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.

Teaching with Play

Repetitive behaviour becomes learnt behaviour. If you have a dog who gets excited, runs around like crazy, jumps up and won't listen, chances are it learned to be this way because you accidentally encouraged it. When dogs are puppies, it's really cute when they jump up and act goofy. Unfortunately, petting a dog or playing rough with it when it jumps up or mouths and allowing it the freedom to run around in an excited state, encourages the dog to continue these bad habits. When teaching dogs appropriate conduct, you must interrupt all unwanted rough play. When deciding how you let your pet to interact, consider how you would ideally like it to behave, since the behaviour it repeats, will become the foundation of its behaviour in the future. Anytime your dog, or puppy instigates rough or inappropriate play, this is an opportunity to interrupt and redirect its energy. You can seize this opportunity to set up the rules for appropriate access to play and freedom. When the dog offers a desirable behaviour, then you can reward it with either a treat, a toy, play or praise. I also give praise for any and all appropriate behaviour, so that it becomes repetitive and learnt!

Dogs learn through trial and error. Puppies learn what works and what doesn't, most of this they learn through play. Of course you want your puppy to experience life and to enjoy itself. Nevertheless, when teaching using play, there has to be rules. Rule number one, only calm or positively focused behaviour earns access to praise, play, toys and treats. Secondly, you the human has ultimate power over these resources. For instance, the dog must relinquish the toy or cease the game on command. If you like to play games like tug or wrestle with your dog, be very sure that you are the one controlling the game. When you say the game is over, the dog must respect that. When you ask it to OUT or DROP the toy, it must do so. A great positive way to establish this is indicate the game of tug or play is over, (either by putting the toy away or with holding it and all contact until the dog settles down) then resume as soon as the offers calm or focus behaviour. Furthermore, I recommend only engaging the dog in a game as long as it is relatively interested, then the game holds value and the dog considers it a reward. You don't have to play with your dog until it is completely exhausted. If the game is over when the dog is tired of it, this only teaches the dog that it is in control of the game. It is good to encourage play, then ask for a sit or a lay down to re-acivate the play again. In doing this you have established that you are the source of fun and learning.

It is also beneficial to incorporate some play time into all training exercises. Making it fun for your dog, will make it fun for you and you are likely to practice and train more regularly, as well as engage your dog for longer periods of time. If you have a fully grown dog, possibly even a rescued dog, it is never too late to establish new rules. You may not even be the person responsible for re-inforcing the bad behaviour it has learned, but you are responsible for the way it learns from here on in. If you interrupt all unwanted behaviour, ceasing play anytime the dog gets too rough or isn't listening, then resume as soon as it demonstrates good manners and calm energy, you can turn a dog around! I can't emphasize enough rewarding ALL calm positively focussed energy with praise, play, toys or treats. Then the dog will more likely offer this type energy in the future. If you praise and treat for all wanted behaviours they will become default behaviours. You can teach even an old dog new tricks!

Attention Games

In order to teach any new behaviour, you must first have the student's attention. Trying to teach your dog something new while it is sniffing or pulling on the leash is kind of like teaching your kid something while he is playing a video game. People just can't focus properly on two things at one time and neither can dogs! Focus is something that can be trained. Some dogs are able to do it easier than others, but all dogs can improve their focus with training and exercise. Exercising focus includes exercise and it is often hard work. However, the work will pay off ten fold and if you make it fun for the dog, it will also be fun for you!

The amount of work you will have to put into getting your dog's attention depends on the individual. It also depends on how long you have allowed your dog to develop crazy making skills. For dogs who have been allowed to repetitively run wild or jump up, getting them to engage with you can be more challenging. However, the work you will put into training will be far less than the work you would put into simply surviving the crazy makings of an untrained pet. Also, some dogs have naturally higher energy levels than others and will take longer to settle down enough to give focus. However, hyper dogs are sometimes the most highly motivated ones. For instance, look at Boarder Collies, one of the most crazy energetic dogs out there, but they are often the most well trained and most successful purebred show dogs. Dogs like this need a lot of exercise and a job to do...like agility or herding. Dogs have been bred to have specific characteristics and to do specific jobs. Some of these characteristics translate better to pet dogs than others. Regardless of the bred or the mix bred dog you have, you can use it's natural bred instincts as well as some conditioned responses to build up focus and engage your dog.

Engagement begins at home, where there are few or little distractions. I like to reward all good behaviour and interrupt all bad behaviour. If you do not let your dog repeat the things you don't want it to do, you'll have done half the work. Interrupting fido accomplishes two things: when your dog does something you don't like and you interrupt him, that will put an end to the thing you don't like....but it will also get his attention! I recommend taking the dogs collar and saying something like "uh-uh!" or "enough!", then leading it away from the bad it is doing and asking for a sit or some acceptable behaviour...then giving praise for that new action. Dogs are physical and physically guiding it sometimes works faster than using words. Dogs don't speak English and yelling at them has no meaning. Dogs bark at each other all the time! If using a verbal interrupter like "uh-uh!" is preferred, you must condition the word to have meaning by physically enforcing it. This doesn't mean hurt or hit the dog, just get it to stop what it is doing and say "uh-uh!" and ask for a "sit" or a "look". Also, to strengthen all offered behaviours be sure to praise your dog every time it looks at you or offers calm or focussed attention to you. This does not include jumping up or begging, but any time your dog looks at you or comes to you, reward him with a pet or a "good-boy!" Anytime your dog is acting in the fashion or state you like, reward him and he'll be more likely to offer this behaviour in the future.

To train a LOOK:

Take your dog to a quiet room, one that is free of distractions. Make a fun noise or say his name. As his eyes look into yours tell him what he is doing is good by saying “yes” in a happy tone. Then give him a treat. In order to get the treat he has to look away, so be sure and praise him while he is looking at you. Don't praise after he looks away. Be patient, repeat this and eventually he will start offering looks at you. After a second of holding your gaze, praise and give your dog the treat.

Remember, wait until eye contact is made then verbal reward, followed by a treat, within a second or two. If your dog can do this with no problem, wait to verbally reward until he holds your gaze for a longer period of time, then follow with a treat. Soon you can start adding distractions, or practicing this outside, in busier environments. Every time you ask for longer "looks" or "looks" when distractions are present, expect some failures and just back up a few steps in training if needed. DO NOT get frustrated, this does not encourage learning, simply back up and praise him for something that is easier for him to achieve.

Practice on and off throughout the day at random times.

Get him to do it standing, sitting and lying down, in as many places as possible.

Keep the sessions short!

Note: try not to reward your dog for any signs of stress i.e. panting, whining, crying, pacing or trembling.

Now that you are able to get your dog's attention...it is time to take it outside or into the real world. It is a little more difficult to get and keep your dog's focus when you are around distractions, like other dogs. Nonetheless, just as you did in the home, interrupt all unwanted behaviour and reward all the good. Using treats and praise works for some dogs, others need toys or play to keep them focused on their owner. You need to find what motivates your dog to give you it's attention. Is it a ball, or is it chicken. When out in the real world you must come armed with a variety of treats. At home fido might work for kibble, but walking along a busy street with lots of smells, you might need to use a higher quality treat. Anytime your dog looks at you or come to you when called and especially if it comes to you without being asked, give it a big reward!!! Another thing that I like to tell clients, is when you are out walking your and training your dog, make sure you are focused too! I've seen people talking on their cell phones and not even noticing that their dog has gone poop on my lawn! At the dog park there is much worse, dogs running wild, while the owners chat away or text. When training your dog you need to be focussed too, so that you can read it's body language and notice when it is getting things right. You can only give rewards and engage your dog if you are paying attention as well. It is a win win situation, you put your focus on your dog and pretty soon, he'll be returning the favour!

Proper Use of Slip Collars

"The slip collar, commonly miscalled a choke collar, is available in various styles, most people will associate the chain slip collar as the primary training collar. Slip collars are available in all types of materials from chain, cord, elastic stretch (bungee cord), fabric, flat strap, and safeties.

“Choke Chains” are not intended to choke your dog! The intent is that when the collar is tugged it will pinch the brachial nerve in the dogs neck (much like pinching the funny bone) or according to some people it is intended to simulate how a mother will nip a puppy on the neck to correct it. The Slip Collar is NOT intended to choke your dog. If your dog is choking with the use of this collar then use a different collar!

If you are going to use a slip collar; be it chain, cord, leather, or strap, learn how to use it properly before you put it on your dog. Do some reading. Watch them in use. The first consideration is size. A collar that is too large will only detract from its primary effectiveness. Measure the size of your dogs neck high on the neck, not close to the shoulders. Then add an inch or two. That will be the size you want to buy. The proper fit should just slide over the dogs head without unduly pulling on the dogs ears.

Don’t buy large thinking “they’ll grow into it”. Instead buy 4 collars, one the correct size and another 2 inches larger and 2 other types of training collars in the proper size. Use the collar which gives you the level of correction you need. There is nothing that says you have to use one collar and one collar only during training. If a collar works during training for Sit/Stay but doesn’t work during training to Heel feel free to move to another collar. Switch back and forth. There is a benefit to this in that your dog will not become collar smart.

There is only two ways to put a slip collar on. You’d think people would get it right 50% of the time by chance, this doesn’t seem to be the case. The free end which connects to the lead should be over the dogs neck not come under. The position is important, over the neck the collar immediately releases pressure when slack is given. Under the neck this is not the case.

In use there should be no tension in the lead and approximately six inches of slack, the collar should be completely relaxed. Giving corrections with the slip collar should be short tugs. DON’T haul back like you’re setting a gaff in a fish. It is very easy to damage the dogs throat. DON’T let your dog run and hit the end of the lead. DON’T hold steady pressure on the lead constricting the dogs breathing. NEVER yank on the lead in anger. You can crush the dogs throat and kill them. Yes sad to say it does happen.

If the dog is hauling on the lead and choking constantly, this is not the appropriate time to use the slip collar. You must first teach it to not pull using another method. Many other training tools are available, such as martingale collars, halties (gentle leaders) and harnesses.

The slip collar is a training collar only. It should be on your dog only when training and under your direct control. If your dog is running free and having a blast being off lead then it shouldn’t be wearing a slip collar. I have seen a dog, wearing a chain slip collar, run and jump through a brush pile. The free ring got caught in a branch effectively hanging the dog. In this instance the owner was close enough to see what had happed and immediately rescued the dog, this is not always the outcome.

Remove the slip collar as soon as you are done training. Slip collars should never be on dogs that are tied outside. The dog is not under your direct control when tied out. Remember it is easy for a dog to back out of a slip collar. Also never leave the slip collar on the dog when you are not home. It could get caught on something and strangle the dog."

Note: I didn't personally write this blog. It was information I found on the internet, on the Fort Smith Animal Society website, so I can't credit the trainer. I have put the information in quotations, as not to mislead anyone. In closing, training tools are only as effective and humane as we are in using them. Any sort of correction, or "punishment" should be done thoughtfully and carefully, with the welfare of the animal as a priority.

Fitting a Prong Collar

PRONG COLLARS:

Prong collars are most effective on medium to large breed dogs with thick skin or fur. This is because a regular choke collar is not effective in correcting them and a flat collar only increases their desire to pull. I do not recommend using a prong collar on an aggressive dog, that has a high threshold to corrections when it acts out or reacts to triggers. It is also not recommended for those who aren’t responding to the slip or choke collar because they have become resistant to the choke collar due to mis-use. Dogs are resistant when the collars are not properly introduced and corrections are not given properly. The success of the method is based on loose leash walking and corrections given with a quick and effective pop. In mild cases, if the dog is used to pulling and has essentially been conditioned to pull, the prong collar will introduce a new sensation that can be used to break the pulling habit. However, I would also recommend that a haltie, a gentle leader, or a front clip harness, be used for walks, when you introduce the collar at first to reduce the pulling. Proper correction can be administered during training times, but while simply walking the dog, it must not rehearse pulling and undo the training that you are doing with the collar.

Sizing the Prong: Normal choke collars need to be ordered by length. Prong collars on the other hand are ordered by weight - Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large. Prong collars come in a standard lengths which are adjusted to fit the neck of the dog by removing or adding links to the collar. The smaller the prong, the easier it is to manipulate and change the size, as each link reduces the length less if the prongs themselves are smaller. Unless the dog is a large breed, the smaller prongs are more effective and additional links can be purchased.

Adding and removing Links: Some people mistakenly try and put a prong collar on their dog by slipping it over the dogs head and then moving it down on the neck. Prong collars are designed to be put on and taken off by unhooking links and actually unsnapping the collar from around the neck. The right way to unhook a collar is to pinch one of the links and pull it apart. Taking the collar off is always easier than putting it back on. Put one side of the prong of a link in one side of the connecting link, then squeeze the other side of that link with your thumb until that side drops into place. When both prongs are lined up (by using thumb pressure on the link) the collar will go back together.

Note: One of the most common mistakes people make is they don’t remove enough links to get the correct snug fit. When that happens the collar hangs down on the dogs neck which results in the collar not working the way that it was designed. The correct position for a prong collar is to sit right behind the ears and up under the jaw line. When collar is correctly sized and fits properly,the rings on the leash are attached to the right place high on the side of the neck.

Proper Placement once the Collar is on the Dog: Most of the time when a collar is put on a dog the handler connects the collar with the links behind the dog’s ears - this is the easiest place to access the links. Once the collar is on the neck the rings to connect the leash to are under the dog’s chin - which is the wrong place for them to be. You will have to rotate the collar so the rings are on the right side of the neck.

Dead-ring vs Live-ring: There are two ways to attach a leash to the prong collar. It can either be connected to the live-ring or the dead-ring. Which one you choose will depend on the dog and what you are trying to do. When a correction is given and the leash is connected to the live right the dog gets an amplified correction.The live-ring is used if a dog does not respond well to the snap being placed on the dead-ring.The first time a prong is used on a dog the snap should always be on the dead-ring.

Warning: These collars are meant for training only and should be removed when the dog is being left unattended. It can be fitted and worn in advance to training sessions, as well as removed well after, as not to bring attention to the collar as a tool. You want to avoid your dog becoming "collar smart", which means it figures out the correction is coming from the collar and either tries to avoid the collar, or behaves differently when it is on, vs. when it is off.

Appropriate Punishment

It has now been over a year since I began my desensitization programs with Holly and Miko, my fear aggressive dogs. I often try to visualize them as obedient and wonderful pets like the dogs you see on tv, or the well behaved off leash dogs I look at in awe. With that in mind, back to the reality! No matter how hard I meditate on that ideal, I still have two very rebellious young dogs, who without the right guidance could easily harm people out of fear or even out of self preservation. After many months of training through play, clicker training and pure positive reinforcement and food rewards, I have a two year old male dog with trust issues and a three year old bitch with dog aggressive tendancies. Where do I go from here? When what I am doing isn't working, what to do now?

Well, firstly, I must admit, some of what I have been doing has been working! Granted my dogs are not calm and focused one hundred percent of the time, but they are now manageable. I can walk them together without getting injured, which is a definite improvement! All our treat training and obedience games has produced a loving and fun bond between us. I now have two fun loving young and very rambunctious animals, who listen to me most of the time. The glass is half full. They love treats, but will sometimes choose to do their own thing over the food reward. I do sometimes feel like giving up! Nevertheless, as they say, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water!" Now that I have established the basics of obedience with them, it is possible to further shape their behavior using corrections and not ruin all the positive training we have done thus far. What I have been practicing has taken me a long way in their training. Now it is time to fill the glass to the top!

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. 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. If we simply use a few tricks to set up chain of command, no physical dominance is ever 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. It can be an effective adversary to simply withdraw attention or access to something to decrease a desired behavior. The tricky thing is that the adversary must be administered immediately and calmly in order to be effective. Dogs like wolves are very physical in the way they communicate. That is why people often use physical corrections. Nonetheless, punishment doesn't mean abuse or physical dominance!

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. I have just introduced an e-collar into my training for Holly and a choke collar into my training for Miko. It is important to prelude this statement by saying I have already trained both my dogs to heel and now I am using the collars to correct them when they are simply not paying attention. I use the collars to give them a TICK or a POP on the neck, which is ideally very quick and relatively painless. It interrupts pulling and also lets them know not to pull because it results in discomfort. It is NOT okay to use this method on a dog that has learned to pull incessantly. It is used as and interruptor and a correction, not as a collar. If you use a choke or slip collar on a pulling or aggressive dog that hasn't got the basic of obedience training, you will end up frustrating the dog or making it resistant to the interrupter. It will essentially mean you may have to use more and more force to get the dogs attention. 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!

Say Please!

Does your dog freak out at the sight of its leash? Does it run around and act crazy when guests arrive? This is often rehearsed behaviour that has become hardwired responses to anticipating a walk, an outing or attention from visitors. It can be remedied, but it takes consistency and time to make a dog’s behavior change 180 degrees. If you want your dog to see the leash and be still enough to get it clipped on him, teach him to sit down. If you don't want him to maul your guests, get him to sit or "say please" before he receives ANY attention. If you want him to to wait calmly before you leave the house for a walk, then teach him something incompatible with jumping around. You can't let your dog rehearse crazy making skills and expect him to behave calmly!

To begin training calm leash behaviour, bring out the leash and show it to the dog, then take a treat up to his nose and lure him into a sit position. When his butt hits the ground release the treat and reward calmly. If this takes a while, just wait it out. DO NOT get over excited, you are here to calm him down and teach him appropriate behaviours. Each time you handle the leash lure him into a sit and treat. Do not give him a command! The key is to get him to show good behavior with absolutely no verbal cue. When he starts to offer a sit or is at least calm enough to easily clip the leash to his collar, fasten the leash and repeat the exercise. You may have to do this every time you walk him...waiting it out each and every time, as not to reward him for excited and crazy behaviour by taking him out while in an unmanageable state.

Take the leash in your hand and wait for him to offer a sit. If it is taking too long gently pull up on the leash and get him to sit using a bit of leash pressure. Do this often enough that it is becoming common place for him to do this in the house. Eventually, you can take him to the door and teach him the same thing. It might be harder to get his focus when he is almost out in the “real” world with distractions, but be patient and wait or help him into a sit so that he can be rewarded. Then you can take him out to the yard and play with him a bit, whenever he comes to you for a treat encourage him to sit before he is rewarded either by petting or by treats. Again, wait it out for him to offer it, but if you have to, pull up gently on the collar and apply a bit pressure. If you pull his head up, his butt should go down.

Next get an accomplice to help you. Once he is sitting for you and assuming the dog isn't human aggressive in any way, leash the dog and get the second person to enter the yard. Don't let the other person come close until he is seated and teach him to sit and wait patiently for his treat from the guest! If the dog is really excited you may have to pull up gently on the leash until he calms down and apply a bit of leash pressure to help him. It is okay to pull him into a sit, but don't pull him back from the person, this will just make him want to pull forward more. Simply pull his head up and his butt should eventually go down. Again do not give a command, lure him into a sit position and reward the position with praise and treats. It is imperative that the “command” is nonverbal and should be the act of calming down that gets him the treat or the attention.

Plan set ups, use as many people as possible to help you. Ask friends to come to the house and ignore the dog until it settles down. Make sure you set him up to succeed by having him on a leash when they arrive. Don't give the dog any attention, good or bad, just reward when it offers a sit. This will teach the dog that it can earn the things that it wants, like attention and walks by offering good behaviours.

Tackling Leash Aggression....

Many dog owners battle with leash aggression. Fido is fine and friendly off leash, but when he restrained, has problems with frustration and fear aggression. A common misunderstanding is the one of aggression vs. frustration. Many owners don't understand that restraining a dog on a flat or choke collar or even a harness, only frustrates the animal, especially when they are struggling for access to another dog. Pulling the dog back only aids in escalating the display of frustration, which often appears to be aggression. In fact, when shaping the behaviour of guard dogs, restraint is used to amp the dog up to bring out the dogs natural defence drive. Pulling your dog back when it sees another dog actually makes the dog want to pull forward even more. Ultimately, the best way to train a dog to not aggress, is to teach it to do something else, like SIT or HEEL off in another direction.

This is an excellent article which was posted on the SPCA website:

"This is your dog. This is your dog on leash."

by Dogtime expert Colleen Safford


Leash aggression is an extremely common behavior issue faced by many dog-loving owners.

You start on the blissful journey of puppy parenthood, envisioning a future of leisurely strolling with your dog: cup of coffee and newspaper in hand, ready to settle in on a park bench, street café, or just around the neighborhood. Then reality sets in. Lovable Fido often resembles Cujo while on leash.

I feel for owners battling leash aggression. I know they scratch their heads in bewilderment, sometimes even resorting to defending sweet Fido by blurting aloud to passersby, "Really, he's very sweet. He only does this on leash!"

Here's what is going on. Your dog is probably frustrated and anxious. Very likely, he wanted to run after or gain access to whatever he saw while on the street; it could've been a squirrel, other dogs, skateboards etc.

That pesky prohibitive collar and leash however prevented your dog from gaining access to these things and over time, exuberant curiosity was replaced with frustration. Your dog needs to release that frustration and voila, the barking and lunging begins.

"I WANT IT! I NEED TO GO INVESTIGATE! I JUST NEED TO SAY HELLO! WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT?"

It is very likely that your dog's initial outbursts were met with some form of disapproval from you.

"FIDO, NO! HEY! STOP IT!"

The cycle then begins and now Fido begins to also feel anxious. He begins to think that not only do these things frustrate him, but they make Mom and Dad angry!

"HEY DOG! GET AWAY! MY DAD GETS MAD WHEN YOU ARE NEAR! GO AWAY!"

Now that we likely know the why, let's focus on how to manage the behavior.

In any case of aggression, I strongly advise working with a gentle and humane professional to guide you through this process and teach you about the importance of your timing and consistency. Seek a trainer whose methods are firming planted in reward-based training.

You need to develop a more refined replacement behavior for the lunging and barking. A dog that is quietly trotting along your side, staring into your sparkling eyes is ideal. In order to get this going, you need to be a vigilant owner. It is now your job to scout out other dogs before your dog has the opportunity.

You must also be a well prepared owner. You must always be stocked with tasty treats or your dog's favorite tug style toy.

Game plan

The very second you see a dog (before your dog has the chance to react) you quickly get Fido's attention with a happy voiced, "Fido!" Give him treats or access to his toy as you get close to and continue to pass the other dog. During this time, it's important that you remain calm, happy and refrain from tightening up on the leash. We are teaching Fido that both you and he need to relax in presence of other furry friends. Once the other dog has passed and is at a distance, the treating stops or the toy is put away.
Learning that you are the giver of all good things, your dog will become conditioned to look at you automatically when spotting another dog. This conditioning will also help improve Fido's association with other dogs.

It is very important, in kicking off this project, to be lavish in your reward giving, distributing treats every second while in sight of another dog. People often immediately retort, "My dog is going to get fat!" Not if you are a good owner and recognize that treats are incorporated into your dog's daily ration of food. Cut back on what is going into the bowl, knowing that tackling this behavior hurdle is top priority for the health and happiness of both you and your dog. It might take a bit of retraining yourself!

Over time, as your dog becomes increasingly comfortable looking at you, while ignoring other dogs, you will slowly decrease the number of treats given. If you are a good consistent trainer, by the end of this process you will be flipping one treat to your dog after you've passed the other dog and even sometimes simply offering a "good boy!"

Setting yourself up for success

1. When you are lazy, avoid routes with dogs! If you aren't going to be a good trainer, don't allow your dog to react--and thus unravel all the work you are doing. (It's like a smoker who picks up a cigarette again!)
2. Practice "Fido, look!" every chance you get, NOT just when faced with other dogs. Your dog must make eye contact with you for everything he wants in life: before you put his food dish on the floor, snap on his leash, open the door for him to go outdoors, between each toss during a game of fetch. This is your batting practice. The more you and your dog get in the batting cage, the more successful you'll be at the big game!

3. Exercise your dog. If you have a backyard, play fetch for fifteen minutes before going on a walk. Your dog will be a bit more tired, a bit more convinced that you are cool (after tossing the ball to him), and likely to free less anxious about those other dogs.

Work hard and your training will pay off. Sitting at at outdoor café without worry that your table flies out from under your plate as Fido lunges for another dog IS possible.

[NOTE: If your dog is unable to pass another dog--while being treated and without reacting--you will need to consider proximity. Establish a comfort/space threshold: approaching other dogs only to the point where your dog is comfortable, and then crossing the street or creating a visual block as you get by. Over time, you'll increase proximity. This will definitely require working with a professional.]

Colleen Safford, of New York Walk & Train and Far Fetched Acres, is one of NYC's most recognized dog trainers.

Read more about Colleen Safford in the DogTime expert center...

Training Games

One of the biggest problems people face with their dogs is unwanted barking. I stress to my clients that interrupting or preventing repetitive barking is half the battle. Managing out of control barking might include limiting access to the window or the door unless you are supervising. However, if you want to actually reduce your dog's noisy outbursts, you are going to have to take it one step further and try to expose him or her to its triggers in a controlled way and work on a few desensitization methods. I have made these into games I play almost daily with my dogs. It is not easy and takes patience and time. Remember TRAINING = CONSISTENCY over TIME! There are no quick fixes!

The doorbell game: Twice a day I put 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?

The mailman game: It is a bit challenging, requiring a very bad and special treat (chewy milk bones). I found that even Miko can't resist these. I see the mailman coming around noon'ish every day. When he is in view, I call the dogs to the window and say "hey guys IT'S THE MAIL MAN!" In my most fun voice. Then I click and treat them (regular treats) until he gets to the yard. When I see it is getting too tense...I pull out the chewy milkbones. (they can't bark with their mouths full) I up the rewards as he approaches the box. Today we got by with three barks instead of a steady stream of twenty! My dogs are convinced the only reason the mailman has never successfully broken into the house is because they are barking and scaring him away. If I punish them for this I am punishing them for doing their job. It is much better and eventually more effective to teach them that when the mailman comes they get lots of treats!

Knock...knock: (easier than the doorbell game) I used this while the tenants were moving there stuff out for an entire week! The dogs were going wild at every bump they heard. So, I started knocking on all the wood surfaces in the house. They'd bark and come running. I'd ask for a sit or a lay down and click and treat. It worked! Within a few hours of repeating this, they could handle the noises and were able to quiet down quickly if they did get startled.

As I mentioned before, TRAINING = CONSISTENCY over TIME, so if you just let your dog bark, you are essentially teaching it to bark. If you don't have the time to desensitize your dog to household noises, then at least interrupt the behaviour or make it impossible for the dog to develop out of control barking behaviour.

Here is a link for stop barking tips: you might have to cut and paste.

http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com/DogBarking/dogbarkingvideo

Come Fido Come!

The most important command that you can teach a dog is COME. Most dog owners teach it without much problem, but often, it's a loose command that translates to come over here and pay attention to your person for a second. However, you want your dog to come to you 100 percent of the time and and give you 100 percent of its attention...not just come when you are yelling bloody murder or when there is nothing distracting it. What do you do if you have a dog (or two, like me) that is not really interested in coming when called, or only comes when there are no distractions? You can't punish the dog and expect it to want to come to you. We never want to punish our dogs for not coming, or when they FINALLY come, or it will poison the word. It makes sense then that we would only use this command in the most positive of ways. I have two dogs, who when I first got them, would not come when called and even ran away when I said the C word! For them it meant that the fun was over, or they were in trouble. So you'd better run or the game was over! They had been taught that COME usually meant, it's time to put the leash on and leave the park. I needed to re-define it and make coming fun and exciting for them, so that I could rely on the command. To start fresh I broke COME into three parts and worked on them individually.

These three parts or three R's, as I like to call them are:

Recognition, Recall and Release.

Name RECOGNITION is something a single dog owner might not give much thought to, but for those of us who have multiple dogs, it is necessary to preface all commands with the dog's name. Some trainers don't encourage the use of the dog's name, but I think it is very important. The 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 dogs' names out separately and throw treats at them for looking at me. Looking at me, on cue, is all they have to do to get a treat! Do this three time a day, for five repetitions for a few days or a week. This might seem simple or silly to some, but for people who have dogs who don't pay attention when called, this is the first step toward bridging a recall. (Doing five times takes about five minutes, three times a day). The most important thing about name RECOGNITION is that it gets your dogs attention. You want to have, or be able to get it's attention at all times. Repetition of this assures that your dog will be well practiced in looking to you for the next command. You can use it to bridge all the obedience work you will be doing in the future. It is easy and can be fun if you keep it dynamic and set up a scheduled time to practice. I keep a bowl of treats in a candy dish that I can get at easily so I'm more apt to practice. If you are concerned with your pet gaining weight, cut back on it's meal size appropriately.

Next is the RECALL game. The dog might already be coming to you (in anticipation of a treat) when you call it's name. That is great, but at this point it needs to be happening without you saying COME! 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. Now give the COME command. When it reaches you, say GOOD COME making a big deal out of it...then give the dog the treat. Do this three times a day for five repetitions. You can even do it 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. Don't worry, eventually, you can just call the dog's name and when it looks at you, say COME and treat it when it gets to you. Right now we are concerned with establishing a fast and consistent recall. The whole point of calling the dogs name and luring it to you is to teach it that great things come from you! The reason you want to say COME when the dog is already on it's way to you, is so you have a 100 percent success rate. Repetition of good behavior is what we want here. We want COME to be a 100 percent automatic knee jerk reaction. If COME has been poisoned by a bad experience, or the dog is just so used to hearing it and not responding this will re-condition the word to have a new value.

NOTE: 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!

This brings us to the final and most overlooked step, RELEASE. In order to build a good strong COME, that isn't sloppy, you want the dog to stick around and wait for further instruction. To teach the dog to wait until you say it is okay, you need a word that can be used to indicate the exercise is over. Some people use the release OKAY, but that is an overused word and comes up often in a conversation. This could pose a danger that you will say it unwittingly and the dog will take off, when you didn't intend to release it. I use BREAK for one of my dogs and FREE for the other. With two dogs, you must use the name again with the release word in order to strengthen the difference. So to teach RELEASE, you just throw a treat away from you as you say the word and let the dog get it. Eventually, you can let the dog go without a treat, with the RELEASE as the reward, but to start with, using treats is a way to mark the behavior and to create a definite marker. 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. If the dog is laying down while you are having dinner, because you asked it to...say the word and throw a treat...it will let the dog know that it can get up now. If you have asked the dog to sit until you unclip it's leash, then throw a treat and use the command to let it know it can move around now that you say it is okay.

The fourth R is repetition!

REPEAT-REPEAT-REPEAT!

When the dog is coming successfully and knows that it doesn't mean the fun is over, add distractions, like other dogs.

Remember to be dynamic and fun, this will make your dog want to choose you over other stimulus and make it fun for you too!

Training=Consistency over Time!