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.