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Cooperative Care

1/17/2023

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Cooperative Care teaches dogs how to cooperate in things such as vet care, grooming and day to day care. One that we teach is "chin" which teaches the dog to rest their chin in your hand. Because it's a behavior they choose to do it makes it easier to teach them that other things can happen, safely and calmly. Here you can see us easily place medicine in Zoinks eyes while she practices "Chin". We also clean her ears and this week she was examined by the vet while her chin was in my hand. #NationalTrainYourDogMonth #29K9 #certifiedtrainer #dogtraining #dogtrainingrocks #bestjobever #nopainrequired #certfiedfearfree #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #fearfree #basics #AKCCGC #akcstarpuppy #cooperativecare #cooperativecaretraining #NationalTrainYourDogMonth #29K9 #certifiedtrainer #dogtraining #dogtrainingrocks #bestjobever #nopainrequired #certfiedfearfree #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #fearfree #basics #AKCCGC #akcstarpuppy #funwithyourdog
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Relationship Based Training...It's Based on...

10/10/2022

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T
 
When someone disagrees with science based positive reinforcement training  they use a word that scares me, but also inspires me. The word respect.  “My dog does it because he respects me”   “I don’t want to bribe my dog, they need to do it out of respect”.  The word comes up a lot in their argument.  The thing is, it also comes up when I explain my training methods.  I respect the dog, our training is respectful.  We earn the dog’s respect.  We reward their good work with something they want.  Something they will work for.  Yes, we use a  lot  of treats.  We  also  use  love,  praise,  attention,  play.   We build a relationship based on respect.

    re·spect1
     /rəˈspekt/
     noun
   a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
     "the director had a lot of respect for Douglas as an actor"
     due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
     "young people's lack of respect for their parents"
     verb
     admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
      "she was respected by everyone she worked with"
 

Respect is elicited by or admiration of another’s qualities or achievements, which must be earned.   But the “respect” they reference is actually compulsory obedience that is based on the fear of consequence, the consequence of a punishment.  My dog will do it because he respects me. Unspoken is the “or else”. Based on fear, not respect.
 
   fear 1
    /ˈfir/
    noun
    an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain,
    or a threat.
    "he is prey to irrational fears"
    verb
    be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.
    "farmers fear that they will lose business"
 
   com·pul·so·ry 1
    /kəmˈpəlsərē/
    adjective
    required by law or a rule; obligatory.
    "compulsory military service"
    involving or exercising compulsion; coercive.
    "the abuse of compulsory powers"
 
 When building a relationship it should be built on respect.  Our dogs respect us because I treat them with respect.  We make sure their needs are met, without fear of consequence.
 
   re·la·tion·ship 1
    /rəˈlāSH(ə)nˌSHip/
    Noun
   the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.
    the way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other.
 

This is what we mean by relationship based training, a relationship built on respect. 
 
Ronda Warywoda, CPDT-Ka, UW-AAB
www.29k9.net

​
1 Definitions from Oxford Languages

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Obedience?

9/9/2022

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You may see the term in some of my older posts but just as I work to teach clients and their dogs I also strive to keep learning.  With learning comes change.  

A big change is that we don't use the word Obedience anymore. Instead we focus on teaching the skills the dog needs to be a part of your family. We teach them how to use these skills so that they become foundation behaviors that your dog chooses to offer. We help you build a relationship with your furry family member that is based on trust and respect not fear of punishment.  Long term success is what we are going for.


As I continue to learn and change so do the  tools and techniques change. And I will continue to share these changes with you. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Ronda Warywoda, CPDT-Ka, UW-AAB




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Is Your Dog Stubborn?

9/9/2022

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Stub-born: /ˈstəbərn/ adjetive
having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so.


Have you ever referred to your dog as stubborn or had another trainer say this about your dog? Is the dog actually stubborn or is the human? If we keep doing something that is not working and we know it isn't working then aren't we being the stubborn ones? Especially if we know there are other methods that may work better?

First we need to find proper motivation. Just like we may be motivated by different things, so are dogs. Using my own dogs as an example I have one that is ball or toy motivated. She will do anything, absolutely anything, for a ball or squeaky toy. I have one that is very food motivated. Especially when it comes to cheese. Then I have one that will do anything to get a drink of water from a water bottle. Last, our newest arrival, changes what motivates him.  Sometimes it's food and sometimes it's attention.   Motivation can change, depending upon their mood (and if they are hungry). Learning what motivates them gives us a better relationship, mutual respect and a less frustration.

What doesn't motivate? Punishment.  Punishment suppresses, it does not build a relationship based on respect or trust.  It also causes confusion and can lead to fall out behaviors of anxiety, fearfulness, and even aggression. 
BALL BALL BALL
Treat! Treat!  Treat!
Love me
Water bottle!
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When a Wagging Tail is a Warning

5/17/2022

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Learning about body language is very important when it comes to dogs.  They have all kinds of ways of telling us not only when they are happy, comfortable and want to engage but also that they are uncomfortable, stressed, anxious, hesitant and want to be left alone. One thing we hear a lot after a dog has bitten is that he was "wagging his tail".  

Wagging tails mean many different things. So how do you know if that tail is an invitation or a warning?  A happy tail is usually loose and involves more than just the tail.  The back end will move, the tail may go side to side or have a helicopter 'around and around' motion.  

When a dog is using his tail to say "back off" there is a stiffness, the tail may only go to one side. The body doesn't move.  Here's a good example from a recent case of a tail that is a warning.  The sound is disabled for client privacy but the only movement you see other than the tail is when the dog barks.  Even then you can see the stiffness in the body.  So watch the tail.  It only goes left, not passing the center line.  It's stiff, not loose.  The back end stays stiff.  The dog is in a guarding position in front of the human.  

It is very important that we teach body language, especially to kids.  It's easy to misinterpret what the dog is trying to tell us and we need to be able to read the dog from tail to nose.   If body language doesn't work the dog's behavior may escalate.
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DIY Digging Game

10/21/2021

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In my never ending quest to find and provide enrichment for our dogs a toy popped up that was a digging game. An $80 digging game that looked like it would not last one round with our dogs. It was also very similar to putting treats or kibble in with the packing paper in a box. Well, I decided to come up with a more permanent version of the digging game that did not cost $80 and would last longer. A trip to Tractor Supply for the two items needed, a 2 gallon horse watering dish and a painters tarp. You will need a pair of scissors as well. Many of our military members live in quarters that don't have yards for setting up a digging area for their digging loving dogs so this is a great alternative. #digging #DiggingForGold #diggingdogs #dogsdig #lovemyjob #bestjobever #29K9 #dogtrainingrocks #trainwithoutpain #cuenotcommand #notmagic #teachnotpunish #becausescience #sciencematters #fearfree #forcefree #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #nochoke #noprong #noshock #noforce #nofear #nopainrequired #dogtrainingrocks #cookiepusher #motivationmatters #paychecknotbribe #traineddogsforthewin #sniffmatters #bestjobever #puppies

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Challenging Behavior

10/8/2021

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​Does your dog have a behavior that is driving you nuts? Perhaps they are getting into the garbage, counter surfing or jumping on people. Every time Fido does this unwarned behavior he is rewarded.  Either by your attention or his prize off the counter or garbage can.   To resolve the unwanted behavior we have to first identify what we would like them to do instead. Then we put in a management plan to prevent the dog from doing the unwanted behavior while we work on the new skill.

Management is the most important step because every time the dog does the unwanted behavior that bad habit is reinforced, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes the behavior is self rewarding.
which makes it much more likely to continue. If you push a dog away while they jump they are excited and rewarded by the attention.  Counter surfing or getting in the garbage are self rewarding in that they usually find a prize.

After we make sure the behavior cannot continue we  focus on teaching the new skill and getting it generalized to lots of different environments and situations. Station training for jumping, leave its for the garbage and counter surfing.  We also want to add enrichment to keep their brains busy so they are less likely to get into trouble. 

If you need help we are here. Email ronda@29K9.net.
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Angst of Adolescence

9/1/2021

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The angst of adolescence.  That cute puppy is now an adolescent (think teenager) and has her own opinions and wants what she wants when she wants it.  That marble in the brain is rattling around without a place to land How do we deal with adolescence without resorting to aversives which may cause dangerous fallout behaviors later? I'd like to say easy but it isn't.  It takes patience, lots of micro training, enrichment and management.

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Patience: Remember, this too shall pass.  Be patient, you will see the change happening as your dog matures, usually by the age of two.  Why 2?  Because this is typically when the frontal cortex of the brain is fully developed and the frontal cortex is where self control originates. 

Micro training: What is micro training?  It's small sessions that you can scatter through out the day so that it turns into real life training.  Asking for and reinforcing those sits, waits, leave its and settles so that they become habit.  Remember, reinforcement drives behavior.  You work for cash, your dog works for treats, toys and/or attention. Teaching Fido the calm dog with good behaviors gets the rewards. 

Enrichment: This is a biggie.  Dogs need to use their brains.  Mental exercise can tire out a dog just as well as a long walk does.  We include it in our day by scatter feeding breakfast, a kong (we have several different versions to keep it mixed up), tricks, putting a few treats in a box, paper towel tube, or a paper lunch bag or even a game of find it. 

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Management: As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  The better you prevent an unwanted behavior from happening the easier it is to teach your dog what you want them to do.  Prevent door darting by teaching wait at doorways. Prevent jumping on people by giving them a spot to hang out when your guests arrive. Gate off the kitchen to prevent your dog from counter surfing or getting into the trash.  Once these types of behaviors start it is so much harder to stop because they are self rewarding.  
​

​We shall be grateful that adolescence in dogs is so much less than in humans.  Be patient, do lots of small training sessions, engage his brain with enrichment and prevent his opportunity to get into trouble.  Show them love and keep them safe. 
​

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Does Your Dog Come When Called

8/29/2021

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Does your dog have a reliable recall?  Many don't and most dogs only respond when they want to. When a puppy or rescue comes home they often will follow us around and recall doesn't seem necessary until they begin to get a little more interested in the environment.  They will appear to develop selective hearing, at least part of the time anyway. There are some easy steps to developing a reliable recall.  It also is a matter of safety that your dog will respond. 

How do you build a solid and reliable recall in your dog?  Easier and a lot more fun than you think.  Here are some tips:
  • ​Don't say their name as a cue, i.e., stop, no, wait, come.  
  • Do say their name when you want their attention then follow it with something good.  Treat, game of tug, dinner, throwing the ball.  Play a few rounds of name game each day.  Randomly say their name and reward them for simply looking your direction.  If they don't respond wait 15 seconds before repeating, Even if it takes two or three times still reward.  This is incentive for a faster response.
  • Use high-pitched, happy voice is more likely to engage your dog than a stern or loud voice.
  • Don't punish, yell, squirt water or citronella, zap with an e-collar.  Aversives are not as likely to entice your dog to coming (they may even hide) plus they are more likely to cause fallout behaviors such as aggression.
  • Use a specific cue.  I like "Touch" because it means "come touch my hand".  Once they understand to touch my hand we add a sit to it.  So when I say Touch my dog comes and touches my hand and then sits and waits for whatever is next.  Sometimes it's leashing up for an outing or it may be going back out to play.  Might even be a game of tug, fetch, a treat, maybe even dinner.  Something good will happen.
  • Do not chase your dog but let your dog chase you.  Say his name and then start running.  Most dogs cannot resist a game of chase and it will become game on. (Be careful with this one if your dog becomes over stimulated too easily.)
  • Play.  When your dog comes to you toss out a ball or toy.  
  • Play some more.  Grab a handful of small treats and hand one to your dog and then throw one.  Drop the next one in front of you and then farther out.  Repeat this until your out of treats.  Your dog will be come back and forth, learning that the good stuff is with you. 
The main thing to remember is that the more fun you have with your dog the better your relationship and the more your dog will want to seek you out.

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Fear Period

8/21/2021

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RuhRoh is 4 months old and hit a normal fear period the week before last. When she and I went to get in the car she spotted the garbage can on the curb and started backing up and giving a low 'woof'. The same garbage can that has been there every week that she paid no attention to previously. So we walked over to it, at her pace, rewarding every step of the way until she was no longer concerned. You can see at first her tail is swishing rather than wagging. She moves forward then backs up. I've attached the ring video but it's not the best quality.
​Saturday we tried to go to the home improvement store but she let us know she did not want to do that. Instead we hung out in the parking lot, watching people and carts go by. She got lots of treats when she engaged. Then we left. We didn't push it any further, just went home with lots of rewards. This way she was left with the positive rather than a scary impression if we'd tried to push her.
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Thursday we made another trip to the home improvement store and she rocked it.​ I had no goal in mind, just following her lead. She was excited, showing none of the fearful behaviors from Saturday. She wasn't hiding behind us, she was wiggling with excitement (her back end wiggles so hard she smacks herself in the face with her tail), she gave little barks (well, for a Great Dane they are little barks) to get people to pay attention to her and as soon as they looked she'd wiggle even harder.

This is why I tell puppy people not to make too big of a deal when something that was normal is suddenly causing fear. Don't make a big deal of it, reward the little interactions (if they look, if they get closer, if they don't hide) so that a positive impression is what your puppy is left with. If it's a normal fear period your dog will grow out of it fairly quickly. If it's more than that talk to a trainer who specializes in treating fearful dogs using reward based methods sooner rather than later.

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    Ronda Warywoda

    CPDT-KA, UW-AAB

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