|
Clicker
training was originally used for marine mammal training. Imagine
that you are a dolphin trainer, and you want to teach a dolphin
to jump out of the water on command for the big show. You can’t
put a dolphin in a choke chain and yank it out of the water,
and it isn’t easy to hang a piece of fish way up in the
air to act as a lure for jumping….you have to just wait
around for the dolphin to jump on his own. Now comes the problem.
Animals
assume that both rewards and punishments are connected to the
behavior they were exhibiting at the instant they received the
reward or punishment. Therefore, if your timing is poor the
animal will NOT be able to learn what you are trying to teach!
If your timing is poor with rewards, the animal will seem to
be “stupid”; she will be learning things that you
did not intend to teach, and failing to learn the things you
thought you were teaching. (If your timing is poor with punishments,
you may create bizarre phobias, which are very hard to undo,
not to mention cruel.) You are sitting on the side of the pool
with a bucket of fish to reward the dolphin for jumping, but
unless you can put the fish into the dolphin’s mouth at
the apex of the jump, he will not realize what the reward is
for. He would assume that it was for the behavior he was doing
at the instant he received the fish – probably swimming
up to you. You need a way to mark the rewardable behavior for
the dolphin – a way to say to him “THAT jump you
did over there earned you THIS fish over here.” By associating
the sound of the click with receiving a treat, you can create
a “reward marker” to help you communicate clearly
with the dolphin.
Once the
dolphin has figured out that every time she hears a click she
is going to get a treat, then you can begin to use the clicker
as a training tool. You sit by the side of the pool with your
clicker, your bucket of fish and your newly clicker- aware dolphin
and wait for her to jump. When she does, you Click ! at the
apex of the jump. The dolphin, up in the air, hears the click
and says to herself Click!? I’m about to get a treat!”
She lands in the water, swims up to you and you give her a piece
of fish. And now she does a truly incredible intellectual leap
– she says to herself “I wonder if I could cause
you to click & treat again by repeating the behavior I was
doing at the instant I heard the click?” She experiments
by jumping, you click at the apex of the jump and reward her
with a treat when she arrives at poolside, and now you have
a clicker-trained dolphin. She understands that although the
reward came after the jump, it was the jump – the clicked
behavior – which earned it. You can now use the clicker
to mark any behavior you wish to reward, even though it happens
far away from you and the treats, and/or happens for only a
split second in time.
In order
to create the association between click and treat in your dog’s
mind, you simply click, pause one second, and then give a treat.
The one second pause is important to the learning process, because
if the click and the treat occurred simultaneously, the treat
might be so distracting that the dog wouldn’t really hear
the click. Ideally, the dog should hear the click and say to
himself “What’s that funny noise? Oh! Here’s
a treat!” Now simply repeat click-pause-treat about 50
times, and then give the dog at least a one hour brain rest
before doing it again. Don’t look for any particular behavior
during the first training session, just click & treat regardless
of what the dog is doing. During your first several clicker
sessions, please muffle the sound of the click by holding it
against your body under your arm – for some dogs the sound
of the click is at first too loud and startling and they may
develop an aversion to it before they have a chance to figure
out it predicts treats !
During
the third session (although you could try this earlier if you
think the dog may have caught on unusually fast) you should
test the dog’s knowledge of the clicker. Command or lure
a simple behavior such as “Sit”, and when the dog
obeys, click and then TOSS the treat on the floor thereby causing
the dog to get up out of the sit to collect the treat. Repeat
this 5 times, and then on the 6th just wait – do not give
any command or lure. Simply wait about 20 seconds to see what
the dog does. If he has figured out that the click marks the
rewardable behavior, then he will return from eating his treat
and quickly sit again, probably giving you a look that says
“See? I’m doing it !” If he does not sit within
about 20 seconds, then he hasn’t yet figured out the connection.
Return to doing another session of click-pause-treat before
you try testing again. If he does sit within about 20 seconds,
then click and toss the treat, and repeat this 4 more times.
The first
test exercise looks like this:
“Sit”…dog sits…click & toss treat…dog
gets up, eats treat & returns to you…
“Sit”…dog sits…click & toss treat…dog
gets up, eats treat & returns to you…
Repeat three more times, then:
Wait up to 20 seconds…dog sits…click & toss
treat…dog gets up, eats treat & returns to you…
Wait up to 20 seconds…dog sits…click & toss
treat…dog gets up, eats treat & returns to you…
Repeat three more times, then move on to the next exercise.
Or Wait up to 20 seconds…dog does not sit….you go
back to click–pause-treat 50 times.
If your
dog has responded correctly by sitting during the second part
of this exercise when you were not commanding or luring the
sit, then he may be clicker trained. On the other hand, it might
be a false positive. For many dogs who have been trained to
sit on command, if you tease them with food they sit as a sort
of default response. Therefore it is important that you now
move on to test the dog with a different behavior. Furthermore,
I don’t want any one behavior (such as "Sit")
to be too closely connected to the clicker in the early stages
of clicker education, or the dog may decide that clicking is
connected only to sitting, and it will be hard to convince him
that the click can be used to mark any rewardable behavior.
To test
the dog with a second behavior, choose any other behavior your
dog already knows on command or can easily be lured into, such
as “Down” (ie – lie down) or “Bark”
or “Shake hands”. Use the same formula of commanding
it 5 times and then waiting to see if the dog produces it on
his own when you simply wait. If your dog succeeds this time,
then he is clicker trained ! Choose one more behavior to put
through the test formula just to help the dog understand that
the click can be used to mark any behavior, and then you are
ready to begin using the clicker as a training tool. If your
dog does not succeed at this level, it means the correct sit
he produced earlier was a false positive. Just return to another
session of click-pause-treat before you try testing again.
If your
dog does not know three commanded behaviors, then here are three
suggestions for easy behaviors to lure.To lure a “Sit”
: Think about the way a dog’s body works : in a sitting
position the dog’s head is higher (and his bottom lower!)
than in a standing position. So…hold a treat to the dog’s
nose, but don’t let him get it. Keeping the dog licking
at the treat, slowly raise your hand up (until the dog is on
his front tiptoes) and back a little towards his tail. As his
nose goes UP his bottom sinks DOWN, and Sit Happens! Click at
the instant his bottom touches the ground and toss the treat
away from the dog.
If the
dog jumps up in the air on his hind legs, you held the treat
too high. Lower your hand a little. If the dog’s muzzle
isn’t pointing to the sky, with the dog standing on tiptoes,
then your hand isn’t high enough – raise it a little.
If the dog isn’t continuously licking at the treat you
won’t be able to get his muzzle up in the air. If he isn’t
trying to keep his nose on the treat, try these suggestions:
tease him with the treat; try a yummier treat; give him one
piece for free to get him interested; reduce the number of distractions
so you and the treats are more interesting.
To lure
a “Down” : In a “Down” the dog’s
head is near the floor, and the rest of the body is on the floor.
Start teaching “Down” from a “Sit” -
-it is usually easier. With the dog sitting, lower the treat
to the floor, right in between the dog’s front paws. She
will probably crouch over trying to reach it. When she is bent
over, nose to the treat, move the treat away a few inches. Hopefully
her nose will follow the treat and she will slide or crawl into
a “Down”. Click the instant the entire body is on
the ground and toss the treat away from the dog.
To teach
“Down” from a stand, put the treat between the front
paws and when the dog’s nose is on the treat move it a
few inches in towards her hind legs. Hopefully she will sink
into a “Down”.
If the dog stands instead of going into a “Down”,
try these helpers :
a)Wait, with the treat in your hand, on the floor. As long as
the dog is continuing to lick at your hand, you are making progress!
Eventually the dog will lie down and then you click and toss
the treat.
b)Sit on the floor with one leg bent (knee pointing up). Hold
the treat under your leg and lure the dog to follow it. As the
dog crawls under your leg, his body will end up in the “Down”
position – that is when you click and give the treat.
After a few repetitions, see if you can get the dog to lie down
when only his head has gone under your leg, and then try without
the bent leg. Now you can begin luring the dog into the “Down”
as first described, and click and toss the treat.
To lure
a dog to “Target” your hand : Hold out your flat
hand, palm towards the dog, right in front of his face. Be ready
to click the instant he sniffs your hand, which he will probably
do immediately. If you fail to mark that first sniff with a
click, you may have a hard time getting him to do it again!
Remove your target hand as soon as you have clicked, and give
the dog a treat. (No need to toss the treat this time, as he
has already “undone” the behavior by moving his
head away after sniffing.) Repeat about 5 times with your hand
always offered in the same place, then try changing the picture
by offering your hand to sniff on the other side of his muzzle.
Repeat, then offer your hand over his head so he must raise
his muzzle to sniff you. Repeat, now offer your hand about 5
inches away so he has to stretch his neck or take a step to
reach you. Repeat, then continue to slowly increase how far
the dog must move to reach your hand each time. Change your
hand position from his right to left side, and from above his
head to near his chest level. Soon you will be able to move
your hand far enough away that the dog has to take several steps
to reach it – now he understands targeting!
Back
to Top
Separation
Anxiety
Separation
Anxiety is a term used to describe the behavior of
a dog who becomes extremely distressed when left alone. Dogs
who suffer from this condition show their distress in a variety
of ways – howling, whining, barking, drooling, panting,
chewing objects, chewing or scatching at doors and windows,
and urinating, defecating or vomiting. Some dogs show all of
these behaviors when left alone, some only a couple. Some dogs
show several of these behaviors when left alone, and yet do
not suffer from separation anxiety – they just aren’t
housetrained and enjoy chewing!
Because
dogs are pack animals who would always prefer being with their
friends to being alone, almost all dogs suffer from separation
anxiety to some extent – they are always sad to see you
leave, delighted to see you return, and would rather come along
than be left behind. However, most dogs adjust well to our daily
absences and do not develop aberrant behaviors as a result.
Determining whether or not your dog actually has clinical Separation
Anxiety can be difficult, and solving it is even harder, so
if you suspect your dog has it I recommend you call a behavior
expert to help with the diagnosis and treatment.
There are
three different types of Separation Anxiety –Type A is
an overwhelming attachment to a particular person or another
animal – most often another dog. For a Type A dog, it
makes no difference who else may be present to keep him company
– if his special friend leaves he suffers terribly. The
second, Type B, is a dog who suffers when separated from his
entire family, regardless of who else is present. In other words,
he is fine so long as at least one family member is with him,
but if he is left with strangers he takes no comfort from their
presence. Type C dogs are fine so long as they have company
– friend or stranger - but cannot tolerate being entirely
alone.
There are
several possible causes for Separation Anxiety. The first is
a genetic prediliction for it – all dogs are born with
a specific, individual personality which accounts for about
60-70 % of their adult behavior and temperament. (The other
30-40% is determined by Imprinting, experience and training.)
If a dog is born with a very high pack drive – meaning
a strong desire to be with others – and is also emotionally
sensitive and/or very dominant, then there is a strong possibility
that she may develop S.A.
The second
cause is trauma, especially if the episode occurs during Imprinting.
Imprinting is a stage puppies go through between 8 and 16 weeks
of age during which anything the puppy learns becomes part of
her permanent knowledge and personality. Imprinted knowledge
– good or bad – can never be unlearned. (See the
first issue of Animal Print magazine for more information on
imprinting in puppies!) If a puppy spends too long alone during
imprinting, especially in a place which is frightening to her,
it can do permanent damage. This is often seen in pups who are
shipped from puppy mills to brokers and then pet stores - being
put into a crate alone for many hours in an airplane can imprint
S. A. – not to mention fear of crates, motion and loud
noises !
If the
trauma occurs later in life it is not necessarily permanent,
but depending on the severity of the episode can still be very
hard to reverse. If a dog changes homes several times, or goes
from a good home to a bad home, this can lead to S.A. Dogs adopted
from Animal Shelters often have S.A., and it frequently leads
to the new owner giving up on the dog and returning it to the
Shelter instead of trying to solve the problem. Of course, with
each return and rehome the problem gets worse until finally
the Shelter decides the dog is unadoptable and euthanizes him.
Although there are things Shelters can do to minimize the occurrence
of S.A. and to provide the new owners with strategies to help
prevent it and solve it, there is not much that can be done
to solve the problem in the Shelter environment. Luckily, most
dogs who develop S.A. as a result of abandonment and rehoming
can overcome it within a few weeks or months – tragically,
few are given the opportunity to do so.
If the
trauma is the result of some terrifying episode, it can be harder
to reverse. If the dog has a fear of thunder storms this can
evolve into S.A. Being in the house during a burglary, or spending
several days alone in the house with an owner who has died can
also lead to severe S.A.
Another
factor involved in S.A. is that the owner often accidentally
creates or increases it ! Giving your dog big, emotional hellos
and goodbyes, letting your dog out of the crate while he is
crying or scratching at the door or punishing your dog when
you come home to a mess can all contribute to S.A.
Sometimes
Separation Anxiety is caused by a chemical imbalance in the
brain – the same as anxietyin humans. If this is a factor
for your dog, then medication is necessary. In a few cases the
medication alone is enough to solve the problem, and the dog
may even be able to go off the meds in a few months after his
brain chemistry has adjusted. More commonly, though, the meds
are only are part of the solution, and a complete training program
is also needed.
S.A. can
become much worse as a result of the wrong diet (food allergies
are often a contributing factor), boredom, excessive dominance
and lack of exercise. Therefore a change of diet, food seeking
games to entertain the dog when alone, a dominance reduction
program and plenty of exercise are frequently part of an S.A.
program.
For many
dogs, a simple solution to the problem is to get a second dog!
Now she never needs to be alone – she always has her dog
friend with her. In some cases, the addition of a second dog
– or sometimes even a cat – can solve the problem
within days, without any other intervention needed. Be aware,
however, that if that second dog should die the problem will
probably return with great intensity.
Training
programs for dogs with S.A. are available, and very successful.
However, they are likely to take weeks or more likely months
to complete, and are often sabotaged by the fact that most owners
do need to leave the dog alone every day when they go to work.
Bringing the dog to Dog Day Care during the training program,
or involving a Petsitter in the program can help tremendously
to improve the success rate.
If you
suspect your dog may have Separation Anxiety, call a dog behavior
expert for a consultation and to establish an individualized
training program. Above all, don’t assume that giving
the dog to someone else will solve the problem – it is
far more likely to make it worse, and you may be your dog’s
only hope!
Back
to Top
Children
and Animals
This
talk was given in French to the Association of Homeopathic Physicians,
in Paris, France, in December, 1993. It was also given at the
International
Conference of Homeopathic Physicians in Quebec, Canada in November,
1996.
The French text version is available upon request,
and was also published in the '93 Conference D'Homeopathie.
In my work
as a canine and feline behavioral therapist I often see the
results (both good and bad) of the interaction of children with
companion animals. Some of what I see is wonderful – few
friendships are as intense and faithful as those between children
and their pets. However, all too often I see the frustrating,
sad and sometimes tragic results of their interactions. At least
once a week I get a phone call from a distraught parent seeking
help. The problem can generally be fitted into one or more of
three categories – displacement, lack of privacy for the
animal, or triggering of prey instinct. In order to better understand
these categories I think a brief, simplified overview of canine
and feline psychology will be helpful.
Dogs are
descended from wolves, and we have been able to learn a great
deal about how dogs think and communicate by studying wolf packs.
In a wolf pack, one wolf is the leader, the Alpha, and the others
are all ranked followers. Every wolf knows exactly where he
or she fits in to this dominance hierarchy. At the same time
that this hierarchy is well established, it is also constantly
in a state of flux. Each wolf occasionally attempts to improve
his or her ranking in the pack, but they almost never fight
to resolve these conflicts. Instead, they use tone of voice,
facial expressions, body posture, proximity to one another and
certain ritualized behaviors which are to some extent culturally
inherited, meaning that they differ somewhat from one pack to
another.
When we
study dog packs we see the same basic behaviors seen in wolf
packs, and when dogs live with human beings they think of them
as being members of their dog pack. A dog probably thinks of
his human family as being funny looking dogs with poor communication
skills!
The problems
can arise when the dog says something perfectly clearly in dog
language, but the human does not notice, misunderstands or responds
inconsistently. Likewise, the human’s attempts to communicate
may well be misunderstood by the dog. Both of these miscommunication
situations result in behavioral problems.
Cats are
descended from a European/Asian wildcat, possibly now extinct,
but closely related to the modern European, Asian and African
wildcats. Domestication has changed the cat far less than the
dog. The two primary changes have been some relatively minor
physical alterations of head shape, color and coat type, and
the willingness to live in close proximity to members of its
own and other species. The cat is not a pack animal. Indeed,
the only wild feline to live in a group is the lion. Domestic
cats have been selectively bred to tolerate and even enjoy close
companionship, basically an extension of the mother-kitten bond,
but no amount of breeding can create a cat with a “pack
mentality”. This single fact is the biggest difference
between dogs and cats.
A cat has
no innate desire to be socially acceptable, no knowledge of
the complex appeasement behaviors of both humans and dogs. Abuse
a dog and he will come back to plead for your love. Abuse a
cat and he is likely to shun you forever. Ironically, this is
both the reason that cats often dislike children and the reason
that cats have fewer aggressive episodes with children than
dogs do. The child unwittingly frightens or hurts the cat and
the cat exhibits her displeasure by staring, crouching, tail
twitching, ear flattening, freezing, growling, hissing, spitting,
jabbing with a paw or scratching, and if these attempts to communicate
do not work the cat usually gives up and runs away – and
stays away.
Because
of the dog’s greater desire for social contact (and because
she cannot jump on top of cabinets!) the dog is more likely
to respond aggressively when frightened, hurt or annoyed by
a child. The dog expects the child to understand what she says
and persists in her attempts to communicate.
The animal’s
problems often begin with the arrival of a new baby. For many
couples the animal was the “baby” until a human
baby arrived. This often leads to a sudden, dramatic change
in the animal’s life. This is the first category –
displacement.
Banned
from the bed and bedroom, rarely hugged and kissed, constantly
shooed away – especially from the baby, infrequently walked
or played with….ignored. The cat, presented with this
sudden rejection, frequently withdraws from social contact,
and may develop litter box problems (a frequent stress reaction
in cats). The dog, suffering deeply from his banishment from
the inner circle of the family pack, frequently develops a wide
range of behavior problems.
Boredom,
frustration and lack of exercise can lead to chewing, digging,
stealing, barking, whining, howling, house training accidents
and self-mutilation. Jealousy and loneliness increase the dog’s
general pushiness, his frequency and intensity of demands for
attention. Most owners respond to these unwanted behaviors by
punishing and isolating the dog – all of which increases
the problem.
As the
child begins to crawl and then to toddle we add the second category
– lack of privacy. Approached by the child, whom the dog
may already dislike because he has been displaced, the dog gets
up and walks away. Often, the child pursues the dog. Again and
again the dog leaves, and is pursued, until finally the dog
has had enough and decides to use aggressive language to discourage
the child. The dog will try stiffening, staring, growling, snarling,
snapping in the air and explosive barking. Of all of these,
only the explosive bark seems to deter most children, probably
because it is so loud. The dog cannot comprehend that the child
does not understand him. In dog language he has said “leave
me alone” very clearly. When the child continues to invade
the dog’s privacy, the dog assumes the child is a disobedient
puppy who needs to be taught a lesson.
In dog
society, this lesson takes the form of a very inhibited bite.
The vast majority of children bitten by dogs have minor red
marks or scratches, slight bruising or very shallow puncture
wounds. Deep punctures, tearing, profound bruising and broken
bones are very rarely seen, although even a small dog is capable
of doing tremendous damage. The reason that dogs rarely bite
very hard is that their intention is to teach a lesson, to reprimand,
not to injure. The dog sees the child as a badly behaved puppy
who refuses to listen to his elders warnings and needs some
manners. To injure the “puppy” would not benefit
the pack and so the dog inhibits the force of his bite. Unfortunately,
human skin is more fragile than dog skin, and parents who may
never have noticed all the dog’s warnings to the child
certainly do notice bite marks !
If the
parents immediately (within 2 seconds) punish the dog for biting
it will probably temporarily reduce or eliminate the dog’s
overt dispays of aggression – growling, snarling, snapping,
explosive barking and biting. However, it will not improve the
way the dog feels about the child, and fear of punishment is
now added to the dog’s emotional turmoil.
At this
point, or perhaps before the dog chooses aggression, when he
is still in the stage of trying to walk away from the child,
the dog will display “calming signals”. These signals
are inherited from the dog’s wolf ancestors. Wolves are
social predators, meaning they hunt as a pack. They depend on
each other. If they fought and injured each other every time
they had a conflict, the very survival of the pack would be
in danger because one or more of the wolves would be unfit to
hunt. Therefore, conflict avoidance and non-violent conflict
resolution are of the utmost importance to them. To this end,
wolves use calming signals. These are facial expressions and
body gestures used by both wolves and dogs to express anything
from mild nervousness to extreme fear. Since these signals exist
on a continuum from very mild to very extreme, it is important
that one also assess the rest of the dog's body language and
the existing situation when interpreting them.
When a
dog feels nervous or threatened, he will avert his eyes, squint
or blink; turn his head aside; lick his nose, lips or the roof
of his mouth; yawn; flatten out the ears; lift a front paw;
scratch himself or sniff the ground. Calming signals come in
clusters of two or more shown simultaneously. For example, a
very common cluster is "Yawn- Lick- Turn the head"
or "Blink-Lick-Ears Flat". Also, calming signals are
often shown repetitively, or in escalating intensity, until
the problem is resolved - the threat the dog perceived is reduced
or eliminated.
When approached
by the child, the dog will display calming signals, assuming
the child will understand her. If these signals are ignored
and the child continues to approach – especially if the
approach involves an over-the-head pat, hug, or grabbing the
collar, the dog is likely to resort again to aggression.
The lack
of privacy aggression will become much,much worse if the dog
is guarding a valued possession – food, dog toys or bones,
stolen delicious food, stolen objects like shoes, gloves or
children’s toys, beds or other favored sleeping areas.
Likewise, it will get worse if the dog feels cornered, is startled
awake from sleep or is in pain.
The third
category involves the triggering of the dog’s prey instinct.
As wolf descendents, all dogs have a hunting instinct, but some
breeds – and some individual dogs – exhibit it much
more strongly than others.
The distressed,
high pitched wailing, thrashing, small size and strange smell
of a human infant can trigger predatory behavior in some dogs,
but this is fairly rare. Most dogs figure out quickly that the
infant is human, and as such part of the pack. More frequently
the prey oriented behavior is not triggered until the child
starts to run. From about eighteen months to five years of age
many children are chased, knocked down and nipped by enthusiatic
dogs playing “chase the rabbit”. At this age, the
dog clearly knows the child is not a rabbit but he chooses to
“pretend” he is, in the same way a dog will pretend
a ball is a rabbit and chase it. Terrier breeds, with their
strong prey instinct, are often especially fond of this game.
Herding dogs (such as shepherds, collies, rottweilers etc.)
with no sheep or cattle to herd will give themselves the job
of herding the children. They become self-employed. If the child
squeals, flails, runs, or falls to the ground the dog becomes
increasingly excited.
Dogs play
fight and play bite with each other as their primary means of
social play and bonding. When a dog does the same to a child,
the results can be unhappy. Because children are impulsive,
inconsistent and excitable, and often have difficulty following
a training program for the dog, it is up to the parent to be
very watchful and responsible. No matter how reliable a dog’s
behavior has always been in the past, young children and dogs
should simply never be left unsupervised.
Sometimes
the problem starts because the parents get a puppy or kitten
for the young child, hoping they will “grow up together”.
All too often this does not work out well. My advice is do not
get a puppy or kitten if you have a child under three years
old. If your child is between three and five, think about getting
a six to twelve month old pup or kitten instead of an infant.
Dogs and cats who are over two years old and are definitely
known to love children are often a better choice for families
with very young children. No one with a very young child has
the time or energy to raise an animal properly and the child
and the animal may accidentally frighten or injure each other,
but an adult cat or dog who needs a new home due to allergies,
moving or divorce might fit in very well.
I think
children can learn and benefit a great deal from living with
animals. Responsibility, consistency, unquestioning love and,
eventually, death. My husband and I live on a farm with three
children and twenty animals including five dogs and eight cats.
The relationships between them are wonderful and enriching for
both the animals and the people. However we had some difficult
times when the children were young. By looking at things from
the animals’ point of view, carefully observing their
signals, monitoring all interactions between the children and
animals and doing appropriate exercises with them I was able
to bring everyone safely through those periods.
If people
learn how animals think and communicate and take necessary steps
before trouble arises, most problems can be prevented. Even
after a serious problem exists, it can usually be corrected.
It is very rare that I need to recommend placing a dog or cat
in a new home with no children, and rarer still that I euthanise
an animal for aggression. With understanding and proper training
methods we can all live peacefully and safely together.
Back
to Top
Calming
Signals
Dogs
are very social creatures, just like their wolf ancestors. Wolves
are social predators, meaning they hunt as a pack. They depend
on each other. If they fought and injured each other every time
they had a conflict, the very survival of the pack would be
in danger because one or more of the wolves would be unfit to
hunt. Therefore, conflict avoidance and non-violent conflict
resolution are of the utmost importance to them. To this end,
wolves use "calming signals". These are facial expressions
and body gestures used by both wolves and dogs to express anything
from recognition of one's current inferior status - and hence
mild nervousness when in close proximity to a more dominant
animal - to extreme fear. Since these signals exist on a continuum
from very mild to very extreme, it is important that one also
assess the rest of the dog's body language and the existing
situation when interpreting them.
The
Calming Signals are as follows:
- Eyes
- squinting, blinking or looking away
- Turning
the head aside
- A
head movement in which the head is lowered somewhat between
the shoulders but the muzzle is lifted
- Flattening
out the ears by pulling them alongside the head
- Yawning
- Licking
- the nose, lips, and roof of the mouth - these licks are
usually very quick, without much tongue showing
- Lifting
a front paw - not a reaching paw, just lifted up. This can
occur in any body position
- Moving
slowly
- Moving
towards someone in an arc, rather than a head-on approach
- Turning
away completely so the dog's back is towards the source of
her concern,
usually while sitting or lying down
- Sudden
scratching of the neck with a hind paw or chewing at the rear
end
- Sudden
sniffing of the ground, especially if the dog keeps his eyes
on you while doing it
These
last two are most often seen when the dog is being ordered by
an angry owner to "Get over here right now!" The dog
is essentially attempting to buy time by saying to the person
"I cannot approach you when you are so angry and scary.
I'll just sniff the ground until you can calm down".
Clearly,
a dog may also do any of these things for a reason other than
the exhibition of Calming Signals…so how do you know the
difference? Calming signals come in clusters of two or more
shown simultaneously. For example, a very common cluster is
"Yawn—Lick—Turn the head" or "Blink—Lick—Ears
Flat". Also, Calming Signals are often shown repetitively,
or in escalating intensity, until the problem is resolved -
the threat the dog perceived is reduced or eliminated.
Different dogs favor different signal clusters, and also use
different clusters in different situations. The most valuable
way to learn your dog's own signals is to simply observe your
dog!
Once you have become familiar with Calming Signals and with
your dog's use of them, you can easily read your dog's emotional
state and use that information to help with your training.
You can also use Calming Signals yourself to help calm your
dog down when he is feeling stressed. I have found the most
useful combination to be yawn- turn my head aside- smack my
lips. Repeat this until your dog visibly relaxes and returns
a Calming Signal to you. Blinking is also very helpful. When
approaching a dog, move slowly and in an arc rather than head
on, and stand sideways as you get closer to him.
Back
to Top
Motivation
The
Two Methods of Motivating Behavior
There
are only two ways to motivate anyone – whether animal
or human – to do something. You can either use avoidance
of something unpleasant, or you can use gaining something pleasant.
The first
way is the old-fashioned approach to dog training – “
‘sit’ or I will jerk on the choker “. The
motivation – the driving force behind the behavior –
is the dog’s desire to avoid the unpleasant jerk. This
method does work with about 75% of all dogs, but it is slow,
unpleasant for both dog and trainer, and creates barriers against
future learning. Because the dog has been punished for exhibiting
behaviors that were not currently being requested by the trainer
(for example, standing instead of sitting) the dog is then unwilling
to offer “stand” in the future. Furthermore, it
will become increasingly unlikely that the dog will offer any
new, creative behavior, so activities such as Agility, Freestyle,
Tracking or Search and Rescue become extremely difficult or
impossible for the dog.
With 25%
of all dogs, this method of training does not work at all. The
frequent punishment involved may cause a dominant, irritable
dog to become defensively aggressive, and may cause such overwhelming
trauma in a submissive, fearful dog that he becomes incapable
of learning anything other than defensive phobias. These dogs
used to be considered “untrainable” and were often
“ euthanized “- that is, put to death.
The second
approach to motivation, gaining something pleasant, is the new
(enlightened!) method of training. The driving force behind
the behavior is the dog’s desire to gain something pleasant
– failure to perform the required behavior means failure
to earn the reward. No fear, no pain, no unpleasantness, no
barriers to future learning !! And, no “ untrainable “
dogs. None ! Motivating any dog is simply a matter of discovering
what it is the dog desires and then delivering that reward as
a consequence for a correct response.
What
Rewards do Dogs Find Motivating?
A “reward”
is whatever a dog wants now. If the dog wants you to open the
door so he can run into the garden, then opening the door for
him is a big reward. However, if the dog is exhausted from a
long run and having a nap, then opening the door is not rewarding
at all.
All animals
are born wanting/needing certain things. These things are called
primary motivators. You don’t have to learn to enjoy and
desire them – it is an automatic response. The primary
motivators are food, water, sex and comfortable body temperature.
Sex and body temperature are extremely difficult to control
as rewards. Water is only rewarding if one is thirsty –
difficult to control, not to mention unkind. But food ! Most
dogs are eager to eat delicious food (meat especially) at any
time, whether hungry or not. Dogs will eat when too hot, too
cold, uncomfortable, thirsty, sad, happy, sleepy, nervous, excited….in
fact only substantial fear or pain (or, ironically, sexual excitement)
will interfere with a dog’s desire for delicious food.
This makes food a superb reward for use in training and maintaining
good behavior. It is very easy for us to control, and most dogs
are eager for it at any time!
The
Role of Praise and Touch in Training
Most dogs
learn to enjoy being praised and touched, but they are not born
enjoying it. They learn that being touched (stroked, massaged,
scratched) can feel wonderful, and that praise is a predictor
of Good Things for Dogs. So why not use touch and praise as
the only rewards for correct responses ? This is what used to
be recommended in old-fashioned dog training, when everyone
believed that using food was “bribing” the dog and
should never be done.
The difficulties with using praise and touch as your only forms
of reward are as follows :
a) The dog has to like you. This means that you can only successfully
train dogs who are extremely friendly and outgoing, and dogs
with whom you have already established a good relationship.
Forget training dogs who are aloof, fearful, dominant aggressive
or who have a prey drive that far exceeds their pack/social
drive.
b) The dog has to enjoy being praised and touched. This means
you cannot train dogs who have never learned to associate praise
with good things, and dogs who dislike, fear or have never learned
to enjoy being touched.
c) The dog must find your praise and touch more rewarding than
any existing distractions (very few dogs find praise and touch
more interesting than squirrels, cats, dogs and…food !
)
d) The praise and touch must only be provided as a consequence
for correct behavior. If it is offered “for free”
then why bother to work for it ? Likewise, if delicious food
was constantly available scattered on the floor for the dog,
the dog would not be interested in obeying “’sit’
for a treat” ! Personally, I live with dogs because I
love them, and I want to be free to touch and praise them as
often as I want, and not be restricted to a relationship in
which I must keep my affection in reserve to use as a motivator.
You can
see how the use of praise and touch as the only forms of reward
in old-fashioned dog training contributed greatly to the number
of supposedly “untrainable” dogs !
Shouldn’t the dog obey you out of respect and a desire
to please you ?
In old-fashioned dog training, it was commonly said that dogs
had a desire to please people. Because of this desire to please
us, the dog would obey commands. In fact, dogs (like very young
children) have a desire to please themselves. Dogs only do things
that they want to do. If they happen to want to do something
that you also want them to do, then everyone is happy. If not…that
is where training is helpful ! Through training, we are able
to convince the dog that doing the things we want him to do
is pleasing to the dog. Eventually, a great deal of a dog’s
trained behavior becomes so much a matter of habit that it begins
to look as if the dog wants to please us.
It is unquestionably
true that most dogs seek to avoid our disapproval, because when
we are angry Bad Things May Happen to Dogs. Likewise, dogs learn
that when we are happy Good Things Happen to Dogs, but do not
confuse this with a selfless desire for Human Happiness ! Before
you come to the conclusion that this makes a dog somehow less
extraordinary, stop and think – when was the last time
you did something only to please someone else, from which you
received absolutely no benefits of any kind ? Like dogs, we
humans primarily do things because we receive some benefit –
gratitude, money, public recognition, amusement, …
What about
the issue of respect? Dog owners frequently confuse Love, Respect
and Obedience. Although related and often interwoven, these
are three separate issues for both dogs and humans. I may love
someone whom I do not obey – like my child. I may obey
someone I do not love – a police officer. I may respect
someone whom I neither love nor obey – like a public figure.
Your dog loves you because you are familiar to him, part of
his “family pack”. Your dog respects you (if he
respects you!) because you claim Dominant Dog Privileges –
you control the food supply, you claim the best sleeping space,
you defend your body space by refusing to be mounted, etc. Your
dog obeys you (if he obeys you) because he is motivated to do
so, and there are only two ways to motivate anyone, whether
animal or human… However, if your dog is motivated and
respects you, there is no question he will be even easier to
train.
It is vital
that we do not confuse respect with fear. If the dog fears you,
and fears the punishments that will be inflicted for disobedience,
then the motivation for the dog’s behavior is to avoid
something unpleasant. Fear is a powerful motivator, but it is
neither humane nor flexible, and should have no place in teaching
a dog new behavior.
Weaning
the dog off the treats
A common question is, “If at the beginning of training
I am supposed to give a treat for every correct response, then
when and how do I wean the dog off the treats? “ In the
early stages of training any behavior, it is necessary that
the dog receives a reward for every correct response –
otherwise the lack of a reward will cause the dog to assume
he has given an incorrect response and he will try something
different.
Once the
dog has learned the connection between a) the command/signal
to perform the behavior b) the correct behavior and c) the reward,
and the dog believes in the pattern of a-b-c, then it is important
to reward only intermittently. In other words, not every correct
response gets a reward. This is called a Variable Schedule of
Reinforcement.
To understand
this, think of the difference between a vending machine and
a slot machine. In both cases, your behavior is the same –
insert coin and pull lever down. In the case of the vending
machine, you expect an immediate reward and if you do not receive
it your behavior quickly changes (perhaps you hit or kick the
machine) and then disappears (you walk away angry).
In the case
of the slot machine, however, you have been “trained”
to have different expectations. You do not expect an immediate
reward, and so you continue to exhibit the behavior (insert
coin, pull lever) for a very long time even without any reward.
If the behavior is rewarded occasionally, this strengthens your
belief in the value of continuing the behavior, until you reach
a stage at which the behavior becomes extremely difficult to
eliminate – you’ve become a gambling addict ! In
dogs, this is precisely our goal – to train the dog to
be addicted to obeying commands/signals, even in the absence
of any reward. The dog will continue to gamble that this correct
response will earn him a reward – perhaps even a jackpot
!
It is very
important that you do not ever completely stop rewarding correct
responses, or the behavior will probably disappear. The only
absolute rule of behavior is Behavior Changes – so if
your behavior changes and you stop rewarding the dog, the dog’s
behavior will change too!
Back
to Top
Imprinting
So
you have a new puppy, and you are wondering if he really needs
training... the answer is YES! Even a seasoned
dog owner can learn a lot about training - as well as about
preventing problems from ever starting - from a really good
dog trainer.
Or
maybe you know your new pup needs training, but you wonder what
is the best age to start... the answer is NOW! It
is best to start a puppy's training at 7-8 weeks of age, but
it is also never too late to make improvements... even in an
old dog!
Young
puppies are in the Imprinting Stage, which
begins at 8 weeks of age and ends between 12 and 16 weeks of
age, depending on the breed. Anything your puppy learns at this
time (whether good or bad) becomes part of his permanent knowledge,
a sort of "mental reflex." This will be the behavior
the adult dog will fall back on when stressed, confused, or
frightened. There are three important lessons which MUST be
taught during Imprinting or it will be too late! Good manners
and obedience to commands can be taught at any age, but the
following three lessons can only be taught prior to 16 weeks
old, and with some breeds only prior to 12 weeks.
NOTE:
For a puppy with "tantrums" the Imprinting Stage is
the only time when this problem can be fully cured.
SOCIALIZATION
In dog training language, Socialization means meeting new and
different people, animals (especially dogs), places and experiences
and ENJOYING them. It does not mean hanging out with a couple
of old friends! Young puppies are usually very friendly and
outgoing, but if they have not been sufficiently socialized
prior to 16 weeks, then the natural prejudice which is an essential
survival skill for wild dogs will set in, and the dog will become
fearful and aggressive to anyone and anything "different."
Many dog bites are the result of an undersocialized dog thinking
someone is dangerous simply because their physical appearance
is different from what the dog is accustomed to. Luckily it
is very easy to socialize a puppy and avoid this problem. The
time to introduce your puppy to new things is now. However,
do not overwhelm her. You can imprint "bad" things,
such as fear of the vet just as easily as "good" things.
Proceed slowly, feed trats and make sure she is happy. Never
force a puppy into a situation she feels is scary or you will
imprint fear!
BITE
INHIBITION
Puppies love to play-fight and play-bite. Not only is it their
favorite game, but it is how they create bonds with others.
Dogs who play-fight with each other are very unlikely to every
FIGHT with each other. They have established a trusting, loving
bond through play-fighting. To humans, play-biting looks like
aggression, and with those sharp little puppy teeth it is certainly
very painful! However, if you discourage the puppy from play-fighting
with you, you are not only interfering with the pup's ability
to bond with you but you are also missing your chance to teach
Bite Inhibition. Pups must be taught Bite Inhibition during
Imprinting so the if, as an adult, they ever bite anyone, they
do not bite hard. This ability to imprint a soft mouth is inherited
from the wolf, ancestor of the dog. Wolves are social predators,
meaning they hunt as a group. If two wolves get in a fight and
injure each other, then the survival of the entire pack is threatened
because one or more of the wolves is now unfit to hunt. Therefore,
wolves teach their pups to inhibit the force of their bites
when putting their teeth on a family member. Dogs can learn
this same lesson during Imprinting, and apply it to their "family"
- dogs and humans.
RESTRAINT
HANDLING
Pups need to learn that a human may hug, handle, and restrain
them in any way and they must accept it without fear, aggression,
or struggling. This is especially important if the dog is injured
and the vet needs to restrain him to examine the wound. That
is not the time to try to convince the dog that being restrained
is safe! Teach them tolerance, patience, and trust now, or it
will be too late.
If
you suspect your puppy has "tantrums," please call
for help AT ONCE, as this problem can only be cured prior to
16 weeks of age. Alexandra has pioneered the techniques used
in Imprinting, and now has over 15 year (and over 3500 dogs)
worth of proof that these methods really work!
For
information on how to teach the Imprinting information, please
schedule an appointment with Alexandra. |
