Pet Product Review - Pet Botanics Training Rewards

As you may know I have a new puppy, his name is Charlie. And I am very proud to say that Charlie has been housetrained in less than two months. In fact he is not an accident in the house, in over one week  there is no secret, my training technique is very frequent walks and always rewarding Charlie with a savory treat. The treat I am using this month is premium pork liver Training Reward by Pet Botanics.

What I like about this product is that it's perfectly shaped and sized for one small treats. So this there is no waste and no unnecessary calories. My dog Charlie just seemed to love the taste. Pet Botanics Training Rewards comes in a very convenient resealable of 3.5 oz.  They are made in the USA.  Always a plus for me. A super premium liver treat for only $3.49.

Order your bag today at:  http://www.crazypetshop.com/store/c/4-Treats.aspx

If you have a product you think will pass the Secret Shopper Test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com

Unless you plan on competing with your dog in obedience training, you do NOT need a formal HEEL.

HEEL -A position in obedience training where the dog holds his/her position at the left leg on the handler with the dogs nose roughly at the same plane as the handlers outside pant seam.  This position is maintained by the dog regardless of if or how the handler moves (forward, backward, turning, stopping).

I am amazed by the number of clients who seem to feel that they MUST forcefully hold their dog on a tight, short leash while walking.  This is NOT needed.

If fact, it tends to cause problems for the handler and the dog.  A tight leash can actually cause a dog to behave aggressively.  

It is always better to walk a dog on a loose leash.  Training the dog to keep the leash loose is the first and most important step towards enjoying a walk with your dog.

TEACHING LOOSE-LEASH WALKING  -kindergarden level

1.  Choose a collar or harness that does not pull on a dog's neck or back.  

Most flat-collars are good for keeping tags on your dog, but they are not good for walking dogs on leash.  

Pinch and Prong-collars are designed to hurt the dog for making mistakes (pulling), but hurting the dog can have serious side-effects such as increased aggression.  There are many reasons that these collars should never be used, but the best reason is that you can accomplish the same goal faster and more effectively without them.  

Back-clipping harnesses are a great way to reduce pressure on a dogs neck and throat, but they help a dog pull and are useless for teaching a dog to walk nicely on leash.  

****There are two great options for helping your dog walk nicely (no pulling on leash).  Front-clipping harnesses are becoming very popular and dogs tend to adjust to them quickly.  These are fantastic walking harnesses and they do not hurt the dog.  Another option is to use a head-collar.  

For more on these devices, CLICK HERE.

2.  Set time aside for training.  

Hold your dog's leash in your right hand.  If your dog is on your left this will mean that the leash crosses in front of your body -this is OK.

Hold some tasty treats in your left hand near your dogs nose.

Keep your dog interested in the treats, but do not let your dog eat them.

If your dog jumps for the treats or tries to nibble your hand.  Pull your hand away and put it behind your back.  

If your dog has all 4 paws on the ground and is walking nicely next to you, PRAISE your dog THEN give them one of the treats from your hand.

1.  Crate Training Your Puppy is the fastest way to have a completely house-trained pup.

Taking a puppy out for frequent potty breaks and rewarding the puppy for appropriate elimination is only 1/2 the battle.  Crates teach puppies how to hold their bladder until they are outside the "den" and in the correct place.

2.  Crate Training keeps your puppy safe.  

Puppies can get into anything in a second.  Sometimes it is just annoying when they chew things, but sometimes it is really, really dangerous.  Wires, small ingestible items (I found a green thumb tack in puppy poop once), and certain foods can be dangerous for puppies.

3.  Crate training teaches puppies how to settle down and stay in one spot for a reasonable amount of time.  

If they never practice "chilling out" in one location when they are young, they are unlikely to do it later. Of corse they are young so they will need help settling down.  Chews, kongs, and other food puzzles are excellent items to give to your pup in a crate. 

OTHER THOUGHTS

Puppies can generally hold their bladders for only short periods of time.  

A general rule of thumb is:  1 hr for every month of age.  A 2-month old puppy will need to be let out of the crate for a potty-break somewhere between 1.5 - 2 hrs.

Do not expect your pup to hold it when they are running around.  

A free-roaming pup might pee every 10-30minutes.  Puppies will generally hold their bladder if they are in a small, confined space (your crate).  At about 10-12 weeks I find that most pups can make it through the night without needing a potty-break, but this does not mean that they can "hold it" or be crated for that long during the day.

If your pup has just peed and pooped then spend time with them in the house.  

Supervise them carefully and re-direct them onto their toys if they start to chew on anything inappropriate.  After about 30-minutes your 8-10 week old pup will probably be "feeling the urge."  At this point you can take them out again or crate them for 1hr. so that they have a chance to practice "holding it" until they are taken to the potty spot again.

Do you have a question for Kelley? by DogTime blogger Kelley Filson

This is an email question from a DogTime Blog reader.  It is about a Labrador named Lucy who suddenly became aggressive to her owner during training classes.  

The owner stated that Lucy does well with heel, sit & down stay, leave-it unless there is a distraction such as a ball.  "Lucy...  ignores the other toy distractions and only fixates on the balls.   Naturally, she struggles with maintaining her focus on me and my commands during this exercise, but we do have moments of success.  She will leave it, but still maintains a fixated focus and trembles with excitement."  

But Trouble is brewing...

In the email Lucy's owner reported:  "This week in training Lucy was so agitated during this exercise that she snapped at me 3 times when I corrected her and snapped at other dogs in class.  It is like the training, though having some positive affect, is actually bringing out the worse in my dog."

Lucy's owner is alarmed because, "In her two years, Lucy has never, ever snapped at anyone or any other dog during play or on walks.  I have expressed this concern with the trainer, and her feeling is that this behavior was just in there waiting to come out.  I am just not sure about that explanation and thought I would share my story with someone else."

I asked Marianne to share more with me about how she is teaching Lucy to LEAVE-IT.

Marianne reported:  "We are using a standard slip chain choke collar.  I snap and release the collar to correct.  On the snap, I say "uh uh" (hard to spell that!), then give the command.  For example, to have her ignore a ball or toy, I tell her to "leave it.  If she goes for it, I snap and release the collar, say "uh, uh" and repeat "leave it".

"When she reacts correctly, I give verbal praise in a softer, higher tone of voice, such as "good leave it" or "good heel".  Frequently, during our training, I stroke her and give her positive verbal feedback...no treats until the end of class."

There are several problems with the way that Marianne is being instructed to teach her dog.  I will summarize my concerns and the errors in the training below.  

However, I want to be VERY CLEAR about TWO THINGS.

1. Marianne did nothing wrong.  She enrolled her dog training class with someone whom she was told was an expert.  Dog training is still an unregulated field.  Many of us, myself included are looking forward to the day when all trainers will need to be certified and/or licensed.  As it is now, anyone can call themselves a trainer.  There are a few Certifications Programs in the U.S.

2. The following is NOT MY OPINION.  Training is a SCIENCE.  This means that there are rules.  While I have my own personal standards for "humane training" I am not at this moment referring to HOW you get the job done.  I am instead referring to HOW ANIMALS LEARN.  A good trainer should have a solid basis in understanding Operant & Classical Conditioning regardless of whether they give out cookies, collar corrections, or both.  Without these fundamentals skills they are not prepared to train a dog.  Would you go to a doctor that you overheard saying: "Veins, Arteries, whatever; they both do blood stuff!"  I didn't think so.

So What Is Going On With Lucy?  Is she turning aggressive?

For starters, Lucy's aggression was a trained response.  It was unintentional, but it was taught.  Specifically Lucy was taught to HATE seeing Tennis balls in class.  Lucy was being asked to perform a task that she could not do, and because she was not given any guidance on the correct response (look away from the ball) her training looked like this.

Tennis Balls Appear In Class -------> Lucy is subjected to a barrage of jerks, snaps and chokes.

Punishment is a crude tool and has the potential for causing aggression.  In this case, Lucy began to associate the tennis ball distraction with pain.  All animals like to avoid pain and at some point will either choose to fight back or flee.  As Lucy was on-leash fleeing was not an option.

An even more astonishing is that Lucy was never shown WHAT TO DO.  When I want a dog to perform a Leave-it, I like to focus on what that looks like when the dogs gets it right (look away, sit, look at handler).  There are countless ways to get something wrong, and generally only a few correct responses.  Focussing on the correct response is not just nicer for the dog, but gives faster and eliminates the side-effects (ruined relationship, fearful dog, aggression) of aversive punishments.

What I would have done to train Lucy.

Bounce a Distraction-ball until Lucy notices the ball.

Have Lucy's owner give the Command (say, "Leave-it") the moment Lucy notices the distraction-ball.

Stop bouncing the Distraction-ball (kindergarten level) & Give Lucy a moment to respond on her own, by looking away.

Help Lucy get it right a few times (look away from the ball) by having the handler produce a Hint (squeaky tennis ball).

Praise Lucy at the exact moment that she looks away from the original distraction-ball (even if she is just listening to the hint).

Reward Lucy with something she really, really wanted A BALL!

Repeat this until Lucy looks away from the original Distraction-ball on her own BEFORE the Hint & reward Lucy with both balls and end the lesson.  Review later and continue to raise the expectations until the hint is no longer needed and the reward is expected to be random.

Do you have a question for Kelley? by DogTime blogger Kelley Filson

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