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Can you train your dog? Poor advice…

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Can you train your dog? Poor advice…


I was prompted to return to this subject after an encounter with a lady a couple of days ago.

A responsible dog owner who had her rescued dog on an extending leash (a pet hate of mine) was walking a few yards in front of me. We struck up a conversation. I asked her if her dog ever came of the lead.  She said, no. The reason was, one I’d have heard many times, that the dog had a poor recall and she was worried it would not come back.

This lady had, of course, sought expert advice from a trainer / behaviourist. This ‘learned’ individual told this lady that it would be impossible to train this dog in the recall. Therefore, keep it on the lead at all times. This responsible owner was, simply, following the ‘expert’ advice.  To make matters worse, she had been told her dog was no good with other dogs, therefore, another reason to keep the dog on a lead.

Those of you that have read my missives will know this is rather like waving a red rag at a bull to me. After telling this, very reasonable and responsible lady what I did she was open to suggestions.

We were in an enclosed, safe and very large area.  I encouraged her to let the dog off the lead. Of course, as soon as the dog was off lead, he had a good run around and, indeed, socialised with my dog with zero problems. Not bad for a dog labelled antisocial by ‘experts.’

The next step was to look at the recall.  I let the dog get 50 yards or so ahead. I recalled the dog. Surprise, surprise, it returned directly to me, at speed. I repeated this during the rest of our walk together, inside the large area that was fenced and then outside of the area in open woodland. The dog can back each time when recalled. Again, not bad for a dog that an ‘expert’ had assured the owner it was not capable of doing.

I am concerned that this type of story is all too common. In my opinion, there are not many dogs that are untrainable. There ARE, apparently, quite a few ‘so-called’ trainers who, regularly, dispense this sort of advice – of course, dooming the dog to a substandard life.

The take-home message here is to think carefully before taking the advice of ‘experts’ such as the ones described above.  If you are unsure, seek a second opinion or two. Your dogs deserve it.

 

 

 

 

 

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Dogs need responsible owners…

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Dogs need responsible owners…

I was minded again today while talking with some dog owners of the need for owners to take responsibility for their dogs seriously.

Two, very similar, cases were brought to my attention.

The first was a family with a number of dogs, a small pack, basically. These dogs had been gathered by the family in question to protect the household. They, of course, live in a quiet village where protection is not really needed.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many families I come into contact with, these people did not understand, or perhaps, care about their responsibility to their dogs. The dogs had not, apparently, received any training and were barely in control behind the gates of their home. They did not seem to get much walking or exercise away from their home. So, that is case one.

The second follows along the same lines. This time a family living behind gates again. The husband had bought a powerful dog, again for protection. This dog was young and patrolled his patch, rushing aggressively to its gate in an attempt to get to any passing stranger, be it human of another dog. The people I was talking too were fearful of their and their dog’s safety. Again, this dog did not seem to be taken out for exercise and, clearly had not received much or any training. It sounded to me to be a serious problem in the making.

Both of these cases appear to demonstrate owners who fail to understand their responsibilities regarding their dogs. Indeed, the dogs in these two cases may at some stage represent a danger to humans and dogs alike.

All dogs need basic things, without exception:

  1. Shelter
  2. Safety
  3. Food
  4. Training
  5. Exercise
  6. Socialisation
  7. Responsible owners

Any dog owner or potential dog owner must provide the above as a minimum. If you are unable to provide these basics for your dog, you should, simply, not bring a dog into your home.

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We should NEVER hit our dogs

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We should NEVER hit our dogs

This is a subject, I find myself having to return too, all too frequently.

Should we hit our dogs? The simple, unequivocal, answer is no.

I have now met a chap with his two dogs on a number of occasions while out with Ziggy. One dog is off the lead, the other is, permanently, on a long lead. The reason for this is that the dog on the lead ran off once and he had to spend some time getting her back. The first point here is, dog owners must make the effort to train their dogs in the basics. One of these being recall. Not always easy but, essential,

I stray off the point. The dog on the lead is very lively and, jumps up a lot. This, of course, is pure excitement and, a consequence of not being allowed off the lead to exercise and socialise properly.

So, this dog jumps up,  the owner shouts at her and then raises his hand to strike her. I, of course, stop him from doing this. I then demonstrate the simple exercise of getting his dog to sit, calmly and, then be rewarded, positively, with a biscuit for its’ behaviour.

Further discussion reveals that this chaps’ wife, regularly, hits’ this poor creature when it gets a little lively. He compounds this behaviour by threatening to put a muzzle on the dog. I have to appraise him on the errors of their approach.

  1. NEVER strike a dog
  2. NEVER threaten a dog
  3. ALWAYS use positive training to influence the behaviour of a dog
    1. Ask the dog to respond as you desire
    2. Reward it, positively, when it does

The owner behaviour described above is all too common, unfortunately. IT is NEVER acceptable to threaten or physically punish a dog to force it to do what you require.  This is, simply, cruelty.

All dog owners, HAVE to take the time to learn how to train and socialise their dogs. They need to understand that the ONLY way to train dogs is by positive reinforcement methods. There is no place for the cruel approach outlined in this article.

If you are unwilling to invest the time needed to give your dog the best life possible, free from cruelty and fear, here is my recommendation. DO NOT get a dog. If you already have one – REHOME it.

 

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Shouting at your dog is unhelpful…

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Shouting at your dog is unhelpful

I was out with Ziggy today at a local park. As usual there were quite a few dogs out and about with their owners, having fun.

We were approaching a lady who was shouting, angrily and aggressively at her dog. The dog was paying no attention whatsoever.  I observed the picture for a few minutes – it was clear that the owner was exasperated by her recalcitrant puppy. I noted that she laughed, somewhat embarrassed, occasionally.  As she crossed my path, I stopped and had a chat with her.

She was a nice lady, just frustrated by, what she saw, as her naughty pup. The dog was quite elderly. I, gently explained that shouting at her dog was not going to encourage it to come to her. I demonstrated by gently calling the dog and encouraging to come to me. It, duly, did and was very happy to respond to a friendly voice. Off she went gain, and I encouraged the owner to follow my example; she did and, surprise, surprise, her pup came back with enthusiasm.

This dog had always been obedient and had good recall. The owner was baffled why she had turned into this ‘ naughty’ dog. After a little more discussion, the behaviour had deteriorated after the dog, that had been almost blind, had cataracts removed, thus restoring the dog’s sight.

I explained that, the new ‘naughty’ behaviour was probably due to her dog now, being able to see the world again and, it had a natural enthusiasm to investigate all it could, again.

All that was required here was, to work, a little, on the dog’s recall and to do it calmly and regularly. It was clear that this dog was not going to respond to aggressive shouting from it’s owner.

I would point out, that this lady was not aggressive or a bad dog owner. She was, simply frustrated by her dog’s change in behaviour.

The take home message is, to remain calm and to resist ‘sounding’ aggressive with our dogs. They will respond to a kind, calm approach form someone who is calm. They will not respond to, apparently, aggressive tones in an owners voice. Also, stop to think why your dog may have changed and to adjust your approach to deal with it.

 

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Reward or bribery?

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Using rewards in dog training is an established and effective method for training dogs. However, if used incorrectly it can be counter-productive.

I am seeing an increasing number of videos on Facebook and Youtube showing treats being used in the wrong way by ‘dog trainers.’ These videos show the trainer, or handler, constantly feeding treats to the dog, thereby encouraging it to do what is required. This, of course, is then taken to be the standard for many owners who experience this ‘training.’ In fact, this is ‘bribing’ a dog to do what is asked of it. This ‘method’ demonstrates a, fundamental, lack of understanding of why a dog does something, from a behavioural perspective.

The point of using treats is to REWARD the dog for a job well done. This is done AFTER the dog does whatever is required. Focusing the dog with a continuous supply of treats will not result in the dog learning the new skill or behaviour. As soon as the treat is removed from the equation, most dogs will, simply, not comply. This is bribery – not recommended.

An effective method is to keep a treat out of sight, ask the dog to perform what is required – when it does so, it is immediately rewarded with the treat.  This then goes onto an intermittent reward – the dog, sometimes gets a treat, other times it gets just praise.  This is rewarding a behaviour not bribing the dog to do something.

Adopting the approach outlined above, is much more effective in helping a dog learn and retain its training.

 

 

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Temperature is rising – get those layers on!

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Temperature is rising – get those layers on!

OK then, it’s starting to get hot. Temperatures are rising – maybe as high as the +30C.

It’s time to take your, much loved, furry friend out. You always take him out in the early afternoon (by now, it’s very hot out there), don’t you?  No need to change your routine because of the weather. So, let’s get ready.

You first.  Put on a couple of heavy sweaters, gloves, woolly hat and a heavy coat. So, that’s you ready. No, sorry, forgot something – make sure you have nothing on your feet.

All righty, then. That’s you ready for the off.  What, you say this is madness?  Well, of course it is! Just as mad as taking your dog out in the sweltering heat and, maybe onto hot pavements.

Dress like I have suggested and you would collapse in a few minutes. So, why, do you think it fine to take your dog out in high temperatures.  Remember, they cannot sweat, or regulate their temperatures like us.  

Dog owners are warned, over and over again. Yet, dogs are still taken out in sweltering temperatures, left sitting in the baking sun or locked in car that is, in fact, an oven.

Our dogs, need their humans to think for them.  This means, looking out for them when temperatures are extreme.  Taking them out early in the day or later in the evening when it is cooler is caring for our dogs.  It’s very simple, however inconvenient, you must change your routine to take care of the welfare of your dog. If this means, not taking them out, then that is what you should do.

So think how you would feel wrapped up in heavy clothing in the sweltering heat – THAT is what you are doing to your dog.

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Dogs and water – don’t force the issue…

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Dogs and water – don\’t force the issue…

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For those that read my missives, you will know, I am very keen to get dogs into the water. It\’s fantastic fun for them and vital, in hot weather.

I witnessed, recently, another example of what not to do with a dog and water.

A couple and their children were playing with their youngish Labrador at one of Ziggys\’ (my pup) water holes.  Their dog had, clearly, been in the water before Ziggy and I had arrived.  What they were doing now was silly and, possibly, dangerous.

They and their dog were standing on the riverbank, above a small weir. The dog was peering into the water, where his ball was bobbing in the flow from the weir. The humans were encouraging the dog to leap into the water.  He was, obviously, frightened by this prospect – his body language was signalling his discomfort very clearly.  The humans, unperturbed, kept on shouting at the dog to jump. It, eventually, did.

They then approached Ziggy and I, who were on a small beach and playing in the water.  I heard the dogs\’ owner, saying to her dog \”what a good dog, you were frightened, weren\’t you?\”  So, she realised the dog was worried but, still made it jump into the water.

I met this group a little later on another part of the river.  The dog got into the water and played, happily, with Ziggy. I was able to strike up a gentle, general, conversation about dogs and water.  They left me, understanding, now, that getting dogs to jump into water is, potentially dangerous (who knows what is below the waterline?) and, it can frighten a dog, putting them of water, altogether.

I will make it clear, again. NEVER, force dogs into water, whether by pulling it in by the lead or, indeed, throwing them in. Gentle encouragement from a dog owner in the water themselves, is highly effective. Remember, most dogs love water; some do not. Think about what you are doing and pay attention to your dogs\’ body language. 

Getting a dog – choosing carefully

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The choice is overwhelming.  However, finding the right dog for you should not be an impulse decision. It needs, careful, thought before deciding on the pooch for you. So, why then, do so many people get this important decision wrong?

I see many people that have, simply, not thought about what a dog means, potentially, too their lives. Often, decisions are made, simply, on such ideas as ‘I’ve always wanted this breed” or “they look nice, so I had to get one”. Ridiculous approaches to such an important decision, showing little regard for the needs of the dog or the owner.

Taking on a dog is, almost, as important as deciding to have or adopt a child. So, before leaping in and, going for something that looks cute or meets any other weak criteria; stop and think.

Here are some things to consider:

  • Why are you getting a dog?
    • Companionship
    • Support
    • Protection
    • Getting out of the house and meeting people?
    • Status

The above, are just some of the many reasons why someone might want a dog.

  • Home situation
    • Size of property
    • Garden
    • Other pets
    • Family members
    • Work commitment
    • Time to commit to dog (play, walking, socialisation, etc)

As you can see, there are quite a few things to consider; the list above is, by no means, exhaustive.

Certainly, when considering the home environment, it is critical that everyone in the household are committed to sharing their home with a dog. I see too many people who have partners, for instance, that have no desire to have a dog, yet – their partners still get one. Not good for the people and, definitely, not good for the dog.

If your work keeps you away from home for long periods, meaning your dog has to be left alone for long periods or, you don’t have much time for walking and spending time with your dog; think, very carefully, before bringing a dog into your home. It is, simply, not fair on the dog.

If you want a dog to help you get out and meet people, don’t get a trophy dog such as an Akita.  People may well be put of by such a dog.  Don’t, misunderstand me, in the right home and with the right owner, Akitas’ can make great pets.  However, they need someone who knows what they are doing and, are willing to make the compromises needed for such a dog.

I could keep going, so I will stop at this point with a few, final words.

When getting a dog, think about the commitment, time, effort and involvement needed to give that dog a good, happy, social life at home and out in the world.  If you can’t commit fully to all of the needs of your canine companion – DO NOT get one – get a budgy instead.

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© The Canine Behaviourist 2020