August 19, 2008 - And Sadie Makes Three

Here are the first images of Sadie who has joined the Team Wells Training Team.

Today was all about easing Sadie into her new environment. I ended up getting to work her more than I expected. At first she didn't want to take treats from me at all. At lunch time I went and got some chicken and fed her bits while working on sits and downs. Initially I didn't think she'd be ready for anything more than just checking out the new environment.

We also worked on "climb." She understands the action of getting up on the bench but doesn't fully understand that she needs to stay until she is given a command to climb down. She tends to climb down to follow me if I move to the opposite end of the room.

Working on the climb command today proved to be too much too soon. My repeated correction for breaking the climb freaked her out a bit. I tried to do too much too soon without building a rapport with her. If I were working her with a pinch collar or e-collar a positive relationship might not be so important. But my hope is to use Sadie to earn my motivationally taught Canine Good Citizen requirement so I have to use treats and sometimes a mild amount of directional pressure. It is pretty much impossible to motivate a dog who doesn't trust you.

Tonight's set back working on "climb" was a lesson in 1.) the difference between training a puppy and an adult dog, and 2.) that Malinois dogs like Mika are really a different breed. They are really forgiving to a lot of mistakes. You can screw them up and fix the problem all in the same day. But not all dogs are built this way. So the lessons I am learning with Sadie will teach me a whole new skill set. Her needs and her drives are different than Mika and I have to figure out what makes her want to work and tap into it.

For now we are becoming buddies again and I plan to reintroduce the climb bench when she is ready. In the mean time we still have our sits and downs to perfect. She really is a smart, exceptionally attentive dog so I have no doubt she will settle into and enjoy working. I believe she will excel at retrievals because she has the softest mouth I've ever encountered and because she watches and assesses everything around her. She is something special.

August 12, 2008 - Keeping the Vet in Business

Mika and I went back to the vet today. Yesterday I discovered she had some discharge from her you-know-what...GROSS! Better get that looked at!

Poor Mik has an infection on her bottom. :(
Poor me because I have to schmear the cream on her every day! :(

Doc says I will probably have to wash her whooie every day for the rest of her life because she can't get herself clean...fun. She also recommended a daily cranberry pill to ward off UTIs.

I had the vet look at Mika's eyes too because every morning she wakes up with eye boogers. During the course of the day I keep wiping the boogers away and she keeps making more, all day long.

Doc says she has allergies, probably from the air con in my scanky room. I am putting Renew Eye Drops in her eyes daily.

Mika is getting cut up hot dog bits as her reward for being good while I wipe, schmear, drop, and pill her. She's a little fussy about it all but it won't be long before she learns it's all part of the daily routine.

August 10, 2008 - Cow Pies, Wayward Transients, and Mouse Breath

Several students and I decided to head to the instructor's ranch to work our dogs. The ranch has tons of acreage where we can do field searches, tracking, practice schutzhund work, and swim our dogs.

Aside from from the party we had during the first week of class, this is my first time out to the ranch. I came armed with the electric collar, ready to give Mika an avoidance correction for trying to eat one of the many cow pies scattered around the fields. We were warned by our instructors that once a dog got a taste for those sweet gooey mounds of poo, our dogs would be ruined; they'd never focus on working when so many delectable cow pies to feast upon. I laid in wait with my finger on the e-collar remote, ready to give the highest avoidance level correction Mika had ever received.

At first she seemed immune to the cow patties--they were nothing more than dirt on the landscape--but then we happened across a fresh, warm, shiny pile. She put her nose to the pile and just as she began to sink her teeth................ZAP! Mika jumped and squealed. Cow pies are BAD!!!!!

From there on it was smooth sailing. She walked around cow piles to avoid them while in pursuit of her tennis ball during field searches. The cocaine scented tennis ball was placed in tall grass in the field and Mika was given the command to "Find". Off she went, first using her eyes to try to get a visual on the ball. When she couldn't see the ball, she put her nose to the ground and paced the field in search of her ball until....eureka! She found it. We did 5 rounds of field searches and headed to the pond to swim the dogs.

On one hand the ponds at the ranch are great because they aren't too big and you can pretty much let your dog get in with little fear of losing the dog. On the other hand, the ponds there are not so great because they are full of mud and cow poo. In other words, you're basically swimming your dogs in a shit hole. Ah, but they love it!

Driving back to school, one of my fellow students and I got lost. The roads here are really winding and hilly, with a trailer park on every corner. Everything looks the same and once you get lost, you have no idea when you will come back out of the hills and hit a major highway that will lead you back to civilization.

I drove on instinct, taking a right turn here, a left turn there. Nothing seemed to bring us closer to anything familiar until finally we saw signs of life...a Starbucks. I pulled in for directions. We got out of the car and headed for Starbucks where we encountered some patrons sitting at the outdoor cafe tables. We asked for directions to a major highway, anything we might recognize that could lead us back to school.

They politely gave us directions and told use we weren't far from Highway 44--well, not far by car that is. "Are you guys walking?" they asked? I looked down at my poo poo pond water soaked jeans and at my friend with her mussed hair and her "down under" Australian outback gear and realized they thought we were hitchhikers or transients. "Uh, no, we're just dog trainers."

Back at school, the first thing I wanted to do was wash the poo water off my dog. I grabbed shampoo and headed for the water pump and hose. I washed Mika down and dried her with a shammy. Then I turned her loose in a fenced-in yard to romp and finish drying off. She took about three steps before putting her nose to the ground, intently sniffing. When she brought her head up, in her mouth was something mashed and furry hanging out; something with a tail. "AHHHHHHHHHHH! PUT IT DOWN! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...DROP IT!"

As if the shoestring tail didn't give it away, the stench of decomposed animal brought assurity that my darling girl had a dead mouse in her mouth and she had no intention of giving it up. I pulled on her. I shoved her. I kneed her. She just kept chewing. Finally I turned my head away and choked back the vomit rising in my throat.

When she was finally done, I leashed her up and walked her back to my room, keeping her an arm's length away, lest she try to come in close and lick me with her rotten mouse breath. "Don't lick me," I warned.

I put her in her crate and left the room. A friend invited me to watch a video at her house on campus, so there I headed. I tired to settle in for the movie but all I could think is, "What if I come back and find she's thrown up the mouse?" Fear prompted me to go and get her out of her crate, that way if she got sick I could quickly run her outside to the grass and avoid having to clean puked up mouse.

Mika managed to keep the mouse down and she got to lounge around at my friends house. While there she enjoyed a rawhide and she ended up crowding me out of the lounge chair. Now that's what I call having your mouse and eating it too!

August 9, 2008 - "Dog Show!"

In lieu of our typical Saturday class, we took a field trip to watch three students and one of the instructors compete in an American Kennel Club Obedience Competition. All three students were competing in the Novice A class. Novice is a beginning level obedience title, so for the students this was their first time showing. The instructor competed in Novice B with a dog he has been hired to title in AKC obedience. Novice B is for people who have earned titles before; people who have experience showing dogs.

The Novice routine involves heeling on a leash, during which the dog must demonstrate he can heel at a normal pace, a fast pace, and a slow pace. Also in this portion of the routine there are 90 degree turns, about turns (aka U-turns), sitting in motion, standing in motion, and heeling in a figure 8 around two people standing in the ring. The dog then must stand for evaluation, which means the judge will approach and pet the dog while the handler is standing away. The dog cannot break his standing position. Next the dog and handler repeat the heeling routine without a leash. Then the dog must sit at one end of the ring while the handler walks to the opposite end of the ring and call the dog to "come". The final portion of the trial is for the dogs to maintain a 1 minute sit stay and a 3 minute down stay.

There are some things that can occur during the performance that result in a disqualification (the AKC term is "Non-Qualify" or "NQ"). For example, if the dog sits or lies down during examination, the dog has "NQed". However, there are other things that can occur that won't disqualify the dog and handler but will result in points lost on the overall score. The overall score is used to rank the paricipants and award prizes.

For all three students that competed, they NQed. Two of the three students had very strong performances but because of one tiny error, their scores were considered non-qualifying. In this case, both dogs NQed at the very end by scooting their butts about an inch during the sit stay.

The instructor, however, got third place in his class. Way to go!

Before finishing the program, I will have to train a dog to pass the Novice routine. We may or may not actually compete in an AKC trial, depending on the availability of shows in the area. If we don't compete in one before graduation, we will be qualified to enter a show on our own after graduation.

August 8, 2008 - Doodling

No, I don't mean scribbling on paper. Doodling is a series of exercises done to teach a dog to return to perfect halt position. This is an important thing to master for obedience competitions.

In AKC competition, the dog should always end up in a sitting position on the left side of the handler, with the dog completely parallel to the handler.

When you doodle, you put the dog in a sit or stand position and move away from the dog. You can move to the left of the dog, to the right of the dog, turn at an angle toward the dog, turn away from the dog, get behind the dog, etc. From whatever place you chose to stand, you then guide the dog back into halt position. Dogs learn to scoot backwards, swing their butts around, and make turns to get back into place. At first you have to lure them with food while physically pushing their butts into position. After a series of repetitions they get the hang of it and learn to move their body back into halt position on command.

In class we've begun doodling exercises with our dogs. Right now they need quite a bit of physical guidance but soon they will be swinging their butts left and right all on their own!

August 7, 2008 - See how pretty...

Mika is getting bigger...she's gained 5 lbs in the last month. She is now tall enough that the bait apron I wear is like her self-service buffet. She will walk up to me, stick her head in the pouch, and help herself if I don't keep the apron closed.

See how pretty my big girl has gotten...









While Mika is getting bigger, back home they tell me my boys are getting smaller. Klaus is so tiny now that the vet has cautioned against him losing any more weight. His trimmer figure has made him stealthier too. They've begun carving notches for the number of birds he's killed. He's quickly catching up to Moe and Barry's count!

August 6, 2008 - Mika: Canine Good Citizen

Test day! Mika was a rock star and passed several of her requirements, including the Canine Good Citizen test.

CGC is a certification awarded by the American Kennel Club to dogs that "have good manners at home and in the community."

The CGC is a 10-part test in which dogs are tested on:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger - Dog should not be shy, aggressive, or too excited


2. Sitting politely for petting - Dog should stay seated and not show fear or aggression when petted.


3. Appearance and grooming - Dog should calmly permit examination of ears, paws, teeth, etc. to simulate being handled by a vet or groomer


4. Walking on a loose lead - Dog should be focused on handler and walk closely to the handler. If dog begins to stray, owner can call the dog and he should come back to the handler's side quickly


5. Walking through a crowd - Dog should show no signs of nervousness or over-excitement while walking through a group of people. Dog should not try to stray away from handler.


6. Sit and down on command and staying in place - Dog must sit stay for 1 minute and down stay for 1 minute.


7. Coming when called - Dog must return to owner when called from across the room.


8. Reaction to another dog - Dog should not show signs of dog aggression or be overly excited


9. Reaction to distraction - Dog should stay calm around loud noises such as a metal chair falling.


10. Supervised separation - Dog should remain calm while owner is away for 3 minutes.

Passing the CGC test is useful in demonstrating to others that a dog is good-natured. A potential renter might show the certificate to their landlord, or someone seeking homeowners insurance might show the certificate to their agent to verify the dog is friendly.

The CGC doesn't mean the dog won't ever bite or be dangerous but it shows that in everyday circumstances, the dog seems to adapt well to a variety of stimuli.

Before I graduate from the program I will have to pass another dog through the same test using a dog that has been trained using strictly motivational methods. With Mika I have used a combination of motivational and correction using a pinch collar. The next dog will be trained using treats only. Purely positive training takes 3 to 4 times longer to achieve, but many people in the animal world are endorsing positive training over other methods. It is really important that I learn how to achieve results this way because there is a growing demand for it.

August 5, 2008 - Almost a Mom Again

On our recent trip to Kansas City to pick up puppies, we brought back four Malinois babies, three of which have been spoken for. The fourth little guy still has yet to be adopted so he's been pass around quite a bit among three of us. Most of the students have recently gotten puppies from various other sources and nobody seems to want this little guy.

Today I almost adopted him. I even took care of him for the day with the thought that I would be keeping him. I just wanted to see him settle in and the rescuer in me wanted to be his champion. But by 6 pm I could no longer ignore the nagging voice telling me I wasn't ready to take on another puppy, especially since I have an adult dog to train coming in two weeks. There's so much work still to be done with Mika to finish off her basics.

It was hard to say no to adopting the pup but I have to keep my old, unhealthy habits in check. I have to stop trying to save people and dogs while I am here and instead focus on how I can maximize my learning, and that means NOT taking on another puppy before I am ready. There will be plenty of time to try and save the world--after I graduate. Right?

August 4, 2008 - Even God took a break

A day of rest for me--finally--but it came at the expense of my dog. Mika had a dew claw removed today. She only had one and it was barely attached so the vet was able to remove it with a sedative, rather than anesthesia. (We love our new vet!!) Our appointment wasn't until noon, so we slept in really late.

Mika wasn't allowed to have food after Midnight the evening before, so I figured it was no use trying to work her this morning before her appointment. I couldn't reward her with treats, and since there are little bits of treats on the floor in both training buildings, I figured the best thing was to just keep her in my room until the appointment.

Oh, how nice to sleep in!

Her procedure took only 45 mins and then I brought her home for more rest. Honestly, I probably could have worked her in the afternoon, but, not knowing if she had much pain, I opted to play it safe. By 9 p.m. she was going batty so I broke down and played ball with her to wear her out a bit.

Malinois are known for being very high drive dogs and many people would not find them suitable pets as a result. Spending the day with an unworked Mal has me convinced there's truth in what they say. I predict my sweet baby girl will be a hell raiser come tomorrow! Watch out...

August 3, 2008 - When good dogs go bad...

Class was totally hands on today and probably the most interesting day yet! We talked a lot about aggressive dogs and what to expect when you work with a dog that's showing aggression.

This discussion was of particular importance to me because just last night Mika had an incident that by itself is no big deal but if it goes unchecked could spell big problems in the future.

I had given Mika a raw beef bone to chew when a few other students showed up in the small training building to work on scent indication with their dogs. Mika seemed unfazed and happily chewed her bone while the other dogs worked. I was rather impressed because she usually gets worked up and wants to do what the other dogs are doing, but in this case she paid no mind. About an hour later a Labrador puppy walked past and Mika snarled like a lion, guarding her bone. I was sitting about three feet away at the time and promptly rose out of my chair and gave her a very strong correction on the pinch collar. The problem is, my correction was about a second too late. I have serious doubts that she completely understood my reaction.

I asked the instructor about how to ensure she doesn't react this way again. Should I set up a similar scenario and be ready to react quickly in response with an avoidance level correction that says to her, "This behavior is never allowed. Don't even think about it next time!"?

Per the instructor, the answer is yes, but not until I have done some ground work first. I need to train her with the electric collar to understand the command "down" before I can set up a trap.

In the beginning you teach "down" with the e-collar by giving the dog a low-level electric correction while at the same time popping the leash downward or pushing down on the withers and saying the command "down". This give the dog a direction so she understands what the electric correction is for. Without the direction, the dog thinks she is getting corrected for sitting or standing or being near you, but has no idea you mean for her to lay down.

Once she understands "down" in conjunction with the electric correction, I can recreate the scenario with a bone and another dog. This time I will be ready to give her a strong avoidance level correction while at the same time saying, "Down!" The effect is to say, "'Down!' does NOT mean growling at other dogs."

Even for those weary of electric collars, this type of correction can be life-saving when you have multiple dogs living in the same home. I can just see Mika and my doxie, Barry getting into it over a bone. Because she will ultimately outweigh him by about 50 lbs and a couple of feet, she has the potential to kick his butt pretty good. I would rather give her one effective correction than risk the safety of my dogs.

August 2, 2008 - Stop thief!

What do you do when you have a really high drive dog still in obedience training? Watch them very closely!

Lately Mika's drive has been so intense that she gets caught up watching other dogs work that she loses her head around balls, tugs, and other items we use as prey during training.

Today, while working a late night session in the large training building, Mika was on a climb bench and we were watching another student do bite work his dog. The Helper was a Masters student. She asked me to keep an eye on her dog and give him a correction on the electric collar if he got to barking a lot or tried to break the "down" command.

As soon as The Helper started teasing the dog with a puppy bite sleeve, The Helper's dog began barking from his bench. I gave him a correction but it seemed to have no affect. I tried again and, barely phased, he kept barking. Meanwhile, with my attention on the Master student's dog, I didn't notice that Mika's drive was building more and more--unchecked. Next thing I knew she lept off her climb bench, ran across the training hall, jumped up and grabbed the puppy sleeve, and tore it from the hands of The Helper. Then she promptly began to run circles around the room with the bite sleeve in mouth, looking for somewhere to lay down with the sleeve and chew it to her heart's content.

It is really dangerous to have your dog out of control during this type of work. In this case it was kind of funny, but only because nobody got hurt. There's a big part of me that is really proud at the way her drive is developing but I would be really irresponsible if I let her continue to lose control in these situations. For now I have to watch her very closely.

August 1, 2008 - Dog Pile

Because we are training working dogs, our dogs are not permitted to socialize together. There are a couple of reasons for this...

1) Dogs that play together generally take on either dominant or submissive behaviors during play. In working dogs we don't really want either behavior. Instead we want a dog that is confident yet compliant. Submissive dogs are hard to work with because they tend to not want to take treats during training and when you give them a correction, their attitude tends to plummet. With dominate dogs, you generally have a fight on your hands and the dog is sure to test you a lot. But a complaint dog likes to work for food, takes corrections and rebounds quickly.

2) Working dogs need to identify their handler as their "pack." When dogs interact together freely, the result is a dog that tends to gravitate to other dogs when he sees them. This doesn't make for a focused working dog.

With that said, we do not want our working dogs to be dog aggressive or fearful in any way. One of the ways we encourage this is an exercise called the Dog Pile.

As a class, we place our dogs on the floor, side-by-side, right up next to other dogs. We alternate with one dog's head facing north and the next dog's head facing south. It should look like this: face, butt, face, butt, face, butt, etc. The dogs are required to lay down touching a dog on both sides, all the while paying no mind to what the other dogs are doing; no eye contact, no wiggling, no sniffing butts, etc. At first the dogs are squirmy but eventually they settle in and focus on you, the handler.

Ultimately, with practice, this exercise will progress to having dogs literally piled on top of each other with the dogs making no fuss.