FEBRUARY 2017 Trainer Talk . . . with Shara Butterworth We love our dogs but often dog lovers don't take the time to understand
their canines. Our Dogs are dependent on us to meet their every need, food, water, shelter, exercise, affection and they all have their unique personalities. Since they are dependent on us we also have incredible influence over their behaviors. Without realizing it, most dog owners train their dogs unconsciously.
When problem behaviors pop up in the dog, they are unaware that they them- selves have trained and somehow rewarded their dog for those very behav- iors.
Example: One of my clients had a mastiff puppy, and they are incredibly
cute puppies so when the pup was small she would jump up on her owner and the owner would reach down and pet her or pick her up for snuggles. The pup solicited attention like this from everyone as it was well received. Then the poor puppy grew and grew and grew and reached 120 pounds! When this dog attempts the very same behavior, suddenly people are not happy about it. Now we have a very confused dog. The dog's same attempts to connect, snuggle and get attention are now met with irritation, anger and rejection. Rejection for a dependent animal is a very scary thing because they have
some understanding that they rely on us for survival, so now the behavior gets amplified as the dog only knows that this behavior used to earn her at- tention and affection and now the negative responses she gets cause her anxiety which makes her want affection and reward even more...... we hu- mans can be very confusing! The solution now is to teach her a different way to ask for attention, to sit first to earn the attention she seeks. If her owners hadn't unknowingly rewarded her for jumping as a pup, it would have never turned into a problem. Another client's dog stares at her when she sits on her couch and has a
snack. The owner, loving her dog, will toss her a scrap of food. This wasn't a problem until she started dating someone and the dog's behavior embar- rassed her. So now, instead of getting a scrap of food she gets yelled at for begging. Yet the dog has been rewarded in this situation for so long, she will continue to try. Even more confusing to the dog, is when the boyfriend isn't around. she continues to have their shared snack time on the couch. The in- credible part about this case is that very same dog learned to avoid her owner when boyfriend was around, and show up when her owner is by herself on the couch. Why? Because the client's demeanor changed when boyfriend was there and the dog didn't like being yelled at, so the dog avoided her. When boyfriend was gone, client lightened up again and her dog would go back to their routine. The dog did not understand it was wrong to beg, how could it? it was rewarded for it. What the dog understood was, Mom is safe to be around when she is alone but when the boyfriend is around she's cranky and unpleasant and its best to avoid her. A couple called me; the husband
was extremely frustrated with his dog. He doesn't want him on the couch. the dog never listens, and he gets angry at the dog; he just wants to get rid of dog! The wife loves the dog and seeks out my services to help. The husband is frustrated that the dog never listens. What's going on? Turns out, it was a very respon- sive dog. Wife admittedly lets the dog on the couch when the husband isn't around. If the couple would just
come to an agreement about boundaries in their home, everyone would be happy. The solution was getting the couple to agree that the dog would never be allowed on couch but, instead, was provided a nice soft dog bed near the couch. In two days that dog stopped trying to get on couch because they were BOTH consistent and clear about the rules in their home. So, if you have a behavioral problem with your dog, take some time
to think about how you might be rewarding or punishing your dog for that problem behavior. If you need some help to figure it out, have a consultation with a trainer. |Most clients (and their dogs) are helped in just one or two ses- sions. Our relationships with our dogs shape their behaviors; a trainer can teach you how to have an incredible relationship with your dog - custom de- signed by you. Shara Butterworth is the Director of Training at Canine Support
Teams. She has been training dogs since 1995 and began working with Carol Roquemore in 1996. She has trained hundreds of dogs AND in- structed hundreds of Inmate Trainers through CST Prison Pups Pro-
gram.To learn more about Canine Support Teams or to donate go to:
caninesupportteams.org.
The Essentionals of Oils for Pets
Join us at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library on
Thursday, January 26, 2017, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm for “The Es- sentials of Oils for Pets.” What are the health and wellness priorities for your pets? Sue Parker, an expert in the field, will be on hand to lead a discussion on essential oils and their important role in support- ing your pet’s physical and mental well-being. Come curious and leave empowered! This program is open to adults 18 years and older and is spon-
sored by the Friends of the Temecula Libraries. Space is limited. For more information, please call (951) 693-8940.
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