Skijoring!

After living in Alaska for four months, and after my first day out doing it, I'm already addicted to skijoring.  I think I've only had the skis for just over 2 months...

What is skijoring?  It's being dragged by dogs on skis.  That makes it sound like a bad idea, and it is.  It also happens to be positively exhilarating for the dog and human!

True to my general approach to dog activities, I simply hooked them up and gave it a go.  (I would not recommend anyone else do that!)  The dog wears a fairly traditional harness, since he is tied to a line that attaches relatively high off the ground.  The human wears a belt around the waist or hips, which is much higher than the dog's back.

One "secret" many dog owners don't know is that dogs tend to run instinctively on a trail.  Epecially if they have never been on that trail before.  You don't have to "steer" dogs like a bike or a car with constant steering left or right.

The experience they had with my bike attachment really seemed to translate effectively to skijoring.  I could stop the dogs almost before I could stop myself on the skis!  On the bike, I used a long "ho" to let them know we were coming to a stop, then braked the bike.  During this phase, the behavior I am praising is slowing down to a stop.  Once we stopped with the bike, I would say "WAIT".  This means that the dogs are not to move forward.  We do a lot of "WAIT" at doors, crate doors, car doors, dog dishes...  so I can stop them almost on a dime with just that command.  On the bike or skis, I am looking for a gentle stop most of the time, so I use the HO--WAIT combo.

We also used "LEAVE IT--LET'S GO" for poop piles.  I did have to use the towline to convey the idea, but they did extremely well.

The worst part was my skiing!!  Skate skiing is not an easy thing, even for someone who has spent many hours figure skating, hockey skating, rollerblading...  I'm sure it will get better with time.  I did fall once, but the dog was very concerned about me and patient while I got myself collected back up for take off.

I did 1 mile with each of two dogs.  It took us around 15 minutes, for an average of about 4 mph, but top speed was about 12 mph.  One of the dogs nearly had a fit when she realized we were done for the day.  She kept trying to get back out to do more.

I'm looking forward to doing more, and posting video as well.

Biking with Dogs video

I do it for hours and hours every week.  I'm working on some posts that will give you tips on trying this yourself, if you are so inclined. 

If you are inclined to try this yourself, um... Wait.  At least until you read my thoughts. Because, yeah, it could go horribly, horribly wrong. 

But when it doesn't, this is what it looks like:

Can't say 'no'.... I'm back, baby!

After a wonderful year's foray into the adventures of dog walking, I find myself drawn back into training by the dogs I'm walking. 

I swear, if there's one things dogs seem to like, it's making a liar out of us. Because people having to eat their words is very funny to dogs.  And also to humans, although, not usually the ones consuming the verbal snack in humble sauce...

I'm back for now.   Stay tuned.

It's been ...

Interesting.  I wish you all the best.  The end.

Addressing emotional arousal: Encouraging Calm

Many people mistakenly believe that dogs are quite different from we are in emotional responses.  That some magic exists that will instantly snap a dog into calmness.  Imagine the last time you were stressed out, angry, frustrated, terrified...  Now imagine that someone insists you stop this instant.  Do you think it will work?  When you encounter your family and friends who are feeling stressed, angry, frustrated, or terrified -- do you react by insisting they stop?  And if you do, how well does that work?

The emotional state that produces calm behavior cannot be forcibly elicited.  You can force a sit, you can force a down, you can force a dog to stand in one spot, you can force a dog to lay on her side, but you cannot insist or pressure your dog into not feeling pressure.  (See why not?)

So how do we deal with emotionally aroused dogs? 
One way is to reduce the brain's exposure to arousal chemicals by minimizing arousal everywhere you can.  Almost everyone reading this has already heard that advice!  "Yes!" they says, "That sounds like a perfect plan."  What does that look like?  Few people are quite sure.

Steering a sequence of potentially exciting events
Your dog's emotional state is affected on a second-by-second basis by any sequence of events.  Most dogs see a cue like you reaching for your coat & looking for your shoes, or reaching for the food bag, and immediately there is both an emotional and behavioral response.  (There is a lot of argument over which produces the other, behavior and emotion.  I suspect the answer is that it varies.) 

The emotional response is a kind of arousal.  "Excitement."  As the chain of events unfolds, second-by-second, the arousal level spikes.  "It's coming... it's coming closer... it's coming CLOSER...!" The "it" can be the walk, the dinner, the scary dog next door.

To stop the escalation, stop whatever is coming closer.  Physically freeze yourself, and freeze the sequence of events to whatever extent you can when dog becomes even mildly excited.  "It's coming... it's coming closer...  Oh. Hold on a second, what's going on?  It's NOT coming closer?" If freezing and waiting isn't enough for the dog to realize that things have stopped, super-slowly reverse the normal series of events.  Rewind until you see the excitement diminish.  Then begin moving forward with your activity.  See excitement again?  Back to rewind.  More calm?  Move forward.  This "cha-cha-cha" can be very communicative, as long as your dog is interested in what you are doing, and emotionally able to pay attention to you.

Actions speak louder than words, so there is absolutely no need to say anything at all to your dog during this process.  (This is the original meaning of "whispering".)

If the arousal level has already spiked beyond where the dog even recognizes there is a sequence of events, where the dog's brain is screaming "FOOD!"  "WALKIES!" "BITCH IN HEAT!" "INTRUDER" -- the dog doesn't even know he has legs or a person or that any other objects even exist -- don't waste your time slowly rewinding.  The dog is gone.  Just make a clear end to the activity.  Put away the leash.  Put the food bowl on top of the fridge.  Hand a Coke through the door and ask your guests to keep waiting outside. If she won't turn and correct you (extremely aroused dog with low bite inhibition?  she might -- use a muzzle next time), grab the dog's collar and, instead of holding her back, go somewhere with her.  Steer her out of visual contact with the exciting things, into another room, or her crate.

Whatever was GOING to happen is now simply NOT happening.  That exciting thing that was going to happen will now NEVER happen.  You had one chance to get it right and you blew it.  Even though, in another half of forever (you know, 5 minutes), the dog will get another chance, if the chance is still there.

Making the call
One of the most difficult skills to develop is making the call between just ending things, and making it a teachable moment.  There is a time and place for both, but it isn't as clearly defined as "hackles up" = just end it, and "no hackles" = work through it with rewind and fast forward. 


To further complicate the situation, this decision has other options.  The "cha-cha-cha" and "that's it - all gone" aren't the only two options available to deal with emotionally charged situations, but if you are presently overwhelmed, this is a good place to start.


What are the exciting sequences of events in your dog's life?

What's your leash-handling style?

The leash may be the most commonly used and misused dog training tool.

There is no leash
The owner acts as if the leash does not exist, using the exact same commands, feedback, and rewards s/he would use if the dog were loose.  The leash's only function is to stop the dog from running off.  While more challenging for the owner to teach, this style facilitates transition to off-leash responses.

Jockey-style
The owner uses the leash as a rider would rein a horse, using pressure on the dog in various locations (top of the neck, bottom of the neck, left side of the neck, ride side of the neck) to cue the dog to move in various directions.  The dog must be trained to respond to these cues, exactly as they need to be trained to respond to SIT, DOWN, COME, HEEL, and other commands.  Shaping or luring are great ways to teach the responses you want.

Handle
The owner does an impression of a waterskier behind a very large, excited dog.  This practice offers almost no ability to influence the dog's behavior, except for slowing his gallop.  It also offers onlookers a great show.  The owner tends to focus most of his/her energy on remaining upright, and on the same side of trees and street signs as the dog, typically with marginal success.

Punisher
(Training collars can be used effectively and humanely, but such use cannot be taught by text, so I won't try.)  The Punisher is a variation of the Handle where the display is occasionally interrupted with a human yankfest, as if having some kind of fit.  This fit is intended to display to other humans, "I am attempting to control a beast who is clearly uncontrollable," but says to knowledgeable humans (and also the dog) "Hey, I have no clue what I'm doing!"

Wow! Welcome new followers!

Thanks for reading! I hope you are deepening your relationship with your dog as a result of my efforts. I'll keep bringing you my best as often as I can.

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Beyond the Click

We heart clicker training
My dog Lila is a great fan of the clicker.  We use it for shaping, and make much more rapid progress eliciting precise, unusual movements.  I stay silent during clicker work, and a minimal amount of eliciting the correct answer.  I think, for her, the clicks provide a certain sense of independence, compared to the Lila-patter I use for encouraging her.  (I anthropomorphize shamelessly, I know, but it is my belief that the affinity of the two species hinges on the similarity of our social hierarchy, value system, and affective responses.)  I would describe myself as pro-clicker training, and even one step further, pro-marker training.

Did clicker training fail Tilikum?
As I understand it, the equivalent of the clicker (the whistle) is the tool of choice for training marine mammals, such as orca.  I expect that the recent death of the SeaWorld trainer will be cited as the ineffectiveness of such training.  And, I partly agree with the idea.  Training, of ANY sort, including traditional, e-collar, and other training does not make play, randomly volunteered behaviors, predation, or aggression inevitable. Given that this animal has killed two other individuals, I suspect a strong case could be made for this being predatory aggressive behavior.

Brains undergo natural selection for the specific behaviors in which they will engage
Eliciting predatory, aggressive, or just random acts resulting from boredom, frustration, anxiety, or psychological breakdown caused by prolonged exposure to the brain chemicals such affective states release is a simple matter of lifestyle.  

Although the killer whales & other marine life are touted as being trained by "force-free" methods, I take issue with this description.  These animals do not willingly arrive each morning to participate in this training program.  They have no choice or control over their living conditions. Physical force keeps these wild animals trapped in tiny pools.

While the practice of keeping dogs and other domesticated animals has resulted in a kind of natural selection for brains that can tolerate to some degree the type of (or, compared to wild life, lack of) stimulation associated with confinement, the brains of creatures that Nature alone selects for must not only tolerate but crave long periods of travel, seeking, stalking, chasing, killing, and consuming prey.  Occasionally, the brain demands reproductive-related behaviors.  I don't know enough about orcas to know if they have pods or territories, social interactions, play, defense of social ingroup or territory..., but if they do, those concepts demand certain behaviors from a killer whale.

While I am no expert, I do know that whatever they do in the wild, whatever capacities Nature has selected killer whales to perform:  those behaviors does not strongly resemble swimming around a tank for 20 years, taking fish from a human hand, leaping through hoops, carrying humans on their snouts, or any of the other show business they are being "asked" to do.  "Do you want to jump through a hoop and eat fish?  Or would you rather starve?"  Force-free?  I do use force in training dogs, and I call it what it is. 

But it generates interest and raises funds!
Our society as a whole has become disconnected from the natural world.  Could it be a result of believing that the "cute" are valuable, and the "scary" are not?  Killer whale.  Shark.  Koala.  Crocodile.  Could these ideas result from exposing children, not to the reality, but to an artificiality?  Can humans not be encouraged to be come connoisseurs of wild creatures being, behaving, exactly as they are designed by Nature to do?

Could these animals not be confined and displayed for human education and enjoyment for only a short period of time and re-released?

Could their willing cooperation in a seaside training program not be obtained if they were permitted to come and go as they pleased?  Can a reliable recall from freedom, of the type that most dog owners face as part of life, simply not be taught using reinforcers alone?

The Rejected Affective
Beyond behaviorism, there is a messy, difficult to observe, and all too real affective (emotional) domain, which no amount of whistles and fish, clicks and treats, can change. We cannot train the feelings out of an animal -- including humans. We can teach management, we can provide outlets, but we are powerless to force, "reinforce", encourage, discourage, or "punish" feelings, as if they are deliberate, occurring at the beckoning of the feeler.

We failed Tilikum, but we don't have to fail our dogs
Beyond training sessions, wild things and even "domesticated" ones, like dogs and humans, need a "life".  They crave the behaviors and experiences their brains are genetically "wired" to find chemically rewarding ("it just feels so right to gulp a seal") and often stumble upon other behaviors and experiences that feel just as good as a part of their exposure to environment. The sensations that arise as a result of the release of these chemicals are "intrinsic motivators".

Knowing that the vast majority of canine genetics were selected to do work, not for entertainment purposes, it is important to recognize that providing the right tasks means releasing "feel-good" brain chemicals in your dog.  Happy, contented dogs are least likely to engage in the behaviors we humans dislike.

But, to dog trainers, who sometimes tend to see training interactions as a dog's only need, I remind you of what you already know: apart from tasks, dogs can need social interaction, exploration of new physical environments, and, yes, freedom.  As trainers who enjoy working with animals, there is a tendency to assume that what we enjoy, the animal enjoys, too.  Trainers would be happy to train all day, morning to night!  The trainees, however, may or may not share those sentiments.

• Be sensitive to your dog's interest level during training sessions
• Manage your own interest level and emotions -- Quit while you both want more!
• Break or change up training sessions at least every 15 minutes Some may need more frequent changes
• Allow at least some sniffing on walks (but don't force it!)
• Provide sufficient freedom -- off-leash exploratory opportunities (amount varies by dog)
• Provide social opportunities -- even if you have to use a muzzle
• Provide access to tasks or sports the dog enjoys
• Address behaviors caused by anxiety or frustration: barking (more than 3 barks or continuous barking), pacing, circling, digging, lunging, leaping, destruction, etc.

Diamond needs a chance to shine

This adorable pup was scheduled for euthanasia because of her medical needs.  Hit by a car, she has a broken jaw,a broken front leg and a bruised pelvis.  Mary Illiano, of Mid-Atlantic Bully Buddies couldn't let that happen.  Diamond is safe from euthanasia, but will need a new home. 

To contact Mid-Atlantic Bully Buddies about Diamond or any of the other great dogs in their care, e-mail midatlanticbullybuddies@yahoo.com.

Positive Human Training

For me, "positive" is emphasizing the good, the desirable, the valuable.  Spending more time encouraging what should be done than correcting, cautioning against, resisting, or attacking. 

When I analyze any dog/human social or training interaction, I find that it is sometimes harder to find what the human is doing right than it is to find what the dog is doing right!  So why bother?  Positive dog trainers know the overwhelming effectiveness of finding, emphasizing, reinforcing what is right.  Overlooking, minimizing, replacing unwanted behaviors. What's good for the dog... well, if it works to teach a simpler mind, it will definitely work for the more complicated!  Whether teaching dogs or humans, good practice is good practice.

Most humans tend to be motivated by genuine attachment to their pets, even if they are at a loss as to how to elicit the behavior that is essential for the dog's participation in human society.  Most people inappropriately using prong collars, e-collars, yelling, hitting, choking, and other harsh tactics get sucked into the idea of "combat" with their pets; these owners are not hateful monsters!  By demonizing individuals, we create their resistance to our advice.  And, if what we say is true, that those tools aren't going to work when mistakenly and inappropriately used, those individuals will sooner or later be receptive to what we have to say. 

As positive trainers, we know that an attitude of combat creates resistance.  Listening without judgment, demonstrating alternatives, encouraging good decisions, and supporting our clients is the human equivalent of our approach to dogs.  Although we'd like to steer both away from making bad decisions, establishing our role as supportive partner is critical to making the changes we'd like to see occur in general dog training practice.  Trainers make mistakes.  Owners make mistakes.  Dogs make mistakes.  Fortunately, all of us are capable of learning from our mistakes. 

Focusing on the right answers is the key to creating receptive, willing, cooperative, and non-resistant partners, no matter what their species.  Teach humans like you teach dogs!

Positive Hypocrisy?

Are good, effective teaching practices for dogs equally good, effective teaching practices for humans?

Most "positive" dog trainers would say, "Yes!"  And I am one of them.

Are there dog training practices that are risky, both to the outcome for the dog and the human?

Yes.

How do we discourage their use?

The use of poor and risky dog training practices is a behavior I would like to see disappear, but I disagree with the premise of the question.

How do we encourage the use of safer, less risky dog training practices?

THIS is the right question!

Are strategies like personal attacks, philosophical attacks, and "pushing for acceptance" modeling the behaviors we want to see used in teaching?


Don't we teach that aggression and force are ways to create resistance?  And don't we seek to persuade, to lead, to set a good example?

By "pushing for acceptance", are we suggesting that there are people who would resist training through easier, more effective, and less risky methods?  

Dog owners I meet (and, granted, our perceptions are all shaped by the "populations" we meet) are generally reluctant to use the more objectionable methods, but feel as if they have no alternative.  Or, they live in fear of what will happen if those methods are not used.  Few people I meet find the techniques I dislike highly desirable.

I have certainly met resistant individuals.  Generally, these individuals are "experts", whose ego and family tradition are at stake.  Rejecting "the way it's always been done" is to eat crow, and turn one's back on one's family or tradition.  For these people, creating an opportunity to gradually transition from primarily punishment-based to primarily reward-based training is crucial. 

What are the strategies we know to be most effective?

Emphasizing the desirable.  Listening.  Acknowledging.  Communicating clearly.  Patience.  Persuasion.  Gradual transition.  Show, not tell.

"That Doesn't Look Like Training", the sequel

This Christmas, my 7-year-old lab/Weim Lila was first introduced to the puzzling human behavior called "cross-country skiing" by my brother, who she adores.

Lila finds it prudent to be extra-aware when encountering the stiffness, the unpredictable nature of inanimate objects.  Natural, organic objects move, they telegraph their intentions, and any threats.  Inanimate objects can suddenly come at you from any direction, sometimes at high speed.  Being careful has a great record at keeping Lila out of fights with inanimate objects-- 100% of the times she has done it, she has not had a fight with an inanimate object.

It was fascinating to watch her follow him, in the snow.  While he moved forward, he & the collection of objects attached to him exhibited a predictable pattern, and she stayed quite close.  When he stopped to chat with me, however, a few ducks and a greater comfort distance was necessary, as the poles moved in a completely new pattern.

I wondered how much she was learning.  I acted -- as I mostly do with Lila -- played it cool, like nothing was wrong.  I gave a few words of encouragement.  I was proud and impressed, but had no goal in mind.  If she hated cross country skiers, if she ran from all of them, for the rest of her life, I can deal with that.  I won't stop her.  Run as far as you need to make yourself comfortable, Lila.  I'll be there for you. 

Today, we encountered her second lifetime exposure.  Fortunately, she was on the retractable leash.  Her ears perked up as she spotted the couple.  (Lila mostly ignores people.  Smelling wildlife is much more interesting.)  She stood still and watched them.  Even though they were approaching her directly, she simply watched with interest.

I walked to the end of the leash and stopped briefly, waiting for her to lose interest.  Freezing and tired after our walk, I headed for the car.  The skiers were headed for their car!  Right by ours!  She wagged on over to check them out.  I actually called her back to me, laughing and chastising her nosy-ness, because I didn't want her to get so brave she scared herself.   Sniffing cross country skiers?  She's out of control. 

Teaching your dog effectively is about understanding your dog.  Understanding is the product of listening, observing, paying attention, with suspended judgment.  Trust your dog to show you what kind of support she needs.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking that your dog needs you to show the same kind of social support from you in every circumstance.  And never, ever underestimate what your dog is capable of learning!

NIMBY!

Northeast Philadelphia man, John William Fleet III. Charged with animal cruelty for allegedly pouring rubbing alcohol over a puppy and setting it on fire. The 5-month-old pit bull mix was burned. Its neck, ears, whiskers were burned off, and one of its corneas was seared. The animal also had been burned repeatedly with a cigarette.  It may be disfigured, and possibly blind in one eye.

Here is the addition I wrote:

"As PA's population shrinks, state revenues are increasingly dependent on sources of income like tourism. Going soft on animal abusers in a city's whose reputation is already besmirched by the employment of convicted animal abuser Michael Vick, not to mention a state known as the Puppy Mill Capital of the East? Is this the image of Philadelphia and of PA you want to present? The actions you undertake or fail to undertake will strengthen or weaken the accuracy of this image."

Hey, wonder why people are leaving this coal-burning dump?  

Ice skating? Isn't this blog about dogs?

I can ice skate.  I'm never as good as I want to be, so how well I skate at any given moment just doesn't really occur to me.  I do it purely for the feel-good chemicals.  For me, ice skating is the thing that just feels so right.  Even when it's really painful, it makes me feel fantastic.  I have been mistaken for a pro, which makes me giggle.  I'm far from being a pro.  I think it's that my passion that shows when I skate. 

So, last night on the ice, I watched a skater work on alternating forwards and backwards 3-turns.  I never criticize or give advice when it looks like someone is having fun, since FUN is the point, but she looked frustrated and worried, and I knew what she was doing wrong.  I skated by (ludicrously wobbly, as I was wearing hockey skates that are too painful to lace up. Long story.), gave some non-intimidating eye contact (yup, just like with a dog), and she said, "You're a figure skater, aren't you?" (Uh, yes, though you can hardly tell today.)

"Yup," I said, realizing after I skated off that I had failed to actually wait for the question.  "Lead with the shoulder.  Your rotation should be head, then shoulders, then hips, and let your foot follow.  You are starting from the feet, which is why it looks and feels forced.  Have fun!"  I smiled and skated off.

I surreptitiously watched her.  She caught me a few times, and I smiled, continuing to work on my own stuff.  She was getting it, though it was certainly not yet perfect.  Learning starts with theory first; it takes a bit of time to get everything you know in your head to find its way out of the body to practice.  I know she's got enough material to work with, she understood what I said, and she's not afraid to approach me again if she has more questions.  

And, it didn't occur to me that I did anything so far out of the ordinary until I watched a mother with her 5-yr-old daughter.  The mother is clearly an accomplished skater.  She is attempting to teach the girl a spin.  (In my opinion, this is not only a waste of time, but instills bad habits, as young children are physically incapable of holding correct body positions, and so are forced to compensate.  Physical compensation becomes cognitive bad habit to break later.  Another long story.)  What struck me, though, besides my issue with pushing young children beyond the limits of their bodies and coordination, is that the woman criticized EVERY repetition.  Not once did she smile at the girl, not once did she highlight what the daughter had done correctly.  It appeared that neither the daughter nor the mother were having fun.  How tragic!

It suddenly became very, VERY clear why figure skating clubs are not popular.  It's hard enough to deal with the intellectual complexity (timing, coordination), the physical demands, and, well, the pain (Things that look pretty are often painful.).  Add constant external reminders underlining every imperfection.  Who wouldn't deliberately choose to participate in a soup of pain, criticism, insecurity, competition, and thinly-veiled frustration -- even emotional aggression?  Ooh, yay!  Let's get kids in an environment like that!

Success at something difficult is its own reward.  Teach a kid, a dog, a human to do something that they know is difficult.  Help them to actually experience success?  You've got interest.  My grandmother taught 5th grade for something like 60 years, and she always claimed that, "Where there's interest, there's capacity."  (She noted that kids who "couldn't" memorize a multiplication table could recite stats for every player of their favorite ball team.)  When frustration, confusion, and exhaustion set in, interest provides an allure, a drive to continue, with focus, that NO force of will can match. 

People really think that telling someone what they are doing wrong is "teaching".  Any idiot can say, "That's not right."  Someone who knows what they are talking about can tell you what you SHOULD do instead, and identify what you DID do correctly, without getting hung up on the mistakes.   It started to remind me of dog training. Teaching is not about attacking errors, retroactively, but leading the exercise, proactively.

A bit later, my young friend was attempting some jumps.  She did a beautiful jump-- straight, plenty of height, plenty of rotation, very well centered.  "Good!" I shouted before I could stop myself.  Yeah, she two-footed the landing.  Who cares?  Work on that later.

And there I was, training dogs again.  I knew:  She should stop now.  The probability that she will do TWO jumps in a row that are that good?  Very low.  After a very successful trial on a difficult task (low probability of success) is always time to stop.  Stop while the brain can review the successful event.  Reflect back on what WORKS.  She had found what works.  It's difficult, because success makes you want to continue to work at something that causes you that good-feeling rush of success, whether you are the skater, the coach, the handler, or the dog.  But you should. 

She continues to skate around for a while.  She attempts the same jump again, and it's massively inferior.  She looks disappointed.  "It's ok," I say, smiling, "You should have stopped after the one before. That one was so good," doing my best to keep her brain focused on what DOES work, interrupting an emotional circuit of self-criticism and frustration.

Toward the end of the session, she asks if I am a coach.  She seems disappointed to find out I am not. 
"You're a really good teacher, " she says, "You should be.  Thanks for your help."  Color me warm and fuzzy.  I'm not immune to the feeling of success!

Less is More -- Should "COME" always be rewarding?

It's a common idea:  100% reward schedule is the most effective.  It makes sense to a human brain.  If I know I am always going to get something versus taking a chance that I might not?  Which will make me respond more quickly?

It's a typical and understandable human viewpoint, since our brains look for patterns, not probabilities.  Dog (and most animal) brains use probabilities.  On a multiple choice test, a human would look for a pattern, such as the correct answer to the question!  A dog would pick whatever was the most commonly used right answer on the last test, say, answer B, and answer all the questions with that answer.  (Actually, I do suspect that some dogs have pattern recognition capabilities, and I need to do research on this.  Or someone does.  Go for it, anyone who cares to "steal" this idea and run with it!)

The "variable reinforcement schedule", where only a certain percentage of correct responses are rewarded, in a random fashion, has been supported as most effective via thorough research. "Always", 100% of correct responses get rewarded, is a CONSTANT reinforcement schedule, and less effective. 

Why is it most effective?  Well, here's where I am out on a limb.  *crossing my fingers for acceptance to grad school -- Let me in, people, I got work to do!*  Research would be necessary to say that this is fact. 


A variable reinforcement schedule (NOT getting something every single time) may activate the emotion that Temple Grandin refers to as "seeking".  "Seeking" is one of the primary emotions she identifies, and dopamine is involved.  Dopamine is the brain chemical responsible for making things "just feel so right" -- some might call dopamine a reward your brain gives itself.  By withholding reward on some trials, we enable the activity to become a seeking activity, and therefore an even more rewarding activity.

The question is, what level of reward, percentage-wise, will activate seeking WITHOUT activating frustration?  Again, research is necessary, but I'd expect to find it varies by dog, although there may be commonality among groups -- breed, behavior tendencies, "IQ", or even personality type. 

What is your experience with your dog's recall?  Have you had different recall experiences with different dogs?  What about with different training approaches?

Organic Milk Appeals to a Conscience-driven Target Market

Some of you know that I am a recent vegan.  Not because I find the practice of milking cows or takings eggs intrinsically wrong, but as a boycott of the current production practices.  Having found a sick cow whose rear feet had been tied with twine and dragged on her side by a truck to a hidden corner of the farm, and left for 6 hours that I know of, without being milked, and without being able to stand.  I can't quite get the image out of my mind.  Every ice cream, sour cream, every drop of milk... I see her poor face, her spooked reaction to my touch (cows generally adore me -- dunno why).  My former nickname was "The Dairy Princess", because I primarily subsisted on milk and milk products.  Now, I just can't.

Here is the note I included in the letter I sent via the ASPCA website:

"Simple economics.  The target market for organic milk are people of conscience, who are willing to pay more for a product we find superior.  Getting consumers spending more money for a domestically produced product benefits producers, consumers, and the economy at large."

Click the title of this post if you'd like to send a letter of your own. 

Do as I Say, Not as I Do!

Can you find all the things I should definitely not have done?  I'm pretty sure I'll do them all again. 

A grey dog walks in live slow-motion towards a Volkswagen.  "You are a defiant dog, " I say, with feigned anxiety. "We are really going to have to do something about you.  You are out of control.  Thank God I got you in the car."  I laugh at my own joke.  Lila, my mild-mannered 7-year-old Lab/Weim, had very reluctantly agreed to load up in the car after a rather short off-leash romp in our local state game lands.  She gives me a look from the back seat.  "Yes, I know you got shafted today, but it is 17 degrees, and I do still have some chest congestion..." 

I shut the door to find brown fur dancing before my eyes.  An off-leash chocolate Lab!  "Hello!  Do you want to say hi to my doggie?"  I open the car ddoor, knowing exactly what I expect to happen, and, naturally, he does it.  Plunged irectly into the back seat.  There's a certain forthrightness among Labs that I think of as characteristic of the breed, and his approach was precisely that "Hi, what's your name?" attitude.  I laugh.

Lila, of course, played it totally cool.  She finds it most sensible to remain in the down position while in the car, up to and including when strange dogs hop in and over her.  She also finds it drives the males crazy to be just slightly aloof (We joke that I taught her that.), and since this dog is male, reason #2 to be polite, but uninterested. 

The owner comes racing over with her two other Labs, one chocolate, one yellow.  She is all apologetic, worried that her dogs are somehow bothersome.  (Remember, I had already shut the door and re-opened it, so I was really the troublemaker!)  I assure her that everything is fine, and we chat about how much fun it is to have 3 large dogs (Oh, how I miss that life!).

While we are chatting, Lila decides she's made the boys wait long enough, so she stands at the door of the car awaiting my permission.  I release her, and continue my conversation with the human.  She and two of the boys have a instant message-style pee-mail conversation.

One of the boys approaches me and I instinctively reach down and touch him, bending right over him like I know him.  He licks my face, and wiggles with delight.  The second dog approaches as the first leaves.  His tail leaves loud thumps on the side of the car as I give him the same touch.  Doesn't that hurt?  He doesn't even seem to notice it's happening. 

All three dogs mill around.  After a bit more small talk, the owner looks interested in starting her walk, so I call Lila from her new group of friends.  "Nice meeting you," the owner says.  "You, too," I say, "Enjoy your walk!"  Lila sprints to me, and I load her up in the car as the other 3 follow their owner. 


I make a habit of breaking the rules because there is an exception to every rule, including this one. 

That doesn't look like training!

Working through a socialization issue? Try not trying so hard. Try using more patience, with less effort. It doesn't look like training. It might not even BE 'training'! Could it be learning anyway?

My dog Lila (motto: "you can't be too careful") is wary of crossing wheelchair ramps, usually at corners of sidewalks, that are covered with rows of quarter-sized bumps, if we haven't encountered them for a while. (This regression with lack of exposure is a classic symptom of a socialization gap -- I don't recall seeing many of them when she was a puppy. Guess what my next puppy will do a lot of.)

So, today, not even thinking about it, I cross a ramp with her, she swings wide to avoid it. I cross back over the same ramp, she swings wide again. I turn back to make a third pass, and deliberately pause, waiting for her to feel ready. I don't know how to characterize what I am "feeling" for, but I don't even look at her. I just wait, believing she will regroup herself, and believing that she can do it when she is ready.

I feel it. We're ready. I say nothing. I do nothing to the leash. I make no eye contact. I make no deliberate body language gesture. I simply step forward. We cross. She stays closer to my side than her usual distance, but does not hesitate, bolt across, or otherwise show any sign of what I know to be a mild level of uncertainty. I don't react at all until a few steps later when we make eye contact. I smile, and we both just know. That was hard, and she did it. It wasn't a big deal, really. We then circle back and cross the same one and two different ones without pausing. She doesn't swing wide or "cling" to me. It's a big deal, but it's no big deal. I don't even bother to look. She knows I know how cool she is. I play it cool, too.

Not a soul realized we were "training", let alone how well it was going. Except me and Lila. (And, really,we're the only ones whose opinions matter.) I didn't work her through the situation like a dog trainer. I didn't cross the ramp like a dog handler or pack leader. If you watched her crossing, you'd have to know you were looking for that just slightly closer than normal proximity to me, and that just slightly lower than normal head carriage. It LOOKS like a regular human being and a regular dog just going about their day. (Ha! "Regular". Me? Lila? Looks are extremely deceiving!) It doesn't look like training.

If it were training, I'd be using a more deliberate cue that means "cross the scary and possibly uncomfortable bumps". It IS training, and the cue to cross the bumps is that there are bumps to cross.

If it were training, I'd be guiding her across, dragging her across, luring her across, placing intermediary surfaces to gradually remove over the course of the next 6 weeks, clicking for one toenail on the ramp,... I should be doing more than just standing there! But this IS training. I elicit her behavior by modeling the crossing several times, indicating my own belief in its safety. I model the target emotional state, which is near boredom. I deliberately wait for her readiness.

If it were training, I'd be using some kind of marker to indicate that she was doing it right. I'd use a release word or cue to mark the end of the exercise. Ok, maybe this isn't training after all. Horrors. Dogs can't learn unless training is being used, right?

If it were training, there'd be a reward of some kind. And "rewards" are only things like treats, petting, praise, play, attention, removal of pressure... Ok, you win. It isn't training. The immediate reward was... nothing! Deliberately!

Are dogs allowed to experience intrinsic motivation? The pride of doing something that was hard? Can dogs tell when we feel pride? Relaxed? Can they add up cross bumps + relaxed+ pride = I think I'll do that again? Can they feel a sense of relief at discovering that what they were worried about was actually nothing?

So, it isn't "training". I didn't shape anything. I didn't punish anything. I didn't work to elicit anything. I didn't reward anything. It's having a relationship. It's understanding that adding excitement while an event occurs helps to define it as "an event". (Crossing bumpy ramps is definitely a non-event, so no excitement.) It's appreciating the level of anxiety, of arousal, and how to avoid elevating it. In the end, it's indisputably learning.

Owners, handlers, and trainers can be motivated to engage in "dog training behaviors" by a mistaken idea of how learning has to look. Learning does not have to look like training, although it can, and often should. But, since we have a fixed idea of what changing a dog's behavior demands from the human's behavior, we repeat that behavior over and over, "rewarded" by the thought that we are "doing it right", or "doing what we should", or even "doing what we have to".

In reality, canine-human interactions have been so successful because both of our species are incredibly adaptable. There is no one "right answer". There is no One True Way.

If we are leashed to a dog who is "misbehaving", some of us feel compelled to look as if we are trying. "I [insert ineffective elicit strategy here: say ssst, get the treats, ask him to sit, jerk the leash] every time he does it, but he doesn't seem to get it. I thought he'd have gotten it by now that his behavior isn't working." It isn't nice, and shame on me, but when I hear this, I think: "Hmm... I thought you'd have gotten it by now that your 'training' isn't working." But, I guess, in the absence of a better strategy, it feels better to be using one that doesn't work but seems like trying, than to do nothing ('nothing') and appear as if we aren't trying.

As anyone who has ever skipped a class to explore the world already knows, learning doesn't just happen inside formal structure. Does formal structure have a place? Absolutely. Is it the only place learning happens? Absolutely not. Is it possible for humans to facilitate a dog's informal learning? I believe that's what I did today.

There are as many ways to learn, to teach, to understand as there are brains. There are many ways to provide formal training. There are many ways to provide informal training. Some of them work for some dogs. A few of them work for a lot of dogs. A lot of them only work for a few dogs. None of them work for every dog.

Keep trying until you find the way that works for you and for your dog, whatever it looks like.

"It's only this one thing..."

An attractive, late 20s couple was examining the store's selection of muzzles as Lila & I strolled past, my arms loaded with 20 lbs of dog food, Lila, not so full of dog food as she would like. The woman was pregnant. Muzzle + pregnant? As insanely busy as I am, I had to go back.

Thankfully, the situation was not as grave as I feared. The 7-year-old "Heinz 57" or "all-American" had been acquired about 10 months ago, and has a habit of barking at animals on the tv.

The strategy they were considering to address this behavior was not unique. They were going to put the muzzle on the dog whenever the dog barked. This, they hoped, was going to teach the dog not to bark. Upon further discussion, I discovered that the dog has begun licking at herself.

They don't walk the dog every day.

The man does work with the dog on a routine of sits and downs, but nothing new has been added. He thought the dog was too old.

Of course, I expressed that I had heard about the failure of their approach, and that they should consider the entire lifestyle of the dog, add walking and more interaction, and also discuss the behavior with their veterinarian.

"She lays around a lot" meant "No, she doesn't need more exercise. This is a training problem" (it's a lifestyle problem) and "I don't feel like walking after a 12-hour day at work" meant he wasn't realistically going to be able to make that happen.

When I evaluate the situation, as if they were clients, or friends, or family, anti-anxiety medication would have to be part of my consideration. I don't like medications. They have side effects, and can be ineffective. They aren't my first recommendation. In fact, I grit my teeth when I can't simply dismiss them or postpone them as a back-up solution when other options are exhausted. There is no doubt in my mind that they are ridiculously over-prescribed. I've had clients who found that simply using common sense and diligence, they found much greater results than with medication.

But, coming from the dog's perspective, well... The dog won't know why she feels more relaxed. She won't be aware that it may slowly be killing her. She will experience better attitudes from the humans she lives with as a result of her relaxed behavior.

I think part of the reason why I don't like the medication solution is because it seems as if the human is refusing to do what I think needs to be done. More effort, more attentiveness to the dog, more exercise, more openness to new ways, more courage, more leadership... I rarely find myself telling people to back off of the work they are doing with a dog displaying problem behavior! But, the reality is that while we as "trainers" work with the human behavior, the goal is to make life better for the dog.

There is no One True Way. There are no "right" and "wrong" answers. We will always be choosing the best option we can from a list that does not contain ANY perfect solutions.

There are intellectual solutions, which work best for intellectual problems. There are emotional solutions, which work best for emotional problems. There are social solutions, which work best for social problems.

Then there are the shortcuts. These are what I call the "elicit" step. Getting the right answer to happen, sometimes shockingly rapidly. They are so addictive because they work short-term. Common practice is to use one until it stops working, then find another. Lots of hunting. Lots of stress at the moment when they stop working.

There are the mis-applied solutions. These are actually the right "elicit", being used incorrectly, and therefore ineffectively. Poorly used food rewards, inadequate praise rewards, improperly aversive techniques. They all fail, and can even make things worse.

Finally, there's good old optimism. "Optimism", I find, is a euphemism for "stupidity". You could call it optimistic to try to squeeze blood from a stone. Or you could call it stupid. Like the aforementioned muzzle approach, these solutions entail a hopeload of placebo effect when they work. They occasionally accidentally work, but not because they are good ideas. There are a lot of these solutions, and they seem to make their way around the dog park, doggie boutiques, groom shops, and, I've even heard some of them out of the mouths of veterinarians.

Interacting with a dog: cooperating with another complex organism, compromising and refusing to where appropriate, communicating, understanding is NOT a simple matter. Brain surgery is cutting your head open, when you oversimplify it, but saying so only displays your own lack of understanding!

Like everything else in life, it's just tough to know what you don't know.

Stop Handler Frustration with Good Showmanship

Thanks, J, for the idea! Sorry I didn't get this out sooner.

Our own frustration is an issue for every handler/trainer. Even the best have a day when they don't feel like training, feel rushed, feel pressured, or even have body aches and pains -- high likelihood of feeling frustrated!

When I feel frustrated, it's generally because I am expecting something beyond what _I_ know how to elicit -- which means that I have to lower my expectations -- i.e., reward a smaller piece of the behavior, OR come up with a new elicitation strategy (which involves some combination of creativity, conversations with trainer friends, and book/internet research).

In my training sessions, I take advantage of every "break" I can to take a deep breath and relax, look around. Very hard to have frustration in a relaxed body -- true for dogs or people! The break is usually after a release word, although when I am proofing an extended behavior (say attention, heel, or stays) for me losing focus, I will do it after a command.

I find that it also helps to have multiple items to work on. When LOOK isn't going well, switch to hi-5 or roll-over or something the dog will definitely get right, generally something the dog enjoys.

Although I self-monitor pretty well now, I haven't always. I find that lots of no, lots of corrections, and lots of frustration indicate a human being pushed (oddly, by their own brain) beyond their limits. It's hard to recognize that the kind of focus that good training demands is not much different than teaching a dog to pay attention. You can't start by demanding 20 minutes of staring at your face. Heck, 20 seconds of staring is a long time to begin with.

Humans, too, have a time limit for focus. I stretch mine by choosing various training activities to match my focus level. When I am fading, I do something not so demanding (like a nice long down stay, or something quick and mindless like jumps or tricks). When I am all gung-ho and excited about training, I do the hard stuff, the complicated, focus-demanding stuff, like very precise attention & heelwork.

The value of quitting while you are ahead is so large. It's so difficult to get really excited about a fantastic COME and then call it a day, but this is beneficial for both parties. Both of you think about how great that was, and end feeling great -- this is how we create an addiction in both parties-- and if you push through until you surpass the dog's and/or your limits, you both think about the crummy thing that training is.

It's like show biz. Leave 'em wanting more. If you give 'em (or yourself) all they (or you) want, if you DON'T leave 'em wanting more, if you give 'em as much as they want...? You are leaving 'em wanting NO MORE.