in your head, not the dog's.
We all spend a great deal of time focused on what motivates the dog to learn, I think we could spend at least that much time with what motivates the human. Me, I'm a sucker for bright eyes and a wagging tail. When I see the dog enjoying the moment, I enjoy it more myself. And what I enjoy, I tend to repeat -- don't you?
If you enjoy those things as well then start looking at all training as a game. Encourage your dog's best efforts, help her get it right if she is confused, celebrate successes, and enjoy the process!
Here is a clip of Pip and me in the middle of some Sunday chores. She tossed her jolly ball at me and I agreed to "play." Watch her tail and her face - do you think she's "working" or "playing"? Is she responsive and quick? Willing and eager?
Also, listen for my verbal negative "nope." It simply functions as information for her - a wrong choice/no reward marker - not as a correction. It helps her make the choice I want and is delivered neutrally. She finds it helpful so I use it.
PS: 1) I use the french words Assis (sit) and Debout (stand). I use Assis to mean sit from a down. Most dogs learn to sort that out but saying "sit" to mean both lower your rear (sit from a stand) as well as raise your front (sit from a down) was confusing Pip. She was starting to lie down and then sit back up in her effort to get it right. So now she has two different words for two different behaviors. That cleared things up nicely.
Same sort of thing with Debout. We already had several commands that started with "s" so stand was not easy for her. I could see her working hard to get it right - and she frequently started then stalled out. That is not her way so I chalked it up to confusion and slapped a new word on it. Giving the behavior a "D" sound made it easier for her. If you'd like to look consider different languages in your work, check out Dr. P.s Commands in Several Languages - with audio files attached. Very useful.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Holiday Giving - Local Groups Need Us More than Ever
I know, I know - it's not even Halloween but still, I want to put an idea on the table.
These economic times are hard on many, animals very much included. Your local shelter may be fighting just to stay afloat. A recent annual fund raiser for a terrific local facility raised half the amount it did last year, while dealing with a flood of animals homeless as a result of economic realities.
Before you respond to the slick mail outs and e-mails from wealthy national groups, turn your attention to a local resource that is helping the needy in your community. They may not be as fancy but they are doing the best they can for the animals in your area.
Simply put: Acting locally is a necessity this year.
So please consider making dual gifts this year by giving to deserving local groups in the name of your friends, your family and your pets.
Pip and PJ certainly will.
These economic times are hard on many, animals very much included. Your local shelter may be fighting just to stay afloat. A recent annual fund raiser for a terrific local facility raised half the amount it did last year, while dealing with a flood of animals homeless as a result of economic realities.
Before you respond to the slick mail outs and e-mails from wealthy national groups, turn your attention to a local resource that is helping the needy in your community. They may not be as fancy but they are doing the best they can for the animals in your area.
Simply put: Acting locally is a necessity this year.
So please consider making dual gifts this year by giving to deserving local groups in the name of your friends, your family and your pets.
Pip and PJ certainly will.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Attachment Training -- or how Pip taught me something new (again).
For the first decade plus of my professional life as a dog trainer, I kept company with dogs who either came from loving breeders or rescues who came to us through clients or friends. Each of these dogs arrived with a rich history of attachment to humans.
Dogs with that history respond very well to Grounding protocols (Nothing in Life is Free/Work for a Living/Ruff Love) where withdrawal of human attention whets their emotional/mental selves making them eager to work to get it back.
Deficit dogs - dogs who did not have careful socialization during the critical periods - can have varying degrees of attachment. PJ was my first instructor in creating connection where there was little. Milo was my next, though he wanted badly to attach.
Then there is Pip. Pip arrived in my home independent and poorly attached (to put it graciously) and worse, had no particular desire to change that situation.
I remember the first week I had her, I squatted down in the backyard, clapped my hands and gave her my very best, professionally practiced, "Comeherepuppygoodpuppyattatgirl!" routine. She looked at me blankly then turned away in complete disinterest.
She wasn't buying what I was selling.
When I applied what had worked so well with the other dogs in my life, things got worse. She coveted her crate, happily curled in the back, golluming toys for hours and muttering obscenities at any dog who came near.
Increased isolation just led to increased detachment.
Withdrawal of attention just led to a puppy who looked for it less.
My standard behavior changing protocol was changing her behavior, but in the wrong direction.
Back to the drawing board.
I started paying attention to what made her softer, sweeter, more attentive and that, it turns out, was exactly what I always recommended people not do.
Pip benefited from lots of hands on time, lap time, cuddling time. Her attachment was weak - it simply could not handle pressure applied to it. Building her attachment softened her.
I combined this with clear social structure, training taught as games, levels of consistency that I had previously never imagined (and I had imagined a lot) and using whatever floated her boat as rewards.
It took a while but I slowly came on to her radar, then I got the level of mental connection and compliance I was seeking and soon after she started to wag her tail when she looked at me. Now that was a happy day.
I gained more insight into this sort of dog from a little rescue dog I worked with, a pug cross brought up from the south. I came into his life after another trainer had been working with him and his family for just about three months. And, despite everyone's best efforts, he was going downhill behaviorally. He was barking at family members, lifting his leg in the house, fearful and simply did not look relaxed or happy.
When I met him he stayed a bit away, looking at me warily with sidelong glances. He liked petting from his people when he could manage to make it over to them but that was hard for him. He was a major deficit dog.
I took him off the standard grounding program he was on and that I, too, would have recommended just a few years ago and put him on Attachment Training. This entailed couch time, lap time, bed time. I coached them on how to connect to him and then move away before it overwhelmed him. We did handling and placement. We reviewed sensible leadership as well as how to manage his stress.
And they did it (they did a great job) and he improved. He settled. He calmed. He sweetened. He became their dog.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good grounding program for normally attached dogs. It can be a pretty simple way to reset a dog's brain and get him in the mood to work. But for dogs who are not normally attached? Well then, you need to build the attachment before you can leverage it. For those dogs, Attachment Training may well be called for.
How do you know which to do? Ask the dog. Try a Grounding type of protocol. If the dog improves, great. But if the dog makes no improvements or, in fact, gets worse? Consider trying this approach.
Connection came more slowly with Pip than any other dog I've shared my life with. I had to work hard to create it and I work still to maintain it. The difference is, I now have a dog working hard at her end as well. Thank you, Pip, for all you have taught me so far and for what you no doubt will teach me in the future.
Dogs with that history respond very well to Grounding protocols (Nothing in Life is Free/Work for a Living/Ruff Love) where withdrawal of human attention whets their emotional/mental selves making them eager to work to get it back.
Deficit dogs - dogs who did not have careful socialization during the critical periods - can have varying degrees of attachment. PJ was my first instructor in creating connection where there was little. Milo was my next, though he wanted badly to attach.
Then there is Pip. Pip arrived in my home independent and poorly attached (to put it graciously) and worse, had no particular desire to change that situation.
I remember the first week I had her, I squatted down in the backyard, clapped my hands and gave her my very best, professionally practiced, "Comeherepuppygoodpuppyattatgirl!" routine. She looked at me blankly then turned away in complete disinterest.
She wasn't buying what I was selling.
When I applied what had worked so well with the other dogs in my life, things got worse. She coveted her crate, happily curled in the back, golluming toys for hours and muttering obscenities at any dog who came near.
Increased isolation just led to increased detachment.
Withdrawal of attention just led to a puppy who looked for it less.
My standard behavior changing protocol was changing her behavior, but in the wrong direction.
Back to the drawing board.
I started paying attention to what made her softer, sweeter, more attentive and that, it turns out, was exactly what I always recommended people not do.
Pip benefited from lots of hands on time, lap time, cuddling time. Her attachment was weak - it simply could not handle pressure applied to it. Building her attachment softened her.
I combined this with clear social structure, training taught as games, levels of consistency that I had previously never imagined (and I had imagined a lot) and using whatever floated her boat as rewards.
It took a while but I slowly came on to her radar, then I got the level of mental connection and compliance I was seeking and soon after she started to wag her tail when she looked at me. Now that was a happy day.
I gained more insight into this sort of dog from a little rescue dog I worked with, a pug cross brought up from the south. I came into his life after another trainer had been working with him and his family for just about three months. And, despite everyone's best efforts, he was going downhill behaviorally. He was barking at family members, lifting his leg in the house, fearful and simply did not look relaxed or happy.
When I met him he stayed a bit away, looking at me warily with sidelong glances. He liked petting from his people when he could manage to make it over to them but that was hard for him. He was a major deficit dog.
I took him off the standard grounding program he was on and that I, too, would have recommended just a few years ago and put him on Attachment Training. This entailed couch time, lap time, bed time. I coached them on how to connect to him and then move away before it overwhelmed him. We did handling and placement. We reviewed sensible leadership as well as how to manage his stress.
And they did it (they did a great job) and he improved. He settled. He calmed. He sweetened. He became their dog.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good grounding program for normally attached dogs. It can be a pretty simple way to reset a dog's brain and get him in the mood to work. But for dogs who are not normally attached? Well then, you need to build the attachment before you can leverage it. For those dogs, Attachment Training may well be called for.
How do you know which to do? Ask the dog. Try a Grounding type of protocol. If the dog improves, great. But if the dog makes no improvements or, in fact, gets worse? Consider trying this approach.
Connection came more slowly with Pip than any other dog I've shared my life with. I had to work hard to create it and I work still to maintain it. The difference is, I now have a dog working hard at her end as well. Thank you, Pip, for all you have taught me so far and for what you no doubt will teach me in the future.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Pet Linens: Dog Bedding that Works
While WagReflex - the Amazon pet blog that I wrote for - was still operational, a company called "Pet Linens" contacted me. They wanted to send me a sample of their product to try.
I was only mildly interested as we've had a lot of dog beds here through the decades and really, what was so different about this product? But they were persistent and I agreed. When the shipment arrived, I opened the box to find one thick round bed, one waterproof cushion saver and two light-weight animal print covers.
First things first, put on the waterproof cushion saver. It is slick and it is zippered so it went on easily. Now the cover. I admit to feeling less than positive about putting a cover on a dogbed. I know, I know, how hard could it be? Well, if you ask that, you haven't done many. It can be like putting a weasel in a sock - an annoyed weasel in a small sock.
More times than I care to count or admit, the bed that was quite attractive upon purchase looked like a bunchy, lumpy mess after I put the cover back on. This goes double to plain foam beds. So, I approached this with a sort of grim resignation.
Let me start with how cute the packaging is - the bedding comes tied with a nice satiny ribbon which pretty much makes me roll my inner eyes. I never had a Barbie, I never planned a "Dream House" - I played with plastic Breyer horses and made up stables. So my self-commentary runs along the lines of "It's a DOG BED folks..." but I untied and unfolded.
The cover is lightweight and is split down the entire bottom, with patches of velcro closing it shut. And... drumroll please... it was easy to put on. Very easy. Two seconds and this nice fluffy round bed had a cover on it and it still looked like a nice fluffy round bed.
Felt good.
I tossed it down into the corner of the kitchen. Wyatt immediately took up residence. Since then (and it's been about a month now) some dog is almost always parked on it. Trust me - there are plenty of other options available, including but not limited to a leather couch just a few feet away. They prefer this bed. And despite near constant pressing with 95 lb, 58 lb and 35 lb dogs, it is just as thick and cushy as when we started. It has none of that annoying flattening where your initially nice soft dog bed begins to resemble a well-used dorm-room futon.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to wash the cover - see if it shrinks, see if it is just as easy to put back on. And here is the "pet linens" part - you pull off one set of "sheets" and put on another.
Washing was simple - dried quickly, lost no shape or size and went right back on as before. Easy, easy....I felt down right Martha Stewart.
So, I am now a fan.
Not an inexpensive choice, but if you're looking for a bed that is well-made, stays thick and soft ,and works as I have always dreamt a dogbed should work then consider this product. I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Here is PJ taking her turn...
I was only mildly interested as we've had a lot of dog beds here through the decades and really, what was so different about this product? But they were persistent and I agreed. When the shipment arrived, I opened the box to find one thick round bed, one waterproof cushion saver and two light-weight animal print covers.
First things first, put on the waterproof cushion saver. It is slick and it is zippered so it went on easily. Now the cover. I admit to feeling less than positive about putting a cover on a dogbed. I know, I know, how hard could it be? Well, if you ask that, you haven't done many. It can be like putting a weasel in a sock - an annoyed weasel in a small sock.
More times than I care to count or admit, the bed that was quite attractive upon purchase looked like a bunchy, lumpy mess after I put the cover back on. This goes double to plain foam beds. So, I approached this with a sort of grim resignation.
Let me start with how cute the packaging is - the bedding comes tied with a nice satiny ribbon which pretty much makes me roll my inner eyes. I never had a Barbie, I never planned a "Dream House" - I played with plastic Breyer horses and made up stables. So my self-commentary runs along the lines of "It's a DOG BED folks..." but I untied and unfolded.
The cover is lightweight and is split down the entire bottom, with patches of velcro closing it shut. And... drumroll please... it was easy to put on. Very easy. Two seconds and this nice fluffy round bed had a cover on it and it still looked like a nice fluffy round bed.
Felt good.
I tossed it down into the corner of the kitchen. Wyatt immediately took up residence. Since then (and it's been about a month now) some dog is almost always parked on it. Trust me - there are plenty of other options available, including but not limited to a leather couch just a few feet away. They prefer this bed. And despite near constant pressing with 95 lb, 58 lb and 35 lb dogs, it is just as thick and cushy as when we started. It has none of that annoying flattening where your initially nice soft dog bed begins to resemble a well-used dorm-room futon.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to wash the cover - see if it shrinks, see if it is just as easy to put back on. And here is the "pet linens" part - you pull off one set of "sheets" and put on another.
Washing was simple - dried quickly, lost no shape or size and went right back on as before. Easy, easy....I felt down right Martha Stewart.
So, I am now a fan.
Not an inexpensive choice, but if you're looking for a bed that is well-made, stays thick and soft ,and works as I have always dreamt a dogbed should work then consider this product. I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Here is PJ taking her turn...
Saturday, September 26, 2009
You Want to Teach? Learn!
This morning I got my proverbial and literal butt kicked in a kickboxing class. My fellow students? Two of the best personal trainers in Manchester, NH. Ah.... I did not keep up but what a terrific reminder to me of what it is to be a rank beginner taught by an experienced pro.
My teacher is a fine one - clear and mellow. He doles out verbal support on a regular basis and, while encouraging, didn't make me feel uncomfortable when I did not come near to keeping up and even, at one especially graceful moment, fell over.
Competitive by both nature and nurture, this was an excellent lesson in resetting my goals and being realistic. About five minutes into the hour, I decided my goal was - whenever possible - to do exactly half as well as they were doing. Their 20 full, crisp push-ups against my 10 on-my-knees-and-silently-complaining versions.
Any of us who teach a lot need to learn... a lot. Get yourself in classes that require physical skills that are entirely new to you. Not only does this increase your compassion for your students but it reminds you of the impact the teacher can have - tone of voice, a smile, a roll of the eyes - can either bolster and discourage.
In this pursuit, I have taken classes in belly dancing, kayaking, rock climbing, salsa and now, kickboxing.
It is easy to slip toward a rather superior attitude when teaching something you have taught for years and that is now second nature for you. Learning new skills, ideally that make you feel a bit intimidated or vulnerable, will go a long way to helping you become the very best teacher you are capable of being.
Friday, September 25, 2009
How to Move a Skunk
The short answer is - tactfully.
During our six days away in Colorado, a skunk took up residence in the snowblower parked in the corner of our barn.
Not that I knew that. PJ explained it to me this AM when I saw her rolling and rubbing on the grass and then I stepped back into the barn where the smell made everything perfectly clear.
Fortunately, skunks have a variety of squirts - a little for a little annoying, a full download for terrified. I gathered that PJ had been a minor moment.
So the dogs went back to the fenced backyard and I returned to the barn. Moving the snowblower revealed a small skunk, circa 2009, crouched against the wall. He (that is an assumption, I did not get close enough to confirm this) waddled behind a bale of shavings and hid his head against the wall.
He was clearly about as happy as I was about this whole thing.
Taking a six foot bamboo pole I had near by, I tried tapping the bale of shavings to encourage him to exit. He dug his head deeper into the shadows.
I paused.
Hmmm....
I tapped in front of him. Turns out skunks have a pretty solid opposition reflex as well, so he bopped the stake with his head. Gave that a couple more trials using various minor variations with the same results.
I paused.
Hmmmm....
Tapping the back end of a skunk seemed highly likely to cause predictable results, so I nixed that idea the moment I had it.
So, how do I make my idea (please exit this area), his idea?
To answer that, I had to answer, "What did he want in this situation?"
Clearly, he wanted to hide (sensible skunk, he was having a pretty bad day).
To accommodate his desires (hide) while accomplishing my goal (move the skunk), I quietly slid a couple of bales of shavings a few inches away from the wall forming a tunnel leading from where he was to the backdoor. I opened that door. Then, tactfully (really can't emphasize that enough), I quietly pressed the bale he was behind to the wall, starting with the corner farthest from him.
As his hiding place slowly disappeared, he turned to look for his next option. Seeing the "tunnel" I made for him, he ducked into it and followed it around to the door.
Now, I would like to tell you that he waddled out the door never to be seen again, but that would not quite be honest.
He headed toward the door but then saw the opening under a pallet which holds the hay - did a perfect double-take, changed course, and crawled out of sight.
Now I have a skunk under 400+ bales of hay and I suspect I'll be writing Part 2 of this blog sometime next spring.
The take home message (besides block the opening of the pallet next time!) is: no matter what the animal - make your idea their idea, then let them do it. That classic Ray Hunt line holds up for horses, dogs and...now...skunks.
Oh yeah, that and.... not everything always goes as planned.
During our six days away in Colorado, a skunk took up residence in the snowblower parked in the corner of our barn.
Not that I knew that. PJ explained it to me this AM when I saw her rolling and rubbing on the grass and then I stepped back into the barn where the smell made everything perfectly clear.
Fortunately, skunks have a variety of squirts - a little for a little annoying, a full download for terrified. I gathered that PJ had been a minor moment.
So the dogs went back to the fenced backyard and I returned to the barn. Moving the snowblower revealed a small skunk, circa 2009, crouched against the wall. He (that is an assumption, I did not get close enough to confirm this) waddled behind a bale of shavings and hid his head against the wall.
He was clearly about as happy as I was about this whole thing.
Taking a six foot bamboo pole I had near by, I tried tapping the bale of shavings to encourage him to exit. He dug his head deeper into the shadows.
I paused.
Hmmm....
I tapped in front of him. Turns out skunks have a pretty solid opposition reflex as well, so he bopped the stake with his head. Gave that a couple more trials using various minor variations with the same results.
I paused.
Hmmmm....
Tapping the back end of a skunk seemed highly likely to cause predictable results, so I nixed that idea the moment I had it.
So, how do I make my idea (please exit this area), his idea?
To answer that, I had to answer, "What did he want in this situation?"
Clearly, he wanted to hide (sensible skunk, he was having a pretty bad day).
To accommodate his desires (hide) while accomplishing my goal (move the skunk), I quietly slid a couple of bales of shavings a few inches away from the wall forming a tunnel leading from where he was to the backdoor. I opened that door. Then, tactfully (really can't emphasize that enough), I quietly pressed the bale he was behind to the wall, starting with the corner farthest from him.
As his hiding place slowly disappeared, he turned to look for his next option. Seeing the "tunnel" I made for him, he ducked into it and followed it around to the door.
Now, I would like to tell you that he waddled out the door never to be seen again, but that would not quite be honest.
He headed toward the door but then saw the opening under a pallet which holds the hay - did a perfect double-take, changed course, and crawled out of sight.
Now I have a skunk under 400+ bales of hay and I suspect I'll be writing Part 2 of this blog sometime next spring.
The take home message (besides block the opening of the pallet next time!) is: no matter what the animal - make your idea their idea, then let them do it. That classic Ray Hunt line holds up for horses, dogs and...now...skunks.
Oh yeah, that and.... not everything always goes as planned.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Group Play for Shelter Dogs
Full disclosure: When I first heard about this program I did not think it was a good idea. Sounded too risky to me.
Well, then, Toni Kay-Wolff (The Well-Mannered Dog, CT) and I watched the AM group play session run by Aimee Sadler here at Longmont Humane Society.
And I am happy to report I was wrong.
Sure, there are a lot of moving parts and yes, serious fights are possible, but they are made much less likely when you
1) do behavioral assessments
2) work dogs around other dogs on lead (away from play area) so you have a sense of at least some of the picture
3) have multiple pen areas to test dogs out in/group dogs specifically
4) have a variety of behavioral interrupters on hand from plant mister's filled with water and set on "stun" to shake cans to boat horns
5) happily use muzzles when you are not reasonably sure yet about a dog.
6) last but most importantly, have someone in charge who is calm, reads dogs well and knows what they are doing.
With all those aspects in place (and I am sure a few more that I haven't listed here) we had an extremely entertaining couple of hours watching dogs being dogs.
Now, Longmont Humane Society treats pitbulls for what they are - dogs. They get evaluated and handled as dogs. We had lots of pits milling about and one young male was a bit of an instigator but the biggest "flies in the ointment" in the groups were one brown, leap-before-you-look labbish looking mix, a who-knows-what maybe aussie/chow cross and a bull-in-the-china shop dane/boxer something. Not the big-headed, muscle-bound, goofy-faced Pittish dogs.
With three separate runs, each with their own double gated entrance, we watched Aimee orchestrate a complex dance of adding dogs here - subtracting them there - letting groups come together and then sorting a few out to be on their own. That was done when either a new dog was entering so they could settle in a bit before mixing with the larger group or for shy/small dogs who were not safe or having fun in a large, roiling group of larger dogs.
If you like to observe behavior - and every pro should - this was a five-star opportunity. Loved seeing what was allowed to be worked out amongst themselves and what was interrupted. Interruptions were done quickly - usually with water, sometimes with a can, boat horn wasn't needed - with little emotion and then the dogs just continued on with their free time.
At one point we have over 25 dogs including a small dog/shy dog group in one pen and a new dog settling in, muzzled pit mix, who showed himself to be calm and had the muzzle removed.
Having lived many years in NYC, I can say with confidence that I observed behavior much more worrisome in those public dog parks any given morning (and more "dust ups") than I saw at Longmont's group play.
As a quality of life issue, this allows most of the dogs in their care to get free time to do what dogs do and allows the staff to see these dogs being dogs. Whatever risks exist, surely the benefits of a well-run playgroup outweigh them.
Well, then, Toni Kay-Wolff (The Well-Mannered Dog, CT) and I watched the AM group play session run by Aimee Sadler here at Longmont Humane Society.
And I am happy to report I was wrong.
Sure, there are a lot of moving parts and yes, serious fights are possible, but they are made much less likely when you
1) do behavioral assessments
2) work dogs around other dogs on lead (away from play area) so you have a sense of at least some of the picture
3) have multiple pen areas to test dogs out in/group dogs specifically
4) have a variety of behavioral interrupters on hand from plant mister's filled with water and set on "stun" to shake cans to boat horns
5) happily use muzzles when you are not reasonably sure yet about a dog.
6) last but most importantly, have someone in charge who is calm, reads dogs well and knows what they are doing.
With all those aspects in place (and I am sure a few more that I haven't listed here) we had an extremely entertaining couple of hours watching dogs being dogs.
Now, Longmont Humane Society treats pitbulls for what they are - dogs. They get evaluated and handled as dogs. We had lots of pits milling about and one young male was a bit of an instigator but the biggest "flies in the ointment" in the groups were one brown, leap-before-you-look labbish looking mix, a who-knows-what maybe aussie/chow cross and a bull-in-the-china shop dane/boxer something. Not the big-headed, muscle-bound, goofy-faced Pittish dogs.
With three separate runs, each with their own double gated entrance, we watched Aimee orchestrate a complex dance of adding dogs here - subtracting them there - letting groups come together and then sorting a few out to be on their own. That was done when either a new dog was entering so they could settle in a bit before mixing with the larger group or for shy/small dogs who were not safe or having fun in a large, roiling group of larger dogs.
If you like to observe behavior - and every pro should - this was a five-star opportunity. Loved seeing what was allowed to be worked out amongst themselves and what was interrupted. Interruptions were done quickly - usually with water, sometimes with a can, boat horn wasn't needed - with little emotion and then the dogs just continued on with their free time.
At one point we have over 25 dogs including a small dog/shy dog group in one pen and a new dog settling in, muzzled pit mix, who showed himself to be calm and had the muzzle removed.
Having lived many years in NYC, I can say with confidence that I observed behavior much more worrisome in those public dog parks any given morning (and more "dust ups") than I saw at Longmont's group play.
As a quality of life issue, this allows most of the dogs in their care to get free time to do what dogs do and allows the staff to see these dogs being dogs. Whatever risks exist, surely the benefits of a well-run playgroup outweigh them.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Longmont Humane Society Visit
Brian and I arrived in Longmont, CO today and one of our first stops was to visit Aimee Sadler at the very impressive Longmont Humane Society .... a brandy new building featuring state-of-the-art canine kenneling and cat rooms.
People looking for a new family pet are well served here where they can wander the halls viewing the contented and fully evaluated animals through walls of windows. This way they can experience the dogs without the inevitable smells and sounds that can be overwhelming to newbies.
Both good reasons, though I found the full kennel areas delightfully quiet and very clean. Each of the many dogs in their care get walked at least two times a day with their goal being to get them out four times. A goal they frequently meet.
With a devoted and well-trained army of volunteers, the dogs get more training and help each day at the facility than most have received in their lifetime. And what a nice selection of dogs they have - from toy breeds (in their own, quiet, separate area) to big muscled, grinning pits - even a scruffy dog for the likes of me. ;)
Dogs get more than a fair shake here, they get a real chance to succeed.
Brian and I were lucky enough to be invited to sit in on an upper-level volunteer session. Impressive group - knowledgeable handlers using a variety of tools and methods to help each dog learn.
Tomorrow I spend time watching Aimee work some of her free play sessions, such a BOON for the dogs in the shelter to be able to socialize with others - to play and relax.
My suspicion is dogs in this facility have a much more interesting and rich life than many dogs do in the average homes - more training, more play, more support. And isn't that a wonderful and astonishing thing.
People looking for a new family pet are well served here where they can wander the halls viewing the contented and fully evaluated animals through walls of windows. This way they can experience the dogs without the inevitable smells and sounds that can be overwhelming to newbies.
Both good reasons, though I found the full kennel areas delightfully quiet and very clean. Each of the many dogs in their care get walked at least two times a day with their goal being to get them out four times. A goal they frequently meet.
With a devoted and well-trained army of volunteers, the dogs get more training and help each day at the facility than most have received in their lifetime. And what a nice selection of dogs they have - from toy breeds (in their own, quiet, separate area) to big muscled, grinning pits - even a scruffy dog for the likes of me. ;)
Dogs get more than a fair shake here, they get a real chance to succeed.
Brian and I were lucky enough to be invited to sit in on an upper-level volunteer session. Impressive group - knowledgeable handlers using a variety of tools and methods to help each dog learn.
Tomorrow I spend time watching Aimee work some of her free play sessions, such a BOON for the dogs in the shelter to be able to socialize with others - to play and relax.
My suspicion is dogs in this facility have a much more interesting and rich life than many dogs do in the average homes - more training, more play, more support. And isn't that a wonderful and astonishing thing.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Dealing with Attachment
The challenge of this job is getting dogs to integrate back into their families while maintaining the behaviors you've worked hard to create. Not easy. Providing them with a situation that is emotionally and structurally similar helps make that transition smoother. Meaning - living with people the dogs really enjoy and a life in the home, as much as is possible.
In home living makes it more likely that behaviors will come to light that are fundamental to making progress and yet something the owners might never think to mention.
For example, with this crew, I learned on the first day that the poodle pups had a habit of standing in the kitchen and barking at you as you made yourself breakfast. I'm quite sure, at home, that behavior caused biscuits to appear in a hurried effort to quiet them down.
That is not the result they got here. They were briskly sent and then brusquely blocked out of the kitchen a few times at 6:38 AM and I haven't seen it since. I would not known this habit even existed if they had not been literally underfoot.
But it's tough including them in this way. Right now I have three young pups who clearly consider me "theirs." This AM, I got my face cleaned by an absolutely adorable malti-poo pup and then greeted with bouncy we're-trying-hard-not-to-jump, wagging, cavorting poodle pups.
The trick is - at least for me - how do I stay emotionally open to them right to the finish line (which approaches). It is tempting to start to draw back a bit but how would that serve them?
And as I type this an elegant young poodle nose rests on my thigh. I sigh while tousling the apricot fur. I just don't have a good answer for this one, other than to take much of the day they leave off to spend time with my own dogs, who always get a bit of the short shrift during these times.
People ask me how I deal with parting with our client dogs and I always laugh and say "easily" but that is a necessary lie. At least necessary for me. It's not something I spend a lot of time on anymore than I fret about gravity or dawn. It just is.
So later this week I will load them up, give them a final pat and Brian will head southward to the streets of NYC to return them to their eager and loving families. They will all have a great life and I will head to the fields to walk and walk until I have finally walked enough.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Can There Be Danger without Malice?
After Helena’s Sung’s article, "Father Wants Baby-Snatching Wolf-Dog Hybrid Back Home," a few comments came my way that point to some serious confusion in peoples' minds. Thought I’d take the chance to address a few of them here:
Why do I believe Dakota is dangerous?
Because she almost killed an infant.
The point people seem to be sticking on is that Dakota does not appear to be “aggressive” as they understand the word. For them, “aggressive” means the animal is hovering over the child growling or stalking him stiffly or in some obvious way displaying overt aggression. Because that does not appear to have happened here, they are confused. For these folks, if the animal isn’t that sort of “aggressive” then it is, ipso facto, “safe.”
No need for confusion: Dakota posed a real danger to AJ. And because she almost killed him and because she is still who and what she is, the danger remains.
But Dakota did not act with malice!
First, none of us know why this animal “acted” but who the heck cares? Malice or not, AJ was almost killed. A loaded gun has no “malice” and yet it can kill you.
Freedom from malice does not make something safe.
She was just mothering AJ.
Pure guess work here based on emotion and not likelihood but even if we say, OK, she was mothering AJ then all we know is that she is a terrible mother. Mother's do not puncture the skulls or lungs of their young.
However it started, once AJ started to cry - things probably changed and changed in an instant.
From About Wolf-Dog Hybrids (http://www.angelfire.com/nv/tmyst/facts/wolf_dog_hybrids.htm#dangerous)
Allowing dogs to run at large is illegal in most states and with good reason. To allow wolf hybrids* “room to run” is insanity. Anyone doing even a tiny amount of research on these animals would quickly find clear instructions on proper housing and containment of hybrids.
http://www.inetdesign.com/wolfdunn/containment/
http://www.wolfdogbasics.com/containment1.htm
As is so often the case, disaster could have been easily avoided with proper care.
If these animals had been contained as every wolf-hybrid expert I have found vigorously suggests, AJ would never have been harmed.
Do I think these people “love” their animals? No doubt.
Were they surprised by what happened? No doubt.
Are they 100% responsible for what happened? No doubt.
You cannot comment on this case without speaking to the owners!
There is no need. Their actions speak loudly. I already know they are animal "loving" people who did not bother to educate themselves about the proper care of the animals they chose to bring into their family and who, through their actions, set up a scenario that nearly cost them their son.
And now they want to repeat the process, underlining once more that very real danger can be posed without any malice at all.
* There is debate as to whether Dakota is a wolf hybrid and, without DNA testing, none of us can be sure. But since I have been contacted by hybrid owners who seem, themselves, to believe that she is a wolf-cross of some sort and seem to be in communication with the owners, I work on that assumption here. Here is a chart published by wolfhaven.org
Why do I believe Dakota is dangerous?
Because she almost killed an infant.
The point people seem to be sticking on is that Dakota does not appear to be “aggressive” as they understand the word. For them, “aggressive” means the animal is hovering over the child growling or stalking him stiffly or in some obvious way displaying overt aggression. Because that does not appear to have happened here, they are confused. For these folks, if the animal isn’t that sort of “aggressive” then it is, ipso facto, “safe.”
No need for confusion: Dakota posed a real danger to AJ. And because she almost killed him and because she is still who and what she is, the danger remains.
But Dakota did not act with malice!
First, none of us know why this animal “acted” but who the heck cares? Malice or not, AJ was almost killed. A loaded gun has no “malice” and yet it can kill you.
Freedom from malice does not make something safe.
She was just mothering AJ.
Pure guess work here based on emotion and not likelihood but even if we say, OK, she was mothering AJ then all we know is that she is a terrible mother. Mother's do not puncture the skulls or lungs of their young.
However it started, once AJ started to cry - things probably changed and changed in an instant.
From About Wolf-Dog Hybrids (http://www.angelfire.com/nv/tmyst/facts/wolf_dog_hybrids.htm#dangerous)
Dakota's owners love her, they even moved to a larger place to give their hybrids "room to run."Predatory behavior
.... A child running, screaming, stumbling or crying may trigger a predatory response (even in an animal that has always been "great with kids"), resulting in serious injury or death of the child. Once this predator-prey response has been stimulated, the animal may never again view children as anything but prey. (Emphasis mine.)
Allowing dogs to run at large is illegal in most states and with good reason. To allow wolf hybrids* “room to run” is insanity. Anyone doing even a tiny amount of research on these animals would quickly find clear instructions on proper housing and containment of hybrids.
http://www.inetdesign.com/wolfdunn/containment/
http://www.wolfdogbasics.com/containment1.htm
As is so often the case, disaster could have been easily avoided with proper care.
If these animals had been contained as every wolf-hybrid expert I have found vigorously suggests, AJ would never have been harmed.
Do I think these people “love” their animals? No doubt.
Were they surprised by what happened? No doubt.
Are they 100% responsible for what happened? No doubt.
You cannot comment on this case without speaking to the owners!
There is no need. Their actions speak loudly. I already know they are animal "loving" people who did not bother to educate themselves about the proper care of the animals they chose to bring into their family and who, through their actions, set up a scenario that nearly cost them their son.
And now they want to repeat the process, underlining once more that very real danger can be posed without any malice at all.
* There is debate as to whether Dakota is a wolf hybrid and, without DNA testing, none of us can be sure. But since I have been contacted by hybrid owners who seem, themselves, to believe that she is a wolf-cross of some sort and seem to be in communication with the owners, I work on that assumption here. Here is a chart published by wolfhaven.org
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