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 "Tuck" Dog Training

     One of my students and I have been playing a "new" game!  Don't tell Stormi, but it's really the same thing, just asking her to adapt, and rewarding slightly different behaviors.  This method is called "shaping".  Any behavior whether it is desirable or not, can be shaped by rewarding the changes you like, if you time your rewards correctly and consistently.

     Stormi has already mastered her basic commands.  I chose to build on her "Lie Down" command, since I want to encourage her to relax.  She naturally will choose to tuck one front foot, or another when she is lying comfortably.  I rewarded (I used her kibble from meals since she is very food motivated) her for lying down when I looked at her first, so there was a default behavior to start with.  Her entire first session was simply rewarding her for lying down and staying down.  No words, since I would be adding the commands later, when she was performing the actions I wanted.


     The next time I worked with her, she automatically lay down as soon as I brought out the food.  I began to reward her when she shifted her front feet, either one.  Over the next two sessions, she was very willing to move her feet, it almost looked like she was swimming backwards!  Very cute.  I began to label her right and left as she moved them, rewarding each time.  If I stared at one foot, she would move it automatically to tuck.  Many dogs are much more observant than we give them credit for, it helps them to tie in a visual cue along with the verbal.

     The next session, I began asking for "Right" or "Left", looking at the paw I wished her to move.  At this point, she was comfortable with the exercise, and would sometimes just guess, and swing a paw back without paying attention to which one I asked for.  I never rewarded her for moving the wrong paw, simply waiting, staring at the one I asked her to move until she performed correctly.


     Soon I decided I wanted both paws to "Tuck".  Since Stormi is very responsive to my eye movement, I knew she could figure it out!  And she certainly did not disappoint.  We began the session easily, I called a "Right", "Left", "Left" (and rewarded one kibble for each) and then just waited.  I stared at the paw that was closest to me, which she tucked.  But instead of rewarding, I shifted my gaze to her other paw.  She switched, and tucked it.  I shifted my gaze again.  Stormi was confused, and stood up and walked in a circle.  I simply waited.  We went through the same motions again.  After she lay down again with a sigh, she tucked the first paw, I shifted my gaze again... she huffed, and shifted her weight awkwardly.... then moved her other foot!  I quickly dropped several pieces of food and praised!

     From there she proceeded quickly to moving both feet back immediately but they were still not fully tucked.  I "jackpotted" (gave several pieces as reward) many times in a row to encourage her.  Then I began to wean back on the reward until we were at just one piece at a time again.  What had been holding Stormi back is that she had been startling herself by tapping her back foot with her front foot when she "swam" her second paw backwards, because of the way she was laying.  Once she figured out how to maneuver her body to where she could tuck both paws comfortably, she had it!

     The next session, I labeled "Tuck" when both paws were folded.  After that session, it was just a matter of putting it all together- going back to review and strengthen the labels I had already set in place for "Right" and "Left".

     For this particular dog, I like this position because it takes a bit longer for her to jump up should she be startled.  Stormi and her people are still working diligently on her impulse control.  Teaching this position makes her more aware of what her body is doing, and shows her that she can control each part.  And of course, any training that requires thinking, and strengthens the bond between her and her people is not only fun, but a benefit for the dog!

     As always, if you have any questions of comments, please feel free to contact me!

     Happy Training!

Off-Leash Versus On-Leash

     So many of us are very impressed with dogs that are off leash.  We see advertisements for "Off-Leash Training", or envy the person we drive by with their dog walking freely by their side.  Many of us even set a goal to be free of our tethers too!  While it is a worthy goal, please people, take it with a grain of salt- not all that glitters is gold.

     It can be an advantage to have a leash on a dog.  Some public areas require a leash by law.  Other places may be inherently dangerous without one- such as heavy traffic areas, to help protect a dog from sniffing or eating hazardous materials, or to keep your pet safe from other outside influences.

     One of the side effects of being off-leash the majority of the time, is the dog will not react favorably to being on leash when it must be.  The dog may sulk and show it's non-acceptance by walking with it's head down low, laying down and refusing to move, or darting (back and forth, up and down, or all directions!).  I often see this non-acceptance in puppies who have been allowed to roam off-leash for several weeks while they are young.

     Walking on a leash without darting or tangling is one of the most valuable and underrated skills dogs can master.  It involves many layers.  The dog must accept that the human is in charge of where they are going, and how quickly they will arrive.  The dog must have the muscle control and understanding of where to place it's feet to avoid tangles.  Both of these are part of a recipe for successful long lasting training.  To skimp on this conditioning is to make life more difficult and stressful for the pet and the owner.  A dog who fully accepts a handler's role will look to the handler in a brand new situation, or default to a position that training has re-enforced as opposed to barking, growling, lunging forward, or hiding.

     As always, happy training!

Check out our Facebook page for more fun tips and information! 

Home-body Dog Training

Diana Jordan's girl "Sophie" 

     I met a very nice woman the other day.  I was walking a student's therapy dog to practice for her upcoming re-certification.  The lady I spoke with had two Golden Retrievers at home.  She was quite surprised to learn how young Sophie was, and very impressed at how calm and gentle the greetings were.  I was proud to tell her that Diana worked with Sophie consistently since she first took her in to her home, and brought her with her everywhere she could.

     The nice lady looked sad as she explained that she simply did not have the time to work with her dogs.  She felt guilty that she saw they had so much energy, and she felt incapable of doing much to fix it.  My reply was to explain that high energy can mean a healthy dog,  and there is no need to travel every day with your dog if your schedule (or your energy level) will not allow.  You can challenge your dog mentally at home to help burn off some of the energy.  I told her I have a young German Shepherd who has oodles of energy, and am mostly a "Home-body" myself.  I have written in detail about one game I like to play with my dogs in a previous post, click HERE to read it.  But there are tons of things you can do with your dog to help wear them out.

     Here are a few things that you can do with your dog at home, for those rainy days, or when you just don't feel like getting in the car.

     1. Get a puzzle-type game.  There are tons of great interactive toys available that can be shipped to your front door!  Some are fairly simple- the dog must roll around an irregularly shaped object to dispense treats (I use regular dog food from their meal though).  Others are complex- boards that must be manipulated or shifted to earn a reward.  Heck, I even found 2 neat dog puzzles at a drug store once!  Some are plastic, some are rubber, some are wood.  The ones I found were in the $10-$20 range, and have lasted literally for years!  Just remember: these are INTERACTIVE toys! You need to be there to ensure they don't become expensive chew items!
   

Brain teaser toy by Nina Ottosson

Here are some links:
     Nina Ottosson treat maze (this brilliant designer has lots to choose from!)
     "Babble Ball" (does not use food/treats, just funny noises)
     "Everlasting Fun Ball" (holds treats/food)
   
     I listed a few of the more affordable options here, just search "Interactive dog toys" and you will find dozens of sites with hundreds of toys!

     2. Hide Something: Do you have a dog that you swear can find a speck of cheese you dropped two days ago in the kitchen?  Prove it!(- although not necessarily with the old cheese please)  Let them use that sniffer, in a way that you get to choose.  Pick an object that your dog is allowed to put in their mouth.  (It can be one of their toys, or a completely new object.  Just be sure it is dog-safe!)  To teach your dog the game, have a reward ready!  When you put the object down, your dog will most likely sniff it. As soon as the dog touches it (nose or paw, doesn't matter)- praise and give them a treat!  Next, move the object a bit farther away (6-10 feet).  You can toss it, or have your dog sit and wait, but stay with in sight!  As your dog races forward to find the object, tell them "Find it!"  When your dog touches it, praise and treat again!  After a few repetitions, if your dog is moving confidently to the object and looking expectantly for the reward start hiding the object out of sight.  Eventually, you can expand the distance to make them have to sniff and search the entire house!

     3. Stair Master: One of my personal favorites!  I think this trick helped me survive my first dog's puppyhood energy.  Take a favorite toy that your dog likes to chase and chuck it down the stairs.  When your dog brings it back, do it again. Yup, it's fetch for those of us without a fenced in yard, with extra cardio to boot!  I sat in a comfy chair sipping hot cocoa and surfing the web, and my boy Brutus ran his fanny off.  Bliss.

     These are just the first three things that popped in my head! Please feel free to give me some feedback, and share the ideas that you use at home!

     Happy Training!

*Visit the main website at www.pawsthenplay.com

Dog Training: Past and Present

"Lassie's son, Lassie, gets $100,000 a year" ('60's article)

   I read an interesting article the other day.  It was about how much the dog world has changed in the past two decades.  The writer describes many valid points, the last one telling how we as a society now humanize dogs.  I feel more can be said about this anthropomorphism, and how misleading it could be.

     I have heard it many times before- "Dogs are the new kids!"  We call them "furbabies" and always want to hug and kiss and cuddle with them.  But have we as owners, or "pet parents" considered what we ask of our beloved pups?  Such as: "Go make out with this stranger! I don't care if she startled you!"  We say we want companions that feel and think, but then we sometimes insist that they do things which are counter-intuitive.  For example, "Leave this tasty food on the counter alone!" instead of "I should put this food away, so the dog doesn't get tempted."

     There was a time in the past when things were drastically different.  There were more open spaces, and farm houses with acres of land for livestock to roam.  As more houses were built closer and closer, a dog's spaces were gradually limited.  Many dogs were no longer used as hunting partners, or guardians of livestock.  Now, very few dogs are used for the purposes they were originally bred for.

     When I was a child, like many others we had a family dog.  Jody was a Brittany Spaniel that my father took bird hunting.  I don't recall all of the details, but I do remember that there were very different expectations.  Certainly no one wants an animal that will harm their children.  However, the response to "Mommy! That dog bit at me!" or "Daddy, she growled at me!" were dramatically different than what I often hear today.  "Well honey, what did you do to the dog?" was what I heard.  We learned to control ourselves around the dog.  When I have my dogs out in public today, I have had children run up to kiss them, hug them, or even hit them (although I do my best to prevent it- thank goodness I have patient dogs!). One girl I used to work with had a child sit on the ground and give her male dog a very close inspection of his er- man part.  Talk about an awkward moment.....

     Of course there are many dogs who will tolerate a bit of rough-housing with children in their household, but I feel like there was also more opportunity made for the dog to be able to walk away, and distance themselves when they had all they could handle.  With so many awesome dog-friendly places springing up, some owners are confused as to why their dogs seem to have a harder time adjusting to the social scene.  More care needs to be taken to properly introduce the animal to new places and people, and it must be balanced with quiet time as well. Like humans, not all dogs have a desire to be social butterflies.

Another old advertisement I found, from 1960s also.

     I was raised to respect an animal's space, just like I would a human's personal space.  It was not considered "normal" or "okay" to run or walk up to a strange dog and pet, hug or kiss it.  Friendly dogs approached you and allowed themselves to be petted.  When the dog wanted to leave, it left.  If Mr. and Mrs. X had a mean dog, all of the neighborhood kids just knew to avoid it (has anyone else ever seen "Sandlot"?).  It seemed quite simple to me.

     I suppose my point is, I feel like there was a lot less pressure on dogs back then, and much less was expected of them socially.  If the animal was bonded to the family and gentle with those they knew, that was all that was necessary.  If it was sweet to others, it was just an added bonus.  If not, other people had the sense not to put themselves in harm's way.  In today's society, there is often not enough space to give anyone!

     With this background, maybe that is why I am so impressed with what dogs CAN do, and have accomplished.  One day the general public sees Lassie being hugged (1942 was the original Lassie Come Home), then 101 Dalmations stole our hearts and suddenly Fido must be cute, friendly and huggable to all while outwitting the criminals and saving Timmy every day!  Even breeds that are not bred for certain tasks are asked to perform and the overwhelming majority DO.

     Think about all we are asking our dogs to respond to! Be patient.  As a species, their record is stellar.  The name "Man's best friend" is well deserved.



*As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments! pawsthenplay@gmail.com 

For more information, visit the main website at www.pawsthenplay.com

Protection Dog?

     A young woman was telling me a story about how wonderful her dog is to her.  She proudly stated that "[the dog] is so protective of me, he almost wouldn't let my husband in the house the other night!"  She went on to explain that her husband had gone out earlier that evening with some friends and the friends dropped him off later that night in a different vehicle.  Her dog started "...going crazy!" she explained.  "He was barking loud and running around the house.  I tried to tell him 'It's okay, Daddy's home!' but when I went to the door, he darted out and then looped around and jumped up on me to push me back into the house!"

     In working with dogs for years, I often come across people who are absurdly proud of a dog they view as "protective" who is actually displaying overt tendencies of possession, fear, or inverted dominance.  It makes me believe that there is an overall misconception of terms as they apply to canine behavior.  The reason this concerns me is that the behaviors encouraged and elicited as "protective" are often the cause for the dog to display tendencies that are unwanted or can even be dangerous to the owner or other people and animals present.

     Dogs who carry an actual title of "Protection Dog" have had years of training with experienced handlers.  In the right hands, these dogs are the least likely to "go crazy" and panic at the sight or sound of new stimuli.

     One way to distinguish if a dog is actually being "protective" is to determine if the owner was truly frightened or angry.  If so, then there was a huge chemical surge that the dog could detect, and would know was out of the ordinary.  Another point to examine is if the owner gave a command for the dog to vocalize and/or move forward towards the perceived threat.  If the dog was acting at the behest of the handler, the motions would not appear frenzied and panicked.  Obviously if the dog is physically causing any harm to the owner it is not a desirable behavior, and should not be labeled as "protective".

     I do agree that a dog can be a deterrent to a would-be burglar or robber, but there are other ways to achieve this without allowing the dog to reach a state of panic.  Teaching a dog to bark or growl on command can be useful for this.  Simply using basic obedience to send a dog several yards out (towards the threat) and sit/stay facing the stranger can be very intimidating also to a would-be aggressor.

     For more information about YOUR dog's behavior, please feel free to contact me!  pawsthenplay@gmail.com

www.PawsThenPlay.com

Vacation Notes Part I

     Some of you may know that I have recently returned from my honeymoon.  My wonderful husband and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas.  Our pups stayed with a close friend and colleague.  A few people have asked why we did not allow our dogs to travel with us.  Instead I made plans for them to have a "Doggie Vacation" with someone I trust.

     The drive to Charleston, SC was not too long.  Only about three and a half hours with one stop mid-way to stretch our legs.  We arrived a few minutes early to the dock to board our cruise ship, but there were already dozens of cars in line ahead of us.  We had to sit for almost an hour before pulling up to have our luggage loaded onto the ship, then wait again to park in the parking deck.  There were multiple stops along our winding mile long wait- to check our licenses and birth certificate (or in my case, naturalization certificate), to ask for our confirmation code, get our cabin number (to write on our luggage tags), to pay for our week long parking, to have our luggage taken, to get color coded stickers on our windshield, to get a piece of paper to place on our dash while our car was parked.  I know my dogs would have wanted to sniff and greet each and every one.

     Once we were safely parked, we walked with the amassing crowd to be crammed into a large bus to be taken to the waters edge.  I could not believe how large the cruise ship was!  I was astounded that so many people could possibly be boarding the same ship as us.  Over 2,200 passengers were aboard I learned later.  The buses dropped us off at a large building where lines snaked over almost every available inch of space.  Conveyors to place our personal items waited patiently to x-ray our belongings.  Security personnel ushered us one at a time through the metal detectors and reminded us that if we had over $10,000 on our persons, we would need to fill out a separate form.  It was load, crowded, and disorienting to my dull human senses, I was grateful my pups were somewhere relaxed!  Another hour passed before we were herded to another line of chattering passengers zig-zagging up a series of ramps onto the ship.

     At the top of the ramp, we were halted yet again, to have our documents checked over one last time.  Lunch was being served and our cabins would be ready in about an hour.  As we walked farther away from the door we entered the crowd thinned slightly, but more and more people continued to flood in.  I secretly wondered if having four paws to stand on would make it harder or easier to adjust to the barely perceptibly motion of the boat below our feet.  I fervently hoped it stayed this gentle the entire time we were at sea!

The view from one of the balconies inside the ship

   We made our way up one set of elevators, down some corridors, across an open deck with a pool, hot tubs, dance floor, and bars and then into the large dining area.  It was set up like a cafeteria, with several types of food available at each station.  Salads, cold cuts for sandwiches, TWO dessert bars, a sandwich bar, pizza, grill, stir fry station- all types of food were at our fingertips!  Enticing smells wafted our way from all directions, and just as exciting- the tables were set indoors, or out so we might enjoy the ocean view with our meals!  If I lingered too long, my pups would salivate with a whiff of my shirt when I got home, in just under a week.

     My sweet husband was not at all distracted by the cuisine.  We wound in and about the gaggle of sightseers oogling the buffet.  Stairways were hidden sporadically on the decks.  We chose those to avoid the multiple sets of crowded elevators.  We walked by dance clubs, teen clubs, bars, several lounges, an auditorium, two restaurants, a store, a casino and a spa.  All on our ship.  Until the intercom system sounded tones remniscent of those I heard in grade school, I hadn't realized how long we had been exploring.  Bong-bing-booo!  A smooth alto voice addressed us in surround sound.  She informed us that we could not leave until the safety drill had been practiced.  Every passenger must know where to go in the event of an emergency.

    That drill is on the top 10 Worst Experiences of my Life list.  Meeting in the auditorium was crowded, but tolerable.  Squeezing out single file and being lined up shoulder to shoulder and nose to back four rows deep for many minutes was sheer torture!  I was the second row from the wall.  At my height (for those of you whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting, I am 5'1") I could not see above many people's shoulders.  I was trapped in never-ending rows of flesh.  The humid, stagnant air did not help.  I was close enough to watch the perspiration blossom in the shirt's armpits of the man in front of me.  If I had my dogs with me would they be folded in this press also?  I was grateful to not have to find out!


     Finally, the exercise ended.  Bong-bing-booo! We were kindly thanked for our co-operation by the same velvety alto voice.  I could feel the large engines rumbling somewhere beneath us.  How exciting!  We were on our way!  Tomorrow we would be at sea, and the next day, wake in the port of Nassau!


....to be continued