Comments for Dancing Dogs

Comment on High Arousal by Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:15:37 +0000

Yes, that IS a good questions. When you are the trigger you can’t very well increase distance! The next best thing you can do is decrease the stimulus that is causing the arousal. Stop Moving is one option. Wait until he is calm then continue 1-2 more steps stopping and holding VERY still, no eye contact, not verbal cues, physical cues, or ANYTHING from you. Any action or verbal cue/reprimand at that point will only increase the arousal and make the behaviour worse. So that is one option. Your second option (and you can teach this separately then add it into the context) is practice a very strong cued behaviour to act as an alternative to the jumping/mouthing arousal behaviour. I would suggest working on a ‘heel’ cue and a U-turn behaviour. Also change direction… a lot. You may not get very far on a walk but you will certainly have a well exercised dog

-Rika

Comment on High Arousal by Karen Goodwin

Karen Goodwin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:12:37 +0000

Hello-
Have any thoughts on what to do if YOU are the trigger of your dog’s reactivity? My dog gets frustrated with me if we’re heading back home from a walk and will start jumping at biting at me, quite hard.

Comment on What would you like in a puppy or dog group class? by Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:58:12 +0000

Hi Judith,
I have long thought it would be a good idea to have a community oriented dog awarness style class/seminar. I think though, that most people don’t feel that they need the help, but they can name many neighbors or relatives that do! So the trick would be convincing people to attend. I think giving people a discount on the dog liscense would encourgae people to come to a community sposored event like that. I wonder if the Mayor would consider sponsoring something something like this?

-M

Comment on What would you like in a puppy or dog group class? by Judith Keegan

Judith Keegan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:33:51 +0000

I’d like to see classes spend more time on owner education. Instruction in why it’s a bad idea to do certain things in certain situations. Example: it’s a bad idea for the small dog owner to pick up his dog when he sees my big one coming; it’s virtually an invitation for my big dog to jump up on the person in order to try to meet the other dog. It’s behaviour we are always working on but in the face of meeting a new dog his instincts are just too compelling. Things such as actually paying attention when walking a dog. Often I see owners dragging a dog along the street by its neck and not paying a single bit of attention to the fact that the dog is trying to relieve itself. Anyone following behind then has to avoid the fouling of the pathway, as these owners never pick up after their dog/s and leave a 20 metre poo trail. Ick. I see one woman who regularly walks her dog while reading a book – she hasn’t foggiest idea what it might be picking up off the street. Basic dog ownership and responsible citizen common sense issues such as inviting strangers to pat the dog’s chest rather than go over his head and risk invoking the defense response. Just my two cents worth.

Comment on Growling and Intimidation by Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:42:16 +0000

Ultimately we have to ask ourselves, not only what behaviour we want from the dog, but also how we want that dog to feel. For many dogs we can accomplish quick traiing by using forceful methods, fear or intimidation and the end result is a trained dog. But also a dog who doesn’t love training or isn’t ver trusting of humans. And for the dogs who truly can’t handle those methods, they bite, or comepletly shut down and are deemed too soft to learn, or too aggressive. Well they are euthanized, problem solved I supose.

Comment on What would you like in a puppy or dog group class? by Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:38:54 +0000

Thanks for the feedback Angi! For me to start classes I have a coupld of hurdles to overcome. One of course is time, continung with my shelter work and the free sessions I give to adopters as well as my regular one on one clients. I have started looking into the possibility of finding 1,2 partners for the business that are also interested in running classes and building/expanding the business. The other is location. Idealing I would buy a building to hold classes in, but realistically (at least for now) I would need to look into borrowing/renting space from local clubs or other businesses, which makes scheduling difficult! Still I am really looking forward to expanding in this way, I think dog classes focused on indicidual issues is certainly the way to go, rather than providing just anouther puppy or adult dog obedience class.
-M

Comment on What would you like in a puppy or dog group class? by Angi Buettner

Angi Buettner — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:43:44 +0000

I think classes are a great idea, Marika. More learning together, for both dogs and humans. I’ve been to a few different training classes with my dog now. I enjoyed them all for the new things I learned about dogs and training. But there are a few things I have begun to think about and would love in a dog class.
First, although I understand the value and importance of focus and being able to work with your dog under distraction, I still think it would be good if there was some kind of space for dogs to socialise with the other dogs and humans in the class, appropriately of course, as a chance to learn how to socialise. In the classes I’ve been to, the focus has been on going through the program, on the dog to learn that particular behaviour right there and then, and on focus … and on keeping the dogs apart. The doggies usually were desperate to interact, or at least say hello, naturally it seems to me, but that was never part of the class, and you end up having to work hard to get that focus of your dog on you. I’m pretty sure that didn’t always make my puppy think that training was actually fun. I just wonder whether it would be possible to integrate what the dogs want to do–play, sniff, take a break–into a class structure.
Second, I’d love to have more time for questions and for working with one’s dog more slowly or carefully, rather than pushing through the program of that class session. I sometimes feel like things are moving on when either me or my dog (or both of us) haven’t quite got it yet.
I’ve also been thinking more and more about wanting to have more–and learn more–about various methods and about individual characters and personality of dogs. How to find the right method for the right dog for learning a particular behaviour? Are there breed specifics and motor patterns that might be limitations to the learning of a certain behaviour? Basically, I guess I’d like to know more about how to train and learn WITH the dog, rather than train the dog.
And, finally, I’d love a class on learning how to read the cues the dogs give (about how they feel, etc.) and on canine body language. Reading a book about that and then trying to ‘read’ a dog isn’t quite the same. And, related, it would be great to get feedback in a class on human behaviour around dogs and on my own body language.

Comment on Growling and Intimidation by Angi Buettner

Angi Buettner — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:06:52 +0000

Thank you for this post. So important to be reminded of this. So many people and books tell you to growl at your puppy/dog when it does something we don’t want it to do–to supposedly communicate in the dog’s language. It seems to make sense initially, but your post is such a great reminder that we humans are not dogs, nor particularly good at being dogs. We crudely imitate one crude part of a whole communicative chain of sophisticated and subtle signals. Both my dogs definitely “speak” more “human” than I speak “dog”, and they certainly read my body language better than I read theirs.
I have a friend who used dog trainers for help with their dog that advocate yelling “baah” at your dog and throwing a chain near them, and now the dog is much more nervous than before, and certainly not so much interested any more in interacting too much with humans.

Comment on Pet Expo Wellington by Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:27:58 +0000

Thanks Sonia! I also had a really good time, one of the most interesting things I noticed when I was chatting with people about their dog’s was that if the dog was over 6 years old they had pretty much resigned themselves to whatever behavioural issues the dog had, they didn’t see the point in trying to change them even if they felt that the issue was a major problem! Interesting eh?

Comment on Pet Expo Wellington by sonia

sonia — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:48:32 +0000

Yes, my poor Spud just wanted to be outdoors doing agility. Not his scene at all. Toto loved it however and lapped up all attention. I was happy to hear many many parents saying “ask first, remember, ask first” and we had some wonderful polite families and children visiting us. All in all we had a great time! Enjoying your blog Marika!