Blog - AZ Dog Sports

It’s All About The Money!

It’s All About the Money!

Good motivation is the key to having a great time when training your dog. So how do you create good motivation? Reward! Reward! Reward!

Webster’s dictionary defines a reward as:

“: to give money or another kind of payment to (someone or something) for something good that has been done.???

Do you give your dog money? You might say no, but in truth we do “pay??? our dogs for their work so, yes in a way we do give them “money???. People can also use a check, a credit card, Pay Pal as well as good old fashioned cash. Your dogs’ “money??? can also come in lots of different forms. Anything your dog likes can be used as a reward. That can include, but is not limited to; food, toys, petting and praise. Food, such as treats, are the most commonly used reward, because dogs respond well to them. But, in some scientific studies human touch registered higher in the pleasure centers of a dog’s brain than anything else. Does your dog like to ride in the car? What about going for a walk? These are also pleasurable experiences all of which can be used as a reward. So basically, we have many ways to make our dogs happy we just have to find what the dog values at that moment.

The value of a reward can differ between dogs, but just like a report card you reward A+ behavior with the highest value reward. Varying the rewards so your dog never knows what’s coming can also increase motivation and focus. Think of it like this; you wake up one morning and find a $20 bill in your pocket. The next morning you find another $20 bill. The third morning you find one again. On the fourth morning you find a $5 bill. Not as exciting, but it’s still money, right? The next morning there’s $20 again, but on the following day you find a $100 bill! Now we’re talking! The next day $20, the day after that $5, then $20. There’s no set pattern, but pretty soon you’re jumping out of bed because you never know what you’ll find. Will today be the $100 bill? This is called a variable reward pattern and it is proven to motivate.

So what if your dog likes toys, but is kind of blasé about them during training? One technique is called conditioning a reward. Take a toy and present it to your dog. Praise and treat anytime your dog interacts with the toy. Pretty soon your dog will get excited when the toy appears. For some dogs this may start with simply sniffing the toy, then progress to “poking” it and then hopefully, mouthing or fetching it. The dog now sees the toy as valuable and you can start using as a reward.

So are you now wondering how I can use going in the car as a reward? Simple, as you approached the car ask your dog to sit or lie down and wait. Once they do then praise and open the car door. Voilà! Your dog is now learning that waiting gets rewarded.

Hopefully this given you a new approach to rewarding your dog. Now go check those pockets, maybe you’ll get the $100 today!

A Room With A View?

A Room with a View?

Have you ever walked by a house and watched the dog go ballistic at the window?

This most often happens when another dog goes by. Often though, depending on the dog, this situation can be created by a person going by as well. Sometimes it’s multiple dogs reacting and the whole window fills with barking excited faces. What is going through a dogs mind when this happens? “Stay away! This is my house!??? or “You’re lucky this window is here, buddy!??? Judging by the body language; these dogs are generally not excited and happy, but rather excited and anxious. There is also probably a level of frustration involved because the window blocks the dog’s ability to use its’ nose (its’ most powerful information gathering tool) to find out about this perceived threat. Even more startling are the dogs that get so tense and anxious they redirect that energy at the other dog in the home or even inanimate objects like the curtains or the wood around the windowsill. Most likely, those dogs have issues with other dogs while outside the home as well.

So, is allowing a dog an open window for a view setting your dog up for peaceful scenery watching or is it more like turning on the TV to an episode of Law & Order?

Dogs are territorial animals, they claim an area as their own and they will defend it. Wild dogs, such as wolves, will chase down and even kill other wolves found intruding on their territories. These areas are their sources of food, water and a place to safely raise their offspring, so they are definitely worth fighting for. (Interestingly, stray or feral dogs often have less defined territories because they scrounge for food and there is no regular source.) Research has also shown that wild dogs do a lot to avoid physical confrontations. In fact they would rather avoid seeing each other as this makes a threat more real. They mark boundary areas with their scent by use of urine and feces and they perform group vocalizations such as howling or barking to make their presence known. They would rather not fight as they risk injuring themselves in the process. So the goal is to keep things as peaceful as possible while still getting the message across of who lives where.

Let’s go back to that dog behind the window. How does he perceive that strange person or dog? He doesn’t get a warning via a scent that they are approaching, he may hear a bark, but more often it is the sound of jingling tags or footsteps that alert him. He rushes to the window and then the threat is right there, in sight and fairly close by. “Danger! Danger! Everyone on full alert!??? He barks and barks until the threat leaves his sight, but then is left worrying about where the intruder has gone. He can’t use his sense of smell so he has limited information with which to discern the situation. What does remain is a residual state of restlessness that continues for a while, or maybe even all day if the traffic is heavy. He has no point at which he can fully relax.

This whole scenario can’t be enjoyable for a dog, especially if the dog is insecure to begin with. Since the dog is home alone, her social group (which is her source of confidence) isn’t there to back her up. So what’s the answer? Simple … next time you leave the house, draw the blinds. Or if you want them to have a window make sure it faces the back yard and not an area where lots of other people and dogs walk by. The removal of the visual stimuli will greatly reduce your dogs’ reaction to perceived threats and allow them to calm down much faster. They may still react to the sound, but they will calm down in a shorter amount of time.

-Will Bruner, Animal Behavior Specialist

Summer 2015 Newsletter

Treibball at AZ Dog Sports!

What exactly is Treibball? (excerpt taken from www.americantreibballassociation.org)

Treibball is a new way to play with your dog! It’s a competitive sport for dogs of all ages and sizes–it promotes better teamwork and communication between a dog and his handler. It’s great fun for any energetic dog who works well off-leash and needs a job. Playing the game uses a combination of classic obedience and herding cues.

Treibball began in Germany to give their energetic dogs some much needed mental and physical stimulation.

It’s a great game–perfect for American dogs and their owners, too! It’s fun for any dog that loves to play chase games, to herd, or just use their amazing, problem-solving ability. Competing in Agility takes special equipment, the ability to run with your dog and direct him through each obstacle. Treibball promotes the same kind of teamwork and communication, but does not put any physical stress on the handler. It also builds confidence for the shy dog, and helps reactive dogs with impulse control.

Who can participate in Treibball?

Dog must have basic obedience skills. Dog must be physically able to participate in minimal agility exercises.