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By Jayne, 9th September 2011,

by Colin Tennant – required viewing for CIDBT foundation copurse. To be honest I felt I learnt more from the top tips sections in this DVD than from Colin demonstrating his training methods. I was interested to learn the essential tools you need for basic dog training and it reinforced some simple behavioural tenets such as ignoring and avoiding dogs that pester you or jump up will eventually eliminate that behaviour. A nice tip was to use the lead in the house as well as outside and the best tip, I thought, was to use the recall command many times without going home straight afterwards so that the dog doesn’t associate the recall just with home-time.

I know Colin Tennant is very well respected  but I thought his demonstrations in this particular DVD were rather rushed. The whole DVD seemed old-fashioned especially at the end when one of the owners said she’d spent a lot of the 21 days “asserting her authority over” her dog.

The sensitive Doberman snapped at her owner during the “stand” training and the poodle growled his way through most of the DVD. I thought the in-fill storyline of the late owners, slow-motion shots of wet dogs and a long take with the woman with crazy fingernails and wine were very bizarre and added nothing to the dog training video. It seemed that Colin was working to a tight schedule. With more time he might have been able to create a rapport with at least some of the dogs. It also appeared that some of the dogs had underlying behavioural issues that really should have been addressed before embarking on this kind of training session. Colin’s one-on-one section with the Weimerana was much more succesful both in filmic terms and for the dog in hand.

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By Jayne, 26th August 2011,

Bruce Fogle explains the processes that occur within the brain of the dog shedding light on the meaning of certain unwanted behaviours and gives remedies for those behaviours. He explains, through genetic theory, how breeding for behaviour is less successful than breeding for morphology and the behaviour aspect of the dog is more successfully controlled through early learning. The book demonstates clearly why it is crucial not to treat a dog like a human but to be very aware of its own “dogginess”.

The book re-iterates how crucial timing is both in the critical period of learning and socialisation  in weekly terms and also how even seconds count in dog training where timing commands to the dog’s behaviour is crucial for the dog to associate its behaviour with verbal queues. The expressions of a dog and its body language were well described in the book.

It gives a lot of practical advice about tricky situations and shows how techniques work from a dog’s point of view. However the book was written over 20 years ago and I felt that on occasion some of the writing felt a tad old fashioned having read new theories ideas debunking the wolf pack theoryapplied to a domestic dog situation. I was also uncomfortable with the ideas of adopting a smacking strategy of punishment for unwanted behaviour and the easy references to “chemical” solutions to behavioural problems. That said it was a really good and insightful read.

These articles are a modern take on the wolf/pack/dog theory.

http://www.dogwelfarecampaign.org/why-not-dominance.php

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6361.html

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By Jayne, 15th August 2011,

Raymond and Lorna Coppinger. “Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution”. This is a really great book that makes you question all your assumptions about dogs, wolves and how we interact with them. It dispels myths an cliches and gives a “world view” of the dog and its history. It provides a fascinating insight to the world of puppy-hood and how a dog’s behaviour in later life is manifested in the first few critical weeks of learning after birth.  It takes a healthy, critical look at the dog breeding industry while relating to the reader via anecdotal stories of the authors’ own dog ownership and interactions.

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By Jayne, 15th August 2011,

J.M. Evans & Kay White’s “Doglopaedia: A Complete Guide to Dog Care” is a matter-of-fact guide book for dog owners. There are a lot of charts and “What if…” questions to help owners figure out how they can cope with some of the more unpleasant aspects of dog ownership. It’s a sort of casual reference book and handy as it is small sized. Written by a vet and an animal-loving journalist in 1994 some of the ideas of dominance training seem a little old fashioned and heavy handed to me after reading about modern techniques of reinforcement training but nevertheless it is a useful book that has in depth sections on anatomy, physiology, training techniques, first aid and a lot more, offering the caring dog owner an easily accessibly guide.

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By Jayne, 14th August 2011,

Newcastle Dog & Cat shelter, open from 1pm till 4pm and I hadn’t banked on this experience being as emotional as it was. I knew it was futile and self-indulgent to feel sorry for the dogs in the shelter but I simply couldn’t stop myself becoming tearful in a very short space of time.

The first time I went I managed to see a few dogs and then had to leave. I was annoyed with myself for getting upset but it was a bit of a shock to hear so many dogs barking loudly in such a concentrated set up and then see them all straining at the bars to get attention.

Because of my not-so-unpredictable response I promised myself to go once a week so that I would be able to get used to the environment and stop getting so emotional. Every time I visit I will make a donation so then I can make a small difference with the time I spend there.

Then, of course, there is the learning side of visiting the shelter. Watching dogs’ behaviour is a chance to practice analysis. For example what do the behaviours of barking, whining, quietness, sitting at the back, standing at the front, jumping around, growling, licking, pacing mean in the kennel environment?

The second time I visited I did better with my emotional build up and managed to  see all the dogs for a few minutes each except for the dogs that withdrew when visitors passed by. This small achievement has spurred me on and through this self-conditioning I hope to turn the experience around so that it becomes less guilt-laden for me and with a more positive interaction with the dogs it should be more beneficial to them too.

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By Jayne, 23rd July 2011,

Luckily for all the dogs at the rugby fields where we walk, Jacob is the mildest mannered lab they could ever wish to meet. He will cheerily try and greet every dog out there with impeccable manners  and just for a few short minutes each time. Whether they respond with fear, fury or friendliness he will remain calm and stoic and possibly a little confused if aggression is forthcoming. And so it was with the wonderful, feisty Sophie (a ginger sort of Weimaraner-Lab cross). Off Jacob trotted to do his usual meet-and-greet and was met with a very low crouch with bum and tail high in the air about 20 yards away. It looked like a play stance to me but it was far from it.

She bounded towards him with loud barking and an imminent attack was well and truly on the cards. Perhaps she was trying to protect her owner? Jacob held fast and motionless as her paws were on him and then a nip to the head and growling. Her owner panicked and tried to get her on the lead. I tried to urge him to leave her as I knew she would calm down straight away with Jacob. In the melée I could then see her tail was well between her legs and so I assumed she was fearful and insecure.  After lots of smelling us and chit chat her owner decided to try her off the leash again and as soon as she was off she was in a much calmer, social state of mind giving Jacob an inquisitive few sniffs. Her tail came back out again.  They were totally fine then and I gave her lots of petting and encouragement when she was in that nice state of mind. I hoped that if I were her owner I would have tried to keep her from getting into that panicky, aggressive state in the first place. But how? Three tips I found to help

• Stay calm in the presence of other dogs.
• Positively interrupt the behaviour as the meeting is imminent – especially that unblinking stare.
• Let your aggressive dog meet calm and balanced dogs for role model situations

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By Jayne, 9th July 2011,

image: Robert Clark

Just as I was finishing up my first module of my dog behaviour therapy course guess what should air on TV – Nat Geo Wild – for my benefit? National Geographic’s very own “Wolf to Woof: The Evolution of Dogs”. Timing was a little late for me but all the same it was a great bit of TV to round off my understanding of the subject.

As Karen E. Lange from the National Geographic says,

After wild dogs learned not to bite the hand that fed them, French poodles weren’t far behind.

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By Jayne, 9th July 2011,

The last but one time I walked Jacob, the black Labrador, he picked up something green, slimy and strangely shaped. Worried that he would eat it and then choke on it or worse still swallow it and have it lodge in his intestines and get challenged about it by his owner as the vets bills come flying in over £1000… I scrambled to his clenched jaws and tried to get it out. He immediately went into play mode and with some reluctance dropped it to the floor with pricked up, expectant ears. Peering more closely at aforementioned object I recognised it as a chewed up ball and gave it a little kick much to Jacob’s delight. He then ran for it (as much as an overweight, arthritic, old dog of 13 can run) , picked it up and kept it in his mouth most of the time for the rest of our walk (thankfully not swallowing) with what can only be described as a happy demeanour. OK I said to myself.  I will buy a ball as a little present for him because he loves them so much and refuses to play with any other object we find on our way round the rugby field like sticks, empty plastic bottles or glue bags (only kidding…he prefers cigarettes).

Yesterday, armed with my new doggy-friend-maker, we went for our usual walk and towards the end when we sometimes have a little rest and he catches his breath (and I pull the matted bits of fur from his coat) , I decided to produce the brand new ball for him to play with. Wow – what a reaction. He beamed up at me and waited for me to throw it with slobbery, wet-nosed expectation and when I threw it for him – not too far because of his arthritis – he leapt in his lumbering way and made a dash for it. Within 5 seconds his teeth went straight through it and the ball was no more.

Disheartening.

I realised, however, it was still sort of throw-able so we did a few rounds of mini retrieval games and then I thought it best we rest. I started pulling at his matted fur again and he chewed on the ball, completely oblivious to me, enraptured in a kind of dog-ecstasy. The ball was now a mess of inch-wide pieces of rubber which he didn’t eat but loved to tear. I scooped up the pieces  to throw away. Jacob jumped up and expected me to carry on with the throwing game but the bits were too small and wet and so he insisted on pinning himself to my leg most of the way home looking at my hand. It took a good ten minutes for him to realise the game was over. I have 4 of these rubbish balls left in my pack and I know each will only last 5 seconds (as a ball that is – 5 minutes as a chewable puzzle). So I have learned that as a retriever Jacob has a “hard mouth” and will crush anything he can when caught. I will go for the heavier rubber type next time so he doesn’t immediately chew through it. Benefits:

• Reduces chewed ball landfill,
• we’ll both have more fun,
• it will save me money,
• prevent a lengthy surgery.

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By Jayne, 24th June 2011,

Because I am in temporary accommodation because of a flooded house at Christmas time and because our kind friend that is letting us use his house is subscribed to SKY I can record whole series of the Dog Whisperer and It’s Me or the Dog and watch one of them (or both!) every day. This is pretty much what I have been doing for the last 3 months since I discovered SKY plus.

Ceasar’s “corrections” by snapping the dog out of a bad behaviour by various methods or “touching” the dog is cause for concern for a lot of people I read on the Internet. I am not sure that Victoria Stillwell would advocate the “correction” as she seems to prefer a slower, rewards-based approach to her training. Nevertheless – it seems to me that when your dog starts to snarl and bark aggressively at a passing child or some such unwanted behaviour, a quick and snappy redirection of energy is entirely appropriate.

As Dr Roger Mugford (Animal Behaviourist) says in his “Trained for Life ” article,

At my Animal Behaviour Centre, we have a constant supply of titbits and teach owners how to acknowledge desirable behaviours such as lying down quietly. However, certain discrete behaviours have catastrophic consequences and a well-timed punishment can, on single presentation, entirely prevent recurrence…

…The intelligent dog trainer must be careful and sensitive in his choice and timing of rewards and punishments. Both can produce positive outcomes or can inflict harm. Do you have childhood memories of touching a hot stove or naked flame? This was very effective aversive-training that still allows you to enjoy cooking in the kitchen or to relax by an open fire. Dogs are so like people!

Caesar insists that any and every aggressive dog can be made into a manageable and useful animal whereas Victoria advises people that their dog is a dangerous animal and its behaviour will have to be carefully managed for life. I am only just learning but what I do know is that every case is unique and deserves time, respect and a “last chance” with a professional before being given up on.

I love to watch both shows, especially Ceasar’s, because  of it’s big budget editing, glossy treatment and focus on sunny LA life although now Victoria is based in America she gets the same big budget treatment. And whatever their shortcomings these super-star dog celebrities have the most important thing in common – they love to help dogs. More recent research into dog behaviour has Cesar’s methods appearing more arcane by the week.

Kate Kellaway  in  The Observer, Sunday 17 July 2011 talks about professor John Bradshaw’s book “in Defence of Dogs” – “We have had it drummed into us by trainers such as Cesar Millan that because dogs are descended from wolves (their DNA is almost identical), they behave like wolves and can be understood as “pack” animals. The received thinking has been that dogs seek to “dominate” and that our task is to assert ourselves as pack leaders – alpha males and females – and not allow dogs to get the upper paw… Bradshaw’s hypothesis is that domestic dogs were descended from more sociable wolves but that “whatever the ancestor of the dog was like, we don’t have it today”. ..Dogs are not striving for household domination…But Bradshaw is far from suggesting we slacken in our efforts to train our dogs (it is the more brutal training methods he would like to banish). .. Millan, America’s internationally influential “dog whisperer” has made a television career explaining dog psychology in terms of wolf lore. Bradshaw says: “I am reluctant to demonise Millan, he has come under a lot of pressure.” On a recent tour of the UK, Millan was told his methods were close to breaching Defra guidelines (which forbid harsh training). “He is a smart guy and sees which way the wind is blowing. He is now embracing reward-based methods. All that stuff he spouted about wolves was not based on science.” …
Bradshaw favours humane, reward-based training. The latest science shows that dogs learn to “please their owners”. It is wonderful to hear this: he makes one feel fantastically upbeat about being a dog owner (and it is a relief to drop all thoughts of a primitive power struggle).

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By Jayne, 23rd June 2011,

Guest speaker is Roger Tabor and the conversation is hosted by Colin  Tennant.

From watching this DVD I learned that early humans did not possess the skills necessary to tame the wolf and that they had no reason to even want to although it is broadly accepted now that our domestic dogs do originally come from wolf type canids. Food availability and geographical landscape are major factors in the development and distribution of dog types. Archaeological, DNA and historical evidence have converged to make the strong case that humans did not befriend the wolf and selectively breed them for tame types but rather the wolves self-selected to become more adaptable to human proximity and their food sources.

Tabor Tabor explains how through DNA research (Parker) we know that some types are more closely related to the wolf such as the spitz types but no-wild dogs have curly tails which can be explained by the genetic mutations that come about from the domestication of a wild breed (Belyaev). Tabor’s expertise and knowledge comes bursting through in a lively and amenable fashion throughout the video.

He concedes that Coppinger has a strong case for his theory of the proto-village dog evolving from wolves but the timing of the village food sources do not explain the dog types found earlier than the time of agriculturalism and food dump surplus. He contends that the theory is still relevant but with earlier hunter gatherer humans and the by-product food sources of animal bones and meat surplus. Humans may not have intentionally domesticated the wolf but they have provided the conditions for the self-selection of wolves to domesticated animals to thrive.

In turn dog trait selection by humans for various reasons – including cuteness –  (plus climate and regional landscape variations) has resulted in the many different types of breed we see today.