The remote collar training method used at Sit Means Sit focuses on having the remote ability to communicate with our dogs. This helps get the dog’s attention in the face of high excitement and distraction and it also offers a constructive ability to make our training goals more clearly defined to our dogs.

In Arizona, where I live, we have all levels of agility enthusiasts from the novice pet owner all the way to national top competitors, including two world competitors that I can think of. There are many schools and clubs in the Valley that offer training ... more]]> By Toni Drugmand

The remote collar training method used at Sit Means Sit focuses on having the remote ability to communicate with our dogs. This helps get the dog’s attention in the face of high excitement and distraction and it also offers a constructive ability to make our training goals more clearly defined to our dogs.

In Arizona, where I live, we have all levels of agility enthusiasts from the novice pet owner all the way to national top competitors, including two world competitors that I can think of. There are many schools and clubs in the Valley that offer training techniques and different styles of handling to meet just about everyone’s tastes and needs.

Talon Works the Weave Poles

By far the most prevalent unwanted dog behaviors that handlers in the agility community come to me for help with are:

1. The dog won’t come reliably when he’s called or he runs off and forgets his job. The handler can’t compete with his dog or has been asked to not come back to class until the problem has been fixed.

2. The dog gets over stimulated by the activity and commotion of the other dogs and acts inappropriately out of play or aggression AND he wont’ come when he’s called. The handler can’t compete with his dog or has been asked to not come back to class until the problem is fixed.

In reality these two behaviors stem down to one thing; The Art of Attention as I like to call it. It is essentially the most important element to training in general. The dog that can’t put his attention on what the handler asks is bound to get into trouble somewhere. The sport of agility requires the dog to have an extremely high level of attention and competency off leash. Remember agility IS off leash and the dog IS running free! After all, what can be better than that? If all that freedom is controllable of course!

With the over stimulated dog and the dog that doesn’t come back when called (sometimes referred to as “ ZOOMIES), both behaviors are our focal point for the agility handler seeking help from us by using the remote collar training method. Some of our “agility” clients are thrilled after only a few sessions of working on the Art of Attention and these clients are happy to focus their time into maintaining excellent attention and find that they have met most of their main goals with the foundational skills we teach them. Others in the program take advantage of the “Full Monty” and these clients are able to gain further versatility by learning to direct their dogs from a distance and keep obstacle focus and handler focus in balance.

A great example comes to mind with my dog Stuff when he was being run for the first time at a trial by World Competitor Elicia Calhoun of Waltzing Paws Agility. Although I had been a student of Elicia’s with Stuff and Stuff was familiar with the handling techniques and Elicia’s agility training methods, he had never run a course with Elicia. At most he had done one or two obstacles for her in demonstration at a lesson. I was unable to be at this show so Elicia, who is a more experienced and competent handler than I am (she ran on the World Team for 5 years!), agreed to handle Stuff for me. I happened to stop by the show grounds just at the time she was running into the ring with Stuff. Elicia had just finished running her own four dogs and in the excitement she forgot the course!

Because of her experience, however, she quickly recovered and remembered the course but not before Stuff was running where Elicia had sent him….in the wrong direction! So she hollered out to him, “Sit!” and he gave her a quick and snappy sit and she redirected him and they finished the course nearly perfectly!. I have this clip on video and I was very proud of my dog that in the midst of all the excitement that agility runs bring on and with a new handler, his remote training was strong enough to carry him through. And just to note, almost never do you stop a dog in agility when they are on the fly like that….you just don’t see it, so for the spectators who were watching Elicia run it was quite exciting to witness.

Below are the top ten ways that I use Sit Means Sit remote training to aid in agility training:

1. Working at a Distance

In agility it is important for the dog to learn to work toward the obstacle he is directed to and to work at a distance. Very quickly we can teach our dogs that our cues mean the same thing when we are close by and we can wean more quickly to the goal of the same behavior at distance.

2. Keep the Dog Focused on His Job

Since not all dogs are as motivated as we would often like, we can help keep focus more easily and at distances with the cue of our training aid.

3. Recall with Reliability

In agility teaching the dog to come towards you is used to change the dog’s direction from the obstacle in front of him. A reliable “come” or “here” will redirect the dog to look in the handler’s direction at which time the handler can show the dog the new direction he wants him to take.

4. Directing Through Excitement

Distractions in the training environment can be anything from noise, fast movement, an enticing smell, a judge wearing a hat, discriminating between an obvious obstacle to a less obvious one, food dropped on the training floor, a favorite toy or even stress. All of these distractions can cause the dog’s focus to vanish from the job at hand. With our communication we can calmly talk to the dog and help keep him on track through distractions so that he learns to be more capable of handling distractions with less and less aid until he can do his job reliably without the aids.

5. Sits and Down Stays Away from the Handler

The Pause Table can be tough for some dogs. Fast moving dogs probably think it’s rude to ask them to stop when they have four on the floor in high gear! Shy dogs can get de-motivated by being asked to slow down. Smooth and thin coated dogs such as Italian greyhounds may not find the surface very comfy. Fast dogs with high drive can benefit from learning to control themselves while shy and slower dogs can have their confidence and speed encouraged thereby enhancing their performance without the handler having to yell or hyperventilate while trying to motivate performance. It is amazing what gyrations a handler might try when on the competition field trying to get their dog to do the task at hand.

6. Start Lines Allowing the Handler to Lead Out on the Course

It is usually a disadvantage if the handler can’t take a lead out on the start line, if he so chooses, because the dog can’t hold a stay until he is told to go. Teaching our dogs a remote stay is one of the first things our clients learn. Even the dogs with high drive that shake at the start line with their muscles quivering in anticipation for the release to move, can get better at holding a stationary position on the start line.

7. Contacts as Boundaries are More Clearly Defined

There are many schools of thought on teaching contacts. Teaching running contacts can be broken down to teaching a contextual surface while on the move. Cueing the dog to learn to touch a smaller area breaks down to teaching a clear boundary. The remote collar again gives us remote directability once the behavior has been taught close in to the dog.

Teaching the contact as two-on/two-off, or a rock back down on the edge of the contact is a more simplified version of teaching the dog to touch and stay put in a certain position using a contextual surface. Although there are many other things to consider when teaching contacts, specifically head position, we can utilize a remote cue to help make our picture clearer to our dogs.

8. Obstacle Discrimination

The more clear and timely both physical and verbal cues are to the dog the more quickly he can get the information on direction away from the obvious obstacle to the less obvious obstacle. The remote collar gives us the ability to remotely add a physical cue to the timing of both and to give the dog a preparatory cue.

9. Aggressive Tendencies

Aggression and tendencies to be aggressive have many triggers with motion, fast movement and chaotic energy being a top contender for set offs. Using the remote collar cue to help gain and maintain focus in the height of distractions has proven helpful to keep the dog’s attention when in a stimulated state.

10. Aids in Weaning Away from Other Training Aids Such as Toys and Treats

The end goal to teaching an agility dog is of course, to do all the behaviors without any training aids. The remote collar as an aid will have to be phased out as well. Using the remote collar you can more quickly phase from some early aids such as food and toys until you have set your patterns well enough and long enough that they become habits and patterns. At this point the remote collar would begin to be phased out as well.

Stuff Through Weave Poles

Although no one tool can create the perfect dog and we certainly don’t want robots, most agree that both the handler and the dog have more fun together when the dog is listening and as a pair the two can work together. We feel that training with the Sit Means Sit’s remote training program we can help clarify information and help get the dog to the stage of working off leash with a high level of success in a shorter amount of time. Shorter not because we are taking shortcuts on the dog, but because his information was clearer to him more quickly so why hold your dog back if he can learn more quickly?

Crate training is a safe way to contain your puppy or dog. Some people have an adverse opinion of a crate and the general reason is usually because they believe it is not comfortable for the dog.  When you think like a dog, however; and not like a human, the crate becomes a favorable place because the crate replicates a natural den environment.  Despite some opinions to the contrary, the crate is really a humane way to safely contain your pup or dog.

Why does crate training work? It works because dogs have an innate den instinct and like to sleep ... more]]>

Crate training is a safe way to contain your puppy or dog.
Some people have an adverse opinion of a crate and the general reason is usually because they believe it is not comfortable for the dog.  When you think like a dog, however; and not like a human, the crate becomes a favorable place because the crate replicates a natural den environment.  Despite some opinions to the contrary, the crate is really a humane way to safely contain your pup or dog.

Why does crate training work?
It works because dogs have an innate den instinct and like to sleep in a small, confined space.  The crate serves as a safe place for the dog to go to when he is tired or anxious.  It provides a sense of security and it is a familiar place to your pet if his environment changes during travel or a move.  The crate can be transported with you and give your pet added stability to keep something familiar in his world during a confusing time for him.  Crate training is also a valuable tool for house training and for helping to teach him to be calm. Crating your pet prevents him from engaging in negative behaviors like chewing or digging or other destructive behavior patterns which can occur when you are not available to supervise.

When do you teach crate training?
The answer is anytime it is a necessary tool in your tool box.  Although, it is easiest to introduce a crate to a young puppy it is never too late to train your dog to use a crate.

What kind of crate do you get?
There are many styles of crates to consider for your needs. There is the plastic airline crate most commonly used for shipping but it can be used just as easily in your home; the wire open-air style is popular and this model comes in collapsible versions for easy fold up, or the soft-sided crate which is lightweight and quickly put up. Because of its ease of assembly and light weight, the soft-sided crate is popular with dog handlers who travel to competitions like agility and obedience. This is not a crate to begin training a new puppy with, however, because the soft material sides could be chewed.

What size crate do you get?
Your crate should be large enough for your dog or pup to stand up and turn around in.  If you are trying to house train a young puppy, use a crate that will be large enough when your dog is full grown but has a divider to give the pup just enough room for his current size. Most dogs are clean by nature and will try not to urinate or defecate in the area that they sleep in.  If the crate is too large your puppy may go to the other side of the crate to relieve himself in place of attempting to hold it.

Wire Crate Just the Right Size

What do you do when your pup is crying in his crate?
You may have to weather initial moans, cries, screams and maybe an outright temper tantrum because your pup generally will not be happy the first time he is introduced to his crate. Especially if he has just been separated from his litter he will be very unhappy and may even panic the first time.  It is important however that you do not give in thereby rewarding the act of becoming hysterical.  If you feel sorry for him and get him out before he settles down, he will quickly learn that the more he cries it will eventually bring him what he wants….OUT!

What do you do if you are not sure your puppy has to go potty when he is crying in his crate?
It will be important to quickly get a schedule on your new puppy so that you can get him out of his containment area in time so he can learn to relieve himself outside. The schedule should start out with short sessions with your dog in his crate for about two hours before letting him out.   His feeding will be a part of the schedule. Once your puppy has eaten and you have seen him relieve himself outside, then it should be safe to put him into his crate.  With a schedule in place, time and duration in the crate can quickly be extended.  If he is going out every two hours and you are hoping to sleep longer during the night, let him stay crated for a longer period of time; if he begins to cry and it has been three or four hours then you must get him out and give him the chance to relieve himself.  You will learn how long he can hold it and you will not be in danger of rewarding the wrong behavior of barking. Once the first few days have passed your dog’s schedule will begin to form.

Soft Sided Collapsible Crate

What kinds of things will make your puppy like his crate better?
A helpful hint for going into the crate is to give the puppy a good outlet first which will help tire him out.  A short walk or playing in the yard or with the kids can be a good way to get him a bit tired before sending him to his quiet, safe place to relax.  Toys that cannot be chewed up and ingested are okay to keep in the crate.  Also, safe chewing bones are a good idea.  A Kong stuffed with peanut butter can keep your pup happy for hours.  Feeding your puppy in the crate can be helpful and giving him a treat when he goes into the crate initially are ways to help get a new dog accustomed to his new  crate.

The more you use your crate for constructive confinement and training, which means that your puppy has had enough time to be out and part of the family with your supervision before being crated, the more comfortable and safe his crate will feel to him. Just like your bedroom and bed may be a welcome sight at the end of your day, your dog will view his crate in much the same way.  It’s all about how you train and use your crate.

Dogs are social animals they need to be with others of their kind.   They relate to their kind similarly to our social requirements as humans, thus making dogs ideal companions in many ways.  If we understand some basic things about nature and what the dog does without our intervention, we can understand how to help train our dogs to have a mutually beneficial relationship that is satisfying and meeting his needs as well as our own.

Important to note is that the dog’s survival of his family or pack members weighs solely ... more]]>

Hiking with Trained Dogs is a Breeze

Dogs are social animals they need to be with others of their kind.   They relate to their kind similarly to our social requirements as humans, thus making dogs ideal companions in many ways.  If we understand some basic things about nature and what the dog does without our intervention, we can understand how to help train our dogs to have a mutually beneficial relationship that is satisfying and meeting his needs as well as our own.

Order and Boundaries

Important to note is that the dog’s survival of his family or pack members weighs solely on the ability to maintain order and have clear boundaries in place.    We will meet those intrinsic canine needs through training and providing clear boundaries and structure.  This will allow your dog to feel safe and secure and help him adjust to the best of his abilities into our social human society.  After all, your dog can’t know if he runs into the street it is dangerous for him if you don’t teach him.  He simply can’t understand the words without instruction from you.

Whatever your goals might be, training can be a wonderful companion to exercise.  Training helps reduce anxieties such as separation destructive behavior.  We are going to start our education with our dog in a format that follows his basic needs for order and structure to help create a long and balanced bond between you and your dog.

Your dog is learning from you all the time. Will your dog learn good things or bad things?

Training Equipment: Your training starts the moment you get up and greet your dog.  Attach his training equipment:  A leash, line, remote collar or slip snap style collar first thing in the morning.  Take all training equipment off when you leave the house or are unable to supervise his actions.

Supervise your dog at all times

If you are unable to supervise your dog’s actions, then put him safely away into a containment or management system.  A crate, dog run, exercise pen are examples.  Ask if you need suggestions on what is best to help your needs.

Do not hold your dog responsible if he is not being supervised and gets in to trouble.  It’s not his fault.

The Long Line- it is an important tool in the beginning of your training and will help you reinforce and guide the dog to or away from what you are teaching him.  Your dog should be wearing a long line whenever you are home with him in the beginning stages of training.

Never Give Your Dog the Opportunity to Disobey Unless You Can Enforce or Reinforce What You Ask of Him.

Never Give a Command You Cannot Enforce.

Although it is fair to say nothing is absolute, the above are good rules to follow to the best of your abilities, trying to be a consistent and fair as possible with your dog.  Remember, if you can’t supervise his actions then put him away where he cannot be successful at doing the wrong behavior.

Sonoran Desert Toad

*Reprinted courtesy of Doggone Safe

This is the type of posture we see in a dog who wants to chase a squirrel, confront an intruder or is getting ready to chase a ball. He is intensely focused and ready for action. He does not want to be hugged or petted at this time. Teach children to leave a ... more]]> These signs indicate that your dog is interested in something or trying to decide on a course of action and is not receptive to attention (such as petting from a child) and include:

• Ears forward
• Mouth closed
• Eyes intense
• Body rolled forward
• Body tense
• Tail high (may or may not be wagging)
• Slow deliberate wag

This is the type of posture we see in a dog who wants to chase a squirrel, confront an intruder or is getting ready to chase a ball. He is intensely focused and ready for action. He does not want to be hugged or petted at this time. Teach children to leave a dog along who is tense and focused like this.

*Reprinted courtesy of Doggone Safe

Please remember: It is a GOOD THING that a dog shows you that he is anxious or uncomfortable, rather than going straight to a bite. Never punish a dog for showing that he wants to be left alone by growling, leaving the situation or demonstrating more subtle signs. If you punish a dog for growling or breaking a stay ... more]]>  These signs indicate that your dog is uncomfortable with the current situation and there is a need for intervention to prevent pushing the dog to the point of biting, and to make sure your canine friend is happy and not feeling anxious.

Please remember: It is a GOOD THING that a dog shows you that he is anxious or uncomfortable, rather than going straight to a bite. Never punish a dog for showing that he wants to be left alone by growling, leaving the situation or demonstrating more subtle signs. If you punish a dog for growling or breaking a stay to get way from a child you might suppress the warning or avoidance behavior and he might just bite without warning first the next time. The dog still feels exactly the same way about the child bothering him, but now he has no way to show it and no way out of the situation. Be glad if your dog gives a warning and take steps to modify the behavior of the child, condition the dog to enjoy the child and create safe spaces for both dog and child.

One Paw Raised

This is very cute but the dog is not happy and does not want to be petted or bothered. She is worried.

Half Moon Eye

The dog just wants to be left alone. Watch for this one when kids are mauling the dog. This is a common expression in dogs that being hugged. If you see the half moon eye when the kids approach the dog or are interacting with the dog, it’s time to intervene and give them all something else to do.

Displacement Behaviors

Displacement behaviors are normal behaviors displayed out of context. They indicate conflict and anxiety. The dog wants to do something, but he is suppressing the urge to do it. He displaces the suppressed behavior with something else such as a lick or a yawn. For example, you are getting ready to go out and the dog hopes to go too. He is not sure what will happen next. He wants to jump on you or run out the door, but instead he yawns. The uncertainty of the situation causes conflict for the dog and the displacement behaviors are a manifestation of that conflict. The dog may want to bite a child who takes his bone, but instead he bites furiously at his own foot.

Some examples of displacement behaviors include:

• Yawning when not tired
• Licking chops without the presence of food – watch the video below to see why this is important
• Sudden scratching when not itchy
• Sudden biting at paws or other body parts
• Sudden sniffing at the ground or objects
• Wet-dog shake when not wet or dirty

These are all things that dogs do anyway. It is important to look at the context to determine whether the dog is feeling anxious. For example: if it is bedtime and the dog gets up, stretches, yawns and goes to her bed, then that yawn was not a displacement behavior. If the kids are hugging the dog or lying on him and he yawns or starts licking at them over and over then this is displacement. He wants to get up and leave or even to bite, but he displaces that with yawning or licking them or himself. In this context the licking or yawning behavior tells you that the dog is uncomfortable with whatever the kids are doing and it is time for you to intervene. You must then either prevent the kids from doing this in the future or use positive training techniques to teach the dog to enjoy (not just tolerate) these actions from the kids.

Avoidance Behaviors

Sometimes dogs are more overt when they feel anxious and want to remove themselves from a situation. Please don’t force a dog to stay in situation in which he feels anxious, especially if children are the source of his anxiety. Here are some examples:

• The dog gets up and leaves an uncomfortable situation (one day, he may bite rather than leave the situation)
• Turning head away
• Hiding behind person or object
• Barking and retreating
• The dog rolls over on his back in a submissive way (please don’t hurt me!)

 Other Body Language Signs of Anxiety

• Tail between the legs
• Tail low and only the end is wagging
• Tail down or straight for curly-tailed dog (husky, chow-chow, malamute, pug, etc.)
• Ears sideways for erect-eared dog
• Ears back and rapid panting
• Dog goes into another room away from you and urinates or defecates (please find a professional behavior consultant to help with this)

All dogs should have a safe place, such as a crate or mat that they can go to when they want to be left alone. All family members and guests should be taught not to bother the dog when he is in his safe place. We have recently heard of a mat product which gives the dog a shock if he tries to leave it, thus teaching him to stay on the mat. This is not what we would consider a safe place for the dog. This is a dangerous product and you should not have one of these.

Watch this video and see if you can spot the warning sign (hint – it happens at about 2 sec into the video). You will likely need to watch it twice. Warning – graphic video. May not be suitable for children. Again this shows us how fast a dog can move. Even with the handler right there he couldn’t stop it. The slow motion shows just how slow the human reaction is. Neither the handler nor the reporter saw the warning sign.

This is a classic example of inter-species miscommunciation. The reporter was showing affection for the dog by leaning in and putting both hands on the dog’s neck. The dog did not interpret this as a friendly gesture, but rather saw it as a threat and acted accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6SDOTzmbSs

Lesson: keep your face out of the face of a strange dog – emphasize this with your kids!

*Reprinted courtesy of Doggone Safe

The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and goings of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year. When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should ... more]]>

The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and goings of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year. When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should a child touch the dog. Dog owners should gauge their dog’s reaction to visitors. If the dog is overly excited, barking or growling, cowering away, trying to hide or otherwise showing signs of anxiety or aggression, the dog should be kept separate from visiting children for the ENTIRE DURATION of the child’s visit. The dog should have its own place in a crate or another room with toys, a bone to chew on and its special bed or blanket so that it can be happy and comfortable and away from guests. Even dogs that seem happy with visitors should never be alone in the room with visiting children. No preschooler, toddler or baby should be allowed to be near your dog unless you personally also have your hands on the dog and can prevent face to face contact between child and dog and can prevent the child from hugging or otherwise bothering the dog.

Dogs should not be allowed to greet visitors at the door. This is for the safety of the dog and the visitors. Keep the dogs in separate room or crate until the visitors are settled and then allow the dog to say hello if appropriate. If you are not sure about your dog, then leave him confined or keep him on a leash. Make sure that the dog associates visitors with something good for the dog,such as special treats or a stuffed bone.

 If you do perceive a problem between your dog and visiting children – THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORK ON IT. It is not reasonable to use visiting children to help train your dog. Take preventative measures to ensure that your dog does not have the opportunity to bite and once the holiday season is over seek the help of a dog behavior specialist to solve the dog’s problem.

Tips for a Safe Family Gathering

Family gatherings at a relative’s house are the source of fond memories for many. The relative’s dog may not enjoy these events as much as the rest of the family. Noise, confusion and changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Even a normally calm and docile pet may become agitated enough to bite under the extreme circumstances of a boisterous family celebration. Supervision may be lax if each adult thinks that another is watching the children. Children are the most likely victims of dog bites in this situation.

Put the dog in his crate with a bone or favorite chew toy, at least during the most hectic times – guests arriving and leaving as well as dinner preparation and serving.

Assign one adult to be in charge of the dog, to watch for signs of stress and protect from unwanted attention from children.

Assign one adult to supervise each baby or toddler with no other tasks expected.

If you have multiple dogs, consider kenneling them, crating them or keeping them in another room during large gatherings.

Supervise at all times.

For a video with more tips on dog safety, click here.