Canine Nation

In December of 2010 I wrote a piece called A Million Ways To Love A Dog.  In that piece I talked about how dogs are integrated into all kinds of lifestyles for all kinds of reasons.  Dogs live on farms, in high rise apartments, suburban homes, and even on the road with their humans.  We love our dogs in all of their various shapes and sizes. But can we love them wrong?  Can we love them too much?  It’s an interesting question.  There are currently over 78 million dogs living with people in the US alone.  Genetically, their lives are much shorter than ours.  Most dogs live very happy, comfortable lives.  But I am dismayed at how many die in loving homes because of improper care and management.  These dogs are literally “loved to death.”

Most weeks, I like to put together something on a single topic regarding dogs or dog training.  It’s fun to explore things in depth and see where they come from, where they go, and even if we can be better or smarter about them.  I tend to be scientific in my approach to most things.  I like to break them down, see how they work, and be able to put them back together again.  But I recognize that not everyone shares my systematic approach to dogs and dog training. But something I’m seeing more and more on the Internet is a negative reaction to science and behaviour analysis by dog training professionals.  Many of these trainers actually distinguish themselves as being “non-science” based.  Their methods are pointedly described in imprecise, emotional terms like “relationship”, “energy”, or “natural.”  I can only assume that this is a way to portray these trainers and their methods as more human and “feelings” based trainers.  So when did science become a bad thing?!

There is a very in-depth article about Errorless Learning and No Reward Markers making it’s way around Facebook recently.  The article is by internationally renowned dog trainer Emily Larlham.  There’s a lot of information in Ms. Larlham’s article but, for me, it boils down to a deceptively simple question: How do we know when our dog is “doing it wrong”? This podcast takes a look at how we determine whether our dog has "done it right" or "done it wrong" when we ask for behaviours.  We also take a look at Dr. Herbert Terrace's "Errorless Learning" protocol and discuss the role of "No Reward Markers" in training.  Is our dog "wrong" when they don't perform as we expect or are they wrong only when we give them some indication that they have messed up?  It's a good question.

This three part series described the 5 long month breakdown of my dog Tiramisu, her diagnosis as a dog with a hypothyroid condition, and our quest to make her healthy way again. Tira has always loved playing on agility courses and equipment from the time she was 6 months old. When she was 7 years old, she started becoming fearful and unwilling to play agility. We knew something was very wrong.

Like politics or religion, a discussion about how to train or raise a dog can invoke strong emotions and strong opinions across a pretty wide spectrum.  Everyone seems to have their preferred authorities and philosophies.  You can express your own point of view but there is very real resistance to passing judgement on whose methods are more “right” or more “wrong” in polite society. Alternative training techniques and trendy appproaches to working with our dogs may sound attractive, especially if they promise quick and lasting results.  There is a lot of money being made everyday by dog trainers making one promise or another.  But when it comes to the health, safety, and well being of the dog you have taken into your home, it is up to you to decide what is best for them.

I’ve had a few random thoughts knocking around the inside of my head lately and this week seemed as good a time as any to toss them out to my readers and see what you may think about them.  I offer them in no particular order and they are just things that made me go “hmmm” this week. There is just something I find very satifying being in the company of my dogs.  They are usually dozing near me when I write or record this podcast.  I get the occasional glance or sigh from them.  It’s a wonderful reminder that, all things considered, life is good up here on the hill for me and my dogs.  I’m glad to have Tira and Rizzo here to remind me of that.

The technical stuff is interesting and teaching the cool tricks is lots of fun. But sometimes you just have to do the practical everyday training to make things work with your dogs.  This podcast covers some of the things we train to make things run smoothly with our own dogs! It could be moving our dogs from one room to another or making walks a little more pleasant.  Simple behaviours can be trained with any dog to make communication better.  And it helps that it can make life easier and more fun too!

Correcting bad behaviour in our dogs can be like putting out a fire. We have to act swiftly and decisively. But if we don't know a little bit about behavioural science, we could end up making things worse instead of better. Inspired by Dr. Susan Friedman, this article looks at what our options are when we need to deal with unwanted behaviour. Punishing our dog for bad behaviour might be the first thing that comes to mind but, according to Dr. Susan Friedman, it is likely that it will be the least effective for correcting behaviour long-term.  There are lots of options to try before we resort to trying to stop behaviour.  Being proactive and teaching the behaviours we want to see is a great start!

There are a few common phrases that float around in the dog training world that get my hackles up. One of those phrases is “I use whatever training technique my dogs need.” Not all training techniques are equal in how they impact your dog and your relationship with him.

Petra Wingate is a great dog trainer. She has been teaching puppy and agility classes for the past few years. Darcie Jennings is a great friend and has been training dogs and their owners through her CommuniCanine business for over 13 years. As we often do, the three of us sat down to talk about dogs and dog training. But this time, Petra decided to record it and also prepared some questions for us to discuss.

What if your dog offered you a behaviour you didn’t ask for? What if it was a good idea? Being smart enough to catch your dog doing something right is good for both of you. You get what you want and your dog gets to flex his creative muscles!

“Sit.” “Down.” “Fetch.” These are things that most people associate with dog training. But is there more we can teach our dogs beyond simple behaviours? You might be surprised that you already do! And there might be more you can teach them.

Crossing over to positive training can be frustrating. Abandoning old techniques for new is uncomfortable. Especially when you aren’t good at the new stuff. Dog trainer Eric Brad has found that sticking with positive training is well worth the effort for the rewards that come later.

Do you ask your dog to do things for you or do you tell them to do them? How we think about working with our dogs matters. It affects our expectations and can lead to cooperation or conflict. It seems to be an AND/OR proposition.

Is it more ethical or moral to use positive dog training? For Eric Brad, the reasons are less lofty and more practical. And sometimes the simplest reasons can be the most compelling.

Have you heard about positive training but aren’t sure what it is or how to get started? Well, I can give you a road map to success with four great books to get you on your way!

When a dog’s behaviour suddenly changes, a good dog trainer does not turn to training techniques and behaviour modification. They turn to their veterinarian. Chances are there is a very real health problem that should be dealt with first.

It would be great if positive training and behavioural science made everything perfect and wonderful with dogs. Most of the time, it does exactly that by providing a way to communicate effectively with our dogs. But sometimes things can break down. Eric Brad shares a story of a frightened dog that needed more than food treats and positive reinforcement.

Coming to Positive Reinforcement training from more traditional methods is called “crossing over.” It’s not easy to cross over from more familiar and socially accepted forms of dog training. There are lots of reasons not to consider it. But many do. In this series, Eric Brad looks at what it takes to “cross over.”

Dog trainers are supposed to be teaching their dogs. Eric Brad has found that there is much that the dog can teach the trainer as well. In this installment, Eric says “Thank You” to his dog Tiramisu for the lessons he has learned. Listening to his dog has made him a better trainer.