Click Flexibility 24 March 2020
We need flexibility for our dogs
Being a flexible learner as a dog is handy, graining a different response to a similar set up is ideal for working dogs. We need to train our dogs to be able to respond differently at times example a different distance is needed for cattle to sheep, more pressure is needed to move ewes and lambs to weaners. Even dry our dogs need to be flexible, sometimes we need them to enter a gate first sometime not, to know to give distance and when to come in.
A flexible learner will find all these things easier to pick up than one that is not. Studies done found dogs that are trained without variety and don’t get the outcome they were expecting find it punishing which is totally opposite to what you planned. What I mean by this is simple if a dog is rewarded the same way for something like waiting to go into a gate say by a treat and then comes one day when he has to go in first and gets a pat that pat can be like a punishment.
Confusing isn’t it and we thought we understood everything. Flexibility is the ability to adjust to multiply rewards and situations, u get this by playing games in your foundation work, using a variety of reinforcers.
Foundation work is so important no matter what sort of dog you have. I have added a few flexibility games into our games book on the online school for you students.
 
Now what about us, are we flexible and while is it important for us as trainers. No matter what system you run by there is no golden rule or program that will answer every problem you will come across.
Our ability to assess our dogs then alter our program and yes even some of our golden rules for the betterment of the dog is important.
The trouble is if we have a system we follow and push ahead with our ideas some dogs will suffer, take the fast problem child, our rule is get a stop first, never ask twice and no steppies. That is my ideal plan. Fast problem dogs like Candy don’t respond to this, they have no stop and if you ask you will be yelling soon.
You must forgo the stop lessons and concentrate on the speed. You must work at a fast pace rather than a nice calm one as per normal. I love to talk to my dogs, but Candy responded by going faster so talk had to be limited, access and re-access until we find the solutions to solve these problems.
Flexibility makes us great trainers. Some days I look at Candy as I am trying to work for the best of her and inside my head, I have a little voice saying this dog is perfect fit for a e collar. They can frustrate us and send us to the wall at times. It is a constant rethink after every training session to make sure I am doing it right. She deserves that.
I must throw away the book and work with her personality and behavioral issues to get a result. The biggest thing is I must be flexible in my method. She still needs variety and reinforcement so you can not get stuck on one thing.
Duration training dry is important, the food she eats monitored so it is not hyping her. A variety of solutions have to be found.
If you are not flexible what could happen to a dog like Candy. Placed in a small yard and a Stop demanded and worked on. With her speed lots of yelling and growling and possible a pinning to the ground. Finally, it would not be long before she would shut down, how do I know this, because that is how I got her.
Lack of flexibility in the training leads to this, trying to achieve something one way when the personality of the dog or problems behind the dog is preventing it, looking deeper and changing things up and addressing the issue from a different angle or continuing on and teaching that element at a later stage may be a better choice.
By building value in the work, they are doing right and concentrating on improving the connection between you and the dog may make teaching that difficult element later a lot easier.
Look at casting, most people have trouble getting a cast wide and have a method they use to widen a cast but when a dog comes along that is way too wide they get lost in how to fix this problem. Simply by changing the area and hoe you set your dog up to cast can help a lot with this, also when you start to cast train the dog may have been wide and you have just gone on the same old method of setting them up to kick right out which for this type of dog set up the problem.
You can see why we need to be flexible with our training, we need to understand our dogs very early in the peace and adjust to offer the best outcomes we can get.
 
 
Part 2
Different strokes
Communal verses not
For me communal feeding has not real purpose, you must guard, and I don’t think it really sorts out disagreements. I do believe it would save time.
I have dogs in different stages of life, some old and some young. The old dogs do not need as much feed while some young ones need a little extra. I like to feed according to the induvial and it is nice for them to be relaxed when eating. No rushing down their tucker. I added in this I found…….
 

1. Avoid becoming too excited or using mealtime as a training session. “You want mealtime to be a controlled, calm time and not an exciting time because added stress can cause digestive upset and food guarding,” Dr. Horwitz says. “And I’m opposed to using mealtime as a training session. Why control this necessary thing in a dog’s life? Making your dog do certain behaviors before getting their food could backfire and make their resource-guarding tendencies worse because you are making the food more valuable to them.”
2. Feed them in separate rooms. If you have a dog who gobbles down his food and another dog who prefers to nibble, place them in rooms inaccessible to each other at mealtime. “You shouldn’t have to stand in the kitchen while your dogs are eating with the mindset that you are there to keep the peace and break up a fight,” Dr. Horwitz says. “For the dog who eats fast, consider playing with him in your backyard after he eats for five minutes or so to distract his attention. This will also give your dog a little more time to eat calmly and safely and without the presence of the other dog hovering over him.”

 
There is not much research I could find that supports communal feeding, the problems I see is that you make the dogs more desperate to guard and also speed eat. I can’t see how you can control who gets what as the younger ones will not get a look in at times. Also older more controlling dogs who need less feed will not go without.
Some dogs that do not get on may in fact strengthen their dislike for each other.
 
ISDS v AUSSIE BC
Are these totally different dogs that need training a totally different way. I believe if you are training to trial either ISDS or Yard or Australia you will train the dog according to what you want to do with it.
Many ISDS dogs they say are poor heading dogs they don’t get the head cleanly; it is in their traits. Look I believe we breed traits to suit what we want so I never get into a certain way or style of dog is better than another.  There is always exceptions and we should be focusing on our method of training. ISDS has a drive and a shed which most people know, casting is about the same as many properties here have huge casting dogs, I think we can learn from each other. My belief never close off any opportunity to learn.
Wet verses dry food
When I say wet I actually mean raw, well hands down every one will say raw is fantastic but I was amazed at what I found out…..
Dog owners want the absolute best for their canine companions to ensure they live healthy, happy, and active lives. The first step in achieving that goal is feeding your dog a balanced, nutritious diet. Historically, dry dog kibble and canned dog food were the only choices on the market. But over the years, raw food options have become increasingly available. Some brands, now even offer formulas featuring a blend of dry kibble with freeze-dried raw meats mixed right in.
What food is right for your dog?
You should always discuss your pet’s diet with your veterinarian. They will be familiar with your dog’s nutritional needs based on health, lifestyle, and exercise level. For example, working dogs, service dogs, and even show dogs, may have different caloric requirements than a more sedentary household pet.
Raw Dog Food
A raw dog food diet commonly consists of:

• Organ meats
• Muscle meat
• Whole or ground bone
• Raw eggs
• Dog-safe fresh fruits and vegetables
• Some dairy, such as yogurt

Supporters of raw food claim the potential benefits to be:

• Shinier coats
• Healthier skin
• Improved dental health
• Increased energy
• Smaller stools

Dog owners should be aware that feeding your pup a raw food diet may be more time consuming than giving them cooked, commercially-made dog food. Meticulous care is required in the handling, preparation, and sanitation of raw food. Also, a raw food diet is typically more expensive than a processed kibble diet.
Raw food diets are not recommended in homes with small children or immunocompromised individuals. This is due to the health risk raw foods can present. For example, there have been multiple reports of recalls of certain raw dog foods due to contamination with salmonella, E-coli, campylobacter, and/or listeria.
Dog owners should also know that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has taken a formal position opposing the unregulated feeding of raw foods. Their policy states: “The AVMA discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens, because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs as well as humans.”
However, there are still many raw food diet advocates. If a dog owner elects to pursue this type of diet, find a veterinarian who is familiar with raw foods and can help guide you in the proper handling and cleaning required to prevent possible health concerns.
 
Dry Dog Kibble
Dry food ingredients vary by brand, but all kibble dog foods are required to be balanced and meet the nutritional needs of a dog. In fact, the content, calories, and nutritional value of commercially prepared pet meals and treats are regulated by law. The ingredients in dry dog food kibble are processed together and cooked.
These required ingredients include:

• Protein sources like beef, poultry, fish, and eggs
• Grains
• Cereals
• Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

Supporters of dry dog food kibble claim the potential benefits to be:

• Reduced dental plaque
• Healthier gums
• Reduced risk of bacteria
• Easier storage
• Less risk of spoilage
• Cost-effective
• There are many dry dog foods available. As with all foods, reading the label will help you find the best possible brand for your dog. Always remember that the first ingredient is the most prevalent in that food.
• Look for a food that has a protein as the first ingredient, not a grain. The best dry dog foods have a single or novel source of protein, such as lamb, chicken, or salmon. Grain-free diets exist, but carbohydrates are required for energy, especially in rapidly growing, large-breed puppies and very active dogs. The choice of grain, however, is important. Some dogs may have sensitivities to wheat, corn, or soybeans.
• All dry dog foods need preservatives to prevent the fat from becoming rancid. Some commonly used preservatives have been controversial, such as ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT. Dry foods tend to use more natural preservatives, such as tocopherols (vitamin E), citric acid (vitamin C), and rosemary extract. The shelf life of these foods may be affected, so always read the label on the bag and check the “best by” date. Avoid buying excessive amounts of food at one time if it will not be used in a timely fashion.

 
For me it is a mixture of raw and kibble which experts don’t agree with either. It is important we investigate like most things to do with dogs and learn from people who have done the studies and then do the best we can.
I have 10 dogs and work hard to feed them the best I can. Kibble is a good fit for me, but I do buy a good grade, even that check it out first as some very expensive ones are not what they seem.
 

RESPECT and COMMUNICATION
The information I am going to offer today on communication and respect comes from a Professor of animal behavior, comparative cognition and psychogy, she has studied dogs for years and it’s from the results of numerous tests that these facts are based on.
Respect means the deep admiration for someone’s abilities, qualities or achievements.
Firstly, if you look at the meaning should we demand respect and most important does a dog understand what it is we are wanting.
The answer is no they have no idea what respect is.
We imagine dog’s behavior from a human biased perspective.
We think our dog is happy when we see a smile but remember a smile for chimps means fear, the onus is on us to confirm or refute things like depression, jealousy, sad, anxious or respect.
Imagine using antidepressants on our say so and we called it wrong.
In her studies she found there are 13 different meanings to the position of a tail, that is more than most of us would have thought.
A yawn is not boredom it is the way a dog calms itself down after stress and anxiety, these are just a few things that we may have read wrong in our dog’s behavior.
 
Why is this important to know all this, because it set the scene to the way we train, our reading of a dog will influence what we believe our dog is doing and how we address it, my dog is arrogant, disrespectful, doesn’t listen very hard headed.
These are all our human views on behaviors that could and most likely be wrong.
 
Take chickens, we know battery hens is a big no no, but how much space do they like, when tested with plenty of room to roam they didn’t, most of the time they flocked together, unlike us who love our own space.
What is important to an animal is what they can see, hear, smell, senses that have meaning.
What we need to know or consider is what was proposed by a German Biologist who discovered that anyone wanting to understand the life of an animal must consider their unwelt (oom-velt), its self-world, what life is like as a dog. What things are meaningful to it. Let’s look at an example…
A rose to us is a thing of beauty, represent love, a gift, a flower with a scent.
To a dog, their only interest is if it has been urinated on before or has it got their owners’ scent on it.
In the case of the dog, the most important thing they desire is food, and we already control that so knowing this how do we get training these beautiful dogs so wrong. Simply, we don’t look deep enough at the dog as a species, based on today’s research, and also, we don’t look at them as individuals.
What was tested in these experiments was different ways we trained dogs.
The 2 types of training most used are….
One is wolfism training or the Alpha male, be the boss, demand respect, get a quick solution, complete control, they still love their dogs but do they understand them,
Dogs are no longer pack animals, we don’t have to assert power we have it, we control their most important thing, FOOD.
It has long been proven we own a group of dogs that have a pecking order, not a pack. Packs have a Hierarchy of a breeding pair with younger siblings under. The younger ones often look after the pups, they teach their young to hunt cooperatively, one the one pair can mate, this is nothing like my group of dogs. We can’t be the alpha male in our group. We are human and they are dogs, we need to communicate what we what in a way that they understand, not try to copy what a dog does as if we read it wrong we could be giving the wrong message, remember the 13 different tail movements.
I thought this method was nearly dead and buried till I read FB this week. It overseas many people’s way of training. This constant belief and need to be the boss, to control, to suppress everything, rather than understand.
 
The second is operant or conditioning training, treat based by lured, in other words you are making a dog do what you want in a nicer way but still controlling the choice and outcome.
Both ways you make the decision
 
Neither is correct
The answer lies in the middle
Reward based training, using positive reinforcement which allows the dog to make the decision to do a behavior. This is the best and most proven method of training. This is the way you get a behavior right and a behavior a dog will repeat over and over again.
 
Dogs are keen observers they learn by us showing them, not telling them.
They observe us so much they know us not just by our looks, but by our smell and walk yet we never really study them enough to know them.
They are sensitive to our stress and notice our breathing and tensing of our muscles. They are astute watchers but not mind readers, they can be fooled. When given 3 cups with one food they copied which cup we turned up, the one with food under it. Then when tested again and turned up a cup without food they still picked up the one we tipped up. In other words they copied us instead of relying on their great sense of smell.
Positive training is not all about the rewards and it is not that simply.
You are not demanding a behavior; you are showing them what you want without words, gestures or pulling them. You are helping them make the final choice to do it. It is hard to explain, lets take teaching a boundary. You stand near a bed and look at it, you wait till the dog puts any paw on that bed, you reward quickly and continue until he has decided the best place to get a treat is to be on that bed.
Summing up…
Your relationship is defined by what happens in the undesired moments.
Managed the unwanted and praise the wanted.
Teach first, correct second.
To become a good trainer, you must first be able to understand how to communicate with your dog.
To learn more, enroll in my ONLINE school. Look forward to having you as a student one day!