Sundog Pet Services

11/03/2022

💯💯

09/17/2022

We could not agree more with Academy grad Katherine Davidson of Dog Inspired: the sooner we teach puppies that the world is safe and that they can use their behavior to produce consequences that work for them (and us!), the better!

05/25/2022

I understand. You don’t want to use treats to train your dog because he should learn appropriate behavior without having to be bribed. If you reward him with treats, it degrades more important rewards such as your approval. He’ll never learn right and wrong. You want him to respect you. He’ll ...

08/11/2021

AVSAB has come out with yet even more current, up to date statements regarding training etc for animals based on research, not popular media. Be wary of what advice you see.

https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/?fbclid=IwAR34lQp1_POX9BWdpCJGnqCAv5CrYP8E64y2XtVuaVr1bNf98N8OfeXoYrc

These position statements were developed through the cooperation of the members of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and reflect the opinion of this association on a variety of topics related to the field of animal behavior. If you would like to order color copies, click on....

12/30/2020

Consequences are important!

Just a little reminder: Consequences drive behavior. How often would you bake if it no longer yielded cakes and cookies? Dog behavior works the same way: When we remove the motivating consequence, the behavior goes away too.

12/05/2020

12/05/2020

11/20/2020

𝗧 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿.

At The Academy, all training plans start with what the dog can do right now and end with the terminal behavior. This is usually decided during the initial consultation with the client, i.e. what do they want the dog to do at the conclusion of training?

The terminal should read like a clear and precise contract (e.g. when the client returns from the grocery with bags, the dog will go to mat on a verbal cue, lie down, and stay for 5 minutes while the client unpacks groceries) rather than an idea with fuzzy criteria (e.g. the dog won't jump when the client puts away groceries).

The clearer the trainer is on what exactly the dog will do at the end of the plan, the clearer it will be to the dog.

10/22/2020

Forcing your puppy into a situation that makes them nervous or scared isn’t going to let them “get over it”. It’s much to make them more nervous/scared.

𝗦 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

It's a dog trainer's nightmare. With more exposure to the problem stimulus, the dog isn't getting any better. In fact, he's getting worse. He's become more fearful, more aggressive.

This is the reason that Academy students are taught to manage the environment so that clients' dogs are only exposed to "a version of the problem that isn't a problem." This means that the intensity of the stimulus is presented at a level that elicits no fear at all.

As practitioners, we bear the responsibility of not making our clients' dogs worse.

10/15/2020

If your boss doesn’t pay you in a timely manner will you still want to work for them?

𝗥 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

When training, your rate is the number of times the dog is paid per unit of time. It is typically expressed per minute, so a rate of 12, for example, means 12 reinforcements per minute.

There is an inverse relationship between rate and criteria (what exactly the dog needs to do to get paid). The higher the level of difficulty in your criteria, the lower the rate. And vice versa. At The Academy, we set criteria according to what rate it is producing.

We aim for the "Goldilocks" zone—when criteria is not so difficult that our rate is too low to win over competing motivators, but also not so easy that we aren't progressing as quickly as we could be.

We recommend a rate of 10 for most beginner dogs as a starting point. From there, adjust based on the dog's keenness and level of experience.

09/18/2020

Fear serves a purpose. It’s hard to get rid of so we need to make sure we don’t use it on purpose.

Have you ever thought about how the evolution of default fear applies to our dogs?

Let’s look at an example. Animals without automatic fear of heights will blithely step off cliffs. So if you’re a sheep that happens to have a fear of heights – without having to experience the consequence of stepping off – you will outperform individuals without this fear. And some of your offspring will inherit this tendency to not step off cliffs. Over time, you can see how such a trait could get pretty standardized in a population.

In the wild, the cost of spooking at something that is actually safe is much less than the cost of trusting something that is actually dangerous. Assume it’s safe, and you might be removed from the gene pool. Assume it’s dangerous, and you avoid any potential threat. This drives the evolution of the tendency in animals to be fearful.

Let’s remember this the next time we’re frustrated that our dogs are spooked by a garbage truck, or a stranger approaching them, or having their nails trimmed. They’re not being dramatic; they’re doing what they’re wired to do.

08/27/2020

Excellent analogy!

08/27/2020

L is for 'lure.'

Lures are simply prompts that manufacture behavior before a cue is installed. They sometimes get a bad rap when trainers conflate the fading of the lure with the fading of reinforcement.

For example, if a trainer is transitioning a sit-for-a-lure to a sit-for-a-hand-signal, he would make the same motion as the lure, but with no food in the signal hand. It is CRITICAL that the trainer pays the dog with food when she sits. Otherwise, the dog will learn, "Oh! Only sit when I can see the lure first; got it!"

Trainers sometimes interpret this as a problem with lures, when it's really a problem with (lack of) reinforcement. At The Academy, students install basic behaviors with lures, and then fade them systematically.

08/16/2020

Lots of good tips!

Ten tips on modern dog training and how to care for your dog.

06/11/2020

Wait a couple seconds between the new and old signals!

J is for Jumping the Prompt

The relationship between cues and prompts is Pavlovian. In a beginner dog, where you've just introduced the verbal cue to your sequence, it looks like the top row. You give the cue, then give the hand-signal, he does it and you pay. You stick at this step until the dog starts cutting to the chase.

He doesn't wait for the hand-signal anymore because classical conditioning has done its work. You issue the cue and, lo and behold, he does the behavior before you can do the hand-signal. So you pay this.

You keep doing this until he's done a good four or five in a row. At this stage, you now require him to jump the prompt.

04/28/2020

If you went to work tomorrow and your boss told you that you'd no longer be collecting a paycheck, you'd stop going to work.

And that's not because you don't respect your boss. It's not because you don't like your job. It's because you have to make a living in this world, and so do dogs. They just have a different form of currency.

If you stop paying your dog to perform behaviors, those behaviors will happen less frequently. It's truly that simple.

01/29/2020

Did You Know?

01/26/2020

01/05/2020

A guest blog by LuLu the Alaskan Husky. You may read the following important list to your dog after you light a candle with a scent they prefer for pensive introspection. Good options include Fragrant Rot and Something Dropped On The Floor Here.  1. Dogs come and go. As you grow older,

12/05/2019

Punishing natural behaviour is not cool! Give them legitimate outlets to express their doggieness.

(3/8)
FACT:
Dogs dig for many reasons: it's a behavior that is part of their genetic make-up. They may dig to bury food or other items (this is called caching). They may dig to find bugs or critters. They may do it out of boredom. They may do it because it's simply an enjoyable way to expend energy. Some dig digging more than others. This can be due to breed or just preference.

PUNISHING THE BEHAVIOR IS CRUEL:
People have been advised to punish a dog for digging by filling a hole with water and push their head in while they are digging, and that by doing so, they will not dig in the future. Digging is a natural, normal behavior for dogs. Though the punishment may seem to work, dogs may continue to dig in places and at times they can't be seen and forbidding a dog from engaging in normal behaviors can be inhumane and cruel. Consider finding "legal" ways for your dog to be able to dig, such as digging pits.

Fact hidden in this untruth: You may also cause injury to your dog, as well as emotional trauma. Run from anyone who recommends this.

Read about how a little ingenuity and some elbow grease can improve a dog's quality of life (and yours, too!):
https://yourpitbullandyou.org/growing-up-gomez-dig-this/

10/01/2019

Whether they need it because they’re scared and reactive or just bullies muzzles keep them safe; they keep other dogs safe (and thus themselves too); they keep people safe (and thus themselves)

Thus themselves == if they can’t accidentally or intentionally hurt someone they aren’t as likely to be put down

What if I told you .. muzzles can give dogs freedom?

What if I told you .. muzzles can help dogs safely make new friends?

What if I told you .. muzzles can help dogs from eating unsafe objects?

What if I told you .. friendly dogs can wear muzzles too?

What if I told you .. muzzles are a game changer for many families?

Thinking about taking the plunge and muzzle training your dog? That's awesome. You won't regret it! ❤️

09/26/2019

Much of dog training success comes down to consistency. And what matters in each home, for each lifestyle, for each dog may vary. And that's okay. But if you'd like your dog to sit to greet all visitors than you can't let her jump on some of them (unless you've built a specific cue for it 😉). If you'd like your dog to walk on a loose leash, you must teach her the skills to do so. If you want a solid recall, you must reward it each time.

It is, indeed, a dirty trick to play on dogs when we aren't consistent and the result is punishment. Teach your dogs the skills that are important to you. Reward them. You'll both be better off for it.

09/12/2019

This unfortunately is common with me

Sorry 😐

08/31/2019

08/28/2019

One of the most important things I learned going through the Academy.

If there's one things students and grads at the Academy take away from their education, it's this: they understand and know the importance of motivation. They know that the key to helping a dog stay motivated during the training process is breaking down criteria so the dog "wins" enough to stay in the game.

No motivation, no training.

08/16/2019

Pavlov works everywhere and on everything!

07/19/2019

When it’s hot you just have to sit or lay down (and dream of your native cool Hungary)

07/11/2019

Ewe can teach nearly any animal something if you do it in a way that makes them comfortable