Look What I Can Do! Blog

Facebook Follow Friends Friday Newsflash: The Dog Trainer`s Dogs

Never say never! Since becoming fully engaged(indeed addicted) in the world of Facebook and Twitter, the former statement has particular meaning. At one time I scoffed at the mere idea, and used delete function freely and rapidly for all facebook invitations. Flash forward. Now, I find myself writing a new blog, that will be a regular feature, the Follow Friends Friday Newsflash. This will be my way of paying tribute to  wonderful friends, those with passion, dedication, and those who have inspired and supported me.

Beginning this week with a great twitter friend, I envision alternating weekly between Facebook  and Twitter. That remains to be seen, so stay tuned. In my humble opinion, it would be worth your while to give each of these folks a follow, whether on either social media of facebook or twitter. Without further ado, I introduce with pleasure the dynamic duo, Rod and Amy Burkett, of www.gopetfriendly.comTo follow on twitter, simply use @gopetfriendly.

These good friends are dedicated to providing accurate and up to date pet friendly accommodations, on a user friendly website, for those who love to travel with their furry friends. This pair can be found on both facebook and twitter, and I know they would love to hear from you. The website is very interactive in nature; engaging with pet owners is what they do best.

Indeed, on ongoing project is extremely engaging, and crying out for your participation. Do you wish that your large dogs were accorded the same travel privileges of their smaller counterparts? Yes? Then click, do not surf, to here: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/givebigdogsabreak  The latter link is to brainchild project of Rod and Amy: Operation Give Big Dogs A Break. Your participation could make a huge difference. So please, click, sign and do share!! I hope you enjoy meeting Rod and Amy; I know I have.

Mention of GoPetFriendly is merely the tip of the iceberg, for folks I have come to admire and respect, on both facebook and twitter, for their passion and dedication. Stay tuned each week for another Follow Friends Friday Newsflash.

Leslie Fisher PMCT CPDT-KA, certified licensed professional

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

LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! DOG TRAINING 

The Dog Trainer`s Dogs: Well Trained and Well Traveled, Enhanced Relationships

My life is much the richer for being able to travel with my dogs. To myself, this does not necessarily mean all over the world, but often to a lesser extent, such as visiting the homes of friends. This was true during the most recent blizzard of 2010, when I packed up all three labs and fled to a home where I enjoyed company for the duration. It was remarked upon that "the kids" made wonderful house guests; they were even invited back! 

The Bridget Talley Doobie trio did not: counter surf, chew or ingest human objects, jump on the beds, behave like ruffians, have potty accidents, or inappropriately jump up. They did: sit when asked, come when called, sleep through the night, relax while indoors,stop at door to have paws dried, maintain stays and laid down on cue so as not to block the TV! Bridget even fetched firewood. The trip is rare when I am not accompanied by at least one lab. 

They all ride well, wait to exit the car, and do not eat the car when I run into a store on an errand. I am often accompanied into the bank, pet store, accountant, hairdresser and drugstore, where people observe and remark on the good manners being displayed. Sit quietly in line, heel nicely through the drugstore, greet politely,  down/stay while transactions are done, make smiles happen: all reliable behaviors.  The fact that my dogs can be canine ambassadors greatly enhances our relationship, and they are living proof that positive reinforcement training works.

 

On a more international level, Bridget has been to Canada on numerous trips and has: gone camping, ridden an enormous ferry, visited in the homes of non-doggy relatives (with good reports) and stayed in bed/breakfasts and hotels. Novel environments are handled with aplomb and confidence; there is no worry about how she will adapt. Friends are made wherever we venture. Pet owners who have invested the time in training their dogs, I would venture to say, enjoy  more multi-faceted and rewarding dog-human relationships, than those who have not. How could this not be true when your best friends go where you go? 

*Footnote* It does seem as though Bridget monopolizes the camera; there are pics of Talley and Doobie out and about. Writing in the wee hours, I found myself using the pictures that most quickly illustrated a point, and they all happened to be Bridget!

Leslie Fisher PMCT, ABC Student Mentor, CGC Evaluator

Member: MAAPPPT, TrulyDogFriendly, APDT, Affiliate Peaceable Paws