Dogs Attacking Make News but What About Dogs Who Behave Well

Saw this question posted from a reporter. Of course I had to add my two cents...

"There has been a spate of pit bull attacks and maulings of children in metro Atlanta. What can dog owners do for ALL dogs to help socialize them and raise them so they are not a threat to children or anyone else? Also looking for any classes or programs to help dog owners."

Its unfortunate that pit bulls have received the reputation they have. There are SO many other pure bred and mixed breed dogs that bite, but often get overlooked or go unreported. As a certified professional dog trainer Ive worked with many dog training students whose dogs were bullied and even bitten by non pit bull canines. I even knew someone whose Manchester Terrier was killed by a Golden Retriever - but you dont hear about those stories. It would be nice to see more stories about how the sweet pit bull behaves graciously around other animals and children.

Although breeds were bred for specific traits, and certain breeds can do a lot more damage that others, I think its unfair that we "profile". And if we do, then as a society we need to do something to help the situation, not make it worse. Educating the public on dog behavior, more humane training methods that are effective in more ways than just getting the behavior, better monitoring of irresponsible breeding, and the cessation of dog fighting. And this is just a start!

Let it be known that 1) I am not breed biased 2) I adore pit bulls as much as any other breed, pure or mixed...But Im more attracted to personality, not looks or pedigree. I mean hey, look at me, I myself am a mixed breed and not supermodel material - so youre looking at someone that has relied more on her personality than anything else...except for my ability to cook ;->

To address this query allow me to say:

• "What can dog owners do of ALL dogs to help socialize them and raise them so they are not a threat to children or anyone else?" > If the owner(s) begin with a puppy, begin socialization as soon as possible. This doesnt mean taking their dog to an off-leash dog park when theyre 8 weeks old. But they can certainly introduce the puppy to new sights, smells, sounds, people and activities (car rides to the mall, schools, sitting on a lap in an outdoor cafe area) etc...You can protect the dogs health, while still exposing him or her to their new human surroundings. I understand vets wanting dogs to be protective health wise, but there are still safe measures for allowing dogs to be socialized to all Ive mentioned above. More dogs are euthanized because of behavioral issues versus dying of health related problems.
• Make experiences fun and non threatening: understand dog body language - Dogs will let you know if something is causing stress (stop eating is the first). Go slowly to socializing experiences, allowing the dog to build confidence.
• Train using humane, non-threatening, non-coercive methods. Again, this goes back to "make it fun!" Some of the pop-culture methods involve intimidation and fear invoking methods. No animal responds in a happy way to that. He or she will "behave" out of fear of being hurt. Not a good way to motivate any animal.
• For adult dogs, still practice taking him or her to various places to help them adapt, but again make it fun - and watch for signs of stress and other triggers that might cause a negative reaction. And if the dog does behave in an undesired way, do NOT punish. If you were upset, yelling at you, smacking you, and telling you were wrong wouldnt make you less upset, right?

• "Any classes or programs to help dog owners." > Being a graduate from the SF SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, as well as other programs that are more science-based, Id say to for dog owners to begin by looking for classes that are taught by certified professional dog trainers that have the same philosophy and use the same methodology for teaching - both the dogs and the humans.

There are some trainers that use "Positive Reinforcement", but then they will also recommend choke, prong and electronic collars for "training". The former is fine, but the latter can actually have the opposite effect and inadvertently train aggression into a dog. The same goes for squirt bottles and Citronella collars. A good site to look for trainers is the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

I would also suggest owners contact the person training (or a knowledgeable assistant) and ask questions. Ask if they can observe a class, even for just 10 or 15 minutes (watching an entire class intrudes on those who have paid for the trainers time and information). Ask to talk with other students and get their feedback too.

Just like parents sending a child off to school, its important to check the school out and meet the staff and teachers first. Not just show up or ship them off without investigating. Same thing should go for dogs and dog training classes. Word of mouth is also a good way to go, as long as you trust the source.

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Savvy Dog Owners Make Dog Training Class Rewarding

I LOVE my "job"! Being a certified professional dog trainer has so many rewarding elements. I get to:

• Work with dogs
• Work with dog guardians
• Help the human-canine relationship through better bonding.
• Help problems be resolved through fun and rewarding techniques.

I really appreciate people taking the time to be inquisitive. Just last night at my Canine College dog training class over at Ventura College Community Education a couple of students stayed after asking about some dog behavior issues theyre having. I find questions quite rewarding, especially when the answers really help dog guardians see a solution, instead of just the problem.

It seems that "dog aggression" is still a hot topic - and one that many dog owners all too often misunderstand. This family was concerned with their dogs behavior towards other dogs. Their dog would bark, lunge, growl at other dogs while on leash. They wanted to know how to "correct" their dogs behavior. I went through my little check list, taking a brief history and explained a little about normal dog behavior, and the fact that us as humans are really not much different. In brief, this is what I went over:

• "Aggression" is a very subjective term. A "construct" in the applied behavior analysis world. We often tend to try and figure out what the dog is thinking, versus what they are doing (or not doing) when we use labels like this. So I tend to stay away from them whenever possible.
• Barking, lunging and growling are normal ways for dogs to express themselves. Just like us talking, screaming, crying... With dogs, this type of behavior is often a result of "fear". Whether it be fear of something specific, fear of the unknown or fear of not being able to get away from something they dont like, or fear of not being able to defend themselves - leashes can get in the way of dogs expressing themselves through their body language.
• Distance: it sounded like this dog had what are known as "proximity issues". He only responded in this way when other dogs were at a specific distance to him. Otherwise he was fine - personal space is important, and each animal, human and non-human has their own specific personal space. Being on leash he might feel he cannot escape or get away from something (or someone or another dog), so he reacts in order to move whatever is near him away.
• Dogs have feelings and they are valid! This means, if their dog is upset, then telling him hes wrong to feel a certain way and that he is a "bad dog" for being upset would be like me telling these folks that they shouldnt be upset, and that theyre wrong for ever being upset about something. We all agreed that being told our feelings arent valid would NOT make us less upset - it would more than likely make the person even angrier, or more upset! I saw the lightbulb go on over their heads...it was lovely!

So, whats the solution? Simple:

• Give their dog something else to do!
• Determine what behavior they want their dog doing, and reward them for that!
• Whenever their dog behaves the way they want around other dogs, acknowledge that and reward him!
• Throw a steak or chicken party whenever another dog is around - but only when other dogs are around. With time and consistency, their beloved four legged friend will begin to associate other dogs with fabulous things for himself - then hell want other dogs to be near him all of the time.

Training your dog doesnt need to be complicated. The simpler we make it, and the better we understand our dogs, the faster we can get to our goals!

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Dressing Dogs Up Borderline animal abuse Not if you make it fun!

I just read a question posted to a reporter news feed about wanting opinions from animal professionals on the topic of dressing dogs up... Okay, so this just happened to fall on the birthday of my beautiful, handsome, lovely, love of my life, baby boy Poncho! Of ALL days! Why today??? Today is one of those days Im going wear my "dog mom" hat - not my professional certified pet dog trainer, dog behavior counselor hat! 

Whats my opinion? Hmm, my usual m.o. is to change up his collar...I admit, Poncho the dog has quite a few to choose from. I switch his license and ID tag to whichever he ends up wearing. As I tell my dog training class and private dog training clients, one key element in being a responsible pet owner: "Your dogs collar is similar to our wallet. Its used for carrying ID and license. Other than that it can be used for a fashion statement, personality statement, or to match your outfit." It shouldnt be used for "training" (like those nasty aversive training methods using collar correction). 

As for other "outfits"? Yes, Poncho has various sweaters, t-shirts, a couple of vests/jackets... and the ever popular lobster costume he wears at Halloween, the hawaiian lei I have him wear many times throughout the year...we do live in Ventura, which is a beach town. Besides the annual Halloween event, all of his clothes are more about function...if its cold out. Oops, wait a minute...some of his t-shirts are more about statements I want to make...like when he goes to races with me. Poncho is one of my running partners, and he likes to brag about that. 

This specific reporter asked the question: "Other than essential winter coats, do dogs generally hate having to wear people clothes, and is it cruel to dress dogs up?"

My answer to that: I have no idea what theyre thinking. Therefore Im not sure if they hate it or not. I know that when I dress Poncho in clothing that hes not used to, like his fuzzy green birthday hat, or lobster costume, I head down the "creating pleasant associations" path, and feed him little bits of yummy high-value treats while hes wearing them. This way, hell learn to love the outfits! Classical conditioning is a wonderful thing! 

As for the latter part of the question, "Is it cruel?" That all depends upon the motivation of whomever is dressing the dog up. If the person is intending to hurt, humiliate (intentionally), bully, coerce, or intimidate the dog in question, then "yes" I do think its cruel. If the person is doing it to have fun, provide love, attention, and steak for their dog, then why not? Just like when my parents dressed me in striped pants and paisley shirts - they werent cruel, it was the 70s. 

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