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.
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.
Hi Kelley,
I am interested in your ideas and teaches learning about your knowledge on training tips for dogs. I have german shepherd solid black and he is now 5 mos. old. I have a very big problem on him; he eats his feces whenever he urg's his butt he turned around, smell it and grab!! ew!. What i always did is i keep on eye with him whenever he had a heavy play after sometime when turned around by itself then it will be. When he started to smell it i will immediately shouted to him "NO" then he leave and play again. Please help, what should i do? because when i am not around he still eat his feces.
Jo-ann G. Neri
Philippines
Dear Jo-ann,
I know that Poop Eating (Coprophagia) is a disgusting behavior, but it is unlikely to MAKE your dog sick, so at least you can let that worry go. It will be easier for you and your dog if you remain calm during training -even if he relapses. The causes of Coprophagia are not fully understood. However, veterinarians, behaviorists and trainers generally agree that it is a behavioral problem. On the other side of the coin, there are a handful illnesses that can cause coprophagia (poop eating), but they generally present with more symptoms, including diarrhea. To be on the safe-side, take your dog to the vet, especially if your dog has diarrhea and or has not been to the vet for vaccinations.
Once you know your dog is healthy, the following training plan should help.
1. Know that STRESS is the enemy. Your dog is very young and he may still be nervous, or stressed out about going to the bathroom. Stress is the cause of many undesirable canine behaviors. Believe it or not, there is a lot that can stress a 5-month old a puppy. They are learning to hold their bladder and bowels, as opposed to just going whenever they feel like it. They are also still in the process of learning when and where they may go to the bathroom. I know your shepherd is getting big, but he is still a baby. Potty-training a pup can be frustrating, but avoid punishing mistakes. Instead tighten up on management and forgive mistakes.
2. Do NOT let GOOD BEHAVIOR go unnoticed. Reward your dog every time he goes to the bathroom in the appropriate place. As soon as your dog has finished PEEING or POOPING, use your best happy voice to praise him. Then feed him a tasty treat. Toss a second treat away from the poop to distract your dog while you remove the poop with a scoop or bag. If you have already been doing this, continue and make sure that you do it for BOTH pees and poops. I would skip shouting "No!" this could cause more stress. Just wiggle the dog treat and praise your dog, so that his attention is on you and he leaves the poop alone.
3. CLEAN UP! Always join your dog on potty walks so that you can reward your dog and scoop the poop immediately.
4. INCREASE EXERCISE & MENTAL STIMULATION. Make sure that your dog is getting plenty of vigorous exercise each day. A 5-month old Shepherd could probably use at least two 1-hour play sessions each day. This means running, fetching, hiking, playing with dogs. More is always better. And, when you leave your dog alone, make sure that your dog has plenty of things to CHEW. Bones and Kongs are best.
5. Try adding a supplement to your dog's food so that the poop will be unappealing to your dog. There are several products, listed below, but I have also heard various recommendations on adding enzymes to your dog's food. The theory is that if poop-eating is caused by under-digestion (eat the poop to give a second go at getting all the nutrients), then the enzymes help the food become more digestible.
At this point, regardless of the CAUSE, there is also a BAD HABIT. I recommend trying the supplements IN ADDITION to doing the behavior modification work. If you are only going to do one, try the behavior stuff first (its free), then buy a supplement if there is no change in behavior after 3-weeks.
- Forbid (TM)(R)
- Deter (TM)(R)
- Papaya, Fig or Pinneaple (These food contain enzymes that break down amino acids).
- Meat Tenderizer (from a grocery store) contains enzymes that break down protein.
EVEN A LOUD-MOUTHED HOUND CAN LEARN TO HUSH!
But... When facing fierce competition (instinct, drive, or breeding) you need the right tool for the job.
Dear Colleen,
The reason your "QUIET" command is not working outside is because (in its current state) it is not the right tool for the job.
Here is an analogy:
When hanging a new picture of my dog, I might take a shortcut. I'd take off my shoe and pound the nail into the wall using the heel. This works great! However, I am clearly NOT using the appropriate tool Now imagine you asked me to build a house, and that I set about pounding nails with my clog -stupid I agree, but I'm making a point. If I then came to you and told you that the house could not be built because I couldn't get the nails through the 2-by-4's you would likely point out that the "hammer" I was using was not really a hammer. If I was like many of my clients I would then argue, "No it works, I've done it lots, but these wood boards are being stubborn!" I don't fault clients that argue when I try to tell them that the command they think they have taught, really means nothing to their dog. Sometimes it really does look like our dogs are stubborn, but the truth is they just don't understand. This is a "tool" problem, NOT a dog problem.
I believe you. I am sure that your QUIET-command is working inside, just like my clog works on small nails and sheetrock. However, just because it works in some situations, does not prove that it means to your dog what you think it means. In fact, because it is NOT working outside at all we have pretty good proof that this is the case. It does NOT mean what you think it means. Confusing?
For you, QUIET means: Stop Barking.
But what you've taught your dog is: QUIET means I am going to make a really loud, scary noise.
This startles your dog, giving you the result you want -he stops barking. However, he has not learned to BE QUIET. Learning only happens when a behavior is expected to have a specific consequence because of a previous reward history. Here is a scientific fact. Behaviors that are reinforced (rewarded) go up in frequency. I am guessing you have NOT rewarded him with any tangible, valuable thing when he does shut up. This would mean that AFTER shaking the can, at the moment that your dog stops barking, you must praise him like mad and then give him a huge, wonderful treat.
Your Training looks like this:
"QUIET" (command) ---->LOUD NOISE (startle-prompt)
Quiet = Loud Noise.
The loud noise is either, simply a distraction that gets your dog's attention, thereby interrupting the barking. Or, the loud noise is aversive to your dog. Aversive-actions make behavior go down in frequency, but your dog still does not know what QUIET means. He just knows that QUIET is the clue that something aweful is about to happen next, so he stops barking to buckle for the storm of crazy sounds. Either way all you have done is classically conditioned your dog that QUIET predicts the inevitable loud noise.
What you need is:
"QUIET" (command) ---->LOUD NOISE (startle-prompt) ----> "GOOD-BOY" (marks success) ----> REWARD (reinforces behavior)
In this equation the noise is a startle/distraction that makes a certain behavior happen (still and quiet dog). Now you have an opportunity to TEACH your dog that the Praise & Treat come after QUIET & after they STOP barking. You need to re-teach this to your dog INSIDE, Then you can apply it outside. When your dog is outside his hunting motivation out-weighs his concern about the scary, loud noise. Your dog is just more motivated to bay and bark (instinct and drive contribute) than he is concerned with a scary noises when he is in hunting mode. Incidentally this could be in his genes too; hunting dogs that startle to loud noises, like guns, when on the hunt make for poor hunting dogs. For now start calling your dog a LOT when outside and praise and treat him. Do this BEFORE he is in HUNT-mode AND practice QUIET (with the above improvements) inside.
For more on this read my post on TRAINING A DOG WITH STRONG INSTINCTS>>>> Click here.
WHAT TO DO -INSTALLING A "QUIET!" COMMAND... that your dog can understand!
Fill a container with some VERY, TASTY DOG TREATS (I recommend using dehydrated beef or chicken liver).
- When your dog barks, say "HUSH!" -You only need to say this once! You can use QUIET, but remember that already has a previously conditioned response (buckle for the storm), so I would pick a new word :)
- Then as fast as you can, find the cookie-can. Start rattling the cookie-can. This is NOT to scare your dog, but to EXCITE THEM --COOKIE-TIME!!!
- Start moving towards your dog (wherever they are barking) show them the goodies. While still shaking the jar, try to lure them away from the door, window or hallway. Lead them to a bed or dog-mat.
- Give your dog one TREAT right away.
- Grab 5-more treats, but hold onto them in your hand.
- Have your dog do some really easy "nerdy-obedience." Pick a favorite trick or do the easy stuff: sit, down -NOTHING HARD!!!!
- Give your dog a treat for each correct answer.
- Do this for 1-2 weeks.
*Try to lead your dog to the same spot each time.
When your dog beats you to the bed or dog-mat... (Or, starts booking it to the spot when you say HUSH!)
- Spill 5-10 treats on the bed or dog-mat.
- Don't make them do any "nerdy-obedience."
- Repeat this for 1-2 weeks.
- Alternate between "nerdy-obedience" if you have to lure them there or go get them & SPILL-TREATS if they beat you there.
Now for Grad School....
- If they book it to the spot when you say "HUSH!" Give them the SPILL.
- If they bark just once after you say, "HUSH!" slam the cookie jar shut and walk off in a huff (no cookies).
