Conditioning Techniques for Training

[fasteddie]

This batch of reader questions is answered by Madison, Wis.-based certified applied animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell, author of "The Other End of the Leash" (Ballantine Books, 2002; $13.95), recently released in paperback.

Q. QMy 4-year-old Yorkshire terrier barks when I'm on the phone. I've tried to spray her with water and use a shake can filled with coins. Nothing works. I even began to feed her to get her to hush, but that lasts only as long as the food does. Now, she's overweight. What do I do?

A. "You might be happy to learn you're not alone; this is a fairly common problem," McConnell says. Give the Yorkie a Kong toy (available at pet stores) stuffed with low-fat peanut butter or low-fat moist dog food.

Just as your pup begins to work on getting the goodies from the toy, use your cell phone or a second line to call yourself, or have a friend phone you. Just say "hi," and then hang up.

When you hang up, take the toy away. Gradually, talk longer, 10 seconds, then 20 seconds, etc. Remember, the chew toy goes away when you're off the phone.

Meanwhile, the phone will undoubtedly ring in earnest when you're not prepared with the stuffed Kong. When that happens, calmly ask the caller to hold on while you take your dog into a far-off room, so any barking won't disturb you. Or pick up an extension in a far-away room and close the door, so your barking Yorkie can't hinder your conversation.

Ask your veterinarian about placing your pup on a low-fat diet and increasing exercise. Feeding your dog from a Buster Cube, Talk to Me Treat Ball or another food-dispensing toy is fun for your pooch and also burns calories.

Q. QI've been training dogs for 36 years, and I've studied with some of the best trainers and animal behaviorists in the world.

But I'm totally stumped by my own dog. She's a German shepherd imported from Germany, who I've raised since she was a pup. How is it that when she hears a doorbell on TV, she runs to the door and barks? We've never had a doorbell. So, how does she know to do this?

— L.K., Margate, Fla.

A. This is a first for McConnell, too. She's guessing that your dog must have had real-life experience with a doorbell, either as a very young pup before arriving from Germany or when you and your dog visited the home of a friend with a doorbell. "If there were other dogs barking away at the doorbell as dogs do, your dog would learn very quickly," McConnell says. "One experience would be enough for a lifetime."

Q. QMy husband and I rescued a 3-month-old puppy from drowning while on a vacation seven years ago. Today, this terrier mix is healthy, but he barks and is aggressive to strangers at the door, and then all the time they're in the house.

She has nearly bitten many people, but never a family member. She's wonderful with the family. My husband and I are at the end of our patience. What can we do?

— T.P., Tacoma, Wash.

A. "This dog isn't necessarily a lost cause," McConnell says. "It's a very good sign that apparently this dog has inhibited himself from biting."

You do, however, require hands-on help from a professional trainer. Also, an anti-anxiety drug, such as Prozac, might calm your dog enough to work more effectively with him.

Start off with classic counterconditioning. Have family members arrive at your door tossing kibble, so the front door doesn't become a worrisome place (be sure to consider the amount of kibble to prevent your dog from becoming overfed).

Then, set up a situation where friends arrive at the door and toss your dog a quarter of a slice of lunchmeat or small pieces of a turkey hot dog, and then immediately leave the house.

Eventually, your friends will toss the treats as they enter the house for only a few moments. Gradually, the friends will make it to a chair in the living room, and toss the treats. Once your friend is out of treats, take the dog away and put her in a room with the door closed.

From now on, your dog's only exposure to your friends will be when they have the most excellent treats in the world. Your hope is that, eventually, she'll connect visitors with her positive treat experiences.

Timing and further instructions are imperative, which is why you require hands-on help from a professional trainer.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/9893115.htm?1c

[yorkipower]

Fasteddie
- Thanks for putting up that post!!!!!
- About the first questionnaire’s story regarding her attempts at quieting her pup. It really hit a nerve! As a dog trainer, seen first hand what happens to dogs, especially small dogs, who are "trained" to be quite by the use of loud clanking noises like rocks or coins in a can or pots being banged together (just think how that can cross over to a dog’s everyday life!)

General comment to all:
PLEASE do not use noises as a means to discipline your dogs!

It can make them highly noise sensitive.

I've tried clicker training rescues that’ve obviously been "trained" by being frightened with cans and the like. Instead of being positively reinforced by the gentle sound of a clicker, they are actually AFRAID of the sound and I first have to desensitize them before I can even make it a positive experience for them! The kong stuffing technique is a great idea and a much better alternative to making a lot of noise to distract your dog (very old school and notice that the kong stuffing is a POSTIVIE training technique and the noise is a NEGATIVE training technique?).

DON”T make your dog noise sensitive - it can sneak up on you in the most unlikely and inopportune moments. For example, Belle was a lovely but badly abused Bassett Hound who was rescued by a wonderful and loving woman who also happens to own an apartment in New York City. To be perfectly honest, Belle had many emotional ticks when she came to live with this Bassett Rescue person, but among them was noise sensitively. You can imagine that the least the “training” techniques she was forced to endure was negative punishment by means of noise. I was walking Belle along the sidewalk one day when from behind us a garbage man dropped a heavy metal can on the ground, it clanked and suddenly 65 pounds of Basset Hound went up into the air and dropped into the middle of the side street inches in front of an oncoming car. Like a football play I jumped into the air, tackled her and rolled her into safety. There are a few gray “Belle” hairs on my head to show for it!

My own boy, Mr. Bun, was well loved and cared for in his previous home, although I could tell right way that he was 1)never properly socialized and 2) trained with the can/coin method. It took a long time to convince Bun that just because there’s a loud noise in a room, does not mean he is being punished! To this day, a clang, bang, or bump can lead him to actually skulk out of a room! That’s a horrible way to live life, don’t you agree?

[orinskye]

i understand about not using the coins in the can, but i wouldnt use one of those treat toys either..... a friend of mine had to take her dog to the vet because the dog got its lower jaw caught in the dispensing end, i dont know how in the world th hoel fit around her jaw and over the canines, but it was deffinatly STUCK! i've heard good things about these treat toys but i would never use them, that story was enough to scare me off of them.

[tbrooke99]

My yorkie is 4 yrs old and I have to keep him on a leash when I walk him outside. Is he to old to try to teach him to walk without the leash? And also sometimes when I call him to me he just sits and looks at me, is there any way to get him to come when I tell him to?

Shagger's Mom

[mmyorkies]

Originally Posted by tbrooke99

My yorkie is 4 yrs old and I have to keep him on a leash when I walk him outside. Is he to old to try to teach him to walk without the leash? And also sometimes when I call him to me he just sits and looks at me, is there any way to get him to come when I tell him to?

Shagger's Mom

I don't think it is a good idea to walk your dog outside off leash, even if you train him to come to you as soon as you call him, what happens if a larger dog gets to him while he is off leash. Not much chance of saving him if a large dog runs off with him. The best way to get him trained to listen to you is to take him to obidence classes. Most kennel clubs hold these classes, or there may even be a place that a professional holds classes for them. You need to check in your area for these.

[orinskye]

i have to disagree with mmyorkies ........ I think it is very healthy and good for the dog to have them off the leash (but in a controlled situation, definately not on teh street or something like that)... another thing though is that you need to know for sure that your dog is so well trained that they will come when you call, obedience comes first, then they get their little bit of freedom.......lol