A Room with a View...

"My dog loves to look out of the window all day..."  This is something I've heard many, many times over the years and it makes me kind of cringe.  One of the most horrible inventions was the bubble that goes on the outside of the fence, called a Pet Peek.  This lovely little invention has it's own website and a very nice website at that, the name is even trademarked.

So what's the big deal?  Can't a dog get a view?  The deal is this--most dogs don't enjoy looking out a door or window or peep hole, humans do.  We like to look out and see a view.  We like to have a window to let light in, or a glass door to our home's entrance. For those who have a very attractive view (beach? ocean? beautiful trees? lake?) it's even that much more lovely for us. Humans.  For dogs this is a whole different ball of wax, if you will.

Dogs do this because they get a pay-off from it in an entirely different manner than we do. It is fairly uncommon for a dog to calmly look out of a window/door without a lot of arousal (and it can also attribute to some major behavior problems too!) when there is any sort of moving stimuli outside.  This could be anything: bikes, cars, dogs, squirrels, cats, people, strollers, skateboards, scooters, and the dreaded mailman.

I have a client currently whose little doggie has several issues and after I had been there for a while I noticed the blinds at the bottom of her door were torn up (she has a little terrier mix so this was where the dog could reach the blinds).  I said, "Does he look out that door a lot?"  She says, "Oh yes. All the time.  He really likes looking out there!"  I said, "No he doesn't.  Look at your blinds..."  Not to mention the dog's main issues are barking at other people and dogs when on a walk.  However, the dog's issues were exaggerated even more in the house as he still had the paranoia of people and dogs passing by and he had to watch to chase them off.  Yes, dog barks, people leave (in the dog's mind anyway) and the dog feels he just did his job chasing them off.  She calls a week later, "Oh my gosh the difference in his behavior, especially indoors, since I blocked his view to the outside has been remarkable!"

My dogs looking outside my front door.
Do they look calm & relaxed?

Allowing dogs to look outside all the time is usually incredibly stressful and frustrating to a dog.  It's not calming, it's not enjoyable.  They are highly frustrated that they cannot get to the stimuli that they so desperately stare at all day long.  For some dogs the human purposely puts them in this situation by placing their crate in front of a window or leaving the blinds up so they can stare outside all day long.

All of this also applies to dogs outside who can see out of a fence too (hence the hatred for the Pet Peek window), which is probably even worse than indoors as the sounds around them will start to become triggers and build the frustration even higher. Think dogs next door barking too, dogs down the street chiming in, cars, people yelling for them to shut up!.... It's enough to make you want to scream, or bark, or become aggressive. Pick your poison.

If you have a dog that is purposely placed in a situation where he can watch or look outside while you are away ask yourself this to determine if you think this is a good idea:

• Does your dog relax when you are home & not go to the window/door to look outside?
• Does your dog look out the window but not get stimulated (whining, barking, jumping, etc.)?
• When out on a walk is your dog calm when others (person, bike, animal, etc.) pass you by?
• Does your dog greet people who come into your home in an acceptable manner?

If you answered "Yes" to the above questions then your dog is probably just fine doing what he does.  But if you answered "No" to even one of those then your dog shouldn't be allowed to look out of a window/door/fence to just watch the world go by.  No, it's not cruel.  It's setting your dog up to be relaxed and adjusted to living peacefully in your home and the real world.  It also sets your dog up to learn how to deal with outside stimuli.  Your dog will probably thank you for it.  Right now your dog thinks--Gee I get to watch Jane Doe walk Fido down the street again today all while I'm on the other side of this stupid door! Arrrrgh.  Drives me mad. Also that's why I pee on mom's rug and chew on the baseboards! When will she learn?!!

Attractive way to block window view.

Don't set your dog up to fail. Don't ever set your dog up to fail if you want to be successful at anything with your dog.  If your dog already has barking issues, or worse issues like reactivity (indoors or out) or aggression, then block all outside viewing.  It may require baby gates somewhere or ugly partitions somewhere but if you want to change your dog's mental state and alter his behavior for the better then start there.  This won't fix a behavior issue, if you have one, but it will be a place to start. (Great website for attractive window coverings, click here.)

Always set your dog up to succeed. Look at the entire picture and ask where you can alter something in order to set your dog up to succeed.  Add training or behavior modification to the mix, with a trained professional, and you'll be on your way!

Who says a room with a view is always lovely?  However, if you live in the Maldives you need not block the view for any living being... just live with the barking!

In the Dallas/Ft Worth area? Contact me. 

Mis-Adventures of a Treat Bag.

I feel sorry for treat bags.  They are often discriminated against.  Being blamed for being needy, clingy and dependent.  So many dog owners don't want that.  They want a treat bag that can learn how to be independent, be used properly at first and then go on it's way.  Grow wings.  Move out and move on.

The treat bag should be fully respected, for life.  It's not a child that will learn, grow and move out of the house.  It is more like a Mother -- there in the beginning when you need it most, helping you learn, grow and then gradually just being there only in times of need but still always there, always.

Maybe all dog owners should have a "Treat-Bagger's Creed" --

This is my treat bag. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My treat bag is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.

My treat bag, without me, is useless. Without my treat bag, I am useless. I must use my treat bag true. I must use it better than my dog who is trying to outwit me. I must outwit him before he outwits me. I will...

My treat bag and myself know that what counts in this dog training journey is not the treats we administer, the noise of our blabbering, or the treats we use. We know that it is the wits that count. We will use our wits...

My treat bag is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its bag. I will keep my treat bag clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My treat bag and myself are the defenders of my dog. We are the masters of our training. We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until victory is Mine and there is no dog unjustly trained, but peace and success in all dog training!

Why? Because we have huge expectations of our dogs.  Often impractical and illogical ones.  There are many ways to train a dog, many of which work but you will only find me using what makes the dog continually like me, never work from intimidation, fear of the consequence and what is practical.  How can I jerk on my dog's leash for dragging me down the sidewalk when he's never been taught what to do on a leash?  How can I tell a dog to "come!" when  he darts out the door, then punish him once I catch him, when I've never trained him to learn to come when called?

When using treat bags and food the most common question I get -- "When can I get rid of the treats?"  The answer is "soon and never."  If having your dog lavished with 15 pieces of hot dog every time he comes to isn't something you are willing to do then we best move onto something else.  Why is it so bad to have to use food?  Why do we, as dog owners, feel the need to have a dog that performs robotically, with no motivation, just so that it looks great to have a dog respond to us in military fashion?  

I recall an evaluation I did with a gentleman and his two Pit bulls.  I will admit this man acted like he was the owner of a country and something owed to him.  Not really a personality I deal with a lot (thank the good Lord).  However he was determined to show me how "well trained" his dogs were.  We met in a neutral local park for an evaluation.  I told him to go get his dogs out of the car.  He goes, lets them out, off-leash (not what I asked for nor recommend) and very gruffly orders them around until he got to the picnic table I was sitting at.  I allowed this to see his response and reactions to his dogs.  The dogs were incredibly "obedient".  They did just as he asked.  Ears sucked back to their heads.  Tail between their legs.  When called to come they sat in front of him, eyes squinting.  He said, "So what do you think?"  Yikes, wrong question to ask me!  I told him "So your dogs do what you say because they fear the hell out of you.  Congratulations."  He was flabber-gasted.  Went on a rant about how everyone he's ever met told him how well-trained his dogs were.  I agreed.  Yes. Your dogs are well-trained.  But at what expense?  Needless to say I never heard from him again but did hear through the grapevine that one of the dogs bit him later.  No idea the surrounding events for that but I could have told you that would happen, just a matter of time.  Because teaching with intimidation can get results but it can also lead to disaster.

If you aren't willing to love your treat bag, use food when necessary, until it's not necessary, then you should probably drink 'the other guy's' Kool-aid.  Your training will probably work but it won't get the long-term results you need or want, nor what your dog wants.

Noah,  my Aussie mix, doing a reliable recall in a park.

If you are going to train with me be prepared to have homework.  Be prepared to use food.  Be prepared to work up to desired results, nothing happens in half an hour regardless of what is on television. But if you do your homework, work hard, be consistent, use your tools as they are intended to be used (yes you can misuse treats or anything for that matter) you will get results.  And not because you "bribed" your dog.  You won't have to "bribe" your dog to do what it's asked if you do the training properly, as directed.  Just look at Emily Larlham's videos (she has a lot!) on YouTube.  She has 3 dogs completely clicker trained that are completely reliable off-leash and at a distance with no bribery involved.  She just trained them properly with love and confidence, and food! (Her videos here.)

Respect your treat bag.  Don't become angry with it.  Don't get rid of it too quickly, or ever for that matter.  Take responsibility for your dog and his training.  Understand that it's a process and that with the correct training and guidance (with a great trainer) you can accomplish many, or any, goals that you have!

Some Treat-Bagger Rules:

• Don't give a reward unless your dog is looking at you, not the bag! I love this bag.
• Wear it everywhere, so your dog doesn't go into "OMG! We are going to train!"-mode.
• Use small, cut up, easy to digest treats such as Natural Balance Food Roll (cut up) or Freeze-Dried Liver (cut up).
• Think about using a clicker if you aren't or haven't before.  Yes, I was a non-clicker trainer for a long time but I've found it to be the most useful and quick tool for training than anything I've ever done! I regret not using it sooner!  Try out www.clickertraining.com for a wealth of information!

Contact me for help with any dog situation!  We can, together, get things where you want them!

You're a winner!

You're a winner!  -- Words that will always sound good to us, right?  Well let's make everyone a winner.  To celebrate National Train Your Dog month (January, in case you didn't catch that) we are going to offer up some fun stuff (that means prizes and cool stuff!) to get you off the couch and training your dogs!

Please check out www.trainyourdogmonth.com for some excellent resources, free webinars by top trainers in the country and more!  National Train Your Dog month is brought to you by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

Here is the gist of it, but please be sure to read the specific details at the bottom of this post.

GET YOUR VIDEO CAMERA OUT.

You will need to video each phase of this little shindig.  We want to see the "how" of this, but more importantly this will enable you to see how you are doing or what you need to improve.  Trust me, after videoing any of my training and then watching it I often (like really often!) think, Really? Did I just do that?  Am I that bad in front of my clients? Eeesh!  So, don't feel bad.  We are human, all of us but this will be a learning experience for us all as well as a way to get you training your dog!

PICK YOUR POISON.

What do you want to accomplish with your dog?  Set a goal for the month of January.  Loose leash walking?  Coming when called?  Sit in all environments? (See the Sit Challenge here)  Wave?  Roll-over?  --Whatever you want to make your goal make it your goal.  But try to make it one goal for the sake of this particular contest.

READY, SET, GO!

Now get your training gear, thinking caps and yummy treats and start training! 

ITTY BITTY DETAILS ABOUT ALL THIS.

1)  Set your goal and then email it to Stacy with the following details.  

 - Your full name

 - Your dog's name

 - Dog's breed/mix

 - Dog's age

 - Goal & explanation (if you desire) & why you chose this goal in particular

2) Video your training from the beginning to the end.

3) Send the video(s) to Stacy by Monday, January 30, 2102 at 12:00am CST.

4) Three winners will be chosen for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.  Prizes will be given to all winners which will be announced on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 by 12:00pm CST.  Winners will be notified via email and will be announced on our Facebook page as well.  Prizes will be a surprise but will be a generous prize made up of dog-related items and services.

MORE SPECIFIC STUFF.

You cannot use any forceful type of training to accomplish your goals.  We will not allow anyone to participate using choke chains, prong/pinch collars, shock/electric collars, leash jerks or harsh physical means to manipulate your dog.  We encourage the use of clickers and lots of rewards!  And please don't forget to tell your dog when she's right, lots of praise, lots of it!

You must complete an entire video series showing your dog's progress from start to finish.  You may take as much video as you like or as little as long as it includes the before (show that your goal behavior is not reliable with the dog), in-progress (practicing/training to reach the goal) and after (goal is accomplished or very close to being accomplished).  You do not have to have your goal 110%.  If you can show that you have trained the dog toward your goal and there is progress being made, that is perfect too!  It will be really great to see any challenges you encounter and how you were able to overcome them in order to reach your end goal.  Please use language that is appropriate for G-rated audiences in your videos!

All video should be submitted to Stacy via email (stacy@aictdfw.com) and you must give permission for the video to be used online via Facebook, Twitter and/or this blog!  If you will not allow the video to be seen/published online you will not be able to take part.

brought to you from Stacy Greer of Adventures in Canine Training, Inc.

Diamond in the ruff.

Grief is a funny thing.  There are so many things that it does to you.  Aside from the normal sadness there is guilt, anger, regret . . . It saddens me to know that it often takes grief, or tragedy, to make one realize how much you truly love someone.

Once they are gone a flood of emotions rushes through you.  Sometimes you can stop your brain and distract yourself, at other times you just can't stop the thoughts from coming.  

Many of you know that in May of 2010 I lost my mentor and friend, Lee Mannix, a dog trainer in Austin, Texas.  His death was a hard blow as it was quite unexpected. {Funny thing I made a blog post about Lee and titled it "Diamond in the Ruff" too, fitting.}  I never realized how much pain came with grief until I lost him.  I had lost before but something about his death really hit me harder than ever before.  You can't stop but think of the things you should have said, shared, apologized for, explained . . . and most of all the fact that you should have told them how much you valued and loved that person.

While many may not understand the comparison of losing a valued human to the loss of a dog, many of you can.  To me my dogs are as valuable as many humans that are in my life. There were so many things I wanted to do before Jake was gone.  So many things I wanted to be sure he knew and understood. And then the regrets I had-- I regret not walking him more, not training him more, the times when I was frustrated and told him to "leave me alone" when he'd beg me for dinner,.  I regret not loving on him more, not taking him more places . . .  You just don't realize how much we take for granted until it's too late.

I took for granted how absolutely perfect he was.  He didn't need more training, I thought to myself--he didn't do anything wrong.  He didn't need to go many places, I thought to myself--he was happy where he was. 

Jake was calm, laid back and never stole anything, ate anything he shouldn't nor did he jump or get on anything.  I never taught him not to jump.  He just never did.  He never put one paw on our furniture or a counter-top.  He never stole food that was lying around.  He never ate any toys that he shouldn't, he'd just sweetly chew his own bones or toys.  He was perfectly gentle with all other dogs no matter how old, how big or small, or whether they were boy or girl.  He was the most gentle soul.  

He loved Sophie, my 3 year old, more than any of my other dogs do.  Sophie also was attached to him.  She likes the other dogs but doesn't really have much to do with them.  She would always sweetly and calmly pet Jake, and lie next to him.  She would talk to him and he would lie his head down and just listen to her.

It's funny I never wanted Jake when he came into my life in October of 2003.  He wasn't the perfect dog I mentioned above when I got him.  He was a typical un-ruly adolescent Labrador Retriever {1 year}.  He ran circles around my living room for 20 minutes, on a tear, after I had agreed to take him from his previous owners and "find him the best home".  I sat down and sighed. {What have I gotten myself into?!}  He disappeared into my kitchen and then came out, happily trotting around in a catch-me-if-you-can fashion, with a knife in his mouth.  I did what you should never do and chased him, then tackled him to grab the knife from his grasp.  I was frustrated and shoved him into his crate.  He whined and barked for an hour.  I was ready to find that perfect home for him . . .ASAP!

A few days later I had to go to a dog camp that I had planed and paid for months earlier.  I became a bit frazzled realizing that I hadn't thought this through after agreeing to take Jake in.  I was taking my Jack Russell, Trevor, with me but didn't have a clue what to do with Jake. I didn't want to leave my two roommates with him as he was a mess to deal with.  I just decided to pack him up and take him with me as well.  It was after that weekend that I decided to keep Jake.  After that I began working on his "annoying habits" and in no time he was a very good canine citizen! In 2004 we went through the Delta Society's Pet Partners program and he passed his therapy dog test with flying colors. 

My husband and I always laughed at an incident that laid out Jakey in the best light.  He truly was one of the calmest dogs I've ever known.  I was at an event that included some dogs for adoption and I recall DFW Lab Rescue had a booth right next to my table.  Jake was lying sweetly and quietly under my table and a friend was sitting at my booth with me.  A woman came up and leaned down to pet Jake.  He stayed there, sweetly wagging his tail but not getting up or moving.  She looked up over the table, "Hey is this dog for adoption?"  "No, he's my dog, we just happen to be next to the lab rescue."  She continued to pet him.  "Hey, is he okay?"  I quickly looked under the table thinking something was wrong.  Then she says, "Is he slow?"  I said, "Slow?  You mean like Forrest Gump?"  The girl had a completely straight face.  "Yeah he's just lying here."  My friend retorted sharply, "Um, yeah, he's trained!"  I just laughed.  From then on we always had the joke of sweet Jakey being 'slow'.   But we knew better, he was just, well -- Just Jake!

Over the past few years I used him many times with dog aggression cases as he had zero reaction to dogs no matter what they were doing.  Dogs could lunge and bark and act nuts, he would just offer a calming signal, turn his head or sniff the ground and be as cool as a cucumber.  He helped me evaluate dogs during their Canine Good Citizen tests over the years.  He would sit at Starbucks by my chair and be the sweet coffee-shop-dog many people desire.   I recall one day just last year when he accompanied me to a dog training class and afterwards I had lunch with a friend.  We ate at Cafe Brazil as they have a dog-friendly patio.  He laid next to our table, sweetly and politely all during our lunch.  A man even commented, "Wow, I'd love to have my dog lie here while I ate lunch!" 

Jake was a true diamond in the ruff.  He went from a crazy, wild Lab whom I wanted to re-home ASAP to the absolute most wonderful dog on the planet.  He just needed some polishing. {I suppose this is the story of most dogs' lives, i.e., they just need some polishing and the right home!}  And we all know he was a fighter.  Most of you know what medical complications we have endured over the past two years.  Just last year {2010} he wasn't expected to make it and we were able to have him here a little more than a year after that.  He survived four surgeries, recovering well from each.  His last surgery was on December 1st, just four weeks ago.  He recovered well, and quite unexpectedly. {The vets were fairly sure he wouldn't survive the surgery.} And just last week he was bouncing around, tossing his favorite Nylabone in the air and then lying down to chew on it.   However we think his very scarred intestines just couldn't handle anything, including food of any kind and it all just caught up to him one final time.  He formed yet another obstruction, just like the previous two, made up of hardened fecal matter.  His body could not evacuate it and this time we couldn't do anything to help him.  It would most likely keep reoccurring.  And with this, we had to make the decision to humanely end his pain and suffering.

I'm not sure if he knew how loved he was.  I often wonder if he knew, and I hope he did.  I told him often, in a question format, "Bubba, you know you're the best Bubba, right?"  And it was that exact statement that I made to him this past Saturday morning . . . I kissed him on the head while rubbing his ever-so-soft ears and let him go . . .

Here is a video montage of my sweet Jakey boy. {For those who get this via their inbox click this link to see the video: http://youtu.be/se2Mj28tKzw}

Jake: August 31, 2002-December 31, 2011

Our sweet Jake crossed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning.  He became ill again 2 days ago and we could no longer allow him to suffer.  Thank you to all those who have followed his long journey, been so incredibly supportive of me and Jake, and take time out of your day and pocketbooks to help us in so many ways.  Once I'm able to function more I will write a memorial for him . . .

The A-List!

If you recall last year at this time we were entered into the A-List (then WFAA, now Dallas A-List) and we finished off in 2nd place as the BEST TRAINING in Dallas!  Not shabby.  However as of right now we are in 3rd place!  We need more votes!  You can only vote one time period.  So we need more votes, many more votes!  If you could help us by voting and spreading the word I'd greatly appreciate it!  Thank you and stay tuned for new blog posts for 2012!  Vote here: http://ctvr.us/aictdfw?r=fb . . .  Oh and did I mention that for everyone who votes you are given the option to purchase a single in home lesson for $79 ($109 value!) So what are you waiting for?!