Catching up and Alpha Idiocy

Some of this is a catching up post. I havent been motivated to write much this last week. It was an emotionally draining week at work. Add to that my neighbor got a german shepherd puppy. Great, because yelling at his kids wasnt enough. Jenny is also having an itch fest flare up so Ive been bathing her trying to keep her comfortable. I have decided to try eliminating peanut butter to see if that may be part of her issue. I bought a bunch of wellness canned chicken meat to stuff their kongs with instead of the peanut butter. So you can see why I needed to use a happy photo today. (taken a few weeks ago hence her relatively clear skin)
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The other reason for this post is that I read an article last night in my Pug Talk magazine called: "Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position". Interestingly it had no author credit. It was a mistake to read this just before I went to bed. It made sleep difficult. Why are people still passing this outdated nonsense on? Our dogs are NOT trying to "dominate" us "because thats what dogs do". To many people are still looking at wolf behavior, some of it MISINTERPRETED wolf behavior, as a guide to how to treat our dogs. The article is to long to go through point by point but here are a few highlights.
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Dogs should never be allowed to walk in front of you because this tells them in their mind they are the leader of the pack. They should also never go through a door first. Um no, this only means you havent trained them to do otherwise. If they pull on leash and you follow them they learn that pulling works. If they go through the door without permission it is because you let them. They just want to get outside, not show you that they are your leader.
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You should not lay on the floor to watch television with the dog is around as a human should never put himself in an equal or lesser height position than the dog. OK Yes height can equal status to the dog but context is important. It is more common for height to be a problem between dogs in a social group IF any of them have status issues. Im pretty sure dogs dont see us as other dogs though so this one is silly if you dont have a true dominant aggressive dog. (which 95 plus % of dogs arent)
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During the time you are establishing your higher pack position, no hugs should be given to the dog by you, as a dominant dog may consider this a challenge of power. Wrong answer. Many dogs do not like to be hugged because it can make a dog feel trapped or our arm over the dog is body language they do not like and they can respond by trying to get away from it or growling a warning. Teach your kids to never hug dogs. Yes dogs in your own family can learn to relax when we do it and some dogs do love the attention. This is about the situation, the individual and is NOT a challenge of power play.
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If you establish eye contact with the dog, the dog must avert his gaze first. If the human averts his gaze first this reinforces the dogs higher power position. Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!! Wow am I glad this was in a pug magazine and not an akita one! Staring at a dog, in dog language, can be a threat or a challenge. This is a perfect example of why some dogs bite people in the face. Dogs are fight or flight and when you stare at them they are forced into a decision. If they cant get away they may lash out. Dogs do not stare at each other for this reason and why we need to teach them to have good eye contact for obedience work. If you stare at a dog that doesnt know you well you can create a lot of anxiety. NEVER do this exercise! It will freak out most dogs.
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This article goes on but you get the picture. Bad information abounds. Yes dogs are a social animal. Yes within their social group should be a clear leader so they arent confused. Good leaders (like parents) are ones who communicate clearly, set rules and boundaries, and discipline fairly. It isnt about preventing a hostile takeover. Are there dogs out there who care about status and try to exert it over people? The short answer is yes. However those dogs are few and far between. They are the exception and not the rule. For those dogs a Nothing in Life is Free program is usually recommended. (also known as NILF) This is a non-confrontational method that is basicly teaching a dog to "say please". They need to earn everything they get and this teaches them they have to listen to you to get anything they need or want. If you need more guidence on leadership in dogs check out Patricia McConnells booklet called How to be leader of the pack. Again more non-confrontational methods that are based in science, not assumptions, of dog behavior.
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To be fair to Pug Talk they have many other good articles including one on breeding vs rescue I will share some thoughts on here soon.
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For more information regarding the "Alpha Myth" in dogs check out my past posts here:

http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2008/07/debunking-dominance-myth-in-training.html

http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2010/11/alpha-rolling-in-wolves-and-dogs.html

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Blogger fail! The post where I catch up yet again

So my co-worker told me the other day I am a blogger failure. She is right. It has been over a month since I have posted! That is a long time between posts, even for me. Ooops! I have been busy working on some personal issues and just got side tracked. (It turns out I was concentrating more on what I feed my dogs than what I was eating. Now Im trying to make healthier choices which seems to mean more time cooking and such.) I also find it easier to post things to my facebook page when I am busy. So if you come here and I am quiet check things out there instead. http://www.facebook.com/K9SolutionsDogTraining If it makes you feel any better I am behind in my blog reading as well.

This cutie is Frankie. He is being fostered by a friend and will be available for adoption soon through ACDRA. It is believed he may be a Kelpie and not an Australian Cattle Dog however. He needs to learn some manners first. A home without cats may be a better fit for him too. He is about 2 years old and was saved from a kill shelter.

Zola is still doing very well on her meds and diet. She is a very normal puppy. We have even finally turned the corner and she is sleeping through the night now. This is a HUGE improvement for my life! She is also giving me cues when she needs to go outside to potty as well. Another big victory. I wasnt sure that would ever happen given that I dont limit her water intake due to her condition. I admit it got better once I stopped babying her and stopped sleeping on the couch after the middle of the night outings. See, I do know what to do, I was just being too emotional about it. Puppies are sometimes to cute for our own good.

Jenny is having a not so good time with her skin right now. I had to increase her Temeril-P which I hate to use. I swear one of the days we got some snow cover she seemed better. But I dont know if that was wishful thinking or not. It makes me wonder how much of her problem stems from an allergen outside. Of course maybe I am just grasping at straws.

Jack is doing wonderfully. I took him for a do it yourself bath/brush and blowout recently. Wow he sheds a lot! I know this but every so often he impresses even me with the amount of fur I comb out. I got an undercoat rake with slightly longer tines that works really well on him.

The two most current prison puppies are doing great. Rosie, the cattle dog/pit mix has been adopted already. I ran into her new owner today at the Loyal Biscuit during an outing. He was there buying a second crate for his car. It seems she likes to teeth on his interior. Ahhh the joy of puppies! He reports she is doing great. The the other pup Daisy, the red nose pitbull, is going to the shelter daily so potential adopters can meet her. She can be a handful so we are trying to find just the right match for her. You can see them both about 10 minutes into this video: http://vimeo.com/37466423 Or check them out on our official facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/K9Corrections

I am hoping to get some t-shirts with my logo on them ordered soon. I would like to be able to offer them for public sale too but Im not quite sure if I can manage that. I am pretty small time as a business so I need to look into it more. I am also going to need to get new logos on my car this year. Not only has my logo changed slightly, they are peeling off after having them a few years. Maine winters are not kind to window stickers long term.

Before I go need to answer a readers question that I found in my comments when I (finally) approved them. I cannot give you a comparison between the Freedom No Pull harness and the Sensation harness because I have not used a Sensation harness yet. Sorry I cant be more help with that.

Again, I will try to blog more but no promises. Sometimes you just gotta make time for yourself first  :-)

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How to Stop Dog from Jumping Up on People Furnitures or Anything

Not that we dont believe on our dogs but sometimes they need to be taught a lesson or two, this is How to Stop Dog from Jumping Up on People, Furnitures or anything


You should apply different techniques to stop dog from jumping based on different situations.


Some people think that it is normal for dog to jump, but, they are getting annoyed after the dog has jumped too much. So, if you are seeking help to stop the excessive jumping behavior of your dogs or puppies, I will recommend you to understand the physical build of a dog first and also the role of jumping plays as part of their nature life.


If you look at the physical structure of a dog, you should understand that dogs body is primarily designed to run and not to jump. Dogs are not kangaroos, they only jump in some special situations. They will jump on other dogs to show that he is the dominance one and take the role of the pack leader. When they are facing dangerous situations, they will sprint and jump to a safer place. Or, they will jump to get food above their body level or use the jump ability during hunting. Other than these few situation, you will rarely see them jumping.

But nowadays, most of the dogs are kept as family pets. So, their ability of jumping should be greatly reduced. But, some dog owners unintentionally encourage the jumping behavior of their dogs. This has created some inconveniences to the family members. Please see below for more information on situations and reasons for the dog to jump.


The possible situations are:

• Jumping on People or other animals

• Jumping on Furniture

• Jumping over Fence

A few possible reasons that make a dog to jump are:

• To show dominance over people

• To seek attention from people

• To show excitement

• To show possessive of certain areas

Below are some suggested tips and techniques to stop dog from jumping excessively in each of the 3 situations.

Photo shows a dog is jumping on a child. The action has the potential to hurt the child.


How to Stop Dog from Jumping on People
When a dog is jumping over people, it could due to excitement, seeking attention or showing dominance. Neither of these 3 reasons is healthy. Like the photo above, the dog is jumping on a child could mean "showing excitement plus with dominance".


Here is how you can stop your dog from jumping on people:

• Recognize the pattern of his jumping. Is he jumping to show excitement? Seeking for Attention? or Showing Dominance?

• If he is jumping because of showing excitement or seeking for attention, you MUST completely ignore him and turn your body away. Never give him any eye contact.

• If he is sitting calmly for about 30 seconds, then you may give him treats and praise him for being a good boy.

• This action will trigger a positive reinforcement in his mind: "If I am sitting quietly, I will be given treats and praises; if I jump then I will be ignored. So, I better sit quietly next time to get attention and treat."

• If your dog is jumping because want to show dominance, you should give him a stern warning and serious facial expression once he tried to jump on you.

• If your dominant dog continues to jump on you, you should put him on leash with choke collar. And snap the collar every time he tries to dominating over you.

How to Stop Dog from Jumping on Furniture
Many dog owners allow their dogs to be up on furniture. This happens because the dog owners give the dogs too much freedom and affection. Affection and freedom is good, but too much of them can be bad for your dogs. This has encouraged the dog to develop dominance behavior and also possessive over the furniture. So, some dogs think that they own the furniture and will not allow anyone to come near to the furniture. They also jump on the furniture whenever they want to.


You need to be careful in deciding whether you allow your dog to climb/sleep on furniture or otherwise. If you allow him to be on furniture, please be prepared to train him so he will not develop dog behavior problems. The house and the furniture is owned by you, not your dog. You should take the role of the pack leader and invite him on the furniture ONLY WHEN he is a good boy. Your dog should also get down from the furniture whenever you ask him to.


If you dog has developed the jumping on furniture issue, you can do the following to fix the behavior:

• Use Bitter Apple Spray on the furniture legs; this will create a smell that your dog will avoid.

• If you do not want to make your furniture smells bad, you must OWN the furniture. You should learn to invite your dog to come on the furniture rather then give him freedom to access as he wishes.

• First of all, clean up the furniture to eliminate your dogs smell. So, that your dog will think that it is new furniture. Whenever he shows the sign of jump/ climb on the furniture, give him a stern warning with serious facial expression. If he ignores you and continues the action, you should put him on leash and choke collar. You may snap the leash whenever he tries to climb without your permission.

• Try to make him in the sitting position before you allows him to climb on furniture, this will train his patience. Train him with a command like "allow" to allow him on the furniture.

Picture shows a puppy which is jumping with excitement. The action is not healthy which might trigger other dog behavior problems in future.


How to Stop Dog from Jumping over Fence
If you are living in a landed house and if you do not train your dog well enough, the chances are your dog would jump over the garden fence. This action is totally not allowed as your dog might hurt himself one day.


Here are a few suggestions that you can do to help your dog:
Build a higher fence that your dog will not reach


DO NOT give him the freedom to run around your garden, put him on leash and collar every time when you are busy. Release him ONLY when you have time to watch him.


During the time he is free to run around your garden, whenever he shows initial sign of jumping over the fence, give him a warning right away. If he calm down and submit to you, give him praise and food treat.


I believe some professional dog trainers might recommend you to use electric collar. Personally, I think it isnt necessary. electric collar is not easy to be use and if you do it wrongly, it might have adverse effect on your dog.


So thats How you Stop Dog from Jumping Up on People, Furnitures or anything, hopefully that could help any dog lover on solving their dog jumping issues ^_^

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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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All choked up over this question

I was having a discussion on the use of choke chains with dogs - and the question came up about using them on stronger dogs, especially Pit Bull Terriers. Let me say this first: 1) I love Pit Bulls. 2) I am NOT breed biased. Doggy DNA is doggy DNA - they all have the propensity to act like dogs whether they be a teacup chihuahua or an american pit bull terrier. The difference is obvious when it comes to the injury itself, and in that: size does matter... This is what I told my friend who asked the innocent question of using them on APBTs (she lives in a big big city with APBTs everywhere...and she doesnt own a dog herself...its okay, shes still really cool)... Anyway, this was my answer for her:

but what if you have a pitbull in brooklyn (there are millions!)? just askin.. > Are you kidding? Please allow me to pass on some info: "all" animals learn the same way- So, if you have a 6 8" athletic boxer, or a 3 tall little girl, a lion, a tiger, a bear, a fish, a hamster, cat, or Pit Bull Terrier - all will learn the same way - The way that humans use choke chains for training places them (the collars) under the "Learning by Consequence" path - Based on the consequences of the animals own behavior you can either give them something they want, or take it away - or you can give them something they dont want, or remove it, or prevent it from happening. (BF Skinner come to mind here?) Anyway, the more *humane* techniques are: give something they want, or take it away - like sports (three strikes, penalty box, and that whole deal)... Dog sits = he gets a treat and gets to say *hi* to person - Dog jumps up = dog doesnt get treat and doesnt get to say hello to person. 

Choke chains, prong collars, squirt bottles, jerking the collar (collar corrections), electronic shock collars, citronella collars - all of these *positive punishment* techniques are threats, considered abusive, and only motivate the dog out of pain and fear! Plus, they only focus in on what you DONT WANT, not what you do want... If you were involved with someone that walked around with a belt in their hand, ready to hit you with it if you did something THEY didnt like, and only paid attention when you were doing something *wrong* (only in their eyes mind you - could be a normal behavior of yours...) how long would you stay with this person? 

As I mentioned above choke chains (and the like) are used for the purpose of "Consequence Learning". However, both types of learning are taking place at the same time (the "emotional" learning by association path), and thus creates a main reason for dog aggression to start - but thats a different email (post)...Ill let you digest this one first. 

This is just some of the info I talk about in my classes and workshops here in Ventura... you to can learn more about this path of learning, and well as the other - stronger path... You and your dog will love it! 

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CANINE RUNWAY First level Finalist AND runner up!

Splash! was picked as one of the two finalists in Canine Runway from San Diego.  The next level is in Los Angeles and finally Los Vegas!  Guess who was one of the two runners up? KIKO! 

Keep paws crossed for Splash!

Kiko sucks up to one of the judges after the prizes! 
My friends Pom Libby should have one if it was based mainly on Fashion (which it should have been according to the rules), as she is awesome at making dog leashes and harnesses... Not to mention how ADORABLE Libby is being only 2 pounds.

A fellow youtube clicker trainer and friend Nan Arthur filmed the event, check out the videos-

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Getting All Choked Up Over the Use of Coercion in Dog Training

Maybe its the latest applied behavior analysis class Ive just taken, maybe its the decongestant and antihistamine stupor Im in, but it occurred to me, just now, that maybe I need to try a new approach when speaking to those who still prefer to use choke, prong and Citronella collars to train their dogs.

Being of the positive reinforcement, humane, least intrusive approach to training dogs type of dog trainer, this means when I hear or see people go to the dark side, I try to get them to come on over to my camp, usually by explaining and demonstrating all of the wonderful and simple techniques such as shaping, lure and reward, with or without the use of a clicker. This is what I teach in my dog training classes, private dog training clients, and of course all throughout my dog training game!

But sometimes humans dont want to listen; I guess they might find it to be punishing. So instead of all of that, how about if I ask them this: How does it make you feel, deep down inside, when you choke, yank, coerce, yell at, berate, or cause harm to your dog just to get them to do what you want? Do you find it to be fulfilling and reinforcing to yourself? Or, as when one person called me today, do you feel bad inside about doing things like that to your dog?

If you feel bad about it, then I encourage you to dump the aversive techniques and try something different! Simple steps such as:

• Reward behaviors you like and want! Praise, belly rubs, games of fetch and tug, or giving your dog a part of their meal - all will send a message of "I love when you do that!" And youll get more of that behavior.
• Manage your dogs environment so theyre less likely to perform those undesired behaviors.
• Provide outlets for your dog to let all of those doggy behaviors out!

Trust me, these three simple steps will help anyone achieve baby steps to their final goals. If you know someone who prefers the dark side, you might want to take that first step and forward them this information - who knows, you might find helping others to be reinforcing.

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The Christmas wrap up

Not a creature was stirring..............

I hope everyone had a great holiday. I had photos all set for a Christmas blog post and just couldnt bring myself to get online. I probably should have done one up ahead and set it up to post automaticly. As a matter of fact I think I stayed offline, including facebook, for a whole 2 days! It might be a record for me. (sad but true) I admit I am still behind on my e-mail. It was nice to just relax with the family.
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Zola is doing great. So great in fact she drives me crazy at times. Clearly she is feeling good. She can play for hours. If you try to ignore her she finds some way to pester you so you have to pay attention to her. She is learning it wont work. At least with me. When she gets pushy she loses her couch privileges. Of course this means I have to put her down a bajillion times. Jack and Jenny cave into her pestering and play with her most of the time. The kids are home on vacation this week so they have been helping out a lot with her and taking her out for potty breaks while I am at work. One day my son got distracted and left her in the living room unattended a little to long. Our new leather couch got a slight make over because of it. Fortunately she chewed the cushion cover in a spot it can be hidden. Hopefully I can order a new cover. I also know how much she has charmed my husband because the text I got about it was "Wait til you see what Schmoopy did today". (Schmoopy is a nickname for a puppy in the house) That or perhaps he has just given up on having nice things. VBG

Jack got a cow trachea for his Christmas nom nom, and Jenny got a wizzle. Zola isnt allowed to have those kinds of treats so she didnt get any. Dont feel to bad for her though. Since she isnt used to getting them she doesnt know what she is missing. All of them got some fabulous gifts from Prudence and The Smiling Frog. A stuffed squeeky Rudolf, a squeeky bone, a denim ball plus they all got their very own stuffed Christmas tree squeekys. I wish I had video of the hilarity that ensued. There is nothing quite so funny as watching multiple dogs try to play with all of their new toys at once.
The Rudolf toy seems to be the favorite at the moment. I think its because of the antlers. They do love to play tug! Prudences mom also made them some super yummy, and healthy, dog treats. I did let Zola have a small taste of those. (small bits) They were a big hit.

Today I went and got all the dogs liscensed for the year. I learned the hard way last time that the late fee for forgetting is ridculously high. If you have a dog that doesnt get rabies vaccinations due to health issues you can get your vet to write your dog an exemption letter. I do this for Jenny due to her allergy issues. You can only vaccinate a healthy dog after all. (or thats how its suppposed to work anyhow)
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I appoligise for not getting my holiday post up in time. Maybe next year. Now I need to think about my new years resolutions. Because I am so good at those and all. VBG What do YOU have planned for the new year?

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