Bindi Teaching ch5

 

CHAPTER 5.

GET ME TF OUTTA HERE

URBAN AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUE

I have to cover avoidance technique in the Urban Jungle before we go on much further.  It will be appropriate at times to avoid things that upset us. 

You will find that you start to pay attention to the things pup may feel uncomfortable around.

On an urban walk and while on lead is the time a lot of pups feel a bit constrained, restricted, and ill at ease.  Local walks are in familiar territory but local areas also have memories of previous things that have happened.

Things like where cats are seen, where a dog barked and scared pooch, where for any reason something memorable happened.  A trigger point will be nothing you will have done wrong, or it could be, but there is no need to dwell on that.  Walking on urban routes and while on lead may bring up any number of issues your pup could display markers at.

There may be local ownership issues where pup may think they own a local shop, footpath or verge.  They may see other dogs, people or cyclists as trespassing in their owned places. 

Add to that sense of ownership that pup knows if you are feeling tense.  They do.  Pup may be unsure how you might react when they pull or bark.  Will you tense up, will your voice change even in anticipation of how pup might react.

Add to that the feeling of restriction or of your stress coming down the suddenly tighter lead. 

Add to that the uncertain feelings the pup may have not knowing what may be coming at them or if there is a route to hide or run to.

 Add to that unexpected noises, sirens screaming, loud trucks clanking, babies crying, yappy dogs in passing cars and the general uneven, sharp noises and smells of urban life.

Pup is dealing with lots of stimuli. 

I don’t know if you had considered that these layers of distraction and uncertainty are presented to pup on every normal local walk.  That is why I suggest a walk be for the pup not for you.  Let it sniff and wander calmly to get used to all the stimuli. 

You may be blessed with a pooch that calmly takes all this in its stride and your outside excursions are calm happy things. Even then, still be aware of the environment as urban life will bring surprises.

If you notice a thing, guide pup with treats, touch or reward into a calm place so you can avoid or manage the things that trigger your pup.   

Being always observant whenever you are out in Urbania is a HUGE ask.  So all we can expect is to in most cases see things ahead, an excited dog approaching, a noisy trailer truck coming, kids on bikes, whatever is a trigger for your pup. 

If we spot them all in time, and good luck with that, we can take calm avoiding actions, turn around, cross the road, distract with reward or toy, all or any of these, but calmly.  No sudden moves, we are trying not to telegraph our concern to pup. 

One of the biggest challenges is just that. We see, we stress, we pull pup in, we throw darting glances around looking for escape route or play space, our voice cracks and we stuff it up. 

Always consider, if you have been doing even some things right, there is a chance pup won’t react to the stimulus you have spotted and nothing may happen, yes, that is possible, it may even be pup’s new default mood, if only we would stop getting so tense.  

There is nothing wrong in the early stages of modifying this reacting to stimuli behaviour to be walking your streets looking like you are some sort of social pariah/canine patrol/urban sniper moving from one obtuse sight-line to the next. 

It does help your pal though, if you can calmly avoid approaching stimuli, you will be able to provide pooch with an outing not littered with events that are uncomfortable or concerning to pooch. 

Key to this exercise is to allow as much space as possible between you and the thing that will excite your pup.  If crossing the road to avoid another dog is enough space then note that.  Repeat that distance of avoidance until pup seems happy to ignore the stimulus at that distance. 

If your observations show that markers are indicating a bark, a charge or flight, then change direction, distract or treat and move away to a distance that does not trigger the marker.  Over time you can manage distance by observing your pup’s markers and allowing the stimuli to be closer as reactions lessen. 

About now is the time I remind you that this is you walking the dog, because the walk is for the dog.  These delays or direction changes are all happening within the time you have allowed, where you thought you were going is of zero consequence.  A walk is time out for the dog.  Just because you were going to the park does not mean you have to go to the park.  If getting to the park is a problem then not making it to the park but being happy and calm on your walk is a good thing. 

I am thinking, if you are anything like me, you are seeing that the changes required in properly training an urban dog involve a lot of attitude modification in you.  I am writing this because it is the key thing I see most people not understanding. 

Changing your emotional state towards positive attitudes when dog training is not just good, it is fantastic and has personal benefits way beyond dog training.  The daily non training relationship you have will become a very different experience if you change your expectations.  Use calm observation and you will come to understand and relate to the little signals from people, other animals, and from your dog much more effectively.

I have mentioned patience.  With this avoidance training we are talking Olympic medal level patience and you really must persist to succeed.   

Take the increments of reducing distance towards trigger points at the pace of your pooch, not at some timing you think pooch should have got to by now.  Some dogs will surprise how quickly they start to feel safe closer to stimuli others may only improve in very small increments over a longer time.  Eventually pup will trust that you are not going to drag them into confrontation. 

There will of course be occasions when you don’t see a stimulus, don’t notice the markers, don’t calmly avoid in time.  You are not super-parent.  In those times, deal with whatever happens in as calm and an understanding manner you can muster. Calm pup with look at me, touch, gentle command or another way you can bring calm.  Reward calm relaxed behaviour when it comes.  A marker for that can be a deep breath and pup changing its attentions.  

After an event, proceed as if whatever happened, didn’t happen.  Pup will have forgotten a past stimulus by the time the next smell catches the nose. Try and be more dog in this regard. Don’t dwell on the past, reflect on it momentarily and move forward. 

I am reminded of a saying that the size of the windscreen of a car and its rear view mirror are relative to the time you should spend looking forward and backwards.  That is a very clever allegory for how much focus we should have anticipating the future and how little reflecting on the past. 

It is not the case that any training success you and pooch have achieved together will be unpicked by one negative event.  Your relationship is based on lots of fun play, good times and other positive experiences, not just one recent event.  Learn if there is something to learn from brief reflection and, for pity sake, don’t beat yourself up because one part of your relationship is not yet rock solid. 

Patient persistence.           

Bindi Teaching ch6

 

 

CHAPTER 6.

TAKING THE PISS

URBAN HOUSE TRAINING

I said I wouldn’t focus too much on basic training but this is too important to leave to others. Something I learned far too late. 

If a dog finds itself in a situation that is fearful, overwhelming, or very uncomfortable, no matter how well house trained, your pup may react involuntarily by releasing its bladder. 

This may be a flight response similar to the one birds have when they are startled.  In a bird, the cloacae dumps its content as a means of reducing take-flight weight. Perhaps this is a remaining evolutionary trait in pooches too but not as significant a weight reduction I would propose.   Dogs don’t fly.  More probably a defence distraction evolution, there is something irresistible to dogs about other dog’s urine scent. All this does not really matter, I’m just having a chat with myself.  Must concentrate.

I have spent some paragraphs talking about observing small telltales and subtle changes in your pup’s physiology but peeing is a very obvious marker.  Large puddles of urine on clean carpets and shop floors, pools on training mats or streams running over people’s shirts, trousers and shoes is difficult to miss.

In a young pup you may be excused for thinking this is a slip up in house training, the pup forgetting because it is excited or distracted.  What this marker is actually telling you is that pooch is way out of its comfort and safe zone.   

As a good owner you would never chastise the pup for this biological slip would you?  Of course you would.  I mean it’s the first date’s rug, the boss’s new shoes, the beautician’s pristine couch, it’s an embarrassment in front of other well behaved pooches, a mark of how crap a job you are doing at dog training.  A loud NO! And a gentle nose smack, then on to cleaning up and apologising and another curse at the dog. Just so everyone knows you are a good person and very sorry for your disgusting pup.  

Here is what I learned.  It’s so obvious.  You, as a caring kind safe place provider, have placed the pooch into an environment where they do not have the skills, experience or control to cope.  It is so stressful that pup becomes unable to process all the incoming stimuli and the bladder control releases.  

 Pup is either not yet old enough or mature enough or self-assured enough to have learned the coping skills for that level of newness, excitement, attention, competition, or whatever it was confronted with. 

As a good owner you will recognise this wouldn’t you?  You would ensure you were much more aware of this type of activity and you would ensure that you wouldn’t repeatedly take your ill-prepared little pooch back into that environment.  You would initially avoid those type of involvements, shield your pup from getting in too deep too soon and too often.  You would remove them from such places only to slowly re-introduce them over time until pup was relaxed and felt safe going there.  Right? 

Yeah. Well we kept taking Bindi to Puppy Class every damned week for months and kept wiping up her wee, trying to shut up her barking and the ‘trainer’ kept encouraging us to come back and put Bindi into ever more demanding situations as she increased in size.  What we got out of Puppy Class was a large German Shepherd who gets so excited whenever she sees other dogs or active dogs in training or on lead she goes berserk.  Thanks mate.

The learning from all this is if your pup pees inside, look at where you are, what the pup is experiencing, with little fuss, great calm and kindness clean up and exit as graciously as possible.   It doesn’t mean that your pup will never be able to be in such a place again, it just means it will look to you to show when it is safe to be there, in time, when pooch is ready, after it has experienced a few more but lesser stimulating events.

Of course even very calm and sociably malleable pups don’t immediately know when or where is appropriate to relieve themselves. 

There are some simple ways to achieve a house trained pooch. 

In the first instance it is wise to have regular feed times.  Look up breed recommendations. For very young pups, small frequent set meal times are usually best, say breakfast, lunch and dinner.... to help fit in with daily household routines. 

Ideas vary about giving very young pups access to clean fresh water. Some recommend shortly before, during and for a limited time after frequent meals.  Some say a permanent access.  I understand in the very early toilet training days, when pup and you are always in sight of each other, controlling water intake times will assist in toilet training.  Personally I think permanent access to fresh clean water is mandatory and fits with giving pup a safe, low stress place to be in.  

Either way, it is in the nature of dogs not to foul where they sleep, drink or eat.  The best way I know of to house train a pup is to feed it, or if you notice if it has had a big drink, wait 3 minutes and guide the pup to a place acceptable to relieve itself.  Do not play with or excite the pup at this time but allow it to walk around, look and sniff and nature will, eventually, take its course.  Patient persistence.

Once the act is complete give gentle praise, a calm hand on the nice to touch places and a quiet return to the house every time will bring the desired result.  There will not be a desired result every time, it’s a dog, and you don’t always pay attention.

I know you will remonstrate if pup is caught in the act inside but do not over react, simply remove pup to the preferred toilet area.  Pooch will understand something is not right from your reactions but as nature has only taken its course, why you are upset will be difficult for pup to grasp.  Showing good places to toilet is much more effective.  Pup just wants a happy safe life.  Your observation, structure, forgiveness, calm persistence and a little bit of praise will bring very swift and reliable results.

As we are discussing dog waste, there are some less than endearing things dogs will do.  I strongly recommend no excreted dog waste be left unattended.  Female dogs for some reason are more prone to a bit of canine copraphillia.  Some say it is genetic as lactating bitches clean up the den after their new pups.  Some say it’s because refined urban food has a lingering and attractive scent after digestion.  Cat poop is obviously delicious. I tend to think none of that matters, it is something us bathed, scented and sanitised urban dwellers don’t want our pups to be doing.  It offends our socialised sensitivities.

If you find you have a pup that has a tendency to consume the odd bit of poop I suggest you do not overreact. 

On the scale of normal to abnormal dog quirks this one is just not a nice quirk.  It is not from improper feeding or as far as I can find is it a negative health risk to the pup.  It is most often a phase that will diminish over time. 

As I have said, removing the target is the most effective way to obviate an experiment and then a desire.   A couple of my dogs have done it occasionally, when Bindi was caught doing it a disgusted face a crisp negative command and offering distraction took the intensity out of her desires in that regard.  But of course, she may have just grown out of it, or maybe she hasn’t. 

I do not lose sleep over it and, unless your pooch won’t eat anything else, I suggest you also don’t worry and despite your social sensitivities, don’t overreact.        

Bindi Teaching ch7

 

CHAPTER 7.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER THEN?

URBAN DIET

One of the main points of discussion in breed forums, rescue groups or any dog web site is what to feed your dog.  I am not going to dive into the clouded depths of canine cuisine in this book. There are camps of people who advocate raw meat, bones and offal only, there are grain free advocates, there are vegetarian prophets,  massive corporate brand businesses pushing complete dog foods and I guess out there is someone somewhere feeding their pooches a gluten free lactose intolerant vegan diet with supplements all blended in a crystal bowl..   

I say feed your pup appropriately to the breed and with sensitivity to their dietary responses. It is your responsibility to feed yourself and your dependents a healthy diet.  Your dog is a dependent.

 Simple check. Sloppy unformed poops, not good. 

For my dogs there have been various diet solutions, My Great Danes loved asparagus as treats but my Shepherd hated it.  Raw bones were consumed by all my dogs with vigorous gusto and to no negative effect, but my Bindi, well she reacts to any red meat or bone like its rocket fuel and she goes energy spinning, back yard racing, guard dog berserk for a whole day after she has eaten any raw mammalian meat morsel.  She will eat fish not prawns and is ambivalent to shellfish. 

We give greenlip mussel concentrate for good joint health and I’m a bit of a fan of cold pressed grain free kibble mixed with raw poultry for my Bindi to keep her healthy, shiny coated bright eyed and calm. 

For your pooch, look to its breed experts for the quantity to feed, supply pup with age appropriate digestible food and portion size, pup will let you know what it likes to eat when hungry.  For treats or as a filler to the main meal include whatever raw vegetables your pooch likes.  Carrots seem to be universally in favour but broccoli and cauliflower stalks are some vegetable off-cuts that pup may enjoy chewing.  

I also recommend that using part of the food you would portion for pup’s dinner is great for use as training treats. If kibble is part of your pooch’s diet then this is a very convenient way to provide training treats through the day without adding to the total calories consumed. 

There is the tendency to feed as recommended and then add training treats on walks or at training sessions without thinking they are food, that sort of thing will add to the weight of the pup.  Just a thought for you to consider, if you are growing a surprisingly chubby pup.....

Treats should probably not include nuts as so many nuts are bad for dogs.  Peanuts are fine but they are legumes not nuts. Pure Peanut Butter, without palm oil, xylitol or sugars, is an amazing treat.  I smear it inside empty old marrow bones for some quiet time or into toys like kong to enrich the days when we don’t go out for walks. 

Hopefully I don’t need to tell you to keep all chocolate products well away from dogs.  Dogs can’t process or excrete the toxicity and it builds up in the pooch and will be fatal.  No not even a little bit of chocolate.  I wouldn’t even listen to the white chocolate argument. 

There is always carob... Carob is perfectly safe for every dog if you can’t resist giving your pup a chocolatey sugar hit.  Though the last thing my Bindi needs is more energy.

 

Bindi Teaching ch8

 

 

CHAPTER 8.

TOUCH ME LIKE YOU DO

URBAN CONTACT

The lyrics from that Ellie Goulding song resonate. We all know what we like about being touched. So do dogs, obviously.

I have mentioned previously that reward and making a calm sense can include nice touch.  I also went on and on about observing your pup.  It will come as no surprise then that knowing what your pup likes and giving it to them in play and in rest times is a critical part of rewarding them.  Good bonding too.

Dogs have pleasure receptors.  At the height of play you will know what touch keeps pup joyous and excited. When calm and relaxing together you will know what areas pup likes being stroked, scratched or patted.  Pay attention.  Respond appropriately when your pup seeks your touch, this will help you build trust. 

If times are slow and pup gives you a hint it wants attention, stroke the part that makes for calm interaction.  If the pup runs in, play bows at an appropriate time and place, then go on, tickle or scratch the excited play part of your pup.  These seem like obvious pup-owner interactions but if you are not paying attention you will miss an opportunity to imbed these things into your relationship. 

We need to be able to use these very powerful triggers when things get tough or we need to unite in the face of a challenge.  

I mentioned in the walking chapter that there may be times when a walk does not get past the front step of the home.  It may be appropriate for you and pup to just be together there, with you gently stroking the calm part of your pup.

In the feed chapter I recommended using kibble or evening meal portions as training treats.  Equally and occasionally the touch your pup likes is just as good a reward and can replace a treat.  It will be up to you and pup to learn what value treat equates to what value touch as really great rewards must be given when pup gives really great results.

OH NO... DON’T TOUCH ME THERE.

Touching usually untouched parts is something we also have personal feelings about.  Some parts are not for touching by just anyone.  I’m not getting all sexual here, what I am getting to is the need to have owner access to all parts of pooch when needed. 

My Alsatian lass was no fan of having her mouth opened for any, ‘gawd wot have you got in your mouth now’ enquiries, she really resisted gum, tooth and tongue inspections. Feeling in foot pads for thorns, cuts and stones was also problematic.  The cutting of long nails was fraught. I don’t then need to explain the issue of obtaining anal temperatures.  I don’t know if the doggy reaction to temperature taking was worse than the look of total indignation she gave.  So touching usually untouched places became a very important part of our play and calm stroking times.

You don’t need me to provide specific instructions as to how to play with your pup but I will say at various times in play or calm stroking, make a pause, give a command like ‘let’s see’  and gently and very briefly touch the untouchable then reward.  At a later, but not the very next play or calm touch session, repeat and see if duration or investigation can be increased with calm persistence. 

You will be surprised how quickly, if you do it with care, the untouched areas are allowed to be touched by using the gentle ‘let’s see’ command.  I feel like a stuck audio track always saying it’s all about patience and building trust. 

It’s all about patience and building trust.  

Do not do actions or prodding too sever so that trust is lost.  Some pups will immediately welcome the care, some pups will resist the invasion. Take it at your pup’s pace.  In time and with persistence you will be able to secure needed access and even be able to gift this trust to veterinary professionals by sharing the touch command and calm approach/reward method with them.   

I will say, this will save you a lot of vet time and maybe even money when your pup needs vet help.

Touch should be a regular part of your interactions. 

On walks and at rest, touch is something your pup will react to.  Some of us humans like to have a hand to hold, to be lovingly touched, some others of us, not so much.. Dogs may or may not have the same attachment to being touched but dogs are very sensitive to touch and it is up to you as owner to understand that too.  

Again, observe how your pup reacts, just because you think a pat on the head is a usual nice thing to do to a dog, your pup may not.  Observe.  Reward with the things pup shows it likes.  It may love an ear tickle, a back scratch or just kind words, a tone of voice, a gesture, a single flank stroke.   

You can do it.   

Bindi Teaching ch9

 

CHAPTER 9.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND

 

URBAN RECALL

You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running, to see you again. Well, that’s what songwriter Carol King said.

I am fortunate to be able to let my lass off her lead at a some places within a walk or short drive from home.  Some of these places are popular leash free places and pups get lots of chances to interact.  Dogs and owners gather in small groups, sometimes together sometimes apart.

I know of what I speak when I say the Carol King lyric is far removed from the world of calling dogs back.  Real life at a popular off-lead area can be a cacophony of repeated whistles, shouts, loudly yelled dog names and inventive cursing.  Sort of like parents at the Saturday morning kid’s sports match.

We have covered the look-at-me exercise earlier and I suggested it was a great tool to get name recognition and recall by gradually introducing these things in areas of increasing distraction.

I am not going to waste pages of words repeating this in another way.  What I will say yet again though is that if pup knows that looking at you, answering to its name and coming when called is a good thing, gets reward, and feels safe, then you will both be happy to reunite on demand.

There is one rule that overrides when calling your dog to you in every instance.

DO NOT SET POOCH UP TO FAIL.

In the early training and in the mid way training and when fully trained it is up to you to ensure commands are given when the likelihood of obedience is at its maximum.  You can start this by always observing what pooch is focussed on and using touch, voice, whistle or reward as appropriate to attract that attention back to you before issuing a command so you get the highest chance of success. 

Recall depends on how well you have laid down the initial basic look-at-me stuff.  Pup should know you are a safe place to come to. That getting a reward for returning is absolutely going to happen and that being with you is better than the alternative activity it was involved in.

Yeah, right.

Dogs are dogs and they have a wonderful propensity to be able to totally focus on a thing. Anything. Completely.  So much so that a bomb could go off and they will stay sniffing a blade of grass.  Well, that may be a bit extreme but you know what I’m getting at.

This is going to happen regardless of how wonderful your recall training is.  It is not a failure. It is dog focus. If pup is locked into a thing, whatever that is, good or bad, you have to ensure that you recognise what level of attention breaker you need to perform in order to distract pup from that activity, focus or obsession.

If pooch has got itself into a chasing frenzy then it is unlikely a gentle name call will break the tie. Increasing the volume of the name call will also probably not work. Then screaming the pups name with great agitation will in all likelihood just excite and encourage the pup to go at the target harder perhaps thinking you are both now in it together. 

A definition of stupidity is repeating an action and expecting a different outcome.  If you call your pup once and it does not respond, it is probably not because pup’s ears didn’t hear you, it’s because pup’s brain didn’t let the message through just then as it was full of more fun or more important stuff.  Pup may remember and respond to that command when the more important or fun stuff has passed.  Or it may not.   

I mentioned earlier on that it was important to have normal treats and high value treats in training.  Same goes for audible commands and whistles etc.  High value treats should be linked to a different and stronger audible cue like a whistle on your key-ring, or if you are blessed with the ability, a shrill pitched whistle you can make.

By linking a greater sound to a higher reward you have imprinted a scale of pleasure for a different level of recall.  I am not saying this is a solve-all bit of training but I will say recall training is again something that never ceases, is practiced every day and is always a nice thing for pup to do that always gets rewarded.

I would suggest that if neither a call nor a whistle distract pooch from its involvement, then you may just have to move yourself towards the distraction.  It is amazing how this can galvanise pup’s attention and then you can distract for a treat a pat or just to return for a walk that pup will follow. 

What I would counsel is before you attempt the recall, try to assess what you think the pup will respond to and use the value of call appropriate. If that does not work, do not repeat the same call.  If pup ignored it once there is no reason it will respond the next time.   You have to change tack and get the distraction using a higher gambit.  I said above, you may have to physically intervene. 

Or you may choose to ignore the disobedience and go do something pup will be interested in.  You have people smarts.  They are not always better than pup smarts, but hey, let’s hope huh?

In any case, however it happens, reward the pooch when the attention returns to you.  I witness too many times a pup finally coming back to a frustrated owner for pup to only get an unpleasant reaction.  Every return should be rewarded, an immediate return with a high value reward, a poor or failed return with restrained acknowledgement.  You must always be a safe place to return to.

There is no quick method to embed recall training.  Recall is step by step rewarded reinforcement of behaviours that you like. It starts with the eye to eye training, name recognition training, come from close training, and eventually come when distracted training with high value reward and distraction calls.  It takes less time than you would think.  If you persist. If you observe. If you are patient.

Half-hearted occasional recall training will bring half-hearted occasional recalls.  No surprises there then.

There are no free lunches in recall training, every recall victory is to be celebrated not expected and every failed recall is to be assessed if it was handled as well as it could have been by you. Pooch will do what it knows will feel the best, they are like that, good time junkies.

There can be cases of lesser recall need, like when pup is just off doing and you would like them near and not doing. If they refuse to return, as Bindi does sometimes, trying to flex her independence, or belligerently not wanting to give up a treasure, use the ignore tactic.  Pup is probably looking to garner your increased attention by refusing recall.   While that is cute it is not a desired trait. 

Weigh up if there is no danger about as it may just be as well to ignore the pup. Your physicality is a powerful tool, so ignore the disobedience, change direction of your walking. This distances you from pup, which all things being equal, will not be what pup wanted.  When pup follows you, reward with voice, touch, or treat and continue to ignore the treasure or cause of refusal.  Move along until pup relaxes into normal.  Then reconnect, reward, and on you both go.

If pup does not follow you as you get to a good distance, out of direct sight or after a minute or so, then that is an indication pup is not yet ready for the responsibility of being granted leash-free time in that much of a distracting environment.  Use whatever skills you have available to calmly attract pooch back to being safe with you. Review what part of the bonding training has not landed.  It is not pup’s fault.

Sorry to say, but probably you may have skipped or been too swift in the low distraction training and yes, you may need to calmly review Chapter 2 and get the bonding process more solidly in place again.

 

Bindi Teachiing Ch 10

 

CHAPTER 10.

BY MY SIDE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT (INXS)

HEEL !

If there was ever a contentious topic among the minutiae of training dogs, it is how to place your pup when you want it walking with you while on lead or on Heel..

The easiest tip to give you is to place pup in a sit beside you and start walking with a walk call.  Giving only enough lead to ensure pup stays where wanted during the first few steps. If pup follows and stays there as you walk, reward and continue, job done. That was easy.

In the more likely scenario that something distracts pup and it bounds off, you need some other tips.

I could have covered this earlier but I do think the things we have covered about going for a walk are more important than where your pup is when you walk. 

We like to know our pooch is safe and in our control but there are preferences we can apply for an easier life.  If you want your pup walking close behind, just behind, right beside or a little in front, it is your choice.  By your, I mean jointly, pup will have a preference too. You will probably end up in mutual compromise.

Unlike many training books, I don’t think where you Heel matters so much as the habitual return to a consistent position as agreed between you and pup.  My experience is that some dogs will happily follow, others are happiest to the side and others simply must be slightly in front. 

I repeat it is an agreement between the two of you but at no time should pup be given the dominant control of the walk.  Do not be cajoled into allowing a dominant pup to be the problem scout on every walk, looking for what trouble it can get into first.  That is not at Heel.  That is pup taking you for a walk.

 If pup is allowed to be in slightly in front it is allowed that position only if it constantly checks in by looking to you for direction. Remember to reward every check in. Vocal reward is okay for a glance, valued reward for a proper  ‘can I?’ look, you should expect many, many check ins when on Heel.

I would recommend that you and pup are in frequent eye-to-eye no matter where you agree to set the heel position.

There is no secret to this training, it is just show, correct, reward, repeat.  Endlessly. With observation. With persistence. With patience.

If pooch gets too far out of position during Heel training you can stop walking and wait for pup to return to position.  Reward. Resume. 

This may mean you don’t actually go very far but pup should, in time, realise that, when on the Heel command, you don’t go anywhere if pup is not where it should be. 

Not every part of every walk should be to Heel.  Allow time for sniffing, interaction and exploring. For both of you.  I mean if you want to check something out, pup is required to allow you that time too and be prepared to wait calmly for you. Every walk out should include a goodly amount of time on Heel.

Sheep dog trainers use their sheep crook as a gentle reminder to tap the dog if it breaks forward or behind too far.  You could use a very light stick to touch pooch with too.  Shoulder taps are most effective.  I have a large dog so I can reach her with my hand for the touch but a command and a light touch from a stick is a surprise for pup and reminds to return Heel smartly.

No. I am not advocating hitting pup with a stick.   

It would seem obvious but Heel training is best done while on lead.  Yes, all above tools can be applied while on lead.  Or off lead in low distraction areas if you have good recall. 

If your recall is like Bindi’s, i.e. selective, then a lead is probably mandatory.  I would say when training to heel though do not use a pull on the lead as the first command or the second command,  but as the final enforced command.

Get pooch to your side using recall command or enticing with treat.  It is best to have pup come to your side rather than dragging to you with the lead. We want being in the right position to be achieved by manipulating pup to get there on its own from recall and praise or because it knew a treat was coming if it placed its bum in the right spot.

 The Heel command should be delivered only when pup is where you want it. Heel is not a recall or a containment command but a command for pup to move with you.  So ensure when Heel is commanded you are about to or are walking.

The use of a lead is to just be a backup to your commands for recall, restraint or to minimise drift while on the heel command.

I would recommend a lead of about 5 meters in lngth.  If a long lead is too cumbersome there are retractable leads available. 

I have said there are times on a walk when heel is not appropriate and you want your pooch to be away sniffing and interacting.  If your recall is not 100% reliable then a long or retractable lead is the tool of choice for urban walkies.

Bindi Teaching Ch 11

 

CHAPTER 11.

YOU DIDN’T WANT A GUARD DOG?

BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE.

To get your dog to bark ,  here is what you have to do...

What?

You don’t want your dog to bark?  Does your dog bark at a lot of  things? Well, They will do that. Did you not know when you got a dog that most dogs bark? 

Of course we have an expectation our dog will have a voice.  We often just expect a certain amount voice and the ability for pup to control that voice.  Urban life has enough stress from  living close to neighbours without your dog barking too much, at the wrong time of day and too loudly and of course persistently.  Non-stop barking is totally unacceptable behaviour.

There are a few trigger causes for a lot of voice, those can include excitement, fear, uncertainty and territorial protection or all of these.  The solutions, in order, are introduction, company, explanation and exposure.  I will come back to these as there are tools you can use, after you have put some basics in place.

I think the first thing you have to get your dog to understand is that it is barking...

I know you think that will be obvious, the dog knows it is barking.  But honestly, maybe it doesn’t know what barking is but is using a fantastic tool to gain attention or to get the feeling that it is coping with not being happy.  Barking can generate feel good endorphins in pup. 

Please note I am not talking about yipping or yapping while in play with other dogs, that is dog communication and carries more meaning for dogs than we need to know about, that’s dog to dog business.

The bark to action is pup trying to tell us things.  If a bark gets lots of attention from us then pooch will use it to get our lots of attention.  Pup is just getting our attention without knowing it is annoying, it just wants our attention.

Initially, ignoring any low level barking so pup does not get your attention for barking is a nice effective if subtle tool.  But only if pup does not continue and escalate the barking until you respond.  I never said this was going to be easy but if you know your pup’s triggers, best treats, highest desires... You can use people smarts to decide a course of action.  Ignore barking only if it works and you are in a space where continued barking can be ignored without impact on neighbours. 

It should always be in your mind that ignoring a bad behaviour will ensure that particular bad behaviour is not going to generate attention as a reward for pup.  Any owner attention is a pup-reward by the way.  Even bad owner attention is still attention and a pup-reward.

Counter intuitively, the best way to stop a dog barking too much is to teach it to bark on command. 

If you have a dog that barks easily it will be easy for you to sit with it and catch it barking when you have eye-to-eye.

This is a fun game.  When pup barks, give a command like Speak. As soon as it barks, reward and give the command ‘speak’.  The treat will give a mini break from the barking while it munches and swallows. Repeat.

If it barks without the speak command, no reward.  Wait for a pause and give ‘speak’ command, if a bark follows, give reward.

I am sure you can see how this goes.  Your job is to pace the game, introducing a hand signal, maybe a flat vertical, fingers  open hand at the same time as the speak command.  You can work towards only giving the signal and getting pup to bark when the open hand is flashed. Then Reward. Bark without hand signal, no reward, ignore.  Repeat until you are sure pup has got the understanding of the signal and that it means a single bark.

So now you have a dog that obviously will still bark when you don’t want it to, but as well, barks when you want it to. I can hear the neighbours saying, ‘That’s just great , that is’. 

At every stage of this book I have said persistence and patience are key to Urban Dog Training.  Regrettably the above lesson comes with an onerous stage that really can’t be avoided as we really must get the pup to understand what the bark/speak command/signal is, and until you are sure it gets it, we can’t go on to the step you obviously want to do, stop the barking.

I will say that if you practice the bark command for a few days you may well find pup’s other barking reduces... You may also not find that, but, hey ho.  Do not panic. Persist until pup regularly barks when it’s told or signalled to speak.

If you are confident pup understands, then the next day when you are playing the speak game, introduce a new action, like closing the open hand to a fist, folded fingers towards pup. And the word shush, quite, shaddup, or whatever word you like but make it a crisp and short command, that can be used in public. 

Now you can use the practiced open hand action-reward system to get pup to bark, reward, again give the open hand signal and reward.  Now at the quiet time between barks, give the close hand signal and use the quiet word, and while pup stays not barking, reward.  

Repeat the bark, open hand sign, reward, while quiet, give closed hand sign and quiet command, tiny pause, reward if pup stayed quiet.  Try this for say 5 minutes a day, thinking of your neighbours.  Over time increase quiet time and increase reward as appropriate for longer quiets.  Make it fun with praise and nice touch.

Is that clear? I hope I explained it well enough for you but it must be repeated until pup understands the hand signals and words and associates them with the required bark response. 

Remember all these hand signals must be given when pup is looking at you, not when looking at the treat. Get pup to look at you for the bark/speak/open hand, and for the pause/quiet/closed hand.

In the course of a normal day do not fall into the following trap.

BINDI:  Hey Dad! There is a cat outside

DAD:  Shut up,

BINDI:  Its a BAD cat

DAD:  SHUT UP!

BINDI:  Okay, Just saying....

DAD:  FOR SH*T SAKE SHUUTT UPP!!!

BINDI:  OH YEAH!  IT’S A BIG EXCITING CAT

DAD:  SCREAMING ABUSE!!!!

BINDI:  YEAH THIS IS GREAT!! LETS BOTH BARK AT IT MORE!!!

It happens. Things get ugly.

 

Okay let’s go back to why dogs bark and discover some tools to use.. 

In the first place a bark is a communication so we don’t want pup to think it can’t communicate. Which is why I strongly object to things like shock collars. Sometimes if you search google they are called, laughingly, Dog Training collars.  I mean, really?  Aversion or pain training is just wickedly cruel and animals have no clue what is happening to them.  Imagine your enemy or worse, your dumped ex-lover, imagine giving them a remote that blasted you with a debilitating shock to your head, at any time they felt like it.

 

I think we teach pup how to communicate more effectively if we observe what the barking is and when it happens. I said before there were a few common reasons for barking. Excitement, fear, uncertainty and territorial. And a few solutions, introduction, company, explanation and exposure.

 

Every barking incident really as much as possible has to be dealt with from your deepest reservoir of calm space. I know being calm when your pooch is barking is not the natural human response.  A dog bark is a primordial warning to us as humans and our immediate response is attention, adrenalin, and action.  Knowing this, knowing you have a dog that barks, hopefully you will be able to suppress the animal part of your physiology and access quickly the ‘No, I have to be calm’, part of your people smarts.  Keeping that in mind, let us proceed with some tools.

 

Excitement barking is obviously triggered by a stimulus like being kept away from fun things, visitors, a prey target, a doggy mate, a car trip, that sort of thing.  It will be indicated by a wide arc tail wag, head up ears up, high pitched fast barking. Use distraction by treat or toy if you think you can do so to get pup to look at you, break focus on the trigger and be calmer.  If practical it is then best to allow pup to meet the trigger with a calm approach if possible.  Maybe this will be possible at some time after the excitement is past, re-introduce the trigger in a different place where trigger can be approached calmly.  In the worst case, try distraction by throwing a favourite thing in the opposite direction and getting a return.  This should reduce the initial intensity and may be a sufficient distraction for you to get pup attention and redirect onto another command response. Or retreat from the trigger and remove the intensity.

 

Fear barking can be triggered by something beyond pup’s understanding or a previously experienced negative, like firework surprises, sirens, loud street noise.  Ears down, head down, growls and low pitch bark, perhaps a retreat is also in the fear response.  A calm response from you here is the best path forward, comforting tone while gently keeping pup close to you. Calmly move away from the event to a safe place, sharing the experience in retreat without forcing pup to get more exposed.  If you are always consistent in doing this pup should trust you are a safer place to be and you can, over time move pup away from the trigger to a lesser and lesser extent until pup feels just being near you brings enough safety to allow the fear to pass.

 

Uncertainty barking comes from an unknown trigger, noises in the dark, a surprise, a passing dog suddenly reacting, a new sight like a floating balloon or windblown debris.  This can bring guard response, protection response, but all with a fear-like response of hackles up pointed ears, maybe lips up teeth showing, making pup look strong.  The task for you is to identify the trigger and show that is it not harmful again by showing the trigger to be safe.  If you can hold the balloon touch it, or enter the dark place calmly and return to pat pup.  Depending on the situation you can assess if appropriate to guide pup away from the surprise or greet the surprise calmly.  Whatever you can do to show the pup you are happy and calm to be near or with the uncertain thing, no fuss.  

 

Territorial barking is pure guard-protect response, a response saying this is my space, stay away. Full teeth display, high hackles extending down back, loudest bark from a full chest, head high, ears forward as big and brave as it is possible to look.  With this barking, knowing your pooch and having spent time building trust is critical.  If your pup is likely to nip at this time is very important you do not expose yourself to unintended injury.  You do need to defuse and distract focus. Guard barking is the toughest emotional event to break.  Again an unlikely approach often is the best way forward.  Pup is guarding against a threat so if you say, ‘good pup!’  ‘Who’s a clever pup’ ‘good pup’ in a calm gentle tone it will not be the expected result pup thought it would get.   After all if you have a dog that wants to protect its environment that means it is happy in its environment and does not want it invaded.  Warning us that something is not usual is the thing dogs have done for millennia. So. Our pooch barking is the basic act of telling us something is happening near their safe place.  We need to see that as a good thing, 

We just want it to be controlled.  By giving the calm praise, pup should relax a bit and allow you to share what it has seen.  As long as you continue to be calm, and then, if appropriate ignore and walk away, pup may relax and calm down where it is or it may follow you and look to you for guidance.  If so, you can distract or redirect activity with toy play or treat, go find, any fun thing you two do.  

 

Some things that may help with this is having to hand a favourite toy to fetch. Consider blocking the view by standing between pooch and the interesting thing. 

If calm establishes in the short term, then a gentle introduction to the threat may be appropriate when pup has settled. 

If front door guarding is overly enthusiastic, you will need to employ every friend or neighbour you can convince to help you.  Have them, at different times on different days, approach the front door while you teach pup that it is appropriate when you go to the door for pup to sit on a mat or in a place behind you while you open and deal with the door person.  This you just have to be calm and firm with and not embarrassed to be battling pup while your friend stands patiently outside.

Block pup access to the door while you open it, firmly but calmly returning pup to the safe place and a reward for staying there.  As you repeatedly try to open door to the person waiting outside, stop and return calmly to place pups bottom on the safe place. It really does not matter how many times you have to repeat this.  By constant repetition and lots of patient friends over some days, pup will understand the territory of the door is not to be bark protected if you are there.  Eventually by ensuring pup stays on the safe place, people are allowed to come in and pup must stay on mat until released to calmly greet.  A closed hand when appropriate will enforce the no barking, if used when pup is looking of course, and if you feel it will be obeyed. 

Do no repeat any command that is ignored by pup, save it for another time.  I know from experience this training requires the biggest commitment in patience and persistence.  And many willing, patient friends.

 

Once again I want to remind you to acknowledge the dog you have.  Some barking behaviour is breed specific, yipping barks in a terrier to scare out prey, guarding barks from Rotties, Dobermans, Shepherd dogs.  Gentle consistent persistence is always the way forward but breeds will be breeds and the trust between you and pup will grow over time as you move away from unthinking barks towards learned behaviour.

 

I repeat, you yelling at a barking dog is like throwing petrol on a fire.  You cannot yell loud enough to out shout a dog barking.  Like you can’t drown a fire with petrol, shouting just makes for more barking. 

 

As much as it sounds strange, now you know pooch is barking because in some way it is uncomfortable, that provides you with an alternative.  The calm praise your pup likes, the good-pup vocal, and the nice fun of return for treat or touch. 

 

If pup is excited and barking, your calm strong praise and memory of reward can be the key to make a crack in the frenzy.  It is those early bonding lessons if well entrenched in the owner-pup relationship that will be most effective in helping you minimise the barking.  

 

And remember you didn’t get a dog so you could bark yourself.  A dog will bark, for you, at you and with you, but you can control and guide the dog if you observe and persist with calm patience.