The Ultimate Dog Training Reward For Your Dog

August 8, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Training Rewards Don’t Always Have to Be Food

Rewards are a vital part of dog training; they’re basically your dog’s paycheck for a job well done. Dogs must be rewarded whenever they choose to perform a desired behavior. Giving your dog a reward tells your dog he’s on the right track and to keep doing the rewarded behavior.

Dogs must choose their own rewards. Since each dog is different, he will find certain foods, toys and games more rewarding than others. Finding a dog’s ultimate reward isn’t always easy, but once discovered it makes learning new dog behaviors quick and fun. Finding a dog’s ultimate reward is so important that I ask pet owners this question during our first dog training session. So here it goes: what does your dog love more than anything?

Dog Training Rewards

Food Rewards

All dogs love food—even picky ones. It’s our job to experiment and find food rewards that will cause our dogs to drool, dance, offer a sit behavior or climb countertops to get to their favorite food rewards.

Dogs like fresh food. The more moisture a dog training treat contains, the better. High percentages of moisture make the treat smell stronger, and you can never go wrong with meat foods. When looking for your dog’s ultimate reward, don’t limit yourself to certain types of food. Try a variety of moist foods, such as:

Baked chicken (if you’re in a hurry, try store-bought rotisserie chicken)
Canned sausages (Vienna sausages)
Roast beef lunch meat
Cheese chunks
Tuna fish (tuna fish pouches work best)
Hot dogs

Toy Rewards

Many years ago, I remember watching a dog working for food treats during a dog training session, but he was missing that “Oh my gosh, I got it right!” excitement. Hmm, I asked the pet owner what his dog loved most in the world and he said, “Catching a tennis ball.”

I asked him to bring a tennis ball to class next week and keep it in his bait bag. The following week, whenever his dog chose to sit, down, heel, leave it or whatever, he would take out the tennis ball and play a game of “toss and catch the tennis ball” for a few seconds. Wow! A tennis ball was this dog’s ultimate reward and, from that moment on, this darling dog learned quickly.

If your dog enjoys toys more so than food rewards, try using a toy as a reward. Some dogs love to chase a ball, bite a squeaky toy or pull on a tug toy, so experiment with different toys and games. When my Rottweiler was introduced to an underwater treadmill for physical rehabilitation after having his ACL repaired, he worked for food, but still disliked the treadmill.

One day, our physical therapist brought out a yellow tennis ball and Sobek smiled with glee. He totally enjoyed mouthing and holding a tennis ball in his mouth while walking in a tank filled with water. I was left scratching my head, but it didn’t matter. We finally found Sobek’s ultimate reward for this situation. Oh, and it helped tremendously that tennis balls float in water. 🙂

A Bit About Praise

Back in the dark ages (or the ’80s), dogs were only rewarded with praise. It was thought that food was bribery back then. Now that we know better, food rewards are an important part of a dog’s learning process. Eventually, praise fizzled out as a reward.

Honestly, I cringe when someone still says his dog only works for praise. I don’t completely buy it. I’ve worked with dog training clients who swear their dogs work for praise as a reward and it seemed effective in the beginning, but fizzled out when making the decision to perform the desired behavior became harder. If you believe your dog works for only praise, you should try other dog training rewards. You might be shocked at your dog’s decision.

Praise is good as a reward, but it shouldn’t be the only reward. Think of praise as the icing on a cake—it works best when paired with food or toy rewards. We all love praise. It’s nice being verbally recognized by your boss, but you still need your paycheck, right? It’s the same for your dog.

Use praise as a maximizer for food or toy rewards, and use praise during breakthrough or difficult decision-making moments. Oh, and praise shouldn’t be limited to pats and “atta boy.” You need to have a party! Clap, jump, sing, make smoochie sounds, say “puppy, puppy, puppy,” pat your dog quickly and smile! Dogs love high-pitched, rapidly repeating sounds. Make praise count.

Ultimate Rewards Can Change

This is totally true! Your dog may love spoonfuls of peanut butter, but suddenly a floating tennis ball becomes an object of desire during a certain moment. It happens. Don’t assume you’ve chosen the wrong dog training reward. Embrace your dog’s newfound love and use it as a reward.

Reward your dog often, and reward yourself too!

Reasons for Sudden Aggression in Dogs & How to Fix It

July 29, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Sudden Aggression in Dogs

When your friendly and easy-going dog suddenly attacks another dog, child or you, it’s an extremely terrifying and confusing moment. Many pet owners wonder what exactly caused their dog to growl, snap or bite. The answer isn’t always clear. One thing’s for sure is if you witness sudden aggression in your dog, you need to address it immediately.

Why is My Dog Suddenly Aggressive?

We all want to understand why our dogs suddenly become aggressive because if we can identify the cause, we can fix it. Sometimes, the cause of aggression in dogs is pretty obvious and other times we have to dig deep to find the real reason our dogs acted out. Below are a few reasons on why a dog may suddenly growl, snap, lunge or bite. If you’re still unsure of the cause, partner with a dog trainer and veterinary behaviorist to resolve this bad dog behavior.

Please remember: Never allow children (or anyone, really) to sit on, ride, tease, pinch, pull, poke at any part of a dog’s body, roughly pet, throw something at, run toward, hit, scream, kick or step on a dog. Doing this will certainly cause pain or scare a dog, which will cause aggression.

Pain

Dogs are stoic creatures. It’s unbelievable how dogs can mask excruciating pain. When dogs are in pain, they’ll growl, snap or bite if you touch a painful area; it hurts! On the other hand, if your dog hides, constantly pants, drools, limps, licks a specific area, whines when moving or remains still, he’s likely in pain as well. If you suspect your dog is suffering, bring your dog to a veterinarian immediately. Then, conduct a family meeting to explain that physical petting and cuddling your dog is painful for him now, so give your dog space until he feels better.

Scared

Dogs get scared more than their pet owners know. Many dogs are frightened when a new person touches them, visits their home, yells at them, physically hurts or punishes them (i.e. hitting, collar correcting, pushing) and so forth.

For professional dog trainers, it’s pretty easy to know when dogs are scared. You’ll notice a dog is scared when his body language changes quickly, ears flatten back, tail tucks, eyes widen, and body stops moving and freezes or leans away from whatever is scaring him.

Some dogs will even growl, which may translate to “please leave me alone,” “stop doing that,” “this is freaking me out,” “if you don’t stop, I will run away or hurt you,” or “I’m scared.” Always listen and respect your dog’s growl. If you punish or ignore a dog for growling, your dog will escalate his warning to an air snap or bite. When your dog growls, he’s begging you to stop scaring him.

Resource Guarding

Dogs love their resources. They love toys, food in their bowl, chewies, treats, cozy spaces and even their pet owners. Some dogs will guard their resources fiercely. You can see this in action when you walk next to or touch your dog’s beloved resources. You’ll notice your dog will either hover over the item, freeze, growl, snap or bite.

In the dog training world, we call this resource guarding. Do know, resource guarding is a completely normal dog behavior. Those that guard their resources survive. Although it can be scary if resource guarding occurs in your home, especially around other dogs and small children.

Never punish your dog for resource guarding. You’ll make the situation much worse. Instead, teach your dog or puppy that trading his favorite items for super yummy treats is rewarding. Check out additional details on eliminating resource guarding behavior.

Personality

This one is usually a shocker. Many pet owners either refuse to accept their dogs aren’t friendly or completely misread their dog’s behavior. Once, many years ago, a pet owner insisted I hold her growling small dog during a behavior consult. This 8-lb dog was firmly nestled in his pet owner’s arms and as the owner approached me, her dog growled, flashed his teeth and sneezed/snorted. Of course, I backed away, but the pet owner insisted her dog was only “smiling” at me.

Long story short, we had a discussion on interpreting her dog’s body language, which completely stopped all of her dog aggression issues. If only all consults were that easy. 🙂

Here’s the truth: many dogs just don’t like meeting new people or dogs, and that’s OK. If your dog doesn’t like it, then please stop introducing him to strangers (i.e. other dogs, children) and accept it’s part of your dog’s personality. If you’re not sure whether or not your dog is friendly, please seek advice from a professional and experienced dog trainer.

What Should You Do Next?

Remember, it’s very important to find the reason for your dog’s sudden aggression because then it can be addressed.

Steer Clear of Triggers

Keep your dog away from whatever caused his sudden burst of aggression until your dog is seen by a veterinarian. Use sturdy baby gates and crates to keep your dog safely confined when guests come over or when children are playing. If your dog is aggressive toward another dog, keep all household dogs separated and stop allowing your dog to visit other dogs.

RELATED: Multiple Dog Household Tips

See Your Veterinarian

Always start with ruling out any and all medical issues. If your dog is in pain, a complete veterinary exam, blood work, X-rays and additional diagnostics should discover the cause of your dog’s pain and sudden aggression.

If pain isn’t causing your dog’s aggression, then ruling out illness is extremely important. Seizures, low or high thyroid levels, anxiety, and chronic illnesses can cause sudden aggression in dogs to happen, so always see a veterinarian first.

Find a Professional Dog Trainer

Once medical issues have been completely ruled out by your veterinarian, it’s time to find a professional dog trainer. If your dog has bitten someone or another dog, you need help from a veterinary behaviorist first and then follow up with a dog trainer. Check out these tips on finding an experienced dog trainer who specializes in dog aggression as well as locating a veterinary behaviorist. These articles will help you narrow your search quickly.

Sometimes, it’s difficult figuring out the exact cause for sudden aggression in dogs, but keep digging and work with a positive reinforcement dog trainer.

Dog Shock Collars are Cruel and Unnecessary

July 20, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Shock Collars: They Hurt and They Don’t Work

A few days ago, I stumbled upon a news article in which a mother was accused of shocking her toddler with one of these dog shock collars. What? Is this article for real?

Unfortunately, it’s very real and the mother is being prosecuted for child abuse. She had witnessed a pet owner using a shock collar on his dog to change the dog’s behavior. She thought the collar would change her toddler’s behavior too, so she shocked her child whenever he wouldn’t swallow food or didn’t potty in the toilet. I’ll spare all the gory details because it’s truly disturbing. However, if you want to read the full article, click here.

The world and I were disgusted that a mother would shock her child, but don’t we use shock collars to train dogs every day? Is there a difference?

Why It’s Upsetting

As a positive reinforcement dog trainer, I don’t use shock collars for dogs and stay clear from people who use them. I guess it’s my way of ignoring the problem. However, when I read this news article pertaining to a mother shocking her child, my heart dropped and that angry fire started burning inside me again. I asked myself, “Why are we still using dog shock collars?”

Everyone has a right to do as he pleases unless he’s harming someone else. For the most part, adults have a voice and can defend themselves if someone hurts them. They’ll fight back or press charges, or even do both. I don’t pick sides and I try to stay out of other people’s business, but when a voiceless and defenseless child or animal is hurt, I get really angry.

Dog Shock Collars Cause Pain

There is no reason to shock an animal. I’ll never be convinced that shocking or physically hurting an animal will teach it quicker, faster, more efficiently or more humanely. I’ll never believe any and all other buzzwords that further defend the use of pain during training.

Dr. Karen Overall, MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB, believes everyone should understand that:
“The use of shock is not treatment for pets with behavioral concerns;
the use of shock is not a way forward;
the use of shock does not bring dogs back from the brink of euthanasia; instead, it may send them there, and;
such adversarial techniques have negative consequences that those promoting these techniques either dismiss or ignore.”

I Used to Train Dogs With Shock Collars

You’re probably thinking I’m that dog trainer with limited dog training experience who has only used positive reinforcement methods. That’s not true. More than 25 years ago, I trained dogs with electronic collars (or e-collars), pinch collars and choke chains because that’s all I had known.

As I became more experienced, I knew something was wrong. I felt icky shocking a dog if he made the wrong choice. The look in his eyes would say everything. After a decade of training this way, I learned that rewarding good behavior instead of correcting bad behavior was the best way to train dogs (or any living creature for that matter).

Not only did my dog training skills improve, but my group classes were much happier too. We celebrated wins instead of waiting for bad things to happen, so we could correct them.

Oh yes, I’m on my soap box! If everyone clasps their pearls when they hear a mother shocking a defenseless child, why don’t they react the same way when a pet owner shocks a defenseless dog? Dog shock collars hurt. I’ve tried them on my leg, arm and neck at the lowest settings possible. Even knowing the shock was coming, it would still hurt. Shock collars don’t deliver a tickle, vibration or a buzzing sound. They stinking hurt.

Research Proves Shock Collars for Dogs Hurt

If you don’t find dog shock collars painful, you’re fooling yourself. Research has finally caught up and proven that shock collars do cause dogs harm. If you’re interested, you can find the latest research here and here. There’s more than a dozen research findings by real experts in this article too. The results all point to the same painful conclusion.

You may also be interested in: The Real Reason Why Dog Trainers Dislike Cesar Milan

Shock Collars Aren’t the Last Resort

Dog shock collars aren’t the last resort for saving a troubled dog’s life. I highly doubt you would consciously choose shock therapy to save your life. However, you have a choice whereas a child or dog doesn’t. Positive reinforcement dog training works better and quicker and changes dog behavior.

All creatures should be treated humanely because it’s the right thing to do regardless of your beliefs. I’m stepping off my soap box now and I strongly hope this article will stop at least one pet owner or dog trainer from purchasing or using a shock collar on a dog. As for new dog trainers entering the pet industry, you don’t have to use these painful collars. You can find much better ways to train dogs.

Choose to be kind. It’s the right thing to do.

Put an End to Dog Fence Fighting Aggression

July 18, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Fence Fighting Solutions That Work

It seems my article on fence fighting dogs has generated a lot of activity lately. Fence fighting dogs is so complex and very frustrating, which is why I’m going to explain different dog fence fighting solutions to help you restore peace to your backyard.

I’ve had to deal with fence fighting dogs at home and with many dog training clients. The trick to stop fence fighting in dogs is to teach your dog to ignore the taunting neighbor’s dog that’s running along the fence line. I know that seems impossible, but teaching this dog behavior works!

Causes of Fence Aggression in Dogs

Some dogs fence fight out of frustration while others can’t resist the barking and rapid running of a neighbor’s dog taunting them on the other side of the fence. Fence fighting is a frustrating behavior that is usually learned, and, once your dog gets really good at it, the behavior is harder to extinguish. I could go on and on about the causes, but I’m pretty sure you would rather learn how to fix it instead. 🙂

Movement

Movement is so powerfully enticing, especially for dogs bred to herd, chase prey or work livestock. These dogs become mesmerized by movement. As a dog trainer, I find it fascinating that dogs fence fighting almost becomes a dance where both dogs run along the fence together, stop and then run a different way all while barking. A few times, I’ve watched dogs run along a fence together, yet not one sound was uttered from either dog. It was all about movement.

Sound

Sound is very stimulating for dogs too, especially rapid repeating barking, whining and growling while running along a fence. Interestingly, sound can become a cue to fence fight. For example, the neighbor’s dog may quickly run toward your side of the fence when he hears your back door opening, your dog’s nails tapping or even your dog’s ID tags jingling.

Dog Fence Fighting Solutions

Create a Visual Barrier

Creating a visual barrier is the first step to stopping fence fighting in its tracks, and it’s an easy fence fighting solution as well. Set up a visual barrier on the inside of your fence, so both dogs are unable to see each other. Believe it or not, privacy fences are not that private. Dogs can still view fleeting glimpses of the other dog running back and forth, and I know several dogs that will peep through a wood knot hole to see what’s happening on the other side.

Visual barrier materials can be dark-colored plastic tarps, outdoor carpet or even cement blocks. You can use any type of material that your dog cannot see through. To attach this material to your fence, you can zip strip it into chain fences or staple it in place for wooden privacy fences. Make sure to place the material high enough so your dog is unable to jump on the fence and see the other dog. It’s amazing how about 70% of fence fighting aggression cases end once a visual barrier is in place.

Train Your Dog to Stop Fence Fighting

If your dog continues to engage in fence fighting even after a visual barrier is in place, then it’s time to teach your dog to ignore the other dog. Before you begin, make sure your dog is unable to see the other dog. Walk the fence line and verify there aren’t any holes, gaps and tears and that your dog is unable to see anything through the visual barrier material.

For this step, you’ll need a 6-foot leash, your dog’s flat collar or harness, a clicker, and some super yummy treats. During this exercise, you’re rewarding your dog for ignoring the neighbor dog one step at a time—literally.

Before walking outdoors, shorten your dog’s leash to 4 feet. Take one step outdoors while giving your dog a yummy treat.
Now, take a few more steps in the opposite direction of your neighbor’s dog and reward your dog for each step.
If your dog looks toward your neighbor’s barking dog, make a smoochie sound to distract your dog and reward her the moment she looks back at you. There’s no cue right now. You’re just teaching your dog that looking at you instead of the barking dog means treats rain from the sky.
Bring your dog to her potty spot, so she can relieve herself, and reward each and every time she looks at you instead of the barking dog next door.

Additional Dog Training Tips

Bring your dog outdoors on leash every time for the next two weeks. If you let her out to potty just one time off leash, and she engages in fence fighting, you’ve just undone all of your training.

After a week of training, bring her out on a retractable leash and practice this behavior—again without saying a word. Cues or commands aren’t needed for training your dog to stop fence fighting. They become a crutch in this type of situation. You want your dog to learn that ignoring another barking dog is normal behavior, so she doesn’t need a constant verbal reminder.

Soon, your dog will happily potty and play in the backyard while totally ignoring her rowdy neighbor. Now, you might notice your dog slip a little and approach the fence growling at your neighbor’s dog. If this happens, make a smoochie noise and reward her when she ignores the other dog. If she doesn’t ignore the dog, it’s time to bring your retractable leash back out and practice polite behavior again.

Finally, never leave your dog alone in the backyard. This is a recipe for disastrous dog fence fighting. If you work long hours (more than 5 hours), hire a pet sitter to walk your dogs in the neighborhood.

Speak With Your Neighbor

Speaking to your neighbor is the only permanent fence fighting solution, yet it’s only done as a last resort. Instead of speaking with neighbors first, pet owners focus on stopping the fence fighting behavior themselves, which takes weeks of dog training. It’s impossible to expect perfect behavior from your dog every time, but you can expect a permanent fence fighting solution by speaking with your neighbor.

I know you don’t want to talk to your neighbor, but you have to. Walk over there, ring the doorbell and have a polite conversation with your neighbor. Ask if you can both coordinate different times to bring your dogs outside. If your neighbor keeps his dog in the backyard all day, ask if he can bring her inside, so you can exercise your dog with no distractions.

In my 25+ years of working with fence fighting aggression clients and sharing my home with fence fighters, I’ve only had one neighbor tell me to “go fly a kite.” Well, I contacted our local animal control and took a video of my neighbor’s dog barking relentlessly and engaging in fence fighting. AC ended up leaving a notice on my neighbor’s front door. Magically, he kept his dog indoors and we could enjoy our yard again.

My neighbors never invited us over for pool parties after that, but I didn’t care. I enjoyed silence in the backyard. If you live in an HOA (Home Owner’s Association) neighborhood, file a complaint with your local HOA office.

Still Having Issues?

While this article provides dog fence fighting solutions and dog training tips, it can never replace having a professional dog trainer work directly with you and your dog. If installing a visual barrier, teaching your dog to ignore the other dog or chatting with your neighbor haven’t helped, please set up an appointment with a positive reinforcement dog trainer in your area. Nothing beats a one-on-one evaluation in your home; a dog trainer can make suggestions and troubleshoot with your dog.

Lastly, never punish your dog for fence fighting. It’s not fair. Fence fighting isn’t your dog’s fault. Your dog will do better once she learns better, so take the time to teach her polite behaviors. Be honest: it’s impossible to ignore a screaming neighbor. No one can ignore it all the time. 🙂

Do Dog Boarding and Training Programs Work?

July 12, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Think Twice About Dog Boarding and Training Programs

Pet owners want fast dog training results, so they choose to board their dog with a dog trainer (i.e. dog lives with dog trainer) and the dog trainer trains their dog to a certain level of training. Sounds quick and simple right? Even though this is an extremely fast growing segment of dog training, not all dog trainers agree with dog boarding and training philosophies. There are so many bad things that can happen when you choose this route, so know the facts first before dropping your dog off at someone’s house for weeks of boarding and training.

Typical Dog Boarding and Training Options

As mentioned above, pet owners drop their dog off at a dog trainer’s facility or home, and the dog trainer teaches their dog specific agreed upon behaviors. Length of stay with a dog trainer depends on the behaviors that will be taught to the dog, so it can vary between 2-6 weeks.

Learning takes times, especially when teaching challenging behaviors, such as walking on a loose leash in public and coming when called around tons of distractions. It’s important to understand dogs aren’t furry little computers; we can’t download information into their brains. If only it were that easy for dogs and humans! 🙂 Be prepared for sticker shock as well: boarding and training programs are extremely expensive. A two-week program can cost more than $500—that’s an insane amount of money.

How to Find a Good Dog Boarding and Training Program

Oh, this is where board and train programs can get really sticky. Finding the right dog trainer is key! There are several excellent board and train dog trainers out there and some rotten ones too. Learn how to stay clear of the rotten ones.

Research Good Dog Trainers

Choose a dog trainer who uses only positive reinforcement, meaning he doesn’t use punishment (physical or verbal), choke chains, pinch collars and/or electronic collars.

Look for dog trainers who will:

Reward good behavior
Redirect/ignore bad behavior
Only use flat buckle collars, Martingale collars, harnesses, head halters, clickers and yummy treats.

Check out my article on finding a good dog trainer. It lists websites that will help you in your search and point you in the right direction.

Don’t fall for the hype. Reward-based dog trainers can teach behaviors just as fast as punishment-based dog trainers. I know this personally, as I was a punishment-based dog trainer during the first 10 years of my dog training career. I switched to positive reinforcement because it was the humane thing to do for dogs, pet owners and myself. Also, it just works faster. Yes, I’ve been a positive reinforcement dog trainer for more than 15 years now and I’ve seen results from both sides of the dog training fence. Positive reinforcement is the clear winner by a landslide.

If a punishment-based dog trainer claims his methods work faster, ask for scientific research to back up those claims. Do know his personal experience is biased and wrong. Check out the multiple studies done on the effectiveness of positive reinforcement here.

Check Out the Facility

If a dog trainer offers a dog boarding and training program, ask to view where your dog will live while under his care. Ask how often your dog will be trained per day, if she’ll be crated and if she’ll go on daily walks. Ask if the dog trainer will follow your feeding instructions.

In addition, ask for contact information of previous clients and ask them for their reviews. You’re leaving a living and defenseless being in the care of this person. Interview the dog trainer ruthlessly and view the dog training facility thoroughly.

Dog Boarding and Training Program Horror Stories

Every day, I hear horror stories about dog boarding and training programs that will make you nauseous. I’m only sharing this information to inform you about the terrible possibilities that can happen to your dog. I’ve witnessed dogs starve during board and trains, as the dog trainer insisted dogs must earn all of their food or he simply forgot to feed them.

Some dogs would be left in their crates for 23 hours and forced to potty on themselves, which would cause large open sores. Other dogs were beaten and shocked with electronic collars so much so that the dogs would develop huge wounds. Others would be sent home with broken toes, legs and spines from physical abuse. I’ve also heard of dogs being left in extreme weather conditions that caused permanent damage; I could go on and on.

This stuff happens more than you think. I’ve witnessed these poor dogs being rushed into a veterinary clinic where I worked. Once you’re aware of the bad, you know what to look for during the interview phase and when visiting the dog training facility.

Don’t worry about offending a dog trainer either. An honest dog trainer actually admires and respects pet owners searching for the very best person to train their dog. We love it! If a dog trainer is rude, dismissive, unprofessional, lies or appears offended during your interview, end it and continue with your search.

Will Pet Owners Learn How to Train Their Dogs Too?

Professional board and train dog trainers will require pet owners to attend several dog training sessions with their dogs. While board and train dog trainers will teach your dog certain behaviors and put her on cue for you, you should still learn how to ask and reward cues, and know what to do if your dog becomes confused.

If a board and train facility doesn’t offer this option, or charges you more for it, this dog trainer and facility is not for you. Find someone else.

Final Thoughts

If you want a fast and effective way to train your dog, attend group training classes with your puppy or dog. Not only will you both learn together from a skilled dog trainer, but you will also build an unbreakable bond with your dog that will last a lifetime. If group class isn’t an option, choose private lessons in your home with a professional dog trainer. Working and learning together is key to success. Plus, you’ll save lots of money in your pocket. 🙂