Reinforcing Polite Behavior Using NFL (No Free Lunch)

Positive reinforcement in dog training means is that a desired behavior is increased by giving your dog a reward for the behavior. For instance, if he sits when you ask him to, and you give him a treat for doing so, then it will increase the likelihood that he will sit next time.

But what to do if your dog is over-excited, pushy and obnoxious?!? It might seem like there are no desired behaviors to reward, and plenty of undesired behaviors to scold! If this sounds like your situation, then you are a perfect candidate for the "No Free Lunch" program or NFL. In order for your dog to get attention, food, freedom or anything else that he wants, he must work for it by first being calm and polite.

DOOR DASHING
We've all experienced having a dog rush past you as you open a door or push you aside as you open a gate. Not only is this impolite, but it could be unsafe. This is a great opportunity to train your dog to be patient using the Evil Door technique. When your dog tries to push past you to get through the doorway, simply close the door or gate without letting her through. Wait for your dog to back off, then slowly open the door again.  (You may have to body block your dog if she's extra-pushy and will not back up.)  Repeat until your dog waits patiently while you open the door, at which point you can release the dog to go through the door.  With repetition your dog will learn to wait calmly by the door because that's the only way she'll get to the other side.  It's nice to build default behaviors (or voluntary behaviors) like this so you don't constantly have to tell your dog what to do or what not to do.

FOOD
Different dogs get excited about different things. Some dogs are so food-crazy that they lose control when you start preparing their food. For dogs that love to eat, feeding time is a good chance to work on their impulse control. See my blog entry Incorporating Training Into Feeding Time for a step-by-step guide and video on one way you can do this.  You can also eliminate formal feeding times, and instead use all of your dog's  meals on training.  Just measure your dog's daily food allowance, put it in a Ziploc or treat pouch, and dish out the kibble throughout the day whenever your dog does something you like, such as coming when called or not jumping on you.  Many service dogs and detection dogs work for their food like this rather than being fed out of a bowl.

GREETING OTHER DOGS
It's not uncommon for dogs to get excited when they see another dog. Of course, it's important to let your dog socialize with other dogs on a regular basis so that he doesn't feel deprived. But if your dog gets over-excited when he sees other dogs, regardless of the amount of socializing he does, then it's a good idea to do some training. If your dogs gets excited while you're on a leashed walk and starts pulling, whining and barking because he want to go say hi to another dog, then show him that only polite behavior will get him what he wants (the other dog).  When your dog starts pulling towards the other dog, stop and hold him back with the leash (just resist, don't do a leash correction).  When the leash slackens or your dog looks back at you, immediately move forward.  Repeat as necessary.  If your dog is a barker instead of a puller, use the same technique, except move towards the other dog only when your dog stops barking.

EVERYTHING!
The opportunities to get rid of over-excitement and reinforce calm behavior are endless, including:

* Before throwing a ball or stick for your dog to fetch (i.e. as soon as your dog settles down and gives you eye contact, throw the ball)

* Allowing your dog to greet people including yourself (i.e. when you come home, don't enter through the gate or door until your dog stops jumping)

* Getting out of a car (i.e. wait for dog to sit politely while you open car door, and then let him jump out)

* Putting on a leash before a walk (i.e. if you grab the leash and your dog starts doing circles around the living room, just ignore him and wait until he settles down...and then put the leash on)

You just have to be consistent in rewarding your dog when he's polite and holding back or waiting when he's rude.   If you give in and let your dog be pushy about what he wants sometimes, then you give your dog the message that if he tries hard enough, he can get what he wants without being polite.

It's tempting to use aversives instead (such as yelling or leash-jerking), but I believe that your dog will be happier and learn faster if you use a No Free Lunch program instead, since your dog will be motivated to get the things that he wants.

With any training, be careful not to ask your dog to do too much too soon. Start small and gradually go bigger.

Happy Training!

The Canine "Look Away" - with videos

Dogs have a fascinating array of body language signals that allow them to convey messages to each other. Some of the body language is involuntary (reflexive) but others are deliberate. The "Look Away" is one of those deliberate signals that can mean different things in different situations.

A Look Away could be a distance-decreasing signal, i.e. dog uses a Look Away to let another another dog know he's not a threat, or dog uses a Look Away to invite another dog to play. Often a Look Away is quick and subtle, with the head staying level and the neck staying relaxed. In the videos below, you will see distance-increasing Look Aways, with stiffer necks and chin up, as if to say, “I’m not available for social interaction right now. Don't bother me.”

In the video below, 3-year old shepherd mix Heidser does a Look Away to avoid the exuberant black puppy. Notice that Heidser points her chin up to show her lack of interest. If her chin were down, she might be expressing deference to the puppy.

In the video below, you will see three energetic yellow Labradors running over to 8-year old Golden Retriever Luka (the blonde one). As Luka emerges from the crowd, one of the Lab puppies tries to engage Luka, but Luka stops and does a Look Away with his chin up, which causes the puppy to walk away.

In the last video, you will see Mochi the French Bulldog using Sniffing as a calming signal to the yellow Lab puppy. Sniffing is one of the most common behaviors in dogs, and like the Look Away, can mean various things. In this case, Mochi seems to be telling the puppy, "Calm down and stop bothering me." You'll notice Mochi doing a few Look Aways too, to avoid interaction with the puppy.

We humans tend to think excited puppies are cute, so we often inadvertently reinforce those behaviors. But remember, a cute and bouncy 10-lb. puppy can eventually turn into a hyper 75-lb. dog that is jumping and slobbering all over you! One of the most effective ways for a dog owner to stop a puppy's jumping or over-excitement is to simply ignore the puppy when he's behaving that way - the way the adult dogs above do - and give the puppy attention or affection only when he is calm.

Fulfilling Your Dog’s Needs and Developing a Good Relationship With Your Dog

In addition to doing training, it's very important to fulfill your dog’s physical and mental needs on a daily basis. Dogs need more than just companionship and love. In much the same way, humans feel more fulfilled if we have a purpose in life (career, volunteer work, hobby, etc.), and we feel healthier if we get regular exercise, whether it’s going to the gym or going surfing. When we’re not working or exercising, we like to hang out with friends, read books, watch TV, etc. to stimulate our minds. Dogs are the same way. When dogs get bored and frustrated from lack of mental stimulation and exercise, many problems can surface, including hyperactivity, destruction of household items, aggression and obsessive compulsiveness.

It's also important to develop a good relationship with your dog, so that you trust each other and want to do everything possible to make each other happy. If your dog doesn’t trust you and doesn’t see you as his guardian, then it is going to very hard for him to listen to you. On the other hand, if your dog LOVES you and his needs are regularly fulfilled by you, then he will listen to you more and follow your lead.

Below is a checklist of things that will promote the well-being and happiness of most pet dogs:

* Exercise – Running, walking, swimming, etc. For untrained dogs, it's a good idea to provide structured walks in addition to unstructured exercise such as off-leash hikes and walking on the beach.  If you need help with loose leash walking, see my Dog Walking blog entry.

* Mental stimulation and/or challenges – Give your dog a job or games to play, such as hide and seek, tracking and nose work, agility, flyball, enrichment toys such as stuffed Kongs, etc. See my blog Give A Dog A Job for ideas on clicker training service-dog type tasks.  See the Star Advertiser article on nose work about the workshops we hosted.

* Play – Activities include fetch, tug, playing with other dogs, chasing a flirt pole, etc. Different dogs have different preferences so figure out what your dog likes!

Although I've listed exercise, mental stimulation and play separately above, they can be combined in some activities such as agility and nose work.

Above: Dogs playing on the beach.

* Love and attention – This is an easy one for most of us to provide! Just remember to give your dog attention only when he is calm and well-mannered.

* Quality time spent together – Dogs are social animals that have an inherent need to be around their pack, whether it’s other dogs or humans. If possible, don’t make your dog an outdoors-only dog, or he may develop behavioral problems stemming from boredom and loneliness. Take your dog with you whenever you can. There are lots of places out there where you can take your dog, including restaurants with outdoor seating and dog-friendly stores.

Above: Dogs hanging out with us at a friend's BBQ.

* Reinforce good behavior and extinguish bad behavior – Dogs are born into the human world, and don’t automatically know what is expected of them. It’s our responsibility as their guardians to guide them towards socially acceptable behavior. Remember that rewarding good behavior is a lot more effective than punishing bad behavior. For more info, read my blog entry on Reinforcing Calm Behavior.

* Clear and consistent rules about what is allowed and what is not allowed.

* Socialization with other friendly and balanced dogs - It’s not always easy to set up play dates with other dogs, but you can always take your dog with you when you visit friends who have dogs. It’s easy for us humans to forget that our dog is a dog, and that most dogs love to be around other members of their own species. (Note: If your dog is not comfortable with other dogs, there's no reason to force him to hang out with other dogs.  If your dog likes other dogs, you should still avoid pushy or aggressive dogs, because it can make your dog dislike dogs in general.)

Above: Dogs socializing with each other at the dog park.

* Exposure to and positive experiences with common aspects of daily life, such as strangers (men & women), children, babies, stairs, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, ocean, bathing, riding cars, nail-clipping, ear cleaning, etc. Early exposure to these things in a positive way will prevent fearfulness and anxiety in the future. See my blog entry on socialization for more info.

Above: Little grom playing with dog.

Incorporating Training into Feeding Time - with videos

Doggie mealtime is a great time to practice "impulse control" and manners training. Food is a huge motivator for most dogs, so it should be easy to train your dog to sit calmly and wait for his or her food, even if he is easily excitable.

Below is a video of a dog that has learned the routine. He voluntarily sits, waits, and makes eye contact and starts eating only when released.  I put the bowl down slowly and didn't make any quick body movements, as I didn't want the dog to release himself because of my quick body movements.  As he becomes more used to the routine, I will be able to move more quickly.

You can explicitly ask your dog to Sit and Wait (or Stay) before releasing him to eat, but it's kind of fun to let your dog figure it out on his own.

Below is a video clip of a puppy that figures out that she won't get to eat until she waits in a seated position.  I lifted the bowl every time she got up from the Sit position.  You'll be surprised how fast puppies pick this up!

Considerations When Adopting or Fostering a New Dog

Above: LD, aka Little Dog

I recently fostered a 6-week old formerly stray puppy for the Humane Society. She had big bulging eyes and a brindle coat with white patches. She was absolutely adorable, and even my hard-hearted boyfriend fell in love with her. We named her "LD," short for "Little Dog." On her first day in our home, she was quiet and shy. But as soon as she became comfortable with her new surroundings, LD was quite energetic and playful.

In fact, she was SO playful towards my almost 8-year old dog Luka, that Luka couldn't stand it! Luka is a mellow dog to begin with, and although he is friendly towards other dogs, he has never been very playful with them. So when LD started running around him in circles like a buzzing fly, jumping up at his face to get his attention, and repeatedly doing the play bow to entice him, Luka got increasingly anxious. Luka would try to ignore LD for a few minutes. But if LD continued her energetic display, then Luka would finally show some teeth and bark at her to stop. After a while, Luka started hanging out in the yard and avoiding the living room where puppy was, even if puppy was in her crate.

This is a case where neither dog was really at fault. LD, being so young and having been separated from her mother and siblings at an early age, doesn't know cutoff signals yet. And she's still a puppy, so of course she wants to play all the time! Luka, on the other hand, is an older lower-energy dog that enjoys his peace and quiet.

Above: A rare moment of peace between Luka and LD.

I think it's a common misconception and unrealistic expectation that all dogs should get along with each other. Dog owners expect this of their dogs, but wouldn't deny that there are some humans whom they would not want to hang out with or be around. Much the same way, it's natural for a dog to get along with certain dogs but not others.

Although I was supposed to foster LD for three weeks, I asked the Humane Society to transfer her to another foster home a little sooner. If you already have a dog and are considering adopting or fostering another dog, please take a moment to consider the age, temperament and energy level that would complement your own dog. I promise that everyone will be a lot happier that way!

Above: It was hard to resist an angelic face like this. Well...hard for me, but not for Luka!