Paws News June 2007

“Paws Abilities”
Behaviour & Learning Centre
JUNE NEWSLETTER 2007:

FROM THE EDITOR:
A warm welcome to all students, behaviour clients, and Paws Abilities friends. I have been extremely remiss in keeping up to date with our Paws newsletter and will really try to do better in future – so apologies! Well, the school is as busy as ever, and while Rose and Mandy have been absent for their much earned cruise and holiday, we have managed to keep our heads above water. I would like to thank Siobhan and Brian for helping out in their absence. Guys, your help has been invaluable, and on behalf of our students I would like to give you a huge round of applause and thanks for a job well done! They have both done an amazing job which I am sure all the students will testify to! The new class structure is working very well and our Saturday’s are now as follows:-
Early puppy education class: Held at 8:00 am. This class includes “puppy one and puppy two” levels of early learning and education for pups and owners.
Puppy three level – Held at 10:00 am.
Specialised clicker class – Held at 10:00 am. This group is a specialised training methodology class, using the clicker as a positive reinforcement “marker”.
Introduction to dog training – Held at 2:00 pm. This group is for dogs and owners who have not had the advantage of attending the early puppy education group. For dogs and owners who have not trained before.
The following four levels are held at 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoons
Elementary Beginners / Beginners
Beginners / Novice
Novice / A
B / C (to commence in the near future)

THURSDAY AGILITY AND DOG JUMPING CLASS: Our agility class is conducted on Thursday evenings commencing at 18:30 pm. As all work is off leash a basic level of obedience is required

PRIVATE TUITION: Private tuition and home training is available on request (booking is essential). It is always preferable to bring your dog to class to promote canine socialisation/learning with distractions.

DOG PARK: All Paws Abilities students have access to the training grounds every Tuesday. This provides owners with a unique opportunity to be able to give their dogs some off leash play time in a safe, fully fenced large area.

ON SALE: Gentle, non-confrontational, passive, dog training equipment; Toys; Treats; Chews; Behaviour booklets; Training booklets; Cold drinks and various refreshments;

BEHAVIOURAL CONSULTATIONS FOR PROBLEM PETS: Strictly by appointment only. Contact Louise for a private consultation:


WHY IS IT???
That when electricity is used on humans it is called torture – yet when used on dogs some people call it training?????

PUNISHMENT VS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT:
NOTE FROM THE ED: I found this little gem on one of the web sites / author unknown: But it could have been written by me!
"When I was a child, we never had problems with our dogs. If our dogs got out of line, my father just showed them who was boss!"I frequently hear stories such as this in my pet behaviour practice. Most dog owners were raised in a very different canine climate, one that existed as little as 20 years ago, in which dogs obeyed or else! "My dogs respected my father; he never had to cater to them. If they did something wrong, they never did it again!" say some of my clients. There is no doubt about it: the scientific literature clearly shows that punishment works. If a behaviour is immediately followed by an adverse consequence, it is less likely to occur in the future. So why is punishment so rarely used by modern dog trainers? And why has punishment been deemed so politically incorrect? The question may be best addressed in several parts.1. Dog owners have options: Traditionally, there was one training philosophy marketed to dog owners,—make your dog do it! It’s not so much that scientists know more about learning or training than we did 20 years ago (although we do); rather, it has taken this much time for more humane options to be marketed to dog owners. Dog owners care about the emotional well-being of their pets and want to do right by them. As such, most owners find "positive" methods (such as positive reinforcement) more palatable than traditional methods.
2. Positive reinforcement works: There is no doubt about it: positive reinforcement also works. If a behaviour is immediately followed by a pleasant consequence, it is more likely to occur in the future.
3. Punishment is risky: Individual dogs respond differently to punishment. The vast majority of dogs will stop what they are doing and behave submissively following a punishment. Other dogs will appear not to be affected in any way following a punishment, and some dogs will become aggressive following a punishment. Those dogs who respond to punishment with aggression usually do so in direct relation to the intensity of the punisher. This means that if a dog becomes aggressive when punished, the more intense the punisher the more intense the resulting aggression. To make things somewhat more complex, the same dog can respond differently to an identical punisher at different times, locations or within different contexts. Many dog owners have been seriously injured while attempting to discipline their dogs in fear of "backing down.” Entering into a serious conflict with a dog is not usually a good idea; rarely can any good come from it.4. Punishment damages the human/animal bond: Punishment changes your dog’s behaviour by associating adverse consequences to specific behaviours. If these consequences are delivered directly from you, then you become associated with adverse events. All dogs learn differently in this respect. Some dogs will always be deeply attached to their owners, regardless of what their owners do. Other dogs will become extremely fearful of their owner following one punishment, while other dogs may gradually learn to avoid their owners over a period of successive punishments.5. Timing is everything: The scientific literature suggests that an owner has no more than one and a half to two seconds in which to punish a dog for something they did wrong. Remarkably, if a punishment occurs after that time, a dog is not capable of associating the punishment with its behaviour. This provides a very small window! Most owners attempt to use punishment well after the "two second mark" and, as such, are not effective, and may in fact teach their dogs to avoid them. There are certainly more palatable options to accomplish training goals than punishment. Punishment can result in aggression and can damage the human / animal bond. The initial training approach of a responsible and loving dog owner should always be in a positive light.


ATTENTION SEEKING BEHAVIOURS REVEALED: By Louise Thompson Animal Behaviourist (ABC of SA©®™)
From a dogs point of view, if a behaviour is successful, (which means that the dog is rewarded for exhibiting a particular behaviour), then he will repeat the behaviour. Reward, to a dog, can be one of many things, the most important being receiving attention from his owner or pack leader! Most dogs even perceive negative attention as rewarding. Negative attention could be perceived as ANY response to a behaviour. Dogs that constantly demand attention from their owners have learnt that this behaviour is successful. More often than not, the more attention they demand, the more attention the owners give – if only to keep the peace.

Attention seeking behaviour can present in many forms such as:-
Demanding to be stroked
Nudging for a stroke
Pawing
Resting his head on your lap for a stroke
Constantly demanding to be let in / out
Demanding food / water
Refusal to eat – especially in the hope of being hand fed in overindulged cases.
Begging
Vocalisation (the reward is the owners yelling “shut up”
Vocalisation when the owner is on the telephone.
Toy control
Demanding to play (with or without toys)
Demanding to go for a walk (ritualised behaviours)
Begging at the table
Physical exhibition of neurosis – to receive a response or comfort (shivering etc)
Jumping up and excitable behaviour
Some destructive behaviours.
Leash forging (pulling on the lead)
Jumping up against you to be picked up or carried.

Dogs who exhibit “attention seeking” behaviours are often insecure and over-indulged. These dogs often are suffering from stress caused by a lack of leadership – thus the basic pack responsibilities are directly on their shoulders. If a human does not provide leadership, the dog will instinctively have to take over that role. In this regard, dogs are also often receive conflicting signals from their owners – thus adding to their confusion and indirectly encouraging the behaviour – if only to receive a response.



Attention seeking dogs often are low ranking individuals, given owner status that they have not earned – this also causes confusion and encourages negative behaviours and dissention in a pack. Anthromorphisismn (crediting animals with human feelings and emotions) causes insecure, unhappy dogs.

WAYS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ATTENTION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR:
· Ignore negative behaviour and only reward and react to “good” or positive behaviours.
· Use the “doggie time out” principles. If the dog wants to be included in YOUR pack he has to abide by your rules.
· Become a good leader and decision maker – do not let the dog make any decisions. This will make you more valuable, reduce
much doggy stress, and make your dog feel more secure as it lifts much (decision making / high ranking) responsibilities off his shoulders.
· Ensure that you initiate any contact with the dog – for example, if your dog comes and demands to play, ignore him until he stops demanding. Wait a couple of minutes and then call him for a game. In this way you have taken control, been the decision maker and rewarded the dog be encouraging the “good” behaviour to be repeated (as when he was calm and quiet – you then called him for a game)
· You must be the initiator in all interactions with the dog – for example:- The dog repeatedly jumps up against you for a stroke or to be picked up. As he starts his “routine” then, without speaking or reacting, simply jump up, march out of the room, and slam the door in his face. Give it a minute or two and then return and repeat if necessary. The second the dog does not demand to be picked up, then call him to you and pick him up and give him attention. Reward only good behaviour. This principle can be followed through to reduce various attention seeking behaviours.
· This should be followed through in all aspects of your dog/owner interactions. If he begs for food he gets nothing. The second he stop begging he can get a titbit. If he performs at the door to come in. He is NOT let in. The second he is quiet the door is opened and he is admitted with a big fuss.
· Be careful of setting human patterns of behaviour – rather try to be a bit unpredictable in your routines and interactions. Sometimes play, sometimes don’t. This should even be taken to the extreme of not feeding meals at exactly the same time each day. Dogs ritualise behaviour very quickly and this encourages the pattern.


HOME CARE VS KENNEL CARE: Louise Thompson Accredited Behaviourist (ABC of SA)

HOME ALONE: Generally not a good idea to have a friend or neighbour to pop in once a day to feed and check water etc. For one thing – most people are not experienced enough to spot certain illness in good time, such as Billary fever – (symptoms: anaemia lethargy, listlessness, - the last symptom is lack of appetite, which could be confused with the dog pining!) Billary if left untreated can be fatal! If you decide on home care – a better option would be to get a responsible, house sitter with some animal experience. I must add that dogs who suffer from noise phobia’s or are thunder phobic or have severe sound sensitivity should also never be left home alone

Things to think about.: The dog should have adequate shelter from the elements – ideally, if it is an inside dog, a doggie door provided to a secure room with a safe place / bed. It may be necessary to block off an open plan kitchen or make some arrangement. Don’t change the dogs usually access. If he is an inside dog – don’t suddenly dump a house dog in the garage – he will stress!
Stress = noise pollution. The most common problem with dogs home alone whilst owners on holiday is noise pollution.
Noise pollution = neighbour complaints!

Clean water must be available at all times in a spill proof dish. A large plastic washing up bowl wedged into a tyre works well.

The dog should have been parasite protected before your leave, (internal and external) with a long acting tick and flea preparation (available from your veterinarian). The sitter should also apply a preventative fly preparation (usually every second day) to prevent the dog’s ears and body being bitten by stable or biting flies.

The property should be completely escape proof with no dangerous spikes or anything sharp or protruding that the dog could catch himself on. Don’t leave him with a check chain or a slip chain on – if it gets stuck on a branch you dog will strangle itself!

Anything dangerous should be removed or made safe – poisons kept in the garage need to be safely locked away, gates with spikes need to be taped, elderly dogs / swimming pool – swimming pools need to be inaccessible.

Dogs sometimes chew more in your absence, so that you will need to provide him with some non-synthetic objects for him to vent on – cow hooves, pigs ears, etc – If you own more than one dog, consider any potential aggression in your absence. If your dogs ever scrap over food, you should know that stress can make aggression worse, if in any doubt – kennel the dogs.

Hygiene – Your house sitter will need to scoop the poop each and every day for the duration of your absence. If faeces is left scattered around your garden you will be infested with flies. Flies cause disease and some kinds also bite your dog’s ears.

Make sure your dog has a name tag with your sitter’s contact numbers (as you will be away) if he manages to escape – he can be more easily returned and not risk being at a welfare/shelter for a week and then being re-homed or worse euthanised. Generally most welfare organisations only keep a dog for a week before they are either re-homed or euthanised if a home is not found! Lastly provide your sitter with all the relevant vet numbers including an emergency hours No’s: Also telephone your vet and let him know your sitter’s name and details etc and make arrangements for an account to be available in your absence.

KENNEL CARE: Get referrals from vets, groomer’s, friends with good experiences, dog trainers etc. View the kennels well in advance, preferably in season. If viewed during the off season, while they are very quiet you will not get a realistic view of the care provided, general hygiene & routines. If you don’t get a referral – look for a kennel that is a member of the pet boarders association – they have code of ethics and the public at least have recourse if there is a problem.

Book well in advance – Most good kennels are often booked up well before the holidays.

Prepare the dog for the stay – Whilst this is not always practically possible. In an ideal scenario – prepare you dog by visiting the kennel regularly up to a month or so before booking in. Take favourite toys, play ball, pop treats – all of which will provide a positive association and accustomise him to the environment, then it will not such a culture shock. The next step would be to book him in for the odd day (taking him home at night) before working up to booking him in for a trial weekend, and then & get feed back from the staff.

Before booking in, protect your dog from any possible parasites by using a long acting tick & flea preparation (don’t forget a fly preparation for biting flies – especially in the warmer months) this needs to be obtained from your veterinarian.

Inform staff of any special diet – Some dogs need special feeding due to allergies etc. Bare in mind that this could affect the price

Depending on his length of stay - your dog might need exercising, make sure this is provided by staff. If you are only going away for a couple of days, it is not an issue. If the dog is stressed he will feel safer in a smaller area. Only worry about exercise if you are going to be away for a longer time. You will need to confirm this with staff, some kennels have escape proof exercise areas, if your dog is a jumper or expert escape artist, for your dog’s safety please don’t forget to inform the staff that he is an escape artist.

TAKE A DOG HOLIDAY PACK for your dog:
Do take his own bed and bedding. NB don’t forget to let staff know, that you don’t care if his bedding, toys or other items are destroyed, chewed up, or peed on. If you don’t, inform them, staff will often whisk them away to make sure they are presented to your when you collect your dog – clean and in one piece.

Take a piece of your clothing for him to keep in his bed. It must smell of you and it will help him to feel safe and secure.

Take lots and lots of chew stuff – toys and non-synthetic chews for him to vent on (pigs ears / cow hooves, leather chews hide bones etc) even some filling for them to put in the hooves , peanut butter, Bovril whatever …This will certainly help to relieve boredom, and stress by giving him something to do.


SPECIAL TRICK TRAINING CLASS:
We are seriously thinking about adding an extra class to our curriculum – Trick Training!

If you are interested please chat to Siobhan or Louise at training. If there is enough interest, we will conduct the class one evening a week.


Well that’s all for now folks,
As I said before I will try to make this more regular in the future. If you come across any articles that could be of interest please send them to me. If you have any comments, or ideas, or if there is anything that you would like to see included in the newsletter, please let me know:
Louise Thompson (Accredited, full time, practising Animal Behaviourist & Professional Animal Trainer)
Telephone (011) 969-4467 Mobile 082-890-0905 louthomp@mweb.co.za
PAWS ABILITIES :Our team of specialised dog training instructors are a dedicated group of highly experienced individuals and have experience in many of the following areas:-Years of practical “hands on” training & handling experience, including competitive achievements within the formal Kennel Union / Federation organisations, in one or more disciplines. Regular attendance of training seminars and workshops (ongoing education in the field is vital). Extensive dog breed knowledge. A sound scientific knowledge of basic canine behaviour. Knowledge of the various critical stages of puppy behavioural development. Knowledge of many different, gentle, non-confrontational, positive reinforcement training methods.

We “LOVE” all Dogs.........
We even “LIKE” some of their owners!