HELPING YOUR DOG BE OK AROUND A VARIETY OF SCARY SOUNDS

 SOUND PROOF YOUR DOG-- someone a few blocks from our apartment has started setting off fireworks already, and we know that New Years will have them too.  NOW is the time to help your dog get used to these sounds-- especially if you have a young dog.  I highly recommend an app called "Sound Proof Puppy Training" that may have a small fee if I recall.  It provides a wide array of useful audio clips that you can play individually, or on a repeating loop.  You can start playing it on a very low volume while your dog is just chilling, and if he shows any interest in it, show him your phone but just act nonchalant.  Slowly over many sessions, raise the volume until you can play any of them without his being the least bit concerned.  We want it to be boring.  If you DO experience a loud noise in real life, immediately click and reward your dog before he has a chance to react.  In fact, when I heard the fireworks go off now, I was in my office and I walked into the next room to reward my dog for being chill.  The app has a great library of sounds, all of which you'll want to gently introduce to your dog.

HOW WELL DOGS CAN HEAR SOUNDS

 And lastly, here's some interesting info about our dogs' sense of hearing: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/sounds-only-dogs-can-hear/ 

Vaccinating against kennel cough

We are fostering a rescue dog (adorable Finn-- check out his special blog with video and details here )and in order to protect my dogs from any viruses or bacteria he may have from the animal shelter, I should have vaccinated them against kennel cough a few weeks before we fostered him. But the series of events didn't happen that way, and I hadn't kept up with my dogs' bordatella (kennel cough) vaccinations so they are, in fact, vulnerable.  Here is a video of what kennel cough sounds like (and it can also sound worse than this):


But it's not a big deal. It's like being vulnerable to a cold. But the coughing that accompanies kennel cough can keep a light sleeper like me awake at night. So even though I'm late in doing this, I decided to catch up and get my dogs vaccinated.

I found out that many places around the South Bay offer vaccination clinics on Saturdays, but we didn't think of this till late Saturday night so we missed them. The cost for a bordatella vaccination is $20 per dog (and it lasts about 6 months).

I logged onto PetcareRX.com, and was able to order 6 doses (an entire year's worth) for all 3 dogs for $8 per dose (which includes the $23 overnight shipping charge). And they give you points for previous orders, so I even got a further discount. Ya gotta love that. I like the savings but the real perk here is that they'll have it to me by Tuesday at the latest, allowing me to vaccinate my dogs and not have to wait for a vaccination clinic next Saturday. The vaccine takes at least a week to kick in, so if my dogs have already been exposed to kennel cough from other dogs at the dog park, or from our rescue dog, it's too late to stop it. But as I said, it's not a big deal.

I also vaccinate my own dogs for distemper and parvo, using this same company (and they sell the syringes and needles too). I'm vaccinating no more than every 3 years for these, which is what the American Veterinary Association recommends. (I mention this because many boarding kennels still expect you to have your dog vaccinated for these once a year, and that's not in your dog's best interest).

For more info on kennel cough, watch this video:

UNDERSTANDING YOUR "TRAINING CRITERIA" IN EACH SESSION.

 There are different aspects of a behavior and we break them apart into baby steps and train for each aspect separately.  Distance from you. Duration of the behavior. The Distraction in the environment. Then intensity of the behavior. And the speed of its performance. In any one training session  I should know what my goal is for that training session articulated in terms of these aspects.  For example, I might say “In this 5-min session I will try to train him to go from a down-stay duration of 10 seconds in my kitchen with me 1 foot away to a duration of 15 seconds (in my kitchen with me standing 1 foot away)

There are different aspects of a behavior and we break them apart into baby steps and train for each aspect separately.  Distance from you. Duration of the behavior. The Distraction in the environment. Then intensity of the behavior. And the speed of its performance. In any one training session  I should know what my goal is for that training session articulated in terms of these aspects.  For example, I might say “In this 5-min session I will try to train him to go from a down-stay duration of 10 seconds in my kitchen with me 1 foot away to a duration of 15 seconds (in my kitchen with me standing 1 foot away)

In the example above can you see how only changed ONE aspect (duration)?  When we are not explicit about the criteria for this session we start winging it, and we start raising the bar on more than one thing at once.  For example you might seek an increase in duration while also standing further back (distance). Not good. Raise the bar on just one thing at a time. In addition when you raise the bar on one aspect you should temporarily lower the bar (make it easier) on all the other aspects.

This is really analytical. I know it sounds technical and boring.  It works. It has mountains of science behind it.

Behaviors to train in preparation for a move abroad

When we move to a new city with our dog it's helpful to have a repertoire of  already-trained skills under their belt in order to make the transition and the journey itself easier for all involved.  Here is a list of skills and behaviors that are worthy of your training efforts BEFORE you make the move:

crate training and noisy travel, being wheeled on a cart while inside the crate.   

riding politely and without fear in elevators

cafe skills (lying quietly under your chair for long periods of time, tolerating boredom, ignoring wait staff and other people who walk by, ignoring other dogs)

Walking by your side, not way out in front of you and never on a flexi leash! (urban environments).

Eliminating with a cue (permission to eliminate)

Walking on new surfaces (cobblestones, slippery floors, textured rubber mats)

Vet exam and handling skills

Remaining calm even though he can see another dog (ie, not automatically assuming it's ok to visit the other dog-- again, urban skills)

Fireworks, construction noise, loud beeps from moving vehicles, thunder and lightening, increased exposure to new sounds, 

Polite car travel, entering and exiting a car/van on cue, and waiting for that cue.

Laying on a mat on command (I think of this as "parking my dog" - we used a yellow dish towel, which is very portable and washable.  Having a reliable, long down-stay on this towel is helpful in many situations-- as is a reliable long down-stay in general.  Highly recommended.  I find in highly distracting (potentially confusing) environments that pulling out the familiar yellow dish towel almost serves as an anchor to reassure my dog that yes, I do want him on that spot.) 

Which skills might you want to work on with your dog next?  

WHEN SHOULD YOU START SOCIALIZING YOUR PUPPY?

 If you have a puppy, please click through and read the position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) about when it's recommended to start socializing your puppy.  Under the right careful conditions puppies can start puppy socialization classes or playdates as early as 7-8 weeks of age.  Puppies should already have a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class (or playdate) and they should have had a deworming.  Their vaccine schedule should continue as planned.  

It is not recommended to wait until your puppy has completed its vaccines before allowing careful puppy socialization with other size-appropriate and age-appropriate dogs.  Read the statement for more information. 

Very briefly, we now know a lot more about how important it is to do the right kind of socialization during the first 3 months of a puppy's life -- and that NOT doing it sets the stage for a behavior problems later that can be very difficult to modify (anxiety out in public and panic around new sounds or objects, dog reactivity, separation anxiety and more).  

When we think of what's best for the welfare of dogs, it is FAR better for them to be thoroughly and properly socialized than it is to wait and miss the most important (and short!) window.  Waiting increases the number of dogs with behavior issues, which increases the number of dogs who get dumped by their frustrated disappointed owners.  I know you would never dump YOUR dog, but why miss this every important development stage for your pup?  It will make a huge difference in your dog's later ability to be comfortable in this crazy world we live in. 

Not all vets (especially outside the US) are up to date on these recommendations (and in fact some vets have little to no training/education on animal training and dog behavior).  

AVSAB POSITION STATEMENT ON PUPPY SOCIALIZATION

SOCIALIZING AND CREATING POSITIVE CONDITIONED EMOTIONAL RESPONSES (CER)

 I'd like to introduce you to a very useful tool called a "conditioned emotional response" which is abbreviated as "CER".  The emotion can be happy or stressed/worried/scared. 

Think of a conditioned emotional response (or CER) as an automatic response to a stimulus that has been learned from past exposures and experiences. It is not under your dog's control-- it is an automatic reaction. This is similar to what happens to soldiers who suffer from PTSD. They often have CERs to sounds that mimic explosions or gun fire. If they hear fireworks, even outside of the context of warfare; they may have flashbacks which may cause violent responses to the noise. We all have CERs in our daily life, for instance, how do you feel if you hear a police siren and see flashing lights in your rear view mirror? You may tap your breaks and slow down but your adrenaline flows and your heart rate races because you are anticipating something bad, a speeding ticket. I have a strong CER to spiders.  

We also have more happy CERs, such as hearing the music from an ice cream truck. The truck’s song may signal a happy CER from within us from our childhood memories of eating ice cream treats. When we socialize puppies, we are trying to proactively introduce them gently to new things AND create a positive happy CER about that new thing.  It's not just about letting them play with other dogs (though that's important, too).  It's about introducing them to everything in the world they have not yet been exposed to, during this prime very special developmental stage of puppyhood.  If this stage is missed it requires a LOT of compensating later in life.

I'm providing a few resources that utilize the tool of creating a positive CER.... the first one here is Creating a Positive CER to Unfamiliar Dogs.  https://carriepawpins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Creating-a-Positive-Conditioner-Emotional-Response-to-Unfamiliar-Dogs.pdf 

And for those who have a puppy, here is the "How to Socialize a Puppy" YouTube playlist from Susan Garrett, a famous trainer and one of my favorites.  Watch all of these!  And let me know what if any questions you have.   

Dog or Puppy Play Date Etiquette

Having a play date with one or more other dogs is a great idea, especially for puppies (though almost all dogs of all ages love them). Here are some tips to make it successful.  The important thing is that these interactions are positive for both dogs, not scary.  Pay close attention to the body language of both dogs.  What may look like rough play to you may be great fun for them, but if either dog seems to be trying to stop or avoid the game, be ready to intervene gently to impose a 5-min break.

1. Pay attention to your dog at all times. Keep your eyes on your pup the entire time. This is harder than it sounds, because you’ll be chatting with the other people there. In this situation it is OK to suddenly interrupt the person talking to you and say, “Excuse me one sec” and attend to your dog. Remember, the purpose of this gathering is to have a positive dog-to-dog experience. That requires your vigilance and intervention in a number of situations:

a. If your dog is eliminating. If the play date is going to be at someone’s house, ask them in advance if there is an area where they prefer the dogs to eliminate. If so, take your dog over there first thing, and let her sniff around and get the message “this is where dogs go”. Later, as she’s playing vigorously, realize that this will stimulate her to have to go. Try to anticipate this, and lure her over to the potty area a few times with a treat and encourage her to go. If she doesn’t go in the right spot and squats on the patio or some other place, step in immediately with your baggie and ask if you can grab a hose to clean it off. It is bad manners to allow your dog to poop and not notice it. Your host may not notice it until after you leave, but it won’t leave a good impression. Pay attention to your dog.

b. If your dog is pestering another dog. This includes barking at it incessantly, but watch the other dog’s body language—just because it’s annoying you doesn’t necessarily mean it’s annoying the other dog. If your dog is chomping on another dog trying to get it to run, and that other dog is trying to ignore her, give your dog a chance to get the message and stop (this is the value of these play dates, the dogs learn socialization skills and they have to learn the dog rules from other dogs). If she doesn’t “get it” relatively soon, intervene for the sake of the other dog.  Go in with a treat, and take your dog's collar and lure your dog over to you,. Treating frequently, make her sit for a moment and see what the other dog does—does he seem relieved or does he come back into engage your dog in play? If he comes back in, let them off to play again if it's OK with the other owner. If the other dog seems relieved your dog has stopped, work with your dog for a minute on eye contact with you, treating frequently and generously. In other words, impose a break. Then let her off again to go play if it's OK with the other owner. Watch the body language of both dogs. If your dog re-engages the same way as before and doesn’t get the “I don’t want to play this way” hint, intervene again. Remove her to a nearby area and try change up the game-- Introduce a toy and let her chase it, and see if they can engage in tug of war or keep away. If none of that works quickly, intervene again. Consider ending the session for now. The other dog may be done playing.  Sometimes a 5 minute break is all that's needed, other times it's time to wrap it up for the day.  The big point is that if your pup is playing in a way that the other puppy doesn't like, intervene quickly and don't be at all offended if the other owner intervenes quickly.  These play sessions MUST be a positive experience for both dogs.

Sometimes puppies that needed to be broken up during the first session do better the next time.  They're babies and they are learning how to play nicely with each other.  So having to intervene doesn't mean the two are not a good match, it just means you're having to coach a lot at this stage.  If you don't see progress in their interactions after a few sessions, consider seeking a different playmate.  Also, if one pup is not engaging or having fun consider whether it might be entering a "fear stage" which is a normal development stage.  Make sure that pup has a place it can escape to and watch, and come out when it decides to.  During the fear stage it might not want to play.  For more information about fear stages in dogs, click here.

c. If your dog is being pestered by another dog, and the other owner is not proactively – and effectively—stepping in, you may need to, but be gracious about it. I find a lot of owners will try to correct their dog by verbally scolding them (as if that does anything). It’s just doesn’t work. The pups are too distracted and worked up to respond well.  If you are sure your dog is not having fun and wants to be rescued (watch her body language), intervene quickly. Go pick her up and remove her from the situation if she doesn't have a place she can easily escape (under a chair or table, where the other pup isn't pursuing her, for example).  As above, a 5-minute break may be needed.  If that doesn’t work, consider wrapping up the session. 

d. If your dog is jumping on furniture or into flower beds, correct immediately, and be physically close enough that you can do this without having to scream across the whole yard. Call your dog to you and reward generously, and say “uh uh” if it heads back into that area. Reward often and generously.

e. Your dog may grab something in its mouth it should not have and run off with it (one case that comes to mind is a pup who grabbed some peat and dirt plugs used for starting seedlings). In all cases, deal with it first, and quickly, and then do any apologizing to the host. They’ll really appreciate how on top of your dog you are. No one expects these dogs to be perfectly behaved, so as long as you’re catching it and correcting it quickly, you’ll stay in good graces. If your dog breaks anything, turn to the host and say sincerely that you insist on paying for that. There is no need to end the play date over something like that.

f. Continue to work on vocal signals with your dog such as “uh uh” (which means – if you teach her this meaning—“Stop what you’re doing”) and click and treat for reinforcement (for coming over to check in with you, for example). Don’t expect “uh uh” to have any effect on your dog if you have not worked in advance with it as a signal.


2. Come prepared with baggies and lots of treats, and a toy or two. These are all required props for the situations above.

3. Ask your host before giving her dog any treats—when you give a treat it will reinforce whatever behavior was happening right then, and depending on what your host is working on with her dog, she may or may not want to lose control over that.

4. Don’t forget to reward “laying calmly in the presence of another dog”. This is easier to do once the dogs are exhausted from playing! But if they do plop down on the floor for a break, go ahead and reward that. Being calm in the presence of other dogs is a very valuable behavior and we want to build that “muscle”.

5. Ask in advance how much time the host has for the playdate, or suggest an end-time yourself. In other words, don’t wear out your welcome. Once the pups are playing, it may be awkward for the host to suggest that you wrap it up if the pups are having a rollicking good time. Keep an eye on the clock and exit gracefully.

6. When it’s time to wrap it up, don’t call your dog to you. Take a treat to your dog, take her by the collar and reward her, and then pull out the leash you’re hiding in your coat pocket. Clip it on and give her another really good treat. Try to compensate for the disappointment that you are pulling her out of the party. Don’t call her to you, because if you do it will poison your recall command (we don’t want to call our dogs to us when we’re about to end all the fun – it makes them not want to obey us when we call them. After all, they’re not stupid!). Other times, by the way, you should go up to your dog, take her by the collar, reward her, and then free her to keep playing. Don’t let the “I’m going for your collar” movement be a signal that the party is over.

7. Take into account your dog’s size and energy level. We have one young dog in our group who is just too exhuberant for most other dogs’ taste, and although he’s the same age as some others in the group, he won’t let up and becomes annoying. We let him play with my dogs (who can handle him) but we don’t include him when we have other dogs over to play with our three. He would overwhelm and frighten a dog with a softer personality. So pick the dogs carefully who will play together.

This may all sound a little over the top, but a dog play date is much more about dog training and development than it is about people socializing. Go have coffee with your friends when you want to focus on them. When the dogs are playing, you need to be right in there—much more so than when children are playing. Much more so. Relax and have fun, but be super attentive.

Where to take your dog out in public (South Bay)

If you have taken enough dog training to be at the point where you are practicing many of your behaviors out in "more distracting settings", I can't emphasize enough how useful and important this is, and in order to encourage you in this effort I wanted to share with you some of the many places I go with my own dogs. Please see below. Keep in mind that your dog will never do as well in a new environment the first time as he or she will do on the second, third, and fourth visit. So go out often with your dog, and go to the same places over and over again. Each time you go, there will be new distractions but your dog will also be getting used to the environment and to that AMOUNT of stimulation all at once.

Don't forget to bring high value treats. Here are some places I like to go:



1) The "Promenade" or whatever they're calling it these days-- the shops below Peninsula Center, where the Equinox gym is. There's a ton of stuff you can work on here--


(a) going up and down stairs without your dog pulling (work on this the same way you work on "let's go"

(b) going into the elevator, asking your dog to sit, and going up to the upper floor (don't EVER take your dog on an escalator- I know of a

dog who became frightened, he layed down in fear, and his tail and penis got stuck in the moving parts. It's toooo dangerous)

(c) walking around and doing a series of short sits and downs near the fountain that squirts water up

(d) walk over to the window where you can see into the ice rink, and let your dog see that. Go to the toy store where kids ride some scooter toys out in front, and do some sits at a safe distance. Be prepared to gently and immediately intervene any time a child approaches you and your dog. If you have any qualms about the child's controllability, or your dog's comfort, act like you suddenly forgot your keys in the parking lot and turn and zoom off in that direction with your dog. You can hide the fact that you are avoiding the child. If you do want to interact, be prepared to hand the child a treat to give to your dog if your dog will take it gently. If your dog won't take it gently, let's work on that at home. Meanwhile, you can give the treat to the child, and then flatten your own hand like a plate, and say, "Give it to Fido by putting it in my hand" (and then you immediately let your dog take it from your hand), and then say, "Oh, he liked that, thank you for giving him a treat".

(e) I use the flat planter benches around a lot of the landscaping as a bit of agility practice, inviting my dog to hop up there, and using a treat to lure him along (so he stays on the flat part and doesn't fall off). I say "off" as he hops off. I say "jump" as he hops onto it. "Jump" means jump your whole body onto something (the grooming table, the sofa, the bench) and "up" means "put your front feet up on this surface" (the wall, my lap, etc).

(f) In these environments, keep your dog close to you-- don't use a flexi-lead, for example. Don't tie him up and go inside to order a Starbucks coffee (your dogs aren't ready for that yet). These environments ARE a good place to do the recall game at a relatively short distance (15 feet). If the Promenade is really quiet, you could do a longer distance, but do it quickly and discreetly-- the security guards get nervous when they see a dog on a longer leash, doing an exercise that takes up a lot of room. Out of courtesy, only do this when you won't be disrupting foot traffic or creating an uncontrolled situation. The security guards will make themselves seen and will quietly check you out. Show them that you're responsible and know what you're doing. They'll be relieved and will leave you alone.

(2) Terranea :Walk all over, and sit for a bit in one of the upholstered chairs outside, by the conference rooms, and practice having your dog lay by your feet and stay laying there. I hope I don’t need to tell you that it would be bad manners to let the dog up on the furniture there, ever. At Terranea there are a lot of people walking their dogs, especially little dogs, and many of those dogs are on flexi-leads and will be allowed by their owners to zoom over to you. Good practice for “leave it”, and making your dog walk away and stay focused on you. Please, no flexi-leads here either. This is an expensive resort, so take extra care about where you let your dog eliminate—as a courtesy, try to make it happen out of sight of the guests. If it’s the kind that needs picking up, as always, baggie it immediately and then look for a trash in a location that won’t create a nasty smell for the guests. Don’t deposit it by the pool, for example.

By the way, I’m not opposed to letting dogs sniff and interact, but I don’t feel obligated to do it with a every dog and person on the street—the opportunity is actually more valuable to me as a chance to practice “leave it” and focus. As long as your dog is getting lots of appropriate playtime with other dogs, he doesn’t NEED to stop and greet and sniff and interact with every dog on the street. I don’t want him to think that just because we see another dog or another dog is walking by it automatically means we’re going to greet them and interact. If you allow that, you create a dog that is unable to focus in the presence of another dog.

(3) Riviera Village: Catalina Avenue is a rich opportunity to practice walking calmly past café tables full of people and food (sometimes with a dog or two near the table as well). Pay close attention as you enter these situations—if there is a dog at the table and the owner is not paying attention, that dog may bolt and react when your dog approaches, which can scare your dog. So look to see if there is room to step away from the table as you pass if necessary—or is there a crowd of people standing there? Can you wait a moment until they move? If you see a dog at table reacting to other dogs, before you go by do the table a favor and walk around it the other way, giving them wide berth. When we dog owners show that kind of courtesy in doing what we can to avoid a barking spectacle (no matter whose dog is barking), everyone appreciates it. We like to walk all the way up one side of the street, down to the Esplanade along the upper part of the beach walk, and then back to Catalina Ave and down the other side of the street. (Note that you cannot take your dog down to the Strand along the beach in Redondo, sadly, but people walk along the upper sidewalk by the street).

(4) The grocery store: Keep your dog safely in your car (see my blog post about that) and after you shop and load your groceries into your car, take your dog out for a few minutes of loose leash walking and sits and stays in the parking lot and along the front of the store. The racket of the carts and the doors opening and the customers going in and out is great for distraction training.

(5) Del Amo mall (the outside section, where PF Chang’s is). Walk your dog around, practicing some basic behaviors. Great distractions from people walking, the dangling strings of lights above, the sounds bouncing off the buildings, water features, a large escalator, a staircase to work with, an elevator between floors. Do some backup-recalls and some down-stays.

Some stores don’t explicitly DISALLOW dogs but please don’t bring your dog into a store unless he is really ready for it and able to behave perfectly, and unless you are really able to focus on him. If you have a male, keep an extra eye on him to make sure he doesn’t mark a vertical surface—sometimes the unusual smells in a store can spark this behavior even in dogs who don’t normally do this. I’ve brought my dog into hardware stores, certain bookstores, a cosmetics store (Origins), and a few others.

If you discover that you’re the kind of person who wishes you lived in Europe where people are allowed to bring their dogs almost everywhere, please consider becoming a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, which breeds and trains service dogs to assist people with mobility impairments. I’ve done 7 puppies for them, and 3 for Guide Dogs of America. Please ask me about it if you’d like to learn more.