February 19, 2010 by lisa.

In humans, when frustration happens there are all sorts of physiological responses from the body.  The stress of not getting what you want at the moment you want makes a human: hold their breath, makes the heart to pump harder, the hypothalamus triggers the arenal cortex to make cortisol…then the liver makes more glucose to handle fight and flight responses…  Phew!  so much is happening.

This frustration can be triggered by rush hour traffic or  your dog not coming when called!  The problem with getting frustrated by the latter is that your dog reads these stress signals.  Guess what most dogs do when they read frustration in humans?  They avoid you!Dogs will actually reciprocate stress signals back, such as: ground sniffing, looking away, turning their back to you, scratching, licking their genitals, laying down, lifting their paw, lip licking, yawning, blinking, shaking their head or body… lots and lots of behaviors that look exactly like:  They are not listening.

 As a dog owner you have to be a behaviorist of your dog’s body language and stress signals.  This will give you a huge advantage in communicating and understanding your dog.  Not sure what your dog’s body language is?  Pick up this book: On Talking Terms with Dog by Turid Rugaas. Or even better the DVD as well.  www.turidrugaas.com for more information.  An easy to read book about how to observe your dog’s body language.Kiss Your CanineLisa

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August 21, 2009 by lisa.

“She’s getting better, don’t you think?”  was what my husband mentioned to me in reference to our 13lb terrier mix Betty.  She is the dog that reminds me what my clients go through.  Having a leash reactive dog wasn’t what I signed up for when I brought her home.  I wasn’t a trainer that said,” problem dog?  I’ll adopt her and fix her right up.”

She is an extremely sociable dog that has had several years of learning how to survive in this human world.  She’s an opportunist and she’s always looking out for #1, herself. 

For example, when we first brought her home I would fix my pony tail and with my arms above my head she flinched and dove under the bed.  I frozen in my ‘pony-tail-fixin’ posture wonderfing what the heck just happened. 

Now I have my guesses, but the truth is that I have to focus on her environment as it exists today and show her that its not all that bad.. she can even manipulate her world to give even better things. (touch my hand and get a cookie)

Having adopted her 8 months ago, I think she’s coming around.  We still have a ways to go in many situations, but now when I fix my pony tail she just looks up at me and goes about her day.

Kiss Your Canine

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July 11, 2009 by lisa.

My husband and I just saw the movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua last night.  We were looking for something light hearted and entertaining.  Well, I had no idea how good it would be.

 As much as I tried to not “analyze” the movie, I couldn’t help but observe all the dog’s body language and they ‘listened’ to the cues from trainers off-screen.  Cues like: down, settle, sit, touch, head turns, eye contact.. they were all in there! 

…and all these cues are worked on in our Levels program (group obedience classes.)  Not necessarily for purposes of canine acting, but for everyday communication with your pet.

Well done, Disney!

Kiss Your Canine

Lisa

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May 22, 2009 by lisa.

Wow, am I sneezy this year.  My allergies are worse than ever and so are Jack’s.

He’s licking the paws  and going at his ears more frequently.  He came to me with some allergies since his medical records showed that he was placed on low doses of steroids several times.

If you read enough online and talk to enough people, I would have Jack on steroids, eating home-made food and wearing booties.  Is that too much?  Meanwhile, I just took my allergy pill, sudafed, used a nettie pot on my sinuses and then misted them with a sinus steroid.  I still don’t feel that great. 

So I have concluded that it isn’t too much for me to make Jack as comfortable as possible in this awlful allergy season. 

Jack and I are ready for this to be over.

Kiss Your Canine

Lisa

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April 14, 2009 by lisa.

There is this bumper sticker that I often see that says, “Stop Bitching and start a revolution.”  Clever, catchy, empowering and straight to the point of, Do something about it.  I don’t see myself as a revolutionary in the sense of historical figures.  But I can look at my little world around me and see what I can do to improve it.

I am trying to run for the Board of Directors for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.  I am looking for nominations from fellow trainers that would support me in helping lead the organization over the next few years.  So what change do I want to effect?

Progress with the media movement.  Now we have trainers on TV, Info pages online and even online video networking allows for dog owners to see what is out there.  We need to keep up and support these new avenues of communicating efficient and humane methods of training.

Produce local resource groups to encourage Dog Talk!  Nothing better than sitting down with a trainer and talking shop.

Keep focus on the mission of the organization throughout all the growth that is coming up ahead.

Perhaps my bumber sticker would read what my yoga teacher says all the time, “If you can, you must.”

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March 4, 2009 by lisa.

There have, ironically, been some times in my life where I look back and think that my mother was TOTALLY right.  Sometimes its…”Lisa, I think its going to rain outside, bring a coat.”  I leave without the coat… and sure enough it rains.

This week the advice from my other was to go with my gut feelings on a situation.  That I was probably interpreting my situation accurately and in the end, wasn’t I looking out for the best interest of others?  The answer was “yes.”

The problem is that the life with dogs is very emotional.  It can be so overwhelming that the rational brain just shuts down and the sympathetic nervous system kick in!  Funny.. this is what I say about my reactive dogs.

I am grateful that I have wonderful students that give me the privilege of coming into their home and sometimes I am even humbled by it.  However I am in there, hired for my knowledge, techniques and opinion.  At the end of the day its my job to communicate that to them.   Which in some weird way sounds a little motherly.  After-all, isn’t it moms that have knowledge, techniques and opinions on how we are raised?

Today, go ahead and Kiss Your Mom.. and then your canine.

Lisa

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January 2, 2009 by lisa.

So its about time that I mention I adopted a new dog.  She came with the name Tequila.  However with a dog named Jack and a new dog named Tequila it started to sound more like a drink order than a family of dogs.  My husband and I thought long and hard for a new name.  In fact, this is only the second time I named a dog…  a name.. what name would it be? 

My new dog is only about 13 lbs and looks like an overgrown Chihuahua.  By now I’m convinced it would have been easier to get one of those brilliant type dogs that love to do anything your teach them…  I didn’t get one of those.  She has attitude, spunk and likes to bark her head off at other dogs… what to call her?!  Rona? Punky?  Lil Sh!t ? 

We thought about Wilma and how in the Flintstones her best friend was Betty.  That was it!  Tequila turned to Betty.

But what is really best about the name Betty you ask?  Well a good dog name for training purposes has roughly no more than two syllables and starts off with a punch.  Like the hard ‘B’ in Betty.

I have students with dog names that start off soft and end even softer. Selah is one that comes to mind.  And as much as I truly loved working with that dog, the name itself was very soft and isn’t nearly as “punchy” as a short name with hard consonants. Its just not as attention getting Bobo.  Bobo is really a great training name. (it also means stupid in Spanish…but that’s besides my point)

So Betty is with us and for my students who have the housetraining problems and the leash-aggressive dog.. my thoughts are with you as I too am going through my own behavior treatment program.  Happy New Year to me!

Kiss Your Canine

Lisa

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December 29, 2008 by lisa.

Often times I am called into someone’s home to ‘evaluate’ the dogs behavior and consult with the owners.  And at this point I feel like I have to draw on my inner lawyer.  I’m not a lawyer, never got the education of one, in fact I think I personally only know one.

But I have to give lots of perspectives and remain fairly neutral.  Ambiguity.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I feel like saying , “You shouldn’t own a dog!” or “Do us all a favor and give this thing up!”  Most of the time I have to get the caretakers and guardian of the dog to talk about how they realistically will change this dog. 

True behavior modification is not easy.  Its not short term and its not magical.  However its a very personal choice for a dog guardian to decide to invest the time and money changing a dog.  In fact the money part is the easiest!  The mental time and attention to working with you dog is not easy and it is foolish to think any trainer can guarantee it.

Re-homing a dog that does not fit your life is a real solution to look at.  Its not the first step.  But its a way to make you, your family and your canine pal to have a happier and safer life.  This doesn’t mean to put your problem dog onto someone else.  However if you can’t meet the needs of your dog, find someone who can!

Kiss Your Canine.

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October 20, 2008 by lisa.

I often get asked, “What’s the difference between private sessions and group classes?”  And of course, just like any good dog trainer usually says first, “it depends!”

It depends on what you are looking for.  Once a guardian can outline what the training goal is, then there is a better understanding if a personal or group class environment.  The obvious one is time spent on your dog.  A private session will give you the exclusive attention of the trainer.  Finer points of position, tone, eye contact, etc.. is all a focus.  The group class will give you a forum to hear some general feedback and socialize with other guardians working with their pups.

What group class is not, is to target specific and focus behavioral or training problems.  Don’t get me wrong, I try to aid my students where I can, but when the details come out that this behavior happens in a certain situation/environment, its best to have a private consultation.

Obedience in the living room or in the kitchen is great…but when the cues and communication breaks down outside the home, then its a reflection that the dog is still in the learning process and work outside the home is a must!

My best example is that Jack has a great ‘Play Dead’ at home… everywhere else… well.. he ‘dies’ very slowly or just a little bit.  So off we go to to practice somewhere else.

 Kiss Your Canine, Lisa

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October 15, 2008 by lisa.

Wow, what a weekend.  It just flew by.  Not that it was a blur.  I think I remember most of the weekend.  It was just a lot going on and I seemed to have my eye on the clock because there was always something to do.

Jack appeared to be just as exhausted.  His 12-17 hours of nap time a day turned to about 25 minutes.  And boy was it obvious!  I kept hearing comments like, “He sure is a calm dog.”  Which although is fairly true, it was primarily because his schedule was turned upside down.  He met about 20 new people and had zero nap/down time.  He was pooped out.

Because it was a new situation and I couldn’t be there, I was concerned that something would happen.  Not sure what, but anytime you place a dog in a new environment… there is always SOMETHING.  Even a social and calm dog like Jack can find himself tired, stressed out and looking to be left alone.  I heard of a few strange behaviors from Jack, but nothing that made me whisk him away to a boarding facility.

In new situations with your dog, don’t assume good behavior and be surprised when its bad.  Prepare our dog and make sure his needs are met.  Jack finally was able to sleep in on Monday… and boy did he.  He finally woke up at 10am.

Kiss Your Canine

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