Ring the bell…

…and the dog salivates.

We all know that story of the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov  who discovered that the sound of a bell caused dogs to get excited and even salivate in anticipation to feeding time.  So why not use sound to elicit a response like, running to you and salivating in anticipation to the food reinforcement they’re going to get?

We don’t pay much attention to the salivating response anymore, but we do pay attention and want our dogs to come to us when called. Our dogs are very aware that our voice is not 100% consistent in it’s meaning. It’s not clear to them what your asking or at what moment you need them to respond and sometimes they don’t get a reward at all. If they do respond and do get a reward, it’s low value,  so why listen to you when they are constantly being reward by what they’re distracted by?  By Incorporating a unique sound into your “come” command, and by representing 100% consistency to a high value reward, you’ll increase the likelihood of them coming to you when they hear the sound, maybe even 100% of the time.  Even the “stubborn” cat comes  running 100% when they hear the electric can opener.

A sound cue is anything that is different from a word command: clapping of your hands, a whistle or silent whistle (best), a bell, etc. The advantage of using one of these sounds is that it travels further than your voice, and becomes more consistent than your voice will ever be.  Once you have the sound, then you need a reward your dog likes the most: a ball? food? stuffed Toy? For most dogs it’s food. If your dog is food crazy, usually dog kibble is enough, but for most dogs, small soft smelly “healthy” treats are best.

When you practice, keep sessions short, only 1 minute a few times a day is sufficient.  If you’re out on a 30 minute walk, you can practice a few 30 second sessions during your walk. Just do many repetitions in that short period.

Step 1. At home with no distractions and off leash: Have your dog facing you or at a very short distance away, make the sound cue, right away give them the reward. Repeat sound & reward. ALWAYS use the release command (”OK”) once the treat is given. Start to move around or back a way from the dog. Use a leash if they’re not paying attention.

Step 2. At home with no distractions and off leash: Start to increase the distance you are from them when you make the sound, you can also make the sound while using other visual cues i.e., using your hands in a sweeping motion (come here) and you can crouch down to their level, be careful not to teach them that running full speed into you is a good thing. Or just bend over a little, give a treat and repeat. If you want to incorporate your clicker for extra reinforcement, this will help them learn faster, just “click” when the dog gets to you and give the reward. By now your dog is catching on so you can start increasing your distance before making the sound cue. In the beginning always try to incorporate a visual cues. You can start adding some distractions i.e., friends or another dog.

Step 3. At home: Throughout the day, try to find opportunities when your dog is distracted or in another room (never sleeping). What I do is sneak to another part of the home or backyard to make the sound, then of course reward them for coming. I will also make it part of our feeding ritual, so instead of putting the bowl on the ground and practicing their “stays”, I will use the sound (as I back away) then put the bowl on the floor (for a few bites) then repeat. If your dog is food possessive (aggressive), don’t put the bowl on the floor and only have enough in the bowl for one bite, then keep repeating this step. Over a short period of time your dog will be more tolerant of your hand being near the food.

Step 4. The next step is to take the dog outside the home, then around different areas and eventually around people then other dogs. All places practicing many repetitions in a short period of time and at the same time slowly increasing the distance you are from them and eventually they will be coming to your sound cue, even at a dog park. IF your dog gets distracted easily by other things and is ignoring the sound, practice with them on a leash and the distractions at more of a distance. Don’t make this mistake: making the sound only when your going to put them on leash and leave the place they were having fun at.

By practicing, in no time at all they will be running to you as if their life depends on it, which could happen someday. Teaching sound cues is just one of several things you can do to help your dog understand the importance of coming when called. Contact me to learn what the others are: CONTACT ME

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Is Dog Training Expensive?

After my studio animal training experience in 1989-90 I opened my own business in the Los Angeles area.  I called other dog training companies to find out what they charged for their services, as I really didn’t know. “What?” “That much?” That’s like $100 per hour! That was too much for me to charge, so I started out at US$50.00 for a 1 to 2- hour private lesson, then a few months later I charged$75.00. One year later $100 then $125, $150 and about 10 years into it I was $175-$200 – about what other trainers charged.

The only low cost training program owners could find, are group classes.  Six to twelve people pay anywhere between $30 and $150 for 6-8 weeks of classes (meeting once a week). That may sound like a good deal but for beginner dogs or owners, well- you get what you pay for > It’s under their paws.

If you want a better-trained dog or you liked the other convenient options: training at your home, around the dogs environment, on your schedule, then one-on-one (private training) is a better choice.  Those classes are still designed to teach the owner how to teach their dog, but at least the owner and dog will retain much more information, especially with follow up calls from the trainer. Established trainers charge up to $125 per lesson (approx. hour).

Another training option is a board-training program that can run between $550 and $1200 per week.  Most places will recommend 2 to 4-weeks of training, which can really add up.  Even though the trainer does most of the time-consuming work, you still need to learn how to maintain the training.  You definitely want to ensure the training company is legitimate and has a good track record with referrals from friends or veterinarians, and not from a phone book or even radio ads.

The cost for a dog trainer can seem high if you’re basing it on an hourly rate,  however I believe you would have paid a lot more than $100 an hour at the moment you found the pile of poop on your new carpet, or you were late for work because your dog ran away, isn’t listening to you, keeps embarrassing you by jumping on people,  barking during the night or day, chewing up your new shoes, etc.  What you’re really paying for is years of acquired knowledge and experience.  This information will save you lot’s of time, money and frustration.  Helping your dog be a smart and confident member of the family, and not just a pet that’s a nuisance.

Is hiring a dog trainer expensive? Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth every penny.

Since I’ve moved to a new Country, I’ve reduced my rates until I can win the trust of the Australian people.  For programs and rates, please visit my Available Programs Page

Just so other trainers don’t attack me, people and dogs can learn things in group classes. For beginner dogs or owners, I suggest having some private training first, getting some control of your dog before enrolling in group classes. If you and your puppy go through a Puppy Kindy course,  they will need more education through the other stages their first year.  Although training can be done anytime, 2 to 4 weeks of condensed training should be done around 4 and 6 months of age and repeated again when they are around a year old.

If you’d like to make a comment about this post, feel free below

The Eight PUPPY P’s

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performing Puppies

The phone call dog trainers dream about getting but never do:

“Hello? yes, I’m thinking about getting a dog, here’s my situation… Will you be able to help me raise them to be the perfect family pet?”

The phone call  dog trainers dream about getting and only about 5% of the time, that dream comes true:

“Hello? yes, I just got a new dog and need to be taught which dog supplies to buy and not to buy, what’s the fastest way to house-train them,  how they think and learn,  how do I avoid behavioral problems and how to raise them to be confident and well adjusted pets.”

The phone call that trainers get about 95% of the time:

“Hello? My dog isn’t listening to me and has lots of bad habits, can you perform miracles?”

I’ve posted several blogs regarding prevention… Happy browsing.

Opposition Reflex

In the dog training world, “Opposition Reflex” is a term used to describe why a puppy first resists the tension of the leash by stopping or pulling away.  When tension is applied, a dog’s predatory instinct of fight, freeze or flight kicks in.  Many people don’t realize dogs have this reflex or they believe a dog stops or pulls out of spite or challenge. It was discovered by Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) and is discussed in many books since  including a 1996 book by Jean Donaldson, “The Culture Clash” AMAZON BOOKS .  To see opposition reflex in action just put a leash on your cat. That’s opposition reflex! It’s stronger in most other animals, probably the more wild or the more predators they have the stronger the reflex, Thankfully, dog’s have been domesticated and puppies are fast learners and through conditioning, patience and trust, this reflex diminishes.

Opposition reflex plays a role initially, but the main reason dogs continue to pull is owner allow it and are greatly rewarded for doing it.  Dogs that pull on a leash think the harder they pull, the more they get, even if it means choking themselves in the process. The other reason dogs pull is owners never showed them, in a language they understand “how to” walk on a loose leash.

People make the mistake initially when getting a new puppy by placing it on the ground and following it around. Once the puppy can tolerate the collar and leash, the owner then allows the puppy to pull them everywhere. As the puppy grows and gains more pulling strength, most owners make the mistake of putting these nice, humane,  harnesses (that you see on sled dogs), along with a tightly held leash or retractable leash (that causes dogs to pull) allowing opposition reflex and the pulling behavior to really kick into gear.

Leash pulling can easily be avoided or stopped altogether with a little time and knowledge.

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Your Dog’s Name

Your dog’s name is important and your dog should understand that it has a specific meaning when they hear it.  The tone in which their name is spoken is even more important because they learn the different tones and meaning for each one, before learning the word. Dogs have the learning capability of a 2-year old; they don’t understand our language. We must think like a teacher to make things easier for them. Be consistent when using your tone and their name when you need them to complete a specific task. Use a nickname for all other times. Nicknames are pet names-different than their real name, e.g. smooches, boober, treasure, little angel, my precious etc.

Only use their real name if:

You have more than one dog and you need to specify which one you need to complete the task.

Your dog is distracted; you can use their name before giving other commands.

You want your dog to follow you or stop running and return or come straight back.

It’s not just a dog’s name that is over-used and I will explain the mistakes people make in a future blog.

Note: When I trained animal actors, we used other sounds like a kissy or click of the tongue sound when we needed them to look at us before giving commands or tossing them treats. This also helped us avoid walking in front of the camera. I’ve made a video tutorial on how to get your dog to watch you. It was the first How To video I ever put together.  CATCH TREATS

One-syllable words like Max, Bart, Huck get your dog’s attention easier but names with two or three syllables also work. Here’s a partial list of names, all from dogs I’ve trained:
Axle, Ashly, Alvin, Auggie, Amigo, Annie, Bosco, Beaufort, Bear, Brandy, Bond, Buddy, Buster, Ben, Benny, Buck, Bunker, Bristol, BuBu, Brandy, Brando, Bart, Boomer, Blue, Bruin, Cooper, Crackers, Cuervo, Creature, Chelsea, Capernicus, Coco, Christy, Champ,Chandler, Chance, Chulo, Cassie, Cleo, Charlie, Clint, Clyde, Corky, Darling, D’artagnan, Dexter, Delila, Dallas, Dex, Dango, Dakota, Delta, Doushke, Duke, Duncan, Echo, Elie, Elza, Emily, Friday, Freyja, Frado, Finn, George, Gretchen,Gamer, Gap, Gunner, GiGi, Gus, Ginger, Griff, Goa, Gretta, Harper, Harley, Hank, Henry, Holly, Huck, Hunter, Indy, Isabell, Ice, Instant, Inks, Ivan, Indiana, Jasper, Jack, Jeb, Joe, JoJo, J.P., Kimba, Kyoto, Kenji, Kumi, Kodiak, Kamalli, Lady, Lucky, Lily, Lucy, Lulu, Lolla, Maverick, Moxie, Murphy, Mikey, Micky, Mojo, Mr. Wilson, Mack, Max, Maggie, Moose, Milan, Nina, Nikki, Nugget Oliver, Ollie, Oreo, Otis, Oscar, Pal, Patches, Peanut, Penelope, Pepper, Piper, Price Pesa, Princess, Picabo, Petunia, Pesky, Rusty, Riley, Rocky, Rosy, Ruby, Rupert, Rufas, Roxy, Rowdy, Rorie, Saba, Shilo, Sasha, Snowy, Samba, Simon, Savanna, Schultz, Scout, Scooter, Smoosh, Schatzie, Shamis, Sandy, Sky, Sika, Snoopy, Star, Sunny, Sage, Scratch, Sniff, Stretch, Sophie, Tortilla, Teak, Thor, Tony, Teddy Tucker, Varmint, Vegas, Wanda, Winston, Wendy, Zalman, Zach, Zoe, Zip

Don’t forget the Dog

The better your dog is trained or well socialized, the easier it will be to take them with you on walks and in your car for day or overnight trips. It’s a win-win situation, your dog now benefits because they don’t have to stay home alone and they can be with you more and you benefit because they don’t have to stay home alone and they can be with you more. Every time your dog goes with you and gets exposed to strange noises, strange objects, other dogs, adults and children, the better behaved they can and will become, especially since you’re there to teach them.

If your dog is not trained, un-socialized or doesn’t listen to you, you’re not going to hassle taking them with you, especially in the car. Untrained dogs usually bark at things as you drive down the road; they jump around inside the car; they won’t be quiet or calm down when you ask; you have to put on this complicated harness and extra thick leash to walk them; when you open up the car door they will charge out and almost pull your arm out of the socket; when on-leash they pull you and lunge at dogs or people. If a dog displays just one of those bad behaviors, it’s a reason enough to just leave them at home. The downside to this is they won’t get the practice they need to be better dogs. It’s a loose-loose for the dog.

Taking your dog with you should be hassle free and fun! It can also be a social experience for both dog and dog owner. There are many establishments that allow dogs and if not, there’s NOTHING wrong with them waiting in the car. Most dogs love the car and are actually more comfortable and feel more secure  in a car, than being home alone  (Not on hot days) A well-adjusted dog just sleeps in the car while you’re gone. When you come out of your yoga class and on the 15 minute drive back home you take your dog to the park or have them sit with you at a coffee shop, or stop by a store and walk them around and practice your training. A trained or well socialized dog will spend 45% more time with the owner, than people with untrained or unsocialized dogs. That’s Totally Awesome  from your dogs point of view! OK, I made that % number up, because I don’t think there has been any study. What I do know is a trained dog is allowed to be inside the house instead of outside, Goes on hassle free walks, more then leash pullers and goes on day trips or even overnight trips. My dog Schultz (mini-Schnauzer) accompanied me in the car 95% of the time. Even stayed with me in hotels with a no pet policy. I trained him to jump in my extra overnight bag and because he was well behaved, no one ever suspected a thing. He was truly living a human life in a dog suit.

When people would make  comments, and they did. “OH! Your dog is in the car? that’s mean”, I just tell them “Yes, and my dog is lucky, he spends 45% more time with me than your dog spends with you”.

Here are just some of the U.S. establishments I found that do allow dogs. If you know of more that can help my readers, please let us know. (This is in no way an endorsement of these establishments)

If you in another Country other than U.S. I’m curious what your list would look like.

Pet shops, Lowes, Home Depot, Radio shack, some sporting good stores, some banks, just a few movie theaters (early shows only), some bowling alleys and many outside cafe’s.

Learning from an Old Dog?

The only thing an older dog directly teaches a younger dog are a few basic ground rules, like playing on their terms, not stealing toys, food, or sleeping spot (resource guarding). Older dogs understand the importance of first establishing good communication, teaching a younger dog to read their body language. Even a snarl, growl or snap is a normal form of communication. This is why many older dogs will first ignore a young puppy from a few minutes to a few weeks to establish these rules. Of course dog owners do the complete opposite, we spend the first few weeks giving our puppies anything they want.

Younger dogs can indirectly learn some good things from an older dog, a few examples would be-when they follow an older dog onto the grass and around in circles, this triggers the younger dogs need to eliminate. If the older dog is trained to “come”, the younger dog by following the older dog may indirectly learn to come, to the older dog’s name.

Most of the time it’s the bad behaviors not the good ones an older dog influence. Like when an older dog is digging, chewing (or other behaviors) the younger dog might join in. These behaviors are natural dog behaviors, but not every dog displays them, and young dogs can be influenced at an early age. The older dog can also influence where the digging is done or what is being chewed.

How well your older dogs behaves has an effect on which good and bad behaviors they can influence, not directly teach. The second dog gets the least amount of  ”proper training”  from the older dog and the second dog needs training the most. Don’t rely on your older dog to do anything, in this case you are the older dog, uh, I mean teacher, they need to learn from you.

Because your dogs are too distracted by each other to learn new things, and the younger dog is more focused on the older dog than on you, they need first to be trained separately before they can learn together, It’s also advisable to separate them from time to time by taking just the younger dog on walks or car rides. If possible have your older dog spend a few weeks at a trusted friend or relative. For faster results practice shorter training sessions using the 1-minute training session.

If you have any comments on this blog, feel free to leave them below.

OLD vs. NEW

Why the pack leader mentality for training and living with your dog is out of date and inappropriate.

In the dog-training world, there is “Old School” training and there is “New School” training. Both styles are effective because dogs are eager for attention, shelter and food – this is why they are so easy to persuade. However, it’s important to me how a dog feels in its home and when it’s being trained.

Here are some things old school trainers might do or believe as part of their training style. An old school trainer will take a more dominant approach, having less patience while expecting more immediate results. Old school trainers want dogs to be submissive to them; they may use praise but use more correction or redirection techniques without reward.

In old school training, the trainer focuses more on what a dog is doing wrong vs. what a dog is doing right. Old school trainers see certain behaviors a dog does as the dog trying to be “pack leader” or “dominate you.”

Old school trainers are fond of using the “pack leader” analogy to describe the relationship between owner and dog.  In the wolf society the pack leader is the one sitting alone most of the time. He’s usually up high. When he walks around he’s the tough guy. Other members of the pack will lick his face and keep their tails tucked under and ears back. This signals to the pack leader that they are not a threat and that they are not going to challenge him for mating rights. Which is the pack leader’s role – mating! This doesn’t sound like the relationship I want to have with my dog.

On the other hand, new school trainers and their techniques focus on what a dog is doing right rather than wrong. New school trainers use motivation and redirection techniques and incorporate food, toys, clickers, praise and patience. New school trainers don’t relate everything a dog does as an act of dominance or positioning as pack leader or follower. Instead, they understand that much of a dog’s behavior is a product of its early education and socialization.

New school trainers want a dog’s state of mind to be confident, not submissive. They understand that dogs don’t need to be submissive to listen. They also understand that dogs like to work as a team, they love to succeed and that it’s better to be a dog’s teacher than its pack leader.

Education and practice helps build good communication skills with your dog. With practice, patience and proper teachings, a dog can learn to behave appropriately for any situation that comes its way.

Preaching old school style of training only helps to perpetuate the dumbing down of dogs and dog owners. When we think the old school way we become lazy and our expectations become too high. I say give the dog a break. Educate – be its teacher, not its pack leader.

Age to Start Training

Puppies can learn from the moment they arrive home. Housebreaking is the first thing to focus on. It can take a few weeks for them to develop the knowledge and muscle control; there is no magic pill here. The speed at which it takes to housebreak a puppy depends on the owner and how much time they can devote to the training. With proper training and/or knowledge you will see results sooner than later. It’s the number one behavioral issue I deal with, I have many clients tell me about the almost perfect results they got after just one lesson with me.

Before 4 months of age: We can teach many things like sit, stay, down, come etc.. without the use of any correction type collars or correction training methods. Puppies really don’t get “trained” at this age, we just use conditioning and shaping techniques. There are also some nonabrasive dog to dog techniques we can duplicate to help our young puppies learn faster.

Between 4 and 6 month: This is the perfect time to start “Formal Training”, which means beginning a round of consistent training using a leash and collar. At this stage, your puppy is like a sponge and very eager to learn. They have the ability to retain more information and for a longer period of time. It’s also a good time to expose them to many different environments and situations.

Between 6 months and a year: At this stage your dog is going through mental changes; training during this time will be more challenging. Your cute little puppy is now paying more attention to the things around them and not  on you. Because they are more distracted you must have more patience and keep reminding them of the lessons they need to learn.

Around a year old: Your puppy is now a young adult and is somewhat out of the teenage  stage. Another round of  consistent  training is highly recommended. Sit, Stay, Down and Come should all be advanced by now and trained on and off leash around different situations.

A year and beyond: Even though your dog may know some basic commands, this doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. Think of it as a person learning a foreign language, if they don’t practice they will loose some of it. Dogs can learn at any age, so just keep teaching and practicing. If you’ve done all the proper training and socializing and your dog has had minimal behavioral issues, you can now stray from some of the rules. If you want to know what this means, please contact me.

THINK LIKE A TRAINER

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