Give me space!

Give me space!

by lennearbNo Comments
The room had been set up with round tables, and I was sitting with my back to the presenter. Which was fine, until she walked up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. My friends around the table could all tell immediately that I wasn't happy, but I don't think the trainer ever noticed. In that way, it was a lot like many dog-human interactions I have observed over the years. It's not that I hate touching under all circumstances. I love hugs with my family. After years of conditioning, including one intense semester in Costa Rica, I have even learned to enjoy social hugs with friends. And, of course, I love cuddling with my animals, especially when I am upset or have had a hard day. I don't like strangers to come up behind me and touch my shoulders. I don't like hugs at business meetings. Many dogs have similar preferences. While there are a few who love all contact...
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“Drop It!” Dos and Don’ts

by lennearbNo Comments
Scene familiar to most dog owners. The dog is in the next room. You hear a noise, and then in walks the dog with something in her mouth. What happens next? A reliable drop cue is a lifesaving skill for your dog, but it is one that I find particularly difficult to demonstrate in class, where most dogs are so focused on treats that they aren't interested in picking anything up. This blog post is intended to serve as a refresh or supplement for training drop at home. The basic mechanics of teaching drop are easy. Your dog has something (ideally a toy or another safe object). Say drop. Present a reward (food or toy) that is more exciting than the object. When the dog drops the held object, click or use a verbal marker, give rewards. Five dos and don'ts: Don't wait until your dog has something dangerous to practice drop Don't reward dropping with a less valuable reward Don't let your dog turn grabbing off-limits...
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Talk to your dog! (Your phone’s not listening)

by lennearb1 Comment
Have you ever seen this? Someone is walking down the street with one hand on the dogs leash and the handle of the stroller and the other holding their phone to their ear. As you approach with your dog, what are you thinking? Do you feel confident that they will be able to react if their dog starts to lunge at yours? Or maybe you are a parent of small children. How do you feel as someone approaches your family texting on their phone while their dog eyes your unsteady toddler warily? I will admit right now that I am sometimes guilty of paying more attention to my phone than to my dog, whether it's texting, talking, or checking the baseball scores. However, in a recent push to improve our walking, I am working to become more aware of my own behavior and how it effects my dog. Part of this effort is understanding the role of technology. I have recently heard several...
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4 Life-saving Uses of a Strong “Stay”

by lennearbNo Comments
Most of the dogs I see professionally, as well as most of those who grace my personal life, are in serious need of some practice with relaxation. So I concentrate a lot of my energy, as I have discussed before, on helping dogs develop a strong relaxed down. However, there are many of times that call for a strong stay without the relaxation. To clarify, since "wait" and "stay" can be used in different ways, in these cases we are looking for the dog to hold his or her location until released. Holding a certain posture is less critical. Stay in the car. Stop me if this has been you. The dog and a bag of ________ [groceries, laundry, fill in the blank] are in the back of the car. You park the car, get out, and open the back. Before you can grab the bag, out pops the dog. Wouldn't it be nice to have a strong stay so that the...
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Big Noise and Baseball

by lennearbNo Comments
"Play Ball!" I'm a huge baseball fan, and I consider this one of the most exciting phrases in the English language. I have also written previously about how much I like to take Sirius Black out and about with me, so you might think that the increase in dog-nights at baseball stadiums would be a perfect fit. Not so fast. One of the most important elements of taking your dog out is to select the right places to go. By all the reports I have heard, most of these events are well-run, and the money raised from "dog tickets" goes to support good causes, but that doesn't mean these events are well-suited to all dogs. They definitely are not a good match for Sirius Black. Sirius hates loud noises. Nationals Park holds over 40,000 fans at full capacity, and on non-dog days at least, they have fireworks for Nationals home runs. In fact, I once attended (without a dog) a dog-game at a minor...
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A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

by lennearb2 Comments
When I started training, we used to describe using a clicker to taking a Poloroid photo of the desired behavior. These days, however, many of my (human) students are too young to have more than a hazy idea of a Poloroid, so the analogy doesn't work quite as well anymore. However, I recently realized that the concept is even more relevant than it used to be. In an era when cellphone cameras capture every cute pose and expression our dogs make, what could be more relevant than the concept of taking a photo to capture desired behaviors? That is what markers help us do. Markers signal to our dogs when they have done something right. Of course, we reinforce our approbation with food or play rewards, but the use of a marker makes this connection cleaner and clearer. If you are rewarding a sit, during the delay between sit and treat, your dog may have looked at the ground, licked his lips, and...
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BOO! Watch Out for Halloween

by lennearbNo Comments
This week is Halloween—the start of the fall yard decoration season. The return of cold weather means that winter clothing, including parkas, hats, gloves, and scarves, are making a return as well. What does this mean for you and your dog? Yard decorations can be scary for many dogs. They appear where nothing was before. Many move, flash bright lights, or even make noises, all of which dogs may find unnerving. Halloween decorations will be quickly followed by holiday decorations at many houses. As a dog owner or walker, you are responsible for being aware of these potentially scary objects and planning accordingly. Never force dogs to approach things they may find scary. A forced approach may reinforce fear in the object and also erode your dogs trust in you to keep him safe. Additionally, a sudden movement or sound from a motion sensitive decoration may also startle your dog, increasing fear. Keep in mind that scared dogs may also redirect...
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Road to the “Peaceable Kingdom”

by lennearbNo Comments
This post tells a personal story. In subsequent posts, I will address some of the details of introducing new pets and dealing with conflicts. A lot of people ask me how long it will take to reconcile their new or newly conflicting pets, especially their cats or their dog and cats. People would really like a timeline, a “drop-dead” date by which they will no longer have to engage in the complicated ballet of managing multiple pets who do not get along, must be kept separated, requiring two separate routines and extensive demands on people’s time. People would also like to know when they can expect to see progress, and how much they can expect to see, what it will look like, and so on. I call this process—the process of moving from managing multiple pets who are in major or minor conflict to one in which everything is running smoothly in an integrated household—the road to the “Peaceable Kingdom” (a phrase...
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THUMP! – A reminder travel safely

by lennearbNo Comments
We had attended two weddings 600 miles apart in less than 24 hours—driving through the night to make it to the second one on time. People said we were crazy, but we didn’t feel we could let down the friends and family that were counting on us. In the end, the trip had been successful, and the car was packed for the trip home. There had been some light rain, but the road conditions were fine, and we expected an uneventful drive. Certainly, we didn’t think anything of having to stop behind several other cars to wait for another vehicle to turn left. That is, until I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the yellow Jeep coming up behind us. It was braking, but not fast enough to stop on the slightly slippery road. Thump! We both jerked forward in our seatbelts, glanced at each other, and pulled to the side of the road. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad,...
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Life of the Party: 5 Tips for a Safe and Successful Party – With Pets!

by lennearb1 Comment
Christmas has come and gone. Stockings have been opened and family have departed, but with New Year's Eve fast approaching, party season is far from over. Whether you are planning to entertain for or in the New Year, here are a few tips to help you host a successful gathering. 1. Consider individual needs. Not everyone is a party animal. You may have your heart set on a free-for-all with children and dogs running gleefully around the backyard (ok, maybe not in Maryland for New Year's), but unless you select your guest list carefully, that just isn't going to be in everyone's best interest. The needs of human and animal guests need to be carefully considered. If you want to let all your friends bring their dogs, are all the dogs likely to get along? Do you have enough room to separate them if you need to, either because they don't get along, or because some are overwhelmed by the number...
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