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The importance of early socialization

This week, I met a dog who is a good reminder of how important early socialization is to a dog's development. He is 10 years old and scared of children and strange adults. He growls, snaps and has bitten when interaction with a "scary" person was forced. This boy has had these fear-based issues since he was a puppy. He didn't get to meet a lot of people, and his only experience with children was the neighbor kids who teased him when he was tethered outside.

Puppies go through a couple of important stages of psychological development, much like human children. The primary period occurs before most puppies even go to their new homes, while they are still with their breeder, mother and siblings (hopefully). The secondary period is under six months of age or so. Socialization refers to meeting hundreds of strange people and dogs (of all breeds, large & small), and experiencing lots of different types of situations. Often, people don't realize how involved it really is to make sure their puppy is well socialized and learns to tolerate new, novel situations and bounce back or recover quickly from surprises. Pups should meet hundreds of people of all shapes, sizes, genders, and skin colors, wearing all kinds of clothes - bulky jackets, big hats, sunglasses, with and without facial hair, etc. The more they meet while young, the better they will do as adults.

It's also important for puppies to meet children of all ages, and that these meetings be closely supervised (meaning that an adult is within reach of both the child and the dog) to make sure that neither the puppy nor the child has a scary experience which could scar them for life. Children do all of the things that put dogs on edge - they scream and make crazy high pitched noises, flail around, run... all the things that scare a dog or trigger prey drive. Children need to learn how to behave safely around dogs (be a tree - rooted in place, fold the limbs in, look at the ground rather than staring at the dog) and dogs need to learn that children are not as scary as they seem. Desensitization and counter-conditioning are important in helping puppies to become comfortable, and means starting with the children at a distance, while feeding the puppy yummy treats to help create a positive emotional association with the presence of kids. Eventually, the puppy should be able to listen to obedience commands while the kids are nearby. Dogs need to learn to not only tolerate, but look forward to children because they predict good things (yummy treats, fun games, etc).

If a dog has missed out on early socialization, it leaves them at a huge disadvantage in dealing with life in a human world. Every new experience could be scary or anxiety-ridden. When scary situations are combined (e.g., the presence of a child, plus food in the dog's dish), this increases the likelihood that a bite will occur. This is not to say that older dogs cannot work through their fear issues, but it does take much more effort to help adult dogs overcome socialization deficits to be less fearful. It can take months of systematic counter-conditioning and desensitization. After all, adult dogs may have been practicing the fearful behavior for years. My aggression assessment this week was a great reminder of how true the old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" really is.

Does it really matter what food I feed my dog?

Just as with humans, a healthy diet is important. Quality ingredients can make a big difference in your dog's activity level, allergies, skin and coat quality, joint health, house training and even aggression and behavior problems. We recommend feeding the highest quality diet that you can afford, keeping in mind that although "super premium" foods may be slightly more expensive, you will actually be feeding less (sometimes up to half as much per meal) because the dog will be getting more nutrients from less food. You may also see financial benefits in the form of fewer vet bills and better health, so often you end up doing better financially by investing in a higher quality food. You will also see benefits in the form of less poop to scoop, which is always nice!

For more about diet and nutrition, please check out our video on housetraining and diet. You can also find out about the best foods on the market by checking out the Whole Dog Journal, which provides independent reviews of a variety of dog diet options.

What do you think about crating? Is it humane?

Crates can actually be valuable training tools when used properly. It's important to remember that canines are denning animals, which means that our dogs' wild relatives actually use dens (small, confined spaces similar to crates) for safety and protection from the elements. When properly introduced, our companion dogs can also feel safe and secure when provided a place of their own to get away from excitement around the house.

There are a variety of types of crates available on the market - wire mesh, plastic airline style kennels, and nylon aka "soft sided" crates are commonly available at large pet stores, as well as available to order online. For puppies, the plastic crates work well because they keep the pups from being easily able to pull things into the crate or chew at carpet or flooring. We recommend nylon crates only for dogs experienced with crating since many dog toys are made of nylon and dogs will be easily able to chew their way out if so inclined.

Sizing is also important - the dog should have just enough room to walk in, turn around and lay down comfortably, but should not have a lot of extra space. This is especially important when working on house training, since if too much space is available, the dog feels like they can potty on one corner and then get away from the mess, which defeats the purpose! Many crates come with dividers which allow you to adjust the size, which is handy for growing puppies.

Crates can be a great tool for helping to house train puppies or older dogs who haven't yet learned household manners because the crate takes advantage of the dog's instinct not to use the bathroom where they sleep and eat, as well as keeping them from getting into trouble chewing things they shouldn't. For this reason, the crate can be invaluable in the housetraining process with new puppies and rescues. However, it is important that dogs not be left in the crate for long periods throughout the day (e.g., all day while their people are at work). I recommend that adult dogs not be crated for more than 4-5 hours straight during the day without opportunities to stretch their legs and have bathroom breaks. (Appropriate crate time for puppies will vary by age.) Coming home during lunch, having a friend or family member stop by, or hiring a dog walker are all good ways to ensure that the crate is used as a humane and considerate training tool.

For more information on how to introduce your canine companion to crating, please contact us to set up a training session.

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I’ve heard people talk about using "corrections" when their animal does something they don’t want it to. Do you do this?

When someone says "correction", what they really mean is "punishment". I prefer to first work to teach animals what I want them to do rather than focusing on what I don't want. There are some difficulties with punishment which make it unreliable as a teaching method:

(For additional information, please read the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Position Statement on the use of punishment.)

1) The punishment must occur at the moment of the inappropriate behavior, or within a few seconds after it, before any other behaviors occur. If not, the animal won't understand what caused the punishment to occur.

2) The punishment must occur every single time the animal gives the inappropriate behavior. If you're not around to catch them in the act, then the inappropriate behavior achieves its goal, which means that the behavior was rewarded. Behaviors which are rewarded will be repeated, so if you can't punish every single time, the behavior is being randomly rewarded, which makes it even more difficult to stop.

3) The punishment must be of sufficient intensity that the animal isn't willing to suffer the punishment more than 2-3 times before completely ceasing the inappropriate behavior. If the punishment isn't strong enough, the animal will tolerate it and continue to offer the behavior, and you'll have to increase the intensity. What often happens in this case is that the intensity of the punishment is increased in small increments, so the animal adapts to and tolerates the increasing levels of punishment.


It's difficult even for experienced trainers and behaviorists to achieve all of these requirements, and even if we do, we have no control over what the animal associates the punishment with. It's very common to superstitiously associate the punishment with other things that were in proximity to the animal at the time it occurred (including the animal's handler).

Personally, I feel that it's easier to focus on what we want the animal to do, and ignore or manage them so that they don't have a chance to perform behaviors we don't want until they've learned what we like. Using positive reinforcement methods means that your relationship with your animal is not based on confrontation and the threat of punishment. The animal will be much happier to work for and with you under those circumstances.

If after working diligently to teach an animal what I want using positive methods, they are still making no progress, I may recommend mild punishments. The nature of the punishment will depend on the individual animal and situation. For instance, if I have a puppy who continually mouths and bites in play, and I've made every effort to teach them not to bite down on skin, and not to play rough, they persist in doing so, I will stand up and walk away from the puppy, withdrawing my attention from them. This is a punishment because the puppy wants to interact. So, I'm taking away something they want, to show them that there are consequences to mouthing - "mouth on hand = attention goes away". If a dog persists in pulling while on-leash, I will simply stop walking forward, or turn and walk away from whatever they were eager to investigate. This form of punishment is typically very successful in getting the point across because it teaches them that what they want is contingent upon their behavior.

If I train my pet using food or other rewards, won’t they only do what I ask when I have a reward for them?

This is a common misconception about reward-based training. When we are initially working on a new behavior, we reward every successful repetition, but very quickly we wean away from having the reward visible, and away from continuous reward. I will teach you the methods to facilitate this transition, and over time you will achieve what is called a "random reinforcement schedule".

Essentially, this means that the animal will never know which repetition of the behavior gets rewarded, so they continue to do what you ask in the hopes that this will be the time. To give a human example, it's like playing the slot machines. No one expects to win every time they pull the lever, but they keep doing it in the hopes that this will be the time they win it big!

In studying the learning process, behaviorists have found that behaviors which are randomly rewarded actually become stronger than those which are continuously rewarded. Imagine you are used to getting paid exactly every 2 weeks at your job. If you suddenly don't get paid on the day you expect, how likely are you to continue working? If you were used to being paid every two weeks give or take a few days, then you wouldn't necessarily be upset if the check didn't appear at exactly the two week mark. This is the same principle we take advantage of with weaning away from rewards for behaviors our dogs know well.

I do recommend occasionally rewarding your dog for known behaviors to help keep them on their toes, but the interval between rewards increases over time. I don't work for free, and don't expect my pets to either. However, I will take advantage of things such as play, attention, their regular meal ration and use those as rewards. (These are what's known as "life rewards".)

I know someone who trained their pet with treats, and now the pet will only do what it’s asked if it knows there is food available.

This is a problem that can occur if one doesn't wean away from having food in the hand and doesn't move to the random reward schedule mentioned in the previous Q&A. It isn't a flaw in the training method, but a mistake in how the methods were implemented.

I will work with you to establish behaviors using rewards, and then show you how to transition away from using rewards for every repetition so that your pet will respond to you happily without the promise of treats or other immediate rewards.

What is "positive reinforcement" training?

Positive reinforcement means rewarding our pets for performing the behaviors we want. What constitutes a reward is determined by the individual animal. Many animals work well for food, but others enjoy working for toys/games or the opportunity to do something they enjoy.

Studies and practical experience prove that rewarding an animal when it performs the desired behavior increases the likelihood that the behavior will be performed again and again. (This is known as Thorndike's Law of Effect, which you can read more about by searching the web.) 

In training dogs, I take advantage of this effect to increase the frequency of behaviors I want, such as Sit, Down, Stay, etc. As the dog gets better at performing the behavior, the reward is slowly phased out until the dog will perform the behavior without necessarily having the promise of a reward every time. I still occasionally provide rewards, even if it's just petting, play or praise so that the dog continues to listen. We don't work at our jobs for free (or at least, not for long) and the same goes for our dogs.

I’ve heard people talk about "clicker training." What is that?

Clicker training is a form of positive reinforcement training which makes use of what’s called a "clicker" - a noise making device. In our first session, we’ll go through a process called "charging the clicker" which will teach the animal to associate the sound with a reward. The click becomes what’s known as a "secondary reinforcer" and marks the exact moment when the animal performed the behavior you liked. It also lets them know that a reward is forthcoming. The clicker is sometimes called a "bridge" because it bridges the moment between when the animal performed the behavior, and when the reward is delivered. The click is a very succinct noise, and always has the same sound, regardless of our health, our mood or who is using it.

Making use of a clicker, we’re able to speed the learning process by removing the ambiguity from our training situations. For instance, if we’re working on teaching our dog to sit without using the clicker to mark the moment, and instead used a phrase such as "Good dog!" when they sat, by the time we got the words out and delivered the reward, the dog might've stood, taken a step, sniffed, etc. Which of those was the behavior that earned the reward? What if we were sick or had a rough day and our voice sounded different? Animals are very sensitive to little nuances in their environment, and when even slight change occurs (such as tone of voice), confusion can creep in. Using a clicker helps avoid these ambiguities and aids in speeding the training process.

What's all this then?!

In this day and age, everyone's doing it - blogging! I've decided to port all of the Q&A entries into blog posts. Using Google's Blogger application will give this section of my site more functionality. It allows readers to search for keywords, lets me tag entries with labels that will allow you to find all posts related to a particular topic such as obedience, aggression, diet, etc. It also allows people to post comments in response to the blogs. Right now, the comments will be moderated by me, which means they must be approved before they will appear on the site. We'll see how that works out and revisit later if needed. The one drawback I see is that Blogger applies the current date when an entry is created, so it looks like the posts coming from Q&A will all have today's date, but going forward, new entries will have the correct date.

Let me know what you think!