A Simple Dog Adoption Question

As a positive reinforcement, reward-based certified professional Ventura dog trainer, I am always looking for a "Good Dog!" moment - not just for my own dog Poncho the dog, but for all dogs... It just pains me when I witness dog guardians looking at their dogs any other way. Maybe it's all in how you look at it. I'm not sure of the kind of relationship they have with their dog. 

Just twice this week it's happened again. First in my own neighborhood, I heard someone address their dog with "Hey you good for nothing dog." I say to myself "HUH?" Then I was just thankful the pooch didn't speak english. He just felt the scratch under his chin... 

The second incident was a woman and her dog at a very large and popular park where dogs are allowed off leash during certain hours. Well, it seems this woman was leaving the park...her dog was walking nicely with her. But then the pooch started to walk in a different direction. Not back to the area with the other dogs... just not with his (or her) guardian. 

The woman started berating this poor pooch over and over. Yelling at it to "Come here right now!" In a very deep threatening voice... Yikes! No wonder the dog wanted to go the other way! I would have high-tailed it out of there too! Geez - I wanted to go over my "recall rules" like I do in my dog training classes, but thought better of it - not the challenge I wanted. Plus, I was out for a run, and she hadn't hired me as a private dog trainer in Ventura. If she had, I would have given her the five rules:

1. Only call your dog for something pleasant, otherwise, just go get your dog. 
2. Use your happy voice and body language to get them to want to come running. 
3. Only call them when you know you're going to get them to come. Otherwise you're just wasting your breath, and probably getting more frustrated. 
4. If you thought you were going to "get it" and didn't. Go get your dog, take them to where you called them from, and reward them.
5. Throw a party - if you called them and they came running! 

So my BIG BOLD question, based upon the relationship you have with your dog is: 

If the situation were reversed, 

would your dog have adopted YOU? 

Isn't it time to look at how we "treat" our dogs?

Okay folks, heads up! This Ventura dog trainer says it's time we look at "treats" and rewarding our dogs in a new way. I've been doing this myself for quite awhile now, and I'd love for you to join me in this new way of thinking. 

I think we, as humans, are programmed to look at the word "treat" as that something extra we "earn" doing something that's considered "difficult" for us. Maybe something mentally challenging like studying for an exam, and passing with flying colors, "Hey I deserve a treat tonight." Or little Johnny getting an "A" so he gets a piece of cake. Maybe something physically challenging like training and competing in a triathlon...to celebrate, athletes will take themselves out for a nice meal...or ice-cream! Or parents will take their kids for pizza after a game. We earn it, we deserve it... If we don't do something extra special we don't get it... 

Okay, that's fine for ourselves, but what about our pet dogs? Most people end up giving their dogs their meals out of a bowl without asking them to do much of anything besides "sit" before it's placed on the floor... big deal. Then I get training calls about needing help with being quiet in the yard, jumping up to greet people, walking poorly on leash... Well geez, why not use your dogs meal and give them pieces of it whenever they're doing something you want? This way your dog is "earning" it, but you're training at the same time...getting more "bang for your bowl" so to speak. 

I've been taking Poncho out a lot, all over town, teaching him to run next to me while on leash. I seem to be the only one using "treats"... but what I'm actually using is his meal. Sure I'm using higher value stuff because I want the behavior badly, so I'm going to use something more motivating...at least for now. Once he "gets it" and is trained, I'll be able to use less and less... or something lower value. 

I'm not looking at it as "rewards", I'm looking at it as his meal, his daily sustenance, and when we're running I look at it as his personal "aid station". I mean come on! When I'm running a race there are aid stations every mile! Water, electrolyte drinks, oranges, energy gels, banana's, protein bars, and much more.... a lot of non-food items too - just to make everyone happy and as comfortable as they can be. So why can't I be Poncho's "aid station"? His kibble, turkey, and roast beef are equivalent to my energy gels and protein bars? 

So the next time you pack your own lunch, your own snack, your kids snacks, or pass through the burger drive-through or a Starbuck's, remember to pack snackies for your dog too... then use them to reward those behaviors you want! 

BTW, this ice-cream moment was because Poncho's dad happened to be eating an ice-cream and Poncho ignored the mail truck driving by...that's a huge "win" in my book! Bonus!