datachie, Author at Smart Dog University

Service Dog Training: Schooner’s Adjustment to Career Change

May 12, 2015

Changing careers is hard, for people as well as dogs.

Schooner, the Great Dane pup we raised for service work was recently released from service dog training. The transition has taken some time, but I think Schooner is settling into the new lifestyle of stay-at-home dog.

Big changes.

Great Dane, Laurie at Frederick Keys baseball game. — Service dogs get to go everywhere.

Service dogs in training get to go everywhere with their trainer. When I put my shoes on and grab my keys, the service dog in training knows what’s next: he gets leashed up, vested, and hops in the car with me to head out on an adventure. The routine is pretty familiar and the dogs get used to it.

The first time I left Schooner with the other dogs, I hadn’t given my departure a second thought: it was errand day and I had to get on the road, as there were lots of stops in front of me. I gave our three stay-at-home dogs their frozen stuffed Kongs and they happily trotted off to start to work. Schooner looked at me as if I’d given him something disgusting. Surely I had this wrong: surely I meant to take him.

After watching him fret while I was gone, I knew I had to come up with a plan to help him transition from working dog to his new role of stay-at-home dog.

Transition plan.

My first goal was to get him conditioned to eating Kongs again. He wasn’t interested in the stuffed frozen Kongs I hand out as I leave. He needed something a little more immediately reinforcing. He was worried when I left and working on something frozen wasn’t paying off quickly enough for him so I began leaving him with a Kong stuffed with just regular old peanut butter — not frozen. “Mmmmm,” he appeared to say, “now you’re talking!” as he took his Kong over to his bed to investigate it more thoroughly.

I ran into a problem a couple days later: Schooner associated Kong delivery with my departure. He wouldn’t eat the Kong (even with just plain, unfrozen peanut butter) because he was onto me: I was trying to distract him with a Kong so I could sneak out the door without him. It was clear I had to deliver those Kongs at random and unpredictable times. Times when I wasn’t going to leave. Over the next several days, I’d give the dogs Kongs at various times — the only constant was that I wasn’t leaving after the Kong delivery.

After I convinced Schooner that Kongs didn’t always predict my departure, we could move along to the next goal which was uncoupling keys/shoes with running to the door in anticipation of coming with me. I actually worked this one at the same time as the random delivery of Kongs mentioned earlier. I would pick up my keys, deliver a Kong, and sit at my computer. Or I’d put my shoes on, deliver a Kong, and return phone calls. Regardless of what else was happening, gathering my shoes and keys did not go together with my leaving. I got smart and left my shoes on for the day and put my keys in the car long before I needed to leave in order to uncouple those clues, too.

Minor changes.

Forgetting how massive he is and how much room he takes up on the couch, I hadn’t moved a dog bed into the living room. As I watched the dogs on our Dropcam, I could see that part of Schoons’ distress was in the fact that he didn’t have a comfy place to sleep while I was gone if the other dogs got up on the couch before he did. There was a big, fat, smooshy bed about 15 feet away from him in my office (easily accessible for any of the dogs, including Schoons), but he didn’t want to use it because then he’d be the only dog sleeping in the other room. Heaven forbid. I began leaving a big bed in the living room and now there’s always a comfy sleeping spot for whoever doesn’t get couch seating.

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I’ve also started taking Schooner along on my early morning exercise jaunts. He and Lily go about 3 – 3.5 miles every morning with ease. He’s quite athletic and in very good condition so while the distance isn’t strenuous, he’s a tired dog when we get back thanks to the physical exercise, but mainly due to the mental stimulation — all the sniffing opportunities, new sights and sounds, and the brain power required to process it all. So when I have errands, I tire him out, leave him with a Kong, and I’m confident he’ll finish the Kong and then start napping. The exercise is good for him and it serves several purposes for us both.

Current status.

Our daytime routine is now fairly well set. Recently, Schooner turned his nose up at his unfrozen peanut butter Kong and instead wanted the frozen (yogurt, pumpkin, peanut butter) Kongs that the other three dogs get, so now we’re even closer to our regular routine — all the dogs are getting the same thing. He no longer rushes to the door when I grab my keys and instead is now running to his bed where the Kong has been consistently delivered. Next week, I’m starting on a training plan for our dear giant boy — my goal is to get him certified as a therapy dog and maybe think about some competitive obedience.

New problem.

Great Dane, dog on the bed, dog training, dog obedience, Frederick, clicker, Smart Dog University, puppy, dog bed
Schooner is huge. He’s also a bed hog. Who’s really hard to move when he’s dead-asleep lying diagonally across the bed, leaving me no space. Actually, compared to the other transition issues, this one’s not at all hard to deal with. We’ll get it all sorted out, of that I’m sure.

On Leash Dog Greetings: Yes or No?

May 6, 2015

A colleague posted an interesting question on her Facebook page last week: “Do you let your dog greet other dogs on leash?”

The question wasn’t as interesting as the trend the answers took. There were almost 200 responses at last check. Most of the responders were professional dog trainers, although I’m sure there were a few pet owners responding, too.

The interesting thing was that the answers followed a trend: dog trainers were emphatic that dogs shouldn’t be meeting on leash, whereas dog owners were either neutral or liked the idea of dogs saying hello while on leash.

Why the discrepancy?

The differences were clear. The pet owners didn’t see anything wrong with letting dogs greet on leash (some even encouraged it), while professional dog trainers rarely let their own dogs greet other dogs while on leash. I think it’s because trainers have thousands more hours experience reading dog body language and can tell, sometimes before the dogs even get to greet, that the interaction won’t be a pleasant one. Many dog owners think that their dog should like — and want to greet — every dog it runs across, when in reality lots of dogs don’t really want to meet (or shouldn’t meet other dogs). Think of it this way: do you want to shake hands with every person you come across in the mall? Probably not — and neither do most dogs want to sniff up another dog.

What are the risks of on leash greetings?

dogs meeting on leash — Photo courtesy of Megan Burton (Canine Lifestyle Academy).

Why are so many professionals against the idea of having dogs greet on leash? Here are some of the common reasons dog trainers keep their dogs out of the “say hi” melee. Here are some of the most popular reasons why dog trainers are wary about letting dogs say hi to another dog while leashed.

Fear of the Unknown

I witnessed a friendly 12 week old puppy trot up to another dog to say hello, only to have the other dog grab the puppy by the muzzle and not let go. The puppy was screaming, the owner was screaming, and the owner of the other dog was horrified. It was ten long seconds of screaming before the other dog let the puppy go.

The moral of this story: if you don’t know the other dog well, it’s safest to keep your dog away. The owner of the other dog may either not know the dog isn’t friendly to other dogs or may not have the chance to say anything to you if you allow your dog to approach too quickly. Sometimes, the other dog might be friendly most of the time, but finds the occasional dog offensive. I’d hate for your dog to be the odd dog that gets the stranger dog riled up.

Bottom line: if you don’t know the dog and the owner really well, keep right on walking — no dog-to-dog greetings. It’s just too risky.

On Leash Greetings are Clumsy

bad dog leash greetings Dogs prefer to greet other dogs in a very specific manner. They like to approach from the side, head down a bit, and like to sniff the rear end of the other dog. When both dogs greet in this appropriate manner, owners can be left trying to untangle leashes and try to dance around to keep up with the dogs. In an instant, dogs (and people) can become entangled in the leashes and doggie tempers can flare with the unexpected restriction of movement. Also, if there is going to be a dog discussion, it’s not a great idea to become entangled in their leashes — the dogs get stuck and can’t get away from one another even when they try (and people get knocked down, too, adding to the chaos).

Other times, leashes prevent the natural greeting behavior and the without the prescribed ritual, the dogs can get the wrong impression of the other dog. If, for instance, a dog would ordinarily approach from the side, but because of the leash restriction must approach from the front, the other dog could find this direct approach a social offense that results in a stiffer body, which in turn signals to the approaching dog possible unfriendliness, and things devolve from there and the result could be an unfriendly discussion.

Feeling Trapped

Our dog, Lily, is a horrible dog-to-dog greeter if she’s on a leash. The restriction of movement that the leash imposes is enough to make Lily uncomfortable around other dogs. That uncomfortable feeling is translated into what dog trainers call “reactivity.” She barks, jumps, and pulls toward other dogs if she’s on-leash — and not in a happy, carefree manner. If she’s off-leash, she’s a happy camper and is quite appropriate with unknown dogs.

I suspect that Lily’s reactivity is caused by some conflict — one part of her would really like to greet the other dog, but she’s not exactly comfortable with the situation and the leash restricts her ability to get away if she chose that option. Therefore, when the opportunity to greet is presented, we get two different reactions depending on whether she’s on leash or off.

Reinforces Bad Habits

Even if both dogs are friendly and would love saying hello to one another, they’re likely so excited to see one another that they forget their leash manners. You might think “Oh, what’s the harm in a little pulling when they’re visiting friends?” The harm is that dangerous and inappropriate behavior is being reinforced. Reinforced behaviors get stronger, better, and occur more often — do you really want your dog to get better at pulling? Pulling to get to another dog is problematic for several reasons: (1) you’re reinforcing pulling — the dog gets what he wants when he pulls; (2) pulling is dangerous for you and for the dog. You could fall, hurt your arm/shoulder, or any number of other injuries. (3) Tight leashes can contribute to tension between dogs which can increase the stress level of one (or both) dogs. Often, when greeting on tight leashes, dogs will explode into barking and lunging which can turn quickly into a dog fight that no one saw coming.

Better Alternatives to Leash Greetings

So what’s an owner to do? You’ve got a dog who loves to play with other dogs and who probably craves that social interaction and physical activity. How can you get your dog the socialization and exercise he so desperately needs?

Fenced Yards

dog park, play fenced, dog training, dog play, Great Dane, black Lab, Labrador, Frederick, Smart Dog University Securely fenced yards are the best places to let dogs play with pre-screened, compatible dogs. Our neighbor has a great dog, but her yard isn’t fenced. So when our dogs are driving us batty from being cooped up too long, we simply text one another and she’ll bring her dog over to our fenced yard. I’ll let our dogs out and let the fun unfold. Of course, we supervise their play and end it when the dogs get tired.

Parallel Walking

Lab, black lab, Great Dane, dog training, leash manners, clicker, Smart Dog University If you have a friend with a dog, leash up your dogs and go for a nice long walk together. Parallel walking keeps the dogs busy walking, but they’re able to have some social time as well. All their needs are being met and you’re getting some exercise and social time with your friend. It’s a win-win for the dogs and the people.

Trail Hikes

hike with your dog, labs, yellow lab, black lab, clicker, Frederick, Smart Dog University Another option to get your dog some exercise and social time is an on-leash hike with a doggie buddy. Sometimes the trails won’t let the dogs enjoy parallel walking, but going single-file on a trail is fine, too. The sights and sniffs on a trail hike are amazing for the dogs and just like parallel walking, they’re able to get several needs met (and you, too)!

You may notice that I’ve not mentioned dog parks as an alternative. I like dog parks if they’re empty. I don’t like the free-for-all that happens at dog parks if there are inappropriate, overly enthusiastic, rude, bullying, or aggressive dogs. If you removed those dogs from the park there’d be very few dogs left in the dog park. I’m all for finding your dog’s bestie and heading off to an empty dog park so the dogs can enjoy a leash-free romp. But to walk up to a populated dog park where you don’t know all the dogs and their owners and just let your dog take his chances with whoever happens to be there — that’s a risk I’m not willing to take regardless of how much exercise my dog could get. I can provide a safer, more structured, less stressful exercise environment than a dog park with unknown dogs.

We want to hear from you: do you let your dog meet other dogs on leash?

For the Love of an Old Dog

May 4, 2015

I’ll do almost anything for the sake of my dogs.

This year, I’m giving up something I love dearly: raising service dogs. When we started raising puppies for service work back in 2001, I was a newlywed. I’d never owned a puppy ever and was a relative newcomer to the organized, specific training required of service dogs.

The second puppy we raised, Lily, our sweet now 13-year old, didn’t make it through the service dog program — and neither did the next two puppies we raised (Tango and Nemo). In the span of about three years, we went from one dog to four dogs! It was a fun time — we had a houseful of young dogs and always had a puppy in rotation. The dogs enjoyed the puppy, they helped raise him, entertain him, and teach him dog- and people-skills.

We hummed along happily, raising and loving the latest service puppy in training.

Over the years, our lives changed. I quit my Federal job and started Smart Dog University. I loved the job of puppy raiser. A new puppy every year, watching those young dogs learn and grow and turn into fabulous working dogs who were worth their weight in gold. I enjoyed every aspect of puppy raising, even house training.

“Puppy Raiser” became who I was.

It’s what I did. It became part of my identity. I was the “lady with the service dog puppy.” Raising a puppy didn’t slow me down, personally or professionally. I showed up for meetings, conferences, seminars, and talks with a puppy in tow. Often, I was the presenter and the pup would be my co-presenter. I don’t think people knew my name, but recognized me because of the puppy who was always with me, rain or shine.

Over the past few years, as our dogs grew older, we began to realize that our dogs seemed to be enjoying the puppies less. I still loved puppy raising, but our dogs didn’t think too much of it. They were snippier, it took them longer to accept the newest addition, they played with one another less, Tango wouldn’t chase his ball if the puppy was nearby… It was an endless number of things that had crept up on us silently, but once I noticed it, there was no denying it. Our dogs were done with puppy raising.

After Levi’s turn-in, I had a lot of travel on my calendar. I wasn’t going to get another puppy for at least three months. Good, I thought, this will give me a chance to see how our dogs do in a puppy-free house. The change in our dogs was clear after the puppy left. Overnight they began to play more, wag more, have more energy. They seemed happy to be retired from puppy raising. Lily, our matriarch, is thrilled with the decision. Tango loves our afternoons in the backyard now, where he can retrieve his tennis ball without being chased by a puppy, and Nemo has sole custody of my husband’s lap every evening.

If they’re happy, I’m happy.

Do I miss raising a puppy? You bet! But, my dogs have worked hard for 13 years raising pups — they’ve earned their retirement, I think. We’re now walking together every day, I have a chance to teach them new skills, and we have the time to just hang out under the shade tree together, enjoying this lovely spring here in the mid-Atlantic.

It’s taken a few months to get used to not having a puppy with me. I’m no longer “the lady with the service dog puppy,” and I’m a lot more ok with that than I thought. It’s likely that we’ll raise a puppy again, but not while we have our current menagerie. Hopefully, it’ll be quite a few years before we get back in the puppy raising routine, no matter how much I love it. Having my dogs happy and carefree is a little more important to me.

Talk back: have you altered your life or your home for your older dog(s)?

Help Your Dog Adjust to His New Home

April 28, 2015

Being the new kid on the block is just as difficult for dogs as it is for people.

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Schooner lived with us for only ten months before he left to go off to service dog finishing school. He was gone longer than he was here (he was at the service dog organization for 15 months). When he returned last week, we had to do a little bit of juggling and shuffling to help all the dogs adapt to the change.

Adjustments

There are the obvious changes: Schooner is a large dog. All three of our dogs (Tango, Lily, and Nemo) could fit on the couch at the same time — and if I situated myself just so, I could fit, too. With the addition of Schoons, two dogs can now fit on the couch (and I’m iffy). So immediately I saw a need for more beds. More cushy beds. Great Danes are big and heavy and smush cheap beds quickly. They appreciate a thick, deep dog bed, so I bought two. In a house with four dogs (and a cat, who often finds dog beds awfully comfortable), it’s hard to have too many beds.

Food and Water

Great Danes eat a lot of food. Our dogs eat a total of three cups a day between them. Schooner eats three cups three times a day. I had to run out and buy another bag of food after about a week of having Schoons home. And of course, what goes in must come out. The backyard becomes a minefield in one day now that we’ve added a fourth dog. If we’re not picking up after the dogs everyday, it becomes disgusting quickly.

The water bowl is slimed every single time Schooner gets a drink. He’s not a big drooler except when he drinks. Our dogs are water snobs — they won’t drink if there’s even a little bit of spooge in the bowl, so I’ve found myself washing the water bowl every time Schooner drinks. I don’t blame the Labradors for being grossed out, the slime factor is off the charts.

Sleeping Arrangements

All our dogs have bed privileges. And they have preferred sleeping spots. Nemo and Lily like to sleep on the bed, Tango prefers one of the dog beds on the floor. Schooner was a bed sleeper when he lived here and when he was at the service dog organization. Lily’s our senior (13) and has recently begun to relish sleeping on my pillow right next to me on the bed. Schooner also likes to have his head on the pillow. Lily’s our matriarch, I’ve been protecting her spot on the bed, but discussions occur in the middle of the night apparently because when I wake up in the morning, I’m staring into Schooner’s big face, not Lily’s.

Kongs + Departures

My dogs have no problem at all with my departure from the house. They actually look forward to my leaving because they always get a frozen stuffed Kong. Our dogs all use the large KONG, but Schooner’s way too big for those and I’m afraid he’d choke on a large Kong. I’ve found some larger KONGs that are appropriate for a giant dog and I’ve started stuffing those for Schoon Maroon.

Fun + Games

Schooner is so big that he intimidates some dogs when he plays with them. He’s quite appropriate given his size, but Nemo (our next largest dog at 85 pounds) wanted nothing to do with Schoons. Nemo would get defensive quickly and shut down play almost as soon as it started. When Schooner was at the service dog organization, he played with lots of other dogs of all ages and everyone had a great time. So I was thrilled when I saw Lily reciprocate Schooner’s play bow invitation to play. Normally, it takes my dogs about three weeks to accept a new pup in training and to respond to play solicitations. Since then, both Tango and Nemo have played with Schooner, although all the dogs seem to enjoy outdoor play more than indoor play.

Walks + Exercise

I really enjoyed having three senior dogs — I could walk all three at the same time with ease. One walk and each dog got their exercise. With the addition of a two year old, massive-sized dog, I’m now doing double walks each day. I think we’ve gotten into a good groove: Lily and Schooner walk together (the largest and the smallest, it’s quite a sight) because they seem to really crave the three mile walks the most. Occasionally, I’ll get Nemo and Schooner out together, as they’re both very good walkers together and all three of them need as much exercise as I can offer. Tango, the sole gimpy dog with his elbow troubles, is the only one who likes abbreviated walks and prefers spending his time lying outside in the sunshine (now that spring is finally here in the mid-Atlantic).

The adjustment has been relatively easy so far. I’ve worked hard to ensure that each dog (especially Tango, my favorite boy) gets the same individual attention they’ve always received and it seems as though each dog has settled into our new normal fairly easily.

Talk back! What has worked for you when you introduced a new dog into your family?

Service Dog Training: He’s Baaaack!

April 27, 2015

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We have added a fourth dog. And it’s not a service puppy in training.

It’s Schooner!

Great Dane, puppy, dog training, puppy training, Frederick, clicker training, Smart Dog — It’s hard to run when you step on your paw!

We raised this guy two years ago with the expectation that he’d be a brace (balance) dog for someone. He went through his puppy training with us quickly. We had him a mere ten months before he went into advanced training. He stayed at the service dog organization in the advanced training program for 15 months. He was 99% perfect!

Released.

Service dogs are held to a very high standard. They need to be medically sound (no allergies, no dysplasia, no skin conditions, etc.). Sadly, he would occasionally bark and pull toward another dog. Working as a brace dog, his leash manners need to be perfect. And they almost are. But not good enough. I can’t lie: I did a happy dance when I got an email from the organization saying that he was being released and did we want him.

Did we want him?! Yes, I’ll be right down, I said! It actually took a week due to scheduling conflicts, but the big oaf came to live with us permanently last Saturday!

Great Dane, Schooner, service dog, clicker training, Frederick, dog obedience, clicker
I was thrilled, yes, but I was sad, too, because Schooner is a fabulous dog — he had so much of what it takes to be a service dog in training and could have done so much good. But risking someone’s safety — even though he was unreliable just one time out of a hundred — isn’t ethical, regardless of how good he was in every other way. Would you want to drive a car whose brakes worked 99 times out of 100? It was a tough decision for all involved, but it was an easy one for us: Yes, we’ll take him!

The transition.

We live with three other career changed dogs: Tango, Lily, and Nemo. Service dogs in training get to go everywhere with their trainers. They get used to going anytime we pick up the car keys, so the transition from service dog in training to pet dog can be a rough one. The first time since Schooner’s homecoming when I left the four dogs to run errands, I watched Schooner closely on our Dropcam. The poor boy howled for quite some time after I left. I had forgotten just how hard the transition could be.

Since that first howl-fest, he has gotten better at staying behind and I’ve gotten better at my departure routine. Instead of a frozen Kong, which he quickly abandoned, Schooner now gets a fresh peanut butter stuffed Kong which gets him working right away and affords me a few moments to leave without being watched. I’ve since watched the happenings on the Dropcam while I’m gone and he’s now sleeping on the couch with the other dogs more often.

What’s next?

We are taking the next few weeks to let Schooner adjust to his new life and settle back into our routine and our household. We want to get him into therapy work so he can continue to do good. His manners are impeccable and we’ll be working hard to keep those up to the service dog standard. Look for more Schoons stories, pictures, and for him to show up in our dog training videos!

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The Honest Kitchen’s Latest Recipe: Revel

April 24, 2015

Ever wanted to cook for your dogs, but just don’t have the time or the recipes?

Enter The Honest Kitchen (THK)! THK is well known for their human grade pet food formulas — yes, it’s safe for people to eat! They use dehydrated whole foods and make all their food in the USA from non-GMO produce, hormone-free meats and some organic, fair trade ingredients – all carefully sourced from around the world (and they NEVER use any pet food ingredients from China).

I received a box of their latest formula, Revel, and took it for a spin with my dogs. I love that you can see all the ingredients in THK food — then you just add water, wait a few minutes, serve it and get out of the way. The dogs devoured Revel as quickly as I could make it!

What I like about Revel is the price. It’s a given that human grade, US made, whole food dog food is going to be more expensive than kibble. That being said, if you have medium to large dogs, it can get pricey fast! Revel, though is $25 less per 10 lb. box (each 10 lb. box makes about 40 lbs. of food!), which makes it a lot friendlier to my budget!

THK Revel is good for dogs who:
♥ Are picky, or prefer chicken
♥ Are able to tolerate grains
♥ Need a food with higher protein and fat

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