BARKS from the Guild Autumn 2014

BARKS from the Guild

Issue No. 9 / October 2014

TRAINING Examining Food Toys

CANINE The Prison Pup Mutt

PUPPIES Setting Up for Success

EQUINE To Bit or Not to Bit?

BUSINESS Resolving Conict

FELINE Behavior Unmasked

What Bella Is Really Saying

Photos of Bella by Preval Photography

The Many Faces of Behavior Myopia:

An environmentally force-free online magazine from the Pet Professional Guild

BARKS

from the Guild

Published by the Pet Professional Guild 9122 Kenton Road, Wesley Chapel, FL 33545 Tel: 41 Dog-Train (413-648-7246) www.PetProfessionalGuild.com Editor-in-Chief Susan Nilson barkseditor@PetProfessionalGuild.com

Contributing Editors Bob McMillan, Elizabeth Traxler, Kiki Yablon

The Guild Steering Committee Jan Casey, Diane Garrod, Caryn Liles, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Anne Springer, Heidi Steinbeck, Angelica Steinker, Niki Tudge, Catherine Zehner

BARKS from the Guild Published quarterly, BARKS from the Guild presents a collection of valuable business and technical articles as well as reviews and news stories pertinent to our industry. BARKS is the official publication of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) and is distributed free to all members.

Submissions BARKS encourages the submission of original written materials.

Please contact the Editor-in-Chief for contributor guidelines prior to sending manuscripts or see: www.PetProfessionalGuild.com/Forcefreeindustrypublication Please submit all contributions via our submission form at: www.PetProfessionalGuild.com/BFTGcontent Membership Manager Rebekah King Membership@PetProfessionalGuild.com

Letters to the Editor To comment on authors’ work, or to let us know what topics you would like to see more of, contact the Editor-in-Chief via email putting BARKS in the subject line of your email. BARKS reserves the right to edit for length, grammar and clarity.

Advertising Please contact Niki Tudge at Admin@PetProfessionalGuild.com to obtain a copy of rates, ad specifications, format requirements and deadlines. Advertising information is also available at: www.PetProfessionalGuild.com/AdvertisinginBARKS PPG does not endorse or guarantee any products, services or vendors mentioned in BARKS, nor can it be responsible for problems with vendors or their products and services. PPG reserves the right to reject, at its discretion, any advertising.

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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Food for Thought

here are so many talking points in this issue it’s difficult to know where to start... At the very beginning, our cover story details the somewhat prolific practice of behavior myopia, something many of us have, no doubt, been guilty of at one time or another. As trainers, behavior consultants and pet owners, we owe it to our companion animals to take their emotional state(s) into account when they are performing what we consider to be undesirable behavior. By watching body language closely, taking note of the nuances and making sure we are not blinded by the overt, in-your-face behaviors, we can often unlock the mystery of a behavior problem and treat it at its core, rather than just tap the surface.

Next, we have an informative article on puppies which covers the essential art of housetraining and preparing your home for your pup before he even arrives. For the adult dogs, we have an insightful article on how aversive methods actually make aggressive behavior worse and how “quick fixes” are no substitute for the long-lasting results brought about by positive reinforcement. In our ongoing series of life with a deaf dog, we look at some of the gadgets that may – or may not – be helpful in training. We also relate the story of a rescue puppy who grew up to become an integral part of British Columbia’s progressive canine prison program. As always, the issue of dogs biting children is a relevant one and we feature the first of a twopart series detailing ways to create a relationship of mutual respect and empathy between the two.

Not forgetting other species, we debate why there is so little education on feline behavior in the field of veterinary training and also shed some light on some common feline behavior problems. For the bird lovers, we discuss the importance of ensuring a bird in captivity - who may usually spend 60 percent of his day foraging for food - stays physically and mentally stimulated. For the equestrians, we investigate various types of tack and ponder whether a bit is actually an aid to communication or an instrument of torture.

In our business section we continue our discussion of conflict resolution, highlight the importance of financial planning, and showcase the many reasons why dog trainers do in fact make excellent salespeople.

Once again, thank you all for your excellent contributions. Without your input BARKS would not be possible.

n Susan Nilso

Editor-in-Chief

The Pet Professional Guild is a membership business league representing pet industry professionals who are committed to force-free training and pet care philosophies, practices and methods.

Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean: No Shock, No Pain, No Choke, No Prong, No Fear, No Physical Force, No Physical Molding, and No Compulsion-Based Methods.

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EVENTS, NEWS & EDUCATION

Latest developments and events at PPG

AVOIDING BEHAVIOR MYOPIA: RECOGNIZING THE SUBTLE SIGNS

Behavior modification protocols must acknowledge covert and subtle behaviors too, say Angelica Steinker and Eileen Anderson

WHEN FOOD TOYS “FAIL”

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Eileen Anderson discusses the pros and cons of food puzzle toys

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

© Can Stock Photo

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Niki Tudge gives an update on the PPG licensing program and 2015 convention

Setting up before your puppy comes home is key, says Barb Levenson

AGGRESSION BEGETS AGGRESSION

Diane Garrod examines the effect of aversive training methods on a dog’s psyche

GADGETS AND GIZMOS

Morag Heirs answers common questions about recall and gadgets for deaf dogs

A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS

Joan Orr on creating empathy and respect between children and dogs

THE MIRACLE MUTT

Gail Radtke relates the tale of Lanie and her work in prisons and hospitals

THE ELEPHANT ON THE STAIRS

Elephants trained using positive methods are more productive, says Bob McMillan

HELP IS HERE

Book Review: Leslie Clifton reviews Juvenile Delinquent Dogs by Sue Brown

TO BIT OR NOT TO BIT?

Dr. Lisel O’Dwyer details the ethics of various tack

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VETS NEED BEHAVIORISTS TOO

Jane Ehrlich contemplates the absence of education in the field of feline behavior

FELINE BEHAVIOR UNMASKED

Jane Ehrlich responds to commonly asked questions about cats

A CRY FOR ATTENTION

Lara Joseph details the importance of foraging for birds in captivity

A NEW APPROACH

Niki Tudge debates conflict resolution skills to improve client commitment

THE PRO-ACTIVE PET BUSINESS OWNER

Planning the financial side of your business is essential, says Marie Poliseno

FETCH MORE DOLLARS: LIKE PEAS IN A POD

Good dog trainers can be very effective salespeople, says John D. Visconti

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© Can Stock Photo

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Photo by Jason Coburn

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Photo by Preval Photography

CONTENTS

MEMBER PROFILE

Introducing Mary Jean Alsina of The Canine Cure, LLC

PPG SPECIAL EVENT

Back to Basics: Five-Day Dog Training Workshop in Tampa, FL

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

PPG Licensing and a Force-Free Summit

Dear PPG Members,

Welcome to your October issue of BARKS from the Guild.

I hope you are as excited about reading this issue as we were when we first received all of these great articles.

This is an incredible edition.

It seems like January was only a few weeks ago yet suddenly I find myself thinking about where I would like to be this holiday season. Yes, December is just around the corner and, once again, it will be time to plan and develop our strategic goals for 2015. One of our key goals next year will be to roll out the PPG Local Area Chapters.

I had hoped to have this finalized this year but other, more urgent items pushed it aside.

At the beginning of this year PPG had many key goals, two of the biggest being our Licensing Force-Free Certification Program and our 2015 Convention. Both are already underway and we are extremely excited about them.

The PPG Licensing Program

This will be a professional licensing program that ensures competency, transparency and accountability. Our goal when developing the program was to provide a meaningful credential that supports pet dog owners by ensuring a standard for competent force-free professionals, who are fully transparent and professionally accountable. We think we have succeeded in this.

In December we will be rolling out Phase One of the program (see Gatekeeper #1 below) for dog trainers and dog behavior consultants. Phase Two will incorporate pet care professionals and other specialized pet trainers. I know you will have many questions about the application process since I regularly receive emails urging us to roll out this program, so here are some details about the application criteria so you can begin to review them. The actual program is a combination of testing knowledge, mechanical competency and teaching ability.

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Gatekeeper #1: The Application Criteria 1) All Applicants must be able to demonstrate 300 hours of experience training in group classes and/or 150 hours of private training consultations to be eligible to apply for the PPG license. One training hour unit is defined as 1 x 60 minutes of private training or 1 x 60 minutes of one group class.

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

2) Applicants must have completed 30 continuing education credit hours at professional seminars, workshops and/or webinars within the previous three years.

3) Applicants can be either full-time or part-time professionals; eligibility is determined by the number of hours of experience.

4) Applicants must provide proof of business insurance (US only).

5) Applicants must have a professional and up-todate website, a professional Facebook Business Page or a Merchant Circles account.

6) Applicants must provide two written references from fellow professionals confirming their date of entry into the industry and confirming their logged hours of training.

Now that I have captured your interest I can assure you a lot more details will be rolled out in the near future.

The 2015 PPG Annual Convention

The official name for the inaugural PPG Convention is: The Force-Free Summit - Reaching for a Higher Standard.

The goals for this summit are to: a. Help build awareness of our organization and a stronger collaboration between force-free pet professionals. b. Help build communication and networking opportunities with the veterinary community and veterinary educators. c. Showcase a very interactive and fun educational format.

The convention will take place in Tampa, FL from 1113 November, 2015 and we plan to live-stream the entire proceedings. Our Convention Committee is already busy putting all the foundations in place, and Dr. Karen Overall will be opening the event. If you would like to make a presentation at this, our very first convention, please fill out this application form.

10 Questions

PPG recently published a new member handout titled 10 Questions to Ask Your Dog Training Professional - BEFORE You Hire Them! which is also available on our website. Created by the PPG Steering Committee, active PPG members may use this educational piece as a business tool to help guide their clients. Hopefully we will educate the general pet owning public at the same time and help direct them towards force-free training methods.

Here are the 10 questions featured in the handout:

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT What dog training equipment do you use when training a dog or do you recommend I use?

A force-free professional trainer will recommend using equipment that has been designed with a dog's safety in mind. While collars are great for holding ID tags, they can do damage to a dog's neck and throat if the dog is walking with pressure on the leash (i.e. pulling).

We recommend using a properly fitted front- or backclipping harness to lessen the chances of damage to the dog's neck and to keep him comfortable as he learns to walk on a leash nicely without pulling. We also suggest a 6'-8' flat leash rather than a retractable leash. These give the handler much more control and help avoid injury. If a dog is prone to slipping out of a harness then we suggest double-clipping the leash to a martingale collar as well as to the harness. This is an additional security measure.

A force-free training professional will never recommend the use of equipment that is designed to cause pain or discomfort or restrict a dog’s breathing. This includes pinch/prong collars, choke/check chains, spray collars and electric/shock collars. These collars are unsafe for the dog wearing them. Both the collars and the pain they elicit may become associated with people and places in the dogs environment, a pairing that can cause a potentially dangerous behavior.

What happens in your training program when the dog responds in the way you want him to?

Fabulous things happen to the dog when he gets it right.

Fun, toys, food… Whatever the dog wants suddenly appears. A force-free trainer will say the dog gets “positively reinforced” when he does the right thing. This means the dog “gets paid” and receives something he deems of high value. Positive reinforcement should be delivered by and paired with a happy, stress-free trainer or pet owner.

What happens in your training program when the dog responds in the way you do not want him to?

We believe that "bad" behavior should be ignored or redirected. If we teach our dog alternative behaviors then we can ask him to perform one of those instead of what we perceive to be inappropriate behavior. This helps the dog learn what to do and makes us feel better about our dogs.

For example, when our dog jumps up on us we can either get angry with him or we can ask him to sit (which we will have previously taught him) and then reward him

with our attention or a treat. It will not take long for the dog to realize that it is better to sit than to jump. This puts the onus back on us to teach our dogs the things we DO want them to do so that we can feel good about the dog and his behavior, rather than just get angry because he is not doing the right thing.

How will you punish the dog or advise me to punish the dog if he gets something wrong or exhibits a behavior I do not like

Very simply, we ensure we are teaching the dog age-appropriate skills and always make sure we are not expecting too much too soon. We constantly ensure we are motivating the dog correctly. If the dog has been trained and the skill is appropriate for his age but he still gets it wrong, we very briefly remove something he wants – such as treats, toys or attention - and then try again.

How do you ensure that my dog is not inadvertently being punished?

In a force-free training environment it would be reflected in the dog’s demeanor and performance if he were being inadvertently punished. A professional force-free trainer is well-versed in canine communication and will immediately be aware of any signs that a dog is uncomfortable.

A professional trainer will regroup and reassess what they are doing to create the most empowering learning environment.

How do you know that the type of reinforcement you have selected to train my dog is appropriate?

A force-free professional trainer will help you determine what is the most suitable reinforcement for your dog based on what he likes, what best motivates him and how the reinforcement can best be delivered within a training environment. Your professional force-free trainer will educate you on the different types of reinforcement and when to use them.

How will you know or how will I know if my dog is stressed during the training?

A professional force-free dog trainer will do everything he/she can to ensure your dog is not stressed during training sessions. Professional trainers are educated and experienced in interpreting canine communication. Dogs who are whining, growling, snarling or snapping are obviously stressed but there are also more subtle signs of stress that we also need to be on the lookout for. To do this, we watch for signs via the dog’s body language.

Some of these signs of stress may be: (cont’d on page 6) BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 1.

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Whale eye – the whites of the eyes look like crescent moons.

Eyes – wide open and round rather than soft and almond shaped. Pupils may be dilated.

Furrowed brow.

Mouth is closed and the corners of the mouth (commissures) are either pulled forward into an offensive pucker or pulled back and down.

Panting when the temperature does not warrant it. Additionally, sweaty paw prints may be seen.

Ears set flat back against the head or very far forward.

Legs are stiff, possibly rolling forward up on toes.

Tail may be held high or low (possibly tucked).

The wag is short and stiff and does not involve the entire rear end.

Neck may be extended to raise the head up high (ostrich neck).

Head turns away from trainer or training object.

Body shaking.

Paw lifts.

Lip licking or tongue flicks.

Sniffing the ground randomly (not on a scent trail).

Running away and refusing to come when called.

Which professional dog training associations are you a member of?

Your professional force-free dog trainer should maintain memberships only with select organizations that advocate humane, ethical training methods that are minimally aversive to animals. They should not or will not participate in any organization that promotes or endorses

Workshop, Surveys and Quizzes

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The PPG recently held its very first workshop Refining Your Training Skills with Emily Larlham at its new premises in Tampa, FL. For a full report on all the action, see page 7. We will be hosting many more fun, educational PPG events next year so be sure to check out pages 12 - 13 for more information.

Finally, thank you to those who took our survey regarding how best we can communicate with you. Overwhelmingly you answered that your preference was by email, so by email it will be.

Don’t forget your Force-Free Friday campaign either.

Each Friday morning at 9.30 a.m. (EST) I host a question and answer session on our members’ Facebook page. The winner, who must be flying their force-free

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

methods or training styles that use punishment, force, fear or intimidation.

Will you guarantee your training results?

A professional force-free dog trainer will not guarantee their training results. There are too many variables involved and a professional dog trainer cannot control these. Instead, your professional dog trainer will work in tandem with you to effect the most appropriate behavior change in line with your goals. The results will be dependent on many things, including your level of commitment and compliance to the recommended program.

How do you think a dog’s behavior should be addressed if the dog is growling or snapping at people or other dogs?

An experienced force-free dog trainer will assess whether your dog is just overly aroused or has a genuine fear or aggression issue as the two can look similar. If your dog is anxious or fearful, exhibiting avoidance or acting out in an aggressive manner, then a program of desensitization and counter-conditioning (respondent learning) can be used. This type of program aims to change the dog’s emotional response to stimuli that previously upset him, thus reducing the probability of him feeling the need to resort to those behaviors in the future.

Using positive reinforcement (also known as operant learning), your dog will also be taught behaviors he can have recourse to in place of the unwanted behaviors. Depending on your dog's individual circumstances, your trainer may ask you to take certain safety measures or consult with a veterinarian to rule out or address any relevant medical issues.

flag, gets to choose a webinar of their choice.

A big thank you to everyone who volunteers their precious time to PPG, for all of you who blog, write, chat, promote or are on one of our committees. Thank you.

Together we are building something great!

Niki Tudge

President Pet Professional Guild

Niki Tudge CPDT-KA, NADOI – Certified, AABP- Professional Dog Trainer, AABP- Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, is the founder of the PPG, The DogSmith, a national dog training and pet-care license, and DogNostics Career College.

PPG EVENTS PPG Launches Force-Free Dog Training Workshops

PPG has launched the first in a series of practical, forcefree dog training workshops and educational seminars at the new Canine Behavior Center on King Lake in Wesley Chapel, FL. The inaugural two-day workshop Refining Your Training Skills, which took place 27-28 September, 2014, was developed by dog trainer and training instructor Emily Larlham in response to her own question, “How can we as dog trainers improve our training skills?”

Most people know Larlham as the genius behind the Kikopup YouTube channel, a force-free trainer who freely posts informative videos on specific training techniques.

“The definition of ‘refine’ is to remove unwanted elements or to purify,” explained Larlham. “The focus of this seminar was on how we can open our awareness and consciousness to our own actions and those of our dogs.

We investigated how the choice of the marker, reinforcer, reinforcement delivery, reinforcement placement and what we do between training affects our training.”

The two-day event, attended by 65 trainers, dog owners, therapy dog handlers and a veterinarian, was sponsored by The DogSmith. It was an open and free-form interchange of how trainers can constantly improve and

Emily Larlham (third left) with some of the attendees at PPG’s inaugural dog training workshop “Refining Your Training Skills”

refine their training skills, covering the basics of Larlham’s manifesto of “progressive reinforcement training,” generalization, proofing and behavior chains. She also demonstrated several examples of “tearing apart a trigger,” and discussed using multiple and varied reward markers, which alternately end a behavior, serve as a cue to continue the behavior, or release the dog to collect a reward.

Ten attendees in working positions had the opportunity to practice with their dogs under Larlham’s tutelage, demonstrating the areas of focus.

“I was honored how far some of [the attendees] had traveled,” said Larlham. “There were even two lovely ladies who had flown in all the way from England. As for the dogs, they were all rock stars. I particularly enjoy it when the group of dogs is very diverse in breed and size.

To name a few of the doggie attendees; there was Banshee the Papillon, Demi the Corgi, Jada the Doberman, Bree the Brittany and Copper the Norwegian Elkhound.

Each time I work with a different dog I learn so much and I am grateful to the dogs and handlers who attend.”

The seminar will be available for purchase from Tawzer Dog as well as Larlham’s Dogmantics Dog Training. A further five PPG events have already been scheduled at the Canine Behavior Center in 2015, including two force-free dog training instructor workshops, a force-free dog training workshop, a Tellington TTouch® seminar, and a loose leash walking seminar for professionals and dog owners. An up-to-date schedule can be found on the PPG website under Continuing Education.

More pictures are available on the PPG blog.

- By Catherine Zehner

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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PPG NEWS Benefits for PPG Members

PPG offers an enticing array of membership benefits.

Simply log in then go to ‘Members’ on the top righthand corner of the PPG Homepage, scroll down to ‘Your Membership Benefits’ and then ‘Vendor Discount Programs’.

Our newest benefits are from Dollars and Scents Accounting Services and Pet Biz Insurance.

Dollars And Scents is offering members a 15 percent discount on a bundled package of services. This consists of a 12-month subscription for business accounting and the preparation of the current year’s federal and state income taxes - for both the individual and the business entity. Marie Poliseno, CPDT-KA and Certified Public Accountant, is the owner of Dollars & Scents and will be hosting a PPG member webinar to help you understand your tax liabilities later in the year. Keep an eye out on our webinar listings for more details.

Pet Biz Insurance is also offering its services to PPG members. At this time there is not a master policy as that requires a commitment of policy numbers but we will be working towards this through 2015. You can click here to fill out the online application form. PPG still has a master policy with Business Insurers of the Carolinas so now you can shop for the best price and terms based on your individual needs.

Other vendors offering member benefits include: - PPG Online Print Store (various benefits) - Tawzer Dog (10 percent discount) - Holistic Canine (5 percent discount on website design service, 10 percent on all other design services) - Redstone Media Group, publishers of Animal Wellness and Equine Wellness Magazines (50

percent off a one-year subscription ($12 for 6 issues) - BarkBox (20 percent discount) - TAGTeach (25 percent discount on recorded webinars) - Xtra Dog (up to 30 percent discount) - Certified Fun Scent Games Instructor and all Dognostics programs (10 per cent discount) - Dog Trainer ConneXion ($50 discount) - Business Insurers of the Carolinas (offer a group liability insurance policy to PPG members) - Family Paws Licensed Products (20 percent discount) - Dog Kingdom (shop force-free and get a 10 percent discount. You can also become an affiliate partner and benefit from your clients’ and referrals’ purchases) - Dogwise (10 per cent discount) - Doggone Crazy (20 per cent discount) - Doggone Safe (10 per cent discount) - The Clicker Company (5 percent discount and will put your logo on the clickers) - Positive Animal Solutions (10 per cent discount) - Your Mannerly Mutt (15 per cent discount) Finally, PPG is now affiliated with the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. Members can get an annual subscription to the electronic version for just $30 or the print version for $45. Non-member rates are $168.

If you know of a company who would like to partner with PPG as a preferred vendor there is an application form at the top of the Vendor Discount Programs page.

Any potential partners must be aligned with PPG’s guiding principles and will be vetted accordingly.

Please note, PPG does not benefit from any of our vendors’ offers; the discount goes straight to the members.

Become a Contributor to BARKS from the Guild!

We are always on the lookout for interesting features, member profiles, case studies and training tips to feature in BARKS. If you’d like to join the growing band of member contributors, please do get in touch by email or via social media - Facebook or Twitter.

We’ve made it extra easy by creating templates for member profiles and case studies so go ahead and share your ideas, skills and expertise with everyone!

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

PPG NEWS Mutts’ Gallery

This summer PPG celebrated National Mutt Day with the creation of its very own Mutts’ Gallery, featuring photos of members’ mutts along with incredible tales of their rescues, their achievements once given a second chance and the impact they have had on their owners’ lives.

Stories included mutts rescued off the streets and highways of the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa and North America; mutts picked up as strays with bullet wounds, serious injuries – in one case leading to amputation - or signs of physical abuse; mutts who were emaciated, blind, deaf, sick, had rotten teeth or terrible skin infections; mutts rescued from the meat trade; tiny mutts who were dumped in trash cans; mutts whose owners loved them but were unable to adequately care for them; mutts who were left alone when their owners died; mutts with physical challenges; mutts from puppy mills and terrified mutts who were just abandoned over and over again for various behavioral issues.

Many of them now compete in dog sports or nose work; some are award-winning trick dogs and know how to skateboard or fetch a beer from the fridge. Others have become St John Ambulance therapy dogs, first aid partners, prison therapy dogs or therapy dogs for children. Many of them too have inspired their owners to embark on a change of career and retrain as a dog trainer or animal behavior professional.

National Mutt Day occurs twice a year - on 31 July and 2 December - to raise awareness of the plight of the millions of mixed breed dogs currently facing euthanasia in shelters around the nation.

HOST A WEBINAR FOR PPG!

We invite our members to get involved and contribute their unique skills to our webinar program!

If you would like to host a webinar for your fellow companion animal trainers and behavior professionals, submit your ideas here.

Topics may include training, ethology, learning theory, behavior specifics... or anything else you can think of. We’ll even do some practice runs with you to help you along (if you need them!)-

PPG Webinars

The question PPG members most commonly ask is “Do You Record Webinars?” The answer is, “Yes, we do.”

All webinars are recorded and are available after the event. If you sign up for a live webinar and cannot make it we automatically send you the recording. If it is a twopart webinar and you miss the first part, you will receive the recordings for both parts.

All webinars also come with an attendance certificate and most of them have CEUs for KPA, CCPDT and IAABC. Note that the platform we use only allows 100 participants to be logged in at the same time, which explains why sometimes you may find a webinar is already full.

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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PPG NEWS BARKS and Blogs

Our excellent team of PPG Bloggers is now posting a new blog every few days on PPG World Services. The goal is to provide food for thought and to be educational for professionals, their clients and pet owners in general. You can subscribe to the PPG Blog to make sure you receive every blog directly to your inbox. We also post the blogs on our Facebook pages. The more they are circulated and shared, the more we get the force-free message out.

Talking of Facebook, BARKS from the Guild now has its very own page. As well as the blogs, we also provide sneak previews of upcoming articles in BARKS. Come and find us there and join the debate. If you would like to join our blogging team or contribute to BARKS from the Guild, email: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com.

Honoring Dr. Sophia Yin

It was with great shock and sadness that the animal behavior community learned of the passing of Sophia Yin DVM MS on 29 September, 2014 in Davis, CA. Dr. Yin was one of that rare breed - a veterinarian who has also studied animal behavior. Having started out as a vet in 1993, she soon realized more animals were euthanized for behavior problems than medical issues and was inspired to do something about it. She returned to the books and earned her Master’s in Animal Science from UC Davis, CA in 2001. From then on, she developed her own unique philosophy, stating that: “Every pet needs a human who can lead. Not like a boss, but like a partner in a dance—someone who gives clear signals, rewards desirable behavior as it occurs... and sticks to the plan consistently until the new, good behavior is a habit.”

Dr. Yin was a great advocate for understanding what our companion animals communicate to us via their body language and behavior, and was dedicated to helping pet owners achieve this using positive, scientifically sound methods. Dr. Yin also pioneered ‘Low Stress Handling’ techniques for veterinary professionals to ensure that stressed, anxious animals are handled and restrained with competence, compassion and empathy to make their visit to the vet as stress-free as possible.

Her passing is a profound loss to the animal behavior and training community, pet owners and, most of all, the animals themselves. You can read PPG member and BARKS contributor Annie Phenix’s tribute to Dr. Yin here.

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

October Education Specials

Need Your CEUs for 2014? This month we are offering 10 recorded webinars for ONLY $15 each, available to members only. Slots are limited to 30 per webinar. The webinars are available from 12-30 October, 2014. Click here to see which ones are on special offer.

New Member Referral

If you refer a new member to PPG who qualifies through our membership application process then we will reward you with a $10 credit towards an education event. Please help us build our membership, we have power in numbers.

Force-Free Marketing Tool

We are busy working on a new membership tri-fold to help you communicate and highlight your value as a force-free professional to the veterinary community.

One side will discuss the “alpha/dominance” myth and the other will highlight the correct training tools and equipment to recommend to clients. The final piece will be designed to be printed professionally. You will be able to access it through our PPG Print Store and may include your contact details and logo on it if you wish.

Member Website Features

Did you know that you can email fellow PPG members straight from their contact details on our website? Go to Directory, find the person you want and email them straight from there. You can also log in to your own account, go to Edit Profile and set up photo galleries, set your preferences, update your listing and change security features. Here, you can also choose what information you receive from PPG, how people can contact you and what is visible to the public.

The reason our GPS search system needs your home address (if you don’t have a training facility) is because it only works with address coordinates and a zip code, so the listing needs to be complete for it to work. If you cannot find yourself in a search then it means something is missing from your listing. You may not want your clients to know where you live so, once you have filled it in, go to your privacy settings and click ‘Do Not Show to the Public’ to solve the problem. Please do check your listings. If your listing is incomplete then clients will not be able to find you and it is a lot harder for us to drive business your way.

PPG EDUCATION Upcoming PPG Events Workshops Back To Basics - A Five-Day Level Two Force-Free Dog Training Instructor Workshop with Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker (Tampa, FL) Monday, 5 January, 2015 8 a.m. (EST) Friday, 9 January, 2015 6 p.m. (EST) Back To Basics - A Five-Day Level One Force-Free Dog Training Workshop with Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker (Tampa, FL) Monday, 16 February, 2015 8 a.m. (EST) Friday, 20 February, 2015 6 p.m. (EST) A Two-Day Seminar - Helping Dogs Thrive: Tellington TTouch® and Other Life-Enhancing Techniques with Lori Stevens (Tampa, FL) Saturday, 28 February, 2015 Sunday, 1 March, 2015; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (EST) each day (working and auditor spots available) Back To Basics - A Five-Day Level Two Force-Free Dog Training Instructor Workshop with Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker (Tampa, FL) Monday, 13 April, 2015 8 a.m. (EDT) Friday, 17 April, 2015 5.30 p.m. (EDT) Master the Skill of Teaching & Achieving Loose Leash Walking with Daniela Cardillo (Tampa, FL): Three-Day Seminar for Dog Training and Dog Walking Professionals/Two-Day Seminar for Pet Owners Friday, 1 May, 2015 9 a.m. (EDT) Sunday, 3 May, 2015 4 p.m. (EDT)

Live Webinars* Rocket Recall: If You BUILD It They Will COME with Lisa and Brad Waggoner Wednesday, 5 November, 2014 1 p.m. – 2.30 p.m. (EST) Learn How to Incorporate Fun Safe and Educational Play into Your Behavior Programs and Training Sessions with Angelica Steinker Tuesday, 11 November, 2014 3 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. (EST) Learn to Give Clients and Staff Hard News They Will Appreciate Hearing with Niki Tudge Thursday, 13 November, 2014 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. (EST) Making Business Life Easier with Clients and Employees with Niki Tudge Tuesday, 25 November, 2014 5 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. (EST) Tax Management Strategies - 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Tax Liability with Marie Poliseno Monday, 8 December, 2014 12 p.m. – 1.30 p.m. (EST) Learn About Fear in Family Dogs (Will Include at Least One Case Study) with Lori Stevens Monday, 15 December, 2014 10 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. (PST) * All PPG webinars are recorded and can be found in the education area on the PPG website.

Special Event The International Day of Celebration for Force-Free Dog Training and Pet Care Professionals (ICFF): International Virtual Photograph/Video Competition Tuesday, 17 February, 2015 (registration opens Saturday, 1 November, 2014 - more details below)

Virtual Competition Will Celebrate ICFF in 2015 The International Day of Celebration for Force-Free Training and Pet Care (ICFF), PPG’s annual advocacy and educational fundraising event, will take place on 17 February, 2015. To mark this day of celebration, PPG is running a competition for members to submit their training or activity photos and/or videos to one of six categories.

There are some great prizes on offer with Best Overall Picture winning the Grand Prize: The PPG Annual Convention Package.

This will include a $500 credit towards the member’s airline ticket, hotel accommodation, food and the full entry fee into the ForceFree Summit. The prize is valued at $2000.

Members can participate from anywhere in the world. Registration opens on 1 November, 2014.

Advertise Your Business Here!

BARKS from the Guild is a 60+ page trade publication available to Pet Professional Guild members, supporters and the general public online. Widely read by industry professionals and pet owners alike, BARKS covers a vast range of topics encompassing animal behavior, pet care, training, education, industry trends, business and much more. If you would like to reach your target audience then BARKS is the perfect vehicle to achieve that goal.

Our advertising rate card is available here.

Contact us for further details.

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

11

PPG EDUCATION Level 1 Dog Training Workshop with Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker A Five-Day Workshop in Tampa, FL Monday, 16 February, 2015 8 a.m. (EST) - Friday, 20 February, 2015 6 p.m. (EST) Calling newbie dog trainers, pet enthusiasts Each of the following skills will be covered in the program if and pet dog owners! February is the perfect participants are registered for The Dog Training Certificate time to visit sunny central Florida to enjoy or The Behavior Diploma: five action-packed days of creative, fun dog training activities. The event is being hosted Puppy Specific Key Pet Dog Skills

by The Canine Event Center in Tampa, FL, Teaching a down Behavior home to PPG and The DogSmith.

Soft mouth Teaching a stand from sit & The Canine Event Center is set on 23 Collar behavior down acres of fully-fenced training areas against Introducing a leash Teaching maintain/stay the backdrop of King Lake, a 500-acre inHouse training Teaching a release cue land water feature hosting some of Teaching a hand target around Teaching take it and leave it Florida’s richest bird species, yet only minhead and body Teaching loose leash walking utes away from restaurants, malls and interTeaching a stand on leash state facilities. The location is a paradise for Teaching name Behavior Dimensions both canines and humans.

Teaching watch Building distance and duration Over the course of this workshop parTeaching lets go Speed and fluency ticipants will learn professional dog training Teaching a hand target Distractions, moving, stationary, skills while their pet dog also learns some Teaching find heel point of commitment new skills and tricks. Participants will enjoy Teaching left and right Context - generalization eight hours of classroom tuition each day Teaching look Intensity, duration and frequency as well as hands-on training. The program is Teaching relax suitable for pet dog owners, pet enthusiasts Teaching a recall Participants will provide some of or individuals exploring the pet industry.

Four on the floor these skills as videos to prove their Each day will commence at 8 a.m. There Teaching door manners mechanical proficiency as part of the will be a two-hour midday break for lunch Meeting and greeting other dogs certification process. We have and relaxation and activities will resume in Meeting and greeting people planned it so participants learn each the afternoon from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Durskill in the correct order at the coring the week participants will also have the rect time. Participants will use some Skills to Instruct opportunity to visit our Dog Sports locaof these skills to demonstrate they Others to Perform tion and try out Dock Diving, Agility and can teach another The recall Lure Coursing. individual to perform Sit and maintain Our training programs are packed full of proficiently with their Let's go games and fun exercises for both participet dog. Details of Spin pants and their dogs. For anyone interested which specific skills Target the program will close with fun competiwill be advised during Jump over an object tions and "Canine Good Citizen" Testing. the relevant module.

Four on the floor See the box (right) for a selection of the skills covered.

Find more details about the event here or contact Rebekah King for more information CEUs: CCPDT - 21/IAABC - 36 12

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

PPG EDUCATION

Learn the skills of a professional while your dog learns some new tricks

Level 1 Dog Training Workshop Details

© Can Stock Photo

Two Types of Registrant: j Off-site accommodation arranged by participant.

Program Cost is $550. Cost per day = $110. j On-site accommodation in a shared room. Program Cost is $680. Cost per day = $136. j RVs are welcome for $20 per night. There is no power or water hook up.

Payment Terms and Conditions: j Payment terms are available for PPG Members, DogSmiths and DogNostic Students. j Three payments accepted with the full program being paid for 60 days prior to the course start date. j No refunds will be given.

See also back page for details of our Level Two Dog Training Workshop - Back to Basics

Helping Dogs Thrive: Tellington TTouch® and Other Life-Enhancing Techniques with Lori Stevens A Two-Day Seminar in Tampa, FL Saturday, 28 February - Sunday, 1 March, 2015; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. each day Working Spots and Auditor Spots Available

Seminar Description

This seminar will introduce you to force-free, humane and gentle techniques for improving the life of your dog.

You will be introduced to TTouch® bodywork, movement and leash-handling techniques. You will learn how to recognize when your dog is stressed or fearful and what to do about it. You will also learn about how your own body posture and movement patterns can affect your dog’s behavior.

Other topics include: canine body language, observation skills, analyzing behavior, enrichment, fear and stress and hind-end targeting. It will also discuss the importance of building a trusting relationship and what that involves.

TTouch is a method of working with animals that was developed by animal expert Linda Tellington-Jones as a result of her experience as a Feldenkrais practitioner. As an experienced horsewoman she realized that some of the Feldenkrais rehabilitation exercises linking body and mind that were used with people could be used to help animals as well. She found that an animal's posture influences its behavior and that physical, mental and emotional balance are inextricably linked.

Working spots are $240; auditor spots are $160. PPG members can make two payments for the workshop over four months but full payment must be made 60 days prior to 28 February, 2015. Please indicate this preference on your registration form.

More information and online registration: Helping Dogs Thrive: Tellington TTouch® and Other Life-Enhancing Techniques Sponsored & Hosted by The DogSmith BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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COVER STORY

The Many Faces of Behavior Myopia: Recognizing the Subtle Signs

“JOY”

CE” “CONFIDEN

Photos of Bella by Preval Photography Polaroid © Can Stock Photo

T

“ANGER”

“FEAR”

In this series of photos our cover dog, Papillon Bella, is showing an array of overt and subtle facial expressions that convey her emotions

The creation of a behavior modification protocol that ignores emotional information or does not create an improved emotional state is behaviorally myopic, say Angelica Steinker and Eileen Anderson

he fundamental goal of any behavior modification lunging, it can overshadow nuance and make us miss the 1 more subtle behaviors. When this occurs, we actually overprogram should be to improve the dog’s and owner’s emotional states, both during and after the look our obligation to improve the animal’s quality of life even though we might be presenting a potentially effective process. If emotional, genetic or medical information is behavior modification program. omitted from the functional assessment process however, Dog trainers have an ethical obligation to do everything the ensuing behavior modification plan will be incomplete, they can to improve the quality of life for both the dog which not only runs the risk of recommended intervenand the owner. Having completed a behavior modification tions being inappropriate and misdirected, but may also have disastrous consequences. Unfortunately, behavior my- program, dogs should feel safer and happier. Similarly, the process should create dogs who are more resilient because opia such as this is an all too common occurrence in our of the improved baseline regarding joy and happiness – industry. which also leads to a more desirable result for the owner.

From a dog’s point of view, the most damaging aspect here is the complete disregard for his emotional state. It Causes of Behavior Myopia can be particularly catastrophic when covert or subtle beFocus on Operant Conditioning haviors are ignored as, arguably, they are the most imporDog training tends to live in a world of operant conditiontant information a behavior consultant has. But we are all prone to focusing on what is most obvious. For example, if ing2. In the light of this bias and a failure to include rea dog is engaging in overt behaviors such as barking and spondent conditioning in a training protocol, emotional 1 For the purposes of this article we will reference dogs most frequently but the concept applies to all animal training and behavior modification programs, as well as human-to-human interactions.

2 A full glossary of behavior terminology used in the article can be found on Page 20.

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

Lack of Consideration of Emotions and Their Subtle Indicators If a dog is barking and lunging at a stimulus then he is usually fearful or angry. If the behavior modification protocol does not address his emotional state then it is flawed. A customized ethogram is a useful tool here to ensure all bases are covered (see example on following page).

Disregard or Ignorance of Dog Body Language In order to interpret subtle behaviors, dog trainers need to understand canine body language. Some dogs are just hard to read, no matter how experienced the trainer. Certain breeds are stoic and simply “quiet” in their non-verbal communication. Sometimes a dog’s behavior can be globally suppressed from the use of punishment and/or negative reinforcement and these dogs can be particularly dangerous and difficult to work with.

Ignorance of or Confusion about Thresholds There is often a lack of clear understanding amongst the dog training community regarding physiological and behavioral thresholds.

The most pertinent thresholds are: • Perception: this is the place or level at which the animal becomes aware of a stimulus through its sensory organs.

Reactivity: this is the point at which the dog’s • sympathetic nervous system engages and manifests as the barking/lunging/growling threshold that people often focus their training on. Here, the dog experiences what is usually a fear or anger response, which includes a cascade of biochemical reactions and respondent behaviors such as pupil dilation, evacuation and shutdown of the gastro-intestinal system, and changes in respiration - all of which are antithetical to a solid counter conditioning program.

Stimulus Aversiveness: this threshold lies be• tween the first two and is the point at which exposure to the stimulus is aversive but the animal is not necessarily having a full-blown fear response.

Often, trainers are only aware of obvious, reactive behaviors and unaware of the small changes that occur as a stimulus becomes gradually more aversive to the animal.

Performed effectively and ethically, counter conditioning and desensitization (CC/DS) should be over the threshold of the animal’s perception but under the threshold of stimulus aversiveness. This is what we call ‘The Safe Zone’.

Lack of Education Regarding Mental Illness and Undiagnosed Physical Illness Lack of education and experience regarding mental illness, neurological problems and the stigma of mental illness are huge issues in the dog training industry. Some trainers are not trained or sufficiently skilled to identify a dog who may be neurologically (i.e. has a head injury or brain damage) or mentally ill (i.e. has a psychiatric condition). Many do not involve veterinarians or veterinary behaviorists in cases involving aggression, anxiety or phobias because of a lack of awareness they may require medication as well as behavior modification.

Mental illness can be hard to identify. While it is not the role of the dog trainer or behaviorist to diagnose, we do need to sound the alarm bell if there is a physical problem © Can Stock Photo

states (as indicated by subtle behaviors) are often ignored.

There is usually much talk about incompatible behaviors and the various reinforcement schedules, but an operant approach only modifies the overt behavior, if that. This method falls short from the ideal we should all be striving for: leaving both dog and owner with an improved emotional state.

COVER STORY

This dog is raising her paw which, in this case, is an overt appeasement gesture. Paired with her anxious facial expression this indicates she feels unsure or uncomfortable.

The raised paw is often misinterpreted as the dog “wanting to shake hands,” which is another example of behavior myopia in action BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

15

COVER STORY

- and this includes psychiatric conditions. A dog who has a urinary tract infection will not house train. Likewise, a dog with a mental illness such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will not be able to learn to stop jumping on people if that is his compulsion. The training will not be successful because the biochemistry has already decided the outcome.

Vets are trained mostly to look for physical causes for behavior rather than psychiatric ones. It can be helpful to provide a note for the vet which states something like, “Can you please evaluate for possible anxiety disorder?”

Or, “Is this dog ataxic, could it be he has a head injury?”

Canine Separation Distress is another challenging disorder that can be easy to miss. The condition often requires both behavior modification and medication. For example, in one case, after a long period of misdiagnosis, a dog was diagnosed by three different veterinary behaviorists as having “virtual separation distress.” Whenever his owner turned his back, the dog would grab what the owner had last touched and begin to chew it destructively. The owner never actually left the dog alone without crating him. As such, the dog did not exhibit the behaviors normally associated with separation distress, so it had been missed. Setting up a video camera and leaving the dog alone (not in a crate) immediately showed behaviors consistent with separation distress. The crate had been managing the behavior problem but not resolving it. With medication and behavior modification the dog was able to improve greatly.

Thunderstorm Phobia is a disorder that may require the use of medication in tandem with behavior modification, but often the sensitization to storms continues regardless.

In cases like this behavior myopia has been known to result in the monstrously inhumane and unethical use of aversive stimulation. This involves shocking the thunderstorm phobic dog for destructive behavior when, in fact,

he is having a panic attack that is not being medically controlled.

There are probably many undiagnosed and undiagnosable illnesses that afflict dogs and can lead to behavior myopia within the modification process. It should be noted that, just because we do not have a clear understanding of an illness, it does not necessarily make it impossible to detect. For example, Milky the dog was prone to poor impulse control and aggression. Initially he responded to medication and the aggressive behavior completely subsided. However, after a few years the problem returned.

The owner took Milky to a neurologist for an MRI and, while the neurologist stated Milky was abnormal on the exam, the MRI was clear. The neurologist pointed out that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, as it was her opinion that this dog was definitely suffering from some sort of neurological disease.

The Functional Assessment The process of the functional assessment systematically identifies the relationship between behavior and the environment so that efficient and effective solutions can be developed (Niki Tudge BARKS from the Guild: June 2012, page 35).

The functional assessment includes: 1) The Informant Interview, where anecdotal information about the problem behavior is obtained from owners 2) The Direct Observation Phase, where the problem behavior is observed and the relationship between the differing variables, antecedents, behavior and consequences are measured and correlated 3) The Functional Analysis Phase, which tests the trainer’s hypothesis. The intended final product is a contingency statement the professional has confidence in In many cases however, only the first two steps are conducted, leaving out the important contingency statement in

Ethogram: Bella’s Emotions and Corresponding Behavior

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Typical Emotions Include: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, Surprise and Anxiety Joy (Positive Emotional State) Full body wag Thank you licking of owner’s arm (an affiliative grooming behavior) Planting herself in owner’s lap Trying to lick owner’s face Eyes almond shaped Relaxed facial muscles Commissure* relaxed and soft * note: commissure = corner of the mouth

Signs of Stress (Negative Emotional State): Soft groaning Tongue flick 90 degree head turn Pacing Commissure pulled back and up Tension between eyebrows Eyes wide Tense facial muscles Signs of Conflicted Emotions Body wag while not letting owner touch her Approach followed by darting away

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

Bella is feeling mild stress about being picked up (above).

Her tongue flick and glazed eyes are subtle behaviors

COVER STORY

Step 3, which dePhysiological and Behavioral Thresholds tails the antecedents, behaviors and consequences in measurable terms and describes the relationship between them (Niki Tudge BARKS from the Guild: June 2012, page 35).

What follows is a case study that illustrates unreservedly the importance of • Boomer’s facial expression when “demanding” ata complete, accurate and insightful functional assessment. tention was very anxious. His brows were pulled up and toOwner Stephanie sought help because her dog Boomer gether and his commissure, corner of the mouth, was was redirecting aggression onto Jessie, the other dog in the wrinkled. This had been previously missed. household. During the initial intake process Stephanie • When Boomer was being petted by Stephanie this maintained fights only occurred when she was present; expression relaxed. His muscles relaxed slightly and his resBoomer “demanded physical attention” for about 10 minpiration slowed and his anxious facial expression melted away. utes of every hour Stephanie spent with the dogs. During Completing an accurate functional assessment in this one of these interactions Boomer and Jessie began fightcase helped the trainer theorize that Boomer had an anxiing. The trainer concluded this was because Stephanie was ety disorder and, as such, had become dependent on his “spoiling” Boomer with attention. As a result, she was adowner for physical touch and comfort. This important vised to withdraw any affection from Boomer, which the piece of the puzzle had been missed previously. This is a trainer said would decrease or stop Boomer “resource perfect example of behavior myopia in action. guarding” her and, therefore, the fights. In reality though Anxiety was consequently added to the list of anthe fights continued and actually got worse. tecedents as the prime factor. This allowed the creation of The initial behavior assessment based on the trainer’s a new behavior modification plan which included: interview with the owner and observation of the dog can 1) seeking a veterinary behavior consult be seen in the box below: 2) adding a relaxation protocol 3) adding a counter conditioning/desensitization proAntecedents gram based on reducing anxiety Presence of Stephanie Boomer’s dependence on his owner to relieve his anxiPhysical touch of Boomer ety was gradually reduced through direct treatment of the Presence of both Boomer and Jessie anxiety.

In addition, the veterinary behaviorist addressed Behavior Boomer’s underlying anxiety disorder.

Dog fight In Boomer’s case, the behavior myopia occurred during Consequences the initial interview when the trainer inaccurately assessed Distance increase between the fighting dogs Stephanie as the cause of the problem. Significantly, the Catharsis of tension trainer did not acknowledge the subtle behaviors and failed Since the initial advice to stop giving Boomer attention to recognize that the dog’s frequent demands for touch resulted in the fighting getting worse, the trainer re-evaluwere, in fact, an indicator of anxiety. Instead, the overt “atated the case and interviewed Stephanie a second time. tention seeking” behavior was labeled as demanding. The More importantly, the trainer observed Boomer more care- trainer’s focus was also drawn to the number of fights and fully to look for subtle behaviors and then completed a their intensity. customized ethogram.

It is obvious here how the behavior modification The following subtle behaviors were noted: process can lead to two different outcomes. Fortunately in • Boomer would tongue flick and hold his breath if this case the trainer realized her mistake but mistakes like Stephanie moved away and/or toward Jessie. this can be life altering in the most tragic way, with both BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

17

COVER STORY The Subtle Face of Disgust

Bella strongly dislikes orange rind. When given one to sniff she responds with a disgusted facial expression.

This a subtle behavior to most observers as she does not bark, lunge or bite, but simply displays the facial expression and a slight head turn followed by a short stare with an annoyed expression at the human who presented the rind. Humans and canines share many facial expressions. Charles Darwin was the first person to propose the universality of facial expressions and Paul Ekman found this to be accurate in humans in the 1970s. Today we know that dogs and other mammals share our emotional brain structures and brain chemistry (Jaak Panksepp Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions Series in Affective Science, Oxford University Press, 2004).

Many times an inaccurate functional assessment leads to accidental flooding. For example, a dog who is undergoing behavior modification may be “under threshold” at a distance of say 100 ft. Ideal counter conditioning works very closely to the perception threshold and avoids moving toward the aversiveness threshold. A dog will only be able to experience joy if he is in the safe zone. Relief should not be confused as joy.

To avoid flooding, it is essential that behavior consultants create a behavior modification process where the dog is only exposed to a stimulus that is NOT threatening. Exposures should be potentially joy eliciting. This means ALL exposures must be graded in a way that they do not trigger fear, anger or any kind of failure. This would include flooding or causing the dog to show mild, moderate or severe signs of stress.

Compiling an ethogram - which MUST include subtle behaviors – will help identify the dog’s threshold. Assessing the threshold using only overt behaviors is likely to make CC/DS fail. A dog is only in his safe zone when he is happy and/or playful and/or relaxed. Any other zone comprises variations of aversive exposure or flooding and will not yield ideal results. Nothing is more damaging than the accidental or deliberate use of flooding.

It’s Okay to Be Wrong!

As trainers, there are a number of options we can keep in our toolboxes to make sure we avoid falling into the behavior myopia trap:

Bella’s facial expression expresses her disgust

dogs and humans potentially at risk.

In behavior modification, often our goal is to reduce, replace or modify a given behavior. When we hear that a dog who used to be comfortable with other dogs is now reactive after a bad fight at the dog park, our goal is usually to return the dog to baseline and help him become the way he was BEFORE the bad dog fight. On the surface this sounds reasonable but it is actually behavior myopic. Behavior modification has an obligation to improve the baseline and to change a state of fear to a state of joy.

The consequences of behavior myopia can range from minimal to far-reaching. A common result is that behavior consultants “climb the ladder” of a so-called humane hierarchy and end up using aversive interventions because the original intervention “did not work.” Shocking or using otherwise aversive stimulation is unethical with any animal but is even more heart-breaking with an animal who is mentally or physically ill.

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

Cognizant Behavior Consulting Cognizant Behavior Consulting (CBC) advocates for the improvement of the emotional lives of dog and owner, for critical thinking through self-awareness, and avoiding labels when possible. Blanket statements that a dog is “dominant” or “needy” are unhelpful; describing what behavior looks like is almost always more useful.

In practice, CBC draws from multiple branches of science to make an accurate functional assessment (including the physical, mental and emotional state of the dog) and then creates and implements a successful behavior modification program accordingly.

Critical thinking Critical thinking helps separate truth from fiction. Sometimes owners may make up stories to explain why their dog is engaging in a specific behavior but these may not match the facts. By pushing ourselves to be fact-based we can provide better behavior modification.

Emotional Contagion All of us have experienced joining in with someone laughing when we have no idea what the joke actually was. In the same way, a dog can pick up on the emotions of a tense owner. This process is known as emotional contagion.

Beings vary in their abilities to send and receive emotions. While some are strong ‘senders’ because their subtle behaviors are fairly obvious, others are weak senders. In dogs, these are the stoic ones who are much more difficult to read. Likewise, beings can be strong receivers (able to read emotions in others easily) or weak receivers (finding it challenging to read others’ emotions).

A Cognizant Behavior Consultant will implement emotional contagion in the dog’s favor. Many trainers recommend a technique called “the jolly routine” to be used during counter conditioning. This means the owner and trainer display happy emotions and “throw a party” for the dog during a training approximation, a potentially stressful situation, or if a training mistake has occurred. They may also pair a “jolly routine” with a certain stimulus to “infect” a dog with happiness and prevent a failure or an undesirable association between a stimulus and stress.

Avoiding Projection and Denial Projecting occurs if a trainer accidentally or deliberately blames his own shortcomings on the client or dog. The problem with projections is that they are not based on facts. When assessing a dog, the Cognizant Behavior Consultant should be aware of his own issues, biases and common projections so they do not interfere with the training and coaching process.

Denial is closely related. This too can lead to inaccurate functional assessments. None of us can entirely prevent projection and denial, they are an integral part of human behavior. Being aware of these issues and owning them, however, disarms the damage they may otherwise cause to a more ideal outcome.

Behavior consultants need to be honest with themselves about their individual shortcomings. For example, some trainers might be aware they do their best coaching with clients who are compliant and love their dogs. Clients who are burned out or who have never had a reinforcement history with

COVER STORY

their dogs may be a big challenge for some of us, but this should not mean we do not work with them. Instead, we must work very hard at being non-judgmental and supportive.

No Quick Fix Ultimately, it is important that behavior consultants and trainers strive to master both the art and science of the functional assessment. We should all make use of CBC, not just to include behavior analysis, but also all the necessary components of the behavior modification process that will improve the service we deliver. Make a commitment to avoid behavior myopia in all its forms by pushing yourself to your creative limits and maximizing your selfawareness. There are no quick fixes to behavior problems, but positive, joy-centered CBC is a fun process that is selfreinforcing. While behavior myopia can be seductive, the alternative solution is an infinitely more powerful and joyful experience. n

- With additional contributions by Jan Casey and Niki Tudge

Angelica Steinker owns and operates Courteous Canine, Inc. DogSmith of Tampa, FL, a full service pet service business and dog school specializing in aggression and dog sports. She is the National Director of Training for DogSmith Services and CoFounder of DogNostics Career College.

Eileen Anderson BM, MM, MS is a passionate amateur dog trainer who writes about learning theory, her life with three dogs, and force-free training in her blog and other publications.

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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COVER STORY Glossary of Behavior Terms

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and the environment to include multiple contingencies Negative Reinforcement: An unpleasant procedure that removes an aversive stimulus as a consequence for the performance of a goal behavior which results in an increase in the probability of that behavior being repeated. For example: repeatedly yanking on a dog’s leash to force her into a heel position Operant Conditioning: Learning that occurs as the result of the pupil making associations between a behavior and its consequences. Developed by scientist B.F. Skinner, it is also known as instrumental conditioning, Skinnerian conditioning or S-R learning Overt behaviors: Behaviors that are obvious to just about anyone. Typical examples are barking, lunging, loud growling and biting Positive Psychology: An emerging field of psychology in which its creator, Martin Seligman, states that, ethically, psychology should not return clients to a “normal” emotional state but to a state of happiness. If a depressed client has gone from being able to function “normally” to just staying in bed all day, the goal of intervention used to be to return client to functioning. This is not enough! People need to learn coping skills, resilience and optimism and most of all how to have fun and experience joy. Traditional psychology focuses on what is wrong and fails to study how people who are happy live their lives. Positive psychology bridges that gap Respondent Conditioning: Also called classical conditioning, respondent conditioning deals with reflexive behaviors and emotions. It is also known as Pavlovian conditioning, after the researcher Ivan Pavlov who first described the learning mechanism. In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus takes on a response-eliciting feature by being associated with another stimulus that already possesses the response-eliciting property. For example, every time you get ready to practice a jump exercise your dog begins to drool because he associates the jump with food Stimulus: Something an animal can perceive, that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or felt Subtle behaviors: Tiny body language behaviors that help communicate the emotional state of the dog. Increased respiration, changes in pupil size or a rapid lip lick are all subtle behaviors that can be indicative of distress but are often missed

© Can Stock Photo

Antecedents: Stimuli that occur prior to a behavior that set that behavior in motion. These can be cues or changes in environment Aversive Stimulation: A stimulus that is positively punishing or negatively reinforcing. Typical examples include yelling, hitting, yanking or shocking Counter Conditioning/Systematic Desensitization (CC/DS): A process, if properly implemented, that modifies a dog’s emotional state and therefore his behavior. The process by which trainers change fear or anger to joy or relaxation Conditioned Emotional Response (CER): The result of successful counter conditioning whereby a dog now has a “yippie” response to a stimulus that was previously eliciting fear or anger responses Covert Behaviors: Behaviors that are only perceivable by the animal. For example, the internal chemical changes related to the mammalian fear response are covert behaviors, as are emotions and cognition Emotional Contagion: The process of one being passing their emotions to another via non-verbal communication. Emotional contagion has two parts: sending (when a being is experiencing an emotion and is displaying it non-verbally) and receiving (when another being is infected by the sender’s emotion). Beings can be strong senders and/or strong receivers or weak senders and/or weak receivers. For more information on emotional contagion see Emotional Contagion (E Hatfield & J T Cacioppo, Cambridge University Press 1994) Ethogram: A customized list of overt and subtle behaviors comprising the non-verbal communication of the animal you are working with Ethology: The study of behavior in its natural setting Flooding: The process by which an animal is accidentally or deliberately exposed to a stimulus that causes him to fail in terms of the goal of training. A type of exposure therapy, flooding is a risky process which hopes an animal will habituate to the feared stimulus. There are ethical issues with this approach since we are not able to get consent from our animal clients. In addition, it often results in the sensitizing of the stimulus rather than habituation. A common example of flooding consists of taking the dog too close to a feared stimulus, thus further imbedding the association that the stimulus is scary (i.e. sensitizing) Functional Assessment: The process of systematically identifying the functional relationship between behavior

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

This dog is showing signs of anxiety but is not yet having a fullblown fear response

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When Food Toys “Fail”

Eileen Anderson discusses the pros and cons of food puzzle toys and their significance from a behavioral perspective

Photo by Marge Rogers CPDT-KA

ow many of us have heard about foodtoy failures from our friends and clients? “I tried the Kong with my puppy, but she didn’t like it,” or, “My dog is not smart enough for those puzzle toys!"

There is an ever-increasing variety of food toys for dogs and other animals on the market. There are toys of differing complexity. There are toys that demand problem solving and toys that necessitate complex motor skills. Dog owners are fortunate to have more and more choices to enrich their dogs’ lives.

Yet many of these toys are gathering dust, have been passed off at garage sales or have even been thrown out because the owners did not realize that dogs need to learn how to interact with them successfully—or because the toys had features that made them frustrating or scary to the dog.

In this article, I will discuss some common problems with food toys through the lens of applied behavior analysis. Remember that the smallest unit of behavior we can analyze is an antecedent (a stimulus or event that sets the stage for a behavior), a behavior (anything an animal does that can be measured) and a consequence (a stimulus or event that immediately follows a behavior and influences its future strength).

Behaviors: Building Skills

The most common problem with food toys is that the

dog lacks the skills to get to the food and the owner does not understand how to teach him.

Many food toys come with no instructions for the naive dog. For instance, toys that have a cavity that can be filled with food, Of the plethora of dog toys on the market, none such as Kongs, of them are indestructible are assumed by most consumers to be easy and fun for dogs to use. The marketing materials lead them to believe this, showing dogs chewing, licking and batting around full toys to dislodge the food and even playing with empty ones.

However, if the toy is initially presented at its most difficult level, which is often what is shown in advertising, demo videos and discussion groups, many dogs cannot be successful.

The “recipes” found for these toys on the internet are often elaborate and challenging, with fillings solidified by freezing or melted cheese. Special biscuits can be purchased for some toys that can’t be shaken or rolled out and require the dog to crush the whole toy or saturate the food by licking before it will get to eat anything.

When an owner presents a challenge like this to a new puppy or even an inexperienced, well-fed or timid adult dog, the animal will often sniff at the toy, perhaps poke it with its nose or lick it for a while, then give up.

Then the pet owner may say, “Well, my dog doesn’t like food toys,” and also give up.

Let’s look at what behaviors a dog needs to succeed at using one of these toys. They might include licking,

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chewing, pushing with the nose, picking up, carrying, dropping, shaking, batting with the paws or securing the toy with the paws while performing some of the other behaviors. These are normal dog behaviors but that does not mean every dog will know how to use them in a given situation. With some more difficult toys, they must be performed in a certain order.

As when training any behavior, owners need to start dogs at a level at which they can easily succeed and provide extremely attractive consequences. The dog should be able clearly to see, hear, and/or smell the food and get some of it right away. Cavity toys can be filled loosely with small, high-value treats, so that any movement by the dog is likely to immediately produce something the dog loves. The opening can be smeared with peanut butter or meat puree to encourage licking.

The difficulty can then be increased slowly as the dog refines the physical skills to extract the food.

Consequences: Is the Toy Punishing the Dog?

There can be problems in this area as well, when the consequence of the behavior is either not reinforcing or, worse, scary.

A dog who is used to getting kibble for free in a bowl may not be motivated to dig slightly wetted and frozen kibble out of a toy. He may have the appropriate behav-

ioral skills but the consequence does not merit the effort. This problem is relatively easy to prevent or fix: add some higher value morsels and start off easier, as described above.

One problem not so easy to remedy is when an unpleasant consequence comes instead of, or along with the food. A hard plastic toy may bang against a wall or a toy with electronics may beep or move in a startling way.

If one of these stimuli precedes the delivery of the food, it is the most immediate consequence of the dog’s behavior. If it happens regularly, it may come to serve as a conditioned reinforcer, predicting the arrival of food (like a clicker does). But it may also scare the dog so much that he does not find the food worth the risk.

Dogs who are noise sensitive may not recover from this. Some may attempt to get the food without so much motion and their movements will become careful and inhibited. Some will refuse the toy altogether.

One of my dogs became extremely frightened of the noise that the Manners Minder (aka the Treat&Train), a remote-controlled treat dispenser, makes when it jams.

She initially loved this device and using it actually added value to any treat that was inside. But while most of the time the consequence of her nice behavior was a treat (positive reinforcement), sometimes it was a horrible grinding noise that would cause her to back away wideeyed (positive punishment). I have stopped using this device with her until I can take the time to counter condition her response to that noise.

So take care in selecting toys for sensitive dogs and experiment with them before giving them to the dog.

Antecedents: Conflicting Cues?

Dog food toys can be a good source of mental stimulation when used correctly 22

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For most food toys, the discriminative stimulus (SD ), or cue, that food-seeking behaviors will be reinforced is the presentation of a loaded toy. As the dog interacts with a kibble toy, the sound of the kibble inside the toy becomes an SD as well. Or rather a series of them: the sound of a lot of kibble rattling inside the toy correlates with kibble being delivered more frequently; it predicts a high rate of reinforcement. As the toy empties, the sound changes, predicting a thinner reinforcement schedule. When the toy is empty, no kibble is audible—a stimulus delta (S∆), or cue that reinforcement is not available. The dog learns to stop.

But a new toy on the market, the Foobler, gives confusing signals about when the food is available.

The Foobler is a hard plastic ball that ejects treats when rolled. It contains six rotating food compartments and a timer. One compartment at a time is in a position to release food and then, when the timer goes off, the next compartment rotates into position. The owner can set the timer to control how frequently the compartments rotate; the interval can be as short as 15 minutes and as long as 90. Before the compartments rotate, a bell rings to signify that pushing the toy will now pay off.

However, when a compartment empties and food is will not be available until after the next bell, the sound of rattling kibble is still present. The dog can still smell the food in the toy. With every other food toy an experienced dog has played with, these are cues to continue pushing. There is no S∆ to let the dog know the food is now unavailable and that ball pushing will not be reinforced. And because the pushing has been reinforced on an intermittent schedule—meaning sometimes it took one push to eject food, sometimes a few—both with other toys and with this one, he will probably persist for some time.

What’s more, when the dog finally perceives that the previously reinforced behavior is no longer working, he may start to go through extinction. Extinction can be an unpleasant process. Its common side effects include frustration and an increase in the variability of behavior.

We try to avoid the former when training. The latter is something we can plan for and use when shaping behavior—but that is a procedure that requires careful adjustment of criteria and observation of the dog and should not be left up to a plastic toy.

Among other reasons, it could be dangerous to the toy. I introduced three dogs to the Foobler. My smallest dog switched to gnawing on it when the active food compartment emptied and even she was able to inflict damage. Another dog decided immediately that the most efficient behavior was to chew the toy apart to get all the food at once. Although she is only medium-size herself, she could have dismembered the toy had I not been there to remove it. It should be noted here that toys can break down, either quickly or over time, and should be inspected regularly for safety reasons.

So you will need to supervise your dog closely to prevent behaviors that are damaging to the Foobler, which makes it less than ideal for one of its intended purposes: spreading food-toy engagement out over the course of a

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workday for Dedicated dogs left chewers can make a home meal of alone. even the You will most hardy also want to food toys teach your dog how to use it. A training plan would include teaching the dog that the bell means food is available, and—a more complex task—that when the food stops coming out of the toy, he should wait, for up to 15 minutes, until the bell rings again. Although there is no “training mode” for the toy, you can turn it on and off manually to temporarily shorten the intervals between the opening of compartments and build the association of the bell with food delivery.

Such a plan could address possible frustration with the toy’s reinforcement schedule but could not be relied upon to prevent a dedicated chewer from taking matters into his own mouth during your absence. We would do well to provide a different toy to dogs who have the ability and inclination to chew hard plastic.

Skills, Training and Supervision

We need to be careful consumers when we select toys for our dogs. We not only need to provide toys that are safe and fun for each individual dog but at times we need to train the dog to use them. We need to watch for fear or undue frustration. For the dog’s safety, we need to closely observe his interactions with a toy before leaving him alone with it. And finally, we may need to take time to teach even an experienced dog about a toy with a rule structure different from the one to which they are accustomed. n Eileen Anderson BM MM MS is a passionate amateur dog trainer who writes about learning theory, her life with three dogs, and force-free training in her blog and other publications. Find her blog at Eileen anddogs.com.

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TRAINING Training: Golden Nuggets from PPG Members The Land of Yes: A Haven for Habituation The Land of Yes is located on an acre of land with trails through a forest and meadow. It also features a picnic area where visitors can sit and chat with other dog owners while the dogs do a little more romping.

What is so different about the Land of Yes is that various holiday scenes are depicted along the trail. It has been designed this way so puppies (and adult dogs too) can experience typical holiday scenes such as Christmas and Halloween.

What puppies do not experience in their first 16 weeks of life can scare them as they mature. So our goal is to help them habituate to items they might typically see during the holiday season.

We also have The Farm, which showcases a variety of farm animals (wooden or stuffed, not real!) and a Fairy Land with a castle tent and some fairies. Everything has been designed with the goal of helping dogs familiarize themselves with a host of random objects or animals they may encounter during their lives and thereby reduce the possibility of neophobia.

- Ada Lana Simms CPDT-KA, OSCT, Reward That Puppy Dog Training Inc.

Neophobia is the fear or avoidance of new things. Neophobic dogs show fearful behavior in new environments or around unfamiliar objects or animals they have never seen. Fear includes behaviors such as trembling, panting, whining, avoidance or attempts at escape.

Source: ASPCA

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Prevention is Better than Cure Getting the set up just right before your puppy comes home is the key to future success, says Barb Levenson

© Can Stock Photo

efore my new puppy comes to the house I have many things set up in advance, so my exercise pen, crates, potty area, food and toys are all ready to go the day the puppy comes home.

Management: I am a huge believer in management as the way to prevent problems. Preventing typical puppy problems (e.g. biting, chewing, barking for attention, counter surfing and housetraining) is much easier than trying to fix them once they have become reinforced. My main management tools are my exercise pen, crates and leashes.

Exercise Pen: This is where my puppy will be when I am home and NOT training him. I work from home a great deal so my puppy must learn to be calm and quiet while I am working. I do not want to chase the puppy around the house or have him with me while I am working. Puppies generally find it near impossible to be calm.

They are active little balls of fur and seem to want my attention every single second they are awake.

The pen is in my living room Puppies are where I will “hang out” at the end learning all of the day. In the pen is a bucket the time for water, toys (soft and hard) and a towel for a bed. The pen is always placed on a piece of linoleum, making it easy to clean in the event of accidents.

I do not want my puppy running loose in the house and finding reinforcement on his own. I want to be the most reinforcing thing in his environment. If I allow him the freedom of the house he will find MORE reinforcement in the environment because he has more time to experiment with it. I definitely do not want to compete with the environment for my puppy’s attention. I want him to want to work/play only with me.

Freedom: Being loose in the

house can allow the puppy to become over-stimulated and aroused. My goal with the puppy is simple. I want a calm puppy whom I can “switch on” when we work/play and switch off when we are through. If the puppy is loose in the house he will run all over the place which will be both reinforcing and stimulating.

I do not allow my other dogs to have a lot of access to the puppy initially. I want the primary bond to be with me. They will have plenty of time to become friends later on. I do allow the puppy to play with one or two of the other dogs every day purely to learn socialization skills. Sessions last five-seven minutes.

Many of my clients do not realize the importance of managing a puppy in such a way. They want their puppy loose so they can pet, play, sit with them on the couch and follow them from room to room. What they fail to realize is that the puppy is learning ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, they usually find this out later when they realize the puppy is jumping, biting, barking and constantly getting into trouble because he learns these behaviors will get the owner’s attention.

Furthermore, in such cases the puppy will not learn how to keep himself calm. A puppy in this situation will be constantly on the go from the moment he leaves the crate.

Crate: My puppy crate is in the bedroom for several reasons.

Firstly, this room holds the strongest scent of me and the other dogs. Secondly, the bedroom is where the puppy will sleep for his whole life. I want him to feel safe and tranquil in that room and learn to be calm when left alone. Also, I will begin crate games with the puppy as soon as I get him. Crate games will help him love his crate and prevent anxiety when left alone.

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To begin with, the puppy is always in the crate when I leave the house and at night. Many people want to let the puppy sleep with them as soon as they get him, or within the first couple of months, but I do not do this for several reasons.

Firstly, I believe sleeping in the bed with me at that early age creates too much attachment and may lead to separation-related issues further down the road.

Secondly, I want the puppy to be totally housetrained before he is allowed to sleep loose in the house. I believe housetraining takes the better part of the puppy’s first year. It is such an important behavior I take no chances.

There are other reasons, too, for not allowing the puppy to sleep loose in the bedroom. Primarily, I need to feel comfortable that ALL inappropriate behaviors are fully extinguished. I do not want any inappropriate chewing, whining for attention, barking to go out or any behavior that will interrupt a good night’s sleep. I know I will get some of this initially. However, with a little time and no reinforcement from me I am confident it will go away. I am very conservative. I plan to have this puppy for 12 to 15 years. I can delay my own gratification of letting him sleep in the bed with me while he is learning. I also have another crate in the living room and will use both crates and the pen to teach the puppy crate games.

I put only a blanket in the crate because I want the puppy to learn to lie down and sleep. If I have toys in the crate he will learn to play with the toys, his activity will increase and he will be chewing on things which will result in a more frequent need to eliminate and keep me up at night.

Potty Area: I choose the potty area beA pen in a common fore the area of the home puppy can be helpful for comes teaching a puppy home. I calm behavior se-

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lect an area where he will ONLY eliminate and not play.

I have several clients who have a potty area (perhaps fenced off) in the yard where the puppy plays. I believe this is a difficult discrimination for the puppy. Is he going out to pee or out to play? I am not convinced the puppy will understand whatever cue the owner gives him. I believe having just ONE THING to do in this specific area helps the puppy to discriminate and know what to do when he goes out. Also, it is a scientific fact, the route out to the potty area sets up anticipatory behavior.

In 1993, I audited a Learning and Motivation course at the University of Pittsburgh. The professor used this example: a person goes to a particular bar to get drunk and enjoy the camaraderie of his friends. Each step towards and finally into the bar provides cues about the end behavior. By the time he gets into the bar he is already starting to get high.

In other words, each step toward the final potty area provides information to the dog about reinforcement that is forthcoming. As a result, I will not have to stand outside for 15-20 minutes in the cold while I wait for my puppy to eliminate.

A Trip to the Pet Store: I choose a variety of toys for my puppy and rotate them occasionally. In the beginning I am looking for his chewing preferences. Does he like to play with soft toys and perhaps dissect them?

Does he like to gnaw on hard bones or bully sticks?

Does he like to toss toys in the air? I watch my puppy closely to determine his favorite toys and start with these.

Traveling with the Puppy: My puppy will travel with me from the first day he is with me. I have two fullsize crates in my SUV and will use one of them for the puppy. I would use a seat belt harness if I had a smaller vehicle. I want the puppy to be safe so I treat him as parents do young children. He is crated or belted into the vehicle and I never let him ride loose in my car.

A Training Diary - Logging Your Training: Keeping some kind of log or history is a very important part of training. In the past I have used one designed by Susan Garrett of Say Yes! Dog Training. More recently I have designed one I thought would be more userfriendly. You can either use a log or a diary or video, whichever you prefer. The value here is that you can see your training as it progresses. The video, diary or log is where I note both successes and failures. Generally there

are certain exercises in which I have to “shift gears” if my A variety of method toys can help is not the owner working. discern a Failures puppy’s are actupreferences ally more important than successes because I learn from them and even grow my training methodology. Therefore I evaluate my failures at every step and use them to determine future training sessions. The mantra “train to your weakness” is always in the back of my mind.

An example of a failure might be failing to get the puppy outside at an appropriate time so he has an accident. I recently had a client who stopped using the pen too early on. The pup started to have accidents in the house because the owners had not been watching closely enough and she did not yet have sphincter control. The owners had not kept the chart accurately either and, as a

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result, the pup was not close to being housetrained even at the age of nine months.

An example of a success might be realizing your puppy is showing signs of being able to hold his elimination through the night or going (at first) one solid month without an accident. That is success. But owners must realize this is only one success on the road to housetraining. The road needs to be filled with multiple months of complete success. One month does not make a housetrained dog much as though many people would like to believe it does.

Please do not think successes are not important.

They are. But when I look at my students’ logs I hardly ever see a note of their failures even though I see their problems when they come to class. I believe they focus more on what the dog does correctly, even if it is minimal, because it is reinforcing to them. That may be enough for them but it is not for me. And, if you want a well-trained dog, it should not be for you either. n Barb Levenson BS has been competing in dog sports since 1981 and teaching obedience and agility privately since 1985. She has titles in Obedience, Agility and Herding and heads the Barb Levenson Dog Training Centers in Pittsburgh, PA. Barb’s first book Flatwork for Agility was released in early 2007.

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www.barkbox.com BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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Diane Garrod examines the effects of aversive training methods on a dog’s psyche

hat there are negative effects to aversive training methods is something positive reward-based trainers have known all along, but this now has scientific credibility and proof. A year-long veterinary study, published by University of Pennsylvania researchers in the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, states that aggression does indeed beget aggression.

According to the lead author of the study, Meghan Herron DVM, University of Ohio, the number-one reason nationwide why The risks of using aversive dog owners take punishment include stress, their dog to a vetanxiety, shyness, fearfulness erinary behaviorist and aggression is to manage aggressive behavior.

“Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them or intimidating them with physical manipulation, do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses," says Herron.

Punishment causes aversive stimulation, defined as anything a dog would do to try to escape from, evade or avoid (Pierce & Cheney) and is commonly described as painful, noxious or unpleasant (Chance, as referenced in O'Heare’s Aggressive Behavior in Dogs). Using punishment may appear to have an effect but can also cause problematic fallout or secondary effects.

According to Murray Sidman, the effect of adverse punishment is fallout (Coercion and Its Fallout). "Coercion is defined as the use of punishment and the threat of punishment to get others to act as we would like...and involves the basic contingencies of punishment and negative reinforcement," says Sidman. In other words, be 28

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prepared for other bad habits to replace the ones you are punishing or the resulting and increased behaviors of reactivity, fear or aggression.

There are risks with using punishment including stress, anxiety and a reduction of learning abilities. Using aversive training methods can also lead to shyness, fearfulness or aggression. O'Heare describes punishment as an alpha roll, scruffing the dog, hitting the dog with a newspaper, tapping the dog on the nose harshly, holding the dog's mouth shut, yelling or rubbing the dog’s nose in feces. Punishment also means the use of devices that cause pain, such as choke chains, prong collars, shock collars and efences (or invisible fences).

Whenever you add an unpleasant thing or situation to dog training, you have created an aversive scenario. For instance, if you jerk or tug on the lead, use a choke or prong collar, say "No!" in a loud voice or use body parts to slap or kick then you are using punishment. This also includes squirting water from a water bottle in your dog's face, tossing something at your dog, and bark collars.

Behaviorists talk about frequency, duration and intensity of a behavior. Initially, it appears a behavior goes away or diminishes with the use of an aversive method but in reality it does not ensure the behavior's frequency will be reduced. Punished behaviors tend to be maintained (continued) when the punishment is no longer applied. This is the reason why prong, choke and electric collars are used even on dogs who have already been trained. If they were truly "trained" these devices would © Can Stock Photo

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Aggression Begets Aggression

not be needed and the dog could go collarless. Because of the adverse effects of the methods chosen, the dog appears to be trained as long as the device remains on the dog.

Aversive training seems to reduce the frequency of the behavior when the owner or trainer is present but stops working when the owner or trainer is absent. The dog must surely experience some kind of anxiety when the trainer is present because he associates that person with punishment. One effect of punishment is that dogs learn to become sneaky when the person who caused the punishment goes away. Behaviors may also be driven underground so they only occur when the ‘punisher’ is not present.

Another effect is learned helplessness, as discussed in Pierce & Cheney. In this context, the dog learns to become almost robotic in nature and holds anxiety and stress inside to the point he is afraid to do anything for fear of repercussion. I have seen dogs literally shut down and sit in the middle of a yard, for instance, when electrical fences were in use. I have also seen dogs stop and freeze when an electrical shock collar or even a muzzle was put on or lose valuable communication skills when a bark collar was used. Learned helplessness can lead to self-mutilation, excessive barking, nervousness or depressed shutdown.

Punishing a dog for whatever it is he does ‘wrong’ can reduce a behavior but what it also does is cause the dog to learn to be fearful of his owner, which erodes trust. Fear can quickly turn into anger if the right circumstance presents itself. If the dog is not shown an al-

Resources

Science Daily Herron et al: Survey of the Use and Outcome of Confrontational and Non-Confrontational Training Methods in Client-Owned Dogs Showing Undesired Behaviors - Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, February 2009: 117:47-54 Pierce, W. David & Cheney, Carl (2008) Behavior Analysis and Learning New York, NY: Psychology Press O'Heare, James (2007) Aggressive Behavior in Dogs Ottawa, ON: Dog Psyche Publishing Dennison, Pamela (2005) How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong Loveland, CO: Alpine Publications Sidman, Murray: (2001) Coercion and Its Fallout Boston, MA: Authors Cooperative, Inc.

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ternative behavior, owners may see an increase rather than a decrease in the behavior they are trying to abolish.

Educating a dog on what he is doing right shows the dog what to do instead. It provides an alternative behavior. This strengthens the desirable behavior so it is repeated by the dog of his own freewill and builds trust in the owner. It stimulates teamwork, strong bonds and communication. The first thing that has to be done in re-training an aggressive dog is thus regaining his trust.

According to Herron, studies on canine aggression in the last decade have shown that canine aggression and other behavior problems are not a result of ‘dominant’ behavior or the lack of the owner's ‘alpha status’, but rather a result of fear (self-defense) or underlying anxiety problems. It is similar when comparing children who have been abused. One child might act out the abuse, another may become violent to society due to deepseated anxiety, another might become self-destructive through self-mutilation, alcohol or drug abuse and yet another might do nothing and even appear to have survived.

If your dog has shown a particular behavior such as growling, you need to note what caused the behavior.

When you do, you can change the association with the trigger and start to train your dog what it is you want him to do by pairing good things with triggers or stimuli. This dissolves the fear in a process known as counter-conditioning, according to Pamela Dennison in How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong.

You can further avoid punishment through techniques of management and prevention (as discussed in the previous article Taming the Beast in BARKS from the Guild, June 2014, page 30). Simply by changing your dog's environment, similar to baby-proofing your home, you can change his behavior and avoid reasons to use punishment.

Changing your thinking from "what do I do when my dog does (fill in the blank)" to "what can I do to educate my dog to (fill in the blank)" will negate the need to use punishment and avoid the effects. Quick fixes leave long-term stress. Positive reinforcement results are longlasting and progressive. n Diane Garrod BSc is a certified Tellington Touch Practitioner (CA1), ATA Certified Treibball Instructor and holds certificates in Theriogenology, Science in Writing and Animal Behavior. She is the owner of the Canine Transformations Learning Center.

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Gadgets and Gizmos

In the third article in her series on deaf dogs, Morag Heirs looks at some of the common questions about recall and gadgets

ou may recall from the pictures in previous articles (BARKS from the Guild: April 2014, page 30 & July 2014, page 35) that I am definitely in favor of allowing deaf dogs to run free when it is safe - and I do not just mean in a secure enclosed space (see photo right). Both of my deaf dogs regularly go off leash in unfamiliar locations and have a much better ‘recall’ than many other hearing dogs!

The previous article in this series (BARKS from the Guild July 2014, page 35) introduced you to some of my favorite games to build focus and attention (in any dog!) including Uncued Attention, Take A Break and Pattern Games.

These are a great foundation as the deaf dog has to want to hang out with the handler before we ask for anything more complicated.

If the deaf dog handler finds himself frequently having to use a touch/tap to get the dog’s attention then there are likely to be problems once we introduce wide open spaces – just like the hearing dog who is verbally nagged.

Side Effects

One of the most common questions asked in the Deaf Dog Network Facebook group by people new to living with a deaf dog is whether they should purchase a vibrating collar or other gadget. While this might sound like an appealing idea where the dog learns to respond to the vibration as a hearing dog might recall to a whistle, experienced deaf dog guardians tend to discourage it as an unnecessary expense.

It is still relatively difficult to source a good quality vibrating collar in the UK that does not include any unwanted side-effects such as spray/shock or that is not bark-activated. Those models which are available tend not to be waterproof (problematic for the rainy dog30

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Three-year-old Aussie mix Tovin runs free at the beach

walking weather experienced in many areas), have limited range and can be quite bulky.

Even those guardians who use vibrating collars would be quick to emphasize that these are in addition to excellent check-in and recall training rather than as a replacement. The same principles apply as when working with a dog who is never going to be allowed off lead, you still want to train a basic recall just in case management/leads/harnesses or collars fail! Based on my experience moderating deaf dog discussion groups and with my own dogs, many dogs find even gently vibrating collars quite unpleasant. Conversely, a reasonable number of deaf dogs appear to deliberately ignore the sensations. It is impossible to predict the reaction without purchasing a unit, unfortunately.

I do own a vibrating collar purchased from Company of Animals. However, my deaf/part-blind collie Bronte is terrified of the sensation, while Farah (deaf) point blank refuses to acknowledge the vibration or me when she is wearing the collar. I had hoped to use it as a backup emergency recall if we were out on the hills and came across livestock. Instead it has been consigned to my training bag and I use a waist-belt plus bungee lines on harnesses in any potentially difficult areas when walking.

CANINE Other deaf dog owners have reported being able to condition a great positive response to vibrating collars but emphasize the importance of having a check-in to fall back on in case of flat batteries or malfunctioning units.

Management

As with any training, management is key in the early stages and in distracting situations. A well-fitting harness plus a long line is essential (minimum of 10 ft, preferably 30+ ft). Do not allow the dog off leash until training is complete and always graduate by allowing the line to trail, then reduce the length before finally removing it.

Much of the advice I could give here is standard to all dogs who might be distracted or unwilling to come back – use a long line at all times, including in the garden. Use food rations as rewards on walks, play scentwork games (see photo of Bronte bottom left) to encourage interaction with handler on walks, make attention to handler a condition of getting to explore good smells and so on. Thinking back to the first two articles in this series, if the handler has taught their deaf dog to reliably hand-target, then the actual recall becomes fairly easy.

Start with a basic hand target and then have the handler offer the target from further away or having the dog follow the hand for longer. Do make sure the handler is prepped to give the obvious “click” or good dog signal Bronte practices scentwork during her walk

as the nose plants onto their hand, then get that tasty food or favorite toy out as soon as possible (see photo of Fearn bottom right).

Once you have a dog who reliably runs towards you when offered an obvious hand-target, you can start to build in a clear “attention getting” signal. This often involves arm waving and needs to be visible from a distance no matter how silly it feels. Active signals are often better as the deaf dog may catch the movement out of the corner of their eye even if not directly looking at you (see image of Bonnie, the three-year-old Jack Russell terrier recalling to her foster mom on page 37, BARKS from the Guild, July 2014).

Lights and Flashlights

Teaching the deaf dog to orient to or recall to a flashing torch can be invaluable when you want to call them back from a wet dark garden or if you are out on a winter walk. This can be taught by pairing the light signal with treats/toys, although my dogs appear to pick it up on their own. I am cautious with this exercise with dogs who may be light-focused or chase shadows. I would also note that, much to my surprise, my dogs do not orient to other walkers with head torches in the dark. They seem able to distinguish who it is quite easily. Remember that shining the head-torch (essential for deaf dog Fearn recalls to a hand target

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CANINE owners!) on to your hands is a more effective way of communicating than blinding the dog by pointing the light at them. I wear luminous yellow gloves in the dark to make it easier for Bronte and Farah to understand my signs.

“Gotcha”/Harness Grabs

When training these exercises with a hearing or blind dog, we can use a verbal "warning" signal such as “Gotcha!” to let the dog know we are about to grab their harness. This is easily taught using simple associative learning. It can be trickier with the deaf dog although some people do teach a “grabbing you” signal, which they give as they take hold of the harness and offer a food reward.

Personally I am not quite that coordinated, so I start at home by touching the harness gently and provide a food reward just after the touch but while I am still in contact with the harness. So: person touching harness predicts food arrival. I practice this a lot at home and gradually increase the intensity of the

RESOURCES

* The Deaf Dog Education Action Fund (DDEAF) is very accessible and sells bandanas to alert people to a dog’s deafness. * Deaf Dog Network (DDN) and its Facebook page both include a collection of videos of teaching signs. * Barry Eaton Hear Hear (2005) is one of the best available books on living with and training a deaf dog, most easily available direct here. * An online sign language dictionary is good for getting ideas for signs and seeing the visual of how to move your hands. Morag Heirs’ favorite can be found at ALSpro.com. * Basic Sign Language is a leaflet written for the Association of Pet Behavior Counsellors (APBC) by Morag Heirs. * The Deaf Dogs Manifesto is a comprehensive and frequently updated collection of information and discussion about all things relating to deaf dogs. * Blind Dog Information here. * Simple summary of living with a blind dog here. * Facebook page for Blind Dog Rescue UK 32

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The two deaf dogs (left and center) recall easily even on an unfamiliar trail

touch/grab until I can do an emergency grab with the dog just looking around hopefully for the cheese. This needs to be practiced "cold" too – where the dog does not know he is in a set-up training session. Be alert to any signs of anxiety or fear from the dog which may mean you need to reduce the intensity.

Living Life to the Max

Deaf dogs can enjoy a full and complete life and for most this includes off-leash time. My two deaf dogs happily recalled down a snowy forest track in Scotland – even though we had never walked there before and there were plenty of wildlife tracks and smells around (see photo above). The distracted dog in the background – that is my Freya, who can hear and see just fine! n

The next article will feature two different ways to teach superreliable check-in habits for both hearing and deaf dogs.

Morag Heirs PhD, MSc, MA(SocSci)(Hons), PGCAP, Human and Canine Remedial Massage Therapist, is a Companion Animal Behavior Counselor who runs Well Connected Canine in York, UK. She works with deaf and blind dogs professionally, provides training and support for the Deaf Dog Network and is the behaviorist for Sheffield Animal Centre (RSPCA) and York & District RSPCA branches in the UK.

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CANINE

A Lifetime of Success

In Part One of a two-part feature, Joan Orr details the best way to create a relationship of empathy and respect between children and their dog(s)

hat could be more delightful than to witness the bond of friendship blossom between a child and a dog? Some dogs just seem to naturally love children. Some children seem to have a way with dogs. If you are lucky these are the types of children and dogs that you have in your life or will encounter. But why leave it to luck? Give your dog and the children in his life the best chance for a successful relationship by taking deliberate steps to create a child-loving dog and to develop empathy and respect in the child.

For the safety of your dog and the children he will encounter, it is essential that he is never put in a position where growling at or biting a child becomes his only option.

There are three main factors that come into play with respect to the dog/child relationship: - the opportunities they have for interaction - the behavior of the dog - the behavior of the child As a parent and/or dog owner you have the opportunity to influence these by way of managing the environment in which they might interact, training the dog and teaching the child.

© Can Stock Photo

Mutual empathy and respect sets up children and their dogs for a lifetime of success

Management

By management I mean controlling the environment to ensure the safety of both the dog and the child. For example, if you have a dog who is scared of children but children visit your home only rarely, then you could opt for a management solution to keep your dog happy and the children safe. The simplest thing to do would be to put the dog in a crate or in a room away from the children with a long-lasting tasty chew (a stuffed Kong, for example). If you have a big party with lots of children and you have three boisterous dogs, you might send them to a kennel for the day to ensure that there will be no incidents.

Regardless of how great the relationship is between your dog and your own or visiting children, management is essential when you cannot directly supervise. If the children are very young or if they are likely to want to interact with the dog, then put the dog away with a suitable chew or take him with you when you are unable to supervise. Keep the dog on a leash when you are outside in the yard if he has ideas about chasing the children.

Good management is essential to prevent situations from arising in which the dog or child gets overly excited or any antagonism develops, such as “Fido ate my homework!” “Mary tried to take my bone!” To encourage the type of loving relationship that eventually will not require as much management you will need to get involved in specifically teaching the child and training the dog.

Train the Dog

There are two main goals for the training you will do with respect to children.

This is important whether you have children or not, because inevitably the dog BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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CANINE

will encounter children. The cuter he is, the more likely he is to attract unsolicited attention. The first training goal is to ensure that the dog likes children and enjoys the types of things that children might do.

The second goal is to teach your dog suitable behaviors around children.

Owners can prepare their dogs to feel comfortable around children

According to Doggone Safe co-founder Teresa Lewin, “You can’t prepare the world for your dog, but you can prepare your dog for the world.” As a dog owner you are legally and morally responsible for the well-being and the behavior of your dog. Prepare your dog for whatever the world might throw at him by making sure he has many and varied experiences and that these are associated with positive consequences. Take treats with you everywhere and give these to him while he experiences new places, sounds and people. If children come to pet him, feed him from your hand or let him lick cream cheese out of a squeeze tube or Kong that you are holding. This gives you control of his head and mouth while the children pet him. Soon he will welcome the attentions of children.

To accustom him to the types of things children or strangers might do, give him hugs, pull gently on ears and tail, tug gently on his fur all over while at the same time feeding him goodies from your hand or allowing him to chew on a yummy bone. Pairing these touches with a treat can make even rough handling a positive experience. It is essential to use the goody in this type of

Photo by Keri Gorman

Good management is key to safe, positive interactions between children and dogs

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Photo by Dana Martin

Preparing the Dog

conditioning – just doing strange things to the dog or puppy will not necessarily teach him to tolerate this from others. He may even come to feel anxious around you for fear you are going to maul him. If you have associated treats and the good feelings that go with getting a treat with all these strange and potentially bothersome touches, the dog will be welcoming of touch.

When that toddler runs up and yanks on his tail, the dog is more likely to look at you as if to say, “Where’s my treat?” rather than snap at the annoyance. This touch desensitization should be done daily with a new dog or puppy and monthly throughout the dog’s life. Here is a video that shows an excellent example of this.

Appropriate Behaviors

Children can be very exciting to dogs and your overly-friendly dog could cause injury in his exuberance. There was a story on our local news recently about a man who bent to pet a friendly dog, the dog jerked its head up and the man ended up with a broken nose.

He is suing the dog owner and he will likely win the case because the dog owner is ultimately responsible for anything the dog does and any injury he causes, regardless of provocation. You can avoid this type of situation by training your dog to exhibit appropriate behaviors when children or adults come to greet him. If you teach nothing else, teach your dog to sit for greeting. This is very easy and gives your dog predictability and control in situa-

tions with new people and reduces the chance that he will irritate or injure anyone. Start working on this at home with family members and friends. Put the dog on a leash, go up to the practice person (but not so close that the dog can reach them). Hold a treat over the dog’s nose (or just say sit if he already knows this), click or say “yes” when he sits and give a treat. Repeat a few times until the action of moving toward a person, or a person coming towards you and the dog, elicits an automatic sit.

Next, allow the practice person to come to the dog and give him a treat and pet him. Use the food as a lure to keep him sitting if required. If he gets up, simply call him away in a happy voice, circle around and try again.

When he is an expert at sitting to greet in the house, practice outside and in more distracting environments with the practice people and eventually with strangers who indicate that they want to pet your dog. Be firm with the strangers and explain that you are training the dog and that they must wait until he sits before they can touch him.

Other appropriate behaviors you might want to teach are lie down, put head on paws, put head on someone’s lap, bring a ball, drop it and take a step back and go to

CANINE

bed, so that you have various ways to instruct the dog in the presence of children or strangers or visitors to your house.

This type of training differs from the conditioning we were discussing in the Preparing the Dog section on the opposite page. Here we are reinforcing the dog for specific behaviors. In Preparing the Dog we were just associating treats with touch and other environmental stimuli.

We were not requiring any particular behavior from the dog, other than general calmness.

In Part Two of this article coming up in the next issue of BARKS from the Guild we will focus on specific training games for dogs and children, communication, proper handling and understanding canine body language. n Joan Orr MSc is a scientist and internationally recognized clicker trainer. Joan is a co-founder and president of Doggone Safe, a non-profit organization dedicated to dog bite prevention through education.

In association with animal behavior specialist Teresa Lewin, Joan has co-created the dog bite prevention board game Doggone Crazy!, the Be a Tree bite prevention education program and the Clicker Puppy training DVD.

Redstone Media Group, in partnership with the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is delighted to announce that all PPG members are now eligible for 50% OFF ($12 for six issues) a one-year subscription to Animal Wellness or Equine Wellness magazines.

“We all want our dogs to enjoy a long healthy life,” says Animal Wellness Publisher Tim Hockley, and Animal Wellness magazine is the #1 publication devoted to this cause. Learn about the vital four pillars to wellness, discover the secrets to longevity, revitalize your bond and learn from the world leading natural health experts.

Your subscription code can be picked up in the member area of the PPG website.

Please be sure to log in first.

For people who are serious about their dogs!

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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TRENDS

The Miracle Mutt

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A twist of fate can have surprising results. From stray pup, to prison inmate favorite, to first aid and therapy dog... Gail Radtke relates the inspiring tale of Lanie and her stellar work in prisons, care homes and hospitals

hanging Lanie arrived at your career the prison’s dog in your 40s boarding and is nerve-wracking at training facility with her mom the best of times and two siblings but I was lucky enough to have a very special friend to inspire and guide me towards following my passion.

That special someone was Lanie, a Shar-Pei-ChowMalamute-shepherd-mix girl who completely changed my life.

Up until 2007 I had had a rewarding career at British Columbia Provincial Corrections in the Greater Vancouver area as a Correctional Supervisor and Instructor but then a car accident left me with injuries that would change my ability to carry out my duties. Following the accident, it would take a few years for me to re-educate myself, heal my body and, eventually, follow Lanie’s lead as she guided me into stepping out of my comfort zone.

My husband works at Fraser Valley Institution for Women (FVI) in Abbotsford, BC, which operates a full service Dog Boarding and Training Center run by Jayne Nelson of the Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS). The program houses dogs who have been surrendered or rescued by LAPS and provides care, training, grooming and the rehabilitation of “special needs” dogs to help them find new homes, as well as being dedicated to improving the lives of stray and unwanted dogs. It also provides daycare and boarding for dogs belonging to members of the local community and staff members with proceeds going to the non-profit LAPS. In March 2010 I received an email from my husband which included a photo of a mixed-breed pup. Her 36

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mother was apparently a rescue who had given birth at the LAPS facility and then been transferred to FVI with her three pups. My husband was keen to adopt her but I wasn’t sure I wanted to experience the puppy phase again, not to mention that we already had two older dogs at home. My husband, however, couldn’t stop talking about how smart she was, so I made arrangements to go into the prison to meet her. It was obvious she had been receiving the best of care and attention while in the K9 program at the prison. She was healthy, social and could already perform quite a few obedience commands and tricks at her young age. No doubt my husband knew that meeting Lanie in person would result in her coming home with us, which of course it did, when she was three months old.

As I continued on my road to recovery, I learned to allow Lanie to guide me into trying new things. So, when she was a year old, I applied to the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program in Maple Ridge, BC. This is a Canada-wide program that involves certified handlers and dogs volunteering their time to visit hospitals and senior care homes in their area. It also includes a children’s reading program which is assisted by a St. John Therapy Dog and another team of volunteers who are on call with Ridge Meadows Royal Canadian Mounted Police Victim Services.

The St. John Ambulance program requires dogs to undergo a behavioral assessment test which mimics real

life situations they may encounter while volunteering at hospitals and senior care homes.

Lanie had been trained in obedience and tricks with the use of a clicker and positive reinforcement as soon as she came into LAPS’ care and this had continued at FVI. Alicia Santella, the K9 program training coordinator at FVI, had overseen Lanie’s training during her adoption process and it was Alicia’s influence that had ignited my passion for clicker training. Building on that foundation - and in preparation for Lanie’s St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog assessment and testing - we worked on novel stimulus exposure to wheelchairs, walkers and other items we felt we would come across in a nursing home.

The conditioning process in a graded-task approach was vital to having a dog who can work with noise, yelling or anything startling. We had to ensure that we worked below Lanie’s startle threshold and maintained a positive association with whatever we were exposing her to. Luckily, Lanie is highly food-driven and has a wonderful play drive, so reinforcement with toys was also utilized. As a nursing home environment can be unpredictable, habituating Lanie to sudden loud noises was important. Lanie had been brought into the institutional environment in the latter part of her primary socialization period at approximately eight weeks old, and this early exposure gave her a positive association with novel or unknown stimuli and unpredictable human behavior.

The St. John Ambulance temperament testing puts the dog through a series of stress-inducing scenarios to ensure she does not react in any aggressive manner to being startled. In our test we had to navigate through a group of people who were moving about, dropping objects and reaching for the dog. The dog is required to walk in a heel position while the group of volunteers try to entice her away. Another part of the testing involved the dog and handler being approached by a woman in a wheelchair who was attempting to feed the dog.

Another part involved a man with a large cane running towards the dog.

The dog’s response is not only assessed by how well the handler is able to keep their dog at a safe distance but also by

TRENDS

the handler’s skills. Each assessment test is unique. They are never the same to make sure people understand how difficult it is to prepare for unknown situations while out in public or in the care homes.

Lanie passed her exam and we began to volunteer in the senior wing at Ridge Meadows Hospital. This was very meaningful to the FVI offenders because each of them had worked very hard to train Lanie and prepare her for her test. When she passed, her accomplishment was their accomplishment.

Meanwhile, Lanie would still go to work with my husband and we would daycare and board her at FVI when we went away. Around this time, another opportunity came up for me to involve her in another prison program, this time at Alouette Correctional Center for Women (ACCW) in Maple Ridge. ACCW offered doggy daycare for members of the correctional staff. This was not a formally structured program but it did allow the offenders to have daily interactions with the dogs. Some of the offenders who were accepted into the K9 daycare program had previous experience of handling dogs and even some minor work experience with them. What they all had in common was the desire to spend time with the dogs. Each offender would be assigned a dog to care for during the day and that would include walks, feeding and companionship.

When I would drop Lanie off for doggy daycare, I could see the joy on the face of the offender who was caring for her that day and I could see it in Lanie also. I

Assistant Deputy Warden Ann Barley (with Lanie) has been the driving force behind ACCW’s K9 program BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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TRENDS The Multiple Benefits of a K9 Prison Program

The female offenders at Fraser Valley Institution for Women who qualify to work in the K9 program area get the opportunity to learn skills in every aspect of the business from animal care to customer service. They also benefit from the therapeutic value of being with the dogs each day. The women work daily shifts and are mentored by the kennel supervisor, who is also a qualified dog trainer. They are able to take boarded and rescue dogs to their living units overnight and are entrusted to walk, feed and care for them during the evenings. The program also offers inmates the opportunity to work at the main LAPS kennel in Langley, BC while out on an Escorted or Unescorted Temporary Day Release, and when they have been released from the institution and are assimilating back into the community.

The Effects and Skills learned by the inmates via a K9 program are completely transferable and include: patience, parenting skills, helping others, increased self-esteem, social skills, normalizing effect, and a calming effect on the environment. This opens them up to the possibilities of participating and succeeding in other elements of their individual Correctional Plan which is important in reducing the risk they may pose on release and helps them to successfully reintegrate back into their communities.

See The Experiences of Offenders in a Prison Canine Program for more details.

knew what the dogs were able to give to these offenders and it was something that they were a lot less likely to receive from their human peers, namely unconditional love, affection and being void of judgement towards the mistakes and lifestyle choices people sometimes make.

The Assistant Deputy Warden at ACCW, Ann Barley, is an animal enthusiast and dog lover and has been the driving force behind moving the K9 program forward.

As an interesting aside, Ann has a small hobby farm and has been known to bring a few of her goats in to the prison, which has a pasture-like fenced area. The offenders were Lanie on duty with St. John thrilled to look after goats, just Ambulance like they were with the dogs.

While my husband and I were working, Lanie was spending time in two prisons in the doggy daycare programs. I was touched when a couple of the offenders suggested I go on vacation so Lanie could stay overnight in the prison.

Because Lanie was so wellconditioned to the prison environment and the offenders knew her so well, she was approved to stay in their housing area overnight. Although I missed her terribly while traveling, I knew the companionship she was providing was so very

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special. Many of the female offenders at both prisons have children and I believe that having the companionship and the responsibility to care for a dog while they are in prison helps to fill a very empty spot.

In 2011, I applied to join an instructor program with DogsafeÂŽ Canine First Aid and was accepted. Not only would I have to qualify as an instructor, but Lanie would have to train to become my demonstration dog. During our studies I would be learning canine first aid and how to administer emergency first aid.

Part one of the DogsafeŽ program is an eight-hour course where I would be required to demonstrate procedures to the students with my demo dog. Lanie and I studied for close to a year for this. She would be muzzled, bandaged and have her vital signs taken to name just a few of the procedures she would have to endure, all while being relaxed and cooperative. This didn’t happen overnight! It would be a conditioning process with each individual item of first aid equipment required for the class. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the one procedure where Lanie required a higher value of reinforcement during training was having her temperature taken. I brought out one her favorite treats, her beloved pieces of chopped

sausage. Once I increased her rate of pay she increased her level of cooperation on that particular procedure.

Lanie is delightful and funny when we instruct. I have a routine where I give each student a treat to give Lanie and then I cue her to go meet everyone. She goes up to each student and greets them then waits for her paycheck. We work together as a team and make sure that both of us are enjoying what we do. We successfully completed the program as a team.

By this time Lanie had developed a very busy schedule: she had become a companion to the offenders in the K9 prison programs, she volunteered at the hospital and she was the other half of my team instructing Dogsafe® Canine First Aid. Even on Christmas Day she would get dressed in her Santa outfit and deliver Christmas dinner with me to the staff working at Fraser Regional Correctional Center. What I didn’t realize, however, was that my career path was about to change and Lanie and I were about to get a whole lot busier.

While working for the Corrections Branch after my accident I had started to conduct research into the benefits of dogs in prison and the programs available in the correctional system. Eventually I submitted a proposal for a K9 program at the prison where I worked. I had come across many studies that outlined a multitude of benefits of having dogs in prison with offenders.

Not only were there emotional therapeutic benefits for the offenders but also opportunities for training skills an offender might use when released. The benefits to the dogs were also many, from rescue and rehabilitation to the training of service assistance dogs. The studies and facts were there. Several prisons had successful programs Demo dog in place and Lanie helps the FVI students learn the intricacies was one I of canine hoped to first aid model. But then my car accident resurfaced with some further medical complications and I found my-

TRENDS Lanie after first aid students have bandaged her paw

self on a leave of absence undergoing further procedures.

I realized that I had to prepare myself for my worst case scenario, which was not being able to continue my career with the Corrections Branch. At this time Lanie and I were studying and training again and were attending school full-time so I could obtain my dog trainer’s certification. Synchronistic events were at work. Although my workplace did not adopt the K9 program proposal I had submitted, ACCW, where Lanie attended doggy daycare, did so in the spring of this year.

Today Lanie and I are back in prison working side by side. The K9 program at ACCW is in its infancy but we have been busy nonetheless. Currently we are a volunteer training team, instructing in canine handling skills, the basics of canine behavioral learning theory and Dogsafe® Canine First Aid to the offenders in the K9 program. Lanie’s outgoing personality engages everyone she meets. It was very touching when we finished our first Dogsafe® Canine First Aid class and each student requested to have a photo taken with their Dogsafe® Canine First Aid Certificate of Accomplishment and Lanie by their side.

This little prison puppy has touched the lives of so many people and changed my life completely. I am excited to see how the prison K9 program will develop with Lanie leading the way. Lanie reminds me to make a difference whenever and wherever you can with the people you cross paths with in life. n Gail Radtke CPDT is a retired Correctional Supervisor and former Instructor of the Justice Institute of BC, Canada. Gail has combined her passion for dogs and teaching and is a Family Paws Parent Education presenter and is currently completing her DipCBST. She is the owner and operator of Cedar Valley K9 in Mission, BC.

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MUSINGS

© Can Stock Photo

The Elephant on the Stairs

Elephants are intelligent and sociable and form lifelong bonds

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Bob McMillan relates the inspiring tale of “Elephant Bill” and takes us to post-war Burma, where elephants trained using positive methods were healthier, happier, more productive and achieved unprecedented feats

ositive training is not a new idea. With starts and stops over the last century, it has been used by empathetic individuals to bring out the best in their animal companions. A recent book, Elephant Company by Vicki Constantine Croke, reveals a surprising chapter in the evolution of positive training. It is a rousing tale of an Englishman whose love of the jungle giants persuaded him to open an “elephant school” in colonial Burma that saved hundreds of lives in World War Two. It is the story of a man with a near-mystical connection to elephants, one in particular named Bandoola, who undertook a mind-boggling feat of bravery and endurance solely because he trusted his human mentor.

For the dog owner, the experiences of James Howard Williams are an inspiration not only to train their dogs without force, but to learn and respect the ways of their animal friends.

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Williams arrived in a teak logging camp in the mountainous jungles of Burma just after World War One. He had served in the British Camel Corps in the Middle East and Afghanistan. He had been an animal lover since his childhood in Cornwall, England and the prospects of working with elephants excited him.

Williams had signed on with the Bombay-Burmah Trading Corporation as a forest assistant who would be in charge of dozens of Asian elephants and their mahouts.

Female elephants were used as pack animals. Male tuskers hauled giant teak logs through forests to rivers, where they were floated to market.

It was an inhospitable place of poisonous vipers, tropical diseases, hookworms and fungus not to mention plants that could rip open flesh. Forest assistants were responsible not only for the operation of the isolated camps but for the health of the elephants as well. With no formal training, Williams relied on the mahouts and

Williams saw, had no scars. He learned that he had been born in captivity and trained by his handler using treats as positive reinforcement. Bandoola was the first of a new generation of elephants, Williams believed. He won over company officials with his new plan.

Calves born to worker mothers were left to fend for themselves and many perished under the corporation’s system. Instead, Williams kept mothers and calves together. At age five, the calves were sent to Williams’ “elephant school” where they learned their jobs with positive reinforcement. At the end of their working day when their mothers were freed to forage in the jungle, the calves were sent to them “stuffed full of sweet bananas.” Elephants under Williams’ system impressed company officials because they were healthier, happier and more productive. With the new school, Williams began to train young mahouts to use positive reinforcement in handling their giant partners. He also opened an elephant “hospital” to provide long-term, specialized care for the pachyderms who previously had been left to die.

In World War Two, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Burma, seized the teak camps and put Williams’ elephants in serious danger. Williams was called on to lead an exodus of thousands of workers and their families — including his own wife and son — out of Burma, a perilous trek over mountains and rivers in which hundreds died of starvation, exhaustion and cholera. He then joined the British Army to resist the Japanese, who had put out a call for all mahouts and their elephants to report for duty or face death.

Williams was sent to advise the elephant corps of the Royal Indian Engineers, where he waged a guerilla war against the Japanese, using elephants to destroy bridges and transport supplies where mechanized vehicles could not travel. Closer to © Can Stock Photo

his own observations as he daily inspected every rough fold of the elephants from tail to trunk and served as their physician. Williams soon became a devoted protector of elephants as he fell under their spell.

Highly intelligent and sociable creatures, elephants form lifelong bonds with each other and with familiar humans. Simply standing in their presence was a visceral experience for Williams. Their exhalations ruffled his hair but he felt a more mysterious vibration rumbling in his chest as he stood before them. It was a subsonic form of communication between pachyderms and Williams was one of the first to write about it. It was previously thought that elephants used some sort of telepathy to communicate across distances.

Williams also learned of the deep bond between elephant calves and their mothers, and often between females in the camp. They worked eight-hour shifts that ended at noon to beat the heat. Then, the pack was turned loose to forage in the forests until the following morning. They were completely different creatures then, playful, excited and sociable, like school children released on recess. Keen to know his elephants better, Williams often followed them into the bush at night, something his mahouts and friends considered perilous.

Elephants have poor eyesight. Startled in the dark, they could have easily crushed Williams. But over time, Williams learned their ways and earned the trust of his elephants.

Camp life was cruel for the pachyderms. Taken in the wild, they were then “broken,” starved, beaten and jabbed with metaltipped spears in an ordeal called “kheddaring” until they submitted. Williams struggled to change this. A fateful encounter with an especially magnificent male named Bandoola showed him the way. Williams often Williams kept mothers and calves together, said the elephants taught which led to happier, him more than he ever more productive animals taught them. Bandoola,

MUSINGS

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Williams’ elephants did things they had never done before with the help of positive training

Williams’ heart, he trolled the jungles at high personal risk to find mahouts and persuade them to bring their giant companions out from under the Japanese. The Japanese placed a price on his head.

In the closing days of the war came Williams’ most remarkable feat. He was tasked with leading the elephants and their handlers out of Burma and harm’s way when the Allies retook Burma. It was a nearly impossible undertaking. Usual jungle routes were criss-crossed

by Japanese patrols known to kill everyone they encountered. Somehow they made it most of the way across the mountain ranges of Burma. Then, the exhausted column, traveling in a remote, unmapped region, ran smack into a rugged escarpment hundreds of feet tall and stretching without end in both directions. From the sound of explosions, Williams knew Japanese units were just miles behind them.

In desperation, Williams tried something never before done with elephants. He and his workers carved a

series of crude “steps” up the face of the soft, limestone cliffs. Then he had to convince the elephants to use them. The way up was barely wide enough for an elephant. It would have to be taken one precarious step at a time. Undertaking it would require not only balance and stamina but supreme confidence. Williams turned to his old friend, Bandoola. If Bandoola would try it, the others would take confidence and follow. Williams showed the elephant what was expected. Then he left him with his handler and climbed alone to the top. He did not want Bandoola to sense his own high anxiety. Williams waited.

And waited. Hours later, incredibly, a giant head began to appear at the rim of the cliffs. Bandoola made it. So did every elephant following him. Such was their trust in the human now widely known to the public as “Elephant Bill.”

The war ended and with it, British control over Burma (which is known today as Myanmar). A way of life was over. Williams and his family left for England, never to see his elephants again. He left behind an example of what can be accomplished with respect, positive rewards and dedication to our animal friends. n Photo Yathin S Krishnappa

MUSINGS

Bob McMillan is a newspaper editor and columnist who lives in the foothills of Middle Tennessee with his Irish wolfhound, his new puppy, several rescues and a remarkably tolerant cat.

The ForCe Free SummiT reaChing For a higher STandard

The Pet Professional Guild has announced its first ever convention, to be held in Tampa, Florida from Wednesday, 11 November to Friday, 13 November, 2015.

More details on page 4 and on our website.

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

BOOK REVIEW

Juvenile Delinquent Dogs, Help is Here

I

In her ebook Juvenile Delinquent Dogs, Sue Brown concisely covers the many common behavior issues which, in reality, are just dogs being dogs.

Reviewed by Leslie Clifton

f you are commonly called to work with one of these, raise your hand right now. A juvenile delinquent dog that is. Myself, I have one in the pipeline. I am just waiting to hear back on the behavior information submitted to my DogSmith database.

Carrying on, this is one dog I desperately want to get my hands on. Any adolescent dog deserves another chance, especially this adolescent one-year-old German shorthaired pointer currently confined to a crate when he is not outside. He has been through two “boot camps.” Problems as they occur in the home have never been addressed.

Would this dog be leading a different life right now if the owner had researched juvenile delinquent dogs? I tend to think so. As we know, the internet is awash with information, much of it potentially harmful. In keeping with the guiding principles of PPG, Dog Kingdom Pets could not be more delighted to carry this valuable work, Juvenile Delinquent Dogs, as an ebook, ready to go worldwide at the click of a button. And, before I forget to remind you, find your discount code here.

Of course dogs are just being dogs. They do not know or understand their behaviors are undesirable (to us). Sue Brown clearly and concisely covers the many common behavior issues (according to humans) with a corresponding “how to.” Issues covered include jumping up on people, nipping - especially when excited, stealing food off counters, chewing shoes and other items, darting out the door, barking at everything, lunging and barking at other dogs, pulling on the leash, not coming when called and not listening. Readers will learn how to determine whether their

dog's needs are being met, how to use management to prevent bad behaviors, how to effectively communicate with and train their dog so he pays attention, all so they end up with a well-behaved dog who makes good choices. Technical jargon, appropriate amongst professionals, is largely not present, therefore this is an engaging read for pet owners.

However, any dog trainer will benefit from this book as well. Sharing appropriate and correct information, one owner at a time, one dog at a time, is the way to keep pet dogs in their homes. Behavior issues are a top reason for the relinquishment of young dogs to shelters. Naturally I will be sharing the resource Juvenile Delinquent Dogs with the aforementioned owner, should she engage my services.

More about the author of Juvenile Delinquent Dogs: Sue Brown has a reputation which precedes her. Sue is widely known for Love My Dog Training, which focuses on family pets in the Denver, CO area. Brown started her second business, The Light of Dog, in 2011 to publish books, ebooks, online training modules and other products. Brown is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and an active member of PPG. If you have a juvenile delinquent dog in your life, we hope you will share this resource. Make your clients, friends and family aware, wherever in the world they may live, that help is just a click away.

Have fun shopping our force-free site, Dog Kingdom Pet Supply, and be sure to take a look at the many great items currently on clearance. We have a great selection of dog and cat items. Shipping of actual items is to US only.

However, we know you will love our small but growing selection of edownload items. Are you a PPG author looking for another ebook venue? Be sure to get in touch. n

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To Bit or Not to Bit?

Dr. Lisel O’Dwyer wonders whether horse riders should forego the use of bits in case they are misused, especially when there is now a range of bitless alternatives

ver the last couple of decades, particularly with the advent of natural horsemanship, the use of bits when riding horses has been questioned.

Personally, I do use a bit in some situations but not in others. This is not because of ethical issues but, before I explain more, we should cover the basics for anyone who is not familiar with the equipment - known as tack usually used when riding and training horses.

First, what is a bit? A bit is the metal part of the horse’s bridle held in place in the horse’s mouth by the headpiece, which is usually made of leather. The reins are attached to the bit at the horse’s end and the rider’s hands at the other end. The purpose of the bridle is to hold the bit in place.

One of the key differences between training horses and training dogs is that we are physically touching horses when we ride them – horses cannot easily respond to visual cues from a rider in the saddle, so we use a system of communication based on touching and feeling. From the ground, it can be a different story and there is often no need to physically touch the horse to cue him – body language, voice and clickers may be all you need.

Why are bits made of metal? Metal is indeed hard

Riding in a rope halter.

The horse is calmly attentive to the rider (ears are pointing backwards and outwards)

and it is used for bits precisely because it will not break, get damaged or deformed if the horse is able to get it between his/her teeth. Some bits are coated in rubber, some are made of hard plastic (which can be flavored, usually apple) and I have also come across leather ones.

These variations can work for some horses in some situations but do not usually last as long as metal. Various types of metal (iron, copper, nickel and stainless steel) can be used but stainless steel is preferred because it is most resistant to rust and cannot warp or break. A thoughtful horseperson will warm a metal bit on a cold day by holding it their hands or dipping it in warm water before bridling a horse.

Bits come in a variety of different shapes and thicknesses, not to mention mechanisms for varying degrees of leverage. It is precisely here that we can cross the line between a tool to aid communication and an instrument of torture. I should also say that, in general, riders and trainers do not intend to use bits as instruments of torture but that can be the outcome nevertheless, depending on the rider’s skill level and the type of bit (see photo below). The third factor is the individual horse’s sensitivity and jaw and skull conformation. Usually, it is one or both of the first two factors. The photo below features

This horse cannot see where he is going, the salivary glands are crushed and he is trying to open his mouth to relieve the pressure

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an example of leverage from a curb left on previous page) and then go on to bit being used to winch the horse’s do more advanced training in a plain, head in to the point that the horse ergonomically designed bit (see photo cannot see where he is going, the top center on this page). One of my own salivary glands are crushed and the horses goes equally as well in a rope horse is trying to open his mouth halter as in a bit, and can also be ridto relieve the pressure. It is known den with just a string around his neck.

An ergonomically (for the as Rollkur and practiced by many Another horse can be ridden with horse) designed bit high level dressage competitors nothing at all on his head; this horse who mistakenly believe it instils obedience and promotes understands to stop and turn based on how I distribute gymnastic stretching (in fact it damages the horse’s and slightly shift my weight. back). Movements are underway to abolish and penalize The downside of riding bridleless is that the channel this practice. of communication is less precise and you have no other The most comfortable and humane bit in the world recourse if something goes wrong, such as the horse can become an instrument of physical and mental torbeing frightened and running off into a fence, onto a ture in the hands of an unskilled rider who does not road or trampling something or someone. Bridleless ridknow when to increase pressure or when to release it, ing is generally only done on trusted horses in an enhas poor balance and grabs at the reins as a safety net. closed area. It is akin to having a dog off the leash while At the same time, a skilled rider can use most types of walking through crowds or around temptations like rabbits to communicate invisibly and with the slightest bits, or expecting them to remain in an unfenced yard in touch, ensuring the horse remains happy. the face of temptation. If you want to ride at high levels Should we forego the use of bits in case riders misof dressage, generally you need a bit or at least some use them, whether intentional or not, when there is now kind of bitless bridle for more precise communication. a range of bitless alternatives? A beginner rider should If you want to go for rides on the trail, you may only not be using a bitted bridle when learning to ride. The need a halter, assuming your horse is responsive to it in tradition has always been for them to learn to get their the face of distractions. balance and position, or “independent seat,” as a passenRiding in bitless alternatives does not suit all horses. I ger on a quiet, reliable school horse on the lunge so as also have a horse that I started in exactly the same way to save the horse’s mouth. The lunge is a way for an exwho goes much better and seems much happier in a bit perienced trainer to direct the horse from the ground than in a rope halter or other type of bitless bridle. She and keep control while the rider is able to concentrate seems to prefer the extra clarity given by the bit. The on learning to ride without bothering the horse. difference in the feeling I get as a rider between using a The next best thing in cases where the horse cannot bit and using bitless bridles or rope halters is very differbe lunged due to joint problems which preclude them ent, too. I describe it as like playing the piano with from moving in circles, is for the rider to use a rope hal- gloves on or that the sound is muffled. On the other ter or a bitless bridle in a small enclosed area and keep hand, I once had another horse who was the complete the reins loose while focusing on their position. Once opposite and was more responsive in a rope halter than the rider is able to sit in a good position and maintain in a bit. I trained and rode both horses. It may take some their balance through the three gaits of walk, trot and trial and error before you find the right type of equipcanter, they are ready to move on to using a bit when ment to use, whether this is bitted or bitless, or the type of bit itself. riding.

There is a saying in the natural horsemanship world: Many people may ask, “Why do you need to use a bit "You go to people for opinions and horses for answers." if you can direct the horse without it?” I would answer In my observation, it is not necessarily kinder on the that often you do not need to but it depends on what sort of riding you want to do and how responsive an in- horse to go bitless. In terms of pounds of pressure per square inch, I often see riders using greater amounts of dividual horse is to other types of bridles.

I start young horses using rope halters (see photo bottom force using bitless alternatives because the pressure is BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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spread over a Cues can be “muffled” using this type of bitless bridle if the horse is inclined wider area than they would if they to ignore cues. Many horses however go very well in them were using an ordinary bit. The horse is able to comfortably resist if he so chooses. I recently gave a novice rider a riding lesson on her own horse. This rider refused to use a bit at all in the belief that they are cruel and used a well-known type of bitless bridle instead (see photo of the brown horse, above).

Unfortunately, the horse completely ignored the rider's requests and behaved as if she were not even there. In horsey parlance we would say the horse “had her number." The rider had to resort to pulling on the horse's head using the rein with all her strength to turn in the direction she wanted to go, which put her badly out of balance. It seemed to me that she needed to use a bit in order to use less physical strength and to communicate more clearly and authoritatively to the horse. This kind of disobedience would be dangerous if she were to ride anywhere but in a small enclosed area, simply because a horse is a large, potentially fast animal. If the horse had been responsive to her cues using this tack, she would have been fine to ride him anywhere.

My advice would be to use a bit in the short term until leadership is established from the saddle and then possibly go back to the bitless bridle, in combination with positive training for lighter and more prompt responses to cues using the bitless bridle.

As a positive trainer, I was able to get the horse to give me some nice soft turns by shaping him while riding him but this is beyond the capability of a novice rider and trainer. In a perfect world, the horse would be retrained using both positive and negative reinforcement (i.e. touch) by an experienced trainer and the rider would be taught to train and ride the same way. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and positive training is

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still not the norm in the horse world. I think this particular combination of horse and rider would be better off using a bit at this stage but I have to also respect the mindset of the client and gradually get her to understand other viewpoints.

In general, A plain snaffle bridle, correctly fitted. horses who are This is the most commonly used type ridden by riders of bit with good hands or a good sense of touch and in a bit that suits them will willingly open their mouths to have their bridle put on.

See this video for an example.

I do not feel that bits are themselves cruel. It is the riders who are cruel, whether or not they mean to be. If a rider does not have the balance to ride with a bit without pulling on the horse's mouth, then absolutely they should not be using a bit, and preferably no bridle or halter of any type. Signs of discomfort when using a bit include headshaking, throwing head around, fussing with the bit, excessive salivation, tongue over the bit or tongue hanging out the side of the mouth, opening the mouth (which can also be a sign of tension in general or lack of understanding of the correct response to bit pressure and not necessarily related to the bit itself).

Some of these signs may not be related to the bit per se but may be evident only when a bit is used. Other sources of pain and discomfort in the mouth evident when a bit is used include grass seeds stuck in the horse’s gums, periodontal disease, sharp teeth or other injury to the lips, teeth, tongue or palate. If the browband of the bridle is too short, it makes the headpiece dig into the back of the horse’s ears, which can also cause headshaking, rubbing and general distraction and discomfort. If the throatlatch is too short or too thick, it can be uncomfortable in the junction of the jaw with the neck. Note that these problems can also occur with a bitless bridle (see photo top left on next page).

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Places where bridles can cause pain and discomfort if the wrong size or incorrectly adjusted

Further, the bit may not be correctly adjusted in the horse’s mouth. If it is too high because the bridle cheekstraps are adjusted too short, there is discomfort on the bars of the mouth and corners of the lips when it clanks on the horse’s bottom teeth. Like humans' shoes, the bit must be the right size, not too wide or short, too thick or too thin. Incorrectly sized or fitted bits or bridles are not comfortable for the horse. Incorrectly sized or fitted bitless bridles are less likely to cause discomfort until pressure is applied although an incorrectly fitted bit is uncomfortable as soon as it is in the horse’s mouth.

What is too thick for some horses may be fine for others, depending on how fleshy and thick their tongues and corners of the mouth are and how high their palate is. A bit may be perfectly fine for a horse, but if the rider also uses an overly tight noseband, then this can cause discomfort either on the chin or around the muzzle depending on the type of noseband. The photo of the white horse (top right on previous page) shows a correctly adjusted plain snaffle bridle without a noseband.

There are horse trainers demonstrating beautiful advanced work without using bridles. I have to emphasize that to get to that point, there have usually been years of prior training with some type of

bridle, a strong relationship between the individual horse and rider, impeccable riding skills and often positive training too. Current competition rules generally require the use of a certain type of bitted bridle and, until these regulations are relaxed, most competitive riders will continue to use them. Some types of bits are banned but some disciplines now allow bitless bridles.

Unfortunately there are also bits that have rough surfaces, have a surface area so narrow that they can cut the horse’s mouth, or have spikes that poke the horse in the roof of the mouth). Obviously, these have no place in good horsemanship because they are the equine equivalent to the prong collar.

Whether to bit or not to bit depends on the individual horse's preference, sensitivity, responsiveness, the skill of the rider, the type of riding the rider wants to do and where they want to ride. If a horse and rider are getting along well and are happy in their current arrangement then there is no real need to change it.

On the other hand, it may pay to try something different to give the horse the opportunity to have an opinion about it. n Dr. Lisel O’Dwyer has a background in psychology and has shared her life with a range of species since childhood. At present she has five horses, one donkey, two cats, two dogs and five chickens, all of whom are clicker trained. Currently she is becoming involved with the new horse sport of agility training (unmounted and at liberty).

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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A

Vets Need Behaviorists Too Jane Ehrlich contemplates the absence of accurate information and education in the vast realm of feline behavior

© Can Stock Photo

s far as I know I was the only feline behavior consultant attending this year's American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) conference. I am not a vet, nor a tech. After four days at the event I left with a notebook of interesting bits I could pass on to my clients, yes, but also confirmation that feline behavior was still low on the vet's priority list.

The "feline track" was extremely small compared to the one for dogs. Very doggist. Even a talk for clinic staff on handling fear and aggressive behavior was 90 per cent dog.

The lecturer, a wellknown vet-behaviorist, admitted there was "too little known about cats." She even admitted she didn't know “all that much.”

One of the biggest names in veterinary medicine, Niels Pedersen, author of the book Feline Infectious Diseases (American Veterinary Publications 1989), advised me: "Behavior? It's either sex or stress.

If it's sex, castrate 'em. Stress? Drug 'em." Oh, well that's all right, then.

It's a common approach. After speakers' talks on non-medical feline matters at several conferences, I asked the same question: “How can we get more vets to use behavior consultants?” Nobody had answers.

In true displacement gesturing I (metaphorically) scratched my head in frustration. Story thus far: many vets are not very interested.

Vets prefer dogs. According to Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, spokeswoman for the excellent Cat Friendly 48

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Clinic Guidelines, only 17 per cent of vets even prefer cats while 48 percent prefer dogs. Yet with cats being the most popular domestic pet in the US, it would be financially viable to consider a more cat-seductive practice. In spite of this, almost 50 per cent of vets are not interested in adopting even those guidelines for their clinics.

In an admittedly unscientific survey, I asked 31 vets at the AAHA conference if they used cat behavior consultants. A staggering 29 said they did not. I have asked many vets here in Arizona that same question. The vast majority said “No.” Well why not? Many explained, "We don't think about it." Several admitted they did not know of any. A few said, "I can handle that sort of thing."

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Fact: most cats are Owners dealing dumped at with cat shelters and behavior problems killed or just do not always receive informed plain dumped beadvice cause of behavior issues rather than medical ones. You could be hard-pressed looking for "feline behavior" as part of DVM curricula. Most vets have admitted they had received "one or two lectures" in their three-year program. There were no classes in feline behavior but perhaps one or two in animal behavior. An online look at what some of the major vet programs offer reveals that some prominent universities have behavior clinics. However, there is only one general animal

treatment. Another example - aggression toward other house pets. "Drug him or remove him" is often the offered answer. Or the Feliway pheromone plug-in. Occasionally the honest vet might explain that they do not know.

Good behavior consultants understand the typical feline issues that exasperate the owner. They know how to help and advise through protocols and suggestions, learned through years of personal and clinical experience. They can answer questions and solve issues that many vets cannot. Spraying, soiling, scratching, avoidance, aggression toward people or pets, the reasons behind such behavior, the triggers involved, learning about as much background as is possible, learning the home and outside layouts, the relationships between the cat and his owners, the family and much more is required in getting to the bottom of any feline behavioral issue. And then there’s habituation, desensitization, different types of learning and conditioning, taking a thorough history… It is not just a matter of reading books. Experience in reputable institutions can be a good substitute for academic training, particularly if the student’s experience was based solely on what they had studied in books.

TV programs and web blogs about cats (excluding the cute picture-laden ones) have never been as hugely popular as they are now. Sure, there are some good tips © Can Stock Photo

behavior course in the three-year program of one university and that is an elective. Another has three courses, two of which are elective. They have a course every year in raptors, swine and goats. There is a lot of information on sugar-gliders. "No book required nor recommended," apparently. A third has one elective course and two others have none, although, again, they have their own behavior clinics.

How much of these courses cover, specifically, feline behavior? Say the department spokespeople: "We don't know, but if the professor is covering dogs, horses and other animals it would be little."

The assumption is that you can learn more in graduate and postgraduate work after you have achieved your DVM. The American College of Vet Behaviorists has a respected program for vets, to cite one example.

Furthermore, there is no feline behavior journal. According to Elsevier, “There is no money in it.” There is no feline behavior lecture scheduled at the American Board of Vet Practitioners conference at the end of this month, nor were there at other conferences this year.

The vets who feel they do not need a behavior consultant would benefit greatly - not only for their clients and their clients' cats but for their clinic’s credibility - if they were to change their minds. The others can find a good list from the AAFP, Many cats are abandoned IAABC or other orbecause of common ganizations. behavior issues My clients tell me that, when they mention their cat's problems to the doctor - on soiling inappropriately for example - they get general advice: "Change litter. Clean around the box with an enzymatic cleaner or move it," without understanding the underlying cause for the problem. Is it due to box issues or stress or hormonal issues if there is no medical cause? It all makes a difference in terms of

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on the internet but there is also a lot of advice that is simply wrong. Still reading about using vinegar to clean boxes? Pushing the cat's head down onto the urinatedupon surface? Cats don't sweat? Amazing. No blog, website or column can solve every case. How many cats are "relinquished" because a net tip didn't solve the problem? If a vet is unable to solve a behavior problem do those cats get dumped too? A jazzy site and a claim to be an “expert" is not enough. Homework is needed, as it would be for any profession.

I never pretend to be a vet but recommend the client check with the vet first to rule out possible underlying medical issues. That vet should also be able to recommend a good behavior consultant if the cat is physically healthy. People should examine the background of any professional who is considered. Those certified in animal behavior should have a lot of experience specifically in feline issues. There are also superb, renowned behavior consultants who are not certified but have an enor-

mous wealth of experience, written for good journals and participated in major projects and programs sponsored by responsible institutions.

Until recently one could not become certified in feline behavior. Now a few established and respected organizations offer this possibility. I hope this is a sign of more to come and that feline behavior starts to be taken every bit as seriously as canine and equine. Vets, vet-behaviorists and behavior consultants all need to share. We could learn so much from each other. After all, we are doing it for the cats, not for our own egos. For vets, for behaviorists, for the cats – it’s a win-win-win. n Jane Ehrlich is a professionally trained Feline Behaviorist with over 27 years' experience. She spent 18 years volunteering with the RSPCA in both clinical and behavior work and has her own consulting business Cattitude Feline Behavior in Phoenix, AZ, although her clients are located worldwide.

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Feline Behavior Unmasked Jane Ehrlich responds to commonly asked questions about feline behavior problems and feline behavior in general

Q: We adopted a tabby last year from a shelter. Josie is about two years old and is wonderful except for one thing: she has been eating holes in towels, sweaters, sweatshirts and even an Indian rug. Why is this happening? She has enough to eat, and has lots of toys. We now have rooms off limits due to her bad habit. Can you help?

A: Josie may have pica, which is sucking, chewing or eating non-foods such as fabric (usually wool), plastic bags and paper.

It affects cats at any age. Orientals (includes Siamese cats) Oriental and Birmans breeds have have a genetic a genetic tendency for tendency pica. As a matter for pica of fact, a wellknown veterinarian-behaviorist was recently awarded $10,000 by a major research company to study the genetics of pica. I have seen pica in tabbies and tuxedos as well. We do not exactly know why some cats have it. But pica is not just destructive; it can also threaten a cat’s health because the eaten stuff can cause intestinal havoc by blocking food or blood supply.

Pica is sometimes linked with anemia, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. It can also be triggered by diabetes or brain tumor. It may be a dietary deficiency. Sometimes the cause is simply unknown.

The first step for any owner who sees this in their pet cat is a trip to the vet to ensure there is no internal damage. If you get the all clear then look for behavioral reasons such as boredom, attractive scents (plastic bags can be manufactured from animal gelatin, for example), even

a mommy-fix as cats weaned too early sometimes go for fuzzy, woolly things to first knead, then suck and eventually ingest. We also know that stressful changes in the home can bring on pica.

To chase off boredom, daily, frequent, interactive play will stimulate Josie physically and mentally. Use pole-toys, such as Da Bird, and Neko Flies (use the Cati-Pede attachment; it is bigger and has two separate body parts, which makes the thing wiggle as a real bug would).

For times when Josie is home alone put out food-dispensing toys so she has to work for her food. Consider an outdoor enclosure for her stimulation. You will have a much happier cat and she will be less likely to amuse herself with non-edibles.

Also, hide items that she may be tempted to chew on.

Remove plants altogether. Use electric cord guards.

Offer Josie more enticing things to chew such as rawhide, durable toys or indoor pots of grass or catnip – but watch that she does not eat the dirt.

You may also want to talk with the vet about increasing the fiber in your cat’s diet so that she feels fuller for longer.

Q: We recently adopted two short-haired, orange/white kittens. They are brothers and are presently eight months old. They often sit upright on their haunches with their front legs dangling in front. This way they get a higher view of their surroundings by sitting straight up. What types of cats commonly do this, if at all?

A: It is an adorable natural 'quirk'. Munchkins, Scottish Folds, Cornish Rexes, Maine Coons and all sorts of good old common or garden domestic cats do it. It seems to be instinctive although I have noted some kittens pick it up from their mothers so it may also be learned. Some people feel it is a method of making themselves taller to ward off predators. However, I have also seen the posture adopted when the scenario was safe, and it was, as you say, just to get a better view of say a bird or butterfly. n BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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A Cry for Attention Lara Joseph details the importance of foraging, its use in modifying behavior issues and the concept of contra freeloading

oraging is defined as searching for food. From my observations, however, much more is involved than the mere hunt for food when a parrot carries out this behavior.

I am fascinated with watching birds forage because it has such a profound impact on their behavior in so many ways. It seems to come naturally to some companion parrots while others need to be taught. Incorporating foraging opportunities in our birds’ cages, rooms, aviaries and other environments can really help engage and stimulate their minds and fill their need to investigate.

Birds develop mentally and physically through learning from their environment. Our birds’ minds expand and are put to use through the objects we incorporate into their daily environments (see photo right).

In the wild, it has been noted that parrots can spend up to 60 percent of their day foraging for food. They travel up to 40 mile circumferences in their search for food (Meehan & Mench 2007).

So how does this relate to the behavior of the birds we care for? Their minds and bodies have evolved and developed to incorporate this activity in their daily lives.

We, as parrot caregivers, often work with parrots in cages. How we feed them impacts behavior. If we feed in a dish, they often consume their daily requirement of food in just 15 minutes. What are they going to do with all the extra time? This gives a lot of opportunity for the bird to learn desirable or undesirable behavior. I always say, “If you take away one natural behavior from an animal, you had better replace it with another. If you do not, the animal is likely to find a replacement behavior and many times this will not be a behavior we care for or find easy to live with.” I also believe, through experience, that the more intelligent the mind, the harder it is to live within our care.

I use the behavior of foraging to help modify behav52

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Parrots in the wild spend up to 60 percent of their day foraging for food

ior issues or concerns with all of my animals, especially the parrots. The behavior of foraging is shaped, like many other behaviors and can be taught to the birds in we care for.

I have a Moluccan Cockatoo named Rocky whom I brought in from a shelter almost seven years ago. Rocky came to me with many behavioral issues and one of them was screaming an ear-piercing scream every four seconds. This would go on for hours. There were a few different approaches I took to eradicate the scream, including teaching him how to forage. With the shaping of foraging, Rocky is now one of the most well-behaved parrots I have and he has about eight foraging stations within his cage.

Firstly, I looked to see if I could determine the underlying reinforcer for Rocky’s screaming behavior. After observing, listening and interacting, I found that he wanted attention more than anything and this was the main reason for his screaming. I am almost positive this

AVIAN

was one of the top reasons he lost his former home. I and learning to work for his food increased, so did the was told it was because of his aggressive behaviors but complexity of the toy, the location of the toy and the his screaming was obviously a behavior also well-practype of food hidden in each (see photo below). At night I ticed. For the first few weeks Rocky was in my care, I would stock all of his foraging toys and in the morning never observed him playing with toys. This makes a situ- he would wake up spending much of his time navigating ation more difficult to change if the bird doesn’t interact his cage to find all of the goodies stashed in different with objects inside his cage. Two things inside his cage toys. Soon I was sleeping in until nine in the morning with which he did interact however were his food and before I heard any vocalizations from Rocky. water. Bingo! This gave me the perfect place to start.

One of many fascinating things to watch as a bird begins to learn or explore their cage with foraging is I began watching what food parts, pieces and shapes Rocky would pick out of his dish first. I also tried to in- how they begin to prefer foraging for the food in their corporate new food items. I started with a food item foraging toys and start abandoning the bowl. In this that was not a main source of his nutrition and one that video, the bird is foraging from a foot toy. As the bird appeared to be his favorite. I placed a small foraging toy begins increasing in levels of complexity in toys, you can next to his food dish. The toy was transparent so the replace the treats in the foraging toys with his main diet food item was extremely visible to Rocky. The toy being while increasing your use of treats as reinforcers for transparent is not a necessity but the food item being other training. Provide the main staple in both locations clearly visible is. This foraging toy was also extremely — the toy and the dish — while ensuring the bird gets simple so it would not take much effort for Rocky to re- all his daily needed and proper nutrition. Once you trieve his favored food item. When Rocky leaned in for clearly observe this, get rid of the bowl. food from the food dish, the favored food item was at When a bird chooses to work for his food, such as eye level and within clear and obvious reach with a turn searching for food in the foraging toy versus taking idenof his head and an opening of tical free food from places Birds may choose to work for food rather than take the the beak. It did not take long requiring less effort, there easy option, a concept known as contra freeloading before Rocky was turning his is a name for this in the head slightly for the favored field of behavior: contra food item. When his beak freeloading. It is fun to touched the acrylic toy, guess watch. It is only called what I heard? I heard his beak contra freeloading though touching it. This was when I deif the food is identical and livered the bridge by saying if the animal is choosing “Good!” and delivered the reinto work for the food verforcer, my attention. Obviously, sus taking the food that if the screaming started, I igrequires less effort (Inglis, nored it. The next time I heard Forkman & Lazarus 1997). his beak touch the acrylic toy, I There are many studies on would immediately go to the this covering a wide varicage and deliver his much valety of animals and numerued attention from me in a ous different theories have process known as differential been developed as to why reinforcement. I observed the animals choose to Rocky learning through continwork for their food versus gency that the behavior of fortaking the identical free aging brought the reinforcer food. Could it be “the and not the previously trained thrill of the chase?” I have behavior of screaming. personally observed this with several animals I As his behavior of foraging BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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have worked with, ranging from parrots, vultures, dogs, rodents, fish and, currently, pigs.

Parrots are claimed to be one of the most intelligent birds by many who research them. Keeping an intelligent mind occupied can have a profound effect on desirable and undesirable behaviors. Providing natural ways for our birds to forage for their food is a great way to provide mental and physical stimulation in ways their bodies are designed to attain or solve. Hopefully, their lives under our care also lack predators such as hawks, cars etc. Much of a parrot’s life in the wild is spent watching out for predators and surviving from day to day. If this natural behavior is taken away, what behavior should we try and replace it with as pets in our households or educational programs? This major replacement of activity is one area where we could begin incorporating small and solvable increases in complexities to occupy their time. I incorporate many individually appropriate increases in challenges and complexities into their environments by way of toys, foraging and cage set-up. I mention "individually appropriate" because what one bird may be able to solve, the one in the cage next to him may not yet be at a level required to understand.

Another very important factor is to keep the challenges solvable for the individual bird (Meehan & Mench 2007). If a bird is consistently faced with an unsolvable toy, frustration levels can escalate and undesirable behavioral issues could unknowingly be created. It can be a delicate balance in providing the appropriate challenge level while keeping the task solvable for the bird. It does not take long to find that balance in observing a bird with their toys and food incorporated. Once you find it, This bird is choosing to forage from a foot toy (see video)

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you can then take the small steps necessary in continuing to build their individual levels of challenges. You will soon see their opportunity to mentally engage becomes the reinforcer. n

Resources

Inglis, I.R., Forkman, B. & Lazarus, J. Free Food or Earned Food? A Fuzzy Model of Contra Freeloading (1997) Association for the Study of Animal Behavior 53, 1171-1191 Meehan, C.L. & Mench, J.A. The Challenge of Challenge: Can Problem Solving Opportunities Enhance Animal Welfare? (2007) Applied Animal Behavior Science 102, 246-261 Lara Joseph is the owner of The Animal Behavior Center LLC in Ohio. She is also the Director of Avian Training for a wildlife rehabilitation center where she focuses on removing stress from animal environments. Lara is a professional member of The Animal Behavior Management Alliance and The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators.

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A New Approach

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Niki Tudge details how to use conflict resolution skills to improve your clients’ commitment and compliance

Part Two of this series presents conflict as an opportunity to generate positive solutions. By exploring individual differences we can understand and interact with people in a more productive manner and, the better equipped we are to collaborate with our clients, the more we can enhance the lives of the companion animals we see

© Can Stock Photo

n part one What folConflict can be viewed as a different of this artilows is an way of approaching things cle (BARKS overview of from the Guild: how I recomJuly 2014, page mend you ap52), we disproach and cussed the fact resolve conflict. that many peoBecause conple have a negaflict ranges in tive conditioned scope, severity emotional reand consesponse to the acquences (both tual word intended and “conflict.” I atunintended), tempted to make you may find the case that yourself using conflict is not a only some of bad thing; we are all individuals after all. But when our these individual steps. In other situations you may use differences come to the surface, conflict can arise. I them all. asked previously that we all switch paradigms and start Whenever you're in conflict with thinking of conflict as simply a difference in how we apsomeone, there is one factor that can proach things. Conflict is not a bad thing, as long as we make the difference between damagresolve it effectively. Think about all the great relationing your relationship and deepening it. ships you could shape, the business partnerships you That factor is attitude - William James could create and the situations you could resolve with your clients if you were able to handle conflict effec1. Create an Effective Atmosphere tively.

When people are involved in a conflict there is typically So let’s view conflict as just that, an opportunity to a lot of negative and unpleasant energy. Anger, frustragenerate positive, collaborative solutions. If we then arm tion and disappointment are just a few of the emotions ourselves with a conflict resolution process we will have often felt. By establishing a positive atmosphere, we can all the necessary tools to explore our differences and use begin to turn that negative energy around and create a this understanding to interact with people in a more pro- powerful problem-solving force. This creates a strong ductive manner. Think about how you can enhance the platform for the conflict resolution process. lives of the companion animals you see if you are better Before beginning the process, both parties must equipped to collaborate with their owners. agree that they want to resolve the conflict. Without this crucial buy-in step, achieving a win-win solution is close Seek first to understand then to be to impossible. As soon as participants have agreed it is understood - Stephen Covey important to neutralize any residual and damaging bad BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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feeling. This means facilitating a situation where participants can vent and work through any feelings they have associated with the conflict and/or the people involved.

Individuals need to move through these key steps: • Accept they have negative feelings and that these feelings are normal • Acknowledge their feelings and the root causes • Identify how they might resolve their feelings These steps can help generate ideas about what is causing the problem. For example: “I feel there has been some tension in our dog training lessons for the last three weeks since I also signed up at PetSmart for lessons.”

Ground rules should be set at the beginning of any conflict resolution process to provide a framework.

These need to be agreed upon by both parties and should be positively framed. “We will listen to each other’s statements fully,” rather than, “We will not interrupt.” Ground rules should be fair to both parties, enforceable, adjustable and posted where they can be seen by anyone who may need to refer to them.

If you use a mediator, remember their role is that © Can Stock Photo of a guide and mentor, not a judge or supreme ruler. The ground rules also give the mediator a fair way to manage everyone’s behavior.

During the resolution process participants should be able to refer to the ground rules. For example: “Mark, I feel like you have cut off my last several statements and we did agree at the beginning of this that we would listen to each other’s statements fully before answering.”

Selecting the right time and place is a key part of resolving conflict. Wherever possible, choose a quiet location. Make sure there is enough time planned to go through the process.

Minimize distractions by agreeing to turn off cell phones and computers and forward office phones to voicemail.

If you are mediating, be conscious of the needs of both parties when scheduling the meeting. Choose a location that is neutral, one that they are both comfortable with or that neither has visited before.

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2. Create a Mutual Understanding This model of win-win situations and mutual gain is the preferred outcome for any conflict. To begin, you need to identify what you want personally out of the conflict.

Next, identify what the person you are in conflict with wants. Explore all the angles to maximize your possibilities for mutual gain. Once you have identified the wants and needs of both sides, look for areas of overlap.

These will be a good starting point for establishing mutual ground.

3. Focus on Individual and Shared Needs Making the transition from opponents to problem-solving teammates is one of the most powerful conflict resolution tools available. In 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman developed a four-stage model named the Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing model of group development to show how teams grow and develop.

This model can be applied to one-on-one human interactions too. Tuckman maintained all four phases are essential for a team to be able to grow and face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work and deliver results.

Most of the primary steps in conflict resolution are focused on information gathering and problem solving.

You should continue to try to find common ground throughout the entire conflict resolution process. This will help you understand your adversary’s position and better position you to help create a win-win solution.

Positive gestures will build goodwill and help you make the shift from two people in conflict to two people working together to solve a problem. It is extremely important here to focus on creating positive feelings and energy. A few ways you can achieve this are to adopt a good attitude and frame things positively. Create actionable items and try to keep emotions out of your statements.

4. Get to the Root Cause Building a positive foundation and gathering information are key steps to resolving conflict but we must also know what the problem is. Once the groundwork has

5. Generate Options Once you have a good handle on the conflict, it is time for all parties to generate some options for resolution.

In this stage, the focus should be on quantity not quality.

You want as many options to choose from as possible.

To begin with, generate ideas for resolving the symptoms of the conflict. Then move on to the root cause and expand your list of ideas. Don’t be afraid to throw out unorthodox suggestions or ask, “What if ?” Remember, this stage is about what you can do, not what you will do. It is very important not to censor yourself or the other person in the conflict. Record all the ideas on a list or brainstorming diagram. If you have created a cause and effect diagram, you can record ideas for resolution directly on the diagram.

At this stage, all your work to build common ground and positive relationships will really start to pay off. As you and the person you are in conflict with start to generate options the positive energy will build, increasing your creative output exponentially.

If you are having trouble thinking of solutions, use these questions to jump-start your creativity.

• In an ideal world, how would this conflict be resolved?

Participants have to decide whether it is worth the time and resources to resolve the conflict

© Can Stock Photo

been laid, it is important to look at the root causes. A good way to do this is to simply keep asking, “Why?” Another way of examining root causes is to create a cause and effect diagram (also known as a fishbone diagram) with the person you are in conflict with.

Forgiveness is another important concept here. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting the conflict happened or erasing the emotions it created but it does mean accepting the conflict happened.

Successful conflict resolution should give the participants some feeling of closure. Each party should feel satisfied with the resolution. Keep the goals in mind.

Ask yourself, “Will resolving this help provide me with closure? Will this action help me accept what has happened and move on?”

Conflict resolution can be hard work. Effective conflict resolution digs deep into issues and often explores unfamiliar territory in an attempt to resolve the core problem and prevent it from reoccurring. The process can also be very time-consuming and emotionally difficult. You and the person you are in conflict with may arrive at a point (or several points) in the conflict resolution process where you wonder, “Is this really worth it?”

If you arrive at a stalemate, remember why you are resolving the conflict. It can also be helpful to explore what will happen if the conflict is not resolved. What relationships will deteriorate or break up? If this is a workplace conflict, what is the financial cost to the company? What will be the emotional cost to the participants?

Who else will be affected?

These questions can help put things into perspective and evaluate whether or not the conflict is truly worth resolving. In most situations, resolving the true conflict is well worth the effort in the long term.

Visualizing the benefits can provide the motivation to work through the rest of the process.

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How do we not want this conflict to be resolved?

• How might others resolve this conflict?

Narrow your list down and then dig deeper into the feasible options. Look at how much effort is required for each option. What is the payback for each option?

Do you have a preference?

6. Build a Solution Once the possible solutions are laid out then it is time to move on and choose a solution. The best approach is for each party to write down their individual criteria and then come together and combine the lists to create a final set of criteria.

Although it is important to work together on this list, it is also important that the wants and needs of both parties be respected. Once the criteria have been created, bring out the list of solutions. Eliminate any solutions

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BARKS from the Guild is a 60+ page trade publication by the Pet Professional Guild available to members, supporters and the general public online. Widely read by industry professionals and pet owners alike, BARKS covers a vast range of topics encompassing animal behavior, pet care, training, education, industry trends, business and much more. If you would like to reach your target audience then BARKS is the perfect vehicle to achieve that goal.

Niki Tudge is the founder of the PPG, The DogSmith, a national dog training and pet-care license, and DogNostics Career College. She is also a certified people trainer, Certified Facilitator and Project Manager and has business degrees from Oxford University (UK). Her professional credentials include; CPDT-KA, NADOI – Certified, AABP- Professional Dog Trainer, AABP- Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, Diploma Animal Behavior Technology, and Diploma Canine Behavior Science & Technology. See here for more information.

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that do not match the must-have criteria you and your partner have identified. At the end of this process, you should have a small, manageable list of potential solutions. Now, choose a final solution. Remember, you can often combine multiple options for even greater success.

Here is a checklist to evaluate the chosen solution.

• Is it a win-win solution for everyone involved?

• Are all needs provided for?

• Are all criteria met?

Once you have chosen your solution, I will showcase how to create a plan to put it into action in the next part of this series. n For more on conflict resolution, join us for our PPG webinar Making Business Life Easier with Clients and Employees: Learn Simple Ways to Manage Conflict Resolution on Tuesday, 25 November 2014, 5 pm - 6.30 pm (EST).

Find more information here.

BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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The Pro-Active Pet Business Owner Planning the financial side of your business is the hallmark of successful business ownership, says Marie Poliseno

hen presented with a behavioral problem in a client’s pet, how often do you think to yourself how easily the issue might have been avoided if only some proactive training or steps had been taken earlier? And so it is with the financial side of your business. Planning, budgeting and strategizing about your finances leads to successful business ownership.

An integral part of that strategy should include tax planning. Employing very simple strategies during the year will mean paying less tax at the end. And that means more of your training dollars in your own pocket.

For example, knowing which tax provisions expire at the end of the year allows you to take tax advantage before it is too late.

Tax planning is an essential part of This year Š Can Stock Photo financial strategy Congress is contemplating whether or not to extend certain tax provisions that would allow you to accelerate the depreciation of certain assets purchased during the year, as well as adjusting the maximum amount allowed to be written off during the first year of ownership. Making purchases in one year or another can make a huge impact on your tax bill.

Taking advantage of tax credits is another example. Retirement Savings Tax Credits are one of the biggest tax advantages

available to small business owners. The US government encourages you to start saving for retirement with a tax credit of up to $1,000 (depending upon your income level) for doing so. There are many different types of retirement accounts to choose from, each with their own specific requirements, timing, contribution limits and tax advantages. Knowing the difference allows you to strategize, plan and manage your financial health.

Keeping up with our constantly changing tax code is an enormous task. Maintaining an open dialogue with your accountant throughout the year allows her to advise you about upcoming changes in the tax law, help you develop a financial plan for your future and assist the management of your expected tax liability and payments. And that usually means paying less in taxes so you can enjoy more of the money you work hard to make. n Marie Poliseno is the Managing Partner of Dollars & Scents Accounting Services. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as well as a professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and honors graduate of the SFSPCA Academy for Dog Trainers (CC). To work with Marie on your financial and tax matters, email her here.

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SALES

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Fetch More Dollars: Like Peas in a Pod Good dog trainers have the potential to be extremely effective salespeople due to shared skill sets, says John D. Visconti

© Can Stock Photo

like the majority of potential customers. Finally, extron the previous issue of BARKS from the Guild (July verts are inclined to be self-focused and do not ask 2014, page 59), I discussed the negative association enough questions when interacting with clients. As a many trainers have with the words ‘selling’ and salesperson, always remember that what you say is never ‘salesperson.’ Additionally, I pointed out that a profesas important as what you ask. Extroverts spend too sional salesperson is in the business of helping people, much time saying and not enough time asking. not exploiting them. Hopefully, because you embraced So exactly what traits do make for a successful salesthese concepts and now possess a differperson? ent perspective on what it means to be Steve W. Martin, sales strategy teacher at the USC a salesperson, you will never experiMarshall School of Business and ence beads of sweat forming on author of the book Heavy Hityour brow should someone ask, “Are you ter Sales Linguistics: 101 Adnow or have you ever been a salesperson?” vanced Sales Call Strategies for Another reason to embrace that being a Senior Salespeople (TILIS Pubprofessional salesperson, as opposed to lishers 2011), conducted an inbeing a con artist, is a noble endeavor is depth study to identify the traits that you already share many of top performing salespeople. traits of successful salesHis findings were published by the people. That’s right, Harvard Business Review in June of 2011. good trainers are very What follows is a listing of key personalsimilar to good salesity attributes of top salespeople. people. One could say • Modesty: 91 percent of top salespeople you are like two peas in had medium to high levels of modesty. a pod.

• Conscientiousness: 85 percent of top A common stereotype held by salespeople scored high in levels of conscientiousmany people labels successful salespeople as ness. being extroverted, high spirited, outgoing in• Achievement orientation: 84 percent dividuals who fill the room by force of perof the top performers tested scored very sonality and irresistible charm. How accurate is this view? Not very.

Studies have shown high in achievement orientation.

• Lack of discouragement: less than 10 A 2013 study Rethinking the Extraverted Sales that modesty and conscientiousness percent of top salespeople were classified as havIdeal: The Ambivert Advantage conducted by Adam Grant of the Wharton School of the are desirable traits ing high levels of discouragement. in a salesperson • Lack of gregariousness: overall, the University of Pennsylvania disproves the vatop performers averaged 30 percent lower gregariouslidity of commonly held beliefs about successful salesness than below average performers. Gregariousness people. In a nutshell, the study indicated that extroverts was defined as the “preference for being with people.” are likely to turn clients off with the excesses of their Notice the list has none of the aforementioned traits personalities. Additionally, extroverts tend to be poor listypically associated with successful salespeople: extroverteners; consequently, they do not learn about the needs sion, charm, slickness etc. In fact, it is a list of some of their clients. Given that most people are not extrofairly mundane traits. More interestingly, a very clear parverts and like to purchase items/services from those allel exists between the skill set of top performing sales who are similar to them, extroverts are at a decided disadvantage when it comes to selling because they are un- reps and dog trainers. If you are actively training, you 60

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not only possess the above skills, but you are regularly utilizing them.

• Modesty: when you are training, are you boastful? Do you make yourself the center of attention? Are you pushy or egotistical?

• Conscientiousness: are you “winging it” during your training sessions, or do you have a plan? Are you reliable? Do you show up for your appointments on time? Do you feel a sense of responsibility to your clients?

• Achievement orientation: when you train, are you focused on your goals? Do you have a terminal behavior in mind when training a dog? Are you are measuring progress toward your goals and adjusting accordingly during the training process?

• Lack of discouragement: when a dog does not respond, do you give up? When the owner’s mechanics need work, do you help, or simply quit on him or her?

Do you utilize splits and changes in criteria to achieve your training goals?

• Lack of gregariousness: one simple question do you often prefer hanging out with the dog, rather than the owners?

You will notice the many similarities between the skill

SALES

sets required to be effective in the disciplines of dog training and selling. I believe that good dog trainers have the potential to be extremely effective salespeople because of these shared skill sets. It is simply a matter of redirecting and refining those skills you utilize while training to achieve a different terminal behavior—the conversion of a prospect into a satisfied client.

The better news is that unlike charm, extroversion, and other traits typically seen as being necessary for successful selling, the traits noted above can be learned and improved upon. Just as with hard work and dedication you learned to become an effective dog trainer, you can do the same regarding selling. Successful salespeople are not born, they are made. Remember, just as there are no ‘Dog Whisperers’ there are no ‘Sales Whisperers.’ Once you embrace this and dedicate yourself to learning your sales craft, your drive for self-improvement will place you, your clients and their dogs, on the road to a less stressful, more fulfilling life. n John D. Visconti CPDT-KA is the owner of Fetch More Dollars sales consulting for dog trainers, Dog Trainer ConneXion business management software and Rising Star Dog Training.

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MEMBER PROFILE

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Making a Difference

In the ongoing series of PPG member profiles, this month BARKS features Mary Jean Alsina of The Canine Cure, LLC

ary Jean Alsina has had an affinity with dogs her whole life so it is only fitting that, having studied at The Academy for Dog Trainers in San Francisco under well-known trainer/author and PPG member Jean Donaldson, she now runs her own dog training and pet sitting business.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your own pets:

A: My dog, Pharaoh, is an almost eight-year-old Doberman who is the love and mush of my life.

Our Welsh Corgi, Angel, passed away on 21 August, 2013 and we decided to stick with one dog for now. Pharaoh is a great friend to our eight-year-old son, Jason, and likes to take part in tug and fetch as much as he possibly can! He LOVES work-to-eat toys. He is a Velcro dog to his mommy so I do feel I have a shadow quite frequently but I wouldn't want it any other way. He is my best friend.

Q: Why did you become a dog trainer or pet care provider?

A: I have always loved dogs and felt a special place in my heart for them. I became a teacher right out of college and taught for 17 years but always had that soft spot for my doggies! I worked in shelters and with friends' dogs to get the experience and to attempt to quench my thirst for what I wanted to do. I feel dogs are WAY smarter than we give them credit for and the potential in them is infinite.

Q: Who has most influenced your career and how?

A: Cesar Millan has influenced my career because he has

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shown me exactly the type of trainer I do NOT want to be. I am hired by so many clients who use his techniques which in turn, make their dogs' behavior worsen, unfortunately. I am so unbelievably passionate about informing people about why force-free training is the way to go to achieve a happy, well-adjusted dog.

Q: What do you consider to be your area of expertise?

A: Fearful dogs.

Q: Are you a crossover trainer or have you always been a force-free trainer?

Always force-free.

Q: What drives you to be a force-free professional and why is it important to you?

A: There is no reason that a dog, or any animal, should have to feel pain in order to learn. People don't learn well with pain, so why would we expect our animals to be any different? It is my goal to get as Doberman many clients, people, children, Pharaoh is a Canine Good etc. to see that dogs deserve to Citizen and a be treated with respect and “Velcro� dog that they simply learn better when they perform behaviors because they WANT to, not because they are being pained or scared into doing it. It is simple science.

Q: How has the PPG helped you to become a more complete trainer?

A: The camaraderie is wonderful, especially the Facebook page. I love reading articles and other people's ideas on the board. It continues to expand my horizons

and helps me learn more. Trainers should never stop learning. I have such a thirst for knowledge and the PPG definitely helps that.

Q: What awards, competition placements, have you and your dog(s) achieved using force-free methods?

A: Pharaoh is a Canine Good Citizen. He was never into the competition arena.

Q: What reward do you get out of a day's training?

A: Making people's lives easier and helping them achieve better relationships with their dogs is extremely rewarding. Obviously being with dogs is why we get into training, but helping people to see that THEIR behavior is what actually helps to mold their dog's behavior is simply wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Q: What are some of your favorite positive reinforcement techniques for most commonly encountered client-dog problems?

A: Jumping up - nailing a solid sit stay; impulse control teaching a strong leave it and stay. I find these are extremely beneficial in getting dogs to not lunge, jump etc.

I am a die-hard trainer of dogs earning what they want and it works beautifully for my clients. Once dogs realize that they will only earn what they like by sitting, staying etc., those behaviors become strong VERY quickly. Dogs love to work so by giving them the oppor-

MEMBER PROFILE

tunity to be reinforced with everything in their daily lives - which they find motivating - is a direct way to a wellbehaved dog.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

A: Seeing the dogs and the people smile. Dogs having fun and learning at the same time - there is simply NOTHING better than that. Owners seeing their dogs learn in a fun and positive way and watching the dogs' behavior change before their very eyes is extremely rewarding.

Q: What is the funniest or craziest situation you have been in with a pet and their owner?

A: I was once trying out a Treat-and-Train with a young yellow Lab, George. We were doing a down stay. Well, I guess, I wasn't dispensing the treats fast enough and George picked up the whole Treat and Train unit in his mouth and ran off with it. It was hysterical at the time.

Q: What advice would you give to a new trainer starting out?

A: Go easy on yourself. Burn-out is very easy to attain in this business and many dogs need us! Learn as much as you can every day but don't be afraid to make mistakes in training – it is how we learn. Have fun and go out and make a difference. n The Canine Cure, LLC is based in New Jersey, NJ

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Monday, 5 - Friday, 9 January, 2015 Back To Basics Five-Day Dog Training Workshop Hosted by Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker

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Back To Basics - A Five-Day Level Two ForceFree Dog Training Instructor Workshop with Niki Tudge and Angelica Steinker (Tampa, FL) Monday, 13 April, 2015 8 a.m. (EDT) Friday, 17 April, 2015 5.30 p.m. (EDT)

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BARKS from the Guild/October 2014

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