Ballance Behavior & Training

06/09/2023

05/21/2022

Dog Training Games for Dog Owners

04/14/2022

Worth the read.

'Balanced' dog training has risks. Here’s why.

04/09/2022

Thank you Hey Cute Bird - Parrot Rescue of Oregon for these ideas and reminders ♥️🦜🥰

12/10/2021

You can do this for parrots as well!

12/04/2021

Come to the dach-side

11/26/2021

Look at this awesomeness!! I wish every puppy had these opportunities!

11/25/2021

11/24/2021

11/22/2021

What to get your dog for the holidays

11/22/2021

Concepts are still accurate and work across species.

10/22/2021

So rad to have a daycare facility working with positive methods as so many DO NOT!

08/12/2021

07/31/2021

Yessssssss

07/29/2021

An IAABC Foundation Publication

07/16/2021

Many clients and novice trainers are antecedent-obsessed. They innocently confuse the cue for something that will magically make the dog do something. But the function of the behavior is always the consequence.

For example, they might dutifully follow the "here!" cue with a giant food spill in the early stages of training. When the dog starts responding to the cue enthusiastically, they gradually stop putting their money where their mouth is, i.e. they give the cue but stop paying. And when the cue is no longer a predictor of the consequence (yummy food), the recall behavior weakens.

Our job as professionals is to make our clients consequence machines.

07/15/2021

Dog trainers are getting crushed with extreme cases, thanks to owners who saw pandemic pups as a loneliness fix but didn’t start with good training.

06/28/2021

06/17/2021

💕 This also goes for bird trainers, horse trainers, reptile trainers, rabbit trainers, and all other animal trainers 💕

I often write from the perspective of dogs. I also like to write from the perspective of dogs guardians. Both need a voice. Dogs are often misunderstood and guardians often blamed for things that are not their fault.

But I rarely see anything written from our perspective, the trainers and behaviour practitioners.

What a wonderful job that must be, is a common response from people when I tell them what I do. And they are right, it's my dream job! I love working with dogs and people, equally! I love seeing relationships flourish, seeing dogs and people gain confidence, sharing knowledge. But this is not the only part of our job. We dont spend our days playing and romping in fields and waving magic wands that fix all problems.

It can be tough! Imposter syndrome, depression and compassion fatigue are rife in our field of work.

We are unregulated, which means any Jo blogs can give themself the title. This can leave the ones who have paid thousands for their education, worked for years studying and use every spare minute of their time learning, feeling pretty deflated. Often losing clients to those with out dated knowledge or no knowledge at all because they offer quick fixes and methods that can look impressive but can do harm to both dog and their care giver.

We often deal with dogs who are suffering. Many never able to become the dog that they are expected to be. People judging your ability because you are unable to turn their dog into lassie.

We are rarely recognised as the true professionals we are. People questioning our prices due to not realising that many have put as much money and effort into their work as vets and doctors. Not realising that many never stop learning. Continue studying, attending conferences, reading, attending workshops, because they want to be the best they can for both dogs and their guardians.

Many think that we all learn how to teach dogs to do things but to be able to support complex cases and really understand dogs we need to learn about learning theory, neurology, biology, physiology, nutrition, psychology to name just a few. There are also many other methods and techniques that we are constantly looking into, zoopharmacogosy, BAT, t-touch, massage, Bach. The list of things that can support our work is endless and can often be overwhelming.

The endless amount of admin. Responding to countless messages, phone calls, emails, many who end in no work. Writing courses, workshops, classes, redoing them time and again to make them better. Sending forms, booking people, sorting out cancellations, reading applications, organizing events, out of hours calls and messages because for emergencies, the list goes on.

Replying to requests for free support. Always a tricky one. Many of you will know, i respond to requests of advise. And am happy to do so. If I can help with just a quick message, I will. But many behaviours are complex and need our full attention. We often cannot advise without knowing the dog, understanding their individual circumstances, we can end up doing more harm than good if we try. And even those little messages take time. It's not just one request. Many of us receive dozens of messages on a regular basis asking for advice.

It makes it difficult because we are in a job of caring. We want to help! But! It is also our job. It's what pays the Bill's and puts food on our table. Would you ring a plumber and ask them to talk you through fixing your boiler for free?

We are also, often expected to fix dogs. Surely there is just a technique we all use for specific cases, right? Sadly no! Each dog is different, each case is unique. To get results we need people to put their trust in us, spend time with us, it is a journey not a race. A simple request can possibly be sorted in one session but most take time. Do we go to physios, doctors, psychiatrists and expect every thing to be better in one session?

We do not know everything!! And we never will! We dont even know everything about our own species, dogs are no less important and complex. We are learning all the time, no matter if we have been doing the job for 1year or 40.

This is not a moan! Most of us love our jobs. I feel extremely fortunate to have so many wonderful clients, both dogs and people.

I just hope, that one day, our profession gets the respect and recognition it deserves. Maybe that day will come when we start to realise how important, complex, emotional, sentient and vulnerable dogs are. When the mental health of dogs is seen as important as humans.

So this is for you! All those trainers and behaviour practitioners, who havnt stopped at one quick course or learnt off the tv. The ones who give so much of their time, energy, money, passion and love into their work. The ones that give so much, to be the best they can be, for both dogs and humans. You are appreciated, you are seen!

06/12/2021

Management means setting up the environment so your dog cannot practice undesirable behaviors. You want to make it easy for them to do the right behavior and difficult for them to do the unwanted behavior.

This little guy had a history of displaying aggressive behavior to guests. Once you're in his close inner circle, he loves you to death, but his circle is relatively small. Let's say he's an introvert. 😊

Also, there is NO RULE that says your introvert dog HAS to come out and mingle with your friends! Some dogs, just like people, would rather "netflix and chill" in their own space than make a bunch of small talk at a cocktail party.

This guy generally prefers to stay in his safe zone with a food toy while the guests are in the home.
However, it's possible to gradually train and condition your dog to hang out with company depending on the situation. The number one priority should be safety in all cases. Don't take unnecessary chances and make sure you have a game plan. And remember. it's perfectly fine for you to enjoy your guests and leave your wallflower dog in the bedroom with all his favorite things! Most times this is less stressful for everyone, dog and human alike!

06/12/2021

Incredibly difficult subject, but an important one.

I found a resolution many choose but few acknowledge.

05/15/2021

05/02/2021

Pro Tip: When interviewing prospective trainers, don’t outright ask “Do you use positive reinforcement”?

This may seem like a head scratcher, so let me talk it out! A lot of times, when people are looking for a trainer, they know to look for a positive reinforcement trainer, but what they don’t realize is that A- not every trainer realizes what they’re doing isn’t positive reinforcement (this is an education problem on the trainer’s part, but if you give a cookie AFTER yanking on the dog’s choke collar, that’s NOT positive training), and B- some trainers who are NOT positive reinforcement have realized that many pet guardians are seeking out positive training more and more, and so they’re being intentionally dishonest to their clients in order to get them signed up for their services. 😡

I know dozens and dozens of people who went to a trainer after being told they they would use positive reinforcement training, and at their first lesson the dog was outfitted with a prong or choke chain, or the client was sold a shock collar, and the trainer insisted on only using petting and praise to reinforce the dog. ❌❌❌

These trainers LIED to these owners, and in many, many cases traumatized their dogs so badly that the owners had to go through months or years of work to build their dog’s confidence back up. These owners DID THEIR HOMEWORK, they did what they were supposed to do, and they still got hurt in the end. 💔

Okay, but you’ve heard me go on and on about how you need to interview trainers, vet your trainers, make sure you know who’s handling your dog, etc, right? So if you’re not supposed to ask “are you a positive reinforcement trainer”, what SHOULD you ask? ❓❓❓

Here is what I would ask, and how I personally would answer:

🐶 What happens to my dog when they get something right?

👍🏻 The answer here absolutely HAS to be more than just praise. I know we all want that dog that will work for happy talk and petting, but that’s typically not going to happen, at least not at the beginning of training! Any positive trainer worth their salt will use FOOD, lots of good food to build new behaviors. The prospective trainer might also say “We use lots of praise, and play with toys as well!” And that’s great! Play is a wonderful motivator for dogs. But typically, even when your end goal is to use a toy as a motivator, along the way you will be using food to train!

👎🏻 If a trainer you are interviewing insists on not using food, or talks down on “treat trainers”, that’s a huge red flag. Abort mission! 🚩

🐶 What happens to my dog when they get it wrong?

👍🏻 A positive reinforcement trainer will say something like “We always try to set the dog up for success by breaking the training tasks into small pieces, so your dog will hopefully not get it wrong too often, but if they do we’ll withhold the reward, and ask the dog for the behavior again, at an easier level if necessary to set them up to succeed. I will not use any kind of fear, intimidation, harsh tones, physical corrections, or anything that will hurt or scare your dog in my training”

👎🏻 A trainer who isn’t well versed in positive reinforcement training may mention giving a small correction, or making sure the dog “knows” they’re wrong. If the trainer doesn’t make any mention of setting the dog up for success or making it easier to keep the dog winning, that’s probably a bad sign! 🚩 🚩

🐶 How do you correct or discipline my dog?

👍🏻 This is similar to the above question. A positive reinforcement trainer will likely talk more about setting your dog up to succeed, and that they don’t worry about correcting or disciplining the dog, rather they focus on reinforcing what they like, and using management like gates, leashes, crates in the mean time until the behavior is trained.

🐶 What kind of tools do you use for training dogs?

👍🏻 When I get asked this I always say we’ll use whatever your dog works for to train, which likely includes food and play, and maybe some other real life rewards once the behaviors are trained. I also mention using front attachment harnesses to make the dog more manageable on walks, and long lines and leashes, but that’s about all I need for my training!�
👎🏻 If the trainer mentions any use of sq**rt bottles, ultra sonic devices, shaker cans, or choke collars, correction collars, prong collars, pinch collars, training collars, remote collars, e collars, or stim collars, do not engage! Trainers who use these tools are well versed in obfuscation, and the truth is that no matter what you call it, all of the above tools operate using pain and fear to change behavior. That’s not a path you want to go down. 🚩 🚩 🚩

🐶 What kind of credentials and education did you get to become a dog trainer?

👍🏻 Full disclosure: I know many many capable trainers who do not have a formal education for their training, so this and this alone should not be your deciding factor! But if you ask a trainer where they went to school, and they say they went to:
- The Academy for Dog Trainers
- Peaceable Paws LLC with Pat Miller
- Karen Pryor Academy
- Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior

Or that they are a member of:
- The Pet Professional Guild
- IAABC

Those are good signs! 🎉 🎈 🎊

Please note that saying they “went to dog training school” isn’t enough. Unfortunately there are still several dog training schools in this country that regularly teach their students how to use pain and fear to train dogs, and since dog training is unregulated the schooling for dog trainers is still largely variable! So, schooling is nice, but ethics matter most!

This was a longer post than I intended, so thanks for sticking with me! Long story short, ask trainers the above questions to really dig into what methods and training they use! And if you are ever struggling to find a trainer near you, feel free to reach out and I can help you find someone!

04/20/2021

Nice!!

03/30/2021

02/23/2021

02/14/2021

Interesting!!!

It's Science Says Sunday! Do dogs understand "stranger danger"?
Previous research shows that dogs engage in social referencing by responding in a way that corresponds with their owners' reactions. The researchers of this study were interested specifically in assessing how an owner's actions affect their dog's behavior in two situations mimicing lifelike situations with a stranger.
First, dogs were randomly placed into either the suspicious owner (SO) group, where the owners behaved suspiciously towards a stranger, or in the reassuring owner (RO) group where owners behaved in a reassuring manner towards a stranger. The owners provided both voice intonation and body cues for the dogs when the stranger entered the room.
They found that dogs in the SO group looked longer at their owners and stayed longer near them. They then did a second experiment where all dogs were tested in both the SO and RO groups. In this experiment, depending on the condition, owners took one step forward or one step backward and spoke in either a happy or a worried tone at the presence of a stranger. This time, dogs spent more time behind their owners in the SO condition and more dogs approached the stranger in the RO condition. This suggests that the avoidance behavior exhibited by the dogs when the owner behaved suspiciously and their increased tendency to approach the stranger only when the owner displayed positive emotions, could be best explained by social referencing."
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01401-3

02/09/2021

So much THIS. Call it calmness practice, or relaxation practice, but practice it!

TRAINING TIP TUESDAY!! One crucial skill that is often overlooked is the fine art of “nothingness”. Teaching our dogs to learn how to just “BE” in a variety of environments is so important. One easy way to do this is to drive to a parking lot or a park, and just stand or sit and do nothing with your dog. You can use capturing or shaping if necessary and reward for settling OR you can actually build the behavior beforehand and then take it to new environments for short periods of time (2-5 minutes). The long-term results will pay in dividends.

02/07/2021

In Kathy Sdao's book "Plenty in Life is Free", she talks about taking fifty treats at the beginning of the day and using them to capture behaviours you like. All you do is keep them handy, use a marker (like a "good!" or a clicker) when you see what like, and give your dog a treat.

Since most of Lidy's 'wobbly' behaviour is on walks, most of our treats are used outside. She's mastered the indoors! I treat our walks like training simulations and keep myself stocked up to capture everything I like. What gets rewarded gets repeated.

Yesterday, we used our treats on a runner. There's an army camp at the end of one of our walks, and soldiers quite often go for a run in the forest at the weekend. I'd say this runner was definitely from there, given his skintight lycra and speed. Lidy, Heston and I got out of his way, played some games when he was very near and then we watched him go. Heston gave up watching him after he'd gone 50m or so. Lidy watched him until he was out of sight. I just let her watch him and make her own sense that he wasn't a threat. She was on edge but not over threshold. It doesn't get more threatening than a very muscular man in black lycra running at you, and watching him leave without her having to lunge or bark is vital to her understanding, so she doesn't revert to bad habits. I just kept saying "good!" and feeding from my hand. This allows her to make the choice to come back to me and break her visual fixation. If she wanted to go back to staring, that's fine. It's her choice. She did and I kept saying "good!" for that quiet watching, even if it was a little intense. When he was gone, I told her how amazing she was and gave her a jackpot picnic with the remaining treats in the grass. That got her out of visual fixation and we carried on our walk.

Today, two deer shot across the road about fifty metres away. Lidy is incredibly predatory and would have lunged after them in the past. Luckily, Heston didn't see them as he's way more savvy about deer than she is. I said "good!" for her same watching. This time, I shot the food on the floor. Predation works differently than fear about being attacked by muscular runners, bit we're doing the same thing - breaking up her visual fix on the target. The food rolling on the floor may be a poor substitute for chasing deer, but it gets her moving and allows her a bit of that chasing. Then I threw some treats for her to catch. That gets her doing the grab-bite.

It's not just about capturing the good you see. It can also be how you do it. Do you want them to come back to you? Do you want to take advantage of their desire to chase or sniff? Do you want to take advantage of their desire to catch and grab? Are you disrupting visual fixation or olfactory fixation? WHERE you give the treat and HOW can be as important as the treat itself.

And what has Lidy learned? That threats go away of their own volition and that we don't chase deer.

What have I got out of it? A dog who isn't going from instinct to action in a fraction of a second. A dog who's switching on the voluntary bits of her motor cortex instead of instinctively doing what dogs are bred to do and mindlessly following her primitive pre-installed operating software. A dog who listens and pays attention to me, even when doing what she wants would be maximum dog fun. She's more focused on me, less aroused by the environment and not going from 0-60 in a millisecond. She also recovers more quickly.

So take your treats with you, capture what you like and tell me how your dog's behaviour is changing as a consequence!

01/30/2021

01/29/2021

For the people in the back!

01/06/2021

Send a message to learn more.

01/01/2021

And it can take a village to get through those 4-24 months with many dogs, especially the smarter ones!

12/24/2020

There are more than 1.3 million companion fish in NZ, and each one is a sentient being. Enrichment is one way to help fish enjoy a good life.