Puppy home – 1st 24 hours

Yesterday we brought home an 8-week old Australian Shepherd puppy. I am a firm believer that your puppy is ALWAYS learning, so make the best use of the time from the beginning. Here’s what our puppy has begun to learn in her first day home:

1. I can “potty” outside, in the woods, like the big dogs.
2. People yelp when I bite them; I guess they’re wimps and I must be careful with my teeth.
3. My crate is an alone place, but I will be okay.
4. I like the chewies I get in my crate.
5. I like getting fed by hand – those hands are sure neat when they come filled with food!
6. There are a lot of nice boys here… I met several boys of different smells and colors.
7. I can Sit.
8. I can Down.
9. I can Release (chase a treat).
10. I can Fetch.
11. I like to play with the big dogs and the Vizsla is particularly fun.
12. My new mom will protect me if I get scared by barking dogs in the backyard, or anything else.
13. I like running to my new mom. She scritches my rear so nice!
14. My mom’s slippers are off-limits, but there are tons of fun toys nearby.
15. Naptimes are necessary.

New puppies are a great joy – and a lot of work. Keep focused on the behaviors you want your adult dog to do… and don’t allow puppy “cuteness” to rule the day. Your puppy will be an adolescent in just a couple of months! How nice will it be to have great routines and boundaries in place when dealing with the ups and downs that come with becoming an adult dog! Finally – take LOTS of pictures!

National Train Your Dog Month: Free Chats and Webinars

Free Educational Resources and Chats
with Pet Training Professionals in January 2012!

The Association of Pet Dog Trainer's annual campaign in January, "National Train Your Dog Month," promotes the benefits of positive training and socialization for all pets.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of pets are turned into animal shelters because their owners couldn't find a reliable resource to help them with their pets' behavior problems. The APDT has designated the month of January as National Train Your Dog Month to bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training for all pets! January was selected as the perfect month because so many animals are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. We hope to help families and their pets start the New Year off right with information on the behavior needs and training of their pets.

To help the public, animal shelters and others in the pet care industry, we have recorded free webinars for the public with many well-known pet training and behavior professionals. These will be available starting in January on the event website and are completely free. We have also set up a calendar of Facebook "chats" with professional training and behavior consultants throughout the month of January on a variety of topics focusing on the training and care of dogs, cats and even rabbits! Anyone with behavior and training questions can join the chats to learn more about their chosen pet. Visit the event website, www.trainyourdogmonth.com, for full schedule information, as well as fun downloadable resources on training and behavior.

The APDT believes that a better understanding of our pets' behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households for humans and companion animals. Since 1993, the APDT has promoted education for dog trainers and others in the pet industry. With over 6,000 members who are willing and able to assist pet owners, the APDT is the largest professional organization for pet dog trainers in the world. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about their dogs and other pets to visit our web sites www.apdt.com and www.trainyourdogmonth.com for more information and resources.

Please join the APDT in celebrating National Train Your Dog Month!

2012 Schedule of Events - National Train Your Dog Month

Facebook "Chat with the Professionals" Schedule

To join the chats, visit the National Train Your Dog Month Facebook page at the dates and times listed below.

All about Bully Breeds! Anything You Want to Know about 'Pit Bull' Type Dogs
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC and Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 2, 12 pm Eastern

Breed Discrimination Laws
Ledy Van Kavage, Esq.
January 4, 5:00 p.m. Eastern

Leash Manners
Gail Fisher
January 6, 12 p.m. Eastern

Treibball
Casey Lomonaco, KPA CTP
January 8, 7 p.m. Eastern

Adopting a Dog
Trish McMillan Loehr (ASPCA), MSc, CPDT-KA
January 9, 2 pm Eastern

Rabbit Behavior
Pam Hood
January 10, 2 p.m. Eastern

Things to Teach Your Children to be Safe around Dogs
Joan Orr
January 12, 6 p.m. Eastern

Safety around Dogs for Babies and Toddlers
Jenn Shryock, CDBC
January 12, 7 p.m. Eastern

TACT - Touch Associated Clicker Training
Emma Parsons, CABC and Julie Robitaille, CAMT, CPDT-KA
January 16, 1 p.m. Eastern

Housetraining
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
January 18, 6:30 p.m. Eastern

Introducing Cats and Dogs
Jacqueline Munera, CCBC
January 24, 12 p.m. Eastern

APDT CLASS:
Canine Life and Social Skills
Ann Allums, CPDT-KA
January 25, 12:00 p.m. Eastern

APDT Rally
Ann Allums, CPDT-KA & Ali Brown, MEd, CPDT-KA, CDBC
January 25, 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Common Dog Behavior Problems (Barking, Digging and More)
Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT-KA
Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 27, 4 pm Eastern

All About Cats
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC and Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 30, 5 pm Eastern

Free Webinar Descriptions

Webinars are pre-recorded and available for viewing at any time for free by members and the public. Please Note: Webinars will be available in January 2012 and will remain on the site all year long. Webinars will be available at http://www.trainyourdogmonth.com/events/

Shelter Dogs: Good Choice or Bad? - Trish King, CPDT-KA, CDBC

Got C.L.A.S.S.? Canine Life and Social Skills for Pet Owners - Ann Allums, CPDT-KA

Housetraining Basics - Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA

How to Become a Professional Dog Trainer - Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC

Loose Leash Walking - Gail Fisher

It Takes Two: Successful Cat and Dog Interactions - Jacqueline Munera, CCBC

Litter Box and Scratching - Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA

Dog Safety: What to Teach Your Kids - Joan Orr, MSc

Setting Dog and Baby Up for Success! - Jenn Shryock, CDBC

Separation Anxiety in Dogs - Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, MS

Treibball - Casey Lomonaco, KPA CTP

* * * * *

Located in Greenville, SC, the APDT is a professional educational organization of trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through using positive, dog friendly methods based on sound scientific principles. With over 6,000 members worldwide, the APDT strives to provide professional dog trainers with a respected and concerted voice. The APDT promotes caring relationships between dogs and people and works to increase public awareness of dog-friendly training techniques. For more information, visit the APDT Web site at www.apdt.com. To unsubscribe from future APDT Media Releases, please let us know. Sent by The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, 101 North Main Street, Suite 610, Greenville, SC 29601.

New Group Training Classes coming in January!
Please Register soon- classes are filling up!

Sensible Puppy Start – January 4th at 6:15pm – MRAH
Essential training for new puppies and their people! Work on Potty Training, Socialization, Soft-Mouth, Self-Control, Etiquette, Exam training and Enrichment. -This 6-week class is for puppies 8 weeks to 4mos. at Michigan Road Animal Hospital on 96th Street. (Limit 8 puppies)- $149

Sensible Puppy Skills – January 4th at 7:30pm – MRAH
Loved Puppy Start and want to further your puppy’s manners? This class is open to all puppies under one year who have completed Puppy Start. We will work intensively on Come, Stay, Leash Manners and Polite Greetings! (Limit 6 puppies) - $99

Family Dog Manners 1 – January 10th at 7pm – Wigglebutt
This small group class is for dogs 5 months and up who want a group experience working on basic obedience around distractions. Fundamentals of dog training, problem solutions and manners work will be covered in 6 consecutive weeks at Wigglebutt Dog House dog day care on Moller Road just south of 86th Street. (Limit 8 dogs) - $149.


REGISTRATION FORMS HERE: http://sensiblek9.com/forms.html
Please complete the form and email to Catherine to hold your spot in class. Payment due first night of class.

Puppy Tips

Mmmm! There is nothing like new puppy breath! Get off to a Sensible Start with your puppy and follow these recommendations I make at every new puppy consult:

Prevent “Accidents”. Keep puppy leashed (and hold the leash!) while indoors unless under an adult’s direct supervision. Observe puppy for signals that unwanted behavior is imminent and redirect the puppy into a desired behavior or location for that behavior. In other words, don’t let the puppy piddle there; take him outside, quick! Or, don’t let the puppy chew the child’s toy; give him a puppy toy instead!

Reward Outdoor Elimination. Puppies feel relief whether they eliminate indoors or out. Increase the value of going potty outside by accompanying the puppy outdoors and feeding at least 3 pieces of kibble – right there – immediately when puppy is finished.

Hand-feed Puppies for Good Behavior. Why waste all that opportunity by placing food in a bowl? Puppies can earn food by going potty outside, sitting, laying down, having their feet wiped, trading for toys, coming when called any anything else you want!

Meal-times. When potty training puppies, it’s very helpful to know when the intake is happening. Whether using a bowl or hand-feeding, keeping the food available only during a specific window of time helps owners to know when output is likely to occur!

Never Force a Puppy. Forcing a puppy into position can create aggression. Instead, teach a puppy to yield space, get off furniture or lie down using a food lure at first. Once the pup understands what is wanted, other rewards may be used.

1-Foot Per Year of Age. That’s how much freedom children should have with a puppy. Children under 10 years of age should never be out of a parent’s sight with the puppy. Pre-schoolers should be within an arm’s reach at all times to prevent undesirable behavior from the puppy and unwanted fear or pain caused by the children, which often can result in an increase of aggression from an older puppy.

Spread the word: Read Your Dog! The most important skill you can learn is to read your puppy’s body language. We constantly teach how to interpret signals in the Sensible Start Puppy Class. Another good source: http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/50/Canine-Body-Language.aspx

“Dominance” and “Alpha Wolf” Are Out-dated Concepts. Veterinary behaviorists and top dog trainers agree that dogs know they are dogs and dogs know we are people. Dogs do what pays off for them; they aren’t skulking around the house planning to overthrow the hierarchy. Please read the AVSAB Position Statement: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf and find out how to train your puppy, not frighten him into submission.

I am thrilled to be planning 2012 puppy classes at Michigan Road Animal Hospital! We will soon post information with dates and times for the classes to be held. If you have any questions about canine behavior or training, please don’t hesitate to contact me. (Email is best!)

Holiday Safety Tips

My children ask me daily, “When are we putting up the Christmas tree?” Considering the two Thanksgiving boarding dogs just left our home and a boarding and training puppy will be here next week, I wonder sometimes if they’d mind not putting it up at all? I don’t think leaving the ornaments in a box this year is an option, though… so it occurs to me a quick review of practical tips for living with children, dogs and holiday stress might be helpful.

The Decorations: Several years ago, a friend of mine made salt-dough Christmas ornaments with her children. They had fun placing them all over the tree. Coming back from a day of shopping, she discovered their Labrador had enjoyed them very much. Thankfully, the dog spat out the metal hooks. Raising Guide Dog puppies when I was a child taught me the importance of placing chew-proof, tail-proof, uninteresting ornaments on the lower half of the tree. The fragile, glass and keepsake ornaments and all the candy canes were always up high. Down low were the plastic and fabric ornaments. One year, when both my brother and I had puppies, my mom only built the top half of our artificial tree, putting it high on a sturdy box covered with an attractive table cloth. She was smart, my mom.

The Visitors: Granny’s coming. So are the unruly cousins. This is a great time to practice sensible management and prevention with your dog. Unless your dog is very well-trained already, keep him leashed for all greetings. Encourage visitors to feed your dog a small treat when he sits in front of them. Remember the 1-foot rule: Children are allowed 1-foot of freedom with the dog for every year of age. That means that children under 15 are never alone with the dog. Period. Supervise closely since dogs and children often have trouble reading each other's signals. If your dog has to resort to growling or snapping to create space, you have placed him in an impossible situation. Be sure your dog has a visitor-free zone where he can retire in peace. He needs the break more than you do.

The Food: Watch out for that fudge! Keep those treats enclosed in sturdy containers well away from the edge of tables where your dog might sample a taste. If food will be available on end tables or within reach of your tall dog, keep him leashed or put him in another room. Many a dog has suffered ingestion of toxic substances (such as chocolate and macadamia nuts) or an event of pancreatitis due to over-indulgence in fatty foods (sausages, cheeses, pate’). Finally, clean up immediately, double-bag and put the trash out right away. Those turkey bones won’t look good on the x-ray.

The Celebrations: If you include a special toy or treat for your dog under the tree, be sure to supervise the unwrapping and play. Many dogs do fine shredding (and not eating) the wrapping paper, but I have seen the results of ribbon wound around intestines and promise that a trip to the veterinary ER is not going to improve your holiday. Give your dog plenty of stress-reducing opportunities such as long walks, chew bones and time away from the crowd. He’ll thank you for it and you’ll appreciate keeping your furniture and sanity intact.

Finally, take LOTS of pictures, especially if you have a puppy! Your special 4-legged family member will bring an added dimension of fun and joy this holiday season, even if the memories involve a Griswold adventure… like a squirrel in the Christmas tree! Merry Christmas!

Benefit for Humane Society of Indianapolis: AKC Canine Good Citizen Test

On October 22nd, 2011, Sensible K9, LLC will be holding a CGC test at the Humane Society of Indianpolis! Is your dog ready to become a registered Canine Good Citizen? American Kennel Club CGC and STAR Puppy evaluator, Catherine Steinke, will be the judge.

Mixed breed and purebred dogs can be tested for polite greetings, basic obedience and ability to listen with distractions present. This fun test can open the door for further training, prepare your dog to become a therapy dog or just prove that all your training efforts have paid off! See if your dog is ready: test items can be found here: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm
The Humane Society is located at 7929 North Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN. Testing times will be by appointment only and will run in 15 minute intervals from 10am through 3pm.

You must pre-register for this event by signing up for a testing time . Contact Director of Canine Training Services, Connie Swaim by phone 317.872.5650 x135 or email cswaim@indyhumane.org The fee is only $10 and all profits go directly to support the mission of HSI.
Come join the fun!

Easy Fix for Scary Things

Is your dog frightened by loud noise or thunder? Do you have a dog that seems particularly nervous in certain situations but not others? There may be a simple fix for you - that requires no training! My clients are reporting great results using the Thundershirt (www.Thundershirt.com.)

It took me a while to believe it, but after a colleague at Hound Table (our monthly meet-up of Indianapolis area dog professionals) reported good results, I took the plunge about a year ago and started carrying this product to offer to my clients.

My clients are saying that the Thundershirt works well, not only to calm their fearful dogs during our dramatic mid-west storms, but also during socially difficult situations where their dogs previously might use aggression. In other words, dogs seem to feel safer wearing the Thundershirt! I have worked with dogs that couldn't approach me during a consultation, even when I had food, but after the owner puts the Thundershirt on the dog, the dog bravely comes forward and eats the treat within a few minutes. It's truly remarkable.

If you would like to try a Thundershirt for your dog, you can order directly from their website, www.Thundershirt.com. Or you can ask me to bring one to your next private lesson or class if you are a client.

New Dog Training Class in Indianapolis

Register now for new Sensible K9 Family Dog training classes at the Wigglebutt DogHouse! Start date is July 14th at 6:30pm. This class will likely fill up, so register with WDH today! Registration form and class info on their website.

Go to www.WigglebuttDoghouse.com for directions and to register.

Dog Training Philosophy

One of my Carmel puppy class participants recently emailed me a question. I thought it would be a good idea to post a few thoughts about my philosophy of dog training so that other clients can benefit as well.

The Question:
Your approach to dog training is there is no punishment for poor behavior. Only treats for good behavior. Do you agree?

My Answer:
Not exactly. I am what I like to think of as a "balanced trainer" in that my philosophy is to use what works for both dog and owner.

Most of the time, punishment used by owners cause fear or anxiety to the dog because of poor timing (not close enough in time for the dog to associate to the unwanted behavior) or an inappropriate technique (the punishment did not fit the crime). So, I teach mostly positive association because most puppies thrive on learning that good things happen for good choices. I use food, praise, life rewards (access to attention or desired people/places) as reward. Food is essential early on to earn puppy's attention, but we can phase that out and use the other rewards primarily, as I do with my own dogs.

If punishment is needed or desired by the client, well, then, I do my best as a professional to help the owner understand timing and methods that will work for their dog. I also spend time discussing whether simple management protocols (such as using a crate for potty training) or environmental corrections (such as allowing the puppy access to a table leg sprayed with Bitter End) will work first. If punishment must occur, I would prefer it is NOT associated with the owner, but rather with the unwanted behavior itself. In other words, puppy thinks: "Gee, every time I lick the plates in the dishwasher, a bunch of pop cans fly off the counter - even when my owner is no where to be seen!"

I called my business "Sensible" because of my belief that dogs and owners need the method and tools best suited to them, rather than some ideological stronghold any particular trainer has. However, I do my best to educate the owners that the methods they see on TV or used by this or that other trainer may not bring about the desired effect or relationship.

At the end of the day, my personal goal is that dogs and owners truly enjoy each other. I strive to bring balance, leadership, pleasure and trust to their relationship. The methods I choose will only be used if they will enhance these goals.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

It's National Dog Bite Prevention week and my colleague Madeline Gabriel in San Diego has written a wonderful blog that says so well what I would say to you, that I thought I would just post it here so you can copy and paste. (I was going to link it for you, but it appears that is beyond my rather limited technical abilities!) http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/ask-the-dog-part-1

Also, if you read part 2 of her message, you will be able to view simply the best dog-and-child training video I have ever seen. This is well worth watching and is under 7 minutes long. Have your child(ren) watch with you and then discuss the concepts.
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/dogs-like-kids-they-feel-safe-with-ask-the-dog-part-2/


Madeline makes this such an easy concept to pass along. The bottom line is that your child needs to ask 3 times before touching a dog.
1. Ask you, the parent for permission to ask the owner.
2. Ask the owner for permission to pet the dog.
3. Ask the dog if he wants to be petted.

Practice these ahead of time so that your child will become automatic when the desire comes up out in the real world. Your child is worth the investment of time and energy to work on dog bite prevention!

Kids and Pets

I was playing the game, Doggone Crazy, last week with children from our church small group. (If you haven’t seen this game, check it out, here: http://www.doggonecrazy.ca/ ) The children, aged 8-12, were having a great time laughing their way through correct answers about dog body language, appropriate interactions with unfamiliar dogs and so forth. One question stumped them, though – it was a true or false question: T or F – Adults make better dog trainers than children. To my surprise, they all agreed that adults were better trainers – and they were wrong!

I have found children to be great trainers in my puppy classes and while working with families in homes. Give me a 10-year old with affection for the family dog, time to train and a pocket full of dog treats and I will give you a better trained dog and a happier household in 2 weeks. Children make excellent dog trainers!!

Safety rules and common sense still apply – if you have a dog with any aggression issues, don’t turn him over to your child for training, for goodness’ sake! However, if you just need Fido to come when called, go into his crate on cue, sit for greetings and learn a few parlor tricks, see if your responsible 9-14 year old child has any interest. Chances are, they will make great gains in just a few days. I believe children can do at least as well as their parents – and often they do even better!

I have recently launched a new child-directed program, teaching young people aged 12-18, how to begin their own pet sitting businesses because I believe that children have tremendous potential to do good for people and pets.

If you have a teenager or a nearly –teen, please visit www.SensiblePetSitter.com and check out this great one-day learning opportunity! We are already found in 3 Indianapolis facilities. If you know a group of teens, you can set up your own class and receive one complimentary tuition!

Children never cease to amaze me with their potential. With a little direction, I hope to change the minds of children and help them realize just how talented they can be. I can’t wait to see what this year brings as children in the Indianapolis area become better dog trainers through Sensible K9 puppy classes and private lessons and start their own pet-sitting businesses after attending the Sensible Pet Sitter seminar! Look out, Indy – our kids are going to rock the pet world!

Show Me the Money!

Do you know the difference between a $1 bill and a $10 bill? Would you work harder in 5 minutes to get $100 or $1000?

If you invited me over to your house for dinner and then asked me to set the table, I probably would do so, especially if you were fixing a nice steak dinner! (Feel free to try this – and I love Waldorf salad.) However, if you asked me over for dinner but then said, “Hey Catherine, would you go dig up my septic tank and clean it out?” “There are companies you could hire for that," I would point out, and then I would get the heck out of there before the stink started. My guess is you would have to pay that septic company a whole lot more than a steak dinner.

Your dog has a value system too. Think about it: Does he get more excited for steak scraps or a dog biscuit? Cheese or Cheerios? Some of these foods have the value of a buck – the dog says, “Okay, since there’s nothing better to do, I will work for that.” You can train the new behavior easily then, if it’s a hungry dog and an easy task. But some things you ask your dog to do aren’t worth a dollar, and you find him walking away when you want to train. Depending on his interest in food and the food you choose, you may need to try something new. You need to show him the money – and you need to understand your dog’s valuation of various rewards.

To discover what your dog thinks of various food items you might use for reinforcement, play this game with your dog:

First, choose 5 to 10 different types of food treats, keeping in mind that some people food is toxic to dogs and you should never use raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, onion, alcohol or avocados, to name a few. Some things to try include his regular dog food, a teaspoon of peanut butter, mild cheese, hot dogs, soda crackers, Cheerios, banana, cooked chicken, lunch meats, prepared dog treats – you get the idea.

Have your dog Sit/Stay or have a friend hold his collar while you show him two treats. Place the treats on the floor (no practicing stealing from the coffee table!) about 5 feet away and at least 1 foot apart and then release your dog. Some dogs appear rather indiscriminant – going for whichever treat is closer – at first. However, once your dog realizes there are choices, you will see him begin to check them out a little before eating. You can then add a few more treats… and keep a log of which ones he prefers best. The more choices, the more discriminating your dog will become.

Years ago when I worked for a hearing dog program, we used a similar game to evaluate food drive in prospective adolescent dogs in a shelter. One dog watched carefully while we set out hot dog, a dry biscuit, cheese and freeze dried liver. When released, she quickly ran up to the line of food, ate the liver, then the cheese then the hot dog and finally grabbed the dog biscuit, ran away a few feet and buried it in the pea gravel. The whole test lasted about 10 seconds. When we finished laughing, we chose her for the program and named her Speedy.

Your dog may have a different reaction, but in the end, you will know your dog better. Then, when you need to train a difficult behavior, or work on desensitizing your dog to an unpleasant grooming task, you will know which food items are worth more to your dog. Don’t think of it as a bribe. Instead, consider what I would have to pay you to set the dinner table or clean out my septic tank… and then be glad you have choices about whether to accept the job or not!

Teach Dogs AND Children to be safe!

"It’s a matter of proactive parenting to build your child’s powers of observation and good judgment. Show her the right things to do ahead of time."
Madeline Gabriel

Visit her blog here:
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/helping-toddlers-not-be-magnetized-to-dogs-part-3/

I LOVE the way Madeline thinks and teaches! Take time to read her whole series on how to help your dog feel safe with children and to help children be appropriate around ALL dogs.

Fantastic. Can't wait for the book! :)

Train Your Dog to Be Friendly!

I cringe every time I see someone thump a dog on the head. Flat hand pats dog in varying degrees of thump-itude. Dog winces, blinks. Sometimes the dogs don’t mind. I am thinking of a certain Labrador I know who is so happy to have anyone touch him, he doesn’t mind where or how and he’ll thump you back with his tail so hard it’ll nearly break your kneecap. But other dogs… sometimes they are bothered with the thump-approach to greetings.

A polite canine greeting involves lots of body arcs and nose-to-tail inspections. Polite dogs don’t confront each other squarely with direct eye contact. That’s “cruisin’ for a bruisin’” language! However, this is how most people approach our dogs, so we have to help our dogs learn to accept, if not enjoy, these kinds of greetings.

You can teach your dog to accept rough handling, even from strangers. You can start simply, with an easy game I teach children and parents to play with the family dog. It’s called, “I Spy.” Mom says, “I spy Sparky’s shoulder.” Child touches Sparky’s shoulder with a flat hand. Mom feeds Sparky some cheese. “I spy Sparky’s ear.” Child pats Sparky’s ear. Sparky looks at Mom for the cheese and gets some. In this manner, Sparky can be desensitized – made less sensitive – to touches from family members. When Sparky begins to seek out the touch (in order to earn the cheese!), you can begin asking friends to touch Sparky while you reward him.

You can also give Sparky easy tricks to do so that he has a predictable interaction when strangers approach. Usually, if a dog is offering a Sit-Up behavior, people stand back and watch rather than thump him on the head. If Sparky can shake a paw in greeting, this gives those pesky strange hands a predictable place to touch Sparky. Remember to reward Sparky for his good behavior!

A week ago, I watched as about 9 children gathered around my dog to pet her all at once. There was plenty of thumping and patting. Since this isn’t something that happens to her often, I automatically rewarded her with huge chunks of jerky. She was happy to hit such a jackpot and eagerly accepted all the busy hands touching her. I expect that the next time she’s surrounded by children, she’ll wag her tail and tell me that all the thumping in the world is worth it if I pay her well enough! Your dog also deserves a reward for being a good dog. And, if your dog is sensitive, be proactive and train him to accept the affection of a stranger, no matter how thumpily it’s offered.

Iced In!

We’re iced-in today. School is closed and kids are home. It’s Saturday in the middle of the week. If the power goes out, computer is down, X-box and Wii won’t entertain the children, but they can still have a lot of fun. Gather the kids and the dog, some tasty treats for both (popcorn is a great dual-species treat!) and let’s play some games.

Remember the one-foot-per-year-old when giving your child and dog freedom to play. For example, if you have a 10 year old child, you should be no more than 10 feet away, and paying attention to how your child plays with the family dog.

Things the children can do with the family dog, named Gypsy for our examples:

Children 2-6

• Bring her a toy or a treat, just drop it on the floor and walk away.
• Play the “I spy” game (“I spy Gypsy’s paw” – child gently touches paw – you give Gypsy a treat for permitting it. Change the underlined item to other body parts.)
• Help the child lay a “treat trail.” Someone holds Gypsy while the child walks away, putting down a treat every 2-3 feet, down the hallway, around a corner… and then a pile of yummies at the end. Return to Gypsy, release her and watch her follow the trail. (Hold your child’s hand to keep him from getting ahead of Gypsy in her search.)

Children 6-10

• Read her a story. Dogs don’t judge – just let the child read. You reward Gypsy for laying still next to the child. (Reward can be petting or massage to keep her quiet.)
• Brush her, under your supervision – some dogs may be sensitive to this, so reward her for every brush stroke with a tasty treat. (Stop before Gypsy’s tired of this.)
• Have the children do jumping jacks nearby while you reward your leashed dog for ignoring them.
• Round-Robin-Recalls. Have all family members sit in a circle. Give each person several tasty treats (for Gypsy). One person calls Gypsy. If she does not immediately come, the caller may pat the floor or show the treat. Gypsy comes and earns the treat. That person says the name of the next person to call Gypsy. Play as long as Gypsy enjoys the game.
  

Children 10-15

• Play the “shell” game – with your supervision: Get three small plastic bowls or cups. Put one treat or piece of food under one cup with Gypsy looking. Teach Gypsy to sniff the cup and knock it over to get the food. Start easy, then get more difficult as she gains experience.
• Play Hide-and-Seek Come. Hold Gypsy by the collar. Let your child show her a treat or toy and then run away to hide (easy at first) in another room. Have your child call Gypsy and release her. When she finds the child, she earns the treat and big happy praise! Repeat, changing roles.

Who says an indoor-day has to be boring! Children and young dogs have boundless energy. Enjoy the opportunity to make an iced-in day a relationship-building day for your whole family.

Dogs. Bite.

I was about 10 years old and my dad was a police officer with a working K9 partner. He and another officer from his department had just competed in the state Police K9 Olympics. The other officer had just won third place overall and first place in Officer Protection. In other words, his ramped-up, trained attack dog had just been playing the “bite the bad guy” game. The officer was standing with his dog and his trophies and people were trying to take photos. Comfortable with this dog – I knew him, after all, and ever helpful, I knelt in front of them and went, “SSSSSSssss!” (This is the sound the agitator makes during training to get the dogs excited.) The lovely silver and white shepherd mix launched – right at my face - and connected on my forehead and chin with a wide bite, just as he’d been trained.

I fell on my fanny in shock and started crying. Mom didn’t have much sympathy. In fact, I am pretty sure she said something like, “Well, that was a stupid thing to do!” The dog was not punished, but this child learned a valuable lesson. Dogs. Bite.

Children are impulsive, lack common sense and usually cannot begin to read dog body language. Even if a dog is showing warning signals as obvious as a construction worker waving a “Stop” sign, the child will not notice. I blame Disney-type shows for this, as well as parents who think that the family dog is part of the family – a sibling – a human – and not a dog. Surely Bowser would never BITE Bobby – Bowser loves Bobby. “You should see them; Bobby lays all over Bowser – every day! – and Bowser never growls or anything.” Well, all fine and dandy ‘til one day Bowser’s tired and cranky. Maybe his ear is infected or his belly aches. Maybe he’s just tired of Bobby laying on him. Bowser stiffens. Bobby approaches. Bowser growls. Bobby thinks Bowser’s snoring. Bowser snaps. Bobby bleeds. Bowser is… put to death?

One foot per year of child’s age. That’s how much freedom you should give your child with the family dog. Your 5 year old child should be within a long-arm's reach of your intervention. Additionally, you need to know when to intervene.

If you live with children and a dog in your home, you have a huge responsibility to educate yourself on canine body language. (I highly recommend Brenda Aloff’s great book: Canine Body Language; A Photographic Guide. ) Understand that your dog is NOT human. He’s a dog. He will communicate like a dog (not like a wolf, by the way, but that’s an argument for another article.) He will likely give warning signals and it’s up to you to know how to read them and intervene if the child within your reach is annoying him. He may tolerate all sorts of abuse from your children – but should he? Do you reward him lavishly for doing so?

When a child in my home trips and falls on the family dog, we run to the refrigerator and the dog gets a glorious snack of whatever I can find quickly. A block of cheese – sure! – since we don’t have to go to the hospital!

Think about it. You live with a predator. With sharp teeth. Even dogs bred for companionship still have personal boundaries. What are you doing today to help your dog learn to accept mistakes from your child? What are you doing today to protect your child from being “stupid” toward your dog? Are you close enough to intervene before Bowser takes it upon himself to train your child? Are you aware how an older dog punishes a pup? It’s an escalation of force – one you’d do well to understand and prevent by keeping the one-foot-per-year-old rule.

My mom was less than 10 feet away when the police dog flew at my face. She grabbed me and the leashed dog was quickly restrained by his professional handler. If the bite had been worse, it would have been all my fault, but the poor dog likely would not have been forgiven. I am glad for both our sakes that it ended as well as it did. I hope to prevent other children from learning the hard way that dogs bite.

Seeing the Invisible

Lots of times I see the invisible. The dog tells me – sometimes directly through body language, sometimes through the owner’s voice describing a behavior. This adolescent pup was gnawing at my hands, increasing in bite force and starting to get wild-eyed – fear. “Don’t hold my collar like that, it scares me.” I think, “Why does that scare you?”

The answer wasn’t long in coming. The owner said, “This dog rolls over and pees every time I put the leash on him – and he just went out!” I didn’t ask the obvious: “Does that make you angry?” I already knew the answer. The dog told me: “I get scared when you touch my head-my feet-my tail- but I really want to play with you – see?” Wiggly body, open mouth, laugh lines and a twinkle in his eye. He says it louder: “Play with me?”

Okay pup, we’ll play. See this food in my hand? I close my fist around it. “Want the food.” Lick-lick- nibble-nibble –bite –bite – turn head… “Get it!” I say and offer it to him. “Yum! – want more food.” Lick-lick- nibble-nibble –bite –bite – turn head… “Get it!” I say again. In a little while, he waits for the food… staring at it, knowing if he turns away, I will bring it to him. Another few minutes pass. I put food on the floor. He reaches for it. I cover it up. He looks at me. I reward from another hand. I uncover the food on the floor. He waits. I reward. He looks at the food on the floor. I say, “Leave it.” He looks at me. I give him several in a row – a jackpot! I pick up the food on the floor. I drop the food in front of him and say, “Leave it.” The dog looks at the food and then back at me; tail waving, smile broad. “I understand. To get yummies, I don’t touch what you put there.” The owner’s jaw has dropped and he says, “I don’t know what you just did…” I reply, “I am teaching him to think, not to react.”

A few minutes later, I lure the dog into a Down position two times. I add the cue, “Down,” followed by the lure two more times. The third time I say, “Down,” the dog throws his body on the carpet and grins at me. “Smart dog!” I say, and jackpot the choice. “He doesn’t know Down!” the owner exclaims. I hand the food to him. “I think he knows it now,” I say.

“Down,” the owner says. The dog flops to the floor, tail wagging. “Smart dog,” I repeat.

A philosophy shift is occurring. Training is possible without force. In fact, training is much faster without force. And look what a happy dog results! The owner shakes his head at me, smiling in wonder.

Suddenly, the invisible comes to light. The wife says, “He beats the dog with a belt.” I meet the man’s eyes. He does not deny it. I say, “You need to stop that. Are you willing to learn another way?” “Yes,” he says, looking at his wife. “The way I treat the dogs causes fights between us.” The wife begins her accusations, her frustrations splattering across the kitchen like a dropped jug of milk. I interrupt her attack. “I am pretty sure he’d like to change, or he wouldn’t have called me,” I point out. “Remember that positive reinforcement works for husbands, too.” I smile at them. She says softly, “You did a good job tonight, dear.” The room goes quiet.

As I drive away I wonder if I can help him see that pain and force causes fear and aggression. Maybe I can teach him to control his anger, to think things through, to put away the belt and consider a new way. I think back to something they mentioned earlier. “We are trying to have children.” I truly hope that in the coming weeks, my message of training with kindness is met with acceptance and a willingness to learn a new way. And, I hope the message sticks around when the baby comes. I hope that the invisible I see in the coming weeks will be bonds of love and understanding.