Despite strong objections from both the dog training and veterinary community, Merial (makers of Frontline and Heartgard), is going ahead with it's partnership with Cesar Millan.
You might be wondering "What difference does it really make?" And that's a good question. Does it matter that a veterinary product company ignores veterinary advice? Does Merial believe that marketing is more important that what veterinarians recommend?
Read this article by veterinarian Sophia Yin, as she explains the magnitude of Merial's decision to ignore the professional opinions of three veterinary professional groups.
The Joys of Housetraining
Ahh, housetraining. There’s nothing better than a pup heading to the door to let you know he’s gotta go. The first couple of weeks with the puppy is tough – you have to be on top of where he is and what he’s doing all the time. You’ve got to make sure he’s not getting in trouble, eating an electric cord, being eaten by the cat, or pooping in the house. It’s not easy!
From Day One, we’ve been vigilant in teaching Talos that poops and pees are best done outdoors. Crazy humans that we are, we much prefer that kind of thing to be done outside, as much as we can appreciate the convenience of doing it indoors.
We made good use of the crate (see above) which helps a lot. We’ve also taken him in and out the same door every time. He doesn’t get a choice of which door. Nope, he’s got one option (which technically, isn’t even an option). It makes it a lot easier for him – just head to The Door, and magically a person appears and invites him outdoors. Once out, that same person acts as a cheerleader, telling him what a fabulous puppy he is when he pees or poops. What a life.
This morning, all our hard work paid off. Talos ate his breakfast and went immediately to the door. Hurray! He’d done this before, but I thought it was just chance. Nope, he’s really got it. Will he still make mistakes? Sure, if I’m not on my game and don’t notice his signals. Thankfully, he’s got feet that weigh 100 pounds each and you can’t help but hear where he is in our all-hardwood-floor house. So if you’re in the middle of housetraining, take heart. Just remain vigilant, use the crate, and use the Same Door every time. Your pup will get it. And then life is good.
Reaching the Animal Mind
Attention all dog lovers, there's a great new book out you're gonna love! It called Reaching the Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor. It's a fantastic look in to clicker training and why it works so well.
It's an easy read, and filled with lots of really good information every dog owner needs. There are rollicking tales of Karen's experience with dolphins, surfing ponies, a rhinoceros who loves her pedicure, and games that wolves play.
Want to work with your dog without jerking the leash? Without pushing? Without smacking? Without reprimanding or correcting? Read this book! Your dog can quickly learn that one behavior earns them a reinforcing click and a bit of food (or the toss of a toy or anything your dog likes), while undesirable behaviors get them nothing. If given a choice, we'll all focus on what works and give up on what doesn't.
Wanna see more? Karen was on Good Morning America and actually demonstrated clicker training with a Golden retriever puppy. You can also read an excerpt of her book on the GMA site, as well.
At Smart Dog University, we use clicker training to help you teach your dog to listen and behave. We find it works quickly, and is fun for both you and the dog. We're committed to force-free training and we hope you are, too. If you want to learn more, visit the Smart Dog University website.
Why Great Danes for Service Work?
A couple people have asked "Why Danes?" when I tell them Talos is in training to be a service dog. "They don't live very long, do they?"
Talos will be used as a brace dog – he'll help his person keep his (or her) balance. A brace dog needs to be (1) tall, (2) sturdy, (3) strong, and (4) calm. Not many dogs fit that bill… except a Great Dane.
From the breeder at Service Dog Project: The Balance
support dog should be at least 40% of the person’s height. A 6-foot
tall man needs a 30” dog. This puts stability at the person’s
fingertips. The dog should also weigh at least half the person’s
weight. Great
Danes are well suited to home and office life. The fact that Danes
require less exercise than many breeds is a good fit for some people
with disabilities. Danes are content to have a few walks every day and
then nap in the corner until their services are needed. They would
not dream of chasing a tennis ball. If someone intended to climb
mountains with their service dog, a Dane would not be for them.
Pictured above is a Great Dane named Arrow, who is in service as a balance dog. You can see how tall he is – his person (in the pink shirt) holds onto Arrow's orange harness for balance support. She's 5' 10" and you can see that her arm is bent when she's touching Arrow. (Arrow, by the way, is Talos' half brother – they share the same mother.)
Many Danes, if bred correctly, can reach 10 – 12 years of age. Breeding for function, not for looks, helps develop a hardy dog. Even though he might not meet the Great Dane breed standard, he's more likely to live a long life, assisting his charge for many years.
My Dog’s Guilty And He Knows It!
I can't tell you the number of people who tell me they know when their dog has done something naughty because he gives them the "guilty look." As much as I try to convince them that it's just not true, they don't believe me.
A great new research study finds that "people see ‘guilt’ in a dog’s body language when they believe the dog
has done something it shouldn’t have – even if the dog is in fact
completely innocent of any offense." This is a great read, you can find the rest of the article at Science Daily.
Letting Your Dog Off Leash: How to Do It Safely
There are very few places my dogs are allowed off leash: in my fenced backyard and at my parent's place on Lake Anna. That's just about it — two places. Call me a worry-wart. Call me a rule-follower. Call me whatever you want, but I'm not comfortable taking the chance that they'll take off after a deer, get lost, get hit by a car, or find an unfriendly dog and get into a fight. All of those possibilities have dire consequences — any one of those consequences could be the end of my dog. That's not a chance I'm willing to take, no matter how "liberating" it would be for my dog.
The picture on the left was taken when we went camping with the dogs. Notice the long leashes — both dogs are safely contained at our campsite on 30 foot cotton leashes. They can wander, but they can't go far. And they can't get into any serious trouble.
Some of my clients have fearful dogs, aggressive dogs, and unfriendly dogs. Some are unfriendly to people, while others are unfriendly toward other dogs (no matter how pleasant and friendly the other dog or other person is). I'm always shocked when they tell me they let their dog off-leash, knowing that their dog could cause damage to another person or dog, and knowing their dog doesn't have a good recall. That's asking for trouble.
The common thought that all these people have is a dangerous one: "We go to very remote areas of the park, trail, etc. where no one is." No one except every other person with a dog who either won't come when called or who isn't friendly to other people or other dogs. So now, not only are they doing something inherently dangerous to begin with, but they're increasing the chances that they're going to come upon another dog just like theirs – one who won't come when called, or worse, who will get into a fight with their dog.
It's just not worth it. What if your dog runs off? What if he starts a fight with another dog? Or is attacked by another dog? Or bites a person? Or gets hit by a car? Or gets quilled by a porcupine? (That really happened to a friend of mine who has great recall on his dogs, but he didn't see the porcupine until it was too late…).
So there really isn't a safe way to let your dog off leash unless you're in a fenced area. The consequences are simply too deadly. And it only takes one time for your dog to lose it's life. Just not worth it to me.