Category — dog training

Training Tidbit – April 2011

The Golden Rule of animal training: Don’t ever, ever call your pet to you (or ask your bird to step up) then punish them.  Animals are not stupid; they learn by association and consequences, and if there is an unwanted consequence for coming to you, they will be reluctant to do it again!  Especially if you do this more than once.

You’ll also have to consider what your pet views as a “punishment.”  Sure, a time-out, scolding, or taking something away from them (GIVE me back my sock, you bad dog!) is obviously a punishment.  But, look at it from your pet’s perspective.  If your dog loves playing in the park, clipping on the leash and going home is a punishment.  If he doesn’t like go outside in the rain, putting him out to potty in the rain will be a punishment.  If your bird hates getting a shower, that is a punishment.  If your cat hates going in her carrier, that is a punishment.  Look at it from your pet’s perspective.  Is it a consequence they’d enjoy, or one they’d dislike?

If you need to do one of these despised things to your pet, you have several options:
1. Call me for a private lesson. I will teach you how to help your pet enjoy these things; then there will be no worries about accidentally punishing them!
2. Go get your pet.  This is why dogs wear collars.   If you have a parrot or a cat, good luck with that.  (see option 1 above!)
3. Bribe.  This is not our favorite option, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, and it’s better than ruining your recall (or step-up). And don’t use your recall word!  Just show the animal what you’ve got, then wait for them to approach.

The bottom line: no matter how much you want to throttle your little friend, reinforce the behavior of coming to you.  This will make he behavior likely to happen again when you need it most.  Then change your pet’s environment or training so that your dog can’t steal your sock, your parrot can’t harass your cat, the cat loves going in her carrier, etc.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results!

Next month we will discuss the difference between reinforcement and bribery (there’s a big one!)  and why we prefer one over the other.

If you have an idea for the Training Tidbit, just let me know!

Housetraining for all Breeds and Ages

Housetraining can be one of the most frustrating trials of having a new dog.  Unfortunately for our carpets, dogs come with an instinctive set of behaviors that include, among other things, “eliminate when you feel the need.”  Here are some tips for teaching your dog where it is appropriate to “go.”

Supervise like crazy!  Do not let your new dog out of sight until he is trustworthy, or unless you know his bladder/bowels are definitively, assuredly, beyond-a-doubt empty.  You will have success much faster if you prevent “accidents” at all costs.  Have him wear a leash around the house. Put your dog on a feeding schedule so you know when he’s most likely to have to “go.”  Young puppies should be taken out after eating, drinking, waking up, playing, AND every hour, (or even ½ hour for small breeds), so set a timer.  Consistency is key in all animal training, so get everyone in your household on board with the plan.  For when you’re not home (or too busy to supervise) an ex-pen, playpen, baby gates, and/or crate are very useful because most dogs (luckily) come with an instinctive drive to keep their “den” clean.  These tools are not a replacement for training or exercise, but restricting your dog’s freedom is sometimes appropriate – you wouldn’t give the car keys to your 10 year old child, would you?  Your dog can have more freedom when he’s ready.

Reward success (as in, dog eliminates where you want him to) immediately after he’s done.  This means you and the treats must go outside with your dog.  Do not punish “accidents!”  This is ineffective and can actually be detrimental.  Studies show that although animals remember the past, they have a very difficult time associating what’s happening now with what happened then – meaning that your punishment after the fact is ineffective.  Worse, if you punish your dog while he’s going, you can teach him (very effectively) to hide in the back bedroom next time he has to go.  If your dog has an accident, it’s YOUR fault for not supervising closely enough!  Scoop him up and carry (or herd) him out the door ASAP and then reward him for finishing up in the proper place.

If you feel you’re doing everything right and it’s just not happening for you, seek professional help.  Even the best tennis player in the world has a coach.  Your dog may have a medical problem that makes housetraining difficult; ask your vet to make sure he’s healthy.  Next, consult a Certified Professional Dog Trainer for help (see ccpdt.com) – this is a very common problem and there are all sorts of ways to get success!

To Summarize:

• Get everyone in the household on the same page.
• Supervise, supervise, supervise!  Stalk that dog!
• If you can’t supervise, crate or otherwise restrict living space
• What goes in, must come out: put your dog on a feeding schedule
• Do not punish accidents
• Clean up accidents with an enzymatic cleaner (ex. Nature’s Miracle, Pet Odor Remover), bleach, or white vinegar
• Reward successes directly afterward
• Each dog is an individual – be patient
• Seek professional help if necessary.

Puppy Socialization: What it means and how to do it right

It’s not just a buzz word!  Socialization simply means “learning to live in a society.”  For dogs, this means learning to live in a human society, which takes some active effort on our part.  Most young social animals are very receptive to new experiences, up to a certain age –  later on, new experiences can be viewed as threatening (this makes biological sense, really – it’s survival of the fittest!)

Dogs have a Primary Socialization Period, which spans from 3 weeks (when they begin to see, hear, and smell) to 12 weeks, and a Secondary Socialization Period, which spans from after 12 weeks for the rest of the dog’s life.  The Primary Socialization Period is the one you always hear about (but that doesn’t mean that continued socialization throughout life isn’t important!)

Done properly, early puppy socialization helps your dog to grow up to be confident, calm and friendly around strange people, dogs and environments.  Well-socialized dogs are less likely to bite or develop debilitating behavior problems.  Early socialization also opens the gateway to additional socialization throughout life.  If a dog isn’t exposed to enough stimuli during the primary socialization period, the secondary socialization period will be less effective, because the brain hasn’t developed enough capacity to be receptive to new experiences.  This doesn’t mean all hope is lost; it just means you have to go about handling your dog in a very different way.  Find a CCPDT certified dog trainer who knows what they’re doing!  (www.ccpdt.org)

Puppy socialization should be done carefully, gently, and thoroughly.  Animals (including humans) learn by association; therefore, you want to make your puppy’s early experiences in the world happy and fun (hint: if your puppy is becoming increasingly fearful, you’re doing it wrong – STOP!  Your pup should be gaining confidence, not losing it.  Ask for help!).

Notice that a puppy’s Primary Socialization Period ends before most dogs’ vaccination series are finished.  This, admittedly, presents a problem.  Consult with your veterinarian about this issue.

Early experiences should above all be safe; DO NOT take a young puppy to the dog park!!  Not all of those dogs are friendly. (Indeed, people with aggressive dogs often tell me they tried to take them to the dog park to “socialize” them – which is potentially very dangerous for your little pup!)  Furthermore, there is no assurance that any of those dogs are healthy.  Communicable diseases can reside in fecal matter or soil for years in some cases.  Likewise, do not take your puppy to the pet store, or any area that is highly trafficked by dogs of unknown vaccination or disease status, until he’s done with his vaccination series.  An excellent option for proper puppy socialization is a well run Puppy Kindergarten class.  This is a class in a safe, controlled, clean environment designed specifically for little puppies who are in their critical socialization period and who haven’t finished their vaccination series.  It should be indoors, include only puppies below a certain age whose vaccination records have been seen by the instructor, and should take place on flooring that can be sanitized.  Most classes have an emphasis on basic manners, off-leash play (to develop proper body language skills and bite inhibition), and human socialization (we even have “Crazy Hat or Sunglasses Day” in my puppy classes!)

Here are some safe socialization activities for puppies that have not completed their vaccination series:

• Take the puppy on car rides: to the mountains, through the carwash, through the drive-thru, to a friend’s house
• Invite your tall, short, fat, skinny, old, young, hat wearing, etc. friends over to your house to meet your puppy! Invite people of different races to meet your puppy if you can.  (Bribe everyone with cake if you have to)
• Arrange playdates in your home with dogs who you know are well cared for, healthy, friendly, and polite
• Visit a local elementary school at dismissal time and have the children feed your puppy treats, throw a toy for him, etc.