To Treat or Not to Treat

Food rewards are one of the most effective ways to train your dog. Not really a big news flash there - just about everyone knows that Fido will do just about anything for some freeze-dried liver. The question isn’t if food rewards are effective, it’s when and how often should they be used? Should we use treats for every behavior we want to teach, and should we use them for problem behaviors we want changed?

Some trainers rely on the use of treats solely and rarely do any kind of training without their trusty treat bag, while others downright refuse to use treats at all. So it’s not surprising that there is some confusion on when is the appropriate time to use treats when working with our dogs. Personally, I believe that treats are a very powerful tool to train dogs, but that many situations are better addressed without the use of food.

To shape a new behavior (like teaching a dog to sit, or down), there’s nothing better than a tasty tid-bit to lure your dog. Treats should always be the first thing you go to when teaching any obedience command or trick. It’s simple, it’s easy and it works like a charm in almost every case. For those rare dogs that are not all that food motivated, the treats lose their power and we then to try another reward (like toys or affection). However, ninety five percent of dogs will perform quite well when motivated by their favorite snack.

I do not use treats for many behavioral issues though. For example, something like dog reactivity is best addressed without treats. I’ve seen people literally throwing treats at their dogs in an attempt to distract them from an approaching dog. Even if the distraction works and the dog ignores the other dog, at best you are putting a very temporary band aid on the problem. Instead, you need to work with the dog at a distance, change his state of mind and him move him forward. I’ve found simply walking dogs together to be the best way to work on this – with your treats holstered.

The big exception here is for cases of anxiety or fear. Then in addition to be very respectful of each dogs threshold of tolerance to a given stimulus, treats (especially high impact treats) can be used to encourage the dog to work slowly past his fears and reshape his perception to something positive.

Every situation and dog is different, so it’s not as easy as black and white. As a general rule I always use treats to shape new behaviors and rarely to alleviate a problem behavior. Since I think that raising dogs is very similar to raising kids I’ll give you an analogy with my kids. If my one daughter hits her sister and then stops hitting her, I’m not going to give her a reward for stopping. The rule is you don’t hit your sister and it’s time for me to do some parenting. But if my daughter refrains from hitting her sister in a situation that she usually does, I would reward her like crazy.

Now let’s take a similar situation with your dog. Let’s say my dog is chewing the rug and then stops as I come into the room. I’m not going to reward the cessation of her chewing, but instead I’m going to do some leadership (aka parenting). However, if my dog is a rug chewer and is headed toward the rug and she ignores it on her own or with a mild verbal correction from me, I’ll shower her with treats.

That’s my take on the treat paradox. Remember treats should always be used as rewards and not bribes. Treats are great but be cautious about spitting them out like a popcorn machine.

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CSI: Canine

I don’t really watch too much TV, but just looking at the daily television listings of shows I see that there are quite a few versions of the CSI series. Every so often my wife lures me into to watching one and I’ve quickly learned that the CSI team can uncover any mystery by doing three things. The formula is always the same and I think it’s applicable for just about any unsolved problem, including issues with our beloved pooches. Those three key ingredients that the CSI team relies on in every episode are investigation, observation and questioning.

As a dog behavior consultant I use these skills in every single session I do and they are skills that you should employ when trying to understand why your dog does some of those unexplained things. I have cracked many of my cases wide open by interviewing my clients and going over details of their home environment and their dog’s daily activities. The more questions I ask, the more information I gather and the more I’m able to watch the dog, the clearer the puzzle becomes.

This is especially important when your dog does something that is out of his usual character or behavior patterns. Once you see a behavior problem begin where before there was none, something must have changed to cause the shift in behavior. You need to do some investigating to begin to uncover the reason for the new behavior problem.

Nothing happens “out of the blue” or for no reason. There is always an underlying cause that has triggered the dogs new behaviors, we may just not be aware of them yet. That’s why you really need to sit down and think about the issue from all angles and take a number of external factors into consideration. You need to think about what is going on in your environment and look for possible triggers that may have put the behavior in motion, and/or are continually reinforcing the troubling behavior.

As you make your observations and do you’re investigating you have to remember that dogs think differently and have very different motivations than we do. So you need to try to put aside your human way of thinking and get inside the mind of your dog. Try to understand his perspective and remember that even though he’s your furry little guy, he still behaves according to canine patterns.

You should also question all family members even if you think that they are in no way involved with the behavior issue. They are possible witnesses and even suspects (that may be unknowingly contributing to the behavior) that need to be questioned. The more digging you do, the closer you will get to understanding what’s really going on.

This three step process of investigating, questioning and observing is the systematic approach I use each and every time I work with a behavior problem. And although I may not have the high tech equipment of the TV CSI team or the witty one-liners of the stars, I’ve been pretty successful in solving quite a few unsolved mysteries using their same formula.

Make your own CSI team and start to investigate the perplexing cases with your own dog and see if you can uncover the real reason for any new issues and then you can accurately work toward making them right.

As for me, I’ll continue my relentless cold calling of the television networks pitching my CSI: Canine.

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Take That Mailman!

Watch any cartoon with a dog and you’ll learn that dogs come preloaded with two things: chasing cats and barking at the mailman. The cat thing we can chalk up to a run of the mill species rivalry, but why the mailman? After all, the mailman (and femailman) seems pretty nice - the only crime there’re guilty of is delivering us too many bills. So why do so many dogs go postal when the mailman makes his daily approach toward our house?

The answer is the front window. Dogs that have access to look out the front window of the house are much more reactive at people walking by and coming to the house. And every single day they get rewarded for their behavior.

Let’s look at what happens from the dog’s perspective.
1)Mailman approaches
Your dog thinks: “Here comes this strange looking guy in a uniform walking right up to my house. I’m going to bark my head off to scare him away.”
2)Mailman drops mail in box and walks away.
Your dog thinks: “That’s right, you better get out of here. Ha – I scared that punk away. Yay for me!”

Your dog is rewarded every single time the mailman leaves. Your dog thinks his reaction is what sent him on his way. The same holds true for anyone walking by (or walking a dog by) – they walk in front of your house, your dog reacts, and they leave. Fido thinks he’s doing a fine job protecting the perimeter.

This is why treating barking at people and dogs as they walk by the house is impossible. For us to successfully work on this issue we would need to control the person coming toward the house. The person walking by would have to stop when the dog reacts and wait while we work with the dog to get them back to a calm state of mind, and then have them continue on their way. Just try getting the mailman to do that.

There’s just no way to control the environment, so it is impossible to work on. The best thing to do, if possible, is to not allow your dog access to the front window. I know it sounds like a cop out of training but there really is no way to properly address this behavior. And dogs that react at people and dogs at the window are more likely to carry this habit outside and react on leash.

Sometimes you have to accept that the situation is uncontrollable and instead of solving the issue, we concentrate on trying to manage it. So if you can, close up the shades or keep your dog away from the lookout points. His barking is not going to get better and your mailman is thinking of throwing that Ikea catalog at the window.

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Everyday Opportunities

One day last week I was strolling through the park with my trusty sidekick Hayley. Although I usually try to take in the walk as Hayley does (enjoying the present moment, unconcerned with past events or future obligations), this day my mind would not be quieted and I was lost in thought as we ambled around the bendy paths of the park. Because my focus was far from our walk, I didn’t notice the squirrels until we were about eight feet from them.

There were two of them: one sitting on the concrete path in front of me and the other was on Hayley’s side but just off the path. Although I just saw them, I’m sure Hayley had been following their activities for a number of steps. I slowed my pace just slightly and gave Hayley a quite, “shhhh – shhhhh – shhhh,” to remind her that I was still here and would prefer that she did not obey the terrier instincts screaming at her.

Hayley’s facial muscles relaxed at the sound of my voice and her ears moved back from an alert position to a relaxed one. We got to within about five feet of the little guys before they decided to bolt off toward the trees. Hayley noted their retreat but didn’t give chase.

I couldn’t help but smile as we continued on our walk, thinking back to when I first adopted Hayley and how she would charge after any woodland creature within on hundred yards. Wow, how far we have come.

What I find most impressive about Hayley’s impulse control is that I never formally worked with her on her squirrel addiction. I didn’t set out at specific times with the goal of working with her around small animals, but instead took advantage of everyday opportunities. I walked with Hayley two to five times a day, every day. And whenever we happened by an area where squirrels were active, I would take a moment or two to work with her to change her state of mind in their presence. I wouldn’t spend more than five minutes each time, but did it consistently.

Step by step, day by day, she got better and better. Squirrel chasing was not high on my training priorities since it is an easily manageable problem with the use of a leash. So I never went out of my way to work on it. When the situation presented itself, however, I always took advantage of it and used it as an opportunity to teach her instead of adding on yet another high arousal chase repetition.

In our daily life, we have so many similar opportunities to teach our dogs a little something. It doesn’t take long; it only takes a little initiative. Take a look at the time you spend with your dog and see where you’re missing easy chances to improve your dog’s behavior. The simple everyday tasks like giving your dog his food, to going out the front door for a walk are perfect places to take five extra minutes and help shape your dog’s behavior. Over time, those simple little training snippets can have a real long term effect.

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Guest Blogger Dr. Mark Nunez Talks Medications

There are MANY dogs out there that can greatly benefit from a little pharmaceutical intervention. There are also just as many people out there that are apposed to "drugging" their dogs. This is no doubt an extrapolation of a negative stigma the "drugs" have in our society. Antibiotics are drugs. Would you ever consider withholding an antibiotic from a sick child when there is no doubt that it would cure the illness? Medicating your dog may not be an appealing idea to you, but often times medications can be a tremendous help. Stress and anxiety inhibit learning, in dogs as well as in people. Think about it, how well are you going to learn if you think your life in truly in danger? Your main concern is to escape that danger, be it real or perceived. Same goes for dogs. If anxiety can be decreased, learning can be increased. There are several types of medications that can be used.

- Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI) and Tricyclic Anti-depressants – Medications such as Prozac (Reconcile), Zoloft, and Clomicalm will cause an increase in the serotonin levels of the brain, producing a calming effect. They also have an effect on other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and dopamine. This class of medication is meant to be taken for a period of months to years. The positive effects of these medications are seen after taking them daily for 4-6 weeks.

- Benzodiazepines – Medications such as Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin are anti-anxiety medications that start to work in about 30-45 minutes. These can be used on an as needed basis, but can also be used daily until the SSRI’s kick in.

- Phenothiazines – Acepromazine, or Ace for short, is a VERY commonly used drug in veterinary medicine. It only sedates. It does not have any anti-anxiety properties and is not a good choice for dogs with anxiety. It makes the owners feel better because their dog cannot display the anxious behavior. The dog’s brain is still experiencing all of the stress and anxiety that the situations brings about, but his body cannot show it. Plus, it actually heightens sensitivity to noises! This medication should also be avoided in dogs that have seizures and in Boxers, sight hounds, and giant breeds.

- Anxitane – Anxitane is not a “medication,” it is a nutraceutical for the brain (like glucosamine is for joints). It decrease the frequency of alpha waves in the visual cortex of the brain. This make visual stimuli (rain and lightening) less stimulating. It has no side effects and does not cause sedation.

These are the most common medications that I use in my behavior practice. They can be used as a single agent, or in combination. Generally speaking, the longer and more severe a behavior issue is, the more likely I am to recommend medication as a part of the over all treatment program. That said, medications are not a cure all. In fact, when used alone and without behavior modification, they have a very poor success rate of about 25%. However, when used in combo with behavior modification, you increase your success rate to about 85%! Most of these medications can be discontinued after a certain period of time, but occasionally they are needed for life.

Dr. Nunez is a practicing veterinarian, while also assisting patients through The Balanced Canine blog and his own online veterinary pharmacy.

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You Get What You Pet

How would you feel if I told you that you the cause of some of your dog’s issues? I know you probably don’t like hearing that but I’m sorry to say it may be true. No one means to enable their dog’s problems but all too often we’re to blame.

Whatever your dog is doing always pay close attention to his state of mind. Your dog’s state of mind is tremendously more important than his behavior in any and every situation. You need to make sure that you never give affection to an unstable frame of mind. So whenever you dog is in an anxious, exited or overly aroused state of mind, that’s not the time to reward them - because whatever you reward will happen again.

The phrase to remember is, “you get what you pet.” If you pet an anxious dog, you’ll get an anxious dog in that situation, if you pet a happy dog, you’ll likely see a happy dog when the situation presents itself again.

This is where our human compassion can really mess us up because when our dogs are scared, anxious or uncomfortable our tendency is to console and comfort them. But this is the last thing we should be doing. You have to remember that our dogs cannot understand the words we’re speaking to them, they only make associations. So when thunder booms overhead and your dog gets startled and shows signs of anxiety and you start stroking him saying, “Don’t worry its ok little guy. It’s only some noise . . .,” what your dog is taking from that is, “This is a big deal, remember how you feel right now in this situation.” And they pair the stimulus (thunder in this case) with their state of mind when they receive affection.

By petting them we are rewarding their state of mind at that moment and telling them that this is a big deal. Like kids, if we tell them it’s a big deal, they will believe us. What we need to do when they get anxious is to ignore them and not make a big deal of the situation. They will look to us and see that we are OK with whatever it is that has them spooked, and that nothing bad has happened to them, so it must be a non-event.

Ignoring works pretty good if it’s one of the first times that the dog has shown the anxiety to something, but if it’s been repetitive and reinforced that’s not going to have a big impact. You should still not give affection at that time but you will also have to do some active counter conditioning in a controlled setting to help your dog see improvements.

In this post I’m focusing on anxiety because it’s the most detrimental state of mind to reward that is the hardest to overcome. Severe anxiety is a difficult thing to adequately address (especially if the trigger is something uncontrollable, like thunder) and will take a lot of time and patience to see improvements. In some cases it may be necessary to supplement behavior modification with medication. This is a little out of my area of expertise so I’ve asked someone more qualified to be my guest blogger next week and give you some information on the topic of anxiety and medication.

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Good Morning Anyone?

This morning I was lucky enough to have time to go for a nice stroll with my furry traveling buddy, Hayley. We made it to the park nice and early before the heat of the day took hold, and although it was early and a holiday, there were plenty of others out enjoying the morning as well.

As Hayley and I entered the park we could smell the fresh vegetation, hear the birds singing their sweet songs and feel the fresh air on our faces. Ahhh, what a great way to start the day off. Hayley was out in front of me taking in the many scents that were demanding her attention while I casually followed, happy to share this moment with her.

It wasn’t long before we saw the first of many people walking in the park on this fine morning. Our first passer-by was a middle-aged man walking at a brisk pace. As is my habit, I tried to make eye contact with him and say, “good morning.” He mumbled something back that very loosely resembled, “morning,” and hurried past us without looking up.

I shrugged my shoulders, and wondered how someone could already be having a bad day at only 7 am. Hayley and I continued on but barely made it fifty feet when we encountered someone else: a woman walking her golden lab. As we closed in on one another I noticed that both Hayley and the lab were pulling toward one another eager to meet. What Hayley didn’t notice, that I did, was the dog’s owner looking at Hayley with wide-eyed discontent – it seems she had correctly identified Hayley as a pit bull and was letting her uninformed mind run amuck.

I respected her space and didn’t let Hayley interact with her dog (much to Hayley and the lab’s dismay), and continued on. We passed many more people and dogs as we made our way through the park, and I continued to greet everyone who passed by with a happy, “good morning,” and a smile. Some people pretended they didn’t hear me and hurried past us, while a few were quicker than me and greeting me before I got a chance. Interestingly, a large majority of the people I hit with my “good morning,” responded with a look of shocked excitement. The returned my cheerful hello and seemed grateful and happy for the interaction.

What I find interesting is that it was obvious that if I didn’t say anything to them they would have just walked right past me not even bothering to look at me. If they are friendly people, and indeed it seemed that they were, then why not make the first move and greet people right away?

In contrast, I watched every dog look genuinely overjoyed at the mere sight of fellow canine and downright insistent upon greeting them. I say, if our dogs can do it, why can’t we?

As always, our dogs seem to really know how to live life right. So the next time you’re out for a walk or heading down the hallway toward your office, try to greet the people you pass like a dog: with a smile and a tail wag (just watch the butt sniffing).

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