In my behavior forms I ask people what they would most like to change about their dog's behavior. I then ask them to give alternatives. For instance I often get, "Stop his jumping" as the unwanted behavior and the alternative response, "Stop jumping". Okay great but what is it we want the dog to do? The simple answer is nothing. We want the dog to stop jumping up. So the most logical thing to do is reward the dog when he is not jumping up. 

Sounds simple right? The key to making this work is to work so quickly that at first your dog doesn't have the opportunity to even think to jump up. At first the only thing keeping their paws on the ground is your rapid fired treats thrown to the ground. after 10 rapid fire treats give your dog a few seconds to look up at you and remain with four on the floor. Slowly start to build the amount of time between treats. If you have taught sit chances are your dog may default to that, this is a jackpot moment. Use aleash tied to something, this will allow you to back up out of your dog's reach if they do forget and jump up on you. This is a punishment since you are removing something your dog wants (You). If your dog likesto jump up or mouth you when being pet you can also mark and reward the absence of that behavior. 

This works for many unwanted behaviors. Does your dog bark? Reward quiet. See my blog on using kongs to reward quiet. Does your dog mouth you? Bite the leash? Pull on leash? Chase the cat? Rewarding your dog when they are not doing these behaviors will lead to success. Set your dog up to get it right and make it worth their while. Check out this video of me rewarding the "nothing" to help Dex learn to stop jumping.

Dear Mr. Millan,
Let me start by saying when I first watched your show I was impressed. Your ability to help problem dogs and their owners resonated with me because that is my life's work. Your timing is excellent and I think I could put it to good use with a clicker in your hand. I soon fell out of love after watching a seminar of yours the same day I watched a Turid Rugaas DVD on body language and Sue Sternburg's Bite-O_Meter. Every stress and warning sign they spoke of I saw on your program and I was very confused. I knew from a young age that positive training is better and faster but what you did looked like magic. I learned about the arguments against dominance theory and punishment based training, along with the proven science behind positive training. TV is the only magic involved in your program. Your passion for what you do is evident and I don't think you love your dogs any differently than the way that I love mine. That is why it is my wish that you see them for what they truly are, wonderful, unique, and totally their own species. I am not a pack leader Mr Millan and I encourage you to let that go too.

I don't hate you Mr Millan, as my many in my profession do. I want to teach you, I want you to cross over and become a phenomenal force for force free training. Like so many others before you. I know you can do it too. I am a positive reinforcement trainer and I walk the walk. I promise to use TAG teaching to reward the behavior I like while setting you up to succeed by having you train a dog off leash. I'd let you start with Yuna, shes very forgiving of novice trainer mistakes. She doesn't have any behavior problems, even though I start everyday with affection. Affection also occurs during her exercise, which doesn't come in the form of endless walks but rather in a conditioning trick routine all of which she has learned without me laying hands on her. Discipline isn't really necessary since she is in control of herself, which again was taught without touches or pssts. We could take her on a walk, we'll use a jogging leash so you're not tempted to jerk on her and you can see how letting the dog sniff and explore is more beneficial that a forced march. She wont pull you, but she'll use as much of the leash as you give her. Yuna is a supremely confident dog, other dogs flock to her at a dog park and follow her wherever she may go. She does not need to prove anything because she is in control, she would be an example of a "dominant" dog. Not the dogs that posture, growl, and lunge.

Nitro would have been what you consider "red zone". My little ten pound monster. Six months ago when I adopted him he would whirl and bark when anything moved. From other dogs to leaves blowing across the ground. A consistent application of counter conditioning and becoming the most lovable and exciting thing around has changed that. He did just show me that bicycles are a challenge, I welcome you to watch me work him and see that positive reinforcement does in fact work on aggression. When we went to visit him at the rescue he was so fearful that we almost didn't take him home but my heart is louder than my head. The rescue that had him followed your methodology and within a week of leaving them he blossomed. He is shaping up to be everything I wanted and more. He is just enough challenge and all heart. I think he could teach you a lot. 

I too work with aggressive dogs. I am a last hope for many. Many of those people have gone to trainers that use similar methods to yours. You see, the most dangerous byproduct of your training is suppression. Can you explain to me how touching, tapping, and psstsing changes a dog's behavior? It works by punishing the unwanted behavior. In that moment the dog is more afraid of what you might do than the trigger they are facing. There are several problems that are now created. You see, the dog still feels the same way about the trigger if not worse. Whether it was fear, frustration, or insecurity now the threat of "touches" looms above them. Suppression is dangerous, the dog understands that if he barks or growls you will touch them again and that you will escalate and become more dangerous. But the trigger is still uncomfortable, you have done nothing to change how the dog feels or made a positive association. Now we have a dog that will bite without warning because growling or barking will cause you to become scary. My methods work, they work in the real world and they last a lifetime. There is no need to lay hands on dogs to change their behavior. Touching an animal is a privileged Mr. Millan, not a right.
 
Dogs are not wolves. Let me repeat that for you, dogs are not wolves. They have been on a separate path for thousands of years. To say that dogs think and act like wolves is an insult to them. It is the same as comparing chimp and human behavior, am I throwing my feces at you Mr Millan? No, and not because a country separates us but because I again, believe in rewarding behavior I like and creating positive associations. Furthermore, wolves do not practice dominance in the way you believe. They are a family unit, there is a mother, a father, offspring about a year old, and pups. Wolves do not fight for dominance, when they are old enough they go off and form their own packs. Young wolves do not fight with their parents for breeding rights to their parents. You've said that dogs do not follow the most lovable leader and there I have to disagree with you as well. I'm the pied piper; whenever I go, dogs follow, with or without food. Why? Because I'm the most fun and exciting thing around, they never know what I'm going to do next. In feral dog populations dogs do not live in packs rather they hang out in ones and twos. They choose to spend their time with the dogs they enjoy not the ones that are snappy or pushy. I want my dog to want to be near me, spend time with me, and provide the type of companionship only a dog can provide.

Many experts have already told you that your methods are outdated and there are better more effective ways of obtaining calm relaxed behavior from our dogs. Why on earth would you listen to a random trainer in Wisconsin? Well Mr Millan I'm here to tell you that I am the future of dog training. I am not quite thirty and I will be training dogs long after you have left this world. I also couldn't help but notice in a recent video that caused quite a stir that your reflexes aren't what they used to be. Switching to positive reinforcement is much less wear on the body. In fact despite the numerous aggression cases I have worked I've never been bitten and that is a point of pride for me. Plus there is no physical altercations, ever. I know you love dogs Mr. Millan and I admire your ability to empower people and that is what I want to do for you. I want to empower you to become a cross over trainer. You could positively influence the dog owning population. It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. I'm asking you to swallow your pride and start the excellent adventure into the world of positive training. Consider this an open invitation to come learn anytime. I will teach you with compassion and praise and you will become a better person and an amazing trainer. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time, please Cesar, expand your knowledge and do what is right for the dogs we are so passionate about.

Sincerely,
Ally Murdock
Incredible training, incredible dogs. 

Puppy class! Puppy class! Puppy classes! There are few things as fun as being in a room full of puppies!! I am very excited to start teaching puppies again and this time with all my own material. I have so many great ideas for socialization and creating tomorrow's incredible dogs! 

A well run puppy class is worth your puppy's weight in gold. Lack of socialization is the number one cause of unwanted behaviors such as fear and aggression. Unwanted behaviors are the number one reason dogs end up in shelters and ultimately put down if decided un-adoptable. I have known for a long time that training is the number one way to solve the unwanted animal crisis in America.

My classes will focus on exposing puppy to a myriad of new people, dogs, surfaces, and situations. When people think of socialization they tend to think about having their puppy meet new people and dogs but that is only part of the puzzle. When puppies are young (8-16 weeks) they are learning what is normal in everyday life. Now is the time to prepare your future dog for what they will experience in their day to day lives.

The other very important piece of the puzzle is that experiences must be pleasant not just happen. If your puppy is worried about a new person, dog, or thing allow them as much space as they may require. Use treats and praise to help your puppy recover and relax but do not force them closer or put them in the "scary" person's lap. A negative experience could mean months or even years of recovering. Calm, gradual, and thoughtful socialization is the key to confident social dogs. 

 Click "Read More" for the puppy checklist I will be providing to my students on their first night of class:

I started to teach Stark how to weave when he was fourteen months old, unfortunatley an injury has kept him from completing his training. I will update this blog when Nitro starts his weave training (in six months). I prefer the 2x2 method of weave training for at home learning and no other method beats the understanding a dog will have of entrances from this method. In class we start on 2x2 and then move to channel as it is easier or those that only practice in class.

Once your dog accuratly and enthusiastically running through the first two weaves it is time to add another set. At first you are going to reward between the two sets as they are, to your dog, two separate obstacles. Reward with a treat from your hand and then allow your dog to offer the second set. Since by now you've spent lots of sessions rewarding going through the poles your dog should run right to the next set. I like to start them about ten to fifteen feet apart and move them closer by about a foot every several reps. Within about three sessions I want to be able to only reward the second set of poles. Stark moved through this step in one session. I also use my treat and train because it makes timing of the marker and the reward placement perfect. In this video I added a third set but in th session after that I changed my mind and worked only with the two sets to keep his speed up. I would not recomend putting all three together like that, it was too much too soon. By the end of the last video the two sets are all the way together and he is actually weaving. This entire process for us took about a month working every other day two or three sessions in that day. Adding the third set is done the same way, keeping the first two sets together and putting the third five to ten feet away. Reward for the first two and then allow your dog to offer the third. Same as before, quickly fade out the middle treats. You can continue this pattern until your dog is weaving all twelve poles.

It is no secret that I love play. It is one of my favorite topics to learn and write about. It also happens to be my favorite thing to do with my dogs. Luckily for me (and them) our training sessions flow in such a way that if you asked them which they were doing they probably couldn't tell you. They would rather ask, "There's a difference?" 

But there are rules to play and they might not be what you think. In order to be used as a reward, play must be reinforcing, not the toy. If you throw a ball and your dog gleefully chases after it but then plays keep away the toy is the reward not the play. The problem this presents is that of conflict. If there is conflict in the training you will see toy chewing, reluctance to give up the toy, toy shaking, and racing quickly away. If you have to do this little song and dance every time you reward with a toy many things are going to happen; your dog will lose drive, your dog will lose focus, and you will become frustraited. 

There are many small steps I take to teach my dog that I am really fun to play with. I want them to know that we're equal partners in all of our games. These steps consist of teaching self control for toys, their actions push me to play, and I'll always give the toy back. It is a myth that you have to win the toy, we don't need to prove we're in charge. We are partners in this game. 

Before I have these rules in place I do not use toys as a reward in training. I will use them in between food training to play and keep my dog happy. Playing blows off steam and learining is stressful (not all stress is bad). It is also a good way to split what you're teaching so you don't blend criteria. Going from this high up state and then back down again is also valuable to me as that is the core of success in agility. (And several other dog sports.) 

The video is of Nitro's first session using toys as a reward. I adopted him a month ago and have been working at establishing a little bit of self control. Nitro is an over the top crazy puppy, very determined. At his last home he had learned that if he jumped around, nipped hands, and barked his head off it worked and he got what he wanted. He was also very wary of me when he had anything in his mouth, he had bitten me twice. What better way to teach him to trust me than building a cooperative working relationship through play. Teaching him to let of of a toy AND THEN restrain himself was and continues to be his biggest challenge. I have to watch him and keep him confident so we avoid conflict. Still a lot more work to be done but his skills are developed enough to use in training.

This is our first time using a toy as a reward, his second time seeing tunnels. I may have been over eager and lumped criteria together but I noticed it during the session and smoothed it out. Above all he is having a grand time. I see glimpses of brillance here. Nitro will keep me on my toes, he has already made me a better trainer.

Towards the four minute mark Nitro prefectly demonstraits why I want to avoid conflict. I asked for too much because he was doing so well! Oops, that was great but what is he going to remember? The awesome tunnels or being worried about me taking the toy? I make up for it by being fun and keeping it easy. Taking over a minute to just play with lots of easy outs and chasing. Then I again make it too hard! Sorry Nitro, I have to work at your pace, I'll get better! He was still having a blast, it is obvious when he chases after me asking that the session not end. Nitro is very different from my other two mild mannered dogs. With them I have always put drive over control, while Nitro just oozes drive, with him I will favor control. I can't wait to see where this crazy little dog takes me!

I've heard this phrase, you've heard this phrase, it is actually pretty okay advice. Most dogs are understimulated both mentally and physically and once around the block is not enough to quell their energy. Heck with some dogs a two hour walk isn't enough. So you start playing fetch and walking for two hours but still your dog is full of energy. "He could go all day", you tell me and I believe you! Because you have inadvertantly created an athelete so now you must sustain that athelete or deal with his wrath. Are you seeing the problem here? More exercise means more energy and when you don't meet that need unwanted behaviors intensify.


So what is an owner of an energetic dog to do? The answer is simple, teach them how to relax. Since we know that behavior that is reinforced get repeated we can do just that. Catch your dog when they are doing nothing. That's right, reward the nothing. This is such a hard concept to grasp because we humans are so obsessed with pointing out the wrong. Think about it, what do you want your dog to do a vast majority of the time? Most answer that they want their dog to lay in their bed or in other words, do nothing. 


Dogs that seem to have endless energy are the ones who are not getting enough restful sleep. Dogs need to sleep about half the day away and puppies need almost 20 hours! That frantic energy that seems to turn your darling into a hell beast is the same as a toddler screaming that they aren't tired. Self soothing through crates and tethers can help your puppy or dog learn their natural rhythm and therefore become more relaxed and less hyper.


In addition to rewarding the nothing the following behavior can be taught using a mat. This is how many service dogs are trained to relax in public places. This is also perfect for families with new babies as the dog can do settle time while your little one does tummy time.
 I tell my puppy clients that if they only teach their puppy one thing it should be this:


Settle on Mat: This will allow us to start to capture calmness. We will start by building up a doggy magnet to our selected mat. This mat can be anything, a dog bed or a bath mat it doesn’t matter but the mat should be the same for this exercise. We will start by creating a “doggy magnet” and we will see the dog start to gravitate toward the mat whenever it is presented. Then we will be able to put it to a verbal cue for later use with the door/visitors and other high energy situations.

 Step one: Set up the space. We want a mat and a chair set up in a space with no other easily accessible things that might attract your dog’s attention. Have something to occupy your hands/attention such as a book/laptop/tablet and a handful of tasty treats.

Step Two: Bring your dog to the space on leash and simply sit down and wait. As soon as they step a paw onto the mat, drop a treat on the mat. We are not using a marker word as usually it implies excitement and action while this is quite the opposite. Reward if the dog STAYS on the mat with another dropped treat.

·         If he attempts to “mug” your treats simply ignore him, which is why you have something else to occupy yourself.

Step Three: After a couple dropped treats for being on the mat now wait for either a sit or a down, reward with a dropped treat. Now that your dog has offered the sit/lay down do not drop treats for just being on the mat. If he stays in his sit/down drop another treat preferably between his paws.

Step Four: Once the dog is lying down continue to drop treats until your handful is gone. If he gets up just wait for him to lie back down and then continue to drop treats. Once your handful is gone use and end cue such as, “All done”, get up, unleash, pick up the mat, and continue with your daily activities.

Step Five: Once your dog has the hang of lying down on the mat every time it is around we can start to reward calm behaviors instead of just dropping treats. A list of calm behaviors

·         Slinging hips to one side

·         Deep breaths/sighs/Yawning

·         Squinty eyes/blinking/Staring at a fixed point

·         Head down

·         Relaxed ears

Tips and tricks: Try not to reward the same behavior again and again, smart dogs will try and offer those in particular and that is NOT calmness (it's cleverness). Start with the same amount of treats every time and slowly start to raise the amount of time before the next treats, you should be lengthening every session slowly.

 

In my last post I talked about the idea of stuffed toys and how they can improve your life with your dog. Today I want to talk about how to hook your dog on stuffed toys. Even if your dog isn't very food motivated they can learn to love their kong, it just takes a little training.

Start with your dog's kibble and some high value mixer like canned dog food. Call your dog into the kitchen and stuff the kong right in front of them. Tantalize them with a lick or two as you stuff and act really excited about the food you're stuffing in it. Like you are holding yourself back from devouring it yourself. (Pro tip: Put the kong upside down in a coffee mug for easy stuffing) Don't mix the kibble with the tantalizer but rather layer it so it is easy to un-stuff.

Once you've finished stuffing it excitedly move over to your dog's bed and give it to them. Here is the trick, only let them chew for thirty seconds. Then get their attention with a super yummy treat and toss it away so your dog has to move away from the kong. Scoop up the kong and put it in the fridge for ten or so minutes, then give it again and repeat the process. The reason for this is to build excitement, anticipation, and enjoyment your dog relates to the kong. Think about when you're doing an activity you enjoy and you are called away. All you want to do is get back and continue that fun activity. We  can create the same feeling in your dog
You are doing several things here: 

1. Preventing Resource Guarding by reinforcing a trade
2. Preventing/treating separation anxiety by creating good feelings when you leave and slight disappointment when you come back
3. Building your dog's value for the kong
4. Building your dog's value for laying in their bed (if your dog takes the kong of their bed try tethering them to a heavy piece of furniature so they can only be on their bed)
5. Encouraging calm quiet behavior

Continue this and lengthen the time your dog gets to sit and chew. Try by increasing the time in thirty second increments. If at anytime your dog becomes disinterested in the kong (and it isn't empty) you have given it too long. Take it away and try again in another half hour. Also be sure to change up what you are mixing in so your dog doesn't get bored. The more food motivated your dog the easier this process is and the less time you'll have to spend to hook them. The less interested your dog is in food the longer this can take. Very food motivated dogs will love this so much you can simply get the dog kibble wet and freeze it for a cheap and easy version.

It is a good idea to replace just one meal a day (usually dinner) with a stuffed kong. The hungrier your dog is the quicker the process will work. It has been shown over and over that animals prefer to work for their food. This is one of the most natural and benefitial ways for your dog to eat.

In my next and last post on this topic I will talk about different ways to stuff kongs. From the very easy for a beginner dog, to advanced kong stuffing for super clever and experienced dogs.

What do you think? Will you give it a try? Any questions or comments? Leave them below!