Whether you train for work, competition, or simply for the huge fun that you and your dog can have together, understanding how our dogs observe the world through their noses helps us to get the best out of their remarkable abilities.

David focuses twenty-six years experience of working with police dogs and training handlers in tracking and searching for people, property, explosives, narcotics, cash and firearms, together with post graduate study, in translating an understanding of the theory into best practice.

Ever wondered what ‘scent’ actually is? Why some dogs are better at searching than others? What the ideal scenting conditions are? How to train your dog to find lost money?

To be held at Fraser Hall, Cowan Bridge, nr Kirkby Lonsdale, LA6 2HX (8mls from J36 on
M6) on Saturday 25 February 2012 10am – 4pm
Cost £35 – bring your own lunch – tea/coffee provided
For further details and booking please contact Debbie Hodgkiss 015242 71955 or Sue Whiteley 015396 21946

I’m fed up with being called a ‘positive’ or a ‘positive only’ dog trainer. It is usually in the form of an insult as in, “Them positive dog trainers with their clickers and their treats don’t understand what it is like to train a really dominant dog”. It is often used by the proponents of the ‘dominance’ theory of dog training who like to alpha roll and lead jerk to supposedly ‘show the dog who is boss’.

The term is also used by the fluffier unenlightened to describe their own dog training methods, “Oh, I’m a positive dog trainer, I only use positive reinforcement in training.”

Well, let me tell you, you’re both wrong. I work with aggressive dogs all the time, none of which are trying to dominate people. They are usually bright, quick to learn and respond famously to some well reinforced rules – often with treats and sometimes with the clicker. But I also punish them.

Punishment is a fact of life

It happens to us all on a daily basis and our dogs are no different. Little rewards and little punishments are happening all the time.

For example: Ping! As I write this my inbox tells me I have mail. With a little surge of expectation I click on the icon to open the email and find… disappointment at the spam message inviting me to send off my bank details to some scammer. Why was it disappointing? Because I was expecting the latest pictures of my grandchildren’s’ visit to Chester Zoo.

For every upside in life there can be a downside. Not only do we know it, we expect it as well. We cope relatively well so long as the punishments don’t outweigh the rewards so much that we become depressed.

What’s this got to do with training dogs?

Everything. Every time I give a treat to a dog there is also the possibility that I won’t give them the treat. Every time I click I may also not click. If the dog is expecting a click or a treat and I do not fulfil that expectation I punish the dog. Taking away the possibility of earning a reward is negative punishment. It can be an extremely effective way of not only changing behaviour in dogs, but also of communicating that change.

Pushy dogs need rules – but how to teach these?

I have a little exercise that I use to quickly establish rules with pushy dogs, dogs that are used to getting their own way and dogs that other people might label ‘dominant’. I sit facing the dog and place a very tasty treat on the palm of my hand. The pushy dog usually grabs at it. I close my hand to prevent contact. I’m punishing the act of grabbing by taking away an expected treat. After ‘X’ number of attempts (X is directly related to the pushiness of the dog) the dog pauses to think (or for breath) and I reward the pause by popping the treat into the dog’s mouth. Then we start again. Initially the punishments outnumber the rewards, but, as the penny drops, the rewards start to outnumber the punishments and the dog learns that backing off is better than grabbing. Overall I’m punishing more than rewarding, but in a way that the dog understands.

Every time we prevent our dog doing something that it wanted to do we inflict a little punishment. Standing still to teach ‘no pulling on the lead’? Punishment. Painting “Chew-Stop” on the furniture legs so they taste bad? Punishment. Saying “No” when my toast drops on the floor to stop her eating it? Punishment. Put in the crate for jumping at visitors? Punishment.

Not all punishment is acceptable

True, I draw the line at punishments that might cause the breakdown of a relationship, or have welfare concerns for the dog, such as dragging around on the lead, digs in the ribs, hold downs, alpha rolls, scruffing and the like, because I have no desire to have a relationship based on fear (or be prosecuted for cruelty).

What I do want is a relationship based on mutual rules. No one gets everything they want. No one gets their way every time. Teaching a dog that they can earn rewards, be they treats, the chance for a game or our affection, for doing the right thing, has the consequence that when they do the wrong thing these opportunities disappear. Rewards and punishments go together.

Rules are necessary, consistency is vital, firmness can be appropriate, but brutality is not. No one who has a relationship with a dog is a ‘positive only’ trainer. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand dog training.

It brings together leaders in the veterinary, welfare, rehoming, animal training and behaviour therapy fields, and aims to set standards for the knowledge and skills required to be a recognised professional.

The agreed standards will be used to assess the competency of practitioners before they are included on the Council’s national register of animal trainers and behaviour therapists. The details will be publicly available to help people to find an appropriate expert.

The standards will also help those seeking a career in animal behaviour or further developing the skills of those already practicing the profession.

Council chairman David Montgomery said: “The development of the council has been met with widespread enthusiasm and support from professional organisations both in the UK and overseas.”

Organisations supporting the Council already include major charities such as RSPCA, Guide Dogs and The Blue Cross, with interest being expressed from organisations in Europe, Australia and Brazil.

As APBC Chair, David said, “The formation of a regulatory council for dog training and behaviour has been long overdue. For too long the public and their pets have had to put up with poor service from unqualified “behaviourists” and “trainers” – advice that can not only be plain wrong, but can have implications for the welfare of the pet and the safety of their owner.

Registration with the ABTC gives the public confidence that the trainer or behaviourist they choose has met their criteria and I hope that eventually everyone who provides these services will become accredited.”

“Pet owners now have a choice, but it is not a choice between ‘good behaviourist’ and ‘bad behaviourist’ rather a choice between a behaviourist who has proved their worth through independent accreditation and one who has not. Individuals who are not yet accredited have nothing to fear from the ABTC as the Council has systems in place for them to be recognised as working towards the standards for accreditation.”

“Why would anyone not want to show that they are working at the top of their profession, proving that they are providing the best service to their clients? The ABTC is the means for them to do that.”

For further information see http://www.abtcouncil.org.uk/

Behaviour and training problems are often directly linked to the expression of normal behaviour patterns of the domestic dog, but what is “normal” domestic dog behaviour?

This one day seminar explores the true nature of dogs, how their inherited patterns of behaviour contribute directly to their ability to cope with modern life, why training and behaviour problems develop and the principles that can be applied to change those behaviours for the benefit of dog and owner alike. Including case studies, anecdotes and the opportunity for audience discussion.

On 24th March 2012 at Woking College, Surrey – for further details and booking please contact Suzanne Rogers http://www.learningaboutanimals.co.uk/

The same principles work for any size dog or person. A full explanation of how to stop a dog jumping up is contained in my new book Dog Secrets.

Why Won’t “Dominance” Die?

Many leading animal behaviourists are concerned that the “dominance” model of pet dog behaviour continues to survive, despite the accumulating evidence that it is at best unhelpful and at worst highly detrimental.

It is easy to see why trainers and owners alike are fond of the concepts of “pack” and “dominance” in relation to pet dogs. A pack means we’re all part of the same gang. “Dominance” explains our respective positions in that pack. We live in a pack with our pet dogs and they either dominate us or we dominate them. To be at the top of the pack with total dominance would make you the “alpha”, with all the esteem that entails, therefore dogs will strive for dominance unless you beat them to it. It’s a neat explanation.

Except that none of it actually bears scientific scrutiny. Prof Richard Dawkins described self replicating ideas as “memes”⁽¹⁾ that live in our minds and pass from one to another through no reason other than their popularity, or catchiness. Some are harmless, like that annoying song you keep humming long after you’ve decided you hate it, but others can be positively harmful, like the idea that combined MMR jabs cause autism, which continues to prevent many children benefiting from the protection they provide.

The “pack” and “dominance” theory of domestic dogs is a harmful meme. It prevents many owners understanding their dogs, causes untold misery for both and is perpetuated by well-meaning but uninformed dog trainers around the world. It is proving extremely resistant to extinction.

Origin Of Dominance Theory

This meme originated in the “dogs are wolves” theory in the late 1960s. It was spawned in the pond of genetics from the premise that if a dog is the same species as the wolf they must behave identically. The perceived wisdom at the time, emanating from L. David Mech’s book, The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species⁽²⁾, was that wolves pack and dominate each other, therefore dogs must also pack and dominate each other. The theories of wolf and dog “dominance” and the “alpha” firmly entered the imagination of not only the public, but also the scientific community. As a police dog handler in the 1980s I regularly tried to “dominate” my dogs using the best available scientific model.

However, as science advances our viewpoint changes and in Mech’s case, as he points out in his 2008 article Whatever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf?⁽³⁾ more rigorous examination of wild living wolves revealed that their social behaviour was centred on the family unit, built around cohesion and co-operation, not conflict. A fight for pack dominance would mean striving to displace one parent in order to mate with the other. The model of the wolf’s supposed fight for dominance and alpha status was replaced with one where parents and older siblings guide and lead younger offspring in order to enhance overall genetic fitness.

In 1999 Mech published Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs⁽⁴⁾, in which he corrected his earlier mistaken ideas. He happily reports that in the 2003 book Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation⁽⁵⁾ written by twenty three authors and edited by Mech and Boitani, the term “alpha” is only ever mentioned to explain why it has been superseded.

Studies Of The Domestic Dog

At the same time, studies of the domestic dog have also moved on. It has been well established that the social behaviour of the domestic dog is unlike that of the wolf. The domestic dog is a neotonised version of the wolf-type ancestor, a specialised variant that evolved into a newly formed environmental niche to scavenge the domestic waste of human settlements. These adaptations removed the need to operate as a true wolf pack and consequently there is little collaboration in hunting or in care of offspring, but much more cooperation with strangers, dog or human. Although dogs congregate in groups around resources, they do not form packs in the cohesive family way that wolves still do.

The concept of “dominance” itself has never been a quality of an individual, but the product of a relationship. Ethologists label an animal dominant over another once there is a trend towards the second animal deferring in encounters between the two. I can no more be born dominant than I could be born chairman. Because I can never be dominated if I don’t allow myself to be, dominance can only be the result of deference by others.

Preferences will become established in repeated encounters, but pet dog relationships are far too complicated to be defined through a simple, “one individual dominates another”. A smooth relationship is one in which each knows the other’s preferences and defers accordingly. This is often described in terms of resource holding potential⁽⁶⁾, but the important aspect of it is that it is emergent, not the result of pre-programmed “dominance”.

What we are witnessing in so-called “dominant” dogs is natural behaviour that has been modified through learning. Sometimes this behaviour is competitive in nature, but the majority of so called “dominance-related” problems are simply dogs behaving in a way that conflicts with owners’ expectations.

These conflicting behaviours are the result of the dog trying to secure something they know is going to have a positive emotional benefit – to facilitate a reward or avoid something unpleasant. How we deal with the way those emotions are satisfied determines our relationship with our dogs.

Individual dogs can be placed anywhere along the bold/shy continuum that exists in all species. In shy individuals behaviour that does not meet owners’ expectations is likely to be tinged with fear and in bold individuals the behaviour is likely to be joyously unrestrained. Most dogs’ behaviour will be a complex mixture of these two extremes.

Pet-ification

That complexity is increased because our pets do not continue to live in their original state as peripheral scavengers. They have been refined through selective breeding for specific purposes such as hunting, herding and guarding. By enhancing traits present in the original stock, humans have created dogs whose emotional balance depends on being able to fulfil their desire to exhibit these inherited predispositions, at least to some degree.

Although the working traits of these types are reduced during “pet-ification” – the breeding of more amenable individuals that are more suited to life as a pet (witness the current “pet-ification” of the Border Collie from a working animal) – the breeding stock continues to throw up specimens in which the original working temperament is strongly represented. This may be a predisposition to chase moving objects, to nip heels, to use aggression to solve conflict, to hold something in the mouth, or any other working breed disposition. The need to perform these behaviours, and their dissatisfaction when they are unable to do so, can steer pet dogs into conflict with their owners.

Family life can also be remarkably inconsistent for a pet, and dogs may focus their efforts on resources that are extremely important to them, but not necessarily to the owner. Lack of consistency proves to the dog that they are capable of deciding the outcome of many, albeit small, interactions. Add in the effects of either a bold or shy character, and other inherited predispositions that need to be satisfied, and you have a dog that can be extremely resistant to their owner’s efforts to control their behaviour.

If, as was the case when I was a young police dog handler, this behaviour is labelled as “dominant”, the perceived solution is to out-dominate the dog and bend them to your will. This often involved things like rolling them over and holding them down, or shaking them by the scruff. In dogs where the lack of compliance is motivated by frustration at being unable to fulfil inherited needs, or  where the motivation is fear, such as when the dog has developed a fear of being left by the owner, applying misguided ideas of dominance will increase that frustration and fear, and with it the probable use of aggression. Less confrontationally, standing in the dog’s bed to show them who is in charge will do little to prevent them barking when the owner is on the telephone, but it similarly fails to address the underlying emotional issues.

Dominance – The Meme

Scientific enquiry shows us that the “dominance” model is unsubstantiated. A recent paper from Bristol University⁽⁷⁾ is the latest to try to illuminate the construct if not for the general public, then at least for the professionals still left using it.

So why then does it persist? In part it is the “catchiness” of the meme sticking in the mind. In part it is also because, whilst the majority of practitioners at the highest levels are aware that it is inaccurate and unhelpful, and sometimes positively harmful, some are still advocating its use.

It could be that there are vested interests in continuing to promulgate “dominance” – books and DVDs to sell – and a reluctance to change one’s standpoint from the embarrassment of appearing to have been wrong. However, this shouldn’t stand in the way of informed change; as Keynes famously said, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

In part it is because there are still papers being published that profess to be able to examine the concept, such as a recent offering from Cordoba University⁽⁸⁾. There was a more recent article in Veterinary Times⁽⁹⁾ pleading for the practice of evidence based medicine. The reasoning applies no less to the behaviour modification of pet dogs, and the Cordoba paper is a good example of why. Critical evaluation shows that it starts from an assumption, “Dominance aggression is the most common form of aggression…” and then compounds the error by allowing pet owners to define it in their dogs through the choice of two photographs of “dominant” and “fearful” expressions. Out of a total of thirty references only eight are post 2000, and four of them are the own author’s. The paper’s data analysis is also basic and shows associations rather than causation, but nevertheless some professionals feel able to use it to prop up their views.

In part it persists because it is still “seen to be working”. It makes good television to go head to head and dominate a dog.

Unfortunately, television is not real life and tends to show short interactions where the dog is forced to submit. It is not impossible for a “handy” owner to repeatedly force their dog into submission either, but these unpleasant and unnecessary measures are not how most pet owners want to live with their dogs. Lamentably the high profile of these programmes means the on-screen warning “do not try this at home” is often not heeded.

The final and probably most important reason for the persistence of “dominance” is because the debunking of the myth is relatively new. It is generally said to take twenty years for new science to permeate the public conscious, but now its time has come. More and better research is being conducted and more practitioners are, like Keynes, changing their mind as the facts change. More members of the public are actually seeing that there are better alternatives, and more and more people are realising that whilst the meme might be “catchy” it isn’t actually very satisfying.

“Why Won’t Dominance Die?”

The use of the model to explain dog behaviour is dying. If memes can be said to have an independent existence, we are witnessing the death throes of this one as it struggles to hang on to what little life it has left, existing only in the minds of the most stubborn or self-interested. As the groundswell of informed opinion moves against it, there will eventually be no hiding places left.

References

1. Dawkins, R. (1989) The Selfish Gene (new edition). Oxford, Oxford University Press.
2. Mech, L.D. (1970) The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. Minnesota, University of Minnesota Press.
3. Mech, L.D. (2008) Whatever happened to the term Alpha wolf?
   http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2008/winter/alphawolf.pdf accessed 29th September 2009
4. Mech, L.D. (1999) Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77(8): 1196–1203
5. Mech, L.D. & Boitani, L. (2003) Wolf social ecology. 1–34 in:  Mech, L.D. & Boitani, L. (eds) Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
6. Parker, G.A. (1974) Assessment strategy and the evolution of animal conflicts. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 47. 223–243.
7. Bradshaw, J.W.S, Blackwell, E.J. & Casey R.A. (2009) Dominance in domestic dogs—useful construct or bad habit? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 4 (3) 135-144.
8. Peres-Guisado, J. & Munoz-Serrano, A. (2009). Factors linked to dominance aggression in dogs. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances. 8 (2) 336-342.
9. Elsheikha, H.M. & Rossano M.G. (21st September 2009) Evidence-based approach is wise. Veterinary Times.

Note: An edited version of this article first appeared in the Veterinary Times Vol 40 No 7, 22nd February 2010 under the title “Dominance meme: out-lived extreme?” David Ryan

There is no mystical “secret” to training dogs, as professed by some dog trainers. Dog training and owning can be perfected through simple yet effective methods that are well known to science. Illustrated by real life examples of how they have helped others, Dog Secrets explains how understanding these methods can make you a better dog trainer and have a more rewarding relationship with your dog.

If you’ve enjoyed David’s talks, articles, or first book, you should check out his  book today.

Also available as download at http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/dog-secrets/6303683?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

Available from Apple iTunes to download at http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dog-secrets/id443872804?mt=11

“Stop!” – How to control predatory chasing in dogs

To get your dog to come back every time, you have to be more interesting than anything else on earth. A tall order perhaps? Yes, but certainly achievable.

Let’s start with how your dog perceives you in everyday life. Are you the apple of their eye, or can they wrap you around their little pad? Does your dog consider that you are someone to look up to, or do they ignore you when they feel like it? Do you provide affection when they demand it; can you be provoked into a response whenever they try hard enough? Do you have to repeat commands? Is their response variable depending upon what they are doing? If your dog thinks that they are controlling your relationship, they will not pay attention when you ask.  If they can take what you provide whenever they want, why should they come back because you say so? What’s in it for them? The answer should be “affection” or at least “attention”. If the answer is “nothing”, then your dog doesn’t value your affection and attention sufficiently, and you may need to re-examine your relationship.

Once you have your relationship on the right footing, you might just find that your dog pays you more attention generally and is far more inclined to come when called anyway. You might need to do no more than that for a better recall!

Most dogs, however, will benefit from learning a new set of rules about coming back when called and it isn’t rocket science, or a ‘secret’, just plain ordinary training that all dogs can understand. To do that you will need to understand how dogs learn so that you can implement the training in a way that will work quickly, and work for you.

The first stage will be to teach your dog what ‘come’ really means. It means ‘if you come here you will be rewarded for it’, and like all dog training it is best started in a place with no distractions. Indoors is best to achieve fluency before generalising to the outdoors and this training is one of the best games you can play…

The Recall Game

To teach Sandy to come back, and have fun doing it, you will need Sandy, two or more human players and some tasty doggie treats.

• Ben takes hold of Sandy’s collar and holds it tight with one hand.
• Maisie shows Sandy a treat and runs away into another room.
• When out of sight, Maisie calls Sandy’s name and the chosen recall word – how about “Come” or “Here”?
• Ben lets Sandy go and she rushes into the other room to find Maisie.
• When she arrives, Maisie takes hold of Sandy’s collar and then gives her the treat (and cuddles and praise).
• After Sandy has eaten the treat (small ones so she just gets a taste and wants more!) Maisie continues to hold her collar and Ben shows her a treat.
• Ben then runs away to another room and calls whilst Maisie holds her.
• When she runs to Ben, he too takes hold of her collar before rewarding her.
• Turn it into a game of hide and seek, moving each time, so Sandy has to really look for the hidden person to get the reward.
• Play for as long as Sandy really wants the treat (stop before she gets too full up).

The recall game teaches Sandy to come when called, and not to mind her collar being touched, because both things predict a nice outcome. When Sandy is really good at the recall game, play it in the garden, or on walks.

The Dark Side

It’s understandable that people get very frustrated and angry when their dog doesn’t come back when called. However, when their owner is angry, a dog can tell from their body language and tone of voice that all is not well, and will be even less likely to want to go back to them. So, how do we go about convincing the dog that you are the best thing on offer? By never punishing a dog when they return, no matter how long you have been waiting, shouting and worrying, and always rewarding the dog when they come to you, however long it takes. Punishing includes smacking or hitting, shouting or berating, frowning or scowling, or even just ignoring.

Things to Make Your Dog Want to Come Back

Even if you have played the recall game and your dog is very good indoors, you will still have to compete with distractions outdoors. These are some things that you might consider to help keep yourself the most interesting thing on offer:

Rewards – Rewards can be praise, food treats, playing a game or with a toy, or cuddles. Use a high value reward for coming back outdoors. If you use dog biscuits indoors, use sausage outdoors.

Get Attention – If you haven’t got your dog’s attention, they won’t come. Use your dog’s name, clap or whistle (high pitches are more attractive to dogs than low ones); use exciting tones; crouch down to dog-height; lie on your back and wave your legs in the air if necessary, but get your dog’s attention!

Feedback – Once they start to come, praise, praise, praise. They’re not here yet, but they’re heading in the right direction!

Unpredictability – Don’t be a predictable bore on your walks.
Hide behind a tree or in a gateway; your dog will come and find you! The relief from the anxiety of losing you and the praise you heap on them will be a huge reward.
Run away. Just run in the opposite direction and your dog will come with you (it might be missing out on something). Both of these strategies will encourage your dog to keep one eye on you, as they don’t know what to expect.

Practice – Practice recalls on walks. Randomly call your dog, give them a reward and send them off again. Call them, clip on the lead, reward them and let them go again.

Think about the times when you call your dog. Home-time, end of the walk, to stop it meeting another dog/person, to stop it chasing something, to stop it eating or even sniffing something. From your dog’s point of view, being called often predicts the loss of something. It is an event that they associate with a negative outcome. You can change that by introducing positive associations.

Play – Playing games of any kind on your walks is a sure-fire way of keeping your dog’s attention. Practising some obedience is fun if there is a reward in it and it helps to increase your dog’s positive view of a recall.

Don’t grab – your dog as they run past. This won’t teach them anything except to give you a wider berth next time. Wait until they voluntarily come right up to you, take hold of their collar and reward.

Failsafe – If you really have no confidence that your dog will come back off the lead, you can practice on lead at first, or you can attach a long line (strong washing line?) to your dog’s collar and tie the other end to something sturdy, then play the recall game in a field. When your dog is very good at that, untie the other end of the line and play with it dragging on the ground. Your dog will still feel under control, but is free for a gallop (you can catch the end of the line in an emergency). As your dog becomes more dependable, cut the line in half, then half again and eventually there will be no line at all.

Conclusion

The more positively your dog views you and the keener they are to interact with you at any time, the more likely they will come back whenever you call them.

Dog Breeds

First we must start with what kind of dog you have.

All dogs come with the basic starter pack of genes – they instinctively know that food, company and a tickled tummy are nice. But added on to that are the things your type of dog was originally bred for. Dogs find any instinctive behaviour – the things they were bred for – fun to do.

Labradors revel in retrieving, Greyhounds get a kick out of chasing & Collies get high on herding. That is not to say you can’t train a Greyhound to retrieve, but expect it to be more difficult than training a Labrador. Anything your dog has been bred for will be easier to train because they already like to do it. The down side is that, for the same reasons, it can be very difficult to train a dog not to do something they have been bred for.

Mixed breeds can get a mixture of behaviour. This can actually be easier, for example a lab/collie cross may like chasing after things AND retrieving them back! What types of behaviour has your dog inherited?

What’s a Reward?

We are going to use rewards when training, but to do that we must know what is rewarding for your dog. Most dogs like food treats, stroking and praise, but breed preferences might mean that your dog would rather have a game of chase, or fetch, or a tug on a toy.

What does your dog like?

If you decide on food treats, make it something extra special, not just ordinary old dog nosh. After all, we’re expecting your dog to perform really well, so they should get a really good reward, too.

Right from Wrong

Dogs learn the right way to behave by experience. What they are rewarded for, they do again. But you can’t tell them, “This sausage is for not jumping up at me when I came in just now”.

They learn by associating what they are doing at the time, with the reward. This means the BEST learning takes place if we can reward the dog when it performs the behaviour we want. One second afterwards may be too late. So, if we can arrange for the dog to be sitting quietly by showing them a piece of sausage AND THEN GIVE THEM THE SAUSAGE they will understand that the reward is for sitting quietly – not for jumping up.

Fortunately, there is a way we can extend the timing of the reward. Add a word as you give the reward – I use “Okay” – and your dog will learn that the word means that it has done the right thing and the reward is coming.

Lure and Reward

We now have principle based dog training. To teach a dog any behaviour, we lure the dog into the behaviour we want and then reward them. It will work for any behaviour, provided we can think of a way of getting the dog into the position, or performing the behaviour, we want.

Wrong from Right

But what if they do the wrong thing? We take away not only the reward, but also the possibility of the reward. We do this by putting the reward away (back in our pockets maybe) and then also taking away our attention. Turn around, fold arms, look at the sky: your dog does not exist. Then turn back round and try again with the treat.

If you add a different word – I like “ah!” because I never use it in any other context – it becomes a signal that the dog has done the wrong thing and will not be rewarded. Eventually, the word alone will be enough.

New Behaviour

All dogs go through the same series of processes when learning a new behaviour.

The first stage is ACQUISITION. The dog learns that something new is happening. Raise a treat above your dog’s head and say, “sit”. When the dog sits, drop the treat into their mouth. Your dog learns that if they sit when you ask, a reward follows.

The second stage is FLUENCY. You practice until your dog sits immediately. These two stages are usually quite quick. The next stage takes the longest; maybe months. In GENERALISATION your dog must learn that “sit” means sit, regardless of anything else. Sit means sit when: you say it quietly, or quickly; when you are wearing a hat, or stand on one leg; when you are in the kitchen, or the vet’s; when you are near, or far away. Your dog learns that nothing else matters but the word “sit”. The final stage, MAINTENANCE, means that you have to practice every now and then, so your dog doesn’t forget.

Attention Span

Dogs have a short attention span and learn best with short, 5 minute, bouts of teaching, several times a day. Start teaching a new behaviour somewhere with no distractions. When your dog is FLUENT, introduce distractions gradually, so that GENERALISATION takes place. The quickest learning will take place when your dog can focus on you and the task in hand.

For example, start training in a familiar place such as the living room, where there is nothing else to interest your dog. When they are fluent, take the training into the garden, where it will regress. Become fluent again before introducing more distractions, like on a walk, and then take another step back to become fluent again. Finally, practice in as many different places as you can.

Punishment

There should be no need for smacking, hitting with a rolled up newspaper or any other barbaric practice. If your dog is misbehaving, ignoring it is the best thing you can do. If the behaviour cannot be ignored, disrupt it in some way and prevent it happening again. Like in our doorbell example, train an alternative, acceptable, behaviour in its place.

Progression

You can progress by: -

• No longer having the reward visible.
• Withholding the reward for all but the BEST performances.
• Changing the reward: instead of a food treat give praise or game sometimes.
• Rewarding intermittently: once every three, or five times, like a slot machine does.
• Doing all these at once.

And Finally, In a Nutshell -

• Take into account your dogs genes.
• Reward good behaviour and ignore bad.
• Disrupt any bad behaviour you can’t ignore, and then prevent it happening again.
• Substitute an alternative, acceptable, behaviour for the bad.

You now have the knowledge to train any dog to do anything. Give it a try.

These things are not that important for people, so we tend to go along with what the dog wants; it’s no big deal. However, if your dog thinks they are making important decisions, they will assume responsibility for ones we don’t want them to make. If your dog pulls on the lead they probably think they are taking you for a walk.

If your dog won’t stop barking when people come to the door, they probably think that they have the responsibility for deciding who comes in and who doesn’t. Dogs like rules. When dogs don’t understand the rules they can live under severe stress. Consistency is vital. If the rules are inconsistent how can they possibly comprehend them? You need to communicate to your dog, without using any force or confrontation, that you are in control of your relationship. To do this, you need to take ownership of the resources that are important to your dog, but not necessarily to you.

There are only three things of major importance to all dogs: food, toys/games and attention.

Food

It is only good manners for your dog to say “please” before they are given their food, or any treats. The way to do this is to control the food, not the dog. Show your dog what is on offer and ask them to “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “shake paws”, or any other command that they know, or you want to teach them. Don’t put the food down until your dog has asked nicely. Your dog should do something for you, before you do something for them. Do not compete or argue with your dog by using lots of commands. Keep hold of the food bowl and do not put it down until they have done as you asked.

Toys

There are two types of toy for dogs: ones that they play with by themselves or with other dogs, “Free Play Toys,” and ones that we play with them, “Interactive Toys” (it could actually be the same toy, but they are defined by how they are used).

Free Play Toys - It’s a good idea to keep all of these toys in a toy box, so that you have control over their use. Select toys to give to your dog when you wish, and put them away again when you want to. Rotate your dog’s toys: a couple today, a different couple tomorrow. This will increase the value of the toys and the amount of time your dog plays with them, because they are not always available, and it increases your value, because you provide ‘new’ toys every day.

Interactive Toys - When you play with toys with your dog, they also get your attention – a double whammy! The toy should come out when you want to play and go away when you are done. You own it. This gives your dog clear signals about playtime and gives the toy immense value.

Attention (including affection)

We have dogs because we like to interact with them. What we mustn’t forget is that our attention is ours to give when we want, not when we are manipulated into giving it by a puppy. This is not a “no attention” relationship, in fact you can give as much attention as you like. What you need to be aware of is exactly when you give attention, and what your dog perceives they did to earn that attention.

Remember, behaviour that is rewarded is likely to be repeated, and any kind of attention (even negative attention like being shouted at) is more rewarding than none at all. Give your dog lots of attention, but make it conditional on good behaviour. If your dog bites your knees and subsequently gets attention, they are likely to repeat the behaviour. If they are ignored when they sit quietly on the mat, they are less likely to repeat that behaviour.

When your dog pesters you for attention, actively ignore behaviour you don’t like. Stand up, turn your back, fold your arms, do not speak and look away (attention = speech, eye contact or touch). If it is really bad walk out of the room.

Alternatively, reinforce behaviours you do like. Tell your dog to fetch a toy and then reward them with lots of fuss. Ask them to sit, or lie down, or any non-invasive behaviour, but DON’T FORGET TO REWARD them. This will mean that behaviours that you like will become more frequent, and other behaviours will decrease.

If you are retraining non-invasive behaviours at the expense of previous undesirable ones, it may get worse before it gets better. Your dog has always had a response before, and now doesn’t get it, so may do their particular “attention seeking” behaviour more, or even try new behaviours.

Once your dog knows you are in control they can relax.

• “Pushy” dogs are given firm boundaries are so there is no point in constantly testing the limits.
• Relief from the pressure of making decisions reduces stress: “Who shall I let in? Can I eat that road-kill? Can I still get attention when I want?”
• Timid dogs gain confidence. Once they know what the rules are they never have to be worried about offending someone.
• Dogs know you are in charge, so will look towards you for guidance, making training so much easier.
• Dogs shouldn’t have to bear the burden of looking after us; we should be looking after them!

This philosophy comes in many guises, but it is universally accepted as the kindest way to explain rules to dogs; punishment often disappears altogether. In behaviour modification programmes it is often called “Learn to Earn”. You may also hear of it as “Lifestyle Training”, “Holistic Training” or “NILIF” (Nothing In Life Is Free). Regardless of what you call it, when you are in control of the relationship, you are in control of your dog.