High Value Rewards

When you are training or counter conditioning, you want to reward behaviour you like. All of us, dogs included, value different things differently. If you want to reward someone, knowing what they like is important. Keeping track of what your dog's favorite treats and relative value and passing them out accordingly is important in training and having a good relationship. Being asked to work really hard and then being paid 1 cent is particularly demoralizing if you are regularly paid hundreds of dollars for something easy. Think how you would feel about a friend who kept wanting to go out to dinner somewhere you hated. Providing higher value treats for more difficult work and mixing things up so they stay enjoyable is just good sense when you look at it that way.

Max's current highest value treat is Feline Pill Pockets. He takes 2 pills a day and we use those 2 opportunities for something special - that might be something hard and it might just be taking some time together to enjoy a good treat.

What are your dogs highest value treats?

Look At That, Look At Me

One of my favorite games to play with my dogs is "Look at That, Look at Me." I originally learned it from the vet to help Hero with his fears and aggression, but it can be fun just to play in any situation where there is some kind of distraction to teach your dog an automatic check-in. When you see something that is likely to take your dog's attention (or if your dog notices something that gets them worked up); you say "Look at that!" in a happy and excited voice. They will (or already are) paying attention to whatever that is. Then you say "Look at me!" in the same happy or excited voice and give them a treat when they turn their focus toward you. You need to start playing this game with things that don't get your dog too excited that they can't pay attention to you. That can mean playing with low value items or far away from the stimulus. Obviously this only works if your dog is not so stressed that they don't care about food (although you may need to get better food too.)

Max and I play this a lot in order to earn breakfast. We sit out on the back porch with my coffee and his kibble. He wanders around on a tether and when things draw his attention, we will play a round. This is both desensitization (he is way too hyper about birds flying over our yard) and relationship building. We do a lot of rounds just based on his ears pricking up or his head turning in response to something he alone may notice, but we also do it for the things he is really distracted by, like large birds flying over head, squirrels in the yard, and people walking down the alley. Now that he knows the game well, we can use it in more stressful or potentially dangerous situations. For instance, the first time he figured out he could climb our fence he was interested in something and I used it to get him to come back to me for his treat (followed by a bunch more treats!)

Meet Max

Max is my current dog and thus is often my muse when it comes to writing and thinking about dog related things. Max is a Chihuahua mix who came up to Oregon from LA on one of the rescue transports, which is where most small dogs in my area come from. 

Max on one of his beds

Max is a very nervous dog, but after a lot of positive reinforcement and classical conditioning, he is getting better and better able to handle the world. Much to his benefit, he is very resilient and if something startles him, he often literally shakes off the startle and then goes back to inspect it. Many people have told me something along the lines of "He's a Chihuahua, they are just like that," I believe all dogs deserve to be happy and comfortable and that we shouldn't let a stereotype get in the way of that. It is my job to protect Max and teach him to feel safe. In the meantime, he gives lots of fodder to think about with regard to dog body language and dog behaviour.

Max finds the camera scary

, so we are working on that. So almost every picture you will see of Max shows signs of stress or him sleeping. Any photos taken are part of his training or taken to document his well being for some reason.

Fireworks and Other Loud Noises

As I write this on July 1st in the US, there is a lot of discussion about helping your dog handle fireworks. If you are very lucky, your dog is not phased by fireworks. But personally, I am sometimes startled when they go off and I know to expect it. If you are reading this at the start of fireworks season in your area it is probably already too late for this year. Pre-planning and counter conditioning are the best way to handle fear and startle from loud noises. It is a year round endeavour, not something to just think about at Independence Day and New Years. (Or whenever fireworks are common in your area.)

In my house, any unexpected loud noise is followed by happy talk and treats. I think of it as a treat party, because that way I'm focused on the fun, not "Ugh, I have to deal with this again." My fun attitude carries over to my dog. After 2 years of this, Max is still scared by some loud noises, particularly fireworks that are too close, but with many of them, he is well aware that it is treat time and makes sure I know it.

We also use medication. Max is a nervous Chihuahua mix, and we are still working on many of the things that scare him. Medication keeps him from getting too upset to be able to learn to handle scary things. This year we had to change his acute anxiety medication because he had learned to associate the feeling of being on the medication with needing to calm himself and was licking his paws excessively. Paw licking is very comforting to him, but once he licks his paws raw, it becomes another stressor. If you use acute anxiety medication, it is important to combine it with training (counter conditioning) if at all possible. You want the fear to get better not worse. It is also important to use acute anxiety medication early, so that your dog doesn't have a chance to get really worked up. You may not be able to predict all loud noises, but I know when people are likely to be setting off fireworks and the schedule of the swim meets at the pool by my house (starter pistol.)

Don't use acepromazine (commonly called ACE) on your dog as an acute anxiety medication - at least not without great care and with another medication. It keeps your dog from being able to react, but it doesn't calm them down. Being unable to move and having bad things happen is many people's worst nightmare and certainly your dogs!