Haven't been here in a while so in brief... Daisy is great, kids are great and spring is on the way. Oh, and my F key is broken so if I drop any F's please forgive me.
With Spring comes free rabies clinics. Lopey, my massive 140 lb American Bulldog does not often go to the vet for the following reasons:
1. he has a shoulder deformity (not painful) that the vets offer to fix... for several thousand dollars
2. he has entropia (a genetic eyelid deformity, again nonpainful) that they offer to fix -in two separate surgeries- for a minimum of $1,600 per eye. They usually follow up this suggestion with the fact that it is cosmetic surgery and may need to be re-done in the future
3. he is HUGE, dopey and friendly and usually knock people down just wagging his tail
4. he is in good health
Lopey was due for his 3 year rabies vac this Spring. I researched the available clinics and found one in Monmouth Beach. Noice! I brought Daisy first and when I got up to the registration, the girl looked at her papers and said, Oh, no, she's has her 3 year vac. So I went home and got Lopey.
Lopey doesn't get out often, but I must say he was very well behaved and friendly. Not that I let him play with any of the other dogs or cats, mind you. Nonetheless, we were one of the last dog-owner pairs in the firehouse. The vet and tech had a great time laughing about him as he IS pretty funny/scary looking. The main comment was that his head looked like a basketball. The vet was a bit nervous about me holding him while he gave him the shot but I said, Go for it. This dog can't feel a thing. All in all I felt pretty good about the whole process and was proud that my fairly untrained bulldog behaved so well.
Disappointment #1: when I got home I looked at Daisy's papers. Her vaccination was not up to date. The girl at the counter looked at the Reminder section of the papers. Now I have to take her to another clinic in a couple of weeks.
Disappoinment #2: yesterday, I received a WARNING from the Long Branch Health Czar that I need to license my "WHT AMER BULLDOG" before the 29th or I will get a $90 fine. The license itself is $10 for a neutered animal and $15 for an intact pet.
I don't really recall the last time I licensed a dog frankly and I don't really see the need for it. Being a former Rottweiler owner, I tended to NOT license my dogs as some homeowners' insurance companies will DROP you without notice for having a dog on their HOT LISTS. Just so you know there are a variety of non-threatening dogs on these lists (eg. St Bernard, thank you Cujo; a whole smattering of terrier-types, thank you irresponsible pit bull owners; Rottweilers, of course, because they are death-on-wheels killing machines; some lists even include labs as well) but strangely missing from these lists are the dogs that I was most often called in for training. A short list, Yorkies, min pins, Cockers and OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG. I could go on and on. The worst bites with damage I ever took were from a lab and cairn terrier, not counting formal protection training where I was wearing a padded sleeve.
Frankly, I'm pretty pissed that Long Branch is threatening me with a fine. Are they really so hard up for the $15? Now, I get it that they want an active real list of dogs in residence, however I don't really see the need for it. My dogs are contained, cared for and under control. This is the ONLY formality I have balked as a dog owner (OK, Lopey's not neutered but that's because I was warned about putting him under as his has a strange "tick" in his heartbeat and I was warned by two vets that it could be risky). The WARNING they sent could have been a bit less antagonistic. I would have even welcomed a personal visit from animal control!
This may effect my vote on election day. Just kidding. But I guess now I have to add one more errand on Monday and go get my "dangerous dog" a friggin $15 tag to hang off his collar.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sheesh! It's been a while...
It's been a while since I've blogged about my dog or adventures. Oh, I've had plenty! I'll be addressing a few of them in the next few posts. Here's a quick preview...
1. Daisy barks at everyone that is not a household family member. She hates and loves large parties. She freaks out and shakes when kids ambush her. She loves or hates a guy named Trez. She is still not on her training collar as I have not received it yet from an old associate.
2. The reason I have not yet received the training collar is that this old associate is tempting me to go back to work with him at a local kennel. I am weighing my options (but frankly, I need to get my own puppy in order before I even think of heading out to train others!). I really do need some adult time away from home.
3. My Aunt Laine's Labra-doodly-o, Piper is driving her crazy... as a four month old pup should. I put in a couple of rescue calls to her and I think he is on the right path now... for the moment.
4. My Mom is being jerked around financially by a large (nameless in this blog) teaching hospital. Every time she brings in her Westie the bill jumps to thousands. The dog is only 8 years old. He just had knee surgery, needs the other knee done and they "discovered" that he had some dental work that was necessary. I have a lot to say about these teaching hospitals and will be blogging my arse off shortly. Oh, the same hospital is also trying to convince my mother's friend to sustain the life of her cancer-ridden Wheaton Terrier with chemo, radiation, etc.
5. I am also in the process of restructuring my personal life as well. But that won't be included in this blog. As juicy as the gory details are, I will be keeping this private... unless I start another blog, that is.
6. One last note, somewhat relative, I officially HATE Valentine's Day and anyone that "goes to Jerrod" should be smacked in the head.
Bloggin soon. Hope the few of you that follow didn't miss me.
1. Daisy barks at everyone that is not a household family member. She hates and loves large parties. She freaks out and shakes when kids ambush her. She loves or hates a guy named Trez. She is still not on her training collar as I have not received it yet from an old associate.
2. The reason I have not yet received the training collar is that this old associate is tempting me to go back to work with him at a local kennel. I am weighing my options (but frankly, I need to get my own puppy in order before I even think of heading out to train others!). I really do need some adult time away from home.
3. My Aunt Laine's Labra-doodly-o, Piper is driving her crazy... as a four month old pup should. I put in a couple of rescue calls to her and I think he is on the right path now... for the moment.
4. My Mom is being jerked around financially by a large (nameless in this blog) teaching hospital. Every time she brings in her Westie the bill jumps to thousands. The dog is only 8 years old. He just had knee surgery, needs the other knee done and they "discovered" that he had some dental work that was necessary. I have a lot to say about these teaching hospitals and will be blogging my arse off shortly. Oh, the same hospital is also trying to convince my mother's friend to sustain the life of her cancer-ridden Wheaton Terrier with chemo, radiation, etc.
5. I am also in the process of restructuring my personal life as well. But that won't be included in this blog. As juicy as the gory details are, I will be keeping this private... unless I start another blog, that is.
6. One last note, somewhat relative, I officially HATE Valentine's Day and anyone that "goes to Jerrod" should be smacked in the head.
Bloggin soon. Hope the few of you that follow didn't miss me.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Daisy's Family Reunion
For weeks now I have been trying to get together with the three girls who helped bring Daisy into our family: Jessica, Lori and Alicia. Jessica owns Daisy's mother, Stella and recently moved here from (Viva!) Las Vegas, one of my favorite places in the whole world. Initially I thought it would be good to let Jessica and her family settle in. Then came the holidays. Then school started back up. With the date of my brother in law and his wife arriving as well as my son's second birthday looming, I put the pedal to the metal and had them over for a Dog Party. If I hadn't we probably wouldn't get together until next year as we are all fairly busy. Alicia couldn't make it as she lives some distance away and has young twins (being the mother of two dissimilarly aged children, I have no idea how she showers or goes to the grocery store with two, let alone schlep out to the shore to go to Dog Parties! God bless her!). I was fairly bummed Alicia couldn't make it as it was her post on Facebook that brought us all together and put Daisy into our family.
I did have some conerns about how the two puppies, Daisy and her brother Cody would interact. Being five months old, they are on the cusp of sexual development. If Cody was already matured enough to "bust a move" on his sister she would attempt either to throw him off and "correct*" him or she would go for it herself and do nothing. When Jessica asked if I thought they would be OK together, I made a bad joke about Cody being at the "Jersey Shore." Stella had been under a year old when she had her litter of six and Jessica suspects that is why her original owner was so determined to re-home her. It is possible (nay- probable) that Stella mated with her original owner's poodle-bichon male shortly before she was given to Jessica's family. You decide from the pictures. We all think it is pretty obvious without Maury Povich getting involved. But I guess it holds true: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
FYI it is not advisable for any dog to have a litter until after they are a minimum of one year old, ideally over two years. Stella came through her pregnancy and delivery fine, but Jessica provided her with excellent veterinary care, including an ultrasound for a "head count." Though procreation is the most natural thing in the world, small dogs and large head-ed breeds (ie. bulldogs and the like) often have more complications with an unstructured breeding and can develop pups that are too large for a natural birth. Also, unstructured breedings can result in an extremely large litter. Female dogs can be fertile from 1-3 days. Eggs continue to drop and can be fertilized by several different males over this period.
Cody did try to mount his sister, as well as his Mom (can't blame a dog for trying!), but in general they were all more interested in playing, running, barking and trying to get food from all the shorter humans in the house. I was very pleased at how well they all got along. No fights at this reunion!
Oddly enough, though they are all different in appearance I was surprised by how much their behaviors were common. Even their bark patterns and triggers were the same. I really wish I took some video and posted it here, but alas, I can't get the videos to load on the blog so I've been lax about taping Daisy. Eventually I'll figure that out but in the mean time, here are some still of the party. Mind you, they are all fairly fast moving dogs and I did my best to capture the moment!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Training Collars to some, Torture Devices to other
There is a huge selection of training collars available. I will obnoxiously discuss them here in order of intensity. WARNING: this is a long post!
1. No collar. Well, this is fairly simple. Don't bother to put a collar on your dog. Make bets to see if he does what you want. For the very lucky few who accidentally find a stable, happy-go-lucky personality pooch this will work great. For the majority of us, not so much.
2. Flat, buckle-type collar.... can be adorned with spikes, semi-precious jewels or other decoration. Again, this will work well for folks with fairly compliant pups or teeny-tiny teacup breed that are not experiencing Napoleonic behavioral issues. Many a medium-grade Lab has been started on their flat collars by this trainer but the tend to graduate to a more meaningful correction by nine months of age. I like to add the clicker into training with the flat collar as it gives the dog the indication when he is doing something right. If you are not going to "mark" the bad behavior, you must "mark" the good behavior in a meaningful way.
3. Body harnesses. Some dogs are anatomically constructed so that neck collars and head collars are explicitly NOT an option. For a specific example, the Maltese, while not immune to aggressive or highly unwanted behaviors, are built with a soft trachea. Applying collar correction WILL injure the dog so a body harness is often a good option to preserve the dog's well being and good health. Likewise, pug-faced dogs have a less efficient cooling system due to their distinct facial construction. Restricting airflow with a neck collar or a flat collar, even briefly, can stress out pug-faced dog enough to cause him to pass out in the worst case or just not train well in the mildest case. One word of caution if using a body harness: dogs respond to pressure with counter-pressure. This is the reason sled dogs will pull like mad through snow and ice and weight pull dogs will knock your socks off by pulling carts loaded with cement bags. If you chose to use a body harness, you must employ targeting bait work and possibly a clicker to "mark" the good behavior.
4. Head collars. Many of you have seen these collars on the street and thought they were muzzles. Quite the innovation in training, the concept is that of the horse bridle without the bit: where the head goes the body will follow. I am a fan of this collar but far too many owners run out, buy one, put it on the dog, completely stress him out then throw the collar in the drawer, never to be used again. As a professional I had an entire filing cabinet drawer filled with head collars from owners that failed to use them correctly, distressed the dog enough to put him off the head collar forever and gave up on them. Although the packaging claims to be an instant fix for behavioral issues such as pulling on the lead, I strongly urge anyone desiring to use this nifty collar to employ a trainer that is conversant with the collar as well as experienced in training with it. Be careful, the master trainer that apprenticed me asked me to do an initial application and lesson with a head collar by myself during the first week of my apprenticeship. I refused and then watched him completely stress out two owners and one Lab. This is a delicate, subtle device and WILL NOT provide instant behavioral correction. Bottom line: consult with a trainer if you want to use this one.
5. Martingale-type collars. These collars equip the handler with a mild correction. You will most often see them on greyhounds as they recommended for the breed especially if they are racing rescues. They are effective as well on smaller, more delicate breeds providing they are responsive to gentle direction. Again, good "marking" of desirable behavior is critical for good success. They are available in many thicknesses, from wide, flat collars to rolled nylon and cotton with chain connectors. Good correction control is important: if you find you are correcting the dog's front feet off the ground you are applying too much pressure and should modify your technique or consider a different corrective device.
6. Nylon or cotton slip collar, also known as choke-type collars. Lots of folks start out thinking that a fabric slip collar is a "nicer" alternative to the traditional chain link "choke" collar. While this may be a good idea for young pups that will eventually graduate to a chain-type slip collar, I have often seen "shaving" of the fur around the neck from the fabric rubbing. Also, the concept behind the slip collar is not to choke the dog. This is called coercive training and will be discussed in a later post. For the time being, understand this is not an ideal philosophy in training and is fairly archaic as well as abusive. A slip collar should provide an effective, meaningful distraction from the dog's attention. For example, if you tell your dog to Heel and he is more interested in the squirrel running by, you need to redirect his attention to you, the handler. Correction is a tap on the shoulder, not a slap across the face.
7. Chain choke-type collars. As with the fabric slip collar, some "shaving" of the neck hair can develop from poor, incorrect application of this training device. One of my biggest beefs with the consumer products in the dog industry is the availability of this collar. Not only can this collar seriously injure the dog with a minimum of improper application, but far too many folks run out and just start yanking on the dog with complete abandon of sense. Also, the cheaper the collar the worse the damage can be. Many people allow their dogs to pull to the end of the slip collar, gasping and panting far ahead. Remember: dogs respond to pressure with counter pressure. If he is pulling to the end of the lead, he is going to try to pull through the collar's tightening though it is a futile effort. With time, the dog can develop a "calloused" muscle around the neck known to some trainers as "tire neck." Essentially, the dog will pull so much and brace against the correction, that the neck muscles will build up to protect against the tightening chain. Even worse, many owners fail to remove this collar with tragic results. It is unfortunately not uncommon for a dog to hook his collar and hang himself when wearing this collar unsupervised. Also, we have all heard stories of dogs having the collar embedded in the neck skin from failure to resize. This collar should always be used with the support of a trainer. It takes a good amount of practice to achieve a good, sound correction with this collar. Technique counts.
8. Prong collars. I have heard many a gasp when I have pulled this type of collar out of my training bag. They come in all sizes. I myself have a Mighty Max prong collar suited for a toy breed that I have worn as a bracelet to many a dog show for a laugh (see last post for a cute photo). The prong looks like a medieval torture device but again is only as dangerous as the handler makes it. The concept behind this collar is to give a full neck correction by compressing the loose skin of the neck. The prongs are not stabbing the dog in the neck! High quality prong collars have rounded prongs. I have heard stories of brutal trainers flattening the prongs to create a more painful correction but this again is giving into the old school technique of coercive training and is not an ideal practice. I presented my sister with this collar for her pit-mix and while she did have some reservations the collar has provided her family with a consistent meaningful correction for a dog that was heading down the wrong path. Consider this collar the power steering of dog training. It is applied in many situations and for many types of working dogs. Many handicap assistance dogs are given this collar as the potential owner many not have the physical capability to administer a meaningful correction with another device (ie. paralysis, arthritis, etc.). Also, if there is a incongruous difference in handler and dog size this collar may be necessary for effective correction and handling (ie. 200 lb Mastif and 95 lb owner). I know I am singing the praises of this collar, but it really can provide a novice handler with good control in a fairly short period of time, but like my other examples it must be sized and used at the direction of a good, experienced trainer.
9. Remote, electric collars. Electric collars have come a long way in recent years. Many collars now offer a vibrate feature which is excellent for owners with hearing impared dogs. Commands can be trained with a series of vibrations and hand signals rather than the traditional verbal command/hand signal combo. Remote collars now offer variable corrections from the hand-held remote (years ago you had to change the intesity level from the collar by removing the prongs and going through a whole rigamorole) and some electric fence systems have a Train and Contain option. Technique has also made some advances. Some years ago I was completely against electric collars as I worked with a "behavioralist" who shocked the snot out of my softy Rottweiler Buster which resulted in him becoming MORE prey aggressive. At the urging of a fellow trainer in Florida Mike Harvey I accompanied him to a three day workshop with Fred Hassen. So the legend goes, Fred was just a regular dude that had a negative experience with a "trainer" using traditional "shock and stop" techniques, in essence blast the dog with the highest level of correction as a deterent for unwanted behavior. Again, as the legend goes, Fred fired the "trainer," kept the collar and worked out his own technique with remarkable, REMARKABLE success. His technique involves "tapping" low level corrections coupled with verbal and hand signal support to guide the dog back to the desired placement or command. His work with professional working dogs and aggression cases is simply amazing. Videos of his work can be found at www.youtube.com. Search his name and you will be amazed to no end. He established two schools for remote collar trainer certification, one of which is in Las Vegas (Mike Harvey is a certified trainer in both traditional techniques and Fred Hassen's remote techniques). I strongly urge anyone seeking to get truly amazing (yeah, I know I used the word "amazing" a bunch of times but watch the videos and you'll see why) off lead results to hire one of Hassen's certifed trainers. I do not recommend using a remote collar without a competant trainer and a veterinary OK. Some medical problems such as seizure disorder may disqualify a dog for this type of device.
As you can see there is a big selection of training collars. I like some more than others. However, it is up to you and your trainer to determine what will work best for your family and your dogs. Consistent correction from ALL family members is crucial to success so a device that works for everyone must be employed. Likewise the device must suit the dog's personality. Buster was eventually clicker trained on a flat, padded aggitation-collar (used to pad the dog's neck for pulling in bite/protection work). This may seem like a contradiction in devices but it was what worked best for him. Buffy, on the other hand, could take a full level remote stimulation though she was half the size of Buster. I have met poodles that could take no more than a gentle prod and bulldogs that didn't even need a collar. I have trained labs that could tra-la-la through electric collar stims when out in the field birding. You should consult, experiment carefully and train responsibly.
Until again... train well!
1. No collar. Well, this is fairly simple. Don't bother to put a collar on your dog. Make bets to see if he does what you want. For the very lucky few who accidentally find a stable, happy-go-lucky personality pooch this will work great. For the majority of us, not so much.
2. Flat, buckle-type collar.... can be adorned with spikes, semi-precious jewels or other decoration. Again, this will work well for folks with fairly compliant pups or teeny-tiny teacup breed that are not experiencing Napoleonic behavioral issues. Many a medium-grade Lab has been started on their flat collars by this trainer but the tend to graduate to a more meaningful correction by nine months of age. I like to add the clicker into training with the flat collar as it gives the dog the indication when he is doing something right. If you are not going to "mark" the bad behavior, you must "mark" the good behavior in a meaningful way.
3. Body harnesses. Some dogs are anatomically constructed so that neck collars and head collars are explicitly NOT an option. For a specific example, the Maltese, while not immune to aggressive or highly unwanted behaviors, are built with a soft trachea. Applying collar correction WILL injure the dog so a body harness is often a good option to preserve the dog's well being and good health. Likewise, pug-faced dogs have a less efficient cooling system due to their distinct facial construction. Restricting airflow with a neck collar or a flat collar, even briefly, can stress out pug-faced dog enough to cause him to pass out in the worst case or just not train well in the mildest case. One word of caution if using a body harness: dogs respond to pressure with counter-pressure. This is the reason sled dogs will pull like mad through snow and ice and weight pull dogs will knock your socks off by pulling carts loaded with cement bags. If you chose to use a body harness, you must employ targeting bait work and possibly a clicker to "mark" the good behavior.
4. Head collars. Many of you have seen these collars on the street and thought they were muzzles. Quite the innovation in training, the concept is that of the horse bridle without the bit: where the head goes the body will follow. I am a fan of this collar but far too many owners run out, buy one, put it on the dog, completely stress him out then throw the collar in the drawer, never to be used again. As a professional I had an entire filing cabinet drawer filled with head collars from owners that failed to use them correctly, distressed the dog enough to put him off the head collar forever and gave up on them. Although the packaging claims to be an instant fix for behavioral issues such as pulling on the lead, I strongly urge anyone desiring to use this nifty collar to employ a trainer that is conversant with the collar as well as experienced in training with it. Be careful, the master trainer that apprenticed me asked me to do an initial application and lesson with a head collar by myself during the first week of my apprenticeship. I refused and then watched him completely stress out two owners and one Lab. This is a delicate, subtle device and WILL NOT provide instant behavioral correction. Bottom line: consult with a trainer if you want to use this one.
5. Martingale-type collars. These collars equip the handler with a mild correction. You will most often see them on greyhounds as they recommended for the breed especially if they are racing rescues. They are effective as well on smaller, more delicate breeds providing they are responsive to gentle direction. Again, good "marking" of desirable behavior is critical for good success. They are available in many thicknesses, from wide, flat collars to rolled nylon and cotton with chain connectors. Good correction control is important: if you find you are correcting the dog's front feet off the ground you are applying too much pressure and should modify your technique or consider a different corrective device.
6. Nylon or cotton slip collar, also known as choke-type collars. Lots of folks start out thinking that a fabric slip collar is a "nicer" alternative to the traditional chain link "choke" collar. While this may be a good idea for young pups that will eventually graduate to a chain-type slip collar, I have often seen "shaving" of the fur around the neck from the fabric rubbing. Also, the concept behind the slip collar is not to choke the dog. This is called coercive training and will be discussed in a later post. For the time being, understand this is not an ideal philosophy in training and is fairly archaic as well as abusive. A slip collar should provide an effective, meaningful distraction from the dog's attention. For example, if you tell your dog to Heel and he is more interested in the squirrel running by, you need to redirect his attention to you, the handler. Correction is a tap on the shoulder, not a slap across the face.
7. Chain choke-type collars. As with the fabric slip collar, some "shaving" of the neck hair can develop from poor, incorrect application of this training device. One of my biggest beefs with the consumer products in the dog industry is the availability of this collar. Not only can this collar seriously injure the dog with a minimum of improper application, but far too many folks run out and just start yanking on the dog with complete abandon of sense. Also, the cheaper the collar the worse the damage can be. Many people allow their dogs to pull to the end of the slip collar, gasping and panting far ahead. Remember: dogs respond to pressure with counter pressure. If he is pulling to the end of the lead, he is going to try to pull through the collar's tightening though it is a futile effort. With time, the dog can develop a "calloused" muscle around the neck known to some trainers as "tire neck." Essentially, the dog will pull so much and brace against the correction, that the neck muscles will build up to protect against the tightening chain. Even worse, many owners fail to remove this collar with tragic results. It is unfortunately not uncommon for a dog to hook his collar and hang himself when wearing this collar unsupervised. Also, we have all heard stories of dogs having the collar embedded in the neck skin from failure to resize. This collar should always be used with the support of a trainer. It takes a good amount of practice to achieve a good, sound correction with this collar. Technique counts.
8. Prong collars. I have heard many a gasp when I have pulled this type of collar out of my training bag. They come in all sizes. I myself have a Mighty Max prong collar suited for a toy breed that I have worn as a bracelet to many a dog show for a laugh (see last post for a cute photo). The prong looks like a medieval torture device but again is only as dangerous as the handler makes it. The concept behind this collar is to give a full neck correction by compressing the loose skin of the neck. The prongs are not stabbing the dog in the neck! High quality prong collars have rounded prongs. I have heard stories of brutal trainers flattening the prongs to create a more painful correction but this again is giving into the old school technique of coercive training and is not an ideal practice. I presented my sister with this collar for her pit-mix and while she did have some reservations the collar has provided her family with a consistent meaningful correction for a dog that was heading down the wrong path. Consider this collar the power steering of dog training. It is applied in many situations and for many types of working dogs. Many handicap assistance dogs are given this collar as the potential owner many not have the physical capability to administer a meaningful correction with another device (ie. paralysis, arthritis, etc.). Also, if there is a incongruous difference in handler and dog size this collar may be necessary for effective correction and handling (ie. 200 lb Mastif and 95 lb owner). I know I am singing the praises of this collar, but it really can provide a novice handler with good control in a fairly short period of time, but like my other examples it must be sized and used at the direction of a good, experienced trainer.
9. Remote, electric collars. Electric collars have come a long way in recent years. Many collars now offer a vibrate feature which is excellent for owners with hearing impared dogs. Commands can be trained with a series of vibrations and hand signals rather than the traditional verbal command/hand signal combo. Remote collars now offer variable corrections from the hand-held remote (years ago you had to change the intesity level from the collar by removing the prongs and going through a whole rigamorole) and some electric fence systems have a Train and Contain option. Technique has also made some advances. Some years ago I was completely against electric collars as I worked with a "behavioralist" who shocked the snot out of my softy Rottweiler Buster which resulted in him becoming MORE prey aggressive. At the urging of a fellow trainer in Florida Mike Harvey I accompanied him to a three day workshop with Fred Hassen. So the legend goes, Fred was just a regular dude that had a negative experience with a "trainer" using traditional "shock and stop" techniques, in essence blast the dog with the highest level of correction as a deterent for unwanted behavior. Again, as the legend goes, Fred fired the "trainer," kept the collar and worked out his own technique with remarkable, REMARKABLE success. His technique involves "tapping" low level corrections coupled with verbal and hand signal support to guide the dog back to the desired placement or command. His work with professional working dogs and aggression cases is simply amazing. Videos of his work can be found at www.youtube.com. Search his name and you will be amazed to no end. He established two schools for remote collar trainer certification, one of which is in Las Vegas (Mike Harvey is a certified trainer in both traditional techniques and Fred Hassen's remote techniques). I strongly urge anyone seeking to get truly amazing (yeah, I know I used the word "amazing" a bunch of times but watch the videos and you'll see why) off lead results to hire one of Hassen's certifed trainers. I do not recommend using a remote collar without a competant trainer and a veterinary OK. Some medical problems such as seizure disorder may disqualify a dog for this type of device.
As you can see there is a big selection of training collars. I like some more than others. However, it is up to you and your trainer to determine what will work best for your family and your dogs. Consistent correction from ALL family members is crucial to success so a device that works for everyone must be employed. Likewise the device must suit the dog's personality. Buster was eventually clicker trained on a flat, padded aggitation-collar (used to pad the dog's neck for pulling in bite/protection work). This may seem like a contradiction in devices but it was what worked best for him. Buffy, on the other hand, could take a full level remote stimulation though she was half the size of Buster. I have met poodles that could take no more than a gentle prod and bulldogs that didn't even need a collar. I have trained labs that could tra-la-la through electric collar stims when out in the field birding. You should consult, experiment carefully and train responsibly.
Until again... train well!
The Fifth Month of Puppy's Life: What Will Happen to Daisy Next
Oh, Daisy!
I know most of you are freaking out at the picture to the left. To be sure, I will get to this seemingly torturous device soon enough. The coin in the picture is a quarter for scale (I am not the best macro photographer).
Daisy celebrated her fifth month on the fifth of January. She has been losing LOTS of teeth. Miraculously, I am finding them here and there in the house. Prior to this I have only found two dog teeth. One of Lopey's puppy teeth and one of Buster's adult canines that Buffy broke taking a Nylabone from him. Puppies most swallow their puppy teeth as they tend to come out while eating kibble. Human instinct urges us to soften up the food or to give substitutes during the teething phase. I try not to do this as when pups are teething they tend to not eat as heartily as they otherwise would. Daisy was a bit slower but she still made it through the worst of it when her bottom baby canine was hanging to the right. It was all I could do to not pull it myself!
I posted the tooth updates on Facebook and my friend Alicia (the catalyst for the whole Daisy scenario; thank you forever, Alicia!!!) asked me what the Tooth Fairy was bringing Daisy. I jokingly replied, "A heat cycle." Unfortunately this is not a joke and I am patiently waiting for Daisy's menses, her first period. I have two indications that this is pending.
1. Lopey has no control over his "thang" when he sees her and begins panting. Lopey is not neutered and is a bit of a perv. He recently attempted to sexually assault one male visitor, albeit a cute one. Nonetheless, Lopey's hog is nearly as big as Dasiy so we're gonna have to be a bit careful when she is fully blown in "heat." I really would hate to see them breed!
2. The neighbor's dog Jack was mounting my daughter. I know it seems far afield but Ella was wearing fuzzy pajamas and had been cuddling with Daisy all day before we stopped over. He basically smelled that good doggie smell and was intent on getting some. Smell is far more relative to dogs than form. Jack was fairly relentless but is only 20 lbs so it was easily fixable.
In addition to her physical changes, the fifth month will bring some mental developmental changes that are fairly significant and very welcome: the onset of long term memory. Until the fifth month it is a fairly futile endeavor to force orchestrated obedience. Puppies simply do not have the capacity or attention span to respond consistently or reliably to technical commands. At this point, we will be working toward RELIABLE response to commands and to achieve this end a training collar must be introduced. Daisy will be required to Heel (walk calmly at the left with no pulling and sit automatically when the handler stops), to hold a Sit or Down until released with the command OK and, most importantly, to Come and Sit at attention in front of the handler from increasing distances.
Until this developmental stage, most trainers will use a "back door" approach and "catch and praise" when a pup commits a desirable behavior. Now, Daisy will corrected when she fails to complete the task at hand.
Many trainers are against training collars, finding them cruel and painful. However, it is my belief that a training collar is only as abusive as the trainer. Heavy handed correct on a flat, buckle-type collar can injure a dog just as well as a prong or choke-type collar. Finding the "sweet spot" and leveling a correction to match the infraction as well as the dog's temperament, anatomical construction and size will achieve successful, consistent reliability; abusive correction will make your dog fear you... and training.
Please see the next post for a detailed discussion of various corrective training devices.
Daisy will be fitted for her collar this week. As she is so bright and enthusiastic, I am predicting she will be a grand success. Her potty training is nearly complete. She squeaks at the back door when she needs to go out and only has accidents in the house at the handler's failure to take her out. I have actually stopped using the crate and have left her out when no one was home several times with good results. I have rarely seen a pup house train so well so quickly.
Please see the next post for more on this subject... Until then, good luck and good training!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Why Dog Owners Should Be Ever-Vigilant
So my good friend Dave had an interesting week. His cute little dog Benny spent some time with the vet due to a... wait for it... ingested WINE CORK!
Have no fear, Faithful Readers, Benny is just fine and passed the cork. As this was a happy ending story I had no problem making some Champagne and popping jokes on Dave's Facebook page. Dave himself drew and posted the silly picture I have posted here (with permission).
As the owner of a puppy, I must urge that all owners keep their homes as puppy-proof as possible. However, for a lot of us this does not end when puppyhood ends. I have Ella fairly well trained that if she leaves her toys on the floor Daisy will get them and ruin them as well as get sick enough to go the vet. Buffy the Wonder Dog, one of my Great Rottweiler Dogs of Ward, was a massive chewer despite a small fortune in appropriate "chewies." I had a collection of remote controls, cell phones and paper currency (I'm not kidding) that Buffy had destroyed until WELL into her adulthood.
Chewing is an idle time endevour for dogs. Think of their chew toys as magazines to read. They are not mad that you left and they are not seeking revenge for some human indiscretion or perceived neglect. Blame not your actions for your dogs chewing behavior, but firmly find cause in your lack of actions. Certainly I am not suggesting that you spend your day engaging your dog in stimulating animal activities, but make some time to train and play. When you are absent, give your dog a nice "chewy" to while away the hours until your return. I am a big fan of the Nylabone products (specifically the "chocolate" flavor) and the Chilly Bone, which can be soaked in water and frozen for teething or hot weather relief.
Now as far as Benny is concerned, he may or may not have been bored. I have hung out a great deal with Dave and he is a great drinking buddy! (Love ya, guy!) I have a feeling Benny was just trying to join in the party. Dave, next time pour him a glass of that vino and put his feet up!
Don't get mad, D! Glad the whole thing worked its way out and the little dude is OK!
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