute or poison that command or you won't have it at your disposal in the future.

Dawg Talk

Dogs do not communicate with verbal language. They communicate on a much more fundamental and physical level than us humans. They express themselves with eye contact, or lack of eye contact and through body language. Actually we humans also communicate this way, but rely on speech to convey more complex ideas and opinions. It is because of our complex verbal system that we sometimes complicate dog training by using too many words and not being consistent with our actions. Ideally, we would like to use language as a training tool, but to do so effectively, the words must be conditioned to have meaning to the dog.

For instance, when your dog jumps up on you, pushing it and saying "off" can discourage this bad behaviour. However "pushing" in dog terms is playing...so if you are saying "off", make sure your body is communicating the same message. When you say the word, "off" or whatever you want to use for stopping unwanted jumping up, you should calmly walk into the dog and claim your space. Often times with more excitable dogs a collar correction is needed. I like to pull the dog into a sit, then reward it for compliance. To ensure you are not re-inforcing bad behaviour by giving attention for jumping up, ask yourself what your body language is say. Is it calmly and clearly giving the dog the message that you don't enjoy this behaviour? Some dogs just crave all attention and are rehearsing old habits that resulted in attention, bad or good. In addition to claiming your space, another good aversive is to withdraw all attention. When the dog calms down and offers appropriate behaviour then give it a verbal and physical cue that it has done well. "Good-boy!" followed by a pat or a treat. Body language is more useful than words in communicating with our dogs.

Rewards are really important in defining things for dogs. They are more likely to repeat behaviour that brings about positive outcomes. Reward systems are not just food based; although most dogs will work well for food. Some dogs don't care about treats and will do anything for a ball or a game of tug with you. Play driven dogs can be the easiest to train because unlike food, play drive doesn't usually decrease or become satiated. Also, playing with your dog doesn't result in weight gain. The other reward that is common is social acceptance and praise. Many dogs will work for praise and just to please you. When using verbal praise to train a dog, it must be conditioned to have meaning. Saying "Good Boy!" and following it with a bum rub or a pat will give the clear communication that you are happy with the dogs performance and a socially driven dog will often work simply for your approval.

Purely positive re-inforcement is a modern trend in dog training and it can bring about really great results, as well as build a strong bond between you and your dog. Nonetheless, punishment can also be conditioned to have meaning and clearly communicate to your dog when you are not happy with his performance. The word "NO" has no meaning to a dog, yet when coupled with an aversive, like a collar correction, the dog quickly realizes that NO indicates something unpleasant will follow and will associate this corrections with the thing it is doing at the time, thus reducing the behaviour. Properly administered correctives do work and are often necessary in clearly defining what is unacceptable.

I would also like to touch on the idea of conditioned interrupters as well as markers. Cesar Milan comes to mind, with his infamous "CHUCHT!" If you have ever watched how he interrupts a behaviour, makes this noise and follows it with a poke or a little nudge to the dog's side. He is essentially conditioning the dog to associate the sound with being poked or nudged with his foot. He also is interrupting the behaviour and getting the dog's attention. Dogs are physical and when conditioning a word or a sound to have meaning as a corrective, you must follow the word with some aversive. Anything that the dog doesn't like is an aversive...even petting can be a punisher if it is not enjoyable for the dog! Eventually, just the sound preceding the interrupter acts as the correction on its own.

When using markers, like clickers, we can also condition the dog to understand exactly when it has gotten something right. The verbal equivalent to a clicker is the use of a word or sound like "YES" and following it with a treat or reward. Eventually, the word "YES", or the click indicates to the dog that something good is coming. In addition, when the dog is not complying to what is being asked of him, the word or sound "UH-AH!" can be paired with withholding that reward to clearly communicate non-compliance. We can shape a dogs behaviour by simply rewarding or withholding rewards until he gets it right. Using interrupters and markers are a clear way of letting the dog know when it is doing something right or wrong.

It is important to keep it simple and make sure that your dog is understanding what you are trying to say. Work on developing clear communication by using verbal cues that have been conditioned to have meaning and let your dog know when he gets things right. Basically, through reward and corrections you can teach your dog words or sounds for indicating it got it and a reward is coming, or if necessary, that it has gotten it wrong and a corrective action is coming. Even withholding a reward is an effective aversive. The key is being very clear and consistent. Reward all good behaviour as well as interrupt and redirect all unwanted behaviour and a large portion of your training will be done! Remember, dogs will repeat behaviour that brings about positive results and will be less likely to repeat things that bring about unwanted results. Most of all I can't stress enough that dogs learn through repetition. Repetitive behaviour becomes learnt behaviour, so don't get lazy and let your dog repeat bad behaviour!

Be consistent and don't give up on your dog!