Tag: How dogs learn

Swim Stella, Swim!

Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, CDBC

“This dog can’t swim.”  That’s what I thought as I watched her struggle, bob and tip in the pond.  I was about to jump in the murky water myself when I saw Stella briefly roll onto her back and then right herself.  She stepped gleefully to the shore, shook off, dropped her ball, and looked up at me.  She had no idea how pathetic she had looked.

Of course, I was concerned.  Stella had swum before, albeit briefly.  But, this last time was different.  Physics failed her.  She listed to one side, nearly sank, and then went keel up. She was wholly out of her element, and I’d so wished her element was water.  I wanted it badly; I wanted it with every memory of the retriever before her, with every hope of the retriever I dreamt she would become.  That was the problem.  This wasn’t about me.  It was about Stella; and Stella couldn’t swim.

I tried to get my brain around it.  Maybe it really was bad physics.  Stella’s chest is unusually deep and her waist is unusually small.  She’s narrow, very narrow.  She’s tall and long, unnaturally so.  Her face and coat say retriever, but the rest of her says whippet or Italian greyhound.   Okay if I’m going to be brutally honest, if you catch her at the wrong angle the whole package screams “cartoon dog.”  Maybe her body just wasn’t built for water; maybe she was too lean, too spindly.  Maybe she just couldn’t swim.

When my heart’s breaking, I write.  So, I wrote some veterinarian friends of mine.  No, they said.  There’s nothing wrong with Stella.  She is quirky beautiful and fully buoyant.  I wrote to a local dog swim coach (who knew?) and she said the same thing.  Some dogs are naturals, others are not.  Stella can learn.  She can swim.

I can’t explain what happened next.  Sometimes there’s no way to fix a thing set askew.  Then again, sometimes there’s no holding back a thing intent on setting itself right.  Stella’s new coach is an affable woman in the middle of life, with an easy smile and a gentle feel for a dog’s spirit. She welcomed us to a long glistening pool in the early light of day.  “Does Stella like toys?” she asked.  “Tennis balls” I answered.  The rest was unstoppable.  It was the simple magic of letting things happen, letting go, swimming with the current of the moment.

Stella waded into the pool for her ball, and brought it back.  On the second throw, she leapt across the shallow slope into the deep.  Stella’s head slipped under and then popped up high in the water, a bow splashing and awkward, and a stern dragging too low.  Her coach moved with deft purpose, the subtle speed of a woman who knows her craft.  She righted Stella’s hips, bringing them level to withers just below the water’s crest.  Stella sailed with ease back to the shallows and out.  She dropped the ball and looked back at what she’d swum.

courtesy: Rummy's Beach Club

I threw again.  Again she leapt and swam.  Again, and again Stella’s body stretched, and her head skimmed the break where water meets air.  Her legs tucked naturally, fronts propelling, backs adjusting for balance.  She used her thick retriever tail like a rudder.  Stella leapt and swam.  She moved with ease and grace, ball firmly in mouth, eyes gleaming in the morning sun, nowhere to be but here, nothing in mind but now.  Stella leapt again and then swam some more.  She panted and pushed hard against the water, a wake behind her.  The air was sweet with the smell of wet dog and abandon.  I moved up beside her and kissed her cheek.  I would have loved her the same no matter, but oh how I love my water dog.

We stayed on like that until we were both soaked through, swimming together.

Taking the Pull out of Walks

Robyn Arouty Photography

It’s one of the most natural things in the world for us human beings, walking side by side.  Unfortunately it’s not at all natural for our dogs.  Rarely do they walk that way on their own.  When they do, it’s usually only momentarily.  That’s what makes teaching loose leash walking so troublesome for so many folks.

Add to that, when our dogs pull we often follow.  Dogs learn very early on that putting tension on the leash is just what they need to do to get where they are going.  We don’t set any limits and as a result we actually reward our dogs for pulling.

What we really want to do is reward our dogs for walking next to us.  I like to start off-leash (yes off-leash) in a safe enclosed area, like a fenced in back yard.  Start by walking around the yard casually at your own pace; don’t say anything to the dog.  As soon as your dog sidles up beside you simply say “yes” in a cheerful voice and offer him a special bit of food (cheese or boiled chicken is always nice).  Then, continue walking on silently.  When he comes up alongside you again, say “yes” again and deliver another treat.  Before long, you’ll notice that your dog is walking with you with that expectant doggie grin of his.  Keep saying “yes” and treating him until you can’t get rid of him.

All that’s left now is putting the leash on, right?  Well, that’s almost right.  Your dog will notice that things are different out in the wide world, and if he has a history of pulling he’s likely to fall right back into old habits.  Here’s what you need to remember.  If your dog pulls, stop.  No one makes any forward progress when the leash is taught.  Gently call your dog “this way” and begin walking the opposite direction with him.  Because you’ve changed direction you’ll find that for a moment he’s right beside you where you want him.  Say that magic word, “yes” and give him his special treat.  Now you’re playing the same training game you were playing in the fenced in yard.  The only difference is, you’re out front and the leash is on.

Let’s break this down, because your training really does need to be specific to work quickly.  Dog pulls: stop.  Change directions.  Dog beside you: “yes” and treat.  You may “yes” and treat multiple times so long as the dog is walking nicely beside you.  For the time being, all of your walks should be this kind of training walk.

Now for the ultimate reward.  What your dog really wants to do is sniff and explore.  So after a nice spell of walking by your side, smile at your dog and say “yes, go sniff.”  Then gleefully let him guide you around a bit for some doggie nose work.  It’s okay to let him pull for a short while in this context.  We call it a life reward.  The dog actually gets what he wants by giving you the behavior you want (walking nicely).  It’s  powerful reinforcement, with a proven track record.  It also happens to be the most natural thing in the world for your dog.

Houston Dog Trainer Michael Baugh, CPDT-KSA, CDBC specializes in behavior related to fearful and aggressive dogs.

 

Safe Departures for Separation Anxiety

(from All Things Dog Blog – Ask the Dog Trainer)

Dear Trainer:

We adopted our 10 year old Bichon 3 years ago, when his elderly owner became disabled. He settled in with us just fine immediately and became very attached to me. Shortly thereafter, he began whining incessantly upon my leaving, slobbering and licking the point of exit. We have returned to pools of slobber and scratched paint. He has even climbed a doggie gate in an effort to get to me.

Alix has a housemate, Toby, with whom he gets along well. However, only human companionship is soothing to his anxiety. Please help us teach Alix to calm himself so we may return without a distressed, slobber-sodden little dog.

Regards, Cathy

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Dear Cathy:

Dogs, like people, are social animals. We like to be around each other. Some folks would go so far as to say, we have a built-in need for social interaction. There’s something in the core of our beings that says relationships are important for our survival.

It’s not terribly common, but some dogs have pretty upsetting behavior when left alone. In some cases, it’s triggered by the departure of a specific individual….

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