Puppy Mills- What they really mean to the pet industry

Did you know that one puppy mill breeder with just 10 breeding females can easily put 100-140 dogs in the industry a year. But if you think that sounds horrendous then think of this. The HSUS has documented over one thousand commercial breeders in Virginia alone, many of these puppy mills admit to owning over 500 breeding females. That means that one puppy mill with 500 breeding females can easily put 5000-7000 dogs in the industry a year.

Responsible breeders DO NOT sell their dogs to pet stores. It just never happens. If you can't see the parents and living conditions of the breeder's home then DON'T buy the puppy.
Each time a puppy mills puppy is bought you put money into the hands of the cruel people. They do not care about the health and wellbeing of a single animal, they only care about making money.

Even if your puppy doesn't become sick think about it's parents. Breeding dogs never get to touch grass and are of kept in cages raised off the ground so that the dogs must stand on chicken wire their entire life.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Adopt from a Shelter
Buy ONLY from reputable small single breed breeders who let you visit their homes.

In Response to the HSUS Investigation

Virginia authorities responded to the Humane Socirty of the United States undercover investigation this week. With help from HSUS, dozens of shelters and Virginia authorities all helped close down just one of the puppy mills in Virginia.
All the data is still coming in but according to HSUS website 45 adult dogs and 65 puppies were taken from one breeder in two separate visits. Unfortunately the number of rescued dogs has swelled in the past several days as dozens of the adult females were pregnant at the time of rescue.
The majority of dogs were small breeds. These dogs would have been sold in clasified ads and pet stores across the East Coast. In the end the only thing that will truly end puppy mills is for the money trail to run out. By not ever buying a puppy from a pet store or from back yard breeders we will cut off the income supply for these breeders. It is the consumer who has the ultimate power.
LET'S USE IT!!!!
Please visit the HSUS website and learn more about puppy mills.

Love for all creatures
Kat

Behavioral Myths

The below list is a compilation created by Dr. Lore Haug of many trainers and what we hear as "behavioral truths" which in fact have no baring in scientific reality.

If one of these myths confuses you then please comment.  I'm happy to explain the reality in more detail.

1. Puppies should not go to puppy classes/the mall/friend's houses until they have had all their vaccinations at 16 weeks of age

2. Aggressive dogs are dominant.

3. Dogs pull on leash and jump up on people because they are dominant

4. If you let your dog sleep on the bed, he will become the alpha.

5. It's importnat to rub a dog's nose in it's feces or urine to properly housetrain it.

6. Dogs can't learn from positive reinforcement.  You have to punish them so they know they are wrong.

7. My dog is aggressive towards strangers because he is protecting me.

8. If you use treats to train, you will always need them.

9. Dogs urinate inside the house and barks when him alone because he is spiteful.

10. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are aggressive due to a "missing gene"

There will be more to come

Keeper of the Dogs

POWER

The idea of power has such a strong force in the human psyche.  To feel power over something gives a person control and security that they will be able to determine and mold the future.

In dog training the idea of power has been used and misused so many times that even dog trainers, animal behaviors and scientists get confused at times with what is power and what is the natural order of things.  But if you sit back and try to understand what power really achieves and what it doesn't then you can make some better choices on how to train your dog.

The first thing that must be realized is that in the end each human, each creature, each living thing has the power to control it's own body/destiny.  There are of course so many factors that go into choice but in the end the reaction that a being takes is it's own.  By understanding that although we use such words as "owning a dog" or "commands for a dog" the dog has a choice in the end to listen to us or not.  Now please understand me that choice doesn't always mean rational or survival of the decision.  A slave can finally decide to choose to walk away.  Now in that moment of choice the slave is finally taking on it's ability to have control of it's life.  That decision will probably also precipitate the death of the slave but in the act of the slave choosing to walk away the slave takes the power away from the owner and back to himself.

In the end there was nothing the owner could do to have power over that slave.

Realize first that your dog ALWAYS has a choice to make.  Realize as well that you can guide your dog towards one decision or another but you will never be able to make that decision for your dog.  The final decision is the dog's decision.  Upon realizing that you do not own or control or have power over your dog you will also realize that the method of forcing a dog to make decisions about sitting, coming, laying down, not biting are all acts in futility.  Just as a battered wife eventually turns and kills her husband so will a dog eventually lash out at you.  He may try to run away at first but if you always limit your dog's choice to obey or be hit/shocked etc you are in the end limiting the dog's ability to choose anything except to fight back.

The joy of understanding the new methods of reinforcement training is that we never start with the goal of power over the dog.  We start with the knowledge that the dog doesn't know what we want from his behavior but he does have the ability to learn.  By using a majority of positive reinforcement concepts with only minimal punishment we encourage a dog to enjoy the act of listening and learning from us.  Upon this the dog will actually learn much more quickly then by threatening body harm to achieve our goals of sitting, laying down and coming.  When choosing your next trainer or training book think about what you are really trying to do with your dog.

Are you trying to force power and control over something that you never can have control over?

or 

Are you trying to create a communication bond between two different species that will help both of you understand your customs and behaviors better therefore making both of you able to live together more peacefully?

HSUS undercover investigation

The Humane Society of the United States has published an undercover investigation regarding puppy mills in the State of Virginia. Virginia is a state that has decent regulations regarding the care treatment and welfare of dogs being bred and sold there. However clear problems in this state include the fact that very few commercial breeders are licensed and then they are not monitored by the agriculture department
Please visit the Humane Society's website to see their whole video
I have often had people question my complete ban on Pet stores who sell puppies. People tell me that the puppy in the window needs saved too. But what these well meaning people don't understand is that unlicensed puppy mills put a majority of the dogs into our communities. They are often sick, not well socialized, and many times dumped at shelters at six weeks of age. You may think your saving one dog but you are at the same time killing hundreds of other dogs by financially supporting these breeders. The only way to get them to stop breeding unhealthy and excessive numbers of dogs is to cut off their income.
DON"T BUY FROM PUPPY MILLS OR PET STORES and they will stop breeding. The treatment of these animals is just has horrendous as what Michael Vick did to his fighting dogs. PLEASE STOP BUYING FROM PET STORES!
If you are looking for a dog. Consider a shelter or rescue organization. If you definitely want to buy a full bred puppy then go to a reputable breeder. A good breeder will interview you as much as you should be interviewing the breeder. If the breeder doesn't care where the puppy is going then I would worry that the breeder never cared about where the puppies genes came from or how well it was cared for after birth.

Crumpet in his new home

I am pleased and honored to let everyone know that Crumpet has found his new permanent home. He is living with two adult humans and one sister cockapoo. They were all very patient with Crumpet as he came to stay with them. They even invited me and my dog, Kayla, to stay at their house to help Crumpet in his transition.

I am always honored to care for my foster dogs and the love and generosity of the people who adopt these dogs is astounding to say the least.

Crumpet's new family have let me know that he as relaxed into his new home over the past six weeks and they graciously thanked me for the work that I did with Crumpet before bringing him to them.

I also want to thank Abandoned Angels for rescuing Crumpet out of his previous life and putting in the effort and immense cost to care for him until he was ready for his new home. I've been working with Abandoned Angels for about six months and I'm constantly amazed at the love and generosity they put into their dogs. The people who run Abandoned Angels have full time jobs and spend every moment of their free time caring for lost/dumped/and abused cockers to make sure they find good loving homes.

I can't even begin to express the respect and awe I have for this organization.
www.nyabandonedangels.com

Kat

APDT CONFERENCE

I wanted to take a moment to thank the board of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers for putting on such a wonderful conference for it's members this year. For those of you who don't know, the APDT is at the forefront of education and development of the professional dog trainer. Their constant work has brought trainers, veterinarians, vet technicians, and animal scientists from many fields together to gather and learn more about dogs in a holistic way.
This year I focused greatly on scientific issues. Learning more about the brain, it's structure and operations. I've learned about how any brain works and how dog and human brains work both the same and differently.
With this knowledge I've been able to begin better training plans for my clients. I've been able to tailor my training plans that focus on how your dog's brain learns most quickly and with the least about of stress.

I hope that others at the conference got as much out of the wonderful speakers as I did

To learn more about APDT please go to their website at www.apdt.com
They can help you make a more educated choice in choosing the right trainer to help better the relationship between you and your dog.

Welcome me back

My apologies for being distant in my management of my blog. A number of personal and familial issues have conspired to make my professional life difficult to maintain.

Please make sure to browse older blogs for help and ideas with training.

Love to all
Kat, Keeper of the Dogs, Berger

How to begin training.

The first step in training an animal is in your own head. Decide who you are and what you are doing. There are two schools of thought in the training world
1. Teaching animal you have all the control. Listen to my commands and you will not be punished
2. Understand that you have NO control over another living creature. Then teach your animal that listening to you brings about wonderful things.

I am solely of the second world. Does that mean my dog runs my life? NO, not in the least. But it does mean that I understand that my dog makes decisions for herself all the time. She always has a choice. If I punish her enough she may run away or bite me. That is her choice. What I have done is teach her I will NEVER hurt her so she never needs to resort to biting. And that the more she listens to me the more fun she will have.

Punishment always benefits the punisher. The power that one feels when they control another is a very strong drug. But as with any drug to continue to feel good the drug needs to happen again and again. And eventually your dog will react to this. How will be up to your dog. Some dogs run away. Some dogs bite. and some dogs just shut down and curl up in a corner. Just becasue they aren't jumping on you anymore doesn't mean you taught him anything good. At best you taught your dog that you are no fun, and at worst that you are a dangerous person to be around.

Think before you punish.

Another voice to change Dog Training

A fellow dog trainer brought to my attention another voice focusing on the growing number of people who feel that Cesar Millan has some troubling training methods. As I've said before and will say again, methods that seem to produce quick and startling responses are not always the most effective, humane or long lasting methods. When you spend extra time counter conditioning a response to get a better, more reliable and likable response then you also create a stronger bond as well.

But please read Richard Belzer speaks his point very articulately.


"First Do No Harm" by Richard Belzer posted on The Huffington Post August 24, 2007
For countless years dogs have been bred and nurtured to trust humans. They are by far the best friend of the human race -- they have protected us, worked for us, performed miraculous feats of courage: saving lives, rescuing people and pets, from flattened buildings (after Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters) when humans gave up because of the seeming impossibility of people surviving such daunting destruction...

And yet the dogs did not give up! If any animal is capable of unconditional love it is surely the canine: they are forgiving, caring, life-affirming creatures who humble us and teach us to be more human and compassionate. Also, let us never forget: specially-trained dogs help
physically and mentally handicapped individuals have a much better lifestyle. Plus, when dogs visit hospitals they bring a healing presence to all those they come in contact with in ways humans cannot!

Dog owners and dog lovers recognize and respect the bond that has evolved over the centuries.
To take these divine animals and make them fight each other and kill them in the most heinous and torturous fashion if they are not "tough enough" is unquestionably horrific, vile and degrading behavior. People were reflexively and rightfully sickened, incredulous, heartbroken and beyond shocked. How could anyone so viciously betray this ancient trust that dogs have shown us? What does this tell us about who we are and what we can do to protect our most dear companion?: Raise consciousness about the thousands (yes thousands) of organized dog fights that go in America). Law enforcement and legislators have to be made more aware of these grotesque goings on!

Also of key importance is how to treat our pet dogs that we are so devoted to. Most owners do their best in caring for their dogs. But unfortunately there are some wildly popular training techniques that are misguided and harmful.

An alarming and important press release (that was depressingly ignored by the press and others) issued by the American Humane Association. (Founded in 1877, it is the oldest national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals the association develops policies, legislation, training curricula and training programs to protect children and from abuse, neglect and exploitation.) The release expresses dismay over the "numerous inhumane training techniques" advocated by Cesar Millan on "Dog Whisperer."

Instances of cruel and dangerous treatment -- promoted by Millan as acceptable training methods -- were documented by the American Humane Association, including one in which a dog was partially asphyxiated in an episode. In this instance the dog was pinned to the ground by its neck after first being "hung" by a collar incrementally tightened by Millan. Millan's goal -- of subduing a fractious animal -- was accomplished by partially cutting off the blood supply to its brain.

The AHA has requested that National Geographic stop airing the program immediately and issue a statement explaining that the tactics featured on the program are inhumane, and it encourages National Geographic to begin developing programming that sets a positive example by featuring proper humane animal training. In its letter, AHA said: "we believe that achieving the goal of improving the way people interact with their pets would be far more successful and beneficial for the National Geographic channel if it ceased sending the contradictory message that violent treatment of animals is acceptable."

"As a forerunner in the movement towards dog training, we find the excessively rough handling of animals on the show and inhumane training methods to be potentially harmful for the animals and the people on the show," said Bill Torgerson, DVM, MBA, who is vice president of Animal Protection Services for American Humane. "It also does a disservice to all the program's viewers by espousing an inaccurate message about what constitutes effective training and appropriate treatment of animals."

Torgerson noted that the safety of a woman and her German Shepherd were jeopardized in one episode by the use of a shock collar, which forced the tormented dog to redirect its aggression at its owner, biting her arm.

"Furthermore, the television audience was never told that Mr. Millan was attempting to modify the dog's behavior by causing pain with the shock collar."

The fact that the "Dog Whisperer" has been nominated for an Emmy should give serious pause to all those in the business who are about to vote for the awards. Dog owners and dog lovers would be disturbingly misled if Mr. Millan and his program are honored in such a high-profile way.

There are other highly effective and humane methods for training our beloved companions. Please take note and let others know.

To be fair The Huffington Post also printed a dissenting opinion written by Lawrence O'Donnell.
Here's a link to that post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/whats-wrong-with-killing_b_61766.html

I don't worry as much about trying to save every dog out there, I work towards saving the dog in front of me today.

Labor Day Special

I so appreciate the cost of dog training. I don't think I could afford it if I had to pay someone to help train my dog. But I also believe that positive knowledgeable trainers should be available to people of all incomes. So I've have a Labor Day special going on:

For all clients who sign up for training and prepay for the prescribed sessions, I will return 30% of the cost at the end of the sessions.


Why do I do it this way?
Because so often I've given discounts to people and then they don't follow through with the plan. And that helps no one. The client is out money, the dog doesn't get the help it needs, and I don't have a good reference from my client. By making the client responsible for the full payment up front and then giving an incentive to complete the full training I have found that clients are more successful and in the end the dog wins! And that is why we are here, right!

Step One

One of the quickest and easiest things I tell people to do to get more control of their dog is to pick up the toys! All those toys are not your dog's toys they are yours. By putting them somewhere that your dog can't reach them you create an environment where a. they seem more exciting when the dog does have them, b. a situation where your dog must ask you to give him things. That creates a perfect opportunity for training.
1. Put toys away
2. When you come home from a walk offer your dog a toy but first ask him to sit.
3. Later maybe trade a toy for a bone or treat or another better toy
4. Make sure to pick up toys after an hour of play.
5. As your dog begins to sit more readily you can ask for more challenging commands to receive a toy.

By having the control of the toys in a positive way (They are my toys but I'm more then happy to let you play with them if you do "this" for me) you create a world where your dog will look to you for things.

Many times people find their dogs will play with the toys more once they pick them up. Because the toys are no longer available anytime they become more exciting and valuable when the toys are available.

Shock Collars

Shock collars are still a topic of debate this days. It amazes me that they are but many trainers still employ the use of electric shock to cease a problem behavior. Below is an open letter from Dr Karen Overall regarding the scientific data available of electric shock. There are a lot of myths out there and couple that with peoples desire for "a quick fix" and we end up hurting our dogs. We are stewards of their wellbeing. That is an immense responsibility that we are failing to live up to.

Open letter from Karen Overall regarding Shock Collars

Date: Tue Dec 6, 2005 4:01:19 PM US/Eastern

No, I have not changed my opinion and it is that there is never any reason
for pets to be shocked as a part of therapy or treatment. If anything, I
have strengthened this opinion. There are now terrific scientific and
research data that show the harm that shock collars can do behaviorally. At
the July 2005 International Veterinary Behavior Meeting, held in conjunction
with the AVSAB and ACVB research meetings, data were presented by E.
Schalke, J. Stichnoth, and R. Jones-Baade that documented these damaging
effects (Stress symptoms caused by the use of electric training collars on
dogs (Canis familiaris) in everyday life situations. Current Issues and
Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine, Papers presented at the 5th
Int'l IVBM. Purdue University Press, 2005:139-145. [ISBN 987-1-55752-409-5;
1-558753-409- 8]).

This follows on the excellent work done by Dutch researchers, in cooperation
with their working dog groups and trainers, that showed that working /
patrol dogs were adversely affected by their 'training' with shock, long
after the shock occurred (Schilder MBH, van der Borg JAM. Training dogs
with the help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2003;85:319-334).

Research meetings can be attended by anyone paying the fee, and most
published work is available either in the public domain, from an
organization, or from someone with a university library connection.

There is no longer a reason for people to remain misinformed. Let me make
my opinion perfectly clear: Shock is not training - in the vast majority of
cases it meets the criteria for abuse. In my patient population, dogs who
have been 'treated' with shock have a much higher risk of an undesirable
outcome (e.g., euthanasia) than dogs not subjected to shock, and I never
recommend euthanasia. In all situations where shock has been used there is
some damage done, even if we cannot easily see it. No pet owner needs to
use this technique to achieve their goal. Dogs who cease to exhibit a
problem behavior usually also cease to exhibit normal behaviors. The only
data available support the idea that shock is neither an effective nor
suitable training tool.

That said, it's time we replaced everyone's personal mythologies and
opinions with data and scientific thinking. Such opportunities are now
available, but are often not exploited.

For example, the statement: " Major veterinary universities have tested E-
collars since the mid 60's when they were invented. No evidence of any
damage, Physiological or psychological has ever been found." is patently and
wholly false. For the evidence re: data - see above. As for the initial
statement - it's WRONG. It's a MYTH. The specialty college (ACVB) even
conducted a census a few years ago to see if we could find ANY truth to this
and there was NONE. We couldn't get anyone to say that they had - or knew
someone who had - participated in such tests and studies. This pattern of
behavioral repetition is representative of the danger of myth, and also of
the power of the scientific method. Science tells you when you are wrong.
Myth allows you to steal credibility where none is earned. That particular
myth has damaged universities too long, and it has traded on the reputations
of people who neither endorsed that decision, nor supported the finding, and
it must stop.

I hope this helps. I have never thought we could get via electricity what
we couldn't get by advanced training and hard work.

Karen L. Overall, M.A., V.M.D., Ph.D.

HELP!- my dog barks when I'm not home

This can be such a frustrating problem and one that actually ends up causing some people to get rid of their dogs because of neighbor complaints and threat of landlords kicking people out of their apartments. This can be solved by breaking up the problem into small training sessions. Try committing to doing this 2-3 times everyday for the next two weeks and at the end you'll see a huge difference.

1. Say Quiet
2. Wait (2 seconds)
3. Say good dog and give a treat

next add a turn around to the wait
1. Say Quiet
2. Turn around (eye contact lost)
3. Say good dog and treat

Next go to the door
1. Say Quiet
2. walk to door
3. Say good dog and treat

Next begin to open door
Then exit but don't shut door
Then exit shut door for one second ONLY! and come back in
Then SLOWLY extend the amount of time you are gone. first 1 second then 2 then 4 then 7 then 10 then 15 etc.
Then try adding in picking up your purse (you will have to shorten the time again)....
Then try jiggling keys (again probably will have to shorten time)....
With each new step you add more time and before you know it you'll be out the door and down the block.

Tips:
If you have a baby monitor use it to hear if your dog is barking when your further away.
Do this slowly over a couple of weeks NOT all in one day
Make sure to use a treat that is special to your dog- that way he will think of you leaving and getting a special treat
If your dog is barking you have moved to fast- do less time and fewer distractions
REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT- Your dog has repeated the behavior of barking when you leave hundreds and thousands of times, so give your dog the opportunity to practice being quiet before learning to continue this new behavior on it's own.

Before you know it you'll have a quiet home again!
Kat

Update on Crumpet:

Yesterday, Crumpet was lying in my lap, snuggling up to me, and I got so sad. I don't want him to bond to me quite so much as he is beginning to do. As a trainer and rescuer I try to keep my distance from my rescues. It's hard on me when they leave but it's also hard on them. If Crumpet bonds to me he will only think I left him when he goes to his new home. I never want them thinking that way. He just doesn't understand that this isn't his permanent home yet......

Hopefully that home will come soon.

He has been learning so much and has really become as very well behaved dog. I hope that someone who has been looking for one of the new designer mixed dogs will see him and fall in love. He knows so many commands. He is housebroken. He can use wee wee pads but doesn't have to. I've taught him to go to the bathroom within the first block outside so long walks are not necessary but he does keep up with me and my husky on our two walks as well. He's hoping for a new home soon. Crumpet is just such a lovebug. The only thing he likes more in life then snuggling would be playing fetch.

Are you looking for that companion that follows you around the house? Lays next to you as your working on the computer? Can play fetch in the backyard?

Then please consider Crumpet:
2 year old neutered male Cockapoo
All family members need to be at least 13 years old
Dog experience important
Application for adoption is through Abandoned Angels: link is to the left

Love for all creatures,

Kat

Collars Collars Collars!!!

There are so many out there and just as many opinions on how and why to use them. So here's my opinion.

1. A collar will NEVER teach your dog to heel. It may make it easier to walk your dog but just remember a dog who KNOWS how to heel doesn't need a special collar. Collars are a management tool that helps out your shoulder socket while you train your dog to heel.

Regular buckle/snap neck Collar: This isn't a collar for walking. It should be designated as an accessory. Have fun with colors and patterns to match your dog's eyes but stop thinking of it as anything more then a ID tag holder.

Choke collar: My absolute least favorite collar. This collar does exactly what it says it does. It chokes your dog. Many times I see dogs walking down the street on these collars dragging their owners and coughing along the way. This says to me several things. First if the dog is still pulling then the collar isn't doing it's job so find another collar. and second why would you want to choke your dog???? What do you get out of this.... I don't understand

Pinch Collar: I hate this collar as well but if you have to choose between a choke or a pinch collar then choose the pinch collar. Again it works by choking the dogs neck but not with a chain wrapped around the whole neck but with prongs sticking into the dog's neck. It is extensively more successful at minimizing pulling which means there is less choking of the dog's neck. If you think this collar looks fierce then try wearing it. Your right, it is fierce and problematic...

Gentle Leader/Halti: This is my favorite training collar! I won't get into the specifics of which brand is best but for most dogs I prefer the gentle leader. Both collars use the same type of technology as a horse halter. Put the force at the neck and the dog can't put his/her entire body weight into pulling. And for lunging this works wonderful because the dog can't drag you. The downfall is these collars almost always need some training sessions at first. Most dogs won't just wear the collar, period.

Harness: Not to be confused with a NO-pull harness. I think this is the absolute best collar for your dog. During training I often use gentle leaders but this is for the well trained dog. If you can walk your dog in a perfect heel on a regular harness then you have done a stellar job of training a heel. Pat yourself on the back and go have some chocolate.

NO-pull Harnesses: These are for the absolutely lazy people. They don't want scary collars but they also don't want to spend any time training a heel. So they hope a no-pull harness will be a perfect quick fix. It works and doesn't work to varying degrees and must always be used because the second you take it off the dog begins pulling again.

Crumpet, the Cockapoo

Today I tell the story of Crumpet. He is a two year old Cocker Spaniel/Poodle that had a rough start of life. His owner's turned him in because they found dog ownership too difficult and unfortunately the mistakes they made caused Crumpet to be very scared of people indeed.
When Abandoned Angels contacted me they asked if I could take Crumpet into my home and help him learn to trust people and become a well bahaved dog who could then be adopted to a new forever home. I said yes. The first day he came to me I saw how untrusting he really was. He wanted to say hi to me but was also cowering, sure that I might become mean at any second.
Crumpet had many problems that I discovered over the next several days. He had learned to protect his things at all costs. He would start to growl at me even when I brought a food bowl out, before any food was in the bowl. He would also try to bite fingers through his crate and if you startled him while he was resting he would turn and bite. What I mostly learned was Crumpet was scared of the world. He was always scared of my movements, and he had learned to protect himself by biting although he didn't want to hurt people he just didn't want to be hurt himself!

Over the next 3 months I have slowly taught Crumpet to begin to trust people and the world.
1. He has played with many dogs (big dogs are best for Crumpet) in my house but still must be muzzled when he first meets new dogs. He just hasn't figured out how to say hello yet.
2. He now can eat from my hand or quietly off the floor with me standing nearby. He still can't have a person touch him while eating but he gotten so much better about his food, I'm am very proud of his progress.
3. He can go in and out of his crate without trying to bite you. He can take treats from your though the bars although sometimes when you loom over him he begins to growl again. But he's now able to calm down too. His progress here is again something to be very proud about and he keeps trying to get better every day.
4. He no longer gets spooked while resting and can wander the apartment without a problem.
5. He does love to play fetch. He is so so happy when I throw a ball. He will run at top speed to fetch a ball and run right back to you. He will happily drop the ball at your feet to play again. He loves this game so much I always have to stop him before he wears he pads down til they bleed!!!!!! Fetch is so much fun!
6. Initailly Crumpet had many obsessive behavior, scratching his fur, biting his paw pads, running in circles, etc. but as he learns to trust all of these behaviors are fading as well.

Crumpet is trying so hard to be a good dog. He wants to be a good dog and have a loving owner who will care for all his needs for the next fifteen years. Crumpet says he plans to live a long and happy life from here on out. He knows he stills has lots of learning to do. Crumpet has promised me he will keep trying and learning and working on his behavior. He sees that good behavior really will be the way to his happy future. In return he asked me to choose a wonderful new owner for him. One who will be patient and help him continue his learning and trust of people. He really wants to be a lovemush to someone special. This person needs to be experienced with dogs, especially ones who are fearful. The new owner needs to know that Crumpet is still learning. This new owner needs to be able to handle Crumpet gently even if Crumpet forgets to be gentle. He is so much more trusting then he was just two months ago. With time love and patience Crumpet will be a perfect companion.

This last month has been great with Crumpet. I've actually eased up on the training lately. Just giving him the chance to relax a bit with all the new rules of living. Crumpet is super smart and has really started to understand that people can be trusted and he doesn't need to bite anymore. We haven't had a incident in over a month. So I think he's finally understanding the good life. He does love to play fetch and tug of war.

ALL potential adopters must fill out an application through Abandoned Angels (link is on the left)
If you are choosen to care for Crumpet, Abandoned Angels and I are committed to giving you loads of after care to help Crumpet transition into his new home.

Please if you feel worthy of such and wonderful dog contact us ASAP.

Thank You All

Love for all Creatures

Positive Reinforcement: Does it really work?

“There is no need to use an axe to remove a fly from the forehead of a friend”
- Confucius


There is also no need to hit, knee in the chest, scream and yell at your dog to fix his behavior. Most of our dogs grew up from puppyhood being allowed to jump, run amok, soil the carpet, and chew on furniture. We always responded with “he’s just a puppy, he didn’t mean it.” Then the puppy grew and continued to act as he had always been allowed to act. The difference now is two fold; 1. Time. We got sick of cleaning the carpet and 2. Size. Our dogs got bigger.
The key mistake here is that we never told the dog what was correct behavior in the first place. Why? Because we don’t like yelling at cute little puppies! Yet we all feel strong when we yell at bad behaving dogs! But in the end it was our mistakes that have caused the dog his new problems. Had we explained from day one that sitting gets your ears scratched, that walking with a loose leash gets longer walks, that chewing on your toys gets you the run of the house, that going to the bathroom outside gets you quiet owners, we would have wonderful obedient dogs. But we didn’t.

A difference of application

I watched several you tube bits of Cesar Millan. I wanted to look with a fresh and see where I differ so greatly from him. Here is what I found
How we agree:
1. Most people are treating dogs like humans not dogs
2. Most people don't give their dogs enough exercise
3. Most people need to be better leaders

But the difference comes out so starkly in the application
Cesar spends a lot of time "putting dogs in their place." He demonstrates the "bite" as the main means of control. I saw one instance in which two journalists were employing his help with a lab that was predatory to chickens. Cesar held a chicken while he continually "Bit" the dog in the neck over and over. The male journalist said "I see, he's intimidated by you." At which Cesar said "no not intimidated, submissive" Unfortunately the lab's body language said intimidated. Cesar would continue this training until the lab was so scared of reprocussion from a human that he would no longer attack a chicken. I, on the other hand, would like to give the dog another job to do. I would teach the dog to heel next to me when chickens are near. To learn to see chickens and know that leaving them alone produces a reward from the human. Cesar never gives the dog anything else to do. He just says not that, NO to this, never touch that. Stop Stop Stop.
Yet if you give the dog a new positive behavior to do he will gladly do it and thank you for the opportunity.

Cesar: Stop jumping on kitchen counters!
Kat: Sit in kitchen and a reward will come.

Cesar: STOP running the fence and barking!
Kat: Hang out quietly in back yard and more bardyard fun happens

What a nicer way to teach you dog.
Kat Berger

Wolf vs Dog and the alpha roll

First off, let do a simple postulation.
Wolves were originally domesticated right after the Ice age. The first domesticated dog burial site was found in Germany dating to 14000 B.C. As of today humans have consciously bred somewhere between 300-400 different breeds of dogs. In order to create that many breeds humans spend a lot of time changing the genetic makeup of the original wolf. So if we have changed the physical appearance so dramatically doesn't it seem reasonable that the mental makeup has been changed as well.

And then there was the alpha roll:
This was first observed in a very short scientific study of captive wolves in the early 1940's. The Monks of New Skete were the first trainers to use and try to popularize this technique. Later the monks expressed great regret over the addition of that technique in their 1976 book. Although they still felt it was a useful tool they said that most people way over use it, as it was only to be used on the very most severe cases and always in conjunction with positive reinforcement. We have also learned that the ONLY time wolves or dogs in the wild will use this technique of forcibly rolling another over on it's side or back is during a serious fight that usually ends in death. So remember that you are threatening death upon your dog when you alpha roll them.
I have also observed some dogs who truly seem to display the use of the alpha roll during play or at the dog park as a point of domination. In the cases that I was able to speak to the owner at length about the history of the dog I found that all of these dogs have been alpha rolled by their owners, even as puppies. So I postulate that these dogs are actually displaying a learned behavior from their owner. When my owner gets mad he rolls me on my side like this....so when I get mad at the dog park I roll the dogs of their side like this....

One other point: Why do we want to spend all this time trying to act like a dog. Isn't it easier to explain the human rules of society to your dog and have him act as a dog in a human world then being a human acting like a dog.

Comments on styles of Dog Training

Thank you to those of you who have spoken up with your opinions in my comments sections.
It is with discussion and openness that we can hear all sides and come to further our own knowledge.
A couple of responses I must make.
1. As I said it's not that he didn't go to a university that many dog trainers have a problem with. It's that he won't even look at the option of changing his techniques as new and better ones have come about. Do you want your doctor to have this attitude. Well it work a hundred years ago so I'm sticking to it.
2. Please stop assuming I haven't watched his shows. I have watched his shows. With my trained eye I see how stressed and overwhelmed some of the dogs he's working with are. The concept that exercising the dog into submission seems a little crazy. I probably couldn't fight off another person after running a marathon. But I sure would fight them off later when the opportunity presents itself. That why you hear of dogs attacking their owners. They are fed up with being forced around.
3. I'm not "one of those trainers who give up on those dogs." Look further down and see one I have for adoption right now. Crumpet would love to go to a caring patience home.

American Humane Association Denounced Caesar Millan

Almost a year ago The American Humane Association denounced Caesar Millan's dog training methods as inhumane. Yet the mainstream media has barely even spoken of it.
The American Humane Association works continuous in the California area and with movie and tv production companies all over the country making sure the animals are treated with humanity and respect on set. Caesar Millan's tv show is exempt from some of the policies set to protect animals because of the nature of his show. He's not hiring animals to perform but that he is hired to "rehabilitate" owner's pets. The traditional style of training that Caesar Millan uses is outdated and extremely problematic. Over the past twenty, thirty and even forty years other styles of training (based on dolphin training) have been developed and tested in scientific scenarios proving less evasive methods work more reliably for a greater number of dogs.
Caesar's claim that he's being vilified by the dog training community because he didn't get a degree at some fancy university just isn't founded in truth. The majority of dog trainers out there today are self taught and apprentice under other trainers to learn their trade. However, being self taught doesn't mean that you are uneducated. There is a wealth of information out there, on the Internet, in published books, and through animal behavior/veterinary journals that anyone motivated to learn about these new methods can easily find the information.
Traditional style trainers are correct that some of their methods work. But do they work for the largest percentage of dogs? NO! Do their methods make the most of the human/animal bond that most of us want to have? NO! Do most people want to string their dog up by a chain as opposed to giving it a treat? NO!
Hopefully The American Humane Association will continue it efforts to change The National Geographic Channel policy of allowing dogs to be endangered by these methods. Hopefully we in this consumer society will let them know by not watching Caesar Millan that we too want a better more humane method of dog training.

Follow the link on the left to The American Humane Association press release

Looking for a dog???

Make sure to check out Sweets and Crumpet's blog posts. You can click on their blog archive to the left. As well more can be found out about Sweets on his own blog page and Crumpet at Abandoned Angels website. Both those links are to the left as well.

Punishment

Despite the fact that punishment rarely accomplishes the changes in behavior one desired, some people retain an unrelenting belief in its effectiveness. Many pets are traumatized and ultimately ruined by failed rituals of punishment, retribution and reprisal. Before considering punishment to change your pet's behavior, ask, "Is it safe?" After punishing your pet, ask, "Did it work?"

If you are constantly punishing your dog for urinating on the carpet then the punishment isn't working.
Stop thinking about what you don't like about your dog: I don't want him urinating on my carpet.
Think about what your want your dog to do: I want my dog to urinate on the curb outside on our walks.
Then work towards training a positive bathroom break. Train happy to go on leash. Train happy to pee in front of you. Train urinating outside. Then train urinating only near the curb. Then train only urinating on the curb at the end of your block.

If you work in this manner of little positive steps over a couple months you will have that dogs that can "hold it for hours on end" and always goes on the curb right at the beginning of the walk.

How wonderful

But my dog can sit at home!!!!!!

I hear comments like this all the time. "I know my dog understands the word sit, he sits at home when I have a treat all the time."

First off, GOOD JOB! You have started training and your using rewards to help your dog learn and build your bond.

What is different about dogs' brains than people is that they do not generalize things very well. If you teach a child their ABC's over a month period at the kitchen table every morning, then you go to grandma's house and your child will gladly and proudly say their ABC's to Grandma. Take the same scenario and teach your dog to sit over a month period at the kitchen every morning and he won't be able to sit when you go outside. WHY?!?
Dogs are very sensitive to the visual environment around them. They initially learn that sit is connected to the morning light, kitchen table, and treats. We must after training sit in the kitchen train sit outside, at night, with other people around, etc etc. And then without treats.... Then our dog understands that the ONLY qualifier for the action of "put butt on the ground" is the vocal sound "sit."

This way we end up with a dog that listens to us, wherever we are.

Good Training
Kat Berger

Housetraining tips cont.:

3. Take your dog outside. Go to the same place every time. Somewhere you know that other dogs are going as well. Now WAIT. and wait and wait. If they don't go then bring them back inside and into their crate. Wait 15 minutes and try again. Your dog should not get to roam the house until they have gone to the bathroom outside.

4. If you live in an apartment on a high floor. Carry your dog downstairs. It's very difficult for dogs to get up, wait for you to get dressed, walk down the hallway, sit quietly in the elevator, walk through the foyer, down the front stairs and THEN PEE. Carry them outside and get them peeing outside then slowly add in that long walk. After they are peeing outside several times then set them down in the foyer so they walk ten steps to go pee. Then twenty. then thirty etc etc. Make it easy enough so they can be successful then go from there

Housetraining Tips

The key to housetraining is you.

Set your dog on a strict schedule so s/he can be successful then SLOWLY give more freedom.
1. Crate your dog. So many people aren't willing to confine their dog when not at home and if you can't confine them you have an uphill battle ahead of you. Just remember it doesn't help your dog to end up in a shelter because you didn't have the guts to properly manage his housetraining.....
2. Restrict water. Again if s/he drinks water whenever and as much as s/he wants then s/he will go to the bathroom whenever and as much as s/he needs. This restriction isn't forever, it's for a short period of training.


More to come- I must go walk my doggies :-)

Kat

I wanted all to meet KAyla.

She is the resident house dog/trainer. At seven and a half years old she has suffered innumerable embarrassments at the hands of her owner but I think she has survived pretty well.

Crumpet, the Cockapoo

Today I tell the story of Crumpet. He is a two year old Cocker Spaniel/Poodle that had a rough start of life. His owner's turned him in because they found dog ownership too difficult and unfortunately the mistakes they made caused Crumpet to be very scared of people indeed.
When Abandoned Angels contacted me they asked if I could take Crumpet into my home and help him learn to trust people and become a well bahaved dog who could then be adopted to a new forever home. I said yes. The first day he came to me I saw how untrusting he really was. He wanted to say hi to me but was also cowering, sure that I might become mean at any second.
Crumpet had many problems that I discovered over the next several days. He had learned to protect his things at all costs. He would start to growl at me even when I brought a food bowl out, before any food was in the bowl. He would also try to bite fingers through his cage and if you startled him while he was resting he would turn and bite. What I mostly learned was Crumpet was scared of the world. He was always scared of my movements, and he had learned to protect himself by biting although he didn't want to hurt people he just didn't want to be hurt himself!

Over the next 2 months I have slowly taught Crumpet to begin to trust people and the world.
1. He has played with many dogs in my house but still must be muzzled when he first meets new dogs. He just hasn't figured out how to say hello yet.
2. He now can eats from my hand or quietly off the floor with me standing nearby. He still can't have a person touch him while eating but he gotten so much better about his food, I'm am very proud of his progress.
3. He can go in and out of his crate without trying to bite you. He can even take treats from your though the bars although sometimes when you loom over him he begins to growl again. His progress here is again something to be very proud about and he keeps trying to get better every day.
4. He no longer gets spooked while resting and can wander the apartment without a problem.
5. He does love to play fetch. He is so so happy when I throw a ball. He will run at top speed to fetch a ball and run right back to you. He will happier drop the ball at your feet to play again. He loves this game so much I always have to stop him before he wears he pads down til they bleed!!!!!! Fetch is so much fun!

Crumpet is trying so hard to be a good dog. He wants to be a good dog and have a loving owner who will care for all his needs for the next fifteen years. Crumpet says he plans to live a long and happy life from here on out. He knows he stills has lots of learning to do. Crumpet has promised me he will keep trying and learning and working on his behavior. He sees that good behavior really will be the way to his happy future. In return he asked me to choose a wonderful new owner for him. One who will be patient and help him continue his learning and traust of people. This person needs to be experienced with dogs, especially ones who are fearful. The new owner needs to know that Crumpet is still learning and might forget a couple more times that biting is wrong. This new owner needs to be able to handle Crumpet gently even if Crumpet forgets to be gentle. He is so much more trusting then he was just two months ago. With time Crumpet will be a perfect companion

ALL potential adopters must fill out an application through Abandoned Angels (link is on the left)
If you are choosen to care for Crumpet, Abandoned Angels and I are committed to giving you loads of after care to help Crumpet transition into his new home.

Please if you feel worthy of such and wonderful dog contact us ASAP.

Thank You All

Love for all Creatures

Sweets the Dog

I met Sweets and his foster parents Jaclyn and Seth yesterday. They were all very very nice, although Sweets was the only one that gave me kisses. :-)

Please check the link to the left and help Sweets find his new permanent home. He's being well taken care of right now. Jaclyn and Seth have taken him to the vet gotten his shots and bloodwork done. Sweets also needs a dental and some growths looked at. They have gone that extra mile for Sweets and we should all help them out if we can.

Kat, Keeper of the Dogs

Hi I’m Kat Berger. I’m a dog behaviorist with over nine years professional experience. I’ve been working in the dog industry since 1997. Starting out as a day care supervisor I spent my evenings as an apprentice to the owner in her group training classes in Maryland. Over the following years I’ve apprenticed under two more trainers, worked in three separate daycare/boarding facilities, and a veterinary hospital, as well as training/ pet sitting private clients and volunteering as a trainer for several rescues and shelters in three different states.

Let me help you find the best and most effective way to train your dog. Each dog and person is unique and I love the process of opening that bond between dog and human so you may communicate with each other over the next decade of your lives.

Dog training can and should go beyond just sit and stay. It should be a learning process of how to communicate between to very different species with two very different social structures.

I can demystify all the conflicting information out there: STOP WHISPERING AND START COMMUNICATING

Whether you need just one or two sessions to help with housetraining or a small problem behavior or you are interested in long term training/behavior modification/sittingor continual care I’m here to help.

I’m a professional member of APDT, HSUS, SPCA, ISCPA, ASPCA, ABS, house trainer with Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel rescue of New York, and planned certification with CCPDT and IAABC by November 2007.

Love to all living creatures

Hello dog lovers

This will be my sounding board for dog training advise, tips, political dog policy discussions etc etc etc
I hope that my thoughts will be helpful to others in their search to create a space to love their dogs more.