Talking to the Animals...

I hear it a lot.  He knows better.  He just did it to make me mad.  Our dogs are out to get us, right?

Animals don't speak our language, no matter how much we think they do.  Outside, NO, treat, squirrel, leave it...those are our words, not theirs.  They only mean something to the dog once we teach them that it means something.  

If you didn't know English and did something you weren't allowed to do and someone walked up to you and pointed in your face and screamed "NO," would you have any idea what they meant?  Did NO mean look at them?  Did NO mean YES?  

When we teach our dogs (or any of our animals), remember we our teaching them a language.  It should always be crystal clear to them what a word or a hand signal or an object means, or we won't be speaking the same language.  

During training, think of teaching a new skill just as you would sound out a new word you are learning.  

You wouldn't sound out the third syllable before the first and second, right?  It should be the same for your dog.  Break down the steps so that they can learn properly and mark those steps toward the end behavior.  

If you are in the park and ask your dog to sit and he just stares at you, try not to assume that he is just being stubborn.  Look at the situation and yourself before you blame the dog and the answer to the problem might be right in front of you.

If they aren't doing what you want them to do, make sure you're both speaking the same language.

I was a naive dog owner...

I think we should all admit we were naive dog owners at one point in our lives.  We have one vision of what we want our dogs to be and it seems like they always prove us wrong (especially if you are a dog trainer).  Do I think they prove us wrong on purpose?  Of course not.

I do believe we (dog owners, dog trainers, dog professionals) set our expectations high.  When I finally decided to take on a dog class, our recent shelter rescue was going to be my awesome training companion.  I wanted to learn agility with her.  I wanted to take her everywhere.  I wanted to have that "perfect dog."

She lasted one class.  The next class was my eye opener.  She threw up in the car on the way to the training facility.  Then, once we were inside, everything was scary.  Everyone was scary.  Every dog was scary.  The barking started.  I took her to the vet for a check up and she barked at the bulldog on the poster for Science Diet.  My husband and I took both dogs to the park and everything set her off.  In our backyard, anything that walks by will set her off.

I quickly saw how anxiety can affect a dog.  We were  starting to see that our dog had some history.

I thought every dog likes to go for walks.  I thought every dog likes to go for rides in the car.  I thought chasing dogs and people through the fence was "normal."

Becoming a dog trainer can make you extremely humble.  This idea I had of a "perfect dog," slipped away quickly, but made me appreciate what I have learned about force free training.  The day I saw my dog think for herself when we shaped "down" using a clicker, made me know there was hope.

It is always good to admit you have a problem, right?  It is also good to admit you have a scared dog.  As a dog owner, it is your job to admit this and do what you can to communicate with your dog.

What am I doing?  Baby steps.  I am learning the threshold of how much my dog can handle.

Being on the leash outside is no fun.  Leash in the living room?  Not so bad.  We moved to the hall...then the dining room...the kitchen.  Then we ventured to the backyard.  Someone is walking their dog?  We go back to the living room and start over.

We use a clicker.  We use treats.  I capture good behaviors I like.  Is she quiet when the door bell rings?  Click!  Treat!  Does she look away when someone is at the fence?  Click!  Treat!

When your dog realizes that you are trying to solidify their world so they feel more calm and safe, it is golden.  Will it happen overnight?  No.  Do dog trainers have special powers to make their dogs perfect?  No way.  Those little milestones will make your relationship so much more fun and rewarding.

So, break it down.  Manage your dog's surroundings.  Set them up for success.  It's okay to have a "weird" dog.