Training the Trainer Tip #1

Attention all you incorrigible corgi's, you maladjusted malamutes, and you terrorist terriers:I have been very pleased with the way my human is teaching me to understand her. Believe me fellow canines, this is well worth directing your human toward. Once I realized there was a pattern to her yapping and gesturing, it was very easy for me to get my personal Puppy PEZ Dispenser to fork over tons of yummyness. So here, in her own words, is what she is doing that is revolutionizing our relationship. As much as I hate to admit it, she makes training FUN, and that makes ME one happy Feef!

Cue - Marker - Release - Reward

4 things you need to remember while training your dog.

Cue: Use your visual cue as well as the verbal cue. Dogs are very adept at reading visual cues. Use this to your advantage. Use a piece of your reward treat as a "LURE" to entice your dog into the position you are trying to train.Verbal cue's should be consistent, spoken in the same tone and inflection every time. Your tone of voice helps set the pace of the excersize. Be excited when you want your dog to move (here, boy!!!), use lower and slower tones with a downward inflection when you want the dog to remain still (stay.). Once the dog knows a cue, do not let him make you say it more than once or twice. Most dogs pick up that they don't get the reward if they don't respond by the second try IF you make that your policy!
Marker: The instant the dog does what you want (or what you don't want) use a marker word! Pick a "yes" marker, and a "no" marker for training. the yes marker can be a clicker, "yes!" "right" "thats it", or even a whistle tone. The no marker can be a buzz sound "eh" "at" "at-at". The reason not to use the word "no" is that you want to save that all-important NO for when you really really need it, not during training. A marker word needs to be delivered within 2 seconds of the act in order to have any meaning to the dog. Puppy comes to understand that the yes marker will earn him a tasty reward so he will associate the action with the marker with the treat.
Release: Always use a release word to let the dog know he's done. "All done!", "over", "that'll do", "finit" and "ok" all serve well as release words. A release word clearly tells the dog when the excersize is over. Using a release word results in a dog that remains sitting when told to sit, instead of a "dine and dash" sit. Be pleased with your dog when he performs well, and he will be happier to perform for you more often.
Reward: Food, praise, attention, play, toys; all make good rewards to a dog. Teeny bits of soft treat work well to treat the dog for his efforts. At first the reward immediately follows the yes marker to tell puppy he's right on track. Once puppy "gets it", you want to hold out on the treat until he's remained in position long enough for you to use your release word. You want to hold out longer and longer, building puppy's duration over time.

Remain patient! Be consistent! Some things puppy will pick right up, and some things puppy will just not get right away. Remember that training should be somewhat fun and positively rewarding to the dog, otherwise he can develop resentment to the training process. Not what you want! Take it slow, keep training sessions to 10 or 15 minutes once or twice a day. Using the same consistent cue, marker, and release words will give your dog a comfort zone for learning in. Using a variety of rewards will keep him excited to keep getting it right. Once he really really knows the behavior, you can use more conversational tones with your dog to get results but if you use too many words in training the dog gets confused.

Keep it to "Sit. Yes, good sit................. All Done!" or "Sit. Yes, good (dog jumps up) at-at!!! Sit. Yes, good sit........ All Done!"

If you catch yourself doing this: "Sit, Spot, there ya... NO! Sit Spot, sit, sit, sit. NO over here! Down! (dog is jumping up by now)Sit! Down! Sit Down! (which do you want, sit or down?) Ok Spot get back here and sit down right here right now!" STOP IT!

Well my canine comrades, good luck with your own humans. I got lucky, mine "gets it" and I couldn't be a happier dog now that I can finally make sense of what she's trying to get across to me!

Until next time, Work when you must, play when you can, take care of your own, and leave your mark!

A Stickery Situation

My human is positively anal about her stupid gates and fences. She locks me in the bedroom when she leaves. It is very frustrating. The only part of her house I consider far enough away from my princess bed to do my doggy business is the computer room. Even when I give her that much consideration, she insists that doggy business is to be conducted OUTSIDE. I get locked up. I can't go searching for treasure in the treasure bin (ie: trash can), I can't get in the laundry room and tip over the stinky white stuff (ie: laundry soap) and I can't get into the waterbowl room to drink out of the big porcelain bowl (ie: toilet). Besides, that's where she keeps Turbo the Terror in lockdown. Apparently she doesn't feel he has enough house manners to deserve any further area to roam in when home alone. I have to agree. I think he should be kept in a locked box myself.
As if that's not enough, she feels compelled to control our outside behavior too. She's got Fuzzy and Duke completely bamboozled with her tall fences, but not me. If she dares to go out that gate with me outside, I KNOW how to get out and follow her. Next thing I know, I'm locked in the bedroom, she's yappin' about coyotes and owls and eagles... whatever that means.
Now I am six pounds of rough tough cream puff, that is six pounds of muscle I might add. I can take care of myself! Why does she feel the need to contain us so strictly? Is she afraid we might escape and find someplace better? That we might have too much fun? That her regimented lifestyle might be disrupted?

Feef's Human Speaks:
Contrary to what Fifi thinks, I do it for her protection. I live out in the woods and yes there are eagles, owls, coyotes, cougars, feral dogs, cats, skunks, porcupines, etc. Luckily I don't have to worry about traffic, beings as we live on a dead-end road far from town.
"But they are dogs, dogs roam! Dogs should be allowed to run free, it is in their nature to do so!" I have heard that excuse before and I am the first to shoot it down. Yes, dogs roam if given the opportunity. If people weren't so lazy in general they would realize that the dog would enjoy roaming much more if his owner was along to share the world with! Oh, but "my dog pulls too hard"... or "I am soooo tired when I get home from work, I don't have the energy to go for a walk." With adequate attention and a little bit of diligent training, your dog will no longer pull (as a PetSmart pet training instructor, I KNOW this can be accomplished). If you are dog-tired, go for a walk. The fresh air will do you good and the excersize will give you energy, not deplete it. Try going for a walk in the morning, like the dog whisperer guy suggests. I agree with him on that one, the morning walk sets the mood for your dogs whole day and wouldn't be a bad way to start your day either!
This is the one that kills me. "I let him out to run as he likes at night but keep him in during the day". The theory here seems to be "at night he can't be seen, ergo he won't get in trouble." I guess at night there are less dangers to the dog, or less chance neighbors will see him getting in trouble. More likely the owner is just a lazy fool who wants to think nothing is going on. Probably takes the dogs collar off so if he is caught by animal control, or causing mayhem somewhere he cannot be identified.
Suppose your dog didn't come home after a nights romp. Lets see if I can think of a few things that might happen and the possible results.

1. Hit by car. Possibly killed, meybe just maimed. Burial, or a trip to the vet. Possible lawsuit from car owner if damage is done to their car.
   
2. Shot. With a gun? Yes. I live way out in the country and people still shoot roaming dogs around here. The three S's rule is still the standby. Shoot - Shovel - Shutup. He might make it home, he might die on the spot. If you find his body, burial. If he drags himself home, a trip to the vet.
3. Skunked. Pew! No harm to the dog but oh my gawd the stink can linger for months! If you have a few gallons of tomato juice on hand, or if you can get him to a groomer soon enough you might get some of the smell out.
   
4. Stolen. You never see your dog again. You always wonder what happened.
   
5. Become prey. Whether attacked by another dog (or pack of), coyote (or pack of), cougar, bear, owl, hawk, eagle, or whatever, your dog could become something else's dinner.
6. Infested: ear mites, ticks, fleas, worms, ringworm, etc. Allowed to roam at large Rex can bring any number of "little friends" home with him.
7. Porcupined: And now we come to the reason I felt compelled to call Feef to the carpet on her imprisoned pup rant. I received an e-mail today with pictures of this particular pup who met a porcupine. He did NOT get this way in his own yard, he did not get this way at the end of his owners leash, he got this way because he was allowed to roam at large, alone.
   

I have had to remove quills from a dog or two, it is unpleasant for the dog and it is unpleasant for the person manning the pliars. Before you let your dog out again with no boundaries, please view the plight of this pathetic pit bull and reconsider:
This dog had over a thousand quills in him. He wasn't about to give up, was he? I have no idea whether the porcupine survived or not.
Even if the Feef never understands why I contain her I hope you will, and please, keep your pets safe!!

A Tricky Terrier

I'm the cutest dog in the world and I'm not about to indenture myself to the slavish ways of this brown-noser terrier. If you want tricks, he's your dog. I hear the tinkle of kibble on crystal so excuse me if I don't stay around and possibly be expected to perform in like fashion.
http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html