Housebreaking Revisited

A friend posted recently that she felt it was time to kill her dogs. I asked her, "what did they do this time?" The dogs had apparently used the living room as their "personal toilet". She was kidding about killing her dogs, of course, but we can all identify with the frustration she was feeling.

I thought about this and it occurred to me, this friend has relocated several times since becoming a dog owner and both her canine companions are still rather young. It seems that relocating to a new environment is what's disrupting the housebreaking and causing serious setback. It makes sense that the dog no longer knows what door leads to the great outdoors, everything is unfamiliar.

Any new environment should be coupled with reintroducing the dog to proper and expected bathroom behavior just as you did when initially housebreaking him. There is the preferred door for going out, the timing (first thing in the morning, after meals, before bed, etc.), the praise; all that. With the dog being more mature, the reintroduction of bathroom duties should not take as long as it initially did when he was a youngster but it is just as important to teach the dog that "this is how it's done" in the new environment.

Therapy dogs visiting a new facility need the same reinforcement. Making an initial trip to the new facility to learn your way around, meet staff and locate a "bathroom area" for your dog is time well spent. Figure out if you'll need plastic bags for cleanup, or if the area is remote/vegetated enough to not worry. When you take your dog to the facility for the first time, visit the "bathroom area" before entering the facility. Any therapy dog should be given the opportunity to relieve himself before going to work.

Note! I've taught all my dogs "key words" for elimination, "go potty", "go poop", etc. Just as with the post bath command, "shake!", this is taught as the dog is doing said activity. The dog learns to associate the word "potty" with urinating. Eventually, you can give the command and if the dog needs to go, he will.

Keep plastic bags in your car for fecal pickup. This is a must for all public areas. If I can't find an outside waist receptacle for it, I tie it to the bumper of my car. Using grocery plastic bags makes this easy as the handles are long enough to tie around a ball hitch securely till I get home and can toss it in my own garbage can.

Picking up poop 101: Use clean plastic bags. Get one (or two) plastic bags (if two, put one inside the other). Place your hand in the bag(s) like putting on a glove. Using your "gloved" hand, pick up the poop. Turn the bag(s) inside out and "voila!" the poop is in the bag. Knot securely.

Recall (aka; Come when called)

Teaching your dog to “come” (aka: recall) takes an enormous amount of time, work, consistency and lack of opportunity for failure. Don't expect your dog to learn any command overnight, most especially commands where the dog is working remotely. These take time and a gradual, progressive transition from on-lead to off-lead work. I personally don't expect a dog to come reliably (off lead) for 1 to 2 years. What does that mean for you? Don't give your dog opportunities for failure, keep him on a lead the first 6 months to a year gradually graduating to a long line or retractable lead* and only after working well in these controlled circumstances can you progress to being off-lead recalls.

Just like heeling, your home hallway makes an excellent elementary recall training area as there's nowhere else to go but come to you. Lavish praise & treats or toys are essential, whichever is more exciting for your dog. To begin, your dog is on lead (or confined to the hall), and you walk or jog backwards (away from your dog) after calling, “Binky, come!” Your dog should trot towards you. Don't make the mistake of seeing how far your dog will follow, that's not fair. Six feet is plenty. Stop and immediately reward your dog with lavish praise (don't forget the demented Barbie voice to convey your excitement) and a treat or toy (play a bit with him if using a toy). Repeat.

Eventually you can add a “sit” to the recall before releasing and rewarding your dog. This adds a bit of formality and mannerliness. Change up your practice by not adding the sit every time. Dogs get bored if you're too predictable. On occasion, I will turn and run away when the dog is halfway to me from where I left him. Then, upon reaching me, we play vigorously for a moment.

“Cookies in the Kitchen” is a good “middle school” location for practicing the recall with a family member. A person is on either end of the room. One holds the dogs' collar and tosses the toy to the other person who catches it and calls, “Binky, come!” as the dog is released. The dog should come running and play time with the toy should result. Repeat. If linoleum (or any hard slick surface) is an issue for your dog, use a carpeted room (large dogs could really hurt themselves if they slip or fall).

At this phase you will be introducing a sit at the beginning of the recall. You'll be returning to the elementary phase of training as this sit is basically a “stay” as your dog will need to learn to stay put as you walk away. Your dog should be proficient at the sit to begin this phase. Command, “sit”. Quietly reward with a treat (excitement is reserved for the end of an exercise). Calmly command, “stay” or “wait” (“wait” is used when staying is followed by forward movement towards the handler rather than stay, where the hander returns to the dog) Step out and in front of your dog, facing him. Eventually back up one or two steps. Wait a moment, then command “come” and trot backwards and proceed as before. You will gradually increase your backwards steps (1-2 steps per week if practicing daily) before calling the dog, and eventually you'll begin turning and walking away a few steps. Your goal is to eventually command, “stay” turn away from the dog and walk 10 feet or more before turning to face the dog and calling him to you.

Once your dog is coming to you reliably (in the house), move your exercises outside (on-lead); then gradually to more distracting locations (on-lead). If at any time your dog fails to perform, return to a more successful environment and/or way of doing the exercise.

When it comes to reinforcing a command, pay attention to your dogs' learning curve. If your dog begins to show signs of “forgetting” or confusion as you progress, backtrack and return to the basics.

Why have a reliable recall? It may well save your dogs' life or save him from a hazardous situation. Not to mention that it's just plain nice to have a dog come when you tell him to. Such a reliable recall saved one of my dogs from becoming skunked! The dog chose to come rather than continue after the skunk, who was ready and aiming for him. Needless to say the dog was heavily praised and rewarded! Abandoning his basic prey drive was simply remarkable (and rather unexpected!).

What if your dog runs off rather than come to you? If you chase him down and catch him without him coming to you on his own free will, you're allowed to punsh. Growl and be angry with justification. I typically grab an ear and lead him back like a disobedient child (this should be uncomfortable....not torture!). I hold the ear just enough to be in control and cause discomfort. I growl the whole way back to where ever I'm taking the dog. If , on the other hand, your dog decides that coming to you as your chasing him (and probably feeling pretty angry!) is a good idea, you've got to reward him for it. Believe me, I know how difficult this is! Praise is not an option....if he came to you of his own free will after an escape, you gotta be happy about it.

Attention. An Introduction

With our beloved fur-friends there is not only a language barrier, there is also a species barrier. As the superior species, it is our job to reach out and bridge these barriers in order to form a bond with what will become a pet partner and team member. Establishing this connection and bond is not only rewarding for the handler, it is the cornerstone to all the things you'll teach the dog, the foundation to all the experiences you'll share.

In the dog world, eye contact is a dominant gesture. In our world, it is a form of communication and attention. We can teach our dog that eye contact has many meanings coming from a human. This can be taught at any stage of training and at any age. During any snuggle session with your dog, praise any eye contact the dog initiates with a generous amount of love and affection. Looking at you should always be rewarded. This is what I term as “soft eye contact” as your facial expression is soft, relaxed and pleasant, as well as your voice. Your energy calm and inviting.

Jazz showing good, confident attention.

Dogs and Vacuums

I recently answered a question on why dogs never seem to appreciate (or get used to) the dreaded vacuum cleaner. My answer seems to have struck a cord, and I'd like to share it:

Many years ago, I wondered why my dogs never seem to "get it" when it comes to running the vacuum cleaner. Although none of mine have ever attacked it, they never seem to learn to just stay in one spot and let you go about your work. I really wanted to know why this was. I starting observing my dogs when I vacuum, and I swear I've been "doing my time" on this subject while vacuuming for over 10 years, and I think I've got it.

It's obvious that the vacuum is big and it's loud. What's odd to the dog is that and you (the alpha pack member) are following this thing around hypnotically! You're calm as a cucumber following this creature around and it's really weird to your dog. In the pack hierarchy, a subordinate dog follows a more dominant dog (in every sense of the word). You are the dominant member of the pack. So, in this situation you should be acting dominant to this creature (the vacuum), but instead, you're following it around obediently while is screaming and spewing an offensive odor! This whole scenario makes absolutely no sense to your dog. This stinky, screaming creature sits in a closet, ignored, and you take it out and follow it like it's a God every now and then. And, it stinks. And, you don't seem to mind!

Your dog picks a safe place where he can observe this odd behavior of yours. Every time he does this, you eventually come around to where he is and sick this loud & annoying thing on him!

Crap!

So, the dog moves to a new area, one that still smells right. An area that hasn't been run over by that thing! A *new* safe place where he can continue checking out your odd behavior. And there you come at him again with that vacuum!

This continues throughout the whole house - because he keeps moving to an area where it still "smells right". Sometimes a dog will eventually figure out that the vacuumed carpet is okay and learn to move over to the vacuumed side earlier in the process. But they still have to watch you follow this annoying thing around.......because........It's just too weird!

For the dog who attacks the vacuum, it's very clear to them that if you're not going to be the proper Alpha pack member and attack this thing, protecting everyone from it..... well, he'll be the hero and do it for you. Silly humans.

Now, the whole word knows what I'm thinking about while vacuuming.

Is Your Dog “Therapy” Material?

Back in the early 1990's I was picking up “Brenna” (an affectionate Rottie) from a boarding kennel when the owner suggested that my dog would make a great therapy dog. I had never heard of such a thing, so I spent some time with her learning about the program and left with a new interest to pursue. You could say that I sort of backed my way into animal assisted therapy (“AAT”) as I had no concept of what it was about and I was fortunate to have a dog that already had a fair amount of training and socialization under her collar. All I knew was that if the shoe were on the other foot....I would want someone to share their dog with me if I were stuck in a medical facility. That has always remained the fire that fuels my dedication to this rewarding field.

When Brenna entered the program it was somewhat of a milestone as “guardian” breeds, such as she, were rare due to perception problems and concern of frightening patients rather than offering comfort. She became an advocate for her breed, of which I was very proud. She loved her job and enjoyed over nine years in the program, retiring two weeks before her death.

Had Brenna not been an accomplished obedience dog, it would have been highly beneficial for me to do some basic training with her. Like a child learning good manners, it's something all dogs should have. With doing AAT, you will represent a valuable program in which your dog should behave well. Training also helps you and your dog learn to tune into one another and work as a team.

Is your dog therapy material? In this section I'll suggest things you can do to test the waters with your dog. Just because your dog is the ideal companion at home, doesn't necessarily guarantee that he'll be ideal in a distracting, public environment. In a section to follow, I'll cover some basic things you can do to socialize and prepare your dog for therapy work.

Park

Take your dog to a public park. Walk the trails among joggers, walkers, kids and other dogs. Your dog should adjust and accept all this input without going nuts, showing fear or aggression.

Obedience

Your dog should be able to do the basics (sit, walk on a loose lead, stay, down) in a mildly distracting environment.

Play Groups & People

Your dog should be able to adjust to being around other dogs and interact with them well. He should also be open and friendly towards strangers. A good therapy dog will have no aggression issues. Thanks to the Internet and Meetup.com, finding a local play group has never been easier. Play groups are a good way to socialize your dog with other dogs and dog friendly people.

Travel

Your dog should travel well without becoming a basket case every time he gets in the car. He should also be able enter a public place exhibiting good manners and behavior. A good therapy dog should not be worn out by the time he gets to his facility nor should he enter a facility acting like a maniac.

A great therapy dog is a well traveled dog, well mannered, used to accepting new things, comfortable, confident and trusting of your judgment. With all that in place, your dog will be a stellar therapy dog. New things your dog will likely be exposed to in a facility are: elevators, wheelchairs, crutches, janitorial equipment, medication carts, medical equipment & alarms, children and many noises just to name the most common. If you've done well to socialize your dog these new things will be tolerated well and it won't take long before your dog is at ease in such environments. Don't expect complete acceptance the first time, for example, dogs I've experienced take several times before being at home with traveling in an elevator.

I have been fortunate in that there is a regional pet therapy organization in my area. You may not be so lucky. In that case, a national organization is the route you'll be taking. Jazz is in the early stages of training for national certification herself. Look over their websites and what's required of you and your dog (see Jazz's Links to the right). Most require that your dog pass the AKC's CGC test. This is why I'll devote so many entries to training. A well rounded, well trained dog should be capable of passing this test easily.

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