K9 Clicker Blog

 

I couldn't resist  including this short essay by Jim Willis on my new blog. It still manages to upset me each time I read it.

The sad fact is that over 1000 dogs are put to sleep every week in the UK.

Rescue centres are increasing space and unscrupulous breeders are helping to  fill them with unstable, badly bred and poorly raised specimans.

On top of that, we live in a throw away society, littered with people who are selfish and uncaring.  

People ask me why I do what I do - I hope this post answers their question.

If you're thinking about giving your dog up please read this essay ...... Don't hesitate to contact me - I'll help if I can.

HOW COULD YOU? - By Jim Willis 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad,"you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your home comings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her.

I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers."

You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you.

You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked.... "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared..... anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry.

My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The "prisoner of love" had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.

With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

The End - Jim Willis

Welcome to my K9 Clicker blog.

I've created this blog to document interesting individual cases that I've been involved with.

I'm also importing some posts from my Raging Rotties blog.

I hope you find the content useful and interesting.....

 

 My line of work delivers a very mixed bag of emotions. I get enormous pleasure out of helping dogs and owners co-exist with each other.

I meet all sorts of people from the extremely wealthy to the OAPs who are living on the breadline. Most of them share the same problems and seek the same goals.
Unfortunately it is not always a bed of roses. Here's an example of the dark side of my work.

I received a call from a woman asking for help with her newly adopted Collie. The wee dog was a perfect gentleman indoors. Unfortunately, he was getting very stressed when he ventured outside. He was getting so wound up that he was barking and snarling and performing crocodile death roles whenever he saw other dogs. This was deeply distressing for the owner.

I could tell by the owner's voice that she was not one to be crossed and would not suffer fools gladly. She told me that she had owned dogs for years and that she knew how to train a dog. I got the impression that she had trained dogs in the past with a heavy hand and a course voice. I used to frown on this type of treatment and stay clear of people who handled dogs in this way. I now look on it in a different light. My view is that I can make a difference by educating these owners how to achieve results using humane methods.Seeing is believing. Running away or turning your nose up at these people will solve nothing.

Anyway, I said that I would visit the owner and assess the dog. These situations are never easy because some owners do not like being told the truth.

I entered the house and performed some basic clicker training with the dog. He was very amicable and gentle. I then placed a gentle leader on him and clicked and treated him for remaining calm. After a few minutes, I attached a 6-foot lead and gave him time to settle before I walked him quietly outside.

I walked around the streets with the owner and attempted to settle the dog down whenever he got upset. I managed to keep him fairly calm but he was a handful and it took all my handling abilities to stop him from going over the edge.

We returned home and I had to give my assessment of the dog's behaviour.

This was a handsome, intelligent little collie.The owner had attempted to amend his behaviour using the traditional methods that had worked with her previous dogs but this guy requires a different skillset. I was in no doubt that he required some extreme socialisation and expert handling if he was to overcome his hang-ups. The town where he lived was highly charged with criminal activity and drug abuse. There were dogs being kennelled in every other garden and the negative atmosphere was electric on the streets. The town is renowned for having packs of dogs running wild in the streets and it's certainly not the environment for socialising a stressed out collie.
The owner was getting older and was not fit by any means. On top of that the birth of her grandchild was imminent. The dog had already attacked a few of the neighbour's dogs and had bitten the owner's son twice in the last few weeks.

I always say I'm in this for the dogs and I stick by that statement. I took account of the overall situation and my recommendation was that it would be best if the wee dog was returned to the rescue centre and re-homed into a more suitable environment. This dog needs a home where he can be socialised and stimulated. This wee guy needs loads of free running and plenty of jobs to do to keep him occupied. In a perfect world I would have adopted him myself and brought him on but this is not a reality at the moment.

My decision broke the owner's heart and I'm not proud of it. The owner had formed a bond with this wee guy and she doted on him even though he had put her through the mill. The woman stayed by herself and he was her only companion. I found this decision easy to make but very difficult to implement. I know in my heart it's the best course of action. I would feel responsible if anything happened to the owner or the new baby because I had lacked the bottle to make an unpopular decision. I must stress that this was a recommendation not an ultimatum and I was not enforcing the separation. However, the owner agreed with me that it was the best course of action. The owner she said she just needed closure from another person.

Unfortunately, common sense and best practices don't count for much when your losing your best friend. I feel deeply saddened at the pain and anguish that this poor old woman is going through. I would have preferred to make a more popular decision and guard her from this suffering but I had to act in the best interests of the dog.

I genuinely hope my decision pays off for both dog and owner.

I would like to offer the owner my sincere sympathy and wish her all the best for the future.

This situation "doesn't make me feel that good".

Most of my posts concentrate on dog aggression or behavioural dominance.
Every now and then I come across a case that encompasses a new challenge. This case is definitely one of the most unusual.

I received a call from Pamela one Friday afternoon. The conversation went along the following lines. " Hi Paul, I got your number off Julie at the dog's trust. I have 2 dogs named Bonnie and Jasper. Jasper is fine most of the time but Bonnie has started snarling at my 11 month old daughter and she snapped at her the other day.We've had some training advice in the past but we were unable to keep up with it because of our busy routines. I really feel that it may be better if we could find a good home for Bonnie as I'm terrified she bites my baby. We also come down every morning to find a terrible mess in the office where the dogs sleep. My husband Steve walks them both for around 45 minutes every night but they still mess in the house"

I agreed to see Pamela and to be honest I had almost resigned myself to the fact that we would have to rehome Bonnie. I had mailed Julie at the dog's trust saying "I'm very hands on with most things but I refuse to put a baby's life in danger. If we need to rehome this wee dog, so be it".

I arrived at the house to be greeted by a couple of noisy dogs. I introduced myself to Pamela and Steve and I began to discuss the ins and outs of the co-existence of dogs and babies in the same household.

I could see that the thought of rehoming Bonnie was ripping their hearts out and I was attempting to manage their expectations and guilt. I explained that sometimes it can be best for dog and owner to part company. I referred to Mary with little "Jake the peg nipper" who have forged a super relationship and are as happy as can be. I felt the best I could do was to try and be responsible and stop the baby getting hurt.

I noticed that all the time I had been chatting to the owners, Bonnie had been hiding in the office and had occasionally been popping her head out and having a snarl and a few nervous barks. I was just about to leave and I had an overwhelming urge to look at Bonnie. I knew I had to assess her so I mentioned to the owners that I should take her outside to get a feeling for the kind of home that would be suitable for her.

I walked Bonnie outside with Steve and performed some loose lead training. I was clicking her when she kept pace with me. I noticed that this nervous wee soul was transforming before my eyes. I noticed how alert she was and how she was now walking with her neck arched and her ears up. She was obviously enjoying the mental stimulation and attention.

We returned indoors and I decided to try something. I asked that her mat be placed at the side of the sofa. I placed a house line on her to ensure that the baby was not going to be put in any danger. I started to click her for sitting on the mat beside me. Bonnie appeared to be quite happy to sit and be rewarded for sitting on the mat. Suddenly this "no hoper" wasn't looking that bad and I had a feeling that we may just be able to do something. The owners appeared to be quite happy to give Bonnie another chance so I advised them that Bonnie should not be permitted to run away into a room at the back of the house and snip and people. I advised that Bonnie be encouraged to sit on her mat when both Steve and Pamela were at home. My hope was that Bonnie would learn to tolerate the baby being handled by Pamela and be happy to be involved in family life. Obviously she would be treated for sitting and staying on her mat while the baby toddled around the room. The real objective was to make Bonnie face up to reality and deal with the fact that the baby will receive more attention than her. The other side is that she would be rewarded for exhibiting good behaviour and still be a valued member of the family.

Next step was to have a go at tackling the messing in the office. This type of behavioural problem is really difficult to cope with and most owners are extremely intolerant of it. There is nothing worse than knowing that you are going to be "welcomed" by a terrible, smelly mess first thing in the morning. This is especially true when you are making the effort to ensure that the dogs are being exercised regularly.
The situation in the office was that one dog slept in an open cage and the other dog slept in a dog bed. My advice was to lock one dog in the cage so we could establish who was making the mess.
I worked with the family via email for a few days where we made a few minor adjustments and eventually we discovered that Jasper was the culprit. We subsequently realised that Jasper would not eliminate in his cage if he was locked in. As time progressed both dogs started sleeping in the cage and as I write this I understand that the office has been mess free for over 2 weeks.

I also worked on allowing the dogs to bark once when the doorbell rang but to place them behind on a line while I answered the door. I rewarded them for being quite and sitting while I answered the door.

So the first visit had been quite fruitful and I had learned "never say never" and always to give things a try. The owners were keen to continue. I had proved my worth and by this time I had my heart set on trying to stop this clever, misunderstood wee soul being dumped into a rescue centre with the label of "not being good with children"

So we set up another visit. Things had definitely improved around the house. Bonnie was much more content and was sitting happily on her mat when I entered the room.

I chatted with the owners and I could sense that Pamela was still not convinced that keeping Bonnie was the correct thing to do. Incidentally, it was apparent that this was causing Pamela a great deal of stress and upset. I don't like upsetting people and I hate to see anyone crying. I knew I had to try and get to the bottom of things so I asked Pamela a few questions about how she felt and what would make things better for her. There were a few fundamental issues that emerged. The first was a deep maternal protectiveness that was only natural. Pamela had been frightened when Bonnie snapped at the baby and she was not prepared to let this happen again.
The other resounding factor was that Pamela was under pressure looking after the baby, phones ringing, dogs running around, trying to do housework and all the other usual distractions. On top of this, I was requesting that the dogs be stimulated mentally and physically throughout the day and this all just seamed too much for Pamela to handle. The fact that she had to ensure that Bonnie was never left in the room alone with the baby was just another responsibility that Pamela could do without.

I decided that the only way forward was to build up the relationship between Bonnie and Pamela through very short 2 minute sessions scattered throughout the day. I walked out with Pamela and showed her how to train Bonnie to follow her on a loose line. Pamela and Bonnie performed very well and both appeared to enjoy the experience.

The next step was to attempt to stop Jasper barking and whining when the phone rang. This was a weird one and I had never encountered anything like this before. Whenever I come across a new problem I try to put myself in the dog's place. Suddenly it dawned on me. Pamela had been letting Jasper outside to run around the garden when the phone rang. Jasper had come to associate the phone ringing with grabbing his toy and getting released into the garden. He had discovered that whining or barking got him released into the garden quicker.
My first move was to remove Jasper's toy. This would be the first step in breaking his association with the phone ringing and him being released. I then started clicking him for running to his bed and sitting. Next step was to get Steve to make the phone ring. Within a few minutes Jasper was associating the phone ringing with him being rewarded for sitting in his bed. This is known as a replacement behaviour where we use the same trigger but create and shape a replacement outcome. As time goes by, the dog associates the trigger with the replacement behaviour.

My next visit was to get Bonnie involved with normal day to day activities. I had my son Louis with me along with super stooge dog Lulu. I showed Pamela how handle dog aggression. I then showed Pamela how to train Bonnie to walk along side the pram. This would allow Bonnie and the baby to go for walks together and would help strengthen the bond between Pamela and Bonnie.

This encounter has introduced me to lots of new behavioural problems and taught me how to appreciate the emotional anxiety that a baby can excerpt on owners and dogs.
From a dog's point of view, babies can destroy the bond that has been established between them and their owner. It is understandable why some dogs attack babies in a bid to "remove the problem". Owners need to ensure that the dogs don't feel too left out by ensuring the good times and great.

My job was made easy with the help of 2 really nice owners who had the dog's best interests at heart. Hopefully with a little work, the owners, dogs, and baby will be able to co-exist in harmony.

I've never really said much about my bitch Lulu. Lu is currently 20 months old.
I was extremely lucky to be gifted her by Margaret Connolly to whom I will be eternally grateful.

I first saw Lu when she was around 8 weeks old. She was lying in her crate and she was so laid back and gentle. Whenever I visited Margaret I always spent some time with Lu.
She's always been very clever and is extremely quick at learning new stuff. She's always had an inner confidence but I'd like to think that I've gave her the drive and focus she has now.

The fantastic thing about Lu is she's so placid and gentle indoors and has the fire of a high drive working dog outdoors. I take her down to a care home every week where she happily lies down beside the old folk and gets cuddles. She's as soft as a lamb and never jumps up on them. Lu would make an excellent pat dog.

Outdoors, this bitch has tons of drive. She is like a rocket when she's working in the field and has a self assurance and inner confidence that's hard to find in a soft dog.
Lu is absolutely bombproof. She would walk through a war zone and not blink an eye. I use her as a decoy when I'm training aggressive dogs because she totally ignores any aggressive body language and just plods along without a care in the world.

I've just shot a video taken in a dark wood in almost complete darkness. I'm using the night setting on the video camera. In this video Lu performs a sit and recall over a fallen log. She is whistled to stop during the recall and a ball is thrown over her head. She turns and marks the area where the ball fell. I then send her for the ball. She jumps the log and retrieves the ball to heel.
The quality of the video could be better but night work is hard going on the dog and it shows just how well she works to the whistle and also how well she covers the ground.

 

I often see dogs that have apparently "gone off the rails".

A typical scenario is "He's just started ripping things up in the house when he's left. He doesn't need to be left for long - he's just so destructive now"

Another example is "He will not stop barking - As soon as he's left in the garden he just stands at the back door or the fence and barks his head off"

This usually results in the owner chastising the dog for his "unruly" behaviour. This can range from harsh words to unnecessary punishment

Here's my viewpoint on this. In my crazy assed mind I see the relationship between dog and owner as an unwritten contract. This is a contract where the owner/leader agrees to be consistent and fair. The leader displays protection and guidance and always rewards loyalty and obedience. The dog and owner create a routine that is adhered to and in return, the dog looks forward to the good times and accepts the bad times with patience and diligence.This is the foundation of a solid relationship between dog and owner.

I honestly believe that things go wrong when a dog feels this contract has been broken. The owner displays a lack of consistency and the dog recognises the negative pattern with no "good bits". This is where all negative, unwanted behaviour is rooted.

People call me thinking I can waive a magic wand and cure these issues with no input or work on their part. I'm truthful with them. I can't change a dog's opinion of their owner without the owner reviewing and adhering to their side of the contract. The dog's opinion has been based on broken promises and inconsistent routines where the dog has continuously lost out.

 Basically, the relationship has broken down and the only way I see these situations being resolved is when the owner changes his ways and lives up to their part of the contract. Trust and respect is earned and cannot be blagged or bluffed. Most dogs will happily tolerate the dull times if the good times are enjoyable, especially if they occur at regular intervals.

If your dog is displaying inconsistent, destructive or noisy behaviour you should review the contract from the dog's view point. Consistent daily routines that incorporate obedience training and fun with help in solving most of these issues

I must admit I have a low tolerance of owners that will not keep their side of the bargain. These people just don't deserve to own dogs.

Treat a human partner in this manner and you'll end up out of pocket in a divorce court. Treat a dog like this and HE ends up in a rescue centre at someone else's mercy.  Think about it ...........

Caroline called me some time ago to discuss her little jack russell cross named Jack. Jack is completely deaf so conventional training techniques have little or no effect. Jack was showing aggression towards young children and appeared to be capable of inflicting serious damage.

The big issue with this little terror was that his behaviour was intermittent and unpredictable. Jack would get himself upset at the sight of strangers or young kids and go out his way to target them. I had initially advised hand signals and target stick training for Jack but I had not seen him personally at this point and to be fair Caroline had already trained him to hand signals and had completed the good citizen bronze award scheme.

A few weeks later I got another call to say Jack had attempted to have a go at a young child. I agreed to see Jack at the "Bark in the Park" day in Lochgelly. I met Caroline in the park and Jack appeared to be fine. I walked him across the field and waited for him to pull or go in front of me. As soon as he stepped in front of me I turned and watched him. As soon as he offered me the behaviour I was after I rewarded him and tapped my foot to give him a marker (a marker is a positive acknowledgement).

I repeated this a few times to let him understand what I was looking for. I then asked Caroline to bounce a ball.(In the past Jack had turned aggressive when he saw a large football) I leaned to him and comforted him. This sounds a bit freaky but I sent him pictures of me protecting him against the ball by thinking what the picture would look like of me standing between him and the ball. This is the part that I do that most other trainers do not do. I do this a lot and it's my way of assuring him at HIS level that I'm his protector and pack leader. As soon as I seen the signs of him offering trust I moved closer to Caroline. I repeated the reward and the soft hands to comfort him. As he trusted me more and I moved closer again until I had totally desensitized him to the ball. I had offered him leadership and protection and I had lived up to my contract and protected him for this big ball getting bounced about.

Jack is a tiny dog in a huge world full of frightening things and he just has no confidence in the handling or signals he has received so he feels he has to stick up for himself.

My advice at that time was :

• Walk him for 5 - 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day alone on a lead.
  
• Do not allow him to walk in front of you. (make sure you reward him when he offers you behaviour.)
  
• Reward him for turning with you and keeping pace with you.
  
• Make him wait for you to go through gates and doors before him and reward him.
  
• Don't allow him to interrogate visitors.
  
• Make him wait in his bed or place until the visitor is seated before he is allowed in the room.
  
• Reward him for waiting in his bed.
  
• Do not allow him to charge around the garden and bark.

I agreed to visit Caroline and see what was going on around the house. Jack gets possessive about things in the house and takes great pleasure in stealing an article, e.g. a clothes peg, hiding under the table and not giving it back. My solution was simple. Every time he steals something walk away from him. reward him when he comes to see you, pick him up and pick up the object he's stolen. Job done - no hassle, frustration or bad tempers.

Jack likes to get out to the garden and tear round about it barking furiously. My advice is to make him wait by blocking his entry to the garden and give him a hand signal to release him. Allow him to run in the garden but keep a long line on him so control is maintained at all times and reward him for coming when instructed.

I walked out with Caroline and Jack. Jack passes a fence where another dog lives and he usually gets all uptight and aggressive. I walked to the fence and started treating him each time he turned away from the fence and looked at me. He was totally desensitized to the "danger" behind the fence within a few minutes.

We returned home and Caroline brought a large toy that Jack had gone berserk at previously into the living room.

I placed the toy on the floor and stood between Jack and the toy. I looked for the "see me" behaviour and treated. Jack is food orientated so I was able to desensitize him to the toy very quickly.

My observations indicate that Jack's thieving and possessive behaviour is occurring simply because it is being permitted to happen. Jack's aggression is a by product of him being allowed to dominate in the house. Jacks aggression outdoors is a result of him being allowed to dominate indoors. This is a classic example of the dog assuming a high position on the pack and feeling he has no option but to defend his territory.

The difference with this case is that Jack's dominance is not clearly visible at first glance because he is not displaying the usual dominant signs like jumping on coaches, protecting food etc. However he is constantly creating and winning battles and taking part in acts of defiance.

Jack's aggression needs to be addressed by controlling undesirable behaviours while building confidence and protection. Simple aversion techniques coupled with consistent handling will provide good results.

I'm always biased towards dogs but I don't think this wee guy is bad. If anything he is clever and cunning and needs good, strong, solid leadership.

 

I received a call from Margo who was at her wits end with her 2 year old "old time bulldog" bitch named Anouke.

Anouke had promoted herself to senior management within the household and was willing to defend her status. Anouke was getting possessive about certain articles around the house. She was also deciding what and when she ate, as well as where she slept.

To make matters worse, Anouke has a fear or a dislike of traffic which makes it difficult to disperse all the built up aggression and tension via exercise.

There were a few facets that were different about this case. Firstly I've never encountered an old time bulldog. I'm not sure if this is a registered breed or just a fancy name for a staffy,bulldog, boxer type crossbreed. Nonetheless, Anouke is a pretty girl and full of character and I don't want to blame her behavioural issues on breeding. Secondly I noticed that Anouke had a very strong stubborn attitude. This dog was used to getting her own way and she was not about to relinquish her status of top dog without a fight. 

I performed my usual body language scenario when I entered the house. I then walked Anouke out to the garden. She immediately turned and attempted to haul me into the house. I mean haul. This bitch is an absolute power house and as stubborn as anything I've seen. I had to be firm with her and stand my ground. I refused to let her pull me. I then walked her outside making her pass the gate and I just refused to let her have her own way. Each time she let up from pulling me I praised her.Each time she attempted to bully me, I forced her to walk in the opposite direction.
I then walked her into her garden and asked her to sit. I could see the change beginning to happen and I didn't want to antagonise her just for the sake of it. I offered her some food and some water and some kind words but she wasn't forthcoming. I asked her to wait and walked up to the back door. Each time she moved I returned her back to the spot and asked her to wait. To be honest she was pretty good.
I then walked her inside and placed her in a corner in the living room. Whenever she moved I placed her back.
She then made a move to jump on the sofa. I immediately pulled her off the sofa and marched her outside and made her wait. I then brought her inside and repeated the exercise.
All this was just to let her see that there was no future for her when she was dominating the household. I was praising her when she was delivering the behaviour requested but I was demanding and I was not tolerating any misgivings.

I explained what I was doing to Margo and Chris. To be honest their only crime is that they love her too much and are not experienced in handling a dominant little power house like Anouke.

My advice is simple.

• Anouke does not get the run of the house.
• Margo and Chris sit on the sofa, Anouke sits on the floor.
• Anouke gets her food issued and the bowl gets lifted after 10 minutes regardless of whether the food has been consumed.
• Anouke will be ignored if she seeks attention by jumping up etc when anyone enters the house. Anouke will be praised after she settles down.
• Anouke will wait and let her owner pass through doorway ,gates etc before her. She will be praised and treated from being patient.

All these measures are simply to reinforce the owner's status and hierarchy within the human pack. Anouke will soon learn that it's more fun obeying her owners than trying to dominate them.

Summary

I did see a lot of boxer characteristics in Anouke. She's a real character and I've no doubt she could be very lovable and humorous. My honest opinion is that she's just a mixed up wee soul who is in need of careful management. Anouke doesn't want to be leader. She feels she has no choice but to take over and defend the realm.

Is Anouke a dangerous dog? I don't want to imply that the breeding has anything to do with the behavioural issues that have occurred. Anouke has the capability to inflict damage if she's allowed to rule the roost but she's no more dangerous than any other medium sized dog who has been allowed to promote itself to pack leader.

This dog feels she has no choice but to take over and defend the realm.

All I'll say is she's been used to getting her own way and the owners will have to be vigilant or she will resort to her old traits.

Is Anouke in danger of being aggressive towards her owners? - No I don't think so. I genuinely think Anouke is confused and has been picking up the wrong signals from her owners. I think she now knows her place and I expect her to improve dramatically if my advice is adhered to.

Is Anouke aggressive? - No she's not. She shows no aggression towards other dogs at all. Also she's did not appear to be interested in approaching other people when I had her out. In fact I'd say that all her aggressive tenancies have been centered around territory,possessions and pack status. This is purely a result of inexperience on the handlers part and not a flaw in the dog.

I'm quietly confident about this one. I think Margo and Chris genuinely want to work with Anouke and mend the relationship. I received an update today and things appear to be progressing nicely. All the best guys - you deserve it.

 

If there's one common denominator in achieving solid dog training skills it has to be consistency.

Whenever I fall short in my training sessions it is usually down to a lack of consistency. Being consistent is not always convenient and I'd challenge any trainer who brags that they are always consistent. It's near impossible to click at exactly the correct moment or issue the same hand signal every time.

 I now have the courage to admit when I've failed in my training by moving too quickly before the dog has ingrained the behaviour or when I've not clicked consistently enough to reinforce the action. Its no big deal, you just go back a few steps and be patient. 

I've recently being dealing with a couple who have a very handsome young working collie named Floyd. Floyd is a real star and he's always up for learning new activities and he's intelligent to a fault.
Floyd's owners asked my advice on stopping him barking at strangers when they walk passed the garden.
I walked into the garden armed with my clicker and some treats. The moment he made a run for the fence, I stopped him and said "It's OK" , and gave him a treat. Soon my son was walking passed the fence with my young bitch Lu. Floyd was happy to sit quietly at my side. I instructed the owners to nip the barking in the bud and offer a tasty alternative to barking the place down and upsetting all the people who live nearby.

A few days past and Floyd was beginning to go back to his old tricks. This was down to inconsistency on the owner's behalf. Floyd had been allowed to bark a few times without being corrected thus reinforcing the barking behaviour and weakening the passive behaviour.

This is a classic case of inconsistency causing confusion in a young dog. When the dog becomes confused he will always revert to the most reinforced behaviour, in Floyd's case, barking his nut's off.

My advice is to prepare your training session in advance. Set yourself exercises and objectives. The objective may not be attainable in a single session. If this turns out to be the case, learn from your mistakes and revise your objectives accordingly for the next session.

I think it's a good idea to have a note (mental or physical) of the exercises your going to train. Advance through the session at the dog's pace keeping it fun and exciting and always finish on a good note. Never make the mistake of running out of treats or getting into a brawl on the way home. Take a detour to avoid distractions if necessary but always finish with a happy atmosphere. This is so important. It is so easy to spoil a good training session with a few moments carelessness on the way home.

As far as convenience goes, well it's just too bad. You may have to make that extra lap round the training area to reinforce the heel or perhaps you'll have to turn and walk in a different direction so not to create a situation that results in a show of aggression. Being consistent is very seldom convenient and if you want to achieve solid results , you'll have to be prepared to put yourself out now and again.

In summary, organise your training in advance, keep a note of your progress and concentrate on being consistent.

 

I constantly come across situations where dog owners think it's the dog's duty to understand English.

Dogs don't understand the English language, dogs communicate differently from humans. I often hear people referring to their dogs by saying "He understands every word I say". Total tosh!!! - he associates being rewarded for performing an action  and the trigger to perform the acion is a certain word or phrase - nothing more, nothing less. You could train him to perform the same task using a bell ring or a door knock . Does that mean he also understands bell language and door language? - I think not.

I want to discuss how communicating in dog language can overcome behavioural issues that are just misunderstood by most owners. I see things like a dog barking in the garden and the owner ignoring him or scolding him for barking. The dog is actually alerting the leader to a stranger is approaching his territory. All he wants is the leader to acknowledge his alert and take action.

The response may be "It's OK boy - I know this person" or  "lock the doors and bar the windows, there's a mad man coming". The action is irrelevant. The dog is simply communicating and informing the pack leader that someone is approaching. The dog expects the leader to make a decision.

To cure persisitent barking, I reward the dog for barking once and I desensitise him by getting the "distraction" to walk past the fence again and again while I'm standing with the dog. Thats another story ...

Another classic "lingo sin" I witness is when the dog is permitted to stand in front of the handler when another dog is approaching or passing. In reality, the dog is pushing himself forward to protect the pack and promote himself to a higher rank. The issue with this behaviour is that it inadvertently prompts the dog to make a decision, usually resulting in a growl or a pull on the lead or even a lunge at the other dog. If you're having dog to dog aggression problems always make sure that you are in front of the dog when another dog is approaching or passing. You are now talking the canine lingo and telling the dog, in his own language, that you do not require his assistance to handle this situation, you are in total control and very capable of making the correct leadership decision.

Talk the lingo and you'll see a difference.