Why We Do Not Recommend Board-and-Train

Pawsitive Pet Care recommends all members of your pet's household be involved in the training process

This is a blog topic we've been wanting to cover for quite some time, but there seem to be so many important and interesting topics, and not enough time to cover them all!  

Why Pawsitive Pet Care Does Not Recommend Board-and-Train 

There are exceptions to every rule, however typically speaking, it is ideal for your trainer to work with you and the members of your household, as well as your pet, and below are the two primary reasons why.  

Dogs do not generalize well

Generally speaking, dogs do not take information learned in one context or environment and apply it to new situations in other contexts or environments.  So, for example, if your dog learns some fantastic new behaviours in a board-and-train situation, that's great.  However, once they get home, you and your family would essentially have to start from scratch and re-train the behaviours in the dog's home environment with the dog's familiar surroundings and people.  

For more on generalization and how to help your dog apply what they learn to new and various situations, Emily Larlham wrote a fantastic blog post on the topic.   

The humans in the pets' lives are the most important part of the training process

Positive training strengthens the bond and the relationships between humans and animals.  When you have fun working, training, and playing with your pet, you bond with each other.  This trust and kinship will also improve how well your pet responds to you, and how well you understand your pet & why they do the things they do.  Training is about 75% teaching the humans and 25% teaching the pets.  This applies to everyone from brand new pet-owners to experienced pet trainers, because we all need to adapt our environment and our approach to fit the needs of the pet we are working with in the moment.  Pet owners also need to learn the fundamentals of animal behaviour and training, as well as learn to read and understand their pet's communication, particularly their body language in order to effectively and humanely train and work with their pets.

Some of the best help your trainer can give you is to explain what you need to do with your pet in a way that you can understand, demonstrate it for you, and then watch you do it and give you constructive and specific feedback.  This last piece is the most important part because sometimes a subtle change in positioning, body language, or cueing can help solve a training challenge and help reduce frustration for both animal and human.

Have you ever had someone set something up for you, maybe a new computer program, or a new entertainment system of some kind, and then later you run into trouble?  Because they did it for you and didn't walk you through the steps, now you have no idea how to troubleshoot or how to go about fixing the problem.  It may seem convenient that the outset, but sending your dog off to be "fixed" and then returned to you is not empowering you and the members of your household to be able to build upon your pet's training and have the skills to deal with any new issues that may arise.  

As we noted in our blog post, Finding A Trainer, 

"Your trainer needs to be able to explain to you what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how you will be able to do it once they leave.  They are not a magician, they are a teacher, and their job is to educate and empower you to understand how your dog learns and how to get desired behaviours from your dog.  This should be done in a way that works for you and your family and in a way that helps strengthen your relationship with your dog."

Think of a trainer as a teacher for you, any members of your household, and for your pet.  Their job is to give you the tools and information you need so that you can feel good about moving forward in a positive direction.  

In addition, training isn't just about solving behavioural problems after they have begun.  In fact, good training is proactive and intends to prevent these problems from coming up in the first place.  And the best training (in our opinion), is training that is done just for fun!  

For More Information

Please visit our website or contact us for more information.  

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About Pawsitive Pet Care

Pawsitive Pet Care is a Professional Pet Care business that has been serving Manitoba since 2010.  

Teaching Your Dog to Look At You on Cue

Building Attention: "Watch Me"

Goal:  Build  your  dog’s  focus  and  attention  on  you  by teaching  him  to  make  eye  contact  on  cue.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog may sniff, lick, paw, and may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand away or say anything, just wait until he stops, even for just a second.  When he leaves your hand alone momentarily, click and give him the treat.  If you don’t use a clicker, you can use a verbal marker, such as “yes”.  Make sure it is a clear, crisp word that you will use consistently to mark when your dog has done the behaviour you were looking for.  


Do this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand, expect him to do so for a little bit longer (a full second, two seconds, and so on) before clicking and giving him the treat.

Step 3:  When your dog can leave the treat for at least two seconds, repeat step one, but this time do not click until your dog gives you a flicker of eye contact.  Timing is important here: as soon as you see his eyes meet yours, click and give him the treat.

Important to note:  Some dogs (especially shy ones) find eye contact intimidating, so do not expect extended eye contact.  Even if your dog's eyes just flicker toward your face and away, click that and reward it.  The goal is to increase your dog's attention on you (and away from a trigger), and to put it on cue, the goal is not a staring contest with your dog 😉

Step 4:  Once your dog is catching on to step 3, expect slightly longer eye contact before you click and give him the treat.  Count seconds in your head, and each time wait for eye contact for one second longer before clicking & treating.  Again, only slightly longer, and only if your dog appears comfortable with this prospect.  Don't push if your dog seems shy or uncomfortable about the eye contact.  

Step 5:  When you are satisfied with steps one through four, add a cue, such as “watch me”.  Hold your hand out with the treat in a closed fist and say “watch me” or “look” or whatever cue you would like to use to ask for eye contact.  When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, repeating step 4 but incorporating a verbal cue.

Step 6:  Fade out the treat in a closed hand.  Once your dog is very good at step five, hold the treat somewhere else (behind your back, out to the side, in your pocket) and ask for eye contact using your consistent cue.  

Tip:  If your dog doesn't look at you when you say your cue, do not repeat the cue.  Wait a beat to see if your dog just needs a moment to process.  If your dog does not seem to understand the cue, go back a step and practice the behaviour more before adding the cue.  

When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, as before starting out with a flicker and each time expecting slightly longer.

Practice this all around the house, in the backyard, under zero or low distractions. 

When your dog is a pro at “watch me” in your yard, move it to the streets and try it on a walk when there is no one around.  If you practice this, giving your dog a delicious treat each time, he will learn to pay attention to you and ignore distractions in the environment when you want him to (i.e. passing other dogs on the street).  

Remember that he needs practice doing this (and we humans need practice at our timing as well!), so be patient and realistic when moving from low distractions to medium and high distractions.  Go at his pace and set yourselves up for success.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.

"If I can't see it, it's not there!"

Teaching “Leave It” 

Goal:  Your dog learns not to take an item (particularly delicious food) until it is given to him, whether it is in your hand or dropped on the floor.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog will sniff, lick, paw, and he may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand or say anything, just wait quietly until he stops, even for just a second.  It's not helpful to use a cue (or command) yet, because your dog hasn’t learned the behaviour, so the word won’t have any meaning to him.  

When your dog leaves your hand alone momentarily, click (or use a verbal marker, such as “yes”) and give him the treat.  It’s important to give the treat directly to him so he learns he only takes the treat when it’s given to him and not when it’s dropped.  

Variation:  If your dog is struggling to get the hang of step one, you can use a lower value item in your hand with a higher value item as his reward.  For example, have a small piece of carrot in your hand for him to leave, but behind your back in a treat pouch is freeze dried liver or diced chicken or something he really likes.  When he leaves the carrot, click and give him a piece of meat instead.  That way he learns that leaving it when asked results in receiving something even better.  

Practice this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Important:  Keep your training sessions short, sweet, and fun.  Frequent, very short sessions are much more effective than a single long, drawn-out training session.  Dogs have short attention spans and we want to leave them wanting more.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand (and this can take a very long time, so please be patient and don’t rush the process!), do the same as above with an open hand.  Have your thumb ready to cover the treat or be ready to close your hand in case he goes for it.  If he offers a different behaviour (leaves the treat, sits, moves away, looks away, etc.), click and give him the treat.  You are reinforcing a behaviour that is incompatible with taking the item he has been asked to leave, so he is still successfully leaving it.  As before, practice this a number of times and in various locations until he is catching on to the game and getting really good at it.

Step 3:  When you are satisfied that your dog is a pro at step #2, then you can name the behaviour. You can say “leave it” or whatever cue you want to use for “don’t take that until I give it to you”.  Keep it simple and memorable so you will be consistent with the cue. 

 
Once you have added a name, you will need to go back and practice steps 1 and 2 again with a verbal cue to give your dog a chance to learn the word(s) before moving on to step 4.  Whenever you increase the criteria (or make harder) one aspect of a behaviour, you need to relax your criteria on other aspects, so don’t want long before you click and reward.    

Step 4:  Now you can place the treat on the floor.  Tell your dog to leave it and have your foot ready to cover it up in case he goes for it, or sit on the floor and be ready to cover the treat with your hand if needed.  When he leaves it (moves away, looks away, backs up, sits, anything but trying to get the treat), click, pick the treat up off the floor, and give it directly to your dog. 

Remember:  It’s important to pick the food up and give it directly to him.  You don’t want your dog to learn that he can scoop food off the floor in case one day you drop something that could make him sick, or something you really don’t want him to have.  Practice step four a number of times in various locations to allow your dog to generalize the behaviour and get really skilled at it.  Don’t be in a hurry to move to the next step, as always, be patient and set your dog up for success.

 

Emily Larlham (KikoPup / Dogmantics Dog Training) has some great videos on this topic on her YouTube channel: 

 

Step 5:  Your goal is to be able to drop food on the ground and ask your dog to leave it.  Start by dropping the treat from a very low height to make it easier for your dog, then very gradually increase the height from which you drop it.  The treat will bounce, making it ever so enticing to chase!  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cover it up, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can drop the treat without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  This simulates a scenario wherein you are opening or using something potentially unsafe for your dog and accidentally drop it on the floor.  If you drop a pill on the floor, you want your dog to listen to "leave it" and then you reward him with a dog treat, or something safe for him to eat and enjoy.  

Step 6:  Your goal is to be able to have enticing food on the ground as you are walking and ask your dog to leave it and continue walking.  You may want to do this exercise after a walk when your dog is relaxed and already has his leash on, this way you can walk past something tempting and ask your dog to leave it while still having control of his movements in case he tries to go for it.  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cheerfully say “oops” (or “let’s go”) and happily go in another direction so that he is eager to follow you away from the treat, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can walk past the treat on the ground without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  

With step six you want to simulate being out for a walk and passing something on the ground that your dog is curious about and may try to eat.  You ask him to "leave it" and then give him a treat from your pocket so that he doesn't eat something off the ground that could potentially be unsafe.  

Step 7:  Once your dog is walking past the treat without looking longingly at it, drop the leash and drop treats on the floor, asking him to leave it.  Remember, when you increase the difficulty, you have the lower the bar for your dog.  Now that you're combining both dropping the treat and walking past it, you want to back up and start with dropping lower-value treats from a very low height and then gradually increasing the difficulty again.  

If he does get them, just back up a step and keep practicing with a lower value treat.  Do not correct your dog for taking the treat, he simply needs more practice, and taking readily available food is an important and natural behaviour for dogs.  

If he does not take them, click or use a verbal marker, then pick each treat up and feed them directly to him one by one.  This is a very difficult task for a dog, moving/falling food is even more enticing than stationary food, so be patient with your dog as he learns this new behaviour.  

When he gets it right, reward him heavily so that waiting and leaving it really pays off!

If you prefer a visual demonstration and/or prefer a video, KikoPup recently uploaded a great tutorial on You Tube.  This video was created by Emily Larlham of Dogmantics Training:  

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Teaching Your Dog “Touch”

Teaching Your Dog “Touch” (Also called “Target Training”) 

Steps to Get Started: 

Hold two fingers out near your puppy’s nose without touching your pet.  Don't try cuing (or giving a command) yet, that comes later, once the behaviour is well established.

When puppy sniffs your fingers, click at the moment of contact, and give your puppy a treat.

Move your two fingers behind your back as soon as the behaviour is complete.

Pop your two fingers back out near puppy’s nose, when puppy makes contact with your fingers, click and treat.

If puppy doesn’t touch your fingers, start them from very close to puppy’s nose and slowly move them away to encourage puppy to follow and investigate.  Again, if puppy’s nose makes contact with your outstretched fingers, click and treat.

If moving your fingers doesn’t work, try putting them behind your back again, then popping them back out.  The novelty can encourage puppy to check them out.

If two fingers aren’t working, you can try using your whole hand or a more obvious object like a brightly coloured tupperware lid, and use the same steps above.

Donna Hill has a good YouTube video tutorial.

Why use “Touch”?

Touch can be fantastic for shy dogs as it encourages them to move forward and initiate contact, rather than being pursued, which can make them more nervous.

Touch is great for positioning an animal where you need them (i.e. onto a scale at the vet’s office for a weight), or as a foundation for teaching new behaviours or fun tricks.

Touch is good for moving dogs without having to grab their collar and physically move them.  This is important for fearful dogs and for dogs who have handling issues and allows the dog to be in control of his movements and helps him gain confidence.

Adding the Cue

Once your puppy is catching on to the game (touching the fingers or object 9 out of 10 times), add in a word, like “touch” to give the behaviour a name for your dog.

It’s important to wait until the dog understands the behaviour before adding a cue, otherwise the dog will hear the word as noise with no meaning and will learn to ignore it.

Make it easy for your dog.  In a happy voice, say “touch!”, pop your hand or the object out from behind your back, and move it just slightly away from your puppy.  When he makes contact, click and treat, and repeat.

Generalize

Once puppy has learned the “touch” game with cue, start doing it from a sitting or standing position (both yourself and the dog!), having the object or your fingers coming from different angles and at different heights.  Then practice in different environments and locations (even different rooms in the house, outside vs. inside, etc).

Dogs don’t generalize learning well, so they need to practice under a variety of contexts and situations in order to become “fluent” in a behaviour, meaning they can do it anywhere when asked.

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Short & Simple.  Training should be fun, so do various mini-sessions rather than occasional long sessions.  Keep it fun and light, set your dog up for success, and leave your dog wanting more.  Set aside just one minute before meal times to play “touch” when your dog is hungry and find other opportunities to sneak in little training moments throughout your days.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

 Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

Click to visit our website

Teaching Paw Targeting

Paw Targeting and Desensitization to Nail Trims

(...a continuation from my desensitization to handling post)

If your pet is uncomfortable with nail trims, you must first help him to be comfortable having his paws handled as well as with the sight of the trimmers themselves and all the behaviours that are associated with clipping nails.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

There are a couple different ways to help your pet become comfortable with paw handling, and this can be done with any species that needs nail trims, with minor variations.  I have cats and dogs in mind with this particular post.

Touch their paws gently, often and for very short periods of time

While your pet is snuggling next to you on the couch, or you are petting them and they are very relaxed, very gently touch their paws very briefly.  Do this frequently, multiple times per day if possible.  If they flinch or pull their paw away when you do this, you can teach them to give you their paw instead of your hand coming towards them, making sure you reward them with a treat for doing so.

Teach "paw" (or shake, or a paw-to-object target)

Similar to my "touch" (or target) post, you can teach your pet to give you their paw on cue.  KikoPup has a fantastic tutorial on YouTube teaching you how to do this:

Create a Positive Association with the Clippers (without doing any trimming yet!) 

Similar to the desensitization to handling post, you present the clippers, then give a treat, then remove the clippers.  Clippers = treat.  No clippers = nothing exciting happens.

Kelly Duggan has a great video tutorial on this process.

Learn how to Trim Nails Properly

If you're new to trimming your pet's nails, consult with your veterinarian or a fear-free groomer to learn how to do so properly.  Nails have what is called a quick, which is live tissue, that hurts a lot and will bleed if cut.

There are a lot of videos and tutorials online, some of them good, and some of them not so great.  I'm neither a veterinarian nor a groomer, so I will share a video teaching owners how to trim their pet's nails from Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic that is well done.

If you are unsure about how to do this, or if your dog has severe aversion to touch, please contact a competent and compassionate trainer to help you.  If you don't know how to find a qualified trainer, click here to read our blog post on finding a trainer.

If you are interested in our video consultations, please visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

Click to visit our website

Desensitization to Handling

Helping Your Pet become Comfortable with Various types of Touch 

Important: Before beginning a desensitization program, please click here to read information on dog body language so you are able to read signs that your dog is uncomfortable or afraid while doing these exercises.  A fantastic in-depth book on dog body language is by Brenda Aloff, you can purchase from Amazon.ca, or directly from the author.  For something a little lighter, Truid Rugaas has a wonderful book on calming signals, and she has some excellent information available for free on her website.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not attempt any type of desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

Under the Chin

Dogs who are uncomfortable with touch are often most comfortable having their chin, the front of their neck, and/or their chest scratched or rubbed.  This is because a big hand is not coming down from over their head, and they can see the human that is making contact with them.  Scratch your dog under the chin for 3-5 seconds, then move away.  If your dog comes in for more, give him a good rub under the chin and say “good dog” in a soothing, happy voice.  If you move away and your dog does not come back for more, then leave him be for now.  Next time you pet him under the chin, provide treats as you are doing it so he begins to make positive associations with being touched.

Important notes about giving treats:

• Treats should be 10% or less of your dog's daily diet.  If you're doing training, use soft, enticing, low-calorie treats that can be broken into very small pieces.  Your dog only needs a little taste, not a large bite each time.  If you're unsure, or if your dog is already overweight, consult your veterinarian.  

• If you're needing to do something to your dog (i.e. he has an ear infection and absolutely needs drops in his ear) and need to make it the least distressing experience possible, then distract your dog while you're doing it.  Provide a licki-mat or Kong filled with yummy, healthy treats or canned wet food, or a soft spoon or spatula with some peanut butter.  The goal is to use something that will be long-lasting.  A great video of this approach is available on YouTube.
• Please note that this is not desensitization, this is making an unpleasant process minimally aversive.  In a more ideal situation, we've worked to desensitize our pets to various handling and procedures in a gentle and gradual manner over a long period of time, so that it's much easier when we need to administer medications or do otherwise unpleasant procedures.

• When you're using the treats for gradual desensitization, the order is very important.  The gentle and very brief touch has to happen first, before the treat, then pause, then deliver the treat separately from the touch.  Touch-pause-treat-stop.  The touch must predict the treat in order for the touch to become positively conditioned.  If you give the treat at the same time (as above), the dog will be distracted by the treat, but will not easily make the association.  If the treat comes before the touch, then the treat predicts the touch, and not the other way around.  This is how does can sometimes become mistrustful of hands reaching out offering them treats, they may have a history of being "bribed" into something unpleasant, this is not our goal.  
• A fantastic (although jargon-y) article on this topic is available here

Along the Back

Next, approach your dog from the side (this is least intimidating), and run your hand along his back. Do not touch his head or bum.  Give him treats for standing (or sitting) and allowing you to pet him, then move away.

Petting Your Dog’s Head

Next scratch your dog behind the ears while giving him treats.  If he shows signs of discomfort stop and come back to it later, making sure he’s always getting treats for allowing you to pet him.  If you move away and he comes back for more, pet him all over his head while giving him treats (remember: pet, pause, treat, stop).  Bring your hand in from the side so that he can see it coming, rather than over his head, as this can be very intimidating to a nervous dog.  Do this only for a short period of time so that he is still looking for more, rather than continuing to pet him until he is uncomfortable with it and moves away himself.

**Important: Keep an eye on your dog’s body language:  If he tenses up or growls, stop
immediately.  Do not put yourself at risk for a bite and do not set your dog up to fail.  Dogs cannot speak English, they only have their body language and growls to communicate, so please pay careful attention to what they are telling you and move at your dog’s pace.  When we respect their signals we build trust.

Bum & Tail

Dogs who are uncomfortable with touch are often most concerned about having their rear end and tail touched, likely because they cannot see what is happening (and because of sensitive areas in that region - think about how you might feel if you need a rectal exam from your doctor...).  Again, come in from the side so your dog can still see you, and go very slowly and gently, paying close attention to your dog’s body language.  Start at the shoulders/neck and slowly move your hand down towards the top of his tail.  Keep your hand on him as you move backwards, don't take your hand away and then touch him again, as this can surprise dogs and might cause them to startle or tense up.  Provide lots of treats for your dog allowing this contact (touch, pause, but keep your hand where it is if the dog is comfortable, treat, then stop).  Always stop if your dog is showing signs of being afraid or very uncomfortable.

Collar

Similar to the issues with touching a dog’s head, a lot of dogs have negative associations with having their collars grabbed.  A large hand is coming from above their head, and they often have their collars grabbed when they are in “trouble” or being taken to something unpleasant.  Gently touch your dog’s collar while giving him treats, touching it and sliding your hand under it in different places (touch, pause, but keep your hand where it is if the dog is comfortable, treat, stop).  Use a calm, soothing voice saying “good dog” - and did I mention give lots of treats (small, frequent amounts)?  This will make it much easier to gently guide your dog somewhere you want him to go, or to put him back on leash if he has been playing off-leash.

Paws and Nails 

Another very sensitive area for dogs can be their paws, and many dogs have issues with having their nails trimmed.  This is such a common issue that it will be an entirely separate blog post focusing on teaching paw targeting and desensitization to nail trims.

In the mean time, you can click here to view a helpful video on Fear Free nail trims.

KikoPup also has a fantastic video on desensitizing dogs to grooming and nail trims.


Remember:  These exercises are intended to help your dog to become more comfortable about being touched. This will make your dog’s life much easier, making vet visits, grooming, and interactions with humans much less stressful for him. This will also keep your family safer as a dog that is comfortable with touch is less likely to bite.

Please communicate with people if your dog is nervous and be an advocate for your dog.  If he is looking afraid, remove him from the situation.  Set yourself and your dog up for success – you will strengthen your relationship with your dog and help build his trust and confidence.

If you are unsure about how to do this, or if your dog has severe aversion to touch, please contact a competent and compassionate trainer to help you.  If you don't know how to find a qualified trainer, click here to read our blog post on finding a trainer.

If you are interested in our video consultations, please visit www.pawsitivepooch.ca/video-consultations.html to learn more.

If your dog has any potential health issues or you suspect handling issues could be due to physical pain, do not try desensitization and consult your veterinarian.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!

Click to visit our website

Desensitization to Head Collar

Helping your Pet Adjust to Wearing a Head Collar

Desensitization to Head Collar (i.e. Halti or Gentle Leader)

Head collars can be great management tools while you are working on polite leash walking with your dog; they can help keep you both safe on walks and reduce the pulling on your arm and shoulder, they can also help while you are working on training for dogs who are reactive, or dogs who like to try to eat things they shouldn't while out and about.  For some dogs, they can take some getting used to.  Most dogs aren’t immediately comfortable with something placed over their nose and may paw at the head collar or rub their face on the ground or other objects in an effort to remove it.

Positive Associations

Never punish your dog for trying to paw at or rub the head collar.  You want to create positive associations with wearing it so your dog can get used to it and become comfortable with having it put on his nose.

The Right Size

Make sure the head collar is the right size for your dog.  You can bring him to the store and have him try it on before you buy it and ask for help fitting it if you’re not sure what size he needs.  The head collar should be loose enough that you can slide one or two fingers under the band behind the ears, but not so loose that it slides up into your dog’s eyes or that he could back out of it.  Try to pull the nose loop over the tip of his nose - if it can slide off, then it's too loose.

Step 1

Put a treat through the nose loop of the head collar so that your dog has to stick his nose through to get the treat.  Give him the treat and remove the head collar (out of sight).  Each time hold the loop over his nose a second longer before giving him the treat.  When the head collar goes away, the treat bar is closed.  When the head collar comes out, the treat bar is open again.  Keep these sessions very short and sweet to begin with, you can just do a few trials before each meal, or a few times per day when your dog is relaxed.

Step 2

Once your dog is comfortable with the first step, then clip the head collar behind the ears and feed your dog a few treats, then remove it again.  Do this a number of times a day, for only about 20-30 seconds at first, then slowly increase the length each time.  Give your dog a few treats and remove the head collar before he gets to the point of wanting to paw at it or rub his nose on things, the goal is to "quit while you're ahead" and end on a positive note.

Step 3

Once your dog can have the head collar on for a longer period of time, put the head collar on and give him his meal, adding a few treats to the bowl to make it extra special.  Let him eat his food while wearing the head collar and remove it as soon as he has finished.  If your dog will not eat with the head collar on, go back to step 2 and work on that for a while longer.  Keep in mind that you want the head collar to have positive associations, so go at your dog’s pace and reward heavily when he is wearing it.

Step 4

Take your act on the road: once your dog is able to eat a meal with the head collar on, start using it for very short walks.  Remember to give him treats for putting it on, and bring some treats along with you on your walks.  If he starts to rub or paw at his nose, simply redirect him: call his name in a cheerful voice to get his attention, pick up your walking pace slightly, then give him a treat for paying attention to you and moving forward.  If your dog is rolling on the ground and absolutely refusing to move, go back to step 3 and give him more time to get used to it.  The end goal is safer, more comfortable walks for both of you so you want to make sure you’re both enjoying the benefits of the head collar and it doesn’t become a battle.  Keep these walks short, sweet, and fun and then gradually increase the length of time your dog wears the head collar.

You'll know you're on the right track if your dog has an excited reaction when you pull out the head collar.  He should be thinking "oh goody, treats!" and "oh goody, walk time!" when he sees it.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Photo Credit: Audrey Fear

Tips for Introducing Dogs Safely

This is a follow-up to our 2015 blog post Understanding Dog Reactivity

Part Two:  Tips for Introducing Dogs Safely

(i.e. a friend or neighbour’s dog) 

Rule #1:  Start on Neutral Territory

If you’re not sure how the dogs will respond to each other, then the most important thing is to start somewhere neutral, not in someone’s back yard where a dog may become territorial.  A quiet street where you won’t encounter many other people or dogs is ideal, one where there is lots of room for the dogs to move apart if they want to.


We recommend starting with the dogs on leashes for safety

Keep the leashes on, but as loose as possible: don’t tighten up on the leash or put tension on the leash unless you need to gently guide your dog away from the interaction.  Allow the dogs to move away whenever they want to, allow them to exhibit curved non-confrontational body language (going sideways to each other, sniffing rear ends) or to move away and sniff other things.  These are effective ways for the dogs to slowly warm up to each other.


Curves are IN

In polite dog culture dogs do not meet face-to-face (head on), instead they approach each other circuitously to show that their intents are friendly, then often they circle-sniff with each dog’s nose meeting the other’s rear end.  Dogs can get so much useful and important information from a sniff and from observing the other dog’s posture.  When dogs are approaching face-to-face their postures are often stiff, heads held high, coming in a straight line with no opportunity for appropriate body language and doggy etiquette.  As they are getting closer the tension is already building before they’ve even come in contact.

Walking along a sidewalk most people are walking in a straight line with not much room.  It is wise to give the dogs a wide berth so they can pass each other in a curved pattern rather than a straight line.  Always ask the other person if the dogs can meet, please do not allow your dog into another’s face, and if the other person’s dog is on leash and you’re not in an off-leash park, the polite thing to do is leash up.


The Introduction 


Go for a Walk Together to Take the Pressure Off 

If you are introducing the dogs intentionally, the best thing to do is have them walking in the same direction, parallel to each other, facing the same way as opposed to face-to-face and moving toward each other.   If their bodies are tense then have them walk parallel further apart (i.e. on separate sidewalks or across a field) and then slowly move closer together, remaining parallel, only as they exhibit signs they are ready.  You’re looking for relaxing their body tension, sniffing in each others’ direction, soft eyes (not staring), tails relaxed and loose around mid-height (not high up in the air like a flag and not tucked in as though they are scared).


Take THEIR (not your) Time

It’s always best to err on the side of caution, especially if you want these dogs to be friends long-term.  It’s better to take a longer time for them to be fully introduced than to rush things and allow them to have a negative experience.  It’s a lot harder to undo bad first impressions than it is to delay those play dates.

Once they are walking side-by-side seeming relaxed and happy, then let them meet as they wish in a more open space.


Play Time! 

If (and only if) the dogs are meeting with relaxed bodies, loose wagging tails, wiggly body language, looking like they want to play - now is the time to let them play off leash.  We recommend doing so in a space fenced in for safety, but one that is large enough that each dog can move to take space when they want or need to.  We recommend at least one adult for each dog, just in case trouble does come up.


Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow 

Keep the first play date short and sweet (and ideally the first few, especially if there is significant time between them - dogs have a great memory for scents, but still have short memories in general).  Don’t wait for the dogs to get tired and cranky and therefore increase the risk of a scuffle.  End the play date while they’re still playful and happy and having fun.  This way their least memory of each other is a very positive one, and they will look forward to seeing each other again.  You’re building a long-term friendship here, so be patient and cautious :)  Keep a careful eye on their body language and intervene proactively whenever there might be trouble brewing.  Even if they play for 5 minutes, then take a short 1-2 minute break separately for water and to shake off, then return - that is a great way to ensure things remain friendly.  Finally, enjoy watching your dog(s) have fun!  Healthy dog play is one of the great joys of dog ownership and a well-socialized dog gets to have more of these fun play dates.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

visit us on Facebook to learn more about Pawsitive Pet Care!  

Visit our website at PawsitiveCare.ca

Crate Training as Preventative Medicine

Crate Training as Preventative Medicine

Close enough...

Not everyone wants or needs to crate their dog when they are out and that's okay.  Crating can certainly help with housetraining, preventing unsafe or destructive behaviours, and keeping pets from getting into things they shouldn't.  It can be a temporary management strategy for young pets who can be gradually given more freedom as they get older.

Even if you never have to crate your pet when you're out, crate training is still beneficial.  If your pet requires surgery or has a medical issue requiring strict kennel rest or restricted activity, if you need to travel with your pet, or if your pet needs to be crated to go to the vet (your cat or other small animal, for example), it's best that your pet is familiar and comfortable with the crate.  This is particularly true of small animals who only go in the crate to visit the veterinarian.  If they've had unhappy experiences at the vet or on car rides, they may associate their crate with these things.  Do your cats run and hide whenever you break out the crates?  Leave them out all the time (you can take the doors off so they don't accidentally close on your pet), make the crates a normal part of their environment, you can even toss a treat inside every once in a while as a nice surprise for them.

Crate Training

Putting your pet in a kennel or other confined space
 (such as in the kitchen with a baby gate) is not meant to be
 a punishment. If done correctly, your pet can learn to feel comfortable and secure in his crate and will likely go into it voluntarily.


Step One

Toss some treats in the kennel and keep the door open.  Start with a treat right at the entrance, then further back, then all the way back.  Do not close the door.  Do a few sessions each day (perhaps before his meals when he is hungry and after a good, long walk or play time when he is more relaxed), each session only needs to last about one to two minutes.


Step Two 
(Note that progressive steps may happen after a few minutes of training or after a few hours or even days of training, depending on your pet's previous experience with the kennel).  Please be patient and don't rush the process.  

Once he is going into the kennel without looking nervous about it, or is anticipating and going in the kennel on his own, then you can put a name to it (i.e. “go kennel” or “go to bed”).  First, say the word, then pause, then toss the treat.  Next, say the word followed by a gentle hand gesture towards the crate.  This time he doesn’t get the treat until he is already in the kennel.  Click or say “good!” and give him a treat, then let him exit, still do not close the door.

Remember, you want this kennel to be one of the best places he knows, so keep it positive!

Step Three 


Once your pet is entering the kennel on cue, shut the door for a very brief time (two or three seconds), feed a treat through the door, then open it right up again.

Step Four

When your pet is comfortable with the door being closed for three or more seconds, cue him to go inside, then close the door and give him some treats through the door.  Do this for five or six seconds and praise your pet for being inside the kennel, then open the door.  Keep everything calm and relaxed.

Step Five

Once your pet is in the kennel with the door closed comfortably, gradually increase the length of time (i.e. from 6 to 10 seconds), and start taking one or two steps away from the kennel, then coming back to him.  Slowly work your way up to going around a corner out of sight for just a second, and then returning.  If your pet starts to vocalize when you move away, or starts to paw at the door, slow down and go back a step.  We don't want your pet feeling anxious about the process, we want this to remain a positive experience.  

Step Six

Start preparing stuffed Kongs or other stuffed toys or treats that take a long time for your pet to eat, but are safe to chew unsupervised. 

For my dogs I like to fill a Kong and keep it in the freezer for when I need it.  It’s a refreshing treat for the pet, and takes him a longer time to work on it.  For cats or small animals, you could just put a few crunchies (wet food, kibble or treats) in an extra small Kong, let them eat it, then let them out of their carrier.  

Ask your pet to go into his kennel, give him the Kong, close the door, and let him enjoy.  

For dogs, if you are working on increasing the time in the kennel for when you are out, leave the house for – you guessed it – 10 or 15 seconds, and then return to your dog.  Gradually increase the length of time you stand on the front porch, and when you come back to your dog, remove the Kong.  He’ll start thinking that it’s better to be in the kennel because that’s where he gets the yummy stuff, and when mom or dad returns, the yummy stuff disappears. This is good, because he’s learning to like his alone time! 

*Important:  In order to prevent resource guarding behaviours, if your dog still has food in the Kong when you return, trade for something else (i.e. a soft, chewy treat or piece of meat).  This way he doesn't start to anticipate you returning and taking away his resource.  If your dog already struggles with resource guarding, please contact a qualified trainer to help you.

Steps 7+

Now all that’s left is very gradually increasing the time you are away and leaving your dog in his kennel with a yummy treat.  Start with a walk around the block, then a drive to the corner store, then a quick grocery trip, etc.  The more tired and relaxed your dog is when you start doing this, the better, so take him for a good long walk first and he may just have a little nap while you’re gone.  Some people find their pets are comforted by leaving the TV or radio on, or leaving a piece of their clothing in the kennel with their pet.  

The Key to Success

The key to success with crate training is to not push your pet before he’s ready and to keep everything relaxed and positive.  Each step can take a day or a week or a month to complete; it all depends on your pet's previous experience with the crate and his personality and learning history. Keep the sessions short (one to two minutes at a time) and sweet with lots of treats and praise for being in the kennel. 

The End Goal:  Never force your pet into the crate, especially if you are frustrated with him. You want the pet to learn that crate = GOOD STUFF!

Important

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, isolation distress, or confinement distress, please seek out a qualified and compassionate trainer for help.  Ensure the trainer you find plans to help your pet feel more comfortable with being crated and/or being left alone, rather than correcting the behaviours stemming from his anxiety or distress.  For more information on this, see Jillian's blog post "You Cannot Correct The Fear Out of Your Dog".  This blog post also has some suggestions for good places to find a trainer if you are struggling to find one in your area.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

To learn more, please visit or website, or visit us on Facebook.

www.Facebook.com/PawsPetMB