Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Case Report - Pulling Moss From the Ficus Tree

Written by: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, President Pet Behavior Solutions


Dog: Sashi, 2-year-old spayed female Skye Terrier


Client: Tiffany


Client Complaint: Pulling moss from an artificial tree



When Tiffany was at work, Sashi would pull the moss out of the artificial Ficus tree and make a terrible mess in the living room. Sashi did not destroy anything else while Tiffany was at work and was otherwise well behaved when Tiffany was home. Tiffany told me that Sashi had played in the moss when she was first adopted a year ago, but after a few reprimands, she had stopped. After a few months, Sashi began occasionally playing with the moss, but only when Tiffany was not home. By the time Tiffany called me, the problem behavior had become much more frequent, and Tiffany was facing almost daily messes. When Tiffany found these messes after returning home from work, she would bring Sashi over to the tree and say, “No, Sashi, bad girl.” Sashi eventually avoided the tree completely when Tiffany was home, but continued to pull the moss out of the tree when Tiffany was at work.


Tiffany had unwittingly taught Sashi not to bother the tree as long as she was home. Sashi had learned that playing with the moss was no fun when Mom was around (because she got scolded) but that it was quite fun to do when Mom wasn’t around. This is what we call an “owner absent” problem — when a dog learns not to do something in front of the owner. In order to solve the problem, Sashi needed to learn that the tree itself didn’t want to have its moss removed! To help Sashi learn this lesson, we used a product called a Snappy TrainerTM. A Snappy Trainer™ is a mousetrap modified with a big red plastic paddle on it so the dog cannot get hurt when the product is set off. We placed the Snappy Trainer™ in the tree basket and carefully placed the moss on top of it. When Tiffany returned home from work, the Snappy Trainer™ had been set off and there was a minimal amount of moss on the floor. She continued to set the Snappy Trainer™ each day. When Tiffany returned home on the 3rd day, the she discovered that the moss had not been disturbed and Snappy Trainer™ was still as she had left it. Sashi had learned that scary things happen when she plays with the moss even if Mom wasn’t in the room! The tree itself delivered a message that it did not want to have the moss pulled from it. We often see owner-absent problems that arise because pets learn not to engage in certain behaviors in the presence of the owner. The most effective way to deal with such issues is to help the pet realize that the behavior itself doesn’t work, regardless of whether humans are around or not. Snappy Trainers™ are one method of teaching this lesson, and we would be happy to discuss other effective methods with you!


For more information on Snappy Trainers, please contact Pet Behavior Solutions http://www.petbehaviorsolutions.com/ or http://www.snappytrainer.com/


Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Private Obedience Training vs. Group Obedience Classes

Written by: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, President, Pet Behavior Solutions

http://www.petbehaviorsolutions.com/

Have you ever wondered which is better – private or group training? We receive many calls for obedience training for dogs. Some people specifically ask for either private lessons or group training but most have no idea how to choose which is better for their situation. Here is a list of pros and cons for each to help you to decide which is best for you and your pet!

Private training pros

· Tailored specifically for your training goals

· Scheduled at your convenience

· Lessons are held in your home

· Minimal distractions compared to group training

· Lessons are more practical (e.g., commands are taught and practiced for how you want to use them – stay when the front door is opened, not jumping on company, coming when called in your neighborhood, sitting and downing incorporated into your household routine)

· You get all the attention during the lesson

· Lessons can be scheduled in any environment that you want your dog to behave (e.g., parks, coffee shops, etc.)

Group training pros

· Other dogs provide distractions to practice the exercises

· Less expensive

· Having other students and dogs creates a little competition to work the exercises (No one wants to have the only dog who didn't practice the homework!)

Private training cons

· More expensive

· No peer camaraderie or competition to work the exercises

· No other dogs to provide a distraction to practice the lessons

Group training cons

· Instructor or trainer’s attention is divided by all the students in the class

· The group setting of a class is very distracting for the dogs which presents challenges when learning something new

· Can be difficult to apply the lessons outside of the classroom in the environment in which you need your dog to comply (e.g., the front door, out on the park, when company comes over, etc.)

Did you know that 96% of dogs surrendered to animal shelters have never had any formal training?Whether you choose group training or private lessons, training is extremely important! Dogs need to know basic commands in order to be well mannered. Basic commands can keep your dog safe as well. Come and stay are two very important safety commands because they control your dog's movement. Training can make you proud of your dog and gives you quality time together!