Preventing dog bites when you dont have a hero cat

(source)

Hey Julie!

So much going on I need to take three deep breaths to calm down!

Firstly - we have a winner! Actually - thanks to the awesome crew at SPARCS, we have two! Very excited to meet Marsha P and Kristi M at #SPARCS2014 and want to thank all the excellent people who responded to our giveaway shoutout on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. We hope those of your who werent successful will consider still coming along or joining us on the livestream broadcast.

Secondly - I loved learning about the differences in UK and US shelter workers perceptions of pit bulls and all the associated bits and pieces that went along with that in our latest guest post by Dr Christy Hoffman. Really, really interesting research and I look forward to the next piece of the puzzle (aka new science) in that area.

Thirdly - its dog bite prevention week in the USA right now! We cant all own Tara the Hero Cat (and to be fair, as much as she is worthy of her notoriety and 20million+ hits on the viral video showcasing her ninja skills, she didnt actually prevent the bite - although Im pretty confident she helped prevent it being a whole lot worse). If you somehow missed what on earth Im talking about - check out this clip of amazing Tara (but a warning, it does show security camera footage of a child being attacked by a dog and the subsequent wounds):

Which brings us back to Dog Bite Prevention Week. We dont have a week like this in Australia, so I did some web trawling to check out what you guys have going on over there. 

The AVMA have put up a whole lot of great information and resources about dog bite prevention, including this neat summary infographic:

I was really pleased to see this analysis of information about the role of breed in dog bite risk and prevention, which reminded me of this piece on The Conversation by researcher Dr Rachel Casey from Bristol University in the UK, who has been part of a team investigating aggressive behaviour in dogs.

The broader research in this area (see below for references) highlights similarities across Australia, the UK and the US with most serious dog bites occurring to children by a known dog in a familiar area without direct adult supervision at the time of the attack. But of course - as Hero Cat Tara has shown us this week, not all dogs stick to these trends.

It seems that there are many commonalities to serious dog bites that we can all be aware of to help reduce the risk, given that any dog can bite:

• Supervise children <14yo around dogs, even known dogs
• Dont try to pat a dog you dont know, even if it is on the other side of a fence
• Make sure your dog is well socialised and trained in basic commands
• Keep your dog healthy
• Teach your children to be mindful and careful of their actions around dogs, especially when the dog is tied up, eating or sleeping
• If you are threatened by a dog, remain still and calm with your hands balled by your sides - dont run
• If you are attacked by a dog, curl up in a ball and protect your face

Im off to reinforce messages of safe dog interacting with my pre-school aged daughter now - hope you have a great week. 

Only one month til #SPARCS2014! Squee!

Mia

 

Further reading:

Meints K. & de Keuster T. (2009). Brief Report: Dont Kiss a Sleeping Dog: The First Assessment of "The Blue Dog" Bite Prevention Program, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34 (10) 1084-1090. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp053

Schalamon J., Ainoedhofer H., Singer G., Petnehazy T., Mayr J., Kiss K. & Höllwarth M.E. (2006) Analysis of dog bites in children who are younger than 17 years., Pediatrics, PMID: 16510617 

Keuster T.D., Lamoureux J. & Kahn A. (2006). Epidemiology of dog bites: A Belgian experience of canine behaviour and public health concerns, The Veterinary Journal, 172 (3) 482-487. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.04.024 

Langley R.L. (2009). Human Fatalities Resulting From Dog Attacks in the United States, 1979–2005, Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 20 (1) 19-25. DOI: 10.1580/08-WEME-OR-213.1 

Ozanne-Smith J. (2001)  Dog bite and injury prevention--analysis, critical review, and research agenda, Injury Prevention, 7 (4) 321-326. DOI: 10.1136/ip.7.4.321

Thompson P. (1997). The public health impact of dog attacks in a major Australian city., The Medical Journal of Australia, 167 (3) 129-132. PMID: 9269266 

© Do You Believe in Dog? 2014

Read More..

Do You Believe in Dog One year of believing

Happy anniversary Julie!

Can you believe weve been exchanging blog posts about canine science for one year already? In some ways its gone so quickly and in others its hard to remember when we werent. I was going to do a highlights kind of post, but decided its all been so freaking fantastic, that I wouldnt know where to start or stop.

In all ways, its FABULOUS, and I thank you from the bottom of my everything for answering my first blog post with a big, fat YES!

#AAWS2013

I attended the 7th National Workshop for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy this week. It was a busy few days with lots of learning and networking going on, everywhere you looked.

Stand out things you should know about:

AMRRIC do AMAZING work in rural and remote indigenous communities. You can follow them on Facebook, on YouTube and/or sign up for their newsletter. Check out details of their upcoming conference.


After calls for an independent office for animal welfare in Australia, minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced at AAWS2013 he is creating the role of Inspector General for Animal Welfare & Live Exports. This has been met with mixed reactions from the two main groups (primary production and animal advocacy bodies) involved. As we will be having a federal election very soon in Australia, it will be interesting to see what happens on this front in the coming months. The sceptics suggest, "not much".



Im now taking a weeks break with my family in sunny Queensland - much warmer than my home town right now. I hope you are enjoying your Summer. 
What have you been learning at all those conferences?

Thank you once again, for a year of believing in dog with me!

Big hugs,

Mia
© 2013 Mia Cobb

Read More..

Incorporating A Vibrating Dog Collar in Your Dog Training

In preparation for training your dog with your new underground dog fence, you’ll need to work with a vibrating dog-training collar. This collar teaches your pup to notice when she’s coming close to the boundaries of the fence and to stop BEFOREshe crosses that line.

 

Introducing The Collar To The Dog

The first thing you’ll want to do is get your dog used to wearing her new vibrating dog collar. Because of the technology involved, these collars tend to be a tiny bit heavier and bulkier than regular dog collars, and you want your dog to feel comfortable wearing hers.

Adjust the collar so that the prongs are just resting on her skin and not burrowing into her neck. You want to make it tight enough so that she feels the vibrations immediately, but yet not so loose that she can pull it over her head. Usually, being able to slip 1 or 2 fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck works best.

Place the vibrating dog collar on her neck and give her a treat. Leave the collar on for 10 to 15 minutes – just long enough for her to feel comfortable – then remove it. Do this several times during the first day of training, always remembering to treat her every time you put on the collar.

During the second training day, extend your training intervals to 15 to 30 minutes, again treating as you place the collar on your pup.

By the third day, you should be able to start leaving the collar on for longer periods of time. In any case, we recommend that you NEVER leave the collar on for longer than 12 hours.

Resist the urge during the collar training to try the vibrating sensation with your dog. You want her to be perfectly comfortable wearing the collar, and starting the vibration training too early can be a distraction.

Introducing The Vibration

Once your pup is fully comfortable wearing her vibrating dog-training collar, you can begin introducing the sensation of the vibrations to her. You’ll need to have treats and her clicker available to get her attention – she needs to learn that the buzzing on her neck is coming from you and that you won’t harm her.

Place her on her leash and move her close to your body. Set your remote control on its lowest setting, and, press it. Immediately use the clicker and give your dog a treat without waiting for her to look at you. Perform this step 10 times in a row – press and treat, press and treat – and then quit.

Keep these initial training sessions very short, 5 to 10 minutes only. Leave the vibrating dog collar on your pooch and repeat these sessions 2 to 3 times during the day. You’re wanting her to get used the vibrations and know they are coming from you.

Continue to train in this manner for several days to a week, keeping her close to you. If she starts to look at you when you press the remote, give her extra treats and lavish praise. She’s telling you she’s ready to move on to the “paging” part of her training.

Training to Respond When Paged

When she begins to look at you during a vibration, you know your dog is starting to associate the feeling on her neck with you. That means she is not afraid of the feeling, but is looking to you for guidance as to what to do next. In this training step, you are going to require her to look at you.

As before, keep her close to you during these sessions and make sure this time will be free of distractions.

Page her with a quick press of the remote control, and when she looks at you, IMMEDIATELYtreat her. If she doesnt look at you, move your hand with the treats down in front of her nose so that she sees and smells it, and then move the treat up to your face so that she looks at you. Give her the treat when you make eye contact. Your goal is to have her consistently look at you every time she’s paged. A dog trained in this fashion, will come find you if you’re out of sight range.

As she begins to make consistent eye contact, you can start to move away from her. Start by letting her off the leash, but keep her in the same room with you. Allow her to move about the room and page her when she’s distracted. Give her a treat every time you page and she looks up for you.

Once she is performing this feat every single time, you can move outdoors for training. Please note that if she’s not responding as you want, you may have pushed her too fast in her training and you need to back up a step.

Moving outdoors typically means starting this training over from the beginning, so use your leash as a control, keep your dog close to you, and begin introducing the vibrating collar to her as you did in the house…only this time, you’ll have all those outside noises and smells to deal with. Take your time with this part of her training.

Remember, kindness, patience, and consistency will teach better than harsh words or impatient hands.

How A Vibrating Dog Collar Works

The buzzing of your dog’s training collar works to get her attention focused on you. It tells her that you want her to look at you and that you are going to give her a command to do something. If you train her properly and consistently, you can use her vibrating collar to tell her to come when called, to stay in sight of you in the yard, to not eat that piece of trash on the ground, and to not follow the neighbor’s dog as he walks down the street in front of your house. It’s a constant reminder to your dog of those boundaries that you work hard to instill in her.

This type of training works especially well with deaf dogs or older canines that may be a little hard of hearing. A deaf dog can’t hear you to look around when you call and won’t hear a car horn or the squeal of brakes. Using a vibrating dog collar on a deaf dog is the equivalent of teaching her how to listen for your voice and pay attention to what you want. Additionally, you use the same training methods for a deaf dog as you would a dog with correct hearing.

Many modern collars come with soft, rubber prongs that vibrate against your dog’s skin instead of the old-fashioned metal ones. You can adjust them for strength and range. For example, if you have a more dominant dog, you may need to make the warning vibration a little stronger than you would for a more submissive pooch. You should find a collar that best fits your dog – one that is neither too small nor too big – is waterproof, shows options for vibration and tone, has a range that fits your yard, and has a long battery life.

You can use your vibrating dog-training collar alone, or with the static correction collar available through most underground dog containment systems. Whichever you choose, remember that training of any dog works best when patience, kindness and consistency factor into the training module.

Guest Article by Sarah Stoltzfus
This article is sponsored by Havahart Wireless, please feel free to visit their website, http://www.havahartwireless.com/

Read More..

Be a Resource Full Puppy Owner

We though wed best follow up our joint-post about Books for Before & After you get a Puppy or Dog with some further resources. 

Because lets face it - you can never have enough resources to consult with a new puppy in the family! 

Here are some of our primary go-to places and wed love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below - lets turn this into a great resource-full page for everyone!

Mia & Julie

The Other End of The Leash ~ Patricia McConnell
In 2012, McConnell gave her website a major overhaul. Readers can now follow along her weekly blog, as well as search by interest area and easily link to relevant blog posts and videos.

McConnell’s Reading Room has drop down menus where you can access Training Your Dog, Behavior & Health, Solving Behavior Problemsand Finding Resources. Have a question about aggression? Go to Solving Behavior Problems. What do you think the "Guilty Look" is all about? Check out the Emotions section in Behavior & Health. 


The Art & Science of Animal Behavior ~ Sophia Yin
An incredibly user-friendly website jam packed with all sorts of information. Yin’s blog and resources are searchable so just type in a term (e.g. toilet training) and take a look! 

Julies favorite video shows counter conditioning of a dog displaying aggression.

Dog Star Daily ~ Ian Dunbar and co.
Dog Star Daily is a resource-laden website populated by Dunbar and a lot of other trainers. 

Take some time to look through their many many videos.

New resources to watch

AVSAB
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) new website includes a free newsletter (you can sign up using your email address or access the archives online) and blog. Considering that AVSAB tackles such topics as Cat Body Language as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Military dogs, it’s definitely a great resource for everyone!

Pet Pages
Pet Pages features content from lots of different sources. Animal behaviourist Kate Mornement writes regular posts on different topics that can be searched.

Commercial sites

Dr Joanne Righetti has helped Purina populate their Puppy Club website with helpful information.

Read More..

Tip of the Day Get off Your Bike if a Dog Chases You

Making it Worse?

We are asked this question quite frequently: What should I do if a dog chases me or my kids while we are riding our bikes? Most adults assume that if they have good speed they can outride a dog. A cyclist in our area was badly injured when dog ran down a farm lane barking at him. He sped up to try to get away from the dog, lost control on the gravel shoulder and fell off his bike. The dog sniffed him and walked away.

Avoid a Chase

Kids on bikes should never assume that they can ride faster than a dog can run, because most likely they cant. If confronted by a dog while riding a bike, the best thing to do is to stop and if there is time get off the bike so that the bike is between you and the dog.

The main motivation for the dog is the chase and when there is nothing to chase the dog will lose interest. If the dog does catch a moving cyclist this could result in serious injuries both from the fall and from the dog, whose natural instinct is to bite and shake prey that it has caught. It is best to defuse the situation by removing the dogs motivation to chase.

Some people have been told that they should get off the bike, but keep moving so as to keep the bike between them and the dog. This movement will just keep the dog interested longer. It is best to stand still even if the dog circles around the bike to investigate and even if the dog is barking and acting aggressively.

A Note to Cyclists on Busy Trails

If you see a person walking a dog on a leash ahead of you, make some noise to warn the dog handler so that they can move over to give you room to pass. They will be more than happy to do this. If there is only a narrow passing area, please slow down, or even better, get off your bike and walk past (with your bike between you and the dog, just in case). If the dog handler looks like they are having trouble with the dog, or they have multiple dogs, you are advised to walk your bike past. Blasting past pedestrians with a few inches to spare is not cool (dog or no dog) and could result in a surprised dog pulling loose and chasing you. In some mixed use trails, there could be loose dogs, be ready to stop if the dog looks like it might give chase. You may be fast, but a large breed dog in peak condition is faster.

Here is a video that shows the wrong thing to do if a dog chases you while you are riding a bike. Notice that when the cyclist moves the bike to try to keep the dog on the other side of it, this just makes the dog more interested in him. As soon as he stops moving the dog loses interest.

Here is a video that shows the right thing to do. Notice how much less interested the dog is when the cyclist stands still, compared to the previous video, when he kept moving around.

  

Read More..

Dog Video Index

Index to Finding Dog Videos on my Youtube Channels:

Subscribe now!      Supernaturalbc2008      &     Supernaturalbc2009

Here is a collection of free how to videos for training dogs using positive (force free) approaches to do basic behaviors, tricks, dog sports and service dog tasks. 

There are also videos on training principles and applications, natural history of dogs, husbandry (care and play), improving your observation skills and more. Stay tuned as more video are added all the time!

Please share them with others who can benefit from them. CC means the video have been closed captioned for the hearing impaired and non-native English speakers.

Getting Started in Clicker Training
Dog Training Made Easy 
Basic Clicker Training Equipment
Getting Started with Clicker Training CC
Capturing a Sit
Adding a Cue to a New Behavior (sit example) CC
Proofing A Cue for Handler Position etc CC
Life Skill: Self Control, Leave it or Zen 
Capturing Eye Contact CC
Teaching a Nose Target
Shaping a Paw Target from a Nose Target 
Basic Paw Target Work the Clock
Adding Distance to a Paw Target (and other behaviors)
Adding Duration to a Behavior
Praise vs Marker Word
Generalizing Eye Contact
Three Ways to Increase Value of Kibble for Training
Teaching Take & Give CC
Shaping a Hold with Tugging CC
Leash Handling Skills 

Training Concepts

Baiting, Luring & Rewarding CC
Using Food Tubes CC NEW!
Training Triangle (Building Reinforcement History for Success) CC
Lumping and Splitting Criteria CC
Counter Conditioning Desensitization, & Aversive Counter Conditioning CC
Counter Conditioning the Clicker CC (but clicks not marked)
Trigger Stacking & Stress Hormones
Training with Opposites CC
Opposition Reflex
Ian Dunbar on using Classical Conditioning to Overcome Fear CC
Does Your Dog Understand a Verbal Cue? CC
Putting an Unwanted Behavior under Stimulus Control CC
Stimulus Control "The No" Part 2

Habits of Effective Clicker Trainers
Part 1 Using Rewards CC
Part 2 Timing CC
Part 3 Criteria CC
Part 4 Trainer Focus

Clicker Training Puppies
5 week old Puppies Sit
7.5 Week old Puppies Leave it CC
Socializing a Puppy to Potentially Scary Objects CC

Impulse Control Behaviors
Leave it or Zen 
Self Control Through Doorways 1 dog
Self Control Through Doorways 2 dogs
Stimulus Control: Putting A Unwanted Behavior on Cue Part 1
Stimulus Control "The No" Part 2 NEW!

Training Recall
Part 1 Capturing the Check in CC
Shaping a Recall Part 2
Part 3 Resisting Distractions CC
Part 4 Premack Principle

Dog Care nail clipping, feeding, toys etc
Crate Training Tips CC
Is Your Dog Scared of Having her Nails Clipped?
Teeth Brushing: Teaching a Dog to Be Comfortable CC 
Raw Feeding for Dogs Part 1 Introduction
Raw Feeding Part 2 Myths and Facts
Cheap Durable Squeaky Toys!
3 Great Toys for Dogs
Free Tug Toys You Can Make CC
3 Toys from Garden Hose
4 Tips to Getting Your Dog to Take Pills CC
Front Leg Protection: dogs with surgery/injuries CC NEW!
20 Activities for Dogs on Crate Rest for injury, TPLO surgery, Heartworm Treatment etc CC
Exercise and Dogs: How Much is Enough? CC
Interrupting Dog to Dog Play: Teaching Enough 

Sue Ailsbys OLD Training Levels (an excellent program to train your dog through to teach both you and the dog the basics of clicker training.  See her web-site for more information.)

Level 1 Come, down, sit, nose target, zen (leave it) CC
Level 2 Part A Distance (around), Down, Go Mat, Handling, Sit, Stand, (stick) Target, Watch, Zen CC
Level 2 Part B Sit stay, down stay, stand stay, come, leash manners, crate, trick CC
Level 3 Part A Crate, go bed, down stay, sit stay, front, finish, heel, retrieve, shaped trick (shut the door), target, contact CC
Level 3 Part B  Stand stay, sit at 10 feet, down at 10 feet, watch, distance (around) at 4 feet, stand, loose leash, handling (pee on cue), scenting CC


General Training Principles & Approaches
Jessie Learns by Mimicry
Chaining (forward)Behaviors
Chaining Multiples of a Behavior
Back Chaining
4 Ways to Add Distance to a Behavior
Shaping a Paw Target from a Nose Target
Chaining a Paw-Sit for Send outs
Does Your Dog REALLY Understand a Verbal Cue? CC
Putting an Unwanted Behavior Under Stimulus Control CC
Teaching a Dog to Follow a Finger Point CC 
Teaching Opposites to Dogs CC

Recall
Capturing the Check in Part 1
Shaping the Recall Part 2
Distractions Part 3
Premacking Part 4

Retrieve
Bird Dog Retrieve to Hand part 1 CC
Bird Dog Retrieve to Hand Part 2 CC
Secrets of Teach a Hot Dog Retrieve Part 1
Hot Dog Retrieve Part 2
Hot Dog Retrieve Part 3
Newspaper Retrieve with Verbal Cue Only
Newspaper Retrieve Part 2
Unloading the Dryer Part 1 (Put Your Toys Away)
Unloading Dryer Part 2
Unloading Dryer Part 3
Unloading the Dryer Part 4 
Unloading Dryer Part 5
Dumbbell Retrieve
Dumbbell Over 2 Hurdles
Picking up Small Objects
Dog Dish Retrieve
Plastic Dish Retrieve

Preparing for the Competition Ring
Introducing a Dog to Ring Gates: Desensitization
Building Focus in the Ring
Focussed Ring Gate Entries and Exits
Rear End Awareness

Rally Obedience training
CKC Rally O Trial
Proofing Eye Contact heeling on uneven surface
Rally O Practice
CARO Course 1 Lucy For Exhibition Only
CARO Course 2 Lucy First CARO Qualifying run (Q)
CARO Course 3 Lucy Second CARO Q
Level 1 Course Lucy First Q in Cyber Rally
Level 1 Course Lucy Second Q in Cyber Rally
Level 1 Course Jessie (her first Q ever!)
Pivots and Turns Tutorial

CARO Novice Moves (Canadian Association of Rally Obedience)
1. weave once
2. halt sit stand
3. halt sit down
4. halt sit down sit
5. halt sit walk around
6. sit down walk around
7. right turn
8. left turn
9. about turn right
10. about U turn left
11. 270 right turn
12. 270 degree left turn
13. 360 degree right turn
14. 360 degree left turn
15. call front forward right
16. call front forward left
17. call front finish right
18. call front finish left
19. slow 20. fast 21. normal pace
22. halt side step right halt
23. 90 degree pivot right
24. 90 degree pivot left-tutorial
25. spiral right dog outside
26. spiral right dog inside
27. halt 1, 2, 3 steps forward
28. halt right turn 1 step halt
29. straight figure 8

CARO Advanced Level
44. Moving Down Around CC

CARO Working level
Barrel Racing

Agility
Clicker Training the Agility Teeter Totter
Shaping the Tunnel
Forest Agility
Lawn Chair Games
Cat House & Tunnel
Bench Jumping
Vacant Lot Agility
12 Weave Poles
Barrel Racing as preparation for front crosses

Treibball
Basics of Treibball CC
Treibball Practice in the House CC
Dog Learns Treibball
Nose Touch
Basic Nose Touch with Ball Biter
Shaping a Paw Target from a Nose Target
Send Outs Behind Ball
3 Tips for Playing Treibball
Handling Skill Games
Intermediate Treibball Practice
How to Make a Treibball Holder

Scenting
Muffin Tin Game CC
Shell Game CC
Observing On and Off Scent Trail
Trailing a Person
Scenting Glove in the Snow
Scent Fun with a Blanket
Scent  Hurdle Training
See also Scenting under Assistance Dog Tasks

Tricks
Dualing Dogs -Collection of Tricks Comparison of 2 Dog Styles
Ladder Walking CC
Ring Toss
Leg Weave CC 
Cover Your Eyes
Advanced Tricks
Get in the Suitcase
Stop, Drop & Roll
Your Feet on Mine
Getting Started with Skateboarding CC
How to Teach Your Dog to Skip Rope CC
Equipment for Dog Jump Rope
Turn & Backing Between Legs-Freestyle move CC

Observation Skills
Dog Play Techniques
Calming Signals During Training
Dog Gait Observation: Single Tracking Dogs Searching for Toy
Observe Lucy as she explores the house for the first time and plays with Jessie
CKC Rally Obedience Trial-Where are the points lost?
Scenting at Table
Compare and Contrast 2 dogs Skipping
Dog Language: A Pat on the Head  CC (on screen)

Techniques to Use with Fearful/Reactive/Aggressive Dogs
Counter Conditioning the Clicker CC (but clicks not marked)
BAT Behavioral Adjustment Training for Fear of Bicycle
Teaching Look at That (LAT) Game
Making a BAT Decoy Dog
Ian Dunbar on using Classical Conditioning to Overcome Fear CC
Leash Skills for Clicker Training 
Leash Walking Techniques for Aggressive, Reactive or Overexcited Dogs
Using Shaping and targeting to Overcome fear in Dogs Part 1
Using Shaping and targeting to overcome fear in Dogs Part 2 Adding Sound

Assistance Dog Tasks

Body Targeting
Out of Harms Way Protecting Your Service Dog  
Shaping a Shoulder Target
Backing into Small Spaces (seat on busses and places)
Part 2 Backing into Small Spaces 

Pulling Tasks
Tugging Part 1 CC
Tugging Part 2 CC
Pulling Up Blinds Part 1 CC
Pulling up Blinds Part 2 CC
Zipper Pull CC
Zipper Pulling Up CC
Zipper Pulling Down 

Pushing Tasks
Pushing Door Part 1 CC
Pushing the Door Part 2 CC

Assistance  Dog Retrieve
Teaching a Nose Touch
Touching Different Objects CC 
Teaching Take and Give
Teaching Hold with Tugging CC
Generalizing a Hold CC
Fine Tuning the "Take" CC

Light Switches
Shaping Explained Part 1 CC
Part 2 CC
Off and On with Extension CC

Sound & Other Medical Alerts (Diabetes, Alzheimers etc)
One Way Alert CC
Two Way Alert CC

Wheelchair Skills & Tasks
Part 1 CC
Part 2 CC

Unloading the Dryer Part 1 (Put Your Toys Away)
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 
Part 5 

Scenting
Pairing Alert Behavior with the Scent CC
Putting Sniff on Cue CC
Introducing Containers CC
Scent Remedial Training CC
Making a Scent Training Wheel CC
Introducing a Scent Training Wheel to a Dog CC
Using the Scent Wheel to Add Distractions CC
Beginning the Search part A i CC
Beginning the Search Part A ii
Beginning the Search Part B
Height of Scent Part 1
Height of Scent Part 2
Scent Dilution Process

Yard Search Part 1
Yard Search Part 2 Adding Height
Blind Scent Finds and Indication
Scenting for the First Time in a Public Washroom

Equipment
Quick Release Adjustable Leashes

Other
Making a Watercolor Portrait of Your Dog
Multimedia Portrait of a HorseIan Dunbar Using Classical Conditioning to Overcome Fear

Read More..

Dog Training Tips On How To Train A Dog

Dogs Training

• Many people start their dog on the path to dog training success by enrolling them in a basic obedience class. This is a great idea because you will learn how to teach your dog to do basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “heel”. You can use these dog training commands by using verbal commands and physical actions. For example, right after you say the word “sit” you gently push your dog’s bottom down onto the ground and put them in the sit position. Immediately say “good” and smile. Give them a tasty treat as well. Basically, you want to do as much as you can to reinforce the action of sitting when you say “sit”.
  
  
• Dogs act like absorbent sponges when it comes to learning proper behavior and tricks. If you do your job properly then dog training should be a hit. Your dog is ready and eager to learn proper behavior. They want to please you. Therefore, if they aren’t following your instruction it might not be their fault. You might be giving confusing dog training instructions.
  
  
• Dogs thrive on positive reinforcement and encouragement. Positive reinforcement such as acting excited and petting your dog when they do the right behavior help with your dog training efforts. It is a dogs nature to want to be close to you and make you happy. Showing encouragement and praise will help your dog much farther, much faster in their dog training. Make sure to encourage a dog through each dog training accomplishment, no matter how big or small.
  
  
• Food is a powerful motivator when it comes to dog training. You will be hard pressed to find a dog that passes up food or a tasty treat. Dogs are always hungry and welcome any situation where food is involved.
  
  
• Dog training should be a gradual process with regards to skill level and learning more complex commands. Give your dog time to understand new commands. They most likely won’t learn it the first day you teach them. You will have to review the commands and proper behaviors often.
  
  
• Have dog training sessions at various times throughout the day. Your dog needs periodic training to reinforce the proper behaviors. You dog’s attention span can wane, so make sure to keep the training sessions to five to ten minutes long.
  
  
• When you first start dog training work in environment that is free from distractions so your dog can focus on their behavior. Once your dog understands the basic commands you can try to use the commands in a busier environment. One thing you may find is that your dog is distracted and seems to have forgotten the commands. Don’t fret. This can happen because dogs tend to be situational learners and your dog just needs to work on the commands in the busier environment
  .
  
• Too many treats equals an overweight dog. Dog training is a process that involves tasty treats, but too many of these treats can be a bad idea for your dog’s waistline. Use small treats and wean your dog off treats as they understand the different commands. They will then rely on your praise as the positive reinforcement for each behavior. These eight dog training tips will set you on the road to happy, healthy, obedient pooch

2006 (c) mdarma.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide Dogs

Read More..

Simple Mistakes We Make When Exercising a Dog

By Linda Cole

We know its important to keep our dogs active to help prevent obesity and keep them healthy in body and spirit. Most dogs are willing partners when you want to go hiking, biking, jogging or walking, or participate in a fun sport like dock diving, Disc Dog, agility or flyball. The last thing any responsible pet owner wants to do is put their dog at risk for injury, but without realizing it we can be guilty of doing just that.

Too much exercise with no conditioning 

Most dogs have an athletic side. They love to run, play, jump and race around as fast as they can. Because they want to be with us, preferably everywhere we go, we can easily forget that a dog may not be ready for a five mile run or an afternoon of hiking. Like us, dogs need conditioning and time to build up muscles and stamina. They are as susceptible to soft tissue injuries as we are, and can pull a tendon or get a sprain. Many dogs do enjoy sports, but just like any human athlete-in-training, its important to start slow and take the time needed to gradually get into shape for any physical activity.

Make sure your dog can keep up with you, and you can keep up with him. A Chihuahua isnt a good running partner, and a Greyhound may leave you in his dust. If your dog isnt on equal terms with you as far as his fitness goes, a walk around the block may be enough exercise for him. If your dog has more energy than you do, play with him in the backyard, then take him for a walk or run.

Forgetting how weather can affect a dog 

The pads of a dogs feet act like shock absorbers to cushion the feet and protect them when walking on hot and cold surfaces. But the pads can be burned by walking on a hot surface like asphalt, concrete or metal. Check your pets paw pads for cuts, puncture wounds, burrs or small rocks, and keep their pads healthy by making sure they are free of injuries.

Know the signs of heat stroke, hyperthermia and hypothermia, and pay attention to how well your dog tolerates different weather conditions. Hydration is important for both of you – always have fresh water available for you and your dog when exercising. Dont force your pet to continue exercising if hes showing signs of fatigue. You may be ready to go another mile, but your dog may not be.

Not paying attention - multitasking

Plugging in the earphones and listening to your favorite tunes while walking, hiking or jogging with your dog may seem like a perfectly normal thing to do, but you need to have your full attention on whats going on around you and your pet. Multitasking isnt always a good idea. If you are texting, talking on the phone or listening to music, you dont have your eyes and ears open for potential problems such as unexpected meetings with wild animals, other dogs and kids, or other surprises that can quickly develop. Besides, the time should be devoted to your dog. Exercising together is a good way to bond with your dog and enjoy the world around you. It’s a chance to unwind and appreciate nature. Thats one lesson you can learn from a dog. Slow down and observe how in-tune he is to intriguing sights, sounds and smells.

How you walk a dog matters

My first dog, Jack, was a perfect gentleman on walks. He always walked on a loose leash on my left side, always sat at a corner to wait while I checked traffic, and never barked at dogs or cats we met along the way. He was getting exercise, but I didnt realize that he also needed to find and investigate scents that interested him. We have five million scent receptors in our nose. Depending on the breed, our canine friends have 125 to 300 million! Your dog should know how to walk calmly beside you when you need to keep him under control, but he also needs time to search for stimulating scents that give his brain a workout along with exercise for his body.

Walking is a good time to reinforce basic commands. Grab a handful of CANIDAE Pure Heaven treats to reward a good sit or stay, or practice having your dog focus on you so hes ready for the times you need his full attention.

Top photo by Paul L. Dineen
Bottom photo by Steven Lilley

Read more articles by Linda Cole

Read More..

Adventures in Aging Living with a Senior Dog

"Bear"

By Suzanne Alicie

The past year has opened my eyes to the joys (?) of living with an aging/elderly dog. Bear is almost 11, and she is showing her age.

As a fairly large dog, she is experiencing some arthritis and hip dysplasia symptoms. We’ve had to get her a thick comfy therapeutic bed, which she loves. The hard part is convincing her that she is too old and stiff to still go under our bed. It’s always been her favorite place. When she gets under there, I find myself having to pick up the bed enough for her to stand up and limp out.

When her hip locks up on her, I sit in the floor and massage her leg while she whimpers. This is a very emotional thing for me, because I can’t stand when she cries. Fortunately this is not a daily thing, and if I can keep her from going under the bed or jumping around and acting like a much younger dog, then she doesn’t hurt too much. So far we’ve been pretty lucky that Bear hasn’t developed more health problems like the ones Ruthie Bently discussed in Common Health Issues for Older Dogs.

With her old age, Bear has begun to be quite moody. If you’ve read some of my other posts about Bear you know that she is not a very social dog. She loves her family and is tolerant of our guests, but lately she makes it clear that she doesn’t like people visiting. When someone comes to the door she has always barked until we let them in. Once she saw us let them in and she was able to sniff them she’d be quiet and go lay down somewhere. These days when anyone comes over she barks and barks. They go into another room and she quiets down until she hears one of them laugh or talk and she barks some more. It’s almost like she forgets someone is here until she hears their voice, then she has to warn them that it’s her house.

She’s also become much more stubborn and demanding, as if she thinks that her age entitles her to whatever she wants. Rather than waiting for me to call her and have her sit and shake for a CANIDAE TidNips treat, she “yells” at me. She usually chooses while I’m in the middle of work to decide that I need to get up and give her a treat, and she won’t be quiet until I do. Needless to say, I feel as if I’m the one who is trained lately. I’m taking notes though, because when I get older I will need to remember these tricks to get my kids to wait on me hand and foot too!

Being finicky has never been an issue with Bear. She loves food and doesn’t care where or who it comes from, but she recently seems to have a serious problem with anyone but me feeding her. She was yelling at me a few weeks ago while I was watching television, and I knew it wasn’t a treat she wanted – her food bowl was empty. So I asked her Daddy to feed her. He went in and put the food in her bowl, petted her and came back to sit down. She didn’t eat; instead she ran to me and continued barking. I had to get up and go touch her food bowl before she would eat.

I thought parenting a child was difficult, but having an old dog is like having a toddler who is clingy, demanding, grouchy and in need of a nap. However, Bear is family so as she becomes a grouchy old lady we’ll just love her anyway. We know our time with her is limited, so we try to make sure every day is a good one for her and continue to fill her life with love and comfort no matter how moody and demanding she is. That’s all part of responsible pet ownership; dogs are a lifetime commitment, from the cuddly puppy to the destructive “toddler phase” to the joyous mature dog days and yes, even the old, aching and moody days of aging.

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie

Read More..

Dogs in Review May 2013

Canine Science! Everywhere! AHHH! (source)

Hey Mia!

Didn’t May come and go in a flash? Is it possible to ask for an extension? The world of canine science was bopping last month, so here’s a review of things I would have liked to cover in more detail, if I were granted a two-week extension:

--> Dogs in Research

Dogs rocked peer-reviewed journals last month! As you mentioned, the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab published an article in a recent issue of Learning and Motivation. We looked at the olfactory experience of companion dogs, and Im sure Ill talk more about our paper later. The issue will include a number of dog-centric, peer-reviewed articles covering a variety of canine cognition topics such as olfaction, memory, physical cognition, and the influence of humans on dog behavior. Here’s a brief overview of a few of the studies:

MAGIC BONES

Pattison et al. The case of the magic bones: Dogs’ memory of the physical properties of objects.

How can I not mention a paper talking about magic bones? “Using a procedure popular with preverbal infant researchers, [the researchers] allowed dogs to initially observe a bone and then to subsequently view the bone changed in either size or color. Dogs gazed longer at a bone changed in either way, compared to a control presentation of an unchanged bone. Dogs apparently encoded and remembered both the size and color of the bone.” *

OLFACTION

Hall et al. Training domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) on a novel discrete trials odor-detection task.

“[Domestic] dogs can be trained to detect a distinct odor (anise) buried in pine shavings. However, it took dogs about 60 trials to reach an average performance level of 80% correct choices, and dogs learned much better when a human experimenter delivered food reward than when the reward was buried with the odor cue.” *

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Pongrácz et al. “We will work for you” – Social influence may suppress individual food preferences in a communicative situation in dogs.

“[Dogs] would repeatedly choose a bowl containing a carrot over a bowl containing preferred sausage if a human pointed to the carrot bowl. In a delayed response test, dogs regularly search at the location where they last saw food disappear.” *

DOGS AND WORDS

Pilley. Border collie comprehends sentences containing a prepositional object, verb, and direct object.

Chaser knows words (source)

A border collie named Chaser initially captured headlines in 2011 as “the smartest dog in the world” when research published in Behavioral Processes reported that she knew the names of over 1,000 different objects.

Pilley’s current article investigated Chaser’s attention to the syntactical relationships between words, like differentiating “to ball take Frisbee” from “to Frisbee take ball.”

What’s going on with “wordy dogs” like Chaser? How did they get this way? And how can we test whether the dogs in our homes understand our words as we intend them?

• Do Dogs Understand Our Words? The Dogs Weigh In. Scientific American

• Do Dogs Understand Our Words? The Bark Magazine 

PUPPY PROBLEMS?

In other canine science news, I was happy to see that the blog Companion Animal Psychology (twitter: @CompAnimalPsych) covered a recent publication by Frank McMillan et al investigating behavioral problems in puppies from pet stores vs puppies from non-commercial breeders. According to the study: What were the behavioral differences between pet store and breeder-obtained dogs? Read on!

YAWNING IN DOGS MEANS...

Over at Not bad science on Scientific American Blogs, @Felicity__M discusses a study of yawning behavior in dogs. Check out her coverage of the recent paper, Buttner et al. Contagious yawning, social cognition, and arousal: an investigation of the processes underlying shelter dogs’ responses to human yawns.

--> Dog Bite Prevention Week 2013
Apparently, the third full week of May is dog bite prevention week, but in my mind, every day is (or should be) dog bite prevention day. I don’t want to be bitten by a dog, and also I don’t want to give a dog the experience of biting me. So how do we prevent dog bites?

• My primary strategy to avoid being bitten is to not be a child. Yes, that is cheeky, but children are more likely than others to be bitten by dogs, which we’ve discussed in earlier posts, Dogs and babies: Not always cute and The Science Surrounding Children & Dogs: Part 3 (The Ugly).

• I also avoid bites by not interacting with dogs like this: 

Watch Sophia Yin Dog Bite Prevention Video

• Instead, I ask dogs whether they want to interact, as recommended in a great post by Khris Erickson, the Humane Educator at HAWS, Humane Animal Welfare Society in Wisconsin. 
  
  
• If dogs indicate that they are not into interacting, then we dont interact. Its that simple. What I sometimes find is that owners of "so friendly" dogs want to push an interaction even if the dog is giving "not right now" indications. A dog can still be "uber-friendly" without wanting to interact all the time with everyone. Ive been thinking about this a lot recently as NYC enters summer and dogs are looking hotter and hotter, and potentially experiencing some physical discomfort.
  
  
• I also think about context, practicing interventions and what a leash can (and can’t) prevent. Patricia McConnell, CAAB, offers in-depth insights into this topic over at her blog, The Other End of the Leash, in the post Dog Bite Prevention 2013.
  
  
• When it comes to preventing dog bites, I frequently check out The Blue Dog, a website aimed at educating children about dogs. I first learned about The Blue Dog at the 2nd Canine Science Forum. The website houses resources and research on children and dog bites, in addition to providing general dog information:
• Research on dog bites

• Research on dog bite prevention

--> Up next: Some of the leading canine science researchers will be presenting at a Canine Science Conference, SPARCS, June 28-30, 2013. The best part is, anyone in the world can join, either in a conference hall in Redmond, WA, or streaming live to your living room. 

(source)

I recently covered the SPARCS conference on #SciAmBlogs, who will be there & what to expect, at You’re invited to a canine science conference. Take a look!

I know your life is currently heavily focused on The Big W, and I’m not talking about the best movie ever, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Hoping for an update on working dog welfare!

Cheers!

Julie

* summary by Macpherson K. & Roberts W.A. (2013). Exploring the canine mind: Studies of dog cognition, Learning and Motivation, DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2013.04.006

© 2013 Julie Hecht

Read More..