Because our dogs are smarter than we think...

My dog, Felix. He creates new associations every day and I'd like to share them.








My cat, Milo, jumps on the counter. I tell him (firmly) to get down. Felix doesn't like when I raise my voice so he goes to his safe place (under the living room table, by my feet). This repeats just a few times. Now, when Milo (much more silently) jumps on the counter, Felix goes under the table.  Felix has decided that he doesn't like when Milo jumps on the counter because it causes me to raise my voice. Therefore, Milo on counter = Felix under the living room table. Guess what? The dog is now ratting out the cat! Yes, the cat still thinks he rules the roost

Example 2... 

For whatever reason, if I open my oven for more than 5 seconds, our smoke alarm goes off. Felix, Mr Sensitivity is not a fan (who is?). So when it happens, he disappears into the dark office where he feels safe. This happens just a couple of times. Soon, when I open the oven, he disappears into the office. Tonight (though I covered the smoke detector and therefore wasn't paying much attention), I find him laying in the dark office by himself. He really would rather not come out until I'm done cooking.

Example 3... A client's dog growls at their child and proceeds to be verbally corrected. Let's look backwards at this possible issue. Does the dog seem to like kids? Sure, in a general sense...when the child it sitting calmly, and even more so when the child is in her highchair, right? Those pieces of food falling from above really create a loving relationship from dog to child! How does the dog do with loud or sudden noises. "Oh, he jumps - definitely doesn't like them" Ok, so when the child is feeling rambunctious, when she is running around the house like the crazy little monkeys kids can be, tossing toys, fully energized. Is that when the dog growls? "Yes". How about when the child has a toy in her hand and approaches the dog? "Oh, definitely". Do you see the association?? 

The dog has decided that in certain situations, kids can be pretty darn scary and unpredictable! And then to top it all off, the dog gets corrected for letting the child know he's uncomfortable with her! This is a separate issue altogether (please read "Thank your dog for growling")

Now let's approach another potential and very common example.
A dog has little experience with other dogs, so when on a walk - the dog does one of two things, pulls on leash to get to the dog (out of curiosity), maybe barks (out of frustration); or barks to make the other dog go away (since he is stuck on leash). 
The dog owner decides he doesn't want the barking and lunging on leash (it's pretty embarrassing, after all) so he goes out and gets a tool to help, a pinch collar. Now, every time that curious dog sees another dog and barks out of frustration, he gets pinched. An aversive, punishment method. Soon, that curious dog associates the sight of other dogs with something very unpleasant. Depending on how sensitive and intelligent this dog is, he could very quickly change his association with seeing other dogs on leash, to something very negative. Before you know it, that curious dog becomes aggressive-reactive. Tries to make that dog go away. If off-leash, that dog may still hold on to that and have a negative association with the sight of other dogs. Or maybe your dog doesn't have good feelings about other dogs if the owner is around (because after all, the owner was always present when the negative feelings surfaced!) 

And what about that dog that was already afraid of or aggressive to other dogs. The foundation feelings are worse and therefore the behavior gets worse. Or maybe, if on leash, the dog shuts down because every time he vocalizes his feelings, he gets physically corrected. So he hides his feelings. He might even appear friendly. But get that other dog within a certain space bubble, and he may no longer be able to contain his feelings. 
Of course, I used a dog-dog example here but this could apply to dog-person, dog-child, dog-runner, etc etc


In conclusion...
#1 My dog Felix is very sensitive and Milo is a trouble maker!


#2 If you associate scary things with certain triggers (i.e. smoke alarm with opening the oven door; Cat on counter with yelling; pinch of the collar with the sight of a dog; loud noises with children), you dog will have negative feelings about those triggers. My guess is that THAT was not your intention. So try associating positive things with what your dog might be afraid of!

Bringing your newly adopted dog home

Bringing your Newly Adopted Dog Home

By Miss Behavior CPDT-KA, Laura Chapman, MissBehaviorTraining.com

One of the most important things in bringing your new dog home is having patience. The transition takes time and while your family will want everything to work as quickly as possible, our new dog and existing pets will need anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months to adjust.

Try to plan on bringing your new dog home when you have at least a full couple of days to spare. You will need to keep a close eye on your new companion and make sure all introductions to other family members progress smoothly so bringing a dog home on a Monday night and taking off to work the next morning is not smart.

Supplies to have ready at home:

Gate(s): so you can separate your new dog from your existing pets

Crate: Big enough for your new dog to stand up, lie down, turn around but not run marathons

Cleaner: Something specific to your dog having accidents in the house. Household cleaners won’t serve the purpose as they often have ammonia in them

Non-Slip/Martingale collar: This one if important for safety reasons. This type of collar can’t slip over your dog’s head if he panics and tries to back out of it

Flat leash: Not a retractable – they are both dangerous and sometimes scary if you drop it mistakenly. They also teach dogs that pulling on leash is encouraged (not an early message you want to send!)

Treats: Some really good stuff that can be used to encourage good habits such as going to the bathroom outside, lying down, sitting for greeting, introductions, etc

Kong: This can be stuffed with kibble, treats, peanut butter, etc for alone time

Introducing your new dog to your current family:

Slowly. Your new dog and existing dog(s) should meet on neutral ground, not in your front yard and certainly not in your house! Do the meet and greets one at a time. Walking the dogs together, without letting them greet right away is a good idea. Parallel walking really helps with bonding as it’s a low pressure way of meeting and greeting a new friend. Too much fixation, stiff tail wags, stiff bodies, posturing, raised hackles are all red flags to watch for. If this occurs, please consult a professional.

Once they are ready to come into the house together, use gates to give them breaks from each other. Be a good parent who enforces breaks. Over tired dogs can get cranky or can lose control of their impulses so even if all seems well, separate them for periods of time. This may need to continue for a couple of weeks. The dogs should not be left home alone together. The new dog should go through the crate training process. Leave your new dog alone in his crate (after properly introducing the crate) whether you are home or not. It’s critical that you teach your dog that you will leave for short periods of time, you will leave him with something to do or chew, and you WILL be back. Dogs who spend too much time with their new family and little time alone have a hard time coping with being left alone later on. This is the #1 cause of separation anxiety!

If you have a cat, take it very slow. Rub both the dog and cat down with a towel and switch them so they can get each other’s scent. Your cat should have an escape. Use gates. Put food up high or in his safe room. This is also where the litter box should go. Kitties who feel threatened often find alternative litter boxes!

Please consult a professional if your new or current pets show signs of distress or aggression, or for more in-depth information on introducing your new pet to your current family!

Visit APDT.com for a list of local behavior consultants

Miss Behavior's Pack is growing again!

3 dogs, 1 cat, 2 goats, and now... 
                               a baby on the way!


This will be our first - Due April 15th - and I plan to share some of my own process of getting my animals ready for this wonderful new addition - surprise surprise!


Stay tuned!

If you or anyone you know is expecting, please check out this wonderful program or contact a certified professional to help you, no matter what stage you are in!
http://www.dogsandstorks.com/

Clicker Training

Clicker Training...

Clicker training is a method where you mark and reward every good behavior your dog performs. It is based on positive reinforcement methods. I used to be a huge fan but in teaches classes and in trying to pass on the method to my students, the clicker got left behind and replaced with a marker word, the word "yes". Using the word follows the same concept but it doesn't take the extra coordination the clicker does and you always have your words on you. I found that people often had a hard time remember to keep their clicker handy. Plus, and this is true even in my own experience, sometimes you truly need 3 hands to operate a clicker. So in trying to keep with realistic methods for my clients, the clicker basically disappeared from my teachings all together. 


However, I am reconsidering. The clicker really speeds up the training process, it is a unique sound so it becomes very significant to the dog. If you learn how to use a bridge word, such as "yes", you can easily transition from using the clicker to using the word so that once your dog has good experience with the new cues, you can really wean off the clicker very quickly.


Below is a video showing you the first few steps of introducing the clicker. The next video will show you how to start applying it to teach and clean up new behaviors

A good video for teaching Leave It

I just came across a great video for teaching Leave It and thought I would share it for those people who have or are taking my classes and would like a little visual help. The only real difference between the way it is shown here and the way it is taught in my classes is that we don't use a clicker. Instead we use the verbal marker "YES"


Please contact me with questions!

Wait for Permission in a Multiple Dog Household

Wait for Permission is an essential skill that every dog should have because it teaches them to defer to you for permission to have or do something. The most important time to teach this to your dog is before feeding them their breakfast or dinner because the bowl of food is such a jackpot reward. In the beginning stages, you can actually break each meal up into 3 small meals so that you can practice the "wait for permission" 3 times in a row. Each dog needs to be able to do this individually before he can be expected to do it as a group skill. 


Below is a video of my dogs demonstrating their Group Wait for Permission with their individual releases

The Group Wait for permission with individual releases is a great skill for multiple dog households. It teaches impulse control, diffuses jealousy between dogs, and teaches each dog that you control the access to the resources, thus reinforcing all your dogs to defer to you even among his/her "siblings" and distractions. 




Please note: If your dog shows any signs of food guarding, or resource guarding - consult a professional! While this is a great game to help modify the guarding behavior, it needs to be done properly and with good management or it can make the guarding behavior worse!


If you are interested in getting more information on how to teach this or other skills for your multiple dog household, please contact me for more info or to set up some training
MissBehaviorTraining.com

Open Enrollment Classes

Click image to be directed to website

What is open enrollment? These classes allow you to start class at any time  (as soon as there is a spot open).  No more having to wait 6 weeks to enter a class!  When you sign up for a class, you will choose a class start date  and time and receive a punch card with a certain number of classes to be attended before you can graduate and move to the next level. This makes for an easy way to keep track of which classes you have taken and which you still need to attend to complete the course.  Classes are structured so that each week does not depend  on the previous week, and if you need to skip a week you can make it up at a later date without getting behind. You and your dog will be exposed to many different dogs  throughout your rotation allowing for more socialization  and more realistic training opportunity!