An Ignorant Retort

For the sake of a few less than capable readers, allow me to reiterate that the "shelter" would not allow me to keep this pup, insisted that I was required to leave her, and that it seemed, by that she was in good health, well behaved, etc., that she would have people looking for her. That is the reason why she was left there initially.

Some angry, cowardly anonymous poster wrote:
"Please get over yourself. You have no idea what goes on there, nor do any of your 'associates'."

RESPONSE: We DO know what went on there. The pup is quite dead, and didn't need to be killed. Nothing about myself to "get over," and being catty isn't even remotely becoming, nor does it address the issue.

"If you are going to encourage people to simply let the dogs or cats they don't want out the front door to fend for themselves,"


RESPONSE: No such encouragement was made. I encourage people to be responsible , to place those pets with no-kill shelters if they can't wait for good homes. This pup wasn't "simply let out the front door," it apparently got out against the owner's will. Do try to follow along , won't you?

"I suggest you get your veterinary license and take care of those animals when they are hit by cars, set on fire by ignorant children or adults, used as bait dogs for fighting, actually used for fighting, tortured, overbred, starved, had their ears cut off with rusty scissors or shot. These are all instances that I have witnessed at the shelter I work at."

RESPONSE: I suggest you pay closer attention Such things happen to dogs that are NOT running stray... and are still by far the rarity and have NOTHING To do with the argument being made here, no matter how melodramatically you portray it. Moreover, I already DO make animals' well being my life's work. Meanwhile, it seems you make their deaths your life's work. Oddly enough, it was supposedly a member of Veterinary staff who apparently decided this pup shouldn't be allowed the chance to live - acting on some ignorant presumption that every dog with a broad backskull is a "pit bull X" when it was, in fact, an Australian Cattle Dog cross - which is one of the MANY other breeds with such a skull having no relationship whatsoever to a "pit bull."

The world is not binary. There ARE better solutions. We simply have to start seeing those lives as valuable, rather than something which is disposable when inconvenient.

"You could have kept that dog. It was your decision to make and apparently the guilt you have is killing you."

RESPONSE: As stated earlier, you apparently don't read well. I was told I was not allowed to keep her. Moreover, it was not RIGHT to just keep her, as a family somewhere is missing a well cared for, well-mannered puppy. Trying to push the responsibility for that lethal needle on me, rather than to recognize that the "shelter" CLAIMED they'd take all sorts of steps to place the dog even if the owner was not found, (and then put her to death the very moment that they were at liberty to do so) is cheap and deceptive. The FACT is that the "shelter" is lying about what they do. Why are they not allowing cameras? Afraid they'll be caught? Why are you defending them? Afraid YOU'LL get caught?

"I would rather see any animal humanely euthanized than have it running the streets just waiting for some ignorant gangbanger to give it a long and painful death."

RESPONSE: I suppose I might too, if that dim view were the reality, or even the likelihood. But it isn't. That's the BS scenario you paint to ease YOUR guilty conscience, for that you have put so many animals to death needlessly. How far up the river of Denial do you need to be that you'll paint such unlikely ugly pictures to justify your actions, rather that admit that this "shelter" is lying, killing healthy, sane animals needlessly?

There's an old expression that says "Follow the money." I'm starting to wonder just how much the "shelter" gets from the dog food companies for each killed dog's corpse.

To reiterate, there was no need to kill this pup, as I had already made clear to them that I would take her if her owner wasn't found.

There is such a thing as Quality of Life, but that argument does not come into play here at all. I'm sure the Katrina victim sharing my home now is glad that you weren't the one to decide that she was better off dead. She had some hard times, as we all do, but seems to be quite pleased to still be alive and able to experience love and the world.

AN ALTERNATIVE POSSIBLITY:

In Africa, dogs run the streets (as they do in other countries and continents as well.) They are generally respectful of people; Having been kicked out of the way, they give a wide berth to aggressive behavior in their direction, but eventually will trust kind humans. They are not the nuisance that "humane society" supporters like to claim they would become. Rather, they live out their lives. Yes, they get fleas and ticks, and I'm sure some of them die of disease and hunger - no different than any other creature, from men and prey to wolves, throughout the world.
At least one such free-rambling creature befriended me. When I was in Senegal, walking on the shoreline, troubled at a decision I had to make, a dog came up and INSISTED that I play with her. She flat out wouldn't take No for an answer! Soon she had charmed me into playing and romping, running on the beach and in the water... The time with her ended up being a highlight of the time spent in Senegal. I'm reasonably sure she has brought joy to many other people as well. I'm quite pleased that someone didn't "save" her by killing her.

BEWARE! City of Chicago's Puppy Kill Mill!

Shortly after writing the last post, entitled Illness, I looked out my window to see an adult dog and (presumably) her 4 month old pup running loose, and crossing the street, etc. I went out and called them to me. The pup came immediately, but the mother remained warry and I wasn't able to get her to come to me. In hindsight, I'm very grateful for that, or I'd have her blood on my hands as well.

What followed is the most vulgar, distressing, incredible and intolerable set of lies I've heard told by a government agency. I'll send you to the full and ongoing account to read it .

Suffice it to say that I am disgusted beyond words that I have ever lived in a city which would tolerate such deceptions and so blatant a disregard for both the feelings of others and for life itself. I am moving at the end of the month, and will never again live in Chicago, the city of my birth.

I hope none of you ever has to know the feelings I'm living with now, never unwittingly betrays a trust given you in such a fashion. Suffice it to say that I cannot endorse associating with, or acquiring a dog from, such an organization. I'd strongly encourage you to do anything, including simply letting the dog run loose (if you are unable to take it into your home,) rather than taking it to such a place to be killed with no good reason whatsoever. Moreover, I ask you to pass the article along, by sharing the link. Let people know what they've done, and let the City and Mayor know that you do not find it acceptable, and will actively campaign against anyone who allows or endorses such killings.

The cavalier indifference encountered from everyone from the Animal "Care" & Control on through to Alderman Troutman's office and even the Mayor's office itself, these only serve to cement the statements of the previous article. We live in an ill society, a morbid, sick, bunch, when life can be so easily and unnecessarily extinguished, stolen from loving hearts and hands.

Illness

I think you know that I do not agree at all with Kill "shelters." I've posted on the Internet that "shelters" do not exist for the sake of the animals. They're there as a convenience to society. The dog that runs stray might get into the trash, or take a dump on the yard. It MIGHT be mean or bite someone, so it should be rounded up, and then if nobody wants it (or it happens to be a breed that the shelter doesn't like,) they'll "Euthanize" it.

C'mon, people. Just say it. You'll KILL that dog, because it dared to be wandering around and MIGHT have caused such problems.

There are some good reasons to pick up strays. They could be hit by cars, injured or killed. They may not have vaccinations and that could be a public health hazard. On the other hand, picking them up and then killing them is more than a little overboard. In other countries, a dog running loose doesn't cause such a reaction. There is little spay or neuter going on, and yet the dogs do not outnumber the people and threaten to take over, and the world doesn't end. One such "stray" decided to be my friend while I was in West Africa. She insisted upon playing, and wouldn't take No for an answer. The few hours spent in that "stray' dog's company remain amongst the highlights of 2 month spent in West Africa - both for the good time I had with her, and for the lesson it taught me. Stray dogs aren't inherently dangerous or aggressive. They don't form wild dog packs and steal children from their cribs, either. Shown a little attention and appreciation, they are a pleasant species living alongside us, making our lives better.

But we don't see them that way here. Here in the States, they're seen as Out Of Order, and we just can't abide anything not being rank and file, a place for everything and everything in its place. If it doesn't fit in, then it is inconvenient, and must be disposed of. THAT is what needs to change.

Our society is sick, mentally and spiritually ill, for that it holds us in such high regard and all other life in so low regard that it is okay to end others' lives when they become inconvenient to us. The whole "That dog was getting into my trash, so I shot it" mentality - that's what we have to fight. The binary mentality which does not allow for building a trash box to resolve the problem, for example.

If we can persuade them to come to their senses and see killing another creature as an unacceptable solution, then perhaps we can guide them towards solutions which allow allow all creatures to live in tolerance, recognizing that even if they don't care to have a dog in their life or home, the entire world would be lesser without them.

Peace and Creation,

JT

About Clicker Training (Part 1 of 2, continued in Gem of a Pet)

A brief comment on Clicker Training: I don't fault this TOOL, but have issue with those who claim that it is a METHOD, or that it's a quick-fix formula to replace real, qualified, competent training. Training happens in your head and between you and the dog, not in a party favor.

How it works: The dog is given praise and/or treats while the Clicker is sounded. This creates a Pavlovian association between the sound of the Clicker and the good feelings, equating the sound with the reward. In order to continue that association (and keep the human end of the bargain,) once it is learned that the sound means Reward, the actual reward is postponed until the dog (or other animal) comes to accept that the reward WILL be coming... eventually. In effect, the click gives them the same warm-fuzzy feeling, then, that the praise or food did, and so the clicer's sound becomes the reward. The animal has then been programmed to be pleased to hear the sound. This is why I say it's still Pavlov's dog. (Pavlov, a behavioral scientist, noted that if you ring a bell when you feed a dog meat, in short order the dog will salivate when it hears the sound of the bell even if there is no meat present.)

To use the TOOL, then, one first programs the dog to think of the sound as a reward (or a promise of a reward soon to come,) and then makes the Clicker sound at the moment that the dog is performing a desired behavior.

What the Clicker compensates for is that many trainers, especially novices, are simply moving too slow, taking too long to realize that their pet has done the right behavior. By the time they realize, for example, that their dog has indeed put its butt to the ground and they pet or give food, the dog has since risen its butt from the ground and is now leaping up and off. The problem, of course, is that you've now just rewarded the dog for leaping up and running off, rather than for sitting; if you're too slow, you end up rewarding bad behaviors. The clicker solves this problem.

The Clicker is also good for reinforcing behaviors at a distance. One may not be able to pet the dog while the dog is running an agility course, for example. By using the Clicker, one can encourage the correct/desired behaviors, and it seems to be less distracting than heaping praise on the dog by telling it how good it is (which can result in the dog leaving off the exercise to go over to you to get praised.)

It's true that this can make teaching a behavior faster and easier... but we're still talking only about TEACHING it. That isn't all that training is about - not hardly. I can TEACH a behavior in very short time... but proofing that behavior, making it a Given that the dog will do as it has been taught, is another matter entirely. Rewarding for that behavior is only part of the story and process.

There MUST be a consequence for disobedience. We don't want to focus upon that. As my clients have heard several times, the idea is to avoid having bad behaviors in the first place, so they don't get to become bad habits... and nothing breeds success like success. That said, if the dog knows what Come means and I issue the command only to have the dog hike its nose in the air and trot off with total disregard for me and the command, standing there holding that Clicker isn't going to do much to solve the problem.... and therein lies the first limitation of so-called Clicker "Training" and those who claim to use all-positive methods.

The vast majority of my training and most all of my teaching techniques are positive. To claim that they are ALL positive, that no compulsion is necessary or acceptable, only proves to me that the person is either lying or living in a fairy tale. Dogs obey us because we are Alpha. They KNOW that beneath the good, healthy, loving relationship there IS an "or else".

Remove the Or Else and you'll find that the dog, like any other reasonably intelligent creature on the planet, will soon come to see commands as suggestions or requests. If the boss says he'd LIKE you to be in at 9 am, but you learn it's not required, that you won't be fired over it, you'll soon come to consider anything before 9:20 or so to be "on time". Why would you think the dog would be any less capable of figuring that out?

Continued in "Gem of a Pet " (his is a treatise in two parts)

Gem of a Pet (Part 2 of 2, continued from Clicker Training)

Your being Alpha is a facet of a well trained dog.

Establishing a pattern/habit of commands and obedience is another facet. This is part of why taking a step back to ground that you and the dog are both doing well with is often a better idea than continuing to bash your collective heads against a brick wall. You return to the Win-Win situation of Command and Obey. (You get obedience, the dog gets reward/approval, etc.) THEN you return to the steps, (piece at a time if it's complex behavior,) leading to the next behavior. You've removed the adversarial positioning that way, given the dog the opportunity to do good and be rewarded, brought him back into seeking your pleasure and further rewards, and encouraged him. (Sometimes the dog gets nervous, feels insecure and frustrated and pressured. By stepping back, we eliminate those barriers against progress.)

Accurately defining what we expect/require of the pet is an important aspect as well (see the article on Consistency.)

The third piece of the well-trained pet is proofing - practicing the command successfully with a variety of distraction, changes in environment, etc., so that the pattern/habit of obedience becomes rock-solid, dependable. While we always strive to be positive, this is where compulsion MUST be practiced. The pattern of obedience must be honed at this point, polished to perfection. What am I referring to? Let's talk about heel, walking alongside off the leash. We can (and should) teach that behavior initiall with the leash. It isn't just because the dog might run into traffic. It is also because if there is no leash, the dog can just run off and ignore you. Regardless of what some may claim, treats and Clicker sounds aren't the solution to everything. The leash, then, is how we define what Hell is NOT. It's not 3 or more feet away from your knee. It's not 2 feet ahead or behind you. It IS (Good dog! when the dog's shoulder is right there alongside your knee. So we reward the desired behavior, while Correcting the inaccurate perception that Heel can be practiced properly two or more feet away from you left knee. (This is all teaching the meaning of heel, in a sense, but in reality, TEACHING is happening when we're able to give the rewards, while a Correction is adjusting the miscomprehension the creature has of what ELSE Heel may mean. )

Now we jump ahead to that the dog knows and understands exactly what Heel means. The leash is now more than the laxed it has been. It's on the ground entirely. Or maybe we have a long light "check-cord" on in lieu of the leash. This keeps us from losing control entirely in case the dog decides the command is a request. It protects the dog from the dangers of running into the street, etc., and gives us a way of enforcing the command, should the dog elect not to comply. (Hopefully, you will not give a command you cannot enforce until the dog is well proofed.) Along comes that squirrel or rabbit. Is the dog still walking right alongside you, his shoulder at your knee? Lucky you! What about when the cat runs across the street, or the kids start chasing each other aorund, or... Until you are dead-to-rights CERTAIN that your dog isn't going to run off after the cat, squirrel, child, or startle, bolt and run off at the sound of a backfiring car, you're not done Proofing yet.

One lady wrote me bragging of that she'd put a CD on a dog (while insisting that her Positive-Only methods worked, proven by that CD.) I've got a $20 bill that says I could set up circumstances to make that dog break Heel so badly that you'd need telemetry or a psychic to find the dog again. The CD is trialed in a secure, controlled environment. That's not a real title, in my book. It's cute, kinda like merit badges in Boy Scouts, but it's hardly proof of the dog's abilities in the real world.

In the real world, trucks backfire, guns are fired, cats, kids, bigger (or smaller) dogs confront, food is found on the ground, female dogs in heat are nearby or passed recently. In the real world, that dog will not obey you when such circumstances arise without the Proofing aspects of both habit and compulsion.

There's little quite as pleasant as a well-trained dog accompanying you. You're able to relax and enjoy the animal's companionship. The dog is able to relax and enjoy the time spent out and about and with you, clear and secure in the rules and his ability to please you, to behave without fear of earning your wrath or frustration. People compliment you on how well behaved your dog is. The dog may even be welcome where other dogs are not allowed, because the proprietor has come to learn that your companion is not going to pose a problem.

Seeing Eye dogs which deserve their certification are such creatures. Police dogs which deserve their certification are likewise good, reliable citizens. Having a job to do only makes the animal go through its day that much happier.

Having the clearly defined structures in place (and your consistent adherence to those rules) makes for a happy, rewarding relationship on both sides. If you fail to provide that to your pet, that's YOUR failing, but both of you will suffer the consequences. There is nothing keeping you from having that level of obedience from your dog, except taking the time and effort to provide that structure and polish up the gem you share your home and heart with. The rewards are more than worth the effort, and last a lifetime.

Boot Camp, Compulsion and Correction

I just saw someone anonymously attempt to appear knowledgeable over in the Pets AD section of the Chicago Craigslist. The post was titled Boot Camp warning or somesuch. The poster started off seeming to have a clue, but quickly went on to fault anyone who " 'pops' a correction on the neck". This person tried to use the methods used with dolphins to prove his/her point that ONLY positive reinforcement should be used.

While I do not condone abusive training methods, allow me to refute:

1) Dolphins aren't canines or felines or goldfish. They're an incredibly intelligent creatures (by most accounts perhaps smarter than humans) which outweigh and outswim us. (Though I don't agree with it, I can also tell you that the US Navy has used compulsion with dolphins in attempts to train them to knowingly kill human beings. Those attempts were unsuccessful, even when the compulsion caused the death of the dolphin.) Even dull-witted military-minded humans will eventually learn that something doesn't work.

2) A "pop" on the neck needs to be much better defined. What sort of collar is being used? What behavior is being demonstrated by the dog? How hard is that "pop"? I don't use choker collars. I do use prong collars. Though they LOOK medieval, they actually work psychologically, by simulating a mother's teeth, lifting the scruff of the neck - akin to your mother calling you by your middle name. Want proof? Put one on your arm or neck and pull or pop a correction. No harm, no foul, not even dents, let alone punctures - and dogs have much tougher skin than we do. Moreover, that brief "pop" is far more humane than the near-constant pulling the dog around by the neck with a choker collar. Think of it this way: Would you rather have an occasional brief reprimand that's over in an instant, or have the same boss nagging at you constantly? Which is worse? As usual, one is best served by knowing what they're talking about and WHY they do what they do.

3) Anyone who thinks they can train reliable behavior without negative consequences is deluded. I TEACH behavior through neutral and positive methods, but there MUST be a consequence for not obeying to proof that training. This has two aspects to it:

a) If the dog is taught with no compulsion, when a squirrel or rabbit flushes, where is the reason for that dog to obey the Come, Stop, No, Here, or whatever else you're yelling out as it gets creamed by a truck?

b) The reason it's called a Correction is that you're correcting the dog's misconception of appropriate behavior. In teaching Heel, I will give the dog every reason in the world to be at my side... praise or treat in the beginning, to teach the notion, my hand down alongside the knee to make them WANT to come to the right position for the affection. I'll define the area which is properly Heel by issuing Correction when the dog goes outside of that area, til they comprehend that I mean "stay within a foot or so of my left knee." Without a correction, I could encourage the position, but couldn't define the extent of the range. This would leave the dog with the equivalent of Come as its understanding. There again, without a consequence for disobedience, the dog comes over to get petted, then does what it feels like otherwise.

The extent of the Correction depends entirely on the dog and its character, threshholds, etc. For a sensitive dog that's trying to please, often a simple sharp disapproving sound ("Aaaht!") is plenty. Anything more might be too much pressure. Some very sensitive dogs might even fold under physical compulsion. That would be counterproductive, and so I wouldn't dream of using it. Other dogs can be hit with a 2x4 and ignore you (not literally, of course.) I had a very tough Belgian Malinois who was pushed further into Drive by any correction. That dog was a challenge in many ways, but a combination of Consequence and Reward was what worked. The difference between a real trainer and someone parroting (a trainer's methods inappropriately) is found in his/her ability to determine which is appropriate and to be creative in combining them to get the desired behavior.

If there is no negative consequence to disobeying the command, it is no longer a command. It is a mere suggestion or request and the creature is welcome to ignore it if some other suggestion or desire seems more interesting at the time. These are dogs. Most don't comprehend the dangers of man's world, and their instincts won't suffice to protect them. That's where we come in. We're supposed to be smarter than the dog we're raising. Ignoring the difference is done at your heart's peril and the dog pays the consequence. I see ads every day from people who didn't bother to train the dog properly and now want to give away a 1.5 year old that's "mostly" housebroken. No crate, that would be a jail, don't you know? No leash training. Not even the basic obedience, and they can't figure out why the dog doesn't fit in well with their lifestyle.

In the wild, pack and herd animals have Alphas (leaders) and a pecking order beneath that lead position. The Alpha administers corrections, whether it's a canine or a horse. Why on earth would anyone think they can override such basic hardwired aspects? My guess is that they don't actually think. They certainly don't know. They just put stuff out there in pseudo-smart fashion.

Please, if you see someone hanging a dog off the end of a leash when the dog hasn't attacked them first with its teeth, feel free to intercede or report it to animal cruelty. But don't go running off at the mouth (or fingers) as though you understand training with such generalizations.

I offer a Boot Camp for the few people who truly too busy to train their dogs (after we have met and trained at least once together.). I do NOT spend 20 minutes a day for 2 weeks and use harsh methods to cram obedience down the dog's throat. That wouldn't work. The dog would fear me, and do whatever it wanted to do with its mommy & daddy. I've seen people who claim to be trainers doing that very thing. One mark is that the dog is nervous, fearful, and cowers at almost nothing. The dogs I train greet me warmly, happily, are glad to see me show up every week. Their owners see them working happily, even after a correction. Their tails are most often up, not hid between their hind legs. THOSE traits are far more telling than the mere presence of a Correction.

Consistency

I can't possibly say it often or loud enough: Consistency is the key to good results in animal training. As an animal training professional, not a day goes by that I don't see what happens when people ignore that rule. They end up with neurotic dogs, and can't understand why Poopsy doesn't read their minds and understand what they want. Nevermind that Mister Meyers doesn't have the same house rules and Mrs. Meyers. Nevermind that Mrs. Meyers says one thing but means another. "BAD dog, get down off of that couch this instant!" she screams at him, entirely forgetting that earlier that same afternoon when she was feeling a bit more benevolent and Poopsy looked "SO cute" she called Poopsy over to her and had her up in her lap - while she sat on the very same couch.

IF YOU DON'T WANT THE DOG TO GO ON THE COUCH, THEN IT CAN *NEVER* BE ACCEPTABLE TO DO SO!

If you're changing the rules all the time, what you're teaching the dog is that if they keep at it, eventually they'll get to do what they want.

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Think about the ways in which you give your canine companion mixed signals, the ways in which family members say something different than you do. Can they handle different rules with different people? Sure, they can, but why make things any more difficult than they need to be?

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When I'm training a dog, whether it's a family pet, a guard dog or a working police dog, I make a point of having every member of the family present if at all possible. If they can't all be there all the time, then at least the first training session must be a family event, so that EVERYONE knows how everyone else is doing things.

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Does this make sense to you? Makes sense to the dogs, too!

The Truth About Puppy Classes

Dogs can be trained at any age. In fact, you're training them (or they're training you,) whether you realize it or not, from the moment they lay eyes on you. Obviously, then, we have no problem with training very young pups with methods suitable to their age.

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Puppy Classes, on the other hand, are largely a waste of your time and money, and teach the pup exactly the wrong things. They benefit the school or trainer, in that they often get as much or more for a Puppy Class program as we charge for private lessons. But they don't do you or your dog much good. Think about it this way:

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Would you try to teach a child algebra in the playground? Of course not. And in most cases, since neither the client nor the pup knows what they're doing, what you end up with is the blind leading the blind.

Instead, we teach each behavior ourselves, then work with the client and pup to make sure that both of them get the lesson of the day. In most cases, five sessions are ample this way. You'll start seeing results during the very first moments of the very first session. By the end of 3 to 5 sessions, your dog will sit, lay down, Stay, walk gently on the leash with you and walk at heel - on leash and off!

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What's more, you'll gain understanding of canine behavior. From day-one, we'll helpyou put an end to chewing and biting, jumping on you, stealing your clothes or making a mess in the house. You'll be well on your way to having a well-mannered pet anyone would be proud to call their own!

If Puppy Classes worked, we'd offer them. (I'd certainly rather collect that kind of money from 10 or more people at a time instead of one for the same amount of my time.) I know they don't work, and I won't try to deceive your or get you to part with your hard-earned money unjustly.

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What DOES work is our 5-lesson Basic Obedience Package, and with the Package Special price of $249.95 for five personal, private in-home lessons, there's just no way you'll be able to do better than that! But don't take my word for it. Have a look at the rest of the site, check out our referrals and testimonials. Feel free to email if you have any questions. The BEST testimony is still the difference you see in your dog from the start.

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It's our purpose and goal to see every pet and owner enjoying a happy, loving relationship.