Finding the Underlying Cause for Barking
Go to any online dog forum and the question will come up rather sooner than later: My dog barks, what should I do? The advice then often starts with citronella or even shock collars, rattle cans, and other unpleasant devices such as high pitched noises to name a few. I find it rather scary how easily we resort to punishment; at best doing something unpleasant and at worst something painful and scary to the dog. I am making no excuses; this is abuse plain and simple. There is a reason… Continued
Transparency in Training and Behavior
Those in the world of canine training and behavior know there is a wide gap between philosophy and methods employed by professionals, and even some rifts between professional organizations. It can be confusing for those of us in the field, and more so for pet owners who just want help. I have heard the founder of The Pet Professional Guild, Niki Tudge, speak passionately about the need for transparency as a consumer issue. Until I heard her say so I never thought of it that way. Now I am more… Continued
Latent Learning: The Original Definition
Latent learning has a precise definition in learning theory and it’s not what many people think. It’s not magic learning that happens during downtime–at least not in the way people assume. It is not a sudden better performance after a break between training sessions. It’s not when everything suddenly comes together after we sleep on it. Here’s the definition: [Latent learning is] learning that occurs during non-reinforced trials but that remains unused until the introduction of a reinforcer provides an incentive for using it.–Lieberman, David A. Learning: Behavior and Cognition.… Continued
The Words We Use!
The more I work as a behavior consultant, the more I realize how much we are all influenced by both the opinions and attitudes of those around us and, possibly more importantly, how the words we, and other people, use. One of the challenges for equine behavior consultants is the problem of stereotypical behavior. For those of you aren’t horse professionals; stereotypies in horses most commonly occur in the stable although occasionally this can be transferred into the field environment. The behaviors most prevalent (although there are others) are windsucking, where the… Continued
Marshmallow Tests for Dogs
A guide dog partner, Deni Elliott, devised a dog version of the marshmallow test for her guide dog. She administered it to her guide Alberta a few years ago. Alberta did well; she actually did many of the things that children who take the marshmallow test do — she looked away, she distracted herself. She didn’t use her toes as a piano or sing a song, but she did distract herself from temptation. In her case, temptation was a bowl full of dog cookies. We were delighted with her response,… Continued
Insecure Teenage Dogs at the Off Leash Park
Recently I got asked: “What should I do when my dog goes over to another dog, puts his head over the other dog’s shoulder and, depending on the other dog’s reaction, they will start squabbling?” So far no one got hurt. The dog is just two years old and has no previous history of aggression. Most dogs go through a phase where they become a bit ‘stroppy’ (as we say in Australia) with other dogs in off leash situations. Anecdotal evidence suggests that male dogs may be more prone to… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Releases Position Statement on Pet Correction Devices
Pet Professional Guild Press Release Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has released a new position statement on so-called “pet correction devices” that are used for the management, training and care of pets. PPG does not recommend such devices and the move comes as part of its ongoing mission to create greater awareness amongst pet owners, industry professionals, and the general public of non-aversive training and pet care methods. The newly-released document, Pet Professional Guild Position Statement on Pet Correction Devices, defines pet correction devices as “aversive stimuli intended for pet care,… Continued
Countering The Aversive
Some pet dog trainers that are either using aversive methods or some that call themselves “balanced”, and use a combination of both aversive approaches and food rewards, may carry the notion that positive reward based trainers are against them personally, or that are looking to have them stop training dogs. While I can only speak for myself, it is not personal at all. What it boils down to for me, and many others, is the potential fallouts of using shock or choke, and/or physically reprimanding a dog that has me and… Continued
Christmas Puppy – What a Great Idea?
Do not get me wrong, I am not talking about giving someone a puppy for Christmas or buying a puppy on impulse. I am talking about a long awaited puppy who, for no other reason but the mother coming into season at a certain time, comes home for Christmas. Or a family deciding to bring a new rescue dog home at this time of the year because they have time to settle him in. Christmas is the time when everyone is very social and off work so by definition it… Continued
It Was Coming Right At Me!
I am so interested in how dogs perceive things, and how they notice differences that we don’t, or that we take for granted. Those differences can matter to them a great deal. An example of that was the focus of my recent post, “Intruder in the Yard!,” about Zani’s response to a landscape timber in my yard that had rolled out of place. Clara, with her feral puppyhood, appears to discriminate between people to an extreme. She socializes with a few people besides me now, but each person has behaviors Clara is comfortable with, and everybody’s… Continued
#iSpeakDog Campaign to Bridge Communication Gap between People and Their Dogs
To help improve the relationship people have with their dogs, The Academy for Dog Trainers, the Humane Rescue Alliance, The Bark Magazine, and The Pet Professional Guild have teamed up to launch iSpeakDog, a global campaign and website designed to help people better understand dog body language and behavior. The iSpeakDog Campaign, which will launch as a week-long campaign March 27 – April 1, 2017 but is already posting on Facebook, comes at a time when canine behavior is being studied more than ever — revealing that people often misinterpret… Continued
Spray Bottles Are for Houseplants, Not Cats
By Beth Adelman, MS It’s piece of bad advice that just won’t die: When your cat is misbehaving, squirt her with some water. Even some veterinarians still say it. What’s wrong with the spray bottle? Well, for starters, it doesn’t work. Yes, when you squirt your cat, she is very likely to stop what she’s doing and run away. But if you squirt her, say, when she jumps on your dinner table, what have you accomplished? You may have taught her to run away at the sight of the bottle;… Continued
Jekyll and Hyde – Social off Leash but Reactive on Leash?
It might be a coincidence but over the last few weeks I have met a lot of dogs who are reactive on leash. They bark, lunge, whine and pull towards other dogs on walks. Some will aggress if given a chance and may even hurt another dog. Leash reactivity presents in at least two forms, dogs who are reactive on leash but fine off leash and dogs who are reactive and do not get on with other dogs off leash either. Despite the behavior looking very similar, the motivation is… Continued
Puppy Biting: Learning the Rules
Anyone who has a puppy will know that they have needle sharp teeth. The current thinking is that this serves a useful purpose. If they hurt their litter mates when play biting them, (which most puppies do most of the time!) the other pups will squeal and not want to play and so each pup quickly learns how hard they can get away with biting. It is important that pups learn rules about biting us too. We can teach them that ‘those humans are sensitive creatures’ and that, although we… Continued
But Every Dog is Different!
But every dog is different! This is another common argument against trainers who train without force. It usually goes like this: But every dog is different! You can’t just use a cookie cutter! But every dog is different! Why limit yourself to only one method? But every dog is different! Some tools just don’t work with some dogs! The implication is clear: Trainers who use primarily positive reinforcement are slaves to one method, which we apply to all dogs. We deliberately limit ourselves, despite the wealth of methods available to us.… Continued
Setting Judgment Aside
Professional dog trainers and behavior consultants who use force-free methods are some of the most compassionate people I know. We couldn’t do this work if we didn’t care deeply and want the absolute best outcome in every situation. So it pains me to think about these same individuals judging their clients for the choices they make. When I decided to become a professional dog trainer, I didn’t realize that counseling people would be such a large part of my job. But I find myself doing it on a daily basis.… Continued
Toads, Snakes, Spiders and Chocolate!
Did you know that an encounter with a toad could have devastating consequences? During a recent class I was teaching, one of the students said that her training buddy and his friends had found a large toad in their yard. They were very fortunate as none of them made actual contact with the toad. Two years ago, I posted a blog, How Force-Free Training Helped Save My Dog’s Life! in which I told the story of my Staffordshire bull terrier, Jambo’s encounter with a toad in the middle of the night and… Continued
Why Do Cats Purr?
By Diana Hutchinson When you hear your cat purr, the common assumption is that your favorite fur ball is feeling quite happy and contented. However, there’s more to purring than just pleasure. One might view purring as similar to a baby’s cry – the sound may be the same but it could indicate anything from hunger to pain to fear. Even today, the purr remains quite a mystery to cat owners and researchers alike. Purring is the sound produced when cats inhale and exhale in a consistent pattern. Scientists know… Continued
Sticks and Stones…
..may break my bones, but words will never harm me” This, or one of its variations, is a childhood phrase that most of us are familiar with. We know that physical violence hurts and, as is suggested by the rhyme, words cannot cause harm. Or can they? As a dog behaviour counsellor and trainer, there are several words which, when used in connection with dog training and behaviour, I think harm our relationship with and understanding of our dogs. Our world is filled with words – be it online, through… Continued
That Loving Gaze
Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in social bonding, as implied by some of its nicknames: the love hormone, cuddle chemical, or bliss hormone. It’s also something that dogs and humans share. Studies published in 2009 found that, when dogs gazed at their owners — you know, that adoring gaze that says, “feed me; I’m yours,” owners had more oxytocin in their urine. This correlates with feeling affection and social connection. What about the dogs? There’s more to this story. A later study looked at more variables. For… Continued
Making It Fun for Performance Dogs
I got told a couple of times lately: Shellbe (my German Shorthaired Pointer who I compete with in Agility) really covered you there! It was in competition or training when I made a mistake and Shellbe did everything she possibly could to make up for it. And she did! Isn’t that what friends are for? I hear it more often in Agility circles but it probably happens in other competitive sports as well: I am getting my next performance dog! I have to say this makes me cringe. What does… Continued
Laughter and Learning at the PPGBI Mini-Summit
The PPGBI Mini Educational Summit, which took place in early September at the Leeds Mercure Parkway hotel in Yorkshire, England, was a roaring success. Much fun was had on the first night as the attendees started to gather, register and receive some PPG Swag. Everyone then got to know each other over a welcome drink in the bar. This was followed by a weekend packed full of fun, educational learning and networking. PPG President, Niki Tudge, opened the Summit with a welcome address to the attendees and also presented several,… Continued
Meet Your Cat Where He Is
By Beth Adelman, MS “The problem many people have with their pets is simply that it’s not the pet they want,” said the veterinary behaviorist at a lecture I was attending. And an explosion of insight went off in my head. Sometimes, accurately naming a problem really does help you understand it. What did she mean? Sometimes we want a lap cat, and end up with a cat who likes to be in the same room (or even on the same piece of furniture) but not touching us. Sometimes we… Continued
Battling the Stereotype
This article was first published in BARKS from the Guild, April 2014, pages 37-39 Jambo the Staffie has won countless awards and accolades, yet is officially classified as a potentially dangerous dog. Louise Stapleton-Frappell explains why Breed Specific Legislation completely misses the point. Jambo is our second Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Our first beautiful Staffie, Samson, was the most loveable boy ever. Calm, good natured and playful, Samson died at the age of 11 having lived a life of freedom and without the restrictions of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). His best… Continued
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