Last week I had the privilege of dog-sitting a delightful one-year old dog named Roxy. Roxy has wonderful dog-to-dog social skills. She is extremely playful but is not pushy towards other dogs. One of the things I saw her do several times during her stay with me was sniffing the ground as a calming signal to other dogs.
In the video clip below, you'll see Roxy (the tan one) playing with her friend Marlee (the black one). Marlee is the older of the two, and has a tendency to guard her toys from younger dogs. You can't hear it in the video clip, but what happens is that they run around playing for a few seconds, and then Roxy tries to grab a stick that Marlee had been chewing on earlier. Marlee lowers her head and lets out a quick growl to say "Mine! Back off!" Roxy backs off immediately, and then starts sniffing the ground as if to say, "I'm not a threat. Don't worry." It's also possible that Roxy is sniffing the ground as a displacement behavior. When dogs are a little stressed or uncertain, you might see them perform a familiar activity such as sniffing or scratching, except that the activity will seem out of place in the situation.
On another occasion I took Roxy to the mini dog park within my friend's boarding facility Bow Wow Bungalows. As soon as Roxy walked into the dog park, a pack of ten or so dogs crowded around her and started chasing her around to sniff her butt. Roxy felt a little intimidated by the pack of dogs, so she started walking around the dog park and sniffing the ground. In this case, I could tell that she wasn't just doing investigative sniffing, because her body was stiff, her back was curved, her tail was almost tucked, and she sniffed obsessively for a while without lifting her head. After about 3 minutes, all the dogs became familiar with Roxy, and she turned into her usual self - a social butterfly.
Canine body language and signals are often quite subtle and easy to miss. It's a great idea for dog owners to educate themselves about the language of dogs so that they can recognize when their dogs are feeling stressed, happy, threatened, curious, etc. There are lots of good DVDs and books out there. Two books I highly recommend are Canine Body Language - A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff and Canine Behavior- A Photo Illustrated Handbook by Barbara Handelman. For video, I recommend Sarah Kalnajs' The Language of Dogs DVDs.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Benefits of Group Off-Leash Hikes
Off-leash hikes are not only a good way to exercise dogs, but also a great way to socialize dogs with each other. Shy dogs in particular can benefit from being around other dogs, but in a less threatening way than in a dog park, where a shy dog might feel cornered or overwhelmed. On a group off-leash hike, the dogs are focused on walking and exploring the environment, and they can choose to interact with the other dogs when they feel like it.
I have also noticed that off-leash hikes are good for dogs that tend to play too rough with other dogs when they are in a static environment like a dog park or someone's yard. During a hike, the dogs cannot stop and play in one spot for too long, or they will be left behind. So they tend to play a little, and then run along to catch up with the rest of the pack. This gives them a natural break from their play.
Off-leash hikes are also great for draining the energy of young hyper dogs. The humans and mellower dogs can walk in a straight line, while the energetic dogs can run back and forth and tire themselves out! Leashed walks can be fun too, and are a good way to train your dogs, but if you have multiple dogs with different energy levels, you may find it hard to satisfy all the dogs' needs with a leashed walk.
For those of you who are worried that your dog might run off and not come back if you let him off leash, I would definitely recommend that you practice your recalls beforehand. However I do find that dogs tend to stick with the pack during off-leash hikes, even dogs that are not used to being off-leash. Of course you'll want to hike in an area that is fairly safe, but you might be surprised to see your dog checking in with you every few minutes to make sure he hasn't lost you. To reinforce that behavior, reward your dog with treats and praise when she comes back to you, and then send her off to play again.Oahu has a limited number of trails where dogs are allowed, but it's definitely worth finding a few in your area. Happy Trails!
In the short video clip below, you'll see various dogs hiking off leash with each other. When I board new dogs at my house, I like to take them all for a hike together before putting them in the yard or house together. It's a low pressure way for them all to get to know each other.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Visit with Aloha Schutzhund Club
I had the privilege of sitting in on one of Aloha Schutzhund Club's weekly meetings. Schutzhund means "protection dog" in German, and was originally developed in Germany in the early 1900s to test whether German Shepherd Dogs exhibit the traits necessary for police-type work (Wikipedia). Schutzhund is now a popular dog sport among people with working breed dogs.
Aloha Schutzhund Club's president Robert Blok was kind enough to explain and show me all the exercises they do in Schutzhund. He has many years of experience training police dogs, and owns his own training business Hawaii K9 Solutions as well. Watching Robert and another trainer named Jim Philson work with the dogs and coach the club members was pretty inspiring.
Below are some photos and videos I took. I didn't get any photos or video of the scent tracking exercise but that was also fascinating - something that many pet dogs might enjoy, even if they're not doing Schutzhund.
OBEDIENCE ~ HEELING AND SIT-STAY
The dogs learn to do a precise heel and pay very close attention to the handler. The dog and handler could be running at full speed, but as soon as the handler gives the Sit or Down command, the dog immediately stops and does it. Often the dogs would get to fetch a ball after doing a good job with obedience. According to Robert, it starts out as a play reward, but ultimately they are allowing the dogs to express their prey drive.
OBEDIENCE ~ A-FRAME RETRIEVE
Below is a video clip of a dog jumping over an A-frame and retrieving a dumb bell thrown by trainer Jim. Amazing and so beautiful!
PROTECTION ~ OBJECT GUARDING
In the video below, you'll see Robert's dog Bear protecting an object on the ground. When trainer Jim approaches, Bear guards the object. Bear knows Jim and is normally friendly towards him, but Bear still guards the object from Jim because his handler has asked him to. Would you try to take an object away from a dog that was barking and lunging at you like this? I don't think so!
PROTECTION ~ BITING THE DECOY ATTACKER
The bite work seemed to be the most exciting activity for these working dogs. What happens is the handler and her dog walk behind the "decoy" person (in this case trainer Jim). The decoy person suddenly turns around and pretends to attack the dog and handler. The dog jumps up and bites the protected arm piece on the decoy person. The dog lets go when he is asked. With this kind of training, it's really important for the dog to have self-control and listen to the handler, for instance when he is asked to let go of the arm.
In the video below, you'll see one of the club members doing this with her Rottweiler, who LOVED the bite work. Even the German Shepherds who were watching from their crates got really excited and started barking while the bite work was going on - it was like a gladiator ring! (My 8-year old Golden Retriever Luka was sitting in the corner of the field, quivering amidst all this intensity. He is obviously not cut out for Schutzhund!)
In the video below, you'll see Robert's dog Bear protecting an object on the ground. When trainer Jim approaches, Bear guards the object. Bear knows Jim and is normally friendly towards him, but Bear still guards the object from Jim because his handler has asked him to. Would you try to take an object away from a dog that was barking and lunging at you like this? I don't think so!
PROTECTION ~ BITING THE DECOY ATTACKER
The bite work seemed to be the most exciting activity for these working dogs. What happens is the handler and her dog walk behind the "decoy" person (in this case trainer Jim). The decoy person suddenly turns around and pretends to attack the dog and handler. The dog jumps up and bites the protected arm piece on the decoy person. The dog lets go when he is asked. With this kind of training, it's really important for the dog to have self-control and listen to the handler, for instance when he is asked to let go of the arm.
In the video below, you'll see one of the club members doing this with her Rottweiler, who LOVED the bite work. Even the German Shepherds who were watching from their crates got really excited and started barking while the bite work was going on - it was like a gladiator ring! (My 8-year old Golden Retriever Luka was sitting in the corner of the field, quivering amidst all this intensity. He is obviously not cut out for Schutzhund!)
All the dogs that I observed thrived on the exercises. These are not your average couch potato dogs - they NEED and LOVE to work...all the time! If you have a super-driven dog and you are committed to this type of training, contact the Aloha Schutzhund Club for more information.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Give A Dog A Job!
I recently boarded and trained a 7-month old German Shepherd puppy named Piko. He had A LOT of energy, even after taking him on 3 walks a day (bike rides, mid-day fetch games and/or swimming, AND off-leash walks). I quickly figured out that it wasn't more exercise he needed, but mental stimulation.
Piko was too smart for a Kong toy. No matter what I stuffed in it, he ate all the contents within minutes. He would then eye my household items to see what else he could chew on to keep his mind occupied.
So I decided to teach him some service dog tasks. I am just starting to learn about using a clicker to shape behavior, so it was exciting for me too. Piko was already good at fetching balls - he could do it all day. And he also liked to play tug-of-war. So we worked on a couple of things that took advantage of those skills.
NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
During the several days that Piko stayed with me, I worked on getting Piko to pick up my neighbor's newspaper at the mailbox and deliver it to her doorstep. He easily picked up the newspaper (which I praised him for), but the tricky part was getting him to carry it all the way down the driveway instead of stopping and chewing on the newspaper! I strongly reinforced him with praise for picking up and carrying the paper, and redirected his attention or asked him to "Leave It" if he dropped the paper prematurely and started chewing on it.
Having him drop the paper at my neighbor's door was easy. I had already taught him the "Leave It" command, and that's all it took for him to drop it. Once he dropped it, I made sure to praise/click/treat as we walked away from the newspaper - otherwise he started chewing on the newspaper! He is a puppy after all.
OPENING THE REFRIGERATOR
I also taught Piko how to open the refrigerator door on command. Since he already enjoyed playing tug-of-war, I started out by waving an old shirt around his face until he started mouthing it, and clicking and treating that. I then waited for him to pull the shirt. After clicking and treating him several times for pulling the shirt, I tied the shirt to the fridge door.
I waved the shirt around his face again until he pulled the shirt and opened the door (click and treat). Next I pointed to the shirt and said Open (instead of waving the shirt around). Piko was so smart that he immediately pulled the shirt and door open. We repeated this several times to reinforce the command and behavior, and we practiced this every day.
People often call me about their puppy or dog's problem behaviors, such as destructive chewing and digging. Sometimes the dog needs more exercise or training, other times the puppy is just being a puppy, while other times the dog is in need of more mental stimulation. Whatever the case may be, it's fun to figure out what kind of talents a dog has and teach him or her to utilize them in a useful or fun way. Some dogs might be good at service dog tasks, others might be good at scenting and tracking (search and rescue), while others might be good at agility.
Piko was too smart for a Kong toy. No matter what I stuffed in it, he ate all the contents within minutes. He would then eye my household items to see what else he could chew on to keep his mind occupied.
So I decided to teach him some service dog tasks. I am just starting to learn about using a clicker to shape behavior, so it was exciting for me too. Piko was already good at fetching balls - he could do it all day. And he also liked to play tug-of-war. So we worked on a couple of things that took advantage of those skills.
NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
During the several days that Piko stayed with me, I worked on getting Piko to pick up my neighbor's newspaper at the mailbox and deliver it to her doorstep. He easily picked up the newspaper (which I praised him for), but the tricky part was getting him to carry it all the way down the driveway instead of stopping and chewing on the newspaper! I strongly reinforced him with praise for picking up and carrying the paper, and redirected his attention or asked him to "Leave It" if he dropped the paper prematurely and started chewing on it.
Having him drop the paper at my neighbor's door was easy. I had already taught him the "Leave It" command, and that's all it took for him to drop it. Once he dropped it, I made sure to praise/click/treat as we walked away from the newspaper - otherwise he started chewing on the newspaper! He is a puppy after all.
OPENING THE REFRIGERATOR
I also taught Piko how to open the refrigerator door on command. Since he already enjoyed playing tug-of-war, I started out by waving an old shirt around his face until he started mouthing it, and clicking and treating that. I then waited for him to pull the shirt. After clicking and treating him several times for pulling the shirt, I tied the shirt to the fridge door.
I waved the shirt around his face again until he pulled the shirt and opened the door (click and treat). Next I pointed to the shirt and said Open (instead of waving the shirt around). Piko was so smart that he immediately pulled the shirt and door open. We repeated this several times to reinforce the command and behavior, and we practiced this every day.
People often call me about their puppy or dog's problem behaviors, such as destructive chewing and digging. Sometimes the dog needs more exercise or training, other times the puppy is just being a puppy, while other times the dog is in need of more mental stimulation. Whatever the case may be, it's fun to figure out what kind of talents a dog has and teach him or her to utilize them in a useful or fun way. Some dogs might be good at service dog tasks, others might be good at scenting and tracking (search and rescue), while others might be good at agility.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bark, Bark, Bark!
People often ask me how to stop their dog's excessive barking. The answer depends on why the dog is barking. It's helpful to learn the differences between the various types of barking. Below are some common reasons that dog bark, along with potential solutions:
Attention-Seeking or Demand Barking
Dogs will often bark at their owner in order to demand something specific, whether it's attention, food, or access to a physical area. Nobody wants their neighbors to complain about the barking, so we dog owners often immediately give our dog what he's asking for in order to stop his barking. Although this may stop the barking temporarily, we are inadvertently teaching our dog that he can get what he wants by barking. Another way that dog owners attempt to quiet down their dogs is to yell at them to shut up. While this may work (i.e. your dog is scared of punishment or your dog is barking temporarily for territorial reasons), it may also encourage the barking because your dog doesn't speak English and he thinks you're screaming, "Keep barking, Fido!"
The simple solution to demand barking is to ignore your dog when he's demanding something. You may have to put up with extra barking for a few days while your dog makes a last ditch effort to get what he wants, but if you stick to the "no attention" program, your dog's demand barking should fade away from lack of reinforcement. You can also praise or give your dog attention a few seconds after he stops barking. Just make sure he doesn't learn to chain the behaviors (bark first, then be quiet, then get rewarded)!
For some dogs, ignoring their barking will not work, because they are extremely persistent, or they will end up getting their reward at some point anyway, such as when they bark for their meal at meal time. In this case, you can try the time-out method. Let's take mealtime as an example. Have your dog drag a leash so you can easily take him away if needed. Begin preparing your dog's meal. The instant your dog starts barking, verbally mark it, e.g. "Time Out!", then lead him away from the food preparation area with his leash. Stay away for 30 seconds or so. Come back to the kitchen with your dog and continue preparing the meal. If your dog barks again, call the Time Out again immediately, and take him away. This example would be easier to implement if 2 people did it together, one person preparing the meal, the other person walking the dog away for time-outs.
The time-out method shows the dog that if she demand barks, then she will get her reward taken away.
Boredom and Frustration Barking
Under-exercised and under-stimulated dogs will often bark for no apparent reason. They won't direct their barking at anyone or anything in particular, but they may bark for prolonged periods of time in order to get their frustration out. I see this happen with dogs whose owners are very busy with work, and the dogs are left at home alone all day with nothing to do. Exercise is probably the best solution for this. A tired dog is usually a good dog. Before leaving for work every day, take your dog for a nice walk, jog or swim. You can also do mentally challenging games like nose work. If you don't have much time and you have a high-energy dog, go on an off-leash hike with your dog. Your dog can burn twice as much of his energy as regular leashed walking, and it takes a lot less time. You can also hire a dog walker.
Another thing that might help is to give your dog a food-puzzle/chew-toy such as Premier's Busy Buddy or Kong, to keep his mind occupied while home alone. These types of toys work especially well for food-motivated dogs. You can read my blog article about food toys for more info.
Excitement Barking
It's an endearing quality for a dog to bark every now and then to let you know how excited he is. But what if he does it all the time, i.e. when he sees another dog, when he's waiting for his food, when he's about to enter the dog park? I would treat excitement barking in the same way as demand barking (above).
Let's say your dog is barking in excitement when he's about to enter the dog park. Simply stop and wait for your dog to stop barking and calm down. Move towards the dog park only when he's calmed down (repeat as necessary). If you notice over time that this doesn't curb the barking, you can add the time-out method - as soon as he starts barking, mark it verbally (e.g. Time Out!) and walk away from the dog park. Re-approach the dog park after 15-20 seconds and repeat the steps. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a long time to get into the dog park the first several times!
Alert Barking and Territorial Barking
Two kinds of barking that are quite different from demand, boredom and excitement barking are alert barking and territorial barking, which are quite natural things for dogs to do. We probably all want our dogs to alert bark if an intruder comes into our property, but at the same time we don't want our dog to constantly be alert barking.
To some extent you can manipulate the environment to curb the amount of barking. For example, you can put up a visual barrier so that your dog can't see passersby through the gate or window. Or you can play music in the house so that your dog won't react to every little noise he hears in the neighborhood.
We can also train our dogs to stop barking when we ask them to. Acknowledge or thank your dog when he alert barks, and then reward him for stopping. For some dogs, a verbal praise and acknowledgement will be enough. Other dogs may require treats. Just make sure you recognize if your dog starts "manipulating" you, i.e. barking at nothing in order to stop barking at your request, and then get a treat!
=============================================
Shock Collars, Citronella Collars and Debarking
I do not recommend the use of anti-barking shock collars because in addition to harming your dog and potentially having negative side effects, they don't solve the underlying problem of your dog's barking. They now have less harmful anti-barking citronella spray collars, which could be used as a temporary solution if, for instance, your landlord is threatening to evict you because of your dog's barking. But even the citronella spray should not be used as a long-term solution.
Debarking a dog is not a humane solution for barking either. It may take care of the symptoms, but it doesn't change the underlying reasons for the barking. Let's all educate ourselves so that we can use humane and effective techniques instead!
Attention-Seeking or Demand Barking
Dogs will often bark at their owner in order to demand something specific, whether it's attention, food, or access to a physical area. Nobody wants their neighbors to complain about the barking, so we dog owners often immediately give our dog what he's asking for in order to stop his barking. Although this may stop the barking temporarily, we are inadvertently teaching our dog that he can get what he wants by barking. Another way that dog owners attempt to quiet down their dogs is to yell at them to shut up. While this may work (i.e. your dog is scared of punishment or your dog is barking temporarily for territorial reasons), it may also encourage the barking because your dog doesn't speak English and he thinks you're screaming, "Keep barking, Fido!"
The simple solution to demand barking is to ignore your dog when he's demanding something. You may have to put up with extra barking for a few days while your dog makes a last ditch effort to get what he wants, but if you stick to the "no attention" program, your dog's demand barking should fade away from lack of reinforcement. You can also praise or give your dog attention a few seconds after he stops barking. Just make sure he doesn't learn to chain the behaviors (bark first, then be quiet, then get rewarded)!
For some dogs, ignoring their barking will not work, because they are extremely persistent, or they will end up getting their reward at some point anyway, such as when they bark for their meal at meal time. In this case, you can try the time-out method. Let's take mealtime as an example. Have your dog drag a leash so you can easily take him away if needed. Begin preparing your dog's meal. The instant your dog starts barking, verbally mark it, e.g. "Time Out!", then lead him away from the food preparation area with his leash. Stay away for 30 seconds or so. Come back to the kitchen with your dog and continue preparing the meal. If your dog barks again, call the Time Out again immediately, and take him away. This example would be easier to implement if 2 people did it together, one person preparing the meal, the other person walking the dog away for time-outs.
The time-out method shows the dog that if she demand barks, then she will get her reward taken away.
Boredom and Frustration Barking
Under-exercised and under-stimulated dogs will often bark for no apparent reason. They won't direct their barking at anyone or anything in particular, but they may bark for prolonged periods of time in order to get their frustration out. I see this happen with dogs whose owners are very busy with work, and the dogs are left at home alone all day with nothing to do. Exercise is probably the best solution for this. A tired dog is usually a good dog. Before leaving for work every day, take your dog for a nice walk, jog or swim. You can also do mentally challenging games like nose work. If you don't have much time and you have a high-energy dog, go on an off-leash hike with your dog. Your dog can burn twice as much of his energy as regular leashed walking, and it takes a lot less time. You can also hire a dog walker.
Another thing that might help is to give your dog a food-puzzle/chew-toy such as Premier's Busy Buddy or Kong, to keep his mind occupied while home alone. These types of toys work especially well for food-motivated dogs. You can read my blog article about food toys for more info.
Excitement Barking
It's an endearing quality for a dog to bark every now and then to let you know how excited he is. But what if he does it all the time, i.e. when he sees another dog, when he's waiting for his food, when he's about to enter the dog park? I would treat excitement barking in the same way as demand barking (above).
Let's say your dog is barking in excitement when he's about to enter the dog park. Simply stop and wait for your dog to stop barking and calm down. Move towards the dog park only when he's calmed down (repeat as necessary). If you notice over time that this doesn't curb the barking, you can add the time-out method - as soon as he starts barking, mark it verbally (e.g. Time Out!) and walk away from the dog park. Re-approach the dog park after 15-20 seconds and repeat the steps. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a long time to get into the dog park the first several times!
Alert Barking and Territorial Barking
Two kinds of barking that are quite different from demand, boredom and excitement barking are alert barking and territorial barking, which are quite natural things for dogs to do. We probably all want our dogs to alert bark if an intruder comes into our property, but at the same time we don't want our dog to constantly be alert barking.
To some extent you can manipulate the environment to curb the amount of barking. For example, you can put up a visual barrier so that your dog can't see passersby through the gate or window. Or you can play music in the house so that your dog won't react to every little noise he hears in the neighborhood.
We can also train our dogs to stop barking when we ask them to. Acknowledge or thank your dog when he alert barks, and then reward him for stopping. For some dogs, a verbal praise and acknowledgement will be enough. Other dogs may require treats. Just make sure you recognize if your dog starts "manipulating" you, i.e. barking at nothing in order to stop barking at your request, and then get a treat!
=============================================
Shock Collars, Citronella Collars and Debarking
I do not recommend the use of anti-barking shock collars because in addition to harming your dog and potentially having negative side effects, they don't solve the underlying problem of your dog's barking. They now have less harmful anti-barking citronella spray collars, which could be used as a temporary solution if, for instance, your landlord is threatening to evict you because of your dog's barking. But even the citronella spray should not be used as a long-term solution.
Debarking a dog is not a humane solution for barking either. It may take care of the symptoms, but it doesn't change the underlying reasons for the barking. Let's all educate ourselves so that we can use humane and effective techniques instead!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, September 25, 2009
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)