Thursday, January 7, 2010
How Dog Training Works!
How Dog Training works!! (Advice For Trainers)
ANSWER #1: It just does... if you practice at it.
Dog training is not only a science, it is also an artform and an exercise. In many ways it comes close to
being in the discipline of martial arts, in my opinion. How so? Well to begin with - you start with practice, you engage with the subject (usually a dog but often a human as well) and you may learn as you interact, on an individual basis. The learning really never stops and there are sometimes ill effects from assuming the reaction of your subject during training. I could go on about that comparison but for those of you not interested in martial arts, I digress.
To say: "if you do this...you will get that" is dangerous. It is possible to be right much of the time when it comes to prescribing the needed discipline or structure for a dog and their human. ~However~ Dogs happen to be living creatures with emotions and a variety of habits that are natural and some that seem that they aren't so natural. In many cases I see dogs reveal human behaviors of their human handlers that are all but natural.
When we speak of dogs remember that there is a great difference between the "wild" and the "domestic" dog. Most often, I am referring to the domestic dog but from the perspective that they have innate natures which come from the same psyche as the wild dog. So to what extent that you do "this to get that" comes up against a myriad of possibilities; from the history of the dog to the environment at hand, from the food they eat to health conditions and on and on...
Dog Training is a dance. You know the moves but if you stay within the confines of what you have been taught then how can you excel? You have to experiment and you have to pay attention to the reactions of your partner (your dog). Oh yeah and practice. Practice what you know works on a broad basis and follow your instincts to create a new form. That is how you really dance! Hence the artform.
It is widely known that all packs are different. They are as different (if not more different) than football teams or biker gangs. Individual personalities make up the whole and that means individual behaviors AND individual reactions to your behaviors. All interactions are different. Hence the science.
Dogs needs stimulation much the same as we as humans do. Physical AND mental. As their leaders we must find the challenge and help our pack to overcome them individually. Building confidence is a game that wild dogs engage in with their pups. It should be addressed from day one. Most dogs aim to please their leader or they will act as the leader themselves. Staying ahead of the curve (or your dog) both physically and mentally AND physically is a challenge but in order to train and gain respect as their leader...that is all you have to do.
ANSWER #2: It doesn't.
ANSWER #1: It just does... if you practice at it.
Dog training is not only a science, it is also an artform and an exercise. In many ways it comes close to
being in the discipline of martial arts, in my opinion. How so? Well to begin with - you start with practice, you engage with the subject (usually a dog but often a human as well) and you may learn as you interact, on an individual basis. The learning really never stops and there are sometimes ill effects from assuming the reaction of your subject during training. I could go on about that comparison but for those of you not interested in martial arts, I digress.
To say: "if you do this...you will get that" is dangerous. It is possible to be right much of the time when it comes to prescribing the needed discipline or structure for a dog and their human. ~However~ Dogs happen to be living creatures with emotions and a variety of habits that are natural and some that seem that they aren't so natural. In many cases I see dogs reveal human behaviors of their human handlers that are all but natural.
When we speak of dogs remember that there is a great difference between the "wild" and the "domestic" dog. Most often, I am referring to the domestic dog but from the perspective that they have innate natures which come from the same psyche as the wild dog. So to what extent that you do "this to get that" comes up against a myriad of possibilities; from the history of the dog to the environment at hand, from the food they eat to health conditions and on and on...
Dog Training is a dance. You know the moves but if you stay within the confines of what you have been taught then how can you excel? You have to experiment and you have to pay attention to the reactions of your partner (your dog). Oh yeah and practice. Practice what you know works on a broad basis and follow your instincts to create a new form. That is how you really dance! Hence the artform.
It is widely known that all packs are different. They are as different (if not more different) than football teams or biker gangs. Individual personalities make up the whole and that means individual behaviors AND individual reactions to your behaviors. All interactions are different. Hence the science.
Dogs needs stimulation much the same as we as humans do. Physical AND mental. As their leaders we must find the challenge and help our pack to overcome them individually. Building confidence is a game that wild dogs engage in with their pups. It should be addressed from day one. Most dogs aim to please their leader or they will act as the leader themselves. Staying ahead of the curve (or your dog) both physically and mentally AND physically is a challenge but in order to train and gain respect as their leader...that is all you have to do.
ANSWER #2: It doesn't.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
TO WOOF ~OR~ NOT TO WOOF IT DOWN, THAT IS THE SUBJECT
A well known psychologist, that had a habit of cooking big dinners for all of his clientele, was known for not only his quick eye on behavior but for his delectable dishes as well. He would spend hours contemplating the behaviors of his patients and matching a dish that might suit their needs. He was a quirky man that did well by thinking ahead of the curve.
At each sitting you could find up to 30 guests with magnificent layouts of fine silver and china. His guests would file in the dining hall with curling stomachs caused by the aromatic smells that made mouths water. As everyone was seated and introduced the man would make a gesture to the room. His hands lowering from over his head with a hush. The room would go quiet, the food was presented and the head of the table would look at his plate. Everyone would follow suit and respect the food before them with heads bowed. The candles lit, a bit of silence before eating...
Then the man would look up and glance at each and every guest saying "If you can stomach it...DIG IN!" The forks and knives clanged against the roar of thirty mouths opening for the first bite of a long awaited delight. Some shoveled and some inhaled while others picked and poked or buttered bread. All the while, the Psychologist observed this flurry and within moments he had his diagnosis sorted out. Every one of his patients were unique. When he was satisfied with his observations he would pick up his fork, and with a boom he would say "But remember to chew, it is obvious that we all have much work ahead of us to do."
And he would take his first bite quite gracefully.
Remember this story the next time you feed your dog. Are they a gobbler or a picker, did they respect the food and their host? You can learn a lot about someone with a little careful observation. It is possible to teach your dog to eat slowly or at least carefully but it may take into account other factors like health and well-being.
We might even think about this story the next time we find ourselves scarfing down a burger, fries and shake while chatting it up on our cell-phone... mindful eating is healthier.
At each sitting you could find up to 30 guests with magnificent layouts of fine silver and china. His guests would file in the dining hall with curling stomachs caused by the aromatic smells that made mouths water. As everyone was seated and introduced the man would make a gesture to the room. His hands lowering from over his head with a hush. The room would go quiet, the food was presented and the head of the table would look at his plate. Everyone would follow suit and respect the food before them with heads bowed. The candles lit, a bit of silence before eating...
Then the man would look up and glance at each and every guest saying "If you can stomach it...DIG IN!" The forks and knives clanged against the roar of thirty mouths opening for the first bite of a long awaited delight. Some shoveled and some inhaled while others picked and poked or buttered bread. All the while, the Psychologist observed this flurry and within moments he had his diagnosis sorted out. Every one of his patients were unique. When he was satisfied with his observations he would pick up his fork, and with a boom he would say "But remember to chew, it is obvious that we all have much work ahead of us to do."
And he would take his first bite quite gracefully.
-the end-
Skylar R. Rathbun
2009
We might even think about this story the next time we find ourselves scarfing down a burger, fries and shake while chatting it up on our cell-phone... mindful eating is healthier.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Learning Curve Between Dog and Human.
I am called a "dog trainer" by most because it is a familiar term that people can identify with.
I consider myself more of an observer of animal and dog behavior who has developed a strong vocabulary in translating both the behavioral language and the overall needs of our canine companions to the humans that care for them. I know that sounds a bit wordy and my dogs snuff the idea of overcomplicating anything, so let's just say I'm -an observer, translator for dogs-. Fair enough?
Having worked with dogs for so many years I have become adept (almost at an innate level) at spotting behaviors and the root causes in a short period of time, on average. Most dogs problematic behaviors stem from the same sources, time and time again, though, I often find myself challenged in thought and skill by the emotional complexity of the root causes.
To boil it down to the absolute basics; dogs just want to feel safe. If they don't they will seek out a leader that makes them feel safe ~or~ they will exhibit innate behaviors (aggression and/or evasion seem popular)that make them feel safe.
It IS that simple. What I teach is how to seem like the best leader that your dog can find. Most people tend to think that they have to "act" a certain way, imitating the the intimidating T.V. trainers or using the coddling bribery of some of the branched off "positive-reinforcement" schools of thought with singing praise and gobelty-goop. I believe that you only have to "do" certain things to make a dog feel safe. When I watch dogs for long enough I tend to imitate them. My body posture, the sounds and grunts, facial expressions, hand signals (either conditioned or not) and movement in and around the pack or individual dog make big changes in the immediate sense. This is what I focus on most: "what do the lead dogs do to gain respect and pack order that I can implement, imitate or do?". That is the root of my research and it has proven to me a very effective perspective. Rarely is the difficult part learning what works to gain the behaviors I want from a dog. It is more often expressing the philosophy behind the things that dogs do, to humans.
One of the biggest difficulties comes when someone asks me to "fix" their dog for them when I have already spotted erratic or unstable behaviors that the human is doing. The subtleties that we humans display at a subconcious level through physical means are actually witnessed by our dogs LOUD and CLEAR. Dogs do not feel comfortable with an overly comfortable leader and they certainly do not respect a leader who panics. We can try to hide our emotions from them all we want but in my experience, for instance, I cannot just pretend that I am not afraid of a human aggressive dog. Becoming fixed in our training is not good leadership. We must flex and bend. We must be able to adapt to growth and the unknown always staying one step ahead of our pack. I glance over the daily routines that humans implement (this includes myself)for their dogs and the better I understand dogs the more I spot things we do that would make any dog feel a little unsure about their humans leadership skills. Then when I hear things like " I have tried X number of trainers and nothing works, your my last hope" I know that I have my work cut out for me. In most cases the dogs are a cool breeze!
I am pretty confident about my abilities to work a dog into a healthy, confident state. I am positive that I can gain a mutual respect and bond with almost any dog over time. I have formed dozens upon dozens of packs with dogs of all shapes and sizes where respect and general good behavior became consistent by implementing the techniques I use regularly. I learned most of the methods that I used from dogs themselves and when I look back at my years of training with all the contemporary gadgets and tasty treats for positive reinforcement; it seems so obvious to me that I am sure I sometimes take the knowledge for granted and forget to pass it on. So, if it were just the dogs themselves that I had to fix, no problem. Sometimes I have to be more patient and tolerant than at other times. Adding the human element to the mix, however, sometimes makes me feel that I need to be MORE patient and tolerant than is humanly possible.
I make training as easy, straightforward and fun as possible. I integrate what you need to 'do' to gain consistent good behavior with basic care, but you we have to actually do them. What good is it to learn something useful and then not implement it's practice? The techniques I use as a base have taken some of the toughest cases and turned them into mildly problematic dogs. Detailed and subtle attentions must be paid up front, but just like a dance once you 'get it' there is a liberation that makes the beginning (you know: the blood sweat and tears) seem like second nature. The point of all this is that I am on a learning curve as a 'trainer' but I am on a completely different learning curve when it comes to 'translator'. The dogs are constantly challenging what I 'think' I know, proving their cleverness and my human-ness. Give me your dog with all it's problems and I can find a way to gain balance and respect. When I give you back your dog ('fixed' as it were) you could easily undo every level of trust and obliterate the feelings of safety I have instilled in a matter of minutes. As a trainer, I am confident. As a social worker/behavioral educator, I am on a serious curve that at times seems steep. I am a fairly good communicator but if someone doesn't want to listen I have to find a way that does not trigger the defensive mechanisms of human ego. I myself learned this the hard way and have the scars to prove it. I have to be more clever than the complicated internal drama of my human students. Avoiding a confrontation by inviting their interests in a form that suits the individual human's needs.
Lure and reward, capture and repeat.
Skylar R. Rathbun
I consider myself more of an observer of animal and dog behavior who has developed a strong vocabulary in translating both the behavioral language and the overall needs of our canine companions to the humans that care for them. I know that sounds a bit wordy and my dogs snuff the idea of overcomplicating anything, so let's just say I'm -an observer, translator for dogs-. Fair enough?
Having worked with dogs for so many years I have become adept (almost at an innate level) at spotting behaviors and the root causes in a short period of time, on average. Most dogs problematic behaviors stem from the same sources, time and time again, though, I often find myself challenged in thought and skill by the emotional complexity of the root causes.
To boil it down to the absolute basics; dogs just want to feel safe. If they don't they will seek out a leader that makes them feel safe ~or~ they will exhibit innate behaviors (aggression and/or evasion seem popular)that make them feel safe.
It IS that simple. What I teach is how to seem like the best leader that your dog can find. Most people tend to think that they have to "act" a certain way, imitating the the intimidating T.V. trainers or using the coddling bribery of some of the branched off "positive-reinforcement" schools of thought with singing praise and gobelty-goop. I believe that you only have to "do" certain things to make a dog feel safe. When I watch dogs for long enough I tend to imitate them. My body posture, the sounds and grunts, facial expressions, hand signals (either conditioned or not) and movement in and around the pack or individual dog make big changes in the immediate sense. This is what I focus on most: "what do the lead dogs do to gain respect and pack order that I can implement, imitate or do?". That is the root of my research and it has proven to me a very effective perspective. Rarely is the difficult part learning what works to gain the behaviors I want from a dog. It is more often expressing the philosophy behind the things that dogs do, to humans.
One of the biggest difficulties comes when someone asks me to "fix" their dog for them when I have already spotted erratic or unstable behaviors that the human is doing. The subtleties that we humans display at a subconcious level through physical means are actually witnessed by our dogs LOUD and CLEAR. Dogs do not feel comfortable with an overly comfortable leader and they certainly do not respect a leader who panics. We can try to hide our emotions from them all we want but in my experience, for instance, I cannot just pretend that I am not afraid of a human aggressive dog. Becoming fixed in our training is not good leadership. We must flex and bend. We must be able to adapt to growth and the unknown always staying one step ahead of our pack. I glance over the daily routines that humans implement (this includes myself)for their dogs and the better I understand dogs the more I spot things we do that would make any dog feel a little unsure about their humans leadership skills. Then when I hear things like " I have tried X number of trainers and nothing works, your my last hope" I know that I have my work cut out for me. In most cases the dogs are a cool breeze!
I am pretty confident about my abilities to work a dog into a healthy, confident state. I am positive that I can gain a mutual respect and bond with almost any dog over time. I have formed dozens upon dozens of packs with dogs of all shapes and sizes where respect and general good behavior became consistent by implementing the techniques I use regularly. I learned most of the methods that I used from dogs themselves and when I look back at my years of training with all the contemporary gadgets and tasty treats for positive reinforcement; it seems so obvious to me that I am sure I sometimes take the knowledge for granted and forget to pass it on. So, if it were just the dogs themselves that I had to fix, no problem. Sometimes I have to be more patient and tolerant than at other times. Adding the human element to the mix, however, sometimes makes me feel that I need to be MORE patient and tolerant than is humanly possible.
I make training as easy, straightforward and fun as possible. I integrate what you need to 'do' to gain consistent good behavior with basic care, but you we have to actually do them. What good is it to learn something useful and then not implement it's practice? The techniques I use as a base have taken some of the toughest cases and turned them into mildly problematic dogs. Detailed and subtle attentions must be paid up front, but just like a dance once you 'get it' there is a liberation that makes the beginning (you know: the blood sweat and tears) seem like second nature. The point of all this is that I am on a learning curve as a 'trainer' but I am on a completely different learning curve when it comes to 'translator'. The dogs are constantly challenging what I 'think' I know, proving their cleverness and my human-ness. Give me your dog with all it's problems and I can find a way to gain balance and respect. When I give you back your dog ('fixed' as it were) you could easily undo every level of trust and obliterate the feelings of safety I have instilled in a matter of minutes. As a trainer, I am confident. As a social worker/behavioral educator, I am on a serious curve that at times seems steep. I am a fairly good communicator but if someone doesn't want to listen I have to find a way that does not trigger the defensive mechanisms of human ego. I myself learned this the hard way and have the scars to prove it. I have to be more clever than the complicated internal drama of my human students. Avoiding a confrontation by inviting their interests in a form that suits the individual human's needs.
Lure and reward, capture and repeat.
Skylar R. Rathbun
Friday, January 9, 2009
Animal Rescue: An Ocean of Emotion
Animal rescue is no laughing matter. Lives are at stake, the problems are many and no one is lauging. Except breeders on the way to the bank. That is for another blog.
I am currently more concerned with the emotional shut down and or avoidance that many shelter workers and rescuers seem to inevitably end up with. I want to avoid this end all be all and allow myself (20 years from now) to continue to FEEL.
I do not mean to say that these professionals, (who have found themselves numbed out by the overwhelming numbers of animals that they come into contact with), have chosen to be this way. Nor do I feel that they are bad or weak, as I have heard said. Their life choices and the state of things around them, which started out as good hearted motions to lighten the suffering in this world and ended up in emotional shut-down, can and must serve as a lesson for what to avoid.
I don't want to over simplify it. Things change and old ways just have to die sometimes, sure. It is more than that though, it is a conglomerate of personal, social and familial philosophies that must be reconciled. Unlearning what we were taught, for instance.
The one thing we as rescuers need to immediately un-learn is that "we know what needs to be done". We don't, we only know a little. We know enough to pull these sentient creatures out of the euthanasia shelters and off the street.
(Some rescuers I have spoken with even kidnap pups from abusive a neglectful homes.) Many of us also know to thoroughly interview the adoptive homes to make sure these placed animals will have a committed family that can grow with their pets needs. We know a lot about the process.
We know a lot about the root of the problem; puppymils, backyard breeders and angrily wealthy breeders who hire top lawyers and lobbyists to keep the laws in favor of their growing bank accounts. We even know educating the public and new pet owners is essential in our field. Finally, we know we don't want to have to see these atrocities; like fight dog rescues with 3rd degree burns and gunshot wounds or overbred
cross eyed poop eating purebreds whose sister is also grandma. The abuse and the behaviors that result from it are so repugnant that our lives are changed forever. We know that for every dog and cat, hamster and even fish we save and re-home there are 10 more out there in even worse shape. We know that unless something big, something unilateral and across the board of society begins to change, there will have to be as many rescues as Mcdonalds an 7-11's combined.
What we (and I include myself) don't know is how to process all this and how we can continue to save these animals without losing ourselves along the way.
How can we rescue the sheer numbers we do and not begin the breakdown that just about every shelter or rescue worker, founder and handler that I have met seems to have undergone many years into it.
I know that there are the many who attempt to "save" in order to atone for their human shortcomings and those who rescue to make up for all the bad being done in the world. There all all sorts of reasons, excuses and philosophies that allow us to keep going while our health, our social lives and even our basic needs fall to the wayside as the growing tide of lost little souls come crashing down.
How, can we rest when it is quite literally raining cats and dogs out there?
Do we simply stop and check for a heartbeat. Do we allow ourselves enough time to breathe and eat and rest. Should we stop trying to save the world that others with big corporate accounts and under-active imaginations mindlessly and recklessly warp and corrode?
I enjoy my work. I love the fact that I get to surround myself with furry critters and see how they do it. I love to learn what these animals have that we, as a society, tend to overlook. I fear that people can't change enough to see that if we continue to look at it the way we are now, these animals will be nibbling at our bones shortly after we collapse.
I mean to be graphic. I want to portray that animals react to danger in it's subtlest form. We are different. We walk right past the sign that says "KEEP OUT".
This is a complicated and tangled mess.
What is happening to these animals must change. The number of animals bred and sold as pets are too close to the number of animals euthanized every year. It has an effect on society. We bring them into existence, we profit off them, we lose them, forget about them and put them to death, then breed more. It has an effect on our lives, our world. We cannot emotionally afford the result of our actions. Too many breeders just do it for the money and too many rescuers end up footing the bill. The balance un-afforded by financial means is paid with blood, sweat and mostly tears. The well runs dry too often...and then it starts.
The gears grind from wear and tear. Phrases of defeat chime in...If ya can't beat'em, join'em or "no good deed goes unpunished". Then another batch of puppies appear at the doorstep, the bell rang but no one is there. Standing beside ourselves, sick and tired beyond recognition we nurture the sick ones and feel nothing.
I, imagine a different world.
I have seen the need for animal rescue rise and the number of rescues, both 501.3c and independently run, explode all over the states. I have also seen a surge of trainers, behaviorists and the like appear with personalized versions
of commonplace training methods that make all sorts of claims. (A good number of my clients come to me after experiencing the same behavior problems these trainers were meant to fix. But again...another blog, another time.) What I have not seen is a collaboration form that we are absolutely capable of: Taking our hopes and our profits to the root of rescue.
Where the seed drops from the hands of men and grows burden on the backs of many.
Now that I got that off my chest...
I am glad I can FEEL better now.
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