Buppies Blog: Halloween Hounds: Halloween is "fright night" for humans not dogs. Screaming, running, spooky children in masks make many dogs uncomfortable, ner...
Monday, February 27, 2017
Halloween Hounds
Halloween costumes are fun and are meant to disguise our normal appearance. Dogs do not understand this change in appearance and may become frightened. Costumes that change the way a person walks, stands, or their general appearance may cause a dog to react different then usual even with those they know.
Keep in mind that children on Halloween night are excited and doing their best to be scary. This is not a fair or safe situation to put even the best of dogs in. Even the normally terrific tolerant family dog can find this night hard to handle.
Along with costumes being frightening to a dog there are some that may become interesting too. Swords, tails and dangling things may be fun for an excited dog to chase and toddlers certainly won't appreciate that.
Every child and every costume is a new opportunity for different reactions from the same dog.
I recommend setting up your dog with their own private Halloween bash in a safe quiet spot with a yummy treat of their own.
1. Stuff a food dispensing toy with yummy mush and freeze it until it is "Halloween" time.
2. Use a fan or radio for white noise. Something consistent is best.
3. Be sure the blinds are down or the dog is not watching kids coming and going by the window. This will only frustrate him and allow him to practice barking and carrying on at the window.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Put candy in a safe spot.
Many dogs are stolen, poisoned or injured by Halloween pranks. Keep your dog safe and sound inside your home.
Be safe and aware and have fun
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Tips for How to Housetraining Your Puppy
With these virtues - as well as following the guidelines that we will discuss below - you will be able to lessen and even totally eliminate incidents of soiling accidents inside your home. Always remember that when it comes to dogs, especially puppies, you need to be prepared for several accidents to occur. This comes with the territory of pet ownership.
The key to all basic housetraining procedures is consistency; the more consistent you are in performing a regular housetraining routine, the faster it would be for your puppy to learn that this is the behavior that he or she should follow. Of course, don't expect to housetrain your puppy in just a few days. It will usually take several weeks and, in some small breeds like the Bichon Frise and the Chihuahua, it may take even longer.
Observe Constant Supervision
Always
keep an eye on your puppy whenever he is indoors, so that you can catch
him before he pees or poops. If your puppy is a bit frisky, you may
need him to tie his leash to you or to nearby furniture. Be on the
lookout for signs that he wants to urinate or move his bowels. The most
common signs are sniffing, restlessness, circling, squatting, barking,
or frantic scratching on your door. If you notice any of these signs,
take him outside immediately to his potty spot. Once he finishes, shower
him with praise and reward him with a doggie treat.When it comes to your garden or backyard, you should also treat it the same way as you would the inside of your house. Your puppy should be on a leash until he learns that he should do his potty in that one spot. Once he is housetrained, only then can you give your puppy freedom to roam inside your house and yard.
Practice Confining Your Puppy
There will be times when you cannot watch your puppy, so it may be necessary for you to keep him confined in a small area which would discourage him to eliminate in it. The space should be big enough for him to stand, turn around, or lie in. It could be a small corner of your laundry room or bathroom which you block off with old baby gates.
Another way is by crate training your puppy. Obviously, you put your puppy inside the crate as a confinement space. There are many procedures on humane crate training that you can learn on the Internet. If your puppy has spent several hours in the crate, take him at once to his potty spot. Praise and reward him if he finishes his potty outside.
Establishing a Housetraining Routine
When it comes to housetraining a puppy, you need to establish a schedule, much like what you do with a baby. With a regular routine, your puppy will start to follow a schedule for play, eating, and of course answering the call of nature.
In general, puppies are able to hold urinating 1 hour per month of age. Puppies that are 2 to 3 months old will be able to hold their urine for 2 to 3 hours. Do not go beyond this period or there will be a greater likelihood that it will pee inside the house. If you are at work for much of the day, you may need to get the services of a dog walker who will take your puppy outside for bathroom breaks.
Before you start housetraining your puppy, already choose a spot outside your home for its bathroom. The best potty spot should have loose earth so that it will be easier for you to cover his pee or poop up.
It is important that you take your puppy outside on a leash every two hours or more, after wakes up, during and after playtime, and after he eats or drinks. Bring him to his potty spot with a leash. As your puppy is doing his business, say a word or a phrase ("Wee wee!" or "Pee!" or "Potty!") which he would gradually associate with the act of elimination. Eventually, every time he hears this word, your puppy would know that it is time for him to answer the call of nature. Once he is completely finished, you can reward him with some playtime or a longer walk outside.
Rewarding your puppy for successfully eliminating outdoors is a part of the housetraining routine. However, remember that you only praise or give him a treat immediately after he has finished eliminating. Do not delay giving his reward until you are both inside the house. Rewarding your dog while you are both still outside would make him understand that he needs to finish his business there to get his treat. Also, make sure that he is completely finished before giving him a reward. Puppies are quite distractible, so that he may forget to urinate or defecate and end up finishing his business inside the house.
You need to establish a regular feeding schedule for your puppy. Naturally, if you feed your puppy every 3 to 4 hours, you can expect him to answer the call nature at the same intervals. The usual feeding schedule for puppies is 3 to 4 times a day. So, you can expect your puppy to eliminate at the same frequency as well. Establishing a feeding routine will make housetraining much more convenient for you.
Before going to bed, make sure that you remove your puppy's water dish 2 and ½ hours prior to retiring. If the puppy does not have anything to drink, the less likely you will need to wake up in the middle of the night to take him out to go potty. It is estimated that puppies can sleep without eliminating for 7 hours.
Puppies that wake you up in the middle of the night should be prevented from making this a regular habit. Do not create a fuss or make a big deal out of it. Do not open all the lights in your house. Just quietly (never speak or play with him) take him outside and then put him back in his sleeping area.
What to Do when Accidents Occur
Soiling accidents are unavoidable since it is part and parcel of housetraining. Here are the measures that you should take when such incidents occur...
Quickly interrupt your puppy when you catch him doing his potty indoors.
Say "OUT!" or create a noise to startle him. Swiftly take him to his potty spot and praise and reward him with a treat once he finishes urinating or moving his bowels.
Never punish your puppy for doing his potty indoors. If you discover a puddle of urine or a pile of poop, just clean it up thoroughly. You will only make your puppy afraid of you or afraid to do his business in your presence if you rub his nose in his filth, scold or yell at him. In most cases, frightened puppies will only end up doing their potty in unreachable places of the house, making cleaning more difficult.
Make sure that you clean up your puppy's leavings thoroughly. If it still smells of urine or feces, the greater is the likelihood that your puppy will again eliminate there. Inquire with your local pet store or with your vet on the best cleaning products that can completely get rid of odors.
Through constant supervision and practicing confinement measures, you will be able to reduce the incidences of soiling accidents inside your home. Puppies have a tendency to get confused if you are not consistent and allow him to pee or poop frequently indoors, and this will only make the housetraining process much longer.
When You're Not At Home
Puppies 6 months of age and below are unable to control their bladder for long periods of time (again, it is approximately 1 hour per month of age). If you are at work for more than 4 to 5 hours a day, a puppy may not be the best pet for you. It is better to get an older dog that has been trained to hold it until you return home.
However, there are some measures that you can take if you need to be away from home for a long duration...
Ask help from your neighbor or hire the services of a pet sitter to take your puppy outdoors to do his potty.
You can also train your puppy to do his potty in specific areas inside your house. It should be mentioned though that this will only prolong the housetraining process. There is also a risk that your puppy may become accustomed to doing his business on specific surfaces, such as newspapers. If he sees any newspaper lying around, he may automatically do his potty on top.
Paper Training Your Puppy
Puppies that are left alone for long durations need to be confined in small space that is enough for him to play and sleep him and allot a separate area for his potty.
In his indoor potty spot, lay out old newspapers or place a sod box. You can make a sod box out of a small wooden box or an old children's swimming pool (filled with sod). Your local pet store may have dog litter products that you could use.
If there are soiling accidents in other places of your home, pick up the soiled rags or paper towels and dump them in the potty spot. The smell will enable your puppy to determine that that specific area is where he should do his business.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Is Training a Chihuahua Easy?
Is training a chihuahua easy?you may be wondering if Chihuahua training is easy or hard. Well, from my experience it is very easy! If you've already managed to raise a dog with behavioral problems (this is easy too!) you can correct them in a very natural way by following a few simple recommendations. There is one book that I highly recommend (I wish I had written it!) that goes well beyond what most dog trainers talk about and gets to the heart of how your dog feels about and experiences life. In the book The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell, you'll read that dogs naturally feel like they still belong to a pack and they want to interact with you as part of the pack.
Our Chihuahua is named Yoda (our son is a huge Star Wars fan) and he's so happy now that he doesn't have to worry about leading the pack anymore. He's no longer "top dog" ...unless of course we change our behavior in a way that promotes him up to leader of the pack again. But then it's easy enough to change positions again by performing our newly learned Chihuahua training methods!
Another thing to try is to ignore (this can be very hard with Chihuahuas since they're so cute!) your dog for the first 5 minutes after you come home. The top dog never makes a fuss over the pack when returning home. But it's OK to worry about and make a fuss over your Chi when it returns home (like after going outside to "do it's duty").
It's amazing to see the difference in Yoda's behavior when we follow a few simple rules of how to live life in a [Chihuahua] dog pack. Chihuahua training becomes easy!
Why Neuter Your Dog?
Spaying or neutering is surgical
sterilization. Spaying of females involves the removal of the entire
reproductive tract (uterus and ovaries). Neutering of males is done by
removing the testicles. Both procedures are performed using strict sterile
technique while the pet is under general anesthesia.
When to neuter. A male dog can be
neutered any time after eight weeks of age. A few years ago, most
veterinarians advised waiting until puberty hit at about six months, and some
still make that recommendation. Talk to your veterinarian about
what's best for your dog
When should you get your dog spayed?
When it's time to spay your dog. She can be spayed any
time after eight weeks of age, and preferably before her first heat for the
best health benefits. The first heat cycle occurs somewhere around six months of
age, depending on the breed.
Why is it important to neuter your dog?
Neutering will often decrease or eliminate other
objectionable male dog behaviors, such as mounting furniture and family
members. Male dogs and cats will cease roaming to find a mate because the
hormonal urge to do so has been removed. Neutered animals are not sexually frustrated!
Benefits
The benefits to your dog — aside from his not siring unwanted puppies — are
considerable:
- He’s less likely to get certain diseases, such as testicular cancer and most prostate diseases.
- He will be calmer with less testosterone in his system, and thus you’ll be calmer too.
- He’ll mark less, inside and out, since he has less incentive to announce his presence.
- The lower level of testosterone can improve if not eliminate roaming, aggression, humping, and other dominance-related behaviors. (He still might want to hump, but mounting after neutering has more to do with dominance than sex. He can still show interest in females in heat or hump your knee.)
- In the case of senior dogs, neutering reduces the size of an enlarged prostate.
- The health and behavioral benefits occur whether your boy is a wee puppy or distinguished senior citizen.
When to neuter
A male dog can be neutered any time after eight weeks of age. A few years ago, most veterinarians advised waiting until puberty hit at about six months, and some still make that recommendation. Talk to your veterinarian about what’s best for your dog.
In general, dogs neutered
before they go into puberty grow a bit bigger than those neutered after puberty
because testosterone is involved in bone growth; sometimes that growth is
preferable and sometimes it’s not. Most dogs are sexually mature by the age of
five or six months (the blink of an eye).If your dog’s testicles don’t descend, you still need to have him neutered. These dogs tend to have more testicular tumors than normal dogs.
Preparing your dog for surgery
Presurgical blood work is usually offered to make sure your dog is healthy enough for surgery and doesn’t have any health conditions that would affect the choice of anesthesia. Typically, young and healthy dogs don’t need it, but it’s a good idea to have a baseline reference for future blood tests.Follow the directions your clinic gives, but generally speaking, the dog should not eat for at least eight hours before the surgery, because the anesthesia may cause nauseate. Drinking water beforehand is fine.
What to expect
postsurgery
- Male dogs can usually go home the same day they have the procedure.
- The dog might be a tad nauseated and turn away from food with a theatrical flourish for the first day or two. No need to be an overbearing parent and force your dog to eat — he’ll be fine even if he misses a few meals.
- For the first few days after surgery, the dog’s scrotum will be swollen. You would be far from the first person to wonder if the vet really did the surgery: “Doc, are you sure he was neutered? It looks — well, it looks just the same as it did before surgery. Just swelling, huh? Uh…you’re sure, right?” Often this swelling is exacerbated because the dog licks the incision.
- If he keeps licking the stitches, pop an Elizabethan collar (a lampshade-style device your vet can supply) around his neck.
- If your vet has used stitches, they’ll need to be
removed after about seven to 10 days, depending on the type of stitching
material used. Your veterinarian will give you details about how to check
that the incision is healing, and when to come back in for this final
detail.
- After neutering, a puppy’s scrotum will flatten as he grows, and you won’t notice it. Adults will always have a flap of skin from the empty scrotum.
- Typically, most dogs want to play hard the next day, but restrict his activity for a couple of days so the incision doesn’t open.
- Some mild bruising can occur around the incision.
What to watch
for after the surgery
Check with your vet if there’s a discharge from the incision, or if your
dog seems to be in excessive pain. (It’s rare for a dog to need pain
medication, but it’s not unheard of.)
If the dog keeps licking the stitches, use an Elizabethan collar to prevent
this. Some dogs have trouble walking while wearing these, and they bonk into
doorways and tables. Nonetheless, have the dog wear it even during sleep,
because licking can prevent the incision from healing properly.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
The Importance of Early Socialization for Puppies
When it comes to raising a confident well-adjusted puppy, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure. By socializing one's puppy early on with a variety of new and unfamiliar people (including calm and gentle children), on a regular and ongoing basis (for at least the first two years of the dog's life), you can help prevent serious behavioral problems such as shyness, timidity, and aggression from developing as the puppy matures. Once a puppy has all of his puppy shots (usually by 16 weeks of age), he should also be socialized with other friendly dogs, and acclimated to new environments beyond the owner's home and property, by being taken for regular daily walks on a leash.
Puppies raised in country and suburban environments should be gradually acclimated to city noises such as traffic noise, crowds of people and other everyday life scenerios early on. A weekly visit into town (beginning when the puppy is around 8 to 10 weeks of age) can be very helpful in preventing environmental phobias. In order to prevent exposure to disease, puppies with fewer than 3 or 4 series of vaccinations, should avoid contact with unfamiliar dogs, and be carried (in a Sherpa Bag, Snuggly or crate) to avoid contact with the sidewalk (or any other public areas where other dogs may frequent).
What To Do If Timidity Has Already Taken Hold
Visitors and passersby should avoid suddenly reaching out to pet your puppy, as allowing a stranger to approach a timid puppy right away is likely to increase the puppy's fear as well as his inclination to react defensively. In fact, when a timid puppy is first introduced to someone unfamiliar to him, the person should remain relatively still and quiet, avoid eye contact with the puppy, offer non-confrontational body language, and allow the puppy to approach the person and initiate contact. The puppy should never be forced or dragged over to meet someone he is fearful of.
Asking the visitor to crouch down near the floor, with their body facing at an angle AWAY from the puppy, and their hand slightly extended to the side while holding a small puppy treat, may help the puppy to gain enough confidence to approach. The puppy should be allowed to sniff the person, and to take the treat from their hand, without the person talking to or reaching towards the puppy. Even if the puppy continues to show fearfulness, the owner should remain upbeat, and resist the temptation to coddle or "poor baby" the puppy.
Once the puppy appears to feel a bit more secure, the visitor should slowly begin petting the puppy under the chin, and continue offering him small treats. These steps should be repeated with as many new people as possible, in as many new environments as possible, until the puppy develops sufficient confidence around new people.
Timidity Around Other Dogs
Supervised puppy play groups and puppy kindergarden classes may also be helpful, provided that bigger, more dominant puppies are not allowed to bully or intimidate the more timid ones. Puppies should be properly matched by size, age, dominance, activity level and temperament. Unsupervised group "free-for-alls" can in fact be very counter-productive.
Ideally, an experienced dog trainer or behaviorial consultant should supervise all play activity and be present to prevent any overly aggressive interactions between puppies.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Dog Ages and Stages
As with human relationships, ups and downs are guaranteed throughout your years together, but knowing what to expect will keep you one step ahead of the pack. During your dog’s life, she will:
Upset you–or, at the very least, frustrate you. Housetraining is no picnic, nor is cleaning up vomit or finding your slippers chewed beyond recognition. Even if your puppy never misbehaves (ha!), her never-ending need for you will sometimes feel overwhelming.
Surprise you. Your Australian Shepherd loves agility training. Your Doberman can bark her name. Or your Cocker Spaniel actually draws a smile from the grumpy neighbor across the street. Sometimes, you’ll just be astonished by your adolescent dog’s endless desire to please you.
Bring you incredible joy. She doesn’t care whether you made your sales goals or how good you look for your high school reunion. Your dog is thrilled simply to be around you–and she’ll demonstrate those feelings on a regular basis.
And probably grief. No matter how long she lives, saying goodbye to a treasured friend is difficult. If it weren’t, the relationship wouldn’t be worth it.
How long each stage lasts
On average, smaller dogs mature faster and live longer than larger breeds; bigger dogs mature later and generally know shorter spans of adulthood and senior citizenship. That said, every dog develops and ages at her own rate. The following is a rough breakdown of the stages of canine life:
Puppyhood ends between six and 18 months of age.
Adolescence starts between six and 18 months of age.
Adulthood starts between 12 months and three years of age.
The senior years begin between six and 10 years of age.
Keep in mind
Dogs are as individual as people; there’s no hard-and-fast rule for what she’ll do and when she’ll do it. If you treat your dog with the love and respect she deserves, what you can count on in return is devotion, adoration, and a mistake or two along the way as the two of you learn to communicate across the human-canine divide.
Bottom line: Dogs age at different speeds, with large dogs generally maturing more slowly than small dogs. But timing aside, they all go through the same stages: energetic puppyhood, unpredictable adolescence, the relatively smooth ride of adulthood, and the slower, lazier senior years.
Getting Your Puppy Ready For Its First Experience In The Daycare Center
Does this involve a special preparation? Yes, it does, because it is a brand new experience for the dog and we don't want it to get scared or traumatized. It is the same when choosing pet grooming services, the have having to face new conditions and people, a gentle experience being most recommended in such cases.
1. Your puppy should have the vaccination scheme up to date
The vet will recommend allowing your dog to interact with other dogs and animals only when the vaccination scheme is complete so that the puppy is fully protected against any illnesses. Until then boarding for dogs is not recommended. Even daycare centers are quite strict about this issue, and will not accept your dog as a new member if the vaccines are not up to date and complete, with medical records to attest that the pet is healthy.
Dog owners should not feel offended by such rules, but be aware that his pet carrying a virus, due to improper vaccination, can represent a real danger to other dogs as well. After all, every pet owner trusts the daycare center for keeping his dog safe and not getting it ill and pet groomers in Winnipeg take care of this very well.
2. Spend some time at the park
Daycare centers are all about dogs coming together, socializing and playing, so your puppy must get used to being in the company of other dogs. Solitary confinement is not an option in the case of such services, all dog boarding kennels having special programs that allow dogs to have fun and be in a good mood.
So spending time at the dog park will help your dog get accustomed to having many other dogs around, and people, helping it get rid of the fear of being in rather crowded places. You see, a dog that is not properly socialized and is very shy ma get traumatized when seeing so many dogs running around and being boisterous.
3. Stay positive at all times
It is not easy to leave your beloved dog in the hands of strangers, such a thought giving you a hard time. But, do remember that if you feel nervous, sad, or anxious, your dog will feel it and will adopt the same behavior. You don't want your dog to feel bad all day long, so do your best to feel positive and to see the daycare center as a great place for your dog to be.
Keep in mind to have the same behavior when you're leaving your dog for a service of dog grooming in Winnipeg because negative states of mind can make the dog nervous and hard to handle by the dog groomer.
Dog Training
Beginning Obedience Training
This article focuses on beginning obedience training. All dogs should be
trained in the basics of come, down, sit, stay, and walking on a lead (preferably
heel). Of course one of the benefits is a better behaved dog, but obedience
training also clarifies a dog's position in the family pack, and when done
well, increases bonding between the trainer and the dog.
I am not a professional dog trainer and am writing from my personal
research, experience and beliefs. I have trained both large and small dogs and
tried my hand competing in Obedience Trials. There are many methods of
obedience training and I encourage you to research and find a method that is
comfortable for you and suits your breed's temperament.
Our dogs become masters at reading us. If you are using a method you are
not comfortable with, your dog's learning will be hampered, as s/he will likely
be distracted by your own distress and confusion. I hope this article can be a
springboard for further learning through the resources and web sites offered at
the end.
1. Consider what you want to accomplish with obedience training.
2. We're training our dogs all the time.
3. Would our cairns find it funny the method that seems to work best was
discovered in experiments with rats?
4. Give some thought to the cairn temperament.
5. Choosing an
Obedience Instructor.
6. Basic
principles of obedience training
7. The basics:
Sit
Heel Stay Recall Down |
8. Resource
CONSIDER WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH OBEDIENCE
TRAINING
This is one of those questions you should always ask yourself, regardless
if this is your first dog or if you've trained several. Some people want to
train so their dog can accompany them as companions and will be welcome back.
For years, this was my only goal in training and is still my main goal.
Some people want to train with the intention of competing in AKC Obedience
Trials.
Others want to train mainly in the hopes of avoiding behavior problems.
Knowing your primary motivation for training will guide you through the
process of finding a trainer, what exercises you choose to train your dog, and
can assist you in handling the inevitable problems that crop up during the
training process.
WE'RE TRAINING OUR DOGS ALL THE TIME
It seems obedience training has been misunderstood by many to be the cruel
shaping of a dog into a machine to do one's bidding. Perhaps this is the result
of early obedience training techniques that taught forcing the dog to obey
(compulsion) as integral to the training; or perhaps it's that most spectators
at obedience trials can't imagine their own dogs ever doing the exercises, or
that many dogs don't seem to be enjoying what they're doing.
Whatever the reason, many approach obedience training with anxiety, and a
certainty they and their dog will fail.
What if we recognize that our every interaction with our dog is training?
Dogs and humans speak a much different language but, interestingly, we both
communicate through body language and sounds. Just as you are attempting to
de-code and interpret the body language and sounds of person's with whom you
interact; your pup is attempting the same thing every time the two of you
interact. You made associations when you were young that taught you human
verbal and body language. Your pup needs to make the same associations to learn
what you are trying to communicate. (Hopefully, you are observing your pup so
you can make associations and learn what your pup is trying to communicate with
you as well.) This is one of the primary reasons consistency in any training
endeavor is an absolute pre-requisite for success, and why house training and
teaching a dog to come when called so often fail.
In training our dogs, we must ask ourselves if our messages (i.e. verbal
and physical behavior) are consistent. How, exactly, are we showing our dogs we
approve of what they're doing? How, exactly, are we communicating disapproval
to our dogs? Some of the ways I show approval include smiling, clapping my
hands, higher and excited voice tones, the phrase "Good girl", food
rewards, and petting. Some of the ways I show disapproval include lower and
somewhat sad voice tones, somewhat sharper speech, glaring facial expression,
and stiffer body posture. I avoid yelling, avoid using the phrase, "Bad
dog", and almost never use physical punishment such as striking or jerking
on a lead.
We also need to periodically re-evaluate if we're communicating in a way
our dog understands. This should be the first question we ask ourselves if our
dog isn't behaving as we'd like. It is not our dog's fault if s/he fails to learn
what we want. We must accept the challenge of finding ways to effectively
communicate with our dogs as part of the responsibility of ownership. The
rewards are magnificent. It's a challenge I personally enjoy.
WOULD OUR CAIRNS FIND IT FUNNY THE METHOD THAT SEEMS
TO WORK BEST WAS DISCOVERED IN EXPERIMENTS WITH RATS?
There has been a revolution occurring in obedience training in the 90's.
The traditional and widely accepted method of training has been slowly getting
replaced by an entirely different method of training, based not on forcing the
dog to do what you want and then praising them, but on shaping the dogs
behavior with rewards and praise without the use of force. This newer approach
is based on the applied operand conditioning methods pioneered by B.F. Skinner
in his experiments with rats and some of the basic tenants are directly
opposite to the more traditional methods. They are quite similar to the methods
used to train those amazing performing dolphins most of us have seen in zoos.
Hadn't you ever wondered how in the world they got the dolphins to do those
amazing tricks, and so happily?
Skinner took rats and placed them one to a cage, with a lever in the cage
that resulted in a pellet of food whenever pressed. Essentially, what Skinner discovered
is:
1. An animal will not learn if it's response is not rewarded (reinforced).
2. A behavior will be learned more rapidly if it is reinforced.
3. Once a behavior is learned, it will be more likely to be repeated if it is
rewarded occasionally, rather than every time.
Skinner's method was named Operand Conditioning, and is now being used as
the basis for several methods of obedience training, all generally falling
under the heading of Motivational Training but also can be called clicker
training, treat training, or inducement training. Skinners three simple
concepts are revolutionizing obedience training, and from my experience and
observation, seem to be a most effective way to train cairns. For one thing,
the traditional compulsion methods of training were developed for large breeds.
The jerking into position on the heel and swooping down to position the sit
are just not effective with small dogs. Also, the popping leash corrections are
often too rough for small dogs whose necks don't have the thick musculature of
the larger breeds, and can cause slipped vertebrate or damage to the trachea.
GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO YOUR CAIRN'S TEMPERAMENT
Cairn Terriers were bred to be equals and leaders, not followers. They were
bred to think independently without having to depend on constant direction from
their trainer. Cairns do not tolerate efforts to intimidate them (How could
they and face off with wild rats?) and will usually resist and resent training
methods that rely on force. They seem to need a reason to do something, and
just pleasing their trainer may not often be reason enough.
Also, Cairns tend to consider themselves and their time valuable so do not
like to waste it repeating the same exercise over and over. You may find your
Cairn becoming bored when exercises are repeated many times in class.
Observe how many repetitions it takes for your cairn to start losing
attention and begin stopping before this occurs, rejoining the class when they
move on to the next exercise.
There are also differing temperaments among cairns. For instance, all my
Cairns have been true scrappy terriers but my first and third had an interest
in pleasing me. My second was so independent that at 10 weeks of age, when most
puppies are wanting to stay close, she headed down the sidewalk pursuing a
smell, totally oblivious to my efforts to get her attention. She was strong
willed throughout life and definitely not interested in doing something just
because it would please me. She resisted obedience training, running a full 6
months behind any dog I'd ever trained. Motivational methods would have been a
wonderful way to get and keep her interest as well as reward her for obeying,
if it had been a method of training available to me at the time.
CHOOSING AN OBEDIENCE INSTRUCTOR
It is helpful to observe an actual class in session and join a class with
other small dogs in attendance. Several instructors in my area train in the
traditional compulsive methods but say they are familiar with motivational
training. However, people serious about obedience training for trials tend to
know where the good instructors are so calling around and observing different
classes is a great way to narrow things down. It is not a good idea to switch
back and forth between philosophies during training, but that is not the same
thing as trying different methods within the same philosophy. A good instructor
is willing to adjust training methods to suit the dog. That is the ideal type
of instructor to look for, no matter what training philosophy is used.
Some
questions to consider:
1. Has the trainer had experience training small dogs? Experience in
motivational methods of training?
2. Is the space where the class is being held large enough for the number of
dogs being trained?
3. What suggestions is the instructor making to those having problems?
4. If the suggestion doesn't seem to be effective, is another suggestion
offered?
5. Are problems
being ignored?
6. How are other members of the class treating their dogs (rough trainers tend
to end up with rougher students)?
7. Is force being recommended by the trainer or tolerated by the trainer when
a student uses force with his or her dog?
8. Are the dogs acting interested and willing or sullen and resistant?
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OBEDIENCE TRAINING
1. Make sure your dog is looking at you before giving a command. I often say
the dog's name before the command. (This is not allowed in all exercises during
an obedience trial so if you're interested in competing, check into which
exercises allow using the dog's name before the command and limit using your
dog's name to those exercises.)
2. Say the command once only. You are teaching your dog to ignore you when you
repeat commands.
3. Use a tone of voice that is light and just loud enough to be heard over
other distractions.
4. Praise lavishly for good behavior. You should be spending more time
praising than correcting, in all areas of your dog's life.
5. Use a light lead and collar. You do not have to use a choker collar with
most of the motivational methods of training but if you choose a choker collar,
it should be as long as the circumference of the neck plus 2 inches (3 inches
for a larger breed). The choker collar should be placed on the dog so the ring
you're attaching the lead to is connected to the half of the collar that passes
through the other ring and over the top of the dog's neck. I use a 1/4"
six foot leather lead and a nylon choker.
6. Avoid repeating the same exercise more than a few times during home
training sessions and vary the order of exercises.
7. Try to end each exercise when the dog is doing well, even if it is only a
small success. Then go on to the next exercise. Keep the sessions light and
lively.
8. Home training sessions should be kept short, about 10 minutes, and held 3-4
times a week.
9. Many trainers make the mistake of overworking their dogs. I've found an
occasional week off from class and an occasional week with only one or two
practice sessions increases exuberance and interest.
10.
.When you
encounter a problem with your dog making mistakes. Assume the dog does not
understand what you want, not that the dog is rebellious or stupid. Stop, get
feedback from your obedience instructor and analyze what is happening.
a.
Have you
tried to teach the dog too fast? Go back and start teaching the exercise from
the beginning.
b.
Have you
been absolutely consistent?
c.
Are you
giving conflicting signals, such as stepping out to the left with your left
foot as you start a right turn which drives your dog away from you when you
want him to stay in close, or bellowing commands on the recall but expecting
your dog to come to you exuberantly?
d.
Are you
particularly tired or stressed today? Try to avoid training when you're
feeling stressed or tired. You will be less able to handle frustrations and
will subtly give different cues which would confuse even a well trained dog,
much less a dog in training.
e.
Is your
dog stressed, tired, or not feeling well? Make a habit of assessing for this
before a session. Either postpone the session till the dog has had a chance
to rest or cancel it, even if it means going late to, missing or leaving a
class.
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11.
If the
method you are using to teach a particular exercise isn't working after a
reasonable period, about 3 sessions, and you have analyzed what you are doing,
you need to try a different method. (This is where a good obedience instructor
is your greatest resource.) Remember that successful training is communicating
to your dog what your want him or her to do in a way your dog can understand.
Don't make the mistake of doing more of the same thing and expecting different
results. Failure is just as demoralizing for your dog as it is for you. I've
found it helpful to take a week off between switching methods and concentrating
on other exercises in the interim.
12.
Choose a
treat your dog really likes, doesn't get at any other time than during training
sessions, and is small enough to be eaten in a few moments. I prefer to use
healthy treats when possible but many people use bits of hot dogs. I've used
Bil Jac Liver Treats, bits of broccoli or carrot, and Charlie Bear Treats with
good success. Most motivational methods recommend training when your dog is
hungry, even skipping dinner before an evening class. When I've tried training
before dinner or skipping dinner, my cairn has been too focused on wanting the
food, has had difficulty settling down and has become disgusted with me
supplying only small amounts at a time. I've had good success with feeding a
light dinner or training 3-5 hours after breakfast. Experiment to find what
works best for you and your dog.
13.
Begin
skipping a few times of rewarding the dog with the treat when you are fairly
certain the dog has learned the command, often around the third or fourth
training session. You can skip one time of giving a treat out of five times
initially, then slowly decrease the number of times you give the treat to
giving it only once at the close of some training sessions, more in others.
This is done slowly over a period of months. Be sure to use other forms of
praise in place of the treat reward.
THE BASICS
Following are instructions for one way to basically teach sit, heel, stay,
the recall, and down. They are presented in progression and build on one
another. You can use them to introduce your dog to the exercises before
starting an obedience class.
There are many ways to teach these exercises within the philosophy of
motivational training. If you know you are interested in competing in obedience
trials, I suggest you get an obedience training book written with competing in
mind, a copy of the AKC Obedience Regulations, and attend a good training class
(see the Resources in Print section).
Attend and observe all three levels of obedience and let your obedience
instructor know you are interested in competing in trials when you sign up for
class. It is essential you know what the exercises should look like when done
correctly before you start training and you will need to be more precise (not
more demanding) with your dog from the start. It is much more difficult to
repair sloppy obedience habits than to train properly from the beginning.
