Hiking with the Dogs

This morning we went on our monthly hike at Walnut Creek here in Austin.  As a dog trainer I get a lot of satisfaction in my job, and today was no exception.  It is great to see these dogs running, swimming, getting muddy, and tired out – you know, things that dogs should be doing!  Click here for a full photo recap of the trail class.

All of this was possible because our clients had total control over their dogs, resulting in more fun and freedom.  If you are not having as much fun with your dogs as we are, contact an Austin Dog Trainer and START HAVING FUN WITH YOUR DOG!

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What Exactly is a Reward All About?

When teaching a dog a new skill, or practicing established commands, praise and reward are obviously very important.  We use them to mark the right behaviors and encourage other desirable outcomes.  This article will discuss a few factors when it comes to dealing with reward and your dog.

What is a Reward? A reward can be many things, not just a treat or piece of food.  In addition to treats and food, a reward can be verbal praise, a toy, freedom to play, or even physical touch; basically anything that is important to your dog.

Which Reward to use? All dogs are different, so ultimately it is up to you to read your dog and figure out what is important to him or her.  If I am working with a real toy motivated dog that is not overly food motivated, a toy may be a better motivator then a treat in this case.  On the other hand, if I am working with the same dog and the toy is becoming too much of a distraction, I may switch to food in order to help the dog focus a bit more.  Now of course as the training continues I will re-introduce the toy and work him through the distraction factor that the toy originally provided.

When to Reward? Our general timing is crucial when working with our dogs, and the accuracy of your timing when it comes to reward is no exception.  It depends on the particular skill that you are working on, but a general rule is that you have 2 seconds to mark a behavior for them to make an association.

Bringing It All Together - Let’s discuss two different skills and point out the right times to reward your dog, what to reward with, and why.

Rewarding during loose leash walking - If the goal of loose leash walking to to eliminate tension in the leash, our reward should be given out as soon as slack goes into that leash, even if it is just for a few seconds or steps.  The dog has to know when they are currently doing the desired behavior, even if it is just for a short amount of time.  By marking the correct behavior, you will see the length of time increase that the dog is on the loose leash, and you will be able to travel greater distances on that loose leash.

In the case of loose leash walking, I am a big fan of verbal praise.  We are able to reward the dog at the appropriate time, while continuing to keep the dog walking on the loose leash.  Food or toys on the other hand will quickly take the dog out of the correct position in order to receive the reward.

Rewarding during recall – Our definition of come or here is for the dog to come into you and stay within touching distance of you; it does not mean come within 5 feet and stop, nor does it mean come into me and keep on going.  The timing of marking a recall should happen when the dog has completed the task, which again means to be within touching distance.  If you were to verbally praise your dog as soon as they turn around and started coming into you, the dog often thinks that they have finished the command and quickly move onto to doing something else; making the recall not yet finished.

When rewarding a recall you have several options.  Food can easily be used because the dog is right in front of you, a toy can be thrown (just make sure to release the dog and let him or her know you actually want them to play with the ball or toy), and physical touch is great as well.

Whatever skill you are working on, be sure to mark the correct behavior within 2 seconds, and use the appropriate reward for the situation and your dog; your dog has to get something out of it!

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2009 Mighty Texas Dog Walk

Be sure to check out the details on the 2010 Mighty Texas Dog Walk.

The 11th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in downtown Austin.  In addition to attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Records title for “Largest Dog Walk” (which is currently set at 10,272), the Mighty Texas Dog Walk is an event held each year benefiting Texas Hearing & Service Dogs.

In addition to the exciting dog walk, a wide variety of vendors will be along the 3 mile event route with terrific products and services for your dogs.

Last year’s walk brought in an astounding 5,000 participating dogs, but they will need every one’s help this year in order to break the record and bring in tons of donations.  For registration information and to learn more about Texas Hearing & Service Dogs, please visit their site.

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Housetraining: A Crate Training Idea

This article comes to us from Wayne Booth, of Canine Behavior Specialists, a dog training company in Nashville, TN.  Wayne also offers dog training information on his blog at DogTrainingBlogger.com .  I hope you enjoy the article.

The frustration that leads frazzled pet owners to abandoning their dogs to shelters the most is a lack of effective house training. Remember that your dog is a family member, and as such, is worth the time and effort required to properly house break them, so that you can be a happier pet owner and your dog can be happily in their family’s arms, not in a shelter.

The house training method we’ll be going over in this article is crate training. I consider crate training a great gift to your dog. As a den animal, your dog will learn to love his or her “den”. Their crate will become a safe place, their sanctuary when they are stressed or just when they want some peace and quiet. Crate training is the house breaking method of choice for any good dog trainer and is widely considered the best way to train your animal to do their business outside.

Crate training begins with an initial 4 week process. During this process, your dog should be in one of the following places at all times:

1) in their crate

2) on the grass

3) in front of you

It may sound harsh, but remember that this is only for the first four weeks of training. Dogs develop a preference for where they do their business; we want that to be the grass.

The first step to good crate training is to keep in mind what size crate is needed. Make sure the crate is just large enough for the dog. Dogs will not soil the area where they are going to sleep or stay, which is what makes crate training effective. But, if you purchase a crate too big, the dog will be able to do its business in one side of the crate and still be able to comfortably lay in the other end. We want to teach the dog that it can control itself while in the crate and can “hold it” until you are able to let him outside. Also, remember to not put anything absorbent in the crate, such as a towel or pillow – this may allow the dog to soil the object and still be comfortably out of its own mess.

The first four weeks:

So that it can’t make messes in inappropriate places, whenever you aren’t supervising your puppy, he or she should be in their crate.

The first four weeks of training will require frequent trips outside for the pup: Immediately after you provide food or water for your puppy, take it outside to the grass. Also, immediately after it wakes from a nap or gets excited, take the dog out.

Do not forget that you MUST pay attention to your puppy’s every move when it is outside of the crate. A good tip to remember is to attach your puppy’s leash to your belt so that it is always close by.

Remember that consistency is the key – teach all family members these steps and to not allow your dog to do its business inside the house. Without consistent crate training, it may develop a preference for using the restroom on carpet or tile over grass.

Animal Planet’s New Show: Fetch Me a Beer

Zak George, a professional dog trainer and performer, will be hosting a new show on Animal Planet this July.  Tentatively titled, Fetch Me a Beer, the show invites dog owners to suggests tricks that Zak can help teach their pets.

“…some of the tricks you’ll see on the show include a bulldog named Rufus in the pilot episode, who fetches a brew from the fridge for his master who’s relaxing on the sofa.  Zak says that almost any task or stunt seems possible when a pooch gets the right step-by-step instruction and encouragement.”

By finding out what motivates a pet, such as food or play, how the pet and their parent communicate, and what an animal’s aptitude is for learning new skills, Zak designs a custom plan that will get each pet/parent pair to the finish line. One of the keys to success is commitment from the parent to put in the time and work with their pet on the specific tasks Zak assigns them for homework. The dog and handler then have one shot to make it happen.   After three visits from Zak and several weeks of intensive at home training, the duo is put to the test to see if they can pull-off the big trick.

Zak George, who has made several television appearances, including the Late Show with David Letterman, is originally from the Atlanta area.  Zak and his border collie Venus, have won several extreme dog trick competitions and have become the most in demand training duo in the world.  To learn more about Zak and see some of his amazing tricks, check out Zak George’s YouTube Channel.

The series is currently being filmed right now in the Miami and Boston areas.  If you are interested in appearing on the show, you can participate in Animal Planet’s casting call.

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