Weird Dog Terms

Jedi's side gait.

It's Training Tips Tuesday. I'm sure that the other hop participants have got great tips. I don't have tips, just tribulations! As I've mentioned before, I'm trying (poorly) to show Jedi. It's not easy. I'm still trying to teach him to stack (stand properly). And we're still working on trotting at the right speed.
Showing dogs is a lot harder than it looks on TV. And to make things worse, there is an entire lingo that goes with it. Things like: it's a "lead" not a leash. And "dog" only refers to males; your female dog is a "bitch." Sometimes I feel like such an outsider. I'm learning though. And sharing, so the next newbie doesn't feel as awkward as I do. Below are 26 terms just for movement and anatomy.

Bandy-Legged -- Wide, bow-legged rear

Cat Foot -- Short, round feet

Crabbing -- Side winding gait

Croup -- Lower spinal region containing back of pelvis and root of the tail

Drive -- Strong thrust from the hind quarters

Easty-Westy -- Feet turn outward, pointing away from each other

Flews -- Upper lips

Hackney -- High-stepping front movement

Hare Foot -- Long, narrow feet

Hock -- Bones that form the joint between the knee and the toes

Loin -- Area between last rib and beginning of pelvis

Lumbering -- Heavy, ungainly gait

Occiput -- Highest point at the back of the head

Pacing -- Moving both legs on same side in unison

Pastern -- Area between dog’s paws and lower leg

Pigeon-Toed -- Feet point toward each other

Rangy -- Long-bodied with a shallow chest

Reach -- Length of forward stride

Roach Back -- An over arched, convex topline

Side Gait -- Dog's movement as seen from the side

Splay Foot -- Toes that are not close together

Stifle -- Curved area of rear leg containing thigh and knee

Stop -- The point on a dog’s head where the skull and muzzle meet

Swayback -- A sunken, concave topline

Trotting -- Moving diagonal legs in unison

Withers -- Point where shoulder blades meet (and where actual height of dog is measured)

Do you feel any smarter? Have you heard any of these terms before? Are there others you know that I don't? Let me know!

Like I said, it's Training Tips Tuesday. Hop around and see what you can learn today! -- K

P.S. Want to learn more weird dog show terms? Check out this post from the American Kennel Club.

Train Your Dog Like a Pro

I read other blogs regularly. The less-than-professional quality photos (no offense to Greyhounds CAN Sit, those pictures are breathtaking!) and the back-and-forth conversations make blogging feel more genuine. I pick up all kinds of information and enjoy the different points of view. And when I find what I think is a real gem I like to share it with you.

Months ago I read Why I Like Jean Donaldson on Damien's Best Dog Toys. The author was so passionate about one book -- Train Your Dog Like a Pro -- that I had to check it out. I put the book on my Amazon wish list -- and promptly forgot about it.

Eventually I ordered it and read half the book before I misplaced it. Recently I found the book again and am really enjoying it. Jean Donaldson breaks behaviors down into tiny pieces and gives a step by step progression for each one, along with the science behind it. Her Push-Drop-Stick is an objective method to gauge when to increase the difficulty level.

True confession: I'm a horrible dog trainer. I don't find the intrinsic joy in it that some of my friends do. When I come home from work I want to flop on the couch and watch mindless TV, not "work the dogs." Jean Donaldson addresses this in Chapter 4 with some practical tips to keep the trainer (me!) motivated.

So I'm finishing the book and trying to put her methods into practice. Jedi's a great dog, he deserves a better trainer. I'm trying not to beat myself up (too much). I'm trying to be more consistent. I love dog classes because they force me to be accountable. With that in mind, I just signed up for a class at the Humane Society. By October Jedi should have his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title.

I know this is a Training Tips hop. I'm attaching this for all of you not-so-stellar trainers like me. My tip: Stop beating yourself up. Then hop around and see what others are sharing. There's some great stuff out there. -- K

Dog Training -- Works for People Too!

I wish my boss would talk to my dog trainer.

There are so many things that Trainer has taught me do with Jedi that I think would be suitable at my job as well. Here are the top five things from Trainer I wish my boss would incorporate at work:

Be Clear. I ensure my commands to Jedi are not ambiguous. I make sure I have eye contact, use short words that can't be confused with something else, and try not to mumble. For example, if it's time to go inside I'll say "Jedi, House" instead of "Well I think it's kind of late, maybe we should think about retiring for the evening." When Jedi runs to the door, I know he's got it.

Supervisors should give employees the same courtesy. It's frustrating to be told half way through a project that you're doing it wrong, or that's not what he was looking for. Tracking down your boss so he can explain a cryptic email is time-consuming. Deadlines and instructions should be clear and concise. And contrary to popular belief, everything can't be TOL (top of the list).

Be Consistent. In my house we have rules. Jedi must sit outside the kitchen while I'm preparing his dinner, he's never allowed out the front door without permission and the trash is off limits. I'm not being mean, that's just the way things are. Surprisingly, Jedi's okay with this. He seems to find comfort in being able to predict my behavior. In fact he gets concerned when the routine is "off."

On that same note, an inconsistent boss is a nightmare. Something that's condoned today should not be condemned tomorrow. It's easier to work for a consistent hardass than someone who's wishy-washy. Employees work better when they're not constantly looking over their shoulder to see to what's going on this time.

Praise Often (and don't be stingy with the treats). Jedi likes being told he's a good boy. You can see it on his face. He know he's done the right thing. A small reward -- be it a belly rub or a Beggin' Strip -- reinforces the behavior. In fact, if I praise and reward in a timely manner, he's more likely to do the behavior again!

Surprisingly, this works the same way with people. It's called operant conditioning. It's not a secret. Books have been written about it. Classes are taught on it. Say "thank you" and "Good job," leave donuts in the break room once in a while, and people will voluntarily work harder. Even better, happy people are more productive.

Have Reasonable Expectations (and set things up for success). When training a new behavior we always start out slow. At dog class Jedi will give me a down/stay for 10 minutes while Trainer is talking. But it wasn't always this way. In Puppy Kindergarten we were happy for a 3 second down, then a 5 second down, slowly working ourselves up to longer times. If Jedi became frustrated we'd back down to an easier level for a while before increasing the difficulty again.

This should be a no-brainer for management. No one wants to fail. It sucks. A good supervisor knows their employees' limitations. Train employees, then supervise until you know they've "got it." If projects are broken down into small, manageable bits, employees are more likely to succeed. Success breeds confidence.

And the final lesson, Don't Rub Their Noses In It. When potty training Jedi we knew mistakes were going to happen. And they did. Messes were cleaned up and we would try to figure out where we wrong in the training. Were we clear? Were we expecting too much too soon? Then we would try to come up with a strategy to prevent it from happening again. Belittling Jedi and constantly bringing up his shortcomings would have just been a waste of time. In fact, it could have ruined the trust between us, making things more difficult in the long run.

It's no different with people. Despite our best efforts sometimes "Shit Happens." When mistakes are harped on people are less likely to try, morale plummets and productively slows down. Let's just deal with it and move on.

There are other dog training techniques that would work for people as well. Things like:

• Avoid distractions when teaching a new task
• Find the best motivators for each individual/situation -- and use them!
• Difficult tasks require a higher value reward
• Watch your tone and body language
• New tasks must be repeated multiple times before they become rote, so be patient

What do you think? Makes sense, hunh? I say forget all these management seminars. Instead, send supervisors to dog training classes. Not only will it make them better leaders, it'll make them happier people. Seriously, spending time with my dog is more fun than any leadership training class I've ever taken. -- K

P.S. I am thrilled to see the return of the Training Tips Tuesday hop. A big thanks to our hosts Dogthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs. This is probably my favorite blog hop. I always learn so much! Click below and see what gems others are sharing today.

 

Dognition

It's Training Tips Tuesday! Over the past few decades I've learned that the best way to train dogs (or people for that matter) is to teach to the way the student learns. It's easier than it sounds! What are their motivations -- Food? Toys? Affection? What is the easiest way for them to process the information -- Seeing? Hearing? Doing? What do they already know that you can build upon? How easily do they get frustrated?

Every one of my dogs was different. Pepper was extremely food motivated. She was very smart and picked things up quickly. She was also a bit stubborn and it was difficult to break bad habits. Logan had a strong prey drive. Food meant nothing but a squeaky toy was gold. Logan was a gentle soul and would shut down if you raised your voice.

I'm still trying to figure out Jedi. I often look into Jedi's eyes and wonder what's going on in there. Sometimes I think he's smarter than I am, and sometimes I question whether he's thinking at all! So when I saw an advertisement for Dognition I just knew I was going to do it.

Dognition gives you a profile on you dog based on a series of exercises that you and your dog do together. These games test five separate areas: Empathy, Communication, Cunning, Memory and Reasoning. Jedi's results looked like this:

 

 

Dogs are presented various puzzles, then placed into one of nine different profiles based on actions during the games. Jedi was classified as a Socialite. The individual report was 14 pages long -- wow! -- and stated that:

 

Although Jedi is not as adept at independent problem-solving skills as other dogs, don't jump to any conclusions about his intelligence. Jedi relies on a very specific strategy -- using you and other humans in his pack to get what he wants. Judging from his performance in the social games, we suspect that most of the time this strategy succeeds.

Trust me, I didn't need to pay the $29 fee to be told that! But it was surprising to see how he figured out certain puzzles -- or not. For an additional $9 monthly fee Dognition will send me training tips and activities geared towards Jedi's way of thinking. I'm seriously considering it! (Don't tell Hubby.)

How about you? Think your dog is an Ace, a Maverick, a Charmer? Could he be an Einstein, a Renaissance Dog or a Socialite like Jedi? What about an Expert, a Protodog or a Stargazer? If you test your dog let me know! -- K


 

Stranger Is Not a Danger

I'm a Worst Case Scenario kind of girl. I will play "what if" and "what's the worst that could happen" for days before making a final decision. Yeah, it's a downer sometimes. But I can say that I've never run out of gas, been mauled by a bear or abducted by aliens -- and I owe it to my pessimistic, plan for the worst point of view.

This thinking also trickles down to my pets (who are vaccinated, microchipped and always wearing up-to-date tags). My Training Tips Tuesday post follows this train of thought. As an Animal Control Officer I often see people's pets in less than ideal circumstances. A dog -- or cat -- who may be a total sweetheart at home is often a real jerk for me. (I hear the same from vet techs all the time.) But chances are there is some point in a pet's life where it's going to be handled by a stranger. Here are three things you can do to make that time easier and less stressful for everybody involved.



Ketch Pole

• Socialize early and often. Expose your pets to all kinds of people: male, female, tall, short, black, white, thin, fat, with and without glasses, hats, facial hair, etc. Doctors Ian Dunbar and Sophia Yin have some great information on this.

For my safety I've had to use muzzles and Ketch Poles on poorly socialized dogs. Although safe and humane, these tools raise the stress level in the animals significantly.

• 

  standard slip lead

  Leash train your dogs (even the little ones). Again, start early and do it often. Whenever possible, have people other than you walk your dog on a leash. A leash should mean "we're going this way" and be a positive thing.

Dogs unfamiliar with leashes panic when I drop a slip lead around their necks. They pull and scream and flop around trying to get away. They'll urinate and defecate uncontrollably. Sometimes they hurt themselves in the process. It's really sad, especially if it can be prevented.

• 

  Grab him good!

  Routinely manhandle your pet. Touch his feet, look in his ears, wipe is eyes, open his mouth, lift up his tail, touch his genitals, rub his belly, tug on his collar. You want your pet to think that these touches are no big deal. Otherwise, someone's going to get bit if they touch your dog -- and that opens up a whole other bunch of problems.

This is the kind of handling that animal control officers, veterinarians and groomers may need to do while working with your animals. If your pet is calm and cooperative it's easier to check for age, sex, read a tag or look for a microchip -- and therefore easier to return home.

I hope I never pick up your pet. I promise that if I do, I'll keep him as comfortable and stress-free as possible. However, if you'll work on the things above it'll be better for everyone. -- K

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Chili gets a bath

Preparing Chili and Jedi for a dog show is quite the chore. The dogs need to be washed (conditioner too!) and blown dry and fluffy. Usually RK and I do this on a make-shift grooming table in her front yard. However, the temperature was in the 30's last week and we needed a Plan B -- preferably one that didn't kill our backs!

RK found a boarding kennel near her house that was willing to help. The business has a small grooming room connected to the boarding kennel. The room has a tub with hot water and a grooming table which the owner, Marcia, agreed to let us use for next to nothing. What a lifesaver! We brought our own towels, brushes, shampoo, conditioner and a doggie dryer. Marcia even let us use an open kennel to hold the dogs when they weren't being groomed. Thanks to the proper tools, we were able to wash and blow out both dogs in less than 3 hours. Marcia was kind and helpful -- and even invited us out to wash the dogs before the next show.

I want to give a big shout out to Marcia and McKendree Kennels! Marcia has a nice set-up with reasonable rates, and is conveniently located by the airport. If you're in Jacksonville and you need to board your dog, check her out!

Anyway, washing and drying is just the tip of the iceberg. When you have a show dog, you groom a lot! I'm constantly brushing, combing, cleaning ears, brushing teeth, clipping nails and trimming stray hairs. Just before going in the ring Jedi gets a spritz and fluff, along with a finishing spray to shine up the black in his saddle. He's just a German shepherd! Can you imagine all the clipping, teasing, fluffing and chalking going on over in the poodle section?!

At 90 pounds, Jedi is the second largest dog I've ever had -- and he's not done growing. (FYI, Pepper was about 110 pounds). Fortunately, he's also the easiest dog I've ever groomed. I can wash him by myself without any problems. (By comparison, it takes at least two grown people to bathe 65 pound Roxy, and there are lots of problems!) So on this Training Tips Tuesday, I'd like to share some of the things I actually did right when it comes to teaching a dog to tolerate grooming. Hope it helps!

• Be positive: Use a soft, happy voice and provide lots of treats. You want your dog to think this is a good thing. Make sure you smile; dogs pick up on that.

• Go slow: Let your dog smell the brush or hear the clippers before using them. Hair dryers are loud and scary, especially the forced air blower. We let Jedi just listen to it while feeding him bits of chicken several times before we actually touched him with it. Stop grooming when the dog gets anxious. Sometimes you can spread things out to make the dog more comfortable. For example: Do you really need to clip all the toenails on the same day? Can teeth and ears be cleaned at different times?

• Timing: Wait until your dog is tired and relaxed before you start grooming. Add in some massaging and belly rubbing. Jedi has actually fall asleep while I was brushing him. 

• Touch your dog: You should give your dog a once-over regularly -- touch his feet, play with his toes, stick your finger in his ears, open his mouth, wipe his eyes, lift up his tail, check his pits, stroke his hair backwards, etc. Not only are you desensitizing him to touching, you can check for fleas, ticks, and hot spots. (BTW, your vet will love you for this!)

• For ears: Float the bottle of ear cleaner in a bowl of warm water before using it. (Don't forget to test it before using. You don't want it too hot.) Put the warm cleaner on a cotton ball to clean out the ears, then take a dry cotton ball and wipe out any excess cleaner. A Q-tip can be used to remove any dirt you see stuck in the folds, but NEVER stick a Q-tip into your dog's ear canal.

• For teeth: Experiment with different toothpastes until you find one your dog likes (Jedi prefers vanilla to chicken). If your dog doesn't like the toothbrush, try a finger brush instead. I have a friend who just uses a wet washcloth. It gets the job done! Try to clean your dog's teeth at least twice a week. (For me, daily is just not possible.)

• Finally, don't be afraid to seek professional help. I'm squeamish about toenails and am always afraid I'm going to hit the quick. I'll trim the dogs' nails a little bit each week, but never seem to get them short enough. About once a month I take the dogs to visit Kathleen at Petsmart. She does a great job; but on the off chance she gets too close I'm not the bad guy. It's worth the $20.

How about you? Do you have any great grooming tips? -- K

P.S. This was suppose to be part of a blog hop, but it appears that the hop isn't happening today. Too bad, because I really need some good tips on teaching a dog not to pull on the leash. Jedi nearly ripped my arm out of its socket this weekend going through the hotel. If you have any ideas, please share. Please!

Clicker Conformation Training

Jedi's gorgeous father, Champion Mar Haven's
Last Cowboy Song, perfectly stacked
 

I'm having trouble training Jedi for the ring. His poor gaiting is all me -- I'm out of shape and uncoordinated. I'm trying to walk more to build endurance. I'm even doing a tiny bit of sprinting during our walks. Seriously, Jedi would look better in the ring if I could move my ass and not trip over my own feet. At least I know what my problem is here.

Stacking is a more difficult issue. Jedi is a German shepherd, which stacks differently than every other dog in the AKC. All other dogs stack with their legs squared underneath them; GSDs have their front feet and one back foot squared, but the other rear leg is elongated, producing the signature slope. I have watched dogs walk into a perfect stack in the ring and it's very impressive. I have seen others set into a beautiful stack with little effort from the handler. And then there's me and Jedi, looking as graceful as a couple manatees playing Twister. I'll set the front and he'll wiggle around while I'm trying to set the back, sometimes even licking my face. Endearing yes, but not the stuff that wins ribbons.

In frustration, I bought another book: Positive Training for Show Dogs by Vicki Ronchette. I wish I had found this a year ago! I'm only halfway through the book but it's already proven to be useful. I think I know what I've doing wrong: First of all, I was trying to do too much too fast and confused the poor boy. Then I tried holding bait in front of his nose. It was great when I was in front of him, but when I would work on the back feet he was wiggling around to find the goodies. Jedi is a food whore.

So now I'm trying to fix my mistakes. Unfortunately it means going back to square one. We are using the clicker now. I'm a horrible clicker clicker, so I have Hubby click while I set and so far it's working. Jedi likes the clicker because it means "food's a comin'." (Remember, he's a food whore.) We started out slowly, just clicking for standing still. Now we're working on the front feet. When they are square, he gets a click/treat. Then we'll increase duration before moving to the back feet. Eventually (hopefully soon, but I don't want to rush it) he'll understand the picture I'm looking for. THEN we'll add distractions. Ideally he'll develop muscle memory and be able to walk into the stack with little (if any) need for adjustments. Will it work? I hope so! I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, Jedi and I have increased our walking in preparation for the Chariots of Fur 5K next month. NEXT MONTH! I'm a bit anxious. Hopefully this will help with our gaiting as well.

I'm thrilled be able to include this post in the inaugural Training Tips Tuesday blog hop because:

1. I need help! I can't wait to see what other (and more experienced) dog owners have to share; and
2. I want to help. If my bumbling and fumbling is able to help somebody else -- especially a newbie in the ring like me -- then maybe my mistakes won't seem so bad.

We'll have to revisit this in December and see how far we've come. Until then, check out the other posts in the hop. And please share what you've learned. You know I will! -- K