Disclaimer:Thisbookhasbeenwrittentohelptoexplainthedifficultieswithsometimesusing“old”labelswhendescribingdogbehaviour.Everyefforthasbeenmadetoensureitsaccuracy.Whilsttheinformationinthisbookis,totheauthors’knowledge,accurateatthetimeofwriting,informationchangesandnewfactsarisewhichmaysupersedesomeofthisbook’scontent.Readersactingonanyinformationcontainedwithinthisbookdosoattheirownrisk.Yourveterinarianshouldbeconsultedforadvice.Neithertheauthors,northepublisher,noranyoneprovidingrecommendationsforthisbookacceptsanyliabilityorresponsibilitytoanypet,personorentitywithrespecttodamage,loss,orinjurycausedorimplied,orsaidtobecauseddirectlyorindirectlyfollowingtheinformationcontainedhere.
Copyright©2017AnnaPatfield,HelenHitchings,NatasjaLewis,MandyDaveridge
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedorusedinanyformorbyanymeanswithoutwrittenpermissionfromtheauthors.
Illustrations:MandyDaveridge
Editors:
JackieBennettDipCABT,PetBehaviourist&Trainer,www.bellabehaviour.co.uk
LornaWinterGLCM,LLCM,DipCABT
FirsteditionpublishedDecember2017.Ardgay,Scotland.
www.facebook.com/DogzThinkzDifferentzwww.PawsAbility.co.uk/DogzThinkzDifferentz
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Contents
AbouttheAuthors.........................................................................................................................................4Introduction....................................................................................................................................................6He’sDominant................................................................................................................................................7HeHatesthePostieorCatsortheVacuum...........................................................................................9AboutRewards.............................................................................................................................................13AboutSocialisation.....................................................................................................................................15He’sStubborn................................................................................................................................................17He’sStupid!....................................................................................................................................................19He’sJustaBitTimid…................................................................................................................................21Summary........................................................................................................................................................23
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AbouttheAuthorsAnnaPatfieldisadogbehaviourist,trainerandauthor.Shedevelopedaseriousinterestindogbehaviouraround2000,whensheacquiredadogwithbehaviouralproblems.MovingontostudywithCOAPE(TheCentreofAppliedPetEthology),herpassionforunravellingthemysteriesbroadenedtoincorporatethestudyofnutritionand
itsimpactonbehaviour.Shehasbeenhelpingdogandpuppyownerssince2003andauthored“TheGoodDogDiet”,whichclearlyexplainscaninenutritionalscienceandsortsoutthefactsfromthemyths.
AnnaholdsAdvancedDiplomasinCompanionAnimalBehaviour&TrainingandCanineNutritionalSciencewithCOAPEandCASI(TheCompanionAnimalSciencesInstitute),andisafullmemberofCAPBT(TheCOAPEAssociationofAppliedPetBehaviourists&Trainers).www.PawsAbility.co.ukandwww.TheGoodDogDiet.com
HelenHitchingscombinesherloveofteachingandanimalbehaviourbyofferingone-to-onebehaviourtherapyforcatsanddogsandrunninglecturesandworkshopsonpetthemes.Shestartedheranimalcareerin1991asastudentvetnursewithPDSA,becomingafullyqualified
RegisteredVeterinaryNurse(RVN)in1994.Herjourneyintodogbehaviourandtrainingstartedin1997withConnor.ConnorhadhaddifficultieswithhisgundogtrainingandhadlivedinmultiplehomesbeforeHelenfoundhim.WorkingwithConnortaughtHelenthatpositivereinforcementandforce-freetrainingwastheonlywaytogo.
ThisledtostudyingwithCOAPE,qualifyingin2002withaDiplomainCompanionAnimalBehaviourandTraining(DipCABT),refreshingthisqualificationin2015.HelenhasalsotaughtBehaviour&NursingunitsontheAnimalManagementDiplomacourse,gainingqualifiedteacherstatus(CertEd)atPortsmouthUniversityin2008,andbecameaCertifiedTrainerwithVictoriaStilwellPositivelyDogTrainingin2016,wheresheisnowamentor.
www.PetBehaviourServices.com
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NatasjaLewis’sinterestindogtrainingstartedaround23yearsagowithherShetlandSheepdogDali,wholedthewayintoalifeofdogtrainingandbehaviour.ShebreedsandshowsGroenendaels,winningBestofBreedatCruftsin2009and2010.Shehasalsocompetedinobedience,rallyobedienceandagility,andbecameaDogShowJudgein2015.
NatasjagainedherAdvancedDiplomainCompanionAnimalBehaviourandTrainingthroughCOAPEin2009andhasbeenamemberofCAPBTeversince.Sheispassionateaboutmakingtrainingfunfordogsandowners,andnowusesconceptandgamesbasedtraininginallherclasses.Natasjaspecialisesinpuppytraining,hasakeeninterestindogbehaviour,andisalwaysseekingtofurtherandupdateherknowledgebyattendingseminarsandworkshopsinrelatedtopics.
www.nightsabre.co.uk
MandyDaveridgeispassionateaboutteachingandbelievesthatunderstandingemotionalityandclearcommunicationinanimalsarevitalinshapingbehaviours.SheholdsBachelordegreesinmodernlanguagesandlaw(BA,LLB)andaMaster’sDegreeinBusinessAdministration(MBA).Sherecently
successfullycompletedtheCOAPEHigherDiplomainAppliedClinicalPharmacology,NeurophysiologyandTherapeuticsinCompanionAnimalBehaviourTherapy(DipCABT(RQFLevel6)).SheisafullyqualifiedPersonalTrainer/FitnessInstructorwithsome20yearsexperienceintheFitnessIndustry.SheisalsoacertifiedNeuroLinguisticProgramming(NLP)Practitioner.Shehaslivedwithdogsallherlife,andcurrentlydivideshertimebetweenworkingasaDogBehaviourist/TrainerandaPersonalTrainer.www.maddogz.co.uk
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IntroductionIt’sinteresting,althoughperhapsnotsurprising,thattheperceptionofhowdogsthinkdiffersbetweenpetownersandthosetrainersandbehaviouristswhohavebeenstudyingandlearningaboutcaninebrainsandbehaviouroverthepast20yearsorso.Knowledgehasadvanced,butthegeneralpublicperceptionremainslargelythesame.Weallcomeacrossthiseveryday.Petownersapologiseforlettingtheirdogsuponthesofa,sayingthattheyknowtheyshouldn’tbecauseitmakestheirdogsdominant.Dogsaredescribedasstubbornwhentheyrefusetowalktoheel,andpeoplelookfordogtrainingclassestohelpsocialisetheiraggressivedogs.
Now,perhapsthereissomevaliditywiththeseoldterms,butwhatwetendtofindisthattheselabelsinhibitourabilitytotrulyseewhat’sgoingon.Bytakingastepbackandlookingfortherealrootcauseofabehaviour,wecantakeafreshapproach.Wecanenhancewhatwearedoingandperhapsachieveourgoalsmoreeffectively.Thisbookaimstohelpfillthatgapinperceptioninthefollowingareas,sothat:
1. Petownersseekinghelpfortheirdogsmaybegintolearnthattheknowledgeofdogbehaviourandtraininghaschanged.Alsoforthosewhochoosetouselabelslikedominanceandstubborn,toconsiderdifferentwaysofthinkingsotheycanstarttoseeinsidetheirdog’smindmoreclearly.
2. Petprofessionals,includingsomedogbehaviourists,trainersandothersworkingwithdogs,maybegintoconsiderthedifficultieswiththeseold-schoollabels.Wehopethediscussionandpracticalexampleswithinthisbookwillprovidenewperspectivesregardinghowtotackletheproblems.Forthosewhoalreadyworkthisway,wehopethatthisbookwillbeausefulreferenceforyoutopassontoothers.
3. Wemayhelptocalmthedebateaboutthewordsweuse.Evenmodern“positive”trainersandbehaviouristsspendtimearguingoverlabels.Let’smoveforward,rebrandtheseterms,andfocusmoreonsolutions.
Ofcoursethisbookwillonlybegintoconveytheissueswiththesecontroversialterms.Wewilloutlinetheissues,discusstheproblemswiththeterminologyandsuggestsomesimplesolutions.Itisnottheaimofthisbooktoprovidedetailedbehaviourortrainingprogrammesfortimidorstubborndogs,nortodiscusssocialisationortheuseofrewardsindetail.It’ssimplymeanttobealightheartedsummary,togiveusfoodforthoughtandtosowsomenewideas.Thereare,afterall,manydifferentpotentialsolutions.Soifyouarehavingproblems,pleasedoseekoutaqualifiedandexperiencedbehaviouristortrainertohelp.
Sopleasereadontogainabetterinsightintodogs’brainsandhopefullybegintocomprehendhowthisnewknowledgewillhelpustoresolveourdoggydifficulties.Inaddition,pleasedosharethisbookwidelytohelpustospreadthewordandde-bunkthoseoldschooldogtrainingandbehaviourmyths.HopeyouenjoyJ
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He’sDominant
Wethink:Mydogalwaysjumpsonmeandpullsmealong
DogzThink:Heyz,IjustwannahavecuddleslikeweusedtowhenIwozapuppy&Iwannagettotheparkfasttoplaywithmypals
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Itseemsthatmany,manypetdogowners“know”thatwhendogspresentcertainbehaviourproblemsthattheyarebeingdominant.Anytimethatadogpullsorjumpsorrefusestocomebacktothemorgetoffthesofa,theythinktheirdogistryingtogetoneoverthemorbetheleaderofthepack.
What’sreallygoingon?
Thisisarealconundruminthedogbehaviourandtrainingworld.Yet,itactuallyseemsthatdominanceandpunishment-baseddogtrainingmethodsonlybecamepartofthedog-trainingworldatthebeginningofthe20thcentury.Evenatthattimetherewassignificantdisagreementwithregardtodogsandemotion.However,thesedominancemethodswerepromotedveryeffectivelyviasuccessfulbookmarketingandlater,TVprogrammes.Then,about90yearslater,prominentbehaviouristsandtrainerscametorealisethata)dogsareaffectedemotionallybytheworldaroundthemandthatb)theylearnmosteffectivelywhentheyarerewardedfordesirablebehaviours.
Thoseofusworkinginthisbusinessandfollowingthisethosseesuccessfuloutcomestimeandtimeagain,butgettingthismessageacrosstothepublicatlargeseemsalmostimpossible.Sadlysomecoursesondogbehaviourcontinuetoteachpackleadertheory,andtheoldmethodsarestillpickedupbysomeTVproducers.Oldbooksarerepublishedasnewandthereisaconstantdrip-feedoftheoldtheories.Perhapsweallresistchange?Perhapsweseeawolfinourlivingroomandgelwiththeoldideasofwolfpackhierarchy?(Whichisactuallywrong,butthat’sanotherstory.)YetitseemsastonishingreallythatTVshowsandacoupleofbookshavehadsuchaprofoundeffectonthewaywetreatdogs.Ofcoursethereareafewdogsthatseemtohavethedesireorneedtocontrolthingsaroundthem.Forinstance:guardingtoysorfood;lookingfortroubleonwalks;orbarkingandlungingatownerswhentheyleavethehouse.However,thereasonsforthesebehavioursaremostoftenbetterexplainedbyboredom,fear,frustration,angerandsoon,thanbywantingtodominate.
What’stheproblem?
First,usingtheworddominantseemstomakeusfeelthatweneedtodealwiththeissueusingforce.Wefeelthatweneedtodominatethesituation.Yet,whydoweneedtothinklikethat?Whyshouldwewanttodominateourdogsinsteadoflivinginpeaceandharmony?Manypetownersthinkthiswayeventhoughtheyfundamentallyknowthattheirdogscanbehappyorsad.
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Second,somefeelthattherearegenericrulesthatcanbeappliedtofixdominantdogs.Theseconsistofexercisessuchaseatingbeforethedog,neverlettinghimwalkinfrontofyou,andneverlettinghimoutthedoorfirst.Whilstthelatterprovidessomemeasureofsafety,noneoftheseexercisesaddresseshowthedogisactuallyfeeling.
Further,itpreventsusfromanalysingindividualsituations,eachofwhichmaywellhaveadifferentcause.Adogmaybeangry,thinkingthathisfoodmaybestolen,butexcitedwhengoingtothepark.Changingthesebehavioursrequiresdifferentapproaches,dependingontheunderlyingemotion.
So,whatcanwedoaboutourdominantdogs?
Well,weneedtochangeourmindsets.Weneedtoconsidertheemotionalmotivationbehindthebehaviour.Weneedtochangeourdogs’environmentstohelpthemtostarttothinkdifferently;tohelpthemtofeelmorecalmandrelaxed;tonotbeanxious;tonotbeboredorfrustrated.
Possessiveaggressivedogsarefrequentlybored.Dogswhobehaveaggressivelytowardspeopleordogsarefrequentlyscared.Dogswhoareaggressiveonleadarefrequentlyfrustrated.Bytakingthesefeelingsonboardwecanstarttochangehowwethinkaboutthem.Wecanchangewhatwedotohelpthemfeeldifferentlyandnolongerfeeltheneedtobehaveinthisundesirableway.Herearesomeexamples:Jumpinguponyou
Dogsjumpupeithertogettoourfacesortogetmorebodycontactandbecausejumpingonotherdogsisacommonwaytoplay.But,fundamentally,weteachthemthisbehaviourwhentheyarepuppies.Wepickthemupandcuddlethemandhelpthemtolearnthathavingtheirbodyonoursisreallynice.That’sit.Nothingmore.Wecaneasilypreventthisissuearisingwhentheyarepuppiesbysimplykeepingtheirfourpawsonthefloorandgivingourcuddlesthere.Whentheyareolderitcanhelptoteachthemthatalltheyneedtodotogetourattentionistoputtheirbottomontheground.Admittedly,thatcanbedifficultandmayrequireaweetraininglessonortwo!
AdogonthebedSimplyput,ourbedisacomfy,cosyplacewherethedogcanfeelhappilyenvelopedinourscent.There’snothingwrongwithadogbeingonourbed(ifwe’rehappywiththat)unlesstheyhavesomebehaviouralproblemsuchasaggressionorseparationissues.Inwhichcase,theremaybecomplicationsthatrequireprofessionalhelp.
Walkinginfront,pullingusalong
Justconsiderhowadogfeelswhentheygooutforawalk.Somedogscanbecomeveryexcitedwhengoingtothepark,thehillsorsayinghellotothedogattheendoftheroad.Theyarejustmuchmoremotivatedthanustowalkandsniffandgettoplayinthepark.But,despitethemanysuccessfulreward-basedmethodsthathavebeenusedtoteachaniceheelposition,manypetownersseemtopersistwithastop-and-jerkapproach.Justthinkaboutthat.Whywouldadogwanttowalkbesideuswhenthey’vejusthadtheirneckjerked?Surelyit’sfarbettertoteachthemthatbeingbesideourlegisreallygreat?
Adogisguardingfood
Hereweneedtoteachthemthatit’sgoodtohaveusaroundtheirfoodbowl.Takingitawayfromthemsimplyservestofueltheanger.Pleasedotakecarehere.Intenseangerneedsacautiousapproachandmaywellbenefitfromprofessionaladvice.
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HeHatesthePostieorCatsortheVacuum
Wethink:Mydoghatesthesethingssomuchbecauseheisbarking,growling,lungingat,orchasingthem
DogzThinkz:Postie:Theremustbesomethingverywrongwivthizguy.Henevercomezin-hemustnotbeafriend-Ibettergetridofhim!Cats:Yeah,acatz,Ilurvtochasethemcatz!Vacuum:Geez,thatnoiseisscary!
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Postie:Somedogsbarkorgrowlwhenthepostiecomestothedoororpassesbyorperhapstheygrabandshredthemail.Cats:Dogsmaystrainonaleadortrytochaseacat.
Vacuum:Hegrowlsandlungesatthevacuum.
What’sreallygoingon?
Postie:Thepostiecomesalong,thedogbarks,thepostieleaves.Ourdogscometobelievethatit’stheirbarkingthatensuresthatthisscarypersongoesaway.Wemayevenhelpthemtobelievethiswaybecauseweruntothedoor(tosavethepost),orshout(albeitatthedogtobequiet).Or,indeed,itmaysimplybeabitoffuninanotherwiseboringday!Cats:Dogsinstinctivelylovetochasesmallfurrythingsthatmove.They’renotreallythinkingaboutwhatthey’redoingotherthanperhapsthinking“food”!Itisquitepossible,therefore,thatadogchasingacatisjustenjoyingthethrillofthechase.(Ofcourse,weconsiderthattobeunacceptable.)
Vacuum:Manydogsarescaredofnoisessuchasfireworks,thunder,cookerpings,telephones,ironingboardsorourverynoisyvacuums.Sotheybarkorlungeatthevacuumandguesswhat?Itworks!Atsomepoint,weswitchitoff,putitaway,andthenoisestops.Ofcourse,wemayalsoencourageourpuppiestochaseitbecausewethinkit’sfunny(atthestart).
What’stheproblem?
Well,youmayhaverealisedbynowthatthislittlebookisaboutconsideringthedifficultywithlabels.Ittendstostopusthinkingaboutthenuancesofwhatmightactuallybegoingonandreducestheoptionswemayhavewhentryingtochangeanunwantedbehaviour.
Afterall,thewordhatemayconveysomanydifferentthoughts.Wemayhateaperson,wemayhatespiders,wemayhatepotholes,wemayhatethethoughtofgoingtothegym,orwemayhatenuisancephonecalls.Therearesomanydifferentcontexts.
It’snotsurprising,therefore,thatweusethisgenericwordtodescribedifferentscenariosinourdogs’lives.Dowe,perhapsusethewordhatewhenwefeelhelplessaboutaparticularsituation?There’snothingwecandotogetthepotholesfixedorthoseunwantednuisancephonecallstostop!
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Hateandangerarenot,itseems,aswellunderstoodasfear.Thereisdiscussionregardingwhetheranimalshavethecapacitytohateandhowcomplexthatfeelingmaybe,yetitisunlikelythatdogshavethehumancapacitytoschemeandplan.Forourpurposesthen,wemaybenefitfromsimplyditchingthelabel.Wecanthenopenourthoughtsandanalysehowthedogfeelsinaparticularsituation.Dogsmayindeeddecidetopersistentlyattackanotherdoginthehouse,butmostoftenthereareseveralfactorsinvolvedotherthanjustpurehate.
So,howcanwehelpourdogsthatseemtohatecertainthings?
First,weneedtounderstandtheactualrootoftheproblem.Askingthesequestionsprovidessomanymorepotentialsolutions.Wecanworkonboredomorfearortoycompetition.Wecanalsohelpthemtolearnwhatweactuallywantthem“todo”insteadofjustshoutingatthemorsaying“No!Stopit!”allthetime.Herearesomeideasforwhattodowiththemostcommontargets:
ThePostie1.Keepthedogwellawayfromtheletterboxareauntilthepostiehasbeen.
2.Workonhelpingthedogtoignorethenoiseoftheletterbox.3.Teachthedogtogoandliedownandstayonhisbed.Graduallybuildonthetrainingsothathecandothatwhentheletterboxrattles.
Attheend,wecanallrelaxwhenthepostiecomes.TheCat
1.Considerwherethisishappening.Ifit’swhenwalkingalongthestreet,startoffbygoingforwalkselsewhere.Thiswillhelpcalmtheinitialproblemandpreventhabitscontinuing.Thenfollowstep2.
Ifit’sinthegarden,thenmakesureyougetoutfirstandmovethecataway.2.Workongeneralheelandrecalltraining.Buildonthisstepbystep,introducingvariousdistractionstobuildself-control.Onceyourdoghasmorefocusonyou,thenstarttoworkonvarious“stop-cat-chasing”exercises.Generally,thisstartsagooddistanceaway,movinggraduallycloser(safelyonleadofcourse).Thiscanbeadifficultgoaltoachieveandmayneedthehelpofagoodtrainer.TheVacuum
1.Keepthedogoutofthewaywhenyouneedtovacuum.
2.Teachthedogtobehappylyinginacomfortableplaceoutoftheway.3.Helpthedogtofeelcalmwiththevacuumbyintroducingitveryquietlywhilstkeepinghimoccupiedwithsomethingnicelikeatastychew.Thenincreasethenoiseandmovementinverysmallsteps.Ofcourse,theseexamplesarehighlysimplifiedandtheprognosisdependsonthedepthofthefeelingandthelengthoftimethebehaviourhasbeenpractised.Themoredifficultsituationswillbenefitfromthehelpofagoodbehaviouristortrainer.
Onafinalnotethough,thereisonescenariowherethewordhatemaybeacompletelyvalidlabel:resolvingaggressionbetweentwofemaledogslivinginthesamehouse,whenthereisnoparticulartrigger.Forwhateverreason,thisisprobablythemostdifficultbehavioursituationtoresolve.Rehomingoneofthemisfrequentlythebestoverallsolution.
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He’sJustPlayBiting
Wethink:Ithurtsabitbutit’sokorHe’sconstantlybitingmeheisamonster!
DogzThink:ButthisizhowIplaywithmydogpalz
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Manydogownersseeplaybitingasaviciousandaggressivebehavior.Somethinkit’sfine.Othersdon’trealisethattheyareteachingtheirpuppyit’soktoplay-bitebyplayingroughandtumblegames.Sometimesweexpectanolderdogtoteachapuppynottobitehisears;sometimesthatworks,sometimesitdoesn’t.
What’sreallygoingon?
Bitingandmouthingareanaturalpartofpuppybehaviour,helpinghimtolearnabouttheworldhelivesin.Apuppyuseshismouthtoinvestigateandexploretheworldaroundhim.It’saveryexcitingplaceforhim,learningasheexplorestheenvironmentandthethingshefindsinit.Whenhefindssomethingnew,youcanalmosthearhimthinkingashetriestofigurethisnewexcitingthingout:“Hmm…whatisthis?CanIeatit?”(chompchompchomp).“No?MaybeIcanplaywithit?”(Shakesitaroundwhilstholdinginmouth).“CanImakeitrun?”(puppypouncesonourtrouserlegsorshoelaces).Playingwithyouandplayfightingwithotherpuppieswillhelpyourdogtodevelopcoordination,reflexesandphysicalskills,allowinghimtolearnaboutacceptableandunacceptablebehaviour.Sometimestheplaybitingandmouthingbehavioursdirectedtowardsuscanbequitescaryandwemightbeforgiventothinkthatourpuppyhasturnedintoamanicfiend!Indeed,sometimesitdoesgetoutofhand.It’sjustlikeagroupofkidsplaying,whereyoucanseethingsgettingoutofcontrolastheirexcitementgrows.
What’stheproblem?
Manytimesweinadvertentlyteachpuppiestobiteandnipuswhentheyareplaying.Wefrequentlyplaywiththemwithourhandsandfeet–evenwhenwedon’tmeanto.(Apuppygrabsatasleeveandwealmostplaytugwiththem).So,theseexcitedpuppiesgetourattentionwhentheypullonourclothes,hairandevengrabbingourskin;it’srewardingforthem.
So,sometimespuppiesdonotlearnthatplaybitingwithhumansisnotsociallyacceptable.Theycontinuetobiteandmouthintoadulthood,potentiallyleadingtobehaviouralproblemsoratleast,usetheirmouthsinunacceptablecircumstances.Puppiesdonotonlyneedtolearntocontroltheforceoftheirbitingbutalsothatbitingandmouthingpeopleisnotgood,andfrequentlynotacceptablewithotherdogs.Thiscontrolissomethingwecall“biteinhibition”anditisaveryimportantskillforpuppiestolearn.
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So,whatcanwedoaboutourplaybitingandmouthypuppies?
Therearesomedifferentcircumstancestoconsider.
Puppyanddoginteraction.WeusuallyexpectandhopethatMum,thelittermatesandotherdogswillletapuppyknowwhentheyarebeingtooroughintheirplayorgettooexcitedandbitetoohard.Thebittenpuppysqueals,thegamestopsforafewsecondsandthepuppylearnsnottobitesohardnexttime.Orwhenthepuppyisplayingwithadogandnippingattheirears,wehopethattheolderdogwillgiveaverymildgrowlandthepuppywilllisten.However,boththeseinteractionsrequirethatthepuppyisactuallyabletorealisewhattheselessonsmean.Frequentlythatdoesn’thappen.Here,weneedtostepinandpreventthegamesgettingoutofhand.Weneedtomanagethepuppy’sexcitementlevelandkeeptheplaycalmenoughorstepinandstopthegame.
Puppyandhumaninteraction.Yourpuppyneedstolearnthatbitingreallyhurts!Everytimeyourpuppybitesyourhandormouthsatyourclothingweneedtoletthemknowthatithurts.Manytimeswecanmimicapuppyresponse:whenhebitesatuswecan“squeal”or“yelp”,turnawaytonurseourwoundsandthenignorehimforafewseconds.Youwillfindthatafterafewoftheselessonsyourpuppywillstopmouthingyouassoonasyousay“ouch”,theymightevenofferyoualittlelickinsteadofabite.Whenthishappensrewardyourpuppyforstoppingthebitingandmouthingandcontinuetointeractwiththem.However,thismimic-a-puppymethodsadlydoesn’talwayswork.Somepuppiesgettoomuchofafrightandsomegetmorefrustratedandcontinuetobite.Forthesepuppies,managementandcarefulplay-trainingisabetterapproach.Playingwithyourpuppywillgiveyouanotherbrilliantopportunitytoteachthemaboutnotbitingyou.Thetrickhereistoplaywithalarge(appropriate)toyandtoteachhimthatheisallowedtomouththetoythatyouareplayingwithbutthatyourhands,clothesandarmsareoutofbounds.Asyourpuppylearnsthislessonhewillnolongeraccidentallycatchyourhandsastheymovearoundplayingwithhimandthetoy.Infactyourpuppywilllearnthatplayingwithyouandhistoyismuchmorefun.Thisplayreallyhelpstodevelopyourbondwithyourpuppy.
Thisbitingandmouthingbehaviourwillnotdisappearovernight.Rather,overthenext3to4weeksheshouldgraduallyreducetheintensityofthebiteashestartstorealisethatputtingteethonyouisnotallowed.
Ifyouhavefollowedtheaboveadviceandyouarestillexperiencingproblemsoryourpuppyhasalreadylearnedtobitetogetattention,youwillneedadifferentapproach.
Forthesepupsweneedtotakethefunoutofthebehavior,sonolaughing,squealingorshoutingifyourpupbites.Assoonasheputshismouthonyou,eveninplay,allinteractionmuststopimmediately.Completelyignorehim.Ifheispersistent,walkawayclosingthedoorbehindyouasyouleavetheroom(ifthat’ssafeofcourse).Oneofthethingsyourpuppydesiresthemostisyourcompanysotakingthatawayforalittlewhile,willteachhimthathischoiceshaveconsequences;hischoicetobiteyou(eveninplay)resultsinallinteractionandattentionstopping.Beconsistent!Itwilltakemanyrepetitionsbeforeyourpuppyunderstandsthatbitingresultsinthelossofallthefun.But,pleasedon’tperseverewiththisonyourownfortoolongbeforeseekinghelp.Somepuppiesdobecomequiteaggressiveandothersseemtofindithardtolearnthislesson.Theearlierthisistackled,theeasieritwillbetostop.
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AboutRewards
Wethink:Idon’twanttobribemydogormakethemfat,theyshouldjustdoasIaskbecausetheyloveme.Plus-Idon’twanttocarryfoodwithmeallthetime
DogzThink:Hey,Ilovezyouokay,butwhyshouldIdowhatyouwantwhentherezsomanyintereztingthingzoutthere?
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Manypeoplearereluctanttousetreatstorewardorbribetheirdogfordoingsomething.Theythinkthatthedogshouldjustunderstandthemanddowhattheywant,ordoitbecausetheylovethem.Manyhaveusedtreattrainingalittle,butfindthedogisnolongerinterestedassoonastheyleavethecomfortoftheirhome.
What’sreallygoingon?
Traditionaldogtrainingmethodsdidnotusetreatsbutinsteadreliedonapatontheheadforgoodbehaviourand(hopefullymild)punishment(forexample,ataponthenoseorsaying“BadDog”)fordoingthewrongthing.Peopleareworriedthatiftheystartusingtreats,theirdogwillonlydoashe’stoldforfoodrewards.Indeed,manyhaveseenthattobethecase.Foodrewardsworkindoorsbutnotoutside.
What’stheproblem?
I’lltellyoualittlesecret.Yougotowork.Youdothistoearnalivingandtobeabletoprovideforyourfamilyandhopefullyenjoysomeofthenicerthingsinlife.And,yougetpaidfordoingthis.Thisisyourreward.Wouldyouworkallthesehoursfornothing?So,whywouldyourdogdosomethingfornothing?
Putsimply,dogsdowhateverbehaviourtheythinkwillmakethemfeelbettersuchasafungameoratastytreat.
Forexample:Alovelycakehasjustcomeoutoftheovenandhasbeenleftontheworktoptorest.Thedogsmellsthat,jumpsup,reachesandfindsthatwithalittleefforthecandragitontothefloorandeatitallup.Fromthisoneincidentthedoglearnsthatkitchencountersareareallygoodplacetofindfood.It’ssomethingthatwilldefinitelybewortharegularcheck.
So,usingtreatsindogtraininghelpsthemtorealisethatthereisbenefitindoingwhatweaskthem.Theproblemthatwetendtocomeacrossisthatwejustcan’tprovidethesamerewardasthatstolencake,orarabbitinafield,oragroupofplayfuldogs.Norcanwegetourdogtotakeatreatwhentheyareperhapsscaredofsomenoiseortraffic.Thesesituationsarejustwaytoodistracting.
So,whatcanwedoaboutourdistracteddogs?
Forthoseofuswhohavealreadyembracedamorepositiveapproach,butarestillworriedaboutusingtreats,orfindthattheydon’tworksometimes,theanswerisjustaroundthecorner.
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Moderndogtrainingtechniqueshavecomeaboutfromscientificresearchabouthowdogslearn.Wenowknowthatdogswillrepeataspecificbehaviouriftheyperceiveitasrewarding;ifitmakesthemfeelbetter.Simplyput“Behavioursthatgetrewarded,getrepeated”.
However,therewardneedstoberewardingtothedog:thethingsthatweashumansviewasrewardingmaynotactuallybethatspecialtoourdogs.Therewardsthatweuseshouldreallygetourdogsexcited.Wewantourdogstobebright-eyed,earsprickedandtailwagginghappily.Rewardscanbeanythingyourdogdesires,whetherthatispositiveattentionfromyouoranultra-tastycubeofcheeseorhamoragameoffetchortugoranythinginbetween!
Thereareacoupleofaspects,though,thatwefrequentlydon’tthinkabout:1. Rewardvaluesvarydependingontheotherdistractionsaroundatthetime.
2. Dogsneedtrainingpracticeinmanydifferentplaces.Akitchenorgardenrecallisdifferentfromthebeachorthefield.
So,whilstusingverbalpraiseorbitsofhisusualfoodmightworkathome,whenwegooutandabout,weneedtoincreasethevalueofthereward.Kibbleinthekitchenbutcheeseonthebeach;akindwordinthelivingroombutagameoftuginthepark.
Thetrickthatallowsustosucceedwithourtraining,istoplanoutaprogrammesothatwecancontrolthelevelofdistraction.Westartoffataverylowlevel,andthengraduallyincreaseitovertime,makingsurethatwedon’toverwhelmourdogs.
Therefore,weneedto:1. Figureoutwhichrewardourdogreallydesires.
2. Determinehowthatrelatestotheparticularenvironment.
3. Keepthedistractionlevellowenoughsothathe’llstillworkfortherewardinthatenvironment.
4. Andthenmoveontohelpinghimtolearninawidevarietyofsituations.
It’salsocrucialtorememberwhenusingtreat-basedtrainingthatwedon’tfallintothetrapofcontinuallyluringourdogswithapieceoffoodinourhands.Thereisnothingwrongwithluringapuppy’sheadupwhenholdingapieceoffoodtoencouragehimtosit.Butafterthefirstfewtimes,doawaywiththetreatinyourhandandonlygiveittohimoncehehasofferedyouthesit.Thiswayyourpuppywilllearnwhatyouareaskinghimtodo,withouthavingtorelyonyouhavingfoodinyourhandatalltimes.Sowhatdowedowhenthisdoesn’twork?Sometimes,adogissimplyoverwhelmedoroverexcitedbyallthesounds,sightsandsmellsheisencountering.Othertimes,hemaybeanxiousorworried.Ifthedogisoverexcitedweneedtoassesstheenvironmentfordistractionsandfindawaytoprovidecalmersurroundingssothatheisstillabletorespondtousandacceptrewardsforgoodbehaviour.Ifthedogisanxiousthenweneedtotakeastepback,helpthemtoovercomethosefearsandbuilduptheirconfidencegradually.
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AboutSocialisation
Wethink:Mypuppyordogneedstoplaywithlotsofotherssotheylearntobetolerantofalldogs
Dogzthink:Hey,Ilovezplayingwithotherpuppiez,Igetsoexcited!Orweeelll,IliketotakemytimemeetingothersnhangbacktilI’msurewe’llgetalong.Thosebigdogzlookscary
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Everyoneknowsthatsocialisationisanimportantpartofpuppyeducation.Manypeoplethinkthatthisisjustaboutlettingourpuppyhaveplaydateswithafewpuppiesanddogs.Somepeople,withseveraldogsathome,believethatthisprovidesenoughdoginteraction.Peoplewithunfriendlyorhighlyexcitabledogsoftenthinkthattakingthemtoaclassandforcingthemtomeetotherdogswillhelptosocialisethem.
What’sreallygoingon?
Well,first,socialisationismuchmorethanjustdogandpuppyinteractions.
Andsecond,puppyintroductionscansooftengowrongandmayhaveasignificantimpactonhowadogcopeswithlife.Unlimited,unsupervisedanduncontrolledinteractionsbetweendogscanquicklyturnashypuppyintoascaredpuppy.Itcanalsoteachbold,confidentandforwardpuppiestobullyothers.Also,someolderdogsjustwon’tbeabletocopestraightawaywithbeingincloserproximitytootherdogs.
What’stheproblem?
Weoftenhaveveryhighexpectationsofhowourpuppiesshouldbehavearoundpeopleandotherdogsandhouseholdpets.Wewantthemtobeabletodealwithwhateverlifethrowsatthemandtobehappyaboutit.
Yet,sadly,weoftenunwittinglyforceourdogstodealwithsituationsthattheyarequitefrankly,notreadytoface.Wethinkwehavetomakethemconfronttheobjectoftheirfear.Weexpectallolderdogstoputanexcitablepuppyinitsplace.Theseexperiencesmaysimplybetoomuchforourpuppiesordogsandmayadverselyaffecttheirbehaviourinsimilarfuturesituationsandingeneral.
Furthermore,wetendtotaketheworldaroundusforgrantedanddon’tconsiderthatwashingmachines,vacuums,binlorriesorhorsescouldbescarythings.
Sohowcanweeffectivelysocialiseourpuppies?
Thegeneraluseofthetermsocialisationactuallydealswithtwodistinctbutequallyimportantareas.First,puppiesneedtobesociablewiththepeopleandanimalswhomtheylivewith,andsecond,theyneedtolearntogetusedto(andessentiallyignore),lotsofsmells,sightsandsoundsthatwillformpartoftheirlives.Thatonewordreferstoasignificantrangeofexperiences,manyofwhicharefrequentlyoverlooked.Weusedtoconsiderthecriticalsocialisationperiodtobe8-12weeksbutnowknowthatteachingpuppiesaboutlifeexperienceshouldbeginmuchearlier.Thisearlyperiodoflifeisassociatedwithbothrapidbraingrowthandthedevelopmentoffear.Afterabout16weeks,puppiesarefarmorelikelytobescaredofthingsthattheyhaven’tyetencountered.Someindividualsandsomebreeds(suchasGermanShepherds)developfearatamuchyoungerage.
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Itmayhelptothinkoftherebeingfoursocialisationphases:
1. Whenthepuppyiswiththebreeder.Chooseabreederwhoknowsaboutandhasasafesocialisationplanforthepuppies.
2. Whenwefirstgetourpuppyhome,beforeheisfullyvaccinated.Atthisstageweneedtotakeprecautionstoprotectournewpuppyfromdisease,sopleasedoaskyourvetaboutlocalrisksbeforeproceeding.Thenconsiderwaysofkeepyourpuppysafewhilstalsoexposinghimtolife.Forinstance,wecanstartoffbycarryinghimtodifferentplaces,visitingsafefriends’houses,havingfriendsvisithim,sittingwithhiminthebackofthecar,workingthroughvarioushouseholdnoises,andevenusingthevariousfreelyavailablepuppysocialisationCDsanddownloads.
3. Vaccinationsarecomplete.Whenit’ssafetogooutandabout,weneedtoworkoutaplanforourpuppy,takingintoaccounthisindividualpersonality.
4. GeneralLife.Thislifeexposureneedstocontinueatregularintervalsthroughoutourdog’slifesothattheyremainabletocopewithlotsofdifferentlifesituations.
Ourpuppieslearnthesecrucialsocialisationskillsfromcarefulexposuretotraffic,noisyplaces,newpeople,otheranimalsandsoon.What’sneededmayvarydependingonwherewelive.Inthecountrysideexposuretofarmmachinery,livestock,horseridersandwalkingontheroadwillbemostimportantforapuppy.Forcityliving,moreemphasisshouldbeplacedon“citytype”experiences,suchasheavytraffic,crowdsofpeople,trainsandbusesandsirensfromemergencyvehicles.However,everypuppyshouldlearntocopewithallthesesituations,asweneverknowwhenlifemightchange.And-itcan’tbestressedenough–allofthisneedstobecarriedoutsafelyandgently,withouteverforcingapuppyto“facehisfears”.
Infact,fearful,timidorshypuppiesneedcarefulhandling.Somepuppiesaremoresusceptibletofearsthanothers.Forcingthemtofacescarysituationsiscounter-productiveandwillmostlikelyincreasetheirfear.Startoffatasafedistanceandletthemtellyouwhentheyarereadytotakeacloserlook,ordistractthemwithplayortraining.Fussingandworryingoverthemcangivethemthewrongimpression.Givingthemplentyofpositiveexperiencesandavoidingnegativeexperiencesisthekeytoasuccessfulsocialisationprogram.
Attheotherendofthescale,wealsoneedtotakecarethatbold,confidentpuppieslearntobepoliteandnottorunatpeopleanddogsandjumpalloverthem.Fortunately,muchofthishasalreadybeenworkedoutforus.Havealookatwww.thepuppyplan.com,orbrowseonlineforfreepuppysocialisationchecklists.
Sohowcanweeffectivelysocialiseourolder/rescuedogs?
Manyrescuedogssettleintotheirnewlivesverywell,butsomehavealreadydevelopedhabitsandfearsor,indeed,arerehomedfromcompletelydifferentenvironments.Someofthesedogsmaybeabletocopewithgoingtodogclasses,butmanyotherswillfindthatenvironmentjusttoomuchtocopewith,andmaybecomedistracted,jumpy,barkyorevenaggressive.Overall,it’sbettertoaddressthedog’sfearsfirst,beforeenrollinginclass.Ascaredorangrydogcan’tthinkclearly,won’tbeabletoprocessinformationorretainknowledgeandtheexposuremaycausemorefear.
Instead,acareful,gentleplanisneededtohelpthemtograduallybuildtheircalmconfidence.
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He’sStubborn
Wethink:Mydogknowswhattodo,hejustwon’tdowhatIwant
DogzThink:Butit’zarabbitzzzz!
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Manyfolkssaythattheirdogisstubborn,andwhat’swrongwiththat?Forthemitpreciselydescribesthebehaviourinquestion-wheretheirdogisdeterminedtocontinueonthepresentcourse,despitewhatthey,theowners,maywant!Forinstance:
• Adogstandinglookingbetweentheownerandwhateveriscatchingtheirattention(otherdogs,adeer,arabbit,aball)andrefusingtocomeback
• Adogmanicallydiggingatacarpettogetthroughadoortogettoaball
• RefusingtowalkproperlyontheleadHowever,thereisafurtheraspecttoconsiderwiththewordstubborn.Itimpliesthatthedogabsolutelyknowsthatthereisagoodreasontodowhatwewant,butstillresolutelyrefuses.Herefusestobepersuaded“todo”somethingelse.
Andhowdoweinterpretthat?Isthedogbeingbad?Beingobstinate?Obsessed?Determined?Perhaps.
What’sreallygoingon?
Hereweneedtocomprehendthedifferencebetweendogs’brainsandourbrains.Peopleobviouslyhavethecapacitytorefusetorespondtoanotherperson’srequestorpersuasion.Itcanbeacceptedthattheirmindsarethinking:“Irefusetodowhatyouwant”,orrather“Idon’tcare,andI’mnotlisteningtoyourpointofview”.Dogsreallydon’tthinklikethat.
Dogssimplyapplyavaluetoanobjectorsituationandthenconsiderwhichisbest.Inthedog’smind,theballbehindthedoorisworthamillionpounds.Justimaginewhereourfocuswouldbeifweconsideredthatallwehadtodowasopenthedoortogettoasuitcasefullofmoney?Wouldwelistentoafriendofferingacupofteaandcake?Mybetisthatwe’dbethinking:“Yeah,catchyalaterforthat!”
Nowlet’sconsiderthatourfriendactuallyhadthekeytothesuitcasethatwouldbefreelygivenoncewe’dspentsomequalitytimewiththem,listeningtotheirweekendplans.Wherewouldourfocusbe?
Iguesswe’rereallynotthatmuchdifferenttoourfurryfriends.It’sjustthatwearebetteratsolvingthepuzzlebecauseweunderstandtheconsequences.
Putsimply,whenourdogsarebeingstubborntheysimplyhaven’thadthechancetofigureoutintheirmindsthatcomingoverandsittingbyyouisthebestwaytogetthedooropen.
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What’stheproblem?
Thetroubleisthat,onceagain,usingthewordstubbornclosesourownmindstootherpossibilities.Wesubconsciouslyacceptthatthereisnowaytochangeourdog’smind.Nomatterwhatwedo,nothingwillchange.Guesswhat…we’reright!
Butonlyinthatmoment.
Inthatmoment,thebrainhassetitselfdownonepath.It’ssoacutelyfocusedonitsgoalthatthereisnorationalbrainleftinthereforustocommunicatewith.
Sowhatcanwedoaboutourstubborndogs?
Therearemanyreasonswhydogsmayappeartobestubborn.Thereareacoupleofexamplesbelow.However,ineachsituation,ithelpstotakeastepbackandconsiderwhatthedogisactuallythinkingandhowtheyarefeeling.1. Adogwhopawsincessantlyatadoortogettoafavouriteball:Forthisweedog,the
ballontheothersideofthedoorisworththatmillionpounds.Whenheissoengrossedinhistask,thereissimplynothingthatwecandotostophim.Thedogissointentonthejobinhand,hehasnobrainpowerlefttohearus.Thisiswheremanytrainerssuggestthatfolks“gobacktobasics”.First,weneedtoteachthemthatitisrewardingtocometous,ortogoandliedown,withoutanydistractions(andcertainlywithoutsaidballaround).Graduallythedistractionsareincreasedstartingwith,forexample,alow-valuetoyandprogressingstep–by-steptowardsthefavouriteball(orwhateverthedogisobsessingabout).It’salsopossiblethatthisdogisabitboredandintroducinggeneraltrainingandmoreplaywithyouwillprobablyhelp.
2. Adogwhorefusestomoveonawalk:Inthissituationthereis,mostoften,somethingworryingthedog.Usually,somethinghashappened.Perhapstheyhadafrightinthepastcausedbyacarbackfiring,orperhapsthey’rescaredofadogorpersonjustalongtheroad.Or,puppiesontheirfirstfewventuresbeyondthegardenareoftensimplyoverwhelmedwiththeoutsideworldandneedtimetoadjust.Trueitispossiblethatthere’ssomethingvaluableintheoppositedirection,butmostofthetimethisisfear.Somecalm,reward-basedheeltrainingwillprobablyhelp,asmayanexcitinganddistractingtoy.
Summary
Sopleasestopbeingstubbornaboutthinkingstubborn.Trytogetinsideyourdog’sheadandlookforreasonsbehindtheirdeterminedbehaviour.Wewillthenbeabletogiveourselvesoptionsfortakingadifferentcourseofactionwithourdogs.
Ofcourse,thiscansometimesbequitedifficultandmayneedamoreholisticapproach.That’swhereaqualifiedandexperiencedbehaviouristortrainerwillbeabletohelpyou-don’tstruggleonalone.
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He’sStupid!
Wethink:Hejustwon’tlearnanything
DogzThink:HowcanIlistentoyouwhentherezsomanyexcitingthingzgoingon!
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Someownersdecidethattheirdogisnotverybrightbecauseheappearsnottounderstandbasiccommands(orcues).Certainbreedsofdogsareoftenassumedtobemoreorlessintelligentthanothersbecauseofthespeedwithwhichhumanshavebeenabletoteachthem.
What’sreallygoingon?
FromBorderColliestoBulldogstheintelligencelevelofdogshardlyvaries.Whatmakesonedogappeartobeafasterlearnerthananotherisdowntotheirmotivationtoperformcertaintasksandtheirwillingnesstopleasehumans.
Overcenturiesdogshavebeenselectivelybredforcertainpurposes-collieslovetoherdthings,bullbreedslovetotugthings,terrierslovetohuntthingsandsoon.Humanshaveselectedthesetraitsrepeatedlyovermanydoggenerations.Inotherwords,theyarebornwithadesiretoperformthesetasks.Wecalltheseinstinctive,inheritedbehaviours“intrinsicmotorpatterns”.Thedogswelivewithtodaywillhaveinheritedasetofintrinsicmotorpatternsfromtheirparentsandthesewillformthebasisofwhatmakesourdogtick.So,themotivationtoperformcertaintaskswillbestronglyaffectedbywhatweareofferinginreturn.
Inadditiontothis,somebreedshavehadwhatwecall“biddability”bredintothem-thesetendtobethebreedsdesignedtoworkcollaborativelywithhumans(thinkcolliesandgundogs).Ifabreedwasdesignedtoworkindependently,theywillbefarlessbiddable(thinkterriers,houndsandbullbreeds).Whenyouaskabiddabledogtojump,they’llsay“howhigh?”.Askalessbiddablebreedthesamethingandthey’llsay“why?”.
However,nomatterwhatthebreedorinstincts,trainingsooftengoeswrongbecausewesetthedogsuptofailbytryingtoworkwiththeminenvironmentsthataresimplytoodistracting.ConsidertryingtolearnJapaneseinthemiddleofabusyfairground!
What’stheproblem?
Ifwelabelourdogsstupidthenwestoptryingtoconnectwiththem,westopbotheringtofindoutwhatmakesthemtickandweseriouslylimitouropportunitiestogetthemostoutofourrelationshipwiththem.Dogsarenotstupid;theyjustspeakadifferentlanguagetous.Ifwespeaktothemintheirlanguage,we’llgettheresponsewe’vebeenlookingfor.
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So,whatcanwedoaboutourstupiddogs?
Thereareafewdifferentaspectstoconsider:
1. It’squitelikelythatitmaytakemoretimetotraintheless“biddable”breed,butthisisnotalwaysthecase.It’salsoaboutindividuality.ThereareBorderCollieswhoprefertheirindependenceandthereareJackRussellswithsuperbhumancommunicationskills.
2. Weneedtolearntoworkwithourdog’snaturaldesireandnotagainstit.Weneedtofindoutwhattheyperceiveasrewardingandofferthataspaymentwhentraining.Ifyourdogisnotmotivatedbyfood,expectinghimtoworkforfoodispointless.Butagameoftugoraballtochasemightbejustwhathe’dlove!Ifyouhaveoneofthelessbiddablebreedsyou’llneedtoworkhardertoshowthemwhytheyshouldbother.
3. Wecan,however,helpourdogstolearnthattherecanbedifferenttypesofrewardinlife.Atoy-focuseddogcanlearntoworkfortreats,andafood-focuseddogcanlearntoworkforatoy.Dogswhodon’tlikebeingstrokedcanlearntoloveyourattention.Wesimplyneedtotakethetimetohelpthemtobroadentheirperspectiveonthegoodthingsinlife.
4. Finally,however,themostcommonproblemisthatwetrytotrainourdogswhentheyaretoodistractedbytheenvironmentorotherdogsorpeople.Whenadogbecomeshighlyexcitedoriftheyfeelanxious,theysimplycan’tactuallyfocusonyou.Trainingneedstostartwithnodistraction,andthenprogressthroughvariouslevelsofdifficulty.
Forinstance:
ExampleOneLaddieisaone-year-oldmaleJackRussellTerrier.Hisownerhastriedunsuccessfullytogethimtocomebackonwalksaroundtheirlocalfields.Hewon’tevencometoherforthetastiestoffoodtreatsandpreferstoraceoffintotheundergrowthleavingherstandingabandonedonthefootpathuntilhedeignstoreturn.Shethinksheistoostupidtounderstandthatshehaslivercake.Laddieknowsfullwellthathisownerhaslivercakebutlivercakeisnosubstituteforchasingrodentsontheedgeofthefields!So-Laddie’sownergothimaChase’n’tugtoy(www.trixiespetbehaviourandtraining.com/new-products/)anduseditregularlyathomeuntilLaddiereallylovedit.NowshetakestheChase’n’tugonwalksandregularlyplaysgameswithLaddieduringthewalk.SheisnowrewardingLaddieforcomingawayfromtheactivityheloves,byofferingasimilarlyhigh-valueactivity.
ExampleTwoCloverisatwo-year-oldfemaleEnglishBullTerrier.HerownerisfedupofCloverhead-buttingpeoplewhenshegreetsthem.Cloverhasinjuredmanyvisitorsanddespitemanyattemptstopushheroffandteachhertokeepherfeetonthefloortogreetpeople,shecontinuestodoit.Clover’sownerthinkssheisjusttoostupidtounderstandthathead-buttinghumansisnotagoodthing!
However,bylookingathowCloverfeelsandconsideringherunderlyingmotivation,herownernowunderstandsthatCloveractuallylovesroughcontactwithhumans,andthatbeingpushedoffisactuallyrewardingforher.HehasworkedonlotsofcarefullycontrolledtuggameswithClover-tuggingonlycontinuesiffeetstayonthefloor.HehastaughtClovertofetchatugtoywhenvisitorsarrivesonowshehasarewardingactivitytodoinsteadofjumpingup.
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He’sJustaBitTimid…
Wethink:He’sjustshybecausehe’sbeenintherescuecentreforawhile
DogzThink:MyworldhascloseddownandIreallycan’tcopewithnewthingz
Whatarewetalkingabout?
Fortunately,manyrescuedogsadjustandresettleintonewhomesandsurroundingsquitewell.Sadlythough,someappeartobecomeaggressive,barky,jumpy,clingyoroverlyneedyforinstance.Somepeoplethinkthatthesedogsarejustabittimidorshyoralittlefearful.Theythinkthatbycoaxingthemandshowingthemthathumansarekind,theywillcomeoutoftheirshells,realisethey’vebeen“rescued”andbegintorelaxandenjoythecompanyofdogsandpeople.
Inaddition,therearesomepuppieswhoseemtowanttohideawayfrompeopleorotherpuppiesintheclass,evengoingsofarastotuckthemselvesawayunderachair.
What’sreallygoingon?
Fearisthemostimportantemotionforsurvival.Ourbrainsprioritisefearovereveryotheremotionbecausetreatingthingsaspotentiallydangerouswillkeepusalive.Dogandhumanbrainsworkinexactlythesamewayinthisrespect.Fearmemoriesarestoredintheprimitive,reactivepartofthebraincalledtheamygdala.Theamygdalastoresthesights,soundsandsmellsofeveryfrighteningeventitencounters.Itthentriggersafearfulreactiontoanythingthatseemsvaguelysimilartoanyofthefearfuleventsthatarestoredinthememorybanks.Thedoghasnocontroloverthisinstinctive,reactivereflexresponse.Forpuppies,thesefearfulmemoriesappeartobeinheritedtosomedegree,andit’squitecommonforananxiousmotherorfathertoproducefearfulpuppies.
Inaddition,asalreadydiscussed,early,carefulsocialisationisaveryimportantpartofpuppydevelopment.Ifthatislackingorgoeswronginanyway,wemayendupwithatimidpuppyoradult.
What’stheproblem?
Ifwecoaxorlureafrightenedornervousdog,wearedraggingthemoutoftheir“comfortzone”andpotentiallypushingthemintopanic.Thiscausesadangeroussituationinwhichthedogmayfeelobligedtocometowardssomethingitisfearfulof,onlytothenfeeloverwhelmedbypanicandforcedtoresortto“fightorflight”.
Sowhatcanwedoaboutourtimiddogs?
Ingeneral,weneedtogivethedogorpuppytime,andallowthedogtochoosewhathewantstodoorwherehewantstobe.Don’tcoax,butallowthedogplentyofopportunitytoinvestigate“scary”thingsorpeopleatadistancetheyfeelcomfortablewith.Rewardthedogforbravechoicesandallowthedogtoretreatasoftenandasfarastheyneed.However,helpingatimiddogcanbefarmorecomplexthanwewouldexpect.Mostofusprobablytendtofocusonsomeobviousbehavioursuchasbarkingatvisitorsorpullingontheleadorlungingatdogs.Wefocusdirectlyonthebehaviourthattroubles“us”
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most.Wefocusonthethingsthatannoy“us”andthat“we”havedifficultywith.Thesearethethingsthatwewantfixed.
Forthedog,however,thereareusuallymanyotherissues.Forinstance,hemaybescaredofnoise,hemayfeelalittleunsettledwhenleftathomealoneorhemaybeexperiencingpain.It’sverydifficultforustofeelcomfortablewhenwearescared(thinkaboutapersonwitharachnophobiasittinginaroomwithacoupleofspiders).Wemayhavedifficultyconcentratingwhenwehavetoothache.Again,thesameistrueforourdogs.Thereforeonmanyoccasions,ithelpstotakeastepbackandconsiderthefullrangeofissuesthatatimiddoghastocopewith.Wecanthenstarttobuildamoreholisticapproachtohelphim.
ExampleOne
Arescuedogistakentotheparkandreleasedoffleadintoagangof10otherdogsto“gethimusedtootherdogs”.Hefeelsterrifiedandoverwhelmed.Insteadof“gettingusedtoit”,allhisworstfearsaboutotherdogsandnottrustinghumansareconfirmedandhefightshiswayoutofthere!
ExampleTwo
Arescuedogistakenonleadtoanareatheothersideofthedogparkfenceandallowedtojusthangoutwatchingtheotherdogsandgettingrewardedfordoingnormalstufflikesniffingwhileotherdogsarewithinsight.Heisneverworriedthattheotherdogswill“mug”himandhasplentyoftimetoobservethemfromasafedistance.Heeventuallylearnstotrusthishumantokeephimsafeandthatotherdogsarenotsobad.
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SummaryWe’veseeninthisbookhowtheuseofsomelabelsandtermscanreallystopusunderstandingwhat’sgoingonwithourdogs.Wordslikestubbornorstupidmayhelpusgetridofsomeofourfrustrationwithawaywarddog,butperhapsthisalsoactuallyexcusesusfromcriticallyanalysingtheunderlyingemotionsandtherootcause.Hopefully,changingourmindsetswillreallyhelpourdogsand-evenbetter-improvethebondthatwehavewiththem.Here’saweesummaryofwhatwe’vecovered:
ThePhrase WhatWeThink WhatDogzThink
He’sDominant Mydogalwaysjumpsonmeandpullsmealong
Heyz,IjustwannahavecuddleslikeweusedtowhenIwozapuppy&Iwannagettotheparkfasttoplaywithmypals
HeHatesthePostieorCatsortheVacuum
Mydoghatesthesethingssomuchbecauseheisbarking,growling,lungingat,orchasingthem
Postie:Theremustbesomethingverywrongwivthizguy.Henevercomezin-hemustnotbeafriend-Ibettergetridofhim!Cats:Yeah,acatz,Ilurvtochasethemcatz!Vacuum:Geez,thatnoiseisscary!
He’sJustPlayBiting Ithurtsabitbutit’sokorHe’sconstantlybitingmeheisamonster!
ButthisizhowIplaywithmydogpalz
AboutRewards Idon’twanttobribemydogormakethemfat,theyshouldjustdoasIaskbecausetheyloveme.PlusIdon’twanttocarryfoodwithmeallthetime
Heyz,Ilovezyouokay,butwhyshouldIdowhatyouwantwhentherezsomanyintereztingthingzoutthere?
AboutSocialisation Mypuppyordogneedstoplaywithlotsofotherssotheylearntobetolerantofalldogs
Heyz,Ilovezplayingwithotherpuppiez,Igetsoexcited!Orweeelll,IliketotakemytimemeetingothersnhangbacktilI’msurewe’llgetalong.Thosebigdogzlookscary
He’sStubborn Mydogknowswhattodo,hejustwon’tdowhatIwant
Butit’zarabbitzzzz!
He’sStupid! Hejustwon’tlearnanything HowcanIlistentoyouwhentherezsomanyexcitingthingzgoingon!
He’sJustaBitTimid… He’sjustshybecausehe’sbeenintherescuecentreforawhile
MyworldhasclozeddownandIreallycan’tcopewithnewthingz
Itisquitelikelyofcourse,thatassoonasthisispublished,peoplewillbeaskingorcommentingaboutthesetermsandothersthatwe’vemissed,whichwe’llbedelightedtoadd.Sopleasedojoininthedebate,jointhemailinglistandlookoutforfuturepostshere:
www.facebook.com/DogzThinkzDifferentz/www.pawsability.co.uk/DogzThinkzDifferentz
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