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To Bite Or Not To Bite: The Dog Trainer`s Dogs Blog for National Dog Bite Prevention

With many blogs and tweets this week addressing the subject of dog bites, thought I might as well hop on the bandwagon for National Dog Bite Prevention Week. You might imagine, per the title, a dog processing the environment, deciding just that, to bite or not to bite. Having said that, bites mainly occur when a dog is pushed beyond a level of stress they can not tolerate, and are no longer particularly cognitive. By the time a dog bites, the process is instinctive and occurring in a non-cognitive frame of mind.  Consider the following, if you will, from a doggy point of view:

•  I`m so upset from that fight, I`m just going to chomp on this arm grabbing at me.
• Defense....defense....defense...., incoming human wants to take my bone.
• Oh geez, can`t anyone see this kid is really aggravating me?
• Oh my dawg, that is one huge scary stranger and I`m stuck in the corner.

REDIRECTED AGGRESSION (first point)

Dogs engaging in scuffles are highly aroused, and operating beyond normal stress thresholds. Reaching in to grab a collar is one really great way to get bitten, by a dog whirling around to latch onto the first thing crossing its` jaws. Do you own multiple dogs or frequent the dog park? Have a plan for breaking up a dog fight that does not involve reaching in with hands. More on redirected aggression here: http://www.sspca.org/Dogs/AggressiveBehavior.html

RESOURCE GUARDING (second point)

The above describes a dog with a valuable resource (bone) that they will strive to hang on to, even if it means sinking teeth into human flesh. All dogs should be taught to Give/Drop/Release, whichever cue you chose to attach to the behavior of willingly trading an object for reinforcement. Humans should also recognize signs of resource guarding as having a high risk for bites. More tips on this subject here: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/RG.html

KIDS ARE ALIENS

Some dogs have not been well socialized with children, and new encounters have potential to go badly. Even well socialized dogs can be pushed beyond maximum stress thresholds when humans fail to recognize signs of stress. For obvious reasons, no child should be left unattended with any dog, no matter how "child proof" they are considered to be. I have had the pleasure of seeing author Colleen Pelar present, and here is a link to one of her wonderful articles: http://www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com/article08.html

FEAR AGGRESSION

A fearful dog that is presented with a visual threat, especially one that feels cornered, will opt to bite if there is not another way out. (retreat) Humans need to advocate for their fearful dogs and teach others to use non-threatening body language. As well, owners of fearful dogs need to recognize signs of stress and manage the environment accordingly. Visit www.fearfuldogs.com for a wealth of information on the latter subject and all things fearful, according to canines.

Please do not unwittingly place yourself in harms way and become a dog bite statistic. With proper education, dog bites can be prevented. With proper education of humans, more dogs will opt not to bite, having not been placed in untenable (for them) situations. Happy and safe Dog Bite Prevention Week!

Leslie Fisher PMCT CPDT-KA

 

 

Why Would You Do That? Pinning Down Puppies and Reactivity. The Dog Trainer`s Dogs Blog

Why would you do that? Forcibly pin puppies down into submission that is? Thanks to Twitter pal Rod Burket of GO PET FRIENDLY for providing me with a title, commenting on one of my "tweets." Getting back to my question, professionals in the field of dog training lamentably continue to recommend the use of forceful outdated and dangerous methods, that can and do increase reactivity in dogs. In the last week, I have regrettably fielded inquiries from concerned dog owners, whose own puppies were progressively deteriorating with behaviors. The commonality? Professionals had recommended the puppies be pinned down for perceived transgressions. The shame? Major professional organizations decry these methods with public statements, such as the AVSAB Dominance Position Statement. Download Dominance statement[1] Read on, and if nothing else, question the advice to use forceful methods on your own dog.

Here is what your puppy can learn by being forcibly pinned down:

• humans are scary and unpredictable
• their world is not safe
• approaching hands are not predictable and safe
• the best offense can be good defense
• a negative association to what is in the environment, at the time of the punishment.
• not to trust you
• to react with increasing aggression

Consider being pinned down from a puppy point of view, an horrific restraint from which there is no escape, with the option of flight in the face of danger abruptly removed. Even worse, does your puppy understand the association of their undesired behavior to the punishment? No. As the puppy grows, does it require an increasing amount of force to pin him down? Well yes, of course. Which brings me to a salient point from the PAT MILLER handout:The Pitfalls of Positive Punishment. From a Level 1 Internship, this statement resonates with the blog subject. "Violence begets violence." Plain and simple.

Certain dogs stand out in my mind: the handsome adolescent lab returned to rescue, the spitz mix that became human aggressive, and the pit mix that became increasingly dog-aggressive. Well meaning owners were following professional advice to pin down their dogs and dogs were responding with increased aggression. Before following the outdated advice to pin down your own puppy ponder the following points.

• Is this in any way teaching your puppy the desired behavior?
• Could this damage your relationship with your puppy?
• Do you want your puppy to trust, not fear you?
• Do you wish to deal with the consequences of an adolescent dog and deteriorating behaviors?
• Do you wish to have a well adjusted family pet for the long term?

I really hope that the people who called recently get back to me, so we can begin the process of getting their puppies on the path to recovery, instead of down the road to being re-homed, or worse.I urge you, if anything in this article raises a red flag, contact a certified positive professional trainer, with a strong background in behavior. Why would you do that? Pin your puppy down into submission?

Leslie Fisher PMCT, CPDT-KA

The Dog Trainer`s Dogs: Fraud Alert- Check Those Credentials

The distraught owners say they don`t care about the significant amounts of money they gave to Wilmington DE fraud James Whitten; they just want their dogs back. Dogs were sold on Craig's List. Dogs ended up with new "owners." Dogs ended up at the SPCA. Dogs were retrieved by owners after 20 hours of travel to southern states. Some dogs have yet to be located. Don`t let this happen to you. Take steps to avoid undergoing the trauma that these families and their pet dogs did.

Interestingly enough, the website A Bad Dog No More is no longer appearing on the internet. James Whitten, an unlicensed fraud, is in the wind. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of this person, with a long list of offenses to his credit, is encouraged to call the DE SPCA 302-998-2281 or DE Crime Stoppers (800) TIP-33333. To read a full account go to http://www.sparkweekly.com/article/20100419/NEWS01/4190331/-1/TERMS

Since colleague and veteran blogger Eric Goebelbecker of DogSpelledForward has already written this excellent blog http://www.dogspelledforward.com/ebook-how-to-find-a-dog-trainer, I will not go into details on the latter subject. However, I would like to stress, that sadly, anyone at all can call themselves  a dog trainer. Often a fancy website suggests credibility, but this is often far from the case, especially in the troubling case of James Whitten.

Recently, I added to my own credentials, adding the initials CPDT-KA to my name(Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed.)  You can read more about the exam process here: CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS. The latter is a step that any serious and responsible dog trainer should take. As you will read, there are requirements to be met prior to even taking the exam. Had James Whitten been a qualified professional, people would not be currently grieving over their lost pets. Anyone who has taken the time, effort and expense of attaining national licensure, will surely not abscond with your beloved pets.

At the very least, look for someone who is accredited with a nationally known trainer/author with impeccable references, such as Pat Miller. Prior to attaining CPDT-KA, I attended a series of Pat Miller Internships, and became PMCT( Pat Miller Certified Trainer).  Do not be taken in by a fancy website and proclamation of experience. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Take the time to check references and learn about credentials for dog training professionals. Your pets will be safer. My thoughts and prayers are with the Delaware folks who still search for their dogs.

Leslie Fisher PMCT, CPDT-KA

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