DogRelations™ NYC dog training is really about positive reinforcement training in an enjoyable and life enriching way. This means giving your dog a clear understanding of behaviors you want to encourage while having fun and developing a close relationship. Dogs thrive on honest, direct and consistent communication, just like friends who completely trust and rely on one another.
How do you feel when you are either ignored or told what to do? When you do not have control?
Speaking for myself: I don’t like it at all.
Realizing that I am going to have to find a way to occupy myself after seeking a conversation and finding the other party preoccupied is sort of ok, but then being reprimanded for not listening when all of a sudden they want to engage: that is often annoying!
I also don’t like being bossed around all the time.
Put this here, why don’t you do such and such now? Not here, over there! Being on someone else’s agenda most of the time is disheartening and undermines one’s confidence.
I don’t like it because I like to have control over my own life.
The need for choice and control over one’s actions is urgent and important for all species
Having choice and control is a primal need.
This has been quite evident during the pandemic. To have one’s choices limited and not having any real control over the environment has lead our society to violent outbursts and extraordinary amounts of paranoia, hysteria and frustration.
The need for choice and control over one’s actions is urgent and important for all species but here I will just focus on our dogs. It is really valuable to have an even-keeled animal companion.
So, teaching our dogs to understand what to do in different situations is so much more satisfying to them because they have the choice to take a risk or not. They have the choice to earn a reward or to safely do their own thing if it is scary or too challenging.
Training a dog is really nothing else but to encourage them to engage in behaviors they know will be safe. That to try something new is safe because no ill will come to them if they do.
That is my goal when I “train” a puppy. I teach the puppy to integrate into their humans’ lives harmoniously. Not by motivating them to “do or else” but by repeating what has been rewarded, greatly appreciated and has made them feel great about themselves.
A dog who is able to think things through and is given time and motivation to “guess right” is much happier than one who is simply told what to do and not able to derive any real satisfaction from the behavior.
Are you a guardian looking to encourage your dog through choice and control? Here at Dog Relations, we are happy to provide you with the necessary support so you and your dog can continue to learn and bond together! Click here to visit our website and learn more about our virtual and in-person dog training and wellness sessions!
Read More at https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/dog-training-tips/choice-control-for-our-dogs/
You know how you feel when you are under pressure and kind of feel tested? Trying to learn from teaching when on the spot isn’t easy.
Most of the time you actually do not perform at the same level as when you are laughing and relaxed. That is true for our learning dogs as well, especially those who have a history of being nagged during teaching or where the handler might get frustrated at times because they want to get a point across quickly. Learning the “BASIC COMMANDS” as if they were religious dogma.
we humans seem to project the urgency of our needs into the way we interact, teach and explain.
I have always loved teaching the dogs “tricks” right from the beginning. It’s fun, right? But why is that? It’s because there is no pressure involved. If the puppy doesn’t learn to give paw, it’s not a life and death thing. But oddly the puppy often learns those skills with greater ease than the “basic” skills.
I was made particularly aware of that when a dear client of mine had terrific success teaching her puppy a rather advanced and captured “trick”. She said that she felt the difference in her pup’s response and that he enjoyed the “fancy work” so much more than the “necessary manners stuff”. It is a wonderful example of how we humans seem to project the urgency of our needs into the way we interact, teach and explain.
If we want our pups to gladly respond immediately with teaching, why not make everything fun?
The motivation for good behavior could be as enticing as the invitation to engage in a great opportunity for fun and reward. Our dogs are not soldiers who have to obey, they are not underlings or in the most extreme cases, slaves. They are our cherished friends who want to engage in a mutually beneficial and loving relationship.
Looking to the New Year, perhaps finding this new motivation for “fancy work” or teaching could be an enjoyable exploration for both you and your dog! As always, if you need support with creating these opportunities, reach out to us at Dog Relations NYC at any time.
Read More at https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/dog-training-tips/the-joys-of-fun-teaching/
We use the internet every day to find much-needed answers to questions about our pets happiness, health and training. WikiHow is a huge resource for addressing these and many other questions, and now it just got a whole lot more exciting for pet owners.
Elisabeth Weiss, owner of Dog Relations NYC, is now a writing contributor for wikiHow Pets!
She has co-authored several blogs in partnership with other dog behaviorists, nutritionists and trainers around the world, answering questions about understanding your dog and how best to address less desirable behaviors. These blogs cover a large variety of topics including basic puppy manners like sleep training and how to teach ‘sit’ to more serious issues around separation anxiety in dogs and fear triggers. These blogs are an invaluable resource to those with a new puppy and seasoned dog guardians, alike.
Keep reading this blog to discover the different topics addressed by Elisabeth and be sure to click the links to read more on wikiHow Pets!
Your Dog and Their Fear Triggers
Are you and your dog struggling with fear triggers? As the guardians, it can be hard to understand exactly what frightens our dogs, but there are ways to help put your puppy at ease!
“It’s heartbreaking to see our dogs shy away from people, objects, and other animals that can enrich their lives.
To put your dog at ease, you can desensitize them through gradual exposure and by creating new, positive associations with their triggers. Over time, your dog will learn to overcome their fear and live a fuller, happier life…”
If you are interested in helping your puppy with their fear triggers, click here for a wikiHow article co-authored by Elisabeth on how to desensitize your dog.
Loose Leash Walking is Possible
Are you enjoying walks with your dog? Or is the enjoyment overshadowed by concern for their walking training?
The goal is to help both you and your dog enjoy loose leash walks! This will put you at ease and help your dog understand exactly what is desirable leash behavior.
Teaching your dog to walk next to you doesn’t need to be overwhelming or frustrating. Read the helpful step-by-step guide in this wikiHow blog!
Dominant Dog Behavior
Do you feel you have a dog with dominant behavior?
While it can seem like a ‘dominant dog’ issue, your dog is just trying to understand what behaviors will be the best ones to choose, most of the time!
When our dogs don’t understand which behavior is the most desirable, they will make a best guess. Sometimes, that guess is exactly what you don’t want, resulting in a dog that acts out as dominant.
This can be addressed through positive reinforcement, as well as clear boundaries. Want to learn more? Read this helpful wikiHow blog co-authored by Elisabeth to understand the best ways to address dominant behavior in your dog!
Stop Those Destructive Chewing Habits
Destructive chewing can be costly and concerning!
If you have a puppy who is teething or simply loves to chew on the objects around them, make sure to limit access to toys that they are allowed to chew on. Positively reinforce their behavior when they chew on the ‘good’ items.
However, if you find that your dog tends to destructively chew on objects when left alone, this could be a sign of separation anxiety.
Want to learn more about issues with destructive chewing and how to solve them? Read this wikiHow blog co-authored by Elisabeth on wikiHow Pets and reach out to Dog Relations NYC for any help you may need!
Helping Your Puppy Fall Asleep (and Stay Asleep)
Sleep is so important for a young puppy! It is essential in helping them grow and develop healthily, as well as keep them happy, relaxed and feeling comfortable. Puppies need consistency and boundaries to settle in for a night of good, productive sleep.
Are you learning about your puppy’s sleep cycle or looking to help them get settled and fall asleep sooner? Read this wikiHow feature discussing how best to get your puppy sleeping consistently through the night! With a helpful step-by-step guide, this blog shows the best ways to help prepare and tire your puppy out for sleep and how to keep them asleep once they are ready for bed.
‘Sit’ is a Great Place to Start
‘Sit’ is one of the most fundamental training topics for new puppies and dogs alike!
The most important thing is to set up a positive learning experience for both you and your puppy. You want the training to be a fun way for you both to connect. Understanding your dog and how they like to learn and interact with you will help you form a loving bond for years to come.
Teaching your dog to sit is a great place to start! Read this wikiHow article on how to encourage your puppy the right way when it comes to ‘sit’.
Need some help with teaching the basics of puppy training? At Dog Relations NYC, we offer many personalized training options, both virtual and in-person in New York City! Check out our website for more information. www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com
How to Address Excessive Licking
Puppy licks are often a sweet, friendly indication of how much your dog loves you! Licking is normal behavior for puppies to affectionately interact with their dog guardians, to groom or to taste something delicious.
But, it is important to note that obsessive licking can be a sign of anxiety in your dog or puppy. Understanding the motivation of the licking and if it is your dog’s way of expressing discomfort or anxiety is key to knowing how they are feeling.
Want to learn more about this issue and ways to curb excessive licking? Check out this wikiHow Pets article co-authored by Elisabeth!
If you think your dog is dealing with anxiety-manifested licking, this often needs more focused attention and care. Contact us at Dog Relations any time for a virtual or in-person personalized session to better understand your dog’s anxiety triggers and ways to help relieve their stress. www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com
Get Your Dog and Cat Living in Harmony
Relationships between animals can be so special. Whether they meet while you are on a walk with your dog, or you live at home with a dog and a cat, having more than one animal around can give companionship and comfort to you and them.
However, the environment can sometimes be stressful if your dog wants to chase cats! If your dog and cat are not cohabitating well, or if your dog reacts to cats in your neighborhood in an undesirable way, don’t worry! This is solvable and will help all of your animals feel comfortable and safe.
At home or out on a walk, the key is to control the environment in which your dog and cat interact and reward them both for their desirable behavior towards each other. By following the five helpful steps in this wikiHow Pets blog, you’ll be able to have all animals living in happy harmony!
No More Extreme Barking
Is your dog barking often? Does it seem uncontrollable? This issue can feel frustrating and overwhelming, especially when we don’t understand what our dogs are trying to communicate or why.
It could be that you have accidentally reinforced this behavior as acceptable. But don’t despair! Dogs are incredibly smart and want to choose those good behaviors you want to see.
Take a look at this wikiHow article co-authored by Elisabeth that discusses how to stop excessive barking and how to encourage your dog to respond to stimuli in different, less noisy ways!
Help Your Dog’s Fear of Vehicles
Whether it is driving in a vehicle or walking beside one on a busy street, they can trigger a fear response in your dog or puppy.
This can be a difficult thing to deal with if you want to take your dog on a trip to the dog park or even to walk around the block near moving vehicles on the road.
You may feel helpless to your dog’s response, but this doesn’t need to be the case! Explore three steps in this wikiHow article that can aid your dog’s fear of vehicles.
Dog Agility Courses are Safe and Fun
We’ve all been staying at home a lot more than usual, lately. When there is a dog in the home, it’s such a blessing to receive their love and attention, especially during these difficult times. But, if you’ve noticed you have had to limit walks and dog park visits because of the pandemic, there are still exciting ways to keep your dog happy and healthy.
Turn your backyard or even your apartment into a mini agility course for your dog! Keeping your house-bound dog energized and happy can be a fun activity for both of you and can be a very rewarding training experience.
There are many DIY options for creating an agility course out of materials you may already have laying around. Need to get inspired? Take a look at this wikiHow Pets feature Elisabeth contributed to for agility ideas!
Need more information on any of these topics? We’re not just wikihow experts! Contact us for any of your dog training, nutrition or wellness needs. We are happy to provide virtual sessions to clients as well as in-person visits for anyone in New York City. www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com
Read More at https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/dog-relations-accomplishments/elisabeth-weiss-a-wikihow-expert/
Reinforcement at the right time can help you and your dog!
Using management can be a valid teaching pathway for both you and your dog. Essentially, you can build a reward history in your dog by associating great outcomes with specific events and circumstances.
Ideally, we control the dog’s environment in such a way that makes undesirable behavior less likely. As much as we might wish so, we do not have a magic wand to wave that allows the dog to understand how we would like him to behave.
For example, let’s say all of a sudden your puppy notices that when you have dinner, there are deliciously wonderful smells emanating from the table top and of course he wants to explore and devour the aromatic foods up there. That is perfectly natural. After all, wouldn’t you?
But luckily someone in your life has taught you a certain amount of impulse control, also known as manners, that allowsyou to gracefully wait until (through some learned social signal) it is OK to take one of those freshly baked brownies or taste that delicious cheese.
Your dog, however, does not yet have the necessary social skills to cope with the temptations that set off the “bad” behavior.
Until that time, it is a great idea to help your puppy by not tempting them in the first place!
Remember, timing is of the essence. If you wait for the dog to bark, whine, jump up and then decide, “oh we better put him in the crate with a nice stuffed toy!” You are reinforcing a chain of behaviors.
The most important thing in behavioral training is to help the dog not to feel compelled to perform an undesired behavior.
Your dog learns that barking/jumping/whining will get him attention and then something nice to lick! He learns that quicker than you think and so the behavior chain will be reinforced.
With a little attention to forethought, you can “manage” this or any other problem behavior.
If your treat delivery becomes part of a routine and happens before the dog starts to beg/jump/whine, you will teach your dog to run to his “spot” or bed directly because setting the table becomes a predictor or cue that something great and rewarding will appear there. Running to the bed becomes a self rewarding action and barking/whining/jumping doesn’t even enter the picture. www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com
Read More at https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/dog-training-tips/timing-is-everything-with-your-dog/
Providing your puppy with clear boundaries leads to great outcomes for you and them!
Sometimes I am highly amused by the way people describe the behavior of their puppy. It sounds to me as if they were describing a movie in which they have no control over the outcome. They adore their puppies and they want them to have fun but they seemingly don’t quite know how to organize things to prevent chaos.
This is where management can be very helpful!
Management to me means providing an environment or manipulating the environment in such a way that minimizes the chance for error and provides mostly desired outcomes.
In context with a new puppy, that means less space, lots of supervision and a fair schedule. That is good management that will lead to good outcomes.
Remember: Puppies and Dogs Want to Understand What You Need From Them
To put it another way: Good management will not deprive the puppy of having fun and games and a loving relationship with you but, if thoughtfully applied, will contribute to the learning process!
Consequently, the puppy will be well prepared to act “properly” on his own when he can learn that those behaviors are always rewarded and once “taught”, will not need to be “managed”, but will already understand what the situation requires.
In context of a new puppy, management means giving less space, lots of supervision and a fair schedule… Good management leads to good outcomes!”
If you are reading this and currently feeling overwhelmed with your puppy and the training they need, reach out to us at Dog Relations NYC! We offer personalized puppy training and have just launched a new In Home Puppy Day Care, to give you time to run your errands and catch your breath while we play with and house train your puppy.
Grooming your dog at home doesn’t need to be difficult
In this unfortunate time of a pandemic when many grooming salons are closed, you might want to do some basic grooming at home. So you think: I’ll just brush him a little bit to get rid of those mats that have been accumulating. You pull out brush and comb and want to get started but come to the realization: “Wow, he really is incredibly wiggly, he won’t let me touch his paw, he runs away!” The groomer never told you how on earth she got the job done! However: Do not despair! If we can teach zoo animals to comply with care voluntarily you can do the same with your dog at home.
With a bit of patience and good humor you can turn the grooming session into a fun training/learning game for both you and your dog.
EASY TIPS FOR GROOMING:
Do not be in a rush! Do not feel you have to get everything done now! We humans can be very task oriented. Change your mindset to: Let’s see if I can actually teach my puppy not to run away when he sees the brush. As with everything in teaching: Success is inspiring, so if you make your goal attainable, the likelihood of being successful is much higher. Baby steps are far better than wrangling with your dog and “just letting you do it”. That would mean setting yourself up for more struggles in the future. All reinforced behaviors increase in intensity. So I can guarantee you that the dog’s fear and resistance will escalate. In other words: by stressing the dog out the opposite of what you really want to achieve will happen.
Second important point would be how to set yourself up for success. As with all things sometimes it takes a step back to get a step forward.
Decide on a spot where you are going to teach and eventually do your grooming. Can your dog relax on a mat or a bed? If yes: great! If not, I would greatly encourage you to start there.
There are several recommended positions your dog can take:
Lying on mat or table/grooming table if you have one
Any geographically defined surface (a dog bed, a towel, a yoga mat) will greatly help teach your dog that good things happen if I stay in that area.
Head Rest on your lap or seat of chair
SCRATCHBOARD FOR NAILS:
One of the most wonderful aspects of the trust you can build with positive reinforcement is the ability to give your dog choice and control over what he feels comfortable offering at the time of the interaction. Rather than restraining the dog and “getting it over with” and reprimanding the struggling dog, we can teach that nothing bad will happen when he makes the choice to trust the guardian or handler. We achieve this by rewarding small increments of showing trust and building on the fact that the rewarded choices will increase in strength in the future.
To give you a specific example: for nail filing : If you have a scratch board, you will first reward the dog for not avoiding the scratchboard when he looks at it..then as he becomes more comfortable with it, you will reward him touching it as it is lying on the floor. You see, it is a game and he will understand that it is a game!
Save yourself and your dog a lot of stress and trips to the vet or groomer
A touch can easily become a scratch as you change the angle of the board. And within a short period of time you have the dog filing his own nails. Not only do you save yourself and your dog a lot of stress and trips to the vet or groomer, you add to your repertoire of fun interactions with your dog. It is a win/win for everyone.
You will be pleased that you have solved one of the more challenging issues dog guardians encounter, partly because of their own hesitation to use unwieldy, hard to gauge clippers that can cause heavy bleeding if you miscalculate by even a tiny amount and because both you and your dog are apprehensive about the procedure. If we can teach wild animals to offer their paws for nail filing and their tails for blood sampling you can be assured that you can achieve this goal with your own dog.
I have discovered a very good source for these scratchboards and am pleased to collaborate with ScratchPad for Dogs TM on this project. Take a look at their products, here: www.etsy.com/scratchpad
Keep in mind the most important piece of information: Always present the tools you will need: brush, comb, nail clippers, bottle of ear cleaner, toothpaste etc. first. If your dog doesn’t recoil or move: reward THEN. Do not try to lure the dog by holding a cookie and then when the dog approaches pull out your tool. That cookie will become a predictor for the scary brush to appear and devalue the treat! So if your dog backs away when the brush appears: wait for the dog to voluntarily take up the highly rewarded “position” again and then present the brush from farther away. Your job is to make the dog feel successful!
Want a lesson to achieve the goal of establishing a relaxation spot for your dog? For help with this and turning it into a safe, fun party: book an online session. This is a lesson that is really easy to teach remotely and is something I can easily instruct you to do via streaming. I promise it’s going to be exciting and rewarding for you and your doggie.
Reach out to me on my website to easily book an online or in-person coaching session for grooming and any other need you or your dog may have! https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/
Read More at https://www.dogrelationsnewyorkcity.com/dog-training-tips/at-home-dog-grooming-is-possible/
In my work with puppies I often find that related issues pop up in waves.
We all know that dogs crave attention. In turn, we adore how they look at us lovingly when we give them attention. We love admiring how cute they are, how smart they are and we are amazed by the deep emotional impact all that cuteness has on us.
What we seem to overlook is that fawning and constant commenting are reinforcing the pup’s behavior in real time! The puppy more than the humans realizes that playing keep away gets them at least as much attention as coming when called.
“Oh honey…we have to go out now and come on come on we have to go now, let’s put on your harness…here…here…I will lure you with a treat…haha you are running away…look I have a treat…oh, don’t do that! “What are you doing over there? Oh, don’t eat the rug! What is it that you have in your mouth? Why don’t you play with your toy instead, oh don’t bark, don’t whine…why are you whining… What do you want?!”
In that constant stream of verbal attention, why should the puppy know what to ignore and when to pay attention?
How does he differentiate between running commentary and an actual cue?
Also keep in mind that dogs have to learn to understand specific words by associating them with physical behaviors first. If your dog does not really know what action to associate with a particular word under a variety of circumstances and with distractions then you cannot expect the dog to perform on cue.
Be aware of the fact that your puppy needs clear guidelines. That does not mean that you have to bark out commands in a military fashion. Just try really hard to show your puppy that behaviors that you do not want to repeat should not have a reinforcing effect on your puppy. Use your actions and words strategically.
Notice them when they are doing the “right” thing,. When your dog ignores you or “does not listen” consider if it’s actually your behavior that is confusing to your puppy.
This morning my young dog Snorri gave me reason for pride.
Snorri has an incredible nose and is also highly food motivated. Like all smart dogs (and kids) he is also very curious and he likes to explore everything. He uses his mouth and his nose. On the sidewalks of New York City using his nose is mostly acceptable but using his mouth is definitely a hazard to his health.
On our walks we practiced “drop” about a million times. To me “drop” means: Get your mouth empty because delivery of something very delicious and a much more valuable reward is waiting.
So this morning ingraining this in him really paid off. Snorri snagged chicken bone on our walk,I cued him to “DROP” and he DID.
WHEW!Those are the moments when I am overwhelmed with joy and pride and find that all those practice repetitions really paid off for both of us.
Not long ago I was called in to help with a “completely” out of control 11 year old little dog. Interestingly the dog walker’s impression was “he is a sweet little dog” with a few quirks. The guardians had a very different description.
The dog greeted me with great enthusiasm. However that enthusiasm didn’t wane after a few moments but in fact escalated and he started to leap onto chairs, onto the top of the table and he barked non-stop.The humans in turn only yelled at the dog: “STOP!” “OFF!” “GET DOWN!” “DON’T DO THAT!!!”The constant and intense barking was continuing uninterrupted. In fact it seemed to me that the humans were joining the dog in a constant stream of barked out reprimands.
After observing this mayhem for a few minutes I spoke up (loudly) andinterrupted the humans and just said: You have got to STOP this.
After interviewing them it turned out the humans had pretty much expected the dog to “behave” without actually showing the dog what they wanted him to do instead. The dog had NEVER been rewarded for doing the right thing and had been raised only on corrections. The dog was generally ignored when he was doing “nothing”, in other words: being a “good dog”.
The dog’s inherent need for attention was satisfied. However the behaviors that got him this very intense attention were not desirable actions. If that was the only kind of attention the dog could get, that’s what he would accept. The dog never had the experience that a polite behavior could earn him kudos.
With other unacceptable behaviors the humans tried to figure out how they could appease him or manage the environment and their own actions. Everything was “managed” around what they thought the dog might think or want. If that wasn’t enough the dog would lash out. So the humans would try to accommodate the dog “better” or “differently” in order to keep themselves “safe”.
So I explained that we needed to turn that situation around completely and show the dog what behaviors we wanted from him and highly reward him for those behaviors. That training meant nothing more than teaching the dog which behaviors would pay off for him and that the humans would choose those behaviors.
I started by teaching the dog that barking and jumping did not get him any reinforcement or would have an unexpected consequence. All I needed to do was show him that I wasn’t at all impressed with barking and jumping but that I was extremely appreciative of an offered sit. After a few minutes all the dog did was sit voluntarily and he was quiet too!
Luckily the humans saw and understood the concept, andafter a day or so I got feedback from them that they had a different dog! That was very satisfying to me as well as the dog guardians. I am so grateful that they actually followed through. Good training pays off for all those involved.
About 6-7 months ago I got an inquiry from a guy who had a puppy who was “boisterous” and he wanted “it” trained. He asked if I could I come for 2-3 days in a row and teach him basic manners and how to walk on a leash.
It was clear to me that he had no idea how dogs learn, but his request sounded so urgent that I agreed to those terms, hoping that I could explain some things to him and him on a path to understanding.
The evening before the first lesson he texted, apologized and said that his mother had offered to help and that he wanted to cancel. Fine.
To me this has turned into a very sad story. I see that pup almost every morning. I don’t know if the guy knows who I am. But here is what happened:
He talked to ALL THESE PEOPLE in the neighborhood who were “experts”.
The puppy continues to pull on the leash, jump all over the place, and the guy continues to be frustrated. I keep seeing neighbors giving him all these “tips”. One daynot long ago, I overheard him boasting to a group that he hired a trainer who had told him to get this special collar and he was now confident that all his problems would be solved.
This dog was a perfectly sweet, happy enthusiastic puppy. Now he “finally” hired a trainer who has advised him to use a choke collar. Every time they encounter a dog (just like me and Snorri) the puppy jumps and wants to play after which the guy chokes the dog to the point where I can hear the puppy gag. It hurts me to see such stupidity and uselessnessin these terribly timed, punishing actions.
It makes me worried about this dog’s future and it makes me wonder how much this guy enjoys his walks with his puppy and what kind of a relationship they have. Also, I wonder if all of his relationships are framed by the things that are wrong with the other person just like the critical way he sees his dog.
But mostly I feel bad for the puppy. Sadly our entire society seems to be driven by the reigning in of behaviors that are deemed unacceptable rather than increasing the motivation for “good” behaviors.
I think this story is worth retelling because I see so many people waiting for their dog to make a “ mistake” rather than manage their behavior!
On a recent walk with my dog Zeldi we came across a woman standing around in the street playing with her phone. She was wearing a billowing long dress. Zeldi found the fluttering fabric very interesting and the woman wanted to interact with Zeldi. Knowing how tempting her garb was for Zeldi I rewarded her for resisting to play with the fluttering fabric and for not leaping up on the woman.
When we were done with the contact as we were walking away the woman mockingly said: “Treats! Treats!” So I briefly explained that Z loves to play with fabric and that I was rewarding her for resisting that temptation since I am sure the woman would not appreciate walking away from the interaction all tattered and torn. She then revealed that she was a dog trainer. “Jumping up?” she said: “Knee to chest! Knee to chest! That will teach her. I am a trainer”.
Would she not be practicing an undesired behavior that by mere repetition would be self-reinforcing?
By adding the knee jerk would I not be participating in that unwanted behavior and reinforcing it?
If indeed the bouncing against my knee would work as a punishment: how effective would it be if the knee jerk was not “really” a big deal? Would she not find the satisfaction derived from the self- rewarding leap more tempting?
Reinforcement should happen when the dog is doing the right thing. Helping a puppy do the right thing is worth reinforcing! Even if it falls under the category of “management”
So when is it good to start training your puppy? Is it ever too late? Or too soon?
Those are questions we hear often.
I guess the first thing to realize is that dogs at all ages are constantly looking for information from you and from the environment, and they take note of consequences. Everything that happens to a dog of any age makes an impression and consequently elicits a response that affects behavior.
I see “training” a dog as a way of life; how you interact with your animal companion day in and day out. Which behaviors you purposely reinforce as you move through the day is what makes for the best kind of reinforcement.
A “lesson” is time you set aside to teach the dog a particular set of skills is necessary to allow the dog to practice and fully understand what your given cues mean.
So yes, training games should be part of our lives, but if that’s all you do you will have a rather erratic result. Then all of the dog’s skills are divorced from the actual practical and useful application.
When it comes to timing (when should you start), I am more interested in finding the best opportunity for the dog to be open and enthusiastic about taking in specific information and playing along with the teacher. In my experience harping on one particular skill too long or getting obsessed about fully teaching something in one fell swoop can be detrimental both to the dog and the human. When frustration and desperation about timelines enter the picture it’s not good at all.
An example of that would be if you asked your dog out of the blue to shake paws with a stranger on the sidewalk and the dog is too distracted and you respond with disapointment “ he did it in class” or “he did it for the trainer” kind of situation.
So my answer to the question: When is it best to “start” training? As soon as you bring your puppy home and as you long as you have your dog! The lessons will be different but always valuable and enriching.
We believe that best results are achieved when “training” is not only a fun and happy time for both the human and your puppy but actually an integral part of how you relate to one another. We embrace positive reinforcement in our force free training and thrive on your success with your new puppy.
Let us help you and your puppy develop good habits that last a lifetime.
Package value (consultation + 3 behavior lessons) $1250
A reinforcer is pretty much anything that will make a learner understand that they did well, that they understood, that communication was successful.
With puppies and inexperienced dogs in particular food is a great choice because food is inherently good because it is a primary need (meaning it is necessary to sustain life and therefore is difficult to misunderstand).
In scientific terms a reinforcer will act to make a behavior stronger in the future. The consequence of a reinforcer usually is a feel good about yourself emotion that will encourage the animal (including a human animal) to repeat the behavior that has paid off in such a great way.
When I go work out and afterwards I am in a good mood and my thighs are less jiggly I will be encouraged to go work out again. The workout acted as a reinforcer, a motivator even though the workout might not have been easy. So for me a reinforcer does not have to be food but a great consequence. This is also known as the Premack principle which basically says an unlikely behavior (me working out) is reinforced by a consequence of feeling good and looking good. Knowing that, I am encouraged to work out more often even though I need to be guided through the procedure by my trainer.
Anyway: the reason why I am so excited about expounding these banal morsels of common wisdom is that sometimes it is actually hard to find reinforcers.
I recently was asked to work with a tiny little poodle that was 7 years old and had zero “training”. She had never been taught anything, not even “sit”. Her human works in an emergency room and discovered that she is able to bring her dog to work with her if the dog had a certain set of skills. I was asked to teach her those skills. Since those are fairly basic I thought: easy! NOT SO FAST!
In her first lesson I realized that she simply had no motivation to even try to understand what I was luring, gesturing, or accepting even in the tiniest increments. I was finally able to get her to go onto her own bed and sit and lie down but she was always looking away from me and she was clearly not happy.
Next lesson 2 days later: She is scared out of her mind. She will not take any of the rather high value treats I brought. She refused to play with her favorite toy. I let her sit in my lap. I stroked her. I tried to give her some scrambled egg which was in her food from breakfast. NOTHING.
I went through a list of potential aversive agents in my mind: Was it the collar and leash I had put on her? I took everything off… just in case. Was it that the door between us and her guardian that had been shut to give us a distraction free environment? I opened the door. She ran in and jumped onto the bed in that room.
I fessed up to her guardian and told her how terrified her little dog was. Too scared to learn anything in the lesson so far. Did anything happen? We went through a list of all possible aversive events: no real reason that we could determine.
Then finally I said: do you have any cheese? Yes, she had cheese and no she didn’t mind if I tried to teach her on the bed!
BINGO!
LOCATION and CHEESE made the huge difference. She was like a different dog! Almost instantly she gave me voluntary sits, “sit to stand” and “down” and was so proud of herself! She didn’t want to stop. Her guardian was thrilled that I didn’t give up and I was thrilled that we found a way to get her off on a great start after all.
So here is to not giving up! Here is to always trying something different until you have a molecule of function that can be built on. Learning takes place in an environment that provides safety. Think outside the box when it comes to reinforcers!!!!!
This little poodle is certainly the first dog who had a lesson on a beautifully made bed next to her favorite pillows being rewarded with strings of parmesan flakes. But we are all filled with pride and looking forward to the next lesson!
Remember the coloring books you had as a child where you needed to try and stay INSIDE the lines?
A long time ago I wrote a blog post discussing “inside out training”. I discussed the idea that people tend to get a behavior by drawing a line in the sand, namely by correcting a bunch or errors (going outside the lines) until the dog performs a behavior that does not “go over the line”. In the meantime that actual behavior that needs to be nurtured and painted in deeper and deeper colors so it becomes joyful and expressive stays “empty”.
When you elicit or teach a behavior though you start with a little dot that gets reinforced and reinforced and painted over and over so that the colored field gets larger and larger and when the behavior is fully “filled out” or “shaped” then you have taught the behavior.
In other words you don’t teach what NOT to do.
Recently a very dear client mentioned her dog has to learn how to stay; she asked me “what is the signal for that? She needs to know STAY.”
I tried to explain that the hand signal or the verbal cue could be anything she wanted it to be, but the process of staying is only associated with the cue after the process is understood. Sure you can use a signal that kind of implies a holding back or staying back but how appealing is that to the dog who wants to be with you naturally?
So again: we have to reinforce the behavior, fill in the painting, grow the nascent behavior into a fully comprehended experience before we can expect a “stay”. Otherwise stay means nothing. Asking a dog to do nothing is very hard. So we have to teach other behaviors which require voluntary stillness on cue for “stay” to have meaning for the dog. If you want a happy and frustration free “stay” you better create a very elaborate association with lots of delicious food, praise, and games that follow. Reward the experience of remaining in one spot by making it very desirable to the learner, otherwise where is the motivation to “stay” in one spot?
I have found that asking the dog to stare at a cookie is really helpful once they understand the concept of “leaving something” or waiting for permission to take something. But again that needs to be taught as a game that pays off.
All duration behaviors need to be taught in short increments which actually could be seen as back chaining the behavior also. Start at the “end” of “stay” in other words just before you are going to release the dog or start playing with the dog when you return to the dog. It is always easier for the dog/puppy to learn that on a geographically defined area, a mat, a platform, even a towel could do sometimes.
Once you have a very solid stillness you can make it harder by increasing distractions, movement/distance away from the still dog and/or adding weird noises.
Once you have that: insert a cue. That, ladies and gentlemen, can be ANYTHING your heart desires from a hand signal to the presence of the mat itself to putting on a hat… really! It is most important to choose something that is the most fun, easiest to remember, and will always make you smile.
I taught Zeldi to do a specific leap when I say the name of a favorite restaurant in Vienna. Granted that is a fun behavior in itself, but naming it Figlmueller makes it automatically hilarious for me too. She will NEVER feel I want her to do something boring and tedious.
The worst thing you can do is make a still behavior a drudgery for both of you. So again, make it a desirable game and you will be much more successful, and success breeds on itself, as we know!
Very often dog guardians reach out to a trainer or behaviorist when something with their dog’s behavior goes awry. The neighbors complain about barking, the dog is still peeing and pooping inappropriately in the house when they should be house trained, the dog has bitten someone or has been destructive in other ways.
When I receive these inquiries I offer them a consultation. Why is that important and why don’t I just go and “fix” the dog? It is important for people to know that when it comes to changing their dog’s behavior, they have to change how they behave towards the dog.
Inadvertent reinforcement is a huge component of behavior problems. When we look at the root and reason for behaviors we inevitably see a sequence:
Antecedent – Behavior – Consequence
In other words: an Antecedent would be a circumstance that causes a Behavior to happen, what then follows would be a Consequence.To achieve Behavior Modification we have to change up the previously established chain of events to get different results as consequence.
Let’s say the dog jumps up! So the sequence could be:
A human appears at door.
B dog runs and jumps up to greet
C human wrestles with or pets dog while yelling “no” or “down”.
Consequence pays off for the dog in terms of intense attention from human.
What does the dog learn? ZIPPO! Will the dog stop jumping? No.
Not only will you be caught in a continuous loop of repetition but by practicing the behavior you are actually reinforcing the behavior albeit mostly inadvertently. As practice makes more perfect the dog will improve their jumping or barking, he will bark louder and jump higher and get even more excited with each opportunity to practice.
Behavior modification:
A human appears at door
B dog runs to human and wants to jump up
C human turns around and walks out again
This consequence is disappointing and surprising to the dog. The dog gets no attention. Not even a reprimand. After a few repetitions the dog will try something else and the human can now start to intervene and redirect the dog towards a behavior that the human can reinforce purposely, the result is that the dog learns to offer this new behavior happily and voluntarily because it truly pays off for them.
In my consultations I am able to teach clients how to think differently about how they interact with their dog and make them aware of what they may be doing to reinforce the unwanted behavior. I can intervene and change the behavior of their dogs before their own eyes. Yes, of course it helps a lot if I come and practice basic behaviors with the dog like sit/stay/go to bed and walk on a loose leash etc. to fluency… this will teach the dog to take cues from the environment and circumstances to help make them self confident and thinking dogs. But if the humans who live with the dogs don’t understand how much our canine companions love to please us and how they can stimulate and reward them for “guessing” right, the chances are they will not learn to avoid the pitfalls of inadvertent reinforcement.
Very often the first thing we teach a puppy is how to sit. I am not quite sure when all of that started. I guess it is easy enough to teach and makes a puppy guardian proud.
However I have become tired of this cookie cutter approach. Not because I think that sit and wait are not valuable but because I feel that people start to ask for those behaviors under difficult or inappropriate circumstances. I also object to forcing the puppy/dog to sit by pulling up on the leash or pushing the butt down; even worse is to constantly ask the dog to sit when he is jumping.
If you want them to keep all paws on the floor then prevent them from jumping in the first place by rewarding them for remaining on the floor. Don’t wait until they start jumping.
When I work with a dog I feed the dog strategically in the position I would like the dog to be in. In other words: low and while the dog is still calm. With my puppy Snorri (who is huge!) this has paid off big time because he has taken to alternate and low positions when he greets humans or other dogs. He will play bow, offer a stand sideways to the human greeter, for small dogs he will lie down on the ground and other behaviors that everyone prefers over jumping, and he does so because I reward so highly for that.
In situations that I know are difficult for him I will feed his polite position. I know people think that I am constantly handing out behavior candy and they say stuff like “Ahh yes the treats…” but they don’t understand that there is a method to my feeding madness.
The reason I felt the need to discuss this topic is that I have lately seen a few examples of people who are so obsessed with the idea of “no jumping” that they won’t even let their dog/puppy play with another dog! Ironically, as the puppy sees the other dog and wants to play, they tighten the leash causing the puppy to stand on his hind legs and hop up and down on the restraining leash… while they order them in vain to SIT… something the pup cannot possibly do. The puppy is being punished for being a friendly puppy, for wanting to play and be social. It’s a double whammy of inadvertent reinforcement caused by overly zealous control. It’s quite troubling to me.
As much as I feel that a puppy should be taught to be polite in human and canine terms I feel it is cruel to smother their good instincts. Help them by showing them what we would like the greeting to look like and they will gladly follow your guidance.
It’s spring and we look forward to warmer weather and nice expeditions to the country and the beach with our dogs. As delightful as the warmer weather can be it also brings with it the same question: How to beat the heat?
I have two Briards with lush, long coats. I cannot tell you how often people ask me if I am not going to give them a haircut for the summer. They must be hot?
No way would I ever shave or clip them for reasons of climate!
By the same token I hear dog guardians proudly pronounce “He got his summer haircut! Now we are ready!” and I think: Really? Their coat protects from the heat as much as from cold!
Think of people who live in the desert who wrap themselves in wool blankets. They are not masochists, they know what a shading effect these heavy blankets have. I would never consider shaving my dogs. Dogs can only perspire through the tongue and the paw pads to keep themselves a bit cooler… skin exposure would only risk sunburn and additional heat exposure.
The article below explains in more detail why double coated dogs should not be shaved.
But double coated dogs aside: why shave at all? If you feel you need to give your dog a summer haircut then cut the hair down to one inch in length, please!
As I was walking to training appointment I was followed by a puggle who wanted to greet me. Dogs follow me in the street quite often and I am always delighted. The man holding on to the leash was somewhat surprised and said: “Oh you must have treats on you!”
I confirmed his suspicion and admitted that I worked with dogs so I had goodies in my pockets and in my bag. He then surprised me by saying: “We were never able to train this dog: He is so food motivated.”
I didn’t say it but thought: Are you kidding? Food motivation is a gift from heaven.
But I guess you have to know how to use it.
After reflecting a bit about what he said and combining it with the ideas of “clean” training and how to reward effectively I think I now understand what he was talking about.
If food is constantly dangling in front of the dog, if food is used to lure the dog all the time they are so intent on looking for food and how they can get at it that they are in fact not learning anything.
It’s the kind of situation in which we get the famous: He’s not going to “do” it if there isn’t any food involved. When dogs are in that “Gimme the food NOW drooling state” they are really way too distracted to think about what we are asking them to do. They are not motivated to learn how to get the coveted food. They will not gain any understanding of other signals that would get them to respond appropriately to get access to the desired food reward.
I guess that is how food gets a bad rap from a certain segment of the population who may share this mindset:
“The dog should perform because the dog is supposed to be ‘obedient’.I want the dog to love me and do it for me and not for the food I give him.Food is considered a bribe.”
Well yes, if you constantly bribe your dog you are in effect doling the food out for free. If you give food for a behavior well done you will get voluntary offers for that behavior!
I have two Briards with lush, long coats. I cannot tell you how often people ask me if I am not going to give them a haircut for the summer. They must be hot?
