Denise Fenzi's Blog, page 16

Socialization and Early Training

I am often asked how we should socialize our dogs so that they will grow up as well adjusted as possible. I think the answer is both simple and intuitive: The same way you socialize your small children.

I know that many of you don’t have children but work with me here. Even if you do not have children, you certainly know what they are, and you have a pretty good idea of how parents raise them.

Parents take their children to all of the normal places of life. If mom goes grocery shopping, the child comes along. Same with the bank, the store, the homes of relatives, and the library. These are places that almost all children will have significant exposure to from early in life. Through small doses of exposure over time, our children learn what to expect and how to behave in different places.

The type of home a child is raised in will affect the type of socialization experienced. Some parents are highly social and have frequent parties or social events. Children raised this way will have an easier time at parties when they are older than children who are raised by parents who are not as inclined to host social events but always within the context of the child’s underlying temperament – a shy child may choose a more reclusive life as an adult, even if well socialized to parties as a youngster. That is where the interplay between temperament and socialization come together. For the most part, society allows for this – a range of personality types is well tolerated in society.

How about a child who is destined for a more unusual life? A royal baby, for example, will be exposed early on to crowds of thousands, proper table manners and to all sorts of expectations that will not be a part of a regular child’s life. A child born into a native tribe that still relies on hunting to survive will have a vastly different set of experiences. How successfully each takes to his role will rely heavily on proper socialization.

Rarely do we consciously think about socializing our children, but that is indeed what we are doing. As a result of this “quiet” approach, we have a good chance of making the right decisions. We don’t push. We don’t lump socialization into one day a week. And we don’t freak out when the child has a bad day and throws a fit over not much of anything. We simply get them out into the world – focusing on those areas that will be critical to their future.

And your dog? I’d say it’s about the same.

If you plan to walk your dog in the neighborhood, take the dog to a local park for exercise, or visit a local nursing home, then you’ll want to start early showing your dog those pictures and helping them understand what the expected behaviors are in those places. Exposure and familiarity will allow your puppy to adapt, assuming that the underlying temperament is suited for that lifestyle.

How about a dog with a more specialized future; a dog destined for performance competitions? This puppy should be exposed to crowds of both dogs and people. Noisy places. Loudspeakers. Travel. Training classes. And at some point, when the puppy is ready, he should learn to perform some basic skills in those environments – after all, that is the puppy’s future. If his temperament is within the range needed for success in these environments, then basic exposure should do the trick.

How should we treat a puppy that is nervous around people? The same as a small child who is nervous around people. It’s not a big deal most of the time – allow the puppy (or child) to hide behind you if they wish. It won’t matter. Children are notorious for hiding behind their mothers, and most parents (and strangers) understand this natural phase of growing up and just ignore it. If you want to make your child hate going out, force them to interact with people who they are afraid of or force them to enter places that frighten them. And so it goes for puppies. If they aren’t ready to meet your neighbor, let it be. If you allow them to explore the world at their own pace, they will learn to use you as a resource for safety rather than taking matters into their own hands by growling, barking, or becoming catatonic when threatened. They can meet the neighbor when they are ready; your job is to non-judgmentally support the puppy’s decision.

And the puppy that is exuberant? About the same as a child who is exuberant. Calmly redirect the behavior and remove from the situation if the behavior does not improve quickly. Allow the dog or child to return when the behavior is better, or recognize that the expectations of the situation exceeded what was reasonable at that time.

And if your child has a tendency to become aggressive with other children? You remove that child, calm them and try again…with much closer supervision. When you notice behavior escalating, you remove the child before it gets worse. You pay attention – no hanging out with the mommies on a distant bench.

And so it goes with your puppy. Assertive puppies need closer supervision while they learn how to behave. Leaving small puppies or young children unsupervised is a recipe for disaster because the bully will win; small children and puppies do not “work it out.” If your puppy is becoming too rough or excited with the other puppies, then remove him for a short period and supervise much more closely when you return, or change the scenario. Limit the total period of exposure since good behavior is exhausting for both dogs and kids. Good parenting is exhausting for us too!

Do you use a leash with your small children? Probably not. Instead, you pay attention to what the child is watching and you look for triggers that signal a potential problem (a ball rolling into the street will cause most parents to watch their kids carefully for signs that they might follow). If people had to manage their puppy without a leash in public spaces, their understanding of their dog’s needs and triggers would improve dramatically – they would have no choice but to pay attention and “learn” their puppy.

Pass the toddler? I’ve never heard of it. No one expects a toddler to go willingly to ten different strangers – with no choice – and to be happy about it. Sure, some toddlers would probably love the game, but most prefer the security of their caregivers.

And puppies? I’ll admit I do not understand “pass the puppy”. My puppies are allowed to rely on me, and they have 100% choice about whether or not to approach a new person. If they want to approach ( and if the person wishes to visit) then they approach. And if they don’t want to, then that’s fine too. We all grow up when we are ready. I never pass my puppy off unless he has indicated that he wishes to go. Some of my dogs grow into social adults and others are more reserved but I’m hard-pressed to believe that handing them off to random strangers while they shut down in fear would have benefitted them. I wouldn’t do it to a child and I will not to it to a puppy. Leave the puppy on its feet and it can approach (or avoid) as it is ready. If you give your puppy choice, as you would a human child, it’s much harder to put them into a situation that terrifies them.

And a few words about the rights of other people. Yes, people have rights, and they have the right not to like your dog or your children. If a person does not wish to visit, then it is my responsibility to prevent my rambunctious child or puppy from bothering that person. Over time, both children and dogs learn for themselves when a person prefers to be left alone.

Most puppies will do quite well if raised in this manner but some will not do well – those puppies may have specific temperament issues that will need to be addressed in a more systematic fashion. If your puppy is in the minority and their behavior appears to be deteriorating, go see a specialist and get help.

Still reading? Then you might be interested in my webinar on Thursday at 3 pm PT.  I’ll talk about the difference between the socialization and the Enrichment period, consider where training fits into the bigger picture, give you specific ideas for getting the job done without making it your full-time job, point out where humans tend to go off the rails (hint: stop feeding your puppy), tell you why you can (should?) stop worrying so much! and…what does science say about all of this anyway? Let’s discuss it!

Learn more and get enrolled here – tuition is $19.95

https://fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/self-study/webinars

 

Acclimation and Engagement

If you let a dog sniff, will you be teaching your dog to sniff?  Are you encouraging your dog to ignore you once you start formal work?

I’m a big believer in the value of choice, in particular in dogs that have nervousness or stress issues.  I think when dogs opt-in we get a lot more done in a short period of time because we’re not fighting with the dog for attention.  I also get a tremendous amount of feedback from students who have tried it both ways – “causing” the dog to pay attention by using food or toys or nagging or corrections, and “allowing” the dog to discover on their own that paying attention and work is actually a pretty good deal!I don’t want to fight.  I’d rather spend my training time ensuring that everyone gets their interests met, thereby developing a willing partner.

Don’t drag your dog into Disneyland.  If work is fun for your dog, let them come to that on their own.  That requires letting go of control and allowing your dog to figure out a few things on their own.

This video is from FDSA Dog Sports Camp this year. You can see what happens when Ridge is allowed to sniff – it’s incredibly important to him to do so!  You can also see what happens when he is ready to work.  He’s a lovely dog who is having nice success in competition, in spite of his very very powerful nose that goes a mile a minute, pretty much every second that he’s not sleeping or working :).

 

How to Pick a Pet Dog Trainer

You have a new dog or puppy, and you’re either feeling pro-active and want to get off on the right foot or you’ve got a problem brewing and you need to do something about it.

How do you find a dog trainer for your pet dog?

The typical advice you’re going to get will tell you more about the advice giver’s philosophy of training then it will about the skill of the trainer or their suitability to work with you.  I think that’s a problem, so let’s get down to some basics that should be present in every dog trainer, regardless of one’s philosophy.

However, before I can go further, I do have to state my bias for those who have managed to miss it or who never knew what it was in the first place: I focus on teaching dogs what we want using food, toys and positive interactions.  I have no love for dominance based theories or for pressure based training techniques. In my mind, the goal is to find a way that the dog and humans can live in mutual harmony – “mutual” being the key word here. It’s not all about the human, nor is it all about the dog.

Now that I have that out of the way, how does one pick a pet dog trainer?

Look for a trainer that teaches what you care to learn.  For example, if you feel strongly about having a recall, loose leash walking or teaching your dog not to jump on your guests, then you need to find a trainer, either privately or in a class setting, that is going to give you ideas for working on these issues.  There are A LOT of ways to get there, but if you find a local class that emphasizes formal heeling, sit and down, stand stay, and a six foot recall to a sit in front, then your dog may learn a few new things, but the value to you is going to be limited.  Which is not to say that you might not like having these things, and they may indeed serve you well, but none of those is going to address what you were specifically looking for. Instead, look for a class that emphasizes “loose leash walking” (less formal than heeling), gives you specific techniques for handling manners (such as staying on a mat or resting quietly in a crate when guests arrive to prevent jumping on people),  concrete advice for housebreaking and specific techniques for handling any routine behaviors that have you concerned.  All of these are reasonable expectations from a beginning level training class, even if the actual process of teaching the behaviors goes on much longer than the length of the class or the duration of your private lessons.
Look for a trainer who is gentle with you and listens to what you are looking for.  There is never ever ever an excuse for a trainer to berate a dog owner who is seeking help!  A professional will treat you like the adult that you are and will listen to your concerns.  A good trainer will work with you and your dog as partners to help you achieve a satisfactory outcome. Do not settle for less, even if a trainer came “highly recommended” or for any other reason.  You want to be able to relax and learn how to train your dog, not worry about getting yelled at while you’re trying to figure it all out!
Along that same vein, look for a trainer who sees training as a “triangle” of interests; the three of you working together to reach a satisfactory resolution.  If the philosophy “feels” like the trainer and the owner against the dog, then there is a problem.  And if feels like the trainer and the dog against the owner, there is also a problem.  There should be a roughly equal balance of interests if you want to find yourself in a respectful and effective training scenario.
Personally, I would not work with a trainer who did not respond to my initial inquiry within a day or two.  The reason is simple – if the person is too busy to appreciate you as a potential client, then they’re going to be too busy after you give them your $$$ as well.  The trainer-client relationship is a two-way street; each person should respect the other and that includes being timely to appointments and prompt to respond to inquiries from the other.  That is what it means to be professional.   Which doesn’t mean that they will be able to see you right away, but it’s basic courtesy to respond quickly regardless of whether or not they will be able to work with you.
For classes, I suggest working with a trainer that limits their class to no more than about five clients per trainer.  Yes, you’ll pay more than at the local rec center with 10 students to each instructor, but if you go that route be prepared to get what you pay for.  Assuming that your time has value, consider that a solid series of lessons with personalized attention is going to yield you a much better return than six weeks of chaos.  Private lessons are often much more economical over the long run, especially if your dog cannot focus and learn in the presence of other dogs and/or people.
If you have a very specific issue that you are trying to resolve (anxiety, aggression, excessively fearful behavior, etc.) I STRONGLY recommend working with a trainer who specializes in that specific area, and who has extensive experience (and references) to back it up.  I would engage in private lessons and I would be prepared to pay for that expertise.  Ask about their qualifications!  What classes and specialized training does this trainer have to back up their assertion that they are qualified to help you? Do they engage in continuing education?    It’s critically important to understand that MOST dog trainers are not qualified to handle true problem behavior – and dogs that threaten people or who are living excessively fearful or anxious lives are exhibiting true problem behavior.
 Be aware that “experience” is actually a double-edged sword.   Dog training has come a long way in the last 30 years!   While it’s fantastic if a person has been training for a long time, it’s also critical that they have been evolving during that time. Ask a potential trainer how their techniques have changed over time, and listen to their reply! If the answer suggests that ” it’s working for me”  without much self-evaluation or continuing education, consider that carefully.

Note that I have said nothing about training techniques, so let’s touch on that now.  Rather than telling you that you must only work with a certain kind of trainer, I’m going to suggest that you approach if this way:

If it’s a class, ask if you may observe.  Now, as you observe, start with the understanding that the dog has roughly the mental reasoning and emotional capacity of a two or three-year-old child.  If they gave the same advice for a child would that work with YOUR mental model of child rearing?  For example, I do not choose to hit toddlers but some people do!  As you observe the class – would you want this person advising you on child rearing?  Does their perspective on “the other” feel right to you?   If it makes sense to you then it may well be a good way to go.  If it would make you uncomfortable then reconsider your options.

Does the class appear to be fun for the participants?  Happy participants learn better!  This is true of both dogs and people, so look for a class where dogs and handlers appear to be engaged and having a reasonably good time!

It’s not easy to find a good trainer, and most people put little or no thought into how they want to train their pet dogs.  Responsible dog owners simply go to “dog training school” because they have learned that it is a good idea, and it is! But what you learn there might set you up for a lifetime of happiness with your dog or it might create entirely new problems that never would have existed had you worked with another person.  Dog training in an open field – anyone can hang up their shingle. And while there are many ways to become a trainer – mentorships, studying at various dog schools, or simply training a lot of dogs – none guarantee quality.  I know that when a trainer does not appreciate the unique circumstances of each dog or family I get nervous and when the well being of either the dog or the handler is the sole focus, with no consideration for the other half, I get the most nervous of all.

The goal is a happy situation.  A happy dog that has learned how to fit into the household with a happy family that knows how to raise their dog so that everyone can live together in harmony, hopefully for many years to come.

Good luck!

My Life as A Blogger

365 days ago, I started a blog.  I had no agenda, except to create a “diary” of the process of raising my new puppy, Lyra.  I had no intention of posting every week.  I had no intention of using my blog as a soapbox; a chance to talk about whatever thoughts, feelings, or ideas were in my head.  I had no intention of bringing up controversial subjects.  I was simply going to train my dog.  Publicly.

Yet, in the process of watching dogs, people and training, I found myself unable to hold back – so much unhappiness in people or dogs that did not need to be there.  I began to write…and I was amazed to see that by far and away the most popular blogs were the ones where I simply expressed my thoughts.

It appears that trainers want to evaluate what they are doing, why they are doing it, and whether it is the best approach for their dog.  For me, it simply doesn’t get much better than that.

In one year, this blog logged 175,000 views; that is staggering in my mind.  People are reading, thinking and maybe talking to each other about some rather important topics in dog training.

Starting on Sept 11th, the one year anniversary of this blog, I will repost the most read blogs from the past year.  To give you an idea of where I came from and who I am, I am also reprinting my very first blog post.

Thank you for your support, comments, and disagreements.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this journey into writing.

 

Edit: Aug 5th – Sensing a pattern here?   I’m apologizing again, but this time I’ll provide an explanation. I am going back through all of my blogs, all 452 or so of them, and tagging each one individually with the topics found within that blog, so that if you have a training question you are trying to address, you will be able to do so by searching the tags.  For example, if you’re struggling with your retrieve over high jump, you could search “retrieve over high jump” and all of those blogs with that topic would come up.  Unfortunately, if I inadvertently tag a post that is a draft then I am likely to publish it by accident. I will try to be more careful!

Denise

Balance – Trainer and Student

I have lots of opinions about how dogs “should” be trained.  I prioritize toys and play over food, speed over accuracy, short sessions over long ones, etc.  At the same time, I also have a range of students in both private lessons and in seminars with their own opinions, goals and most important, competencies.  As the trainer, I am responsible for reconciling these differences in a manner that respects all interested parties.

As trainers, we want others to share our vision of what a well-trained competition dog will look like.  We encourage our students to adopt our style, with varying amounts of expectation and pressure, and that can lead to some real conflict.  Sometimes, trainers forget that our favorite methods of training were honed over YEARS of practice.  We were not born knowing our skills; we learned them. We apply our techniques with tremendous expertise and enthusiasm, and sometimes we expect others to be able to duplicate our abilities after a few days rather than after several years.

Sometimes we completely lose sight of the end goal – a dog and handler team working together with enjoyment – at whatever level of competence is possible for that team, at that time.

To be successful working together, a trainer and student must be close enough in their interests, methods, and goals that they can enjoy their relationship – asking a correction oriented trainer to become a positive trainer to please the interests of a student is not reasonable and the reverse is also true; a positive trainer should not be asked to compromise their principles to please a student.

On the other hand, sometimes the interest isn’t a philosophical difference at all; it’s simply a matter of helping a student learn to correctly apply mechanical skills or to change their emotional interactions with their dogs. Failure on the part of the student isn’t “willfulness” – it’s ability.  Telling the student to try harder, or once again going over the value of the technique isn’t going to make them better.  Like our dogs, people do the best they can with whatever skills and competencies they have.

I’m going to use playing tug as an example.

Here’s what happens. The student reads a book or attends a seminar where playing tug is offered as a Very Important Training Technique.  It looks simple enough to apply so the student goes ahead and gives it a try.  Remember, the trainer emphasized that playing tug was Super Important – sometimes a trainer won’t even work with your dog until it has this foundation skill.  And….by the time I see them, all that is left is a stressed-out team and a dog that actively avoids toys.

The problem may or may not be in the method – it is possible that the trainer gave them all of the right information.  The problem may be in the student’s ability to apply it.  it’s not that the student doesn’t want to do better, but maybe the student hasn’t had the opportunity to study hundreds of dogs.  Maybe the student has a regular full-time job and works with their dog as a hobby on the side, and at this point in time, their ability to both process the information correctly and then turns it out as a correct mechanical skill isn’t quite there.  Easier said than done.

Do trainers have an obligation to offer techniques that can be used effectively by students?  Is it a moral breach to encourage someone to use a technique when you know that there is a very good chance that they cannot apply it effectively?  Not sure of the answer to this, but it’s at least good food for thought.

This particular example is near and dear to my heart because I teach tug.  Love tug.  Use it extensively.  Praise it.  etc.

And in a seminar of 10 working spots, at least five will play tug poorly and one will have created a dog so anxious and shut down at the sight of a tug that it has had exactly the opposite effect that I had in mind.  That’s truly unfortunate.

What can I do as a trainer who wants to share my love of tug, without accidentally damaging the team?

I can constantly emphasize the dog’s reactions to what you are doing.  If the dog is not engaged, then STOP.  Tug is not the point, the dog’s increased energy and enthusiasm are.  If the owner cannot teach it and the dog does not respond, then what is the logic in pushing and insisting that the dog figure it out?  Isn’t it more logical to give the student alternatives, without judging them over what they cannot yet do?  As a trainer, I need to accept that handlers have their own limitations. Maybe they are brand new to the sport, and they struggle just to get their dog to pay attention for a short period of time.  Maybe they are not coordinated physically, and moving quickly with a toy is difficult for them.

If a trainer can accept the student and their current skill set and limitations, it improves the quality of life for the team.  And that is the point; that should be the overarching goal of any hobby; to enjoy your time spent honing your skills.

I have seen way too many dogs that turn off at the sight of a tug toy.  In most cases, the owner has worked on it obsessively and…therein lies the problem.  They want it so much that they have lost sight of the goal – to have fun with their dog and to bring more energy to training.  In the end, they’ve had exactly the opposite experience than what was intended; now both they and their dog are anxious about playing together.  Furthermore, many of these folks chose a nontraditional breed, and often these breeds challenge even the most experienced trainers to get really excellent toy play.

The second issue is the emphasis on HOW the dog should play.  Who cares?  Telling people “what it should look like” adds more pressure on top of an already charged situation.   If the dog is having fun with a toy, what difference does it matter if the dog grabs hold and pulls back vs. pushing forwards and in?  Or if the dog really loves to fetch a ball and that provides the energy, rather than engaging with a tug?  Are there benefits to a tug over a ball?  Sure.  But there are also benefits of a ball over a tug – encourage your students to develop both sides.  But to say that the one is not an “acceptable” way to build energy and drive is not logical.  Tug is better for some skills and balls for others.    If a dog loves to chase a toy flying around on the floor, what difference does it make if he ever grabs on at all?  For my dogs, chasing a toy without grabbing hold and fighting would be extremely frustrating and stressful and their work would show a frantic edge – it would not be a good choice for me.  But I have a student dog where chasing the toy (and never touching it with their teeth) works beautifully; the dog is happy to be engaged and the end goal of increased energy for the work is satisfied.  Who am I to criticize them and say they have a “lesser” game, or that it is somehow a reflection of their relationship that they do not play that particular game?

If you are a trainer, consider giving your students permission to set different end goals than you set for yourself.  If toy play is important to you, express to your students why it is important, and give them as many technical skills as possible for achieving that goal with their own dogs. At the same time, give them encouragement for what they CAN do; if they use a piece of food in an engaging manner which brings out energy, focus on that skill.  Train with it, and show them how to do so most effectively. And…encourage them to work on their toy skills on the side.

Help your students to identify the end goals; to have fun, to engage as a team, to enjoy each other.  Give them tools but allow them to make them work for their situation, based on their current limitations.

We all started at the beginning.  Honoring your student’s efforts by meeting them where they are will go far to encourage enthusiastic and confident participation in the dog sports.  And in the end, isn’t that the goal?  To help people find ways to relate to their dogs that honor their goals and their relationship?

Your goals do not need to be your student’s goals, unless your fundamental beliefs are being compromised.  For example, I will not use compulsion in training, and if someone wants to train in this manner then they are much better off finding a different trainer because that compromises my underlying beliefs.  But if someone is not comfortable using a toy, then I see that as a teaching opportunity over time; the use or non-use of a toy has no ethical basis for my consideration.

There is a student responsibility here too.  Students need to understand that trainers have passions, and we have a preference for working with students who share our passions.  If my passion is motivation and yours is high scores regardless of the picture, maybe it would be better if you found another trainer.   While I might be capable of helping you with your interests, it’s likely that it’s not a whole lot of fun for me.  On the other hand, maybe you train with someone who is all about high scores and you are asking them for help getting more animation or a better picture.  If they are interested in that challenge then excellent; but if you are causing them discomfort and stress because this is not their passion, then consider finding another trainer who shares your passion.  No surprise, but training is a whole lot more fun for all three of you (trainer, handler and dog) if you share your passions, or at least your vision for where you want to be at the end of the process.

I’ve often said that training is a journey.  Within that spirit, there needs to be a compromise on all sides to make that journey as pleasant as possible.

Worst case scenario, it’s totally reasonable for a trainer to suggest to a student that they are simply a poor match – their interests and passions are too far apart.  But be clear about that upfront; it’s a difference of interests that leads to the poor match, not that the student is “wrong” and needs to do it your way because you are “right”.  You might be right for your dogs, your interests, and your passions, and they may be right for their dogs, their interests, and their passions.  I choose not to work with pet dogs in obedience because it is not my passion and I most enjoy working with others who want to do what I do.  I see no problem with trainers telling others that tug is very important, and without it they will not work with a person.  But tell them up front and don’t make it a moral issue – it’s not one.

It’s equally reasonable for a student to tell a trainer that they’re not comfortable with the methods that are being taught – either because they don’t feel they have the mechanical skills to apply the methods or because they are not comfortable applying them.

Now the dogs….they are the only ones who have no choice in the matter, so one hopes that both the student and the trainer are always considering how the dog is responding to the training.

NOTE ADDED August 5, 2018:  I published this blog by accident. It was actually written several years ago, and in the process of cleaning up my blog I pushed it out. I apologize for this rambling and somewhat incoherent series of thoughts!

The NEW Dog Sports Trainer Certificates at FDSA!

We did another thing at FDSA!

If you are a goal-oriented sort of person, and if you take classes at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, you may want to check out our new certificate program which combines the formal education provided by FDSA with an applied skills component via the TEAM titling program.  It’s a very challenging program, as it should be!   You’ll need to demonstrate mastery of both “classroom learning” with the TEAM test to ensure that you not only understand the theory but demonstrate that you can apply it as well.

You can find more information about our certificate programs on the FDSA website here

Speaking of TEAM….

Two years ago we announced the Fenzi TEAM  titling program.  We described it as follows:

TEAM is an acronym for “Training Excellence Assessment Modules,” which perfectly describes our goal:  a progression-oriented titling program that emphasizes excellence in training over training for any particular sport. Each TEAM level adds complexity for the dog-handler team in four areas: the difficulty of the skills being assessed, the potential challenges in the form of food and toy distractions, the challenge of the actual testing location, and finally the quantity of reinforcement allowed during the test.

And as we had hoped, the program has had the desired impact… people are playing! Hundreds of submissions to the titling program!  Training their dogs! Having a wonderful time and developing their skills for both life and competition in one fell swoop!

If you’d like to join a highly supportive community of TEAM  players who value excellence in training and appreciate the improvement in their other dog sports, take a look!   Indeed, you may want to start on the rules page, where you’ll find a handy chart at the bottom to help you see the relationship between your current dog sports and TEAM.

We welcome new students to FDSA and new players to TEAM, so check out all of your options and feel free to hop in!

Oh, and while you are on the TEAM website, check out the newsletters and linked articles. You’ll get lots of free training advice there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guilt of Knowledge

We know a lot about good training these days. We know about errorless learning, setting up environments to foster success, and using our knowledge of total circumstances to change behavior in ways that are both kind and effective for the learner.

We know how to create training plans, track our progress, find the holes in our training and take responsibility for the success of the learner.

We know so much!

And it appears that as we know more, there has been a concurrent rise in our levels of guilt when we are unable to provide for the dog at the level that we have been taught.   When our own emotions or needs come to the fore. Or when we just get tired of trying so hard to get it right.  It’s true that when you know better you can do better.  Or you can be too tired to do better, and just feel bad about the whole thing.

The dog is barking so we yelled at the dog.   We got too close to a trigger and the dog responded badly. We forgot to work on cooperative care, and the dog backslid on their nail trims. Hell, we forgot to teach cooperative care at all and now our dog has a serious illness and spends a lot of very unhappy time at the vet.

Woulda coulda shoulda.   And it’s always our fault. Always! Because that is the belief structure of a positive reinforcement trainer; we take responsibility for what happens, for what we did and did not train.  Which is fine. I happen to believe that too. But it leads to another problem, which is how we view ourselves when we fail to succeed when we “knew” better.

Dogs have managed for thousands of years to live with humans. Most of them, the majority, figured stuff out even with the most ignorant of owners. Look at the world around you! Most dogs get no formal training at all, and the ones who do get some formal training often receive one round of mediocre instruction at best.

Dogs deal with the fact that people yell, throw things at them and make some pretty god-awful bad training decisions on a regular basis, from the moment they arrive and right through their “sensitive” periods. Forget discussions of antecedent, behavior, and consequences; how about just trying to get people not to rub their dog’s nose in their poo when they have an accident in the house?

And those people? The ones who know nothing, and allow the dog to take full responsibility for everything? They have no guilt. They have basic expectations of a dog as a dog, and they rely on the fact that dogs seem to manage in spite of all of our worst decisions – often successfully!

And those of us who know a lot? Well educated? Cutting edge and current on the best possible practices for raising, training, socializing, and interacting with our dogs, and taking full responsibility for their emotional, physical, and mental well-being? Enriching their environments? Training them on everything that we can possibly predict they might need at some point in their lives, from canine cooperative care, to calm greetings of other dogs?

We often take on dogs that are challenging rather than typical and then we have chronic guilt. We made a mistake! We yelled at a dog and we know better!  We left our dog with separation anxiety alone and set ourselves back a month! And that leads to…guilt.  We knew better.  We failed the dog. We failed ourselves.

Is this what we signed up for?  Is this dog ownership?

I see this as a rising trend, this tendency towards guilt when we are unable to do exactly the right things at all times, in particular with dogs that are NOT typical – dogs that would not have been kept alive even twenty years ago, never mind attempting to rehabilitate the dog to the point of being able to compete or engage in public outings.

So here is my thought on the matter. Let’s start by understanding that the average dog manages in spite of it all. In spite of absolutely ignorant raising and terrible training, the average dog is successful. That means that if your dog is not successful with average training, then your dog is outside of the norm. Congratulations for going above and beyond and working to help your dog!

Now, at every step of the way, you need to remember that you didn’t get average. You got challenging. And the fact that you are working on it? You should be proud of every single effort and opportunity that you take to make things better for your dog, because not so long ago? That dog wouldn’t have made it at all.

When we talk to other people, we need to keep this first and foremost in our minds. Yes, we can diagram out behavior plans for people to follow, and we should do so because we are dog trainers! But we must never forget that most dogs don’t require those behavior plans; those are not typical dogs.   And so the owners are going to be frustrated and resentful. And they’re going to make a lot of errors. And what we should focus on is the fact that they are doing it at all; that they are taking on a dog that is not typical and they are doing their best – a typical dog would have figured it out for them.

And if you are the owner of the dog that’s not typical?  You need to recognize that – your dog is not easy; not average – you are not the problem here; you are offering a solution!  Let go of the guilt. Do your best when you can, and when you can’t then that is okay too because you matter just as much as the dog.

Every time you try – you train and follow the plan and do your best – kudos to you!  You have gone above and beyond.  That is what you need to remember.

 

Free podcast on play with Denise

Recently I was interviewed for a 30-minute podcast for FDSA on the topic of play.  Click the link if you want to listen to it.

I covered a lot of ground in this one!  Why I play with dogs.  What you can learn when you play with your dog.  How to play…in particular, how to get started.  And why I think it matters if you play with your dog – for competition purposes and otherwise.

And if you’re more of a reader than a listener then that’s fine too, because we transcribe all of our podcasts.  FDSA offers one podcast a week, so if you enjoy them consider subscribing.

I’m also teaching a class on the topic of Relationship Building Thru Play that starts instruction today – if you’d like to join the class you can do that here.

 

How to Train an Animal. Any animal.

Today my husband and I faced our seventh failed attempt to protect our vegetable garden from squirrels.  As I thought through our recent war with the critters, I was reminded of the principles of excellent animal training:

1. Set up challenges that become increasingly more difficult over time, as each prior challenge is mastered.

2. Motivated animals learn fine with a single repetition if and when they find the answer to the problem for themselves (and are richly rewarded for their success).

3. Use positive reinforcement techniques combined with allowing the animal to problem solve as often as possible. Shaping is thus preferred to luring, all things being equal.

4. Tenacity and confidence are built through success.

 

Our overriding error was building our vegetable sanctuary (as it came to be known) step-by-step. We started with chicken wire only four feet up. They mastered that challenge.  Then we added netting. They mastered that.  Then we brought the wire higher on the sides.  Then the top.  Then patching the holes. And at each step, they figured it out and snacked away on our cucumbers, strawberries and tomatoes.  And now, in the latest round, we have the sides and the top fully enclosed in both bird netting and chicken wire.

Unfortunately, as a result of building up so much success over time, the squirrels worked at the problem until they figured out how to climb the wood and wires, hang upside down while moving for several feet on a metal bar across the top, and then entered the vegetable sanctuary through a tiny seam between two pieces of chicken wire.

One side of me would like to be annoyed at the loss of my delicious fruits and veggies. Instead, I have chosen to focus on what I have had reinforced about animal training….success breeds success; set up for successes within problem solving to create a confident and determined learner.

If a few of you take the message to heart as well, I’ll write off the strawberries and call it a day. They win. We trained them well.

If you’d like to join me tonight (July 30th) at 6 PM Pacific time, I’m going to do a webinar on anything you want! You can even ask me about training squirrels since I’ve learned a few things about that too.

It’s free. Free is nice.

Register here

A link will be sent to you one hour in advance of the webinar so you can hop in with your questions!  You must register by 5:00 PM Pacific time today, at which time the registration link will be taken down.

 

Trial Readiness – FB live and… a FREE webinar!

The following Facebook live is about 45 minutes long and covers the topic of Trial Readiness.  How do you know if you’re ready to compete??!! You can watch or just listen while you do other things.

In addition, I’ll do a free webinar on Monday July 30th – you can “Ask me Anything!” This is also a good opportunity to test out our webinar software, for free, if you’re curious to see if it will work for you.

More details on the free “Ask me anything!” webinar can be found by clicking here