Blog – Positively Randy Dog Training!

April 26, 2020

Pets and Corona Virus Self-Isolation, Self-Distancing

Those of us not having significant others, children or other family sheltering with us are probably finding this time lonely and quite strange. Sure, you could do home projects, use Zoom, Skype and other social media to connect with friends and family, but nothing beats the value of having a warm body there with you. I probably should say that even birds, pocket pets (hamsters etc.) and cold blooded pets can fill that place in our hearts, that need to not be alone and that need to nurture and love. It doesn’t have to be a warm blooded pet. All pets are such great buddies and can make this time much less of a bother and much less annoying or lonely. They provide attention, love, someone to whom to talk, someone with whom to exercise (walking is great exercise) and someone for whom you need to care. Yes, someone! No, I’m not equating pets with people, well, at least not definitively. Pets are family. They love us, are delighted to be with us (not always true of family) and are a being with whom we can interact.

Funny thing, during this unusual time, people are coming forward and adopting or fostering homeless pets. Shelters are emptying and homeless critters are benefiting. But it’s not only the critters benefiting. The adopters/”fosterers” are benefiting as well. It’s a shame it took this unprecedented period in our history to effect this surge in adoptions/fosters but I want to applaud those who have stepped up and joined the ranks of pet owners, foster persons etc. Some already have pets and are adding to their “pack” because they simply feel the need to do a good deed and help. Others had only given fleeting thoughts to taking in a critter but are doing that good deed now and helping to secure that critter that will give them the love and presence in their lives and home to ward off the pain of their isolation. Some are doing it because they have thought about it for so long and are finally doing it because the situation seemed right. No matter, KUDOS to you all. I applaud this adoption/foster the critters movement. This is something good happening from this entire virus induced situation.

I do hope this trend continues. The critters and those adopters/”fosterers” all benefit, no matter the motivation or reasons. Clear the shelters. Clear the rescue groups. Give all those deserving critters the love and home they need. You will truly be happy you did.

Finally, let me say, in addition to taking care of those critters, let’s be good to each other. Let’s take care of each other. Watch out for your neighbors, friends and family. Watch out for those that are on the front lines and help them stay safe. We are indeed in this together. We will get through it together.

February 2, 2020March 22, 2020

Food and the Health of Your Dog Part 2

As discussed in the first post on this issue, feeding your dog the best foods and treats you can afford does have its benefits.

Before you choose a food or treat for your dog you must do your due diligence and research. When doing your research, don’t always just accept claims made by manufacturers and don’t always just feed according to the manufacturer’s suggestions. Feed the food or treat you’ve chosen (through your research) and in the quantity that best suits your dog. Age, activity level, health and other criteria all play a part in your choice of a food or treat.

Make sure of the nutritive value of the food or treat by doing on line and other research, including talking to your veterinarian, other owners of the same breed, breeders and anyone who might be in the know. There are books on dog foods and treats in addition to publications like the Whole Dog Journal https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/ that can help. In addition to the health and nutritive aspects of these foods and treats, remember that availability is also important. You must be able to access these foods and treats easily or they will be of no use to you. If you can’t find a convenient place to purchase the food and treats you cannot feed them to your dog. This means also being able to purchase the foods and treats, well within their Best Buy Dates. It does your dog no good to be fed foods and treats that are beyond their Best Buy Dates.

Also understand that while a “dog is a dog” might be true, different dogs have different requirements. In addition to the criteria mentioned above – age, activity level, and health – breed characteristics often are involved. Dogs of breeds that are very active such as working and herding dog breeds (and others) might need a higher caloric content. Older and younger dogs have different requirements. Dogs with medical issues also need special attention. Also remember, your dog is an individual. Just because a particular food or treat works well for another representative of your dog’s breed doesn’t mean it will work for your dog. But, such recommendations are a great place to start.

Veterinarians can be of great help but please know that the foods and treats sold by veterinarians may not be the best for your dog. Just because it is sold by a veterinarian does not mean it’s the best food for your dog. That goes for special diets as well. Please do talk to your veterinarian about your personal beliefs, preferences and desires as to the foods or treats you want to feed – do you prefer dry or canned, do you prefer holistic, do you prefer a certain meat source, etc.?

In the end, the nutrition you put into your dog, along with the exercise, training, health care and love will ultimately have a great effect on the dog’s quality of life and longevity. I’ll address this more in later posts. There’s so much to talk about. Stay tuned

October 24, 2019

From my fun and humorous things you can do with your dog file

You’ve seen those fitness ads on TV that promise amazing results from all sorts of contraptions. There’s really no need to spend the money. Why invest in fancy equipment when you have your dog or can borrow a dog? With a dog you have everything you need to get back into shape. Check out the following exercises. They can be done anywhere and anytime.

Check out the following exercises. They can be done anywhere and anytime.

For your inner thighs: Place the dog’s favorite toy between your thighs. Press tighter that the dog can pull. Remember not to try this while bare legged. Dogs who favor short cuts to success can/will try to dig the toy out. This could lead to permanent damage to you.
Upper Body Strength: Lift the dog off the couch, off the bed, out of the flower bed, etc. Repeat, repeat and repeat again. As the dog ages, the exercise is reversed – onto the couch, onto the bed, into the car, etc.
Balance and Coordination #1: Remove the puppy from any unsuitable, tight space. If the space is too small for him it’s most certainly too small for you. Do it anyway.
Balance and Coordination #2: Practice not falling when your dog bounds across the full length of the room, then sails through the air and slams feet first into the back of your knees with the full force of its weight and momentum.
Balance and Coordination #3: This one requires multiple dogs – Remove all of the dogs from your lap and get to the phone to answer it before it stops ringing. Remember to not have the portable phone with you and do not try this exercise if you are sitting within an arm’s length of a phone extension.
Balance and Coordination #4: Alternate exercise – Using older dogs, attempt to cross the room without tripping over the dog. Get off the couch without crushing any part of the sleeping elderly dog.
Upper Arms #1: Throw a ball, squeaky toy, Frisbee or other item the dog loves to chase. Repeat this until nauseous.
Upper Arms #2: Alternate exercise – Tug a rope, pull toy sock or any other item the dog loves to tug. Of course, if the dog’s choice/favorite item is important to you or irreplaceable or….. choose something else. Repeat the tugging with the dog until your shoulder aches or is dislocated or the dog gives up We all know which will come first, don’t we?
Hand Coordination: Remove a foreign object from the dog’s locked jaw. This exercise is especially popular with puppy owners. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Remember this is a timed exercise. Movements must be quick and precise (think concert pianist) to prevent trips to the vet which will only offer the minimal exercise benefit of jaw firming clenches.
Calves #1: After the dog has worn out the rest of your body, hang a circular toy on your ankle and let the dog tug while you tug back. WARNING: This is feasible only for those with strong bones and small dogs. Have you taken your calcium supplement today?
Calves #2: Alternate exercise – Run after the dog. Pick any reason and there are and will be plenty. Dogs of any size can be used for this exercise; however it’s not advisable to use dogs of certain breeds such as the Greyhound.
Neck Muscles: Attempt to outmaneuver the canine tongue that is headed for your ear, mouth, eyeball or other facial target. This is a lifelong fitness program. A dog is never too old or too feeble to try to “kiss” you when you least expect it.

September 29, 2019February 2, 2020

Food and the Health of your dog

There’s a pet food company that is currently advertising “If you love them like family, feed them like family”. I like this idea but think it needs to be explained a bit more. We all love our dogs, if not we wouldn’t have them gracing our lives. Unfortunately, we don’t always take the care and time needed to think about how what we put into their bodies affects their health, happiness and longevity. It is true; you get what you pay for. The quality of the foods and treats we feed our dogs is supremely important.

I know, dogs fed foods and treats on the lower cost of the pet food and treat spectrum can live long lives. But are they living the lives they could, should and deserve to live? Are they healthy? Are they happy? Are we treating them like family?

Yes, you can spend a lot on your pet’s food and treats. Not everyone can afford the “premium” foods and treats. I do understand. What I am saying is that we all look for the best quality in the foods we purchase for ourselves and our families. The same care and attention should be paid to what we purchase for our dogs. Buy the best you can afford.

What you put into your dog can have spectacular results in your dog’s health, and energy and activity levels. The better the food and treats you feed your dog, the better the dog’s health will be. You’ll see shinier coats, brighter eyes, more spring in their step and probably lower vet bills because the dog is feeling better and healthier.

I’ll address this more in later posts. There’s so much to talk about. Stay tuned. For now, you might want to check out the Whole Dog Journal https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

June 27, 2017July 25, 2019

Check out the trainers and training techniques used before you pay for the classes

Years ago, there was little to choose from in dog training techniques. If you were searching for a training program you were offered the choice between metal choke and/or prong collars or sometimes cloth choke collars. Trainers used harsh corrections often followed by food or praise. If you were lucky you found a trainer who advocated somewhat more modest corrections – but still with the use of choke and/or prong collars. If you were even more fortunate you found a trainer who used that cloth choke collar on the dead (or non-correction giving) ring. It was the rare trainer who advocated any sort of positive training.

Thankfully, times have changed and there is a wide array of training techniques from which to choose. This is a very good thing because training your dog is a very important thing to do. Dogs need training so they can properly and comfortably fill their places in our lives and families. The techniques used to train them must be pleasing to the owner. The owner must be motivated, willing and comfortable using those techniques or the dog will not be trained. If you as the owner are uncomfortable with the techniques offered, you are less likely to use them, perhaps even dropping out of the classes altogether. Often, this is enough to sour the owner on training the dog at all. As we all know, an untrained dog makes for an unhappy dog, an unhappy owner – and probably unhappy people who find themselves interacting with that dog.

Techniques

Positive reinforcement: There are no corrections. The dog is motivated by food, toys and praise. Each dog will have his/her own best motivator and the owner/trainer works to find it to best motivate the dog in training. The owner/trainer works to manage the dog so that the dog does not have the opportunity to perform/get away with bad or unwanted behaviors. If the management should lapse and the dog does “get away with one”, the owner/trainer does not react in any negative fashion. The owner/trainer does not do anything to draw attention to the behavior in any fashion. Once the behavior is past the owner/trainer goes on from there and works harder to manage the dog to prevent future “mistakes”. The fewer mistakes the easier the training.

Semi-positive reinforcement[1]: This technique is a variation on positive reinforcement that allows appropriate “corrections” as part of the program. Management of the dog and its behavior is as paramount as it is in positive reinforcement. When management fails, should it fail, and the dog “gets away with one” the “appropriate” correction can be used. These “appropriate” corrections must befit the crime. The “correction” may be as simple as “eh eh” – a sort of “growl”, a gentle but firm “no” or some other similar thing to draw the dog’s attention to the fact that it has erred. Then, once “corrected”, the dog is assisted in performing the proper behavior after which the owner/trainer redoubles efforts to achieve management of the dog so that the dog does not “get away with” that inappropriate behavior(s) or any others.

Semi-positive reinforcement means that you find ways of managing the dog so it does not make a mistake. It means that you try to teach the dog the right way so that you don’t have to “unteach” the wrong way. It means that you use a lot of patience and ingenuity. It means that you learn a lot about dog and other canid behaviors, body language and instincts so that you can make use of this knowledge in the training of the dog. It means training the dog with your heart and mind rather than anger, force, domination and fear.

Should the management fail and the dog make a mistake, the owner/trainer should identify the mistake by communicating with the dog using methods other than forceful ones such as jerking on its neck with a choke or prong collar. Again, the punishment/correction must befit the crime. Remember that it is the owner/trainer who has really failed, not the dog. The dog is just being a dog. If the owner/trainer’s management has failed the dog can and will make mistakes and it is incumbent on the owner/trainer to understand this and be fair in dealing with the results of his/her failure. The dog must not and should not suffer the consequences.

Punishment/Negative Training: This method involves collar corrections which may or may not be followed by food or verbal praise. It involves the use of choke collars, prong collars and sometimes electric shock collars.

Positively Randy! recommendations

Positively Randy! believes that it is the owner’s responsibility to do research into the available training techniques and decide as to his/her preferences for technique before signing up for a training program. The owner is the dog’s protector, advocate, pack leader and “parent”. It’s up to the owner to ensure that the dog is treated fairly. This can (and should) be done with a combination of reading, internet searches and visitations to local training business to see training in action.

In addition, just as you would for your human child, it is imperative to check out schools and programs to which you might send your dogs. The owner should check with their veterinarian, the dog’s breeder, trusted family and friends re. programs they might have used and would recommend. The owner should research all programs, businesses and trainers that might be selected as the trainer of choice. It is very important to do the research to ensure selection of the best class for the owner and dog. This will maximize the probability of a successful training “campaign”.

Some of the questions to ask the prospective trainers are:

What are the training techniques to be used?
Where are the classes to be held?
How many dogs per class will be accepted? How many instructors will there be per class?
What is the dog to instructor ratio?
Can I come to see a representative class?
What items do I need to purchase/have available for the training classes?
What is the policy on refunds, missed classes etc.? Any parameters like these should be understood before signing up for the classes.
If you intend to give your dog to a trainer for training at his/her facility, these questions and others will be very important. You will be giving your dog to someone who will be training it out of your sight and you will have no control over what happens to your dog. Be certain you are comfortable with the trainer. Also, be sure to ask about how the trainer will address the question of transferring the techniques and information to you so you can learn how to work with the dog, how to ensure that the dog understands it must work for you as it did for the trainer and how you can further your dog’s education.

Final thoughts

Positively Randy! believes that the best way to train a dog is to manage the dog’s life and interactions so that there are few, if any, bad behaviors shown and learned. Yes, it’s that “simple”. The key to training is the management of the dog thus limiting the behaviors we do not want and maximizing those we do. Dogs learn by doing and if they cannot exhibit “bad” behaviors, they do not learn they can do them and we don’t have to worry about un-teaching those less than desirable behaviors. What the dog learns is what we want it to. Of course, as already stated, along with the management comes the training techniques and program.

So, management is the key. With good management, the owner will have fewer situations to address – perhaps none if the management is well done and effective. If there are lapses in management, the owner should not hesitate to tell your dog which behaviors are unacceptable. The owner should not hesitate to turn off those behaviors and replace them with others that are preferable. It will take time, energy and effort but nothing well done ever comes too easily. It will mean training in many different places to teach the dog that he must listen to you no matter what’s happening around him. It may mean finding children to expose him to so he isn’t frightened of them. It may mean exposing him to noises that frighten him. It may mean taking him in the car to help him overcome car sickness.

No one ever said training a dog would be easy; it’s hard work, no matter what method you use. If you aren’t willing to expend the effort, then you must be willing to put up with the dog you create. As the old obedience trainer’s saying goes: YOU ALWAYS END UP WITH THE DOG YOU DESERVE!

[1] True positive reinforcement is a training program that uses absolutely no corrections. It uses the strictest management of the dog to (hopefully) prevent problems from occurring. Semi-positive reinforcement is a Positively Randy! created and developed training technique/and philosophy that stresses management of the dog but allows for (appropriate) corrections of the dog’s mistakes. The corrections must befit the crime. This philosophy of semi-positive reinforcement will become clearer as we proceed through the nine weeks of class. Both positive and semi-positive training techniques are available and in use at Positively Randy!

January 27, 2017July 25, 2019

The Keys to Dog Training are Management and Patience

Cute young beagle puppy dog laying indoors. Female beagle dog.

Dog training, whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, is about being in control. This does not mean that you should be aggressive, forceful or dominating. It does mean that you MUST be in control of the situation. Dogs learn by doing and if the dog can repeat a behavior, it will understand that the behavior is acceptable – even if you react negatively every time the behavior is accomplished. Reacting to and correcting the dog when it errs is not helpful. The dog has already completed its behavior and your reacting after the fact is not the best way to teach the dog that this behavior is unwanted. Yes, some dogs might finally learn that the response post behavior isn’t worth the behavior itself, but is this the best way to train? Is it really the way you want to interact with your dog? Is it a pleasant way to interact? I think not. Continue reading “The Keys to Dog Training are Management and Patience”