One summer day in 1990 I screwed up my courage and called the English Department at Yale University. I was looking for Vicki Hearne, author of Adam’s Task: Calling Animals by Name. That book was the most remarkable thing I had ever read about our relationships with animals, and I wanted to know more. The woman from Yale told me that Vicki was no longer there and then, to my amazement, asked if I’d like her home number. So I breathed deeply and dialed again. After introducing myself as a fan of her book and Airedales (her favorite dog breed) I haltingly asked if it might be possible for us to meet so that I could watch her work with a dog or horse and learn some more. One August day soon afterward I drove to Westbrook, Connecticut to meet her. At the end of the afternoon she asked me if I would like to train a couple of dogs under her tutelage. Wow! I took a job at the kennel where she trained and spent the next nine months soaking up everything I could about dog and horse training and even learned a little about writing poetry along the way. (Vicki was a natural teacher and couldn’t help herself when she found out I liked poetry.)
1991
My wife Linda and I started Teacher’s Pet in the summer of 1991 and soon rented a space in Newington, CT. Dog training was harder than I thought. Although I had a gift for it, I soon realized that teaching it to others was far more challenging than just doing it myself. But I enjoyed it so much that it didn’t seem like work at all. In fact for a while I had a recurring dream that I hadn’t gone to work at my old job for months and wondered nervously what would be my boss’s reaction when I walked in the door after so much time away.
In twenty years I have met many wonderful, interesting people and their dogs. I’ve learned a lot from them and made lasting friendships too. Once I struck out on my own, my formal learning was over and the rest I mostly had to figure out on the job. But no two dogs (or people) are alike, so it never gets boring and there is always something more to learn. Every so often for no reason at all, a client from years ago will come to mind, and I’ll wonder how they’re doing. With a few clients, I’ve had the privilege of training a succession of dogs over the years and have watched their kids grow up. One friend/client commented the other day that we were going to grow old together. That’s a good thing. It is truly a blessing from Almighty God to be able to make a living doing what you love. I’m looking forward to the next twenty years and hope to have the privilege of meeting you and your dog too.
As a dog trainer, I enjoy leading someone through the training process so that they can better enjoy their dog or evaluating a specific situation in order to solve a problem. Young puppies (eight to twenty weeks old) present slightly different challenges. Because they develop so rapidly (and are emotionally immature), our goals are shorter range and simpler than for the adolescent or adult dog. The first priority is housebreaking, and the second is surviving a very oral stage of their development with most of your stuff intact. Third in importance would be to begin to establish some basic manners.
People sometimes ask me what they need to acquire to be prepared for the arrival of their new pup. The list is short and simple:
1). A crate small enough (or one that can be partitioned) so that the pup can’t use one end for a bathroom and use the other end for a bedroom. In general, dogs do not like to pee and poop where they are confined, so this is just a way of using their natural instinct for cleanliness to begin to teach them to relieve themselves in the appropriate place—usually outdoors.
2). A flat collar and a lightweight leash to facilitate taking them in and out. Leashes are our primary training tool later on, so it’s good to get them accustomed to one sooner rather than later.
3). Three toys. Puppies, like babies, tend to be quite oral and like to have something to put in their mouth. I recommend three toys because it allows for some variety, without being so many that the dog is encouraged to think he can put everything in his mouth.
4). Separate bowls for water and food.
5). Hydrogen peroxide or Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting if your puppy eats something toxic.
6). Time: Puppies need to go out often and should not be expected to last an eight-hour workday in a crate. If a family member can’t be home with the dog a good deal of the day, hire a dog walker to come in mid day to play with the dog and give him a chance to relieve himself.
Also puppies are fun. You need some time to just enjoy watching them discover the world and grow up. Puppyhood doesn’t last long, so you don’t want to miss out.
Recently there was a cartoon on the cover of The New Yorker magazine that made me smile. It was a drawing of a man in a bathing suit sitting in his beach chair a few feet from the water’s edge pointing his remote control at the sun. Similarly the movie “Click” depicts a man who can control the people around him with his hand held remote. At one point when his dog is barking he simply turns down the volume to a less obtrusive level. There’s no question that on some level the idea of easily controlling all aspects of our lives electronically is appealing. In reality, things aren’t so simple.
E-collars for dog training are widely available these days, and people sometimes think that they can avoid the time and expense of training a dog by purchasing one. Not so fast. Unless you know exactly what you are doing with a remote collar, you can make a dog confused, anxious, and mistrustful.
Not long ago, I started working with a client who has a young, exuberant, and somewhat opportunistic German Shepherd. Jumping and mouthing were two of their problems, so they borrowed a remote collar from a friend. At our first meeting the woman remorsefully confessed that they quickly realized that the dog had no clue what he was being zapped for, so they stopped using it. Good for them!
A friend of mine who owns a grooming salon told me of a situation with one of her clients that didn’t turn out as well. For some time she had been advising this client to get some training for their out of control Golden Retriever but to no avail. One day these folks showed up at the salon with an e-collar on the dog. My friend did notice a change in the dog’s behavior but not for the better. This dog, who in spite of his rowdiness, had always been amiable, started growling at her. Not good!
E-collars are not bad in and of themselves, but like any tool you need to know what you’re doing before using one. Dog training is about much more than control. It’s about building trust, responsibility, and a rewarding relationship.
In 2006 I had the privilege of participating in a mission trip to Uganda and Tanzania. You may be asking, “What on earth does this have to do with dog training?” Well, we were blessed with an experienced team leader named Jim who had a great sense of humor. One thing that amused Jim was watching newly minted missionaries trying to make themselves understood in English to somebody whose native tongue was Buganda or Swahili. As the level of frustration rose, invariable so did their voices, as if by talking louder they could make themselves easier to understand. This would go on until one of them would look over at the next table where Jim was laughing himself silly. At that point there was nothing left to do but laugh with him and try again in a more thoughtful and considerate way.
Dog training can be frustrating sometimes for similar reasons, and a common response is to yell louder. Since we are tying to communicate with an animal who’s native language isn’t spoken language at all and who’s hearing is 16 times as good as yours or mine, this is not likely to succeed. Many times when I ask my clients what they want to accomplish with the dog training, I get the reply, “I just want my dog to listen!” When I delve a little deeper, I often find out that they want their dog to listen when they tell him to stop doing something like jumping on the counter or chewing something he shouldn’t. At that point I ask, “Wouldn’t it be better to just teach him the rule and be done with it?” For some, this possibility is a revelation. You see, the dog doesn’t have a hearing problem; the dog has an understanding problem.*
The technique for teaching dogs simple rules like not chewing, mouthing, or jumping is simple and it’s usually the first order of business with a new client. Many are amazed at how much more they enjoy life with their dog when repeatedly yelling at him becomes unnecessary because they’ve learned a clear way of communicating called the “Out” Correction. And that was just their first session!
*(some Dalmatians excepted)
Lance is a very fearful dog and this fearfulness translated to aggression whenever he was confronted with a person or dog that made him feel threatened. When his owner started working with me he was on 40 mg. of Prozac a day. Fortunately, not too far into the training his owner left him for a few days with her close friend who is very knowledgeable about dogs. The friend took Lance off the Prozac, and it was beginning at that point that he really began to progress in his training.
The problem is that when a dog is on drugs, he just isn’t himself. I don’t know all the science behind it. Maybe his synapses aren’t firing correctly or something, but in any case, it can severely hinder the training process. In addition it’s difficult to tell whether the drugs or the training is causing the observed changes in behavior. Even those who advocate the use of such drugs will tell you that in order for there to be a lasting benefit, training or behavior modification needs to be part of the regimen.
I’m not willing to say that drugs should never be part of the solution to a behavior issue, but I do think that as a general rule, if you can skip the dope, you’re better off.
