Come When Called? Dog Training in Action

     My pups have about half an acre fenced in behind our house which my husband has generously donated for all things dog related.  Early on I took the time to train boundaries as the fence is only four feet high, so barely a hop for my long-legged kiddos.  I also conditioned for potty on the exterior, so I can use the center open area for training when weather permits.  On pleasant days like today, I will often allow one or both of the pups some free time in the yard to simply relax and enjoy themselves, since I can see the area from my kitchen window.  Overall, it is space we all have enjoyed.

     Today the gate was left open.

     For Grace, my German Shepherd Dog, it is no issue.  She will romp around the center open area, hopping like a bunny, always glancing back to me as if to say "Did you see that Mom?".  For my hound mix Brutus, it is another story....

     Some of you may have read about my tracking adventures with Brutus.  He has performed spectacularly through woods or field on tracks up to 250 yards (we are gradually building the distance).  When he is harnessed, he will even completely disregard squirrels and other small woodland creatures fleeing his approach while he is on the trail I assigned.  When left to his own devices in the yard, he will sniff indiscriminately the myriad rabbit, squirrel, human, opossum or rare raccoon tracks in the yard.

     Today, Brutus was outside enjoying the sun, and his nose led him to the open gate.  Meanwhile, I had stepped away from the window to add some cream to my coffee.  Once I returned and saw the empty yard
I stepped out onto the back stoop and called for Brutus.  I heard a single bark in answer from the other side of the fence!

     I called again to be sure my ears were not playing tricks on me.  This time, I got a double bark, and then my silly hound hopped straight up in the air to show me where he was.  I live on a fairly busy street, but the last thing I wanted to do was encourage him to jump over the fence (at this point I did not know how he got out), even if it was towards me because I do not want fence jumping to become a habit.  I paused for a moment to see what Brutus was doing.  He was pointing at a game trail on the outside of the fence line, and then glancing to me to be sure I was watching him.

     I called for him to "Come Inside!" and gave a special command that I only use when a reward is absolutely guaranteed.  I left the back door open so he had access to the house, and hustled to the front window in time to see him fly across the front yard towards the side where the gate was.  By the time I grabbed a treat (it's just his normal dog food- but don't tell HIM that!) and headed back to the kitchen, he was scrambling into a beautiful "Front" position (sitting squarely in front of me).  I fed and praised him, and put him on a Base (a special mat for "Lie Down and Stay") while I darted outside to walk the fence line to see where he could have gotten out.

     I walked the entire perimeter and saw no flaws.  I stopped at the gate (which appeared to be closed) and  put my hand on it to lean and ponder.  The gate wobbled under my touch.  It had not been latched!  I feel like anyone who may have seen me at that exact moment may have seen a light bulb above my head like in the cartoons.  I returned to my patient hound and put a slip lead on him.  We walked out to the gate together.

     Even though the gate opens inward, it proved no challenge to my curious Brutus.  He bumped it casually with his nose and waited for it to swing open.   He strutted through the opening like a model on a catwalk and then sat on the other side waiting for me to join him.  I could not help but laugh.  Basic obedience really pays off!  I called him back to me and we went in to cuddle on the couch before our afternoon walk.  Mystery solved.

     Thank goodness he knows "Come When Called"!

Back to Basics: Luring, Catching and Shaping

     Every dog needs a solid foundation to understand what it is that humans want it to do.  All too often, I see how basic skill sets are glossed over.  The process of learning is rushed to achieve an end result that is not as consistent because of the lack of understanding on the human side of the leash.  By fully understanding not only how to train for a specific command, but why it works, a handler can strengthen their own handling skills and improve the communication overall with their dog.  This paves the way for future successful learning, which we know happens throughout entire lifetimes.

Grace, Brutus and Riley

     Three of the most basic training methods in the positive reinforcement category (and every dog should start in this quadrant of Operant Conditioning) are Luring, Catching, and Shaping.  If you have taught your dog any basic commands (such as "sit", "down" or "come") you have had to use at least one of these!  If your timing is consistent with the reward, your dog can perform the behaviors.

     Luring is exactly what it sounds like.  You are presenting a tasty (and hopefully healthy) reward and using it to guide the dog to where you would like them to be, or where you would like the body to be (such as bringing the food above the nose for "sit").  When the dog is in the correct place/position, the treat and praise are earned!  Seems simple, yes?  It can be, if it is repeated often enough for the dog to associate the correct result- otherwise, the dog has simply learned to follow food held in your hands (which is also a helpful skill, but not always the desired result).  If your handling skills are not fully developed, you may have difficulty getting your dog to the correct position consistently.  Practice makes perfect, but this is one instance where there is a definite advantage to having an experienced handler to help you.

     Catching a behavior is solely dependent on the handler's attention and timing.  Any behavior your pet performs naturally can become a command using this method, if you can "catch" and reward them doing it often enough.  I always train for a default "Down" in my dogs.  When I do not tell them to do anything, I would prefer for them to lie down and relax.  To train for this, every time I see them lying down, I give a treat (in my case, it is kibble, but they think of their food as treats), name the behavior, and praise.  When Brutus was young and we were just beginning with the "Default Down", as he began to understand the behavior I was rewarding, he would follow me from room to room and lie down and pretend to sleep to get a piece of food.  Now it is less obvious (he no longer collapses in front of my feet), but he still will lie quietly inside until I tell him otherwise (he is now 7 and 1/2 years old)

     Shaping is considered the most difficult by some because it requires more patience.  To shape a behavior is to reward something that is close to what you want, and then gradually change when you are rewarding to encourage different elements in the behavior originally rewarded for.  Often, luring and catching are used while shaping a behavior.  An example would be to teach your dog "Paw" or "High Five", you may initially reward for the dog just having the paw in the air and allowing you to touch the foot, but you gradually make the dog put the paw in/on your hand by withholding the reward for slightly longer periods of time.

     For the last two methods (Catching and Shaping) many people use a "Clicker".  A clicker is a small box with a thin sheet of metal that makes a soft popping noise (or click) when pressed.  I personally choose to use my voice.  Not only is it one less thing to hold, but I can change the tone, volume or emphasis in my word of praise to really communicate how happy I am to the dog I am working with.

     The clip above is me with a rescue dog "Peanut", who did very very learning the basics!  I used catching to teach the "sit", and added a hand signal.  The "Down" is still being learned, and I lured to get him in the position.  And lastly, I was shaping the "Wait" command to add more distance away from him.

     The most common pitfall I see students struggle with is thinking they are "done" teaching a command too soon.  After a few repetitions, the human adds another command or two.  The next day, another few commands.  The handler is so excited that they fail to realize they are still having to lure entirely, and the dog is probably mixing the commands up and randomly guessing what position may hold a reward each time.  If the foundation of your training experience with your pup consists of almost constant confusion on the dog's part, it makes more forward progress much less likely.

     Please take time to build a solid foundation with your fur-friend!  For additional help, leave a comment and I would be glad to assist you.

     Happy Training!

"The Man with The Berner" Part II

Photos courtesy of owner and photographer

     The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large, long haired dog.  They have the "Swiss Coloring" of mostly black, with some rust, and white on the feet, face and belly.  Although they are primarily known as drafting dogs, they also excel at herding since they were originally used as multi-purpose farm dogs.  Females can be slightly smaller (about 2 feet at the shoulder) at about 65 pounds, but males are very large (up to 28" at the shoulder) at about 120 pounds!

     The Man and his wife have had several Bernese Mountain Dogs over the years.  He lovingly recalls each and every one.  He detailed their lineage, how him and his wife traveled overseas to select their first four pups (not all at once of course!).  He told me of the wide variety of activities they compete in for fun.  Berners are so versatile they can perform in informal events like rally style obedience, or formal obedience as well as agility, herding, carting and drafting (and yes, there is a difference between carting and drafting).

     *The photos that he has allowed me to use for this blog are actually 5 different dogs!*

In Obedience competition, the dog must not only retrieve, but jump!

     The Man had just recently shown his young dog in Gettysburg, PA in May.  While there he won the Specialty's HIT- or High In Trial award.  They also won awards as the highest scoring Bernese Mountain Dog in Herding, and as a Specialty Triathlete (for qualifying in Rally, Herding and Obedience).  That was why he laughed when I told him I was impressed by the past weekend's showing.

     The Man's Berner, whom he was working with that day is CH Tranquility's Andy Robynson CD RAE HSAs HTAD-Is HTD-Is RLF-Is JHDs .  It is a mouthful, and I would never have remembered half of those letters if The Man had not written them down for me.  All of The Man's dogs have multiple titles, from the AKC (American Kennel Club), BMDCA (Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America) , and the AHBA (American Herding Breed Association).  It is akin to a human with several doctorates and certifications- so impressive!

     I began reading more about this breed, and it's history.  The Man graciously sent me a website and a few articles to get me started.

     In conclusion, I know that this is a breed I am not ready for yet.  Perhaps if I continue to learn more (and earn more money!) a few years down the road I will look into the option seriously.  For now, it is enough to say I have met and watched a furry breed ambassador who has a kind enough owner to educate me on Bernese Mountain Dogs, and canine companionship at it's finest.





*Click either of the links below to read more about Bernese Mountain Dogs! Enjoy!

Potomac Valley Bernese Mountain Dog Club website

Pages 210-223 in the Showsight Magazine July 2012 issue.

"The Man with The Berner" Part I

Photo included courtesy of owner and photographer

     I can recall the first time I saw "The Man With the Berner", it was at one of the first dog shows I attended, in Concord, North Carolina.  I did not know him.  I was instantly, completely captivated with his majestic dogs.  His companions strode proudly by his side, never a misstep, never a moment's hesitation to obey any command!  I loved the easy way "The Man" spoke to his dogs, and the adoration in the gaze of full attention that they gave back to him.  They were the perfect team, a well-oiled machine, and they earned the titles to prove it!  I never did muster the courage to speak to "The Man With the Berner" that weekend.  I simply watched from afar as he performed with his dogs.


     This past weekend (July 27, 28) I accompanied my good friend (the other half of PawsThenPlay, Thomas Brown) to a show in Greenville, South Carolina.  I quickly lost myself in the symphonic chaos of the show and just meandered as I usually do, soaking it all in at my own pace.  Booths, now familiar, lined the sides of the conformation areas and invited me to stop and shop.  I did buy more chocolate from Debbie's Delights of course, so I could get a sugar-high while I oogled dogs.

     "The Man with The Berner" was there!  The first day, I watched from a distance as usual.  The second day, I found myself beside him in the crowd!  As I applauded madly for Thomas and Ebony (they took second in Open!), I decided this was a sign.  I must talk to "The Man".

     I glanced at him, and he nodded politely and smiled.  I took that as an invitation to just plunge in!  In a gush of words, I blurted out how in awe of his performance with his dogs I was, and how much I really enjoyed watching his performance with his animals.

     He kindly laughed, and shook his head.  "But this weekend we were horrible!" 

     I was completely aghast!  I had been so impressed with the easy communication and obvious happiness in the dogs, that I forgot we were at an event with scoring.  In the long conversation that followed, I learned so much my head reeled, and my heart hurt.  I cannot include all of it here, but I do want to share some of this man's experiences since I found him so inspiring.



*End of Part I

The Dog Show

(Thomas Brown and Ebony have a clean sweep to win the Companion Dog Title!)

At the Cabarras County Arena all 3 buildings are packed with dogs, their handlers, and spectators like myself! There is so much to take in all at once it's overwhelming. People and dogs shuffle in all directions like slow-motion bumper cars. Booths line the exterior of the show rings with a variety of products and services for canines and humans. Every breed we can think of (and some we didn't) are here, represented. Each building has a focus: Agility, Conformation, and Obedience.

The Agility area is dominated by two large rings, surrounded by stadium seating. Harried dogs and their handlers scurry to one side or the other. Here the hustle and bustle is frequently punctuated by yips of anticipation and barks of exuberance. Dogs of all shapes and sizes fly through complex courses. We cheer indiscriminately at the dazzling canines going breakneck speed through the courses.

(Brutus and I have competed in Rally Style Obedience)

In the center building the large space is gated into 8 showing rings, where each breed struts at it's appointed time. It is a dizzying symphony of controlled motion all around as we turn first one way, then another to ogle pampered pooches parading by finely dressed judges who poke, prod and caress their coats. Exhibitors awaiting their turn are very friendly and willing to share information about their breed(s), and the dog they are showing.

In the far building three more large rings hold a variety of dogs competing for Obedience or Rally titles. Like the Agility, pure and mixed breed dogs can compete to earn awards. The dog and handler teams must accurately perform set patterns to earn a title. They may have to sit, down, stand, stay, go over a jump, retrieve things, heel past food, toys or children in any combination or order depending on which title they are pursuing. These things also may be on or OFF leash depending on the level of competition.

(Brutus said "But I don't want to hold the ribbons in my mouth Mommy!")

We wander through all of the buildings and the grooming area learning more in each section until our feet start to ache and our shoulders are stiff from holding all of our purchases. A glance around reveals many people are packing up- done for the day. We no longer inch along shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other canine connoisseurs. As we wander to our cars, we agree that we really must make time to go to another show soon. It's too good of an experience to miss!