Using the Right Energy

When my husband taught me how to negotiate technical mountain bike trails, he noticed I was looking at the obstacles directly in front of my tire.

“If you focus where you don’t want to go—that rock in the middle of the trail--WHAM! That’s where you’re going to point your tire. You’re also going to be spending all your energy thinking, ‘Don’t hit the rock, don’t hit the rock.’ Look up. Look down the trail where you want to go. Where your gaze goes, your bike will follow.”

Let’s apply those sage words to dog training.

Your dog is going crazy. He’s lunging on his leash at another dog, he's constantly pulling on his leash at everything, barking his head off at the window, or he's at the door being an over-enthusiastic greeter.

ACK!

We’ve all been there. Looking directly at the source of the problem: the dog. We try to figure out how to fix the problem, how to fix him! "No! No! Stop Fido! Stop!" So frustrating.

I’m suggesting dog owners stop looking at the “rock on the trail.” Stop being so focused on the problem of what’s going wrong, instead of where you want to go.

What this looks like in action:

• Literally stop looking at your dog. Shift your gaze up. Look at the sky. Look at your surroundings.
• Breathe. Nice deep breaths.
• Say to yourself, “What a pretty sky. What a nice tree.” Because if we just look up in this moment of stress we’ll still have that “dog conversation” in our head, “My dog's so annoying. Ugh! I'm going to pull my hair out. How can I get him to do what I want? He’s embarrassing me…” So the goal is to interrupt your thoughts and just replace them with ANYTHING, even if they’re boring and bland. They don’t have to be Zen thoughts. Goofy thoughts are welcome.
• Now you are your own energy again.Separate from whatever your dog is doing.
• Before you look back at your dog, feel this energy. Stay slow and calm.  
• Think about what you want your dog to do, not what your dog is doing. You’re not going to tell your dog, “No!” Because that’s not telling your dog what you want him to do. What command does your dog know that you can use at this moment? Sit? Come here? Go to your bed? Whatever very simple command, you're going to say it as upbeat and positive as you can. No judgment.
• Look back at your dog and stay with your energy. Say what you want him to do in that upbeat, happy voice and when he does what you ask, praise him big time. "Good boy!!!"

Remember: Tell your dog where you want to go down that trail, so you don't trip up by focusing on that rock right in front of you.

Help! My Dog is Digging Up My Yard!

There are several reasons leading a dog to becoming a back yard excavator. Sometimes it’s their breed: Northern breeds are avid diggers, instincts telling them to dig to get away from the heat. Or terriers digging to get those varmints. Suburban varmints are rabbits, squirrels, moles—oh my!

Sometimes dogs have an unfulfilled life, are bored and give themselves the job of landscaper or escape artist. Yes, you have a “nice back yard,” however that’s not enough for dogs. They need to be walked daily, sometimes long walks—check out the correct distance for your dog’s breed and age. Dogs need to be mentally stimulated by taking them out into the world. Maybe you can start a dog training class or visit the local dog park, or better yet—all of the above! 

HOLES HOLES EVERYWHERE!

 

Once your yard has holes, don't repair the holes with your dog around. If your dog started digging after watching you gardening…that might be part of the problem. Your dog is part monkey: Monkey see…

Refill the holes with dirt and cover the patched holes with wet straw or hay. There’s something about the smell that tends to keep dogs away. You might have to reapply the straw/hay if it blows away.

Create a special place for your dog to dig. Instead of a sandbox, a "dig box." This boundary lets your dog know that this area has the seal of approval for all his digging needs. You can start the new digging habit in the digging box by burying a bully stick, treat-filled Kong or other treats that get your dog motivated to dig. Once he starts—praise the behavior. 

If your dog continues to dig where he shouldn’t, don’t give him attention by punishing him—it hasn’t worked and he’s enjoyed the attention he’s gotten from you, even though it’s negative attention. When he’s digging in the wrong place—merely call him over to the digging box in an excited, happy voice and get him to dig there instead. He will be rewarded time and time again with your attention whenever he’s digging in the right place. Also, if you “catch” him digging in the digging box, make sure to praise him and give him lots of attention. 

Dig?

My Dog Eats Too Fast!

I've heard this time and time again, and I've got one of these gluttonous hounds in my house. I've tried every trick in the book:

• Putting a giant rock in the middle of her bowl, that way it takes her 30 seconds to scarf down her food instead of 10 seconds. 
• Adding water--at least it'll be easier on her digestive track. 
• Making her work for each morsel of food by turning meals into training sessions. Realistically, with three dogs to feed, I don't have time to do this twice a day.
• Putting food into a Kong or Smart Toy. I don't have this option since I have multiple dogs. Otherwise this is a great idea. The kibble would be dispensed slowly and the dog is psychologically challenged: working for his food. LOVE IT!

But then--SHAZAM! I found something that works:

• Put the usual amount of kibble in your dog's bowl
• Cover the bottom the bowl with a little bit of water
• If you mix the kibble with wet food, fantastic! Don't add water, merely mix in the wet food
• Put the bowl in the freezer
• When feeding time arrives, I just take it out and voila!

Instead of inhaling her food, my reigned in canine had to work to lick and pry her food from the bottom of her dish and then more licking, licking...it was like a kibble-sicle. For once my Shih Tzu finished his food LONG before she was licking the frozen bits from the corners of her dish.

Other freezing tips:
When using peanut butter or Kong filling, fill the toy or hollow bone and then freeze the toy/bone. That filling doesn't last long, however when it's frozen it lasts longer for those car rides or for anxious dogs left at home.

YOU Are the Key to Dog Training Success

Oftentimes, the dogs who make little to no progress are the ones where the clients make little to no change in their behavior. Or they pick and choose what part of the training prescription they want to follow.

What!?!? That seems rather bold. Could it not be the dog? Or what about the trainer? Hmmm?

Touché! However, it's pretty easy to spot the dog owner I'm referring to. If I were a fitness trainer this might be the equivalent conversation of a client not getting the physical results they were hoping for: 

“I ate one healthy meal like you suggested, and then I ate fast food the rest of the week because I was so busy. I don’t know why I’m not losing weight! Ugh!” 

Or

“I haven’t been doing the full workout; I’ve only been doing push-ups. My arms are looking great but my stomach and legs are still flabby! What’s wrong with my stomach and legs?” 

I know this sounds ridiculously silly, however some clients experience this disconnect. They’re disappointed with their dog’s lack of progress and shift blame to their dog. (Or trainer?)

On the flip side, I’ve had clients who are extremely motivated to change their dog’s behavior. A week after our initial training session we meet again and even I’m blown away by the radical shift in their dog’s conduct. As the weeks go by, not only is there a rapid shift with the dog, but the owner has changed. They’re more calm and confident with their dog. 

The owners start relaying my spiel back to me: 

“Once you have the right tools and know how to communicate with your dog, it’s just so easy.” 

Or

“I realized I was shouting at him and joining in [his energy], now it’s just so calm [in our house] and he listens.” 

I love having my own philosophy plugged back to me, and nothing makes me happier than seeing dogs and owners working effortlessly as a team.

I had a client who was being bitten by his dog. Even though he understood and agreed that my training methods would probably result in positive change, he and his wife didn’t want to interact with his dog differently. I appreciated his honesty, however--what did Einstein say? 

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

There are many parts to correcting unwanted dog behavior (see equation below), but in order for lasting effective change, the owner must change how they interact with their dog.

Dog Training Success = Right diagnosis + Correct Training Rx + Timing/Consistency/Energy

*There are rare cases where a dog has a medical condition or is so aggressive that owners cannot and should not train their own dogs. I am not referring to these extreme cases here. People who have aggressive dogs should seek help from a professional trainer and/or talk to their vet.

When to Praise Your Dog

Two common mistakes I see dog owners make when praising their dogs:

1. People chase their dog’s mistakes yet rarely praise their dog’s good behavior. 
I often hear, “No! Stop! Off! Leave it!” A barrage of corrections letting their dog know when they’ve messed up. It’s not that these people aren’t loving and affectionate dog owners. To the contrary, they lavish affection on their pooch, but their affection carries no meaning since it’s not shared at meaningful times.

What should you do instead? Use praise and affection to communicate to your dog: “Yes, I want you to do this behavior more.”

EXAMPLE:
Let's say you have a dog who usually jumps up on people, you can play a modified game of "Hot and Cold," but instead you use the words: "Good and Eh-eh,"  to arrive at the destination, which is keeping all four feet on the floor.

• Your dog jumps up--mark that exact moment of jumping up by saying, "Eh-eh" firmly 
• At the same moment, turn with folded arms and walk away 
• Wait a 10-15 seconds, then call your dog to you excitedly to illicit this jumping response again 
• If he jumps up, repeat the above steps
• IF he jumps a little but then after your "Eh-eh" correction or on his own he puts his feet back on the floor, say, "GOOD!" And pet him. You're now letting him know that feet on the ground is what you want. 
• If you reach to pet him and he jumps back up--Your praise=excitement. Repeat the above. The goal is: Your praise=calm.
• After even five minutes, if your timing is good, you will start to see your dog's jumping start to extinguish. 
• If he manages to come to you without jumping--praise him like he's hit the jackpot. "Good!" TONS of pets and praise.
• Repeat during the day and every day, different people in the house should play this game. 
• Only when he's calm does he get affection or attention. Really notice when he does manage to keep all four on the floor and tell him, "Good!"
• Otherwise you merely say, "Eh-eh" and walk away. No more negative attention ("Off! No Fido! Stop!" and pushing him, touching him...attention, attention, attention) for his bad behavior.

Timing and consistency are everything. Sure, keep the corrections, however the praises should be used as much, if not more, because they are the behavioral road you are paving for your dog to travel.

2. Owners praise their dog at the wrong time. 

• Their dog growls at someone and they lean down and pet their dog, “Shhh! No-no. It’s okay baby.” 
• Their dog is very excited and they pet their dog to calm him down. 
• Their dog jumps up to get their attention and they say, "No!" but then pet their dog.

The message they are unintentionally sending is: “I condone your behavior. I want the behavior you’re exhibiting to continue." Sometimes clients say what they're doing works, the growling/excitement/jumping stops. Yes, for that moment, but they are building a reinforcement history for their dog to continue the unwanted behavior more, and for them to soothe him again, repeat, repeat, repeat. We're looking at extinguishing the unwanted behavior altogether.  

It's difficult with dog training to figure out when you correct, ignore or redirect an unwanted behavior. However it's very easy to remember, when you share affection you are sharing affection with their state of mind. 

Clear Communication: Its all Giraffes in Jars These Days

“Is it okay if we just focus on my dog’s aggression towards other dogs? His not listening to me and being a spaz in the house doesn't bother me.”

Sometimes I hear the above request from clients. However only treating your dog’s most annoying problem without addressing the root issues is like having brackish water coming out of a faucet. You can buy one of those water filter pitchers to clear the water but you never solve the water problem at its source. You continually correct the issue as the primary problem continues to exist.

So how can you get to the source of your dog’s issues? Even though each dog, owner, and case is different, there tends to be one truth: success starts with improving communication between dog and owner.

Let’s say your dog is like an unruly teenager named Alice. 

“Uh no wa-haaay! Like, I’m totally going to Tweet that you compared me to a dog. As IF! #DogTrainersRStoopid.”

Barbara has tried everything to communicate with Alice. She’s tried different strategies, reading books, looking on the internet, talking to friends, and even watching Dr. Phil. 

“You can’t lead a teenager to a giraffe hunt in a pickle jar!”

Okay, that cleared things up Dr. Phil.

Barbara has tried being more strict, using boundaries, praise, getting interested in Alice's music, but in the end Alice seems disinterested, and still acts out. Barbara's terrified of ruining their already fragile relationship. 

This IS a giraffe hunt in a pickle jar!

So what about the dog relationship? No matter the dog, nor the dog’s problem, when basic communication is brought into the equation, something shifts in the dog. Dogs that were disengaged become present. Hyper dogs start calming down. Anxious dogs focus. Reactive dogs relinquish control.

Owners also shift: Their frustration melts away, hope comes in, and a sense of pride in their dog and what the two of them can achieve together surfaces. This new way of communicating isn’t something you can practice for 15 minutes a day. Every interaction with your dog is an opportunity to either strengthen or weaken those lines of communication. And when that communication is solidly in place at home, outside, in the car, on the trail—that’s when you’ve gone to the source and cleared up the confusion. 

Now somebody let those poor giraffes out of that jar.