Dog whisperer

Yesterday I lisened to a conversation.
It was about a dog whisperer. I can`t remember the name, sounded spanish or mexican.
Anyway the conversation was about not well trained dog.
So one person said, that she knows, that the dog whisperer take thumb, index finger and middle finger and catch the dog in the neck and press him to the ground. That is, because the alpha wolf in a pack does so, to say, that he is the leader, and nobody else. To a little objekt, that this sounds strange, the first person said: For sure he (the dog whisperer) knows, what he's doing, because he always does so.

Mhm.
First of all, dogs are not wolves. I know dogs where (somehow) wolves 30000 years ago, and you can find many similar behaviors within dogs and wolves. But, and I can't repeat it often enough, a dog is not a wolf. Dogs decidet more than 30000 (thirty TOUSEND) years ago, to live with humans. True the years they changed their look (humans work anyway). Dogs changed their behavoir, their habitat, their way of living away from packs to singles or as the humans liked to, two or three. (of course there are always exceptions, like packs of Huskys for a sled).
Wolves never did. Their look is almost the same than 30000 years ago, also their way of living in a pack, as far as it is still possible in this world overfill with humans.

Second, and also that is something I can't repeat often enough: Humans are not dogs.
So we are also not able to act like them.
We also can not be the Alpha dog. Why? Because we are not dogs. No way, forget it. We can be happy, that our dog accept us as the leader, the one who says, what's going on. But I am very sure he does not perceive us as an Alpha dog. I know, very small difference, but there. Hope you got me right.
So: just one wrong touch, a wrong move, the wrong time and not the right position of the fingers could distroy the desired effect. And at the end you might have a worried dog, lost any trust in you he might has before.
So, to giving tips like that very one, is bosh.

Third and last one: My hair stands on end, when I hear: He is right/knows what he does, because he always does it.
What should that mean? Is that his only concept with rude dogs? Or was there a misunderstanding with the one person explaining?
If it is the second one: That means, the explaination from the wisperer was not good enough or the person didn't take good attention.
If it is the first: Hands away! A dog wisperer with only one concept about rude dogs is not good.

A good dog trainer/whisperer is creative, watches the dog, trys to find out the dog's history and gets an idea about the problem. If he knows all that, he finds an answer and a solution. And that solution can not be always the same one.

Clicking (2)

As promised, you will get now the second lesson :-)

You have your clicker, treats, jackpot and your dog?
First of all, try without your dog.
Do you have a gummiball? Or another little ball?
Take it and let it fall on the ground. In the moment, the ball hits the ground, click.
You might need a while, but then you got it. If you could do it, that you click in that moment, you are well prepaired.
Now you can start with your dog.
Sit there relax, the dog should sit in front of you and take attention to you.
Have your clicker in one hand, and put the treats near you. Do not have all of them in your hand.

Click - take up a treat and give it to your dog. This should happen within 2 seconds.
Why within 2 seconds?
Because a dog can only find a relation to what he did within this time.
Click - take a treat and give it to your dog.

This you do five or six times. That is enough. Repeat that after 15 minutes.
After some hours do it again.
Not more than five clicks. Not more than two times a day.
Your dog must not do anything for it.
This you do, to train your dog, that after every click he gets a treat.
Your dog learn while you click, but he learn more, after you did it. When he rests, that is the time his brain repeats everything.
Did you ever think about a problem, maybe maths, and you could not find an answer?
Then you went to bed, and in the night or the next morning you know it?
Dogs do that all the time.
So do that for three or four days. Thats enough for every dog to get it.
After that days you can start, that the dog has to do something for it.
After three days you can wait a little, till you make the next click.
Your dog already knows, that he gets some clicks, so he might wonder, why no second or third click is coming.
So he will do something. It is up to you, what this might be.
Best is, to wait, till he looks in your eyes. Than click.
Remember the ball? The very moment he looks in your eyes -CLICK.
Not before, not after. Just in that moment.
And immediatly give him his treat.
So he knows ---> Look in the eye = click = treat.
After a while this changes to: Look in the eye = Good boy

The last click (not more than five) could be the jackpot, if he did really well.

Also think about two comandos: One for starting the training and one for ending.
For example: We have "Lets go clicking" for the start and a clap in the hand
and "Finish for now" and wipe my right hand over my left hand.

It is always good to give comandos with words and hand moves. It is easier for the dog.
Remember the last post: Dogs have a very strong body language.
And if your dog maybe gets deaf one day, you still have your hands to communicate with him and he already knows what you mean, even he can't hear you anymore.

So have fun in trying that lesson out.

Human mistakes (1)

One of the mistakes human often do, expecialy somebody with little dogs or puppys is
to take them up on their arms, when another dog comes.

There is almost nothing, you could do more wrong.
Why?
I know, you want to protect your buddy, but that is the wrong way.
There are three problems which might come up to that action.

1) You are afraid and with this action, you teach your dog, also to be afraid.
So, what might happen? Your dog gets afraid of any other dog, he might met.
Or he thinks he needs to protect you. And what will he do than? Barking.
Barking in the very moment he sees another dog.

2) A dog needs socialisation. That means, he needs other dogs. Of course you are the one, being the closest living thing in his world, but he also want to make conversation with other dogs. He is a dog. Never think of being the only thing for him. You are not a dog. You can`t act like a dog.
Almost 90% of the time this conversation is smelling the other dog`s back or face, walking around each other and pass by. Nothing else will happen.
Dogs have a very strong body language and rigorous conversation rules. (more about that in this blog)
Give your dog the chance to learn them, he will need them.
I know so many dogs, which are terrible unpolite, because they never got the chance, to learn the rules. And conversation mistakes might bring problems.

3) The other dog might take it as a chance to snap at your dog. I am not very sure, why they do it, but really many dogs do so. Maybe they take it as a game, I don't know.

So please think about.
You might cause more problems.

What a dog need (1)

Dogs need consequence.

Dogs are somehow like little children. Without consequence you will not match any goal.
How does consequence look?
Before you get a dog you should think about, what the dog is allowed to do, and what not.
So, of you don`t want him to sit on the couch every single person of your family has to do so.
Every time the dog trys to jump on the couch he has to be removed. From everyone. But just one person at the same time. it is not nessecary that you all together shout "GET DOWN".
If one of you allowes him once to sit on the couch, you lost.
And you can start right from the beginning.
Some dogs have a real bullhead and the will try and try and try if they see a little chance to get what they want. Some others give up with a while.

So be consequent at any point, at any level of training and any day.
Sounds impossible, but try. You will have, what you want, and your dog knows, how the wind blows. That`s good for him. He`ll be a happy dog, if he knows his position and possibilities.

Clicking (Chapter 1)

First of all:
It is good to do something with your dog.
Dogs are intelligent,and, just like humans, some of them more, some of them less.
But it depense on every individual and on its owner, what to make of it.

Some of you got a puppy some of you took a dog out of a shelter.
So dog needs brainfood. There are many different ways to train your dogs brain, and one of them is clicking. The good thing is, that clicking is for every age and for every intelligence-level.

Clicking is conditioning.
Conditioning means, that with one impuls you release another one.
Maybe some of you knows the "Pawlov`dog"
He was trained, that every moment he heard a bell ringing, food comes. The food came and he startet driveling. With the time, he driveled, when he heard the bell, in expectation of food. No matter, if there came food or not.
So, the dog was conditioned to the bell.

Clicking is conditioning.
Click means food. Or lets say: Click means "Good boy".
You need a noise, which always sounds the same. No matter where you are or in which mood you are.

So, what you need is a clicker
There are different types and styles. These two are the most common.
I prefer the blue one with the yellow button. Because I can also use it without my hands. But try out on your own, which one you like most.
So why should you buy a clicker? Can`t you use your tounge to make a noise, clapp your hands or snip your finger?
You can. But remember: It has to sounds the same at any time. Try out and you will see, you hardly can. Neither with the tounge nor with you hands.
So go and buy a clicker. Buy two or three, sure you will loose on ;-) They are cheap.

The next thing is: Find something, your dog REALLY like and is not allowed to have it every time. Like sausages, cheese, a piece of fish, hugs, a special toy... whatever.
And than find something he would die for. Some dogs love cat food. But find it out on your own.
If you are not sure of, but three or four things on the ground and see, what your dog takes first.
This should be something he normally never gets.
That`s your jackpot.

But please please please: Nothing with sugar or chocolate. Thats not a treat, thats a torment.

So you have your dog, your clicker, your treats and your jackpot.

And next monday we start :-)

A dogs loyalty

Franzis of Assisi once said:

That my dog means to me the most, you my menkind call a sin. My dog stands by me every storm, mankind not in the wind.

So, dogs are more loyal than mankind.
Almost every person can remember another human being left him, when the "wind" came.
But find one, who will tell you, that his dog left him, even in a storm?
You hardly find one.
But why is it like this?

Some may say, it is because "my dog loves me".

Oh man, he does not "love" you.
To love is not in a dogs repertoire of emotions.
See, if you find your puppy or find your dog in the animal shelter, he is yours.
That doesn`t mean, he loves you. He follows you in his puppy days, and later he follows you, because he learned that it is good for him to do so.
What else should he do? He can`t go away to find another owner, like cats sometimes do.
It is not his nature.
If not you were the person, who took him, he would "love" any person, even if that is the most ugly, naughty or whatever person you ever met, just because he or she took him.
You are the "boss", you are the one giving him food, and you are the one telling him when and where to do his natural need (poo) and you are the one giving him strokes and attention.
He has no choice.
That`s him.
I know, that sounds hard and many of you might now shake your head and think, how wrong I am.
But that`s how it is. Humans always want to put their own emotions into their pets. That doesn`t work out fine.

So, is it true, what Francis of Assisi said?
Somehow it is, but not in that very way many people think. Don`t compare humans to dogs.
Don`t think dogs are better humans (heard about that several times)
Dogs are different.

My grandmum always said:

Take care of people hating animals. But take also care of people loving animals more than humans.

Dogs are loyal. Love him for that.

Countdown

Just one more day...

CU