Snack Often

Positive reinforcement means rewards for desired behaviors. Those rewards can be praise and toys and play--and food treats, the most common. Whatever makes your pooch happy reinforces the desired behavior.

"Do I treat my dog forever?" clients ask. Most trainers will say to wean treats as behavior is learned--otherwise you're bribing your dog to sit when she knows 100 percent what the word means. Reward--not bribe.

But: once in a while surprising your dog with a treat keeps her on her tiny toes. You are a Vegas slot machine: you could deliver at any moment. Surprise! Walking quietly by the landscaper with the leaf blower deserves a sudden treat. Good doggie!

I always always carry treats on me. You just never know when they'll come in handy. My three dogs and I were having a nice walk this week, and Tanner suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. What was this 12-foot green man flailing around? Our local auto body had recently added an inflatable balloon man to their storefront. I'm not sure any of the dogs have ever seen one of these up close before, but only Tanner said, "What the heck?" So we stopped and I treated and said, "Look at that, Tan! Isn't that cool? Crazy, right? The tallest, greenest man ever. Here's another treat! You see a big guy and get tasty snacks. Not bad, right?" And on we went. Nipped that scary moment in the bud. (Even the other dogs got a lil treat at that sight.)

And a year ago my mother-in-law's dog was attacked on the street by a neighbor's dog. Just maybe if she had one more second's notice, she could have thrown a handful of treats at the Rottie, which just might have been more exciting than Skipper. Sometimes that trick can work and sometimes not. But I always always carry treats now just in case. (Skipper had a few stitches but otherwise turned out just fine.)

Never Too Many Toys!

Two dozen  toys. That's the minimum. That doesn't seem like too much, does it? Yep, you'll pick out a few your dog wouldn't. But put them in the toy box and see. Six months from now he might change his mind and find that new treasure awaiting. Or you'll get a second dog who will love that toy your first dog ignored. All else fails: you donate the bad choice to a rescue group.

(Our toy box is for three dogs, after all--but they have small toys, since they're small dogs.)

Variety! Lots of different kinds! Rotate the choices: turn the box inside out once in a while and hide some away so they look new again. I've met dogs who have only three or four toys--really!--and they get into trouble a LOT. Go figure. Would your human toddler get persnickety if she had only four toys? Boring! One of my favorite things to watch is a dog looking through the box, pawing through toys to find the one she wants. Adorable!

These puzzle games aren't inexpensive--though watch www.jefferspet.com for great deals--so I lend them out all the time. Dogs love them--until they're too easy to solve. Hide them away and then bring them out again after a couple months. Ooh, new toy! You're the best dog parent ever!

Have fun!

Then have more fun!

Hallelujah, Doggie!

How much do you praise your dog? How are your walks going? How much do you connect on those walks? Praise your pup! "Hallelujah, Dori! You're the best walker ever!"

Because walks need to happen regularly, both sides can tune out if the human is boring. Often on walks we connect with our dogs only to say no or to give a cue! "Leave it" when Tommy wants to eat something cool on the sidewalk. "Watch" me when a bike goes flying by. "Sit" because you're at a curb. How annoying are humans?

But what about the praise? What about a little petting on the walk? If a group of dogs walked without the obstruction of their human, they'd connect with one another periodically, touching, checking in. Are you on auto-pilot?

Why walk with us if we're not any fun? If he's daydreaming about something else, Tanner, our "street dog," can forget the nice walking technique he's learned, but you know what brings back his attention? "Hi, Tanner! What a good dog!" He goes right into step beside us again. Even advance praise for what you know the dog should do will have him working as part of the team.

We're all so bossy. We're too stingy with praise and attention. Put away your cell phone and leave your coffee at home. Be the fun part of the walk--you've got a lot of competition for your dog's attention. You'll be surprised how only a little extra attention is needed to change your dog's attitude--and your own.

Puppy-palooza

I have had mostly puppy clients lately--with a dash of reactive dogs thrown in to keep me on my toes. I'm not sure why, but I certainly can't complain. I have a puppy addiction that cannot be cured, so I'm thrilled. I'm also lucky because these puppies all seem to have people who really want to give them a proper start.

But I'm reminded often that Puppies Are NOT for Everyone. It's good to remind others again now that the holiday season is upon us (already). Lots of people get puppies while they're taking time off over the holidays. Yes, often it can be a very good time to adopt a dog--rather than the adopt-the-dog-then-leave-it-home-alone-after-two-days-and-you-go-back-to-work plan. But should your next dog be a puppy? I'd say more often than not, NO.

Having a puppy is an endurance test. How patient are you? How OCD are you? For MONTHS your home will not look the way it did. Everything that was on the floor will now live on counters and tables. Unless you're very very very diligent, something will be ruined. Count on it. How much time do you have? Why get a puppy if you're not going to be home? Or if you don't really want to play several hours a day. Or if you just want peace and quiet in your life.

Are you going to raise this puppy to be the best canine citizen possible? That means socializing socializing socializing--which means a LOT of time spent during the important first four months of the pup's life. Did I say puppies demand TIME?

Oh, and "puppy" often means until TWO years of age, depending on breed. Don't expect a lot of self-control from a pup until two years are over. Just when you think puppyhood is over, your dog will prove otherwise.

The majority of dogs turned in to rescues and shelters? Adolescents. At eight to sixteen months old, dogs have been given up on. Poor dogs. They're just being young and energetic, but humans fail the endurance test.

Have I talked you out of the idea yet?

Many people want to "start from scratch" and not deal with adult issues--but are they better qualified to raise a puppy than the people who tried and failed their dogs and brought them to rescues? Nah, not often.

There are so many dogs already in shelters--you probably should take a look at the adults before bringing home the young puppy.

Anyhow, I can go on and on about this topic, but suffice it to say, puppies are even more work than you think they'll be. Many people will NOT go through it a second time!

But if you need help, I'm so completely happy to help. Puppy kisses still are the best in the world. Good luck!

More Please

I’m the luckiest because training means knowing so very many dogs.

Only so many dogs will live with me during my lifetime. It’s a hard realization. Realistically, I can’t really be guardian to more than three dogs at a time (and Los Angeles County agrees), so if I do some rough math: 3 dogs x 15 years each = maybe 6 more dogs at our house over the years? That is very depressing. I know I have an addiction—my husband is the first to name it.

But as a trainer, I meet and work with hundreds of dogs. I’ve volunteered time with rescues and gotten to know some pretty great dogs. I’ve been involved with lots of dogs in classes, both those where I’m offering advice or even just taking with my own dogs. And of course I’ve gotten to know clients’ dogs very, very well.

I get more doggie kisses than any human has a right to. The tails that wag at me could power the electricity of a small town. I see the good and the bad behavior, and these pups know from the moment I meet them that I love them either way. Because dogs are pretty stinkin’ awesome.

And more often than not, so are their people. After all, if they’re asking a trainer’s advice, they’d like the best for their dogs, too.

And Tanner, Tommy, and Dori love smelling me up when I come home: they know more dogs, too! Indirectly.

Tons o' Time

(I haven't been blogging lately because I was lost in a find-your-password circle, but finally we're back!)

Everyone is so busy; how do we fit in dog training? Lately I've been reminding myself to follow more often my own advice offered to clients: just a little here and there can make a world of difference.

Asking for little bits of training throughout the day can actually solve a lot of problems or just improve your dog's skills. "Sit" for putting on the leash, "down" and "wait" before going out the door before a  walk, spin "left" before the food bowl goes down . . . Then there are the magical periods of commercials! I adore the fabulous 30-second button on my remote so I can skip commercials, but better to work with your dog for the few minutes of commercials during your show. Dogs like short training periods anyhow.

Dori is getting ready to compete in obedience trials, and Tanner is just starting agility competition. We definitely need to do some homework. So the weave poles stay up now in my office, and whenever Tanner comes to see me, we run through the poles two or three times. I'm making the time to take Dori for some private work in the lobby of our building and in the park two blocks away: different locations are great for "proofing" stays. I have even written Dori into my Tuesday night calendar so we are sure to have some quality time. Tanner meets friends weekly for agility practice at a great facility--then we go to lunch!

Finding a fun activity you love to do with your dog sure gives you time to look forward to. Taking a group class guarantees socialization and bonding time with your pooch. Even hiking with your dog can provide easy time for training, too: practicing quiet sits while a dog or bicycler goes by fits right into a training plan.

You can't spend too much time with your dog, right? The effort you put in is always rewarded--though sometimes not so obviously or immediately. Some issues definitely take more time than a commercial break. (And need the guidance of a professional trainer.) But breaking training into smaller bits will bring you to the results you want. Hang in there!

"Compliance"

Dog trainers often talk about wishing for "compliance" from their human clients. I always thought that term sounds harsher than it's meant. What trainers often hope is that they will give a private lesson or teach a class, pass on some ideas, and then the humans will reinforce with the dog what was taught until the next visit. And trainers hope that their humans will stick with the training plan until the doggie is ready to solo. Sometimes a client will want to help his dog but only until human interest wanes. Helping a reactive pup through a problem with other dogs, for instance, can often take several months. Even regular obedience training needs dedication--or you end up with only a semi-trained pooch: Blackie comes but only when he feels like it--not when he sees a squirrel run into the street and . . .

I understand why so many trainers sell "packages" of private lessons: the dog has a fair shake at solving the issues at hand. Even in a class situation, people may spend $100 or more and yet attend only a few sessions. I used to assist in a class where the instructor taught Come last--since that's what clients want most for their dogs to learn and they kept attending class this way. People are busy, but the dog suffers when we don't persevere.

I know I myself need "accountability"--that's the word I enjoy more for myself, at least. With two new dogs in our house this year, I knew going back to class would be a fabulous time. I love training my own dogs, after all. Dori, our Papillon puppy, went straight to Intermediate Novice Obedience with my friend Debbie as her trainer. And Tanner, the leaping Miniature Pinscher, was destined for Agility--also with Debbie heading the class. Suddenly it was MY turn to PRACTICE regularly during the week between classes. A trainer should perhaps set an example in class? I loved having the weekly reminder. What hadn't Dori and I worked on enough this week? Will Tanner's new bait pouch arrive so we could use it in the next class? Deadlines are Good Things! And maybe training your dog is a bit like going on a diet with a friend: people know what you're up to. Thankfully, Dori and Tanner show off despite their tired mama. After a busy day of training other people's dogs, I don't always want to start again with my own after I come home. But Dori and Tanner luckily don't need a lot of repetition to pick up a new exercise.

We start another round of classes again next week. Cross paws that I can still stay one step ahead of the doggies!