Do They Always Have to Like It?

With temperatures in the high 40s and sunshine– today was a welcome respite from the near 3 months of rain, sleet, gloom, and snow that has been our constant companion here in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.  The sacred doggy pool has been one solid chunk of ice & muck for months and it finally thawed out enough so I could pump it out and clean it.

As you can see from the pictures, everyone had a great time and was really enjoying the extended romp today. Playing with the dogs I was reminded of how individualistic they are and that each one has their own peculiarities.

Physically handling our dogs is something that is both necessary and even pleasurable for us, but our dogs may not be so inclined. One of the first things that we try to work on with our dogs (especially when they are puppies and it’s much easier and safer to train) is that it is okay to be handled. Touching and holding every part of their body, as well as hugs and pats are all things that should be worked on. Some may disagree with the hugging and patting part but I’ve found that other people and especially children tend not to hear anything you tell them about a dog, they just dive right in. So it’s best to be prepared.

But just because we teach them to tolerate it doesn’t mean that they have to like it. Annie (above practicing her Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon moves) likes to be held and petted. Gavin (my blue eyed blue merle) absolutely does not like being held or petted, although he sings a different tune when it comes to a TTouch or massage session. Tosha (my red Aussie) is our new girl and although she like to be pet and scratched, the mood must strike her just right.

Remember that teaching our dogs to be handled doesn’t mean they have to like it, just that they will tolerate it. Dogs like humans are individuals and we all have our own comfort zones.

We hope that you are able to get out and enjoy your weekend just like we are.

Cheers

Kevin Jackie Gavin Annie Tosha

1 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 6:07 PM - Categories: Dogs | Photo | Play | Treats

A Civil Discourse in Dog

Many people will tell you that the triumvirate of religion, politics, and sports, are subjects to be considered off limits if one wishes to avoid arguments and keep friends. I would also add the subject of dogs to that list.

Within the world of dogs, subjects like training methods, feeding, vaccinations, collars, spaying & neutering, kill vs. no kill, purebred vs. adoption, ad infinitum; seem to polarize people and really brings out our stark difference of opinions.

When I first started Dog Lovers Digest I devoted a great deal of thought to whether I should blog about my opinions or not, and also if I should allow others to comment on them. I wanted to share with others, my feelings and opinions about dogs and I wanted others to be able to share similar stories and thoughts. However, I also feel that posting my opinions on a blog available to the world also carries a responsibility. To me a public proclamation of opinion is an open invitation to critique of that opinion. Let me say here that this statement does not apply to those blogs and websites that do not allow comments on their articles. Not allowing comment on articles and blog posts is a reasonable position to take; based on the fact that divergent opinions are able to create their own sites as well. However, allowing the public in general to comment on a post carries the responsibility of posting those opinions you don’t agree with. Of course moderation of those comments is a must because there are some that will abuse the forum. But as long as people are respectful, I believe that it is my duty to allow comment from all points of view.

Another issue for me is the fact that I consider it my responsibility to defend my opinions. When people post divergent viewpoints, I need to make sure that I am ready to answer questions that they may pose to me. I also need to make sure that even when I vehemently disagree with them, I do it in a civil manner. This can be very time consuming and at some point you have to agree to disagree– but I will allow a few rounds of back and forth to make sure that everyone gets an equal say.

A recent post of mine “Does The Milgram Experiment Explain Cesar Milan’s Influence" has really brought these points home to me. The article has been widely distributed on internet and has drawn comments on many different sites including Twitter, Facebook, and my own. One of the things that have struck me is how uncivil the discourse on subjects like this can be. It has put me in mind of the town hall meetings about healthcare reform that were all over the news channels here in the states this past year. Each side shouting longer and louder at the other trying to drown out anything they did not agree with. What does this accomplish? I think most people would agree (there goes that opinion thing again) that in order to change someone’s mind you need to teach not preach. Coming up with clever insults and deriding your opponents may win you points when you’re preaching to the choir– but it’s not likely to convert someone who is sitting on the fence or who is in the other camp.

If we want to introduce others to our way of thinking, we need to do it in a thoughtful and respectful manner; and we must also listen to other points of view before we dismiss them. I am not always successful in this endeavor and I admit that sometimes I can get caught up in the crowd as well. But I promise to become more successful at it. Remember that if we want people to listen to us, we need to return the courtesy.

As always we welcome your thoughts and opinions. Let's learn from each other.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

9 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 3:35 PM - Categories: Health | Cesar Millan | Dogs | Anti Cesar Milan | Advocacy | Adoption | Training

Woof Wednesday With Leslie Fisher

My guest this week is Leslie Fisher of Look What I Can Do Dog Training. When Leslie and I first started talking about the topics for this week’s post we were both lamenting about behaviors that are both highly reinforcing to dogs, and are reinforced randomly. Leslie’s dog Bridget (pictured here and who turns 4 today) is an escape artist and provides excellent fodder for this discussion; as this post from Leslie’s Facebook account shows.

Too much like work! At least we are all getting our exercise and it is a nice day. Have run out of mesh now lugging wooden pallets around as temporary blocks. yes the yard Bridget vs human challenge is ongoing and probably will be unto eternity. Should really write blog about power of random reinforcement as it…

So I asked Leslie to blog about it here, this is what she said.

Looking over this post, I realize comments from one friend might prove to be true: that I will need the Army corps of Engineers to construct a Bridget proof fence. It truly has been an ongoing exercise in determination on her part— and I suppose myself equally as determined that she will NOT escape. There you have it, the power of random reinforcement! In Bridget`s driven, busy mind, if a good thing happens ONCE, there is a darned good chance it could happen again. For example, Bridget still has a habit of searching under my car at the hairdresser where she viewed a groundhog going under— 2 years ago.

Imagine then the power of being able to escape from the yard on a random schedule to a dog like this! Are they likely to ever give up trying? Not likely! In fact the escape behaviors have escalated driven by the fact that she is escaping randomly. On the occasions when I have been observing, and see that she has been foiled, I can almost see the gears turning as she stands and stares at the house: "what should I do now?" The look on her face is priceless but it ultimately means trouble for me in the form of yet another eventual escape. The only way that this behavior can ever truly be over will be to build an escape proof fence and wait for her to give up on her escapist attempts. As the behavior has been so well reinforced, I am quite certain there will be quite an extinction burst, which should prove to be interesting to observe. If and when I am able to get the new escape proof fence in place that is. For now it is going to be mesh and staple gun, and vigilant supervision. We work with what we have. What I have is one extremely driven dog!!

Dogs, of course are highly individual in their behaviors. My English Lab Talley has never left the yard, even when the gate was left open by Bridget. She is firmly attached to her food dish. Bridget, however, has dedicated her life to finding new ways out of the yard. Different dogs, different motivations. Achieving extinction of undesired behaviors, in driven dogs like Bridget, with activities that are highly self-reinforcing, may be nigh impossible. Remember, this is the dog that continues to check under a car at one location, where a groundhog was spotted two years ago. My friend may not have been wrong, I may need the Army Corps of Engineers to construct a Bridget proof fence with the following qualities: fencing buried three ft underground, at least 6 ft high, top angled into the yard, and solid boards not mesh to eliminate climbing. Short story is, having been so randomly reinforced for escaping, combined with her driven personality, she will never stop looking. When Fort Knox does get constructed, I expect it will be a very long time indeed before she gives up patrolling for an escape.

In terms of dog training then, my best advice is to know the behaviors of your own dog. I know Bridget just never gives up on anything. If you have a Bridget you will always have to be one jump ahead, with your management and your training. Good luck to you!!

We hope you've enjoyed this weeks Woof Wednesday With Leslie Fisher. For more information about Leslie and Look What I can Do Dog Training, you can visit her website at http://www.lookwhaticandodogtraining.com, there you can find links to her Twitter and Facebook pages as well. Leslie also writes a popular blog "The Dog Trainers Dog" which can be found at http://lookwhaticandodogtraining.typepad.com/my-blog/

As always we welcome you to share your comments and stories of escape with us.

Cheers

3 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 12:51 PM - Categories: Dogs | Humor | Woof Wednesday | Training

Woof Wednesday With Debbie Jacobs

When I came up with the idea of doing a Woof Wednesday blog I knew that Debbie Jacobs would be the first person I would ask to be my guest. Debbie was one of the first people that I followed when I first setup my Twitter account and she and I have much in common. We were both unabashed dog lovers and we both have fearful dogs that came to us by way of Hurricane Katrina. I quickly found that Debbie was not just another dog lover with a fearful dog, she was very knowledgeable about them and extremely passionate about helping fearful dogs and their owners. Her website, www.fearfuldogs.com, is a prime resource of information on fearful dogs and her blog fearfuldogs.wordpress.com is one of the most thoughtful blogs I've come across. So keeping our shy and fearful dogs in mind, here are some of the questions I asked Debbie.  

DLD: Behavioral medications for dogs are somewhat a hot button issue right now. At what point should an owners consider putting their fearful dog on medication(s) and is it something that most veterinarians are familiar with?

Debbie: I think that anyone who is dealing with a fearful dog would benefit from researching the uses and benefits of behavioral medications. Meds can help make it easier for anxious dogs to learn new behaviors. So the question I would ask is, when would someone with a fearful dog NOT want to make it easier for their dog to learn new behaviors? Any vet should know about when to prescribe meds, but some may not. Karen Overall DVM has done lots of research into the benefits of medications for helping dogs with behavioral challenges, so folks should check out what she has written. The longer a dog practices being afraid the better he gets at it.

OK that said, there are plenty of dogs out there that are fearful because of inexperience and with the appropriate handling and training can learn to be more confident & resilient without medication. These dogs typically respond quickly to training. Every owner has to become an expert on and advocate for their own dog.

The reluctance that most people have about using meds is that they don't understand how they work and assume that they will be sedating their dogs. While sedation may be a side effect of a medication, it should be short-lived and is NOT the desired effect. Some owners may find that after a few months on a medication they can begin to discontinue its use, others may find that given their dog's level of anxiety that medications may be helpful for the duration of the dog's life. Few of us hesitate to put our dogs on a medication for a physical condition such as low thyroid or diabetes, nor would we deny them the benefits of a pain killer or antibiotic. Behavioral medications can offer real benefits that affect the quality of a dog's life. They are not a cure and owners need to understand how to work with their dogs to help them learn new behaviors and emotional response.

DLD: When considering a trainer to help with a fearful dog, what questions should be asked to find out if the trainer is fearful dog friendly?

Debbie: Ask if they use corrections or punishment to modify a fearful dog's behavior. If so, find someone else. There is a list of trainers on the fearfuldogs.com website.

DLD: Before adopting a fearful dog, what three things should the perspective owner know?

Debbie:

1. The dog may always exhibit some kind of fearful behavior and working with it may become a lifelong project. It's probably going to take longer, require more time, effort and money, than you imagine to help this dog.

2. Fearful dogs can become aggressive dogs if not handled appropriately.

3. If you have no experience in positive dog training or no interest in learning, do not adopt a fearful dog.

DLD: What books and other resources should I know about to help me with my fearful dog?

Debbie:

The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell
Help For Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde
Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown
Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor
If A Dog's Prayers Were Answered Bones Would Rain From The Sky by Suzanne Clothier

and of course http://www.fearfuldogs.com and http://fearfuldogs.wordpress.com

DLD: While Twitter is a great tool to help spread the message about fearful dogs 140 characters can be a bit limiting. Would you mind expanding a bit on the following tweets…

@fearfuldogs: U cannot 'show' a scared dog something is not dangerous

Neither dogs nor people that are seriously afraid of something care whether or not you say something isn't going to hurt them or show them how benign they may be. Most people who are afraid of snakes or spiders have never had one bite them. Forcing a dog to deal with something scary just gives them more opportunity to repeat feeling afraid of it.

@fearfuldogs: How would u like it if I made u hold a bunch of spiders? What kind of a friend would I b?

In an attempt to show their dogs that something isn't going to hurt them, owners force their dogs to deal with scary things. Not only is this not likely to change how a dog feels about the scary thing, he's  got good reason to worry about what you'll do next time you run into it. This lack of trust in his owner is not beneficial to a fearful dog.

@fearfuldogs: U don't have 2 know what made your dog a fearful dog 2 help her become more comfortable in the world.

People often believe that if they knew why their dog was afraid it would somehow make it easier to 'fix' them. The cause of a dog's fear does not change the process used to help to help them. Background information on a fearful dog is useful because it may help an owner establish realistic expectations for their dog. An adult dog that was never appropriately socialized will likely never become a social butterfly. But knowing 'why' a dog is afraid ultimately doesn't matter.

@fearfuldogs: When interacting w a scared dog just pretend it's a cat. Everyone knows u can't make a cat like u, so don't try.

Dogs that are afraid of people usually want to avoid social interactions with them. But people who like dogs, want to engage with them. We like to look them in their big, usually brown eyes, bend over, kiss them on the head or give them a big squeeze. All this just makes a fearful dog more afraid. If a scared cat hisses at us or scratches us if we get close, we usually get the hint. Not so for our poor dogs. A dog that growls or snaps at us to keep us away is considered a 'bad' dog. When someone gets bitten or scratched by a cat they usually blame themselves, not the cat.

@fearfuldogs: Anything that lowers a dog's anxiety will likely help improve it's behavior

Fearful dogs usually behave inappropriately because they are anxious, afraid or stressed. If a dog sees a person walking toward them and is afraid, the dog will react in one way. If when the person gets close the dog realizes that it's a buddy of his, he's no longer afraid and reacts differently. Stress and anxiety don't help any of us perform at our best. 

For more information about shy and fearful dogs, be sure to visit Debbie's web site at http://www.fearfuldogs.com. We hope you've enjoyed this talk with Debbie Jacobs and invite you back next Wednesday when Leslie Fisher of Look What I Can Do Dog Training will be our guest.

As always your comments and suggestions are welcome and I am sure that Debbie will be following the comments as well.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

1 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 1:30 AM - Categories: Health | Dogs | Advocacy | Fearful Dogs | Shy Dogs | Adoption | Rescue | Training | Behavior

Situation Awareness (SA) & Your Dog

Having been in the Air Force as well as taken a few flying lessons I am very familiar with the concept of SA or situation(al) awareness.  A good general definition of SA can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation_awareness, and can be surmised by the following:

“Situation awareness (SA) involves being aware of what is happening around you to understand how information, events, and your own actions will impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the near future. Lacking SA or having inadequate SA has been identified as one of the primary factors in accidents attributed to human error…”

Although SA is a term that is most often bandied about in fields like the military and aviation, I think it is also of great import to us as dog owners, and more importantly as dog trainers. And by the way if you are a dog owner, you are a dog trainer, whether you realize it or not. 

Taking our dog for a 5 minute walk can seem like a simple thing to us, but it can result in hundreds of situations for the dog to react to (or ignore), and behaviors for us to either reinforce, direct, or ignore. We see the walk as a simple thing. The dog will probably meet a few people and perhaps a dog or two— maybe even see a few cars. But from our dog’s perspective the walk is a bit more complex. Each person they meet is different, they look, smell, sound, and act different from one another. Each sight, sound, and smell your dog encounters on a simple 5 minute walk is a different stimulus for your dog. Your dog can either react to these stimuli or ignore them and we at the other end of the leash have the ability to reinforce those reactions and non-reactions.

By thinking about the situations our dogs will be put into BEFORE placing them into those situations— we are able to reinforce those actions (including inactions) we like, avoid those we don’t like, and are better able to deal with those things that pop up when we aren’t expecting them.  Being in situational awareness means that our mind is in a proactive state and is better able to react to the situations we find ourselves and our dogs in. We are then better able to teach our dogs what we expect of them by using the rules of learning and the methods of positive reinforcement.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

3 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 1:52 PM - Categories: Dogs | Training | Behavior

Is Spaying and Neutering a Public or a Private Issue?

For many people the argument over whether or not to spay and neuter our dogs has more to do with human behavior than it does with the health & behavior of our dogs. It has become an issue of social responsibility in reaction to the overwhelming problem of the pet population, or rather the homeless pet population.

 In a March 2009 post, I wrote about an encounter I had with a woman who purposely allowed her female dog to breed & have puppies in order to teach her children about birth and responsibility. In that post I suggested that the woman may want to take her children to a shelter to watch a dog being euthanized in order to teach her children about death. I also provided many links to publications by organizations like the ASPCA, The Humane Society of The United States, and others about the benefits of spaying and neutering and about the myths that surround these procedures. While I am still steadfast in my belief that spaying and neutering is in the very best interest of the overall welfare of our dogs and cats—an e-mail I received yesterday reminded me that there are responsible owners out there who choose not to have their pets altered; and there are valid reasons they do so.

In much of the literature that I listed in that post, most of the benefits listed are behavioral and indeed this still holds true. The behavioral benefits of altering our dogs are manifold and the behavioral detriments few. However when it comes to the benefits and risks to health, some of the risk information is omitted and in some cases at odds with what is published and available to those of a more inquiring nature.

For instance, in the article “How Will Neutering Change My Dog?” by the ASPCA, the following is listed as a medical benefit of neutering your male dog:

“Prostate problems Without neutering, your dog’s prostate will gradually enlarge as he gets older. This can become uncomfortable for him and even make urination difficult. If the prostate becomes infected, it’s difficult to treat without neutering. While neutering doesn’t completely guard against prostate cancer, it does prevent enlargement and possible infection of the prostate.”

This article is very easy to find and the information contained is echoed by many animal welfare organizations and groups. But there is other information that is out there that is not quite as easy to find for the average dog owner.

For instance this article appearing in the December 1st 2007 Journal of The American Veterinary Medical Association titled “Determining that optimal age for gonadectomy  of dogs and cats.” asserts the following:

"The reported incidence of prostatic tumors in dogs is 0.2% to 0.6%, and prostatic neoplasms in dogs are almost always malignant adenocarcinomas.There is neoplastic differentiation in tissues of ductal or urothelial origin, which are androgen-independent tissues. However, castrated dogs are at an increased risk for development of prostatic neoplasms, with the increase in risk ranging from 2.4 to 4.3 times that of sexually intact male dogs (Table 2)."

 Now I admit that hearing a that something is 4.3 times more likely to develop can be an alarming; but it still only adds up to approx 2.6% of the totals population of neutered dogs using the worst case numbers. That’s 2.6 dogs out of a 100. If none of those hundred dogs were altered, how many would end up fathering unwanted puppies?

Conflicting and contradictory information about the health, training, and behavioral issues concerning our dogs isn’t new and I don’t suspect any deep conspiracy on the part of many animal welfare organizations. But I do see where some take issue with being given only one side of the story. 

I know there are many owners out there that are responsible enough to have intact male and female dogs without adding to the already staggering overpopulation; but I suspect there may be an even greater number of irresponsible owners that will not practice the training and management necessary to live with an intact dog.

If you are truly worried about the possible health effects of altering you dog or cat, speak with your veterinarian so that you have an accurate picture about the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering. I would also ask that you visit your local shelter as well to see the effects that irresponsible pet ownership can bring.

The decision to spay and neuter our animals has public and private ramifications on our society as a whole, and on us and our animals in private. I still believe that unless there is a specific health risk identified by your vet, all of the dogs and cats that we take into our homes should be spayed and neutered. As always I welcome your comments on this post. I know that this is a topic near and dear to many dog lovers’ hearts.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

4 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 4:28 PM - Categories: Health | Dogs | Spay & Neuter | Advocacy | Adoption | Rescue | Behavior

Dogged Determination

Dear Human,
I must admit that as a dog I find you humans a bit perplexing. You seem to praise us for certain characteristics one minute only to turn around and admonish us for the same characteristics the next.

Take for example the term “dogged determination.” You use it to compliment other humans who show firm resolve to accomplish something. Dogged is synonymous with firm, persevering, resolute, steadfast, indefatigable, and many other words that are meant as a positive reflection on those you speak them about. Yet sometime you forget that our determination is not linked to emotions or concepts like good or bad. Our determination just is.

The determination that leads many of my kind to become search and rescue dogs is no different than our determination to chew on your favorite slippers it’s just focused in a different direction.

You humans are great company and without you some of the greatest inventions in the world (like belly rubs) would not have been possible; but sometimes you forget who you’re talking to. To us chewing on your slippers isn’t good or bad it’s just something we do to relieve boredom, to relieve tension, or simply to occupy ourselves. Telling us “NO!” doesn’t really help us all that much. We know that you are currently irritated about something and if we quit chewing on your slippers for a few seconds you will probably quit yelling (we hope). But we don’t know what you would have us do instead.

As dogs we have certain needs that are really no different than those of humans. When humans are nervous or tense they fidget; we like to chew. When humans are bored they find an activity that occupies their minds; so do we. It’s just that our ideas of acceptable activities seem to be a bit at odds; but we are more than happy to change.

If you teach us that treat filled Kongs are a better alternative then we will gladly leave your slippers alone. If you show us that sitting quietly in front of you as opposed to jumping up on you is a much better way to get your attention, then consider our rumps on the ground. Above all just remember that our determination can be focused on whatever you like. The choice is yours.

PS

Please remember that we choose to live with you not because we are in need of a dominant pack leader but because our partnership seems to do us both a lot of good.

Cheers,

Tosha, Gavin, Annie, Kevin, Jackie

6 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 1:40 PM - Categories: Dogs | Anti Cesar Milan | Humor | Advocacy | Adoption | Training | Behavior