Dog "Tails" . . . It's more than just a wag

Who knew . . .

In a recent New York Times article, "If You Want to Know, if Spot Loves You So, It’s in His Tail" (Published: April 24, 2007) Sandra Blakeslee explains the current science behind understanding dog tail wags.

Did you know . . . ?

When dogs feel fundamentally positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rumps. When they have negative feelings, their tail wagging is biased to the left.

The article is fascinating in that it goes on to explain that this right brain vs. left brain distinction in various circumstances also exists in many species.

Research has shown that in most animals, including birds, fish and frogs, the left brain specializes in behaviors involving what the scientists call approach and energy enrichment. In humans, that means the left brain is associated with positive feelings, like love, a sense of attachment, a feeling of safety and calm. It is also associated with physiological markers, like a slow heart rate.

At a fundamental level, the right brain specializes in behaviors involving withdrawal and energy expenditure. In humans, these behaviors, like fleeing, are associated with feelings like fear and depression. Physiological signals include a rapid heart rate and the shutdown of the digestive system.

One of the scienfitic anatomical explanations is that . . .

The asymmetry may also arise from how major nerves in the body connect up to the brain, said Arthur D. Craig, a neuroanatomist at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Nerves that carry information from the skin, heart, liver, lungs and other internal organs are inherently asymmetrical, he said. Thus information from the body that prompts an animal to slow down, eat, relax and restore itself is biased toward the left brain. Information from the body that tells an animal to run, fight, breathe faster and look out for danger is biased toward the right brain.

Go check out the whole article, it's a facinating read.

Who knew . . . ?
you do now!

"Down the White Rabbit Hole" again . . .

There are two ways to spend your Sunday mornings when you own a dog and you have a blog. Option 1) Dog Dreams - & other Sunday morning reflections, or option 2) "Chasing White Rabbit's" on a Sunday morning.

As I got to sleep in yesterday and it was my turn to get up with the dogs today there was no enjoying option #1. So this morning finds me "down a rabbit hole again" as I enjoyed option #1 on Saturday. Here's what I've found so far "chasing white rabbits" this morning.

Check out the beautiful work of animal portrait artist Katja Turnsek, from Sweeden at Pet Portraits, by Katja Turnsek. She also has a Blog, where you can read about some of her current projects. She also offers generous Free Stuff on her website that features her artwork.

Then I owe a huge thanks to Karen Shanley for the new link in my side bar tab:

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

DOG TRAINING & CARE TIPS

from James & Kenneth Publishers. They are "proud to publish all of Dr. Ian Dunbar’s dog-friendly dog training books and DVDs". Also available on their website: [Excerpt]

In our attempt to educate prospective puppy owners before they get their puppies, we have convinced Dr. Ian Dunbar to allow us to offer his book BEFORE You Get Your Puppy for free.

Also check out this great FREE article ontraining your "Hyper Dog". This in only one of several other great FREE articles in their Behavior Problems tab on their website. The website also offers for sale Ian Dunbar's DVD's and Books.

Taking a different turn in my journey here's a couple great product finds:

If you are looking for a waterproof blanket here is the best product result I've found so far: Mambe Blankets. Here are some of the qualities of the "Outdoor Polarfleece® Blankets" If this is what your looking for than look no further:

• Stay Dry: 100% water-proof and wind-proof
• Lots of colors and prints
• Sizes for 1 person up to 10 or more
• Easy Care - Machine washable
• Guaranteed for life
• FREE Shipping!

Along those same lines is the "Mega Mat™ padded picnic mat" from "The Kitchen Store".

If you have a large dog or two medium-large dogs like I do than maybe you'll be excited with the great dog bed finds at Mammoth Outlet like I was. I haven't ordered from them myself but their prices are really competitive. If anyone has ordered from them please leave your feed back here in the "tail wag" comments section. I'd love to hear about your experience as I'll be updating some of the beds around our house in the next 6 months.

A "Tired Dog" is a "Good Dog"

And now back to our regularly scheduled topic.

When you own a dog, not to mention a big dog, and he just happens to be a reactive big dog, you are very familiar with the idea that "a tired dog is a good dog." That being said, be very careful just how quickly you jump to this solution. The phrase should really be "a calm dog is a good dog." When I say calm I mean a dog that has self control, a dog that can self calm, one that can modulate it's own behavior on command. At the very least it is a dog that will hold a neutral position whether that is a "sit" or a "down" despite being excited, until they are calm.

When I started classes with Trish I figured that exercising them before class would help. It totally backfired on us. Instead of being easier to direct Shelby was even more "ampted" up.

My girlfriend who has a "reactive" female Labrador decided to put her in agility. The logic being that it would focus her energy and give her an outlet for all her extra energy. Her dog did well but in her second class she was bit by one of the other dogs. There are so many things that should have been done differently to avoid her dog getting bit but that's not the point here.

My point is however that an easily over excited dog should not have another over stimulating outlet for their energy until they have a bit more self control. If you want to hear from the experts as to what this should look like check out these great resources:

Guidelines For Teaching Self Control, by Suzanne Clothier
Understanding & Teaching Self Control, by Suzanne Clothier

At our house it looks like the following:

• Both dogs have to go to their bed and lie down quietly before each meal time. (Quietly being the operative word here when it comes to Shelby.)
• Even after their food is served they must wait until I give them the release command which in our house is simply "Release"
• If one dog is getting affection the other can not push in. They are told to "sit" and "wait". Whining and vocalizing gets them nothing but the command to "be quiet". Sometimes I have walked away without giving Shelby even a pat if he has been exceptionally demanding
• If we are going somewhere and they have gotten over excited they have to sit at the open door until they are calm and quiet before I "release" them outside.
• If they are overexcited and barking when we get to the park they have to lay down and not until they are quiet are they "released" out of the car.
• Our dog park is double gated at the entrance. My dogs have to hold a "sit stay" with their leashes off so I can go and open the second gate. They don't move to enter the park until they are "released".
  

This last one has a made a huge difference. Before I started insisting on this, Shelby would make such a racket that all the other dogs that were even slightly excitable would hover by the gate and charge him in their excitement as he entered. He never got hurt but it was enough to make me worry. Now even if we enter with him barking and whining by the time we enter the park any interested dog has lost their initial interest and my dogs can enter without getting mobbed. All around much safer for all the dogs.

One more point to keep in mind is that your dogs will take thier cues from you. It's hard wired into thier instincts as pack animals. When you raise your voice or talk sharply, a dog hears this tone as being excited, similar to barking. Realize that it will only reinforce their already excited behavior, and give them the idea that you are excited too, so it must be okay! Instead speak softly and in quiet tones to get your dog to calm down, and they'll realize soon enough it's not appropriate behavior for the situation.

Trust me this is not an easy thing to always practice when you own a "reactive" dog. They seem to be able to go from "zero to crazy" in a split second all on their own. I continue to struggle with keeping my voice calm everyday. That being said, it's good to keep reminding myself what my focus should be and why. Hopefully it will help you too, if you as well find yourself with a dog that needs self control as much as they need exercise.

"Keeping harmony in the family" - Living in a multi-dog household

If you haven't discovered Karen Shanley's blog yet, it's well worth your time. You can link to her blog anytime from the "button" I put in my right side bar, or you can check out the link in this post. Her blog covers more than just life with her dogs but when she shares her insights on her canine "family members" there's a lot to be learned. In her recent post she offers some great advice in answer to a very important question from one of her readers:

"How to Choose and Introduce a New Dog to an Old Dog"

Take some time to read this great post if you are even remotely considering adding a "family member".

If you are like me and started with two from the start you have my appreciation for the challenges this may have brought you. One of the things you may have not have noticed or considered is shared below. I contributed this to Karen's post in the comments section but on further thought realized that it could really stand alone when it comes to living in a multi-dog household wether or not you are introducing a new dog to a resident dog. I hope that between both posts you will gain some new insight that will make your life with your dogs even better.

My advice on living in a multi-dog household . . .
[taken from my comment on her post]

. . . one thing that may be important to consider in a multi-dog household is that “You” may become the prime target in resource guarding. It was my experience that the more intune I became with my dogs needs (especially during adolesence) the more I realized that when I was giving out affection to one the other would try to push them out of the way to get at me. I had to set up strict boundary commands and used a word they were already learning “Wait”. That meant, “stop, and wait for me to invite you to get some affection”. It was amazing how this improved the over all emotional health for both dogs. Nutmeg became less “needy” and Shelby began to demonstrate better “self-control” even beyond affection time.

Despite how flattering it is to have not only one but two dogs clammering for your attention don’t loose site of their needs in the process.

Another thing that helped build self confidence and anchor my dog’s bond and trust with me is seperate training, play, and affection time with each dog. I don’t know if this element is as important when bringing an older dog into the picture but I can’t see why it wouldn’t also hold ture, at least on some level.

On a side note: I love my two dog household, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I do however wish that I had known from the start what I know today. That being said there is a lot of truth to “experience being the best teacher”.

"Nothing in Life is Free"

I recently came across some very good dog training articles. They are all presenting the dog training concept of "Nothing in Life is Free". This approach is one of the clearest simplest ideas I've seen. The idea makes so much sense on so many different levels I hope you will check it out. Living with a dog or dogs in your family should be a pleasure not a burden. If ever there was a simple owners manual that should come with every dog this would have to be it. Check out these links below:

• Nothing in life is free (pdf download)
• Nothing in Life is Free - Explained further!

On Dog Training in general

• Positive, Negative, Neutral

Even though NILIF is the least of what you should know when it comes to raising a dog it is the simplest starting point I've seen out there that can save even the most careless owner a lot of grief.

Bark Busters - The truth will be told: Part 2

Once again thanks to all for continuing the discussion. I appreciated the link someone provided to the journal entry where another dog owner, Erin, talks about her own personal experience with Bark Busters. For those of you who are interested here it is as an edited active link: journals.aol.com/erinsjournal[ ...]bark-busters. I must however comment on this journal entry.

Erin writes the following:

"The only downside is that during the 5 week training period, the dogs are not allowed to be on the couch or bed when I am. Part of establishing dominance. We still fight about it at bed time every night."

Suzanne Clothier in her book "Bones Would Rain from the Sky" she discusses the absurdity in the notion that to "establish dominance" dogs can not share the couch or bed with you. She points out that the couch or bed is not the issue, the issue is will your dogs willingly give up the location at your request.

Then there is this comment:

"Basically, they teach you how to be the leader of the pack using vocal and body language that my dogs at least, seem to understand."

Is she saying here that Bark Busters teaches owners to use vocalizations such as "growls" and "barks" to redirect dogs? Please, someone correct me if I am wrong. Is this what Erin is referring to when she says: "using vocal . . . language that my dogs at least, seem to understand." If spoken commands can be taught and used for many other behaviors than why are unintelligible sounds needed? We are the ones here with the higher intelligence, are we not? I implore any and all "dog owners and lovers" (hopefully these two are synonymous) to read Suzanne's book. Dogs are very intelligent creatures and with loving, fair, dog compassionate leadership they are the best companions anyone could hope for.

Bark Busters - The truth will be told

One of the things that impressed me the most when I started looking for answers was that the best information I found out there was free. For instance "Flying Dog Press" Suzanne Clothier's website contains free articles she has written that cover many important topics. Topics that people are often seeking answers for when they run into problems. Her love for and compassion for animals and their owners is tangible in everything she writes. Then there are the awesome articles written by various trainers on the Clicker Solutions web site. Once again the training articles are free.

I was reading through a dog discussion forum today and came across this post form someone who shared her experience with Bark Busters. Having never had any first hand knowledge of their approach, as the price alone made me think twice, I was interested in what she had to say. You can read Tricia's post here, and here was Bark Busters response (also see comments). Personally I am still glad I kept looking for other options when a Bark Busters trainer was recommended to me.

As I've said before there is no quick fix, there are no short cuts, the promise of a "lifetime guarantee" is absurd. What you should look for is a trainer who can go the distance with you to help you train your dog the first time with out charging you "an arm and a leg". Dogs are group, family, (yes I'm intentionally avoiding the word "pack") animals. Apart from dog-dog indiscriminate aggression which I will not even venture to offer comment on as I have no training on that very serious issue. It has been my experience that most behavioral issues are best addressed in a group setting. When adolescence issues are most evident around other dogs than they need to be addressed by a very competent trainer in the presence of other dogs. Everything from asking for focused attention, walking on loose leash, coming when called, and polite greetings with other people, are all best taught with the distraction of other dogs and people.

Update 11/17/06:
Here's another first hand experience with a "Bark Busters" Trainer. This one once again confirms my point. Dog trainers are not all of a sudden bullet proof because they are "Bark Busters" trainers. They are human like the rest of us, and it is our responsibility as responsible dog owners to be proactive in the care and training of our dogs. I know a tremendous amount more now about raising and training dogs than I ever did before acquiring my two dogs and I'm not done learning. There are great resources out there for those of us willing to take the time to find them. And the rewards far out way the effort!!

Part 3: Raising two Labrador Retrievers "at the same time" - A few things we have learned

I started this topic here and continued it here in responce to a reader's question as to what we had done specific to having a two dog houseold and raising two puppies at the same time.

Today I found a nice article on the web that addresses this topic very well.

• "DOUBLE TROUBLE . . . Raising Two Puppies At Once!", by Nancy Vollmer.

Many of the pit falls listed here we saw first hand and had to address as they came up. I hope you find the information helpful.

Another good article can be found here:

• "Raising Siblings" (Littermates) or Raising 2 Puppies at the Same Time, by Leah Spitzer

Yes, even the experts say you have your work cut out for you.

Is it worth it? Yes, it is!! Here is another womans perspective on the joys of a two dog household.

• "Two Dogs vs. One Dog", by Karen Shanley

Ian Dunbar: The Original "Dog Whisperer"

Check out this awesome article. Just click on the image above.

Update: 12/15/06
Here's another article you may be interested in: "The Dog Whisper" by Malcolm Gladwell

Part 1: Raising two Labrador Retrievers "at the same time" - A few things we have learned

I mentioned before that, over the course of the past 15 months, I have been blessed with my fair share of "dumb luck" saves. The rest has been hard work with many fun and rewarding moments. I hope the ones I've shared recently have brought a smile. There are a few things now that I may take for granted but on a closer look are worth highlighting as keys to how we made it this far with our sanity intact.

Crate Training:

• Do - From the get go we knew we were going to crate train the dogs - and crate trained they were much to our sanity and survival. It gave them a safe place to be at night, a place they couldn't get into trouble, a place they could relax for a "time out" when they needed it.
• Don't - We thought that at 8 weeks old they should be in the same crate together, but soon found that the scars from them chewing on each other were not a good thing. Not to mention that the racket they could make together was not conducive to a good nights sleep at 4am in the morning.
• Do - By 10 weeks old they were in two separate crates. We kept them in the same room but put a visual barrier between the crates. They are still crated at night even now, except now as they no longer whine at night their crates sit at the far end of our bedroom. A simple "Go to your crates" tucks them in at night. Sometimes when Shelby's extra tired he'll put himself to bed - it's the cutest thing.

Training time:

• Don't - Initially I worked with the dogs together a lot. It saved time, it was easier for me, it seemed to be good for them, but don't be fooled like I was. They started depending and looking to each other instead of me.
• Do - Quickly I saw my error and put in the extra time to train them separately. Shelby is always better by himself even today with obedience activities like "heel walking". You want your dogs to be taking all of their cues from you not from each other - or another dog for that matter. The rewards in doing this far out way the extra commitment of time and energy - trust me!! When five dogs a head of them are charging out into traffic and you call your dogs back, you want them to know that you are more important not the other five dogs they were following.

Feeding Time:

• Do - With two dogs it was easy to imagine how crazy feedings would get if an organized routine wasn't established from the start. So even as puppies, especially once we started our first obedience class at 4 months, they were sent to their beds for "down stays" before they got their food. I would not touch their food bin until they were lying completely down and had stopped whining. Once their food was served they had to acknowledge me by looking in my direction if only for a second. Then a calm "release" freed them to go to their dish. To this day that is our routine for any and every meal, even those away from home. It may be a "sit stay" vs. a "down stay" but they must wait while their food is served and they must wait for a "release" command before going to their food. This has been a good "self control" teaching moment that has carried over to many areas of their life.

Toys through teething:

• Don't - The one good thing our first vet recommended was to not allow the puppies to play with rope or cloth toys and to not give them rawhide bones. The reasoning behind this is that they don't know the difference between cloth and rope they can chew and the rugs, socks, scarves and other personal items you wouldn't want them chewing. She warned that with rawhides puppies can obstruct on them resulting in painful and very costly surgery. Chewed rawhide also is awful close to the texture of leather shoes so don't blame the dog for chewing your $100+ shoes if you have given them rawhides to chew.
  
• Do - We gave our dogs the edible "Nylabone" bones and got through the worst of their teething stage with these. At seven months they got their first real raw bones. We only give them beef femur bones and they have to clean them outside. I prefer the long bone section, and our local butcher will cut it in half for us. The bone marrow is good for them and the connective tissue and meat on the outside is a real treat as far as they're concerned. Their teeth are always cleaner when they're done - Bonus! After they've chewed them clean I drop them in boiling water for 60 - 90 sec. to sterilize them, then they can become inside the house as chew toys. The dogs love them even after they've been cleaned and sterilized and will sit and gnaw on them in the evening. Some owners I talked to swear by "bully sticks" but say they do smell and can stain carpet if chewed indoors. I personally didn't want them to not be able to bring a chew toy inside and once started those were definitely not coming inside our house.
  

Barking at strangers:

• Don't - Avoid harshly reprimanding your dog for barking or growling at strangers that approach your house. Even our people loving, well socialized, Yellow Labradors will bark to alert us if a stranger is approaching or walking outside the gate of our drive. They even let us know when the very familiar and well liked neighbors are stopping by for a visit or quick chat. This is often very frustrating and it's hard to not get annoyed.
  
• Do - Jan Fennell, in her book "Tales from a Dog Listener", offers a better approach and tells her readers to "thank your dog" and then call them to you. This lets them know that it's not their responsibility to worry any further after alerting you. Although the reasoning behind her approach is not completely accurate, (Read: Bones Would Rain from the Sky) the objective is rock solid. We often follow it up with a "leave it" or "that's enough" or "quiet" command. If necessary we send the dogs inside for a down stay on their beds if we're at home or, if we're on a walk, turn and walk a few steps away rewarding them once they turn their attention to us and away from whatever / whoever has set them off. Pat Miller has a great article on this, "The 'Gift' of Growling", that was published in "The Whole Dog Journal". It's available for download from the website.

Taking your dogs "out to eat":

• Do - One of the ideas that came to me when the dogs were puppies was to have a blanket for them when they went out to eat with us. This has been a stroke of genius that two others in the community have adopted with the same success as us. It really was nice to give them a well defined boundary. One they understood with a simple "go to your bed". It also keeps them, even now, from licking at or lying in "under the table drippings" - Bonus!
• Don't - There's nothing more annoying than not being able to navigate the patio due to rude, over excited dogs. Don't be one of those owners. Just because dogs are allowed does not mean their allowed to be rude - and that includes being rude to other dogs.
  

I'm sure there are a couple other things that have become a part of our routine given that we have two dogs and as I think of them I'll comment on them. I hope the ones I've presented above help those of you who are starting out with two as well or those of you considering it in the near future. My only disclaimer on this is that some of the rules and boundaries we have at our house are because we live in a neighborhood where we want to be conscientious of those around us, we want to share the limited open space respectfully with others, and we want the dogs to be able to politely join us out in the community.

Part #2 continued here.

Part #3 continued here.

Are Labradors really "physically insensitive"?

When I first started this blog I went looking through all the different resources I had collected in my journey so far, books, internet articles, websites that I had book-marked. I included a excerpt from one that talks about Labrador's being "physically insensitive". I'm beginning to think that this could very well be used as a cop-out and is potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. The statement in it's entirety was the following:

The reasons that Labradors give the impression of being hard-headed is because they are physically insensitive.

My change of thought has come from being more observant of the subtle insights my dogs offer every day. In taking the time to appreciate quite time just watching them play I've noticed that even a whisper of disturbance across Nutmeg's fur sends her spinning to investigate. We have a tree that over hangs the driveway where they play. At the moment it is shedding the tiniest of yellow flowers. When they happen to land on her she notices immediately. If she has laid down for a while and one stays on her as she gets up to move she's quick to notice and turn to investigate before shaking it off.

How can this obvious keen perception be called "physically insensitive". It seems to me that something else is going on when it comes to Labradors. It is a bit more plausible to me that Labradors, not to mention any dedicated and determined dog, when given a task will go through "hell and high water" to complete the task for a well loved owner. Dogs will also offer this determination for something of their own interest, ie. a squirrel, bird, favorite ball, favorite treat, etc. In light of this I believe that our obligation is to offer something of greater reward to them.

When they are yanking and pulling at the leash about to rip our arm out of the socket - is there a word, a command, a request we can make that can turn off that impulse? Have you taken the time to condition them so completely to know that what you have is better? Can we turn the determination and dedication they focus on the squirrel back on us at our request? This I know will not be something that happens over night. And some breeds of dogs will be more challenging than others. But can it be done? Yes, I believe it can. And taking the short cut with harsher more physically painful measures is a dangerous tight rope dance that I personally don't want to walk anymore.

Update 11/17/06:
Reading through the many excellent articles on the Flying Dog Press website I came across this article "Training with the prong collar" that really help make sense of what I've discussed in this post.

"The Dog Whisper" - A Word of Caution

Have you fallen under the spell of Ceaser Millan. Have you watched in complete fascination as he calms the "raging beasts" restoring them once again to "man's best friend".

Don't be fooled - what you are watching is TV. A nicely produced package all wrapped up to appeal to our ego as dog owners. But dig deeper and you'll find that their is nothing positive for the dogs in his approach. There is no room for the loving affectionate relationship that inspired us to embrace a dog as a family member in the first place.

For an eye opening perspective on "The Dog Whisper" check out this New York Times Op-Ed Piece:

"Cesar Milan - Pack of Lies"

Remember one thing if you remember nothing else you've read about how to raise a perfect dog. "Check your ego at the door - there's simply no room for it when you decide to raise a dog you want be your friend for life."

"Money will buy you a pretty good dog,
but it won't buy the wag of his tail."

-- Henry Wheeler Shaw

Teaching your dog "Wait" vs. "Stay"

One of the most valuable things I have learned in the past 16 months in raising two Labradors is the importance of teaching my dogs self control.

Suzanne Clothier has a great short booklet on the subject called: "Understanding & Teaching Self Control". The training tips and advice in this booklet are a great resource and well worth the read. She sums up the importance simply:

"self control . . . leaves more of his mind available for learning and thinking instead of just reacting."

© Copyright 1996 Suzanne Clothier

One of the things I have found is that teaching both a "wait" and a "stay" as separate distinct commands helps with every day routines. As you can imagine with my Labradors, when the water hose comes out they get excited, Shelby in particular. This spring and summer with more free time I began expanding my garden so the hose was out a lot more. Teaching Shelby a solid "leave it", then a "wait" was well worth it. If all went well and I didn't have to drag him inside he got his reward at the end and the fun began. They both love to jump at the water as I play keep away. When it's hot I let him run right at it and chomp and mouth at the rushing stream. In their excitement they tear around the yard and than back to the water again. It's a great "life reward" and their ability to wait has gotten much better. The command "wait" lets us remote open the gate and drive the car into the driveway. They are eager to great us and I don't want to discourage that, but I also do not want them to rush at the car. "Wait" lets them know that they can come out but remain close to the house until we stop the car and close the gate. Then with a cheerful"release" they rush to the car door eager for us to get out. It is amazing to see how the skills carry over from situation to situation. They just seem to get it!! Proof again that a little time and solid training will go a long way to make life with dogs a real joy.

"Stay" on the other hand has allowed me to progress them to being off leash at our local park. I specifically choose quite and empty park times, or right at dusk when we gather with other dogs, to let them play off leash. In the mid morning when the field is clear I know that if another dog is walking the perimeter with it's owner I can put my dogs in a "down stay" and they know they can not move till I say so. This has especially been beneficial if a young child has wanted to come say "hi" to the dogs. I know that a "down stay" will hold my dogs allowing the child to approach without being intimidated as well as allowing the child to have a positive experience. "Stay" also has allowed me to anchor my dogs and leave them to approach someone who does not care to be close to dogs. It gives me the ability to respect others and be a responsible dog owning member of the community. It also gives me freedom to go places with my dogs because there are rules and they know what those rules are.

Great training tips:

• Teaching your dog to wait . . .
• . . . ways to teach a stay
• Teaching "leave it"
  

When I started with basic obedience I figured we'd do an Obedience I & II and that was it; that I wouldn't need anything else. How hard could it be? They were dogs, weren't all dogs basically "good" dogs naturally? The answer is, "yes they are", but 6 months ago we both needed to learn how to communicate and understand each other better. My dogs needed to know where the boundaries were in their world. They didn't teach to this depth in the first class I enrolled in. But now, 6 months the wiser with our new trainer the answer is, "yes of course with the proper training, dogs will always be "good" seemingly naturally."

More Reactive Dog Resources

Here's a great online article that is written with compassion and true experience by a trainer who specializes in reactive dogs.

"Of Knuckleheads and Buttheads: The Reactive Dog", Author Moc Klinkam is Training Director at NorthWest K9

Another good online article and other resources:

"Great Companions: Learn to be your dog's reward", by Ali Brown
"Scaredy Dog! Understanding and rehabilitating your reactive dog", by Ali Brown
"Scaredy Dog! SEMINAR DVD", by Ali Brown

A great article from MySmartPuppy.com

"Helping the Reactive Dog", by Sarah Wilson

A general article on reinforcing calm behaviors for any and all dogs.

"Wild Behavior: How to Help Your Dog Settle Down", by Kathy Diamond Davis

My "Reactive Dog"

If you are asking yourself, "what is a reactive dog?", realize that you are not alone. I had no idea what a "reactive dog" temperament was. If only I had realized sooner that my Shelby is a "reactive dog". So, what is a reactive dog? Here's the best description out there.

The following is an excerpt from the book: "Good Owners, Great Dogs", by Brian Kilcommnos & Sarah Wilson. With written permission I'm thrilled to share an excerpt. [pg 216]

The Reactive Dog

When you restrain him, he gets more frenzied. When you yell at him, he gets more wild. When you correct him hard, he gets worse. You have a reactive dog. The good news is that he is 100% trainable. Reactive dogs have a hard time calming themselves down.They tend to take every emotion you send their way and magnify it. You are upset, they get more upset. With these animals it is mandatory that you be calm, dead calm. If you are calm, they become calm. There are no tricks, no shortcuts. Commands are neutral; correction unemotional, direct and over with. Concentrate on timing and structure rather than force. If you try force, they will get anxious and active. Praise is warm, kind and not too excited.
My personal experience is that the reactive dog is mentally sensitive, eager to please and intelligent. When approached as stupid, stubborn, difficult or untrainable, he becomes those things. With your proper handling and patience, he will become a responsive pet.

Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson

A message from Sarah Wilson:

"My Smart Puppy" - our newest book with a new way of thinking about training - is out October (2006) - and folks can find us (and our message boards) through www.mysmartpuppy.com.

Anyway - happy to help out.

Best -
Sarah

Take a minute to visit their website. The book: "Good Owners, Great Dogs" is a great reference in that it covers all the basics. Great suggestions and advice are presented is a nice easy to access way. Personal stories from years of experience make the book a fun read instead of the usual dry, traditional dog advice books out there. Although it is not specifically a training program book, for the novice dog owner it is a must have - before you get your dog - book. Personally I just wish I hadn't put the book down before getting to page 216. It wasn't until just a month ago that I picked up the book again and said, "I get it, I have a 'reactive dog' ."

Their are great resources out there for those of you like me living with a reactive dog. As I compile them I will share them here. I know I'll be learning in the process too.

Do you have an "Emergency Recall" Cue?

Over the last year I have often said that many of the things I did right were by sheer "dumb luck". For instance, we never allowed the dogs out the walk through gate unless they had a leash on. No real reason behind it we just never did it. Even if we were doing yard work and in the driveway. Now we can leave the gate open or open the large automatic driveway gate and they won't run out. I've noticed lately from simply telling them to "wait" while we drive in past the gait that they wait inside the house now until they hear the gait begin to close before coming out to great us. Of course teaching a "wait" vs. a "stay" has also helped and I've learned has it's value in many other situations. (Perhaps another post)

Then there was about 2 months ago when we met two 5mo old Golder Retriever puppies and their owners at the lake. We were swapping puppy stories and talking about training, how much I had done over the last year, etc. Then one of the women said something that lit up a big light bulb in my head. She said, "yeah, and we're working on the 'emergency recall' and that's coming along real well." I knew exactly what she was referring to and immediately also realized that I had never made a point of training an emergency recall with my dogs. I'd worked very hard on just training a recall and keeping the word "come" or "their name" positive with good rewards for consistent responses from them. Consistency definitely has been an issue in the recent months especially with adolescence. Even now at 16 months and the tail end of adolescence still quite evident, recalls often have something left to be desired especially with my boy "Shelby".

The next week while in Hallmark I saw a small whistle that could sit on a chain around my neck and bought it with the "emergency recall" training in mind. That week we started what last night I learned first hand will save your dogs life.

The evening was going as usual. We were enjoying play time at our park at dusk. We were headed back to the car. An owner and their dog were entering the park and were still by the entrance. Another dog was near by. The owners were talking so the little dog was unleashed to play. The little dog was a yapper and soon had the attention of our dogs and three other dogs. Overwhelmed by the much larger dogs and the enthusiastic interest they were paying it the dog squealed and charged out of the park and into the street. I panicked at first and yelled my dogs names then reached for my neck and blew quick sharp chirps from our "emergency recall" whistle. To my absolute relief just as they hit the exit they turned around and headed back. My heart slowly returned to normal from the adrenaline rush. It took awhile because just as my dogs turned around I watched 4 other dogs from our group run out into traffic after the little dog. I said a quick prayer as I watched owners running while yelling and screaming after them. The good news is that no one was hurt and everyone was leashed and back with their owners within a few minutes. But who needs that kind of stress at the end of the day.

Like I started saying, "dumb luck"! who would have known that an owner would bring a 4mo old little dog who had barely gotten out of indoor puppy class, a class that had only included dogs it's size, to a park. Then with no recall of his own, take the dog off leash. All I can say is if you do not have a well trained "emergency recall" with your dog don't wait another day. I had mine in place just at the right time, literally it has been just the last month. Who knew?!

Magic Emergency Recall Cue: A personal perspective

"Really Reliable Recall" Training DVD
From Dogwise.com

Publisher: Healthy Dog Productions
Edition: 2004 DVD
Price: $29.95
Summary: From well-known trainer Leslie Nelson! Easy to follow steps to train your dog to come when it really counts, in an emergency. Extra chapters for difficult to train breeds and training class instructors.
© Healthy Dog Productions 2004

Great Online finds . . .

The Lab through a Lover’s Eyes:
What It’s Like to Live With a Field Trial Champion
[excerpt]

The reasons that Labradors give the impression of being hard-headed is because they are physically insensitive. We have bred the Labrador to go through ice and briars where no man would go to retrieve a duck, so you can’t easily hurt them, which in a way, is why they’re a good dog to have around kids. People put a leash and buckle collar on them and try to keep them from pulling and when that Labrador doesn’t even notice, people say, "look at the stubborn dog." I would say, "No, that’s not a stubborn dog, he’s just physically insensitive." I don’t think that they are emotionally insensitive. If you’re willing to train in a way that says to the Labrador, “Hey, I’m here, I intend to be a part of your world.” I have found that Labradors will turn around and say‚‘Well, glad to meet you, what would you like me to do for you’?”

Yes, my dogs come from some of the finest field trial champion breeding lines but they are our pets and companions not hunting or trial dogs. And with simply a consistent exercise routine and basic training they are the best companions anyone could want. Of all the breeds of dogs Labradors offer the greatest challenge for the greatest reward. They are constantly learning which is what makes them such great members of the family. Labradors are some of the most emotionally intuitive dogs because of their love to please.
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Get The Facts: What’s Really in Pet Food
Animal Protection Institute
[excerpt]

What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Tips and Smart Ideas:
[excerpt]

• It is good practice to always have your dogs earn their treats and food. Teach your pet commands such as come, sit and down, then give a command for the dog to obey before you provide the meal or treat. Dogs like the opportunity to show that they understand their people and enjoy interaction that leads to rewards and praise. Other advantages of teaching dogs to take food only upon your command: your pet will be less likely to try to steal food, ingest unauthorized substances indoors or outdoors, or accept treats from strangers.

You can also teach your dog to "go to your place" before getting fed, which is especially helpful for dogs prone to begging at kitchen counters and dinner tables.

• "Go to your place" is an extremely useful command when you're cooking, cleaning or engaged in any activity in which the dog's interference could lead to distraction and injury. You can designate a place, say, in the far corner of the kitchen or family room, and place a mat or dog bed there. Teach your dog to associate that place with a special word, such as "place," "spot" or "bed." Then, using positive reinforcement, incorporating praise and small treats as rewards, teach him to "go to your place." This gives the dog something good and acceptable that he can do.

I didn't realize where I had read this great tip - "go to your place" before getting fed - until I started going back through some of my bookmarks to share on the blog. This tip in particular with a two dog household has been invaluable. Some of the ideas expressed here I don't completely agree with but the information is still worth reviewing.
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Where to hike with your dog: (Northern California Area)
[excerpt]

Bay Area Hiker was created to fully explore the diverse and wonderful spectrum of hiking in the San Francisco bay area. This is a work in progress, so if you want to share your thoughts about any hikes that are not yet featured, drop me a line.
Featured hikes will range geographically from around Robert Louis Stevenson State Park to the north, to Mount Diablo in the east bay, Henry Cowell State Park to the southwest, and Henry Coe State Park to the southeast.

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The Vinegar Institute
With so many commercial cleaning product out there that are not safe or less than ideal for a household with pets I began using vinegar for cleaning my kitchen floors. I use a 1:1 vinegar:water and it works beautifully on my linoleum. Check out the webiste for more ideas.
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Adolescence: The Teenage Dog from
[THE CANINE BEHAVIOR SERIES]
[excerpt]

• If you got your dog as a puppy and provided good training, you have an advantage when adolescence arrives but your work is not done. The adolescent dog needs training experiences that the puppy was not ready for. The adolescent dog has questions that didn’t occur to the puppy.
• Best of all, the adolescent dog is ready to begin to bond with you in a whole new way, to form a real bond. Puppies “love everybody,” and if you have a puppy who hates everyone but you, beware! That puppy is not likely to have a good adult temperament.
• Adolescent dogs are ready to make distinctions about the world and the people and other dogs in it. You become an important person in this dog’s life, a beloved partner, if you earn it. This is the time that good leadership with your dog, including good management, good handling and good training, begin to really show results. This is when your dog becomes your dog by the dog’s choice.
• Stay in training classes with your adolescent dog until at least a year of age. Many dogs will need training classes longer. Attend training class with your dog each week and practice the class homework every day. Apply the training in all possible situations so that it becomes integrated into your life with your dog, keeping communication clear between the two of you. Working with a private trainer is a reasonable alternative to classes, provided you and your dog also work in controlled situations around other dogs as you would in a class.
• Be patient with your dog. Don’t interpret your dog’s error during a training session as deliberate defiance. The dog needs to ask questions, and you will be wisest to answer those questions kindly as well as consistently. The dog won’t be any better trained because you get mad in the process.
• As a matter of fact, training done in a playful tone is more effective than getting mad, because this is the most receptive state of mind for learning—and that goes for your brain as well as the dog’s! Have fun when training, and make it fun for the dog, too. Hold the line on the limits of behavior because the dog needs this from you. But don’t fault the dog for having questions. That’s the nature of an adolescent.

Some of the suggestions in the article may seem general, but there are really some great specific suggestions. For instance, with two dogs I knew that the first year was going to include training. I just didn't realize at first how valuable training would be.

Start early, the day they come home, progress to indoor puppy class by at least 3 months, and stick with training well into 18 months especially those of us who have big dogs.

Surviving Puppy Adolescence

Hitting the skids . . .

Everything seemed to be going well until my two dogs hit adolescence. Then things really changed. It didn't help that I had majorly sprained my ankle as they were entering this stage and the weekly hikes came to a complete stop. When we headed back out over a month later all hell seemed to have broken loose. Hiking became a complete battle. With two 7 month old Labradors vs. My arm, shoulder and neck I was losing and losing fast!! Beginning obedience had gone so well with my two labs out performing in every way. My husband and I were so proud. Now intermediate obedience was off to a bumpy start with things going from bad to worse. The suggestions from our first trainer were worthless. I felt she was at more of a loss than we were. She should have been able to help. She was a trainer!! The class format left no room for helping with our challenges and we dropped out and lost half our money - for two dogs. I began my research in earnest at that point. I searched every where for some insight as to how to work with the personality components of a Labrador through this stage of development. I finally found some links that began to make sense of what we were going through.
• Surviving Your Puppy's Adolescence, by Tehani Mosconi
• Puppyhood and Beyond, by Sue St. Gelais
This was the best I found. The second link really helped put things into perspective. But there were still no details on how to deal with my specific day to day issues.

The simple act of taking a walk had become a nightmare. Shelby, our boy, would bark and whine incessantly. Any distraction from a bird or squirrel set him into fits and boy could he bark. Nutmeg, our girl, would take her cues from him and it would go from bad to worse in a heart beat. We were lucky if I could take it for more than a block.

I franticly searched through Amazon's dog training books and the recommendations for each book. Soon I was more confused than when I started. Then by some miracle I found the "Dogwise" web site and the books by Turid Rugaas. I cried as I read her book "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming signals". Finally, I began to understand that they had been trying to communicate with me despite their change in behavior. I now understood when they were trying to calm themselves down, when they were trying to calm me down, and how I could help calm them down in turn. I learned that I could help facilitate the valuable calming behaviors shown here "Calming Signals Picture Gallery". Skills they needed to continue with their training despite the increased impulsivity and highly distractable stage they had entered. Not to mention, these skills were vitally necessary for them to have in order to safely and properly communicate with other dogs they interacted with.

It was also around this same time as well that good fortune also allowed me to find an awesome trainer. The first time we talked Trish spent twenty minutes on the phone with me and never once mentioned that her usual fee is $35/ half hour. Then, knowing full well what was going on with my dogs, she invited me to a class that had been going already for two sessions. A generous offer as a new dog with issues was going to be added to a class just settling down and working well together. I decided to take Shelby as he was the worst offender. Shelby added his fair share of chaos to the class. Trish was patient and understanding. At the end of class Trish worked with us one on one and showed me in a matter of minutes that simply ignoring him until he calmed down was the first and biggest step towards changing his behavior. I didn't need to respond to his bad behavior to effect the change I wanted, I needed to ignore it. As soon and he would stop his whining he immediately got a treat. If he jumped up he was immediately given her back. Quickly taking cues from her that night I ignored him completely but stayed close, giving him my back and offering no eye contact unless he was quite or calm. It was amazing the change in him in just five minutes. Even so they were the longest five minutes of my life.

Things changed dramatically at home after that. When my husband came home from work he would ignore the dogs until they were calm. He would stay in the same space as them but they got no affection or eye contact or verbal acknowledgement until they were calm and quite. By the end of the week the over excitement level at arrival moments was gone within seconds not minutes. We had made a big baby step, but it was only the beginning. The incessant barking during walks took three month to fix. Huge improvement happened in the first month giving me the encouragement I needed to keep going. But they were the longest months ever in the first year.

I found another good book during this time:
• Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide.
I quickly realized after reading Turid Rugaas's book that the more I understood what my dogs were saying to me the more I knew what I needed to do so they understood me. I was more sensitive to there needs because I could make sense of their body language. Trish did warn me to take this book with a grain of salt. The book goes into extensive detail describing the slightest changes in facial expression and puts a label on it. Even I found that keeping it simple and looking for generalities makes more sense. Is your dog happy, sad, fearful, relaxed, or negotiating. These are the basic simple things you need to be able to see, not just in your dogs but in the dogs you encounter in the community while walking your dog. Here's a great article from another very generous trainer that has posted articles to the web:
• The Fine Art of Observation, by Suzanne Clothier

We continued with the training classes with Trish and even she was pleased with the changes. In every class there was always compassion and empathy from her and new tricks to try for the next week. Things began to turn around. I was getting my dogs back and learning more and more about them every day. I was falling in love, head over heals in love!!