Current advice re desexng is that the dog should be fully grown as the sex hormones play a role in growth and joint health. For all but giant breeds this is about 12 months old. Giant breeds eg great danes newfoundlands etc, it is 18- 24 months old . Hormones play a role in the growth of some cancers and the prevention of others, however it is important that dogs are not allowed to breed indiscrimately due to the vast numbers of unwanted pets.
MALES
From a behaviour perspective testosterone does not cause aggression- BUT it does INCREASE whatever your dog will do when challenged . Some people argue that testosterone increases confidence and therefore reduces aggression . In an non aggressive dog ,yes - BUT most dogs will respond to a challenge with AGGRESSION. Overconfidence will also lead to faulty risk assesssment and may cause a male not to back down from a challenge . Testosterone makes an animal less cooperative . An intact male will be more determined in a fight because more testosterone is secreted when challenged and this will increase whatever is the animal's response to being challenged . If that's aggression you are in trouble ! It also increases energy , motivation,and dopamine release ( released in anticipation of the reward , not the reward itself ) which will make your dog fight harder and inflict more damage . In addition I find in my practice the dogs who persistently hump are usually intact males, intact males are more likely to aggress to owners when removed from something they want, and are harder to train because they are more interested in the environment( rival / mate ) and less interested in their owners .
FEMALES
Neutering a female makes little difference to aggression in dog s who live together because hormones and neural transmitters are produced in other organs besides the ovaries ( eg gut, adrenals ) . Oxytocin ( along with other hormones eg estrogen progesterone and testosterone ) not only works to increase mother/ baby bond and bonds with partners but also to increase aggression towards those "not us "- eg a new dog who doesn't belong, or a rival for resources. Therefore fights between females are usually much more aggressive, and in the case of dogs who live together much harder to resolve ,than fights between neutered males ad male / female pairs .
If your male dog is aggressive to other dogs I find desexing will usually help and it is irresponsible to breed indiscrimately .
: Especially if punishment is inconsistent or harsh , your dog will become anxious or fearful because it doesnt actually know why it was punished . After all, from your dog's perspective the behaviour was natural and appropriate and gets it something it wants - eg bark at a passerby whom is percieved as a threat, passersby leaves . Punishment will make your dog fearful of you or some item or context it associates with the consequence . Eg if I tipped a bucket of spiders over your head, you may become fearful of buckets as well as me. If your dog is punished for barking at the passerby, it will become more fearful and reactive of passersby. It will cease to try new behaviours for fear of getting it wrong and being punished .
2 Aggression And Defensive Behaviour
: Your dog will react to what it percieves as a personal threat by defending itself . It will start to get in first and bite BEFORE it can be hurt . This is then labelled an " unprovoked bite ".
3 Breakdown Of Relationship.
:Punishment willl erode trust and cause your dog to be wary of interaction with you.Cooperation will be decreased . Your dog will become difficult to train because your bond has been damaged .
4 Behaviour Suppression.
:Punishment will shut down behaviour and may seem to improve compliance in the short term -but is ineffective for long term behavioir change . Your dog will not learn an alternative acceptable behaviour from being punished . At best it will learn not to do the behaviour in front of you .
Most people hold their pulling dogs on a short leash because the second they release the leash the dog takes off. But if you do this the dog never learns to stay close to you on a loose leash . The natural reaction to tension on the leash is called the oppositional reflex- your dog will resist presssure and pull.The classic way to teach loose leash walking is to stop walking when your dog pulls or to turn and go in the other direction , wait for your dog to catch up and then turn back and walk on again. This is ultimately effective but can be slow and tedious .
The easiest quickest way to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash is to use a long line !
With your dog on a long line reward well and frequently when your dog is close to you walking with you ,and when it goes away from you you move in the opposite direction and call it . In a short time your dog is stuck to you like glue on a loose leash! You are unpredictable so your dog needs to focus on you ,and being beside you is rewarding . Plus there is no pressure on the leash to resist .
Another way to teach this is to teach your dog to focus on your hand or your face (hold a treat for your dog to watch and lower it to your dog , or start with it low and raise it to your eyes, then give it to your dog , or put your hand to your dog and reward , or count to 3 and drop treats beside you on 3. Or simply hand treats to your dog when it's beside you . Any of these keep your dog beside you .
Just rewarding your dog when it's beside you- even when you are sitting down watching the tv, working on the computer ( or even just scrolling! ), talking on the phone , eating etc - builds positive associations with being beside you .Then when walking, your dog WANTS to be beside you .
The easiest quickest way to solve lots of behaviour problems is to teach one easy skill really well, practice practice practice ( you can do this a few minutes here and there ) and reward it REALLY well - touch your hand , focus on you , come to you ,heel . When your dog is reacting at the window to a passerby , taking food off the counter , running away with an item , pulling on the lead , reacting to a dog , digging up the plants, chasing the cat , going nuts at the doorbell, jumping on people, laying on the furniture - whatever - you can ask the dog to do the skill you have taught . If your dog does what you ask , it stops doing what you dont want !
Dogs ( and other animals ) learn through a process of association. ABC - Antecedent (what starts the behaviour ) Behaviour , Consequence .
If your dog is emotional ( over threshold ), your dog will learn that the antecedent predicts the consequence . Eg if your dog sees and reacts to a dog and is punished for it , it will not learn that it's behaviour results in punishment , it will learn the ANTECEDENT - seeing a dog - predicts punishment . This will result in increased reactivity when it next sees a dog and expects to be punished again .
In order for your dog to learn that BEHAVIOUR predicts a consequence it must be calm .In order to do the wanted behaviour it must be rewarding. There are various techniques to teach this while keeping the dog calm so learning happens. Eg the dog learns the antecedent predicts a REWARD. Therefore reactivity lessens because the dog forms positive associations with the antecedent and learns to focus back to owner for reward, and with practice stops reacting.
Psychology . The reason why qualified positive reinforcement training should be your only choice .
What Are The Most Common Mistakes People Make In Training? Dont Set Your Dog Up To Fail !
1 Not Rewarding What You Want Enough.- Dogs ( in fact, everything) do what works for them .What is rewarded will be repeated . What is repeated will become habit . You can and should reward in some way EVERYTHING you value . Calm and quiet? Reward .Settled or on their bed ? Reward . Focused on you ? Reward . Coming to you ? Reward . Seeing or hearing a trigger ? Reward . Feet on the floor ? Reward. Making the right choice? Reward. All of these things are the foundations of the complex skills that undo the behaviour you dont like. Build solid foundations .
2 Not Preventing What You Don't Want While You Teach What You Do. - If you don't make it easy for your dog to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing, you will only get the wrong thing. Your dog will make the most rewarding choice and until it learns your choice will be the most rewarding, it will choose the natural behaviour - jumping on you or taking the food off the counter or chasing the cat . Until your dog has learned what you want it it simply can't give it to you. Having a leash on when you open the door to visitors enables you to remove the dog if it's too excited . Without one you can't .
3 Allowing Unwanted Behaviour To Be Practised.- Remember what is practised will become habitual. Don't allow your dog to practise behaviour you don't want . Remove the dog from an exciting environment or prevent the behaviour eg don't leave temptations within reach and use a leash until it' s not needed .
4 Rewarding What You Don't Want. -See the behaviour from your dog's point of view . You will then see how you are inadvertantly rewarding what you don't want. Pushing your dog down or telling it off when it jumps on you is rewarding the jumping because your dog jumped on you seeking interaction with you . And that's what it got . Yelling at your dog when it barks is rewarding the barking because your dog was barking to get support for a percieved threat ( eg passer by ) or because you have inadvertantly taught it that you will pay attention to barking .
5 Skipping Steps In The Training Process. - If you make it too hard too fast , your dog will fail. Would you give your child one piano lesson then book a concert hall ? NO! If you make it too hard before your dog has solid reliable understanding of what you want, your dog will never be able to progress.
6 Punishing Your Dog . - Punishment does not teach your dog what to do .Your dog will NOT understand what it is being punished for.Punishment simply makes you an unprediactable scary monster . Studies have repeatedly found that dogs who are hit will often learn to bite and will get in first . Studies have found dogs who are yelled at will have stess hormones in their blood for 48 hrs . Or they will simply ignore you as much as possible because being with you is simply not something they value .
7 Not Telling Your Dog What You DO Want. - " No" is not a behaviour . Do you know how to "No" ? Would you go into a restaurant and expect the waiter to guess what you want ? Or would you tell the waiter what you want -and pay for it ?Don't tell your dog what not to do. .Tell it what TO DO . Instead of shouting "No " , say "come !"or "leave it !"Or "sit !" Tell it what you WANT.
8 Not Listening To Your Trainer- first of all , NOT ALL TRAINERS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Ensure your trainer is qualifed , accredited , and a positive reinforcement trainer - not punitive, not "balanced ". Punitive or balanced ( rewards and punishment ) trainers will damage your dog psychologically , physically , and will damage your dog's relationship with you .Choose your trainer carefully- but having done so , do what they tell you. A qualifed trainer will have scientifically proven reasons for what they tell you to do and be happy to answer any questions about it . Look into the method and be sure you understand how it works and the pos and cons of the chosen method- but having done this , follow their advice . It can't work if you don't do it !
Then when they have shown you what to do and explained the reason and answered your questions and demonstrated the technique - it's up to you to practice the technique. Dogs learn by repetition and consistent. predictable outcomes .
9 Stopping Too Soon.-Practice practice practice !Dogs learn by repetition and consistent predictable consequences . Often people start , the dog makes some progress, then the person slips back to what they were doing, and because the wanted behaviour isn't YET a habit ,unsurprisingly, so does the dog . If you stop before the new behavior is reliable , it never will be .Happily there are easy quick ways to train your dog - I can help you with this . It requires comittment -but it needn't be difficult .
In the event of a serious dog fight the aim is to break it up as quickly and safely as possible . Therefore some punitive methods not otherwise recommended may be necessary in the event of a fight taking place .
The first line of defence is to prevent a fight happening in the first place . If your dog is fearful aggressive or even friendly but over enthusiastic or rough ,address this issue by way of reactivity techniques that teach your dog to be calm , not reactive .I can teach you these techniques. Build a solid recall with distraction and dont let your dog off the leash or a long line (which lets your dog be effectively "free" but under control ) until you have a reliable recall no matter what distractions are present .
PREVENTION -IN THE STREET/PARK
Don't allow your dog to meet every dog it sees- and don't believe the owner of that out -of -control, not- coming- when- called off leash dog rushing up to your's when they shout "He's friendly! " That's code for "I have no control !" I avoid dog parks because in my experience many people take their dogs there because it's the only place they can release them and have them not able to run off .Avoid by teaching your dog to turn back to you( before you need this skill ) and walk briskly away , and toss a handful of treats towards the other dog as you go. Most dogs wont follow you far ,and if they do the owner will be motivated to run after you to catch it . Yell "He's infectious !" Putting a muzzle on your dog if warranted will motivate other people to keep their dogs away .Cross or stand in the middle of a rd if nearby - this will stop traffic, motivate the owner to grab their dog , and hopefully get you some help and witnesses if attacked . If your dog is off lead ,call your dog and run or walk quickly away so your dog will follow you. You can get behind the nearest gate , ring a doorbell of the nearest house that seems to have someone home to help , or carry a shake can ( empty soft drink can with some stones in it taped shut) or a riding crop - a cheap, light- to -carry horse riding whip that can hang from your wrist that makes a scary swish , stings like crazy , and lets you use it at a distance . If you can't increase distance , teaching your dog "middle " ( stand facing forward between your legs ) will help keep your dog calm and keep you and your dog safer than if you tried to pick it up . See my face book page video section for video on teaching middleor give me a call .
IS THE DOG SUITABLE TO MEET ?
What if you want your dogs to meet ? Avoid tension on the leash . Dogs should meet in neutral territory . Dont take other dogs into your dog's home turf, or vice versa. Make sure any dog your dog is to meet has a good history of playing off leash with a variety of dogs when between 8-16 weeks old. Have the dogs continued to play well with unfamilar dogs ? Have they ever bitten and punctured dog or human skin ?What does one dog do if the other dog wants to grab a toy , food, or get close to you ?Does the meeting place enable you to seperate the dogs if needed behind a gate or strong dog crate /pen ? Dog should not meet face to face but be presented to each other nose to groin . Its better to start with the dogs at a distance and slowly get closer. There are a number of techniques you can use to introduce them - I can help you with this .
WHAT IF YOUR DOGS FIGHT AT HOME ?
Fights between dogs that live together are usually about resources or redirected aggression or in the case of intact dogs, hormonal. The mistake that most people make is not identifying and addressing the triggers , and seperating the dogs after a fight then trying to bring them back together after they calm down . Dogs need to calm down in each other 's presence ( safely ).You need help with reactivity , disengagement , and counter conditioning techniques - this WON'T get better on its own.
IF A FIGHT HAPPENS
Don't panic ! Most fights sound worse than they are , and panicking or screaming will only make it worse . So what can you do ?
If you suspect your dogs may fight , have head collars or front leash attachment harnesses or basket muzzles if needed and leads on them when together under supervision so you can just grab the end of the lead and remove the aggressor . This is a temporary measure while you address the cause of the fights with training ,but is your safest option .
If you don't have a lead on the dogs , if possible, ringing the doorbell will often stop a fight . Alternatively throwing a blanket or coat over each dog seperately will often srtop the fight (be ready to grab them ). Spray the dogs with water - preferably a hose .Use a shake can or bang pots, or an oven tray , or bang chair legs on the floor , or drop something - any loud noise . If the situation happens enough to warrrant it get an air horn from a marine supply store . You can push a chair leg or a tray or oven tray /rack , sheet of galvanised iron , or similar between the dogs. If you expect you may need it have a spray bottle ready with a strong mix of vinegar or lemon juice and water in it .
You may use the wheel barrow technique if necessary -but you are risking getting bitten . Co-ordinate your actions with a second person. Each person at the same time grags a dog by the hind legs at the point where the knee meets the stifle and swings the dog to their right so their mouths move away from each other. This makes it harder (but not impossible )for the dog to bite the human . Once seperated get one dog out the closest exit.
.A "break stick "is a very effective tool dog fighters use to pry one dog's jaws off another . This is dangerous for you and the dog so be aware of the risk . A tent stake or wood splitting tool or similar will provide you with a last ditch method to pry a dog off if nothing else works .Preferably tether one dog and pull the other away so both are stretched out then wedge the stick in the gripping dog's mouth and twist until it lets go . This is obviously difficult to do and you may have to wedge the stick as best you can without tethering the dog.
Obviously some of these methods carry more risk than others and not the preferred method but if necessary do what you must . Preventing a fight is a far better option- and that's where training comes in .
If you teach your dog to walk on a loose leash or close to you, you dont need any special equipment. However if you havent done so before your pup grew into a strong pulling dog or a dog with some problems eg aggression or excitement when meeting dogs or people or wanting to chase traffic, you may need some help while you teach your dog to keep a loose leash. What you don't want to do is put pressure on your dog's throat or neck . Pressure here can collapse the trachea , cause increased intercranial pressure , or even snap your dog 's C2 verterbrae, aka death by hanging. So choke chains, martingales ( half chokers ), leads on normal (flat )collars, or slip leads are NOT recommended .
The best option will be a harness that fits well and clears the dog's shoulders so pressure on joints is avoided . It is important that the leash is attached to the chest if your dog pulls .This gives you leverage and the correct angle to gently turn your dog back to you . Leads attached to the back enable your dog to pull and you can't turn your dog away from a trigger and back to you . In many cases this will be all you need .
If your dog is very strong or aggressive or you have trouble holding it eg you are elderly or frail , or pushing a pram. you may need more help . In that case a head collar will be helpful .
The majority of positive trainers do not regard head collars as punitive , but because dogs generally dislike them when first put on no matter how loose they are, some positive trainers dont like them . However if introduced gradually with lots of positive reinforcement, dogs are not bothered by them .My position is that while a front attachment harness is the best option , some dogs while being trained are simply not able to be held safely or turned away in the presence of a trigger. In that case a head collar may be needed while training for safety .
I do not like all brands of headcollars as not all will be loose when the dog is not putting pressure on the leash , but if you choose a brand that remains loose when no pressure is put on it eg Company of Animals Halti head collar and it is introduced gradually this is not a problem. Please contact me if you are not sure how to do this . You may google Company of Animals videos on how to fit and introduce head collars to your dog. I do it with more treats ! The owner must never use a head collar harshly eg jerk or tug but merely hold the lead . Only the dog puts pressure on the lead. If you put your finger on the bony part of your nose and push this is what the head collar feels like when pressure is put on the leash by the dog. The dog should be gently taught how to keep the leash loose BEFORE being walked in it . Using a double clip leash that attaches to the collar and the head collar enables you to hold the dog without the head collar being in effect , and only brings the head collar into effect if needed by holding the leash closer to the head collar . Once your dog is reliable when walking in the presence of triggers you can dispense with the head collar.
What is an Animal Behaviourist ? What is the difference between a behaviourist and a dog trainer?
An Animal Behaviourist has a university degree in animal behaviour . A dog trainer may have done some formal study ( but not a university degree) or none at all as dog training is an unregulated field . Anyone may call themselves a dog trainer and some call themselves behaviourists when they are not actually entitled to , so it's important to check a trainer's qualifications before hiring them . Not all dog training qualifications are equal either . Only one course is currently recognised by the federal govt in Australia . Courses which are run through any other source eg a training franchise's own course or a military or police dog training background , may or not be correct, may or may not be based on science and current study , and may or may not be harmful to your dog if using out dated methods relying heavily, even if not exclusively , on punishment . Vets are not animal behaviourists unless they have done further study in that field, therefore will often prescribe medication to dampen/suppress (but not change ) behaviour .
A qualified behaviourist will be expensive and often will refer client to a vet for behavioural medication .In my experience medication masks (supresses) behaviour but doesnt change it .Dogs behave in accordance with what they have learned to expect . If aggression or anxiety is caused by a bad experience eg punishment or a fright or fear of an unknown eg poorly socialised , then this will not change without changing the dog 's expectation when it is in that situation . How do we do that ? Psychology .
An unqualifed dog trainer usually will resort to punishment when a dog does an unwanted behaviour because they do not know what else to do . They do not understand how learning happens so they do not understand that punishment will only reinforce the bad associations , and they mistake rewards as bribes . Scientific studies over the decades have shown that punishment creates aggression and anxiety or causes the dog to shutdown (learned helplessness), so this is not going to help the behaviour and is likely to add further problems .
A dog trainer who has been taught the principles of psychology may or may not be able to apply these principles to modifiy behaviour . A qualifed dog trainer may or may not work mostly with behavioural problems . Some of these trainers call themselves behaviourists on this basis BUT they are not actually legally entitled to do so .
I am qualified and nationally accredited and I work mostly with dogs with behaviour problems using principles of psychology and have done further study in these areas with well regarded international positive reinforcement trainers and veterinary behaviourists. Therefore I call myself a behavioural trainer -but not a behaviourist .
Does behaviour modification by way of psychological principles work ? Are medications necessary ? Speaking from my experience of 5 yrs at the time of writing , I have never found that aggression or anxiety was not able to be found to have an identifiable cause . So while I don't rule out medication absolutely I have never to the present not been able to change the behaviour without it . I am recommended by a number of vets because they have found that they dont need to prescribe medication for clients ' aggressive dogs if they have a consult with me .
I suggest that people seeking help with their dogs' behaviour look at my blog entitled Questions to ask A Trainer and ask prospective trainers these questions . Punitive trainers will not call themselves such as it tends to put many ( but not all ) people off , so it is important that owners seek very specific answers and question anything they are told .A reward based trainer will not object to explaining the pros and cons and alternatives to any method they propose . A punitive or "balanced " trainer may call themselves "force free " but then state they use "rewards AND OTHER METHODS" and "all 4 quadrants of the motivation matrix ". This is a contradication because if a trainer uses all 4 quadrants they DO use force. "Other methods " can only be punishment or force .
So what are the 4 quadrants ?Why do they matter ?
Here is where it gets technical- but come with me....
The 4 quadrants of the motivational matrix (how learning happens ) are positive reinforcement , negative reinforcement , positive punishment , and negative punishment .
Positive doesn't mean good. It means ADDED.
Negative means REMOVED.
Reinforcement reinforces, that is encourages or INCREASES a behaviour .
Punishment punishes, that is discourages or DECREASES a behaviour .
Therefore positive reinforcement means adding something to encourage behaviour to be repeated , eg a treat . Negative reinforcement means removing something which then encourages(increases ) a behaviour eg removing leash or rein pressure when a dog or horse yields to it so the animal will yield to the pressure to make it go away or avoid it happening in future . Positive punishment means adding something that punishes so the animal doesn' t like the consequence of a behaviour and therefore doesn't do it again(decreases the behaviour ) eg hitting the animal or jerking a leash . Negative punishment means taking away something which punishes the animal and discourages the behaviour eg withholding a treat .
Therefore you CANNOT be a "force free "trainer and STILL use " ALL 4 quadrants" or "rewards and other methods " . By DEFINITION a force free trainer does NOT use positive punishment (force ) . A force free trainer does NOT use all 4 quadrants.
If you are looking for a trainer/ behaviourist , question them about their qualifications and methods .
Does your dog love to hunt ? Usually the advice is to teach leave it and impulse control ( dont touch unless told you can ) , reactivity techniques and disengagement games , and building recall with distractions. And these work quite well - if you work on it . But hunting is instinctive behaviour and not allowing your dog to have an outlet for this behaviour leaves it frustrated and prone to exercising this behaviour in other ways . For example, if you take the edge off your dogs' s energy by throwing a ball thinking you will tire it out, then stop play , your dog has been brought to the high point of the predation cycle which builds excitement , but left without "cooling down " and reducing excitement . So your dog is likely to wind down by carrying out the rest of the predation cycle by ripping up your couch !
Instead of stopping your dog from being a dog , frustrating your dog or reprimanding your dog , give your dog a fun outlet . Predation Substitution Training is not a suitable outlet for all triggers - your dog may drift over into real hunting behaviour at first so not suitable for reactivity to pets dogs and people - but for birds roos rabbbits and stock that your dog cannot get , etc , it is a great alternative, especially for hunting breeds (retrievers/ pointers/ setters/ spaniels / terrriers /hounds ) and herding breeds .
Predation Subsitution Training is a technique in which your dog is allowed to and praised for carrying out the first part of the predation cycle put on cue ( name it ) - scan, stalk ,creep - under control eg on a long line and at sufficient distance that your dog can be calm, and when it disengages from the trigger of its own accord , directed to a substitute prey item( eg a prey dummy or large hard chewy crunchy dog treat ) to finish the hunt - chase ,catch , grab, bite , pocess ,rip, consume . I have been practising this with my own dogs who love to hunt possums in our fruit trees for a week at the time of writing this and saw improvement the first day ,and by the 7 th day my dogs are immediately focusing on me instead of the possums the second they pass the trees, and waiting for the hunt item to be tossed in the other direction .They catch it and we all go inside ... There are a number of predation subsititute games that you can play as well which give your dog an outlet for this natural behaviour .
If you would like details on how to do this technique contact me !
1 “Reward based training is a bribe “. NO . Trainers who tell you this are demonstrating their lack of understanding of how learning happens . In the early stages rewards may be used to counter condition , that is to build positive associations and expectations when a trigger is encountered to change the behavior , or to lure the dog into position or to focus on you , but once the dog understands, which happens relatively quickly, it is replaced with a reward for behavior you already have .
2 “Rewards must be given forever “. NO . There is an argument that rewarding your dog forever is a good thing , and certainly zoo animals are rewarded every time they perform a taught skill for their keepers. Complex skills and some behaviors such as recall should be rewarded every time forever because the more it is reinforced the more reliable it will be , but on a practical level rewards can be phased out according to a specific schedule relatively quickly (depending on how often you practice) . The wanted behavior will be reliable because it is now a habit , and rewards are now intermittent and therefore always possible and always motivating.
3 “My dog is not food motivated”. Rewards can be anything your dog finds rewarding ( I once rewarded a blood hound with a sniff of a sweaty sock because that’s what he wanted !). Food is easiest , but rewards can be fun (toys and training games ), lavish praise , ear rubs or a chase. If you change the way you feed your dog, your dog has more fun and becomes much more interested in food rewards .I hear this a lot – but I have never not been able to motivate a dog with food! It depends how you do it.
4 ” You shouldn’t have to reward your dog “. Dogs do not want to please you. They want to please themselves . Pay your dog ! If a trainer tells you not to reward your dog for a job well done, praise the trainer but don’t pay them !5 “Positive reinforcement means you can never say no to your dog “. NO . Of course there are boundaries and consequences for unwanted behavior , but not scary or painful ones !
6 “You need to take the dog to the place where the problem happens to train it “. NO. Doomed to fail unless you resort to punishment severe enough to shut the dog down, and punishment will by association with the trigger create more intense reactions and in some dogs aggression to or fear of the handler. You must teach the behavior you want before you can ask for it .
7 “ Your dog must respect you and you must dominate your dog and be the alpha “. NO. ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. This thinking has been scientifically debunked for decades and is scientifically proven to create aggression or anxiety . Any trainer who tells you this has just admitted to no understanding of how learning happens . Every dog I have trained who bit or was fearful has been hit, dragged by the collar , or yelled at .It may crawl to you and lick you but that is appeasement (“don’t hurt me “ ), not love . Don’t teach your dog that people may hurt it if you don’t want to get bitten .
8 “You cant teach this all in a day , it will take weeks. Dogs must go to classes. “ A trainer’s job is to teach you how to teach your dog . Your job is to practice . Creative learning , where your dog is encouraged and rewarded for thinking and offering behavior , is proven to get results hundreds of times faster than traditional rote learning . I can show you everything you need to know to solve any problem in one afternoon, the dog understands and is doing it in minutes ,and if you practice, permanent change happens over a few weeks up to a few months .Over 130 5 star reviews cant be wrong ! If your dog is distracted or reactive , a class is not the most effective place to train your dog . A familiar environment with low distraction (at first) is . (your home).
2 What methods do you use ? Why ? What alternatives are there ?
3 What happens when my dog gets it right ?
4 What SPECIFICALLY happens when my dog gets it wrong ?
5 What resources do you offer me ? What support do I get ?
6 Do you guarantee results ?
7 How long does it take to see results ?
My answers : 1 National Dog Trainers Federation of Australia certificate 3 ,(nationally accredited by the federal government and is the course hearing dog trainers do in Australia )and online study with international veterinary behaviorists . 30 yrs of experience training dogs and horse with positive reinforcement methods and began professionally training dogs in early 2018 .I am constantly updating my skills and learning from other qualified positive reinforcement international trainers .
2 I use scientifically proven principles of psychology to change behavior with positive reinforcement / reward based training .Punitive training methods have been consistently shown to create aggression and anxiety in dogs subjected to them and to otherwise damage your relationship with your dog .
3 Dogs will be rewarded with various things of value to the dog eg treats ,toys , games , praise, physical affection etc .
4 Reward will be withheld or the dog may get a MILDLY unrewarding consequence eg be removed , or owner may walk away , or a verbal cue the dog got it wrong .In the case of strong aggressive dogs we are unable to hold , I may use a specific brand of a kind head collar to enable us to gently hold or remove the dog while training takes place . We do not use chokers , martingales (half chokers ) prong collars or electric collars . A specific design of harness which enables us to turn the dog from the front by a leash attached to the chest , which doesn’t interfere with walking ,impact the joints ,or put pressure on the throat, is the preferred option, but sometimes a head collar will be necessary to safely and kindly hold some strong or aggressive dogs . The dog will always receive a positive , rewarding , gradual introduction to the head collar prior to any training taking place .(A recent veterinary study has found that head collars cause less physical damage than many harnesses including y shaped harnesses. )
5 Clients receive extensive notes on all common problems and skills training so will never need a trainer again -because now you will know more than many of them ! Clients are encouraged to film the techniques in the consult , which can be done on a phone , receive a plan to follow, and follow up support by way of phone or email check in every 2 weeks( or more often if wanted ) as long as required , and receive uncharged support as needed by phone or email for the life of the dog.
6 and 7. I guarantee you will see improvement during the consult .In multi dog conflict(dogs who live together and fight ) results cant be guaranteed but I will be upfront about this and the chances of success prior to booking . As dogs learn by repetition the ultimate result depends on the client using the method consistently until the new habit is formed ,but as per reviews ,very good results are obtained within a relatively short period with practice .
Reward based training is a REWARD for desired behaviour you ALREADY HAVE . In the early stages rewards may be used to COUNTER CONDITION , that is to build positive associations and expectations of good things happening when a trigger is encountered which will change or prevent reactivity , or to LURE a dog into a position or focus on you , but once the dog understands, which happens quickly , it is replaced with a reward for behaviour you already have.
Trainers who tell you rewards are bribes or shouldn’t be used , have no training and no understanding of how learning happens .In order to change behaviour you must either punish what you don’t want, which doesn’t teach your dog what to do instead and will damage your dog’s relationship with you , or reward in some way what you do want . (Pay your dog !) What is fun and rewarding will be repeated .
If you don’t reward your dog for doing what you want , the environment will reward your dog for doing what it wants. Rewards can be anything your dog wants .Rewards can be phased out according to a formula once the desired behaviour has become habitual. Using positive reinforcement methods makes learning easy and fun for dog and owner . This does NOT mean there are no consequences for unwanted behaviour- just not pain or fear
Puppy classes are great -but puppy consults give you the knowledge and training theory that classes and other trainers don’t teach you .One to one consults give you individual unlimited attention and enable you to start work on all your issues immediately . Socialization is NOT about puppies playing together , but about learning to be calm and focused on owner in the presence of triggers . Puppy classes often miss the opportunity to provide positive associations with other dogs for fearful pups , and in the case of pups who are outgoing and dive into play , you may be building an expectation that whenever your dog sees another dog it will play with it – and if it isn’t able to it becomes frustrated .
Reactive fearful and aggressive dogs don’t do well in classes as there are too many triggers for them . Bringing a fearful reactive dog to a class is like tipping a bucket of spiders over the head of a person afraid of spider s! “Flooding” your dog by putting it in a situation where it is exposed to triggers and cant get away will increase reactivity. Dogs must be calm to learn new behaviors . You must teach the behavior you want by way of reactivity techniques before you can ask for it in the presence of distractions . Teaching your dog the behavior you want in a consult enables it to do the behavior in a class situation .
