I've finnally decided to integrate my blog into my website so I will no longer be posting on this Blogger account. To keep following my blog goto www.ferndogtraining.com and subscribe.
Read More..
Should You Get Your Dog Microchipped?
Monday, 29 August 2011
This past weekend Hurricane Irene caused chaos up and down the East Coast of the United States. Houses were destroyed and many families were displaced in the storm. I was lucky enough to escape the wrath of Irene with minimal damage, but others were not so fortunate. People were forced to flee their own homes as they crumbled around them or flood waters washed them away. Many dogs and cats were lost in the midst of the pandemonium of survival.
As I read these stories, I look down at my own dog, Hayley, and wonder if we were separated in the storm would we find each other? That’s a hard question to ponder and no one likes to think about the worst case scenario but if you’re prepared and the worst happens, you will be glad you made the appropriate preparations.
Forget something as catastrophic as a hurricane, what if your dog just ran from the house or slipped his collar and took off. How would you be able to get him back? What precautions do you have in place in case the worst happens? Without any way to identify your dog, how would anyone know he was yours?
That’s where microchipping comes in. Although microchipping in pets is nothing new, many owners are still unsure of what it really is and if they should really bother.
How it works
Microchips are injected into the animal just under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. It doesn’t hurt the dog (it feels like a typical injection) and has no real side effects. Each microchip is identified by a separate and unique number that can be read by a scanner when it’s hovered over the dog. Almost all vets and shelters have these scanners are able to quickly read the microchip that has been placed in a dog.
If your dog is ever separated from you and picked up by the local shelter the first thing they will do is scan him to see if he’s been chipped. Then they can look up your information in the microchip database to get your contact info and reunite you with your furry best friend.
It’s kind of like an insurance policy in that you will most likely never need it, but if you do it will prove to invaluable. However, unlike insurance polices microchipping will only cost you about $50. Well worth it, in my opinion.
Read More..
As I read these stories, I look down at my own dog, Hayley, and wonder if we were separated in the storm would we find each other? That’s a hard question to ponder and no one likes to think about the worst case scenario but if you’re prepared and the worst happens, you will be glad you made the appropriate preparations.
Forget something as catastrophic as a hurricane, what if your dog just ran from the house or slipped his collar and took off. How would you be able to get him back? What precautions do you have in place in case the worst happens? Without any way to identify your dog, how would anyone know he was yours?
That’s where microchipping comes in. Although microchipping in pets is nothing new, many owners are still unsure of what it really is and if they should really bother.
How it works
Microchips are injected into the animal just under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. It doesn’t hurt the dog (it feels like a typical injection) and has no real side effects. Each microchip is identified by a separate and unique number that can be read by a scanner when it’s hovered over the dog. Almost all vets and shelters have these scanners are able to quickly read the microchip that has been placed in a dog.
If your dog is ever separated from you and picked up by the local shelter the first thing they will do is scan him to see if he’s been chipped. Then they can look up your information in the microchip database to get your contact info and reunite you with your furry best friend.
It’s kind of like an insurance policy in that you will most likely never need it, but if you do it will prove to invaluable. However, unlike insurance polices microchipping will only cost you about $50. Well worth it, in my opinion.
Don't Judge a Pooch by its Cover
Monday, 22 August 2011
Just about every week I get called in to do a behavior consultation for a dog whose only real problem is that he’s stuck with the wrong humans. Or more accurately, his owner chose him for the wrong reasons. It always amazes me how so many people put so little thought into their choice of dogs. Instead of making an educated decision based on close observation, deliberation and research, they just go for the cute furry face and/or the long sob story that comes along with it.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because we make the same mistakes picking our romantic partners with the same disastrous results. We’ve all been guilty of dating someone just because physically they’re a total knockout without really looking into what kind of personality they have. And all those kinds of relationships end one of two ways: quickly or badly (for me it was always both).
Getting a dog is not like buying a shirt. If the cool looking shirt we buy itches us like crazy, we just donate to Goodwill or use it to clean our toilet. That dog we brought home a week ago on a whim because he was so cute and had a hard luck story, however, cannot be so easily discarded. I know you mean well, but you’re really doing the worst thing for both you and the dog.
I strongly believe that there is the right person out there for every dog. But the other side of that is that for every right person for the dog there are a multitude of mismatches. You have to be realistic when looking to add a dog to your life and ask yourself some tough questions. Instead of beginning and basing your search for your new dog on the appearance of the dog, look first for personality and temperament. If you neglect to really research what kind of energy level and breed you’re bringing home you may be in for a harsh reality once your new pooch settles in at home.
A great example of this is when the TV show Frasier was popular many people fell in love with Kelsey Grammer’s furry co-star, Eddie and ran out and got Jack Russell Terriers. Wow, were they in for a big surprise when they discovered that their dog didn’t want to just lounge on the couch while laugh tracks played in the background, but instead required three hours of hard core, high impact exercise each and every day to keep them sane.
Then there are the good hearted people who rescue a dog with just because they feel sorry for its situations or back story. Another huge mistake. Yes, it’s amazingly admirable that you want to help this dog but if you don’t make sure you are the right match for him, you will not be helping him at all.
The decision to bring a dog into your life is a big one, both for you and the dog. Make sure you really think hard about the decision and base your search first on personality and temperament, then on looks. If you do that, you won’t have to pay me to come over and laugh at you as you tell me that you don’t know why your two-year-old Dalmatian destroyed your house, when you always give him his daily exercise of two, five minute walks around the block (on behalf of all the Dalmatians out there, thanks for nothing Disney).
Read More..
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because we make the same mistakes picking our romantic partners with the same disastrous results. We’ve all been guilty of dating someone just because physically they’re a total knockout without really looking into what kind of personality they have. And all those kinds of relationships end one of two ways: quickly or badly (for me it was always both).
Getting a dog is not like buying a shirt. If the cool looking shirt we buy itches us like crazy, we just donate to Goodwill or use it to clean our toilet. That dog we brought home a week ago on a whim because he was so cute and had a hard luck story, however, cannot be so easily discarded. I know you mean well, but you’re really doing the worst thing for both you and the dog.
I strongly believe that there is the right person out there for every dog. But the other side of that is that for every right person for the dog there are a multitude of mismatches. You have to be realistic when looking to add a dog to your life and ask yourself some tough questions. Instead of beginning and basing your search for your new dog on the appearance of the dog, look first for personality and temperament. If you neglect to really research what kind of energy level and breed you’re bringing home you may be in for a harsh reality once your new pooch settles in at home.
A great example of this is when the TV show Frasier was popular many people fell in love with Kelsey Grammer’s furry co-star, Eddie and ran out and got Jack Russell Terriers. Wow, were they in for a big surprise when they discovered that their dog didn’t want to just lounge on the couch while laugh tracks played in the background, but instead required three hours of hard core, high impact exercise each and every day to keep them sane.
Then there are the good hearted people who rescue a dog with just because they feel sorry for its situations or back story. Another huge mistake. Yes, it’s amazingly admirable that you want to help this dog but if you don’t make sure you are the right match for him, you will not be helping him at all.
The decision to bring a dog into your life is a big one, both for you and the dog. Make sure you really think hard about the decision and base your search first on personality and temperament, then on looks. If you do that, you won’t have to pay me to come over and laugh at you as you tell me that you don’t know why your two-year-old Dalmatian destroyed your house, when you always give him his daily exercise of two, five minute walks around the block (on behalf of all the Dalmatians out there, thanks for nothing Disney).
To Treat or Not to Treat
Monday, 15 August 2011
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.
Read More..
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.
CSI: Canine
Monday, 8 August 2011
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.
Read More..
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.
Take That Mailman!
Sunday, 31 July 2011
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.
Read More..
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.
Everyday Opportunities
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
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.
Read More..
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
