Catch Me if you Can!

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Last week’s Paw Prints focused on training your dog for really reliable recall, and with patience, persistence, and consistency, you will succeed, but meanwhile, what happens if your dog bolts out an open door that is accidentally left open? Your first instinct is to race after the dog, frantically calling his name. Resist the urge!

It is frustrating (and often dangerous) when your dog takes off, but repeatedly calling him, or chasing after him is not the answer. Chasing a dog that is free will most likely provoke a flight response, or he will assume it is playtime, and will dash farther away, playing the “Catch me if you can” game. If you make your tone more commanding or angry, he will be even less likely to return to you, so it is important for you to convince him that it will be more fun if he returns to you.

If a neighbor down the street observes the interaction, and comes outside to help, the friendly dog may run right to this person, who hopefully will take hold of the collar while petting the wayward canine, but if this doesn’t happen, take a deep breath and stay calm, even if the dog is heading toward a busy road. Ideas for those scary moments:

  • Is there a word that you have used with your dog that always means something wonderful? Perhaps it’s “Cookies!” or “Treat”. Shout it out, using an upbeat, happy voice and if he comes back, be sure to give him the cookie or treat, and praise him profusely for returning!
  • Run AWAY from the dog, laughing and making wild and crazy noises. Yell “Hey, hey, hey,” or whistle or sing loudly to get his attention. When he glances in your direction, keep moving away from him. Most dogs love a good chase, and he may be curious enough about your odd behavior that he will follow along until you can get him into a building or place where it is easier to corral him.
  • Sit down and act as though you have found something valuable on the ground. It can be just about anything: a pop can, even a rock. He may be curious enough to come investigate! Another option is to curl into a ball, with your hands wrapped around your head. Stay really still, and your dog will often come back to see what you are doing.
  • If a car ride is his idea of heaven, back out of your driveway, and open the car door, as an invitation to go for a ride. This may sound too simplistic, but many dogs have been fooled into hopping into a car because they are invited for a ride and yes, now you have to take him for a ride or he might not come the next time you use this ploy!
  • Invite him to play. Grab a ball and interest him in playing fetch with you. Squeak a squeaky toy. Start playing with one of his favorite toys. Whatever games he normally loves to play with you, start playing. Become the place where he wants to be!
  • If you have more than one dog, play with your other dog to spark his interest. If he is friends with a neighbor dog, pay attention to that dog.

Although it is no guarantee, I have seen nearly every one of these techniques work. The key is to fight your instinct to chase the dog, and do something that is not instinctual. Instead, do what seems counter intuitive to both you and the dog. Maintain your composure and stay calm.

Most important of all is, NEVER scold, or punish him when he finally comes to you, no matter how aggravated you are. . If you are angry with him, when you finally get your hands on him, it will only be that much harder to get him to come to you the next time. Put on your best happy face, tell him how wonderful he is, and give him all kinds of positive reinforcement. Be thankful he is home, safe and sound!

Reliable Recall Could Save Your Dog’s Life

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Having a healthy, happy dog means having a dog that is balanced in both physical and emotional needs, and accomplishment of this goal requires training. Sponsored by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, January is National Train Your Dog Month, an event designed to promote the importance of socialization, and benefits of training, emphasizing the sad fact that many dogs are relinquished to animal shelters every year for behavior and training issues that could have been easily solved with proper socialization and positive, gentle, science-based methods of training. According to trainer Ken Ramirez, “Training is not a luxury; it is a key component to good animal care, and enhances the quality of life for our pets. It is far more than just teaching a dog to do cute tricks. Training is about teaching a dog how to live in our world safely.”

“COME” is probably the most basic command every dog needs to learn in order to live in our world safely. A dog that won’t come when he is called is a danger to himself and others and a frustration for his caregiver. We’ve all been there. The door gets opened, and the dog dashes out. We call and call and then frantically race after him, and when we finally catch him, we scold him. Not the best approach.

To get your dog to come to you EVERY time, you have to make it worth his while. An example is given by Wendy Nicberg, whose dog darted out and ran into the street. She took a deep breath and shouted, “Linus, COOKIE.” The dog turned around and raced back, eager for a cookie!

“Come” should always be used in a positive way, never involving unpleasantness or punishment. Caregivers often sabotage the training by ordering the dog to come when he is doing fun things, and he soon learns that the command “come” or “come here” means, “quick…run the other way, or my fun will end.” NEVER call your dog to come and then give him a bath, or confine him, and certainly never punish him when he comes. If she has misbehaved and you shout, “Bad dog…come here…bad dog”, she will naturally be reluctant to come the next time you call. COME should always mean that something good will happen to him, something better than whatever he’s doing at the time. If you have overused the word, Come, to the point that your dog has learned to ignore it, choose a new word, such as “Cookie” or “treat” or “here.” ( ALL family members should use the same word ALL the time.)

Begin “Come” training indoors or in an enclosed area: Say your dog’s name, and add the recall word. Praise her as soon as she starts to come, and be generous with rewards. High value treats such as small cubes of cheese, tiny bits of chicken, or her favorite homemade biscuit are usually effective, especially if offered before meals, when she is hungry.

Outdoors, without an enclosed area, is tougher. It is better to attach a long, light line to your dog’s collar or harness (NO choke collar), so that he is easier to catch if he gets distracted and tries to run after something. Begin by calling him when he is NOT doing something he is really enjoying, so you have a better chance of his responding. Again praise generously, and offer special treats, so that he learns that coming means high value treats. Briefly interact with him, and then allow him to go back to his activity. You don’t want him to associate coming with the end of play time.

Call your dog using this method (with long safety lead attached) several times a day for a couple weeks—in circumstances when you are sure he will come. Use the same recall word consistently and always be generous with rewards. Then comes the big test, no safe enclosure, no lead attached. Once learned, consistently practice this activity.”Use it or Lose it!” Rewards and repetition are keys to training your dog to come, and really reliable recall takes lots of practice, lots of patience and lots of treats, but it no exaggeration to say that effective recall might sometime save your dog’s life.

Mastering Recall – “Come”

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“Come” is probably the most basic command every dog needs to learn. A dog that won’t come when he’s called is a danger to himself or to others. According to well known dog trainer Nancy Patton, “come” is fundamental to all dog training, but to get your dog to come to you EVERY time, you have to make it worth his while. “Come” should ALWAYS be a word that means love, joy, and treats; NEVER unpleasantness or punishment.

Caregivers often sabotage the training by ordering the dog to come when he is doing fun things, and he soon learns that the command “come here” means “quick, run the other way, or my fun will end.” There are many examples of how the dog is unintentionally “punished” when he comes. Every time that he is called to engage in an activity that he doesn’t enjoy, he is learning that the command “Come” is bad news. NEVER call your dog to come and then give him a bath, or confine him, and certainly never punish him when he comes. If the dog has misbehaved, and you shout, “Come here. Bad Dog!”, he will naturally be reluctant to come the next time you call.

Always avoid the use of “come” to end a play session, to administer discipline, give medicine, or to go to the vet. In cases like these rather than calling your dog to you, go to him instead. For instance, if you are in the park and ready to leave, go to your dog and snap on his leash rather than calling him to you and then leaving. Otherwise, his last association with the command will be negative—“If I come when called, the fun ends.” “Come” should ALWAYS mean that something good will happen to him, something far better than whatever he’s doing at the time.

Begin “Come” training indoors or in an enclosed area. Food, carefully used, can be a great motivator. High-value treats such as small cubes of cheese, tiny bites of chicken, or his favorite homemade biscuits are usually effective, especially if offered before meals when the dog is hungry. Toys are also good. Have a couple special toys that your dog likes and keep them only for training sessions. Play with her as much as you can, so that she understands that her time spent with you is the best thing that could happen to her. When you are ready to move to open areas, it is best to attach a long, light line to your dog’s collar or halter, so that he is easier to catch if he gets distracted and tries to run after something.

A recall in your own yard is completely different than a recall in a different place, which means it is important to practice in as many contexts as possible. Place, a key factor, is often hard for dogs to generalize, and the distraction level of variables such as food, other people, new sounds, traffic or other dogs must be considered. Plan to train your dog everywhere—that way, she will be more likely to respond, no matter what. Rewards and repetition are keys to training your dog to come, and really reliable recall takes lots of practice, lots of patience, and lots of treats, but it no exaggeration to say that recall is the most important behavior you will ever teach, perhaps making the difference between life and death for your beloved companion.

Pauline Larsen can be contacted at Paw Prints, Box 373, Newell, Iowa 50568 or by e-mail at plarsen@rconnect.com

January – National Train your Dog Month

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Many of you have welcomed companion animals into your hearts and homes recently and those of you who already share your lives with companion animals, hopefully understand that dogs need boundaries and limitations just as two legged children do. Too many dogs are relinquished to animal shelters and rescue groups each year for behavior and training issues that could have been easily solved with positive, consistent methods of training.

In 2010 the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, believing that the public needed to be more aware of the importance of socialization and training of dogs, began their National Train Your Dog Month campaign. They selected January because so many dogs are adopted during the winter holidays, and felt it was important to start off the year right with the newest family member.

To have a truly well-mannered dog, it is necessary to reinforce behaviors that you want during the course of your daily life…it is more than just taking him to formal classes. The APDT offers basic ideas on how to involve “real life” into your training program, whether you have a new puppy, or a well-loved member of the family, stressing that patience, consistency, and a clearer understanding of dog behavior always leads to happier, healthier, and more harmonious households.

  • Practice sitting politely when friends come over. Practice sit-stay when the newspaper deliveryman drops off your paper, or when the garbage collection truck comes by. Encourage quiet times for your companion animal. While you are working at home on your computer, or while your children are doing their homework, encourage the dog to be quiet and relaxed by using the sit-stay command.
  • Teaching your dog to COME may well be the command that saves his life. If he gets loose outdoors, a dog that does not obey the recall command can be easily distracted by a squirrel or passing car, and the result can be tragic. Practice the recall command in your house in the course of your daily activities, such as when you want her to come eat her dinner, insisting that the command is always obeyed.
  • Use your dog’s behaviors to earn him “what he wants.” Make getting a treat or a toy, or something that he desires a learning opportunity. If she wants to go for a walk, she has to sit for the leash to be put on. It doesn’t matter what behavior you ask for as long as you ask the dog to “do something” in exchange for a valuable reward. No more “free lunches”, and certainly no rewards for inappropriate behavior.
  • Toys are a form of enrichment and improve the quality of life for your dog, and can be incorporated into a training plan. One simple way to prolong the enjoyment of toys for your dog is to rotate them every few days. If you have l0 toys, every few days exchange them….if they are washable, toss them in the washer, and your dog will think they are brand new toys. This will avoid the common problem of disinterest that frequently comes a few weeks after a toy is given to your dog. A very favorite toy is the Kong which can be stuffed with “good stuff” and will occupy a restless pup for hours. Every dog deserves a couple Kongs!

Whether you are a new pet caregiver or have had one for years, this is a great time to increase the amount of time you spend training your dog. Your dog needs physical exercise every day, but she also needs mental stimulation. A bored, neglected dog will often find his own entertainment which inevitably leads to trouble. Training builds a mutual bond, and enriches the relationship you share with your dog; ensuring that he is a fully participating member of your family—what a gift for everyone!