Adoption Pak

• Your Responsibilities (My Disclaimer)

• My Commitment to Non-Force Training (3 pp)

• Looking for Help
• Owners Beware -- What to Look for, and What to AVOID! (8 pp)
• Getting Help with Non-Profound Problems
• Getting My Help with Profound Problems (4 pp)
• My Rates
• My Contract
• Feed Me!! Nutrition for Dogs Poor nutrition can cause skin ailments, digestive problems, poor bone and muscle development, dull, coarse, sparse coat, and in some cases, can even contribute to aggression problems!
(6 pp)
• Why Not Use Aversives or Correction in Training? I believe that dogs require leadership. But, I provide that leadership through teaching the dog to cooperate, rather than teaching the dog that (s)he HAS to submit. (7 pp) 
  • Why Am I So Against the Use of Force Methods?  It’s always better to take the shortest, cleanest route, whenever possible… and the shortest, cleanest route in training is in the use of positive reinforcement.
  • Non-Compliance  Lots of people simply look at a dog's noncompliance as "dominance". That's why correction training has taken such a foothold in this country... humans MUST dominate all other species. 
  • Shock Collars These collars deserve a heading of their own, simply due to the damage they cause.
  • Using Correction Positively?  It's common to hear punishing methods referred to as "positive reinforcement methods", simply because you're taught to say "good boy!" after issuing the correction, when the unwanted behavior stops.
  • Superstitious Behaviors  a behavior that has nothing to do with the intended lesson.
• It's a Matter of Trust  Much of the work that I do is centered in working with aggressive dogs... dogs who, for one reason or another, feel threatened.  Where many trainers will attribute the dog's explosive behavior to dominance, I attribute it to the perception of threat. (10 pp)
  • Gauging Stress  When working toward building the safety history, it's important that you have a solid understanding of the situations which cause your dog stress... so, first, you'll need to understand how to *gauge* your dog's stress level.
  • Building the Safety History  We ALL have to do things that we don't WANT to do... my *personal* feeling, in trying to incorporate clicker training philosophy into all aspects of my dogs' lives, is that we can make them as stress-free as POSSIBLE, without fore-going the necessities altogether.
• Clicker Training Basics This article gives the average pet-owner an understanding of the principles of clicker training, so that they can get started quickly. (16 pp)
  • The Benefits of Clicker Training Clicker training has several benefits that we often don’t think about, actively.
  • Why This Method is Preferred  This methodology teaches the dog to problem-solve... that no behavior is wrong -- there's only behavior that's rewarded, and behavior that isn't.
  • Problems with "Crossing Over"  One of the hardest aspects of teaching with this method with a "traditionally-trained", or cross-over dog, is the teaching of the concept of offering behaviors.
  • How Does the Method Work?  When starting out, clicking the clicker is not going to mean anything to your dog... you have to give it meaning, first.
  • "Getting" the Behavior  There are benefits and problems associated with each of these methods.
  • What Motivates Your Dog?  Every dog is individual, just as every human is.
  • Refusing the Reinforcer  You clicked the behavior, and the dog refuses the reinforcer.  Does it count?
  • Clicking in Groups  Once the dog understands what the clicker means, it's quite acceptable to click in groups.
  • Why Use a Marker?  You're using a sound that is unmistakable at long distances, extremely short in duration, and very precise. It is the reward marker.
  • Getting Rid of Unwanted Behavior  You have to understand how learning occurs, in order to be effective with *any* training method.
  • Chaining & Linking  The goal of training is to get as much "bang for your buck" as possible... both from your point of view, and the dog's point of view.
  • Increasing Duration of Behavior  The clicker not only MARKS the behavior, but it ALSO **ends** the behavior... so, how do you end up with a 5-minute down-stay, if you click as soon as he downs?
  • Phasing Out the Reward  Like any other method, the clicker and rewards are TOOLS, used for teaching.
  • Reward Delivery  Learn to use a variable system of delivery, to keep him from anticipating the treat.
  • A Word About Generalizing  Dogs incorporate their environment into their learning, and that makes it difficult for them to learn efficiently.
  • When to Add the Cue  There are alot of answers to this question.
  • Stimulus Control  Stimulus control is control over the dog's response in a given circumstance.
  • More Than 1 Behavior at a Time  It's all dependent upon your imagination, your ability to keep up with your dog, and your dog's understanding
  • "Lump-sum Payments"?  Jack-pots are used to provide contrast, and this is different from the use of "lump-sum" payments.
  • Non-Food-Motivated Dogs  It's alot easier with food... because food is readily available, and because you can keep the rate of reinforcement high enough to keep the dog's interest.
  • Keeping a Journal  Using a journal allows you to see, at a glance, to more easily facilitate training.
• Teaching Your Dog NOT to Do Something In keeping with using non-force methodology, there are several ways that this can be accomplished. (2 pp)
• Teaching Redirection teaching the animal to perform a different behavior, as a means of obtaining reinforcement: a replacement behavior. (4 pp)
• No Outside Dogs! Does your dog REALLY prefer to be out there? (4 pp)
• The Myth of the Poor Abused or Neglected Rescued Dog People have a very real tendency toward not setting limits, based on the dog’s "rough life" up to this point.
• Confining Your Dog for the safety of your dog, and the neighborhood, fencing is an important part of the Good Neighbor Policy! (5 pp)
• Making the Transition So, what do you do with the dog, now that you've got him at home? (4 pp)
• The Integration Process Once you've made the decision to adopt, it's important that you know how to introduce your dog, cat, etc. to the new family member!
• Feed Me!! Nutrition for Dogs Poor nutrition can cause skin ailments, digestive problems, poor bone and muscle development, dull, coarse, sparse coat, and in some cases, can even contribute to aggression problems!
(6 pp)
• Clicker Training with Cross-over Dogs I think that there are less-than-optimum ways to start life, and some poor dogs got to experience ALOT of it.  I feel, personally, that dogs are very much like children... when their early learning is compromised, they can spend their entire lives playing "catch-up". (3 pp)
  • The Differences Between Methods  This understanding is CRITICAL in working with fear and aggressive responses in dogs!
• Recipe for a "New" Dog There are many reasons why you may need a recipe for building a new relationship, from scratch. (4 pp)
  • What's in a Name?  If you're bringing a strange dog into your home, and he already has a name, there may be some pretty nasty associations already tied to that name.
  • Making Assumptions  These are assumptions that I make regarding every dog that I work with, in any capacity.
• What Are Rewards? Rewards can be fickle beasts... understanding this will give you what you need to work around it! (7 pp)
  • The Training Bargain  In order for the bargain to work, there has to be trust: you must trust that the dog will do as you ask, and your dog must trust that you'll carry through on your implied promises.
  • Praise, as a Training Tool, is Ineffective  Praise is considered to be a *secondary reinforcer* -- unless it's associated with really good stuff, it's just not motivating.
• Housetrained (or Not) Many rescue people and shelters list their dogs as "house trained"... find out what that means, exactly, and how it can doom your relationship to failure! (6 pp)
• Attention-Seeking Behaviors Your dog will perform whatever behavior he happens to come up with, that works... he won't continue to look for a "less obnoxious" way to get the same results. {grin} (7 pp)
• Socializing the Rescued Dog Lack of socialization causes fear responses in older puppies and dogs, leading to shyness, yappiness, and downright aggressive behavior. (3 pp)
• Greeting Humans  Being able to greet humans appropriately and calmly is one of those behaviors that seem to apply circular logic: he has to be calm in order to greet, but he has to greet in order to calm down. {grin} (9 pp)
• Kids and the Rescued Dog There are some very simple rules to follow, when your dog is part of a dog/kid household (2 pp)
• Confining Your Dog
  • Underground Fencing Underground fencing is typically marketed as a safe, cheap alternative to physical barrier fencing.  My personal feeling is that it's safer NOT to fence the yard at all, than to use underground fencing.
  • Teaching the Dog to Stay in His Yard WITHOUT a Boundary  You can't teach a dog (or any other organism) NOT to seek out reinforcement.
  • Building Doggie Doors (for under $20!)  Includes instructions and drawing!
  • Proper Kenneling My dogs aren't allowed access to the yard, when they're not supervised... but this can be a pretty inconvenient concept, if the whole purpose of fencing your yard is to allow the dog to go to the bathroom while you're away from home.
• Teaching Bite Inhibition should be taught as a gesture of love for the animal -- not through force!  (4 pp)
  • Dog-Dog Bite Inhibition  The problem in gauging bite inhibition is that it's taught when the dog is relatively calm... but you have to test it when the dog is pissed off -- that's the TRUE indicator.
• The Need for Obedience Training So what's the big deal, anyway? (4 pp)
  • My Thoughts on Obedience Classes  Formal, traditional-style obedience classes have very few benefits, in my opinion.
  • Generalizing Behaviors  Dogs incorporate their environment into their learning.
  • Training for Attention  Before you can effectively train your dog, you need to make sure his attention is focused on you.
• Choosing a Training Collar Head collars are all the rage with dogs who pull on-lead.  Find out what you need to know in order to teach your dog to accept the head collar, so that you can take him anywhere you want to, without pulling -- and without hurting him! (6 pp)
  • What's a Head Collar?  A head collar is like a horse's bridle, without the bit.
  • Notes on Head Collars  Types, differences, use.
  • Fitting the Head Collar  Proper fit is everything, with these collars.
  • Teaching Your Dog to Accept the Headcollar  Some people only try to use it when they need to do crappy stuff to their dogs, like take him to the vet's -- and, of course, the dog associates this with the collar, and fights it.
• Teaching Obedience Commands A very simple "how-to".  (10 pp)
  • A Word About Language  Train your dog with this in mind: the average shelter or Rescue worker should be able to give a simple command, and your dog respond in a positive manner.
  • How Obedience Training Helps  the Average, Everyday Dog
  • Companion Vs. Competition Obedience  Competition obedience has its place, but I teach companion obedience.
  • Teaching the Commands
  • Loose Leash Work with Large Dogs  Working with large (and VERY large {grin} dogs -- and trying to maintain some sort of semblance of control -- can be a special consideration.

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