Home Delivery

I am at home waiting for a home delivery. The home delivery people had called ahead of time as requested and now both dogs are in my office in their crates.

I hear a knock on the front door and in unison with my “come in” I hear Rio barking. Ah, she probably wonders: who is at the front door and why is it that I am locked up in my crate and cannot come to say hi! She continues to bark and now Deuce has chimed in once he has heard that yes indeed there is now someone inside the home.

I wait for a few seconds of silence and then I walk into my office. Both are looking at me and still silent. Gooooood dooogs! I tell them as I exit the room and close the door.

Rio begins again. I think about my strategy and my options.

Sure, I can walk in there pretending to be furious and yell at them a couple of times in my best impersonation of a sergeant's voice or I could also walk in there with a water bottle and spray both of them in the face, or use one of those popular pet correctors this one emitting a hiss sound that some dogs find very scary or I could….

I opt for a “nicer” option. Not only because (most of the time) I am a nice person but because I also know that instead of scaring my dogs by pushing my weight around with my bullying tactics, I can use this golden opportunity to teach them what I'd much rather that they do when I ask them to go into their crates and forfeit their meeting everyone that comes through the front door.

I wait again for a longer silent pause from the two of them and once again, I march into my office carrying an (almost deadly-weapon)…big chunky slices of hot dogs!

I begin to toss them the hot dogs and as they eat them happily I walk out of the room. More silence… more hot dogs coming their way at different time intervals from one another.

By now the delivery has ended. I go back to let both dogs out of their crates and as I open Rio’s crate she just waits inside - no rush in getting out. Her coy expression asking for more hot dogs. I slip her one more piece just for being cute and we march out towards the front door so that they can act as pet-detectives and sniff around perhaps somewhat disappointed that they missed out in making new friends.

Tonight I will sleep very well. Not only because we now have a firmer mattress, but because I did not cave into intimidation to get the job “done”. Instead, I followed what the science of animal learning has proven time and time again: we do not need to intimidate, create pain or discomfort to modify behavior. We can instead make it up to the animal and reinforce for WHAT we WANT them to do!!

Doesn't this make more sense? Why focus on the “problem” – problem for whom may I ask? Instead on what we want our dogs to learn?

As an added bonus to me experiencing a warm-fussy feeling inside, my dogs are also feeling that warm-fussy feeling towards me. No scary owner, no yelling into submission - with nowhere to go (remember they are crated) instead they are left with a better understanding of what I would like them to do when they are in their crates.

The bottom line is that in my personal as well as my professional view, we must time and time again choose to teach with the knowledge that reinforcement works. Second point, when anyone acts accordingly to their (moral) values they are not in a situation of conflict: love my dogs but I scared them/hurt them etc. and that is a great recipe for a good night sleep! Zzzzzzzzzz

Shortly Thereafter

It is 6:30 pm and I just got home after a day of training and my own work out early in the am. All I want to do now is veg out. No more running around or activity! But wait!

My dogs need a bit more of physical activity before dinner. So I drag myself to exercise them once again.

Tug in hand we go outside. Both Deuce and Rio are visibly excited; do they have an off switch, I wonder? Shortly thereafter I am also fully engaged in the game. All parties are having fun. Deuce and Rio take turns tugging with me. I refined our game based on what I want them to learn.

Using my two hand tug and alternating the pressure of the hands I can exercises their rear legs by having them go in a semi circle - this direction then in the other.

We practice quick drops of the tug toy and remaining in “control” before we launch into another bout of play.

As the temperature begins to cool and the day is coming to an end, but not before a display of colors of the typical New Mexico sky, I can't help but think of how much I enjoy playing with these guys. Indeed, an absolute and simple pleasure of life.

Think about it: How much play is currently in your life? How are the hours of the day spent with our dogs?

I guess I am lucky this way. Even after a day of working with someone else’s dog I still love playing and training with my own. More and more my own training with them involves games while having a good time together.

During our play & training, I also get to practice whatever I am teaching in my classes. Our sessions give me insight into what my clients and their dogs might struggle with in class.

Because I work with both Deuce and Rio, I have the benefit of seeing different learning styles and potential adjustments I might need to make with my client’s dogs.

Forget my dogs for a minute, playing be it to exercise or to hone on new skills reaps lots of benefits for me. I noticed how everything else falls by the waste-side. My attention and focus fully in our interaction. It is also during play where I can let my mind explore new possibilities for classes and exercises with particular goals in mind.

Almost dark, we head inside. Dinner will be served shortly. And another day behind us, but not without reaping the benefits of play!

Choose Your Battles

I love the days when I take the dogs to Santa Fe for leashed walks. The three of us are still working the kinks of ongoing loose leash walking but I am encouraged because both Deuce and Rio are improving with every outing. This morning was remarkably cool and with a lingering fragrance of rain when we set-off  for our morning walk.

Rio has this little annoying thing that she does pretty much every time I release her from the car: She gets off the back of the car as if she was a bronco coming out the gate. She is so “exuberant” in her enthusiasm that I have to make sure I park in an area away from traffic so that as she leaps and rotates I can still maintain control over her and Deuce - who thank god has learned some better manners!

This morning Rioja surprised me. I was expecting her to get out of the car in her usual manner but instead, she remained collected. She expressed her joy by jumping enthusiastically out of the car yet her pulling at the leash was minimum.

This got me thinking about the importance of choosing our battles with our dog’s and the behaviors that we want to have them change.

Rioja exiting the car as I described above is not on my top 10 list of favorite behaviors but I realized that for the moment - until she matures a bit more - I was going to cut her a break and allow her to be exuberant… as long as she waits laying down inside the car for me to leash her and release her. This part she does great so why not cut her some slack for the time being on her exuberant exit?

Now, there are some other behaviors that I do not want Rioja to continue practicing so I am not cutting her much slack on these. Here is an example:

A vast majority of dogs love to sit by a window and see the world pass them by. For most dogs that live in residential areas their day might be peppered with people walking alone, people walking with their dogs (this option is one of the most exciting ones) and with the occasional sighting of a cat perhaps.

For my dogs it is just very few passers-by, mainly the neighbors who walk their dogs up on the ridge or the occasional handy-person who both my dogs think are here to see them and I haven’t had the heart to tell them this is not so.

Now, my take on dogs sitting by a window that faces the outdoors is that for the most part it is not a good idea. Owners tell me they like to have their dog looking out the window so that they have something to do when they are left alone. But the problem is, that most dogs get way stimulated (over–aroused) because they are constantly seeing people, dogs and the like that they cannot access and that in itself frustrates dogs (this is called barrier frustration). Rioja loves to lay by the see-all window. Sometimes she'll lie there and snooze. Sometimes she barks wanting out to say "hi" to the contractor of the week. Now, if I allow Rioja to bark without re-directing her at the sight of people, just like my client’s dogs I will most likely end with a dog that gets too aroused when seeing people. And that is a slippery slope.

Arousal is an autonomic response of the nervous system. As such is not something a dog can regulate on its own. The best analogy I can think of (different bodily processes but kind of the same result) is a small child who has consumed lots of sugar  - now try putting that kid to bed or to have him play quietly, not an easy task for either party!

Arousal, of course, is part of everyday living. However, when our dogs are permitted to engage in arousal inducing behaviors without some sort of an intervention to calm down, it is possible to end up with a dog that has difficulty responding appropriately when aroused. To be clear, arousal as stated cannot be regulated by the dog. The dog cannot feel more or less aroused at will. However, what our
dogs can learn is to respond appropriately when aroused. Similarly to a person who suffers from road-rage, most likely this person will always feel [some] rage when in a similar situation but that person can learn to engage in a less desirable behaviors such as singing along with the radio or breathing deeply versus flipping someone off when driving. Instead of letting Rioja bark past her there is someone on the property… Alert! Alert! is that I call her to the kitchen and I ask her to lay on her bed. I treat her occasionally, as she remains laying down.

If she peels away from the bed to go bark again at the window, I call her back and do the same thing again. This back-and-forth gives Rioja an opportunity to do her “job” of alerting me when someone is coming in through the gate but most importantly, it gives her an opportunity to calm down, take a sigh and just relax.

I have noticed that the more we practice this protocol and the more relaxed I become about asking her to come lay on her bed the easier it has been for Rioja to disengage from the post at the window and come lay down on her bed.

Laika’s Christmas Horse

Laika had a fascination with horses. The first time I saw her in the presence of a horse was on my birthday a few years back. I was taking a hike with her and a foster dog named Annie - a cattle dog mix. Suddenly a pack of horses appeared on our hike - they were part of a summer program for kids.

I was lucky enough to put both dogs on leashes a.s.a.p while Laika squealed with delighted at the now nearby horses. From then on I was continuously on alert when it came to the possibility of finding horses on our hikes. The likelihood of what could happen gave me goose bumps (or as we say in Spanish literally - chicken skin).

On another occasion, Laika and I were on one of our often outings. On this particular day we were at a dog friendly park that extends to a beach AND the local horse track. The track actually has a handful of ways to allow a dog to venture into the track.

One day Laika saw from the car (mind you) a horse being exercised at full gallop. As we got out of the car and began our walk, Laika took off across an ample parking lot in the direction of the horse… wow, wow, wow! There was no freaking way I could catch her, not even then when I was younger. In an instant images of Laika being trampled by the horse or the jockey falling on the ground flashed in my mind as I tried to figure out how to call Laika back to me. I did the only thing I thought of at the time and it worked! By sheer luck Laika looked back as if wondering if I was coming along for her private adventure only to find me running in the opposite direction. Her predatory instinct kicked in full swing and she returned to me.

After these (and a handful of other less dramatic incidents regarding horses) I did some training sessions in the presence of corralled horses and Laika on a leash.

The goal of my training was to teach Laika to make eye contact with me when she saw a horse. She did this with no problem as she was hungry and what I offered her was something truly delicious. Yet the question remained: what would Laika do if she was once again off-leash and the horse out of the corral? Some scenarios I was willing to try just to find out… what if… but this particular one I was not - the stakes where just way too high. I guess, thought, that life has a way of presenting us with situations for us to learn about ourselves or perhaps it is just the nature of life…

As John, Laika and I began our hike on one Xmas morning here in Santa Fe, Laika and I were down below a slope with John on the trail just above us. Laika was off-leash when suddenly John alerted me to the presence of a horse. “Look a horse” he said. It took me a split second to leash Laika only to realize that the horse was loose. The horse was just wandering around at the border of the national forest as so many species of animals do in New Mexico. As I approached with Laika, we got very close to the horse. The horse remained standing and was also curious about our presence just as we were of him.

Laika and the horse touched noses, and then to my disbelief she gave this friendly black horse a play-bow! This is one of the moments where I wished my eyes were a camera just to capture that passing moment which was never to be repeated again.

My often cautious nature let me to move away from the horse and insist that we get back on with our hike. However I was secretly hoping that the horse would follow us.

Now a couple of years later, I sure wish I had let things play out a little more… could this horse and Laika have become fast friends?

Would I have found out once and for all what all the fuss she had made with horses was about if I had just let her interact (off-leash) with the horse?

I've been thinking about the social relations between different species. We all have read stories where animals in their natural habitat would not even interact with another species, yet do so peacefully with a chosen pal to the amazement of those who witness it. Or how about those stories where prey and predator also challenge their very nature to become close companions? What the heck is going on?

The possible reasons as to why animals of different species & natural “adversaries” form close bonds… might surprise you…stay tuned as we explore some of these reasons.

Thank You For The Recliner!

I had been eyeing this amazing recliner for about two years now in a nearby store. Finally they had a sale on it and I jumped on the opportunity. This recliner is not only super comfy because I can sit and lay down in four different positions, my recliner is also beautiful: with a small foot-print it is very ladylike… And it took Laika only one evening to claim the chair for herself! I had a suspicion this might happen so I prepared for it: I thought to drape it with a designer-like throw so that the dogs can enjoy it too.

Call me a softy, but for me the joy of seeing one of my dogs dozing off peacefully is worth the price of admission. Moreover, I refuse to live life protecting the integrity of any couch! Don’t get me wrong, our home is quite clean… okay, clean for New Mexico, where there is dust everryyywhere, yet our sofas are stain free, dog hair free and no legs have been chewed off.

I thought that perhaps I would have to “sell” John on the idea of this new chair as being dog-friendly. As John saw Laika making a discreet approximation to the chair, he asked me if we were going to allow the dogs on the new recliner. I said "yes" and made him aware of how the placing of the throw would take care of any dirt Laika might bring along. My thinking about the possibility of John not wanting the dogs on the new chair made me think about dogs and house rules…

I get asked gazzilions of times if I think that dogs should be allowed on couches, sleeping with their owners/guardians.  And my answer is always the same: do you want them on the couch/bed? Has there been any growling, snapping, etc. when you come to the bed or sit on the couch and your dog is already on it? I add that whatever they decided is okay. After all every household is different so I don’t think that there is a one-size-fits-all on this one. However, I do think that it is mandatory that we make whatever our household rules are crystal clear to our pets.

By crystal clear I mean that we must be as consistent as humanly possible - this is a big one for us humans about making sure the pet understand the requirements which in some cases it might require some additional training and that we are consistent with consequences when the rules are not being followed. Let me give you an example of what NOT to do. I know, I know, it is best to say what to do but I think this example illustrates very well how we tend to see things mainly from our perspective leaving our furry pal confused as to what we really want, yet we expect him/her to follow our rules.

I had a client once that was very upset at his dog for begging at the table. I made some inquiries about the incidents of obnoxious begging where I came to find out that my client had been feeding the dog on and off from the table. Once I pointed out to him that if the dog was now begging it had to do with his own table manners.

He realized that he could not have it both ways. This is a salient example because it is very typical of how we think: we think that because we have certain desires or expectations that these will be transmitted as if by osmosis to our dogs. The second issue here is that my client had been feeding his dog off and on while at the table. Not only is this really confusing for the dog, but the behavior (begging) had been put on a variable schedule of reinforcement (VR)! Think Las Vegas… that is it. Variable schedule of reinforcement are VERY powerful monsters… because the learner is not always reinforced there is a certain amount of frustration that will make the learner try even harder to get the reinforcement. Remember, schedules of reinforcements (there are others) follow the laws of learning.

Another downside for our dogs when we are inconsistent exercising our house rules is that all the guessing creates from mild to severe anxiety in our pets. Think about it, have you ever had a boss that's demanding of your performance, yet lacking in direction as to how and when a project needs to be done? What was your reaction?

My recommendations to those seeking my advice is to discuss with all family members as to what the rules and expectations for the dog should be. Then, take an honest look and see if those rules follow this criteria:

1. Are they (also) fair to the dog? If we choose to not have dogs on couches and beds, are we providing Fido with a soft comfy bed of his own?

2. Our rules should never undermine under any circumstances the welfare of the dog. i.e. the dog sleeps outside or stays outside without some adequate shelter regardless of the weather… ouch!

3. Dog is subjected to fearful or anxiety provoking scenarios because… I am the alpha, pay the rent blah, blah, blah… so the dog is thrown into the pool because he must like to swim. Similarly here, the dog has absolutely no agency because after all… he is just a dog. Include here the erroneous premise that our dogs must always mind us and do as they are told (see stupid rule above…). We must remember that they are not our toys or robotic, but sentient begins who deserve having their needs met, too.

4. Finally, realize that not because your dog has done a given behavior once or even a few times is proof that your dog has learned what the request for the behavior is and its consequence, so instead of guessing please make sure that you either find yourself a fantastic positive reinforcement "how to train your dog" book- (I have recommendations, so feel free to email me) or get yourself and your pup in the hands of a trainer who understand how dogs learn (learning theory).

Please come join us…our dogs are friendly…

This weekend we went sightseeing with Laika and Deuce in tow. As we found ourselves on top of the hill overlooking Villanueva Sate Park, we spotted a couple with two off-leash labs. Funny because I had just told John that one of the things that I love about New Mexico is that you can literally go hiking and not see anyone else – which is so different from hiking in northern California.

As John is yelling at the couple that it is okay for them to approach us, I stood in disbelief. Wait a second. I starting thinking: I realize you are one of the most gregarious people I know in the whole world, but don’t you remember that Laika is not comfortable when she is on a leash and a strange dog approaches her???

Lucky for us, the couple had other plans or common sense when it comes to on leash/off leash dog meetings, and they took a different path. We then continued hopping along down the path as I was thinking of the countless times people put their dogs in situations that the dog cannot handle. I believe for the most part that people are just unaware that their dog is stressed or plainly afraid as they insist that the dog…..(fill in the dots with any situation).

Keeping your dog safe and their lives stress free (as humanly possible, since stress is a part of life) takes awareness and commitment! This means that we first know our dog well and that we treat him/her as an individual. This is even more important if there is more than one dog in the family as it is easy to think of them as a “team” or a “group”. Dogs are as individuals as humans are (really)! And as such, they have different needs, so paying attention to these differences is really important.

Here is a list of situations that are typically stressful for (most) dogs:

1. Crowded spaces. For example, the art fair crawling with people and other leashed or loose pets.
2. Noisy environments such as your 3-year-old birthday party… ouch!
3. An unfamiliar place. For example,  a hotel room when you go out to dinner. Yes, having your dog comfortable in his/her crate is such a nice alternative- if your dog is crated trained.
4. A dog that cannot escape any situation that from the dog’s point of view is threatening. That could be a reaching hand towards your “hand-shy” dog, just being petted by a stranger when your dog is really not that keen on strangers, or a specific demographic: men, women, toddlers, Asians… you get the picture.
5. Extreme temperatures.
And the list goes on.

This brings me to the topic of advocacy or parenting of your dog. When you know that your dog is uncomfortable in a given situation, take action! Remind the people approaching to stop moving towards your dog. Sweeten the nail-clipping session by using counter-conditioning: One nail clipped, one special treat, second nail clipped, special treat. ALWAYS following this order: scary/stressful stimulus followed by a reinforcement, which is something your dog really likes or would work for. In this example, it is totally appropriate to perhaps cut only one nail if your dog is really resistant to having his/her paws handled or nails trimmed. Come back in half an hour or even the next day to complete the task!

 If these sort of efforts sound daunting, just think of the time when someone (think: intimidating boss, perfectionist teacher) cut YOU a break. Ah, not only were you grateful, but you probably excelled at the task at hand or learned more rapidly and effortlessly. The difference, of course, between us being in a testy situation and our dogs in a similarly uncomfortable situation is that we have more agency, that is: more ways of saying no! Our dogs unfortunately do not.