Going forward and more about saying goodbye sort of

As most everyone knows, I have moved to our new home in lovely Manteno, Illinois:

Here, surrounded by family, nature, and my many animal friends, I am working hard to establish the latest aspect of my long career, training service dogs for wounded United States Marines through the Semper Fi Fund.

Before this, since I was 15 years old, I have focused my efforts on teaching human family members to better understand and communicate with their companion dogs. I spent the last 18 years in Lemont, Illinois, where I enthusiastically raised my children, enjoyed my life, and trained many dogs and their people, to the irritation of my neighbors, who grudgingly tolerated me running my business from my home.

Now, we have accepted an offer on that home, and will be closing the doors on that chapter of our lives in mid to late spring, 2015 (Ill be occupying the house and will continue to offer some classes and lessons there until that time).

In keeping with all of these changes, I want to let you know about the training services I will (and will no longer) be offering to my existing and new clients, going forward.

First, the "no longer", and this is where saying goodbye comes into play; as of this past Sunday, I have ended my long-standing "501" class, which has been meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:30 for many years. We had lots of great discussions specific to matters pertaining to both canine and human behavior, and it was loads of fun. All of the classmates were good friends, and I am sorry to say goodbye.

That being said, anyone who wants to evolve and transition forward with me is invited to participate in the programs I am adding and/ or continuing to offer. These include:

• Spring/ Summer/Fall field trips in the Lemont/ Downers Grove area. These will be enrolled classes, rather than drop-in, with preregistration required, and will be offered on Sundays at 9:30, weather permitting. They can be signed up for one at a time, rather than committing to a series of lessons, and Ill create an online enrollment form on my website.

• Half-day training and play workshops, offered in two blocks (morning and afternoon) on Saturdays, weather permitting, at my new place. Again, preregistration, up until an hour before class, will be required and available online. These will replace current 201 and play classes.

• 101 level group training, taught in a concentrated, three-lesson curriculum, meeting every other week over a five week period, in Manteno. 

• 101 level group training, taught in a concentrated two-lesson seminar curriculum, meeting every other week over a three week period.

         (Both 101 classes can be repeated at no charge, and crossover attendance between either                       curriculum is permitted.)

• Topic-specific clinics, including: sniffer dog, canine disc, agility, musical freestyle, herding, carting, and competitive obedience.

Going forward, Monica will continue to offer in-home training, and also in-home care and training for people who prefer not to board their dogs.

I look forward to an exciting, fun future with you and your dogs!

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How long is it going to take

"How long is it going to take for my dog to be trained?" This is one of those frequently asked questions I get from many people. Unfortunately there is no standard answer, no for sure guaranteed answer, no crystal ball, and no magic wands. These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to help give you your own answer: 

1. How badly do YOU want your dog trained? Do you want it NOW??? 
2. What behaviors are we talking about? Are you trying to get your dog to walk nicely on leash, or dealing with biting a human or other dog?
3. How motivated is your dog to learn? Are you providing a happy learning environment that encourages your dog to want to learn with you? 
4. How motivated are YOU to want to teach your dog? 

I often compare dog training programs to weight-loss programs. In that, the more you put into it, the more consistent you are etc... the better the outcomes. For instance, if youre trying to lose weight and you start exercising, eating right, making better choices etc... the weight will come off. And, once you reach your short term goals, as long as you keep up some sort of maintenance regimen, you should have continued success. 

If on the other hand you join a gym or weight loss group, go to meetings, but then go out for pizza and ice-cream in between those meetings or workout sessions, then youre sort of sabotaging yourself. You never reach your goals, and if anything you just become more frustrated. 

So, I say this: if you want your dog to behave a certain way, not only do you have to teach them, but then you have to be consistent with the training program. Rewarding the behaviors you want, and doing all you can to prevent your dog from performing (and practicing) the behaviors you dont want! The more consistent you are, the better your dog will understand about making the "right choices". 

Ill address the questions Ive written above:

1. How badly do you want it? As I say in my classes: "Dont wait to need a behavior to train a behavior." I grew up in California. One of the "drills" we had in school were earthquake drills. Lots of "dress rehearsals" so to speak. Same thing with dog training. Dont wait to teach your dog to come on command when youve taken him to an off-leash park with hundreds of other dogs! Be prepared and plan ahead. 
2. Which path of learning? Emotional (learning by association) or Rational (learning by consequence). Good Manners behaviors are usually simpler to teach, than say, dealing with a dog that has dog-dog or dog-stranger aggression issues. Fear and aggression, or as I like to say, the "emotional path" is usually a longer road to head down. 
3. How motivated is your dog? Sorry, but how "smart" your dog is really isnt as important as how "motivated" your dog is to learn. Creating a fun learning environment for any animal leads them to want to participate with you. Encouragement, rewarding what we want with food, toys, petting, and praise enhance the relationship, while building their confidence. Threatening, yelling, or always pointing out when theyre wrong doesnt do much for training the behavior your want, nor does it do anything for their well-being. 
4. How motivated are YOU? Its best to go into your training program with a positive attitude. Make it something you enjoy doing, as opposed to a chore. Even little bits of training worked into your busy schedule can help you achieve your goals. When you see your dog performing the little bits of behaviors youve taught them, this gives you the positive reinforcement you need to keep moving forward. Just think "baby steps".

So, how long does it take? As little or as much time as youre willing to give. How long does it take us humans to learn certain skills? We dont learn math or english in one session. We dont learn to ski, ride a bike, dance, swim, play soccer, or skate in one session. Just remember to have a realistic perspective and realistic goals. 

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Dog Breeds When is the Discrimination Going to Stop

I know that dogs were bred for specific traits, and that is what makes each breed different. But there are days when I get a little vexed every time I hear someone say "My (insert name of dog breed here) is so: 

• smart
• stupid
• stubborn
• aggressive
• dominant
• talented
• lazy
• intelligent 
• scared of everything
• obnoxious
• and the list goes on and on... 

because s/hes a (insert name of dog breed here, again)."

UGH! Okay, yes, there are times when Ill look at my own dog Poncho and say "Oh, youre being such a terrier!" Why? Because his behavior displays more of the "grab-shake-kill" personality - which terriers were bred for and are known for, right? But hey, Im Irish and Russian - and Im not much different than most of my non-Irish non-Russian friends... except maybe I sunburn more easily. I do however know a few Irish and Russian folks with olive skin that tan beautifully! So there ya go, once again I cant discriminate. 

I think its important that we look at our dogs as them being just that: dogs. Yes, each were bred for specific traits - but that doesnt mean they will display those specific traits. It also depends upon environment, upbringing, how behaviors are learned and reinforced... which brings me to a very important question for you: if your dog is doing something specific, are YOU the one rewarding that behavior? And then, are YOU the one blaming the dog for behaving a certain way? Hold yourself accountable before blaming their breed. No excuses for your own behavior! 

So if your dog is "smart", then I can conclude that 1) your dog is motivated to learn 2) that youre pretty darn good at teaching them 3) maybe you took them to a dog training class and learned a few things. 

If your dog is "stubborn", then maybe its because 1) you havent taught them what you wanted in a way they understand 2) you have unrealistic expectations 3) you assume because they do something once that they actually know what youre asking them to do. 4) you need to take them to a dog training class 5) youre impatient and get frustrated - which is normal human behavior, therefore, I wont think youre "stubborn". 

So before you start labeling and discriminating against dogs and their breed, ask yourself these questions: is my dog just being a dog? Have I been the one rewarding the behavior? Have I not been rewarding a behavior? Is it MY fault my dog isnt doing what I want him/her to do? 

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