I get many, many owners asking questions about electronic collars (or shock collars as they are also known) so I wanted to write an entry about my honest opinion on these devices.  While writing this, I already know that some will not agree with what I have to say and that is fine. This entry is an opinion piece, my opinion. If you do not agree, well, then I guess it is a good thing we live in America where it is your right to disagree! :)

 The first issue I have with shock collars is that companies are marketing them as "electronic collars" because that is more politically correct than shock collar. In this article, I will refer to them as shock collars because that is what they do. The companies marketing them have tried very hard to get away from the name "shock collar" by telling pet owners that the collar's effect on the dog is no different than the mild static electric shock that you get from walking around your house with socks on and touching a metal doorknob. I call baloney. They are saying that a shock like that is enough to deter a behavior. Think about it, has the electric shock you get from touching the doorknob ever deterred you from leaving your house? I may not look forward to getting into my car during the times of year I know static electricity is at its greatest but I can honestly say it has never actually kept me from getting in my car and going somewhere. So if it doesn’t deter our behavior, what makes you think a shock like that would deter your dog's unwanted behavior you have tried EVERYTHING else humanly possible to get rid of? The answer is it wouldn't. That means the collars either don't work, or you are kidding yourself if you compare it to a static electricity shock.

The second (and even bigger) issue I have with shock collars is their misuse by dog owners. This will be a good time to address trainers that use these shock collars "responsibly". There are many dog trainers who use these collars as only a part of an entire training program to help with a dog that is extremely stubborn or working with a dog at a great distance away (i.e. hunters). I still believe that, even in the situation stated before, it is a tool of convenience rather than necessity. What I mean by that is the collar makes the training easier for the trainer, not the dog, and is not actually necessary for the training. However, that is not the worst misuse of this product. What I see more often than that is dog owners purchasing a shock collar with the idea that the collar will train their dog. This could not be farther from the truth. Shock collars do not train your dog, they are only the consequence for bad behavior. It is up to the owner to figure out how to communicate which behavior is getting the consequence (and which behavior we would rather they exhibit). Let's set up a hypothetical scenario with my dog "Tru":

    Tru is a Corgi who used to get riled up easily and bark at people ,dogs, cats, squirrels, and occasionally nothing outside. So let's say I decided to purchase a shock collar because I was tired of her behavior. The first time she exhibited the behavior I pushed the little red button. Now, she knows she has just been shocked but has no idea why. She may not even realize at first that it was something that she did to cause it. Will she eventually avoid the shock in the future? Probably, but since no one explained to her exactly which behavior was unwanted and which reaction would have been more desirable (training) she will simply stop ALL the behaviors she was exhibiting when the shock came. Which could include: being outside, interacting with people or other dogs, running, barking, doing her "business", etc. Some of those were unwanted behaviors but some were not. So what kind of dog will this give you in the end?

The answer is a dog that is afraid to exhibit any behavior for fear of getting in trouble. I am not saying that an experienced handler that uses this tool as  merely a part of an entire training program will end up with a dog like this (but they might). What I am saying is, a novice dog trainer (and some not-so-novice too) who use it as a quick fix and expect the collar to do all the work will end up with a very confused dog.

I can spot this dog a mile away. Most people who see this owner and dog say "wow he sure listens well!" What I see is a dog who cowers every time his owner speaks to him because his first reaction to a command is the fear of being shocked if wrong.

Imagine what game shows would look like if we shocked the contestant who had the wrong answer. (I sure hope there isn't a TV executive reading this right now, thinking "What a great idea!")While some might find it entertaining to watch, I would venture to say we would have to make people be on the show and they wouldn't want to answer any questions because of their fear of being wrong. Then when they did answer, because we forced them to, they would probably flinch as they spoke the answer, bracing for that shock even if they were pretty sure they knew the answer.

Well folks, this is what we are doing to our dogs! Instead of making training fun and rewarding for both of us, we are running some sort of twisted game show where the prizes don't matter because they are overshadowed by the consequences of being wrong. Now don't get me wrong, I do discipline my dogs when they are in the wrong. However, only after I have taught them what I expect of them. I also do not use methods that are more extreme than most dogs need nor do I focus only on when they are wrong. Who wants to be taught that way?

Another reason I don't believe that shock collars are a good alternative is because, just like other "training equipment", we either become dependant on it, or we must figure out how to wean them off of the equipment (See my previous blog entry If you take this handy dandy pill, you can have a trained dog?) . I have had many owners who I have quizzed about using the shock collar say, "Well it works...as long as he is wearing it."  In other words, they associate the collar with the punishment and will only behave when wearing it. At this point you either have them wear the collar for the rest of their life or go to work weaning them off of it (which, interestingly enough, I think is more work than doing all the work without the collar from the beginning).

Finally, if you are turning to a shock collar because it is your last resort in training your dog because nothing else has worked, you probably need to take a good look at your training methods as a whole picture. The reason I say this is because, if used as intended, a shock collar is simply the consequence for not doing what you have asked of him. If you find yourself at this "last resort", chances are one of two things has happened: 1. You are not communicating as effectively as you think. In other words, if other consequences have failed, it could be because they are still confused on what you want them to do. In this instance, raising the consequences when your dog is still confused will not lead to success. 2. If you have gone through all of the lower levels of consequences and they have all failed, then you have already taught the dog perseverance. If he can resist the threshold of punishment long enough YOU will give in and he will get his way. Since this precedent is already set, a shock collar will only raise his tolerance for punishment and he will eventually be able to exhibit the behavior even through the pain of being shocked because he knows you will quit using it if it doesn’t work. Reaching this point with ANY dog, requires a serious makeover to your entire training program, not just his discipline.

Should professional trainers use these methods? I will leave that decision up to them hoping that IF they choose to, they are educated on how to use them  correctly. Should novice dog owners use them without the help of a professional? Absolutely not, and once you weigh the pros (are there any?) and cons of using these devices I hope that you chose not to use them at all.

  In my experience as a positive reinforcement, reward based trainer, I come into contact with many owners who are skeptics about using treats in their dog's training. They tend to see it as a surefire way to spoil their dog, when in reality, it’s a surefire way to set yourself up to be successful trainer! Some owners are afraid that they will become dependant on the treats and this is a valid concern, so make sure your trainer devotes time during your sessions to talk to you specifically about how to wean them from the treats. Other owners seem to think that giving treats spoils your dog. I have to be honest here and say that if you are not willing to give your dog something in return for what he does for you, you may want to rethink your relationship with your dog. This doesn't mean they have to have a treat for EVERY little thing they do for the rest of their life (that is spoiled!) However, they do deserve some sort of reward for the love and companionship they give us. So for this week's entry I decided to talk about 3 purposes for treats in dog training: the owner's tool for success, reinforcement of the behavior, and rewarding the dog.

If you did a survey of dog owners and asked them what the purpose of treats were for training, the majority of them would say that it is a reward for the dog. While this is certainly true, it is not the only role treats play in training. Perhaps the most important purpose for the treat is that it is your tool for success. Much of positive reinforcement training utilizes a technique called luring. What this means is that we use the treat to lure the dog into the position we want (i.e. sit). This allows us to communicate effectively the command we are trying to accomplish. Without the treat we are left with two options (I have seen many owners guilty of both of these):

 1. Continually repeat the command until the dog finally does it accidentally or because they are tired of hearing us repeat ourselves. The issue with this option is that it is leading us down a dangerous path in our training. From the very beginning of training it is best to say the command only once and then get a response. Otherwise your dog is either learning to ignore the command or learning how many times you are willing to repeat it (or both). Either way, we are not creating a responsive, reliable dog.

 2. Say the command only once, and then physically force the dog into the position we want.  While this technique is still used among some training professionals, it is my belief that it is not the best technique available to us. The reason, I believe, is that the dog is only taking a passive role in the training. He is allowing you to put his body into a certain position, instead of figuring out what you want him to do. The example I like to give is this: Imagine you are on a road trip with someone who is familiar with where you are going so they are in the driver's seat and you are a passenger (passive role). Once at your destination, they suddenly ask you to drive home. Would you immediately know the way? Or would you have to think about it since you were simply the passenger and not the driver?  In my opinion, when we physically force a dog into a position, it actually takes longer for them to learn because they are only passively involved in the training process. In addition to this, we are not creating a "thinking dog" (a dog that tries to figure out what you want), we are creating a dog that waits for you to show him.

The second reason we use treats in training? Guess what, it still isn't to reward the dog! It is to reinforce the behavior.  Yes the two are related, however, reinforcing the behavior helps US not the dog. If we shape a behavior using food rewards, even after we wean them off of the treats, they are just as excited to perform the behavior! Remember Pavlov? He found that if he paired a primary reinforcer (food) with a secondary reinforcer (a bell), he could eventually omit the primary reinforcer altogether and still get the same reaction with only the secondary reinforcer!  Here is what he did: He conducted an experiment where he had a group of dogs and systematically rang a bell and then delivered food to the dogs. Eventually, he rang the bell without delivering any food. What he found was that when he rang the bell, the dogs drooled, whether they were fed or not! This led him to conclude that they had learned to associate the same reaction for simply hearing a bell as they did to actually being fed. Now, what does all this means to us? If we begin shaping a behavior by using treats, even once we wean them from the treats, they will still remember how it made them feel and will associate that happiness with the command. The point I am making is that not only do treats reinforce the behavior initially, they continue to even after we stop using the treats!

 I have personal experience at the difference between using treats to shape the behavior and not. You see, it wasn't until recently that all the scientific research came together to prove better methods of dog training. There was a time when ALL dogs were taught by force and I can remember the results of that training. It is my personal opinion that a dog that is taught in the "old ways" does not enjoy his commands, he simply does them because he has to. You can see it written all over his face. However, a dog whose commands have been reinforced by rewards enjoys being asked to perform!

 If you reinforce their behaviors in the beginning with rewards, it also makes your work easier when you get to the stage of training called "proofing". Proofing is when you intentionally put your dog into a situation where they might mess up so that you can work through their issues. If the dog's behavior has already been reinforced with rewards, less proofing is required.
Here is a perfect example: In my classes, the first week that we work on a Come When Called, the owners only job is to make it fun and easy. I tell them their goal is to see how excitedly they can get the dog to come to them. A couple of weeks later, we begin proofing by setting out items like toys or balls and asking them to leave those items and come to their owner. Some dogs are so excited to play the "come" game that they don't even notice the items! That is because their behavior has been reinforced before we introduced distractions, therefore making our job of proofing easier.

Finally, treats are used to reward the dog for what he does for you! I am a firm believer in the importance of a fully trained dog getting rewarded for what he does for you, not so he will do something for you. It is very important to me that the dogs I train get to a point in their training that they don’t have to have a treat to perform their commands. Notice I didn't say they don't get any treats, I said they don't have to have them to obey. Our dogs should always be rewarded for what they do for us. However, we should be able to decide whether that reward is food, verbal praise, petting, playing, or other life rewards. It is also important that we do not have to show them their reward in advance in order for them to behave (i.e. show them you have a treat so they will sit). If your trainer helps you accomplish these two things, not only is there nothing wrong with using food rewards, it actually enriches your relationship with your dog! 

Thanks Kathy for giving me the inspiration for this week's topic!

Agility- This activity is a favorite among dog owners. What owner (and dog!) wouldn't have fun navigating through an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles, teeter totters, etc.? Not only is it great fun, but it also fosters teamwork between you and your dog (you navigate them through the course, signaling to them which obstacle comes next). It is definitely physically AND mentally stimulating to the dog, and if you are a regular fan of my blog, you know how important I think those are! Perhaps my favorite thing about agility is that it builds confidence in the dog. If you can get a dog to shoot through a collapsed tunnel (they cannot see an opening in the other side), sprint up an A-frame (very steep on both sides), and balance on a teeter totter as it flops to the other side, surely he can deal with simple nuances while out on a walk!

Wikipedia has a great article about agility here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_agility

The only down side to this sport is that it takes a lot (and I mean A LOT) of equipment and space. Unless you are ready to go head first into the world of agility, you may want to find a local club or trainer who has the equipment and will give you lessons on how to introduce your dog to the obstacles. If you are the DIY type, you can just begin with a couple of homemade jumps in your backyard and go from there! This Old House has a great page on how to build a few basic agility obstacles: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20296555,00.html#

  For those of you in the Topeka area that are interested in Agility, I hope to have an agility course available for lessons sometime in the Summer of 2012!

Treiball- For those of you who may have a herding breed but no access to livestock ( or even a non-herding breed!) They have come up with a clever new sport that utilizes some of the aspects of herding but with exercise balls instead of sheep! Now this may sound silly at first, but it is actually quite ingenious. You see, it allows you and your dog to work together as a team. You and your dog are working together to round up all the exercise balls and put them in a particular place. This hobby is physically stimulating, mentally stimulating, and promotes teamwork between you and your dog!  Perhaps the greatest part about Treibball is that it takes very little equipment (just a few large exercise balls).

 For those of you who are visual like me, go to www.youtube.com and type in "treibball" as your keyword search. There are PLENTY of examples for you to look at.

The Whole Dog Journal also has a great article about Treibball http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_4/features/Treibball-Canine-Sport_20234-1.html

 For more information on this fun new sport, you can check out the American Treibball Association's website at : http://www.americantreibballassociation.org/ . While I do not currently offer Treibball group classes, look for them to begin sometime in the future!

Dock Dogs- I am always amazed at the wonderful ideas people come up with for hobbies with their dogs. The next activity that I will be sharing with you is called "dock dogs". It is a great way for people who have sporting dogs (or just about any athletic, high-drive breed) to burn off some of that energy! A dock dog, as the name implies, will jump from a dock to retrieve a "dummy". There are 3 different areas that the dogs can compete: distance of  jump, height of jump, and speed of retrieval.  Obviously this is a sport best played during the warmer months, but it is a wonderful way to get out there and exercise your dog!
 The national website for dock dogs is: http://www.dockdogs.com/

I also found a club in Kansas City that practices during the summer months at Kemper Outdoor Education Center: http://www.mokandockdogs.org/index.html  (Maybe someday we can have a place to do all of these great hobbies here in Topeka!)

  This week I have decided to take a break from my multi-part series about activities to do with your dog to write about an issue that most dog owners are too embarrassed to ask me about but is more common than they realize. The fancy name for it is coprophagia but it is basically when your dog decides that it's own feces is a tasty treat.  While even the thought of this behavior is too disgusting for most of us to ponder, some owners find themselves in this situation with their dogs and are at a loss as to why their dog is doing it. There has not been much scientific research conducted on this topic, and since we cannot simply ask them what is causing them to exhibit this behavior, we must simply take an educated guess as to why dogs develop this nasty habit. Below are some possible reasons for coprophagia and some solutions to try with your dog.

Health Issues- Anytime we have a seemingly unexplainable behavior issue, I always urge owners to rule out the possibility of a health problem. Here are some issues that can be related to coprophagia (DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a vet and this is in no way a complete listing of health issues related to this behavior. It is only meant to give a few examples).
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: EPI is brought about by a malfunctioning pancreas that is not creating enough digestive enzymes. This malfunction in the pancreas is due to a progressive loss of cells, usual caused by something called a pancreatic acinar atrophy. This atrophy can be the result of simple genetics, a blocked pancreatic duct or past infections.
Pancreatitis: This is an inflammation of the pancreas that can be caused by any number of factors. Infections, metabolic disorders, high amounts of lipid or calcium in the bloodstream trauma, certain medications, and obesity are all possibilities.
Intestinal infections: Infections can happen for any number of reasons, but parasites are usually the culprit with dogs.
Malabsorptive syndromes: The exact cause of this disorder is unknown, but there is speculation that it may be related to allergies to the proteins in certain cereal grains.

If your dog is exhibiting coprophagia, have a discussion with your vet about possible health reasons.

Compulsive behavior- Some dogs who are already prone to compulsive behaviors (think high energy, high drive dogs) that are not given a "job" to do, can develop this habit quite easily. It may sound strange to us but dogs learn behaviors from the mother of their litter first and most all of us know that a mother will clean up after the puppies in order to keep the whelping area sanitary (it is also thought that this may be nature's way of keeping predators from finding their puppies). If a pup that picks up on behaviors very quickly sees this, they may decide to try it themselves, especially if bored. Simply put, if they are out in the yard with no job and no toys they will make their own, even if it is their own excrement. If you have a dog that may fit into this category, make sure you are providing them with sufficient physical AND mental stimulation throughout the week (check out my blog entries about activities to do with your dog!) It may also be a good idea to buy your dog some outside toys for him to play with and try to get in a regular routine of disposing of his poop on a regular basis so it is not available for him to make it a toy.
 

Nutrition- What food you are feeding your dog can effect the issue of coprophagia. If you are feeding a food that is too high in protein for the dog, it can lead to poop eating. Because you are feeding them more protein than they can absorb, some of that protein comes out exactly like it went in, and therefore seems desirable to the dog. Another issue related to nutrition would be if you are feeding a dog food that contains a lot of "fillers" like corn. When your dog eats a dog food that is mostly made up of elements that they do not digest or use, once again their poop can come out looking , smelling, and even tasting a lot like it did when they ate it the first time. Feeding a lower quality food can also lead to a deficiency in your dog's diet. Some believe that a Vitamin B deficiency will cause coprophagia. Next time you are at the store to buy dog food, take a look at the ingredients before you buy the food. If you are at a pet specialty store, they probably have an employee that can discuss food options with you or you can talk to your vet or trainer about your dog's nutrition. Simply switching their food may help you eliminate this behavior.
 

Overfeeding- Not just WHAT you are feeding but HOW MUCH can effect your dog. If you are feeding your dog more food than it needs, it may have trouble absorbing all the nutrients of the dog food (even if you are using a high quality food). If this is the case, than once again, their feces comes out much like it went in the first time as dog food. Your dog's food should have feeding guidelines based on your dog's weight, use that as a suggestion for how much you should be feeding your dog. However, every dog's metabolism is slightly different so your dog may require more or less than that suggestion.
 

Attention Seeking- This may sound strange at first, but once explained, makes quite a bit of sense.  Simply put, the dog does it to get our attention and boy do they get it! We may yell, gag, run at them, or just simply talk to them in disgust at the behavior they are exhibiting. This theory is not unlike what I tell my students about a dog who jumps on you even after repeated sessions of what you consider teaching him not to. These sessions usually involve you pushing the dog off of you, giving him a dirty look, and yelling at him. Most owners are amazed that the dog continues to jump. Why? Well because dogs are a lot like celebrities, even bad publicity is still publicity (Hey, at least they are talking about me!) So if before the jumping, you were not paying any attention to your dog, and now that he has jumped you are giving him physical touch (pushing him off), eye contact (dirty look), and talking to him (yelling), he has gotten what he wanted. Your dog loves you  and desires your attention so much that he would rather be yelled at then be ignored. The same can be true for coprophagia, if he knows he can get your attention by doing it, angry or not, he will! If this is the possible reason for your dog's coprophagia, keeping their feces picked up as regularly as possible so that they cannot perform the behavior and providing them with more attention linked to positive behaviors is a good place to start.

These are just a few of the speculative reasons for this unpleasant behavior, if you try some of the suggestions listed above to no avail, it may be time to enlist the help of a professional trainer to modify their behavior.
 

Conformation- How many of you have watched the fancy dog show that is televised every February? Westminster Dog Show, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it is probably one of the most well known examples of a sport called conformation. While some relate this hobby to a beauty pageant for dogs, it was actually developed as a way to preserve the breeds that have been developed over the years to excel at different jobs. Some people do not realize that it isn’t simply about how pretty the dog is, or which dog’s coat is whiter, or which dog has the longest hair. Each breed is held to a specific breed standard that covers several different areas of physical appearance, temperament, and any other area that could alter how effective that dog can be at its original purpose.  Each dog competes against other dogs of the same breed, hoping to win Best of Breed or Best of Opposite Sex. These two awards are designed to pick the best male and female dog of that breed at the show. Therefore, recognizing the best breeding combinations not only by the owners themselves, but also by an educated 3rd party (the judge).

While I definitely believe in the importance of adopting dogs, I also believe in the importance of preserving the breeds that have been created already.  I know there are some pet owners out there who have done their research and purchased a dog from a responsible breeder that has been recognized by a dog registry such as the American Kennel Club. If this is you, you may enjoy spending your weekends asking a judge how well your dog fits the written standard of your breed.

You can start by going on line and checking out the breed standard for your own dog here: http://www.akc.org/breeds/complete_breed_list.cfm

If you feel that your dog is a good representation of the breed standard, you can look into joining a local kennel club and finding a member of that club who would like to mentor you. The American Kennel Club has actually started its own mentor program and you can find the details of this on: http://www.akc.org/public_education/mentor.cfm

For those of you in Kansas, here are some local kennel clubs:
Topeka: http://www.topekakc.org/
Lawrence: http://www.ljkc.com/
Manhattan: http://www.mkkc.org/

Herding- Most of the activities that I will be writing about will be open to just about any breed, however some are designed to speak to the abilities of certain breeds.  Herding is a great way to spend time with your herding dog. For those of you who may not know, you do not have to own livestock (sheep,cattle, goats, etc.) to enjoy herding with your pooch. There are herding trainers who will allow you to take lessons at their facility and use their livestock.
If you are interested in getting started in herding, the first step would be to get your dog “instinct tested”. Some dogs have more instinct to herd than others, so before you jump into the deep end of the pool, you should have them tested to see if they (and you) will enjoy this pastime. Many times the herding trainers I mentioned above will evaluate your dog for herding ability or the American Kennel Club hosts Herding Instinct Testing events all over the country.
You can find an overview of how these instinct testing events work at: http://www.akc.org/events/herding/herdsman/morearticles.cfm?page=10 (be sure to only read the part of the article titled “herding instinct testing”) Thanks Mom for this great reference! (She wrote the article). If you have a herding breed and are interested in learning more about this activity, feel free to send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will attempt to find a herding trainer in your area.

Frisbee- For those of you who have a pup that is crazy about Frisbees, did you know there is a competitive arena for these dogs? In disc dog competitions, dogs and their owners compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. Not only do they have competitive events, but you can also get involved in a “disc dog” club and may even be able to do demonstrations at public events to entertain crowds with your dog!
For those of you in the Kansas area, I found a great club in Kansas City that can help you get started in this sport: http://www.kcdiscdogs.com/index.html
I also had one of my blog readers e-mail me a great site where you can order affordable Frisbees for your dog, you can order their “misprints” making them even cheaper! Here is their website: http://www.dtworld.com/Dog-Discs-s/5.htm

Stay tuned next week for even more fun activities to do with your dog!

Walking/Jogging/Running- It may sound boring to some of you, and some others may say "Well, I already do that..." but think about how you can make going for a walk more interesting for you AND your dog. While your daily walk around the block is great, taking them to new places for their exercise is fun for both of you. Not only is this physically and mentally stimulating for your dog, but you can also work in a training session while there and that will help them be more reliable in unfamiliar situations. If you live in the Topeka area, there are several great places that have trails for you and your dog to enjoy together. Here are a few parks that have walking trails to enjoy:
    Shunga Trail
    Governor's Mansion (MacLennan Park)
    Lake Shawnee
    Shawnee North Community Center and Nature Trail
    Gage Park
    Landon Trail is being developed on the former MoPac rail line that was rail banked
     when it was any longer used by the Railroad. The existing ballast of the rail line is 
    currently use as the surface for the trail. This trail once fully developed will be a 
    primary North and South trail in Topeka.
    Warren Nature Area at 25th and Gage (south of V. A. Hospital and K.N.I.) There are 
    over 2 miles of grass trails through this wetland environment, one of the premier bird 
    watching areas of Topeka. Accessible tours are available. A large section of the 
    Shunga Trail runs through this area, allowing access to hikers, bikers, skaters, etc. Enter
    through Felker Park parking lot at 25th and Gage St.
    Dornwood at SE 25th Street and Highland has 2 miles of unpaved bark chipped 
    hiking trails through forest, abandoned rock quarry, stream side, and tallgrass prairie. 
    Enter on SE 25th Street.
    Grant Park at SW 65th and Baker Drive is a native prairie (never been plowed) which 
    is loaded with wild flowers during June. A trail is mowed around the edge of the park 
    with many bird boxes. Walking anyplace is encouraged. Enter on University
    Welton Grove Park at 39th and Cambridge is a 45 acre natural area with mowed 
    trails. This park is part of a storm water detention area. There is a small creek that 
    winds through the wooded site. Enter at Atwood or Atwood Terr.
    Clarion Park at SW 37th & Fairlawn contains a unpaved natural trail that goes around 
    the pond through one of the largest stands of Red Cedar on public property. This 
    gives the visitor a feeling of being in a national forest, as there is little wind or sunlight.
    Skyline Park at 3511 Skyline Parkway, features Burnetts Mound, the highest elevation 
    in Topeka, where visitors can overlook the entire city. The surrounding area is being 
    encouraged to return to native grass by spring burning. There are unpaved trails in the 
    southern part of the park (forested area).
These are just a few of the areas to enjoy with your dog so get out there and check them out!

Shed Hunting- This is a fairly new hobby that is a great way to spend some time in nature with your dog. It combines the scent discrimination work that I talked about last week with getting your dogs to find deer antlers that have been naturally shed by bucks in the wild. You can use this past time to enjoy the wonders of nature while your dog searches out new chew toys! Thats right, many dog experts are saying that antlers make great chews for dogs. They last much longer than bully sticks or chews made of compacted starch or rawhide. Deer antlers for dogs are much less likely to chip or splinter when they are being chewed than processed bones. The chewing action grinds the antler chew down slowly. They contain many beneficial nutrients and nothing artificial. Antlers have virtually no odor or residue to get on your carpet or furniture.
For those of you in the Topeka area, I just recently found out about a seminar being held this weekend at the Expo Center in conjunction with "Monster Buck Classic" about using dogs to hunt for sheds. Here is the information on the seminar: http://www.monsterbuckclassic.com/pages/seminars.php
and here is the gentleman who will be conducting the seminar:
Antler Dogs-Roger Sigler
It's definitely something I am looking forward to trying with my own dog!

Therapy Work- If you are someone who enjoys doing volunteer work, registering your dog as a therapy dog might be a wonderful way to include your dog in your volunteer activities. Most hospitals, nursing homes, VA's, schools, and many other places that ask for volunteers would also appreciate volunteer work from your 4 legged family member also. Many of the individuals using these services love to be visited by furry friends because they can no longer have their own pets. If you would like to get started down this path, you can sign up for a local obedience class. Make sure the class will cover the manners that will be looked at during your therapy dog evaluation such as: Sitting politely to be petted, accepting handling and grooming, walk on a loose lead ( even through a crowd), do a "Sit" and a "Down" on command, "Stay", "Come when called", behave calmly around other dogs, and around visual distractions such as medical equipment, and auditory distractions such as loud noises, and leave a treat or toy when asked to do so.
Here are some websites to get you started:
Prarieland Visiting Animals
Delta Society

See ya next week for 3 more fun activities to do with your dog!

We have all heard this phrase but what exactly does it mean? And what exactly is the best way to achieve said "tired dog"? First, as a trainer, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn’t state that simply wearing your dog out will not get rid of their bad behaviors. However, not giving them an outlet for all their energy is also asking for trouble.

Many owners realize when getting certain breeds that they require a lot of exercise. However, when it comes down to actually finding fun ways to achieve these outings, they are at a loss. I also find that many owners overlook the importance of mental stimulation, not just physical. Ideally, these energy outlets should be challenging the dogs brain and not just their muscles (think running on a treadmill vs. outside).There are a lot of dog owners that do not realize all the fun activities that have been created to encourage physical and mental stimulation for you and your dog. So I have decided to begin a multi-part series listing some of the great dog hobbies I am familiar with, what they are, and how to get started in them. Each week I will highlight 3 hobbies you can enjoy with your dog. Not only do these activities challenge your dog physically and mentally, but they will also strengthen the bond between you and your furry friend.  Enjoy!

1. Obedience Classes-Are obedience classes only for "disobedient" dogs? No! Obedience classes are also great for dogs with no serious behavior issues! Learning new things challenges your dog mentally and physically. Even if your dog has attended a class before, most training establishments offer higher levels of training or even a "Trick" class. You will find that going to class every week and learning something new to work on will not only be a fun outing for you and your dog, but will also give you something to work on at home. If you are interested in attending one of my classes e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 785.408.6127!
2. Dog Day Care- If your dog loves to play with other dogs, than maybe he needs a hobby of his own! Dog Day Care facilities provide your dog with the outside play he enjoys so much with other dogs to keep him company. When looking for a dog day care, make sure the facility "interviews" potential clients to evaluate the temperaments of new dogs. You want a day care that does not allow aggressive or intimidating dogs to dominate the dynamics of off leash play.  Also, ask them if you can take a tour of the facility and ask  what the daily routine for your dog would be at the day care. You may also want to ask if they provide bathing services. Playing outside all day can get messy! Finally, and most importantly, ask them what their vaccination policies are for dogs to come and play. Make sure you are not endangering your dogs health just for a little bit of fun! Taking your dog to play outside all day while you are at work will provide them with mental and physical stimulation and is a good option for owners who have busy schedules. If you are interested in a dog day care in the Topeka area, check out Dog Day Afternoon! at http://www.dogdayafternoon-online.com/
3. Scent Work- I have covered scent work in a previous blog entry, but in case you missed it, scent work is one of my favorite activities and is somewhat new to pet owners.  We have all seen the "working" dogs who find specific scents for a living. Whether it be a beagle sniffing out bombs at the airport or a German Shepherd locating drugs in a vehicle, scent discrimination has been around for a long time but has just recently been adapted to become a perfect hobby for you and your dog! First, we teach the dog to search for things using their nose. For some breeds, using their nose comes very naturally (hounds, for example) for others it can be challenging at first (herding breeds prefer to use their eyesight). Once we have "taught" them to use their nose, then we begin working on teaching them to discriminate between scents. In other words, we ask them to pick out a specific scent among other scents. We may have 4 identical boxes laid out, each containing a different smell (i.e., one vanilla, one hazelnut, one lavender, etc.) and we ask the dog to indicate the box that contains the scent of vanilla.

         Once harnessed, the power of their nose is unbelievable! 
       A trained dog is able to find two grains of sand on a beach 500 meters long, 50 meters wide and 50 centimeters deep. ( <http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss20p6.shtml> ).
I found this information from Norway and had to convert it to get the full effect, this translates to finding 2 scented grains of sand on a beach that is over 5 football fields long and 20 inches deep!
Not only can you play this fun game indoors, outdoors, rain, or shine. You might even find a use for it in your everyday life (I think I should teach my dog to sniff out my cell phone, and my keys!). I offer Scent work classes on a extremely limited basis at this time, however, if you are interested in getting started in this activity,  e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 785.408.6127!
Or check out these sights:
http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/getting-started-nose-work
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1121
http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss20p6.shtml

Stay tuned next week for even more activities to do with your dog!

In meeting many dog owners, I meet my fair share of spoiled dogs. These dogs are allowed to do whatever they want, whenever they want. If they have a desire, all it takes is for them to communicate that want to their owner and the desire is delivered. When we bring home that adorable little ball of fur with that face, how could we say no? At first it's no big deal, the puppy wants to tug on our shoe strings and it's cute so why not? Then they get big enough and their play escalates to the point that they are tearing up our shoe strings if we wear lace up shoes. So we switch to slip on shoes and give our old shoe strings to the dog as a toy. Not a big sacrifice to make sure our best friend is happy right?

Then as our puppy gets older, his demands become larger and larger and we are forced to alter our lives to make them happy. Still, we think we are being good dog owners; after all, there must be some compromising when raising a puppy right? However, as our little wonder matures, it seems to take on a completely different personality. It no longer asks for things, it demands them. If it is involved in an unfamiliar situation, it NEEDS to be in control. If it is not in control it is uncomfortable, sometimes aggressive even. What happened to my sweet little puppy?

There are many, many different opinions on the subject of dominance and aggression in dogs, how it affects their behavior, and how it should factor into our training programs. Since much of this debate revolves around the fact that everyone's definition of dominance is different (an entire blog entry in itself), I have chosen to use the term "leadership role" in this blog instead of dominance. Anyone who has observed a group of dogs interact knows that they work out a hierarchal ladder of who is "in charge". They very rarely do this by aggressive means, but by subtle body language signals. After interacting for awhile, you will see some dogs will get everything they want, and other dogs will take on the responsibility of making sure the aforementioned are happy by giving them everything they want.  To think that dogs do not read our communication in the same way is, I believe, incorrect.

Now stay with me, I am in NO WAY supporting the use of dominating, oppressive behaviors toward your dogs (like alpha roles). I am simply stating that we can unknowingly be sending them the message that they are the leader in our household by giving them their every want and desire. This doesn't just cause problems for the owner, but can be taxing on the dog as well, depending on their personality.

Take a dog that is naturally less assertive and  less confident, give him his every want and desire, and chances are you will end up with the dog I describe above. You see, some dogs are not cut out to be "leaders", just like people. If they feel they have been forced into this role, they will feel inadequate and will more than likely overcompensate for their lack of confidence by being very suspicious, overprotective, and even aggressive towards unfamiliar situations.

 The example I like to give is this: imagine that you woke up this morning to your phone ringing, a voice on the other end of the phone tells you that you are now the President of the United States! Never mind the details of how this could happen, just imagine how you might feel. I know I would immediately feel a lot of anxiety. Thoughts would race through my head such as "I am not qualified for this!", "How am I going to handle that much responsibility?", and "I can't run the whole country!"  just to name a few.  On my first day, I may over react to situations that the current president would laugh at, because he is used to the pressures of such responsibility and I definitely wouldn't be much fun to be around.

When we deliver every desire to our dogs on a silver platter, in dog language, we are asserting them as the leader and many of them react just as we would at being told we were the leader of the free world. While this may seem silly, their world is their home and family, and taking care of these resources is a big responsibility in their eyes.

While we have the best of intentions when giving our dogs exactly what they want whenever they want it, not only are we making life harder on ourselves, we are not doing our dogs any favors either. Dogs naturally like structure, rules, and boundaries. They are more comfortable knowing what is expected of them. While we want to think our domesticated doggies are far from their wolf roots, they have not lost their survival instinct. Surviving as a member of a group of animals requires structure, rules, and boundaries. Don't get me wrong, my dogs are spoiled in their own ways, but in the ways I choose, not the ways they choose. I make sure they are happy, just not at the expense of my happiness and they thank me for being the leader because I take responsibility off their shoulders and allow them to enjoy life without worrying about being "in charge".  So next time you are thinking about altering your life to please your dog,  stop and ask yourself, are you really doing them any favors?

What on earth could spaghetti and microwave dinners have to do with dog training?  Read on and find out!

Perhaps one of the most common phrases I hear from dog owners is, " my dog only has this one issue that I am trying to fix." Sounds like a pretty easy case right? However, I know as an experienced dog owner/trainer that before I can even begin to work on the dog's issues, I have to get the owner to realize two things. 1. Their dog has more than one issue. 2. These issues are all interrelated.

When I was in high school my home-economics teacher was talking to us about communication between men and women. What she said was that men tend to see their world as a t.v. dinner (each component has its own little compartment and none of these components touch each other (ie. Affect one another). However, women tend to see their world as a plate of spaghetti where all the components of their life are intertwined and most certainly have an effect on each other. Whether this is a good summary of the differences between men and women or not, it can be applied to dog owners and their dogs.

As owners, we tend to think of our dog's unwanted behaviors as a t.v. dinner.  Each having it's own separate compartment and therefore having no effect on the other compartments. In addition to that, we tend to "overlook" the compartments that are not important to us or that we are afraid to address (we eat the meat and mashed potatoes but leave the peas).  This may be an acceptable way to eat t.v. dinners, but not to train your dog. Why? Because dog behaviors are more like that plate of spaghetti I mentioned earlier. All of their behaviors are infinitely intertwined together like the noodles in your spaghetti. In other words, ALL of their behaviors effect one another and you cannot extract just one behavior without disturbing another.

Okay, enough with the food talk, I am getting hungry! What all this means is that when an owner comes to me and tells me their dog only has ONE issue they need to work on, chances are very good that this is not the entire truth. When observing the dog myself, I will often see other issues that relate to their "must go" issue. These issues are either overlooked by the owner, or the owner decided a long time ago that they couldn't be changed.  Even though the owner has become complacent with these secondary behaviors, it does not mean that they do not have to be addressed in order to fix the primary behavior.

Let me give you an example of what I am talking about (this is a hypothetical example that is not intended to represent any dog owner in particular, however, if this sounds like you maybe you should give me a call!): An owner comes to me and asks for help with her dog "Bella" because she barks all the time. She insists that this is the only area she needs help in. While observing the dog, I notice the barking, but I also notice a few other things.  "Bella" jumps all over me when I walk in the door, she is instantly crawling into my training bag and crawling out with treats in her mouth, once she is bored with my bag she begins scratching at a piece of the carpet, and as soon as she catches the cat out of the corner of her eye she takes off full-tilt toward it.

When I ask the owner about her jumping she admits she jumps but "its not so bad because she is a little dog…unless her feet are muddy…". I then ask about a "Leave it" command to keep her out of things that don't belong to her and she replies "well, we just try to keep everything put away". Next, I mention the hole in the carpet where "Bella" has obviously been taking her boredom out for awhile and get "yeah, but she only does it in that ONE spot". Finally, I ask about the cat and she apologizes and says she usually keeps the cat in a separate room. 

What this owner does not realize is that her dog has WAY more than that one issue that needs improvement, there are several issues I have seen just in the first few minutes of arriving at her house. All of these issues are interrelated and must ALL be addressed to fix the issue most important to the owner (the barking).

The dog I just described has a general lack of self control and boundaries. By putting up with some of her issues of self control (the cat and getting into things they shouldn't) you are communicating to her that having no self control is acceptable. Remember that plate of spaghetti? Allowing them to behave impulsively and destructively in some areas affects other areas of their behavior as well.  In order to fix the issue of barking, we must let "Bella" know that we expect her to exhibit self control in ALL of the areas she has trouble in, not just the compartments that are most important to us.

Remember: Think Spaghetti, not Microwave Dinner!

  My entry today is about self realization. That sinking feeling when you realize you have been doing something completely wrong, for awhile now. Our dog has an issue that we are trying to work through and, even with the best of intentions, we manage to communicate a completely different message than we intended.  We all find ourselves there at one point or another and I wanted to share one of my "moments" with you.

 It was with my corgi "Tru". Being a corgi, she has always had the tendencies to be reactive to things going on in her environment. Certain breeds do have the genetic makeup to be a certain way, but I believe training can steer them away from that path. So I have worked with Tru since she was a little puppy, getting her to the point where she can control her reactions to stimuli (which can be anything from a person walking by, to a cat 3 blocks away). Don't get me wrong, she isn't aggressive towards these stimulants, just vocal. It has been my experience with the breed that most of them are this way. It is, I believe, a form of over compensation for being so small in stature (they were bred to work cattle, I think that would be quite intimidating at their height!). They seem to feel like they need to be on top of every situation in the event that something could go wrong (a little paranoid dare I say). I don't say this to make excuses for them, I say this because it is important to know why a dog exhibits a behavior  in order to get rid of it.

So my self realization awhile back was that, instead of helping her through her issue, I had only managed to suppress her reactions these stimuli. To make matters worse, I had inadvertently reinforced her anxiety about those stimulants at the same time. In other words, I had not lowered her anxiety about these stimuli, I only managed to tell her I didn't care to hear about it. That wasn't very considerate of me was it?

 Here is what I found myself guilty of doing: She would react to a stimuli, then I would either: make her come closer to me so I could control her better or put her in her crate. Soon I found that I didn’t even have to make her come to me when a stimulus appeared, she did it automatically. Wow, progress, I thought. However, there was a point I reached a plateau in our training. A point where I realized that I had successfully suppressed her reactions but no matter how long we worked on it, they weren't going away completely. What I then realized was that I was not doing anything to remove her anxiety, everything I was doing naturally was simply suppressing her reactions.

 The other realization I came to was that, in my effort to control her, I was actually sending her the message that she was justified in feeling anxiety in the presence of these stimulants. When I called her to me, she felt I was protecting her from the situation and when I would put her in her crate, she felt I was putting her in her "safe place" until the stimulus was gone. Therefore reinforcing her feelings of doubt in these situations.

 The final realization that I had was this: when she would react, I would raise my voice to get on to her. However, when really studying the situation, I thought about the fact that dogs translate tone over content. In other words, she didn’t hear the words I was saying, only my tone. She only heard me raise my voice when the stimulus appeared (not unlike her own reaction). She took this to mean we were both bothered by the object in question.

 So I completely changed my approach and we have made improvements past that looming plateau we had hit. She will always be a corgi, that will never change, but her behavior can!

The moral of this story is that even the best of us can get caught off guard by a dog that does not translate our actions as we had intended. Our first instinct on what to do in a situation might not be the best way to communicate the message to our furry friends. Dogs have different learning styles just like people and we must find a way to adapt our training to our dog.  This is where someone with a well trained eye can help you see these situations and offer solution that will work for you and your dog! So next time you hit a training plateau with your dog, consider the possibility that your message could have gotten lost in translation somewhere along the way.