Beware of instructors who trumpet the number of dogs they have trained, who name-drop clients who are famous stars, or who try to handle large classes of more than twenty dogs alone. A little humility is important to look for in a trainer. A good instructor will have at least one apprentice or assistant in a large class. If an instructor seems too physical in managing dogs, ask about it. Training methods do occasionally include physicality and force, but excesses should never be tolerated. Don't overreact if the instructor applies physical discipline in cases of aggression or extreme disobedience, especially if a handler cannot or will not control a dog. The instructor is responsible for the safety of the handlers and dogs in the class. If you do not understand something the instructor does, ask about it.
There are some instances when you should simply quit class and walk out. If an instructor "hangs" a dog (except as an absolutely last resort to prevent an attacking dog from seriously biting the instructor), swirls a dog around on the end of a leash, kicks a dog (except to stop a real dogfight), insults a handler, consistently refuses to answer questions, or derides the dogs, quit. But don't jump to conclusions, and ask for clarification before you take action.
Personal Attention
Don't expect tons of personal attention in dog obedience school. If you are lucky enough to find an instructor who insists on small classes, you may get a lot of personal help. But in most large classes with a set time limit, the instructor simply can't stop to take five or ten minutes with each person. You and your dog are a team that is working in a class, but to reap a real reward, you have to plan on consistent daily work on your own at home. Our clients report that lack of individual attention is the biggest single drawback of park-type obedience courses. Clients needing or desiring much counseling should not expect to get it in a large class. Some instructors, while quite skilled in teaching basic exercises, have little or no experience in diagnosing more complicated canine behavior and can sometimes hand out bad remedies.
Flunking Out of Obedience School
Don't be discouraged if you "flunk out." You probably won't, but if you do, take it in stride. It certainly does not mean that you or your dog is untrainable. Like many children, some dogs simply cannot take the structured school approach, or they may need individual training. Go to a trainer who will work with your dog alone. Or begin again by seriously studying training manuals, teaching your dog yourself. Ten percent of the dogs we see at New Skete are obedience-class dropouts. Almost all respond to a more individual, concentrated approach.
Private Training
Private training in which the trainer comes to your house is a third method of training. Although more expensive than a local obedience class, the personalized attention you and your dog receive are often well worth it. In general, it is easier to tailor private training to an owner's specific needs and problems, and at a time that is convenient for you.
With a qualified private trainer you have the advantage of his or her undivided attention during the session, and the training can proceed more naturally at your own pace. Not only are you able to observe firsthand his or her techniques, but, more important, the skilled private trainer is continually helping you learn how to train your dog. Remember, that's the real point. You need to become comfortable working with your dog in real life, and this is more easily achieved under the tutelage of a professional who can steadily help you and your dog overcome the challenges of your specific living environment. This is particularly so in regard to setting up and dealing with distracting situations that have been difficult for you to deal with and that you need to be able to handle in everyday life.
Follow the guidelines for finding a trainer mentioned above and expect a qualified private trainer to be able to provide you with credible professional references from veterinarians and humane societies, as well as references from satisfied clients. Ask him or her if it is possible to observe a session, and assess how he or she communicates not only with the dog but with the client as well.
Individual Counseling and Training
Resident training is another method of training that has become more and more popular over the past twenty years. Leaving your dog with a trainer can often be combined with a long vacation or other absence when you would have to board your dog anyway. Make sure you are clear about the trainer's facilities. Although many kennels are not able to provide you with a tour of the inside kennel space because of insurance and health considerations (e.g., viruses can be inadvertently imported by customers), they can give you a detailed description of the kennel facility, the size of the individual dog pens, and a daily schedule for care of your dog and should be willing to show you the kennel from the outside. Do the outside kennels have adequate shade? Ask to see the trainer work with an experienced dog, and inquire specifically about what your dog will learn.
Many owners wonder about the transfer-of-training problem. "If I leave my dog with another trainer, will he mind me when he gets home?" is a legitimate question. The answer is usually yes — if you follow up faithfully on what the trainer does with your dog. Most trainers give you literature to read while your dog is away. It pays to read it.
When you come for your dog, the trainer should provide a comprehensive report and explanation of the training, including practical demonstration for you in a situation in which your dog does not know you are there. This can be helpful in two ways. First, it brings to life the literature you have read and lets you observe someone else working with your dog, providing an invaluable mirror. If you are so inclined, ask the trainer whether you may videotape the demonstration for your use as a future reference. Second, since the dog will be anxious to be reunited with you, such a demonstration allows you to observe your dog in a normal session, without the complicating stress of the dog having to perform on the heels of a happy reunion. Once the dog settles down after the reunion, you should be able to practice for a time under the watchful guidance of the trainer. Most trainers offer to have you back for refresher sessions later, if you need them.
Many owners find this method of training a relief and a pleasure. Owners who do not have the time or skill to train through books or in a class may find this method a good alternative. Owners who have flunked out of obedience school, or cannot find an acceptable group instructor, might opt for individual training. Physically handicapped or elderly persons often appreciate individual training, which spares them the bulk of the initial highly physical training. Finally, problem dogs are sometimes more responsive to training away from their environment. But remember: no matter how well your dog is trained in such a program, you still have to practice regularly with your dog for several weeks following his return to ensure a smooth transfer of the obedience. The difference is that now it will be so much easier for you to provide that continuity.
All in all, individual training is a good alternative to class obedience training, and many trainers prefer it to class work. It is usually more expensive, because of labor and board costs, but many owners find it worthwhile.
Dog-Owner Counseling
Deep-seated canine behavioral problems, however, cannot be solved simply by attending obedience classes. Though your dog might become expert with the heel, sit, stay, and lie down commands, the living-room rug might still get chewed, the backyard excavated, or the neighbor's chickens chased and killed. Especially in the case of aggressive behavior, try to get individual attention and dog-owner counseling.
If a good obedience-class instructor is hard to find, a good dog-owner counselor is even more elusive. Many owners turn to their local veterinarians. This route might be helpful if the veterinarian is skilled in canine behavior and has the time to talk. But many simply cannot take the time to diagnose intricate behavioral problems. Some vets keep on file the names of dog trainers who specialize in dog-owner counseling. You may have to call several area vets before you find one who knows where to find such a counselor. At New Skete we are experienced in this kind of training, along with other types of instruction. Dog-ow
ner counseling is a growing, evolving field. It takes time and patience. Not every trainer is interested in it or capable of it. Fortunately, the number of people who are training themselves in dog-owner counseling is growing. Many veterinarians are becoming interested in problem behavior. Ten years ago it was nearly impossible to find a professional trainer or veterinarian who would sit down with you and discuss, in detail, why your dog bites, chews, digs, whines, kills other animals, house-soils, or chases cars. Advice on such complicated matters was obtained on the way out the door of the veterinarian's office, or over the coffee table from friends. Ten years from now, individual dog-owner counseling might be the rule, not the exception.
Bear in mind, too, that trainers are not oracles or gods. They come up against problems that challenge and baffle them. They meet canines they can't understand. Hopefully, they have someone they themselves can turn to for help, as J. Allen Boone did in Kinship with All Life. He went to visit Mojave Dan, a wise old desert hermit who lived with a colony of dogs and burros. He asked the hermit to help him understand his dog and get at the truth of the animal. The sage thought for a while and then answered, "There's facts about dogs, and there's opinions about them. The dogs have the facts, and the humans have the opinions. If you want facts about a dog, always get them straight from the dog. If you want opinions, get them from humans."
9
The Concept of Praise in Dog Training
We asked a number of dog owners what they did to praise their dogs. Here are some of their replies:
"Treats. He loves them. Then I pet him all over the head and shoulders."
"I give my dog a good rubdown. She rolls over on the floor, and we have a great time."
"You can pet a dog all you want, but nothing matches a good bone."
"I talk 'baby talk' to my dog, then I pat his head while he's sitting."
"My dog nudges me all the time for praise, so I wind up with a hand stroking him ninety-nine percent of the time. We look like a couple going steady."
"I never give any praise. Duke comes over and gets it! I don't know how many times I've had my cup of coffee spilled in my lap in the morning when he nudges my elbow, or how many times I've been unable to read the evening paper because he's bothering me for attention."
"Is praise really necessary? I mean, a good meal, a warm place to sleep, isn't that all they need?"
"She's only three months old. I know she needs a lot of encouragement and praise, but if I touch her, she breaks down and wets all over the place."
"The children play with Yalk all day, but he wants another kind of attention, which he gets from me. I don't know how to explain it, but we talk — and it's different from the kids. He'll be outside playing all day, but after dinner, he'll come in very quietly and we have a talk."
Several themes run through these replies: techniques of physical and verbal praise, limiting praise to food treats, dogs who demand constant praise, owners who do not realize the value of praise, and dogs who are easy or difficult to praise because of behavioral or genetic weaknesses. Surprisingly, we find that people often misunderstand what it means to praise their dogs: either they look at it merely as a useful tool or they feel uptight with the whole idea. What is the proper place of praise?
Let's begin by saying that praise is absolutely necessary. It is the cornerstone of any successful dog-owner relationship. It is not a frill, an attached reward for good behavior: unfortunately, this is the most frequent use of praise. This is part of the misunderstanding of praise — people use it as a bribe to extract good behavior from the dog. Dogs see through such calculated insincerity and grow deaf to it, leaving the owner to search for the next technique that will solve this or that behavioral problem. But in a healthy dog-owner relationship, praise is an entirely natural reaction, an instinctive attitude toward the dog that is characteristic of the responsible owner. It is a way of relating that the dog picks up and responds to wholeheartedly. The most common mistake is to consider praise as simply a reward. Rewards do have a place in dog training, but they are not the essence of praise.
Physical and Verbal Praise
The concept of praise is twofold. Praising a dog is a physical and verbal involvement with the animal that is influenced by the specific personality of each dog. It is a delicate matter to combine the two in the right proportion. Each dog needs and desires a different type of praise for different actions. Most owners understand that physical praise means petting their dogs, but only a few extend any kind of physical contact beyond the head and shoulder regions (see chapter 24 on massage). Others pound on their dogs, and some pet a dog the same way they stroke a cat. Dogs generally like body contact but do not appreciate slapping, heavy pounding, or pulling.
Physical praise needs to be meted out according to the situation and according to the dog. We once had a client who was training her lively Labrador retriever with us. Each time the dog sank into the automatic sit, which is a normal part of the heeling process, the client would explode into lavish praise. The dog would then break the sit, dance around, jump up, and generally go berserk. "He didn't win an Olympic medal," we remarked. "Why not tone down the level of praise so that your dog can handle it emotionally?" A simple adjustment, but the effect was dramatic.
On the other hand, we recall another client, a somewhat quiet and withdrawn gentleman who was working with his aloof shar-pei. Though the dog would come when called, she did so with such lackluster enthusiasm that the man felt embarrassed. We advised him to be more verbally animated with his dog and to vigorously stroke the dog's neck and side. "But that's just not me," he protested. We made little progress until his daughter happened to come by with his grandchild. Immediately his eyes lit up and he greeted her enthusiastically, extending his arms and speaking to her in a playful manner. The man seemed astonished when we pointed this out, and suddenly he was able to make the connection. In time, his dog started coming out of herself, displaying more animation and affection and less independence, despite the fact that she was a shar-pei.
Try to match physical praise to the situation and to the individual dog. Avoid overloading active, lively dogs with too much physical praise when doing so is going to be counterproductive. At the same time let it become the natural response when a dog needs to be brought out of herself. One member of our community described how he matches praise to one situation: "Getting up in the morning, my dog stretches, and comes over to the bed just about the time I put my feet on the floor. I vigorously fluff up her mane and ears, ending with stroking and patting her about her muzzle."
Dogs need verbal praise as much as (if not more than) physical praise. It's difficult to understand what intense verbal praise can mean to a dog until you see it in action. In our early days of dog study, we read about "animation" and the importance of varying voice tonality in relating with canines. But no book conveyed what we experienced when we heard Helen (Scootie) Sherlock of Caralon Kennels relating with her dogs. She usually has a large number of German shepherd dogs surrounding her, all seeking attention. Scootie is extremely verbal to begin with, and she has a special lingo for her dogs.
In the midst of morning chores, Scootie cannot possibly stop to relate physically with each dog. But as she weaves about, feeding, watering, cleaning up the kennel, she manages to include each dog. Each one feels personally noticed. They immediately become animated and focus their attention on their owner. Since this is their first reaction of the day, they start off with an accepting, willing-to-please attitude toward Scootie that makes the rest of the day easier for everyone.
Notice her technique: she says a few introductory words, then inserts the dog's name in a high-pitched cadence. If the dog doesn't realize in advance that he is being addressed, the inclusion of his name makes it a certainty. It's often difficult to get your dog's attention if you always use the call name first. Try a few happy introductory words.
Scootie uses common slang and CB-radio lingo because she is comfortable with it and because it delivers strong s
taccato sounds with clear tonal contrasts in short syllables. We've found that many people are verbally inhibited and find it difficult to loosen up and talk to a dog. They find it uncouth, babyish, or demeaning. We've seen some starchy types muffle their embarrassed smiles when they hear us break into a song to one of our dogs, often a personalized jingle about the dog's good or bad qualities. Our Sister Anne has a saying that comes out of our experience with our dogs, "every dog has a song," and repeatedly we have seen how such jingles enhance the relationship. The dogs "read" the expression and tone contained in the melody and respond joyfully. This is not unique to us. All great trainers animate their dogs by talking in happy, peppy tones, employing key affectionate phrases, and using the dog's name frequently. Trainers from as varied training backgrounds and philosophies as Diane Bauman, David Dikeman, John Ross, Jack and Wendy Volhard, Ian Dunbar, Brian Kilcommons, Donna Malce, and Sheila Booth (just to scratch the surface) make verbal praise an organic part of their training methods and their daily life with their dogs. Whether they use food, clickers, toys, petting, or even nothing else in conjunction with the training process, good trainers manifest warm, sincere praise as a natural part of their interaction with their dogs.
Another tip: your verbal praise need not be limited to "good dog!" Vary your praise. By avoiding a predictable and boring expression, you can make up a whole list of praise words and phrases that communicate enthusiasm and get your dog's eyes focused on you and his tail moving vigorously. "Yes!" said with a high-pitched intensity is particularly effective as praise when your dog gets something right. "That's my girl [guy]," "super," "better," and "outtasight!" can also be used in an entirely natural way to add attention and focus. Depending on the intensity of your dog's response, you may have to fine-tune the pitch of your voice; practice and find out what elicits the most favorable response.
How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend Page 6
