Victoria Stilwell Positively

I’m not a politician, and I have never claimed to be interested in or able to comprehend what I’m sure are the delicate intricacies of how to create and enforce effective legislation.  I’m not big on telling people what they want to hear just for the sake of a few egos, and no one has ever accused me of being too soft on those I don’t necessarily agree with.

What I do know about is common sense, and as disinterested in politics as I may be, I get pretty passionate about injustice and cruelty, especially towards those who can’t protect themselves.  Child abuse is the most heinous crime I can think of, and nothing will ever compare with my outright loathing of those who are guilty of it.  Abuse against helpless animals is pretty far down the same road as child abuse, though, as far as I’m concerned.  In fact, much has been made lately of the link between animal abuse as a very common precursor to human-on-human (including children) crime.

That’s why I literally fail to understand how any decent, moral self-respecting human being can oppose efforts to curb the horrific and cruel practice of puppy mills.  Other than psychotic, neurologically damaged killers I honestly can’t think of anyone I know who would prefer that puppy mills stay in business and be allowed to profit and thrive off the misery and pain of dogs. 

But I guess I don’t know enough people or have severely misjudged the humane tendencies of human beings at large, because somehow, there are still those who oppose puppy mill reform to the point where they go out of their way to ensure that no new laws are passed to protect dogs from this form of cruelty.  That’s exactly what happened recently in North Carolina, where a perfectly reasonable (and actually somewhat watered-down) puppy mill reform bill was summarily killed by the state legislative process due to mindboggling, astoundingly stringent opposition from a few powerful lobbying groups.

The bill was designed to "eliminate abusive practices and provide for the humane care and treatment of dogs and puppies by establishing standards for their care at commercial breeding operations."  That’s it.  Basically, it would have made sure that any breeding facility that had 15 or more breeding bitches and 30 or more puppies was subject to state regulation, licensing, oversight and humane practice requirements by the state.   And some people thought that that was a bad idea worth fighting against.  Unbelievable.

Now I don’t have any problem with respectable breeders who breed for the love of their particular breed and are concerned about raising puppies in the best possible way, maintaining a full regard for all their dogs’ mental and physical well-being.  While I can’t imagine why I would ever go to a breeder to get a new dog when there are so many wonderful pets waiting to be adopted in shelters (most of whom had originally come from puppy mills or breeders, by the way), I understand those that do, and don’t look down upon them at all.  What I do have a problem with are people who go out of their way to actively oppose efforts to ensure the well-being of domesticated dogs.

The North Carolina puppy mill bill (SB460) was killed before it could get to a vote because several lobbying groups brought their considerable power to bear on those who were trying to pass the bill and save dogs’ lives.  The groups who have proudly announced their opposition to and relish their role in the ultimate defeat (for now) of the bill include the National Rifle Association and (amazingly) the North Carolina Pork Council.  PORK!!!??!!  RIFLES??!!!? 

Now I can tell you that I enjoy eating bacon as much as the next girl from time to time, and a good hearty debate about the right to bear arms is what Americans’ right to free speech is all about, but I’m not going to get into that now because it’s not relevant to a blog post about puppy mills.

OH WAIT…  Pork and guns ARE suddenly a part of the discussion about puppy mills, because amazingly those who lobby on behalf of pork and guns have thrust themselves into the debate and (for some completely inexplicable reason) decided that a bill designed to curb abuses against dogs in puppy mills is a threat to those they represent (pork farmers and fans of guns).  I may not be a genius, but I like to think I have decent head on my shoulders, and still I just don’t understand this.

The NRA and the Pork Council have gone so far as to actually say that they have more of a problem with those who sponsor the bill than the bill itself.  So basically they’re willing to let their fear of those in support of the bill dictate their stance on whether or not they’re ok letting dogs languish in abject misery in puppy mills.   The NRA want to protect the rights of hobby breeders, especially those that breed sporting hounds, while the Pork Council believe that the main goal of this bill’s backers is not so much about puppies but is actually a more sinister plot to eventually force the entire country to stop ever eating meat again!  Brilliant.

All I can think is that these groups feel that a simple bill to crack down on puppy mills is somehow an assault on their way of life.  I can’t see how that could ever be the case, and I don’t think that makes any sense, but it’s the only explanation I can come up with for why they would obstruct laws opposing puppy mills.  Unless they really do just hate puppies.

I don’t think there’s a group in the world that I agree with 100% of the time on 100% of the issues.  I’m sure the Pork Council and the NRA have played some roles in making the world a better place from time to time, but on this issue, they’re dead wrong, and this time they’re exposing their willingness to put themselves, their greed and their egos ahead of the well being of defenseless domesticated animals.  These aren’t chickens, pigs, cows or even fish (and yes, I do believe all animals should be treated better even if they are being bred for their meat) – these are pet dogs and if we can’t come together to try and protect them, then what next?

Amazingly, even the American Kennel Club has voiced strong opposition to puppy mill bills in the past, presumably fearing that the more stringent laws on puppy farmers will trickle down to their registered breeders as well, causing them to be subject to stricter licensing and humane treatment laws.  They might also be worried that less breeders will be paying to register their puppies via the AKC which would mean less money for the AKC.  And here’s silly old me thinking that kennel clubs in general were organizations that were designed to put dogs’ well-being first.  If a registered breeder is doing what they’re supposed to, I don’t see why more oversight would be a problem for the AKC or its breeders.  If you’ve got nothing to hide, then you’ve got no problem showing what you’ve got.  If anything, more oversight would help the legitimate breeders, as they would have official status and stamps of approval as humane breeders.

The bill’s opponents also say there are already laws on the books in North Carolina that deal with the issue of animal abuse and puppy mills.  Hmmmm.  I guess they missed the fact that the current bill was inspired from the recent rescue of 300 dogs from a North Carolina puppy mill.  The current stuff’s not working, Einstein. 

So here’s an idea:  why don’t the NRA and Pork Council bring their considerable power to the table on behalf of pet dogs in puppy mills and find a way to give whatever legislation currently exists the teeth it needs to identify bad breeders and hold them accountable? 

 That’s an honest challenge to those opposed to puppy mill reform:  you fix the puppy mill problem however you want, so long as the following issues are resolved including: 

• dogs being kept in small cages all their life
• dogs having no social interaction with other dogs or humans
• dogs that develop genetically-based diseases due to incestuous breeding practices
• dogs that have their vocal cords ripped out to stop their incessant barking
• dogs living in and among their own feces and urine in cages stacked on top of each other
• dogs that don’t know how to walk on solid ground after having spent their entire lives in wire cages.

 You opponents of puppy mill legislation come up with your own solution to the above problems that don’t conflict with your love of pork chops and shotguns, and you’ll be absolved.  If you don’t, though, we’ll know where you stand:  you’re ok with abuse to puppies and dogs.  It really couldn’t be any simpler than that.

My dog Sadie is addicted to weed.  It’s gotten so bad that we’ve had to have several interventions (which, as evidenced by the fact that there have been a few, obviously means they haven’t been entirely successful).  She doesn’t necessarily admit to having a problem, but then I guess that’s to be expected.  When one is under the fierce grip of such an insidious vice, it can often be hard to see the forest for the trees.  When I think of her addiction issues, the age-old witticism comes to mind:  Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.  No, I don’t think Sadie thinks she has a problem at all – in fact, she seems to be perfectly oblivious to our concern for her well-being.

Of course, by ‘weed’, I don’t mean marijuana, but rather the clover, nutsedge and the countless other grassy weeds that seem to sprout up everywhere around this time of year.  I’ve become resigned to it:  my dog loves to eat grass.  She is obsessed.  Won’t stop chomping away whenever we’re outside.  The local city government ought to be paying us for the free grazing service our dog provides every day on each walk through our local park.

Every off-leash walk in our neighborhood has become an opportunity to support her otherwise very healthy diet with a variety of the delicious grasses the Southeastern United States has to offer.  She really likes the tall, wispy reeds, and has lately begun to avoid the clumpy clover-like weeds.  She is now perfectly aware of our disapproval of this dietary trend, and looks at us from the corner of her beautiful brown eyes while she feasts madly, as if we hadn’t fed her in a week and a half.  As we approach her to stop her from eating, the pace of her chomping speeds up in a desperate effort to get every last scrumptious morsel of green in her gut before running off to the next patch.  All this excitement usually comes to an unseemly conclusion which usually results in me using my poop bag or two sticks to pull the inevitably stuck, grass-ridden poop from her behind while she looks around at me with a look that says “I kinda think I understand that you’re trying to help me here, but this is really awkward and no fun.”  One thing that is fairly certain in Sadie’s case is that like most dogs, the memory span relating to her cognitive reasoning is not nearly long enough for her to understand the correlation between eating grass and having to endure another manual poo extraction exercise.  So much fun.

I used to be concerned when dogs (my own or otherwise) ate grass.  How many times have we all heard that dogs only eat grass if they have an upset stomach?  That they’re only eating grass in an effort to make themselves throw up?  I’ve had to dispel the generalizations of that myth countless times with fellow dogwalkers in the park.  Inevitably, they look on sadly while my Sadie chomps away at her greenery, offering their steadfastly ominous advice about the fact that she must be unwell and casting furtive glances at me that seem to say “you obviously must not be feeding your dog a nutritious diet.”

Dogs eat grass for many reasons, only one of which is occasionally that their stomach is upset and needs emptying.  Far more often, the dog simply likes the taste of grass.  Occasionally, an incomplete diet can result in this craving, but more often than not the dog simply likes eating grass for the fun of it - just like Sadie. 

So while I may feel that a good portion of our daily walk time is unnecessarily taken up with boring grass-eating, Sadie is happy and healthy, and that’s the most important thing.  I just wish I didn’t have to deal with the grass when it comes out the other end….

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the first part of my 'Fact versus Fiction' blog.  There are so many myths and misunderstandings out there about the science and reality of dog behavior, I thought I would try to help clear up a few more things here in part II.

Myth:  Positive reinforcement cannot be used on more severe behavioral cases such as aggressive dogs.

Fact:  Actually, this is where positive reinforcement methods are most effective.  Using positive reinforcement to treat ‘red zone’ dogs is not only a safer option, but a much more effective one.  Aggression is a dog’s way of protecting himself and his resources, and is deeply rooted in fear for survival, fear of loss of comfort, a desire to repel a perceived threat and is a great way to control space and environment.  Aggression is therefore deeply rooted in insecurity.  Punish an insecure dog and you make that dog even more insecure even though it looks like he is behaving better.  When a dominance trainer works with an aggressive dog and uses punitive techniques to get a dog to submit or ‘calm down,’ not only is that dog using an instinctive survival tool of ‘shut down’ to make the person stop whatever they are doing, a dominance trainer will then label the dog’s non-reaction and ‘calmness’ as a success.  People love successes, especially when they are achieved quickly and they look very impressive, but those of us who really know what is going on shake our heads in dismay because not only has the dog been mishandled, the person has been misled into thinking that their dog has been ‘fixed’ or ‘cured’.  The other reaction a dog has to being manhandled through dominance techniques is to lash out and bite the trainer or owner in anger, frustration and/or fear in order to get that person away from them.  The person is hurt, the dog is then punished again, and this destructive cycle is repeated.

Aggression in dogs needs to be handled sensitively and with compassion.  Aggressive dogs are under stress and this stress needs to be managed so that the dog can feel better while the trainer finds the cause of the aggressive response and then works with the dog and the owner to modify it.  Far from using force or punitive techniques, a dog is guided by using positive techniques that help him see a perceived threat or potential loss of a valued resource in a different light.  For some dogs this can be achieved relatively quickly but for others it can take a while, which is why it is important to see every dog and every situation as unique.  Positive reinforcement is the best philosophy to use in these cases but there are many methods within this one philosophy that can be used, making positive reinforcement a much safer and more reliable method to use on even ‘red zone’ dogs. 

Myth:  Dominance training is much safer because it has quicker results and for an aggressive dog anything that works quickly means that the dog is safer for humans to be around.

Fact:  This is a flawed and dangerous way to think.  This ‘quick fix’ idea demeans a dog’s experience and is psychologically unachievable.  A dog’s emotional brain is wired in exactly the same way as that of a human.  Yes, exactly the same way.  So his physiological response to emotion is the same as ours, which means that our bodies have the same internal reaction to emotions such as fear, joy, excitement etc.  When a dog is suffering from anxiety or fear that provokes a negative behavior such as aggression, then it is sheer foolishness to profess that by punishing a dog, the dog is fixed.  This is dangerous and fundamentally wrong, I can’t put it clearer than that.  If a human has an anxiety problem chances are they will seek out therapy to help them.  That therapy does not work in one go (and certainly didn’t in the past when therapies were punitive) and it takes time to work through an anxiety and change the way a human feels about something.  It is exactly the same for a dog because time is needed to really change the way a dog feels emotionally.  Punitive training just puts a band aid on the problem but the dog still feels the same inside if not more insecure for the punishment he has received for ‘behaving badly’.

Myth:  There are two different behavioral philosophies that you can use to train dogs - positive reinforcement or dominance training and both are equally effective.

Fact:  There are many great training methods and many different effective and humane ways to train dogs, but all of those methods fall under one general behavioral philosophy – Positive Reinforcement.  For some reason, though, a lot of people still don't like hearing trainers say that it's not ok to train your dog using any method that "works".  Using that heavy-handed logic, it would be ok do just about anything to a dog if it meant they stopped misbehaving right then and there - there are more effective, safe and humane ways of doing things.  I believe that there are many fantastic methods and approaches that can be used to effectively change dogs' behavior, but I also firmly believe that all of those methods have one thing in common - a general basis in the principles of positive reinforcement and force-free training.  Things change.  We evolve and learn.  As a society, we've agreed to move forward in an effort to develop a better understanding of ourselves and our planet - why the resistance to apply that sense of development to our understanding of animals in general and dog behavior in particular?  I can ony guess that those who refuse to accept that we now know better than to use force to dominate do so because they're either uninformed or because they actually derive pleasure from 'being the boss' of another being.  If it's the former, then fair enough - that's why I've developed this site:  to inform.  If it's the latter, however, I have no patience for these people and view their rationale and motivations for such behavior as a sign of tremendous insecurity and weakness.

I advise owners to walk away from dominance trainers.  Dominance methods are destructive and when it comes to training dogs, positive reinforcement is the only truly effective and humane philosophy for all the reasons listed above.  This Positively site is the online home for positive reinforcement and I am so proud to have the best in the business blogging here.  But don’t think for a moment that these or any other positive trainers are weak.  We treat and train dogs with kindness and respect because we know that only through practice, scientific research and discovery can we truly understand a dog’s behavior and help to mould and change it if needed without using forceful or punitive methods.  We are like-minded people that deal with dog behavior every day, and most importantly, we see the positive results that our training methods have both for the dogs we use them on and for the people that love them.

I want to dispel a few myths about positive reinforcement training methods.  There seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what positive reinforcement really is and about which dogs and behaviors it is useful for.  For example, I have heard people say that positive reinforcement trainers only deal with obedience training, but when it comes to severe behavioral issues such as aggression, dominance training methods are the only ones that really work because they are more in tune with a dog’s basic psychology.  Nothing could be further from the truth so I thought it was time to lay out the facts about positive training and explain why dominance theorists and practitioners have it so wrong. 

Myth:  Positive reinforcement trainers only use food as rewards, which is a form of bribery.  A dog should never be bribed into doing something for food but should obey their owners because they want to make their owners happy. 

Fact:  This is something that I hear often but comes from those who do not understand how powerful positive training is.  Food is used as a reward especially for a dog that is food motivated, but rewards such as toys, praise and play can be just as powerful if a dog happens to be motivated by them.  The bottom line here is that a reward that motivates a dog to learn is a great training tool because learning not only makes a dog more confident and able to live successfully in a domestic environment, it also encourages mutual understanding that increases the human/animal bond.  That is not bribery.  If a dog sees that there are pleasurable consequences for a behavior then he is more likely to repeat the behavior because doing so makes him feel good.  When a person is attached to that good feeling there is more likelihood of the dog listening and responding to whatever that person asks of him.  That is why I have never understood why people choose to train their dogs using force and punishment.  The dog might behave and do what the human asks but only because he has learned that not behaving will cause a negative reaction in his human and that needs to be avoided at all costs.  Not a good place to be!

Food also has the power to help a fearful or anxious dog overcome his fears.  When food is presented to a fearful dog in the presence of a stimulus that causes that fear or anxiety, the smell and taste of the food bypasses all other parts of the brain and goes straight to the brain’s emotional center, the amygdala.  Instead of feeling fear, the brain begins to be overcome with not just the pleasurable feelings that food gives but also allows the dog to focus more on the good sensation and less on the negative emotion.  Food is incompatible with fear and is therefore a valuable tool in modifying a dog’s fear, anxiety and stress.   

Myth:  A dog will only respond to food rewards and will ignore you if you don’t have food in your hand.

Fact:  Any reward that is used to motivate the dog to learn has to be of high value until the dog is responding reliably.  When this has been achieved the high reward, such as food, should be used intermittently.  That means the dog doesn’t get rewarded with the food every time he responds to a cue, but the next time he responds he might just get it.  Then the next couple of times he responds, a lower-value reward such as praise will be used, but the dog continues to respond.  In fact intermittent reinforcement like this actually makes a dog respond faster and more reliably because it is based on the same theory that makes a slot machine in a casino so addictive.  It would be wonderful if a slot machine gave out money every time you played it but unfortunately that doesn’t happen.  The promise, however, that you could win the jackpot the next time you play makes you want to play even more until the slot machine pays out.  This is how dogs really learn so even if you don’t give a food reward every time, the possibility of the potential of one in the future makes a dog work much harder. 

Myth:  Positive trainers do not use discipline.

Fact:  Positive does not mean permissive.  Discipline is an important part of the learning process, but the form of discipline used in positive training differs greatly from the type of discipline used in dominance training.  Such dominance-based discipline uses force and hard punishment such as ‘alpha rolls (when a dog is forcibly laid on its back and side and held down until it ‘submits’), ‘biting’ (where a person uses the tips of  their fingers bunched together that are poked into a dog’s side in order to simulate a ‘bite’ that a dog would use to reprimand another dog), foot pushes (where a person uses the side of their foot or heel to prod or kick a dog when it is misbehaving), hanging (where a dog is hung by his collar until his air supply is cut off),  and shock collars that deliver an electric shock when the dog misbehaves.  Positive training uses constructive discipline to guide the dog into making better choices rather than scaring or inflicting pain.  Hard punishments used by dominance trainers are not only cruel but are also potentially dangerous and damage the trust between dog and human. Again, dominance trainers will argue that these are effective methods of punishment because they stop dogs from repeating negative behavior, and they are right to a point.  The punishment is most likely to work there and then, but the experience of the punishment can make dogs feel more insecure and wary of their owners and it is common for dogs that are punished in this manner to keep reoffending because they haven’t been shown that there is another way to behave.  The only thing harsh punishment does achieve is to make the person feel better because they have gained control even if it meant dominating the dog into submission. That might be fine for some people, and unfortunately there are those that actually don’t mind using hard punishment.  I not only feel sorry for the dogs that such people come into contact with but also sorry for those people for being so misguided.  I have said in previous articles that I believe people who train their dogs using dominance techniques show a great weakness within themselves.  Anyone can get a dog to behave using punitive training but it takes a real understanding of dog psychology to use discipline effectively without inflicting pain or fear and to guide a dog into not repeating negative behavior while maintaining trust between dog and person. 

I believe that dogs should learn just as much from constructive discipline as they do from reward.  Disciplinary techniques such as removal, time outs, taking something of value away, ignoring behavior and interrupting negative behavior with a vocal interrupter can be extremely effective, and I use these techniques on all kinds of dogs with all kinds of issues.  It is so much better to be able to influence an animal’s behavior without using force, which is why positive reinforcement methods really do offer a better alternative to outdated and abusive dominance theory.

Myth:  Aggressive dogs are trying to be dominant.

Fact:  Let me say this once.  Contrary to what some trainers might lead you to believe – dogs are not out to achieve world domination!!!  Dominance theory relies heavily on the idea that if a dog is being aggressive, controlling or just behaving badly then it must be trying to dominate the owner.  While domination does happen in the canine world, it shows another real misunderstanding of dog behavior to label everything a dog does as an attempt to be top dog or boss over a human.  If a dog is exhibiting controlling behavior in or out of the home, chances are that he hasn’t been taught how to behave appropriately.  If a dog hasn’t been taught how to function in a domestic environment he will behave in the only way he knows how.  He might control access to food, space or furniture by aggressing at a human only because he is insecure and hasn’t been given the confidence to know that there is no need to guard these resources.  Dogs guard and control for fear that they will lose access to their comfort and what makes them feel good and not because they want to dominate humans and the household, yet for so long these kinds of behaviors have been grossly misunderstood.   This is just one example of how dominance trainers get it so wrong and then impart this flawed knowledge onto dog owners who believe what they are told because it comes from a person that is supposed to know what he or she is doing.

Coming next in Fact vs Fiction, Part II -  quick fixes , using  positive reinforcement on aggressive dogs, and the One True Way to train.

Hello and welcome to the new online home of positive reinforcement dog training!  I’ve been planning the development of this website ever since it became clear to me that a unified voice was needed to help let the public know that there’s a better way to train their dogs… Positively!

For the past five years, I’ve filmed almost 100 episodes of my show, It’s Me or the Dog.  When I first started shooting, positive reinforcement was still the dog training philosophy with the most momentum in terms of educating the public about training methods based on modern behavioral science.  For the past 40 or so years, amazing trainers and behaviorists like Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor, Nick Dodman (all of whom deliver their fantastic knowledge as Expert Bloggers on this site!) and many others have been moving the needle of public awareness away from the traditional, yank-em-crank-em, dominate-your-dog-into-submission style of dog training and towards the use of positive reinforcement.  This gradual shift had been gaining in popularity and awareness, as more and more people continue to see positive results while building mutual trust and respect with their dogs.  Most dog owners prefer to train their dogs using rewards and constructive discipline, rather than using more punitive training methods, because they want their dog to WANT to behave rather than having their dog behave only because he is scared of what will happen to him if he doesn’t.

A lot of this may seem like common sense, especially when you see the parallel progress we’ve made as a society in the way we raise our children.  Of course dogs are not children, but many of the same general behavioral philosophies apply – using reward to reinforce positive behavior and discipline to guide rather than to instill fear.  Modern behavioral science has shown that dogs have a lot more in common with us humans than people and trainers may have thought 50 years ago – they feel emotions similar to ours (fear, anger, joy, excitement, social insecurity, even love) – so it’s important to understand that many of the same basic philosophies we use now with children can be applied successfully to training your dog.

As clear as this issue may seem, unfortunately there are still those who use dominance-based techniques to train dogs.  There is less of an emphasis on understanding WHY a behavior is occurring and more of a desire to get a ‘quick fix’ and suppress bad behavior with punitive means.  The dangerous thing about doing this is that quick fixes can quickly come unstuck.  The dog might not be doing the behavior because it is afraid of his owner’s reaction, but he still feels the same way inside, and one day those feelings will come to the surface again, and even more intensely than before.  Similarly, dominance trainers will often treat ‘fire with fire’ in the sense that they combat what are most commonly insecurity or fear-based issues, such as aggression, with punitive methods that create more fear.  Some may say that the dogs aren’t fearful of a dominance trainer, but when you really look at it, you can see the difference.  For example a dominance trainer will often ‘flood’ a dog who is anxious and aggressive around other dogs, by forcing the dog into a situation where it is surrounded by lots of dogs it doesn’t know, forcing the dog to refrain from responding when inundated with that stimulus the dog fears most until the dog ‘submits’ to the fact that there’s nothing he can do.  The dog doesn’t react when it is surrounded by all the other dogs and the technique is therefore labeled a great success – the dog is cured!  But what would you do if you as a human were scared of other humans and had a habit of lashing out at people walking past in an effort to get them away from you, but were then forced into an environment where you were surrounded by thirty or more people?  Would you lash out in that scenario or would you be worried that if you did you would get attacked back?  Chances are if you’re smart and want to survive, you are going to shut down and not do anything until you are out of that situation and in your comfort zone again.  Then your reaction to just one person going past you might be even worse because the stress and trauma you felt being flooded by so many people has made your fear worse.

The same dog being treated with positive reinforcement would slowly be desensitized to the presence of other dogs in a controlled environment with constant praise and rewards whenever he had a calm response.  Eventually, more dogs are added and the dog is set up for success by teaching it to literally feel differently about the presence of that which once caused such a fearful response.  It may take a little longer, but it’s safer and, more importantly, humane and effective for the dog.

A main reason why I think a lot of dominance trainers take the approach that they do is because if they do take the time to find out why a situation is occurring they often fundamentally misdiagnose what is causing the problem in the first place.  If a dog is aggressive then often that aggression is attributed to a dog trying to be an ‘alpha dog’ or boss of all the other dogs.  In order to treat this aggression the dog will often be ‘put in its place’ with punitive methods such as ‘alpha rolls,’ where a dog is forcibly put onto its back or side and held there by the owner until it submits, so that it recognizes that it is not the alpha.  But think about it – most aggressive response is not a dog’s attempt to usurp others, but a demonstration of a lack of confidence and insecurity.  Punishing that insecurity just serves to increase the insecurity even more.   The aggressive behavior might look confident and dominant but there is always an underlying discomfort.  Think of the bully in the playground.  Is the child who bullies other children a secure or insecure child?  Nine times out of ten the bully is the insecure kid.  Confident children don’t feel the need to bully, and the same dynamic can be said of dogs.  Misdiagnosing the reason for the aggression and suppressing that aggression with punitive training means that the dog is made even more insecure and that insecurity has the potential to surface again, possibly more violently than before.  A positive reinforcement trainer will recognize that most aggression is not a dog trying to be alpha but a dog that is aggressing because it is trying to control situations or stimuli around him that make him feel uncomfortable.  The positive trainer will then find non threatening ways to train the dog to feel more comfortable around the stimuli, with the result that this confidence means there is no need for the dog to behave aggressively.   

Sometimes this debate can get frustrating, because so much of the positive reinforcement argument is based on common sense.  Unfortunately there are still a lot of owners and trainers out there who feel that their machismo or manliness might be called into question if they do anything that’s misperceived as letting a dog be the ‘pack leader’ over them.  To those, this debate is likely a lost cause and destined to go nowhere since we’d ultimately be debating two completely different things, but I and the rest of the Positively community will continue our efforts to bring awareness of positive reinforcement back to the forefront of the popular consciousness. I see progress being made every day on both small and large scales.  Have a look around this site, read the other wonderful Expert Blogger entries, and come back often to check for new info. 

Lastly, if your dog were to choose how it would like to learn, would it choose reward based positive training or more punitive, dominance methods?  I’m sure I know what my answer would be.

Welcome!

I am fortunate to receive letters from dog owners all over the world. My show- ‘It’s Me or the Dog,’ has been broadcast in over twenty countries and fortunately the message of responsible ownership is also spreading to far off places such as Brazil, Dubai and Hong Kong. If I personally answered all the training questions I receive from dog owners I would be spending the next two years on my computer. I don’t have the luxury of time, so I will attempt to answer some frequently asked questions via this blog.

What doesn’t surprise me is that dog owners all over the world have the same problems. I receive letters asking for advice on anything from housetraining to destructive chewing, from aggression to jumping up on visitors. Some owners are mildly irritated by their dog’s bad behaviour, while others are at their wit’s end and ready to send the dog to a shelter.  However it continually amazes me that many owners still have very little knowledge about how to deal with their dog’s behaviour.  There is such a wealth of great training information available, yet it seems few people tap into it. Please don’t let this stop you writing for advice because I feel very honoured to be in a position where I can help to improve dogs’ lives with their owners and vice versa. But I would urge you to take advantage of valuable information that is readily available in books, videos and from good trainers, making sure that you stay away from any that are punitive or unkind to the dog.  There are still many ignorant ‘traditional’ trainers out there that think the best way to train a dog is to make it submissive towards them using harsh methods such as choke collars, prong collars, Alpha rolls, hitting, physical manipulation and other appalling techniques and devices such as the shock collar. SHAME ON THEM. There are, however, many wonderful trainers that use positive reward methods. If your dog has a behaviour problem that you don’t know how to deal with and you need help – invest in one of these trainers.  It will change all your lives for the better.

One frequent question I get asked is how to stop a dog from jumping up on people when they come into the house? I always start by asking the same question, ‘why do you think the dog is jumping up?’

Dogs jump for many reasons. Don’t we like to see people’s faces when we say hello? Jumping while greeting is a great way for a dog to get your attention. Some dogs will jump from sheer excitement. Ever feel so excited that you just want to leap around?  Excitement produces physical energy and this energy has to go somewhere. Jumping and licking can also be sign of submission. The dog has to jump up in order to lick the owner’s face. Licking the face and around the mouth is a learned behaviour in our dogs and particularly prevalent in wolves, our dogs’ ancestors. Licking around the mother’s mouth stimulates her to regurgitate food. It also shows mum that pups are submissive towards her. Many pups and adult dogs will lick faces of humans and other dogs after being reprimanded. Licking is an appeasement gesture – sorry mum.

On the other side of the coin – some dogs will jump because they feel uneasy when someone comes into the house. Jumping becomes a controlling/coping mechanism that allows the dog to deal with the new intrusion. Taking this to the extreme is the dog that jumps up, puts his front paws on a person’s shoulders and stares them full in the face. I’ve met a few of those dogs and that is a direct challenge that I am not willing to win at that moment. I shall win the battle in a much gentler but clever way throughout training.

So what can you do if your dog jumps on people when they come through the door?

1. If your dog is jumping from pure excitement then it is wise to manage your environment by not allowing the dog to greet people when they first come through the door. Keep your dog behind a baby gate and don’t allow him to greet until he is calm.
2. It is important to be consistent. Don’t allow the dog to jump up on you when greeting and expect him not to jump up on guests when they come into the house.  Mixed messages are confusing and unfair.
3. The best way to stop a dog from jumping up is to ignore it while it is jumping. This is an easy but effective way to deal with the problem. Each time the dog jumps up at you – turn your back. Don’t look, talk or touch the dog at any time it is trying to jump. Fold your arms in front and be boring. When he stops jumping wait for four seconds of four paws on the floor then reward this with your attention in a calm manner. If your dog jumps again, repeat. Sometimes the dog jumps harder and higher to get your attention. This is known as an extinction burst.  What has worked before is no longer getting attention so the dog tries harder. Be consistent because eventually he will give up! Remember ignore the crazy and reward the calm.
4. If your dog is unconfident around guests and jumps to be controlling, do not allow your dog to greet your guests. Put him in a place where he can be calm and confident. When guests are seated allow your dog to come in and say hello. If your dog is aggressive in any way to strangers it is your primary responsibility to keep your guests safe. If this means your dog is away while guests are in your home, so be it. You will have a happier dog and happier guests.
5. When your dog can greet in a calmer manner, teach him to walk up to a person and sit in front of them rather than jump all over them. This exercise will give your dog something to do while greeting providing a more controlled energy outlet which you and your guests will appreciate!

Is your dog a Hound Houdini? Does it try and escape each time you open the front door or the garden gate? Does it run away from you on a walk? I’m looking for a few case studies of dogs that have these kind of issues. If you are in the UK, are interested and want me to work with you for a day please contact Emma Marshall at the following address: emma_marshall@jcpr.com or by phone: 07875-399-995.

I have just returned from Crufts – the dog show of all dog shows.  Every year I go it seems to get bigger and better.  There are more things for the average dog owner to enjoy such as agility, flyball, training classes, heel to music demonstrations and trade stands by the hundreds.  You could spend all day at Crufts and not see one dog being shown.  I love the buzz, the energy and the passion.  Dog owners from all over the world unite for four days of pure heaven.  But for a few of the dogs that are being shown, I’m not so sure that is the case.

I make no secret of the fact that I come from a rescue-oriented background and have never been a part of the show-dog world, but that’s not to say I’m completely against it, either.  If the dog enjoys the attention, the hustle and bustle, the grooming and the travel, then I have no problem with it.  But I see some dogs at Crufts and other dog shows that look completely miserable, and if we are to be honest, showing that type of dog is not really for the dog at all.  If you asked those dogs what they would prefer to be doing, running outside chasing rabbits would be my guess, rather than spending most of the day in a crate, prancing around a room and having to stand still for long periods being felt up by a person they don’t know.  No, showing holds no benefits for that type of dog at all; it is purely for the owner.

I have an issue with the word ‘conformation,’ which in dog show terms means "overall appearance and structure – an indication of the dog’s ability to produce quality puppies" (American Kennel Club).  Dogs are judged on appearance and form, the winner being the closest to conformation.  The judge examines the dog and then "gives awards on how closely the dog compares to the judge’s mental image of the perfect dog described in the breed’s official standard."  I think the dog world needs to take a closer look at the concept of breed conformation.  Celebrating and perpetuating a strict set of rules constituting breed conformation means that many breeds of dogs live with disabling physical characteristics and hereditary diseases that can cause acute suffering and in some cases premature death.   Many of our beautiful breeds are being bred to destruction such as the Great Dane, the German Shepherd and the Cavalier King Charles, but no breed is more maligned or disfigured than the English ‘British’ Bulldog.

I recall an argument I recently had with a breeder of English bulldogs who took great affront at my concerns about the breed.  She accused me of wanting to ban them – her immediate reaction to questions I asked her that she knew she couldn’t defend.  For example, do you think it is right that 80% of bulldogs cannot be whelped naturally because the puppies’ head are too big?  Don’t you think it cruel that these dogs find physical exercise difficult because their legs are so crooked that their joints tire easily?  How unkind is it that these dogs have been bred to have such short noses that they suffer from brachycephalic upper airway syndrome – difficulty breathing particularly during exercise and in hot weather?  Isn’t it uncomfortable to have so many folds on the face that fold dermatitis and other infections can occur if not cleaned daily?  The breeder told me that facial folds were important because they helped drain the blood away from a bulldog’s face when it was bull baiting.  I didn’t know we still practiced that in this country!  I then showed her a print of what a bulldog used to look like in the 1800’s, a proud, fit, long-legged dog that looked like it could take on a whole empire, not just one raging bull.  I’m not condoning the vicious sport of bull baiting, long since banned (thank goodness), but our English bulldogs these days couldn’t take on a fly let alone a bull.  How can breeders ignore the suffering of their dogs all in the name of conformation?  Why do those championing breed conformation continue to celebrate this breed’s discomfort and deformity? 

And it’s not just the Bulldog.  Approximately 500 genetic health defects have been documented in dogs and defects are very high in purebreds because the gene pool is so limited.  There are currently standards in place which require that offspring come from the mating of registered dogs with the same lineage.  Breeding dogs from the same champion will pass on the good and the bad genes, and breeding dogs that are too closely related, which is common practice, means there is more of a chance that defective genes will come together.  There are some breeders who are working hard to breed out defective genes, but many will breed so much to conformity in the hope there will be champion stock, that healthy dogs are rejected in favour of ones that meet breed conformation standards regardless of health. 

There are also many breeders that will defend their breeding practices by saying that ‘line breeding’, i.e. breeding grandparent to grandchild, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece etc. is ok as long as you are not ‘inbreeding’ (parent to child, siblings etc.) Geneticists disagree.  Line breeding is still classed as inbreeding and it weakens the gene pool considerably.  How can we as a dog loving nation allow this to continue?  It seems to me that thinking about the dog’s well–being comes second to breed conformation.  Breeders will seek to defend this notion, but unfortunately they can’t argue what is staring them full in the face, ‘in the long term, without the introduction of new and unrelated genes, all living creatures will suffer loss of genetic diversity, leading to weaker animals with health problems.’ 

The situation is now so serious that scientists are predicting that in the future many breeds will become extinct.  The evidence is there and it’s happening now.  Which breeds?  I’ll leave you with one that has already made it onto the list of endangered breeds.  The beloved flat coated Retriever.  Shocked?  That is just the tip of the iceberg!

A war is about to start in my neighborhood, the same war that is being fought in neighborhoods around the world. There is a public footpath across the road from where I live. This path is used by runners, mothers pushing prams, children on their bicycles and people walking their dogs. My daughter and I walk along the path to get to the playground in the local park. But getting to the park has become a hazard because if we don’t walk with our eyes concentrated on the ground, chances are we will step in dog poo. It is everywhere and I’m sick of it. Yes, it’s against the law to not pick up after your dog and yes, if you’re caught you could be fined a nominal sum, but no-one is watching, so owners continue to flout the law and leave their dog’s mess for everyone to step in. Well not anymore, because I’m on a mission to clean up the neighborhood and it starts now.

Allowing a dog to foul a public area and not clearing up after it poses a serious health risk to humans and other dogs. Diseases can be passed through a dog’s intestinal tract and into the feces. These diseases can cause debilitating illnesses in dogs and humans and in some cases can be fatal.
Here are just a few of them:

• Adenovirus – a viral disease in dogs that can damage the liver and kidneys. Can cause convulsions, jaundice, bleeding from orifices and even death.
• Parvovirus – a viral disease causing vomiting, diarrhea, immunosuppression and in many cases can be fatal. This disease is particularly dangerous in puppies.
• Giardia – a parasite that infects the gastrointestinal tract and causes diarrhea
• Coccida – a parasite that causes diarrhea
• Tapeworm, Whipworm, Hookworm – worms that live off the intestinal tract causing illness such as vomiting diarrhea and anemia.
• Toxicariaosis - can cause blindness, particularly in children who come into contact with an infected stool while playing and inadvertently putting their fingers in their mouths.
• E-coli – can cause urinary tract infections in humans, meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, septicemia, pneumonia, severe vomiting and diarrhea and in few cases even death.

Fortunately modern-day vaccinations can protect your dog from some of these diseases but for others there is no protection.

So what is to be done? First I will write to the local authorities. We need more notices, bins and bag dispensaries to make picking up poo more palatable. If this doesn’t happen I will have to put up my own signs – they just might not be so diplomatic. If that fails I might have to keep watch with my video camera ready to pounce on any offender. Seriously taking action is only half the battle as some dog owners need a big kick up the backside. It just remains to say, for all of those who pick up their dog’s poo – thanks and blessings. For those who don’t – shame on you. Be warned – next time I might be watching.

I’m very happy to announce that we have a new addition to our family. She is overweight, snores at night and has some pungent gas problems but we love her and she’s here to stay. Sadie the chocolate Labrador came into our lives at the beginning of February. She is five years old with the most appealing eyes you have ever seen and the kindest nature. Sadie belonged to an elderly lady who was no longer able to keep her due to illness and members of the family decided that it would be best to re-home her. She had spent the best part of three years with virtually no exercise and has become very overweight. Their neighbour, who happens to be a good trainer friend of mine, took her in and knowing that we were looking to adopt a dog, called us with what she thought was the ideal candidate. As soon as Sadie stepped through the front door we knew she was the dog for us. My daughter Alexandra is scared of dogs, possibly from the fact that she has watched mummy training the naughty puppies on TV and in her mind, every dog is a ‘naughty puppy.’ I was a little concerned what Alex’s reaction would be to a very large brown dog but I needn’t have worried. Sadie walked up to my daughter, sat down in front of her and raised her paw as if to shake hands and say hello. To this day the pair are inseparable.

I have providing counselling to many families about the process of getting a new dog, particularly important when there are small children involved. It seems strange that after being dogless for so long because of work commitments, I am now in the same position. I can’t take any chances with a four year old running around and need to have a dog that is particularly good with children. Sadie has to be one of the most gentle dogs I’ve ever seen with a child, but I still believe that there has to be effective management so that Alex and Sadie are never left alone together. It is also important that I talk to Alex about what she is and what she is not allowed to do around the dog. Fortunately she’s a trainer’s daughter and at the age of two and a half was already training her toy Dalmatians to ‘leave it’ and ‘sit’ with pretend treats and a training pouch I had given her. The amazing thing was, I had never taught her to do these things – she was copying what she had seen me do on the television, with dare I say it exactly the same tone of voice! Always be aware parents that even if you don’t think they are, your children are watching and listening to everything you say and do. Alex understands how she should behave around Sadie but needs a gentle reminder from time to time.

As I write this Sadie is lying beside me wondering when this new woman is going to take her for a walk. The sun is shining through the window onto her beautiful chocolate coat and I am transfixed. I have never had a dog of my own even when I was a child. I have fostered countless here in the USA but have never been able to bond with them because I knew they were going to go to new homes. Now, after so long, this beautiful animal lying next to me is truly mine. Welcome Sadie to our home and our family – we are so blessed that you are now part of our lives.