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Hyvä paha häkki

9/8/2021

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Häkittäminen on koiramaailman kuuma peruna. Kukaan ei halua ottaa häkkiin mitään oikeaa kantaa; se on AINA väärin, paitsi harrastuksissa, lääkärin määräämänä tai hotellissa. Häkkiin on totutettava, mutta siinä ei saa olla. Häkki ahdistaa, mutta oikeissa tilanteissa se rauhoittaa. Häkki luo stressiä, mutta toisissa tilanteissa poistaa sitä. Sekavaa? Älä. Avataanpa hieman sitä, mistä on kyse.
Häkki. Suomisanakirja.fi sanoo häkin olevan "Koppimainen rakennelma, jonka katto ja seinät (tai ainakin yksi niistä) on tehty (metalli)tangoista, verkosta tms." Koiramaailmassa häkki tarkoittaa yleensä tarhaa pienempää, mahdollisesti mukaan taittuvaa metalli- tai kangasviritelmää, joka tukirakenteidensa avulla saadaan pystytettyä verrattain nopeasti ja jonka sisällä koiran tulisi mahtua istumaan, makaamaan rennosti ja seisomaan. 

Häkittäminen nousi tapetille jo vuosikausia sitten eläinsuojelujärjestöjen tehdessä hyvää työtä koirien ja muiden otuksien paremman elämän puolesta. Eläinsuojelulaki ei kuitenkaan mainitse kuljetushäkeistä, näyttelyhäkeistä tai harrastushäkeistä ihan kamalasti. Niissä otetaan kantaa lähinnä isompiin, koiran säilömiseen tarkoitettuihin tarhoihin. Pienemmistä häkeistä sanotaan ainoastaan seuraavaa: "
”Kissaa tai koiraa taikka muuta eläintä saadaan pitää sen kuljetukseen tarkoitetussa laatikossa tai häkissä taikka muussa vastaavassa pienikokoisessa säilytystilassa vain, jos eläimen kuljettaminen, sairaus tai muu tilapäinen ja hyväksyttävä syy sitä vaatii.”

Mikä on tämä "muu tilapäinen ja hyväksyttävä syy"? Tässä tulee vastaan lain tulkinnanvaraisuus. Esimerkiksi minulle aggressiivisen rodun omistajana hyväksyttävä syy on muiden eläinten ja aggressiivisen eläimen itsensä turvallisuuden takaaminen. Tilapäisyyden tulkitsen niin, ettei koiraa saa säilyttää pienessä häkissä pitkiä aikoja eikä silloin, kun sille on mahdollista taata muulla tavoin turvallinen ympäristö, jossa se ei ole muille vaaraksi.

Kauanko häkissä saa viettää aikaa? Tämäkin on tulkinnanvaraista. Mitään tarkkaa aikarajaa ei ole määritelty. Tilapäisyys viittaisi kuitenkin siihen, ettei otus ole siellä toistuvasti pitkiä aikoja. Miten sitten esimerkiksi öiden nukkinen häkissä? Työkoiran pitkät päivät häkissä auton takana? Kummassakin tapauksessa kyseessä on perusteltu syy (kuljettaminen, lemmikin turvallisuuden takaaminen), mutta koira on häkissä toistuvasti, kuitenkin tilapäisesti.

Suomen häkkilaki on siis aika tiukka, vaikka sitä miten tulkitsisi. Kuitenkin esimerkiksi Yhdysvalloissa koirat ovat poissaolojen ajan lähes poikkeuksetta häkissä. Crate training on tärkeä osa sikäläisen koiranpennun yksinolo-opetusta. Myös Suomessa häkittämiseen törmää useimmiten juuri yksinolon kanssa. Jonkin verran siihen törmää myös silloin, jos talossa on useita koiria, jotka eivät tule toimeen keskenään ja kaikille olisi taattava tarpeeksi sosiaalista kontaktia ja vapautta.

Puolensa ja puolensa

Häkki ei aiheuta koiralle traumoja, mikäli häkissä oleminen ei ole koirasta epämukavaa tai sitä ei säilytetä siellä toistuvasti pitkiä aikoja sen ollessa hereillä. Öiden nukkuminen häkissä tuskin stressaa yhtäkään otusta, jos häkki on sille kyllin tilava. Jotkin koirat myös selvästi rauhoittuvat päästessään "luolaan" ja oikein sijoitettu, peitetty, pehmoinen häkki voi myös auttaa esimerkiksi hermostuneen lemmikin totuttamista vieraisiin. Häkki ei kuitenkaan oletusarvoisesti ole jokaisen koiran lempparipaikka.

Hereillä ollessaan häkissä odottava eläin  herkästi turhautuu. Kun koiralla on halu tehdä, sillä olisi energiaa tehdä, mutta se on suljettuna pieneen tilaan se ahdistuu ja stressaantuu. Hetkellisesti hereillä odottamisesta ei ole haittaa, vaikkei koira siitä kamalasti nauttisikaan (vaikkapa harrastuksissa oman vuoron odottaminen), mutta toistuvasti ja pysyvästi liian pitkiä aikoja häkissä viettäneet eläimet alkavat ilmentää stressiä ja käyttäytyvät impulsiivisesti. Niillä on valtavasti patoutunutta energiaa, jota ne epätoivoisesti haluavat purkaa ihan mihin tahansa.

Juuri patoutuvan energian aiheuttaman stressin takia esimerkiksi itsensä tuhoilulla vaarantavan koiran häkittäminen työpäivien ajaksi on kaksipiippuinen asia; toisaalta se on perusteltua, monesti jopa ihan oikeasti tarpeellista, jos koira tuhoaa KAIKEN ihan vain nuoruuden innossaan (ja uskokaa minua, näitä koiria on. Jokaisella tuhoavalla koiralla ei suinkaan ole pitkittynyttä tylsyyttä tai eroahdistusta. Ne vain tykkäävät askarrella), mutta vaakakupin toisella puolella vaanii rajoittamisen aiheuttama stressi. Tämä stressi voi päin vastoin pahentaa tuhoilua. On siis ehdottomasti tarpeen pyrkiä mahdollisimman nopeasti pois työpäivähäkittämisestä tuhoilun vuoksi. Tämä vaatii yksinoloharjoittelua, treenaamista ja koiran elekielen tuntemista. Häkki on siis väliaikainen työkalu, jolla varmistetaan koiran turvallisuus pidempien poissaolojen ajan, ei suinkaan pysyvä ratkaisu. Työkaluna häkkiä ei kuitenkaan tule väheksyä, sillä esimerkiksi kodinvaihtaminen nuoruuden intotuhoilun vuoksi on ylimitoitettu ja koiraa huomattavasti enemmän stressaava ratkaisu. 

Joissakin tapauksissa, hyvin harvoin, häkki ON pysyvä ratkaisu esimerkiksi poissaolojen ajaksi. Tällasia tapauksia on kuitenkin erittäin vähän ja syy on yleensä aina terveydellinen (henkisesti tai fyysisesti).

Häkkiin tulee opettaa, jotta häkki on koirasta mukava mesta. Osa koirista oppii pitämään häkistä huomatessaan, että siellä on kivaa, rauhallista ja turvallista. Osa koirista on sitkeästi sitä mieltä, että maailma ulkopuolella on häkkiä kivempi paikka. Tällaisille koirille häkistä on tehtävä miellyttävä paikka.

Kivan kautta

Meillä on lähes aina avonainen häkki olohuoneessa ja olen totuttanut koiria sinne nakkelemalla häkkiin nannaa tai ruokkimalla mahdollisen pennun siellä. Kaksi aikuisista koiristani pyrkii häkkiin nukkumaan, jos häkin ovi on auki, vaikka niillä olisi mahdollisuus valita mikä tahansa muu paikka. Kaksi suhtautuu häkkiin neutraalisti. Sotaperuna nukkuu mielellään häkissä yöllä, mutta ei muuten välittäisi olla siellä edes sitä 30 sekuntia, jonka aikana muut koirat ohittavat sen ulos mennessään. Jokainen osaa tarvittaessa rauhoittua häkkiin odottamaan, mikä on näyttelyissä ja muissa harrastuksissa usein tarpeen ja eduksi. 

Minulla on aina ollut tapana mieluummin opettaa ja kouluttaa koira hyvällä hyväksymään asioita kuin puhtaasti vaatia sitä alistumaan kohtaloonsa. En sano, ettenkö vaatisi joitakin asioita, mutta hyvin usein valitsen opettamisen. Tiedän ihmisiä, oikein hyvä koiranomistajia, jotka vaativat mieluummin kuin opettavat tällaisista asioista puhuttaessa, eikä tästä ole näyttänyt olevan heidän koirilleen mitään haittaa. Itse pidän siitä, että koirat valitsevat tehdä kuten haluan niiden tekevän. Minulla on se kokemus, että voin tällä tavalla toimiessani luottaa koirieni päätyvän omalta kannaltani miellyttäviin ratkaisuihin silloinkin, kun en ohjeista niitä. Tämän saman syyn takia käytän kouluttaessani positiivista vahvistamista, mutta se nyt on täysin toisen blogipostauksen aihe.

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Haikalanen on koiristani ehdottomasti häkkimyönteisin. Silloin tällöin olen löytänyt sen häkistä näin ja olen hetkellisesti surkutellut, että onkohan se vahingossa lukinnut itsensä häkkiin eikä tajunnut, että ovea työntämällä se pääsisi ulos. Testasin kuitenkin asiaa yksi päivä kutsumalla sitä luokseni ja se tottuneesti työnsi oven auki nenällään sen suurempia ihmettelemättä. Niinpä oletan, että se ymmärtää pääsevänsä halutessaan ulos. Se vain valitsee nukkua häkissä, koska siellä on omaa rauhaa ja turvallista.
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Helpon koiran siunaus

2/3/2021

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Kuten monet, myös minä halusin nuorempana väellä ja väkisin tehdä kaikesta hankalaa. Tuli tärkeä olo, kun koki tekevänsä vaikeita juttuja ja omistavansa hankalia koiria. Kuitenkin, omistaessani oikeasti vaativia koiria nyt, voin naureskella nuorelle itselleni ja sille raivokkaalle tarmolle, jolla yritin selitellä itselleni poikiani haastavammaksi kuin mitä ne olivat. Kyllä, Kenraalimajuri oli ja on vieläkin haastava koira hermorakenteensa puolesta, mutta noin muuten ei ollenkaan. Haikalanen on aina ollut ihastuttavan rentouttava elämänkumppani.
Varsinkin nuorilla koiraharrastajilla on tapana tehdä asioista välillä turhan hankalia. Syyllistyin tähän itsekin, joten voin näin vuosia myöhemmin myöntää sen ja myös todeta näkeväni sitä toisissa. 

Koiranomistaminen on kilpavarustelua ja haastavan koiran kasvattamisesta voi lisätä sulan mentaaliseen hattuunsa. Niinpä koiraharrastajilla on tapana glorifioida vaikeutta ja hankaluutta ja tehdä ongelmia sinne, missä niitä ei todellisuudessa ole. Tämä on osaltaan tottumattomuutta, osaltaan antaa luvan olla silloin tällöin väsynyt ja lannistunut. Meidän tulisi olla armeliaampia itsellemme ja ymmärtää, että helponkin koiran kanssa on välillä vähän raskasta. Joskus on lupa todeta, että se vähäkin on tänään liikaa ja istua koko päivä katsomassa telkkaria ja syömässä lohturuokaa, kunhan koiran perustarpeista huolehditaan ja lusmuilu ei tule tavaksi.

Haastavuuden ihannointi johtaa helposti siihen, että hankitaan liian vaikeita koiria. Tämä voi osaltaan kannustaa käyttämään kyseenalaisia koulutusmetodeita, kun oma taitotaso ei yksinkertaisesti riitä. Helposti käy myös niin, ettei niistä mutkattomista arjen kavereista ja niiden kouluttamisesta tajua ottaa itselleen krediittiä, vaikka ehdottomasti pitäisi! Oli koira miten mutkaton tahansa, jokainen hyvin käyttäytyvä koira on kouluttaneelle syystäkin ilon, onnen ja ylpeyden aihe. Myös sillä helpolla koiralla voi olla tai sille voi kehittyä ongelma, ja se taas ei tarkoita automaattisesti sitä, että kouluttaja on surkimus. Takana voi olla vaikkapa trauma. Hyvin käyttäytyvästä koirasta saa ja siitä pitää olla ylpeä, oli sen rotu mikä tahansa. 

Vaivaton, helposti arjen rutiinit ja tavat oppiva koira tulisi nostaa arvostuksessa korkeammalle kuin missä se on nyt. Sen kanssa pääsee nopeasti nauttimaan siitä, mitä koiranomistaminen on parhaimmillaan!
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Karem on aina ollut lupsakka, iloinen, touhukas ja ystävällinen otus, johon voi luottaa ja jonka kanssa voi nauttia koiranomistamisen parhaista puolista. Toki onhan se ollut onnettomuusaltis ja remmirähinäongelmankin kanssa painittiin parin koirahyökkäyksen jälkeen.

Sujuvaa ja stressitöntä

Haikalasen kanssa lenkkeily on sitä, mitä koiran kanssa ulkoileminen voi parhaimmillaan olla. Joskus Haikalanen voi pelästyä vastaantulevia, mutta jos tilanteet ennakoi ja pysyy itse rauhallisena, myös Haikalanen selviää ohituksesta nopeasti. Se ei vedä, muttei jumita. Se menee tasaista tahtia hihnanmitan edellä, kiskomatta, nuuhkii silloin tällöin ja tekee asiansa, muttei jää patsastelemaan. Sen kanssa voi uppoutua ihailemaan kevääseen heräävää luontoa tai tarkkailla pikkulintuja pajupusikossa. Sen kanssa voi pällistellä puroja ja hienoja kiviä ja maisemia, tai sen kanssa voi hölkätä rivakasti eteenpäin kunnonkohotusmielessä. 

Haikalanen ottaa kaikki ihmiset vastaan iloisesti. Se ei arkaile, ei ole vihainen, ei käyttäydy arvaamattomasti. Se ei tee itsestään numeroa vieraiden aikana, mutta tulee iloisena rapsuteltavaksi. 

Haikalanen on arjessa ihastuttavan mutkaton koira. 

Lumiprinsessa ja Sotaperuna ovat vaativia. Sotaperunan voimakas aggressio aiheuttaa erityisjärjestelyitä arkeen ja vaatii ahkeraa koulutusta ja treeniä pysyäkseen hallinnassa. Sillä on korkea energiataso ja se haluaa ja myös vaatii fyysistä ja psyykkistä haastamista. Lumiprinsessalla ei ole aggressiota, mutta se on aktiivinen ja touhukas koira, joka varsinkin nuorena tarvitsi roppakaupalla tekemistä ollakseen sisätiloissa ja lepohetkinä hallinnassa. 

Vaativan koiran kanssa pääsee haastamaan itsensä ja kehittyy kouluttajana. Monesti hyvä harrastuskoira on myös arjessa vaativampi kuin lupsakampi ja rennompi kaverinsa. Vaativan koiran kanssa voi arjestaan saada sujuvaa, mutta se ollatenkin VAATII vaivannäköä. Tästä syystä tulisikin aina kysyä itseltään, onko sille vaivannäölle aikaa? Onko siihen halua? Mukava, mutkaton rotu/koirayksilö antaa aivan yhtä paljon, mutta huomattavasti vähemmällä säätämisellä. Jos ei ole tahtoa eikä tarvetta nähdä vaivaa ja tehdä töitä, kannattaa koira valita se mielessä pitäen.
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Ruhtinatar on myös ollut varsin ihastuttavan rento elinkumppani. Se on itsevarma, omanarvontuntoinen, tasapainoinen ja rauhallinen.

Jokaiselle omansa

Vaikkei mikään koira ole vaivaton eikä helppo sellaiselle, joka ei koiran kanssa halua elää, vihkiytyneelle koiraihmiselle löytyy roppakaupalla suhteellisen helposti koulutettavia rotu/koiravaihtoehtoja. On paljolti myös asenteesta kiinni, minkä näkee ongelmana. Nuoren uroskoiran törttöilyt kuuluvat yksilöstä ja perimästä riippumatta usein asiaan. Ei niistä kannata vääntää ongelmaa. Ne ovat täysin tyypillisiä nuoren uroskoiran sähläyksiä, joihin kannattaa suhtautua nimenomaan sellaisina eikä vaipua ahdistuksen ja ankeuden suohon ja vakuutella itselleen oman koiransa haastavuutta. Ongelmia ei kannata tehdä sinne, missä niitä ei ole. Se lisää stressiä sekä omistajalla että koiralla. 

Tulisuuden ja särmän vaaliminen on tärkeää silloin, kun koiran tyypillisesti tulee tällaisia piirteitä syystä tai toisesta ilmentää. Tällaisten piirteiden ihannoiminen ja niiden hakeminen silloin, kun etsinnässä on lupsakka ja helppo arjen seuralainen, on täysin turhaa. Myös maltillisella energiatasolla varustettu koira voi olla luonteikas arjen kaveri ja myös sen kanssa voi vaeltaa kilometritolkulla toreilla ja tuntureilla. Siihen tarkoitukseen ei kannata väellä ja väkisin etsiä sitä koiraa, jolla energiaa on kahmalokaupalla, jolla on voimakkaat vietit ja joka rotutyypillisesti suhtautuu asioihin varauksella. 

Arjessa helpolla ja mutkattomalla koiralla on sielua parantava vaikutus. Sitä ei tulisi koskaan väheksyä. Haastavakin koira parantaa toki sielua sellaisella ihmisellä, jolla on tarjota sen vaatimuksille sopiva koti. ​Meidän kannattaakin kysyä itseltämme, mitä me haemme, ja valita seuraksemme koira, joka hakee samaa. 
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Two is a pair, three is a pack

15/10/2018

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The saying ”two is a pair, three is a pack” is used sometimes to describe the difference between owning one or two individual dogs and owning three or more dogs that already start to have certain pack behavior. Obviously all dogs interact together the same way, whether they live live alone or in a group, but pack behavior usually kicks in when there are more than two dogs.


Pack behavior refers to behavioral patterns that are usually met in large groups of dogs. These patterns take act in situations like meeting others dogs, hunting, facing danger or alarming. It is said that a pack of dogs let loose, even if they are pet dogs, is more dangerous than a pair of dogs or just one dog.

In Finland we have a saying ”joukossa tyhmyys tiivistyy”. It means you are never as stupid alone than you are in a group. Group members easily adopt behavior from others in the group, and this leads to certain behaviors becoming easily escalated. If one member of the pack is nervous, that feeling reflects to others more easily than it would if there would be just two dogs. Aggression escalates quickly, and so does the hunting behavior. It takes one of the pack to start hunting, and the rest will follow. This leads to problems if the dogs are loose and they decide instead of playing with a small dog they will now HUNT the small dog. Same happens if the pack escapes and ends up harassing lambs or other farm animals, or even people.

Dogs that live in a pack form a hierarchy based on each individual and their character. No matter certain roles may change depending on the situation, it is interesting to see how each member of the pack will usually follow the role it was set to have and in many cases even chose itself. Genders have different roles in the pack, and age plays a bigger part in interactions. Balanced leaders will act firm and friendly, while those lower in the hierarchy often clown around and get away with such ridiculous behavior more easily than the ones leaders may seem as ”possible future challengers”.

Alarming is one interesting feature I noticed changed significantly when I had a pack. Instead of one or two dogs each barking, a pack now seems to have different roles. When one dog alarms, others will instantly run to the one alarming and try to see the threat. The leader will then decide whether or not the threat is worth noticing. If so, it will take a dominant posture, hold it’s tail up and stare, approaching the threat if it can, while others keep alert, keep barking and follow the leader. If the leader at any point relaxes, others will eventually follow or their attitude will change from nervous and aggressive to curious, playful or indifferent. Lowest in hierarchy might even stay away from the situation, because it trusts the ”higher ups” will care for everything.

When having a pack of dogs, it’s important to focus on leading the pack rather than trying to lead every individual dog. This means you need to know what causes certain behavior, and if you need to command the leading dog or leave that dog be and instead find the ”weak link” that feeds negative behavior of the whole pack. Correcting or controlling the alarming dog will not do anything, if the leading dog keeps on signaling we need to stay alert. On the contrary, if one dog is nervous about a situation, working with that individual dog will solve the whole problem while trying to calm the whole pack down each time it gets nervous makes no difference. In a pack one dog’s behavioral issue is EVERY DOG’S behavioral issue.

Introducing a new family member


Bringing a new dog to the pack can be frightening. What if the dogs don’t accept each other? Let’s say it here in the beginning; it is a possibility. However, you can work with issues, and in most cases that helps. In some other cases you might have to separate the dogs in one way, at least partially and at least sometimes, but even that is not the end of the world. Usually things go smoothly, and sooner or later your new dog will be part of the pack or form a good working pair with the first one.

Introducing a puppy is always way easier than introducing an adult dog. Keep this in mind during all this rescue boom. Rescues can make super pets and form super packs, but there are more risks with adult rescued dogs you might not know a lot about than with puppies. Most well socialized dogs are instinctively more forgiving and gentle with puppies. This is not something to be taken as an opinion against rescue dogs, but a thing to keep in mind. The dog has, in worst case, gone through nasty things. Being prepared for possible problems may save the dog from further bad experience and guarantee a safe start for it.

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Know your previous dog/dogs. If you have a nervous dog or an unsocial dog, introducing the newcomer in small steps is usually the best option. Ideal would be to meet the new dog a couple of times before it moves in.

Collect all ”treasures” away. Very important objects might not be up for sharing just yet. After all, your dogs just met.

Going for a walk together and introducing the dogs on a neutral ground works better than bringing the pup/the dog straight to the other one’s territory. A possibility to give the new dog a safe, calm place to sleep it’s first nights is also beneficial. If others are constantly trying to get to know it, it might stress both them and the new one (and vice versa, if the newcomer doesn’t leave the old dog alone).

What if problems occur?


Don’t let the old dog jump on the eyes of the newcomer, and don’t let the newcomer boss around the old dog. You are the authority making sure everyone feels safe and sound. Old fashioned ”leadership tricks” like rolling the dog on it’s back work only with soft dogs, and they are not based in any scientific or species related information. In the case of independent dogs and dominant dogs things like this can make the situation worse or the dog may even turn on you. The most important thing, however, is that nothing is taught this way. The effect is based on fear, not respect, and it works only with you and the dog, not to improve the situation between dogs. This is seen in many cases where people use rolling the dog on it’s back, for example, to correct it’s dominant behavior. The dog may then act OK with the human, but still bully in the pack. Nothing was taught, the problem and the source for the behavior still remains. One visible side effect was removed, that’s it.

The right way to deal with possible friction between the dogs is to teach and encourage the right kind of pack behavior and to correct the dog behaving badly. How do you correct a dog like that? Well certainly not rolling it on it’s back. Physical corrections should always be used to either get the attention of the dog so you can command it to leave, stay or calm down, or to restrain the dog from harming or harassing another living being. Teaching the right kind of behavior is as important as stopping the unwanted behavior. The problem with ”The Leadership Theory” is that is doesn’t teach the dog anything, it focuses on stopping certain behavioral patterns. Smart dogs might get what you are trying to say, while nervous, aloof, dominant and temperamental dogs usually don’t.

Positive reinforcement and working with the dog’s aggression and insecurities usually lead to a dog that can to certain point work and live in a pack, while some dogs never become pack animals.

Keep your head cool. ”Be the boss of your dogs and all goes well!” is something you will hear if your dogs are not friends at once. While there is half the truth in that, be careful with how you acquire that position of authority, and remember; weak nerve structure will cause problems whether or not you are ”a boss”. Not all dogs are balanced, and aggressive dogs are aggressive dogs. It is dangerous to assume everything depends on how you raise the dog or socialize it. Always go for mentally balanced dogs, or then be prepared to work with those that have more complicated nerve structure.

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Don't be too afraid to add another dog to your pack. Knowing your current dogs and your own resources is the key to success. Another thing to ease a troubled mind; most dogs are pack animals. They might not be super social, but most get along at least with the member of opposite gender. For the majority of dogs having another dog in the family is the funniest, most awesome thing they have ever had happening. After all, we are ONLY human. There are some things only other dogs get, ya know.  
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Teach your dog to be socially clever

2/4/2018

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Socializing your puppy is probably the most important thing you can do. Many of new puppy owners will focus on simple tricks such as sit, stay, down when they get their puppy, and it is very true that it's easy to train a small puppy. The most important thing to focus in, however, is making the dog familiar with this surrounding world we live in and all the weird stuff it is supposed to tolerate without stress when it gets younger.

​Breeders should do the basic sozialicing before the pups even leafe their mother's side. Getting the pups outside to smell fresh air (if the weather and temperature allows it) and getting them used to different surfaces is very important when raising a litter of pups. Meeting people before moving to one's own family is also important. If the family has other, vaccinated, familiar dogs living in the house, meeting and playing with them is also very beneficial to the pup.

The thing to remember by the new owner is that no matter how much the breeder does work with the pups, the main work is left to the new home. The timing is also crucial, since from 3 weeks old to 12 weeks old is the phase the pup is most open to new things. It is called the socialization stage, and meeting as many people as possible and going to as many safe places as possible is the most effective at this stage. After this the pup will become a little less open to new things and warming up slows down. It may also start to have surrealistic fears, which is perfectly normal but may make meeting new people and getting accustomed to new places less effective and more stressful. The fear stage will pass eventually, but if one skips the early socialization and waits until the fear stage is over one misses the most sensitive weeks of learning in the beginning. That may have later negative effects on how the dog sees the world.
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How to develop social skills of your puppy


Pups don't get their perfect vaccinations until 12 weeks or after. This means the pup is not welcome to most dog happenings and you should also be wary with meeting strange dogs in general. However, meeting familiar, friendly dogs you know are vaccinated and taken care of is not only possible but also adviced. This way the pup learns how to behave with other dogs. It has learned basics of this in a litter box with it's mother and siblings and possible other dogs of the breeder's family, but developing these skills with new safe friends is always beneficial.

Be sure that the dogs the pup meets are friendly. The time of getting to tolerate unfriendly dogs is not at this point. The pup needs to meet balanced dogs, so they can show balanced way of behaving.

Meeting new people is crucial too. Some breeds are more aloof than others, some pups are friendly from the start. Mixing shyness with aloofness is very common. A shy dog shows excessive amount of calming signals and stress when it meets new people. Aloof pup just simply ignores the new people or monitors them from afar at first. Wary dogs don't want to come near new persons in the beginning and may show signs of, well, being wary when they approach them, but this passes eventually as the pup learns these people are of no threat.

No matter there is a clear difference between being aloof and wary and being shy and having bad nerves, it is a fact that wary, aloof breeds are more prone to become nervous, shy and unsocial if they lack sozialication. This is why one needs to put some extra work in sozialication if one takes in some of these breeds or dogs.

Taking the pup to experience different types of surfaces or at least making sure it gets to know them at home will pay back later when the pup needs to walk calmly in concrete, grass, steel, asfalt, stone, sand. One can also train the pups ability to ignore moving surfaces by building small unstable platforms that are safe for the pup to investigate. Some pups go on these platforms themselves, some might need encouraging, but a small pup is easy to train if it's nerves are good. If they are not, it takes more time and effort to train the dog and one needs to be careful not to pressure the pup too much. This can also happen with strong, brave pups, but they can take more than their nervous counterparts.

The last thing to think is if there is a mall or some sort of a market place filled with people you can take your pup to. Make sure you have good leash and harness/collar, and make sure not to leave your pup too alone. Don't protect it too much, either. Carrying it around in your lap the whole time doesn't really teach it to face this environment by itself. Getting to see these loud, crowded places is essential for example hobby, working and show dogs who are supposed to be able to relax in these environments when they are older. It is beneficial for the others, too. ​

Tolerating variety


Dogs are slaves of the routine, and if adult certain color people of certain sex are the most they meet, they can act stressed and wary, even scared among other kinds of people. Dogs don't understand our social norms and what is considered polite and what is not. They will bark at disabled people, people that talk differently, people that are of different color they are used to, kids, elders, if they are not taken to meet them and be properly socialized.

One common mistake to do when raising a pup is bad socialization. Many people don't understand just how much it may take to make your dog experience new places and people and other dogs without fear and stress. This doesn't mean going to the market once or playing with neighbor's kids. This means meeting as many different people in as many different places as one just possibly can without putting too much stress on the puppy. After all, we live in a very odd world in the eyes of the dog. Many of the things we expect from our dogs is against their nature, and therefore we must train and help them to understand what we expect of them.

For some reason it is a trend within young people these days to ”hate kids”. These young people take in dogs and may be heard stating their dog ”doesn't like kids because I don't xD She isn't used to kids.” That is a poor excuse. As poor as that of parents, who are fearful of dogs, raising their kids to fear dogs, too.

As an owner you have certain responsibilities and one is making your dog understand these small, weird human looking creatures that may walk in all fours or make odd noises are not to be seen as a threat. It is not optional, it is a must in today's society, whether or not one likes or dislikes children. If you don't have kids in your family or your friends don't have kids, make sure to take your pup near playgrounds, schools and other places where you are allowed to go with dogs and you are most likely to meet children. Tell those children how to meet your puppy, and let your puppy experience them. 


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Also remember that tolerating is not the same thing as liking. Your dog doesn't need to like kids any more than you do, but neither of you can go snapping at kids just because they are kids. You can teach your dog to take space and go away when it is bored and tired of children, and as an owner you must then make sure the children, in return, let your dog be alone. 

Mr. Hyperactivity and Ms. Dominance love children and they are very eager to play with them, poke them, sniff them and lick them. Mrs. Aloofness could care less, Mr. Arthritis doesn't really prefer kids either. Both of the latter know how to take their own space when they get tired. Mr. Arthritis may sometimes forget that, since his is a nervous, stressed character, and in that case I as his owner have to tell him to leave, go somewhere to lay and calm down. Stress is a poor excuse that he would go around snapping at children. That is not to be tolerated and I need to make sure he is of no threat.

In return, if you are a parent, teach your children to leave strange dogs alone and respect dog's own space. 

The most unnatural situation for dogs and kids alike is when the dog is tied for example in front of a shop, it is alone, and unfamiliar kids go to pet it. In this situation the dog, even the one that knows how to give space, doesn't have any means to escape. Things can escalate, and therefore teach your children to stay away from strange dogs and always ask permission to near them. 

Also don't tie your dogs in front of shops alone. ​
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Positiveness is powerful

19/3/2018

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Positive training methods have been widely adopted by many trainers around the world in the past years. This is partly because pets have gained a more important role in families and the demand of humane training methods is growing, but also because newest studies show positive methods have a striking effect on how fast and how eager the dog, or the human for that matter, is to learn.
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Let's play a mind game. Imagine a leash around your neck, held by a massive creature that's as high as your house, speaking in odd tongue. There is no way for you to understand what the creature is saying, but it clearly wants something from you.

That's how it is for your dog. It is living in a world made for that big odd creature and the creature is expecting behavior that isn't always natural for the dog. Therefore the creature must teach the dog to behave like it wants it to behave.

I have talked about the process of learning earlier, and about how fear blocks learning. Therefore we don't go more into that, but talk about why positive methods are simply better and why certain tools and methods widely used in training based on negative reinforcement are not beneficial nor do they teach anything.
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Learning doesn't happen on it's own


​Just a quick example once more to show you the problem with training by negative reinforcement only.

The most common negative reinforcement we all have probably come across and even used is teaching the dog not to pull on the leash by pulling the leash.

Even writing that is contradictory.

How do you make the dog walk nicely by pulling and tugging on the leash? Why does the method ”work”? Well, the basic idea is pulling on the leash leads to nasty tugging and it learns to avoid pulling because it feels bad. It doesn't learn to walk nicely on the leash. Instead of learning to walk good because it knows it is expected to walk calmly on the leash, it only learns to avoid certain behavior, in this case pulling. This means for example that teaching it to work with you in canicross later can be terribly hard, because pulling has been a negative thing in the past. And if you teach the dog it is OK to pull in canicross, it may start to pull during normal walks, too, because it learns pulling, that has once led to nasty things, doesn't lead to them anymore.

Only that it does.

”Wait a minute. Why can I pull sometimes, and sometimes I can't?”

The idea of modern positive training is to train the dog to do the right thing, and this means the dog has to understand what is expected. It can't learn a behavior if it is not taught the behavior. Because of this methods like above are not encouraged, because they don't teach the dog any new way of behaving, they only simply try to make it avoid certain action. Obviously this method leads to a similar behavior with positive methods; the dog doesn't pull. It just doesn't really learn anything new either, and the negative stigma of pulling can interfere with possible future hobbies.

I admit I have taught my older dogs to walk on the leash by tugging the leash. This is exactly why I know it is a bad method. Teaching them to work with me in canicross was hard, because pulling had a terribly negative image in their head. I had to teach them to walk nicely with me again, with positive methods, only so that I could encourage them to pull while we do canicross. I had skipped training them to walk nicely on leash, I had only taught them that pulling leads to nasty tugging.

With my girls I used stopping when they pulled. I called them beside me or gently tugged the leash to get their attention, and we continued while they had returned to my side. This way they learned that fun stops when they pull, but also that fun continues when they walk nicely. They got treats for getting back to me, and they were far more eager to return to my side when I stopped than my boys had been in the past.

I admit I still did tug on the leash several times because the wrong way is imprinted in my brain. I did it no matter I knew it was wrong. Teaching myself to be more positive has been as hard as correcting the twisted behavior I caused with negative training in the past, because unfortunately many of the negative methods lead to results. They just do it in a way that is not beneficial for any later learning process nor to our relationship with the dog.

It takes time


It took you months to potty train and it takes us the total of several YEARS to learn the basics of what a human being must learn to function in this society. Just remember that when you start teaching the dog something and expect it to master it in a week.

Many times people justify their usage or harmful tools by saying they lead to fast results. That is right, but only partially; dogs learn to avoid things pretty quickly. It is a trait any animal, even us, have. We try to save ourselves from nasty and painful things, and electric shocks or pinches on our throat or squishing our trachea are all to be considered not so pleasant things to feel. However, they also learn to connect the nasty thing with the tool and many dogs that have been forced to use E-collar or choke chains or prong collars need to wear the tool every time when they are to be under 100% control. Otherwise they would not act trustworthy. This alone proves that they have not exactly learned to behave in certain way, they have only learned that while wearing the tool they need to avoid certain behavior, because then the tool does not hurt them.

They have learned no new behavior. They have not been trained. And if they are trained, then the usage of those tools is completely in vain. They are not needed. What is needed is time, because learning takes time. We can't justify unpleasant feelings or pain or danger with our own will to have the dog behave correctly fast. ​

Learning to learn


​Teaching the dog to continuoisly avoid things to save it from unpleasant things leads to apathy.

Learning is based on offering new behavior and being praised about the right one. This is exactly the same with people and with dogs. In school we praise the children from doing the right thing, managing to find the result to a problem, not scold them from making a mistake that leads to a wrong answer.

Think about it; would you rather try to learn what the building-tall creature wants you to do when it gave you rewards, or when it punishes you if you accidentally offer the wrong behavior? Wouldn't the latter lead to sitting completely still, because while not getting rewarded, at least you don't get punished from doing wrong either? That is what happens with dogs. Dogs that are trained with punishment are not good at learning, because learning is a skill that gets the better the more you work on it. Dogs, as well as people, can learn to learn. While many people use both punsihment from the wrong and praise from the right action, the fear of punishment can interfere with the learning even if the right kind of behavior means rewards.

When the fear is let out, we as trainers are still in need of motivation for our student. Something to kickstart the will to learn now that it is made safe and offering new behavior only leads to positive outcome.

Some dogs are harder to motivate than others. The key is to find what motivates the individual the best. While fear blocks learning, reward encourages it. For us people the salary we get from our work motivates us to work. If we do things for free, the reward is not material but emotional. Either way, we work and in general we do things to benefit from it. Once more, dogs are exactly the same. While we are motivated by the change of buying a new car or a nice new pair of Phantom Of The Opera shoes (I'd do wonders to get one of those), dogs are usually easier and most are happy with a treat or a toy.

Some individuals, like many afghans, might need you to work harder to find their non-existent motivation. It is pretty safe to say, however, that every dog is motivated by something.

A success story


​In the end I'd like to share with you a success story that hopefully helps to understand the power of positive training as well as shows that all negative things mentioned above caused by punishment really are true.

I have talked with this one young trainer I met in a web community we both belong to. She has been struggling in the past to find a proper trainer to help training her young, strong, energetic dog, and during her journey she came across many different styles of training.

”We told her our situation that [the dog] barks, lunges at every single moving thing, and that we cant take her to walks anymore, so she said I have to 'dominate' [the dog] and to show her her place.. we were never allowed toy rewards, just treats. The trainer suggested many people to use choke chains. She even said that they're better than prongs. So, whenever [the dog] tugged on leash, she said to pull her hard back with the chain and use strict tone.”

The person told me that they were told to use excessive force, and the trainer they went to even made the dog yelp by tugging her leash so hard. She said it felt bad to see, but since this person was said to be a professional trainer, they continued training their dog with the given instructions.

”This method damaged [the dog] heel so bad she saw ''heel'' command as a very negative thing, meaning whenever she doesn't do what humans want, she gets a hard pull on her neck.”

This is sadly a very common outcome with punishment. Dogs that have been trained with violence and force tend to act very tense and submissive when they perform, due to the negative impact the punishing has on the command. They don't work out from eager to be rewarded, but out from fear, and this often leads to stiff and untrustworthy performance.

”Since then we found the new trainer. The first times we only had individual sessions, as [the dog] couldn't focus at all around people and dogs. She (the trainer) immediatly saw our situation and what made [the dog] nerveous. She needed time to get used to the new training place, and even when we first met, [the dog] barked and snapped at the trainer, seeing her as a threat. So, she gave us many useful tips. Our previous trainer didn't even teach how to hold a treat in hand properly.
The trainer knew we had to fix our damaged heel command. We had to completely train [the dog] from the start, the new command being ''fus''. I was so happy now, because soon we stopped using the choke collar and only had positive training with treats and lots of play.” - ”We went to her many times and she gave us constant homework we had to do at home. Now that we used treats and toys and no choke collar, [the dog] didn't ignore me as she did before. We had more walks and she was looking at me more than before, because correct behavior meant big reward coming. She was happy to work with me since I didn't cause her any pain.

We have worked with positive training to the point I don't have to hold the leash anymore when we're walking. She has great recall, we can even pass people and bikes calmly without her snapping or barking because there was no tension on the leash. She is now free of the pulling and pain, which before seemed almost impossible, really. I didnt know that only such simple things can make her this happy to work with me and respond quickly.

Now, after a year since we went to the positive trainer, we can work in group sessions with many other people and dogs.

And really, all we needed was patience, time and effort.”

Inspirational, don't you think? 

Do you have any positive success stories? Share yours in comments and pass the kindness on!

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Mr. Hyperactivity likes happy and positive things. Be like him.
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Problem people

4/2/2018

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Breed specific traits play a huge part in the way dogs act. Sometimes during my consultations with people about their dogs as well as when talking with dog owners I learn the behavior that is seen as problematic is actually not problematic at all – it is a common trait met with certain types of dogs. It is highly desirable and beneficial when the dog is performing a task it was bred to perform. However, these modern days not many dogs get to do what they were originally bred to do. Most are meant to be pets. Many breeds have adapted to this and certain traits of theirs have been bred away, but this is not always the case. Often what is said to be a problem dog is actually not a problem at all – the problem is the environment it is living in.
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We have a wide variety of companion breeds these days. Most of those breeds have served some other purpose too in the past, but have been bred to be companions after they were replaced with modern technology or just simply not needed anymore. Times change. Many breeds had their loyal friends back in the days and when the breed's original purpose was no longer useful they were bred to be companions. This meant their working traits or certain strong instincts were bred away in order to make them more easy to live with.

Most of companion breeds are small. In FCI we have a whole group of companion and toy breeds. While some of the breeds are large or medium, companion dogs are often compatible with small modern apartments that don't have large yards or much room. Most of modern people live in cities and work long days, so having a dog that need tons of exercise and room and makes lots of noise just isn't practical. 

Then why do people end up taking in breeds that still have strong instincts and breed specific traits that need special attention? If we have a whole group of companion breeds, why we have hunting breeds and high prey drive breeds ending up with families that find their behavior problematic?
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Those good looks

Unfortunately looks play a huge part in why certain active working breeds with strong instincts that may cause some problems in modern society end up in wrong families. Some breeds like Siberian huskies resemble the type of an arctic ”base dog” people find them aesthetically pleasing. They also look wolf-like to inexperienced eye which is yet another reason people have strong liking on them. However, huskies are a breed that need lots of exercise and usually at least another dog in the family. They don't do well alone, they tend to be vocal with their pack and they like to work. They pull, and that is what they were bred to do. Taking in a husky, keeping it in a small apartment all day long alone and walking it on a no-pull harness an hour a day is ignoring the dog's needs. Sometimes some dogs, specially from show lines, may end up adapting. Most do not.

The same thing happens regularly with hunting breeds. Some breeds like dachshunds can live happily as family pets as long as they get to use their energy in some breed specific way. They like to sniff around, dig and ”kill a prey”, and if their needs are not met, they are not happy. They start to act up. Sometimes people don't understand many of those show stars work outside the show ring, or they have large open areas they can use their hunting instincts on. Some flashy breeds like Weimaraners are still widely and often used as hunting dogs and they don't do well at all being just home pets. Luckily most breeders are strict with homes, but accidents happen.

Movies have a tendency to increase the demand of a breed. When Disney put out 101 Dalmatians, thousands of young dalmatians ended up searching for new homes during the next few years. People fell in love with the breed from the movie, and when they realized what they saw in the movie had nothing to do with the actual breed they got rid of the dog. Turned out ”Pongo” was far more interested in ripping the house up and launching at other dogs than it was finding the love of a lifetime for his owner.

Pumis and schipperkes are great examples of breeds that look simply adorable but are actually pretty hard-headed and active. They are not for everyone, yet their looks have led many people taking in a pup and later giving it up when it turned out far less adorable than they thought.

To add to all the above, there is a trend to go for the working line of the breed instead of the usually more calm show line. Working lines tend to loos less exaggerated, but that is not the only way they differ from the show line. They are usually far more active and they require more things to do. Someone who just took one in because it looked better than the puffy show star may be up for a surprise if the needs of the working dog are not met.

All of this applies also to breed mixes. It is harder to tell how a mixed breed dog will end up when it's older, but it's parents can tell us a lot. If the breeds in the ancestry are known, we can also assume something about the possible breed related traits the dog may end up having. All this should be taken into consideration when thinking about buying a pup, no matter how adorable or cool the puppies and the parents look like.  
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Frustration

Frustration shows in many ways. Earlier I wrote about lack of exercise and mentioned some behavioral issues there that could be caused by it. The same applies here. Aggression, destroying home and refusing to listen or trying to boss people around can all tell about frustration caused by being unable to behave in a breed specific way. The mind fills the gap with some secondary behavior in an attempt to reduce stress caused by frustration.

​Sometimes the dog will end up doing what it was bred to do but with some unwanted target. This is the most common with herding breeds starting to herd cars, bicycles or people, or cattle dogs nibbling at ankles. Guarding dogs can turn very dangerously territorial and alerting dogs often alert about every small sound they hear. This is the case with many small spitz that live in towns. It's in their nature to alert. They do what they were bred to do, no matter the neighbors may disagree.

All above can be controlled with training to a certain point, but in most cases the problem remains for as long as the dog is frustrated. This means the only solution would be to combine training with some breed specific hobby. Luckily, dogs are not that picky with their hobbies. They don't know if the lure they chase is alive, they just enjoy chasing it. Dachshunds may be all happy tracking down pieces of beef in some man made tunnels and herding breeds can try their luck with experienced shepherd and some sheep that are used to being herded by dogs. They can also enjoy some other activity where they can work with their owner and focus.

It's way easier to live with a dog that fits your life style than trying to learn a new way of life to adapt to your dog. This is why one should be extra careful when picking a breed or a breed mix. We will later discuss about some traits of individual dogs and how important it is to pick the right puppy from the litter, but to get to that point we need to understand the importance of picking the breed first.

If you enjoy short walks and relaxing on the cough watching TV or reading a good book, find a companion breed. It doesn't matter if you have always wanted a rottweiler. If you don't live a life fit for a rottweiler, don't take it in. No breed should be chosen just based on how cool it looks. Many people who struggle with their large strong working breed for years could have been completely happy with a small companion breed. This goes vice versa, too; if you are an active outdoors person who loves hikes and wants a dog that can keep up and maybe even accompany you to hunting grounds, maybe don't pick a French bulldog.  

Change of Ways

When I meet a person with a problematic dog, I always want to know as much of the dog as I possibly can. I make sure all the normal needs of the dog are met (more than often they are not) and after that I want to know how the breed specific needs are met. Many people seem to think a trainer or a consultant can somehow magically transform the dog and make it perfect for them, but this is a false assumption. They can do nothing if the dog is not given right kind of stimulation and if the owner isn't ready to work with the dog.

There is nothing I or any other trainer or consultant can do if the dog lives in a home that is not fit for it. The owner needs to be ready to change their ways if that is what the dog needs. This means if they have a hunting dog, they need to find a way to answer to it's need to track, for example. If they have a sighthound, it needs to run free. If they have a husky, it needs to work. If they have a Belgian shepherd malinois, it needs stuff to do and things to think. Exercise. There is no cure to a breed specific trait, and there should not be. The human is the one that took the dog in, and if the dog is to stay in the family the human must answer to it's needs. There may be some other problems too that need training and working on, but the general problem of totally wrong kind of environment needs to be attacked first. Only after that those other behavioral issues can be worked with. Sometimes there even isn't any other problem. Boredom and frustration cause many kind of problematic behavior, not to mention sometimes the whole ”problematic behavior” is actually the dog performing a task it's meant to perform. It's owners just simply find it difficult to work with.

The problem with many TV superstar trainers is the idea of ”fixing” the dog's ”problems” when in many cases the actual problem is the human being who fails to meet the needs of his/her dog. Teaching the dog a trick with pieces of cheese or hissing and correcting it when it growls is reacting to behavior that is caused by some bigger issue. Shows have limited TV time and no matter there is lot of work put in every dog, viewers only see a fracture of it. This can lead to thinking hiring a trainer to meet the dog a couple of times is a solution to one's problems. Unfortunately some so called trainers know this and they end up taking people's money and giving them lots of bad advice when in reality the problem behind the behavior is never even figured out. They may even take the dog in to participate in ”a camp”, but when the dog returns so do the problems should it be they are caused by frustration.

There really is no highway to Heaven here. Unfortunately, if the owner isn't willing to work with the dog and answer to it's needs, there is nothing anyone can do. The only way to make sure this so called problem behavior stops is to make sure the dog gets to be what it's instincts tell it to be. Obviously there are dogs that have bad nerves, traumatized dogs and ill dogs that are pain, but those dogs are a completely new story. It's way more common to meet dogs that would have no problems at all if the people owning them would pay some attention to what their dog is and find a way to let it behave like it's supposed to. 

​We can choose to see that breed specific behavior as a problem, or we can try and build something out of it. I prefer the latter. 
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Shock therapy

9/12/2017

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E-collars, short for electric collars, and prong and choke collars are widely used by dog owners and trainers in many countries. Most significantly they are used in America. In some parts of the world they are forbidden and considered animal abuse, their use being restricted by the animal welfare laws. What are these tools, why are they used, what do they cause and most importantly, why every trainer and owner should keep as far of them as they can?

What are these tools?

E-collars are collars that are supposed to shock the dog when it performs an undesired action or does not perform the desired action. They are sometimes used for punishment, but more frequently these days as a sort of a way to tell the dog whatever it is doing or not doing is not desired and it should change it's ways. They are based on negative feedback and negative reinforcement, causing an unpleasant sensation to either stop the action or punish from it. By my experience most people use them with a remote, trying to maintain their control of the dog when the dog is off leash. 

A prong collars is a collar that has blunt edge "spikes" inside the collar tightening around the dog's neck and causing an unpleasant sensation when it pulls or when the collar is pulled by a human. They are mostly used to maintain control of the dog when it otherwise does not respond. 

The key word in both descriptions is control. Amusingly, these tools that are used to control the dog don't actually teach the dog anything nor do they provide any real control, as control is achieved through training and does not depend on which tools the dog is wearing in that particular moment. True, many trainers and owners use them along with training, in which case it is to be considered the trainer or owner does not have the needed abilities to otherwise control their dog and hence has to rely in discomfort as some sort of reinforcement of one's authority.

There are many tools in dog world that are supposed to help controlling the dog in case it is big and because of some reason does not listen. Having worked with a dominant, aloof dog that has a strong will to fight my authority, I refuse to think a grown up adult needs tools based on pain or discomfort to get the wanted results. Usually there are several options to maintain physical control during the time of training. It's based on one's own ethics whether or not they have will or time to work with those tools. As it is with any learning, getting rid of an unwanted behavior or teaching a new way to act takes time. Using pain and discomfort works with some dogs (not with all, which is also one reason to avoid such tools) and it provides fast results, but there are ways to control the dog (no-pull harnesses, muzzles, long leads...) during the training without having to rely on extremes. Also, keeping oneself away from tools that restrict the dog with pain also forces one to actually TRAIN the dog and CHANGE the behavior through learning, not only through restricting. It is sadly very common that trainers who use questionable tools don't train the dog enough to work without those tools. As soon as they are removed, the dog gets back to it's old habits, indicating it hasn't actually learned anything but to avoid certain actions when it's wearing a certain collar. 

Why to avoid them?

Many people who use E-collars and prong collars explain they use positive reinforcement only when they train the dog. They separate the behavior of the dog, such as walking properly on leash, listening to commands off-leash and behaving in public, and tricks such as give paw, sit, stay. The problem here is that this kind on thinking assumes the so called "good behavior" is something the dog already knows and chooses not to perform. It is not taught how to behave, it is just punished from the false behavior, usually something that is very natural to it. The madness of this concept is best explained with a following matter; would you have learned to read if you had been punished from laying on your bed? The good behavior is to be taught the same way as any trick is, and if one already knows positive reinforcement is scientifically proved to be the best way to teach, why would one use an E-collar or prong collar? Why not when teaching tricks, if with teaching behavior? After all, in both situations we talk about the process of learning.

​In a study back in 2014 the researchers reported an increase of behavior connected with stress when using E-collars in training. The dogs in a group training with E-collars were showing significant signs of being stressed and tense, whilst in the other groups such behavior was reported far less frequently. Same kind of results were found in yet another study back in 2003, where groups of working dogs were trained with and without the shock collar. In the first study there was an increase in cortisol (the "stress hormone") levels reported as well, though this was not confirmed to be significant later on when studying a larger group. There are other articles, then again, indicating there might be cellular and hormonal changes due to the usage of shock collars, and that being shocked repeatedly may weaken the vertebra on the neck as well as cause damage on the throat. 

Prong collars and choke collars can cause severe damage on the dog when it launches. Even if they are "used correctly" there is a possibility these tools may cause severe pain and actual damage, thus the need of using them should be questioned. It is a known fact the effect of these tools is based on the fact they feel uncomfortable on the neck. They are supposed to, because they are supposed to restrict the dog from performing an undesired action, such as pulling on the leash. If the dog, however, does, even the correctly placed collar will tighten up and that may cause damage to throat or vertebra. This possibility is the greater the bigger and more stubborn the dog is. Obviously there are trainers saying prong collars and choke collars can be used perfectly safe, but how is that possible when the effect of the tool is based on the same exact reason they should be banned - they cause unnatural pinch and/or strangle the dog? Out of these two, choke collars cause more damage than correctly used prong collars, but even correctly used prong collars may lead to problems if the dog manages to pull so hard the blunt spikes break the skin or pinch too hard. It is also a tool that WILL hurt the dog if not used in the exact way it is supposed to be used. 

fast results or ethic training?

There is no fast lane to success. Learning is a process that takes time. Even if the dog can learn to avoid discomfort and pain faster that it learns to work for it's food in desired ways, it is possible to train the dog both fast and humanely. This requires skill and determination, and as any learning, repeats and time. Using pain or discomfort because of the lack of skill is a poor excuse for any trainer. Wanting to achieve fast results with minimal effort is also a poor excuse. A dog needs time, and if one does not have time, one does not get a dog. Laziness should not be considered as a justification to use controversial training methods.  

There are some ways to avoid the need of making hard decisions, too. Not so long ago I was told by an owner of a hunting breed that the E-collar has saved the dog's life many times, stopping it from running on the road. This leads me asking why the dog is kept off leash in such dangerous area? Hunting breeds are known to be challenging considering recall, so one should always make sure the place you let your dog off leash is as safe as possible. One should also work on the recall as much as one just can, so the dog is less likely to wander off. 

Scenery above is a good example of using a controversial tool because of the lack of skill, and in this case, a lack of knowledge as well.

It is said we should "agree to disagree", but considering using harmful methods in training I refuse to do so. There have been enough studies and scientific proof showing teaching the dog by using positive reinforcement is the most effective way of training, that we can safely say using controversial training methods and tools is not needed. The fact some trainers still use them because of the lack of skill and understanding is not to be taken as justification. Also, these tools working on some dogs is not a proof they are to be considered good ways to train. We have so many other options, more humane and as effective, that there should not be any need to risk your dog. 
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Training tools – what to use and what to avoid

12/6/2017

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Let's talk about the process of learning first.

Learning is something that happens whether we like or not. It is essential for any living being that has to react to it's surroundings or interact with other beings, may them be of the same species or not. Learning is evolution's way of trying to keep us alive.

When we, or any other being, learn, we connect certain things together. When you touch fire, it burns. You will learn to avoid touching the fire to prevent getting burned. When we learn to read, we learn meanings of small individual markings first. We connect them together until we manage to read. We learn to read because it is beneficial for us. It leads to better understanding of our surroundings as well as earns us a praise. For a child, or for a dog, a praise itself can work as a motivation. The benefit they gain is affection and appreciation that leads to satisfaction.

So, learning is connecting things together because of benefit. We either learn to avoid certain things to spare us from something nasty or we learn to do something or remember something to gain a prize, whatever that prize way be. The most important thing to remember is that in order to learn one must do things. A passive being does not learn.
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​Negative and positive reinforcement

These terms are often used when talking about training. They both aim for teaching the dog a certain habit, a certain way to act. Negative reinforcement uses punishment of some sort to show the dog what it does is wrong. It creates something nasty or unpleasant or frustrating that teaches the dog it must avoid certain way of behaving in order to prevent the nasty thing from happening. Positive reinforcing will praise the dog when it does right and teach the dog doing something or stopping from doing something gains it a prize.

Both these types of reinforcing work, but positive reinforcement is proven to be more effecting when teaching a new way to behave, whilst negative reinforcement works mostly when the dog must stop a certain learned habit. Using negative reinforcement can cause apathy, and a dog that does not work and try in order to see what it's expected to do can't learn. Fear blocks learning. That is why a dog should never be afraid of punishment, surroundings or anything around when trained. It must be comfortable and calm enough to concentrate.

Negative reinforcement is something to be used with caution and never by inexperienced handler who doesn't know what to do. Then again, no dog can go through it's life without facing negative reinforcement. When the pup tugs in a leash and hurts it's neck, it learns by negative reinforcement that one should not speed around when leashed (or then it doesn't, and continues doing it for the delight of the desperate owner). When the handler must hold the dog in place to calm it down, it learns by negative reinforcement acting like crazy will cause holding it down. By avoiding too rough play it gains freedom.

No matter negative reinforcement has it's place and time, for the reasons listed above it's something to be very cautios about when teaching the dog something. Negative reinforcement trusts in the dog. It is based solemnly in the process of trial and error, learning what is wrong, but it does not TEACH. Learning can happen without teaching, but you can't teach the dog by punishing it from something it does. In order to teach you must use positive reinforcement. Teaching is taking the pupil towards the target by giving it cues and tips and praising it from it's efforts. Teaching is telling ”now you are doing right. Do it again”.  

tools to avoid

When trying to raise a dog to behave like a modern dog citizen should, one often stumbless across different training tools. Some of these tools, however, have nothing to do with actual training. They are tools that are supposed to punish the dog from doing something, and they trust in the dog understanding to avoid certain habits it gets punished from.

E-collar is a tool that gives the dog an electric shock when it does something not desired. It may be used to shock the dog when it leaves the area or it may be used when the dog barks. The collar will first make a beeping sound and then shock if the dog continues doing undesired things. This does in some cases cause results, but those results are not based on training the dog. They are based on letting the dog get hurt by the collar until it either learns what to avoid or will learn to stay completely still and silent because it is afraid of another shock. E-collars cause pain, they can cause fear and anxiety and their use is forbidden in many countries by the law. Dogs that have been wearing E-collars also suffer from apathy more than often. Apathy is a state where the dog does nothing, because doing nothing for certainty doesn't hurt it. After all, dogs usually don't connect the pain to for example a bark. They may connect the pain to entering a certain room, or moving, or panting. Whatever the dog sees, smells or hears during the shock may be connecter to the shock rather than the actual reason, for example leaving the yard.

Spray collars are much like E-collars, but they stray scent or air when the dog performs unwanted tasks. No matter they don't hurt the dog, softer dogs can become skittish because of them. There is also a risk for the dog connecting the spray to something completely different than it was meant to. If it happens to bark to the neighbor and gets sprayed, it may as well connect the neighbor to the spray and start to dislike the sight of the neighbor. Spray collars are sometimes used as last resorts to dogs that keep barking indoors, but the results they provide wary from success to an even worse problem.

Prong collar is a collar of metal, usually, that has blunt edge spokes in it. Whenever the dog oulls, the spikes press against it's skin, causing discomfort and it some cases where the dog launches in the leash for one reason or another, even serious injuries. Just like E-collars and spray collars, prong collars do not teach the dog to walk nicely. They teach the dog pulling hurts. That may give results, but one must think how the results were obtained. Dogs also tend to connect hurting with the collar and once the collar is removed, the dog walking nicely beside the owner may be all over the place all of a sudden. It was taught nothing. It still doesn't know how to walk properly in the leash. It just knows not to pull when the prong collar is on. Just like shock collars, prong collars are also forbidden in many countries.

borderline tools

Many anti-pulling harnesses or muzzle collars make the pulling uncomfortable for the dog. They don't hurt, but they feel odd and the dog finds it easier to move, and more pleasant to move, when it doesnät pull. These tools used alone without any kind of training often produce the same result as the prong collar – the dog keeps pulling as soon as the harness is gone.

To avoid this, tools like this require the dog also being praised from good behavior. This way it does not only learn not to pull when the harness is on but that it is expected to walk nicely with a loose leash.

Tools like these are tools that are supposed to help with controlling the dog while teaching it to behave properly. If the dog is large and it may cause problems with pulling during the training, it is better to use good anti-pull harnesses than risk the owner getting seriously injured when his 78kg mastiff decided it wants to go full speed over the street to greet a yorkie.  
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good tools

Treats and toys.

Seriously. Find what motivated your dog, or any animal for that matter, and use that in teaching. Praise good behavior and coach the dog towards something you want it to do. Praise it when it does right. Treat it with food or a moment of play. Positive reinforcement in the fastes and also most long lasting of teaching methods. Dogs are selfish things that do whatever benefits them and causes them pleasure. It is faster and more effocoent to praise good behavior than just plain punishing from wrong.

A properly timed punishment or command is also a good tool. One must of course remember the dog should never be hurt, but in most cases things don't go as they go in books. You can turn your back to a bouncing chihuahua, but I don't recommend it with a pyrenean. You must make the dog stop it's harmful behavior and if it doesn't respond to a high sound, for example, and you can't leave it on it's own, you must gain control. In many cases this means physically touching the dog, holding it in place, preventing it from acting idiotic and scolding it.

Dogs do need discipline. There are dogs you don't ever need to punish or scold, and dogs that need it all the time specially when they are young. See what your dog can handle and never cross the line. Discipline should not hurt. Pain or fear caused by the owner results in losing trust. With dominant, hard dogs it can also be potentially dangerous as they may answer to pain with force and what started as a play will turn into a fight. Never fight with your dog. You are a human being, and the dog knows it. We do not need our teeth to gain authority. You can't win a dane in fight if the dane decides to fight you. So don't make it. Control it, be an authority, but don't become an enemy. Pain creates an enemy.  
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Those who leave omelas

Dogs are in many ways like us people when it comes to learning. They do things that benefit them and avoid things that don't or that cause them harm. They are usually curious and they may do things that are perfectly normal to a dog yet highly disliked by us people. In moments like that teaching the dog a new way to behave requires knowing the dog you work with, knowing what motivates it and knowing why it does what it does. Dogging a hole in the garden is fun for the dog, it gets rewarded by it's own mind when it digs a hole. To make it stop one must not only make digging the hole more unpleasant than pleasant (scolding) but also offer something else to do. That way it doesn't only get told digging a hole is wrong but that doing something else is actually more beneficial.

In the end there are many tools in the dog world that work, but one must ask oneself with what cost do they work and if they actually teach the dog anything. There is no fastlane to a perfectly trained dog, unfortunately. It may feel tempting to use some tool that promises fast results, but ask yourself at what cost does it provide those results and if there is a possibility it actually makes the problem worse or even creates a new problem.

We expect pretty much from our dogs. Just remember, when you were 12 months old, you could hardly form words and communicate with your parents and you still pooped your pants. No matter the dog develops faster, there is only so much you can learn in a short period of time.

Give time. Give opportunities. Raise your dog so it wants to try new things and please you rather than lay down afraid of another shock of pain.   
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