Bindi Teaching ch3

 

 

CHAPTER 3.

URBAN RESISTANCE

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER.

I want to very quickly cover collars, leads and harnesses.  On this topic alone I am going to be instructive not advisory as one thing I have found is that most pups need to be given tactile guidance when outside in the urban world.  Before you can trust pup to stay rock solid beside you off leash in your streets and parks, if you ever can, you need to have restraint, contact and control.

Control while training means having the pup connected to you on a string of some form or other.

These are the things I recommend you attach to pup.

A nice wide well fitted collar that can have some form of limited constriction when pulled on so pup cannot pull backward out of the collar.  The use of choker chain collars is abhorrent and cruel and will harm pup’s air, spine and vocal passages. A properly adjusted check collar is marginally acceptable but only so it will not come off if pulled, not to constrict the pups neck.

And here is an important bit.  A collar is for hanging an ID tag off, or because all dogs look great with a nice collar, or because pup feels special when wearing a collar.... I know, sounds silly but all my dogs seem really pleased with their collars and want them on not off.  A collar is not for attaching a lead to.

What?

A collar is an ancillary bit of gear for you to have a very occasional tool to hold when in play, grooming or activity where calm hand to collar guidance is needed.

We live in a time where there are a lot of dog harnesses available and a lot of advice on size and fitment so I am not going to cover all the variants of harnesses out there and I am not going to rate them.   

What I want to share is my learning about collars and harnesses.

When training a pup you will need to provide control, restriction and guidance.  Having a string attached to pup gives you a tool to give a tactile message immediately, provides pup with a feeling of connection to you, and allows you to remove pup from danger.

A collar is a poor tool for any of these things.  A dog with intent and pulling away from you while tied by a string on a collar will experience a collar slipped down the neck to a top of chest point where it enables maximum effort to be distributed to the feet.  The collar will have lodged across the lower throat where obstruction to breathing is not severe but stimulates the thyroid to a point of irritation.  As pup continues to pull and swerve the collar will move upwards, compressing the larynx and creating a sensation of anxiety and restriction. So, what we end up with is a pooch pulling with all its ability while getting buckets of endorphins pumped through discomfort and pain.  Not very calm and graceful.

A good harness will attach to the lead from the top on the back just above the withers, will have a brace across the chest and a belt going behind the front legs and under the chest. This provides a very comforting huggy sensation for pup, sort of like a favourite coat or sweater is for us.

When pup pulls against the lead, the harness will provide a comfortable resistance but because the anchor to the lead is central and back a bit it will make pup unstable in the pull and will reduce the effectiveness of the front paws on the ground by levering up and making an unstable pivot point for the rear feet to drive forward power from.

The centrally located harness mount for the lead provides a strong but unpredictable restraint so pup tends to resist pulling and being unbalanced and so remains a bit more controlled.  

Similarly, for a pup that jumps to greet you,  gently push the pup off to the side, it destabilises the forward and upward movement and makes pup feel that standing on rear legs near us is not a comfortable or secure stance.  We don’t like being off balance and neither do our pooches. 

When in training and a tactile correction is required, a tug on the harness lead will be slightly to the side and will again destabilise the pup’s gait and gain their attention to you.  Calmly and gracefully. 

Although a harness looks like a tool to encourage pulling it is a very effective and kind solution to help teach a pup to not pull.  Harnesses mostly come with a grab handle on the pups back too.  This is like an emergency brake on a car, really great to have in a pinch.

For my Bindi, I use a harness now and have a clip connecting the harness to her collar as the clever little bitch has figured that if she really wants, she can stop, twist and if I’m not paying attention and I just tug on the lead, she can slip out of the brand of harness I chose.  I am left with a harness on a lead and a pup off and doing what she wants.  Although her recall to me is pretty good now the clip to the collar ensures I am always connected. 

Despite this escape ability I am stunned at how much easier our harness wearing walks are and how much more responsive she is to tactile messages sent down the lead.  There is a calm and grace we never shared when using lead and collar.

As well as experiential learning there is good science behind not restraining pup with a collar.  I mentioned the possible damage to the thyroid which can be evidenced by foot licking and mood swings but the obvious injury from choking is self evident.

The observation of a pup that coughs, has trouble swallowing food or splutters when drinking can all be linked to pulling too hard or too much on a constricting collar.

So my instruction is buy a lovely collar that looks great, fits and does not irritate.  Use it to gently guide pup when off lead.  Buy a suitable harness for your breed size and your budget and train and restrain pup as necessary using that.  

This harness/collar restraint equipment is the only binary instruction I will give.  It is important you provide your pup a safe and secure restraint that is comfortable and effective for you both.

Bindi Teaching ch4

 CHAPTER 4.

WHAT?  ANOTHER WALK?  Oh, great.

URBAN WALKIES

Urban life has changed in the 21^st century .  Olde-time dog training experts authored standard clichés that were suitable to a more relaxed, less connected lifestyle, when alone time, outside space and open roaming for dogs was more available.  Times where not every other house had a dog and owners didn’t fast-walk their pooches thrice daily as part of some haywire personal fitness regimes. 

Just want to say early on, I do not want to be a pack leader or to dominate my pooch. But I am honest enough to admit that it is very unlikely I will completely hold my calm resolve on an urban walk.  At times I’ll probably curse and generally stuff up when I get frustrated with my girl’s seemingly bloody minded stubbornness as she ignores, charges or refuses to obey.  There is space in dog training for expressing one’s dissatisfaction.   I try however to remember there is a beautiful little soul who is as individual as I, and she is just trying to make it through her day as happily as she can.

 If there is lesson that is the hardest for me, it is to realise that patience, kindness, understanding and gentle persistence in training means that I must be even more patient, kind, understanding and gentle on a distracting urban walk.  It is a keen skill to then ensure my actions and guidance in times of urban challenge will send pup a strong and consistent message that I can be a calm, safe place to come back to, every time.  

That’s a lot of personal development for me as I work towards expecting consistent training results.  

I can say, on occasion of a scary sound or when other dogs are presenting a dominating situation, Bindi does now break away from the activity or conflict, on my command!  And she does come running back to me now, a major and extremely rewarding change in behaviour which I love her for.  She will always defend her virtue if another dog tries to dominate by mounting, as I would expect any respectable lass to do.  She will, as she is a dog that comes from a long, long line of police dogs, react by approaching with intent, sometimes with too much intent, but that is something my consistency in being gentle will in time blunt.  It is about providing her with calm example and gentle approach tools that she can rely on.  Mindful always of her genetics.

These tools I outline are based on showing pup that her being and staying calm is far more enjoyable and feel-good than thrusting into challenge, defence, confrontation or protection.

TIME FOR WALKIES

Being busy people, our urban dog walks are often scheduled into irregular windows of opportunity in our daily timetable.  Owners may set times in every day to drag the dog around a pre-determined route.   

A DAILY WALK IS NOT MANDATORY!! 

 That is some news that may surprise you.   It’s okay to walk the dog every other day or so.   On non walk days the pup can unwind, relax, chill-out at home in the environment that is safe, calm and not needing constant vigilance or activity.  Conversely, it is NOT okay to deprive your dog of various outings into the local community and surrounds.  Like most things in life, it’s a balance. 

If you have an enclosed area  where the dog can happily toilet and lay in the fresh air, keeping cool or warm, then that chill-out time in a safe and comfortable place will be lovely and a de-stressing time for pooch. 

When your urban walkie is one of buzzing new experiences, exciting memories and chance encounters, pup will naturally maintain a level of expectation and excitement.  Like with our feel good chemicals, natural or artificial, pup endorphins are nice. So pup will want to get pumped by the walkie experience. Especially if that experience is frequent.  If walked three times a day then the chance for pup to relax into calm in a safe place is very unlikely in pup’s remaining waking hours.

If your walkies are gentle, calm sniffing strolls, then I envy you your location and leave it up to you to decide how much of an occasional break your pup needs form the daily outing and exercise regime you are offering it. Regardless of how calm your walks are, when your pup is at home it still needs a safe place to relax in.

IN MY SAFE PLACE

When your little mate has found a good spot at home that it likes to curl up in, it’s up to you to honour that place or direct it to a suitable spot as a ‘Safe Place’. 

Safe places are those where the pooch is out of the way of the traffic of daily life, where it can be left alone, where sleep and calm and separation are always the norm.  Safe places can be in rooms where family activity and noise is present, can be behind a sofa or under stairs.  Anywhere the pooch feels comfortable and knows it will not be in the way, not disturbed or asked to move.   

We all need a break, pooch needs a couple of places where they know they can unwind.  Young pups can and should sleep most of the day and night. Old dogs too.  Active dogs can still steal a good 16 hours of rest.  The longer the calm period you can provide your dog, the more it will enjoy being calm, the easier getting it into calm behaviour will become. 

Activity should be enjoyable.  If you are not going out with pooch one day, then on that day, give the pup some things to do. 

STAYING IN

Bindi and I play ‘Go Find’.  I grab a handful of treats (evening meal kibble, low fat cheese) and let her see/smell them. Then with my other hand I briefly cover her eyes and give her the ‘Wait’ command.  I leave the room, oh, and because I know she will cheat I usually close the door so she can’t watch,  then I spend a couple of minutes placing the kibble around places she can smell but not see, places where she will not need to move anything to get to.   I return to her, cover her eyes again and bring my now empty treat-scented hand to her nose, removing my other  hand from her eyes I command ‘Go Find’ and the fun begins.  She loves this game, I ensure she keeps looking until all found.  Once complete, lots of praise, perhaps a quick game of tug of war with her tugga toy, then a calming pat and I get on with doing my stuff.  She wanders for a while and then naps.  Every time.

Search is mentally tiring for her and sniffing is good calming therapy. 

I recommend you come up with your own find-it or solve-it or balance-on-this and move-like-this games that will exercise the brain muscles.  There are lots of great games for dogs out there, just be sure they meet the criteria of a good amount of work for small but valued reward. 

These play sessions can be remarkably short in time, say five to ten minutes and will probably result in a quarter to half hour pup nap in the following hour.

 I don’t want to give you any more games as I think, like I know Bindi loves the ‘Go Find’ game, your pooch and you will probably discover other games that are great for you both. 

I started this bit saying walking pooch every day was not necessary, but maybe for your pooch it could be mandatory, again, everyone is individual so I won’t draw absolutes. I do though want to paint the opportunity for calm into every day, so do be aware of how your dog relaxes to calm and ensure it gets to do that often and without interruption. 

Despite the fact that an urban walk may be fraught with many things pup is unsure of, all dogs love both short break walks and nice long walks. 

Mix them up through the week.  Bindi and I enjoy short local treks to favourite ablution spots, past scent spots where recent adventures are logged.  On these short walks, in fact even on longer walks I have to remember that I am walking the dog.  I am not getting my exercise, I am not on my way to an appointed meeting at a certain time.  I am walking my dog. It is a thing dog owners do.  For the dog.  In a set time.

Let the dog enjoy the walk, it really won’t care how far you go if it has lots to smell watch and hear, it will be happy with a sufficient period of time.

 I see people dragging their hapless pooches around the town in a desperate conflict of doing a distance for the dog and getting chores done within a schedule.  

WALKIES IS FOR THE DOGS

Here are some things to remember about walking a dog.  Yes, it’s for the dog.  It is a lovely thing to see a pooch deciphering the smells of the day, interacting with the landscape and the animals it comes across. It is rewarding when pooch is looking to us for guidance or support when the cyclist’s bell rings, a horn or siren blares or any of the myriad distractions happen in normal daily urban life.  There is a joy in calming the pooch and sharing the pats and play a walk can include.  It is probably why you wanted a dog.  So, walking the dog is for you to enjoy too.  But it is walking the dog. 

Walking helps pooch use the energy it gets from the food you supply, walking reduces the need to cut nails, something Bindi would prefer not to have happen at all.  Thankfully, as she is still active, nail clipping has not been required for years. 

 

 

MARKERS OF IMMINENT BEHAVIOUR

 Are you paying attention to your pup on its walk?  Do you recognise the telltales your dog’s body gives you as warnings to what it may be about to do?  Once again it is about observing your pup to figure out if it is stressed, fearful, excited or uncomfortable and how those emotive states may make pup react to urban stimuli.

Excitement markers can be fidgeting rapidly in position, circling, high pitched yipping, unnecessary barking. 

Fear markers are typically pooch’s head held still and lowered, ears alert, hackles up, tail raised still or quickly vibrating? 

Discomfort markers, favouring a limb, hunched back, eyes squinting, sensitivity to your touch/strokes. You may have to be good to spot discomfort markers as it is doggy nature to mask any sign of pain lest it be seen as a weakness to be taken advantage of by others.   

And here is the kicker.  STRESS MARKERS.  No matter what your dog is telling you, one of the best ways to judge your pooch’s comfort and emotional balance is by observing for stress markers and working with your pup only while the most obvious are not apparent.   

The most obvious stress markers are lip licking, panting when rested and the can’t-be-missed Yawnnnn.  I will say that every time the pup licks its lips or nose is not necessarily a stress marker but consistent lip licking is. Lots of panting after exercise is not stress behaviour but may be an indicator of over exertion.  Finally not every yawn indicates stress but in this case almost every yawn following some interaction is a stress indicator.  Yes, if you have just given your pup a huge cuddle and great loving pats and it yawns, ,,. Guess What? You have plastered too much hooman on your pup and it can’t be dealing with that much gooey lovey dovey stuff at one time.  Yawns are a fantastic stress indicator and you will soon learn what is a just woke up tired yawn and what is a too much for me yawn.

Every breed is different, every individual in the breed will have variant default behaviour and stress markers.  You need to learn to see these indicators as your pooch displays them and react appropriately.   Remember always that pups no matter what breed or personality all prefer calm and grace in their day.  A calm pooch will react to the urban world stimuli in a calmer way than an always excited or worried pup.  We are responsible for enabling our pup to be calm.  Note the physiology of your pup when it is calm and relaxed, that will help you see changes when out and about.  Things to observe are how pup’s ears are held, tail activity, angle the head is held, how pup spaces its stride in walk...any movement that seems relaxed.

Observing these indicators will allow you to forecast the reaction and the likely impulse actions from your pup.   No, to start with you won’t notice them in time to distract the pup before it reacts, or you will wrongly identify the pup’s marker.  Its about practice, observation and persistence.

Life is like that, we all stuff up a process until we become familiar.  I can assure you that you will become a savant in noticing the shifts in your pup’s demeanour.  If you remember to, as much as possible, observe your pup.

It is not enough to just be looking at your pooch on walks, watch pooch for signs of over excitement or fear at home, in the car, on transport, everywhere. 

You own a dog, and that comes with responsibilities.  We all want calm dogs and calm owners.    Observe behaviours before you both go out, while out, on the way home then again when you have returned home.   Watch for the stress and the sometimes more muted behaviour indicators.

Head lowered? Ears alert?  Tail elevated?  Hackles up?  Maybe pooch feels uncomfortable in your neighbourhood, feels exposed or that it needs to display self protection poses to ward off unwanted approaches ... Be aware, if fear is evident in a place or at a time, avoid those places, give short safe exposures to it over time on different days, calm direction, avoidance of interaction and confrontation, distract focus from being in the place with reward calm behaviour, a favourite toy or valued treats.  As pup shows less stress to that place gradually allow pup to get closer always having a clear and calm exit or avoidance route to take if stress becomes evident.  Don’t drag pup into a stressful place using calm words and treats.  Obvious but, don’t.

If you have a totally excited pup the same tools are yours to use, wait until pup is calm or return to the walk opportunity later.

It may be that you can’t get past your front step before pooch tells you it is not feeling calm.  If you notice, then distract pup with a good thing, a pat, a treat or a toy depending on their focus level. 

Stay where you are and play or pat or whatever you both enjoy, or if pup is feeling not safe, retreat until pup does not show fear markers.

If you continue to observe and pooch does remain relaxed then take the lead and continue on the adventure. If pup does not relax, return to a calm place and relax.  If that means no outing that morning then fine. Play an inside game in the time you had planned for the walk.

Your pup will probably tell you it wants to go out again later and you can try again, I would think you’ll get to the same place or a little further.  Do the same thing and in time pup will trust that you are not dragging them into an unpleasant thing and will also probably relax and have a sniff around and make some headway into the preferred route.  

Dog training is not a course of dealing with frustration it is a path of caring, observation and joyous reward for both of you.

A dog walk can be no walk at all, just time together outside.

I am nothing if not a pragmatist and I know there are some readers who will say that their dog loves going on a daily jog with them.  It’s the one time both of you get to have real time together. It has been happening for years and there is no problem with it at all. 

That too is great. As long as you are aware of the things I have said, you are sure your pooch is not damaging themselves in order to be with you, and that the duration is within the pups endurance.  Training rules are not binary but should be implemented with balance. 

I have a neighbour who went jogging/running daily with their new and very young pup.  A pup’s heart and lungs need time to grow and become strong and sound.  Foam at the nostrils and ongoing breathing difficulties indicated a vet visit was required for this puppy.  I thought a psychiatrist visit for the owner would have been more help but, hey ho.   He continues to run with the pup.

As long as your pup is not suffering and has good opportunity to rest and has a safe place at home, then I guess, although I would still be concerned, then it is, probably, okay to take pooch for a regular run with you.  But how about, every other day you take pooch, and let it have some days off.  

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.