YouTube - Edie - rescued yesterday an hour before euthanasia (Video by Eldad Hagar and Bronwyne Mirkovich)

This is an amazing video/story that warms your heart. So many times people just run towards a breeder if they want a new pup. I heard a statistic that some 3 million animals (dogs, cats) are euthanized each year in the US. It's a sad and shocking statistic. If only more people would go to their local shelter and spend time with the animals and find one that fits them. These animals are scared, depressed, and yearning to be loved. I thought I would share this video with you. If I could handle it, you can too! It ends on a happy note.

 YouTube - Edie - rescued yesterday an hour before euthanasia (Video by Eldad Hagar and Bronwyne Mirkovich)

Crate Training Rocks!

What does it mean to be crate trained?

To me, crate training does not mean that the dog simply sleeps there at night.

To me, crate training means that your dog has been taught that the crate is a wonderful place to relax, and that you are able to send him there on a cue ("Fido, Kennel Up!") at any time.

Why do it???

• A dog who loves his crate will choose his crate over your couch. Especially if you put come comfy bedding down in the bottom.
• A dog who loves his crate can be trained to "Go to your crate!" whenever guest come to the door, which can preempt jumping up, and pave a path for mannerly greetings.
• A dog who loves his crate will have less difficulty settling down in his crate for alone time.
• A dog who loves his crate is easier to travel with.
• A dog who loves his crate will have a safe and comfy place to call home when you are away. It will keep him out of trouble, and encourage resting, especially if you have exercised him.
• A dog who has been crate trained will have the opportunity to develop appropriate chewing habits.
• A dog who loves his crate has a place to be when you are eating meals (instead of under your feet).
• A crate trained dog will go into his crate when asked, and will remain there until released, even with the door ajar.

Here is a video on targeting which might help you begin a crate training protocol.

Communicate with Ease

This post is dedicated to my new dog friend, Abby.

First, what does healthy and easy communication LOOK like? Here is a video of Cooper and I working together. Cooper is one of my best friends - dog or human - and I think we have a pretty good understanding of each other's language.

The best ways, in my opinion, to communicate with your dog are:

• Learn to listen to your dog. Do you know what your dog is telling you with her body language and other signals, vocal and otherwise? There are a lot of great resources out there which can help, and I will link you to a good one here: Turid Rugaas/Image Gallery.
• Train your dog with positive reinforcement techniques. Often called, reward training, this technique can transform your dog from a self-centered, unfocused, and hyperactive pup into a calm, obedient, and happy playmate. The most common form of positive reinforcement training in dogs is lure-reward training. Here is some great info on the topic from the weblog of Dr. Ian Dunbar's (the "father of modern dog training") Dog Star Daily.
• Use a clicker to train your dog. Clickers are used for shaping behaviors. Shaping is a branch of reinforcement training where small pieces of behavior are rewarded on the way to the terminal behavior (the goal). Clickers make a clicking sound. The sound acts as a marker signal and the sound is always paired with the delivery of food. The click tells the dog, "That's It! That thing you just did earned you a reward!" I find clicker training absolutely fabulous, and with shaping games, you can teach your dog the value of being creative. For the definitive resource on all things clicker, go here.
• Load your praise by consistently using words like, "good boy," before you deliver the food or sound your clicker. With practice, your dog will learn that they are on the right track, and training sessions become much smoother for you and your dog.
• Be consistent! Really. I know it is hard. If you don't want jumping up or crotch nuzzling, never allow it! Preempt it by asking for an alternate behavior instead.
• Play! Use games and general goofiness to have a good time with your pal! Then, use the games (great ones are fetch and tug) in your training!

Reward training tells the dog what to do, and I encourage you to focus on telling your dog how to succeed. You should closely manage your dog's environment, especially in early training, to keep him from making mistakes and learning bad habits. Set your dog up for success by teaching him that you control access to many, if not all of the best things in his life, and that if he wants access to those things, he must learn to ask for them politely. All roads lead though you!

Of course, there are going to be times when you want to tell your dog NO. But it is so, so important to focus on telling the dog what you want him to do instead of what you do not like him doing. Here is a link to another great resource and blogger.

Another thing you are going to want to ask yourself is, "what is it about what my dog is doing that really bothers me?" Are you bothered that the dog is walking ahead of you or is it really bothering you that he does not seem to care that you are even out on the walk with him?

AND, "Is there something I can train my dog to do which will make what I don't want him to do close to impossible?" Phew! What a mouthful! The easiest example of this being - training your dog to SIT when she is motivated to jump up.

Another thing I find very helpful in training, is using rewards that are not food. The best rewards that are not food are, in my opinion, access to desired THINGS, and interactive games.
Here is an example of what "access to desired things" looks like. Remember, training requires repetition.

It takes a lot more than love to have a beautiful relationship with your dog. Dogs were bred to work, and if you work with your dog - training, exercise, games, breed specific activities, hiking, traveling, interacting - your bond will be strong. Consistent, gentle, and direct communication will get great results.

Remember, have fun when you train, listen to your dog, and always travel with a biscuit in your pocket!

"Train with Joy!"
~David the Dog Trainer

Trust, Fear, Stress, and Anxiety

There are a lot of things which cause dogs to feel uneasy.

Busses, cars, skateboarders, bikes, loud noises, the sound of nail guns (our dog, Vida, is really scared of this sound), other dogs, cats, horses, novelty, men with beards, people with sunglasses, people with bags, umbrellas, rain, thunder, fireworks, grooming and strangers are just a few examples of things which can frighten some dogs.

With any luck, you are living with a dog that has been properly socialized (for more information on the importance of early socialization, I will direct you to a wonderful site for dog owners, here), a dog who has been exposed to a large variety of experiences, and a dog who can now cope with the stress of our modern world.

If your dog has not been adequately socialized or if he has developed a fear to a particular stimuli, he may move further away (flight) from the stimuli, or attack (fight).

In the dog training world, we are faced more often with the fearful dog who attacks rather than retreats, and aggression in dogs is still considered the most serious issue pet guardians face. But, it is vitally important to also address the needs of any dog living with fear or anxiety, as to much stress can detrimentally affect the dog's health - of mind, body, and spirit (I will direct you to a great resource on fearful dogs, here).

I want to outline a few cases I am currently dealing with to illustrate my point and hopefully shed some light on the topic of "dealing with fearful dogs" at the same time.

Client A: When I first met her in her home, she would not approach me. The slightest move from me would cause her to flinch and flee. She was eventually able to take food from my hand, but she kept as much distance from me as possible. I have been able to bond with her through exercise and training, and now we are friends. She trusts me. When I knock on the door, there is certainly barking (possible indication of anxiety), but as soon as I enter she is happy as heck to see me. She has learned that my visits lead to walks, training, and fun. She has also learned that I am no threat. She "knows" me now. However, the world is still a scary place, and unfamiliar things are still scary for her. This dog is currently making great progress.

Client B: I first met this boy at his daycare. He "greeted" me by barking loudly, repeatedly, and with a lot of anxious energy (my interpretation). He was certainly not happy that I, a stranger, had entered the building (he was roaming the top floor with the owner of the shop, not playing with other dogs below). The second time I saw him at the daycare, he barked then jumped up and bit my coat. Then, as I moved toward him, he fled, barking as he backed away. When I went to his home for a private consultation, he barked repeatedly when I rang the doorbell, but he could not approach me, as he was on a leash (per my request). This dog has been working this week on mannerly greetings in the home,  the pet guardians are watching for signs of stress in the dog (keeping him under-threshold), and the pooch is making new associations with the doorbell and the entry of guests.

Client C: I came to his house. He was held in the arms of the pet guardian. I moved to the couch and sat. He joined me on the couch. I talked with the guardians, turned my camera on the pooch, went to make contact, and he attacked me, biting my hand and lunging toward my face. Now, I know that I should have seen the bite coming, but, at times, it is important for me to act like a member of the general public and not "act like a dog trainer" by being appropriate, reading dog signals, and modifying my own behavior to reduce the stress of the dog. Speaking of stress and reading dogs, here is a great site on the topic. This pooch has had a lot of good experiences since I saw him just a few days ago. The pet guardians have a plan, his guarding problems are being managed (for now), and he is happily doing sit-stays when people enter the house.

The common threads in theses cases are:

• The dogs lacked trust
• The dogs were under stress
• The dogs were fearful or anxious (here is a bit of info on the difference between the two)

The common thread in my treatment approach is:

• To create a "Yippie!" response to the things (triggers) which once caused stress, anxiety, or fear through reward training. 

Here is a great reference on an approach to dealing with fear in dogs which looks spot on. Pay close attention to the section which states "any threats or retaliation from the stimulus (as perceived by the dog) or any anxiety or punishment on the
part of the owner or handler, will further add to the pets fear or anxiety." We, at David the Dog Trainer, agree wholeheartedly.

Thanks for reading, and happy training!

Check out the David the Dog Trainer YouTube Channel!

We have great videos uploaded on YouTube. Check them out here!

David the Dog Trainer--Official Bio!

Hi all!

So we are so excited to have David as part of our Idawg team that we wanted to share a little about his background with you so you can understand his experience, training, and maybe where his training approach comes from. So enjoy!

"David Hogan, CTC, holds a Certificate in Training and Counseling from the San Francisco SPCA Academy For Dog Trainers, under the direction of Jean Donaldson, where he graduated with honors. David has been working with dogs since 2003, and in 2006 he launched his own business, David the Dog Walker. In 2007, David the Dog Trainer was added as the training branch of the business.

David is a positive reinforcement trainer who emphasizes the importance of establishing humane control and relationship building between pet dogs and their people. David specializes in clicker training, leash training, training walks, off-leash training, and obedience training. David recently prepared a client for his therapy dog training test (http://www.tdi-dog.org/), which they (pooch and handler) passed with flying colors.

David is committed to his clients and their success with their pets, and is as equally committed to continuing his own education and training. David attends seminars and workshops with leaders in the field of dog training and behavior, and is fortunate to have had the chance to learn from experts such as Terry Ryan, Dr. Ian Dunbar, Pia Silvani, and Sue Sternberg, to name a few."

Have fun when you train!
~ David

Off Leash Time! by David the Dog Trainer

Allowing your dog to spend time off leash is critical for his mental health, and may be one of the only ways to get him the high intensity exercise he needs.

If you do not spend time training your dog to behave when off leash, you are going to get frustrated when he ignores your request to come when called.

One of the best places to begin training off leash obedience is in a fully fenced yard with few distractions or at a park (where you can find a bit of solitude) on a long leash.

Here is a link to a video of me and Vida working on the Recall in our favorite park.

When you practice, never call your dog to you then provide a nasty consequence. You must not call your dog with your standard, "Fido, Come!" (which usually gets rewarded) and then inadvertently apply the worst consequence (from Fido's standpoint) - you leave the park. This rule goes for all communication and is called "poisoning the cue." Reward the behaviors you like and do not punish the dog for the non-response. Perhaps he does not "know" it as much as you think.