I am extremely pleased that you chose to not only highlight the sport of agility (my chosen dog sport passion) in the August 2000 issue, but that you chose to only give reference to those agility organizations that welcome ALL dogs, regardless of pedigree!
An estimated 60 percent of dogs in this country are mixed breeds. My mission is to teach people to NOT think of getting a purebred, but to go to the shelters. Very often, the type of dogs that are too much for your average family adopting a dog are perfect for performance sport homes.
I have two top performing shelter rescue dogs. They are both USDAA Master Agility dogs and only a couple of legs away from being Agility Dog Champions. They have each qualified and competed at the USDAA and NADAC National Agility Championships numerous times and have dabbled in herding and obedience as well. The only reason that people might consider getting a purebred is because, A) they like a certain breed (that’s okay) or, B) they want to compete in AKC agility and cannot with a mix (that’s NOT okay in my opinion).
Three Cheers for Whole Dog Journal’s all-inclusive approach! You’ve certainly won me over forever!
-Elise Paffrath
Guilford, VT
I have enjoyed your recent articles on raw meat-based diets (Rractice Safe Steaks, August, and Bones of Contention, September). When my dog was a pup, I stumbled across Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s Give Your Dog A Bone and have never looked back.
I consider raw meat and bones the backbone (no pun intended) of my dog’s diet. She is three and a half years old, lean, energetic, with a wonderful coat and beautiful teeth. In all that time, she has never, ever had a problem with either the meat or the bones and Im not particularly careful with the choice or the method of preparation, except to say that they are always given raw.
Because I’m a busy mom, my method of feeding has evolved into something very simple. First, I look for the most economical meat I can buy (super fresh and organic would be nice but too expensive for my mindset). This is usually chicken quarters in a big bag and/or turkey backs. I try to buy these in large quantities so I have plenty on hand. Then I buy a cheap box of plastic bags. I take the time to bag the meat in single meal portions. For my dog this is usually one chicken quarter. Then I freeze it all at once. Kelly eats frozen meat nearly all the time. She loves it. This way I don’t worry about or have to deal with spoilage or dripping juices.
I also have a plastic drop cloth that I put in the back corner of the house. This is where she gets her meat. She needs room to crunch and rip the meat apart. I fold up the cloth when shes done and it gets cleaned periodically.
Meticulous, no. Feasible, yes. For me and my lifestyle, it makes raw feeding workable, and all types of dog food, which I find unacceptable, avoidable. Kelly’s diet is supplemented other nutritious table foods, all of which she tolerates and enjoys. I also pay attention to Dr. Billinghurst’s recommendations for balanced feeding. Perhaps my experience will benefit others.
-Lisa McDougal
Madison, Wisconsin
I just received the new issue (September 2000) and wanted to make a comment about the Toy Story. In your rankings, the Fetch & Flash ball got a much lower score than the Zap ball, mostly because it only lights up instead of making noises. I just wanted to comment that if you have a deaf dog, the flashing ball is the best thing going (especially if she is a ball-obsessed Aussie).
You may not realize it, but you have a fair number of subscribers who have deaf dogs. You got glowing recommendations on the deafdog list at eGroups recently. Just thought you’d like to know!
-Jennifer Laus
via email
Thanks for reminding us about special needs dogs! We’ll have to research an article about training deaf dogs soon.
Last month, in this space, I spilled the beans: My own dogs health is precipitous. Im doing what I feel is best for him, but life with Rupert these days is a bit of a roller coaster. Last week, he looked awful, with red, inflamed skin and tender, goopy ears. This week his skin seems more quiescent, paler. Next week, who knows?
Steps weve taken: Ive found a food that he seems to be digesting well his poop looks perfect and hes holding his weight well. Im giving him herbs on and off slippery elm to soothe his skin and digestive tract and a echinacea/goldenseal combination that is supposed to boost his resistance to infection. I think they make a difference; his skin is less red.
Hes had allergy tests, so we know what hes oversensitive to. But Im holding off on allergy shots little doses of the antigens that sort of overwhelm the bodys misguided defenders, which are attacking the body itself. I want to give the homeopathy a chance to work without interference before I throw one more thing into the mix. (Oh yeah, homeopathy, too.)
I know that stress definitely plays a part in his response to his itching/scratching cycle; hes a highly sensitive soul who hates chaos. Send a few kids running through the house yelling, and hell dive into a scratching fit, chewing like mad on his forearm, or a patch on his side. So I try to keep him with me every minute, so I can stroke him when he gets nervous.
We hadnt seen Paws, our wiggly two-days-a-week daycare puppy for a while; he matured and graduated from our care. But he spent a week with us recently when his family was on vacation, and that was apparently enough stress to set Rupie off again. I should say, the stress of having Paws here and the flea or two that Paws brought with him set Rupe off again. Feeling a little guilty, I put some Advantage on Paws, making him the designated flea-killer, and that seemed to take care of that.
Im painfully aware that there is also a lot that I havent done for Rupert. In the past month, my phone messages (and email, and snail mail) has been voluminous, as many of you have responded with suggestions for treatment. Many of you have found yourselves in similar straits with one of your dogs, and here is how you fixed it:
Tellington TTouch, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, energy work
Adding raw foods; eliminating grains; eliminating any foods that contain pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics
Commercial food, brand X, Y, or Z
Supplements, including: fatty acids, fresh garlic, colostrum, cider vinegar, more herbs, and quercitin (an antiviral herb extract)
Shampoo X, Y, and Z, vinegar baths
Medication and medicated shampoo to combat a potential yeast overgrowth on the skin
And many more . . .
I am grateful for your suggestions; Im learning a lot, and I plan, over time, to give a few of these things a try. Ill also assign some articles on some of these subjects; we might be calling you for more detail on how they worked for you!
But Ill admit that sometimes, knowing that more alternatives are available is frustrating. The more you know, the more you think you ought to be doing. And there is only so much that you can subject a little body to at once.
At this point, I totally sympathize with people who have something like cancer, where everyone knows about some treatment that saved somebody once. Frustrating as this is, Rupert and I have to find our own path, and take it one step at a time. Well keep you posted . . . and thanks for your support.
Did you ever watch someone showing off his dog’s tricks? Sit up. Roll over. Jump through a hoop. Catch the ball. Balance a treat on Buddy’s nose. Shake paw. High five. Wave. And take a bow!
Did you happen to notice that it looked like human and canine were both having tremendous fun? No choke chains, no prong collars, no electric shock boxes. But lots of treats, toys, and lots of praise, smiles, and high-wagging tails.
Yet if you were to see that same dog and owner combination in a traditional compulsion-based training class you might well see frowns, a stern, commanding tone of voice, intimidating human body language, heavy metal around the dog’s neck, and a lot of appeasing body language signals from the dog – ears back, tail down, head lowered, averted glances, yawning, and nose licking. Why the difference?
We tend to think of basic behaviors such as sit, lie down, come and stay, as serious obedience. They are important, and Buddy has to do them in order to be a well-behaved dog. Tricks, on the other hand, are frivolous. It doesn’t really matter if Buddy rolls over when we ask him to. After all, it’s just for fun . . .
It’s all tricks!
Positive trainers have a saying that I love. We like to remind our clients that “It’s all tricks!” Teaching Buddy to sit when we ask him to is just as much a “trick” as teaching him to crawl on his belly across the living room rug. They are both simply behaviors that Buddy is physically capable of doing, that we teach him to offer us in response to a verbal cue or hand signal. If we can change our attitude and remember to have fun teaching the basics as well as the tricks, we can have a dog who performs the serious behaviors with just as much enthusiasm as he does when he rolls over or catches a treat off the end of his nose.
Chances are good that if you enroll in a positive training class, your instructor will incorporate tricks into each week’s lessons in order to keep the training process fun for everybody. You don’t have to wait for a training class to have more fun with Buddy – you can start anytime. All you need is your dog, a hefty supply of treats, a clicker, a few props, a quiet place to train without distractions, and a commitment to having fun. (Although you can use other reward markers besides the clicker – such as the verbal marker, “Yes!” – the clicker makes a constant, sharp, attention-catching sound that in most cases works better in the early learning stages than a verbal marker does. For best results, we suggest you try the clicker.) While you are teaching your dog tricks, take note of how much fun it is. Then remember to have just as much fun when you are teaching him those other, “serious” tricks like sit, down, stay, and come.
“Charging” the clicker
Although it helps if your dog already knows basic good manners, it’s not necessary for him to be fully obedience-trained in order to teach him tricks. If Buddy has not already been introduced to the clicker, we need to begin there. Start with the clicker in your pocket. The sharp Click! of the clicker startles some dogs. If you put it in your pocket at first it will muffle the sound until Buddy has a chance to associate it with the positive reinforcement of the treat. Once you are sure he is comfortable with the sound, you can hold it behind your back for a few clicks, then hold it in front of you to Click! and treat as you continue training. (If your dog seems unduly frightened of the clicker you can use the softer Click! of a ball-point pen, or just use a verbal “Yes!” as your reward marker.)
“Charging” the clicker, also known “conditioning the dog to the reward marker,” simply means teaching him that the Click! sound always means that a treat is coming. In order to charge the clicker, all you need to do is Click! the clicker, pause for a half-second, then feed Buddy a treat. He doesn’t have to do anything at all to get the Click! at this point, as long as he isn’t doing something you don’t want to encourage (such as jumping up on you). After six to 12 repetitions, most dogs begin to make the connection between the Click! sound and the treat. Now if you consistently Click! and treat every time he does a particular behavior, he will learn that he can make the Click! happen, just by sitting, which is exactly what we want. This part of the process generally takes less than 15 minutes. Once Buddy learns that he controls the Click!, he will offer behaviors in order to make the Click! happen, and you are ready to have fun with it.
Shake paw
There are several different ways to teach your dog to “Shake paw.” Some dogs are naturally “pawsy.” With these you can simply “capture” the behavior. Click! and treat when Buddy lifts his paw. Keep repeating the Click! and rewarding for a paw lift. When you see him deliberately offering a paw in order to win the reward, add the verbal cue “Shake!”, then Click! and treat. Hold out your own hand, palm up, as the hand signal for “Shake.” When you have repeated the verbal cue often enough that you think he has made the association, try asking for the behavior with just the word, without moving your hand. Give him a couple of seconds, and if he doesn’t offer his paw, offer your own hand to elicit the shake. If you keep repeating this sequence, Buddy will quickly learn to offer his paw for just the verbal cue.
If your dog is not a natural shaker you can “shape” the behavior by repeatedly clicking and rewarding any tiny lift of a paw off the ground. When Buddy is regularly lifting the paw slightly, start clicking only the more noticeable lifts. Gradually raise the criteria until he lifts the paw high enough for it to be considered a “Shake.” Then add the verbal cue as described above.
You may want to “lure” the paw lift. Some dogs will paw at your hand if you hold a treat in front of them in your closed fist; then you can Click! and treat. Others need still more help. Try holding a treat just over your dog’s head, then move it off to one side. Many dogs will lift a paw as they lean to follow the movement of the treat. Click! and reward. And repeat. If “capturing,” “shaping,” and “luring” don’t work, try “molding.” Touch the back of Buddy’s leg. If he lifts, Click! and treat. If a touch doesn’t work, you can actually lift the paw, Click! and reward. Just be aware that molding may teach Buddy to wait for you to touch him before he will shake. The other methods encourage him to think for himself and offer the behavior voluntarily, which is what we really want.
Once Buddy knows “Shake!” you can progress to “High Five” or “Wave” by clicking and rewarding simple variations on the theme. For example, for a “High Five,” offer your hand for a “Shake” but move it at the last minute into a High Five sign – palm toward Buddy, fingers pointed skyward.
Spin and twirl
This is a fun and easy trick than can be incorporated into your heeling for a flashy dance step. You can try shaping Buddy’s spin if you want (Click! and reward for a head turn, then gradually for greater and greater head and body turns, until he turns all the way around), but it’s usually easier and faster to lure it. I use the cue “Spin” for a counter-clockwise circle, and “Twirl” to mean clockwise. You can make them mean whatever direction you want or you can use entirely different words; just be consistent. One of my students does Musical Freestyle with her Great Dane. She uses “Donut” and “Cheerio” because you can say those words without moving your lips, and ideally, in Freestyle, you don’t want the judges to see your mouth move.
Have Buddy stand in front of you. If he wants to sit, back up while you ask him to spin. Let him see the treat in your right hand. Lure him in a circle to your right (his left) by moving the treat, at his nose level, in an arc toward his tail, then continue the circle with the treat until he is facing you again. When he has completed the circle, Click! and give him the treat. Repeat. When he is doing the circle easily, start saying “Spin,” first while he is turning, then just before. Gradually minimize the hand motion and eventually eliminate the lure, until he will spin on just the verbal cue, or with a tiny motion of your hand or finger. For “Twirl,” do the same thing, only start with the treat in your left hand and go the opposite direction. If Buddy is reluctant to do a complete circle at first, shape it. Click! and reward for partial turns, gradually increasing the arc until he will do a full circle.
Roll over
This one is a little more complicated. If your dog is already trained to “down” on cue, ask him to lie down. (Remember to Click! and reward him for that!) If he doesn’t already know how to “Down!”, wait until he lies down on his own, or lure him into a down by holding a treat in front of his nose when he is sitting, and then moving it slowly toward the floor. Keep clicking and rewarding him as he follows the treat toward the floor until he is all the way down.
Once your dog can lie down easily, encourage him to roll onto one side by moving the treat in an arc from his nose to a point just above his shoulder. Some dogs will do this easily the first trial, others need a little more encouragement through shaping – clicking and rewarding when the dog makes small moves in the right direction until he finally rolls onto one side. When he will roll onto one side for you smoothly, just keep going! Continue the arc of the treat lure so that he follows it with his nose and rolls his body all the way over. Where Buddy’s nose goes the rest of him must follow! Once your dog is doing one roll easily, try two in a row. Then more, until you can get him to do a whole series of roll overs.
Many dogs are one-sided, meaning they’ll roll easily in one direction but not the other. If your dog is having trouble with this trick, try rolling the opposite way. Then, once he has the easy direction figured out, make him ambi-pawstrous and shape the roll the other way as well.
Say your prayers
This is a fun trick that rates high on the cuteness scale. Have Buddy sit in front of a chair or stool that comes to about his mid-chest level. Lure him into lifting one or two front feet off the ground by raising the treat over his head, and then encourage him to rest his feet on the chair seat. You may need to Click! and reward for very short paw-rests at first, until he leaves his paws on the chair for longer and longer periods of time.
When he is sitting confidently with his paws resting on the chair for extended periods, lure his nose with a treat so he is looking down between his paws at the floor. Click! and treat. Once you know he will look between his legs without taking his paws off the chair, start using your verbal cue, “Say your prayers,” or “Meditate!” or whatever word or phrase you want to use. Gradually fade your use of obvious cues until he will run over to a chair, prop up his feet and “say his prayers” with just a verbal cue or hand signal.
Crawl
Buddy already knows “Down” from your Roll Over trick, so the crawl is easy to teach. It works best if you do it on carpet or grass – lots of dogs won’t crawl on a hard or rough surface. Ask Buddy to lie down facing you, and hold a treat in front of his nose. Keeping the treat just an inch or two above the ground, back up a step and very slowly move the treat toward you. As Buddy strains to follow the treat he should drag himself forward a tiny bit. Click! and reward. Keep repeating the sequence until he creeps farther and farther forward.
If the dog jumps up to follow the treat you may have moved it too far, or too fast. Slow down, and remember to Click! and reward tiny bits of the Crawl so Buddy can figure out how to do the right thing. The most common mistake most people make when training their dogs is trying to go too fast – asking for too much too soon. Ask for small behaviors so Buddy can win. As long as he keeps winning he will be more willing to keep trying.
Once Buddy is confidently crawling longer distances you can fade the lure and minimize the hand motion, and put the behavior on a verbal cue or a barely noticeable hand signal, as you did with the previous tricks.
Take a bow
You can end your routine with a flourish when you and Buddy take a bow together. Have Buddy standing in front of you or at your side. Put a treat in front of his nose, and move it toward his chest and down toward the floor. Here’s the tricky part. If you have taught him to lie down by moving a treat toward the ground, he may try to lie down here. Watch him closely. When he has a slight bend in his elbows, Click! and raise the treat so he stands up again, then reward. If you are slow, he will probably lie down; don’t Click! the Down. The quicker he lies down for you, the quicker you will need to be at clicking for his elbow bend and raising the treat up before he goes down. Gradually encourage Buddy to dip lower and lower until he can bow with his elbows touching the ground and his rear end high in the air.
When you are sure you can get a half-bow or better without having Buddy go all the way into a Down, you can start using the verbal cue. I suggest using something other than the word “Bow,” since “Bow” sounds a lot like “Down” and we are already risking confusion because of the similarity of the luring motion. One of my students uses the word “Bravo!”, which I like a lot. Others use “Take a bow,” with the emphasis on the word “Take” rather than “bow.”
Taking the show on the road
Now you have a repertoire of six tricks with which to dazzle your friends and neighbors. You can add an almost infinite number of new tricks simply by picturing the behavior in your mind that you want Buddy to perform, and then figuring out how to use your treats to lure, shape, capture or mold the behavior so you can Click! and reward it. Remember to break the behavior down into small pieces so Buddy can win at each step along the way to the final desired behavior.
Try it; you might like it! And once you are convinced that “It’s all tricks” you can toss those choke chains in the garbage and you and Buddy can get on with the serious business of having fun training together.
Pat Miller is a freelance author and a professional dog trainer in Fairplay, Maryland. She is author of many books on dog training.
Several readers have contacted me with reports of their growing massage skills. Learning and practicing each new massage technique is a thrill, and now that you have accomplished several techniques it is time to put them all together into a massage routine for your dog. The following routine is just a guideline to help get you started. Once you have tried it a time or two, you will naturally sequence the massage moves into a routine to suit you and your dog. Soon each massage will be different and will meet your changing needs and moods.
Getting in “massage mode”
To begin, clear your mind of all miscellaneous thoughts that tend to stray into your consciousness. Focus on your dog, and set your intent for the massage. Do you intend the massage to relax, reduce stress, improve flexibility and range of motion, or relieve discomfort from a chronic condition like arthritis? Whatever your reason, greet your dog verbally or mentally, express your intent, and ask permission to begin. Some folks speak in soothing tones while others use mental pictures to communicate with their pal. Remember, it is important that the massage be a pleasant experience for the dog.
The goal is to massage the whole dog, but we generally massage the face and head then one side of the body at a time. The effleurage move is used to “open” and “close” each region of the body as the massage routine progresses. As you use effleurage to open an area it stimulates blood flow which brings oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and prepares the region for other, sometimes deeper massage work. When massage in one area is completed, the area is closed with effleurage, which encourages the removal of toxins and metabolic wastes that can be released during massage.
Start at the beginning
I suggest initiating massage with effleurage to the face and head, since I think most dogs interpret the petting motion as a friendly gesture. Both sides of the face and head can be massaged at one time. Follow a few effleurage strokes with digital circles (finger pads only) to the face. You might concentrate on the large masseter or jaw muscle and the areas that surround the base of the ears. As you close the face and head with effleurage, make the strokes long and continue them on to the neck and shoulder to open these areas.
You may wish to use more digital circles on the neck muscles next to the vertebral column. It is beneficial to make a series of small digital circles near the vertebrae and a second series of slightly larger circles about one-half inch farther from the vertebrae. Of course, the area that you cover and the number of passes that you make is somewhat dependent on the size of the dog. Continue work by moving to the shoulder. A cross-fiber friction technique like the angel wing technique separates muscle fibers and can relieve muscle spasms. Remember that the stroke mimics the thumb motion of a hitchhiker. You may wish to start with a light pressure and increase it slightly as you proceed. Use two or three effleurage strokes to close the area.
It is time to open the front leg with effleurage. Remember to start at the toes and work up so you are going with the flow of venous blood toward the heart. You can follow this with digital circles around the joints, and on the larger upper arm muscles. Around the joints, digital circles will alert you to any swelling or discomfort that is present.
Now take the paw gently in your hand and use passive touch or a few sets of two or three compressions to increase circulation. Now work on maintaining and improving flexibility with passive stretching of the limb. Only stretch until the dog shows resistance. Do not stretch past this point. Close the limb with two or three effleurage strokes up the leg.
Open the chest and trunk with several effleurage strokes. Two or three passes of slow digital circles and/or two or three passes of thumb gliding along the spine are great to look for muscle spasms or other types of discomfort while relaxing the muscles. In the thumb glide, the thumb leads the way and the fingers just tag along. Start the strokes near the vertebral column and make each successive pass a little farther from the spine. You may also wish to thumb glide between the ribs. Close the chest and trunk with long effleurage strokes that cover the large hip muscles to open this area.
Mixing techniques
As for the shoulder, angel wing is a great technique for the large hip muscles. The routine for the hind limb is similar to the one for the front leg. You may also wish to do compressions or digital circles on the large muscles of the upper limb, digital circles around the joints, and passive touch or compression on the paw. Do some gentle passive stretching of the limb, and you are ready to close with effleurage up the leg.
If the dog is standing, go to the other side and repeat the same massage routine starting at the neck and continuing toward the tail. If the dog is lying down, you must gently roll him over or ask him to stand and reposition himself so you can massage the other side. When you have completed the massage, you may wish to make a few sweeping effleurage strokes from head to tail. End the session with doggy bone stretches to both sides to improve flexibility. It is very good for the dog and ends the massage on a very positive note. Be sure to thank the dog!
Congratulations – you have just completed a massage for your dog. The benefits to him were many. How do you feel? The positive mood that you have surely reached is an additional but sometimes ignored benefit of canine massage.
Author Sue Furman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO. In addition to her academic career, she is active as a free-lance writer and teaches equine and canine massage classes.
Hannah was a normal, healthy Labrador Retriever puppy: happy, boisterous, playful, and always willing to eat. Hannah’s owner, Connecticut resident Anne Hassett, bought Hannah when the pup was seven weeks old. Hassett trained, socialized, and loved the golden pup. A field-line Labrador, Hannah hunted on the weekends and enjoyed the comfy life of a companion Lab weekdays. Hannah was well known in hunting circles for her steady, easy-going temperament, the coveted hallmark of the Labrador breed. Hassett considered breeding her, and had the dog examined and tested for genetic diseases.
But when Hannah was about 18 months old, she acted aggressively toward another dog in an agility class. Hassett attributed this uncharacteristic behavior to the fact that Hannah was in heat. Hannah acted odd in her in obedience class, too. When asked to be at attention in the heel position, Hassett says the dog got a strange expression on her face. “I thought she didn’t like the atmosphere in class,” says Hassett.
But then Hannah’s behavior began deteriorating in more and more situations. She went from exhibiting aggression toward a certain type of dog (dark-faced dogs especially) to any dog, including a Golden Retriever puppy. “This just kept escalating on its own, and I couldn’t really figure out what had happened to my dog. She nailed this pup and did some serious puncturing. This was the first time she ever tried to bite and she nailed this dog in about a second before I could pull her off,” says Hassett.
Hassett consulted with knowledgeable Labrador enthusiasts who recommended not breeding the dog because even though Hannah was physically sound, her temperament wasn’t.
Hassett was upset and frustrated by Hannah’s change in disposition. She tried to reason why the dog had showed signs of aggression. Hassett knew she had trained and socialized the Lab since puppyhood, and had worked with good trainers using only positive, gentle methods. “I wondered, ‘What happened to my wonderful dog’?” says Hassett.
On the advice of her sister-in-law, who is a dog trainer, Hassett tried some new techniques to modify Hannah’s behavior. It helped some, says Hassett, but only to a point. Hannah was able to control herself only as long as other dogs kept a distance.
Soon Hassett noticed that her normally boisterous Lab was sluggish, lethargic. Hannah would sleep all night, get up to eat, then try to go back to sleep all morning. She seemed depressed, and even stopped wagging her tail (very unusual for a Lab!). She was reluctant to greet visitors, and would only get up to greet people she really liked.
Initial veterinary exam Next, Hassett consulted with her veterinarian. However, a comprehensive exam and several laboratory tests failed to reveal a physical cause for Hannah’s change in behavior. The vet believed it was a behavioral issue and recommended continued training. Hassett did continue the training, but Hannah’s aggression persisted.
When Hannah was 3 1/2 years old, Hassett bought and read The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, by Wendy Volhard and Kerry L. Brown, DVM. Many of the trainers she worked with utilized a natural approach, so Hassett thought she’d give it a try. Perhaps a natural diet, supplements, herbal remedies or Bach flowers, would help Hannah, thought Hassett. She read the book, paying special attention to the parts that interested her, and tried different approaches. Unfortunately, she said, she had no great success with anything she tried.
Hassett consulted with her veterinarian again. The vet agreed that Hannah wasn’t the same dog, but results from a new round of tests were normal. “She had nothing to say to me other than to say she did believe something was wrong,” says Hassett.
That Christmas Hannah’s aggressive behavior turned in a new direction. When Hassett hosted a holiday party that included adults and children, Hannah growled at several children who attended the festivities. Of course, Hassett was devastated by this, frustrated and upset she was unable to solve Hannah’s behavioral problems. She knew deep down that something was wrong with her beautiful dog.
Better on a re-read Interestingly, Hassett picked up the Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog again, and this time, found herself drawn to the chapter on chiropractic care, which she had skipped the first time around. “For some reason, I never bothered with the chiropractic chapter,” says Hassett. But when she did read it, she couldn’t believe her eyes. There in black and white was a checklist of 12 reasons to consider chiropractic care for your dog. Hassett read through the list, noting that Hannah had five of the 12 symptoms, including a tail that doesn’t wag symmetrically, an anxious look on the face, sensitive skin, a lumpy, bumpy feel to the spine, and a tail that is held straight or not relaxed.
Encouraged, Hassett took the book to her vet and asked her opinion. The vet agreed Hassett could give chiropractic a try, and recommended a holistic practitioner nearby.
In January 1999, Hassett contacted Bud Allen, MS, DVM, at the Family Veterinary Center in Haydenville, Massachusetts. Dr. Allen, who is board certified in chiropractic and acupuncture, examined Hannah and adjusted her spine, primarily in the head and neck. He also treated her with acupuncture. Dr. Allen didn’t make any promises about Hannah’s behavior, but did say that the adjustments he made on the dog were similar to adjustments made in people to relieve migraine headaches. Hassett says she was a little disappointed the veterinarian didn’t have more to say, but was willing to wait and see if the adjustments helped.
On the way home in the car, Hannah did something she hadn’t done for quite a while. She crawled into the front seat, sat next to Hassett and put her golden head in Hassett’s lap. “I almost cried,” says Hassett. “This dog was telling me that whatever happened there was something she needed.” When the pair arrived at home, Hannah greeted Hassett’s husband with a wagging tail. “I was a believer in a couple of hours,” she says.
Emotional roller coaster Hassett called Dr. Allen’s office the next day to report the seemingly positive results. The practitioner suggested treatment every eight weeks for a combination therapy of chiropractic and acupuncture.
Hannah improved over the next few months. She was happy again, more energetic, less grumpy. Hassett was thrilled. But in the fall of 1999, Hannah started getting irritable again. By this time, Hassett was convinced that Hannah’s aggressive behavior was because of pain.
Hassett returned to her allopathic vet for another complete exam: bloodwork, x-rays, thyroid tests, ultrasound. The radiographs of the dog’s spine revealed spondylitis, an arthritic condition in which the there is a buildup of calcium on the spine. Spondylitis is uncommon in Labradors. It involves inflammation of the vertebrae, which the body attempts to limit by stabilizing spinal movements with calcium deposits. In time, the calcium deposits encroach on the nerves in the spine, impaired function and causing great pain. The vet told Hassett that Hannah had the spine of a 10-year-old dog, and the condition could cause enough pain to make Hannah behave aggressively.
The veterinarian recommended against starting Hannah on anti-inflammatory medication because of the dog’s young age, since long-term use can cause gastric ulceration. But she did want to put the dog on steroids for a short period to eliminate pain and see if there was any change in Hannah’s behavior. There was, and Hassett now knew Hannah’s grumpy, aggressive moods were rooted in the pain she experienced.
What to do about the pain was the next challenge. Dr. Allen reviewed Hannah’s x-rays, and recommended treatment every three weeks. Hassett also began feeding Hannah a raw diet based on the book, Give Your Dog a Bone, by Ian Billinghurst, DVM, and added a chondroitin sulfate supplement.
Since January 2000, Hannah has really improved. “Hannah’s in a great mood,” says Hassett. “She hasn’t had a bad morning for quite a while. She receives treatment from Dr. Allen every six weeks, or more often if needed.” Hassett is thankful, and even feels lucky, that she considered alternative treatment for Hannah. “For me, the bottom line was if I hadn’t looked into alternative methods, if I had been the pet owner I was 10 years ago, I could imagine having her put down by now. We are so lucky.”
-By Virginia Parker Guidry
Virginia Parker Guidry is a freelance writer from San Diego, CA.
Holistic Case Histories Does your dog have a good holistic health or training story to share with WDJ? Have gentle training methods or complementary medicine improved the well-being of your dog? If so, send some information about your dog to: WDJ Case Histories, 1175 Regent Street, Alameda, CA 94501. If we select your dog’s story, we will have a writer contact you for more details.
I read “The Power Of Prayer” (March 2000) and just had to let you know: Yes, miracles can happen. I am not a really religious person but after a personal experience with our young puppy who was fighting for his life, I know he is alive today because of prayer.
We moved a year ago and as Maggie (our other Border Collie/Akita) was to have her own outdoor yard we decided to get her a companion. We looked in the local paper and saw an ad for a person giving away Border Collie/Rottweiler/German Shepherd puppies. We decided to drive out to see the puppies, and by the time we got there, there was only one puppy left. We decided to take him home with us. After a few arguments, Argo (the puppy) and Maggie got along fine. We brought the puppy to the vet for an examination and his first lot of shots.
A week later, on a Saturday, of course, both dogs seemed sick, with vomiting and runny stools. They seemed better in the afternoon, so I decided against taking them to the vet. The next day Maggie was better but Argo (then eight weeks old ) just lay there. We took him to the veterinarian, who told us not to expect much as she figured he had Parvo. We told her to do everything they could to save him. We went to the clinic the next morning to see him, he seemed lifeless, on an IV drip. I told myself not to cry as he was going to make it, and I went home and prayed.
Each night and morning I prayed for Argo, never giving up hope. Several people told me it was cruel to keep him alive, but somewhere deep down I knew not to give up, like someone was looking after him, a feeling I can’t describe. For seven days he was on an IV drip and fighting to get well. I made two visits a day to sit with him, to talk to him and tell him to fight as I was fighting for him as well.
On the eighth day he was actually drinking and eating little amounts and was taken off the IV. Joy, oh joy! That afternoon we took home a bundle who was so fragile we had to be careful not to injure him, because he had no fat on him.
I feel certain Argo survived because of my praying. Now he is a year old and bigger than Maggie. I see him thorough the window playing, and I know he is lucky to be alive. Even the vets were praying for him; they told us he was the sickest puppy ever to survive this deadly disease in their clinic. NEVER give up no matter what; prayer can do miracles.
-Andrea Bosco East Liverpool, Ohio
With great interest, I read your article on the power of prayer. My dog, Bear, a 10-year-old, neutered Golden Retriever, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in January 1999. Another local vet confirmed the diagnosis before I took Bear to the University of Pennsylvania. After a whole day of testing, they told us his prognosis was very poor; they gave him two to three months to live. Chemotherapy was suggested but with no hope for survival, so we declined this treatment. To make matters worse, Bear was my 80-year-old, invalid mother’s constant companion. With desperation, one Sunday night I took my dog to church. The pastor anointed him with oil and prayed while several people who loved animals and believed in the power of prayer prayed with him.
It is now 14 months later and Bear is still well. Whenever I take him to the veterinarian, he always exclaims, “Is that dog still alive?” I thank God every day for hearing our prayers.
-Jo Anne Rodman Shamokin, PA
In the March/April issue of The Skeptical Inquirer, Professors Irwin Tessman (Purdue University) and Jack Tessman (Tufts University) examine the studies about healing prayer and show that the conclusions of the studies are faulty. To quote the concluding paragraph, “The tests of Harris et al., taken in their entirety, fail to show any significant benefit of intercessory prayer, and one of the tests directly contradicts Byrd’s primary evidence for efficacy (his Table 3) that is the cornerstone of this ‘landmark study.’ ” My own reaction is that if the Almighty was going to intercede, he would do it in an unambiguous manner, and not in some niddly-piddly manner that leaves the results up to a bunch of squabbling statisticians.
One of the best things about being a WDJ product review writer is having the opportunity to play with all the fun stuff that we review. As a professional trainer, it helps me in my business, too, to be able to try out new products before I invest in them myself (or encourage my clients to buy them). So it was with great interest and curiosity that I agreed to test products designed to keep dogs “off” or “away from” forbidden furniture, counters, or other areas of the house.
I must have been temporarily senile; for a moment I forgot how very opposed I am to most aversive training tools. When the products arrived and I removed them from the box I immediately realized my ethical dilemma. How could I possibly test these products? I refuse to use most of them on my own dogs, or clients’ dogs, and I wasn’t about to go to a shelter and test them on the already stressed-out canines there . . .
I called WDJ editor Nancy Kerns and explained the problem. We were specifically talking at the time about the mat designed to deliver an electric shock to the hapless hound who happened to perch on it.
“Of course you don’t have to use it on your dogs,” Nancy reassured me brightly. “I figured you would test it on yourself!”
“I did,” I retorted. “Now I’m afraid to sit on the sofa.”
Another problem would be encountered by multiple-pet households with these aversive booby-trap-type products. What if your dogs aren’t allowed on the sofa (ours are) but your cats are welcome? These products would punish canine and feline alike. Or what if you have two or more dogs in the room when a noise alarm is set off? The dog climbing on the sofa gets punished, but so does the one sleeping peacefully on the floor.
Punishment can sometimes be an effective way to train – if you like a method that depends on force and intimidation to compel obedience. Clearly I do not, but I do recognize that it can work, if used properly. The problem is that it can be very difficult to apply punishment properly. In order for punishment to work, certain criteria must be met. These include:
• The timing has to be right.
• The punishment must stop the unwanted behavior immediately.
• The punishment has to be applied every time the behavior occurs.
• The punishment has to not occur when the behavior is not occurring.
• The behavior must cease permanently within a few applications of the punishment.
If these criteria are not met, learning is impeded or simply does not occur. It is virtually impossible for a normal human being to consistently meet these criteria. As a result, a lot of punishment is ineffective, and worse, abusive.
Another disadvantage of punishment (and aversive products are punishment) is that each dog is an individual. The amount of force (or shock) necessary to stop the behavior of a tough dog with a high pain threshold might permanently damage the psyche of a more sensitive one. How do you know until it is too late? This lesson was brought home to me early on in the life of Peaceable Paws (my training business) when I used a citronella collar on a stable, confident, outgoing Golden Retriever. It took me six weeks to regain his trust after just one application.
Effective aversive tools
As you can see below, I did review the “off” products. I tested only the most benign on my dogs. The others I tested on myself, and judged them on the following criteria for an effective aversive tool:
• It must stop the behavior immediately.
• It must trigger itself with impeccable timing, not rely on human timing.
• It must reset itself, not depend on a human to reset.
• It must occur every time the unwanted behavior occurs (not possible if it doesn’t reset).
• It must not elicit unwanted side effects in the dog’s behavior (as the citronella collar did with my client’s Golden).
Don’t hold your breath. The “quick fix” punishment panacea is a pipe dream, meant for impatient owners who are unwilling to manage their dogs’ unwanted behaviors while training more appropriate ones. There are only two products out of the six we examined that we would suggest you let anywhere near your dogs, and they don’t meet all of our criteria for effective aversives.
We’ve had a LOT of mail, email, and phone calls since we published our dry dog food review last month, mostly from people who wanted more information. We are thrilled that people are finally learning to be concerned with the food their dogs eat. We’re also pleased that a large percentage (perhaps a full three-quarters) of the people who contacted us asked, “What about the three foods that were on your list last year (Beowulf’s Back to Basics, Solid Gold’s Hund ‘N Flocken, and Wysong) that weren’t on your list this year?” What loyal readers! You guys are all over it!
To answer the question for all three foods: They still meet all our criteria; they are still good foods. We like them! We like them! We really like them!
Develop your critical eye
However, just because a food is not on WDJ’s “Top 10” list does not mean it is not a good food. We have striven to “teach you to fish” . . . and then handed you a few fish, too, just to get you started. But we don’t want you to think these are the only good foods out there. And we don’t want you to blindly buy any of the foods on our list of favorites because they are “the best”; there is no single food that is good for every dog.
We want to teach you to recognize the hallmarks of good foods – whole meats, present in the first three ingredients, whole grains, whole vegetables. We want you to be able to look at any dog food label and be able to instantly detect signs of lowered quality: less-expensive “generic” sources of protein and fat (such as “animal fat,” rather than “beef fat,” or “poultry meal,” rather than “chicken meal”); meat by-products of any kind; meat sources low on the order of ingredients; inclusion of multiple food “fragments,” castoffs from the human food industry; sweeteners (which can attract dogs to poor-quality food); and, of course, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
We’re trying to “teach you to fish” – to teach you to recognize good foods – so you can conduct your own in-store label review before buying the food and trying it out on your dog. (We’re puzzled about the company that has defended their food, which we put on our “Not Recommended” list, on the basis that we “assessed the label and not the food.” Isn’t what’s on the label what’s in the food?)
(Speaking of our “Not Recommended” list: We apparently listed one food there in error. According to the makers of Natural Life, their foods no longer contain poultry meal, meat meal, or animal fat, and their newest labels reflect this. Unfortunately, at the time we conducted the research for our article – and even as we go to press with this issue – the company’s own web site was still reporting the old ingredients list.)
Your job is not over once you select a food, however. Then you have to watch your dog. Note his coat quality; energy level; presence or absence of vomiting, gas, diarrhea, or constipation; freshness of breath; and signs of any health or behavior problems. It doesn’t matter if WDJ, your veterinarian, your dog’s breeder, or anyone else calls a food the “best” in the world; if it doesn’t agree with your dog, switch!
Further, if your dog looks and feels great, and you’re feeding him something we haven’t named, or even, feeding him something on our “Not Recommended” list, don’t panic! How your dog looks and feels really is the most important thing. Some exceedingly healthy dogs can assimilate terrible foods and still look good. Count your blessings . . . and be prepared to upgrade if his health begins to deteriorate.
New foods Another large chunk of our mail was from readers who wanted our opinion of certain foods, many of which we had never heard of. Response A: See the “teaching you to fish” lecture, previous paragraphs. You can do it! Hold up that label to our list of selection criteria, and you’ll be able to tell, at least, the difference between a junk, filler-filled food and a contender. Response B: Maybe we’ll have to start a “Food of the Month” column to keep abreast of the latest offerings . . . In the meantime, we’re preparing another article, to be published in a month or two, about some of the new foods you’ve introduced us to.
Sticker shock The balance of our mail seemed to be from newer readers. “How can you say that Science Diet is junk? My vet says it’s the best!” was a typical question from these readers. Our opinion that the Purinas, Science Diets, Iams, and Eukaneubas of the world are “junk food” is somewhat shocking to food neophytes, especially if your local pet store employees are calling them “premium foods” and charging big bucks for them! Don’t worry; we talk about dog food a lot, and you’ll soon see an underlying theme in most of our Case Histories. We can’t count the dogs we’ve heard about who were brought to the brink of death with a steady supply of these foods, and who were brought back to health with improved diets.
We still feel that the best food for dogs is real food. Why shouldn’t the food that sustains your family be able to sustain a dog? WDJ will continue to explain how and why to make and feed (or at least, supplement) your dog’s diet from scratch.
Dear readers, In the November 1999 issue of WDJ, we published an article by Pat Miller, our lead writer on training issues, that discussed the books published by and about the Monks of New Skete. To briefly recap the article, Miller complimented the Monks for being among the first trainers to promote – with the publication of their 1978 book How To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend – the concept of building a positive relationship with your dog while training it to be a pleasurable companion, as opposed to an old-fashioned, obedience-at-any-cost style of training that had been prominent in the 1950s and 1960s. However, Miller also noted that while the Monks’ successful books very much helped popularize a more positive style of training, there are still a number of aspects of the Monks’ program that are somewhat outdated from the perspective of trainers who advocate positive training.
We don’t generally “name names” when criticizing training techniques we don’t approve of; after all, it’s the methods, not the trainers who use them, that we want people to consider. But in this case, who the people are is important to the story. Many, many people are under the impression that there can’t possibly be a more peaceable trainer than a monk. And if monks wrote a book about dog training, wouldn’t you imagine it would advocate only nonviolent training techniques? But the Monks of New Skete do advocate the use of some physically forceful training methods, anathema to WDJ’s philosophies on training.
Following publication of the November article, we received a letter from Brother Christopher, a member of the Monks of New Skete. Brother Christopher thought Miller’s article was largely inaccurate, and wanted to defend the Monk’s methods.
I was struck by two things upon reading the letter. First, I think it’s likely that, prior to seeing the November 1999 issue, Brother Christopher was unfamiliar with WDJ. He speaks of Miller’s (and, by extension, WDJ’s) “unspoken agenda,” without realizing, perhaps, that we very much have a stated agenda. Much of his letter articulates the view of many trainers who use verbal and physical punishment in their training program and who not only see nothing wrong with it, but also see it as an important and useful part of training.
Second, I think Brother Christopher is also unaware of our bias against breeders whose sole interest in producing puppies is financial. We are not opposed to the concept of breeding altogether, though, at present there certainly are too many dogs in the world, as evidenced by the outrageous numbers of dogs put to death in shelters each year. We have seen (and written about) breeders, who, through limited breeding, limited registration, and puppy contracts, are attempting to add to the dog population in a limited and responsible way. These people will admit to using the sale of puppies to recoup some losses incurred through keeping their dogs, but can readily explain how, unless one is breeding “too many” dogs, you can’t make a profit at it. In our opinion, if economics precludes breeding stock from being kept in the family past their “useful” age, then breeding should stop. We respect the fact that other people have other views, and we think that professional, respectful dialogue with them can help readers make up their own minds.
Taking a stand But readers should be aware of the difference between WDJ and other dog publications: We do have an editorial position. We don’t sit on the fence, presenting articles about nonviolent training and force-based training in equally flattering light, pretending we don’t regard one as “better” or that we don’t care which one people use! We don’t present all products as being equally effective and useful as a hedge against losing advertising income. (We don’t take advertising, so that we have nothing to lose by saying some products are without merit.)
We know “our” way is not the only way; we are aware that verbal and physical punishment can be effective in changing a dog’s behavior. But we have consistently held the position that there are equally (if not more) effective, nonviolent ways to change a dog’s behavior. We also believe that these positive methods are more enjoyable for the dog and the trainer. Brother Christopher’s letter to WDJ is an articulate expression of certain views that are contrary to ours. In this issue, you’ll find the entire letter, as well as Pat Miller’s response to it. We’re not printing the discussion in order to correct either Miller or Brother Christopher, but because we think that both authors represent their respective opinions well, and we want you to make up your own minds.
As you live and work with your dog day-to-day, pay attention to how you treat him, how he responds, and how the relationship feels. And then choose the methods that are most likely to improve all those things. Most likely, they’ll be positive!
Pat Miller’s article on our breeding and dog training programs is a biased, one-sided view that does not represent our approach fairly and leaves the reader with the distinct impression that we mistreat our dogs. It also contains serious inaccuracies. The presumption underlying her article is that any training method that does not rely on treats as the prime motivator will invariably be outdated and unnecessarily harsh. She seems to believe that all training can be done entirely with positive reinforcement, and that, hence, negative reinforcement of any kind falls into the category of being harsh and abusive. We wonder how honest and realistic this is.
One of the reasons our books, videos, and training services have been and continue to be popular is the fact that they work. They provide clear guidelines that have helped countless owners deepen their understanding of, and relationship with their dogs, and they have aided them in teaching their dogs to be obedient, happy companions.
While it is true that we typically do not use treats in our method, there is a very concrete reason for this that stems not only from our own experience, but from that of other experienced, recognized trainers as well. Dogs are extremely intelligent creatures that can size things up quickly. The way treats are used in many training approaches all too often result in focusing the dog’s attention on the treat, rather than the owner as the source of the treat, and this can have negative consequences for the overall relationship. We cannot count the number of owners we have worked with who initially started training with treats and were dissatisfied with the inconsistent results and the subsequent “me-centered” attitude of the dog. Instead, we prefer to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement in the form of warm and sincere praise that is integrated with dedicated training, which we find over time builds a more solid relationship of trust and companionship. While we respect the fact that Ms. Miller might disagree with our preference, we see no basis for her making the gratuitous assumption that treat training is a more humane way of training. There are a lot of very successful trainers who have committed their lives to helping dogs and their owners, who prefer not to use treats.
On a deeper level, Ms. Miller’s problem with us seems to be philosophical in nature. Ours is a holistic approach, which deals with all facets of the dog-owner relationship, including the area of discipline. We try to provide owners with responsible guidelines on this topic that are honest and consistent with a realistic understanding of canine behavior.
One of the difficulties with many training books is their failure to provide realistic help about correcting destructive and dangerous behavior, and as such are incomplete. Owners are often at a loss for dealing with ordinary problems and need a sound, effective yet compassionate, basis on which to deal with these. In critiquing our puppy book, Ms. Miller disputes any distinction between intelligent correction and gratuitous punishment, maintaining that any correction is punishment, regardless of the way it is administered. Can she really mean that? Do words mean only what an individual wants them to mean? Is there really no difference between a leash pop and hanging a dog, for example?
Presumably, if we read her correctly, she would argue that any negative reinforcement whatsoever is punishment, and therefore inappropriate in dealing with a dog. Would she say the same thing about raising a child? For example, is it realistic to raise a child exclusively with positive reinforcement? There seem to be lots of spoiled children running around today that put such an assumption in serious question. While abuse of any kind is always to be decried, we need to make a clear distinction between a timely correction and physical abuse. As it relates to dogs, it is not at all unreasonable to learn from the way a mother bitch disciplines her pup, or how dogs determine hierarchy in a pack, and translate that into the context of the human/dog relationship.
Given this, a scruff shake is an appropriately mild correction for a young pup from which the pup learns limits. And for the record, in the puppy book we don’t advocate “alpha rolls” at all. The concept is not even mentioned; the cuff correction is mentioned only once (p.204), and on that occasion the context in which such a correction should be used is explicitly (and narrowly) described. As it pertains to the first book, certainly the alpha-wolf roll-over must be used very carefully, if at all, and a new edition of the book would clarify this. Nevertheless, in all of our methods we have tried to show the relationship between the techniques we recommend and the natural relationships of dogs in a pack, whether maternal or not, and we have emphasized a preventative approach that is grounded in solid psychological principles and love and concern for the dog.
A more serious misconception is the way in which Ms. Miller mistakenly assumes that job Michael Evans wrote the New Skete dog books. Job Michael Evans (formerly Brother Job) left New Skete and the monastic life in 1983. As a member of the community in the years preceding the publication of How To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend, he did contribute to that book, but the truth is that the book was a communal effort, reflecting the collaborative work of all of the monks and nuns, not just that of Brother Job. Obviously he had no role to play in The Art of Raising a Puppy (1991) or Raising Your Dog With the Monks of New Skete (1995). And for those who think ink that Mr. Evans had some serious ax to grind with the community, they should know that when he was seriously ill, he specifically asked us if he could be buried at the monastery, and that his remains now lie in our cemetery.
Finally, Ms. Miller implies that our relationship with our breeding dogs is essentially exploitative, that we overbreed, and that when we have no more use for them, we get rid of them. It is hard not to be angered by such a crass, unfounded judgment. We have dedicated our professional lives to trying to breed the soundest, healthiest dogs possible, and we are in regular contact with some of the finest breeders and veterinarians in the country about our breeding program. We never breed a bitch that is not in top condition, and visitors to our community constantly remark how healthy, well-mannered, and friendly our dogs are. It is true that when a bitch’s breeding career ends here we place her in a new home, but this is for a very specific reason that has nothing to do with our lack of love and dedication for them. Our communities are small – and each dog is individually cared for by one of the monks or nuns. Since we are not a puppy mill and abhor practices that in any way resemble them, we can only care for a limited number of dogs; if a dog is not an active member of the breeding program our circumstances, both economic and in terms of manpower, prevent us from keeping it. For example, were we to keep each dog till their death, each of us would have to care for 4-5 dogs each, which would be grossly unfair to the dogs. Thus, we take great pains to find wonderful homes where we can retire our bitches, and to our knowledge none of them has ever had any problem adjusting to their new families, or to the busy world outside the monastery. This is because the dogs have been supremely well socialized and cared for while they were here.
Each monk experiences the great personal sacrifice of seeing a bitch he has taken care of for many years go to a new home, but he also understands that this is a practical necessity warranted by our somewhat unique circumstances. He also realizes that our loss is another’s gain, and that this is just another small way in which his care and concern for the bitch can enrich someone else’s life in a very tangible way.We appreciate the insights and observations of behaviorists and trainers whose views we share as well as those whose views differ from ours. Indeed, we have learned much from many such people and are always open to learning better ways to train and care for dogs. At the same time, it is difficult to see our community’s work so irresponsibly and unfairly judged by a writer whose unspoken agenda literally leaps off the page, as was the case in Miller’s article.
-Brother Christopher (for the Monks of New Skete) Cambridge, NY
Pat Miller’s Response While I was not surprised that the Monks of New Skete were not thrilled by my article about their books and practices, it seems to me that Brother Christopher overlooked that I also had a lot of good things to say about what the Monks have done. I gave full credit to the Monks for leading a dog training revolution with their 1978 book, How To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend. Unlike the force-based, “military” style training that predominated in the 1950s and 1960s, the Monks emphasized the importance of the handler’s relationship with their dogs, and advocated for a “gentle touch, mentally, vocally, and physically.” Great stuff!
But I did go on to say that while the Monks were in an ideal position to continue evolving their own and their students’ education toward nonviolent training methods, they have not done so. From reading their books, including the new edition of The Art of Raising a Puppy, it seems to me that they are pleased enough with their current training methods, which include verbal and physical punishments, that they have closed their minds to the possibility that their own program can be even more effective, enjoyable, and completely nonviolent.
I do feel that modern literature on dog training supports the effectiveness of food as a primary motivator, but I agree there are plenty of other ways to reward a dog for good behavior, including toys, play, praise and petting. For many dogs, though, these are not as effective as a food motivator, at least in the initial stages of training. It seems a shame and a disservice to clients to flatly rule out food in training, thereby ignoring one of the most powerful non-violent training tools available. Even many of the fence-sitters who call themselves “balanced trainers” – meaning they use both punishment and reward in their training methods – now use food to reward dogs for good performance and to re-motivate them after corrections.
Brother Christopher says that I seem to believe that all training can be done entirely with positive reinforcement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every positive trainer that I know makes primary use of two of the four quadrants of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement (dog’s behavior makes something good happen – dog sits, she gets a Click! and a treat), and negative punishment (dog’s behavior makes something good go away – dog jumps up, owner turns away from dog).
Bro. Christopher refers to the physical corrections the monks use as negative reinforcement. Actually, in behavioral science, negative reinforcement means the animal’s behavior makes something bad go away (dog is pulling on leash, collar is choking dog; dog stops pulling, the choking stops). The Monks’ methods that I most object to fall in the realm of what behaviorists call positive punishment (dog’s behavior makes a bad thing happen). Scruff shakes, alpha rolls, and cuffs under the chin that occur in response to a dog’s already performed behavior are positive punishment. And yes, they are unnecessarily harsh.
Can I really mean that any correction is punishment? You bet. Punishment is anything that diminishes the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Certainly there is a difference in the degree of punishment between a leash pop and hanging a dog. Certainly there is a difference in intensity between a timely correction and prosecutable abuse. I believe they are both unnecessarily harsh and I don’t care for either one, but certainly one is far worse than the other.
Lastly, on to the justification for getting rid of breeders who are no longer useful producers. Brother Christopher feels that the Monks have somewhat unique circumstances – that the number of dogs they can breed is dictated by the number they can keep. Does he not realize that every breeder faces the same space, economic and manpower constraints? Responsible breeders reward dogs who have worked to produce puppies all of their lives by respecting the contract and commitment in the dog/owner partnership and keeping the dog until it is time to give her a gentle death. The fact that the Monks find good homes for their dogs makes it no less a breach of that contract.
Regular WDJ readers know that my agenda is spoken loudly and clearly in every issue. I stand firmly behind my preference for positive, non-violent training methods and will continue to promote them at every opportunity.
-Pat Miller Peaceable Paws Dog and Puppy Training Chattanooga, TN
I am an enthused reader of WDJ; it is the only doggy magazine/journal that I subscribe to and read. I also operate an independent home business delivering high quality pet foods such as Natura, Canidae, and Natural Balance foods. Your continual attention to the quality of products has made me a fan of your work.
However, recently you referred to the members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers as being non-force trainers, and you suggest that readers look to the APDT list for referrals to trainers. As a trainer of pet dogs for 26 years and one that is completely force-free, I can assure you that some members of APDT do use force-based training methods.
-Sue Myles Companion Dogs by Sue Myles Orange County, CA
Dear Sue, Thanks for pointing this out; we absolutely should have been more clear on this point.
While the APDT’s mission statement states that the group strives to “encourage the use of positive reinforcement in dog training and minimize the use of aversive procedures,” not all of its members actually do this in practice.
All dog owners should see a prospective trainer in action a few times before taking a class with him, or, worse, turning a dog over to him. If you see any methods that make you uncomfortable, listen to your intuition and do not engage the services of that trainer.
For more information, see Pat Miller’s excellent article, “Choosing the Right Trainer,” May 1998.
Every week, I get at least one call from a reader who has had an unfortunate experience with one of the health problems we have discussed in a recent issue. Often, these readers are anguished and upset with themselves for failing to find and take a treatment path similar to the ones our article discussed because they worried that conventional care led to the demise of their dog.
I can sympathize with them. My Border Collie, Rupert, is 10, and has been afflicted with a number of small but troubling ailments throughout his life. He’s always been itchy, prone to painful ear infections, and a magnet for ticks and fleas. Until I got this job a couple years ago, I thought this was just how dogs were! I fed him Purina Dog Chow, went to the vet every so often to refill his prescriptions for Prednisone (for his itching), Panalog (for the ear infections), and whatever flea-killers seemed to be most effective. And I never made the connection between his chronic health troubles and the toxins I poured on him, in him, and around him. I could have easily killed him with all my loving care.
Since I’ve been professionally steeped in holistic dog husbandry, I’ve made some changes in Rupert’s care. I started buying a top-of-the-line kibble. I stopped having him vaccinated. I quit using Advantage every month (though I’ve used a half-dose on him once or twice a year in the past two years when we had a flea invasion). And those things, alone, have obviated the need for the Panalog and Prednisone prescriptions.
I wouldn’t go far as to say that he is “all better” as a result of these changes. He’s a lot better, though. His arthritis has not gotten any worse in the past two years, and for a dog who showed stiffness and occasional lameness fairly early in life (at about age five), that’s saying something. He’s still prone to fits of itchiness now and then, but he no longer scratches and chews himself until he’s half-naked and bloody, the way he used to. In the midst of an allergic crisis, he may chew himself pink, and lose a little hair, but not so much that most people would notice.
Last month, after Rupert had suffered an outbreak of itching – one that I ultimately traced to a recent change in the formulation of his premium kibble – I finally decided to take the leap and start feeding him a raw meat-based diet. This was made considerably easier by virtue of the fact that my freezer was full of samples of frozen raw meat diets following our article on the same. After all that ran out, I went ahead and placed an order for a month’s worth of frozen food from Old Grandad’s, a local manufacturer. I’m rounding out his new diet with Sojourner Farm’s oatmeal-type food, and as many vegetables as I can remember to toss into his dish.
His itching got a bit worse, but now I think it’s getting a bit better. Holistic health care expert CJ Puotinen has urged me in the past to publish an article about the alarming signs of problems that a dog will sometimes display for a short time when initially put on a raw foods diet . . . now I know what she was talking about! Holistic vets say it’s due to an outpouring of toxins stimulated by the arrival of the vital nutrients present in the “real” food. I think you’ll see an article about this soon!
Last year I reported that I had found a couple of odd lumps on Rupie’s side; one was diagnosed as a small fatty tumor, and one was determined to be a sebaceous cyst. Today, a frozen meat-diet maker I was speaking with on the phone happened to mention that he’s seen raw-meat diets make sebaceous cysts go away. As we spoke, I snapped my fingers for Rupe and felt his side to check on the little lump.
Damned if the cyst isn’t gone. It seems it’s never too late to improve.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
