Usher at 4 months, wearing his “In Training” cape - what a cutie!
Robert with Kira, at 5 months old.
Kira is a German Shepherd Dog that Robert is training.
The tan and white pit-bull dragged its owner into the door with immense force. It was like a locomotive charging through the threshold of our reception area. On a harness, of course, a dog had the most power and control over the person at the other end of the lead, and this dog was on a harness. But, I suspect he would have been as out of control even on a collar and lead. He was muzzled and still the owner seemed frantic and terrified that the dog might injure one of us.
The only act of aggression that the owners described to us prior to setting up the training/rehabilitation, was a minor bite of an employee at a grooming salon. Supposedly, the person walked by the dog that was upon a table and was bitten on the hand. The dog’s owner claimed that he inspected the bite and it was really just a red spot, not really a puncture wound. Yet, their frantic nature told me otherwise. The dog seemed to be a ticking time bomb. But, with such frenzied, uptight owners, could I really blame the dog? Could a bite such as the one described really warrant such mania in the dog’s owner?
Note to self: Gut feel is usually more accurate than testimony from a dog’s owner.
They had driven for over 18 hours from the east coast to bring him here – no questions asked about price. That’s usually a fairly big red flag. We were paid the 50% of the dog’s training in cash and the thought crossed my mind that they would never come back – knowing that we were dog-lovers and would find him a new home. There are stranger things that can happen in life, and I knew something was amiss with this couple, but then I remembered the statement about meatballs. On the application, the owner had disclosed that the dog only ate homemade meatballs and she worried that he might not eat while he was here. Could someone who made fresh meatballs each day for her dog really relinquish it to anyone? I felt as if they had withheld some information from us about the dog, I just wasn’t certain what it was. We would probably find out, anyway, during the time the dog was here. And, we did.
Four weeks later they arrived for their pick up appointment. Within the first 15 minutes she spilled her guts. The woman apparently either didn’t remember withholding her dog’s history, or she felt that she could now come clean – I’m pretty certain it was the latter. The dog had attached four other dogs and the fourth dog did not survive the attack. OMG. Their dog had killed another dog and somehow they failed to mention that little detail. Of course, within the first 24 hours that the dog was here, Robert (who is incredibly keen at reading a dog and also exceptional at rehabilitating them), realized that the dog failed to warn before it would strike and it had a terrible stalking/eyeing/predatory-based habit. When I suggested that it would have been prudent of them to share the information on the dog’s aggression issues with other dogs, I learned how none of the other trainers that they contacted would touch the dog with a ten foot pole once they shared the stories. So, I guess they learned it would be best to just sort of leave out the details. Either they thought we were incredibly stupid or incredibly good at what we do – so that we don’t need to know the details. I believe their opinion morphed from the former to the latter, once they saw their dog, again.
I also learned that the dog had been banished from their town and that they were residing in a trailer at a campground to be able to keep their dog. Sadly, since the woman was the primary care giver for her deaf and partially blind 91 year old mother, they had forced the frail old woman to reside with them at the RV park. “My mother wants to sleep in her own house, but we cannot go home until the dog is accepted back in the town”. OMG. Freshly made meatballs was one thing – but putting the dog before a frail old woman was disturbing.
During the dog’s stay here, the woman had asked me, in different ways, to participate in testifying that the dog had a “new” attitude on life, and would not ever be aggressive again. Of course, all I knew about was the minor bite of a grooming salon employee, but I also understood that because the dog was a breed that was not often tolerated (sometimes Pitbulls are banned entirely from a community without requiring any sort of act of aggression), that the one incidence could have been all that was necessary, in their town, to require that they relinquish their dog or get it “out of Dodge”, so to speak. But, I did not know that they had moved to a new community, and that the 91 year old woman was sleeping in a trailer in a campground because of it. Regardless of the extenuating circumstances, I know better than to proclaim that a dog may never become aggressive, even after a long stay in rehabilitation. In much the say way that a child will behave differently at school than at home, or at a grandparent’s home versus a neighbor’s house, a dog senses how permissive an individual is and whether that person is dedicated to first communicating and then upholding rules for conduct. The same dog can change its behavior within moments depending upon who is holding the lead. After explaining that, I hoped that the dog’s owner understood why I could not create the document she had hoped to acquire from me. Even the most even tempered dog can bite if the circumstances are right (or rather, wrong). A very even keeled, stable, socially compliant person can turn to violence, too, under certain conditions. There are no guarantees in life. I believe they came to understand.
The two basic lessons in this story are:
1. Dogs will let us know their demons, their habits and the ways of their owners. So, while I understand (but do not condone) why these folks chose to deceive us about the dog’s killing ways, the dog told us who he was, we just had to listen.
2. Any dog can bite. No professional would “guarantee” that a dog could never choose to use his teeth if that trainer understood the basic premise that a dog is a reflection of his relationship with the owner.
Here’s a video clip of the dog during rehabilitation at DarnFar Ranch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRiNUp6EBa0
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Usher continues to amaze me. He’s calm and gentle and thoughtful. We took him to OH to get Liam (Border Collie puppy). The Fogt’s three year old daughter lead him around on a leash and he was tolerant and composed. For a 15 week old pup, I think he was remarkable.
Here’s a photo of him (with Kira behind):
I’ve been away from the Blog for over a week due to some atypical activities which are taking up much time.
Early last week, we traveled to Ohio (and back in one, very long day) to acquire a new baby puppy. Bruce and Linda Fogt, who need no introduction to anyone in the Border Collie herding world, had a litter and I was lucky enough to get a cute male pup whom I have named Liam (as his father is imported from Ireland).
Liam’s mother is Linda Fogt’s Annie and his sire is Dal Kratzer’s Imp. Shep.
Liam is black and white, smooth coat.
Usher (who is 15 weeks old in this photo) traveled with us to Ohio and was a wonderful traveling companion for Liam on the long drive home.
Baby Liam at 8 weeks old.
Yesterday, a friend came over to start her 7 month old Border Collie puppy in herding.
I decided that it would be a great “socialization” opportunity for Usher; there would be a couple other dogs there, a new person, a different setting, the activity in the sheep pen.
He was the most perfect of puppies. Even though the 7 month old pup snapped at him - and then continued to be ugly because his owner would not shut down his unacceptable behavior (I had to do it), Usher took it like a trouper and hung out with me during the lesson, which lasted four hours long (as we were chatting much of the time, and she worked two different dogs a few times each).
While it is not my “style” of dog ownership, my friend strongly encouraged her two dogs to “act crazy” in the baby swimming pool we had out so the dogs could cool off after working the sheep. One dog was prodded to bite at the water while the other was allowed to bark, insessantly, at her. Mind you, they were not acting that way on their own - it was the owner that was working very hard to get the dogs to move out of normal tempered play to crazed behavior. I would not encourage such behavior of my own dogs since I think it sends the wrong message about me as the dog’s leader (I should shut down one dog barking at another, not encorage it) and it can cause two dogs to fight or snap at each other.
All the while, Usher laid by my feet watching the circus. He cocked his head back and forth in the same sort of wonderment I had regarding such odd behavior of a human (and, in turn, the dogs). At one point, he looked up at me with an expression that I could only interpret as, “wow, those dogs are really acting crazy and disrespectful, even I know better than that”. His reaction, which was coming from a 15 week old puppy was very mature. He is a very cool pup - so self composed and relaxed, especially for his age.
I am very much looking forward to raising this pup into a wonderful dog and partner.
Yesterday, yes, Sunday, before 9:00 AM (what’s up with that? when I was a kid, we were not allowed to call any of our friends until afternoon on a Sunday) - a call came in about training.
When I called him back, the man’s first question was, “How long does it last?”
Not knowing what training option he might need (a Puppy Consultation lasts 90 minutes, a Workshop lasts 8 hours, Board and Train for an aggressive dog can last four weeks!) - I pulled back the conversation to a point where we could be on the same page.
“How old is your dog? The training options we offer will depend upon whether it’s a puppy under six months, or not”.
“Yeah, she’s just four months old”.
Lesson: When a puppy is only a few months old, it is not in the life-stage to handle actual compliance training, but needs impeccable managment and socialization. Training using incentives, such as food, can be introduced to puppies while they are still with the litter (around six weeks old). But, I don’t think it’s fair to expect high level compliance from a puppy, especially if the incentive method was used to create the behavior.
Training is when I tell a dog a command, like “sit” and the dog assumes the sit position with the understanding that it is to stay until told otherwise.
Socialization is imposing expectations such as “do not invade my personal space by jumping up on me or sticking your long muzzle under my arm to demand petting”. It’s about being properly social (and this does not have anything to do with being “friendly” - a friendly dog can still leap up and knock over a person, which would be an anti-social act).
Management is controlling the dog’s environment (such as putting up baby gates when you have to keep an eye on a baby puppy while doing other tasks or having a fenced yard), or controlling the dog in your environment (such as using a crate for house breaking).
Puppies need management and a bit of socialization. If they were allowed to interact with a mannerly pack of dogs, most of the other dogs would tolerate behaviors like the puppy tugging on a tail or ear, crawling over their body, even taking toys or food. Those actions are not typically tolerated of lower ranking adult dogs, as they would be considered anti-social or disrespectful.
This is no different than how we handle human children. When you take a toddler into Wal-Mart you cannot say, “OK, you can go to the toy section and pick out a toy and I will go get the milk. I’ll meet you back in the front of the store in 5 minutes”. You wouldn’t even leave the toddler to walk for herself along side of you. You would “manage” her by putting her in the seat of the shopping cart and strap her in for her safety and so that you can control her and keep her from climbing out. You would not leave a toddler unsupervised in your home office and not expect some cords to be pulled out from behind the computer or your stack of eeatly organized papers to be thrown all over the floor. A toddler is not in the stage of life that she can understand a “command” like, “do not touch any of my stuff”. Human toddlers and puppies are in the lifestage to explore things, usually by putting them in their mouths. They look up to the “big ones” for guidance around dangerous things (like hot surfaces) as well as basic needs like food and shelter that they cannot acquire for themselves.
In the ‘theorhetical dog pack’, puppies are not allowed to go along on the “hunt”. They are told to stay back in the den and wait for the adults to return. The hunt is not only dangerous for a youngster, but young dogs do not have the self-restraint and “training” to avoid muddling up the quest for dinner. Puppies are managed so that they do not kill themselves. This is the same strategy we use with human children - keep them alive until you can help them learn how to keep themselves out of danger.
A four month old puppy needs to be sleeping much of the time. Many behavioral issues in young dogs is probably due to sleep deprivation. We should not expect our young puppies to self-regulate and sleep when they need to do so. If the household is very active, then we need recognize puppies may not be getting enough sleep to do all the growing they need to accomplish. So, we should actively put them into their crates for a nap, even when we are home (not just when we leave the house).
Think about it this way: A puppy will accomplish in about 6-12 months what it takes a human child 11-14 years to accomplish - which is to develop into a young adult form of the species (I’m referring to physical development not necessarily psychological / cultural development). On any given day, when a puppy is in this stage of life, he may act as if he has no clue about what you (think that you) taught him the prior day. Some people get very frustrated with puppies because they expect the pup to be well behaved and to “obey commands” before it is six months or older. On any given day, we need to remember that a puppy may be laying down shoulder bone, growing muscles, losing and gaining teeth, developing pertenent neural connections. Sometimes, the pup just doesn’t have enough energy left to also learn to stay put or to avoid chasing that cat. So, as their guardians, we must manage them away from harming themselves and our stuff until they are capable of learning from a different perspective.
After I explained my philosophy about teaching puppies versus young adults, the caller admitted that he was getting too hard on the puppy and expecting too much of her. He said he got very frustrated with her quite often. Then, he said he needed to go out of town for a few weeks and didn’t want to just leave her in the backyard, so he was looking into other options. I had an OMG moment. Do people really contemplate leaving a baby puppy outside 24/7? Unfortunately, many folks do. I hope that through articles on my website and via this blog, I can impart some very basic information - sadly, something as obvious as a four month old puppy is not equipped to care for itself needs to be said. So, that is where I shall start!
Have a great Labor Day!
I have bred Boon to Doozie. The pups are due the last week of October and will be ready to go to their new homes the week of Christmas. I’ll use this blog category, “Puppies” to update on Doozie’s pregnancy, the whelping and of course the rearing of the puppies.
Here’s a link about the litter:
http://darnfar.com/2009BoonDoozie/2009_Boon_Doozie.htm
They should be very handsome puppies with sporty personalities. I cannot wait. I think I will have to come up with “Halloween” puppy names.
Suggestions are welcome!
Usher at 8 weeks old
This is DarnFar Usher at 10 weeks old.
He is a German Shepherd Dog puppy. He was born in May 2009.
Ever since my devoted GSD, Rough, died at 13 years old (in 2004), I have felt a hole in my dog world. Every once in a while I would take the time to look around for a new GSD puppy. But, it’s a very challenging breed to acquire. There are distinct “types”; the German show lines, the East German/Czek working lines, the American show lines and the “backyard” American lines. The German show lines have evolved a very roach back and very odd conformation, but at least they tend to still expect their dogs to have “working” type titles (specifically Schutzhund - which is a sort of stylized “work” more than it emulates a “real” world situation). The E German / Czec lines have beautiful, functional bodies, but can be a bit strong tempered. The American show lines tend to have a different, but just as extreme conformation as the German show lines with excessive angulation in rear end and of the topline. Their temperaments, too, can be varried and are not always representative of what a GSD should be. And, the American “backyard bred” dogs are bred with so little intention to adhere any sort of type that it would be hard to predict what type of disposition one could get. There are folks who think that because it is a German Shepherd Dog that it should cost $2000, even though the parents don’t have the health screens or the working titles that the “real $2000 puppies” often tout. It’s just a complicated game to find a good pup.
But, I adore the breed for a different reason that I am devoted to my Border Collies. So, I finally found Usher, and I am thrilled with him. I adore him. He turned 14 weeks old a day ago and it is amazing how much like a little dog he looks versus the round puppy appearance he had just a few weeks ago. He is still a “baby Huey” -
Here he is at 12 weeks old. Such a handsome guy.
On occassion, I will blog about his development and training - which will be contained under the category “Raising Usher”.
I received a telephone call from someone who brought a dog to my class a few years ago. Joan wanted to “pick my brain”, which is another way of saying, “Can you give me some free advice?” I don’t have the statistics on this, but I would bet that more people believe that professional dog trainers should give away free advice than probably just about any other profession. Would you call your dentist and ask to “pick his brain” about the pain in your tooth?
Apparently, her neighbor called to inform Joan that her dog was in his yard. Joan’s husband looked out in their own yard and saw Mitzie lying under their tree. Joan informed the neighbor it couldn’t be her dog. But, just like the allure that flashing Emergency Vehicle lights have on some people, Joan traveled to her neighbor’s house to see the dog. It looked a lot like her dog, a female Siberian Husky-mix. But, of course, it wasn’t. It was an intact male who was trailing a female beagle, which, of course, was in season / heat / estrus how ever you want to describe the condition which causes male dogs to do just about anything to find and conquer.
Joan asked the neighbor, “are you going to keep him?” Then, she informed her neighbor that, if he wasn’t going to keep the dog, that she would be interested in him. She commented that he probably did not have an owner because he had no collar. She said that, even if he had an owner, it was a “bad” owner since the dog had not been neutered.
Lesson #1: Just because a dog shows up in your yard, it doesn’t mean it does not have a rightful owner, collar or not. A dog can slip his collar, especially since most owner do not buckle them tight enough to remain on the dog. If you must take on the role of “rescuer”, remember that a stray dog can be infectious to your own dogs and it may bite. I suggest that you call the local authorities that are designed to handle such scenarios. They should scan the dog for a micro-chip. If you don’t think your local Animal Control is competent, you can keep track of the case by calling and making inquiries about whether they scanned for a chip and how they plan to advertise the dog is in their care. You can even post a “found” ad in the newspaper, then refer any callers to Animal Control.
Lesson #2: Just because a dog isn’t neutered doesn’t mean that the owners are bad people. It does mean that there was a failure in management in some fashion because their dog got away from their immediate control. But, it is not our job to make judgement on such things, since there are dozens of ways that a person could lose control of their dog - it has happened to me. Once, a gate was left open by someone filling the propane tank while I was gone during the day and I never thought to check it upon my return because I never opened it. Another time, at a different home, a gate was left open by a meter reader for the electric company.
Joan’s neighbor said that if the dog was still there in a week, he would let Joan know.
The following day, the dog was gone.
Joan then went to town a few days later to have her cat vaccinated. Her veterinarian is contracted by the county to provide Animal Control services, and the dogs in A.C. are housed at the veterinary facility. Apparently, the Husky dog had been caught and was doing his legal seven days in custody before his fate would be determined.
Joan called to pick my brain and ask whether, if she adopted the dog, he would “be a roamer”.
My response was, “How do you intend to manage the dog?”
“Well, the same way that we manage our other dogs”.
“How is that?”, I asked.
“He will be able to roam free. I don’t believe in chaining a dog”.
“Oh”, I said. “I don’t believe in chaining a dog, either, but there are other options”.
“We live in the country”, she added.
After living in this part of the country for the past 8 years I have learned that most people strongly believe that if you live in the country your dogs should roam free. To do otherwise, is to be cruel. I happen to strongly disagree.
“So”, I asked, “do your other dogs remain on your property?”
“For the most part, yes”
“And, the other part?”, I inquired.
“Well, Mitzie goes into the woods across the street to hunt, sometimes she finds an old deer bone and brings it back to chew on”.
“And, is that your land?”, I asked.
“No, it belongs to my neighbor”.
“I see, and how does he like that your dog is in his woods?”, I asked. And, before letting her answer because I could feel she was getting frustrated with me, I said, “What happens if someone else moves into that land? What if he doesn’t like that your dog goes hunting in his woods? What if he mistakes your dog for a coyote? What if he thinks she is going to kill his chickens? Do you know that he has a right to kill your dog if he feels his livestock are in danger?”
“Well”, Joan, replied, “My neighbor’s dogs are over at my house all the time. In fact, we dealt with $300 worth of rabbits killed by his dogs. They got into our barn and tore open the hutches and killed them all”.
Lesson #2: “Fences make wonderful neighbors”.
Then we had a way-too-long discussion (because I was too polite to cut it off when it became outrageous) about how they had failed, after numerous attempts, to erect a fence that could contain Mitzie because she was part-Husky and Huskies could not be contained. I did, finally, get Joan to agree that it was for lack of trying, not because Mitzie had supernatural powers, that they failed to confine her in the most basic and traditional manner of errecting a proper fence for their dog. But, to get her to “hear” me, I had to go so far as to ask her whether she had ever seen a “fancy dog show” on Animal Planet TV. I asked if she had ever seen the beautiful Huskies that they showed in the Working Dog Group. Then, I blatently informed Joan that those people, who own those lovely dogs are able to erect fences to maintain their expensive, special show dogs because they care about them that much.
I knew that Joan had horses. I asked whether she would allow her horse to roam onto the road.
“No!”, she replied, “of course not!”
“Why?”, I asked.
“Someone could hit him and that could really cause damage”.
Lesson #3: I explained the liability factor of having a dog that roams. I told her the story I read about in the paper when I lived in Wisconsin. There, the county law stated that if you have fed a dog for seven days, it becomes your legal responsiblity. A farm family had done just that; fed a stray dog for around 9 days. On the tenth day it ran into the road in front of a motorcyclist. The accident caused the rider to lose a leg. The outcome: a $500,000 settlement against the farmer.
Joan said that she didn’t think a dog could do that much damage. I had an OMG moment, as I envisioned a child flying from the backseat of an automobile through the windshild when the car made contact with a mere 45 pound dog.
But, we digress. Back to the dog in question. I told Joan that I though she could answer her own question about whether the Husky mix at Animal Control would roam, especially if she plans to manage it like she does her other dogs.
She acted perplexed. She seemed to be quite distraught that I was not sugar coating my messages. I informed her that she had called for my advice, at which time I felt her eyes turn downwards in a bit of shame.
I said, “Joan, why do you think that dog will have any affinity to you when you bring it to your house?”
She said that she planned to neuter the dog and she was calling me to find out whether he’d stop roaming after that, since I was a dog expert.
Lesson #4: Neutering does not train a dog, nor does it offer any sort of proper management. The owner needs to do those things, especially with a breed like a Husky AND one that has developed a roaming habit. Neutering will reduce testosterone-driven behavior. However, once a dog has developed a habit, eliminating testosterone will not set the clock back to day one before the habit was forged. I told Joan that I was, in fact, looking out my office window at a neutered male trying to mount and breed a bitch that is in season - right there in my own backyard. My dog no longer has testosterone circulating through his veins, but he has a memory of what behavior to perform in the presence of a bitch in heat. A dog that took up a up roaming habit, won’t necessarily stop roaming, even after neutering, especially if he is not maintained within a fence. Testosterone is the “macho” hormone that will make a dog act faster and harder (if he is going to bite, he will do so faster and harder than a neutered male). But, neuter male dogs, especially those that learned a behavior before being neutered, may still bite, fight or roam - just maybe not with as much intensity.
Because this story has gone on far too long, I have actually left out an additional 25 minutes of conversation that I had with Joan. The call lasted 56 minutes of my precious time. Towards the end, she asked whether I thought it might be a good idea for her to bring the dog to one of my classes if, in fact, she did adopt it. I said I thought that was a great idea. She asked the price. $135, I said, for an 8 hour Workshop. She replied, “My husband isn’t going to like that!”
Like an angel that was sitting atop my shoulder, at that precise moment, my other phone line rang and I was able to ditch out of the conversation. I don’t know whether it was her angel or mine - since I don’t think she would have appreciated my response. I have no clue whether Joan will choose to adopt the dog, or if she will spend the $135 to attend the Workshop with the new dog. Perhaps, he will run off, again, before that happens. I surely hope not.
Welcome to my blog.
It seems that everyone is doing it, and since viewing the marvelous film, “Julie and Julia” (I recommend it to everyone - especially if you have ever watched an episode of Julia Child’s show), I just felt I had to step up to the plate and begin blogging!
But, of course, there’s no point in writing for the mere sake of writing. If nobody really cares what you say, then it’s better to just keep your mouth shut, pencil down or fingers off the keyboard, so to speak.
I already have a website FULL of article on training dogs. Go to http://www.darnfar.com/ and travel about the site. There are FAQs in the “Puppy” section that are specific to, of course, raising puppies. The “Dog Training” section has plenty of material that defines my opinion about dogs and dog ownership. I intend to use that site, still, as a way to offer my advice on dog training.
I also have a book due out in December 2009 through Voyageur Press (http://www.voyageurpress.com/) entitled The 4-H Guide To Dog Training And Dog Tricks. It includes over 150 color photos (taken by my husband, Robert) that illustrate the methods. Along with stories about my start in dog training, it is a step-by-step manual for teaching dogs. That format would not have been my first choice for my maiden voyage into authorship, however, I was requested to take the assignment by the publisher, who has an agreement with 4-H to create a series of books for 4-H. The first four include my book on dog training as well as a guide to training horses, raising chickens and digital photography. They are all available for pre-order at http://www.amazon.com/ - or, if you want to get it for Christmas, you can purchase my book directly from the publisher (current publish date is 12/11/09).
My second book is in the works, right now. I will retain details for another time.
This blog is intended to shed light on the day of a professional dog trainer. However, for the most part, any specific training information will come via conversations which I have with prospective clients. Until I receive a call or email from someone, there’s really no dog to train. And, I have learned over the past 25 years, that “dog training” is not really about training dogs! It’s about teaching people. Very often, I impart some of the most important information in initial conversations with people who call with a problem. Sometimes, advice I give during the initial telephone call or email is some of the most critical information they will receive.
Hopefully, by sharing these conversations that I have with real clients (the names, perhaps even the breed of dog, will be changed to protect the guilty!), I can answer some of the most basic questions and set straight some of the most common misconceptions that many people have about living with this unique species, dog.
Come back soon!
Tammie