Archive for the 'Dog Trainer' Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Prime Your Dog to Come When Called

Published November 10, 2011 Dog Trainer 1 Comment
Tags: ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerTeaching your Dogalini to come when you call her takes practice, practice, practice — you really can’t expect her to come to you when she’s barking at a squirrel, if she hasn’t already learned to come to you when nothing special’s going on.

But you can give yourself a huge edge if you make yourself fun to be with in the first place. Three easy ways to do that (and they’re fun for you, too):

Being with you should be this much fun! (Photo: mattbuck, Wikimedia Commons)

  • Treat and run away. Exactly what it says on the box! Throw a treat just behind your dog, so she turns to get it. As soon as she turns, run away from her. As she turns back from getting the treat, call her and keep on running. When she catches you, give her a treat, then throw another one behind her and … you guessed it, run away again. Works with fetch toys too.

Continue reading ‘Prime Your Dog to Come When Called’

How to Use Warning Cues

Published November 3, 2011 Dog Trainer Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerIt’s not too hard to teach your dog to accept annoying human behaviors such as brushing his teeth (the dog’s, I mean), putting in ear drops, and even giving shots. The basic idea is to go slow and pair every aspect of the procedure with a tiny, deluxe treat.

On Day 1, you might just show your dog a toothbrush and then immediately give him a bit of roast chicken. A dozen reps later, he’ll be looking for that chicken every time he sees the toothbrush. On Day 2, you might bring the toothbrush close to his mouth a dozen times, and give him chicken each time. And so on, step by step, till you’re brushing away and your dog is perfectly happy about it.

What if you don't have time to throw chicken at the problem? Photo: Wikimedia Commons

But, uh-oh, suppose you haven’t taught your dog that ear drops = chicken, and now he’s got an ear infection and needs drops put in 5 times a day? Suppose he needs daily allergy shots? Suppose he needs a bandage changed? What do you do then? Continue reading ‘How to Use Warning Cues’

How to Correct Mistakes? (Hint: With Ice Cream, Not Cottage Cheese)

Published October 28, 2011 Dog Trainer 2 Comments
Tags: , ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerAn October 16 article in the New York Times explained how one smart CEO handles big mistakes by his employees. Dan Schneider doesn’t berate, he doesn’t scream, he doesn’t even reprimand. Instead, he has the mistake maker throw the staff an ice cream party. “I don’t really yell anymore because it accomplishes nothing,” he says.

No yelling, just ice cream. Photo by LotusHead, Wikimedia Commons

Now, there’s some evidence that drawing attention to a mistake makes your learner more likely to repeat it. But usually when you make a big fat mistake on the job, you are well aware already! No attention need be drawn. Schneider’s response is brilliant. He imposes a cost (ice cream isn’t cheap), but that cost doesn’t involve fear. In a workplace with a collegial atmosphere, I’m willing to bet it’s not humiliating either. And the experience of sharing pleasure at the ice cream party could encourage staff to respond to errors not by trying to hide them but by trying to fix them.

It’s very similar with dogs…

Continue reading ‘How to Correct Mistakes? (Hint: With Ice Cream, Not Cottage Cheese)’

Chocolate = Doggie Doom on Halloween!

Published October 25, 2011 Dog Trainer 2 Comments
Tags: ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerZombies looking for tasty brains, I scoff at you! Number One Scary Halloween Thing:

Chocolate. AAAAAGH!

Chocolate contains methylxanthines, mild stimulants that feel oh-so-good to us…but not to your dog! Chocolate can make your dog vomit and give her diarrhea, and that’s the least of it. High doses of chocolate can cause seizures and even death. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. If you have any artisanal single-plantation 85% cacao bars around, eat ‘em or stow ’em.

Living Dead, Shmiving Dead. Just don't give your dog chocolate. (Wikimedia Commons)

Raisins! Grapes! Macadamia Nuts! Xylitol!

Raisins and grapes, organic or not, seeded or seedless, can destroy your dog’s kidneys. Nobody knows what the toxic agent is or how high a dose will harm any individual dog. As for macadamias, symptoms of poisoning include wobbliness, fever, and good old fashioned vomiting. Mix macadamias and chocolate and you have Tasty Snack of Death. Continue reading ‘Chocolate = Doggie Doom on Halloween!’

Weird Smiley Things, People on Stilts, and Don’t Forget the Segway

Published October 20, 2011 Dog Trainer Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerThis morning, my boy Juniper and I took our usual long, sniffy walk — well, he sniffs; I take less of an interest in urine and dead pigeons. We were nearly home when he stopped dead in his tracks, sat, and looked transfixed at something in the gutter. It was this:

OMG THOSE EYES !!!!!

I was just about to give Juni the cue “Leave it” and walk away when I realized that no, I want him to inspect this peculiar object that has caught his attention, because once he’s checked it out and discovered that it’s neither edible nor aggressive he’ll be done with it. And on the off chance that we ever come across another weird smiley item, he won’t worry about it. So I gave him permission to go sniff (he was in Patiently Request Things by Sitting mode), he sniffed for approximately .5 seconds, and that was that. Back to fire hydrant inspection.

THE EYES on that whatever-it-is are, I’m pretty sure, what drew Juni’s attention so sharply. They’re much more prominent in real life than in my crummy cellphone photo. They got me thinking about a non-episode from last weekend that I took for granted.

Continue reading ‘Weird Smiley Things, People on Stilts, and Don’t Forget the Segway’

Dog Expressions Explained

Published October 19, 2011 Dog Trainer 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

By the Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerDogs make plenty of different facial expressions. If you can decode what they mean, you’ll be  able to better understand your dog.

It’s All in the Eyes

Who's excited? I am! (via tsuacctnt/Flickr)

Guilty, Guilty, Guil — Oops, Not Guilty

Published October 13, 2011 Dog Trainer 2 Comments

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerFirst, watch this priceless “guilty dog” video:

[Insert interval of helpless laughter.]

Now watch it again, and this time keep a close eye on how Tank the Bull Mastiff changes his body language as his guardian speaks to him. I think he looked a little subdued even to begin with, probably because of that garbage-can-lid neck gear … but still, this video is a perfect example of how easy it is to make our dogs appear “guilty.” The man in this video is super, super mild — even humorous — in the way he reprimands Tank, but it’s enough to produce that look.

People who study dog cognition and behavior are just about 100 percent sure that dogs don’t connect their humans’ reprimands with their own behavior unless the reprimand is instantaneous. (And even then, dogs sometimes get the wrong idea. The classic example is the puppy scolded for a housetraining mistake. His guardian thinks she’s scolding him for peeing in the house. He thinks she’s scolding him for peeing. Oops, way to teach the puppy not to pee in front of you but go behind the sofa instead.)

Anyway, Tank here has a clue that his person’s Not Pleased About Something, and maybe he has a clue that Something has to do with his person being present at the same time that there’s garbage on the floor, but there’s a snowball’s chance that he’s thinking anything like “Oh, I really shouldn’t have dumped out the garbage.” And as for feeling guilty — we can’t prove for sure that he doesn’t, but probably not.

Continue reading ‘Guilty, Guilty, Guil — Oops, Not Guilty’

Econo-Dog Goes to the Vet (or, Better Yet, Doesn’t Need To)

Published October 8, 2011 Dog Trainer Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

What would you spend to keep this little guy healthy? (via sean94110/Flickr)

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerVet costs can be scary high, and the odds are also scary high that at some point in your dog’s life she’ll need pricey care. In my own home a couple of months ago, a guest who didn’t know better left several boxes of raisins in doggy reach. Raisins and grapes can trash dog kidneys, so when induced vomiting didn’t bring up enough of the goods, it was off to the emergency hospital with Juni, and there went $900. Ouch.

Emergencies aside, there are ways to keep vet costs down without shorting your dog. The opposite, in fact. Just as with human health, preventive care is cheap and will save you a mint in the long run.

In my episode on deciding whether you’re ready to get a dog, I discussed some ways of keeping down start-up expenses, like spay/neuter. Once you’ve got your dog, here are 4 ways to help keep her healthy and long-lived:

Continue reading ‘Econo-Dog Goes to the Vet (or, Better Yet, Doesn’t Need To)’

Econo-Dog: The Toy Department

Published October 3, 2011 Dog Trainer 2 Comments
Tags: , ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerDogs don’t care a bit about brand names and they don’t feel hurt if you can’t lay out the big cash for toys and equipment. Their main daily needs are for attention, affection, and physical and mental exercise. Hey, how much money does it cost to give Dogalini a walk?

As for toys, you can leave your credit card panting in agony after a trip to the pet supply store, or try some low-cost and no-cost alternatives.

Banana in striped pajamas gets short second career as dog toy.

Those $10 stuffed toys dogs love to disembowel can be found at thrift stores and garage sales, disguised as kids’ stuffed toys. Choose ones stuffed with kapok rather than pellets, throw them in the wash to get rid of any fumigants, cut off buttons or other decorations, and for $0.25, you’re good to go.

Food-dispensing toys? Do invest in a few durable ones that are safe for your dog to use alone (Kong and Everlasting Fun Ball, for instance). But if you’re home to keep an eye on Dogalini, take an empty, clean, dry plastic soda bottle or milk jug, put some dry food in it, leave it open, maybe cut a few more holes in it, and let her shake and chew it to get out the food.

Save cardboard paper towel cores, put dry food inside, and fold over the ends. Rip! Shred! Recycle!

Continue reading ‘Econo-Dog: The Toy Department’

“My trainer said my dog should be on Prozac!”

Published September 26, 2011 Dog Trainer 3 Comments
Tags: , ,

By The Dog Trainer

The Dog TrainerThat trainer is subject to criminal penalties. In some states, he might even be a felon. No joke! Because when someone who doesn’t hold a license to practice veterinary medicine starts prescribing specific medications, that person is … wait for it … practicing veterinary medicine without a license.

Dog training as a field is just beginning to professionalize — to develop standard requirements for education and practical experience. The best dog trainers these days are well read in the science of animal learning in general and canid behavior in particular. We do make a point of learning what behaviors and changes in behavior mean a veterinary workup is in order. We also keep up in a general way with what behavioral meds exist and what they’re used for. But here are some things I for one don’t know, or don’t know in detail:

  • all the potential side effects of behavioral medications
  • how behavioral meds may interact with other medications the dog is taking
  • how behavioral meds may be used in combination
  • canine neurology and neuroanatomy

Unless your trainer happens to also be a vet, look at her cross-eyed if she starts prescribing. And even if she is a vet, you might want to do some grilling. What to look for?

Continue reading ‘“My trainer said my dog should be on Prozac!”’

Blog Home Quick and Dirty Tips Home     About this Blog From the Store Our Experts

Quick and Dirty categories

Twitter Feed

Our Experts Recommend…

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 147 other followers