The Smart Dog U Blog

6 Feet or Shorter

I was visiting a veterinary hospital earlier this week and a woman was at the counter with her little Dachshund. The dog was on a retractable leash and unfortunately his owner wasn't paying any attention to him. I was carrying my lunch with me and the little wiener-dog wanted some. He was jumping on me before the owner knew what happened. 

She apologized and went back to writing her check. The dog again ran over to me and jumped up for some of my lunch. 

I don't like retractable leashes for many reasons, but the main reason is not actually the leash itself, but the people at the other end of the leash. They're not paying attention to where their dog is or what he's doing. Lots of bad things can happen when you're not watching your dog. He could jump on people, try to steal their food, eat something harmful, say Hi to a dog who's not friendly…the possibilities are endless. 

Unless you're out in a field, your dog doesn't need to be more than six feet away from you. And if you're in a store, on the sidewalk or at your vet office, your dog should be within two feet of you! 

The closer your dog is to you, the more quickly you can reinforce good behaviors. Click and drop the treat and boom! the dog is instantly rewarded for keeping a loose leash, for looking at you, for sitting, for whatever. If he's 16'  away, he's too far away to reinforce efficiently. And worse - he's far enough away that you can't control his behavior or give him a clue as to what you'd like him to do. So more often than not, you're apologizing for his behavior after the fact, not teaching and managing your dog's behavior. 

Another reason I don't like retractable leashes: there's constant pressure on the dog's neck. You're teaching your dog to pull if you use a retractable leash - the only way the dog can get more leash is to pull into the collar. More pressure = more leash. You're setting yourself up to have a dedicated puller if you use a retractable leash. 

If I'm going to be out in a field and at least 50' from other people and dogs, my favorite leash is a 20' or 30' plain cotton web leash. The dog has plenty of room to run, there's no tension on the neck, the leashes are pretty inexpensive and hardy. 

If you're anywhere where you might run into other people, leave the long leash at home. No one wants to dodge a dog and leash on the trail, in the vet office, or at the park. Carry your clicker and treats and you'll be able to quickly and easily reward your dog for good behavior. Before you know it, that six-foot leash and your attention will produce a more attentive and better behaved dog!

All the Right Info, None of the Right Answers

Last week I switched from a PC to a Mac. I had to reset my wireless internet router or modem or whatever. It was a mini-disaster. 

I am not technically literate. I don't know the difference between RAM and ROM, memory or hard drive. I can't tell a gig from a meg. 

I did, however, have all kinds of information. Really useful information such as:

Gateway login, network key, network name, lots of usernames and passwords, and other things about which I have no clue. 

One might think that because I had all that information right there at my fingertips that setting up the wireless internet connection on the new computer would be but a breeze. 

Nay nay, says I. 

Oh I had all the information alright. I just didn't know when and where to put it all. So what's a good technically incompetent user to do -- why I just started plugging information in anywhere I could put it. 

I ran into a lot of walls. A lot of "Access Denied," "No Such User Name Exists," and "Incorrect Password." I had all this information and couldn't do anything with it. 

Clearly, I eventually got it all figured out. It took me some time, but I somehow figured out the right combination of information to input. But don't ask me to do it again - I haven't the slightest idea how I did it. I couldn't reproduce it if I tried. 

Which got me to thinking about dogs and how we teach them. How frustrating must it be for our dogs who don't know what we want, but that it must be one of the 15 tricks they know. So they just start guessing. Is it a sit? A rollover? A speak? A down? A high-five?

We all laugh when our dogs go through "the routine." After my wireless internet experience, I don't laugh at my dogs anymore. It's rough not knowing what to do or when to do it. It's really hard to figure out what works when you're grasping at straws. 

I'm generally pretty good at teaching my dogs the names of their behaviors and only paying them for those behaviors when I ask the dog to do it. So my dogs don't guess a whole lot. They know it's easier to wait for me to ask them to do something than to run through all the things they know how to do. 

If your dog is guessing -- running through his entire repertoire until he gets to the right one -- have some sympathy for your pooch and teach him the names of those behaviors. You'll save him a lot of time (and frustration) and take all the guesswork out. Here's how to do it:

Let's use sit as the example. Immediately before your dog sits, say the word "sit." Click and treat each time your dog sits. If he doesn't sit, don't click and treat. Don't repeat your word. Just wait a few seconds and turn away if he doesn't sit. Once you've paired the word "sit" together 15 or 20 times with the action of the dog sitting, try to say the word "sit" about a second before your dog begins to put his rump down. What you're trying to do is create some distance (in time) between when you say the word and when the dog does the behavior. 

Once you're saying the word a second or two before the dog does the behavior, you'll now only pay for the behavior when you ask for it. So say the word "sit," then click and treat when your dog does the behavior. Repeat that process. The next time, delay saying the word sit. If your dog hesitates, even for a second, say the word sit and then click and treat. So if your dog delays sitting, reward him by giving him the cue to sit. And then click and treat the correct response. You're teaching your dog to wait for you to say the word. 

You can also do it this way, as well: Ask your dog to sit, then click and treat when he does. Repeat. The third time, ask your dog for a different behavior and click and treat for doing the correct behavior. If your dog sits, he gets no click and treat. 

From here on out, you'll only pay for those behaviors you've asked for. Don't click and treat for a sit if you didn't ask for it. Feel free to say "good dog," though, as a sitting dog rarely gets in trouble, but we only want to pay (click and treat) for those behaviors we ask for. 

If you continue to teach (or re-teach) your dog new behaviors this way, you'll save your dog a lot of frustration and guesswork. Your dog will be able to know exactly which behavior you're looking for and he won't need to run through the entire list of behaviors in order to find the right one. 

Believe me - running through everything you know is not only time-consuming, but it's ridiculously frustrating and irritating. By teaching your dog to listen to you instead of running willy-nilly through every behavior in their repertoire, you're making life much simpler for you and for your dog. Happy Training!

A Surprising Look at Balanced Training

S

ince childhood, we’ve heard “Everything in moderation.” Or “eat a balanced diet.” We’ve been told how beneficial it is to have a “good balance” between work and home. Dog training hasn’t been overlooked – balanced training has become a buzzword in the industry. It sounds good, it makes intuitive sense. But does a balanced trainer get better results?

 

Read this article in it's entirety on our beautiful new website! Just one click away (and bookmark the new site, too)!

Sunshine + Dogs = Stressbuster

I've been a little overwhelmed lately with Talos' impending departure and a workload that would kill a horse. I was hard at work on the computer today when I happened to see the dogs through my office window - they were in the yard, lounging in the sunshine, content with the world. 

I'm always complaining that I don't spend enough time with the dogs, that I neglect their training, that I wish I could do more with them. So I took a cue from them and went out to enjoy the sunshine. I had some treats already chopped up in the fridge (cheddar cheese), so I grabbed their collars, my clicker, and a 30-foot leash. 

Talk about excited! They're never happier than when they're working. We have about three acres, but less than an acre is fenced. Getting to walk across the unfenced field is a big deal to them - that's the wild-animal-freeway and the dogs love getting the chance to check out who's been where. 

I took each one out and worked with them. Nothing fancy, just recalls, sits and downs, waits and stays. And lots of frolic! Sometimes they'd earn a piece of the cheddar cheese, other times they'd get the chance to run wild on that 30-foot leash with me. Here's the cool thing: I think their preferred reward was running with me!

I busted out of my work-work-work routine, the dogs got an unexpected and very rewarding training session, and we all enjoyed the beautiful weather -- together. Does it get any better?

It's amazing how therapeutic our dogs can be. Go out and enjoy the sunshine (or sunset) with your dog today. You'll both be happier for it. 

A Pick-Me-Up

After the woe is me post from this morning, this is just what I needed to read about a dog from Service Dogs of Virginia! I need to focus on the good that Talos will do and try not to focus on the heartache looming in June.  

Here's a great story about a service dog from Talos' agency who's helping an eight year old boy who has autism.

Talos won't be an autism dog, but rather a brace dog - he'll help someone with balance issues. Someone who has multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, or something that affects their gait or their balance. 

It's a pleasure to see dogs and people partnered together and enriching one another's lives. There will still be heartache when I turn Talos in. And it will last until Graduation Day when I hand Talos' leash over to his new partner and they begin their new life together. 

Talos' Farewell Tour

The tears have started. 

Talos is oblivious to the changes heading his way. 

This is the worst part of raising a service dog. The goodbye. It would be less painful to rip my heart out and jump up and down on it.

As soon as I got the news, my mind was racing trying to figure a way to keep him just a few months longer. Maybe I could keep the new puppy AND Talos until September. Maybe they could find someone else to raise the new puppy so I could hold onto Talos longer. 

Finally, my maddeningly logical husband told me I was just making it worse by dragging it out that way. That I should rip the bandage quickly, not prolong my agony. Just let him go, he said. 

Easier said than done. 

I hope there aren't too many typos - I can't see the screen for all the tears at the moment. Give me a few days, I'll put on my big-girl pants and will recover. Slightly. I hope. 

I always wonder what the dog thinks when so much changes. Does he wonder where we are? Does he think we abandoned him? Will he be happy? How will they know exactly what each grunt or sigh or woof means? Will they know to rub him under his chin? Will they be able to help him if he's startled? Will they appreciate him putting their head in his mouth (I happen to love it). 

Oh dear. This is going to be a rough day. 

Advanced Training

I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport after a wildly successful Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) for Animal Training and Behavior workshop, thinking about how far the students have come since they started. All Academy students start at the beginning, regardless of experience. KPA leaves nothing to chance, teaching the basics of dog training and behavior first, then moving into progressively more complex concepts. 

In this third weekend, the students showed off their training success -- they taught their dogs modifier cues. What's a modifier cue? It's teaching their dog the difference between left and right; high and low; large and small. They also taught their dogs the names of objects, such as ball, leash, and phone. So not only could their dog go pick out the leash in a pile of objects, but they could even put several of the same objects in the pile and tell them to get the BALL on the LEFT. 

 You may not have any need to teach your dog such complex behavior, but isn't it cool to know that your dog is capable of  learning such amazing skills?! I'm looking very forward to our next workshop in May where the students will wow me again with their training accomplishments. Their dogs have a blast at the workshops, too, tails waggling enthusiastically the entire time they're working. It's definitely poetry in motion. 

I do love clicker training and KPA! 

So the next time you think something's too complicated to teach your dog, think again! Get in there and see just how much you can teach your dog -- it's so much fun!

Ah, Maturity

Oh, the beauty of maturity. Talos, now just over one year old, is starting to show glimmers of how good a service dog he's going to be. 

His trouble has always been settling down. He likes to be on the move. He likes to have attention. He's no fan of just hanging out. Of sitting still. Or - heaven forbid - of lying down and taking a nap while he's in public. (He's ALL for naps when he's home.)

Yesterday he went to a Federal agency with me to have lunch with my husband. Normally we eat quickly then get Talos out and about. Sometimes we were in a hurry because we wanted to get Talos on the freight elevator, or up and down the clear glass stairs. But usually we were in a hurry because Talos would whine loudly if we took too long. 

Yesterday, though, after just a couple whines, he laid down and took a short snooze. Incredible! I didn't think Talos was capable! 

Today he ran errands with me that took us to the bank and to WalMart. In the bank he stretched out an patiently waited. I began to wonder if he was feeling ok!

Walmart is one of his favorite stores - filled with kids. He was attentive, walked at my pace, turned to me when I called his name... I was thinking maybe someone had switched dogs on me in the middle of the night or something. 

In the checkout line - where everything is at eye/mouth level for him - he left the candy alone, moved up when I asked, and yes <gasp> even laid down in the checkout line. 

Maturity is a good thing. 

Bark for Life - April 17: Come See Us!

Talos and I cordially invite you to Bark for Life on April 17 at Western Regional Park in Woodbine, MD.  

 Saturday, April 17, 2010

9 am to Noon

Western Regional Park
 14800 Carrs Mill Rd.
 Woodbine, MD 21723

Registration is $20 for first dog, $15 for second, $10 for the  third from the same family. Registration includes dog bandana. All dogs must be on a leash and we ask that you please be ready to clean up after your four legged friends. 1K and 2K walk.

Here is the schedule (subject to change)

9-9:30am: Community Registration and Pre-Registration Check-In

9:30am: Introductory Remarks and Opening Ceremony

9:45am: Blessing of the Animals - Pastor Lisa Sparks, Lisbon United Methodist Church 

10:00am: Canine Relay Walk Begins

11:00am: Canine Games, Activities, Bark For Life T-shirts, Exhibitions,  Contests, Food, Entertainment, Canine Massages/Healing Touch, Pet- friendly Vendors,  and Photographer.

April Edition of Your Smart Dog

Your Smart Dog subscribers received the April edition in their in-box this morning. If you haven't subscribed yet, you're missing out on a lot of information. You can subscribe here, it's free!

This month's training article features K9 Nose Work, a new sport for dogs and handlers. K9 Nose Work is something your dog is already good at because dogs have better sniffers than we do. In fact, with K9 Nose Work the dog is our teacher!

You can see the K9 Nosework article here. What you're missing if you're not a subscriber: 

• information about local dog events and happenings
• updated Smart Dog University course information 
• educational opportunities
• the latest news on Talos, the Great Dane in training to be a service dog
• interesting dog behavior information and advice