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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.  
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​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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Reward Works Best

8/13/2021

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The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has released their position statement that supports the use of reward based methods for all training.  Click on the link below to read the entire statement.  

Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification​

Humane Dog Training Position Statement 


Punishment can cause fallout behaviors.  Increased aggression against other humans and/or dogs, anxiety, fear... it goes on and on.  This is the reason I set out to educate myself,  having seen the difference in our own dogs.   Due to a combination of a back yard breeder and major health issues that resulted in isolation during her first year we had a Great Dane with just about every behavior challenge there is. Punishment was used to try and correct the behavior issues, from reactivity to resource guarding.  We weren't beating her but we were using a prong collar, yelling... It did not work.  The behaviors would stop temporarily and then come back worse. What appeared to be 'behaving' was actually her shutting down.  It wasn't changing her emotional response which is what is needed for long term success.

Through education I learned how to have a positive approach while using science as the guide.  It does not matter the dog breed.  We have worked with everything from the smallest Chihuahuas and Yorkies to the largest Pitbulls and Great Danes, high drive dogs like GSDs and Huskies as well as everything in between.  What I learned with Jinkies gave me the passion to do what I do.  To help other dogs without pain, without punishment.    

#reinforcementdrivesbehavior #sciencematters #dogtrainingrocks #compassion #respect #kindness #rewardbasedtrainingisbest #lovemyjob 




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Puppy Play, When to Intervene

7/6/2021

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New puppies are awesome.  Seeing a puppy causes the same physical reaction that occurs when seeing a baby.  It gives us the warm fuzzies and causes the release of oxytocin, the hormone that causes bonding and brings out our protective instincts. 
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Puppies don’t know the rules, tho.  Puppies, like humans, learn thru play. They learn what causes the play to continue (polite behaviors) and what causes the play to stop (impolite behaviors).   Play may be with other dogs but it should also be with their human.  One study found that proper daily play time reduced the likelihood of up to 22 different behavior challenges.

When bringing in a new puppy to your family they need to learn the rules. An older dog may give them a free pass on play behaviors that may be unwanted or too over the top.  They may correct the puppy with a grab of the snout or they may turn away or walk away.  At some point, tho, you may need to intervene. 

Puppies are like toddlers in that when they are tired or hungry those over the top behaviors start to happen. Puppy piranha mode (where they want to mouth everything and anything they can) will often happen at this time.  Offering them something to chew on aside from your other dog will be a big help.

Watch for signs of stress in your older dog (licking, ears back, whale eyes, constant shifting away from the puppy). These stress signs signal that it is time to intervene and either engage your puppy in a play session with you, such as tug of war or throwing the ball, that allows your older dog time to relax and regroup.  Provide both your puppy and your older dog with a self entertaining activity, such as time on a snuffle mat, stuffed kong or a new chew toy.   This reward for an older dog will help reinforce that a puppy can be a good thing and will remember that reward instead of just the piranha puppy.
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Introducing RuhRoh

7/5/2021

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Puppy Insanity. This is RuhRoh, our newest baby. Today she turns 13 weeks old. What have we been working on at home? She came from a great breeder who uses Puppy Culture to raise her puppies. Thanks to that RuhRoh arrived with an excellent sit already in her repertoire. We built on that sit to get some nice waits. Wait before eating, wait before coming out of her crate and after, before going outside, basically a wait anywhere that her puppy craziness might take over.

​We've also been focusing on rewarding natural calm behaviors. I keep some treats handy and if I catch her laying down I drop a couple between her front legs (feeding for position) so she stays in the down while getting her reward. Slowly we stretch out the time between the treats . An extra treat will drop if something interesting happens and she stays put, like a cat walking by. I want her to choose to hang out calmly. The more she thinks and chooses the right behavior the better she will behave later.
#29K9 #DogTrainingRocks #reinforcementdrivesbehavior #traineddogsforthewin #cuenotcommand #teachdontpunish #fearfree

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Bringing a New Dog Home

4/14/2021

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We’ve all seen the stories of the shelter dog who finally finds his person and they live happily ever after in perfect harmony.  Unfortunately, this is not the norm.  When a dog ends up in a shelter they have suddenly lost their family with no idea why.  The reason doesn’t matter because the dog does not know that reason, just that his home and family are gone.  The rescue or shelter may be amazing but it is not their home. 

It can be very hard for a dog to adjust to shelter life.  Staff and volunteers come and go, as do the dogs around them.  They can hear other dogs barking, sometimes in fear, as well as smell the disinfectants.  They don’t know what is going to happen from one moment to the next as they are moved from one kennel to another to a play yard with strange dogs.  When a person or family makes the decision to adopt the dog they are then thrown in to another new place with new people and maybe even new dogs.  This also applies to the "rehomed" dog.  
 
Be patient.  You will want to show off our new family member but please remember that Fido’s world has been turned upside down and he needs time to decompress and adjust.  Supervision is very important to make sure he doesn’t escape his new home and is safe with the new people and pets in his life.
 
Dogs do not generalize behaviors to all locations unless taught.  They may have been house trained but that doesn’t mean they are trained to your house.  They may have had a doggy door which allowed them free access.  Set up a way for the dog to tell you they have to go by using a bell hanging from the door.  Take them out frequently, ringing the bell before you open the door.  Soon Fido will be ringing the bell to let you know.
 
For the first three weeks your new dog is building his trust in you and learning some of the family rules.  Separate Fido from children and other pets when you are not there to actively supervise.  What may be normal activity in your home may not be something he is familiar with and may cause fear.  He needs time to process and learn the family rules.  Now is not the time to take him to the dog park.  You will start to see his personality come out. You may also see some challenges that need to be addressed with a positive reinforcement trainer.
 
It takes about 3 months for most dogs to fully adjust.  Fido may need a trainer to help him learn how to follow family rules, social skills, leash training and safely introducing to new dogs and environments.  Adding lots of enrichment can help him learn to settle and keep him out of trouble.

A great resource for bringing home an adult dog is Patricia McConnell, PhD  book Love Has No Age Limit, Welcoming an Adult Dog Into Your Home.  She discusses the Rule of 3s and how to apply it to making your new family member feel welcome and wanted.   


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    Ronda Warywoda

    CPDT-KA, UW-AAB

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