SO - you've no time for the dogs then!!!

Here's a photo of the woman who has no time for the dogs.

This is the one who says "NO MORE DOGS - DON'T YOU DARE BRING ANOTHER DOG INTO THIS HOUSE"

Yes she was caught red handed cuddling the dogs in the garden at the weekend.

She's probably seeking consolation as it's her 40th birthday on 1st August 2007 and she's not that thrilled about it.

All kidding aside. This is my wife Nancy who cleans up all the mess and tolerates me running all over the place looking at dogs and generally plays 2nd fiddle to everything. It has to be said I'd struggle to what I do if I didnt have Nancy for backup.

P.S. - She'll probably beat me up when she sees this photo.

Oh Sandy

Stuart and Julie asked me to look at their 19 month old golden retriever named Sandy.

Julie's main complaint is that Sandy doesn't come back when she calls him. My retort to this is "Why should he?" "What's in it for him?". He also enjoys a good ole pull at the lead.

Sandy wasn't forthcoming at accepting my delicious liver cake and he wasn't going to run after a ball. He was just a wee bit unsure of this strange place with big fierce rottie smells and crazy people walking by.

I put Sandy on a long lead walked him quietly in circles changing direction when he pulled or sniffed and rewarding him with kind words and a click everytime I got a desirable behaviour. He soon came round to me and I had him turning, heeling and waiting with reasonable consistency. A few iterations later and I had him standing passively while other dogs walked by.

I then returned him to Julie who gave him a good pat and said "good boy". I asked her why she thought he was a good boy. Instantly I could see Sandy returning to his old habits.His whole

Praising dogs for doing nothing sends inconsistent and conflicting signals to them.

demeanour had changed and he was not giving me the focus and attention that he had offered me previously.

There is a very important point to be learned here. Julie was just being "nice" and was genuinely happy that Sandy had been obedient with me. Sandy, on the other hand, took Julie's praise as a signal of equal opportunities and assumed that he was finished with this training lark and could resort to his usual capers. Praising dogs for doing nothing sends inconsistent and conflicting signals to them.
These signals can be misconstrued as an act of adoration or equality or even promotion in the dogs eyes.

The timing of praise is critical when training. The dog has to realise that "good boy" means "that's the behaviour I expect" NOT "That's the training session over now so you can do what you want".

Sandy's a smashing dog who will mature into a handsome specimen with a delightful nature. Julie and Stuart simply need to send the correct signals to Sandy and he will flourish.

One of the really encouraging things I noticed in this session was that Sandy was attempting to offer the behaviour to Stuart when he was practicing. This just emphasises the dog's willingness to please and hopefully, with some work, Julie and Stuart will recognise these signs and reward him accordingly.

So - Will Sandy come back when called now? No he wont and he shouldn't even to given the chance to run free until he has been progressed further with this program. We need to get Sandy conditioned to the training environment with multiple short 5 minute sessions daily with loads of praise, issued at the correct times. We need to build up his confidence and train a few solid lead work behaviours like sit,wait down , turn before we even attempt to put him under the duress of performing a recall with distractions. I'm quietly confident about this
one.

Training The Recall

I thought I'd write a post on the subject of recall.

For the purpose of this post I won't go into the intricacies of the formal obedience recall. This is an informal recall performed when you need the dog to come back quickly. I'll also cover the stay because it's linked with the recall.

This is a huge subject and I could mumble on about crossovers between corrections and distractions etc etc. I'm sure I'll cover these subjects in future posts.

Here's how I train the stay and recall.

• teach the sit command using normal clicker methods.


• start by placing him in the sit and move a few steps away from him.
• Stop and stand still for 5 seconds.
• Raise your arms wide in the air to project welcoming body language and call the dog by name then issue the command (i.e. Oscar come).
• Move your arms together as he approaches guiding him to you until he's standing in front of you.


• Ask him to sit , wait for 5 seconds then reward him.

Increase your distance by 5 steps each time. Don't advance too quickly or you'll unsettle him.

Points to remember :

1. Perform your initial training away from distractions.


2. Don't let him anticipate your call. Vary the time before you call him.


3. Use a training line to maintain control if he's losing focus or wandering.


4. Use an enthusiast tone when you call him. High pitched commands work better than low pitched commands for recall.


5. Do not attempt a recall with distractions until you have mastered it in isolation.


6. Use a training line when you introduce the recall in the presence of other dogs and shorten your distance until you've gained control.


7. Always make it worth his while to come back to you. If he thinks there's a better deal to be had running around with his friends you're in for problems that could take a while to rectify.

I practice my recall everyday without fail. It's part of my daily training routines. Ingrain this command at every opportunity and always reward generously for prompt recalls.

I've embedded a clip of my big boy performing a recall in the back yard - enjoy !!!

Liver Cake Recipe

Liver cake is my favourite weapon of choice when it comes to tasty treats. Dogs love liver but can get a touch skitty with it as it's very rich.

Liver cake is the choice of many obedience and show handlers. It's inexpensive, not as rich as rare liver and can be frozen.

Ingredients

• 1lb Lambs, Ox or chicken liver



• 1lb Self Raising Flour



• 3 eggs



• 1 glove of garlic

Method

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor



2. Empy contents into a baking tray



3. Bake at 180 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes



4. Allow to cool



5. Divide into 12 pieces and freeze.

Any enhancements? - let me know

Annie - Who's the daddy

I received a call from Annie's owners saying she had been getting a tad nippy with some of the grandchildren and the lady of the house.

When I entered the house I was "greeted" with a growling snappy Annie standing on the sofa. I performed my usual body language scenario and asked Mike to put a lead on Annie.

I walked Annie to the door where she attempted to push past me. I told her to get back. She obeyed immediately. I proceeded to walk Annie up and down the path outside the house in a nice heel position. I then walked her into the house and she sat at my feet.

This dog does not want to lead the pack

I was then informed that Annie had never walked like that. She always pulls and will not take a telling.

The picture was unfolding. This was not an aggressive dog. This was a good, intelligent dog that had been elevated to pack leader and had subsequently been challenged. She then had no choice but to defend her position of pack leader by lashing out with her teeth.

There was no malice on the owners part. They were sharing their home with Annie. Annie shared their sofa and their chairs. Annie didn't have a place of her own as such, she had the run of the whole house.
Annie was being pampered. Annie had more toys than Santa. Annie was jumping on the chairs when people entered the house. Annie was jumping all over anyone who entered the house. All this pampering and jumping around was signaling to Annie that she was living on equal terms with her owners.

The problem with allowing this level of equality is that the dog feels it has to look after the house and all it's contents. It also thinks it has to display it's dominance by claiming items and defending them vigorously.

The solution was simple in Annie's case.

• Annie gets a place of her own. i.e. a cage. This is a happy place, somewhere where she can relax and chill out with no interruptions.
• Annie is not allowed on the chairs or the sofa - never.
• Annie is discouraged to jump on visitors when they enter the house.Visitors will ognore Annie until she settles. Annie will be praised for staying calm when visitors enter the house.
• Annie will be encouraged to wait and allow her owners to walk though doors and gates before her.
• All toys will be removed and will be used solely as reward mechanisms.
• Annie will be subject to the 10 minute feed rule. Eat within 10 minutes or the food gets binned.

Summary

Annie is no man eater. She's simply struggling with her status of equality within the household. A few simple measures and Annie will be a great companion for Mike and Zandra for many years to come.

My only concern here is that if the owners resort to "spoiling" her again, she will return to her old ways. This dog does not want to lead the pack but when treated in this manner, she feels she has no other choice. The measures I've suggested will free her from this burden.This one is up to the owners.

Annie is a smashing wee dog. I think she would do well in agility. She has a very intelligent look about her and although she's a tad nervous I think that could be overcome with a bit of work.

Annie has a lovely nature - it would be a real shame to see Annie in a rescue centre. I really hope Annie's owners implement my suggestions. Here's hoping !!!.

Anouke the mighty

I received a call from Margo who was at her wits end with her 2 year old "old time bulldog" bitch named Anouke.


Anouke had promoted herself to senior management within the household and was willing to defend her status. Anouke was getting possessive about certain articles around the house. She was also deciding what and when she ate, as well as where she slept.

To make matters worse, Anouke has a fear or a dislike of traffic which makes it difficult to disperse all the built up aggression and tension via exercise.

There were a few facets that were different about this case. Firstly I've never encountered an old time bulldog. I'm not sure if this is a registered breed or just a fancy name for a staffy,bulldog, boxer type crossbreed. Nonetheless, Anouke is a pretty girl and full of character and I don't want to blame her behavioural issues on breeding. Secondly I noticed that Anouke had a very strong stubborn attitude. This dog was used to getting her own way and she was not about to relinquish her status of top dog without a fight.

This bitch is an absolute power house

I performed my usual body language scenario when I entered the house. I then walked Anouke out to the garden. She immediately turned and attempted to haul me into the house. I mean haul. This bitch is an absolute power house and as stubborn as anything I've seen. I had to be firm with her and stand my ground. I refused to let her pull me. I then walked her outside making her pass the gate and I just refused to let her have her own way. Each time she let up from pulling me I praised her.Each time she attempted to bully me, I forced her to walk in the opposite direction.
I then walked her into her garden and asked her to sit. I could see the change beginning to happen and I didn't want to antagonise her just for the sake of it. I offered her some food and some water and some kind words but she wasn't forthcoming. I asked her to wait and walked up to the back door. Each time she moved I returned her back to the spot and asked her to wait. To be honest she was pretty good.
I then walked her inside and placed her in a corner in the living room. Whenever she moved I placed her back.
She then made a move to jump on the sofa. I immediately pulled her off the sofa and marched her outside and made her wait. I then brought her inside and repeated the exercise.
All this was just to let her see that there was no future for her when she was dominating the household. I was praising her when she was delivering the behaviour requested but I was demanding and I was not tolerating any misgivings.

I explained what I was doing to Margo and Chris. To be honest their only crime is that they love her too much and are not experienced in handling a dominant little power house like Anouke.

My advice is simple.

• Anouke does not get the run of the house.
• Margo and Chris sit on the sofa, Anouke sits on the floor.
• Anouke gets her food issued and the bowl gets lifted after 10 minutes regardless of whether the food has been consumed.
• Anouke will be ignored if she seeks attention by jumping up etc when anyone enters the house. Anouke will be praised after she settles down.
• Anouke will wait and let her owner pass through doorway ,gates etc before her. She will be praised and treated from being patient.

All these measures are simply to reinforce the owner's status and hierarchy within the human pack. Anouke will soon learn that it's more fun obeying her owners than trying to dominate them.

Summary

I did see a lot of boxer characteristics in Anouke. She's a real character and I've no doubt she could be very lovable and humorous. My honest opinion is that she's just a mixed up wee soul who is in need of careful management. Anouke doesn't want to be leader. She feels she has no choice but to take over and defend the realm.

Is Anouke a dangerous dog? I don't want to imply that the breeding has anything to do with the behavioural issues that have occurred. Anouke has the capability to inflict damage if she's allowed to rule the roost but she's no more dangerous than any other medium sized dog who has been allowed to promote itself to pack leader.

This dog feels she has no choice but to take over and defend the realm.

All I'll say is she's been used to getting her own way and the owners will have to be vigilant or she will resort to her old traits.

Is Anouke in danger of being aggressive towards her owners? - No I don't think so. I genuinely think Anouke is confused and has been picking up the wrong signals from her owners. I think she now knows her place and I expect her to improve dramatically if my advice is adhered to.

Is Anouke aggressive? - No she's not. She shows no aggression towards other dogs at all. Also she's did not appear to be interested in approaching other people when I had her out. In fact I'd say that all her aggressive tenancies have been centered around territory,possessions and pack status. This is purely a result of inexperience on the handlers part and not a flaw in the dog.

I'm quietly confident about this one. I think Margo and Chris genuinely want to work with Anouke and mend the relationship. I received an update today and things appear to be progressing nicely. All the best guys - you deserve it.

Body Talk

I initially wrote this as a handout to owners as a top up or reminder of my theories and common practices. I thought I'd publish it just for the hell of it.

A good pack leader is someone who earns respect and makes decisions for the benefit of the pack.

People have a tendency to communicate with dogs in English. Also, for some reason people appear to think yelling in a rough voice enforces obedience and respect. A well trained dog will obey the handler because he wants to please not because he’s afraid to disobey.

Dogs primarily communicate using body language. For 1000s of years dogs have lived in packs. The packs have survived drought, hunger, fire etc by having strong leadership,stealth and instinct. A good pack leader is someone who earns respect and makes decisions for the good of the pack. The pack leader will not tolerate acts of defiance and will not enter into negotiation when it comes to food, property, mates or pack leadership.

Domestic Dogs also communicate and interpret body language and act accordingly. There are certain fundamentals that owners should acknowledge especially when their dog starts to act aggressively.

Owners have to setup their own human pack. The human pack has a hierarchy and rules in much the same way as a wolf pack. The dog must know his place in the pack. When aggression, anxiety or protective behaviours arise, it’s a sure sign that the humans are sending mixed signals to the dog.

I’ve listed a few of the fundamentals I use to promote and maintain my status of pack leader.

Dogs do not eat at the same time as humans and dogs never share a meal.

• It’s always a good idea to let the dog see you eat and finish your meal, even if it’s just a biscuit, before he gets his meal. If he doesn’t finish the meal in ten minutes the meal get lifted and binned. He must eat when the leader allows him to eat NOT whenever he feels like it. Regular food is a luxury not a necessity.
  
• The pack leader always has the lion’s share of the kill and leaves what he doesn’t want for the rest of the pack. If you share your food, you automatically offer equality which inevitably leads to acts of dominance. Don't demote your position of pack leader by sharing your meal with your dog.
  

Dogs must have their own place in the house. A dog’s place, i.e. a crate or a cage, is the dog’s domain and nobody else should attempt to enter it while the dog is in residence. This could lead to acts of protectiveness and defence.

• The dogs place has to be a happy place.
  
• Never treat the cage as a place where the dog goes to get punished or grounded.
  
• The dog should always receive a reward when he is requested to go to his place. A positive association is paramount.
  

Never allow the dog to jump on you when you return home after being out the house.

• Whenever you go out the house and come back, the dog associates this with the pack returning from a hunt. On their return, the dogs that have been left behind perform a reordering process by jumping up on the returning dogs in an attempt to promote themselves to a higher position within the pack.
  
• It should be noted that the pack leader makes no acknowledgement to the lower members when he returns. He walks to his place ignoring the lower pack members.His position is not up for negotiation.
  
  Dogs will walk along side or behind the pack leader during the hunt.

  The pack leader does not acknowledge the subordinates when he returns from a hunt.

  No dog will walk in front of the pack leader unless instructed to do so. The dog at the front of the group, i.e. the pack leader, will make any decisions necessary to guard, protect or kill.
  
  

• If you allow your dog to drag you through doorways or pull you across the road to see another dog, you’re advertising the pack leader’s job.
  
• All dogs must learn their position within the pack. The human pack is not different. The dog must learn to walk at heel and wait on command.
  
• This can be rehearsed in the house waiting in the living room while you boil a kettle in the kitchen for instance.
  

Toys are MY TOYS. They are not toys for the dog to play with and get possessive with whenever he fancies it.

• Toys can be used as a reward for performing a positive behaviour
  
• Toys can be used in place of treats
  

All this may appear a bit daunting at first but with a little practice you’ll notice the results.

Here are my dog training hints and tips.

It’s the little things that make a great dog.

Promote anticipation not reaction - Don’t wait for a situation to happen then punish the dog - anticipate and deflect the cause of the problem.

Don’t scold the puppy for chewing your slippers, lift the slippers out the room before he gets a chance to eat them.

Don’t let the dog off the lead them scold him when he sees another dog that he fancies playing with. Train him to sit on command, give him a good game of tug for obeying you. Make your game much more interesting than running around with the other dog.

It’s the five minutes attention before you leave him alone in the house that make it tolerable for him to be left for an hour.

Be consistent – all the time – every time.

Each time you allow a bad behaviour to occur you strengthen the changes of it reoccurring. The dog is capable of learning bad habits as well as good habits. It’s up the pack leader to organise activities.

Dont resort to scolding – the dog doesn’t really understand why it’s suddenly being scolded for something it may have got away with previously.

Turn negatives into positives. Don’t scold negative behaviour, praise and reward positive behaviour.

• For example It’s easier to reward him for jumping off a bed than punishing him for jumping up on the bed.

  anticipate weekness and guide - do not wait for failure then react negatively

  
  

• Tell him “well done boy” for taking his smelly bone outside instead of kicking his butt for dragging it across your new carpet.
  

Get into a routine and stick to it.

• Perform the same set of behaviours every day.
  
• Maybe it’s getting him to wait while you put your coat on before you go for a walk.
  
• Maybe include getting him to stay off lead outside the house while you hang up his lead after your walk.
  
• Maybe its asking him to bring your stick or your gloves before he gets his lead on. It doesn’t matter as long as you encompass positive behaviours and rewards into a daily routine.

Here's a video of my bitch Lulu doing her Michael Jordon impersonation