Smart Dog

Talos Couch Surfs

Great Dane Pup Gets Caught Talking on Couch from Laurie Luck on Vimeo.

Our Great Dane pup (being raised as an assistance dog) loves to talk on the couch. I happened to catch him on video...

Talos is the most talkative puppy I've ever had. He sings himself to sleep, he moans when he's sleepy, he barks at a toy that's just out of reach, he howls if he wakes up and is all alone. I'd call him a Drama Queen, but, well, he's a boy. So maybe he's a Drama King.

Either way, I like it. I love talkative dogs. Not barky dogs, mind you. But talkative ones. The video captured just a tiny slice of Talos' talkative side.

Fat Boy

I know fat when I see it. I'm not one of those dog owners that says "It's muscle!" I'm fanatic about keeping all my dogs on the light side of the normal weight ranges. Especially Tango because he's got a bad shoulder. The less weight he carries, the better it is for his shoulder.

I knew he'd picked up some weight over the winter. Don't we all? But imagine my shock when he tipped the scales at 70.1 pounds on Friday!

He's now got the nickname "Fat Boy" in this house.

It's my fault. I can't blame anyone but me. I'm the one that feeds him. A few months ago, I noticed he was a bit, shall we say, rounder. So I cut him way back on his food. Clearly, I didn't cut him back enough. (For the record, he was getting 1/4 cup of food for breakfast, and 1/2 cup food for dinner. When I noticed the absence of his ribs, I cut his morning feeding down to just a few pieces of food and cut his dinner to 1/4 cup. Clearly, that wasn't enough, Mr. 70-Pound Labrador.) We feed them "Taste of the Wild" a grain-free food that is high in protein, as well as fat. Well, not anymore, we don't.

I went immediately to the food store and picked up a new food: Innova Low Fat Food for Adult Dogs. I hope that next month at this time, I can report a weight loss for Fat Boy.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, almost 40 percent of US dogs (17 million) are considered overweight. If your dog is on the heavy side, buckle down and slim that dog down! It's better for them, better for you.

Back to Basics

With the addition of the new puppy, Talos, our training has sorta gone out the window. Not anymore. We're back on track. Get ready, dogs, school is back in session.

Nemo's toenails are ridiculously long. Scary long. Rip you wide open long. I've not Dremeled them in a long, long time. So today, we got started back on nail trims. I used super good wet puppy food for the reinforcer and it went smoothly. I worked on three or four nails today - only a total of about 8 minutes or so. Short and sweet, that's how we do training around here

Tango's nails are pretty long, too, but I haven't accustomed him to the Dremel yet. So we went way back and just worked on getting him comfortable just having his feet handled. He's a lot less go-with-the-flow than Nemie, so our progress will be slower, but steady nonetheless. Same yummy wet puppy food as the reinforcer. It's amazing what a high-value reinforcer will do for training! Lots of succes when the reinforcer is magnificent!

Lily puts on her best what-about-me pout if I don't work with her, so I had her doing some simple, remedial work. She just loves to train, period. I could ask her to take out the trash and she'd relish the opportunity to work.

Talos is learning a LOT of new things. One of the most important things he's learning is self control. He's going to be a huge dog - manners and self control are going to be of paramount importance. He's got to learn that good things come to those who wait, that he doesn't need to charge forward or barge in to get something good; that waiting is what brings those things to him.

To help him learn this, I started teaching him eye contact a while ago. If he looks at me, I click and deliver a goody. He got that simply looking at me was a pretty good thing. Nice. Once he was pretty good at that, I kept the reinforcer (the goodie) in sight. At first, he tried to bust in and just take it. It's easy enough to pull the goodie behind my back and make it inaccessible to him. He tried only a few times to muscle me out of the goodie, then he just sat. Click! Awesome job, buddy.

Once his default response to seeing the treat was to sit, I held out for eye contact. It's not good enough that he doesn't go for it, I need him to look at me first. It took a few seconds for him to look at me, and I resisted calling his name or otherwise "helping" him out. The instant his eyes met mine, CLICK! And he got the goodie delivered to him. Excellent work.

It's fun to watch all the dogs learn.

Finally, it's Slumber Party Copper! She's here for the week while my parents are in Vegas, living it up. She's quite the handful (there will be a blog post about her shortly). She's a neat little Rottie my parents rescued from the shelter about 10 months ago. Absolutely no training whatsoever. My parents have chosen to ignore the fact that their daughter is a professional dog trainer, and repeatedly tell Copper "No!," complain that she won't come when called (I ask "Have you taught her what "come" means?"), and call her stubborn and hard headed. She's a bundle of energy, but she's not stubborn or hard headed, she's just never been taught how to do anything.

So today, she got her first clicker lesson. She's never heard a click before in her life. She has no idea that her actions could be so beneficial (i.e. that her actions could cause me to click and deliver her a goodie). My mom has been trying to teach Copper to shake for a few months. Nothing doing, says Copper. Again, the label of hard headed is thrown around. Ha. Hard headed my foot.

In less than 5 minutes, I had Copper offering me her paw. I was even able to add the cue "paw." She's on a roll! More training tomorrow for all the dogs, Copper included.

A side benefit to training: it works their brains. Every dog is fast asleep!

Vets Against Merial's Newest Campaign

Despite strong objections from both the dog training and veterinary community, Merial (makers of Frontline and Heartgard), is going ahead with it's partnership with Cesar Millan.

You might be wondering "What difference does it really make?" And that's a good question. Does it matter that a veterinary product company ignores veterinary advice? Does Merial believe that marketing is more important that what veterinarians recommend?

Read this article by veterinarian Sophia Yin, as she explains the magnitude of Merial's decision to ignore the professional opinions of three veterinary professional groups.

The Joys of Housetraining

Ahh, housetraining. There's nothing better than a pup heading to the door to let you know he's gotta go. The first couple of weeks with the puppy is tough - you have to be on top of where he is and what he's doing all the time. You've got to make sure he's not getting in trouble, eating an electric cord, being eaten by the cat, or pooping in the house. It's not easy!

From Day One, we've been vigilant in teaching Talos that poops and pees are best done outdoors. Crazy humans that we are, we much prefer that kind of thing to be done outside, as much as we can appreciate the convenience of doing it indoors.

We made good use of the crate (see above) which helps a lot. We've also taken him in and out the same door every time. He doesn't get a choice of which door. Nope, he's got one option (which technically, isn't even an option). It makes it a lot easier for him - just head to The Door, and magically a person appears and invites him outdoors. Once out, that same person acts as a cheerleader, telling him what a fabulous puppy he is when he pees or poops. What a life.

This morning, all our hard work paid off. Talos ate his breakfast and went immediately to the door. Hurray! He'd done this before, but I thought it was just chance. Nope, he's really got it. Will he still make mistakes? Sure, if I'm not on my game and don't notice his signals. Thankfully, he's got feet that weigh 100 pounds each and you can't help but hear where he is in our all-hardwood-floor house. So if you're in the middle of housetraining, take heart. Just remain vigilant, use the crate, and use the Same Door every time. Your pup will get it. And then life is good. 

Reaching the Animal Mind

Attention all dog lovers, there's a great new book out you're gonna love! It called Reaching the Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor. It's a fantastic look in to clicker training and why it works so well.

It's an easy read, and filled with lots of really good information every dog owner needs. There are rollicking tales of Karen's experience with dolphins, surfing ponies, a rhinoceros who loves her pedicure, and games that wolves play.

Want to work with your dog without jerking the leash? Without pushing? Without smacking? Without reprimanding or correcting? Read this book! Your dog can quickly learn that one behavior earns them a reinforcing click and a bit of food (or the toss of a toy or anything your dog likes), while undesirable behaviors get them nothing. If given a choice, we'll all focus on what works and give up on what doesn't.

Wanna see more? Karen was on Good Morning America and actually demonstrated clicker training with a Golden retriever puppy. You can also read an excerpt of her book on the GMA site, as well.

At Smart Dog University, we use clicker training to help you teach your dog to listen and behave. We find it works quickly, and is fun for both you and the dog. We're committed to force-free training and we hope you are, too. If you want to learn more, visit the Smart Dog University website.

Why Great Danes for Service Work?

A couple people have asked "Why Danes?" when I tell them Talos is in training to be a service dog. "They don't live very long, do they?"

Talos will be used as a brace dog - he'll help his person keep his (or her) balance. A brace dog needs to be (1) tall, (2) sturdy, (3) strong, and (4) calm. Not many dogs fit that bill... except a Great Dane.

From the breeder at Service Dog Project: The Balance support dog should be at least 40% of the person’s height.  A 6-foot tall man needs a 30” dog.  This puts stability at the person’s fingertips.  The dog should also weigh at least half the person’s weight.  Great Danes are well suited to home and office life.  The fact that Danes require less exercise than many breeds is a good fit for some people with disabilities.  Danes are content to have a few walks every day and then nap in the corner until their services are needed.   They would not dream of chasing a tennis ball.  If someone intended to climb mountains with their service dog, a Dane would not be for them. 

Pictured above is a Great Dane named Arrow, who is in service as a balance dog. You can see how tall he is - his person (in the pink shirt) holds onto Arrow's orange harness for balance support. She's 5' 10" and you can see that her arm is bent when she's touching Arrow. (Arrow, by the way, is Talos' half brother - they share the same mother.)

Many Danes, if bred correctly, can reach 10 - 12 years of age. Breeding for function, not for looks, helps develop a hardy dog. Even though he might not meet the Great Dane breed standard, he's more likely to live a long life, assisting his charge for many years.

My Dog's Guilty And He Knows It!

I can't tell you the number of people who tell me they know when their dog has done something naughty because he gives them the "guilty look." As much as I try to convince them that it's just not true, they don't believe me.

A great new research study finds that "people see ‘guilt’ in a dog’s body language when they believe the dog has done something it shouldn’t have – even if the dog is in fact completely innocent of any offense."  This is a great read, you can find the rest of the article at Science Daily.

Letting Your Dog Off Leash: How to Do It Safely

There are very few places my dogs are allowed off leash: in my fenced backyard and at my parent's place on Lake Anna. That's just about it -- two places. Call me a worry-wart. Call me a rule-follower. Call me whatever you want, but I'm not comfortable taking the chance that they'll take off after a deer, get lost, get hit by a car, or find an unfriendly dog and get into a fight. All of those possibilities have dire consequences -- any one of those consequences could be the end of my dog. That's not a chance I'm willing to take, no matter how "liberating" it would be for my dog.

The picture on the left was taken when we went camping with the dogs. Notice the long leashes -- both dogs are safely contained at our campsite on 30 foot cotton leashes. They can wander, but they can't go far. And they can't get into any serious trouble.

Some of my clients have fearful dogs, aggressive dogs, and unfriendly dogs. Some are unfriendly to people, while others are unfriendly toward other dogs (no matter how pleasant and friendly the other dog or other person is). I'm always shocked when they tell me they let their dog off-leash, knowing that their dog could cause damage to another person or dog, and knowing their dog doesn't have a good recall. That's asking for trouble.

The common thought that all these people have is a dangerous one: "We go to very remote areas of the park, trail, etc. where no one is." No one except every other person with a dog who either won't come when called or who isn't friendly to other people or other dogs. So now, not only are they doing something inherently dangerous to begin with, but they're increasing the chances that they're going to come upon another dog just like theirs - one who won't come when called, or worse, who will get into a fight with their dog.

It's just not worth it. What if your dog runs off? What if he starts a fight with another dog? Or is attacked by another dog? Or bites a person? Or gets hit by a car? Or gets quilled by a porcupine? (That really happened to a friend of mine who has great recall on his dogs, but he didn't see the porcupine until it was too late...).

So there really isn't a safe way to let your dog off leash unless you're in a fenced area. The consequences are simply too deadly. And it only takes one time for your dog to lose it's life. Just not worth it to me.

How To Socialize Your Puppy (And Why It's So Important)

Last Friday, Talos and I attended the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce's first Social Media Conference. I was excited for two reasons: first, this was going to be an educational event for me; and second, this was a great opportunity to socialize Talos, our service pup in training. He's just 11 weeks old, the perfect age for introducing him to new experiences.

I prepared for this event for two weeks. In my bag, I had food, water, bowls, interactive toys, his bed, and plenty of patience. There were over 100 people attending the conference. I paired scary applause with praise, treats, and playing. I made sure he was happy, not scared. I helped him through potentially scary situations (the lunch line, for example - he'd never been in such close quarters with so many people, had never been on a marble floor, and had never been in a room that noisy with that many people). I was also prepared to leave at any time if Talos became over-aroused, fearful, or uncomfortable. Yes, I paid a lot of money to attend, but for us this was really about Talos, not about social media. As you can see from the picture above, snapped by a fellow attendee, Talos settled right in and was so relaxed he fell asleep (and even snored!).

Dogs have several developmental stages, and the socialization window begins to close around 12 weeks and is effectively over by 16 weeks. In Maryland, it's illegal to remove a puppy from his mother before 8 weeks of age. New puppy owners have to act fast in order to get their pup exposed to as many things as possible in just four weeks.

Puppy socialization should be well thought out, planned, and systematic. You can't just put a puppy in any situation and consider him socialized. No, proper socialization takes time and effort. But proper socialization pays! You're less likely to have a fearful, aggressive, or "quirky" dog if you socialize him properly.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you develop your socialization plan for your pup:

• This is all for the puppy. You have to be ready to leave if the pup is overwhelmed. If you can't leave, don't go.
• Be ready to intervene if pup isn't having a good time. If he's overwhelmed by people, step between your pup and the people. Direct the people how to pet your pup, don't allow too many at once to interact with your pup. 
• Carry yummy treats to give to people who want to say hi to your puppy. Have them offer the treats and allow the pup to come to them.
• Show people how to pet your puppy -- under the chin, not over the head. Teach them to kneel down, turn sideways, and talk in a happy, but calm voice.
• Give your puppy as much time as he needs to investigate new things.
• Don't drag your puppy toward or away from anything! (Except if the situation is dangerous. Then pick your puppy up and walk away calmly.)
• Never (ever) punish your puppy when he's experiencing something new. (We rarely punish anytime!)
• Keep your pup on the fringe of things until he's calm. Then venture forward at his pace.
• Be very careful letting your pup interact with other dogs. If the other dog is out of control -- even if they are super friendly -- keep walking. Even a friendly, but exuberant dog, can injure or scare your dog. It's not worth taking the chance.
• Variety is key. You want your puppy to see as many different variations on: people (age, size, sex, dress, skin color, etc.), places (indoor, outdoor, crowded, quiet, noisy, etc.), and surfaces(pavement, gravel, carpet, astro-turf, concrete, decking, shiny floors, slippery floors, etc.).

Socialization can't be done in just one day or even one week. Pups need to see new things every day. Which means you'll be busy thinking of new places to take your pup. And spending a considerable amount of time getting your pup out to see those new places, people, and experiences. It's not enough to let your pup see the same group of people or dogs over and over during that socialization period - you need new dogs, new people, and new experiences.

Socialization is very important and can be fun, too. Start making a list of all the places and things your pup needs to see and then get out there and just do it! Just be sure your pup is having fun!