dog Trainer - National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors

An Obedience Instructors Forum
FORWARD
Summer 2012 Volume 18 Issue 2
FORWARD
AN OBEDIENCE INSTRUCTOR'S FORUM
A quarterly publication providing an informational
forum for instructors which will ultimately
promote responsible dog ownership and enhance
the human-animal companion bond.
Inside This Issue:
NADOI Officers
1. The Presidents Message by Helen Cariotis, NADOI
President # 372
2. A Short Message from the Editor, Niki Tudge
3. A DVD Review - Behavioral Genetics by Jim Ha,
PhD, CAAB. Reviewed by Diane Garrod
4. Introducing The CCPDT by Monique A Williams,
CPDT-KA, NADOI #1087
5. The Clicker Versus Yes by Niki Tudge NADOI #
1075, CPDT-KA, PDT, PDBC
6. CRACK! BOOM! Noise Sensitivity, Thunderstorm
Phobia and Dog Sport Dogs Angelica Steinker, M.Ed.,
CAP2, PDBC, CDBC, NADOI # 1013
7. Of Dogs and Dolphins by Margie English NADOI #
332
8. Flushing Out Weak Spots in Training by Virginia
Broitman
9. Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) Orchestrating
Great Choices for Real Consequences by Grisha
Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA
10. A Product Review - The Buster Cube by Rick Ingram
11. Temperament, Socialization, Threshold and
Rewards By Jeanne Hampl NADOI # 962
12. Who is Milo Pearsall? by Lloyd Aguero NADOI #
107
Helen Cariotis, President
Sharon Hildebrand, Vice President
Vikki Youngmeyer, Recording
Secretary
Gwen Chaney, Treasurer
Bill Burt, Director
Fran Tardif, Director
Marlene Stachowiak, Director
Margaret English, Director
Membership Applications
Executive Director NADOI
PO Box 1439
Socorro, NM 87801
www.Nadoi.org
[email protected]
Managing Editor, Niki Tudge
Copy Editor, Margie English
Illustrator, Carol Byrnes
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The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors was founded in 1965 when a small group of highly experienced dog trainers gathered
together and resolved to promote modern, humane training methods and at the same time elevate the standards of the dog obedience instructing
profession. To accomplish these goals, it was decided that members of the organization should be designated as having attained certain skills and
knowledge of dog training and obedience instructing. NADOI is not only the oldest group of its kind in the world, it is the only professional
organization to require that all applicants demonstrate proficiency in their craft, as tested and measured by their peers, before membership is
granted. NADOI members are found all across the USA and in many foreign countries.
A Message From The President
Written by Helen Cariotis, NADOI # 372 President
A real highlight of my year is travel to the NADOI Annual Meeting and Conference. This year did not disappoint,
and the meeting in Springfield, Missouri, as hosted by Margery West, was a treat from start to finish. It was
educational, exhausting, and lots of fun. As I enjoyed talking to NADOI members and guests, our presenters
Nicole Wilde and Brenda Aloff, and working with my NADOI board of directors, it dawned on me that here, in this
place and at this time, there was no “divide” between instructors. I couldn’t find “us against them,” diatribes
anywhere. Where was the hot rhetoric about balanced instructors vs no-correction instructors, or even “my way is
better than your way” lectures? Where were the two camps of opposing philosophies? Why weren’t they
proselytizing to the other side, touting their tools and techniques, and busy putting labels on one another? Where
was the “great divide?” It simply wasn’t there. Instead, there was a lot of sharing, laughing, and networking
among old and new friends. I know I may be biased, but I think this atmosphere has a lot to do with NADOI, who
we are and how we work, and what we expect from others and ourselves. Being inclusive, open minded, and
tolerant has its advantages, and that is seen when we get together. NADOI’s diverse membership is our strength. I
am so proud of our organization, our members, and guests. What a wonderful meeting it was, and I can’t wait until
the next one! Interested in joining NADOI, contact us for information. Email: [email protected]
A Message From The Editor
Written by Niki Tudge NADOI # 1075
A Few Points To Help With Personal Safety In Behavior Consulting. A recent event shared
by a fellow professional brought up the question of personal safety. I felt it prompted a
worthy reminder to those of us who may have become a little complacent in our everyday
dog training practices.
When your work in a consulting role takes you to the home or to a secluded location to meet a client it is
important to consider your personal safety, particularly if you are a female and the client you have been engaged
by is a male. Listening to your instincts is important. If something does not feel right, appropriate or you feel a
glimmer of fear or apprehension then do additional client screening and take safety precautions.
As a standard procedure there are several things that can be done to ensure you are prepared for any eventuality.
This preparation begins when the client initially makes contact. If there is a sense of uneasiness on the initial call
then ask additional questions to determine the client’s motives, family status and living environment. This can be
done professionally so not to offend a potential client.
Leaving word with your spouse, partner or a friend is a good protocol if you are
meeting a new male client. Let them know where you will be, at what time and for
how long. If you do not check back in as agreed they have the relevant details.
Always be prepared with a cell phone that has a pre-programmed emergency
number so you can quickly activate a call for help.
Once at the consultation, if you feel uncomfortable make an excuse to get something
from your car or bluff an urgent phone call and leave the house. You can always
apologize later for being rude. As Nicole Wilde states “the best weapon you have is
your intuition.” (2003, p. 118) Wild, N. (2003) One on One a Dog Trainers Guide to
Private Lessons. Phantom Publishing. USA
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by Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB
The Pet Paws University
Dog Training by Diane Garrod, Behavior Trainer, Owner Canine
Reviewed
Diploma Program
Transformations Learning Center (cTLC) www.caninetlc.com
Guild Certified Tellington Touch Practitioner – CA1
Bachelor of Science, University of Wisconsin, Communication and
minor Journalism
Understanding the evolution of dogs correlates to comprehending genetic
health and behavior studies. Dr. Ha tosses out some valuable information in
this one-hour lecture. The breed clusters, wolf/poodle study, and breed
behavior clusters are the three top reasons to view this lecture DVD.
The lecture is peppered with ah ha moments, such as more money goes into
the study of genetic disease than genetic behavior; the best studied breed in
genetic health studies is the Portugese Water Dog; and poodles on average are
identical to wolves, except in the way they communicate. The behavior
cluster studies were intriguing dealing with reactivity, learning ability and
aggression. An example is level 4 of the cluster indentifying reactive as high
level; trainability as very high; and aggression as medium. In this cluster are
Poodles, Shihtzus, Shetland Sheepdogs, Springer Spaniels, Welsh Corgi and Bichons. This may correlate to what
trainers see on a daily basis and can serve as a reference when working with any breed.
Behaviorist, Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB, Companion Animal Solutions takes a serious look at genetics. Genetic diseases in
dogs is where most grant money goes and so the most information is available on that topic. Genetic behavior and
temperament testing bears little to no money for studies. You also learn that not much is know about the evolution
of the cat.
As a lecture worth paying attention to and reviewing again and again, the positive points were as follows:
 There is no doubt dogs evolved from the Grey Wolf, Eurasian stock. The primitive dog breed genetics are
wolf-like to the point that the ancestor breeds cannot be genetically distinguished from the Grey Wolf.
Breeds such as the Sharpei and Basenji.
 What are the ancestral breeds? Sharpei to Shiba Inu to Chow to Akita; and from Basenji to Siberian Husky
and Alaskan Malamute. Third, Afghan Hound and Saluki. Shake hands with the ancestral breeds. From there
stem “all other breeds”.
 Next most primitive breed is the Mastiff.
 Herding breeds take a third.
 All the other breeds are harder to distinguish as compared to the wolf and are not an ancestral breed. They
fall under Modern European and Mountain (those breeds more recently developed, such as Bernese and
Swiss Mountain Dogs, St. Bernards, Cocker Spaniels and so on.
 A genetic problem is inbreeding. There are 360 genetic diseases, 46% occurring in only one or a few breeds
according to a Cambridge University study www.vet.cam.ac.uk/idid/, which has a great research database
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compiled for those interested in further revelations.
 If there is a genetic component then you can have evolution, breed difference, genetic disease
malfunctions.
 The functions that are correlated and controlled by the same genes are fetch, attack, guard, bite BUT
jumping IS a different genetic gene, at least in the Belgian Shepherd study. Who knew these were even
considered a genetic component?
 Wolves are not able to read the body communication of Poodles and vice versa. In all other respects there
are more similarities in behavior than differences.
In all the studies done, the breed or breeds chosen seem to occur with those breeds available to the region or to
the one implementing the study. A European study on behavior used 2427 Belgian Shepherds. Since that is my
breed of choice, the study grabbed my attention. Out of over 15,772 tests conducted, the findings revealed every
behavior is variable and can be explained by genetics, as in smart versus stupid.
The Belgians studied rated low for skills such as following at heel, moderate for jumping, fetch, attack, guard and
bite. The same values appeared for Spitz, English Setters, Whippets, and German Shepherds. This was a Correau
and Langlois 2005 study also finding sociability .37 out of 1.00 and temperament .51 out of 1.00. This seemed
correct as Belgians truly can be 50/50 in temperament, some highly aloof and wary, others milder in
temperament.
Discussions have occurred on what it means to be a behaviorist versus a behavior trainer or consultant. Dr. Ha
cleared this up in his lecture when he states that Behaviorists QUANTIFY “That’s what we do” he said.
The only downside is the audiovisual. While there are cluster slides the whole DVD is mostly one talking head
presenting a lecture with written powerpoint. This could use a little jazzing up with some compelling videos and
digital photographs.
Run Time: 60 minutes
The DVD was compelling, informational, revealing and knowledge-based providing an intelligent resource for
those interested in aggression studies, behavior and genetics, disease and genetics and how breeds belly up to the
wolf. I would give this DVD a rating (1 to 5 with 5 high quality), a 4 for genetics study geeks and a 2 for others
simply due to the fact of missing audiovisual to draw the audience into the lecture.
Available from Tawzer Dog Videos for $25.00.
3
Introducing The CCPDT
Written by Monique A Williams, CPDT-KA, NADOI
#1087. ShadowMe Dog Training LLC
For the dog-owning public, choosing professionals to help
train their dog or work through troubling behavior issues
can appear to be a daunting task. How do they determine
the difference between a reputable, professional trainer and
a fly-by-night, hang-out-the-shingle “trainer” with zero
education or experience? Anyone can sound terrific on a
website, right? Fortunately, professional organizations
such as NADOI and the Certification Council for
Professional Trainers are both working to help pet owners
make safe and responsible decisions when choosing
training and behavior professionals.
The CCPDT was founded in 2001 with the goal of
establishing and maintaining humane standards of
competence for animal training and behavior professionals
through criteria based on experience, standardized testing,
skills and continuing education. Further, CCPDT
identifies and markets those individuals to the public. The
CCPDT administered its first test September 28, 2001,
during the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
Annual Educational Conference in Ellenville, NY.
Since then, CCPDT has expanded to offer knowledge and
skills based examinations covering animal training and
behavior. Candidates who pass the CCPDT's examinations
earn specific designations which may be used after their
names. All certificants must earn continuing education
units to maintain their designations. They must also adhere
to a strict Code of Ethics in their practices.
psychometrically sound and science-based exam to
demonstrate knowledge in Instruction Skills,
Animal Husbandry, Ethology, Learning Theory,
Equipment, Business Practices & Ethics. A practical
examination (CPDT-KSA) that tests a trainer’s
physical skill in dog training is available for CPDTKAs. As of November 10, 2011, there were 2,191
CPDT-KAs worldwide, with a cumulative pass rate
for the knowledge assessed (-KA) examination of
86%.
To become a Certified Behavior Consultant CanineKnowledge Assessed® (CBCC-KA) consultants
must have at least 500 hours of consulting and
provide five recommendations with at least one
being from a veterinarian, a client, and a colleague.
In addition, they must pass an independent,
psychometrically sound and science-based exam to
demonstrate knowledge in Applied Behavior
Analysis, Biology and Anatomy, Ethology, Body
Language & Observational Skills, Health,
Development, Life Stages, Consulting Skills & Best
Practices and Scientific Method. As of December
1, 2011, 78 candidates have taken the CBCC-KA
examination with a cumulative pass rate of 62%.
There are 58 CBCC-KAs worldwide. Ten CBCCKA’s were granted the designation for their work on
the examination including taking the exam as part
of the validation process.
Becoming certified by CCPDT will set you apart
from other professionals by offering your clients an
established body of knowledge. As a dog trainer or
behavior professional, certification through CCPDT
can increase your referrals, raise more revenue, and
help establish you as a cut above the competition!
To learn more about the Certification Council for
Professional Dog Trainers, the certifications, testing
information, and continuing education opportunities
available through CCPDT, please visit
www.ccpdt.org.
To become a Certified Professional Dog TrainerKnowledge Assessed® (CPDT-KA) trainers must have at
least 300 hours of trainer experience and provide
recommendations from a veterinarian, a client, and a
colleague. In addition, they must pass an independent,
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The Clicker versus Yes!
Written by Niki Tudge NADOI # 1075
CPDT-KA, PDT, PDBC
I have recently seen and heard discussions on message
boards and dog training forums about the use of clickers
versus verbal markers such as using ‘yes’. I actually use
and recommend both, not at the same time as this
weakens the conditioning effect through either blocking
or overshadowing, but for different applications they can
both have their place.
When I work with my dogs I can either use ’yes’ as a
conditioned reinforcer or a clicker. What is important
when using either of these tools is that the conditioning
has been done correctly?
A conditioned reinforcer is a secondary reinforcer that
has acquired reinforcing properties because it has been
paired repeatedly with a primary reinforcer. A clicker or
the word “yes” becomes a conditioned reinforcer by
being paired with food through repeated trials, clicktreat, click-treat or yes-treat, yes-treat. The number of
trials required will vary from dog to dog and will depend
on the value of the primary reinforcer, the environment
the training is being done in and the timing and
presentation of the “click-treat”
Both of these tools have advantages and disadvantages.
The Clicker
As a training tool the clicker can be hard for new dog
owners and trainers to grasp; it is just another thing in
their hand they have to focus on and grasp. In a new
puppy class or a beginner dog training class when an
owner has their dog on a leash with a treat bag and are
surrounded by lots of distractions the clicker can be that
“one too many item” they have to coordinate that throws
them for a loop. Throw into the mix that they are also
learning prompts and hand signals that need to be clear,
consistent and concise, timed correctly with verbal cues
and then the click; it is not hard to image a comedy of
errors with clicks and treats coming from all angles, food
falling on the floor and dogs performing all kinds of
behaviors and being inadvertently reinforced for them
during the coordination debacle.
Not to say this is always the case I have seen in over
twelve years of dog training pet dog owners pick up a
clicker for the first time and immediately through great
hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity get it right.
The clicker does offer a unique sound and when paired
correctly with food it can become a very powerful
training tool.
“Yes” The Verbal Marker
Now the “yes’ or verbal marker can be easier in some
cases for pet dog owners and new dog trainers to grasp.
Everyone knows how to say “yes”. Concentrating on
using the word “yes” correctly can help prevent nervous
dog owners from editorializing what they are doing,
confusing their dog in the process, and does not need to
be held or coordinated.
It is best to practice saying the word ‘yes’ in a neutral
and unique way, so when delivered it is consistent and
cannot be used by mistake when interacting with your
dog throughout the day. Keep it as a training tool,
condition it correctly and it can be a great option.
On that note I have observed that when the ‘yes’ is used
correctly it tends to delay by a second the delivery of
food to the dog ensuring that the condition process is not
done simultaneously or backwards. To be most effective
the click or ‘yes should be started and finished before
the delivery of the treat, this is called trace conditioning
and is the most effective conditioning method. For those
of you who perform with your dog or attend
competitions “yes” is that one tool you can take into the
ring with you unlike the clicker that remains with your
treat bag and dog gear by your crate.
5
Review
CRACK! BOOM! NoiseBook
Sensitivity,
Thunderstorm Phobia and Dog Sport Dogs
Written by by Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., CAP2, PDBC,
CDBC, NADOI # 1013
In dog sports noise is part of the game. In agility, teeters bang, in flyball
dogs bark and slam into boxes and in any sport the crowd roars. For some
dogs noise sensitivity can be a problem. Here are some ideas for products
and training ideas that you can experiment with. Anxiety based problems
can be some of the most challenging to work with, so please be patient
with your dog, this will most definitely be a process. As with any anxiety
problem it is vital to avoid methods that use intimidation or fear to stop a
behavior. Shocking, hitting, spraying fluid or shouting at a phobic dog
will make the problem worse, so use this article as a spring board to find
creative positive reinforcement based solutions.
A thunderstorm phobic dog can be hyper vigilant, fearful, anxious, pant,
shake, constantly seek attention from owner and vigorously attempt to
escape from the storm. When there is no storm the dog behaves normally.
Some dogs can hear the precursors to storms and will become anxious
before humans are aware of the storm. Some dogs will try to crawl into
closed in spaces to seek comfort, such as washing machines or bathtubs.
Dr. Juarbe-Diaz, a board certified veterinary behaviorist says, “The problem can start at any age, but mostly
affects young adults. The condition typically gets worse with time. Some dogs may stop reacting when old age
brings on complete deafness. Other dogs, the ones that continue to react even when they appear deaf to
owners, may actually have some residual hearing in the lower frequencies (loss of higher frequencies occurs
first). They are OK in their silent world until the loud boom of thunder startles and scares them. In addition,
dogs are probably reacting to other features of storms, such as rain, the odor of ozone, the flash of lightning,
cloudy skies, and changes in barometric pressure or in electric charge in the air. Tying together of all the
features experienced during a thunderstorm and making the assumption that lightning and thunder will follow if
a single feature occurs is a form of generalization. Because of this, some dogs may respond to a dark sky or
rain, even if no lightning occurs with it.” Dogs can learn to become afraid of things that they associate with the
storm. Generalization is the reason that thunderstorm phobia can spin out of control for many dog parents.
If your dog shows signs of stress or fear during thunderstorms or loud noises such as fireworks, the ideal thing
to do is to get your dog playing before the scary noises start. This gives you the chance of maintaining the
playful mood as the storm or fireworks intensify.
If your dog is too phobic to play, Dr. Juarbe-Diaz gives us some information on what is probably going on.
Dogs that have full blown thunderstorm phobia may attempt to harm themselves or objects around themselves.
“Your dog isn’t being willfully destructive; she suffers a panic attack and tries to rejoin her “safety figures”
which usually means trying to get into or out of the house in search of you or another person. In addition, she
may drool, house soil, pace, whine or bark, disturb furnishings and zero in on objects that carry the scent of
favorite people as a way to relieve anxiety. Your dog may do one or all of these things if you are home, in
addition to following you like a shadow or trying to climb on your lap.”
6
If your dog is too stressed to play during storms or fireworks, another option is for you to teach your dog to relax
on cue. Start this training when your dog is tired and there are no expected storms or fireworks. Begin by using
slow, light, long strokes that move in the direction of your dog's hair growth. Make sure that you are relaxed and
that your breathing is slow. Your facial expression needs to be calm and relaxed. Leslie McDevitt goes into
extensive detail on how to train your dog to relax in her book Control Unleashed.
It is not necessary to ignore a dog’s fearful response during a noise sensitivity episode. Ignoring the dog may
actually increase anxiety. Avoid praising the dog for any fear behaviors but simply holding the dog has not be
shown to increase the fear response. Many professional dog behavior consultants agree that ignoring the dog may
increase anxiety. My own thunderstorm phobic dog is greatly calmed if I allow him to crawl in my lap and lick my
face for 30 seconds while I hold him. This behavior calms him and seems to give him the confidence to deal with
the storm.
A really great tool in managing thunderstorm or noise
phobias is to purchase Mutt Muffs from
www.MuttMuffs.com. These ear covers muffle noises
and are successful in reducing fear responses in most
dogs. Stevie, the black and white Border Collie and
Rumble the red and white Border Collie give their mutt
muffs a paws up rating. Be sure to teach your dogs to
wear their muffs in training session prior to a storm or
fireworks. Mutt Muff on head: treat! Mutt Muff on head
and strapped around chin: treat! Then increase duration
until your dog happily wears her Mutt Muffs.
Maren Jensen, a top agility competitor, parents a dog that
has noise sensitivity to fireworks, the toaster ding and
sports whistles. Her border collie Rumble will plaster
himself to the ground and pin his ears back if he hears any of these sounds. Pacing, panting and fleeing from the
noise can also be common responses. Maren got Rumble a pair of Mutt Muffs which prompted a 75%
improvement. When Rumble wears his Mutt Muffs he is able to lie down and go to sleep. A huge improvement
over being unable to function.
Another helpful tool is the ThunderShirt. Available at www.ThunderShirt.com it is a specially designed dog
sweater that tightly wraps and gently presses on acupuncture points that encourage the dog to relax. My dog's
school's clients report a 10% to 50% improvement in dogs wearing the shirt. While wearing the ThunderShirt
fearful dogs are less likely to drool, and show extreme signs of fear, and dogs previously too stressed are able to
play.
You can also attempt to help your dog get used to the loud noises in a systematic way.
If your dog suffers from thunderstorm phobia or noise sensitivity, you may want to opt to talk to your veterinarian
about the possible benefits to medical treatment in addition to behavior modification. Once the vet says it is okay
for you to start your training program, you would begin by playing a CD of a thunderstorm or fireworks with very
low volume. You want your dog to show no signs of stress while she is exposed then you then begin playing fetch
or one of your dog’s favorite games.
Very gradually and over many weeks, you begin turning up the volume and continue to play. Playtime only occurs
during storm sounds during this desensitization period. After several months, you should see a marked
improvement. This desensitization program will only work if it is done during a long period of time when there
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will be no storms. If it is storm season, you will have to
resort to managing your dog’s thunderstorm phobia.
For dogs that are not fearful of thunder or loud noises, it is a
great idea to have play times during noisy times to help the
dog learn the loud noises are fun rather than scary.
Some improvement could be gained for thunderstorm phobic
or noise sensitive dogs with the use of a DAP diffuser. This
product diffuses a comforting smell that may be helpful for
some dogs. The DAP diffusers are for sale at all major pet
supply stores. I personally did not get improvement from the
diffuser for my thunderstorm phobic dog but I had really
great sleep!
Dr. Juarbe-Diaz says, “the treatment of thunderstorm phobia
is very individualized, because each dog has different levels
of anxiety and different coping strategies. Also, each home is
made up of people who have different personalities and
schedules. No behavior modification treatment protocol fits
every dog every time. Nonetheless, some recommendations
are OK for all cases of thunderstorm phobia and form the
backbone of treatment for them. Recommendations usually
are a mixture of behavior modification and anti-anxiety
medication, which may be used temporarily or over an
extended period of time, depending on the severity of the
signs and your dog’s response to treatment.”
According to canine behavioral genetic research by Karen
Overall, the breed that most commonly suffers from
Thunderstorm phobia is the Border Collie, this means that
noise sensitivity issues are more likely to occur in dog sport
circles. Don't let your dog needlessly suffer get some help
for thunderstorm phobia today!
Side Note
Helpful products for dogs with Thunderstorm
phobia or noise sensitivity. Most people with
dogs that have noise fear issues report that the
ThunderShirt (www.Thundershirt.com) helps
improve the dogs fear. This behavior change can
then be rewarded to help maintain more confident
and less fearful behaviors.
Another helpful product are Mutt Muffs
(www.MuttMuffs.com) which help prevent the
dog from actually hearing the scary noises. Like
the ThunderShirt it can not be left on the dog
unsupervised but is an extremely helpful tool if
you are home with your dog.
Finally, Dogwise, www.Dogwise.com sells CD
recordings of storms, these can be played at low
volumne in the off season and paired with playful
activities to help counter condition the dog to the
storm noises.
Thunderstorm phobia is a very serious condition
and any dog that has it should be seen by a
veterinarian since usually medication is required
to prevent the phobia from spinning out of
control. In severe cases dogs have done physical
damage to property and/or to themselves.
8
Of Dogs and Dolphins
Written by Margie English NADOI #332
Sheep are domestic animals, and dolphins are not.
A clicker or other bridging stimulus is a wonderful
tool for training an animal with whom you have no
social relationship. You can train a chicken to play
tic tac toe. You can even train a killer whale to pee
in a cup.
While the behavior of these animals has changed
and made them easier to exploit or care for, their
relationships with us remain pretty much unchanged.
One highly trained killer whale has actually lived up
to his name by killing three of his trainers.
None of these animals live in our homes. They are
not our companions. When their trainers go home at
the end of the day, the animals are on their own
doing whatever they get to do when left to their own
devices in captivity.
We expect much more from our dogs, and our clients
expect much more from their dogs. Fortunately, we
are blessed with an animal whose ancestors picked
us out and figured out how to get along with us. (If
you haven't
already, please read THE COVENANT OF THE
WILD by Stephen Budiansky on how domestication
evolved in some species.)
Consider this: You can't herd dolphins. If you want
to move dolphins from one tank to another, you can't
just drop a net in there and shove them along. They'll
panic and drown themselves before they'll yield to
that net.
You have to take the time to train them with R+ to
move themselves from one tank to the next, or you'll
drown some dolphins.
If you want to move sheep from one pen to the next,
you send a Border Collie in there to act as a canine
aversive net, and he'll get them shoved in no time.
When domestic animals evolved, one of the adaptations
they made was a tolerance for informative aversive stimuli.
They can learn from informative negative reinforcement.
They learn quickly, and the lesson learned becomes selfreinforcing. The animal wins every time he beats that
annoying R-. Negatively reinforced Behaviors are very
sturdy and need very few reminders. Positively reinforced
behaviors need lots of reminders. This is why they're harder
to maintain and why everybody has so much trouble
weaning dogs off food rewards for behaviors that don't
come naturally to them.
Sue Cone and I put on the first seminar Karen Pryor ever
gave for dog trainers. (It was a NADOI conference, BTW.)
Back then, Karen wad totally up
front about not being a dog trainer. We didn't care. NADOI
felt that dog trainers had a lot to learn from wild animal
trainers at that time.
We had no idea then that the field of dog training would be
taken over by people who thought dogs should be trained as
if they were wild animals.
I don't think dogs want to be wild animals. They want to
share our homes and our lives, and they've been
programmed by domestication to learn from all the rules of
reinforcement--not just half of them. They want all the
information they can get.
I once attended a seminar featuring Ted Turner the famous
dolphin trainer. He was asked why dog trainers use
aversives and he replied, "Because they can."
Later he said, "Good trainers give more information than
bad trainers."
To sum up: Dogs
can tolerate and use
more kinds of
information than
wild animals can.
And thy thrive on all
the information they
can get. Lets not
short change them.
9
Flushing Out Weak Spots in Training
Written by Virginia Broitman
In training, the term fluency refers to the dog's ability to perform a behavior
reliably and with ease in many different environments and even in the face of
exciting distractions. When we first teach a new behavior, however, it's wise
to set up training sessions with minimal distractions so the dog can focus on
the new task at hand. When each correct response is reinforced with a tasty
treat, the dog quickly learns what behavior 'pays' and is motivated to continue
offering this behavior, at least in that initial, quiet setting.
To teach the behavior to a fluent level, we must:
 Provide consistent practice each day in new settings.
 Consistently reinforce the responses we like.
 Prevent the dog, whenever possible, from practicing and being reinforced for the undesired behaviors.
 Add novel and tempting distractions to our training sessions, in small steps, to continue strengthening the
dog's response to cues.
 Be attentive to our dog's behavior to SEE WHERE THE WEAK SPOTS ARE and then make a point to
plan productive training sessions that will address these.
A common error for a newer trainer or pet owner is to just 'soldier through' a tough training moment, i.e. just
managing the dog through a distracting situation as quickly as possible in order to get away from it and then
resume ordinary training interactions with the dog. However, if you do this consistently, you end up with a dog
that never learns how to voluntarily navigate through these distracting situations while maintaining self control
and continued attention on you.
Observation is key. You need to actively look for these training 'holes' or weak spots. Make a list of them. Then,
develop training plans that will help you to address these issues in order to increase your dog's ability to respond
fluently to cues in ALL situations.
EXAMPLE: Let's say your dog has learned to walk nicely on a loose leash in your usual training areas, as long
there aren't too many distractions. However, he has issues around certain distractions. He may not be able to
maintain a loose leash when the following occurs:






A doggie friend suddenly pops into view.
Someone is crouching nearby, trying to get the dog's attention.
A jogger or bicyclist comes into view.
Another dog is barking or playing.
Food temptations or novel items are on the ground.
People are walking and talking close by.
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When you find yourself in one of these situations, you may call the dog's name to try to get his attention or perhaps
give a cue such as 'leave it.' At this moment, it's vital to pay close attention to his response. Does he actually register
the cue, and return his attention to you, or do you just tighten the leash to manage him through this tough moment?
Just because you gave him a cue doesn't guarantee compliance.
Sometimes, you may not even realize that you're tightening up on the leash as you're hurrying your dog through this
sticky spot. This is where having another pair of eyes observing your handling and providing feedback can be so
helpful.
If you don't have the luxury of a training partner or coach, I found a little training gizmo called the "Dog Tweeter" that
can help you become aware of the frequency of leash-tightening episodes during a training session. It clips on
between the collar and the leash, and when the leash gets tight, it emits a sound. Though the manufacturer says the
sound will cause the dog to stop pulling (presumably to avoid having to hear the sound), I've not met a dog that is
troubled by the noise. In fact, it's quite innocuous. However, it turned out to be very useful when working with newer
inmate handlers in the Pen Pals program (where shelter dogs live at the prison for training and behavior modification
before being adopted to the public). The sound provided immediate feedback to the handler about the leash getting
tight. Too frequent beeps meant he had to adjust his training plan in order to increase the dog's loose leash success.
[FYI, there are similar products to the "Dog Tweeter" on the market. This particular gadget isn't very sturdy if you
have a strongly pulling dog.]
There may be times when it's necessary or appropriate to simply
manage the dog through a tough moment. Perhaps the distraction
is just way too challenging yet for his current level of training and
he's simply unable to maintain a loose leash and attention on you.
But what you do next is key.
If you consciously recognize that you've had to resort to managing
him through that difficult moment, you can then begin to
immediately plan future training sessions that will allow you to
target this weak spot in a more productive way. These training
sessions need to be designed so the distraction is presented at an
intensity level and/or at a sufficient distance so your dog can actually respond in a desired fashion, thereby giving you
a chance to repeatedly reinforce and thus strengthen the behavior you desire. And as he's ready for further challenge,
you can gradually increase the level of difficulty in subsequent training sessions.
The key is to remain observant and honest about assessing the dog's behavior in each moment. From there you can
make smart training choices that allow your dog to learn each behavior more fluently. Make it a game to flush out
these weak spots. It might be a useful assignment to have your clients note, for example, three weak spots they
observe in a week. Then encourage them to briefly share how they tackled a particular issue. Reinforce them for
whatever success they've achieved thus far, and when needed, provide some additional tips to help them close the
deal.
Virginia Broitman began her dog training career in 1981.
Her business, North Star Canines, provides private training and behavior modification with an emphasis on
gentle, reinforcement-based techniques. She presents training workshops nationally, is head trainer with a
pet/prison program, and produces clicker training DVDs –the Bow Wow series – that are sold all over the
world. www.takeabowwow.com
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Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT)
Orchestrating Great Choices for Real Consequences
Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA
How do dogs learn to growl, snarl, and lunge? They acquire those behavior patterns the same way they learn
anything else: by discovering that the consequences to their actions meet their needs. One bark, snarl, or growl at a
time, dogs are shaped by their environment until they learn that they feel safer when they demand a little space.
When they snarl, the threat retreats. The real consequence of a dog’s aggression is probably a feeling of safety and
control. I do not mean control as in, “I’m taking over the world,” but rather “I can make myself safe.”
You can use that feeling of safety and control as a functional reward for better behavior with dogs who display
aggression or panic. When you are working to change problem behaviors, functional rewards are the consequences
that have maintained those problem behaviors. For example, attention is a functional reward for jumping, forward
motion is a functional reward of pulling on a leash, and people backing off is a functional reward for growling.
You can use functional rewards to teach replacement behaviors. You are probably used to doing this sort of thing
for jumping, pulling, etc. For example, the dog gets to walk forward as a reward for walking at a speed that keeps
the leash loose. Similarly, having the dog walk away from a threat can reinforce appropriate behaviors like
blinking, sniffing the ground, or looking away.
Over the past few decades several methods have used an intentional increase in distance between the dog and the
trigger to rehabilitate aggression and fear. However, most of those have turned many positive trainers off because
the techniques included punishment, extinction, and/or stress. They also put the animal in a passive role in terms of
exposure to and removal of the trigger. Behavior Adjustment Training uses functional rewards for aggression and
fear without compromising my commitment to dog-friendly training. (BAT is just pronounced “bat,” as in a
baseball bat).
Figure 1: Walking away is a relief!
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What is Behavior Adjustment Training?
Photo by
Kim Butler
Behavior Adjustment
Training
is a humane method that combines functional rewards and clicker training to empower
dogs with the ability to self-soothe, cope, and even thrive. Given a full toolbox of active coping skills, dogs gain
confidence and respond more positively to former triggers: people, dogs, environmental sensitivities, agility
equipment, etc. We cannot get inside of a dog’s head to ask what he is feeling, but we can observe behavior. BAT
practitioners have seen tremendous changes in dogs whose original behaviors ranged from panic to aggression. As
their ability to control their safety builds, dogs begin offering pro-social, distance-decreasing behaviors to their former
triggers. In short, the dogs start to look happy and curious.
Reinforcing with functional rewards instead of easy-to-deliver treats can take some finesse, but teaching a dog about
the natural consequences of his actions is extraordinarily powerful. I can teach a teenage driver to hit the brakes for
money, but it is a lot more useful to take a functional approach and teach her that pressing the brake pedal slows down
the car. Training with functional rewards helps dogs learn how to hit the brakes to avoid crashing.
BAT can be used in a pure training environment, called set-ups, as well as in everyday life situations, like walks or
play. Dogs make the fastest progress with the latter,
because the dog can be successful in a large number of
BAT and the PREMACK PRINCIPLE
trials with a very low chance of failure. When working
with fear or aggression using BAT, the basic steps of one
Even though BAT uses a behavior such as walking away
from the trigger to reinforce another behavior such as head
trial are:
1. Expose to the trigger
2. Wait for an appropriate response (or prompt one, if
behavior escalates)
3. Mark to pinpoint the correct behavior
4. Reward (functional reward followed by optional
bonus reward)
Note that Step 3 uses an event marker. BAT is a form of
clicker training because it uses shaping, capturing, and a
marker to signal that reinforcement has been earned.
However, BAT teaches replacement behaviors, not just
brand new ones, so we choose functional rewards over
generically powerful reinforcements.
turning or ground sniffing, reinforcement does not appear
to be due to the Premack Principle.
Retreating is one of the least likely behaviors when a
reactive dog meets their trigger. Therefore, when
retreating with the dog in BAT, not only are we not using
the most likely behavior as a reward, we are
rewarding a low probability behavior (head turn) with an
even lower one (walking away). One reason this still
works, even though it appears to contradict the Premack
Principle, is that the less likely behavior
(walking away) has a consequence that feels good
(distance, safety, and possibly some treats or praise). The
fact that walking away serves a function seems to make its
probability less relevant in a BAT set-up. Another reason
that BAT is not just an application of the Premack
Principle is that the functional reward is not necessarily a
behavior. It may also be some other consequence such as
a person walking away from the dog or turning down a
radio.
That is really important. Think of the dog as having a
behavioral toolbox where you do not like one of the tools.
You could remove the tool (punish or extinguish the
behavior), but the dog has that tool for a reason. If you
leave it out altogether, they may just get another tool that you also don’t like, so instead of a growling problem, you
now have a biting problem. You could replace that tool with a shiny new one (say, clicker train a head turn with treats),
but the dog may not know what the new tool does.
BAT provides the dog with another behavior that does the same task, so that when they reach blindly for a behavior in
their toolbox, they will grab the new one and get the job done. The replacement behavior fits exactly into the space
vacated by the old behavior. For example, when the dog needs a way to avoid being petted by a stranger, they use the
“turn and walk away” tool instead of the old “growl and bite” tool. Teaching the replacement behavior with functional
rewards also means that the dog does not overuse it, either. They learn to use their behaviors correctly, in context.
After treatment, the set of behaviors is adjusted but the triggers and the consequences remain the same. That is why it
is called Behavior Adjustment Training.
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How to Do a BAT Set-up
A BAT set-up is a series of the step-by-step trials outlined above. The triggering stimulus usually remains in view
throughout the session. Because no food or toys are present to distract the dog during regular BAT set-ups, the
dog and trigger begin farther away from each other than they would be for a classical counterconditioning or
regular clicker training set-up.
For exposure (Step 1), I often have the handler walk the dog closer to the trigger so that the dog is near the edge
of her comfort zone, and then stop. At that point, the dog should be 99% likely to be able choose wisely. The
method of exposure can and should vary during the session and from session to session. For example, the student
dog usually walks toward the trigger, but the trigger can also walk toward the student dog or appear from behind a
building. Approach paths also vary: straight, arc, frontal, from behind, etc. You can even have the dog circling
around the trigger, or vice versa, so you train from all angles. However you set things up, the goal is to allow the
dog to encounter the trigger in many different ways, while still working inside the dog’s comfort zone. Each trial
begins at one of Kathy Sdao’s choice points, where the behavior that you want is extremely likely to occur, but the
dog still has to make a choice Tawzer, A. (Producer), & Sdao, K. (Speaker). (2008). Improve your i-cue: Learn
the science of signals [Motion picture]. Eagle, ID: Tawzer Dog Videos..
You will know when the dog is aware of the trigger because they are looking toward it, flick an ear in that
direction, etc. Your next task is simply to wait for the dog to make a choice (Step 2). As you would with any
shaping procedure, look for behaviors that are approximations of want you want. With a fearful dog that normally
panics and avoids triggers, you can reward approach behaviors, including any glance at the trigger. With a dog
that displays aggression, the clearest behaviors to see are cut-off signals that indicate the dog is “done,” e.g.,
decisive head turns, ground sniffs, shake offs, long blinks, etc.
At the first sign of escalation, help the dog offer the desired behavior by using graduated prompting, i.e., interrupt
just enough to help the dog make the right choice. Think of the dog’s decision-making process as a scale that we
are hoping will tip to the left. When it starts to fall to the right instead, we add a pebble, a rock, or a big boulder
based on how quickly the scale is tipping in the wrong direction. In BAT, that might mean a sigh, a tap on the
leash with your finger, a kissy noise, a cue to get the dog’s attention, or guiding a lunging dog away to a place
where she can start making good choices again.
If you need to prompt to get the dog to make the right choice, the dog was over threshold. At the next repetition,
set the dog up to be successful by reducing the intensity of the trigger. Usually, that means you do not walk as
close to the trigger.
When the dog makes the right choice (Step 3) -- hopefully without any prompting on your part -- mark and then
reinforce the behavior with the functional reward (Step 4). For set-ups for aggression and fear, give some verbal
marker such as “Yes,” and then happily walk or run away with the dog. Instead of leading the dog away, you can
have the trigger walk away or reduce intensity by sitting down, becoming quiet, or ceasing motion.
BAT on Walks
For real-life trigger encounters, you can do what I described above for set-ups, or you can add treats or toys as
bonus rewards. Bonus rewards are the sorts of positive reinforcements you might use for clicker training. They are
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presented after the functional reward, so that the dog can notice the functional reward without distraction. If you
gave the driver’s ed student $1000 for hitting the brakes on time, she might not even remember that the car slowed
down, just that hitting the brakes got her $1000.
Similarly, using treats in set-ups takes attention away from natural consequences and the trigger, and it seems to
slow down learning about the situation at hand. For example, when doing counterconditioning, I can use the same
triggers over and over. With BAT, dogs remember the triggers and I can only use them a few times before the dog
treats them like an old friend! That said, treats are very helpful for walks with BAT. Dogs tend to focus on the
handler with food or toys present, which can be helpful when exposure to the trigger is unpredictable.
Stage 1 is the easiest version of BAT on a walk. For Stage 1, you skip the waiting step and give the
functional reward of guiding the dog away, followed by a bonus reward. So you would walk away first, and then
surprise the dog with something tasty or fun.
dog perceives trigger click walk away treat
Stage 2 of BAT on walks is just like Stage 1, except that you wait for a choice. Use this at times when the
dog is likely to be able to make a good decision, but needs a little extra incentive, like the presence of food on the
walk.
dog perceives trigger wait for good choice click walk away treat
Stage 3 of BAT on walks is what was already described for set-ups. You do not need any food, toys, or a
clicker. You could use a clicker, but I like to only click when providing tangible rewards.
dog perceives trigger wait for good choice verbally mark walk away
To maximize learning, use the highest stage you can get away with on walks. Stages and 1 and 2 mostly exist to
keep the dog from rehearsing unwanted behavior on walks. Compared to Stage 1, Stage 2 allows the dog to practice
making better choices. Stage 3 is even better because the dog practices decision-making without the distraction of
food.
Case Study 1: Fear of Children
Dog: Peanut, 7-year-old neutered male whippet/border collie
Presenting behavior: Alarm barking at children 90’ away
Initial Exposure to the trigger: 100’+
Appropriate responses: look at child, followed by de-escalation of tension: look away, head turn, ground sniff,
look at handler, shake off, etc.
Mark it: Primarily a verbal marker, “Yes.”
Reward: Retreat from trigger (functional reward), positive attention and petting from handler (bonus reward),
occasional use of click and treat (bonus reward)
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The trigger in Peanut’s first BAT session with children was a girl sitting on an adult’s lap in a chair placed on a
narrow gravel driveway. The initial distance was over 100 feet from the child – close enough that he thought about
barking, but far enough away that he was not likely to actually do so.
Peanut was on leash and we approached the girl
in a relatively straight line for most of the trials.
Peanut offered a variety of behaviors at the
approach point, and those were rewarded using
the verbal marker, “Yes,” followed by walking or
jogging away from the girl. He was praised at
each successful trial and petted after many of the
trials. As with most BAT set-ups, we worked
without tangible bonus rewards although we did
do BAT stages 1 and 2 in the middle of the
session in order to film it for a seminar.
Figure 2: Peanut was able to start closer each session
The session ended with a trial in which Peanut
sniffed the child’s hand. The session was 90
minutes with several long breaks. That is very long for a BAT session, but it was necessary because of the long travel
time to the child’s house. Average session length over the course of his treatment was 50 minutes, including time for
breaks.
By Peanut’s sixth session with children, we did BAT off-leash for most of the session. We chose to work without
leashes, muzzles, and/or fences at this point because barking had been drastically reduced and because Peanut had no
history of snapping, biting, or even growling at children. His seventh session was exclusively off leash and was his
last official BAT session. Throughout his treatment, the same set of conflict-reducing behaviors were rewarded as
they occurred, using the functional reward of walking or running away from the trigger, plus the bonus reward of
attention from the handler.
Peanut’s two post-BAT encounters with children were 30-minute informal meetings with a pair of sisters, noted in
the graph as sessions eight and nine. He had previously done a BAT session with one of he girls.
He did wonderfully! He did not bark a single time in either session, even though no treats or toys were present, his
handler was not micromanaging, and the girls were allowed to act like regular children. Even with BAT training
sessions officially over, BAT becomes a way of life, with the dog’s environment doing most of the reinforcement.
Peanut enjoyed himself and would simply move away from the girls when the girls were too much for him.
Given a chance to learn that he could escape from them, Peanut now walks up to children and even solicits petting.
In his second session with these girls, they petted him and ran up and down the street together, giggling and holding
his leash. Peanut is starting to look like a normal dog, thanks to BAT.
Figure 3: Peanut pausing during play
Figure 4: Peanut with both kids.
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Case Study 2: Territorial Aggression
Dog: Rod, 4-year-old neutered male mastiff mix
Presenting behavior: territorial aggression toward humans
Initial Exposure to the trigger: 40’
Appropriate responses: look at ‘intruder,’ followed by de-escalation of tension: look away, head turn, ground sniff,
look at handler, shake off, etc.
Mark it: Primarily a clicker
Reward: Retreat from trigger (functional reward), positive attention and petting from handler (bonus reward), liver
(bonus reward)
Rod’s problem behaviors include growling, snapping, and the occasional bruising bite. In public places away from
his house, he offers friendly behaviors and shows no signs of aggression. At the time of writing, he has done six BAT
sessions (two with me). His owners plan to have treatment continue until he consistently allows visitors into the
home without aggression.
Our initial consultation was at Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle, where I walked them through the BAT protocol. The
clients then went home and began doing sessions with friends, who were strangers to Rod, as the triggers. They
started each BAT session with the trigger standing on the sidewalk in front of the house and Rod in a harness with his
handler down the street. With territorial aggression, it seems to work best to start with the dog outside, rather than in
full possession of the home, with the trigger near the door and the dog farther away. This location arrangement is
similar to how Jean Donaldson Donaldson, J. (2002). Mine! – A practical guide to resource guarding in dogs.
Wenatchee, WA: Dogwise. starts out with the dog’s bone in the trainer’s possession for resource guarding –
possession is 9/10 of the law.
The family chose to do Stage 2 BAT for their set-ups; they used a clicker and a bonus reward of freeze-dried liver. In
the first few sessions, they were able to get the visitors near their door, with Rod walking up to them from the
sidewalk.
I was the trigger at their third and fifth sessions. In the first session, I was able to sit on the couch by the end, with
Rod retreating into the kitchen for treats. At the fifth session, we repeated the work we had done, but without treats.
The progress we had made before was quickly replicated and a couple of times, Rod came in to sniff me and receive
some petting. By then, the muzzle training was complete, so he was wearing a basket muzzle and we could work
close up. With Rod about 10 feet away, I could even stand up without him displaying aggression. We also had several
successful trials where I was able to approach their open door from the street, with Rod inside (on leash and away
from the door).
Rod will still need a lot of work before he achieves his human’s training goals, but his progress is very inspiring.
Most dogs seem to need 10-20 BAT sessions before the new behaviors are fully installed – more if the set of
triggering stimuli is large or complex. Progress is the functional reward for our clients and for us, too!
Resources and More Information on BAT
You can learn more by viewing one of the two BAT DVDs from Tawzer Dog Videos and the upcoming book from
Dogwise. The first video is a 1.5-hour seminar video and the latest is a four-hour video made for home viewers,
where you can see clips of Peanut’s progress and several other demos. You can join the Yahoo group, read more
about BAT, see the upcoming seminar schedule, and watch some YouTube videos now at http://DoggieZen.com/bat.
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Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA is a trainer and speaker specializing in the prevention and rehabilitation of
aggression and fear in dogs. She owns Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle and developed BAT. Grisha has two Tawzer
DVDs, BAT for Fear & Aggression and Organic Socialization: BAT for Aggression & Fear in Dogs. She can be
contacted at [email protected], through Facebook, on Twitter as @doggiezen, and through the BAT Yahoo
group, http://FunctionalRewards.com.
Glossary:
Bonus reward: A positive reinforcement that is not naturally linked to the problem behavior or replacement behavior,
but which can still reinforce replacement behaviors. Examples are treats, play, praise, and petting.
Choice point: A situation in which the dog must make a decision, like a ‘Y’ in a maze. Here, it is used to mean an
artificial or real situation in which the dog must make a decision between the old behaviors and replacement
behaviors and is very, very likely to perform the replacement behaviors.
Escalation: The dog begins to offer more intense versions of the problem behavior instead of offering the
replacement behavior. Puffing up, becoming taller, breathing faster, closing the mouth, and stiffening the body are
examples of escalation toward aggression. Tail tucking, beginning to cower, and starting to scan are examples of
escalation toward panic.
Functional reward: A consequence of a behavior intended to obtain that specific consequence. That is, functional
rewards meet a need and are what teach and maintain problem behaviors. For more information about functional
behavior assessments, see below Glasberg, B. (2006). Functional Behavior Assessment for People With Autism:
Making Sense of Seemingly Senseless Behavior. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House..
Initial distance: The distance between the dog and the trigger at the beginning of a session.
Set-up: A carefully arranged session with a student dog and a triggering stimulus, at a low enough level of exposure
that the dog is able to make good choices. A set-up is a series of choice points.
Premack Principle: There are several aspects to this, but the general usage of the Premack Principle is that the
opportunity to perform a likely behavior tends to reinforce a less likely behavior.
Trial: Temporarily increasing stimulation (e.g., walking the dog closer to the triggering stimulus), followed by a
reduction of stimulation (e.g., walking the dog away from a triggering stimulus).
Trigger: A person, dog, car, etc. whose appearance or behavior leads to a performance of the problem behavior. Also
known as a triggering stimulus, decoy, actor, etc.
Tawzer, A. (Producer), & Sdao, K. (Speaker). (2008). Improve your i-cue: Learn the science of signals [Motion picture]. Eagle,
ID: Tawzer Dog Videos.
Donaldson, J. (2002). Mine! – A practical guide to resource guarding in dogs. Wenatchee, WA: Dogwise.
Glasberg, B. (2006). Functional Behavior Assessment for People With Autism: Making Sense of Seemingly Senseless Behavior.
Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
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A Product Review - The Buster Cube
Written by Rick Ingram
Given a choice, we would always rather give our dogs interactive toys to
play with, especially while we are away. Interactive toys keep them
engaged, help burn off excess physical and mental energy and provide them
with extended periods of play that tap into their natural instincts. Toys that
provide this kind of interactive play are great to head off possible problem
behaviors, separation issues, loneliness, boredom etc.
The various treat dispensing interactive toys are at the top of our list of
favorites because not only do they address potential problems as mentioned
above but they also reward our dog’s problem solving abilities and are a
great way to give our dogs their meals in a more natural way compared to
putting their kibble in a bowl. Buster Cube is one of the original, and
patented, interactive treat dispensing toys and is advertised as dishwasher
safe, tough, durable and is available in two sizes. The two sizes, 3 inch (for
dogs under 22 lbs), and 5 inch (for larger dogs), are a great benefit if you
have big and small dogs in the same family since they will each need their own Buster Cube. The cubes operate in
a similar way to other treat dispensing types available; you load the cube with treats or dry kibble (it has to be dry
to ensure treats will dispense properly and make cleanup easier) then you put it on the floor and watch the show.
The rate/difficulty of dispensing treats can be adjusted so start out easy (maximum dispensing) and as your dog
learns, increase the difficulty (minimum dispensing). Though you may have to show your dog how to get the treats
at first, most dogs figure out how to dispense the rewards pretty quickly. Our oldest, most insistent dog really
thrashes the cube around. If you have tile, brick, concrete or hardwood floors it can get pretty noisy and unless
your dog figures out how to flip the cube it will skid on hard slippery surfaces. There are other interactive, treat
dispensing toys that are rubber coated to reduce the noise and prevent skidding.
Some dog owners have found the smaller sized Buster Cube difficult to open (using an implement helps – we use a
bamboo spatula - and despite the company’s claim of rugged construction, we’ve talked to owners with strong
chewers that claim the cube couldn’t stand up to their dogs so if you have a particularly strong chewer only use the
cube with supervision. We did not have any problem with our mid-sized or small dogs. If the cube works for you,
not only will you be feeding your dog but you will be rewarding it for problem solving while reducing boredom
and re-directing possibly destructive behavior. Buster Cubes are dishwasher safe so theoretically easy to clean. We
put ours on the bottom rack but use the non-heat or air dry setting and have never had a problem (we only use dry,
small sized kibble).
PROS:
∑ Two sizes to choose from.
∑ Dishwasher Safe.
∑ Adjustable dispensing.
∑ Durable.
∑ Mentally engaging.
CONS:
∑ Can be difficult for some to open/adjust.
∑ Not indestructible so if you have a strong chewer use only
under supervision.
∑ Can be annoyingly noisy depending on floor surface.
∑ Some dogs may not like it or not like the noise on hard
floors.
∑ It will skid rather than roll (which is required to dispense
treats) on some surfaces.
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Who is Milo Pearsall
Written by Lloyd Aguero # 107
Family dog training started after WW II when soldiers who
worked with K9 military units returned home. The big three
were Willy Necker, Coast Guard, Dan Haggerty & Bill
Koehler, Army. It was discovered that military style training
was unnecessarily harsh for an everyday family pet, ergo, other
ways of training would be needed. This training methodology
was developed by Milo Pearsall whose dog taught him an
easier, softer way!
Milo was engaged in group training, and every time he would
arrive home on the evening that class was held, his cocker
spaniel would run into a closet, manifest heavy tremors, fearful
eyes and drooling. Milo perceived his dog was terrified of him.
His Instructor would bark the words to the group, "forward &
yank".
I met Milo at a two-day training clinic and marveled at his
intuitive, non-force, training mechanisms and his innate gift of
"reading" every dog with which he demonstrated all levels of
competitive training. I requested my wife (at that time) to take shorthand so I would not miss one beat of this
"magician" in the ring. This was during the late '50s. I purchased his book and commenced training my first dog,
initially for pet good manners, then for competition.
Force and coercive training predominated across the nation, with Milo building a bridge of understanding between
dog and owner/trainer. The early pioneer of positive training was Milo, who invented puppy kindergarten training
(KPT) where young pups socialize and play during training. I developed a personal friendship with Milo, and was
present in his kitchen, Manassas, Va., where he wrote the booklet KPT and invented/developed NADOI. This was
1950's - 1980's. Much happened in between.
This is history, so remember there were no dog behavior professionals, behaviorists nor degrees in the animal
behavior sciences. There were no esoteric behavior phrases such as "counter conditioning," "desensitization," nor
"anxiety reduction."Milo invented and developed all these wondrous procedures in every level of training including
tracking. His were the first teachings of "let's see it from the dog’s point of view," "how does the dog feel about this."
The antithesis of force and coercive training, which produces egregious holistic pain in the dog. His step by step
procedure for directed jumping and the send away were nothing short of him being inside the dog’s head and looking
out through the dog’s eyes. He was a "miracle" in a human and developed larger and larger following as the years
rolled by. Milo commenced to offer five day Instructor schools, as compared to two day problem clinics.
We will remember him for developing NADOI. Again, I was in his kitchen in Manasss when he invited me to be
member #4. At that time I was not a "joiner," more a loner, so I declined. I spent many years with Milo as well as
many other trainers who realized this ninth grade dropout and wrecker of the English language was guided by a Power
much Higher than himself and gave it to all who wanted it.
The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors was founded in 1965 when a small group of highly experienced dog trainers
gathered together and resolved to promote modern, humane training methods and at the same time elevate the standards of the dog
obedience instructing profession. To accomplish these goals, it was decided that members of the organization should be designated as
having attained certain skills and knowledge of dog training and obedience instructing. NADOI is not only the oldest group of its kind in
the world, it is the only professional organization to require that all applicants demonstrate proficiency in their craft, as tested and
measured by their peers, before membership is granted. NADOI members are found all across the USA and in many foreign countries.
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Temperament, Socialization, Threshold and
Rewards By Jeanne Hampl NADOI # 936
Over the years I have often written about issues relevant to choosing a puppy
or a dog as a candidate for the role of a future Service Dog. But so much of
what I have written also applies to choosing a new puppy or dog for a family.
In the book, Training Your Retriever, the author James Lamb Free, stated
“Get a decent dog to start with”. This book was first published in 1943. What
he is talking about is getting a dog with a good temperament. The word
temperament is defined by Webster as: “One’s customary frame of mind or
natural disposition”. Temperament is a product of breeding. A dog with a
good temperament is: happy, confident, friendly, sound aware but not sound
sensitive, quick to recover and non aggressive.
Once you have found this dog/puppy it will need to be socialized,
“Adjust[ed] to or make fit for cooperative group living”.
Following the Rule of Seven, the dog/puppy will have to be introduced to:
* 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel etc.
* 7 new people and animals: include children and older adults
* 7 challenges: climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, etc....
* 7 different food containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc
* 7 different eating locations: crate, yard, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, etc.....
We must keep in mind that when we are socializing a dog/puppy our goal is to keep the dog below its tolerance
threshold, “The point at which a stimulus is just strong enough to be perceived.”
We must watch the dog’s body language for signs of stress. Is the dog becoming
fearful or over aroused? Socialization needs to be done with a dog in neutral.
Finally as an owner or trainer you need to observe your dog and experiment to
find out what things are reinforcers or rewards to your dog. Positive reinforcers
are favorable events or outcomes that are presented after the behavior. The
behavior is strengthened by the addition of something, such as praise, petting,
toys, food or access to a pleasurable environment. Most importantly the dog
decides if what follows a behavior is a reward. Sometimes what may be a
reward on one occasion may not be in another. This is very true when trying to
use food with a dog that is not hungry either because it has just been fed or is
too anxious to eat.
Rewards can either be intrinsic, self rewarding or extrinsic, rewarded by another. A good retriever will break ice in
sub freezing temperatures to retrieve a duck. He doesn’t expect a treat on return. Fulfilling the drive to get the duck
is in itself a reward to the dog. When a behavior we ask a dog to do is not something that they intrinsically reward it
is our responsibility as an owner/trainer to discover the “key” to what the dog finds rewarding.
Ultimately we all have the goal of owning the best dog ever. That goal can be reached if we remember the roles that
temperament, socialization, threshold and rewards play in nurturing the pup or dog you have chosen so that you can
achieve that lofty title of “Best Dog Ever”.
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