Is My Family Ready For A Dog?

by Elizabeth Deitz on 01. Sep, 2010 in Dog Tips, Dog Training

What steps can a family take to have that great family dog? What things should a family consider in deciding whether or not they really want and are really ready for a family dog?

  1. Recognize that this is a very important decision for your family that will  impact you for 10-15 years. If you have young children, it will likely affect whether they as adults decide to have a family dog.
  2. Do not rush! Look at rescue groups, talk with breeders, ask questions of your vet. In other words, be informed. The wrong dog can be a nightmare and the right one a blessing. Consider the age of your children and whether they are really interested in a dog. Remember that most dog bites occur to children under 6 and most involve a dog that belongs to the family or a friend of the family.
  3. Pick a dog that will likely fit into your family and lifestyle. Be open minded about the breed(s) and age of dog. Just because your neighbor down the street has a gorgeous well behaved 8 year old Golden Retriever doesn’t mean that a Golden Retriever puppy will fit seamlessly with your family. Do some research about the breed or breeds. It is not entirely about picking the “right” breed. We are talking about individuals as well.
  4. Be prepared to socialize, socialize, socialize!  A happy well adjusted puppy doesn’t just happen overnight. Socialization requires exposure to the world at a pace that is determined by the dog or puppy. Some dogs are fearless but many are not, and exposure to the vast world must be done in a way that the builds confidence and trust.
  5. Plan on taking a training class. And plan on training your dog and exercising your dog on a daily basis. You and your children will bond more and have more fun together if you do.

We all dream of that perfect Lassie-like dog. And many are willing to work at having a great family dog. It is never without some hurdles but it is well worth the effort.

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How Do I Stop My Dog From Going Crazy When The Doorbell Rings?

by Elizabeth Deitz on 30. Aug, 2010 in Dog Tips, Dog Training

 

Why Do They Do That?

This is a question I often hear in class and it came up yesterday in a class in relation to doorbells. What is all that excitement about?  Why do they run around like they just won the lottery? Because they did! They know that when the doorbell rings all sorts of great and exciting things  will happen shortly. Basically, it means “PARTY TIME!”

You can fairly easily see why these occasions are so exciting and why some dogs go ballistic, even when they hear the doorbell on TV. If you don’t get many visitors, this is really an exciting event. After the doorbell rings and the door is answered they are generally rewarded with lots of attention and new and exciting scents. Frequently, we great our guests excitedly, especially if the visit was a surprise. We may hug them, we may laugh, and we often have a higher pitched voice when greeting our guests.  All of this says to your dog  “Yes, this is exciting, isn’t  it?”

But somehow, even dogs who have had lots of practice with sit/stay or down/stay suddenly  go blank and or deaf. How do we practice good behavior when the doorbell rings if  it happens infrequently and unpredictably?

There are many approaches but I am going to mention only those that I have had fairly rapid success with. I am aiming for a quick fix here as opposed to training that is long term, such as having a reliable down/stay under even very exciting conditions.

Five Quick Fixes

  1. My first effort is to deliver a cherished toy to the dog only when the bell rings preferably something they can interact with for a long time. It is unavailable to them at all other times. A stuffed Kong is great for this.
  2. Tether the dog where he can see you and your guest, but is out of the turmoil.
  3. Combine the first two suggestions AND do not interact, react, or correct  your dog in any way until he is calm.
  4. Order food delivery often! The advantage in doing this is that you have a pretty good idea when your guest/delivery will arrive. You can be ready to implement the three suggestions above. Have a special toy ready, a very comfortable place to tether them, and you can usually fairly easily ignore the commotion long enough to get your pizza safely in tyhe door. Then continue to ignore until they are calm.
  5. And last but not least, implement a plan to “flood” them with the stimulus. In other words, hire a neighborhood child to come over and ring your bell repeatedly. Continue to do whatever you were doing with no change or even indication that you heard the bell. If you were washing the dishes, continue on. Let them go as crazy as they would like while completely ignoring them. Sound crazy? Basically you are setting up a situation in which they will become inured to the stimulus, which in this case is the bell.

These are all “quick fixes” and are not training. Ideally, we would train a solid “sit/stay,” “down/stay” or “park it.” But in a pinch , try these suggestions and let me know how they worked for you.

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Dogs Just Wanna’ Have Fun!

by Elizabeth Deitz on 27. Aug, 2010 in Videos

Don’t you wish you could start every day with this sort of energy and happiness? I sure do!

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What Is Clicker Training?

by Elizabeth Deitz on 25. Aug, 2010 in Dog Training

What exactly is “clicker training” ? 

The clicker, which is a small, handheld, noisemaker, makes a distinctive sound that is used to mark behaviors that you would like to see repeated. In the beginning, it is associated with a reward, generally food (but not always).  So a “click” is followed rapidly by a treat (C/T). Once the behavior is learned and is “on cue” the clicker is faded away as are the treats. You won’t need to run around with a clicker and liver treats in your pocket forever.

One of the most important advantages of clicker training is that it is truly FUN!  It does not involve choke chains or any physical compulsion at all.  It is all positive and reward based and you are basically showing the dog that learning is fun and rewarding. And let’s face it, if it is rewarding and fun then we want to do it.

Rewards

Food is generally a “high value” reward for your dog, but praise and affection is used as well.  In fact, anything that your dog finds rewarding can be used. As a matter of fact, the “reward” can be quite individual and unusual. One of my favorite writers, Patricia McConnell has a fabulous post about  “reinforcement.” It is mind boggling what some people have used to reward their dogs – everything from sheep poop to chasing rabbits.

 Clicker training is a relatively new method of training and is not restricted to dogs. In fact, almost all animals used for TV and movies are trained this way, from sea lions to guinea pigs.

Chickens And Clickers

Two of B.F. Skinner’s students developed the method (Marian Kruse and Keller Breland)and it was used by Bob Bailey, who was the Navy’s first Director of Training. Bob Bailey’s story is a fascinating one, as he was involved in training a huge variety of animals, from gulls to cats, during his time with the Navy. The video above shows the process of clicker training a chicken. Unbelievable as it sounds, clicker training a chicken is a way for dog trainers to develop and polish their skills. Clicker training a chicken improves the speed and accuracy of a trainer. As an experienced clicker trainer, I didn’t think I would have much problem with my speed and accuracy. But boy can those birds move fast! Terry Ryan is one prominent trainer who holds chicken training camps.  

Dogs And Clickers

Clicker training dogs is very fast and you  quickly come to the point where you have a shared language for communicating with your dog. At this point, the clicker can be faded away. This sort of training can be used for any type of training, from basic obedience (sit, stay, come, down, etc.) to tricks.

There are many excellent websites where you can learn more, but here are a few of my favorites just to get you started.

Karen Pryor Clicker Training

Gary Wilkes’ Click N’ Treat

Melissa Alexander Clicker Solutions

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Q: What Do You Do About Bedbugs? A: Get A Beagle

by Elizabeth Deitz on 23. Aug, 2010 in Biology

More and more stories are appearing about the prevalence  and increase of bedbugs in the US .  New York City has even set aside a half million dollars to deal with the pesky pests who have infested the Empire State Building, a theater, a district attorney’s office, and even an upscale lingerie store. Is nothing sacred?

A New Job For Dogs

So what does all this mean for dogs? We are all aware of a dogs  olfactory sense. They have a great track record in drug, termite and bomb detection, and are even being used to detect certain medical conditions. And now we can add another job to this list as they are considered the most effective way to detect bedbugs.

Bergdorf  Goodmanfor example, has apparently learned a lesson or two from Abercrombie & Fitch, and Victoria’s Secret, and  has been proactive. Apollo, the bedbug sniffing Beagle, makes evening rounds in the store. Fortunately, Apollo has so far found no evidence of the creatures.

Just A New York Problem?

While New York seems to be particularly hard hit, are there other regions similarly affected?

According to The Week there has been a 100% increase in calls to exterminators in Houston and nationwide calls are up nearly 60%.

Find A Team

The National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association has a list of certified dog and handler teams that may be available in your area. The list is disturbingly short, and has less than 100 certified teams,  in approximately 15 states.

How Your Dog Makes Sense Of Scents

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Quadriplegic Trains Her Own Service Dog After Organizations Say “No”

by Elizabeth Deitz on 20. Aug, 2010 in Dog Training

 Doodle At Your Service is a very new blog where you can follow the trials and travails of a young woman training her own service dog. Eva is 27, a college grad, and a quadriplegic.  After encountering major difficulties in acquiring a service dog through the traditional channels, she decided to take the bull by the horns and train her own service dog to meet her particular needs. And this blog will be the story of that training, with all its ups and downs.

Meet Bailey and Eva

Bailey is a lab/golden retriever/standard poodle.  And a very handsome boy. With the help of an experienced trainer, Eva , who is very dog savvy, will be training  Bailey to assist her. Because Eva is also non-verbal the training will cater to these needs as well. Bailey is learning to come when Eva rings a bell for example. Watch this video to get an idea of who they are, and what they are learning and then follow them through their blog.

An Early Lesson

As a trainer, I am taught this important lesson over and over again and Eva and Bailey had their first example on Day Three of their training. As often happens, what we have in mind and what our dogs have in mind are not necessarily the same thing. Eva had a full day planned beginning with training, then lunch and a visit to Starbucks. Bailey however had a nap in mind first. Then a little playtime. Followed by a nap. Eva very wisely didn’t push, recognizing the importance of both listening to what your dog is trying to tell you, and recognizing as well one of the most important aspects of training.  As Eva said “Service dogs must love to work for you”. Just as with kids, the most important thing to develop with our dogs is a love of learning.
If we start now, we can be with them from the very beginning of what will be both an educational and inspiring story about an amazing woman and her dog! And check out Eva’s other blog, The Deal With Disability.

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Funny 2011 Dog Calendar

by Elizabeth Deitz on 18. Aug, 2010 in Products

I love this 2011 Yoga Puppies Wall Calendar from Browntrout. It makes me smile everytime I look at it! And there are those who claim that their dogs really do love yoga and pose right along with them! For even more inspiration here is a slideshow of man and beast exercising together covering everything from swimming and hiking to Doga and rollerblading!

Buy Yoga Puppies 2011 Wall Calendar

“This wall calendar gives new meaning to “Downward Facing Dog”. The Yoga Puppies 2011 calendar hosts a year full of images showing popular dog breeds positioned in classic yoga postures with the help of digital technology. These reworked puppy portraits will bend your mind and delight you. You’ve never seen a Standard Poodle in Tree pose? Or a Golden Retriever really nailing Warrior II? The time is now, young yogi. The time is here to laugh and be inspired. After all, if a Chihuahua can hold Pendant pose, so can you!”

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Top Five Benefits To Having A Dog-Friendly Workplace

by Elizabeth Deitz on 16. Aug, 2010 in Dog Training

For quite some time now we have been had empirical proof of the health benefits of companion dogs. It has been shown that dogs have a positive effect on patients with cardiovascular disease, on lowering the need for pain medications, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, increase in exercise, and in the treatment of chronic pain. Pets, dogs especially, are often an important component in the emotional development of children and can be an important component in the emotional well being of people living alone, especially the elderly. It is clear also from all of these studies that pets play an important part in our lives, from childhood to old age.

But there is mounting evidence that the presence of dogs in the workplace can be important in unexpected ways. The Economist reported on the findings of a group of researchers at Central Michigan University which rather convincingly showed the benefits.  Their research focused on the presence of dogs in a team situation and its effects on collaboration and trust. These were only preliminary results, but seemed to indicate that teams that had a dog present were more trusting of their team mates. In addition to this study, others have shown the following benefits to companies and employees when dogs are welcomed at work.

Sake Dog at the computer

Five Perks

Goggle is one company that allows dogs in the workplace.  It is estimated that somewhat over 20%  of companies in the US allow dogs at work.  Even companies that deal with fragile and breakable merchandise , such as Replacements Ltd. have welcomed well behaved dogs and frequently have over 20 dogs at work on any given day.

The Economist’s August 12th story is sure to get some attention. Many of its readers are in senior positions and thus in the position to possibly institute changes that would reduce absenteeism, increase cooperation, trust and morale. With over 800,000 readers in the US the chances are good that The Economist’s report may reach the right ears.

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Stairs Are A Slippery Slope

by Elizabeth Deitz on 13. Aug, 2010 in Videos

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Kibble, Kids, and Salmonella Contamination

by Elizabeth Deitz on 11. Aug, 2010 in Biology, Products

An interesting article appeared in the New York Times recently linking, they said, for the first time, salmonella infections in children and kibble. These cases occured between 2006 and 2008 and involved, among others, 32 children under the age of 2. I was a bit puzzled by the story, because I didn’t think it is the first time this has occurred.

But as I poked around a bit, I found the story I was thinking of and it did not involve kibble, but involved instead animal-derived pet treats, mainly, but not restricted to pig’s ears. This was in 2005.

In the long run I guess it doesn’t matter when this started. It is just important that we realize salmonella may be present in kibble, raw food and animal-derived treats and that there are certain populations more susceptible than others  such as the very young, older adults, and immuno-compromised persons. The CDC has a very informative section on Salmonella and animals though it really only focuses on how salmonella can be transmitted by animal feces and contaminated food.One of the most interesting parts of this story is that our dogs may consume a product that is contaminated with salmonella, but never show any signs. However, they can pass salmonella on to us.

The CDC made suggestions to reduce the risk of salmonella infection when the outbreak in 2005 occurred involving animal based pet treats (pig’s ears, hooves, rawhide, etc) . They proposed certain guidelines related to the handling of animal-derived pet treats.  With kibble now being involved, I think I will be adopting the same precautions.

Basically, these are:

  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds following contact with kibble, raw food, or animal-derived treats
  • Children under 5, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems should avoid contact

Most of us are familiar with the parasites and diseases that can be passed from our dogs to us.  But there is another side to the coin. We can actually pass some things to our dogs.  “Zoonosis” is the name used when an infectious disease has been passed from an animal to a human.  The first and scariest one that comes to mind is rabies, but there are many others. “Anthropozoonosis” is the term used for the opposite phenomenon – the passing of an infectious disease from an animal to a human. With the recent emergence of the H1N1 flu new attention has been paid to this phenomenon. This flu has been passed from humans to pigs, turkeys, and ferrets. And there are other examples. For instance, in a recent study done at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, it was shown that a form of Staph crossed from humans to chickens 38 years ago.

There hasn’t been much written about this as it relates to humans passing disease to  dogs, outside of the rabies literature and a bit about ringworm and staph. There are 15 or 16 diseases that are commonly passed from dogs to humans.  There is at least one confirmed case of an indoor cat contracting H1N1 from humans. I wonder whether any readers have had experience with this. Have you made your dog sick, or thought perhaps you did? Look for a post soon about this issue.

Photo Credit: Robert S. Donovanon flickr
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