Loving & Training

My life loving and training dogs and other animals. I do miss having my own horses, but am so grateful for the ten years I had of horse ownership and training. I miss all of the animals that are gone from my life, if only they could live as long as we do. Albert, my parrot is still with me, must be 28 years old by now. These pictures really bring back some warm memories for me,

In Gratitude and Love,

Linda

Spring is in the air -The Scoop on Poop

Well, I know Spring is in the air from the warmer temperatures, the snow is melting, and so are the poopsicles. 

Yes, it's that wonderful  time of year. The time for more outdoor activities, and inside my fenced in property, the time to pick up those thawing poopsicles.

There are many pooper scoopers available out there, but I like the one-handed operation kind, although I also own a metal set that consists of two parts, sort of like a broom and dustpan. I find the dustpan part particularly handy for chipping out those most stubborn and not quite thawed remnants.

Being a full time dog trainer, I do spend an awful lot of my time talking to owners about pooping and peeing, so I thought it was appropriate to write about dog scat and urine.

Both pooping and peeing are scent marking behaviors in dogs. I have seen small male dogs almost tip over in their efforts to place their calling card, or p-mail, as high as they possibly can. The higher the mark, the more other dogs think a large scary dog has been in the area, but I really don't think they are fooling anyone. 

Dogs mark their territory with both urine marking, scat, and scratching the ground with their paws which have scent glands, after they evacuate. Wolves in the wild like to place their scat on bushes or high grass so it not only says, "Hey, I live here" by scent, but also by the charming visual display. 

I myself have seen my dog Chicory (who has passed on) literally shit up a tree, depositing it on a fungal growth. I guess he thought that it made a nice shelf for displaying his artwork, sort of like our displaying our knick knacks. "Take that you other dogs, I can shit higher than you can!!".

Many dogs have quite ritualistic behavior during their circling routine. The funniest dog I ever saw indulge in this behavior was a Dachshund named Dixie, she simply had the most ornate poop dance I had ever seen in my life. Averaging about ten or twelve circles, galloping along at breathtaking speed, spiraling inward to a slowly decreasing circle size, and voila! Spinning in place, Dixie would then deliver her all important deposit. Dogs like to circle when they poop to deposit yet more scent from their paws around the all important star of the show. They also have anal glands that excrete a small but potent scent on their scat as well. As if it isn't smelly enough!!

And let's not forget the lovely habit some dogs have, copraphagy, or in layman's terms, eating their own crap. This can be a genetic behavior, or certain dog's will just  eat their poop out of boredom. Please don't let your dog get this bored, can you imagine being that bored, I can't. Poop eating does have it's origins in a Mommy dog eating the poop of their still nursing pups, both to keep the den clean, as well as to not tip off predators that nursing, vulnerable pups live here.

Many people ask me how to stop this lovely habit, and there are many solutions out there. I have heard it all. Putting manufactured products on the poop to discourage the copraphagy, feeding the dog certain products to make their poop taste yicky (you mean it's not yicky enough!), or putting hot sauce on the poop. Well I always tell them, rather than spending your time seasoning your dog's scat, just pick it up. They can't eat what is not there, and you never know, they just might enjoy it more with hot sauce on it. I know I prefer lot's of things I eat with hot sauce on it, so please, don't season your dog's poop. PICK IT UP!!

Let's not forget to cover another lovely canine habit, rolling in other dog's poop. When my son Justin was little we were at the park with my then puppy Bernese Mountain Dog Grimsby, who had found an especially wonderful pile of diarrhea.  He proceeded to roll in it, I didn't see this as I was watching my son at the time. But, I found out soon enough when he pranced back to us, jumped all around my son, and smeared Justin with his new found prize. Dog's like to roll in funky things, they like the novel scent, sort of like when we decide to wear a new perfume. I will never forget trying to rinse off both Grimsby and Justin from a small water fountain and a discarded dixie cup I had found. When it come to dogs and poop, the fun just never ends. Or as we say in the dog training world, "sh**t happens".

Sole rights for this article belong to Linda Lukens of Common Ground Dog Training. Cannot be reprinted without the author's permission.

Dog Training and Exercising in the Winter - "Baby It's Cold outside"

Dog Training and Exercising in the Winter - "Baby It's Cold outside"

How to keep your dog happy, exercised, and continue training through the coldest weather. Alternatives to outside exercise for dogs in harsh winter climates. Dog safety in cold and snowy climates.

When it is hard to work with your dog or properly exercise him, here are some ideas that can help.

Work in your garage-You can practice loose leash walking, heeling, stays, come when called. At least you are both protected from the wind and the snow. Be sure to use your clicker & your treats to mark and reward all good behavior

Play the recall game in your home- Call your dog back and forth between you and another person in your household. Use dog's name only, as soon as your dog turns toward you when he hears his name, click, praise like crazy (Yeah!!!!) and kneel down to welcome him to you. Give a yummy treat when he gets to you and lot of petting. Now the other person playing the game does the same. Back and forth your dogs goes, having fun, learning to heed his name, and getting some exercise.

Play retrieve- Play retrieving with a ball or favorite toy. First get the dog interested in the toy by waving it around, tugging, bouncing the ball, etc. Now throw it and say "Fetch" or "Get it". When your dog goes out to pick the toy up, call him using his name, and as he comes back, use your clicker, praise, praise, praise, and give a treat when he drops the toy.
Dogs like a high pitched voice, so you guys, get your girlie voice out. When he returns to you hold a treat near his nose to get him to drop the toy, click when he drops it, give the treat, and you are ready to go again. You can do this in the house or garage, just choose your largest room, and work in the longest space. Repeat until your dog has had enough exercise.

Play Stairball- Sit at the bottom or top of your stairs and play retrieve up and down the stairs, Follow above directions to get the dog to give you the ball or favorite toy. Don't play this game if your dog has any physical problems, and don't overdue even with a healthy dog. Running up and down stairs is good exercise but a little goes a long way.

Work on Attention-Say your dog's name in an upbeat friendly voice, when he makes eye contact, use your clicker, give him a treat and praise. Can be done all day long.

And let's not forget a nice romp in the snow for those dogs that enjoy it. Just keep an eye on your dog that his paws are not freezing. Lifting up a paw, limping, & whimpering are signs that you need to bring your dog inside. There are boots for dogs on the market, personally, my little dog Lola, an Italian Greyhound, always manages to get one off, which I then have to search for in the snow. But perhaps your dog will keep his boots on! It's worth a try, and protects their feet from not just the cold, but also salt if you take a walk on the road. If your dog is short haired, I feel they should be wearing a well fitting, warm coat, regardless of their size. All small dogs should wear coats, they are low to the ground and get colder, sort of like your feet getting cold in freezing weather due to their contact with the cold ground. When you come inside, if your dog is a hairy footed critter, you will need to melt or remove those snowballs they can get in their paws. A hairdryer set on low heat, and be sure to keep it moving so you don't burn your dog, can be very helpful here.

Linda Lukens
Common Ground Dog Training
http://www.commongrounddogtraining.com

Are you a good dog owner? (From a dog's point of view)

Did you do thorough research to make sure I am the breed for you, and not just picked me on my looks (charming though my looks might be). Please don't buy me from a pet shop, puppy mills are not kind to dogs or careful in their breeding, and that is where pet shop puppies come from. Find a local responsible breeder, or adopt me from a rescue organization, or your local animal shelter.

Are you home enough so I don't spend all of my time alone? (you are my life, I want to be with you)

Do you feed me a good quality, nutritious diet? So many dogs get cancer and other illnesses from too many additives and food coloring.

Do you take me to the Vet when I don't feel well? (even though I might not want to go) You can make it a better experience for me by feeding me really good treats that I just can't resist.

Do I have regular health check-ups?

Have you considered pet health insurance. There are many different companies that offer this, and it can really help with the Vet bills.

Do you give me the exercise I need every day? (I don't mean to get the zoomies in the living room, I just need to run....)

Do you exercise me in a safe enclosed place.? (I don't understand that cars can hurt me)

Do you let me play with other dog's? (one of my favorite things, and I do need to keep up with speaking dog)

Do you take me with you to different places to meet lot's of new people? (I like this so much, I love to make new friends)

Do you train me so I can understand what I can and cannot do? (humans can be so confusing, even though I love you)

Do you use positive methods to train me? (please don't yell at me, hit me, or choke me, so scary)

Do I live inside the house, where I am warm and safe? (please don't tie me in the yard, or keep me outside all day, I'm just a homebody)

Do you provide me with safe things I can chew on? (I need toys, don't mean to use your slippers as one, I just couldn't find anything else)

Do you brush and care for my coat? (I hate when I get matted, it hurts!)

Do you bathe me when I need it? (even though I might roll in that goose poop, I do like being clean)

Do you make sure the children don't disturb me when I am sleeping? I could overreact if startled.

Do you make sure your children don't fall or sit on me, that can hurt and scare me.

Do you keep the children away when I eat, everyone likes to enjoy their meal in peace. If they want to come near, give them really good treats to put in my bowl, then I will welcome them around my food.

Do you leave me unsupervised with the children, although I love children, I am a dog after all, and need supervision.

Do you teach your kids not to pick me up? If I am a small dog, they could drop me. I also don't like to be picked up all of the time, after all, I am a dog, not a stuffed animal.

Do you let your kids tease me by running around and getting me all excited, if I get too excited, I can become nippy.

Do you teach your children good ways to play with me, through toys, tug of war, fetch, hide and seek, and go find the cookie. I love to play with them, but it is better if it is structured and supervised, otherwise I can get overstimulated and wild.

Do you expect the children to be responsible for training me. They really can't, I need an adult to teach me. Kids can be inconsistent and confusing, so then I don't get trained at all.

Do you have a method that works to housetrain me? Please don't leave me in the crate all day, I need time to play and be with my family. Please watch me when I am learning not to soil the house, I needs lots of supervision so I can figure out what you expect of me. Don't leave me in my crate past my physical limits, if you work all day, you will need a dog walker if I am a puppy. I need to go potty as much as you do, and when I am a baby, that is a lot of potty breaks.

Do you let me sleep in your bedroom at night when I am little, this way I can tell you when I need to go out, and I won't cry from lonliness.

Do you feel a real sense of responsibility toward me, will you stick it out with me if I have some problems, and get the help of a dog trainer if it is something you don't understand how to fix. Please don't let me end up at the pound, they might kill me. And even if they don't, the more homes I have, the harder it will be for me to be a good dog (being abandoned by people you love can really mess with your mind).

Do you feel such love and gratitude for the loyal and loving companion that I have been, that you will be there at the end of my life to make my passing not so scary. Being held in your arms makes all the difference. I am like people, I don't want to die alone.

If you can do all of these things, you are a great future or current dog owner. Responsible, kind, and you have done your research and understand dog's and how they think and learn. Owners like you are a gift and a blessing, God bless, and thank you.

Written by Linda Lukens. Linda has been a trainer for more than 34 years. She shares her life with her husband, four cats, 3 dogs, a Blue and Gold macaw, and a pond full of Koi. 

   http://www.commongrounddogtraining.com          Article may be re-printed so long as article is printed in it's entirety, links are intact, and credit given to the author. Author retains sole ownership of this article

Teaching loose leash walking (teaching your dog not to pull)

I would say this problem is one of the most common ones I encounter as a trainer. It is so unpleasant to be dragged around by your dog, and depending on the size of the dog, can be painful or dangerous. A dog that has learned to walk on a loose leash (think of cooked spaghetti, your leash should be hanging limp, not taut), is an absolute pleasure to walk with and enjoy life together.
Many owners inadvertently teach this behavior to their puppies during house training. When trying to house train a new puppy, most owner's main concern is that the pup potty outside. The fact that they might be pulling is often overlooked at that time. What I mean by "owners teach this behavior" is that it is allowed at that time. If your pup learns that if he wants to get from A to B, and pulling you along on his leash works, he is being reinforced (rewarded) for that behavior. So if pulling you from A to B works for the pup, he will continue to do so.
Training a dog to loose leash walk takes a lot of persistence and consistency on the part of the owner. It is not an easy behavior to teach, but of course, you can do it if you are committed.

Defining loose leash walking
The dog walks with the leash loose (cooked spaghetti), not taut. He can be near you, out in front, or to the side. Leash is loose, and he is not pulling.
 First Steps
1. Start training in your house or garage, where your dog is not interested in going anywhere. At this point he is probably not pulling. Have your dog on a 4 to 6 ft. leash, and a flat buckle collar. With a six foot lead, take up about 2 ft. of the leash, so he can't go more than 4 ft. away from you.
2. Reward your dog for walking with the leash loose (cooked spaghetti). Do not tighten the leash at all yourself. Give frequent rewards while moving. I recommend every two to three steps to start. Make sure your treats are really special, either a high quality semi-moist treat your dog loves, freeze-dried liver, small pieces of cheese, etc. Your treats should also be cut up into very small pieces, no bigger than the size of your dogs dry food. It will be easier for you if you are wearing a treat pouch or fanny pack to hold your treats, thus freeing your hands. If you are familiar with the clicker and it's proper use (you can find links on clicker training on my links page), click when the dog is not pulling and then treat. If you are not using a clicker, praise enthusiastically while treating. Practice this for a few days, 3X a day for 10 minutes each time. You should see an increase in your dog's "looking at you", and "staying close to you", while walking. When you see this sign that your dog is getting it, you may start to label the behavior with a verbal cue. I use "let's go", or "walk".
 Train Outside
3. Time to go out and work some more. Start in a quiet place without many distractions. Use the same equipment as stated above, special treats, 4-6 ft. leash, treat pouch, and clicker if you are cognizant of proper clicker use. Start out by trying to reward your dog for the leash being loose, always try to catch your dog doing something right and reward it lavishly and often.  At this time your dog might start pulling as you are outside and that is a whole lot more interesting than your home or garage. As soon as your dog pulls (now the leash is like uncooked spaghetti), you can apply one of the following three solutions. Work with these solutions, trying them one at a time, to see which one works best for you and your dog. You can also alternate solutions, depending on the situation.
 The Solutions
 Solution A for loose leash walking: As soon as that leash becomes taut (and I do mean "as soon as", don't allow yourself to be dragged one single step). You are going to STOP WALKING. This method is often referred to as "be a tree". So when your dog starts to pull, you immediately and abruptly stop and become an immovable object, "be a tree". Wait quietly until your dog realizes his pulling cannot move you, and he notices the walk has halted. When the dog slackens the leash by coming back near you, or if they turn to look at you (but the leash must be slack, remember) praise, walk, and reward. Continue this method with consistency, don't get frustrated and give up, this takes time. Engaging your dog with some silly banter ,"Hi baby, are we having fun yet?"," What a pretty pup you are", will help him to look at you more often, and keep him interested in you, (instead of his surroundings). This gives you more opportunity to reward him and catch him doing something right. If he starts to pull at any time during your banter, please zip those lips or he will think he is being praised for pulling.
 Solution B for loose leash walking: Leash becomes taut, dog is pulling, immediately back up a few steps. This is often referred to as "penalty yards". When dog notices your actions, and stops pulling, praise, continue walking forward again, and treat. Continue consistently, same as above, and try to engage your dog to keep him interested in you, and to give you lot's of opportunity to reward him.
 Solution C for loose leash walking: Dog is pulling, leash taut, immediatelywhile moving. Practice, practice, practice. Be consistent, and engage your dog.
Why these methods to teach loose leash walking work:
They are all based on the same principle, the dog learns he cannot pull you to have a walk with you or to get to wherever he would like to go. When he does pull, you are either halting, backing up, or turning, thus he is never being reinforced for pulling. He will come to learn that pulling simply does not work, that it actually stops the walk whenever he pulls. The dog is also being lavishly praised and rewarded for whenever the leash is slack and he is paying some attention to you.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

 Always walk your dog, not the other way around. What I mean is you decide the direction, the speed, which bushes your dog can sniff and visit, what side of the road you walk on. Never let the dog lead the walk, he goes where you go, you don't just follow him. You can, however, let him have frequent stops to pee, poop, get his P-mail from other dogs, say hello to other friendly dogs, or to people. You are deciding to allow him to do these things, not him. You can use a release word, said in a really upbeat way, such as "Okay" or "free", to indicate your permission. Balance socializing with people and other dogs, by sometimes letting him say hi, and sometime not. If you let your dog say hi to everyone, he will think that this is always allowed, and cause him to pull toward the objects of his desire. All other dogs may not be friendly, and all people don't want to say hello to your dog, so it's important that you cue him with the "OK" or "free" release word, so he knows that it is you deciding, and he waits politely for permission.
 ADDITIONAL ADVICE FOR SMALL DOG OWNERS:
 Rewarding while moving with a small dog is difficult, and for some with bad backs, not possible. I use a long wooden spoon, and then dunk it in some peanut butter or other soft substance like ground meat baby food, or mushy liverwurst. Hold it in your leash hand, and lower it to the dogs mouth for a quick lick. Be careful you don't wave it around and cause your dog to jump up for it. When you are not giving him a quick lick, hold it by the handle end vertically with your body facing up and out of his reach. Take some paper towels with you, tuck them into your waistband. Until you get the hang of this, it can be messy (picture your dog's head covered with peanut butter as well as your pants leg and shirt).

How to Clicker Train your dog

Use special treats:

Tiny pieces of hot dogs, placed on paper towels and nuked for 3 minutes until crisp

Freeze dried liver (available at pet supply store).

Cheese, cold cut pieces

No crunchy dog biscuits (they take too long to chew, and aren’t special enough)

First Step

Arming or
Charging the Clicker:

Click once, and give dog a special treat within 3 seconds. Repeat 10-15 times.

Second Step

Checking your dog’s response to click sound

Wait until your dog or puppy looks away for a moment.

Click clicker once.Dog should immediately look at you when he/she hears the click. 

Third Step 

If your dog looked at you when he heard the click, you are ready to continue to the next lesson

If not, do first step again until Second step is successful.

Happy Clicking! Now your dog understands that click equals treat

Never, ever, click if you don't plan to give a treat

Now you need to put the clicking and treating in a training context.The Clicker is an event marker, also called a behavior marker.It tells your dogs in a clear and concise way what action you would like him to repeat , and which ones earn the click and treat. Sort of like playing the "hot and Cold" game when you were a child.

Getting an Offered behavior

This is a vital step to your dog's understanding and becoming a clicker trained dog. Do this right after you have done the above clicker conditioning.

Step one

Saying nothing, and having your clicker and treats on hand, just stand up and wait for your dog to sit. He will eventually, wait, be patient.

Step Two

When he sits, Click & Treat. Take a few steps, he should follow you, then stand still and wait for him to sit again. Click and Treat. Try to click the moment his butt hits the ground. Continue this, again say nothing. We want the dog to make the connection between what he is doing and receiving the C/T. We don't want to blab at him, he needs to make this connection on his own, thinking it through, to become a true clicker trained dog. You will see the usefulness of this step in later posts.

Once you see that he is repeatedly sitting, you will see that he understands what is going on. His sitting should become faster and have an expectant quality. Now he knows that the sit is the behavior you will click and treat.

Step Three

Now you will start to teach him the word for this behavior. It is called the labeling step. As he sits, say "sit", and C/T(click/treat). Practice this for three days, short sessions, 7-10 minutes, three times a day. On the fourth day, you can give the command "sit" and he will sit with no problem. Now you have your sit on command or often referred to as the "cue".

Happy clicking, Congratulations! You have taught your dog what the clicker means, and you are teaching him how to become an eager, and thinking learner in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planting the seed of Attention

One of the true seeds for a well trained dog is the ability of the dog to pay attention. Nothing can be learned without this important foundational building block. Start right away, no time to waste.
Start in the house or other non-distracting environment. Throughout your time with your dog, when he/she is near you, say his/her name, and when she looks at you, click and treat. Be sure your dog looks into your eyes, and make your treat a great one. Walk away, say name again, and when dog follows and looks at you, click treat again. Repeat throughout your time together, but don't overdue, spread this exercise out during your time together.
If you have a dog that is not very responsive to above method, try this alternate way of teaching attention. With a yummy treat in your hand, put the treat near the dogs nose, and then draw your dog's gaze upward to your eyes. Put treat near the outer corner of your eye, say name when dog follows treat to your eyes with his, and click and treat. Remember, yummy, yummy treats are important.
You are not only working on name recognition, but planting the seeds for a dog that will pay attention and thus be an exceptional learner for all future commands and work. http://www:commongrounddogtraining.com