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Joint Effort: Dog + Human Weight Loss — Check In #1

January 29, 2013

I recently wrote about Tango’s and my journey to shed a few pounds. We both need to lose it for health reasons.

And speaking just for myself, there’s some vanity in my quest to lose a bit of me. I am 10 pounds over my “never go over” weight. Seems this aging thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I remember eating two full Reese’s cups every day when I was younger. And never gaining even an ounce. Those days are far behind me, unfortunately. And from what I hear, it’s easier to take it off now than wait for another decade to pass…

THE PROBLEMS
I got the jolt I needed this morning when I tried on all the pants in my closet. And the number that don’t fit now exceeds the number that do. Depressing? No! Maddening? HELL, YES! For me, mad is good. Mad is motivating. Mad is “get your a$$ out of bed and workout this morning and every morning, missy.” [Which, by the way, I’ve done for the past few days. Yay for mad!]

Anyway, back to Tango. Tango’s goal is to be between a 4 and 5 on the body condition scale. I say that as if he and I had a conversation and he chose that goal. Not really — MY goal for Tango is to get him to that condition. But he’ll be happier there, for sure, because his joints will have less pressure and weight on them. To get there, Tango needs to drop about six pounds. Adding exercise to his routine is a little harder because of his osteoarthritis (OA). Too much exercise and he’s in pain.

In addition to Tango, we have an older Labrador, Lily, who just turned 11 years old. In an effort to keep her healthy, she’s joined (been drafted, if I’m being honest) into our exercise and weight loss plan. Walks thrill Lily. She’d walk 10 times a day, if that was an option.

THE SOLUTIONS
Exercise: So this morning, after my workout, I leashed up the two Labradors and set out for a neighborhood walk. I’ve been doing this at least once a day for the past week. It’s good for all of us. Why is this new for us? Doesn’t everyone walk their dog everyday? Here’s my confession: we don’t walk our dogs every day. We live out in the country, we have a big fenced yard, and the dogs get a lot of exercise out in the yard. We have cows, pastures and horses way out here, not sidewalks and street lights. So walking in the dark (at this time of year it’s dark more than it’s light) isn’t a good option.

In a perfect world, those leash walks would happen two or three times a day. I know how to modify behavior, therefore I’m setting myself up for success. Success = 1 leash walk a day. Once we get really good at reaching that goal, I’ll up that goal to 2 leash walks at least 2 times a week. And we’ll progress steadily from there.

Diet: I’ve been cutting Tango back on his food. He gets 3/4 cup of food each day [1/4c in the morning, and 1/2c in the evening]. He also gets two pork rawhides and 1 – 3 filled Kongs every day. I’ve since added pumpkin to the mixture to reduce the calories even further. The dogs frequently get a taste of what I’m eating, but now that taste is really just a smidge, something pea-sized: a pinch of the crust of my sandwich, a tiny tidbit of the waffle. They get lots of the healthy stuff like apples and carrots, of course. Veggies are good! [As for me, I’ve started eating more whole foods, have eliminated as many processed foods {like the frozen diet lunches, frozen waffles, store-bought cookies, etc.} as possible and am now officially snacking between meals. Hard to believe, but when I snack on healthful things (yogurt with blueberries and walnuts, cottage cheese, etc.), I eat less overall. Wouldn’t have believed it…]

THE PROGRESS
I haven’t taken Tango to get weighed yet, it’s only been a week since we’ve started our program in earnest. It’s occasionally very tempting to give the dogs (who have perfected the pathetic look) a few full-sized versions of what I’m eating, but then I remember that no matter how much I give them, they will always want more. There isn’t a point at which they’ll say “Oh, I’m full” and turn and walk away. They’d eat ’til they burst, so it’s a game I can never win. They’re just as happy, I tell myself, with a crumb as with the entire sandwich. [I have lost about a pound {I’m so not impressed by that number} and about 1% fat. Which is better than gaining, so while it’s a modest decline, it’s a decline and I’ll take it.]

When the Dog Trainer Goes to Dog Training Class

January 10, 2013

I raise and train puppies for a service dog organization. I’m also a dog trainer. Yesterday, I got the pleasure of being a student in a dog training class and it was delightful! I don’t live close enough to the service dog organization to go to class every week (it’s a 3-hour one way drive), but my resolution for 2013 is to go to class with Monti once a month. It’s important for the service dog organization to eyeball Monti and I to be sure we’re on track with the other pups in the program and to ensure Monti’s developing temperament is still up to the (very high) service dog standards. It’s important for me because (1) it’s FUN, (2) I get to be just a student, and (3) it’s fun! I think I mentioned that it’s fun, didn’t I?

I had been frustrated with Monti’s lack of self control. I’d started to dread training with her. It wasn’t fun anymore. After our session yesterday with the service dog folks, I got to see Monti from their perspective, a more objective perspective.

I’m thankful for that new perspective. Because I really love this little girl. She and I had developed a habit of arguing more than we were agreeing. We’ve already planned an outing tomorrow to work on her self control — Costco, banking, lunch out, then back home. That will also exhaust her — bonus!

I’m already looking forward to our next class in February. I’m hoping they’ll see Monti’s leaps-and-bounds progress (that we’ll make between now and then). In any event, I’m back to enjoying little Monti to the fullest! And that’s what it’s all about.

Dog Training: WHY Train Your Dog?

January 8, 2013

I am a dog trainer. I help people raise their puppy into a well-mannered adult dog. I also help people teach their not-so-well-mannered adult dog some manners. To me, training a dog isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. Because January is Train Your Dog Month, I wanted to take a step back from all the how-to posts and talk a little bit about why you might want to think about teaching your dog to do stuff.

A dog who hasn’t been taught basic manners can be an out of control dog sometimes. An out of control dog can be a liability – even if he’s friendly. And it’s just not fun to live with a dog that isn’t trained. You need to teach your dog to become a better behaved dog — he won’t learn these skills by himself.

The mantra of dog training used to be “make the dog do it right” (which wasn’t fun for the dog or for the trainer). Over the past thirty years, training has evolved. There are more trainers today using dog-friendly (and effective) training styles. Old-fashioned training methods focused on punishing the dog for bad behavior. Today’s modern dog trainer focuses on rewarding the dog for good behavior, thus encouraging that good behavior to happen again and again.

When using these new methods, people find themselves laughing and enjoying the time they spend with their dog, not looking for all the mistakes he’s making. It becomes a lot more fun to work with your dog when you’re having fun. Even working on “boring” things such as sit and down can be fun if you work with your dog, instead of against him. Another way to bring fun to training is to work on a few tricks. Who can resist a dog that plays dead or speaks on cue?

Because dogs are an important part of our everyday lives, we need a well-behaved dog. Because they are getting more freedom and going more places with us, it’s important that we teach our dogs basic manners. Manners = more fun with your dog!

Great Lengths

January 2, 2013

Pay no attention to the ominous angle of that ladder. In the snow. Against a prickly evergreen. Where Tango’s ball is lodged. At the very tip top, of course, the tippiest of tops.

I know you’re wondering, so here it is…

Today, finally, the sun shone. Brightly, oh so brightly. And finally the wind stopped howling at gale force and the dogs actually wanted to go outside. Being the excellent dog owner that I am, I obliged Tango when he brought me his tennis ball. All was well for about 5 minutes on the retrieve-throw-retrieve merry-go-round. Until I tried to get fancy and throw the ball where Tango least expected it. I meant to throw it over the tree. Over. But no, cue the sunshine! Next thing I knew Tango was dancing around that evergreen. I knew the ball had gone in there — that’s the only time he dances around the tree.

I got countless prickly pine needles in my hand trying to find the danged ball, but was unable to locate it. I guessed it was up higher than I could reach. So, home alone (well, with the dogs, so technically not alone, but no one to call the paramedics if I happened to disappear into the prickly evergree, so that qualifies as alone methinks), I had to right this wrong. In a valiant effort, I brought out the little ladder I keep in my closet to reach the sweater shelf. Ha! Not even close.

I went into the hall closet for the step ladder. It, too, fell far too short. I had to go all the way into the garage and get the giant ladder (maneuvering that thing around our garage [with two cars inside at the time] was no easy feat, but I didn’t ding a one, I can report) and trudge all the way around back (uphill in a snowstorm both ways) to get a ladder tall enough for the job.

The dogs (Lily) had dug a little moat under that tree when it was hot last summer, hence the precarious perch and tilt of the ladder. It only took me a few minutes — with Tango cheering me on, safely from the ground — before I found that stupid tennis ball. It really was at the very tippy top.

These are the great lengths we go to for our dogs. I know you do, too, don’t try to deny it. So leave a comment below and tell me what great length you’ve gone to…

7 Easy Steps to Teach Your Dog “Leave It”

December 5, 2012

Seven Easy Steps to Teach “Leave
It”
December 2012

Here’s the situation: you’re struggling to open a
child-resistant cap from a big bottle of Tylenol. Before you know it, the lid pops off and the bottle
shoots through the air, spilling Tylenol all over the floor. Your dog comes
running, eager to gobble up the “treats” as quickly as possible, not knowing
these treats can kill him. There isn’t any way you can pick them all up before
your dog eats some, so what can you do? If you’ve taught your dog the behavior
of “leave it,” you simply say those words to your dog and resume picking up the
Tylenol off the floor, as your dog sits and watches. No emergency veterinary
visit, no forcing your dog to vomit the Tylenol. Sounds good, right? You owe it
to your dog (and to your wallet) to teach this behavior. It’s a convenient
behavior, as well as a life-saver.

Leave it means this to your dog: remove your face
from the object and look at me. The
dog should disengage from the object and give you his full attention. A
well-trained “leave it” is really something to see, and it’ll impress all your
friends when your dog performs this cool trick. We’ll teach this behavior using
food in our closed hand. The closed hand makes it really easy for the dog to
get it right – it’s almost impossible for the dog to get food out of your
closed hand.

This is a great behavior to teach your dog because
you don’t need to rely on a leash and collar to keep your dog from getting something
in his mouth. Instead, you’ve got
a phrase that means “look at me and leave that thing alone.” It serves you both
well because it keeps the kitty poop or dead bird or Tylenol out of your dog’s
mouth and it also is an easy way for your dog to earn a goody. Here’s how you
teach “Leave It.”

Step 1
Place a treat in your hand, make a fist, and present your fist to the dog at
nose level and say nothing. Your
dog will sniff, lick, paw, gnaw, push, and mug your hand, trying to get the
treat out. At some point, the dog will pull his nose off of your hand, even for
1/8 of a second. The instant that happens, CLICK and open your hand to let him
have the treat. We don’t care why
the dog pulled his nose away – maybe he heard a noise, maybe he got bored. Put
another treat in your hand and continue this step until your dog stops nosing
or pawing at your hand when you present it. Once your dog is good at leaving
the treat alone, you’re now going to add the eye contact into the behavior.
Instead of clicking when the dog pulls his nose away from your hand, you’re
going to wait until your dog looks up toward you. Goal: Your dog doesn’t touch your hand at all when you put it at
nose level in front of his face. And your dog has started to leave the hand
alone and is looking at you to earn
the goodie.

Step 2
When you are ready to bet me $100 that your dog will not touch your fist when
you present it, you are ready to add name the behavior. Say “leave it,” (or whatever word you choose) before you present your fist, then
present your fist. Because your dog is really good at this, he shouldn’t move
forward at all. Click and treat! If he does move forward and touch your hand,
simply do nothing. Wait until he leaves your hand alone, then click and treat.
If you find that you’re saying the word, but your dog is still trying to get the treat, you’ve added the word too quickly.
Go back and keep working without the word until you’re ready to bet $100 that
your dog won’t touch your fist. Goal:
You say “Leave it,” put your hand out, and the dog leaves your hand alone (i.e.
doesn’t bump your hand with his nose). Important note: Do NOT repeat the cue
“Leave it,” more than once. If the dog doesn’t comply, simply wait until he
leaves the hand alone all by himself. He isn’t in trouble, he simply loses the
chance to earn a little snack.

Step 3
You’ve named the behavior, now let’s increase the difficulty slightly. To do this, say “leave it,” and present the treat
in a slightly open hand. If
you’ve mastered Steps 1 and 2, your dog should not charge in to get the treat. When
your dog leaves the treat alone, click and treat! If he touches your hand or
tries to get the treat, simply close your hand, being sure not to pull your
hand away. Continue to open your hand a little more each time so that your hand
is open wide with the treat in the middle of your hand and the dog still leaves
the hand alone. Goal: Your dog is as
good at leaving the open hand as he was leaving the closed hand.

Step 4
The next step will be to put the treat on your knee. Your dog should be getting the hang of this game
now and hopefully will not try to go for the treat. If he does, however, just
cover the treat with your hand so he cannot get the treat. When his nose comes
away from your hand and he looks at you, CLICK and treat. Always pick the item
up and hand it to the dog, as opposed to letting him take it off your knee when
you reward him. Goal: The dog looks
at you when you put the piece of food on your knee and say “leave it.”

Step 5
We’re now ready to move into more “real life” territory. This is a big step – you’re going to present the
treat on the floor and ask the dog to leave it. Have the dog on a short leash.
Say “leave it,” and put the treat on the floor on the opposite side of where the dog is sitting. Be ready to cover the
treat with your foot if your dog tries to eat the treat off the floor. When
your dog leaves the treat alone andlooks atyou, click and pick the treat up off the floor and hand it to your
dog. Always handing the treat to your dog makes it clear for him that grabbing
the treat from the floor isn’t the way he gets the treat. This will set him up
for success in real life when something falls on the floor in front of your
dog.

Step 6
Once your dog is easily leaving
the item when you place it on the floor, drop the item on the floor. If you are doing this with your dog on leash, do
not use the lead to pop him back from the food. Toss it far enough so he can’t
get to it even if he tried. As he gets better, gradually toss the treat closer.

Step 7
Begin to introduce new “leave it” items to teach your dog that this behavior
applies to all kinds of things (i.e. a toy, a person, another dog, steak on the
counter, etc.). Remember to make
the reward for leaving it better than
what the dog actually left. If you gave me a bowl of Brussels sprouts because I
left the pan of brownies alone, I probably wouldn’t leave the brownies alone
next time you bake!

Taking the time to teach
your dog to leave things alone and look at you isn’t only useful, it can save
your dog’s life if he’s ready to eat something poisonous or something that will
make him sick. Or heck, if he’s about ready to dive into your
fresh-off-the-grill hamburger that you (sloppily) left on the coffee table
while you got a drink!

Are Your Expectations For Your Dog Reasonable?

November 7, 2012

Are Your Expectations For Your Dog
Reasonable?
November 2012

There’s a middle ground for everything. When it comes to their dogs, though, owners usually
expect too much or too little from their dogs. From those that expect too much,
it goes something like this: He knows how to sit! He’s just too
stubborn to do it when people come over.

Or, for those that expect
too little, it’s a version of this sentiment: Oh, he’s just a puppy – you can’t expect a puppy to know how to sit at
this age! (Mind you, their dog
could be 8 years old, but this is the language they use).

The problem with both of these
viewpoints is that the expectations of the owner are way off. This month’s
newsletter will take a look at our expectations and help you decide if you’re
being fair to your dog, or if you’re just making excuses for your dog’s
not-so-polite behavior.

Expecting Too Much
Dogs, like people, need to be taught what to do. They don’t intrinsically know that we don’t like
it when they pull on the leash, jump on our visitors, or bark at the neighbor’s
dog. They only way they know what to do and when to do it is if we take an
active role in teaching them the rules of the road.

The people who expect too much from their dog are
usually forgetting about three factors our dog’s face in their daily life:
distractions, distance, and duration.
This means that just because your dog knows how to sit, he can’t automatically
sit when someone rings your doorbell, he can’t sit in place when you’re 20 feet
away from him, and he can’t sit and stay – unless…
Unless you take the time to teach him how to sit with those three criteria.

Each of these conditions must be taught
individually then (and only then), can
you start putting them together and use them in real life. For instance, let’s say I’ve taught our new
service puppy in training, Monti, to sit when someone wants to pet her. We
taught her to do this: at home (not in public – distractions), with family
members (not with strangers – distractions), and we pet her as soon as her butt
hits the floor (she doesn’t have to keep her butt down for long –
duration). For me to expect her to be
able to put her butt on the ground at the local farmer’s market is awfully
unfair.

To put it in a different context: when you watch professional sports teams execute
specific plays, they aren’t running those plays for the first time. They’ve
practiced those plays forward and backward and inside out during practice (many practices – some with pads, some without,
with full contact, without contact, etc.), before those plays ever make it to
the playing field. The coach makes sure those players can flawlessly execute
the play before calling it. He’s sure those players are ready for the play. Why
would you ask your dog to do something that you haven’t adequately prepped him
for?

Expecting Too Little
On the flip side, there are people who think their
dog isn’t capable of basic manners. We’ve all endured the large two-year old “puppy”
who is “just super friendly and wants to say hi” by putting his front paws on
your shoulder and looking you in the eye. Friendly? Maybe. Inappropriate?
Definitely. ALL dogs can learn good manners – the owner just needs to take time
to teach the dog. Expecting too little from a dog is just as unfair as
expecting too much. Imagine if your son had NFL football talent, but the coach
of the neighborhood league had him on 3^rd string and didn’t develop
your son’s talent. How frustrating would that be to you and to your son?

Finding
a Balance
We expect a lot from our service pups in-training. They need to be exceptionally talented dogs. However, we evaluate each dog
individually and against the job they’ll need to do (not against each
other). Take Siena, the Great Dane pup
in training that was just released from the program. Based on her temperament,
expecting her to walk into a public situation without reservation or fear would
have been expecting too much from her. But since the job required that, we did the right thing for the dog and found a
fantastic home for her where she could live a fabulous life being adored. Siena
wasn’t going to be able to make the progress necessary to become a service dog.
Instead of forcing the square peg into the round hole, we readjusted her life
so it would suit her.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Asti
Spumante, the little Labrador puppy in-training. She’s almost 16 weeks old, but we expect her to sit
before being petted, to walk nicely on a leash (no pulling), to look at us when
we call her name, and to exhibit a fair degree of self-control. When I ask her
to sit before people are allowed to pet her, the usual comment is “Oh, she’s
just a puppy, she can’t (or shouldn’t be asked) to do that.” Oh, yes she can!
Believe me, she can sit before someone pets her. Expecting any less of her
would be unfair to her, to the program, and to the people who want to pet her.

She can’t sit for very long, or if there are too
many people who want to pet her at once. But she can sit before being petted. So we adjust our expectations to
meet the dog. And in the end, ultimately we
are responsible for whether or not the dog can meet our expectations, not
the dog.

As I expose her to more
distractions and increase the amount of time she needs to sit, I can then, in
turn, expect her to be able to handle those situations. But I can’t expect it
if I haven’t taught it.

Think about your dog and
what you expect from him – are your expectations fair? Or do you need to add
some training into your dog’s life for him to be able to meet your
expectations? Conversely, are you making excuses for your dog’s behavior? Maybe
a good manners class is all it’ll take for your dog to be a canine good
ambassador! Check out your local positive reinforcement trainers and get him
enrolled!

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