Many people who own a dog have children, many people who own a dog get a dog FOR their children, heck, many people who own a dog ARE children. It is because of this that I often get asked questions regarding children and dogs. How do we get the dog to listen to our child?, How can we teach the dog not to play rough with our kids?, and the list goes on. So here are some helpful tips regarding dogs and children!

Involve your child in the acquisition process- The first topic I would like to address is before you have acquired the dog, so if you already have a dog you may skip this section, or read it for future reference! If you are considering getting a new dog, sit down and talk with your child about the idea of having a dog beforehand. If you feel your child is responsible enough to have his own dog, it is even more important to sit down and talk about ALL of the responsibilities that come with having a dog. I think it is a great idea to put together a "contract" that lists all the needs they will need to meet for their dog. Here are just a few responsibilities that can be included:
    Meals (who feeds the dog and when?)
    Bathroom breaks/walks (who walks the dog and when?)
    Training sessions (If your child is old enough, have them commit to a group training class once a week. In addition to the class, two 15 minute training sessions a day.)
    Playtime (what games will you play with the dog and when?)
    Grooming (who will groom the dog and how often?)

Once you and your child have agreed on who is responsible for meeting your new dog's needs, then start researching breeds. There are breeds that are known for being better with children than others because of their temperament, energy level, size, etc. so do your homework and narrow the list down to a few candidates. Even if you are planning on going to the shelter to adopt (GREAT IDEA!), having a list of breeds you are interested in will help you pick the best dog for you once you get there, even if it is a mix breed (i.e. you may go to the shelter looking for a Labrador Retriever and end up falling in love with a Lab mix). Make sure you have an honest discussion with your child about the specific needs for  each breed you are considering. If your child does not enjoy brushing or grooming than a long haired dog may not be a good pick. If your child does not have a lot of time to exercise the dog or take it for walks, you definitely do not want to look at breeds that have high energy levels.

Teach your child how dogs communicate- humans are very verbal communicators,  while dogs actually use verbal communication as a last resort. Dogs rely much more heavily on body language in order to communicate. Therefore, they pick up on subtle cues from humans that most of us are not even aware that we are giving! This is especially true of children who typically give off play signals unintentionally and then get upset when the dog jumps up on them or mouths them.
It is important to teach your puppy that he isn't allowed to react that way no matter what "signals" he picks up. However, perhaps even more important is  the opportunity it gives you to teach your child how to act around ALL dogs, even those that are not trained. It is a constant struggle for me to teach my 15 month old son how to respect dogs since my dogs are so "bullet proof" my corgi will let Clayton do practically anything to her (including sticking his fingers up her nose, pulling on her ears, and riding her like a pony), however I don't want him to grow up thinking ALL dogs will allow him to do that to them. Not to mention the fact that it isn't nice to do even if they let you! Here are some of the biggest miscommunications between dogs and kids:
    Running: Whether it is because they are playing outside or they are running to get away from the dog, dogs love to play chase games. So when your child is running across the yard playing by himself, he should anticipate that running will make the dog want to join in on the fun. If the dog is already chasing them and they run, they are literally saying, "Come get me!", in dog language. Help your child understand that the best way to calm the dog down is actually by standing still.
    Screaming/Yelling: Another popular response from kids is screaming/yelling. Whether they are yelling because they are having fun or because the dog has upset them, kids tend to yell in a higher octave than adults. Dogs translate higher octaves as excitement and happiness so their yelling just gets the dog even more excited. Think about what we do to our voice when we "sweet talk" our dogs, its sort of a sing-song, higher octave, tone of voice. Have your kids practice using their "in charge" voice. They should practice saying your dog's negative marker word (what you say to your dog when he does something undesirable) in as low an octave as possible. Have them practice this without the dog present at first. 
    Holding a Toy just out of reach: Boy do kids love to do this one! Perhaps its because they are so tired of everything being out of their reach that they want someone to know how it feels? I choose not to believe that it is an innate behavior for kids to tease animals but it does seem to come so naturally to some! A child will pick up a toy that the dog is playing with, hold it just out of the dog's reach, and then they are totally surprised when the dog jumps up/on them to get the toy and knocks the child down. Work with your dog on a reliable "drop it" command and teach your kids how to play fetch with your dog. Make sure they know that when you take a toy away from the dog that toy should either be put away or given back to the dog, not held just out of the dog's reach.

Playbiting Withdrawal: When a puppy playbites or mouths you or your kids, your first instinct is to dramatically withdraw and yelp (those puppy teeth are sharp!) However, this actually sends the wrong message to your dog. If you observe two puppies playing, one will playbite the other, bitten puppy will jump backwards, and biter will pursue bitten puppy even more. So, in dog language, withdrawing with a yelp actually means "game on!" The best way to handle playbiting is to say your negative marker word (remind them to say it as deeply as possible and not "yelp" the NMW) and not move a muscle. Why do animals play dead in the wild? Because the other animal is more likely to leave them alone if they don't react. This even works on people! My husband is less likely to give me a hard time if I don't react when he tries to get a rise out of me.  It may be difficult to get your children to sit still while your dog mouths them, as I said before, those puppy teeth are sharp! If this is the case, it may be best for the parents to work on decreasing the playbiting, and then have the child follow suit.

Include your child in the training process: Many dog owners who enroll in my training sessions ask me if they can bring their children along to the lessons. Depending on the child's maturity level (age means very little), I encourage kids to come to the lessons. I think it is VERY important for the child to learn how to handle the dog appropriately. In my training sessions, I stress the importance of not just telling the dog what he CAN'T do but also telling him what he CAN do. What I find common with kids is that they are very good at spotting behavior they DON'T like in their furry companion but not so good at telling the dog what it SHOULD HAVE done. I believe this is because most kids don't know what the dog SHOULD do. An example would be a dog who likes to jump only on the kids, there are probably several reasons for this (some are listed above). However perhaps the biggest culprit is that when the dog jumps on the kids, the kids tend to get upset at the dog, but not communicate to the dog what he should have done in that situation (i.e. perhaps sitting would be better than jumping).

Kids do not have to be taught what a dog shouldn't do, they know naturally that they don't like the dog jumping up on them or biting them. They often do not know what a dog should do, like sit to ask for attention. Attending training sessions with their dog will teach your child what the dog should do. My nephew was only 2 years old when I asked him if he wanted to feed our dog "Rocky" a treat. As soon as I handed him the treat he whirled around to Rocky and said "Sit!" and Rocky did. He knew my dogs have to sit to get their treats so we had no trouble with Rocky jumping up or pushing him over to get the treat because Darren communicated to Rocky what he was supposed to do, therefore avoiding what he was NOT supposed to do.

Step in for your child, but only when absolutely necessary: One question I get quite often is, how much should I let my child handle on his own and how much should I step in and help him when the dog is not cooperating? There is no tried and true formula to determine how much parent interaction is helpful/hindering but there are two main things you want to keep in mind. The first is why we DON'T want to continually step in, the second, why sometimes we MUST step in.

It's hard not to step in and help your child every time they have trouble getting your dog to behave, but if you do this too much it can be harmful to the relationship between your child and your dog. When you continually intervene, the dog is learning that he only has to behave and listen to your child when YOU are around. If the consequences come from you instead of your child, the dog will know there are no consequences when you are in the other room. It is important that whenever possible, your child takes the necessary steps to make sure the dog behaves appropriately (this is determined by your child's maturity level, size, and skill level, of course). While your dog is learning he only has to listen to your child when you are around, your child's confidence is diminishing. Seeing you step in every time is going to make them believe they can't do it themselves. Pretty soon your child will not be willing to even attempt to get the dog to behave without your help and will want you to step in ALL the time. What's worse, when your child DOES decide to try, they will not have the confidence to convey to the dog that they are in fact in charge.

So now that I have convinced you to resist the urge to step in, there are times where we MUST step in. So how do we recognize those instances? The reason we must step in sometimes goes back to the confidence factor I mentioned above. When you first begin addressing an issue, results are not going to be immediate. The dog has to have time to learn and change his behavior. The hard part is that children expect immediate results and if they do not see a change in the dog's behavior, they will think what they are doing is not working. In order to set your child up for success, it may be best to work with the dog by yourself initially so that your child sees progress sooner.

Another trick I use is cueing the dog from behind our child. While this does not necessarily teach the dog to listen to the child initially, it can build the child's confidence. My Corgi "Tru" used to only accept commands from me, so when my nephew wanted to ask her to sit, he was disappointed when she did not respond. It would not have taken long for him to give up so I would stand behind him and give the signal without him knowing so he felt successful. Obviously this will not work for all ages of children but it can help build confidence in younger children and I believe that is one of the best ingredients for success. The final, and most important, reason to step in is a matter of safety. If your dog is going to physically hurt your child by jumping on them and knocking them down or playbiting intervene immediately and work with the dog on these issues without your child until they have made progress.

Over the years I have developed lots of tips and tricks to help Parents/Kids/Dogs. So if you or someone you know is not happy with the interactions between their kids and dogs, give me a call I would be happy to help! 785.408.6127 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            785.408.6127      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Some of you may have noticed that I missed posting a blog last week, I had my hands full with 2 extra boys for a week (my 3 y.o. and 6 y.o. nephews) and 4 dogs boarding while their owners were in Hawaii (LUCKY!). I am still winding down from that and already have more company in so unfortunately this week's blog entry is going to be short and sweet. I have several classes getting ready to begin in the next few weeks so I wanted to get the word out there for some of you who might be interested in them. If you would like to sign up for one of the classes below contact me quickly as some of them only have a couple slots left already! All classes are held at Westport Animal Clinic at 28th and Wanamaker in Topeka unless otherwise specified.

June 5th-Rookie Class held every Tuesday night from 6:30-7:30 for 7 weeks. This class is designed for dogs with no previous training, will be limited to 5 dogs and cost is $99.

June 13th- Intermediate Class held every Wednesday night from 6:00-7:00 for 6 weeks. This class is designed for dogs who have completed my Rookie class or another beginner class elsewhere (If they have completed a beginner class elsewhere, we will schedule an assessment to determine your dogs level). It will be limited to 5 dogs and the cost is $99.

June 18th- Rookie Class held every Monday night from 6:30-7:30 at the HOYT COMMUNITY PARK for 7 weeks. This class is designed for dogs with no previous training, will be limited to 5 dogs and cost is $99.

June 20th- Scent Work Class held every Wednesday night from 7:00-8:00 for 6 weeks. This class is designed to start you and your dog in the fun sport of scent work. We will introduce them to the idea of using their nose to search for treats, a certain scent, or an object. We will also introduce them to scent discrimination and tracking. The class will be limited to 4 dogs and the cost is $115

June 23rd- Agility Pilot Class held every Saturday morning. This will be our first agility class and is already filled with pilot students but check back in the future for mroe agility classes to come this summer!

  PHASE 2
I'm sure glad you love doing this because...its NOT optional…

In this stage, it is our job to show the dogs that their commands are still FUN and REWARDING, however, they aren't quite as easy as before. We begin a process of "proofing" our dogs, or intentionally setting up scenarios where we think they might goof, in order to make our dogs more reliable in any given situation. During this proofing, we still remind them how fun and rewarding the commands are, but it becomes evident that even if it isn't on top of THEIR To-Do List, the do not get to do what THEY want until they do what WE want.

This is the stage most owners want to jump right into at the very beginning of training. We just want our dog to behave and stop embarrassing us as quickly as possible! So our tendency to dislike spending an entire phase on showing the dog how much fun being trained is and skip right to the "do it because you have to" phase is not surprising.

Unfortunately, not only does this hinder your dog's progress, it actually makes your work more difficult in the second phase of training, the Inevitability stage. The exercise I most often use to begin this second phase is called Recall with Distractions. In this exercise, we place a toy in between you and your dog and you must call your dog past that toy, using your leave it command if necessary.  If they do not leave the toy, you must go to them, get them to leave it and continue with the exercise. What I have found is that I can immediately tell during this exercise who has done their Phase 1 homework. 

Owners who did a great job of showing the dog how fun, easy and rewarding the command was had to do very little inevitability (going to the dog and getting them to leave it), some dogs were SO overjoyed to go to their owner they didn't even NOTICE the item! While other owners who skipped my phase 1 homework because they were waiting for the phase that would "really" help them had to prove the inevitability  MANY more times, which resulted in frustration and physical exhaustion from the owners. So the owners who put in more time to show the dog how great the command was actually had less work in the long run in getting their dog to perform the command reliably than owners who skipped right to this second phase.

PHASE 3
Why is it important to YOUR dog?

The final phase is for dogs who need just a little bit more meaning in order to do what you have asked them to do. I used to call this the aversive stage but that word has become synonymous with choke chains, prong collars, and shock collars.
 
In reality, "aversive" simply mean introducing something the dog dislikes. In other words, we will teach our dogs that there are consequences for not doing what is asked of them. Most of the time, simply  revoking freedom is a very successful consequence for behavior. One more Come When Called example, this one is of my own dog, "Tru". "Tru" is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi who is famous for having her own ideas about how things should go down. She was one of THE most difficult puppies I have ever had to teach a Come When Called. Phase 1 worked for awhile then her willingness to please faded.  Phase 2 provided me with another temporary boost but faded just as quickly as  a falling star. Finally, I decided I had to answer an important question "Why is it important to "Tru"? So I began a trial and error learning process with her. The more reliable she was on her Come When Called, the more freedom she got (more off-leash time). The flip side was that if she failed to come when I called her, the less freedom she was given (more on-leash time). Now, does she dislike her leash? Not necessarily but if I gave her the option between the two I know she would pick off-leash every time. So why is it important to her? Well, she would prefer being off-leash, and the only way to achieve this by responding reliably to my commands.

 Not every dog needs all 3 phases in order to be reliable at a command, this is determined by their personality. There are some dogs who can be taught that a certain behavior is fun and rewarding and they will perform that behavior easily until the day they die (these dogs are rare, but do exist!). There is another group of dogs that, as long as you teach them that it is fun and rewarding, oh AND inevitable, that is enough for them to willingly comply. Finally, there is another group of dogs that must be taken one step further, make it important to them. Incidentally, almost every dog I have ever owned falls into this third category (do I like a challenge? Why, yes I do!).  While some dogs may only need 1 or 2 of these 3 phases, the phases should ALWAYS be done in this order. You shouldn't ever use just one of these phases unless it is Phase 1. If you believe your dog ONLY needs Phase 2 or 3, you have either already done Phase 1 or you need to go back and do it even if you don’t think you need it.  No matter which category your dog fits in, it's training will need to be refreshed every so often to keep your commands solid. For instance, a dog who only needs phase 1 will still benefit from going back to LOTS of verbal praise and treats every once in awhile to keep the command fun and rewarding. Phase 2 dogs will need to be reminded every once in awhile of the same thing AND that their commands are still inevitable. Phase 3 dogs will need to be reminded every once in awhile that their commands are still fun and rewarding, inevitable, and important to them. However, if you keep up with the maintenance on your dog's training, these "reminder periods" will become fewer and farther between.

Which phases do you need to do with YOUR dog?

Usually when I sit down to write my blog, I try to bring to mind topics that I end up discussing with a lot of my clients because I want these entries to speak to as large an audience as possible. One aspect of my training program that I discuss quite often is the different phases of training. I have separated my training techniques into 3 phases:
1. Fun, Easy, Rewarding
2. Inevitable
 3. Why is it important to YOUR dog?

These phases are different than the levels of training classes I provide (such as rookie, intermediate, advanced). There are different commands learned in each level of classes, i.e. Rookie=Sit, Intermediate= Park it, etc. All 3 phases can be applied to just one command (i.e. sit), in order to make the command solid in varying situations. So what are these phases and what do they entail?  I am glad you asked!...

PHASE ONE
Look how fun, easy, and rewarding this training thing is!!!!

Most of my puppy or rookie curriculum focuses on this phase. Just as the name suggests, we want them to realize how fun and rewarding responding to our commands can be. Ever heard the famous motivational speaker line: "Help enough other people get what they want and you will end up getting what you want"? That's exactly what we want to teach our puppies! If they do what we ask, they will probably get something they want, whether that is a treat, a pat on the head, belly rub, game of fetch, or simply a "good dog!". The two most important factors in this phase is setting up your dog to be successful in the commands you are asking him to do and rewards, rewards, rewards!

In my group classes, on the week we start working on the Come When Called, I tell them their homework is that for the next week they have a 100% success rate in getting their dog to come to them. I almost always get several funny looks from my owners. This isn't surprising since many of my clients are in class BECAUSE their dog won't Come When Called. The question that follows is always this: HOW ON EARTH DO WE DO THAT?!
 
It's simple really, for the next week; do not call your dog when you know he isn't going to come. How many of have gone out into your yard, called your dog knowing they won't come, and then end up having to go catch them anyways? Did calling their name help? No, it just gave them a head start! Not only that, but every time we say a command and they do not perform the behavior they are learning that non-compliance is an option. So the first phase is all about setting up your environment so that you are successful in getting what you want from your dog. Not only so you are productive, but also so that your dog enjoys training! (No one likes doing something they aren't good at).
 
I have many owners who are reluctant to work on the Come When Called inside the house, they say, "but my dog comes to me in the house, he doesn't come when we are outside!". First of all, your goal isn't to get your dog to come to you, your job is to see how EXCITED you can get your dog to come to you. The more overjoyed they are to come to you inside the house, the more of that will spill over into the outside world. If you start with just enough excitement inside then you don’t have nearly enough "want to" outside.

Secondly, many owners overlook the importance of rewards in getting a behavior to be reliable. They feel that the treats should only be used until the dog knows the command. In reality, treats should be used until the behavior is a habit (BIG DIFFERENCE!). I may KNOW I should drink more water every day, but actually developing the HABIT of drinking more water every day will take some time.
 
Also, I encourage owners to use their dog's primary reinforcing reward (almost always food) until the behavior is as strong as we want it to be. You see, the treat is NOT just their reward but actually a reinforcer for the behavior. Imagine you are setting concrete and you are placing rebar (steel rods) into the concrete to make it stronger. Your dog's behaviors are the concrete and the reward is the rebar. While you are putting in the concrete, the more rebar you include, the stronger the concrete will be, even after it is set up and you are no longer adding rebar! In other words, science has proven that if you use a primary reinforcer (like food) to teach something, even after you change to a secondary reinforcer (like verbal praise) the dog will still feel the same way about the behavior as they did when getting the primary reinforcer! But only if you used the primary reinforcer long enough for them to build an association between the two.
 What are you waiting for?  Go get started showing your dog how fun training is!
Check out next week's blog entry to hear about Phases 2 & 3!

  It’s the new "it" diagnosis in dogs, but what is it exactly? And more importantly, what is it NOT? Well, just like most terms associated with dogs, there is not an across the board definition of separation anxiety. However, simply by the label given we can assume that it is some level of angst at the fact that your dog is separated from you. Lately, I have been concerned with the number of dog owners inquiring about medication for separation anxiety. While there are cases out there that MAY need TEMPORARY medication to help them get over their issues, most dogs do not need medication, just a little training (or maybe a LOT!).
Separation anxiety can run the gamut. From dogs who simply become unhappy that they do not get to go to work with you every day, to dogs who are so distressed when you leave them alone that they will actually cause physical harm to themselves trying to get to you.  While we are on the subject of defining separation anxiety, let's discuss what is NOT separation anxiety. When you have a puppy that does not know he is not supposed to eat your couch (hey, its stuffing covered in fabric just like his other toys right?) so he has a party while you are running to the post office is NOT separation anxiety. Your adult dog who knows he will get in trouble for dumping over the trash and rummaging through it when you are there, but not when you are away, is NOT separation anxiety. I have had many owners self diagnose separation anxiety when in reality it is a lack of self control and boundaries on the part of their dog, not emotional distress. So whether we have a dog who is just misbehaving, acting out because we are gone, or truly afraid of being alone, what causes it and what can we do about it?

Like many behavior issues, separation anxiety has 2 main elements, nature and nurture.

The first is genetic predisposition. Some breeds are more likely to develop these tendencies than others. Most of the time it is because of what they were bred to do. German Shepherds for instance have had many jobs over the years: herder, war dog, police dog, service dog, etc. but all of these jobs have a common thread. They were expected to work very closely with a human. Therefore their brains are wired to think they need to be with us constantly! German Shepherds are definitely not the only breed that falls into this category but it is one of the most commonly known.

The second element is their environment, sometimes we try so hard to be great "puppy parents" that we create separation anxiety ourselves. When we bring home our new bundle of fur when it is 8-10 weeks old, it is so cute we can't hardly help but take it everywhere with us. Even our boss doesn't really mind it being at work because it is so darn cute! Then a few weeks pass and it starts getting bigger and more active so we decide it needs to stay home more often. Talk about getting the rug pulled out from under you! Most puppies go from being a permanent fixture under your arm to being relegated to the crate for hours on end with no transition period in between. You see, they are so cute and agreeable when we first get them, and we want to spend as much time with them as possible, that we forget to teach them how to be alone. Then when they stop being so cute, we don't realize they never learned how to be by themselves. The other possible environmental factor has nothing to do with you,  the current owner. Some dogs, especially dogs adopted from a shelter, have had bad experiences, or just plain bad owners. You can be undoing some of the injustices of other owners that may have neglected the dog in the past by leaving them by themselves for hours, or even days on end.

 The best thing you can do for your dog to begin helping them learn to be away from you is crate train them. For anyone who is against crate training, check out my other blog "Crate Training: Puppy Prison or Pooch Palace" for more information. Since I like defining things so much, lets talk about what exactly I mean by crate training. You see, I don't just mean teach them not to potty in their crate. This is what most owners associate with the term. I also do not just mean teach them to be quiet in their crate and not fuss. Yes I do mean those things but the most important thing crate training should accomplish is getting your dog to like it's crate. Wait, not like, LOVE! My dog loves her crate, it sets on the back porch out of view and she sometimes chooses to go in it and take a nap all on her own. She even gets upset when I have other dogs visiting and they are in her crate, that's HER spot! I had a puppy I was crate training and I had taken her crate out to clean it and she kept pacing around where it was supposed to be wondering what happened to her place!  So how do we get them to love their crate?

Teach them a "Kennel" command- not only does this pair going into their crate with getting rewarded, it also allows them to enter willingly instead of being forced in. You would be surprised what a difference that makes in their attitude about their crate.

Make their favorite times of day happen in the crate- What do dogs love? Eating stuff! So feed them their meals in their crate. If they get a daily dental treat, feed it to them in their crate. If you brought them a new bone home, let them start it off in their crate. Buy a Kong, fill it with something yummy, and give it to them in their crate.

Start off by asking for only short increments of time in their crate, and make it when you are there with them! That way you can reward good behavior in the crate and discourage bad behavior.

Don't allow them to only associate the crate with you leaving-  most owners only put their dogs in the crate when they are getting ready to leave. If we do this the dog starts associating the crate with us leaving. Most owners who say their dog doesn’t like their crate are wrong, the part they don't like is that they know the crate means YOUR LEAVING. Practice crating them when you are working around the house, like cooking dinner.

So now that we are working on them liking (wait, LOVING) their crate, we must now address the separation part. Start at a level your dog can handle, this level will be determined by your dogs personality, current skill level of training, and history. If you have adopted your dog from a shelter, many times you do not know the background of that dog. The sad reality is that if they wound up at the shelter, chances are someone did leave them and never came back. We have to give them a chance to understand that we will always come back. Consider a dog who is learning to not break a "Stay" command when his owners leaves his sight, the first few times the dog gets worried when he cannot see his owner. But each time the owner leaves and eventually returns, the dog is not as concerned. It has taken my Mix breed dog a few years not to get concerned when she is the only dog going for a ride in the car (I found her dumped on the side of the road as a 4 month old puppy). Each time she went for a ride and came back home her confidence rose. So even if a successful level for your dog is that you put them in their crate and go out onto the porch, or even just into the next room, that is where you need to start. Actually, it is better to start at this lower level, as stated above, so that you can address their behavior while being away from you. Once your dog is able to handle that level, slowly increase the time away and the freedom also. Allow them to graduate from the crate to a confinement area (see definition of this below under special circumstances), then eventually, they may have the run of the entire house!

Many times I find it easy to relate parenting to dog training, as it is a category many owners have had experience in. A dog's crate is much like my son's crib, it is a place where they can relax and feel safe. My son went through his own stage of separation anxiety (and maybe more to come!) where he did not like when you left him in the living room and when outside. Even if you were doing nothing more than running to the mailbox! However, everyday without fail at naptime, I could take him upstairs to his crib and he would start to relax and drift off to sleep before I ever made it back down the stairs! What's more, when he wakes up from his nap, he rarely cries or even yells to get our attention. We have to just keep going up to check on him because he will just entertain himself in his crib until someone notices he is awake! This is because he knows that is HIS spot and he is safe there. He knows if we put him down for a nap, we will ALWAYS come back to get him. He is also much better about leaving him in the living room when I run outside because we have practiced this many times in small increments that he can handle. I will run to the mail box or out to the car and every time I come back without fail, he is less worried. However, if I had left him in the living room by himself for 8 hours while I went to work, I can only imagine the mess he would make, let alone the amount of stress he would feel! So when we look at  separation anxiety in dogs from this standpoint, it is amazing that it only takes them a year or two to be ready to have the run of the house while we are gone to work, our kids can't handle that responsibility until they are teenagers…and they still make a mess!

*Special circumstances*

As I stated above, there are many times when a dog's history is working against us and our goals to help them become better adjusted. Sometimes special circumstances dictate we take another route. For instance, if you have adopted a dog who spent his entire life in a crate and has a very high level of anxiety associated with that (a good example of this are breeder dogs from puppy mills), then maybe you use a confinement area instead of a crate. A confinement area is a room that is as "dog proof" as possible and will hopefully not allow them to act out, for example, the bathroom, utility room, kitchen, or garage depending on your house setup. Don't be afraid to modify the program if your dog has special circumstances.  The point is that we are able to keep their destructive behavior under control until they can be rewarded with more freedom. However you can accomplish this on a successful level for you and your is what you should do.

So if your dog is exhibiting bad behavior while you are away, ask yourself these questions:

Have I given my dog too much freedom too quickly and he doesn't know how to handle it?

Have I devoted time while I am at home to teach my dog how to appropriately be away from me?

Am I using the building block that is given to me as an owner of a den animal (the crate) to help communicate my message?

If you have dedicated a significant amount of time to these things and see NO progress, then you should talk to a professional trainer about other options. Once you have talked to a trainer, if there are no other options, then (and only then) should you consider medication.

As my calendar fills up with wonderful dog events for this Spring and Summer, I decided to devote this week's blog entry to these events, so come out and support these local groups!

April 28th- Valley Falls Saddle Club Ponies and Puppies Clinic
The Saddle Club is hosting a fun day for the kids on Saturday, April 28th starting at 9:30 a.m. This will be a great opportunity for your kids to get outside and learn more about horses and dogs! The Saddle club will provide horses and instructors to teach children about many aspects of horsemanship such as: how to approach a horse, how to lead, groom, feed, saddle, and even ride a horse if they would like to! Camo Cross Dog Training will also be teaching the kids about Dog Safety and will be talking to the kids about the different kinds of activities that they could do with their own dogs! Whether your children have a dog and a horse or they have never even seen a dog or a horse, this is a great learning experience for children of all ages so please come out and support this organization! The amazing part about this clinic is that it is  absolutely FREE! What a great way to spend the weekend with your kids without breaking the bank AND educating them about animals! For more information about registering for this event, e-mail me at [email protected]

May 12th- Arthritis Foundation Topeka Dog Walk
The Arthritis Foundation is doing their annual Arthritis Walk and it has gone to the dogs! It will be held at Shawnee Lake Saturday, May 12th at Shelter House #2.  Dr. Snyder from University Bird and Small Animal will be on hand talking about his exciting stem cell treatments for dogs. Camo Cross Dog Training will have a demonstration on dog safety for the kids. There will also be a doggie costume contest, doggie games, bandanas, and many dog related booths as well. Support the Arthritis Foundation by building a team and raising some donations today! Just visit www.letsmovetogether.org to get started!

May 19th/May 20th- Kent and Lori Herbel Herding Clinic hosted by Ashcraft Aussies
The third weekend in May my parents will be holding a herding clinic outside of Mayetta. If you have a herding dog and think you may be interested in getting involved in herding livestock, you can register to audit the clinic for $35 or both days for $50. Kent and Lori travel across the country and Canada putting on clinics teaching people how to herd with their dogs. They have experienced every aspect of the world of herding by being trainers, handlers (trials and everyday ranch work), and trial judges. They use every day analogies to explain the world of herding to anyone from the complete novice to the professional trialer.  No matter what your level of ability, you will get great information from this clinic. I know I will be there! For more information on registering for this clinic contact Denny and Donna Ashcraft at [email protected]  or call 785.364.7973

May 26th-2nd Annual Saving Death Row Dogs Carnival
This local 501 (c)(3) charity is a state licensed no kill, foster based, dog shelter. It is holding it's annual carnival, fundraiser, and adoption event on Saturday May 26th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Topeka West High School. This a great event with many, many activities to enjoy! There will be Adoption & Education Booths, Prize Drawings, Dunk Tank, Petting Zoo, Giant Toys, Bounce House, and much more! There will also be several area rescues there with dogs that are looking for their forever homes! Even if you already have a furry best friend, come out and get your dog microchipped by Dr. Esau of Companion Animal Clinic (equipment provided by Saving Death Row Dogs) for a low carnival rate of just $21 including registration! Microchipping is a wonderful way to help your dog find its way back home if it ever gets lost or stolen. Collar tags can come off or be removed but microchipping is a permanent means of identification. There are booth sites available for rescues, shelters, and non-profits free of charge and retail space can be reserved for just $20. If you or anyone you know would like to support Saving Death Row Dogs by purchasing booth space, please contact Jessica Little at [email protected] or 785.817.3358 Camo Cross Dog Training will have a booth there answering training questions and handing out information on our training programs, so come out and see us!

Most of us that have owned several dogs are bound to run into trouble with aggressive behavior eventually, especially if we own more than one dog at a time. So if you are a dog lover who always has a four legged friend next to you,  the question probably isn't "Will I run into aggression?" but more  "What will I do when I run into aggressive behavior?".

First, we must acknowledge that we have a problem. I am finding more and more people who are afraid to admit they have a problem because they think there is no solution. There are several different types of aggression that can be handled in different ways, but there ARE solutions out there!  We shouldn't ignore that our dog has an issue, or simply try to avoid situations where they may exhibit these bad behaviors. When we do, we are not enjoying our dog to the fullest and gambling every day that those situations may throw themselves at us when we have no control over them. A great (non-aggression) example of this is owners who know their dog does not come when he is called so they simply never let him off leash anywhere. Unfortunately, chances are they will get out of the fence, dart out of the car, or out the front door at some point, no matter how hard we try to keep it from happening. At this point, we have no ground to stand on because instead of working on the issue, we have just avoided it like the plague. Instead, we should acknowledge the problem and take steps to manage it.

Now that we have acknowledged that we have a problem, we need to be realistic about our goals with our aggressive dog. A dog who has a history of aggression, no matter what the motive, is a dog that can be managed, not cured. Aggression is a topic very close to my heart because I have an aggressive dog. Yes, I admitted it to the world! I have a dog who does not like other dogs, she doesn’t even particularly like one of the dogs she lives with! Her name is "Cena" and there is a lot I will never know about her past. I found her on the side of a gravel country road when she was about 4 months old. I can only guess what breeds she may be and what her life may have been like before her first owners decided to give up on her. She has always been food aggressive towards other dogs and any dogs who do not cower to her dominance. She is now 6 years old and still has the same personality but we now have it managed. So what does "management" look like? Well for Cena, it is that she controls her urges to "put other dogs in their place" and if she doesn't feel like she can control herself, she comes to me and asks me for help. I have seen her many times try to deal with a dog and if she can't she simply comes to sit next to me (or behind me) and expects me to keep the dog at a distance from her. Cena is not "cured", she didn't go from being aggressive to loving all dogs but she is "managed" in that she controls her urges, and when she can't, she lets me know instead of the other dog.

So we know we have a problem, and we know we need to be realistic about the outcome. Next, we should decide what kind of aggression we are dealing with because this will dictate how we handle it. The best way to evaluate which type of aggression you have is to ask a professional to come and assess your dog safely. While there are several different types of aggression, they can usually be put into one of three categories: Predatory, Dominance, and Fear.

Predatory: Fortunately, in my experience, this is the least frequent motive behind aggression but does occur. Usually, it is triggered by motion (i.e. bikes or cars) or smaller animals (i.e. cats, squirrels, even smaller dogs). This is a dog who enjoys being aggressive and seems to get some kind of fulfillment out of it. Before you picture a dog frothing at the mouth and acting crazy, think about the fact that we have developed breeds to carry out jobs where this type of behavior is necessary and encouraged. Terriers entire reason for existence was to keep the rodent population under control where they lived so it is no surprise that terriers can sometimes have this type of aggression. We wanted them to! Usually a training program for this type of behavior would include many exercises that work on impulse control and conditioning a better response to these stimuli.

Dominance: Ask 10 people about dogs ,packs, pack leaders, dominance, and aggression and you will get 10 very different answers. Do dogs see us as a part of their pack? The answer is we will likely never know unless we find a way to teach them to speak English and ask them. However, I do feel that it would be silly to think that they do not interpret our behavior in the way they would communicate to each other. Therefore, it is important for us to realize that the fact that they are hardwired as pack animals does effect our relationship with them, whether they deem us a member of their pack or not. Some dogs are born with the personality to be a leader, they want to be in charge, are good at it, and will look for even the tiniest sign that they are in said position. If we are not careful, they can assume the role of leader above their owner. If this happens, they literally think that all of your possessions are theirs. They may even think YOU are their possession. Dogs who are overprotective of you, territorial, or resource guarders (have possessions they do not want you or anyone else to have such as a bone), usually fall into this category.  While we love the fact that our dogs would protect us if ever in a dangerous situation, if they are protecting you in situations that are not dangerous, chances are it isn't because they love you but because they own you. Training programs for dominant dogs include behavior modification as well as communicating to your dog that YOU are the leader, not he. Make sure the trainer you choose to work with has a program that is not confrontational or intimidating. A true pack leader uses subtle means of communicating that they are in charge and there is very little conflict, oppression, or intimidation. I have a program that I use called the "Work for a Living Program" that fits this bill and works very well on dogs with these issues. Dr. Sophia Yin also has a similar program called the "Learn to Earn Program". You can read more about Dr. Yin's program here: http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/the-learn-to-earn-program

Fear: This may be the most common reason for aggression that I see. Your dog is afraid of things so they choose to try and scare it away before it has a chance to hurt them. This type of aggression is most common with dogs who were not properly socialized as a puppy. When dogs are about 8-16 weeks old, their curiosity outweighs their fear of the world. This is a perfect time to socialize your puppy because as they get older they are more likely to be afraid of something new than be curious about it. Training programs for this type of aggression will focus on disrupting the pattern of fear, training more appropriate responses to these stimuli and desensitization (the more they are exposed to these stimuli in a positive manner, the less afraid they will be). Disrupting the pattern of fear simply means that we will not allow them to get more and more worked up. Imagine you are lying in bed one night and hear a strange noise, you can choose to go see what it is or lie in bed wondering. The longer you wonder about it, the scarier it gets. However, if you would just get up and investigate you might find that it was not something scary at all.

Your dog can be just one of these types or can be a combination. It is best to enlist the help of a professional to decide which categories fit your dog and decide on a training program that will make you and your dog happier. Remember, you are not alone, there are many owners out there dealing with the same issues you are experiencing and there is hope!

Earthdog-  I cannot tell you how many times I get an owner who comes to me and says "My dog digs everywhere, barks, and tries to kill anything that is small and furry!" and then I ask what kind of dog it is (I could guess and be right) and they inform me its either a terrier or a dachsund. Well of course they do! That is exactly what we bred them to do, and did you know that there are events called Earthdog tests that will evaluate and qualify your dog on those skills in particular?! The first test is called Introduction to Quarry and it simply evaluates whether your dog will pick up a scent, follow it into a dark den, and "work" the quarry. Working the quarry is defined as barking, digging, growling, lunging, biting at the protective bars or any work that the judge feels displays a desire to get to the quarry. To get started, you want to get your dog accustomed to following scent trails of small mammals. Some say you can do this by simply taking your dog to an area that you know squirrels or rabbits inhabit. I feel it might be better to go out and purchase the scent and lay the trail yourself, so you know where the dog should be following it to. Your next step would be to get your dog used to entering "tunnels" in search of the quarry. If you are not interested in digging tunnels in your backyard (that is, if your dog hasn't already accomplished this!), you can start with above ground tunnels made out of cardboard or wood. The main idea here is to get your dog used to going into dark places in search of his quarry. Once you have done these two steps, take a look to see if there are any earthdog tests near you to see how your pooch's skills compare! You can find out more about earthdog, including upcoming events at: http://www.akc.org/events/earthdog/index.cfm. Unfortunately, the closest club I was able to locate is in Omaha and is called the Greater Omaha Terrier Association and here is a link to their contact information:  http://www.akc.org/akc_clubs/?GreaterOmahaTerrierAssociation 

Lure Coursing- While we are on the subject of breeds developed to chase quarry, lets talk about a category called sight hounds for a moment. Sight hounds are a group of breeds developed to rely strictly on their eyes and speed to hunt. For the American Kennel Club events, this category includes: Whippets, Basenjis, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Afghan Hounds, Borzois, Ibizan Hounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, Salukis and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The American Kennel Club hosts Tests and Trials that utilize a 'lure' of white plastic strung around a course of 600 to 800 yards in an open field to evaluate a dog's lure coursing ability. The dogs are judged by two judges, on the dogs overall ability, speed, endurance, agility, and how well they follow the lure. Find out more here: http://www.akc.org/events/lure_coursing/ 
Don't have one of the breeds listed above but still think your dog would be good at this event? No worries, they have started a program called the Coursing Ability Test (CAT) that allows all breeds, including mix breeds, to participate! The CAT is a fairly new event, but there has already been 15 Australian Shepherds, 19 Doberman Pinschers, 31 Boxers, and 37 Mixed breeds successfully winning titles, and that is just to name a few!  I just recently found out there will be a CAT event held this weekend in Wichita if you are interested in going to watch what it is all about (I know, I know, what's with the short notice right?) Get more information on the CAT here: http://www.akc.org/events/coursing_ability_test/

 I did find a somewhat local club that does lure coursing events close by, in fact, many of their practices are held in Lawrence. However, they are affiliated with the American Sighthound Field Assocation and only allow the following breeds to compete:
Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Basenji, Borzoi, Cirneco dell'Etna, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Italian Greyhound, Pharaoh Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, and Whippet.

The American Sighthound Field Association: http://www.asfa.org/index.htm

Heartland Coursing Association: http://www.heartlandcoursing.com/index.html

As you may have noticed, I have been away from my computer for a couple of weeks and missed writing my blog, for those of you who look forward to the information, I am very sorry. My son had to have surgery and that changed ALL my plans for awhile.

This week’s entry is a topic that is extremely important to me. As a matter of fact, it is one of the biggest reason I decided to use the skills I learned growing up in the dog world to help other owners with their dogs.

We have all heard the pleas from veterinarians, rescue groups, and even Bob Barker to “Spay and Neuter your pets!” because we have been told that overpopulation is the reason all of our shelters are overflowing. While I completely agree that the average pet owner should DEFINITELY get their dog spayed or neutered, I have always felt that we were overlooking the bigger issue with the majority of shelter dogs and that is behavior problems. What we don’t like to admit is that most of the dogs that are in the shelter had a home at one time and were not able to keep it, not because there are too many dogs in the world, but because they did not “fit in” like the owners expected.

I wanted to find some research on this topic to support my idea that behavioral problems are being overlooked as a major source of dogs being relinquished but sadly I found very little. Surprisingly, very little research has been done on this topic but what has been conducted supports my ideas. I found a research study conducted by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy called The Regional Shelter Relinquishment Study that was published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare in 2000. This study questioned owners giving up dogs and cats at 12 shelters in 4 different regions of the country. This blog entry will only be focusing on their statistics on dog relinquishment.

What the study found was that of the dogs surrendered, 40% of the owners who were surrendering those dogs listed at least one behavioral problem as the reason for relinquishment. It also found strong associations between relinquishment and several other categories: number of pets in the household, neuter status, training level, age of pet, length of ownership, and where the pet was acquired.

They found that there was a strong association with acquiring a new pet in the household and relinquishment of dogs.  Almost 60% of owners relinquishing a dog for behavioral reasons admitted to adding at least one new dog or cat, to their household within the last year. What this tells me is that many of the dogs being surrendered to the shelter did not adjust well to a new animal being introduced into the home. Acclimating animals to each other is something I work on with owners on a daily basis and are usually easily addressed. I know there are some extreme cases where two animals just should not live together but the majority of the time, a little bit of training can go a long way.

They also uncovered a relationship between the neuter status of the animal and frequency of relinquishment. While this area has little to do with training, I still wanted to include it because I think the idea of spaying or neutering your dog goes way beyond overpopulation. While I never promise spaying or neutering a dog will end your behavior problems, it certainly cannot hurt, and this study proves that you are more likely to relinquish a dog that is unaltered versus one that is spayed or neutered. I will say that if you are going to keep your dog intact, against my advice, it is very likely that the role of training will become even more important than if you had made the decision to get them “fixed”.

The average age of a dog being relinquished to the shelter and the length of ownership were also determined by this study. What they found was that the average age of relinquished dogs was 1-2 years of age and the average length of ownership was only 3 months! This completely shocked me, what this means is that we move a dog into a completely new environment and give them only 3 months to adjust before giving up on them? Imagine you moved to a different country where everyone spoke a different language than you, do you think you could get completely settled in just 3 months time? The other reason this scares me is that, from a training point of view, this gives me a VERY small window of opportunity to help new owners. It has been my experience that when I take the initiative and contact a new dog owner, they want to see if they can handle it themselves which I have no qualms about. However, if it does not work out, they usually call me the day before they are ready to get rid of the dog and expect the problems to get fixed overnight! It is impossible to fix issues that a dog may have had for months, possibly even years, overnight or even in just 3 months time (if I get to start working with the dog the day it gets adopted! ).

This study also found that there was a strong relationship between a dog being acquired from the shelter and ending up back at the shelter. According to their survey, 39% of dogs surrendered for behavioral issues had been acquired from the shelter. This is the equivalent of a repeat offender! The dog gets relinquished because of a behavior problem, if it gets adopted out again but no one intervenes to fix the issue, there is a high probability that the dog will end up back in the shelter for the very same reasons as the first time! I will never forget the dog that started one of my group classes who was 7 months old and on his fourth home! Thank God his fourth owner new the importance of training or who knows how many homes this dog would have seen! We have to figure out how to break this cycle.

Finally, and what I believe to be most important to this entire issue, is what they found about the relationship between the amount of training (or lack thereof) and dogs being surrendered to the shelter. They found that, of the dogs being relinquished because of behavioral issues, 91.3% did not have any private instruction by a professional trainer, 88.1% said that they had not bothered to take their dog to a group obedience class, and 36% admitted they hadn’t taught ANY basic commands to the dog! If these statistics do not scare you, I think you should read them again!

 To summarize the study, the statistics show that we as dog owners are introducing new animals and expecting them to naturally figure out how to get along on their own, we are keeping them as intact breeding stock without realizing how that can affect their behavior, we give them a very limited amount of time to adjust to their new home, and all of this with little to no training to help them make these transitions! This study was done several years ago but I don’t believe much has changed since, or at least not enough. A separate study done in 1993(Spencer, L. (1993). Behavioral services in a practice lead to quality relationships. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 203, 940–941) found that 50-70% of all dogs and cats euthanized were the result of behavior problems and unfortunately, I don’t believe that number has changed much in the last 20 years. So what can we do about this issue? Educate, educate, educate. Let people know that not all dogs naturally learn to live with us, they need training and time and sometimes you need the help of a professional. Don’t wait until its too late to get help, and if you see a member of your family, a friend, a neighbor, or even a coworker going down this path try to recommend a better solution than taking the dog to the shelter or rehoming the dog. Many people tell themselves that the dog just doesn’t fit into their house, when in reality, unless someone intervenes and changes the dog’s behavior, you are just letting someone else inherit your dog’s problems because they will not magically disappear in a new environment.

Shelter dogs are not born, they are made…

Over the past week, I have been involved in a few different situations, all with different clients, that had a common theme, respect.  Particularly, the respect given (or not given) to owners who are trying to work with their dogs out in public.  This particular blog post is not just for dog owners. It is for anyone who encounters someone with a dog who is not behaving appropriately, maybe even aggressively, and the owner is obviously trying to work through the dog's issues.

The first topic I would like to address is off-leash dogs, dogs on retractable leashes, or dogs that are ON a leash but are allowed to run up to other dogs. I wanted to share my opinion on the following issue because I have spoken to many owners who say that it never occurred to them how their dog being off-leash could effect other dogs around them. I cannot stress enough how disrespectful it is to  allow your dog to roam freely in close proximity to their dogs without asking the owners if they are comfortable with it. 

Usually when I tell an owner this, their rebuttal is, "But MY dog is very friendly, it LOVES other dogs and would never hurt anyone!" The issue I have with this statement is that I have heard it too many times before and the dog proves the owner wrong.

Even if you are correct and they wouldn't ever hurt anyone, your forgetting that there are at least two dogs in this situation, and the OTHER dog may not share your dog's feelings of friendliness.

Let's imagine that, instead of your dog, you are out for a walk with your child. Would you not ask the owner before you allowed your child could greet the dog?

It is the polite thing to do with your dog as well!  Let's say the other dog is shy, reserved, or maybe even aggressive.  If your dog approaches the other dog off leash, not only are you putting your own dog into danger, guess who is liable if anything happens? The person whose dog is off-leash.

You may think that people who own aggressive dogs have no business being out in public, however, as long as they have adequately secured their dog (i.e. the leash) and your dog is unrestrained and comes up to theirs, YOU are responsible, even if the other dog is the aggressor. Besides, how would they ever go about remedying the problem without taking them out in public for some training sessions?

Which brings me to my next topic: how the general public reacts to owners who are working with aggressive dogs in public. Many of my clients are very hesitant to go out and work with their dogs because of what people might think. I have been out at several city parks with a few of my clients working through their dog's issues and have seen firsthand how some people react to us. Let me tell you, I can't blame them for dreading these training sessions because you can feel the contempt lingering in the air long after some of the people pass by. You can almost hear them thinking, "they have no business being out in public with that dog!"
The problem is, most aggression issues are fear-based. In other words, most do NOT show aggression purely for the fun of it, but because they are over-whelmed or over stimulated. How are we to get them over those fears and rehabilitate them without taking them out in public? The answer is we cannot. So next time you see an owner trying to do the responsible thing and work through their dog's aggression issues, instead of dirty looks, try being encouraging to the owner, who needs all the support they can get.

 I was working with one particular dog at a park in Topeka recently who was acting just as I have been describing. Each time someone passed by the dog growled and lunged (I was working responsibly, standing at least 10 feet off of the trail), every time someone passed by, the dog seemed to get worse, and why wouldn't it? It was scared, it barked at them, and then they left. The longer we went on, the more difficult it got until I saw a man approaching with a dog, I thought, "Oh here we go again", and began working my dog, trying to improve her reactions. Suddenly I hear the man say, "Beautiful dog", as she is barking and lunging towards him! He stopped, instructed his dog to sit quietly, and I said "Thank you, we are currently working through some socialization issues." To that he replied, "Don't worry, it will just take some time." and then he quietly went on with his walk. Not only did his words of encouragement help me feel better about the situation, by stopping and not allowing my dog to "scare him away" with her barking and lunging, it stopped the inevitable reward my dog was getting before.  What a wonderful gesture of kindness that was!

Now, a note to my fellow owners who are out working with aggressive dogs, if someone does have the decency to stop and offer help or simply encouragement. Fight the urge to secretly wish they would just go away because it would make our dog "go back to normal" more quickly. Believe me, my first instinct when he uttered the first sentence was "Oh great, now I have to work my dog while he sits here and chats", but I quickly realized he was affording me the opportunity to actually be effective in my training session!

 So next time you are enjoying the park with your dog and you see someone with a furry friend who is a handful, make sure you are giving them the space they need, but also the support. These owners should be commended for trying to rehabilitate a dog in a society where everything is disposable. It is amazing how good you can make someone feel just by showing a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.