Pat Miller - Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog

Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog

Pat B. Miller

Published by Dogwise Publishing

A Division of Direct Book Service, Inc.

PO Box 2778 701B Poplar

Wenatchee, WA. 98807

1-509-663-9115, 1-800-776-2665

Website: www.dogwisepublishing.com

Email: info@dogwisepublishing.com

2004 Pat B. Miller

Graphic Design: Anderson OBryan, Wenatchee, WA

Indexing: Elaine Melnick, The Index Lady

Photos: Nancy Kearns, Paul Miller, Pat Miller, Nate Woodward, Allex Smith, Simon Thornock

Portions of this book previously appeared in The Whole Dog Journal, The Whole Cat Journal, and Your Dog. Used with permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty:

The author and publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in this book.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 1-929242-15-8

Printed in the U.S.A.

To my husband, Paul, who makes all things possible.

Where does one even begin to acknowledge those in your life, human and otherwise, who have supported you to this place in your journey? I could start with Larry and Charlene Woodward and the other good folks at Dogwise, who shared my faith in this project and nursed it to fruition. Of course there is also Nancy Kerns, editor of Whole Dog Journal, whose superb photographs grace the pages of this book, and whose friendship, support and encouragement keep me writing, and with Belvoir, who also gave their blessing to this project. Certainly with professional teachers and peers who have had a positive influence Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar, Karen Overall, Judie Howard, Diane Allevato, and too many more to mention. No doubt with family sisters Meg, Liz, and brother Bill, who share my history and give my life continuity; Mom and Dad no longer of this world but still and always in my heart; Step-Mom Jan, who is more like a sister to me; and of course, always, Paul.

And finally, for sure, all of my canine companions and teachers, who have shared and continue to share with me the gifts of another world: Flag, Rusty, Pudding, Schmircks, Cinders, Squire, Sandy, Candy, Tempi, Moby, Marty, Brandy, Otis, Watkins, Coby, Caper, Keli, Mandy, Smokie, Josie, Dusty, Katie, Tucker and Dubhy.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the world of positive dog training. The fact that you are holding this book in your hands tells me that you are a member of a large and rapidly-growing group of dog owners who are either looking for or are already convinced about using dog-friendly, non-violent approaches to training their dogs. Bravo!

I hope to help you on that journey. I have been sharing my life with dogs for more than 40 years. Ive trained my own dogs and have titled several dogs in Obedience and Rally. Ive had great fun trying Herding, Canine Musical Freestyle and Agility. When I started training dogs, it seemed that the most people believed the only way to train was by using coercive and sometimes forceful methods. Over time I learned that training can be fun for both my dogs and me and that force wasnt necessary at all. I learned that force could, in fact, damage my relationship with my dogs.

Training is first and foremost about relationship. It is also about success. A successful relationship has two partners: a happy well-mannered dog and a happy human. Today more and more trainers and owners recognize that the use of modern training techniques based on scientific principles of behavior and learning are the key to success. We realize that in order to create a truly successful dog/human relationship we need to understand these principles and apply them in our training programs.

That is why Ive written this book. The information started life as a series of well-received articles for the Whole Dog Journal, Whole Cat Journal and Your Dog. With the encouragement of my friends at Dogwise Publishing and others, Ive re-worked the information into a comprehensive book for the committed owner who wants to have a positive and successful relationship with his/her dog.

While many of the chapters stand-alone and can be used as a quick reference, I recommend that everyone start by reading Part One, How Dogs Think and Learn because it forms the basis for all the information that follows. Have a new puppy? Focus on Part Two. Need to learn how to train the basics? Check out Part Three. Need to solve specific behavior problems? Part Four has chapter titles that will guide you to solutions. Part Five contains answers to your questions about alternative veterinary medical care, the best leashes and collars and the very best dog toys in the world.

A QUICK OVERVIEW

You will learn that understanding canine behavior is the key to becoming a better trainer. Once you know how and why a dog behaves as he does, training becomes easier and more effective. Properly applied, positive training techniques are more effective than those based on coercion, because they dont risk damage to the relationship the way old-fashioned force-based methods can. Proper management is key to preventing your dog from practicing and being rewarded for undesirable behaviors. Positive training and management are simple but not necessarily easy. The concepts covered in Part One form the basis for all the remaining chapters in the book. You will want to come back to it again and again.

Not far below the furry surface of your favorite domestic canine companion lurks a mind surprisingly similar to that of his ancestor and current-day cousin, the wolf. We have stretched and molded the dogs plastic genetic material to create hundreds of widely diverse breeds from the tiny Chihuahua to the giant St. Bernard all to serve our whims. But our dogs behaviors and instincts to this day closely mirror those chosen by natural selection to ensure the wolfs survival perhaps more than 100,000 years ago, when the wild canine was first invited to share the warmth and protection of the fires in our ancestors caves.

The genetics that have enabled the dog to become mans best friend come as both a blessing and a curse. The instincts that drive the behaviors we love in our canine companions are the same ones that make us tear our hair out. For example, the desire to be a member of a social group, or pack, is what makes the dog so amenable to family life and training. It is this same social instinct that in some dogs triggers incredibly destructive separation anxiety behaviors when a dog is left alone, behaviors that include non-stop barking and howling, inappropriate urination and defecation, chewing, and self-destructive escape attempts.