BML2--Class #2

Heel:

The Heel position is about the dog staying close to the handler and paying close attention.  We will start with the Basic Heel position, the Stationary Heel.

To do this, we will food lure the dog into the Heel position at our left side.  Use your left hand to food lure the dog into the position.  If you need, take a step back with your left leg to encourage the dog to move.  Once the dog is in the Heel position, practice a Sit and Look. 

Moving Heel:  

1. Food lure the dog several times while backing up.
2. Food lure the dog, now turn your body so the dog is now on the left side in Heel position (use the treat in your left hand).

—Always begin and end every Heel exercise with a Sit in the Heel position.

—When you stop moving forward, move your baited hand UP slightly to initiate the Sit position.

—As you are moving forward, the treat should be held up slightly from the dog so she is looking for it.  Gradually progress to moving your hand all the way up to the Look position.  

Come When Called:

(Puppy Ping Pong and Hide & Seek Games)

The Rules:

1. Safety first.  Always have a leash or be in an enclosed area.
2. When you say come, you have to see it happen.
3. NEVER punish a dog for coming to you.

The Steps:

1. Say the dog’s name and Come, one time only.
2. Have a party.
3. Lure (or gently lead) the dog back to you.

Remember, each cue/command has three parts to build up or work on:  

1. Duration (Time)
2. Distance
3. Distractions

To improve the Cue:  we will apply a Reward Grading Scale.  

This means that you must know what your dog likes best.  For this scale, we will reward with a low level treat for an okay recall.  As the dog improves on speed and direction, the training grade is higher, and therefore the reward should be greater.  Once the dog runs the distance quickly and directly to you, use a Jackpot Reward.  This means giving the dog several treats quickly after performing a behavior exceptionally well.

Practice Come when Called while adding Distance.  

We will start at a distance where we know the dog will currently respond to Come, then slowly start adding distance each time.  If the dog does not do well, take the training back a step (move closer to the dog).  Remember to progress slowly.  Be sure to attach your long line dog leash for this training.  For this, it is helpful to have two people for each dog.  This will make this exercise much easier to practice.  (Puppy Ping Pong Game).  Remember to practice all 3 Steps of Come When Called each time (as needed).  

Come when Called while adding Distractions.

Next we will try adding distractions to Come when Called.  To begin, we will start at a lower distance then was just practiced.  Keep your long ling training leash attached.  Now we will practice Come when Called while adding distractions.  For this we will use other dogs and people from class, as well as objects to try and distract your dog during the Come command.  Be sure to take this training very slowly.  Heavily reward your dog for ignoring the distraction(s) and coming to you.  Slowly add more difficult distractions.  Remember to use your Reward Grading Scale.  For better recalls, reward more lavishly with better treats.

Practice Look, Sit, Down, & Stand:

Finally we will practice some Basic Manners.  Practice each cue and make the dog hold the position longer before the reward.  Be sure to say your Reward Marker, “Good,” the instant the dog performs the behavior, but withhold the treat for a few seconds.  Make the dog wait longer and longer for the reward.  When rewarding, praise lavishly.

Practice Stay:

For Week 3 class we will be adding Distance and Distractions to the Stay cue.  So for this week, practice the Stay cue without distance and distractions.  Simply work on building up Duration, or time.

BML2--Class #1

Basic Manners - Level Two:  Class #1

The first class is a review of all things learned in Basic Manners Level One...

3 Things on your body that are Rewarding to Dogs:

1. Voice
2. Eye Contact
3. Touch

Anytime you engage your dog in one of these things, you are basically rewarding whatever behavior they are doing at that time.  This is important to keep in mind so we do not unintentionally reward bad behaviors.

You must catch a bad behavior within 2 seconds to change the behavior.

Marker Word:  “Good” or “Yes” or the clicker

This is what we say to mark the behavior we wanted.  Saying this is telling the dog, “that was exactly what I was looking for!”  The more you mark good behavior in a positive way, the more your dog will want to engage in good behavior.  

No Reward Marker:  “uh-oh” or “eh-eh”

This is to let the dog know that this is not what I was looking for you to do now.  We want to mark the behavior as not what we wanted, but we want to do so in a way that will still encourage the dog to want to learn.  When using an “uh-oh” while training, remember to take a step away from the dog to help “re-set” the brain, then try again.  Remember to only say cues ONE TIME, then wait 30 seconds to a minute before giving your “uh-oh” (give the dog a chance to make the right decision).

Basic Manners Review:

Look/ Watch Me:

We practice this command because we want a dog who looks to us for permission and direction.  Practice this cue both the simple way (directly from the dog’s nose up to your eye), and with the T position (start the same, then when the treat comes to your eye, move both arms out into a T position).

Come When Called:

The Rules:

1. Safety first.  Always have a leash or be in an enclosed area.
2. When you say come, you have to see it happen.
3. NEVER punish a dog for coming to you.

The Steps:

1. Say the dog’s name and Come, one time only.
2. Have a party.
3. Lure (or gently lead) the dog back to you.

Loose Leash Walking:

When your dog pulls on the leash, you have two options…

1. Stop and wait for the dog to move in a way that releases the tension of the leash.
2. Say “let’s go” and go off promptly in the opposite direction.

Sit, Down, & Stand:

All these positions should already be well practiced.  Dogs should know the verbal and hand signals for each command.

Leave-It:

This should mean to a dog, turn away from that, don’t pay attention to that, leave that thing alone.  Remember that whatever you are asking your dog to Leave It, he should NOT get that item at the time you are practicing the Leave-It.  Never practice Leave-It/ Take-It (this can teach a dog to leave something alone for a second, then take it anyway).  We want our dogs to know that when I say to leave something alone, you don’t touch it ever.

Making Leave-It harder:  1. Treat in closed hand, 2. Treat in partially open hand, 

3. Treat in open hand, 4. Treat in open hand on the ground, 5. Treat on the ground.

Stay:

Means to your dog, stay in this position until I come back to release you.  This is not the same thing as Wait.  There are 3 parts to the Stay Cue:

1. Duration (Time)
2. Distance
3. Distractions

Drop It/ Give:

When teaching this cue, we must be aware of possible Resource Guarding.  Remember to NEVER steal things from your dog’s mouth.  To teach Drop It/ Give:

Have the dog have a toy in his mouth that is not of super high value.  Once the dog has the toy and is engaged with it, present a treat or reward of higher value than the toy, as the dog drops the toy, say “Drop.”  It is very important to give the reward to the dog AT THE SAME TIME as you pick up the dropped toy.  Do not let your dog get into the habit of snatching the reward then snatching the toy back up.

For Week 2 class, please bring a long-line leash or long rope for distance work.  Also bring a squeaky toy that your dog loves.  This will be used to help the dog focus back on you during Distraction work.  As always, bring a variety of lots and lots of good treats that your dog loves.

Perfect Dog--Dog Apps/ Reference

Perfect Dog

iPhone Apps for Dogs/ Dog Reference

Updated:  May 8, 2013

FREE

This a wonderful app to add to your phone.  This reference gives you a list of all (or most) known dog breeds.  You may choose a breed and it will show you pictures of dogs in that breed and then give you basic information on the breed including:  breed origin, height, weight, history, appearance, temperament, and other names the breed may be known by.  

For a dog professional such as myself, this has been a very helpful go-to app during training.  For the average person, this app is still a great thing to have.  You can quickly and easily learn about your favorite breed, or look up a random dog you saw at the park.  I would recommend this app to anyone considering adding a new dog to their household.

There is also a section called "Match" on this app where you can choose characteristics of a dog you are looking for and the app will give you several suggestions.

GREAT APP!  I highly recommend this app to any dog lover or dog professional.

Select your breed.

It will first show you pictures of that breed.

One swipe over and you are given tons of info on that breed.

Trainer Tips--Things People do to Dogs that should be Banned: Part 2

As a trainer, I often see many things that people do to their dogs that is not good behavior.  Some of these things make me very sad for the dog, others make me down right angry.  Below is the continued blog of some things that people do to dogs that should NEVER be allowed!

See Also:  Part 1 of Things People do to Dogs that should be Banned.

#5 - Puppy Mills

If you haven't heard of the puppy mill problem yet, you must be living under a rock.  Thankfully, this horrific and barbaric practice has received a lot of negative attention recently from the media and animal activists.  

A responsible breeder will breed usually only one breed type, and will breed for health and temperament.  Responsible breeders usually have no more than 1-3 litters per year.  

A puppy mill is basically a place where people breed dogs purely for profit. These people breed multiple dogs in poor conditions.  They pay no attention to health, temperament, or behavior of the dogs they breed.  Most of these dogs have little to no human contact during their lives of breeding, and are generally kept in unclean conditions.  Most times multiple cages are stacked on top of each other where these dogs live out their lives in wire-bottom kennels with no exercise or interaction with others.  

Pets that are sold in most pet stores usually come from a puppy mill.  So do your part to help curb the problem...do NOT buy your new puppy from a pet store.  Instead go to your local shelter or rescue.  If you do have your heart set a certain breed, do your research and find a responsible breeder:  one that breeds for health and temperament.  You should be able to see the puppies with the mom in the space they currently live.  If the breeder is not comfortable showing you this space, that is a big RED FLAG...they are probably a puppy mill/ back-yard breeder.  Do not adopt/buy from a breeder that refuses to let you see the puppies with the mom!

Also see an Article on Puppy Mills by Victoria Stilwell

#6 - Selling Dogs in Pet Stores

Again, most dogs that are SOLD in pet store are breed in a puppy mill.  DO NOT BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE.  Instead, adopt from your local shelter or rescue.  

More recently, many pet stores have been partnering with their local shelters and rescues to adopt animals out of the store.  This is great!  You are still adopting a pet in need, NOT paying the puppy mill breeder.

#7 - Tethering

Although chaining or tethering your dog can be helpful, it should really only be used for short periods of time.  A dog should NEVER be left tethered while unsupervised!  Dogs can easily be injured or even killed when left tethered and unsupervised.

#8 - Punishment-based Training

As mentioned above, we have learned over the past few years that dogs actually learn faster and retain information longer when taught using positive reinforcement training methods.  Using punishment-based techniques can actually set training back, and create unwanted behaviors, including aggression, and can create a relationship of mistrust between dog and owner.

See also:
Positive Reinforcement & Dog Training Basics
The History of Dog Training
Training Programs
Dog Training Philosophies 
Training Terms Help

#9 - Retractable Leashes

This is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to dog training.  A retractable or Flexi-leash is made in a way so that there is always tension of the leash.  This leash actually teaches a dog to pull.  Besides being contrary to training, this type of leash is also very dangerous.  I have seen many times a dog take off and hit the end of the leash and either the leash breaks and they keep running (putting themselves in possible danger) or the owner falls down when the dog reaches the end of the leash (causing owner injury).  I also know of someone who actually lost a finer when the leash got wrapped around and the dog took off running.  Very very dangerous, silly tools!

Dogs should be walked a regular 4-6 foot leash (or use a long line for training).

Previous blog on Retractable Leashes.

VIDEO: Dog Playtime

A quick video of some Doggie Playtime with Such Good Dogs:  Nekita, Caravaggio, and Devo.

Breed of the Month--Great Dane

Great Dane

Color:  Black, blue, brindle, fawn, mantle, harlequin

Height:  Males:  30 inches/  Females:  28 inches

Weight:  Males:  119 lbs/ Females:  101.5 lbs

Life Span:  7-10 years

Breed Health Concerns:  Hip dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, bloat, cervical vertebral instability, osteosarcoma, and lymphoma.

Coat:  Thick, short, and glossy

Country of Origin:  Germany

Visit the American Kennel Club for breed standards and more information.

The origins of this breed are not exactly known, but believed to have been descended from a type of mastiff and possibly Irish Wolfhound.  Danes originally served as boar hunters, war dogs, and bull baiters.  The Germans refined the breed and declared it the national dog of Germany in 1876.

Today the Great Dane is more of a lover than a fighter.  The Dane retains a powerful protective instance for his family, but is very playful, affectionate, and patient.  The Dane enjoys children, but sometimes his size can be dangerous when leaning affectionately towards small children.  Great Dane's are very people oriented.

Exercise:  

Although the Great Dane is quite large, he does not require a lot of exercise.  The Dane is happy with the normal walk twice per day.  The Great Dane is happy indoors and enjoys just hanging out with his family.  Although the Dane does not require a lot of physical exercise, it is important to keep him mentally stimulated.  Without regular mental and physical stimulation, the Dane can become quite destructive.

Grooming:  

The Great Dane is an average shedder, and will require regular brushing, but the short coat is easy to care for.

Training:  

The Great Dane can be somewhat of a challenge to train.  The Dane is intelligent, but was bred to be an independent thinker.  Holding the Dane's attention requires creativity and high rewards in training.  Socialization is very important to start as a young puppy with Great Danes.

One of our dog pack, Caravaggio, is part Great Dane.

You can definitely see this breed in his size, but also his temperament.

Although Caravaggio is well trained (as all my pack is),

he does have an independent mind and can become easily distracted.

With the proper training however, this is easily managed.

Great Dane's are amazingly gentle, loving dogs,

and we very much enjoy having one in our pack.

Our Great Dane/ German Shepherd/ Lab mix Caravaggio (right)

helping puppy Dora learn some leash skills.

BML1--Class #6

Dogs from L to R:  Hope, Koa, Boone, Maybe, Devo, & Ogi.

Basic Manners Level One:

Positive Reinforcement Training

Energy Balance

Marker Word

No Reward Marker

Food Lure

Look/ Watch Me, Basic & the T position

Come when Called, 3 Steps & 3 Rules

Loose Leash Walking

Sit & Auto-Sit

Down

Up/ Stand

(Hand Signals)

Stay with Release Cue

Impulse Control

Leave It

Drop It

Class #6 of Basic Manners Level One is a review of all things learned.  We go over each cue and play different games to improve on each command.  At the end of class #6, each participant is given a certificate of completion.  Below are some pictures of the dogs working on "Stay."

Maybe.

Devo.

Boone.

Ogi.

REMEMBER to Keep Training Going:

Proper Exercise:  Every dog should be walked every day!

Good Relationship with the owner:  When you get frustrated, remember why you got your dog, he’s your buddy, he’s your pal.  Don’t take set-back’s personal.

Socialization:  It is very important to have a dog that is comfortable in as many different situations as possible.  Take your dog everywhere you can, but proceed at your dog’s pace.

Consistency:  Everyone in the household should have all the same rules, all the same cue words and commands, ALL THE TIME!

Generalizing:  Dogs do not generalize well.  It is important to practice everything you learn, everywhere you go.

Training Sessions:  Keep them short and sweet.  3-5 minutes a few times a day.

BML1--Class #5

Basic Manners -- Level One, Class #5

Such Good Dogs Basic Manners Class #5

Review of what is Rewarding to Dogs:

1.  Voice

2.  Eye Contact

3.  Touch

REVIEW:

Loose Leash Walking

Look/ Watch Me, Basic and the T position

Come when Called, 3 Steps & 3 Rules

Sit & Auto-Sit, Down, and Up

Leave-It

Stay with Release Cue, working on duration (building up time)

Drop It:

When teaching this cue, it is important to be aware of any possible Resource Guarding.  Dogs sometimes think they have a prize, or something they really like, and they want to keep it.  Low level resource guarding are things like lowering the head over an object or putting a paw over it.  High level resource guarding includes growling, air snapping, and biting.

Some dogs learn to guard because humans snatch things.  Never try and steal something from your dog.  Instead we must teach our dogs that all good things are provided by us.  We can trade whatever object they have for something of equal or higher value.

To teach the Drop It Cue:  First give the dog something he likes, such as a toy.  To begin, the dog must have an item in his mouth.  Once the dog is interested in the toy and has it in his mouth, present an item of higher value (treat) directly in front of the dog’s nose.  The dog will drop the toy to get the higher value item or treat.  As the dog drops the toy, say “Drop.”  As you are feeding the dog his reward, remove the toy with your foot at the same time.  Do not allow your dog to snatch the treat then snatch the toy back up.

REMEMBER to Keep Training Going:

Proper Exercise:  Every dog should be walked every day!

Good Relationship with the owner:  When you get frustrated, remember why you got your dog, he’s your buddy, he’s your pal.  Don’t take set-back’s personal.

Socialization:  It is very important to have a dog that is comfortable in as many different situations as possible.  Take your dog everywhere you can, but proceed at your dog’s pace.

Consistency:  Everyone in the household should have all the same rules, all the same cue words and commands, ALL THE TIME!

Generalizing:  Dogs do not generalize well.  It is important to practice everything you learn, everywhere you go.

Training Sessions:  Keep them short and sweet.  3-5 minutes a few times a day.

Trainer Tips--Things People do to Dogs that should be Banned: Part 1

As a trainer, I often see many things that people do to their dogs that is not good behavior.  Some of these things make me very sad for the dog, others make me down right angry.  Below are a few things that people do to dogs that should NEVER be allowed!

#1 - Debarking

This is a barbaric practice that should most definitely be banned!  Debarking, also called "bark softening," is a procedure in which the dog's vocal cords are cut to endure more of a whisper bark than a true bark.  Many people think that this is an acceptable solution to quieting a barking dog.  It is NOT!  This is one of those things that makes me furious.  This procedure is a very bloody and painful surgery for the dog.  People need to learn that this is NOT an acceptable option for getting your dog to stop barking.  Barking is a natural dog behavior, but that does not mean you cannot train your dog not to bark...you absolutely can.  Depending on how long your dog has been engaging in massive barking, the training may take a few weeks to a few months.  But with consistent, positive reinforcement training, you can teach your dog not to bark...a much better option than invasive, painful surgery!

#2 - Choke Chains/ Prong Collars

These are the tools of the past dog training methods.  Punishment-based dog training was all the rage for many years.  More recently we have learned that dogs learn faster and retain information longer when taught using positive reinforcement methods.  Using pain and/or punishment methods of training, such as these collars, can actually set back the learning process and create a relationship of mistrust between dog and owner.  Choke chains and prong collars are also often mis-used, however, even proper use of these items can cause trachea, neck, and throat damage in your dog.

Also see our previous article on Prong collars.
Also see our previous article Slip/ Choke collars

#3 - Electronic Collars

Although still widely used in various dog training, including competitive obedience, hunting and tracking, and police work, the Electronic or E-collars is a negative tool.  Dogs trained using adverse training methods such as shock collars, often end up with psychological damage.  Use of the E-collar can also increase the likelihood of aggressive tendencies in your dog.  

Many countries have already banned these collars.  It is time for the United States to follow suit!

Previous Post:  Shock Collars
Alternatives to Shock Collars

#4 - Invisible Fences

Many people were very excited when this product first came out.  It seemed to be a cheap and easy way to keep your dog confined without building an entire fence.  However, it is not.

In order to train your dog on how an Invisible Fence works, you must basically shock your dog over and over.  Repeated exposure to shocks can have many different adverse effects of your dog.  Besides this, these fences are not actually secure.  Many dogs will just run past the "shock zone" and out of the yard, especially if there is a large distraction outside the yard.  Obviously not what was intended.  The invisible fence also does not offer any protection from other animals coming INTO your yard, and possibly attacking your dog.  It offers no protections from someone stealing your dog.

Also see:  Things people do to dogs that should be banned:  Part 2.

BML1--Class #4

Basic Manners -- Level One, Class #4

Such Good Dogs Basic Manners Class #4

Basic Toxins for Dogs:

Grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chocolate, over the counter drugs.

Leave-It:

This means to your dog, you can’t have that and/or don’t pay any attention to that.  Teaching your dog this cue will help develop your dog’s self-control and keep him safe.

When teaching this cue, we first want to get the behavior before adding the cue word.  Get the dog to do the action 2-3 times, then add the word.  Teaching this command requires using both hands.  In one hand you will have something tasty the dog will be asked to leave alone.  Your dog should NOT get this item at this time.  In the other hand you will have your rewards.  Never teach Leave-It/ Take-It.  Doing this teaches your dog to leave something alone for a second, then they get to take it anyway.  When teaching Leave-It, NEVER give your dog the thing you are asking them to leave alone.

Start with both hands behind your back.  Present your hand with the forbidden item.  (Make sure that once you place your hand out, you do not move your hand).  As the dog moves towards the item/hand, say “Leave It.”  As soon as your dog pulls his nose away, give your “Good,” switch hands, and reward with a treat from your reward hand.  As with any training, as your dog gets better, you make the exercise more difficult.  Progression of Difficulty for Leave It:  item to leave alone in your closed hand, item in partially open hand, item in open hand, item in open hand on the ground, item on the ground.

Look / Watch Me:

After practicing the Basic Look: going from the dog’s nose directly to your eye, we will begin to make the exercise more difficult.

The T Position:  Start the exercise the same way.  Put the treat directly in front of the dog’s nose, say “Look” as you are bringing the treat up next to your eye.  But now, when you reach your eye, extend both arms out into a T position.  When the dog looks back at your face, give your “Good” and treat.  When making an exercise more difficult, first start with the easier version (the one the dog has already performed well), then move directly to the harder version.

Stay:

Means to a dog:  Stay in this place until I come BACK TO YOU to release you.

Wait:

Means to a dog:  Stay in this place until I ask you to do something else.  

ANOTHER CUE will follow the wait command.

First you must start by teaching a proper Stay command.  Do not move onto teaching the Wait command until you have trained the Stay command in all 3 parts.

3 Parts to the Stay Cue:

1.  Duration (time)

2.  Distance

3.  Distraction

Release Cue:

This means to a dog, you are now free to do what you want.  Common Release Cues include:  Break, Free, & Go.  I highly discourage owners from using “Okay” as a release cue.  This is a very commonly used phrase, and your dog may be randomly released by a passing stranger.  Use commands that are not common in every day speech.

To teach the Stay cue, put the dog into a Sit position next to you.  Teaching the Stay is another command you will need 2 hands for.  One hand will be giving your stop sign hand signal while the other hand delivers treats.  Put the leash under your foot to work without the distraction.  For this, you will also need a Release Cue.  Basically, you will rapidly feed your dog treats to remain in the Stay position.  We are teaching the dog that remaining in a Stay is highly rewarding.  As your dog is chewing the last treat, give your “Good,” then quickly give your Release Cue while turning on your heels and walking away.  Do not worry if your dog does not immediately follow.  After a few practice sessions, they will easily pick up the Release Cue.

To improve the cue, gradually make the dog wait longer between treats.  At first there may only be 1-3 seconds between treats.  As your dog improves, start making it harder and harder by making the dog wait a little longer between rewards.  Do not go too fast.  If you feel the dog is going to break the Stay, either treat them before they move, or release the dog before they release themselves.
It is VERY IMPORTANT to build up time before adding distance or distractions.  Building up a reliable Stay with time will make it easy to transition into training distance and distractions.  You should be able to get your dog to Stay for at least one minute before moving to adding distance.  Work on improving only one part of the stay cue at a time.  First duration, then distance, then distractions.

PRACTICE!

Loose Leash Walking

Look/ Watch me, both Basic and the T position

Sit & Auto-Sit, Down, and Up

Come when Called, all 3 steps

Leave It

Stay & Release Cue

Maybe (left) helping nervous Hope come out of her shell.

Looks like Hope made a new friend!