Bammie: Will I Be the New Demo Dog?

Training a new dog is difficult. Being a new dog is difficult, too, (especially when your predecessor was as awesome as I am -- Love, Chubbs) and I hope that by giving you updates on my progress, you can see that even a dog trainer's dog faces frustrating training challenges.

The last few days have been going very well. I can be reactive on walks. I am prey driven and get excited about basically everything. It has been Mom's goal to make me her new demo dog for reactive dogs and therapy dogs, but in order to do that, I have to behave perfectly on leash. That's not easy for me.

When training a reactive dog, you have to teach them something you want them to do instead of react. Mom usually teaches her clients a simple "look" command. Thus, my alternative to barking is to look at my mom. I can do this very well without distractions, but with them, I am still struggling. I want to look at the other thing, even if I'm not reacting! To help your dog learn that looking at you is the right move, it's really important to reward when your dog makes the choice to look at you rather than at the thing. In the later stages of training, you don't want to wait to reward until after you cue them. Instead you want to reward your dog when he initiates the desired behavior. People often miss this behavior, teaching the dog that to get attention they must first react before they obey to get the treat. To avoid this, reward every time your dog looks at you (particularly in the early stages)!

I am not at the point where I can look away from the thing I want to chase. Cats are the toughest. Man, I want to bark at them. A dog that barks at me is next toughest. I mean, that guy has it coming! But in the last few weeks of training, I have definitely been improving. Earlier this week, I was able to look at Mom almost the entire time that a dog passed on the other side of the street! Then, a few minutes later, I walked past a dog that was staring at me, and I didn't react at all. I briefly looked at Mom without a cue, and she got very excited. I knew I had been a good boy and started nosing at the pocket where Mom keeps the treats, but she had run out. What kind of dog trainer is that? I got praise, which is nice, but not as nice as liver.

Then, the next night, I went completely crazy pulling and barking at a cat. Hey, you win some, you lose some. If you're training your dog, reactive or not, stick with it. We will improve!

Love, Bammie

Ever Have One of Those Days?

In the interest of honesty, I should tell you: I'm not always a good student. Your dog probably won't be either. Last week, I had one of those days. It was a bad day that just kept getting worse. A cat darted out in front of me, and I started barking. I saw a dog across the street and started barking even more. Then, I barked at a biker. Then another cat. By the time we got home, both Mom and I were pretty frazzled. I'm guessing that if you have a reactive dog, you've had a day like this, too: Training is going well, and you're making progress and then all of the sudden, you have a day so bad that it seems like you haven't done any training at all.

What do you do when that happens? Take a deep breath. You have to be patient. Getting upset doesn't help. In fact, it makes it worse. Keep trying with your training. When I calmed down, Mom still took the opportunity to practice the "watch" command with me. Just because I couldn't do it when the cat was running by doesn't mean I shouldn't be practicing when there are no distractions.

Finally, do more training. Having a setback means it's time to slow down training a little. Go back to a level where your dog was previously successful. Practice in the house. Practice on your block when it is quiet. Get some successful looks and reward for those.

My mom did just that, and today, I did much better. My watches were very good, except once when I saw a bunch of kids getting on the school bus. (That wasn't about barking -- I love kids! I want to kiss them and jump on them and love them...ok, I'm getting off track.) But I looked like I was supposed to after Mom took a few steps away from the bus. She said that I walked past a cat, but I didn't even notice because I was doing my watch!

So don't give up! Just keep practicing. We all have our setbacks, but maybe tomorrow will be better. Love, Bammie

Helping Your Rescue Dog Adjust

I was rescued from a reservation with my sister. I was starving and probably had to compete for limited food in the desert. Thus, I came into my new home guarding food from the other dogs. I also pulled things off the counters and bookshelves and tore up anything I could find, especially paper.

Rescue dogs do not come into their new homes with the clean slate that many puppies do, so there may be an adjustment period. Here are some suggestions for making that adjustment as smooth as possible:

• Restrict freedom: Many times, humans have the instinct to protect their new dog because he or she may have had a tough life. They think that rules seem cruel. But rules make your dog feel safe. And they keep him from making mistakes that will make you angry. Use a crate when you aren't home. Or limit the rooms in which your dog is allowed. And be sure to keep your valuable out of reach! Just like your puppy has to earn its house freedom, so does your rescue dog. She will appreciate it. Really.
• Don't Make Assumptions: Dogs do not generalize like humans, so don't assume that we are potty-trained just because the foster parent says so. Your house is still new, so take your dog outside a few times and reward for eliminating in the right places. If your dog was previously potty-trained, you will only have to do it a few times. Some dogs are punished for going in the house and may be afraid to go in front of you. This might cause them to sneak off and go in hidden places. Don't give your dog the freedom to do that. For the first few days, he should always be in your sight. Once he realizes that going to the bathroom outside earns rewards, it will be easier.
• Be patient. Be consistent: Your new dog doesn't know the rules of your new home, so don't get too angry when she breaks one. But set rules and be consistent. If you don't want your dog on the furniture, don't allow her on for the first few days. If you want her to sit for greetings, start that training right away. 
• Leave Your Dog Alone: Many humans think they should spend every second with their new dog so he feels comfortable. However, you eventually have to go back to work, and your dog can't understand why you are suddenly gone. When you first get your dog, plan to spend an hour away from home or a couple of hours away from home each day, so he gets used to having you gone.
• But Keep an Eye on Her: However, don't leave your dog out in the yard alone. We can escape. And if your dog doesn't know the neighborhood or is frightened, she may take off and not be able to find her way back. When you walk your dog the first few days, make sure the equipment is fit properly and allow her to smell a lot, so she knows how to find her way back in case she does get lost.
• Don't Push Your Dog: Don't have a bunch of people over to welcome your dog. You don't know his fears. Take it slow with socializing. Don't let your dog greet strangers on the street until you know how he will react. Let him meet your friends slowly. Then, he can meet strangers -- if he wants to. I don't like all dogs, and I get so excited meeting people that I sometimes jump at faces. My mom is careful with who I greet, and that's OK. Your dog can be perfectly happy and healthy not greeting every person or dog on the street. In fact, he might just prefer that!
• Set Aside Alone Time: If you have other dogs, make sure your new dog gets alone time with you every day. This can be going on walks alone or having some individual training time. This will teach your dog to look to you for guidance rather than the other dogs. You want your dog bonded with YOU!
• Keep Them Calm: There are a couple of great products that can help reduce stress in your dogs: DAP diffusers, which release calming pheromones that we can't smell but can calm your dogs (I'm told these helped my predecessor Muggsy a lot), and Thundershirts, which wrap your dog and provide constant pressure to reduce stress. These will help reduce the stress of being in a new environment so your dog begins to feel comfortable in his new home.

New rescue dogs can be a great gift. But they also may take a little work. Take a deep breath. It's worth it. Take them to a training class or call a trainer if you think you need a little more help. But stick with it. It's worth it. Trust me. :)

Love, Bammie

Bammie's Training Challenge: Huzzah Moment

The training challenge got thrown off by my mom's trip to Boulder, but she still practices with me on all of my walks and has had visitors over to the house to test my polite -- you know, all the hard stuff. My sit stays on my bed may not be improving, but my mom is so busy that she had to prioritize her training goals.

Today, on my walk, I walked past two cats and two dogs. I did get reactive to one cat, but my mom just kept walking and asked me to "look" every few steps. When I finally did calm down enough to look at her, I was still rewarded with a treat. I did much better with the other cat and the first dog. I didn't bark at all, though I did pull toward the dog a little when he was very close to me. Mom rewarded every chance she could, so I finally rewarded her with an awesome training moment. When we saw the second dog, I looked at her twice on my own without a cue! When my mom is training clients, this is something she always tells them to look for and reward a bunch. Some owners think it's important to give a dog a command before giving a reward, but my mom says that good behavior always deserves reward. She wants me to make good choices on my own. Looking away from the dog on my own is the best behavior ever, she says, especially since I have had trouble with that when I am excited.

I also saw several people, and I even sat for one of them to pet me. I also practiced that this weekend with some of my mom's friends. I still have to be on a leash, but I am calming down much more quickly. I only did one leaping face kiss, which is my special move. I'm really excited to see my grandma tomorrow and show her that I'm a much better greeter than last time!

I hope your training is going as well as mine. Love, Bammie

Vets Rule!

This post is not for you owners, but for your dogs! Make them read this. I see a huge problem in the dog world, and it needs to be solved!

Dogs: Why do you hate the vet? This place is freaking awesome! You walk in, and immediately, everyone starts saying how cute you are. People pet you. Other dogs stare at you with jealousy in their eyes (OK, that's mainly specific to when I enter since I'm so awesome, but you get the idea). Then, you go back to this room, you may have to do one or two uncomfortable things that only last a second and then you leave. And guess what happens: Mom buys you a hamburger or chicken sandwich. Seriously! It's awesome!

What? You don't get a hamburger? OK, put your owner back on the blog now.

Hi, owners! Let me get this straight. You don't take your dog out for a hamburger after the vet? What about his favorite treats? Do you bring those? Come on now. How do you expect your dog to love the vet if you don't make it fun for him/her?

If you have a dog who is afraid of the vet, don't forget to take your dog to the vet occasionally where he or she just walks in and gets to experience all the good parts (vet techs saying how cute she is, treats) and then leave. Maybe she stands on the scale. But that's it. Make the vet a place he/she starts looking forward to!

If your vet doesn't encourage this practice, you may be at the wrong place. Be sure that both you and your dog feel comfortable with your vet. I mean, you want someone you can trust, just like with your own doctors.

It's so easy to make the vet a fun place to go. Give it a try. It will certainly make your lives easier when you don't have to carry your shaking dog into a place they clearly fear. Training should be fun. Make the vet fun too.

Love, Chubbs

Bammie Training Challenge: Day 20

Sometimes you get the perfect training day handed to you. Yesterday was such a day for us. We ran into four cats and two dogs! As you know, a primary purpose of my training is to teach me to walk past dogs without barking. But cats are even worse for me! There is one in our neighborhood who taunts me, and I want to chase them all!

Even though I was able to walk past Mom's friend at a great distance, I had a difficult time looking at her, so this week, she has spent a lot of time practicing "look" on walks. Since there is no way I can do it with a distraction if I can't do it without one, she has been practicing just asking me to look at random, particularly with low level distractions, like smells. I have been doing a lot better and know now when to look. However, it is still hard with distractions.

When the first cat bolted in front of me, Mom knew she had her training cut out for her. I started to leap and whine. She asked me to look but I couldn't do it. So she just kept walking. As I started to calm down, she asked again. I couldn't do it. She kept walking. On the third try, I was able to look at her. She gave me a big reward. When we saw the second cat, it was stationary, so Mom asked for a look. I was able to give her one at the beginning and another one when the cat was out of sight. Each cat, I got a little faster. By the time we got to the park and saw the dog, I was able to look at Mom almost the entire time we walked past him. That was a piece of cake!

When you are working with your reactive dog, remember that you may not always get a response. It's really hard! Sometimes, we just can't focus. So be patient. Ask again a few steps later. When your dog finally does it, reward!!! Each day, your dog will respond a little sooner and for a little longer. Keep building on that.

Whew. That was tough. I hope I have an easier day tomorrow! Love, Bammie

Bammie Training Challenge: Day 16

Whew. This has been a tough week of training. I can now do some sit and down stays, which are improving with every practice (except when that old attention hog Chubbs tries to jump in and steal my treat), and I have now moved mostly to outdoor work. I can do heels outside, though not always the first time I have asked, and I can do a pretty good look when there are few distractions.

One area where I am still struggling is going to my bed. I am a little afraid to do this, so Mom had to sit on the bed with me and just praise me for being there. This lasted for a couple of days, and last night, I was finally able to stay on the bed in a sit stay for a few seconds. I use the bed all the time, but staying on it when told is very scary!

Today was a really tough day today because my Mom moved my training plan to the next level: greeting people and walking past dogs! Whew. First, Mom had a friend come over. She kept me on a leash while explaining to her friend (the great Courtney Baxter) that she couldn't pet me until I was sitting. Courtney did a really good job of ignoring me for a couple of minutes while I barked and pulled on the leash. My mom asked me for a sit during this time once or twice, but I couldn't do it. Finally, I did it, and she came toward me!! Yay! I jumped. She stopped and waited for me to sit again. After two or three tries, she was able to pet me while I sat. Once we repeated that three or four times, I was released from the leash and got to enjoy a bunch of petting and kissing. She had great tasting legs and toes! Yum!

Then, I went to the park with my mom's friend Kim Pegram and her dog, Sheldon, who is in her basic manners class. Sheldon was so well-behaved sitting in the shade while I tried to pay attention to my mom. I could only look at her a couple of times, so she made sure to give me lots of distance from Sheldon! I was on one side of a soccer field and he was on the other as we walked past. But I stayed calm and didn't pull on leash, so she rewarded me and ended training. She's always saying that it's important to end on a good note! If she had pushed me harder, I may have had a reaction, which would have been a setback for the training. As it was, I did very well.

I hope I get a break tomorrow! And I hope you are enjoying training with your dog! Love, Bammie

Bammie Training: Day 7

Hi, everyone! I'm still at it. Like every training program, we had to make a few changes. Mom was sick this week, so I missed a couple of days. I started learning how to go to my spot on command, and this one was definitely hard for me! I hated staying on my spot. I can do a great sit-stay while Mom walks away, but she had to keep blocking me on my spot and even had to go get a leash. I typically listen well enough that she doesn't have to break out the leash for training, but not this time. I kept trying to run off my spot. This is definitely not my favorite command! So Mom has changed things around to practice that a little more.

Why stay on spot? Well, I need to learn a little bit of impulse control. Sometimes, I need a place to go when I am told to get off the bed at night. Sometimes I need to calm down around people and need a place to go instead of their laps. Ultimately, this command will be used to send me away from the door. This is obviously a skill that could keep me from doing some of my favorite misbehaviors. Obviously, I'm going to hold out on this!

The rest of my training is going well. I am able to heel outside now while on walks, which is the natural progression from doing heels in the house. I can do a couple of steps with a treat lure and no distractions. I will slowly be expected to do it without treats and with greater distraction (though there will be treats for that).

I was doing well with looking at Mom on command, so she started adding in distractions. When there are distractions, I don't respond as well to my name, but I do respond to "look" with a hand signal. So Mom started using that command.

We went off the script mid-week when an outdoor soccer game offered me the opportunity for some social training. I'm bad at this, so Mom was going to spend more time training before throwing me in the deep end, but she decided to brave my hyperactivity and start practicing. While I did make some mistakes, I did really well sitting for pets from some people I really really wanted to greet. I only dove at three faces. Not bad for me!

While the game was going on, I also had to learn to settle down. For awhile I was running, but then my parents wanted me to lie down with them. They sat and shortened my leash, but I wouldn't lie down. Finally, my mom realized that I might not know that I could lie down in this context to relax since I am always so wound up. She gave me a down command. I happily did it and was able to relax. I just didn't know that I could! So remember that with your dogs: in a new context, they might not understand that you want them to behave like you do in the house. Tell them what to do and reward for it. I got treats just for staying in a down and getting pets. It was nice to know what to do. And get treats!

I'm having a lot of fun with my training, and I think I'm getting better. I hope you are enjoying your training as well. Love, Bammie!

Bammie Training: Day 1

Hi, everyone! I started my 45-day training challenge yesterday. I thought I was keeping you up-to-date on my progress so you could see that with just a few minutes of training per day (5 minutes last night), you can meet all your training goals. My mom runs a business and is in graduate school, so if she has time for this, you will, too! Keep in mind that I have taken a basic manners class and have started learning most of the basic skills. However, the plan is still to start simple and progress to more difficult behaviors, just as your training program should.

I have already learned to sit, but my mom wants me to learn to sit still when people approach me. One of my main weaknesses is that I love to jump on people. My mom wants me to learn to be patient and accept pets without jumping. In order to do that, I need to first simply learn to sit. Thus, last night, my first training lesson involved 10-15 second sit-stays. I did this with no problem. I have learned a release command already, so I knew I was waiting for the wait. Mom could even take 2-3 steps without me moving and then walk back to me. If I had broken the stay at any point, she would have just put me back in it (with no treat) and given me an easier challenge, such as making me sit for less time or taking fewer steps away from me.

My mom also practiced down with me. I have learned that, but I only do it in certain contexts, and my down-stay isn't very long. She only had me stay 5 seconds or less on those down-stays.

My other main weakness is that I jump and sometimes bark when I walk past people and other dogs. If I am to take Chubbs' place as the demo dog in Mom's business, I have to walk calmly past people and dogs who aren't necessarily happy to see me. In order to do this, I have to first be able to get in a heel position and walk politely with no distractions. Then, I will practice with people alone and calm dogs, gradually increasing the level of distraction. As anyone who has taken my mom's basic manners class knows, the first step to teaching a moving heel is teaching a stationary heel. I need to learn how to be in that position until Mom tells me it's OK to leave. I did very well. We practiced four times, and I never tried to push ahead. Mom did not use a leash with me, but she recommends using a leash with dogs who might break the heel before released. It is important that the dog not leave the heel position until told if you would like to turn it into a moving heel, which my mom does.

If you have any questions on how to teach any of these behaviors, email my mom at melinda@pawspartners.com. It is difficult to describe how to teach heel, but if enough people are interested, we can make a video. Happy training!

Love, Bammie

Chubbs' Retirement

I hardly ever write on my dogs' blog, but I have a sad announcement. Because of his recent health problems, Chubbs will no longer be accompanying me on lessons with my clients. While Muggsy was the inspiration of the business, Chubbs has always been its lifeblood. His calm demeanor has made him irreplaceable. He has played with puppies, corrected rowdy adolescents and walked calmly along beside me while numerous reactive dogs have learned to tolerate others. Dogs who have wanted to kill other dogs have learned to tolerate Chubbs, and one reactive dog even wanted Chubbs to be his boyfriend (Chubbs would like to interject at this time: Hey, I'm very good-looking. And awesome.).

I have so many stories of Chubbs behaving flawlessly in training lessons. I also have stories of his success as a therapy dog. One of the reasons Pawsitive Partners can be so successful in reactivity training is that I have lived with a reactive dog. While it may seem odd to specialize in aggression and therapy dog training, I have been successful as a therapy dog trainer because I went through all the steps myself with the fabulous Chubbs.

Chubbs was a local celebrity in the South Bay. Children would run out of the local libraries, yelling "Chubbs is here! Chubbs is here!" People would even come up to me on the street when I was with other dogs and say, "You're Chubbs' mom, right?" Everyone knew him and loved him. He had a special gift for figuring out which type of comfort someone needed. When visiting group homes, he would buddy up to the one kid who was sitting at the back, not talking to the others. Watching these teens come out of their shell while calmly petting Chubbs will always rank among the most moving moments of my life.

Chubbs has presented me with many training challenges but so many more rewards. Training has not been the same without him tagging along. I don't know how long before my training lessons feel normal. Maybe that won't happen. But in the interim, I will be training Bammie to be the new demo dog. As he is a little dog-reactive himself, this will be a challenge, but the majority of the entries on the blog from here on out will be more about that. As I have the next month off from teaching, I will be giving Bammie a 30-day training challenge and begin to groom him into the next face of Pawsitive Partners. Chubbs will begin to enjoy a life of even more relaxation, and I will do all I can to make sure the rest of his life is as fabulous as he is.

Love, Melinda

Who's Your Daddy?

I mean, look at me. I'm a good-looking dog. I'm always getting compliments. I look good. My mom has always wanted to know what mix of breeds created me and told people that I was a Rottweiler-Newfoundland because of my coloring and the shape of my head. But no one really knew. This weekend, she got the DNA test results from Wisdom Panel Insights DNA test. As suspected, one of my parents was a purebred Rottweiler. However, the other was quite a mutt: half Chow Chow, fourth Kerry Blue Terrier (really?) and fourth mix of other things that could include Great Pyrenees or Leonberger, both of which could explain my Newfie-ish good looks.

The advertisement for DNA tests (besides that you're just curious) is that knowing more about the breeds of your dogs allows you to help train them. However, while it is important to understand your breed and what it is bred to do, every dog is an individual, and a study by Pongracz in 2005 found that the way for which a dog is cared effects its performance on tasks moreso than its breed. I think I may just be proof that you have to train the individual more than the breed.

The DNA test asks: Do you recognize any of these Rottweiler traits in Chubbs?

• Calm (yes), intelligent (duh) and hard-working (ha!)
• Respond well to reward-based training (well, yeah, who doesn't?)
• Enjoy dog sports (yeah, right, that involves moving -- tried agility and was pretty good, but I'd rather sleep)
• May be reserved or aloof around strangers (a little; I'm friendly but I have my limits)
• May be aggressive (like a teddy bear?)

Do you recognize these Chow Chow traits in Chubbs?

• Again, reserved with strangers and responding to reward-based training
• Again with the aggression (yeah, right)

Do you recognize these Kerry Blue Terrier traits in Chubbs?

• Active and spirited (I'm chuckling now)
• Enjoys dog sports (laughing)
• May hunt or chase wildlife and be difficult to engage from active behavior (at this point, anyone who knows me is as hysterical as I am)

So, yes, it was cool to learn about my heritage, but while I am Rottie-esque, I really share very little in common with Chow Chows and Kerry Blue Terriers. I don't think this will change the way I am trained!

Love, Chubbs

Laugh Like a Newfie

My mom recently had a client who once owned a Newfoundland, and she began to describe the Newfoundland sense of humor. "He used to steal my stuff and take it out in the yard." I used to do the same thing to my dad. I would get in the trash or do things that I knew irritated him, just for a laugh. I did it to Muggsy, and now I do it to Bammie.

But I never do that to my mom. Probably for the same reason that the other Newfie stopped doing those things to her mom. "I just ignored him. Eventually, he stopped." That's what you have to do to us silly puppies who are just trying to mess with you. You can't take the bait. If you do, we will continue our games forever.

Think you're punishing us by yelling at us? Ha! We think it's hilarious. I mean, some dogs are really sensitive to that sort of thing, and you will know those right away. You can tell that I am not that sort of dog. I wag my tail a little, and seriously, I look like I'm laughing with my eyes a little. Yelling at me will not help. When you glare and wave your arms, it just looks like you're dancing. Silly and hilarious.

If I grab something that's yours and start running with it, don't chase me. You just created the best game ever. I will run and run, laughing in my head the whole time.

The best thing to do is just ignore it. Start playing with a toy and running in the opposite direction. Put me in my crate and clean up the mess. Keep your favorite shoes etc where I can't reach them and train me to leave it.

Most importantly, if your dog has a behavior that you don't like and it continues, sit down, figure out what you do when your dog does this and change your behavior. Because whether you know it or not, you are a part of the problem.

Now have a good laugh about your dog pulling one over on you and enjoy the rest of your day. Happy New Year! Love, Chubbs