Feel the (Brain) Burn

For most dogs, just taking a walk isn't enough

Walking is a time honored tradition for most dog owners.   At the beginning and at the end of the day, we pop the leash onto our furry friend and take our morning/evening constitutional.  Hopefully, it’s some enjoyable time to spend with our dogs, but there is usually a secondary purpose for the walk.  Often times, this journey is a potty break. Sometimes, it’s exploration and investigation time.  Most of the time, we consider a walk our pets’ main exercise.  However, vets and animal behaviorists believe that medium to large dogs should ideally have 2 ½ hours of high energy exercise to maintain optimal health.

Unfortunately,  most of us don’t have the time or space to exercise our dogs at that level, so we need to think of other ways to burn off our dogs’ energy.  One way is to combine brain energy with muscle energy.  Sniffing, practicing obedience, and playing are all ways to help dogs work harder while on their everyday walk.

While it might seem like letting your dog sniff is a time killer, think of it as your dog catching up on the latest news.  Dogs gain most of their information about the world through their olfactory system.  When they sniff an item, they’re learning all about the neighborhood and its passer-bys.  They need to use their brain power to sort this information and make sense of it.  We can learn a little about what dogs discover through scent by watching what our dogs do after sniffing:  Look around?  Look up?  Urinate over the scent?  Kick?  Get excited?  Once you let your dog sniff, you’ll find that certain areas are more interesting than other areas, kind of like following a certain story or news item.  For dogs that love sniffing, the freedom to “go sniff” can even be used as a reward during training.

Practicing cues while on a walk increases your dog's attention
to you and can help your dog become more responsive.

Practicing obedience cues can also make walks more interesting.   Even better, the walk can become a  working breakfast by using kibbles with a little fish oil or powdered parmesan cheese (or both) for treats!  The stop and go, mixing up of commands, and different locations can make the walk more challenging.  Don’t be surprised if your dog doesn’t respond at first to your cues.  Just like students don’t expect to do math in history class, your dog won’t expect obedience cues during the daily walk.  Be patient and start from scratch, using lures like you did when you first taught your dog “sit” and “down.”  Once your dog learns that these words mean the same thing during a walk as they do at home and in class, the responses will come much faster.  With a hungry dog eager for treats, your dog should start responding quickly and enthusiastically.  You’ll find that your dog will become not only excited about walks, but excited about obedience, and will become a much better listener!

Playing while walking can also make the walk more interesting.  Change up the pace by running and walking and slowing down for a house or two at a time.  Walk backwards with your dog walking towards you (be sure there aren’t any on-coming dogs or potentially startling barkers behind fences).  Teach your dog to walk on your right AND left and switch sides.  Skip, hop, or walk in a zig-zag pattern.  Attach the leash to a harness instead of a collar so the speed changes won’t injure your dog and give your dog cues so that your dog will know things are changing.  Once your dog catches on, he or she will learn to watch you closely to know when a change is coming.

Stick to obedience or speed changes for several weeks until your dog learns to watch you for the next cue.  Once you have your dog’s full attention, and he or she starts to anticipate a cue, you can introduce either speed or obedience and keep to the new routine for a few days, then return to the previous routine.  Once your dog becomes “fluent” in obedience and speed cues, you can mix and match.  This will not only make walks more brain energy intense, it will make it more fun and interesting for both of you.  Even better, you’ll find that your dog will pay more attention to you, less attention to other dogs and people, and become more responsive to cues.

Best of all, you and your super attentive and responsive buddy will become the envy of the neighborhood, inspiring other dog owners to make an ordinary promenade into an outdoor adventure.

September Newsletter: Totaling the Stress Points

Some stress is unavoidable, but too much stress or
unresolved stress can be damaging and dangerous.

The alarm didn’t go off.  The shirt you were going to wear is stained.  The cat threw up.  There’s only enough coffee left to make half a cup.  The kids need lunch money, but you only have a twenty.  There’s a leaf blower going outside.  The cell-phone wasn’t recharged.  The toast is burning.  The land-line phone rings.

“WHAT?” you say when you pick up the phone, just to stop it from ringing.

It’s rare that there’s only one stressor that takes us to our breaking point.  It’s usually the accumulation of many small stressors combined that make us “snap”.  The same can happen with our dogs.  Unless there is a health issue or traumatic event, most behavior changes occur when the dog is overwhelmed.

Stress happens when there is a conflict between a familiar or desired situation and the current situation.  If a shirt out of the closet is usually clean, but the one pulled out is stained, stress is created.  If the stain can be removed or another clean shirt is available, the status quo has returned and the stress fades.  If a dog is fed at 6 p.m. every day and at 6:15 the dog still hasn’t been fed, stress is created.  Feed the dog and the stress diminishes.  But if the stressful situation doesn’t return to “normal,” the stress remains.  Additional unresolved stress builds, resulting in a variety of undesirable behaviors, such as snapping, growling or barking at other dogs, guests, strangers, and sometimes even family members.

We might not always know what is causing our dogs stress and some things that stress our dogs may seem innocuous to us.  Because of this, it’s important to identify stress signals before the breaking point is reached.  If we can identify that our dogs are stressed, we can start looking for ways to reduce the stress.

Some stress symptoms are physical.  A common symptom is panting.  Dogs also pant to cool themselves during warm weather or after exercise.  But, if the dog pants every time you return home or, the dog starts panting before you leave, for example, that is stress. Another common sign is lip licking, similar to the “dry mouth” sensation people get when they are nervous.  Restlessness is another sign.  If the dog has difficulty settling, it is stressed.  Some dogs will drop or pin back their ears.  Some dogs develop sweaty paws. Some dogs suddenly start losing their hair.  Whining can happen at higher stress levels.

Normal behaviors done at inappropriate times are also signs of stress.  Stressed dogs will yawn, scratch, or sniff, all normal behaviors if the dog is tired, has fleas, or finds something interesting on the floor.  But if the dog is supposed to be doing something else and abruptly stops, then starts one of the displacement behaviors, that is a sign of stress.  Imagine scratching your head as you’re trying to think of an answer on a difficult test.  Drinking, urinating/defecating, and eating can also be signs of stress if done suddenly or obsessively (remember all the trips to the bathroom and drinking fountain at your first dance?).

Lick granuloma or lick wound

In addition, what some people think of as “spiteful” behaviors can be expressions of stress.  This can include demand and repetitive barking, shadowing (following people everywhere), ripping up furniture, digging, going through trash, and “loss” of house training habits.  Granulomas (sores on the paws or hip) can appear from obsessive licking, a dog taking a soothing behavior to the extreme.  Separation anxiety, although rarer than previously thought, is another sign of stress.

Once we discover our dog is stressed, the next challenge is to help our dog relax.  We need to find the stressor and ideally remove or stop the cause of stress.  But, that can’t always happen, at which point there are three possible solutions:  habituation, desensitization, or training a coping behavior.  Habituation, the dog ‘getting used to” a situation, can happen if the stress is perceived as non-threatening.  The loss of a household member, like a death or a child leaving for college, can be very stressful, but by keeping to the routine, many dogs will adjust to the change.  Desensitization is training the dog that a perceived threat, such as a vacuum cleaner, is not actually dangerous.   Although the “threat” might seem irrational, emotional reactions, like fear, aren’t based on “rationality” and are therefore difficult to overcome.  Training a coping behavior can help build confidence, and with more confidence, fear and stress diminish.  For example, dogs that stress about strangers in the house, can be taught to go to their crate when guests arrive.  People and animals become calmer when they have control over their environment and when they know what to do when in a stressful situation.   

Rest and relaxation are important for dogs and people

Keeping our dogs relaxed is important for their mental and physical health.  Comfortable dogs  keep us from becoming stressed as well.  If you know a stressful time will be approaching, prepare your dog.  Try to keep as closely to the familiar routine as possible.  Increase exercise, particularly in the morning if you’re going to be away for the day.  If there is going to be construction on your house or a neighbor’s, see if day care is available.  Finally, if your dog is stressed, but you don’t know the cause, or don’t know how to diminish the stress, call a private trainer. Just knowing help is on the way can make life calmer.

Playing the Wingman

“Oh jeeze!  DON’T look!”

“What?”

“Oh, man, That Person is coming this way.”

You and your friend look at the table, the lint on your sleeve, the ice in your glass, your cell phone.  Anywhere but up.

An arm lands on your shoulder.

“Heeeeeey, what are you folks up to tonight?” That Person says.

Do you:

A.    Smile and make nice, hoping That Person will find someone else to bother … SOON!

B.     Tell That Person that you and your friend are having a private discussion.

C.     Don’t say or do anything and hope That Person will go away

D.    Get up and leave

E. Tell That Person to get lost.

We’ve all had this experience at least once.  That Person is often a stranger, can be male or female, and usually isn’t life threatening.  So why is it that we don’t want to meet or even make eye contact with That Person?  Something about That Person makes us uncomfortable.  It’s an aura or scent or something that gives us a bad first impression and the following non-responsiveness to the social cues we’re giving (averted eyes, appearing busy with something, disinterest in the approach) and invasion of personal space further confirm the first impression.  Our response to That Person is determined by our personality and by our previous experiences with similar people and their reaction to our responses.

Are any of the responses wrong? What if That Person doesn’t leave and becomes increasingly obnoxious and invasive?  Is there a point where yelling becomes appropriate?  What about violence? 

As human beings, most of us do not like everybody.  Most of us learn that not everyone will like us.  We use our social skills to be polite and courteous, but we expect others to respect our boundaries and our preferences.  But what happens when these boundaries are crossed?  We have a right to defend our boundaries and ourselves to various degrees.

Going back to the situation, what if your friend, your “wingman,” disagrees with your response? What if your “wingman” sides with That Person?  We expect our friend to side with us, defend us, if necessary, run interference.  Goose to our Maverick, Sam to our Michael Weston, Butch to our Sundance, Ethel to our Lucy.  A good wingman can diffuse the situation, can prevent violence.  Knowing someone has our back makes us feel safe and confident.

Trust your dog's instinct about That Dog

Let’s replay the above scene, dog version.

You and your dog are out for a walk.  Your dog sees That Dog.  Your dog looks away, sniffs at the grass, sits and scratches itself.  The other dog hurries closer, wants to touch noses and sniff your dog’s butt.

The options are more complex this time.  Your dog is bound to you and cannot leave since it is on leash.  Does your dog:

A.   A. Slowly wag its tail and allow the other dog to come nose to nose, sniff butts … and hope the other dog will stop there and leave

B.     Stand stiffly and stare (possibly growl) at the other dog

C.     Stand still, look away, and refuse to interact

D.    Go behind you or as far away from the other dog as the leash will permit

E.     Bark, lunge, and snarl at the dog to prevent it from coming any closer

A dog’s response is similar to a human’s in that it’s based on personality and past experiences.  Did That Dog become increasingly invasive?  Did That Dog attack?  Most importantly, because the dog is restrained on a leash, what did the handler do?

As guardians for our dogs, we have an obligation to teach our dogs proper social skills.  But we also have a responsibility to have our dogs’ back when That Dog is ignoring the proper signals.  With the flight option gone, without our intervention, the last option available for a dog on leash is to fight. 

Ideally, we should be our dog’s “wingman,” scoping out the area for That Dog.  It’s hard to tell who it will be, but it’s usually an off-leash dog charging at your dog.  Despite what the human behind That Dog says, a rushing dog is NOT friendly.  It’s rude.  The approached dog can’t read the body language since it’s the “narrow part” that’s facing him.  A human stranger running towards me would make me nervous as well.  Any species running at another species is suspicious at the very least.  A dog’s response is normally to stand at high alert, ready to fight (since it’s on leash) just in case the rush turns bad.  As the “wingman,” we should step between the dogs and walk away.  If That Dog slows, lowers its head and walks alongside, then it’s up to your dog if the meet should continue.

Looking away, doing other behaviors such as sniffing the ground or and scratching are a dog’s way of saying I’m not interested.  There is no reason to allow another dog to sniff your dog if your dog is uncomfortable.  There is a reason why your dog is uncomfortable.  If sniffing starts, a polite sniff lasts no more than 1-2 seconds.  Any longer, and That Dog is violating your dog’s space.  Step between the dogs and move on.

Most people find that once their dogs can rely on their handlers to intervene on their behalf, they become less nervous about other dogs.    These dogs can become more relaxed and confident when other dogs approach them.

Finally, don’t let your dog be That Dog.  Teach your dog proper social skills.  If another dog looks away from your dog, teach your dog to come to you and respect the other dog’s disinterest.  If your dog is pulling and dragging you to go see another dog, don’t reward the behavior by allowing it to greet the other dog.  Teach him to play it cool (turn around, go the opposite direction, then try again more calmly).  Your dog doesn’t need to force itself to be “friends” with all other dogs.  A few select dog friends are fine.  In fact, your dog really doesn’t need to have any dog friends.  He’s got the best friend and wingman in the world:  You.

The Pre-Owned Problem - August Newsletter



Shelter dogs tend to be good dogs who were never trained.



When I was around 8 years old, my parents decided we could get a dog. I asked my father if we could adopt a dog from the pound. He replied, “Why would we want to take home someone else’s problem?” He knew of what he spoke. 10 years earlier, he had found a dog and took it in. He later sent it to the pound because it constantly jumped the fence and took off after bicyclists and cars (no doubt partially due to my birth and the dog's relocation to the yard and what amounted to solitary confinement). So, my father interviewed several breeders, found one with dogs of good temperament, then evaluated and bought one of their puppies. We house trained Baron,and taught him the basics of sit, down, stay, and come, a few tricks, and how to heel on leash. We had a wonderful family dog who lived with us until he passed away from cancer at the decent age (for that time) of 13 years.
Still, once on my own, I vowed to only have shelter/rescue dogs.  Six dogs later and having volunteered and worked in a shelter, I have to admit my father’s remark has an element of truth to it, especially when adopting adult dogs.  Unless picked up as a stray, an adult dog winds up in a shelter because its was a financial, emotional, and/or physical “problem” for the family.  With the majority of shelter dogs between 9 – 24 months old (dog adolescence) with little to no training, the likely scenario is that the cute puppy with puppy behaviors grew up to be a bigger dog with the same behaviors.  Puppy piddles became doggy puddles.  Jumping play with puppy teeth became rough play with hard pressure dog fangs.  


To make matters more complicated, it usually takes a few months between considering surrendering a dog to a shelter and actually taking it to the shelter, which means the owner's frustration level has increased greatly, usually involving banishing the dog to an out of the way area (as my father did) such as the yard, garage, or basement before making the final decision to get rid of "the problem."  This can create secondary problems, such as barrier frustration and a lack of socialization with people, environments, and other dogs.  Basically, the problem with most shelter dogs is that they were never taught appropriate behaviors for home living.  But that doesn’t mean they can’t learn.

The most important thing for shelter dog adopters to realize is that age does not necessarily equal training.  Assume the dog has never been trained and knows no house rules.  In other words, and treat the adult dog like a puppy.  Take the dog to the vet to make sure it is healthy.  Restrict the dog to one room at first to keep the dog from becoming overwhelmed, to get an idea of what the dog already knows, and to contain any potential damage.  Crate training can be helpful.  Do not leave the dog loose in the yard or house while unsupervised.  Housetrain (even if the dog seems to know), teach the dog to respond to its new name, and take basic manners classes.   Don’t take it to the dog park until it knows its name, reliably comes when called, and you know that it gets along with other dogs.  Plan for the worst, but hope for the best.  Remember that even at best, the dog won’t know your specific rules.   Be consistent and patient.  The dog isn’t being spiteful, stubborn, or stupid.  It just doesn’t know what’s expected.


Typically, the first few weeks to several months are a “honeymoon” period.  Many dogs have had several transitions before arriving at their new home.  They are under duress, evaluating the current circumstances, becoming accustomed to new routines, people, and even sounds.  They are learning what’s safe and what isn’t.  Once they start to feel comfortable with what has been allowed, they start to explore freedoms they want, like suddenly jumping up on the furniture or peeing in the house because no one has said that they couldn’t.  Have patience. Train and retrain.  It will go faster the second time.  You might also realize there are some rules you haven’t considered.


Some common issues such as barking at barriers, barking and lunging at other dogs while on leash, and a fearfulness of new environments and people might also appear. These often developed while the dog was in isolation before the family surrendered the dog.  Many shelters will have identified these issues and should supply guidance for how to help your new dog adjust. Private training can help the dogs adjust to your specific circumstances.



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First impressions matter.  Don't force a match.

Shelter dog or purchased dog, if there is already a dog in the household, and you're adding another dog, use discretion.  Have the dogs meet before making a decision to bring in the new dog.  Introduce the potential new dog in neutral territory.   Generally, dogs of the opposite sex, with the resident dog being older have a better chance of getting along.     If you have more than one resident dog, introduce the dogs individually to the new dog, and then in combinations.    Don’t leave the new dog with the resident dog unsupervised until you are SURE they get along. 

Before adopting from a shelter/rescue group, do some research.  Find out how the shelter/rescue group determines a dog’s adoptability and if they use temperament testing.    Because even the best shelters can be stressful, a dog’s personality might change once it becomes comfortable in its home, it might become more or less active.  However, this could also happen with puppies transitioning into adulthood.  There are no guarantees with any living, learning creatures.

A great book for adult dog adopters is is Dr. Patricia McConnell's new book, Love Has No Age Limit.  It's short, readable, inexpensive, and written by an animal behaviorist (one of my favorite writers about dogs).  It's available on Dr. McConnell's website  as well as Amazon.  Even if you aren't planning on adopting an adult dog in the near future, I strongly recommend it for its insight.

Will my next dog be a shelter/rescue dog?  Absolutely, and most likely not a puppy since I prefer to by-pass the physical limitations and transitions of puppyhood.  Is a shelter dog for you?  With open eyes, an open heart, and patience you might be surprised to find that a shelter/rescue dog is no problem.  No problem at all.

 

Dance Like No one is Watching: Digging the Paw-so Dog-lé

Rennie getting ready to spin.

I’m not an athletic person by any stretch of the imagination. However, I adore dancing.  I’m not good at it, but it makes me happy, and sometimes my body even decides to coincide with the movements in my mind.  And of course, I love dogs.  But even I was a bit wary when I first heard about dog dancing.  Visions of people and dogs wearing matching outfits, Len Gooddog, Bruno Spinoni, and Carrie Ann Ibizan Hound scoring, dogs samba-ing on two feet (yes, I’ve seen the YouTube video and all I can think is that poor dog’s back!)… a circus act, basically.  Not my thing.  Until I actually saw it.

As the former dog training coordinator at ARF, my office was in the Training Pavilion where all the classes took place.  On Friday nights, there is “dog dancing,” otherwise known as canine freestyle (“canine” added so no wannabe rappers show up?), taught by Judy Gamet, owner and creator of Dogs Can Dance.  I listened at first, bobbing and dancing in my chair as I worked at the computer.  Then, giving my eyes a break, I decided to check it out.  Interesting.  Basic commands put to music.  Kind of like aerobics.  I like aerobics (not that I ever do them).  Hmmm.  I put my research skills to work and looked it up on YouTube.  Wow.  Kate and Gin.  OMG WOW! Carolyn Scott and Rookie.  This is cool stuff!

However, time and finances made it easy to hold off on taking a class.  Then, Judy taught a freestyle portion in a Sports Sampler class, and again I took a break to watch.  What caught my eye was an older coonhound /rottie mix.  The owner was trying to get the dog involved in some sport and up until now, the dog had only shown courteous interest.  But all of a sudden, she was transformed!  Her ears went up.  She was prancing!  Her stub tail was moving in time to the music!  She had a little extra wiggle in her walk!  She looked like she was smiling at her handler, saying THIS is what I’m talking about!  Sure, it’s a little corny that it was Elvis’ “Hound Dog”, but what I would later see happening time and time again was that some dogs really enjoy certain music – not the same kind of music for every dog, but each dog has his or her own musical preference.  Apparently, music doesn’t just calm the savage beast, it inspires them.

Yoji, a collie/rockstar mix, is by far my more athletic dog – flying into the air, performing half-twists just to catch a deflated basketball, leaping over ravines on off-leash hikes, and infamously climbing six feet up into a pepper tree just to see what was on the other side of the fence.  I took him to a couple freestyle lessons, and he was o.k., but it was a little sedate for him – no flames or fog machines. At 12, Taro can still get his groove going – he did create the Jindo Hustle after all.  I thought about taking class with him.  However, recalling Rennie’s interest whenever I sashayed around the house with tunes blaring, he seemed the likely candidate.

Rennie, despite being mostly border collie, is almost as physically uncoordinated as I am.  He has mild hip dysplasia, but that doesn’t account for tumbling ass over tea kettle when he goes into zoomies, or falling off the edge of the porch if he’s not paying attention.  But what he lacks in physical prowess, he makes up for in enthusiasm.   He’ll play tug, shag after balls, and best of all, get silly with me without a moment of embarrassment or conscientiousness.  He’s all about the fun of the doing, a lesson I’ve taken to heart.

So, Rennie and I enrolled in freestyle classes.                              

Both of us were in love.  Spins, weaves, passes, cuts – they were all terrific.  Rennie was an eager learner and participant.  His tail keeping rhythm like a metronome, the two of us sailed across the pavilion floor like Fred and Ginger – at least in our minds.  Time sails by, and at the end of class, both of us are exhausted but happy.

I’m not a competitive person, but I am goal oriented and I like knowing when I’m doing well and where I can improve.  However, crowds make me uneasy, so I didn’t have any interest in performing in front of an audience.  The Dog Can Dance Challenge allows dogs and handlers to earn titles by submitting videos that fulfill set guidelines.  Whew!  No live performance necessary!  The challenge is also open to teams (multiple dogs) as well as to dogs and handlers that have limitations based on health and age.  The emphasis of the challenge is on handling skills that showcase the dog.

The Dogs Can Dance Challenge appealed to me, so Rennie and I registered and have just passed our entry level, which focused primarily on handler skills and handler comprehension of freestyle terms.  You can watch a portion of our entry levels.

Completing "Around"

Joining the Dogs Can Dance Challenge wasn’t so much about getting a title as doing something that Rennie and I enjoy doing together (he certainly doesn’t care about letters).  Freestyle has improved our communication and expanded our training vocabulary.  We practice daily in a quiet corner of the local park, usually with me humming or singing off –key.  With the two of us focusing on each other, laughing and having fun, it’s like the rest of the world disappears.  Ren, who can be reactive, suddenly ignores passing dogs, bicycles, and people.  That’s when I know it’s good, when Ren and I can be free to dance like no one is watching.  And it’s good.

Treat Me Right: The Power of Reinforcement- July Newsletter

Hearing parents tell their children, “Oh, too bad school is starting soon,” and watching parents take their child out of school for the day as a “treat” frustrated me as a teacher.  The underlying implication was that school, and by default learning, was something unpleasant and even punitive.  Students came to school expecting misery and the failure of any lesson to be entertaining confirmed that belief.  In contrast, most people come to dog training classes excited and optimistic, expecting “school” will make their puppy or dog the pet of their dreams.   For owners, dog training is a good thing.  As a primarily positive reinforcement trainer, I want my dog clients equally enthusiastic.  Regardless of species, eager students make teaching fun and challenging.  When training is pleasant and successful, everyone wants to continue with the process.

In training classes, our dogs must work in a place with many attractive distractions.  Verbal praise becomes white noise, especially since dogs don’t understand English.  For most creatures humans included, public displays of affection are rarely appreciated when trying to focus.  Food rewards provide immediate feedback and high value food gives the handler top priority. When tasty morsels are only offered during training, an association between learning and pleasure develop. 

According to Dr. David J. Linden, a neuroscientist who specializes in addiction, tiny portions further reinforce the pleasure/training connection – the dog must participate in more training to receive more "pleasure".  It's making the dog want more that keeps him or her interested in the session and that longing becomes connected to you and training.  Click here to hear Dr. Linden’s explanation (5-6 minutes into the interview).  Rewarding at a variable rate (rewarding sometimes - which means not at all, a little, or jackpotting at random times) makes a behavior even stronger, once the behavior is established (happens at least 80% of the time on command).  Think of a slot machine.  If it paid all the time in huge amounts, people would only go when they needed money.   If it never paid, what would be the point of playing?  If there are a multitude of possibilities (win nothing, a little, or a jackpot), it makes it more interesting and optimism keeps people playing.

Learning also requires confidence.  Rewarding the correct response encourages exploration, in comparison to punishing the wrong behavior, which creates hesitancy and fear.  Remember the teacher who made students sink into their seat whenever a question was asked? Pop questions rewarded with extra credit or candy usually encouraged much livelier responses, especially when wrong answers only got "good try!"  Our dogs should be the literal teacher’s pet.

The issue of excess calories frequently comes up where food rewards are concerned.  Using food rewards does not necessarily equate to an obese pet.  The size of the portion, as mentioned, is a major issue.  How tiny is tiny?  For medium sized  to large dogs, a treat portion is about the size of half of a pea.  Don't worry.  Dogs will taste it.  Adjust down accordingly, with toy sized dogs getting portions about the size of a grain of rice.  A jackpot is NOT one large piece, but many small pieces.  Dogs somehow understand number or repetitions rather than size.  Ask a three year old human if they prefer one large quarter or ten pennies.  It's the same idea.  Soft treats, rather than crunchy, work better so the dog isn't distracted by chewing. And a training session shouldn't last more than 3-10 minutes, depending on the number of behaviors being taught and your dog's attention span (classes are usually longer to train the humans, not the dogs).  So, figuring the rate of reward with the portion size, treats during training shouldn't make pets obese.  To practice already established behaviors or if the dog is super motivated by any food, train during breakfast using breakfast kibble with a couple extra treats added.  The video below is Rennie working for part of his breakfast.

Must food always be used as a reward?  Of course not.  Toys and privileges can also be used but are distracting and inefficient when a behavior is first being established (“Sit”, throw the ball, wait for dog to return with the ball and drop the ball before repeating).  However, it’s important that the reward is rewarding to the dog.  Brussel sprouts might be healthy, but they don’t do much for motivation.  Cheese, hot dogs, last night's leftovers, even rinsed canned beans are more interesting.  Be creative!   Experiment. With an eager learner awaiting what’s next, the sky’s the limit!

The Sweet Smell of Success

Yesterday, Yoji and I went into an empty lot during our walk.  There was a damp area in the weeds.  Yoji sniffed it.

“Noooooooo!” I protested,running in classic battle film slow motion.

It was too late.  The Grand Schmear had begun.   

A Grand Schmear is not a regular roll.  A Grand Schmear starts with a look of ecstatic doggy “OH, YEEEEEAAAAAH!”.  The dog descends nose first, followed by simultaneous collapse of front legs and rubbing of the cheek.  Propulsion by the back feet insures maximum contact and pressure as the dog pushes neck, shoulders, ribs and flanks through whatever “oh yeah” is.  Heaven forbid there is no intervention- because it will be repeated on the other side.  Oh, yes, it is definitely a collapse, rub and repeat.

"OH, YEAH!" Another Grand Schmear incident.

Yoji rose from the poo mud (courtesy of a sewer leakage, of course) and gave a glamour slow motion shake, each poo mud droplet glistening in the sun. A sharp couple kicks of his back feet (sound effect: straight razor sharpened on a leather strap) and he was good to go.  He was Yoji-suave.  He surveyed his realm.  His message was clear:  “Wassup, bitches?” – not politically incorrect amongst dogs.

This wasn’t the first time.  The most memorable was The Crab Incident.  I was cleaning crab and Yoji was with me in the kitchen, hoping for a tasty morsel.  Taro and Rennie were in another part of the house.  I slipped Yoji a bit of crab fat. Mmmmm, tasty!  I handed him another bit and he held it carefully in his mouth.  What good is having special treatment if no one else knows about it?  He spit out the fat, got the glazed ecstatic look as I watched in growing horror.  SCHMEAR!!  Needless to say, the other dogs did NOT discover the secret snack as Mr. Yoji was hastily seized and taken to the bathroom for an unprecedented late night bath. Taro and Rennie’s looks were of condemnation, not envy.  

Big deal, so the dog ‘schmeared’, to which I say, only a schmeared dog owner understands.  A Grand Schmear only occurs when there is something spectacularly and unbelievably smelly, sticky, and rare.  Grand Schmear material includes, but is not limited to:  human feces, raccoon feces, horse feces, cow feces (seeing a theme here?), rotted to liquid unknown dead critter, dead fish, and dead earthworms (surprisingly stinky, sticky, and not as rare as one would like – and part of another theme).  In other words, pretty much anything wretch-worthy as the dog is dragged at arms-length to the nearest water source. Ironically, dogs also perform Grand Schmears on carpets and lawns right after getting out of the bath.  

I’m not exactly sure, but it strikes me that a Grand Schmear is a combination of dogs establishing bragging rights and creating a signature fragrance.  Dogs always seem happy and pleased with themselves post-schmear and they appear to make a point of approaching other dogs while schmear-scented.  For example, as a puppy, Camille schmeared herself with dead earthworms and dashed back and forth in front of Stanzi, her big “sister”, making no contact with her, but definitely wanting to be noticed for the discovery.  Stanzi ignored her, but after Camille left, Stanzi hurried to the dead earthworms in the same spot, and schmeared herself as well (it was a bumper bath day at the house).

It doesn’t seem like schmearing is a hunting/food oriented behavior.  Most of the time, the schmear is not edible – the quantity either being nominal or dispersed into the ground and I’ve not seen dogs eat the substance before or after schmearing in it, with the exception of The Crab Incident, but that was an unusual circumstance.  There is a food argument in that the stench could disguise the scent of a doggy predator as it stalks its prey – a thought that perhaps lingers in our dogs’ amygdala. But, to think that our modern-day dogs plan ahead, just in case, seems far-fetched, especially when I see their horrified expression as I put away leftovers (“What?  Let’s eat it NOW!!!  If it’s too much you can always throw it up later!”).  Sure, schmearing might be a vestigial behavior, like spinning before sleeping to flatten the grass, but dogs take so much joy in schmearing, there must be some intrinsic pleasure in it.

A couple things to note:  depending on the source, a dog has anywhere from thousands to millions more scent receptors than people.  That means scent plays an incredibly important role in a dog’s  life and perception of the world as well as identity.  Dogs also have marking glands on their cheeks and chin (as well as on other areas of their body),  leading me to the “signature scent” theory.  When dogs schmear, not only are they applying a fragrance, but they are also leaving their own.  It is both “Look what I found!” and “This is mine!”.  The combination of schmears, knowing what to schmear and what to ignore, gives a discerning dog that bit of je ne sais quoi.

Being on a 10 year search for a signature scent myself, I empathize with Yoji’s quest for a canine cologne with a certain savoir faire.

“Hm, top notes of rotted earthworm, warming to coyote scat and rotted possum gut.  But wait!  What is that finish?  It’s exquisite!  No!  It can’t be!  Can it?  Crab fat!  So inspirational! So memorable!  So YOJI!!”

At $2,000 for a professional nose to design a signature scent, I’m thinking, next spring, what that swath of freesias goes into bloom …. OH, YEEEEAAAAAH! 

Post-schmear bath depression