Why Not Wag?

It's hard being the first blog written after Mom used it as a tribute to Muggsy, but someone has to do it. Since Chubbs is being kind of a bummer recently, the job falls on me. I'd rather just sleep on the couch, but Mom read something that interested me recently, and I thought I would share.

In Scott and Fuller's classic study, "Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog," they studied rate of tail wags in response to stimulus. Several breeds were evaluated, and the only breed that didn't wag as much as others? That's right, the basenji, 1/2 of who I am. However, they also found that when properly stimulated, basenjis did wag as much as the other breeds. So what does this mean? We're more difficult to stimulate. We might not get excited by the same things your golden retriever gets excited about.

My mom hears it all the time: "My dog doesn't like treats." "My dog doesn't play with toys." "My dog doesn't like praise." Do you have a dog that is difficult to stimulate? Well, be creative!

Make a list of things that your dog loves. If your list is shorter than five things, you're not trying hard enough. For example, my brother Chubbs isn't easily stimulated either. The woman who trained my mom said he had less "drive" than any dog she'd ever seen. But he has one toy that he loves: a stuffed parrot that says, "Polly wanna cracker!" My mom let him pick it out at the store, and he carries it around and sleeps next to it at night. He doesn't get that excited by praise either, but when my mom says, "Chubba! Who's my Chubba?!?" in a really loud squeaky voice, his tail thumps all over the place.

What about me? I don't like to be pet, but I love to be scratched on my chest. I love toys, and I can make anything into a toy. My parents have played with me using blankets, clothing and even their hands. I don't like to chew, just pretend to attack. It's great. I also love to sniff. So if I walk politely on leash, my mom rewards me with lots of sniffs.

My mom has had plenty of clients whose owners think they don't like treats, but when she offers them a liver treat or other meaty treat, they gobble it up and follow her the whole lesson. So experiment. Try different treats. Mix them up rather than giving the same thing all the time. Try different types of toys. Don't leave them lying on the ground. Bring them out only when you want to play so they are more special to your dog. Use a happier voice when you praise. Maybe your dog doesn't like to be thumped on top the head but love a soft belly rub.

Try to make that list of things your dog LOVES at least a dozen things long. Only include things that make your dog wiggly, tail waggly, happy, happy, happy. Then, make your dog earn those things with proper behavior. Your dog will be motivated to work in no time.

Happy training! Love, Fenway