You don't KNOW unless you DO

Baby Bella is a boarding guest at times.    Bella is a sweet, sensitive, shy, lovable, friendly, and gentle English Mastiff.   The only downfall for me when she boards is that she can't be allowed off leash outside on our four acres with the other dogs.  I think this (and on the beach) would help her gain some confidence, and find her inner dog.

A dog who moves slowly, and is hard to motivate when slightly stressed with food and toys IS a hard dog to train.   Give me an aggressive highly motivated reactive dog any day over a ponderous gentle cuddle bug (for training).   Bella is the perfect family dog and fit for her family (adults, children, and they live close to the beach where they regularly see other strange dogs).   The main reason that they came for training (a year and a half ago) was so that when walking, she wouldn't just simply sit and refuse to move.  They did manage to get past that bit of business, but were unable to move onto off leash.

When Baby Bella comes, my husband and I regularly compete on who get get the most kisses, the most snuzzles of the ear, and who she will cuddle up to.   Bella is a totally cute lovable and hugable dog.   I call her "Baby Bella" because I knew her when she was just a baby NOT as the family thinks because she is a baby:)  She is sensitive, sweet, shy and timid, but I do not think of Bella as a baby in that way (I think of the smaller packaged Baby Bella).

So Bella was not in this time for training, but the family has expressed a wish that she knew how to identify with other dogs.   She is not AT ALL aggressive, but it's clear that Bella is shy and unsure around other dogs.   The family knows they baby her (by that I mean coddling, which unintentionally reinforces her fear).  

Three days is usually too short for a dog to break through (or turn a corner as I sometimes call it), especially when it's not three overnight stays.  I took the three days to observe some things about Miss Baby Bella.  Due to the time, I did not want to take video as I wanted to be sure that I was totally there observing the moment in person.  

On day one when Baby Bella first came, she was obviously more comfortable coming to her very rare boarding place than she had been in the past.   She is pretty comfortable with people anyway (just a short warming up), but it was obvious she was a bit more comfortable with the crowd (Leon, Boris, Tommy and Magoo).   I know better than to do this already (read the title of my post), but one might assume Bella would feel MOST comfortable with Leon and Magoo at the beginning (both of them being very mellow dogs with most newcomers).   Bella had a quiet day of following me around, and lying by my feet as I typed on the computer.   She got some moments to visit with her male crush, my husband Robert.

On day two, there were a lot of indoor games going on with the gang, as it was uncomfortably winterish out.   Bella did not join in, but was VERY interested.   She showed this by getting up and barking at the outside of the group.   One would have ASSUMED that the noise and boisterous play would totally terrify Bella.   While I had noticed the day before the noises the guys make when they play took a bit of getting used to for Bella, the fact that she was safe and no dogs bothered her let her relax and observe the interactions for a day.  So on day two, she was more confident to let her interest known, even though she did not exactly know what to do with it.  It occurred to me, that Bella may be told not to bark when dogs come close, and this (especially after day three) appears to be her signal or invitation to play.  I don't know this for sure (whether the family prefers that Bella not bark on the beach OR whether they realize this is her invitation for a dog to play), and so will be copying Bella's owners on this, just in case this might be inhibiting Bella's play drive for other dogs. 

I should also put an aside on how I deal with dog play.   A dog's intentions after vocalizations become clear once you know the dog.   Also, by observing the body language and other physical reactions of the dog, one can usually gauge what is play and what is not play.   If a dog has a style of play that I know is harmless (but might concern others who do not know the dog), I usually have people approach me who want to have my dog play with their dog.   I explain the dog's playing style to be sure the other party is okay with that.   I also am sure the ( many cases my client's) dog is trained, so if the other party has second thoughts, I can call the dog back and leash them back up.   So in other words, I am respectful of other people's needs and concerns.   Many times, the way a dog is going to play IS the way they are going to play.   One can make it more gentle (many times) and perhaps less vocal, but the natural way that dog is going to initiate play usually means play will or won't happen depending on their ability to naturally communicate their intentions.  I find it more helpful for dogs to play with other dogs that understand they are playing (or can learn their play style).  It's also important for the owner and handler to truly be able to read this, and not be in denial about the dog's true intentions (should they be otherwise).  I should mention, in Bella's case the barking is definitely an invitation.   She is actually a little too shy to go to the dog, she wants them to come to her.

Day three, a dog was coming that I has THOUGHT Bella would really be timid around.   Bella loved Ollie on first sight.   Ollie is a very clueless in your face still very young male, who has been in daycare or dog walking with me for much of his life.  Bella sniffed him, snorfled him, licked him, and looked almost maternal with him.   She let him crawl underneath her, lick her mouth, and jump on her with no worry whatsoever.  I began to almost see the playful Baby Bella in full.  What a big goof she was LOL!  I noticed that every time she barked at Ollie, she fully expected him to come to her (and he did come to the little princess).   Who knew that Bella could be a bit bossy LOL.   In this case, it serves to allow her to summon her play subjects on her own.

Later we took the other dogs for their off leash walk, with Bella on a longe line (I held the other end as Bella does not have a great "let's go" for most of the time).   When Magoo, Ollie, and Boris were busy chasing each other, Bella had some moments of going into a play bow with a goofy grin on her face.   She went forward just a few steps, but not into a full chase mode.  Clearly, she would love to be involved in something like this.  It is so much fun to watch something like this.  She also enjoyed digging in the snow as the other dogs were, and sniffing the trees and bark.  Sometimes getting a dog in the mood for play means providing them with interesting and new activities that naturally put them at ease.   The Curious Bella took over, and then the Playful Bella emerged shortly thereafter.

This is a case where habituation has helped her overcome some of her fear.   It is helpful to have dogs who are trained here, so if the other dog feels uncomfortable you can direct the dogs to go elsewhere.   My point in this whole post, is until you try different things with an individual dog, you never know what they will or won't respond well to.  You can assume and make educated assumptions based on the many dogs that you have trained, but until you try something with  THAT INDIVIDUAL dog (that goes toward a goal) then you are not going to KNOW what that dog responds well to.

Bella is able to get past her fear, but people need to remember she needs ways to practice and observe her ways of playing, other dogs ways of playing, the noises they make in a way that allows her to move past the fear (it's by far not the worst case of fear that I have seen, I would say it's mild in form).  Off leash and obedience always (remember you can mix up methods and ways for the human and dog, but you ALWAYS need the work ethic) make for a more confident dog, but there are other ways to do this, albeit they may take more time or be less effective.   The ways that I worked Bella was supervising the other dogs and there interactions with her (which there was really no need to do with our crew), but most importantly letting her express herself and experiment.   Luckily Bella is the type of dog that I need to worry very little about her experimentation or expression.  With dogs, this is often with boundaries and rules still present, but if there is no danger impending then you can let the dog figure it out.   I also changed positions in the room so she didn't get glued to any one safe spot, and I sometimes purposefully walked away from her to give her curiosity a chance to grow and flourish for the other dogs. I am always happy when owners and dogs can make an improvement of any sort, even when it's not the most efficient, effective or speedy way to do it.

Bella could live without playing with other dogs, and maintain her current happiness level.  She certainly enjoys a life that many other dogs in the world would envy.   Bella has a safe home, and a family that totally adores her.  She is walked many times each day.   It's nice that her family recognizes that Bella could enjoy life even that much more.   Many families do not recognize this about their dogs.   Dog ownership and dog training is a journey that takes time and patience; and sometimes several dogs later things start making sense.

I remember my own journey as such:)

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Book Review: "Be The Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan

During my down time during the winter, I have been signing up for seminars, attending classes, reading books, and dealing with the flu.   So a readily available book about dogs was available at my library, Cesar Millan's "Be The Pack Leader".  I was considering this would be much of a chore if it just discussed points made in the television series.

Instead I found an insightful book filled with observations regarding dogs.   This book is filled with tips on allowing your dog to find their inner dog.   Also about how humans have lost their inner instincts for the natural world.  Having come from Corporate America myself, I have to agree with his observations on how humans can control the superficial many times, but we have a harder time with beings who can sense what is real and truthful.  Many times our inner insecurities or negative vibes influence our dogs, because we are their primary leaders (or non leaders).   We are the role models that they are most often with.

For this reason, dogs can be a large part of the human growth and experience for people that want dogs and to provide the best possible life for dogs.  Humans can behaviorally modify themselves in order to benefit others.  Dogs are a great mirror for this.  How well are you understanding the needs of others, and how well do you really understand what you need to provide?

As part of a dog owner's education, this book could be very beneficial to dog owners.   It has always been my contention that you need both sides in order to get the most out of a dog.  One is the training, but the other is understanding how to modify or bring out behaviors.  Cesar is very much on the more naturalist behavior side, but he does also confer with trainers for the more formal training side.  I like his apparent open mind about anything.  Additionally I admire how he understands dogs on the natural level.

One criticism that many trainers and behaviorists constantly harp on regarding Cesar is that the energy he talks about is mumbo jumbo that nobody can duplicate.  However, think about it, humans can tell the difference between someone who is calm, passive aggressive, negative, volatile, type A personality, energetic, or mellow.   People with training are able to understand dogs on their level as well. Humans may not choose to, but we are all capable of modifying our behavior for different scenarios.   Think how we deal with people at work, family, our best friends, acquaintances, and so on.

This is the energy and power that can be tapped into for the benefit of our dogs.  Some people choose not to tap into this, or practice this over and over again.   Some people just need to practice in order to crest the learning curve that is any new skill attempted.   In any case, it is not as mystical or unobtainable as some would have you believe.   Many times I counsel clients to take deep breathes when getting used to something, using equipment that will make the humans feel safer, doing shoulder rolls, or making less jerky movement that have no meaning to the dog or the undesired meaning for the dog.   A human can learn how to change their behavior to not only help their dog, but to improve their overall life in many different aspects.

Here are some quotes that I found in Cesar's book and the explanations plus examples that follow should make it easier for inexperienced dog owners to grasp the concepts:

"Every time you humanize your dog and expect him to fulfill the position of an absent child, lover, friend or parent in your life, you are putting unrealistic expectations on him." Cesar Millan in Be The Pack Leader page 9

"Because we humans have the amazing power to rationalize, we can find excuses for all sorts of behavior that would be unacceptable in the natural world.   The miracle of dogs is they are four-legged mirrors---and when it comes to us, they never lie.   I try to teach my clients how to see their own dysfunction in the mirror of their dogs' behavior." Cesar Millan in Be The Pack Leader page 174

"As long as I address and fulfill all the animal-dog needs first, the pit bull side of him will not surface in a negative fashion"  (Cesar talking about Daddy and breed as it relates to dogs)  "But when those needs aren't fulfilled in a dog, breed can and often does become a factor in his physical and psychological responses to the stresses of life, and the pent-up energy that often follows.
     The DNA of a dog's breed contains part of her "instruction manual", so to speak.   Your dog's breed is made up of what she was built for, so the more purebred she is, the more likely she will draw on the characteristics of her breed in order to release excess energy and frustration."  Cesar Millan in Be The Pack Leader page 126

"Interestingly, animals can and do trick each other at times.   Being able to deceive another animal has been selected across many species as a trait that greatly assists in survival.  Harvard ethologist Marc D. Hauser gives many examples of deception in the animal kingdom in Wild Minds, such as birds in the rain forests of Peru that use "false alarms" to distract competitors away from food in order to claim it; mantis shrimp that pretend to be tough during their vulnerable molting periods; nesting plovers that fake injury in order to lure predators away from their nests"  Cesar Millan in Be The Pack Leader page 173

No one is more surprised at me that how much I could go on and on about valuable information that can bring understanding about he human side of the dog training equation, as well as understanding of a dog's true needs and desires that humans can fulfill even if the ways are modified for our environment.

It is not that I did not see any value in Cesar before.   I truly did appreciate that he brought his overall philosophy about exercise, discipline and affection.   Additionally, the examples that were video taped are ones that are not often or easily seen.    Cesar has a compassion for dogs and owners that I truly admire, but I always understood these were made for television.   Reading his book brought more depth to the edited cases made for TV.

Dog owners will learn to understand more about themselves and how they may be affecting their dog(s) by reading this book.   Not really what I was expecting from the title of the book, but perhaps exactly what I should have been expecting.

Just to prove I am not a wide eyed television fanatic that has in fact been unquestioning about Cesar OR that I do not have some wishes regarding what  he shows on television, you can follow other posts just by selecting the "Cesar Millan" tag.

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Nosework Classes (Auditing)

So we are in class 4 of nose work.   I think what I enjoy most about the class is:

• How much my dogs enjoy using their nose (homework for me  as I am not in class with my dogs).  Not new info, as I do a lot of hide and seek games with them, but something fun to do that can be used to compete in trials now instead of just a game.
• Watching other dogs of differing temperaments work it out, though it's not new info to me, it's always something I enjoy.
• This is something that old dogs, young dogs, and dogs who are not physical perfection can do.  Also by the way, the same is true with the human owners.
• An excellent winter activity to do with your dogs, for people like me and my dogs, who only like winter when we are on a ski vacation.

One dog (Crook), who looks like an Australian Cattle Dog, is fascinating to watch.  He fairly vibrates with drive and energy, and I think he is one of the fastest worker's in class.  Out of six or eight runs, he may have had two slower runs where he did not locate the find immediately.  

There are two blond Labrador Retrievers in class, one male and one female, with different owners.   Both are very enthusiastic about locating the find.   They provide a lot of comedy in class when they locate.   Jake used to start off like a rocket bent on destruction of everything in his path, and he is a lot more focused now on the task.   Bella, the female, is very enthusiastic on her finds too.   If this was going to end up a food finding mission, they would need to be trained not to find and destroy LOL.   Since it's going to end up being non food finds (at least not in the container, these will be oil scents), they probably won't need to be taught to alert only when finding foods.   It's very amusing to watch these two, especially when they find the food.   The look on their faces before they actually go get the food, is priceless.   It's totally obvious when they actually find the food.

Pilot (probably a Collie breed that I often have a hard time identifying) and Boom Boom (a male Greyhound) are very consistent in locating their finds.   They are similar to Crook but not vibrating with excess energy.  

There is Mindy who looks like she might be a mix of a couple of hound types.  She is a very cute and shy female dog.   During week four, a bunch of metal chairs were set up in two rows with a narrow column down the middle.   The chairs rotated so the backs of the chairs were either facing in or out.   Containers were put on the metal chair seats and under the chairs.   Unlike the Labrador Retrievers and the Australian Cattle Dog (pretty sure that is what Crook is), Mindy was a bit concerned about the chairs.   Manipulation was done with the placing of the containers, and by the time the find location was changed (about six or so runs), Mindy wanted to search the chair area LOL.  This is a really good example how leadership and letting Mindy solve the problem, albeit with a bit of help by manipulating where the containers were, helped increase her confidence.

Annie, a female German Shepherd, has a timid personality too regarding getting to something where the chair back was facing her.   She would need to put her head underneath that to get at the container OR go into the row.   By about the sixth run, she also was getting over her fears of going in after it.

I am planning on continuing on with this class, and working my dogs towards a title in this.  One thing I will say, the work is short lived as are (I have heard) the trials.   So it is not a high action or high excitement type of sport.

It is something my dogs enjoy, and an easy enough thing to work into our lives and routine.  So that is a seller for me.   Plus, I remember how much Leon enjoyed tracking, and I may again build that into our training (it's a different way of scenting).  Tracking is not a sport that is done in winter conditions, so this sort of nose work class works well for this time of year. 

My Leon is a dog that I won't compete in obedience due to his knees.   The sits in particular are a problem for him.   He can take the sits in a trial, but not the practice to get to that trial, and I have modified the auto sit while heeling into an auto stand for our purposes.  He is a dog that loves to show off and work.   In fact in class we are going to need to be sure that he is quiet while the others work.   That will be the greatest difficulty with him LOL.  Well, at least, we will make some of the other owners feel better about their dogs vocalizations while not working .  The first class should be the worst of it.

That is if we get a working spot.  I don't think anyone working in the first session would not continue onto the second session, but you never know:)

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My Valentine's Hope for Homeless Dogs

It seems these days there is a push for adoptions of dogs around every holiday.   This is a bad idea, as it pushes the idea of what great presents pets make for the unsuspecting girlfriend, boyfriend, mother, father, son, or daughter who may not be prepared for the responsibilities of pet ownership.   It may also be an impulse and misguided attempt for an individual to bring some good cheer into the holiday season without fully exploring what "rescue" or "adoption" of a pet means.

Penny Eims of examiner.com just did a piece entitled "I am a dog, not a thing".  Something very important is missing from that article, however.  This is something most dog owners don't grasp and understand how this benefits both dogs and owners.  Dogs need food, shelter, affection, exercise, veterinary care, grooming, and so forth.   Training is so often overlooked.   I should emphasize here training to a standard, and that standard is to be trained to such a degree that a dog can be worked around distractions by completing the command on the first command 4 out of five times.  Also so that training improves the socialization of dogs around other humans and dogs.  See my article on socialization before assuming what that means.

Training in general is very important to dogs in specific.

• It is mentally stimulating.   Imagine you did the same thing everyday, even if it was fun.  Or you were regulated to the same tv show everyday.  Dogs get bored too.  Regardless of whether they are likely to act out on their boredom or not, to provide your dog with the best life possible, training gets them doing new and different things.  Just like humans need variety as the spice of life, so do dogs.
• How often do we think if only we could tell our dogs that?   Training done right is a way to make that partly possible.   The end result of training is a system of communication between two different species.   Don't forget, training does not always have to be obedience commands.  
• Increased bonding between the dog and human.   An owner really gets to know their dog when they train, and the dog likewise gets to know more about their owner.   This is usually a good thing .  Training with your dog can increase the bond rather than just having a walking and napping buddy.

Why are standards in training, or training to a specific standard and goal important:

• Besides irresponsible breeding, the lack of training given to canine companions is a leading cause of dogs being brought to shelters from their previous homes.  Often if the owners were caring and loving, they have no idea what a training standard could have done for their relationship with their dog.
• Doing this and starting out with a puppy will eliminate about 80% of potential problem behaviors that could develop without such training.
• If a dog has behavioral problems, training to a standard will at the least improve the behavior and the relationship between the dog and owner.  For some dogs, it will totally reverse the behavioral challenges that they once had.
• The ability to communicate with your dog, make the dog owners life easier in the process, and do more things with your dog at more places where they are actually welcomed!
• Increased ability to exercise in freedom without constraints or restraints.

Thus my Valentine's hope for homeless dogs are the following:

• Owner's who adopt you have researched, thought about, and carefully considered the responsibilities of providing YOU with the happiest life possible (and not just considered how you will make THEM happy).
• Owner's who adopt you are willing and able to provide you with shelter, food, veterinary care, grooming, exercise, and all the other essential necessities you need.
• Owner's who adopt or rescue you, realize that dogs are not perfect or stuffed animals, that you may have medical and temperament needs outside the scope of a perfectly behaved pet.  
• Owner's who adopt or rescue you, also realize their repsonsibility to the non dog owning or dog fearful public, by presenting you as an ambassador for dogs everywhere in a safe and responsible manner.
• Owner's who adopt or rescue you, realize how scary it is to be lost and the possible consequences to you of being allowed to run off.
• Owner's who adopt or rescue you have a game plan should you not end up being the perfect pet for their family NOW, or a dog that they just can not handle.
• Owner's who adopt you realize that you do not know what is poison and not poisin in the house (and probably never will on your own).
• Owner's who adopt you realize that dirt comes in on the feet of dogs.   That the house will require more picking up after.
• Owner's who adopt you realize that all dogs make accidents in the house at some point.   It is the owner's responsibility not only to clean up, but to teach you the right place to go by housetraining.   There is a reason why "training" exists in housetraining.
• Owner's who adopt you will appreciate spending much time with you (outside, inside, in the car, at the park, at family events, on family vacations...).
• Owner's who adopt you either know how to train a dog to a standard, know where to find resources to help them train to a standard or are willing to research and find resources to help them train to a standard.
• Owner's who adopt puppies know that puppies need early training, and this makes it far less likely that the situation will work out later in life.

Not ready for dog or cat ownership?   There are still ways that you can contribute and benefit dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens in rescue:

• Check shelter and rescue wishlists to see if you can donate anything.
• Money donations to shelters that you know are doing a good job, are always welcome.   Do become familiar with the shelters in your area, and be wary before sending cash out to shelters outside your area (I am sure scams are going on) or to PETA and HSUS who surely do not fund shelters and rescues.
• Shelters who do screening need volunteers to check out potential homes and adopters.
• Local shelters can use the help of volunteers to provide their adoptees with exercise and interaction.

Potential and future dog and/or cat owners, please make my Valentine's hope come true by adopting responsibly, and only after truly thinking about the responsibilities involved.  This is why I do not get involved in the push to promote going to a shelter on a specific month or holiday.   I just do not believe this attracts the most responsible owners, and dogs deserve the best homes they can get.   They really do.


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Best Laid Plans

And here is why you should always follow your schedule.   Because life is going to bump you off of your training schedule eventually.   If you were not keeping up or procrastinating, it is inevitable that you will be even more behind.

I got "the bug" these last two weeks.   I did not rouse myself out of my incoherent stupor to train, which is fine.   Now, however, I find myself even more behind than I was before.   Of course, you always take a few steps back in the training you were maintaining before life's little snafu drop kicked you.