Larry Kay - Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

Training the Best Dog Ever

A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

by Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz and Larry Kay

WORKMAN PUBLISHING NEW YORK

For my children, Courtlandt, Blaise, and Paige. My love and respect for you is at the essence of all that I am and all that I have done. The greatest gift I have been given is being your mother.

Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz

For my parents, Rima and Saul Kay, and my dog, Higgins. The lovingkindness that is at the core of this books lessons I learned from you.

Larry Kay

Contents

Foreword to the New Edition

My coauthor, the late Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, was a gifted dog trainer who knew that it wasnt just the dog that needed training, but the human. Ill never forget watching her work in one of her classes with a particularly unruly Labrador Retriever that wouldnt keep still, let alone follow cues for sit, down, or off. That dogs owner looked like he was about to quit the class. But Dawn matter-of-factly lured the Lab to the center of the classroom, praised him joyfully, and then lured him to sit. She praised the dog again and rewarded him with a morsel of a treat, given only after she had confirmed that the Lab had a gentle mouth. Then Dawn led the Lab across the room, pausing every couple of steps for another sitwith more praise and an occasional reward. Voil! Magic, it seemedespecially when the Labs appreciative owner replicated (sort of) what Dawn had just demonstrated. Dawn praised the owner for the tiny improvement. And each week in Dawns class, that Lab and his owner improved slowly but surelyas did the bond between them.

Interviewing Dawn for hundreds of hours in preparing this book gave me a front row seat in a master dog training class. It also gave me a front row seat in Dawns life. I heard about opera singer Helga Meyer Bullock (Sandra Bullocks mother) discovering that her Briard had been groomed by Dawns young children, who pinned up the champion show dogs long coat with kiddie barrettes. I heard tales of Senator Ted Kennedy sitting on the kitchen floor and cooing to his beloved dogs. I even heard the story of when Vicki Kennedy introduced Dawn to the pup that America now knows as Bo Obama, and subsequently to the First Family. Dawn may have worked with some big names, but at the heart of those stories is the blessed bond that all people can develop with our well-loved dogs.

Beyond bringing her message to countless students through in-person teaching, Dawns mission was to use her platform to help the movement of positive reinforcement dog training gain traction in the wider world. Thats why Dawn would be thrilled that our book has been awarded the first Canine Life and Social Skills Award by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) to honor its contribution to positive reinforcement dog training. Dr. Ian Dunbar, the founder of APDT, was one of Dawns earliest mentors as she discovered the superiority of positive reinforcement training over outdated methods that emphasize dominance, suppression, and aversion. That the Dog Writers Association of America awarded this book its Maxwell Medallion for Best Training and Behavior Book is additional testament to the growing enthusiasm for positive reinforcement methods, and to the quality of Dawns particular program.

For proof that positive reinforcement training works, look no further than Dawns most famous four-legged client, Bo Obama. Photos of Bos early days at the White House show him pulling on his leash. Some people concluded that Bo wasnt being properly trained, or that the President and his family werent controlling him adequately. I wanted to answer those critics, but Dawn chose to remain above the fray. Be patient, stay positive, she counseled me, like a true trainer. Dawn was right. Recent sightings show the President leading Bo around a pet store and cueing him to sit and lie down during an interview with kid reporters. The First Lady and Bo are often seen together with White House guests. Bo is growing up to be a wonderful family dog. Be patient, stay positive. Yes, Dawn was right.

Anyone who spends five weeks training a dog knows that a flawless dog (or owner) is impossible. But I believe, just as Dawn did, that building a relationship with your dog based on trust and lovenot intimidation and aggressionis a surefire way to raising the best dog ever. By following the five-week training program in this book, your dogand youwill master the skills and develop the behaviors for a happy life together.

Heres wishing you and your dog a lifelong bond with lots of love, learning, and laughs.

Positively woof,

Larry Kay

March 2012

P.S. I invite you to speak up (woof) for positive reinforcement by visiting our Facebook page. On our website, Im answering readers questions and inviting guest trainers who know Dawns work to weigh in. I look forward to hearing from you.

• positivelywoof.com
• facebook.com/positivelywoof

Introduction: The Call

Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his wife, Vicki, as they return from sailing off the coast of Hyannisport, Massachusetts, with their dogs Splash and Sunny.

I was in the kitchen with Maude, my African Grey parrot, when the phone rang. It was Vicki Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedys wife, calling.

Dawn, she said to me, I have a dog that Id like you to evaluate. Its another Portuguese Water Dog and hell be flying into Dulles in a few days. Do you have the time for this?

I was a little surprised to hear that Vicki had her eye on another dog. The Kennedys had three dogs alreadyall Porties, as this adorable black-and-white curly breed is called by those of us who love them. Id helped the Kennedys choose their dogs from Art and Martha Stern, breeders in Texas I worked with, and had trained all three at my country home in Hume, Virginia. Senator Kennedy and Vicki had recently taken home their third Portie, a puppy named Captain Courageous, or Cappy for short. It didnt seem likely that theyd already be looking to add another member to their family.

Hes not for us, Vicki said. Were not sure yet where the puppy will gowe just want to see if you think hed be good for a family with children. I agreed to evaluate the dog, but as we were about to hang up, Vicki stopped me.

Oh, and Dawn, she said. Keep this between us for a few days, okay?

I drove from my home in the country to the Dulles Hilton a few days later, where I was scheduled to meet one of Senator Kennedys assistants and a dog named Charlie. I still knew very little about Charlie except that he was about five months old and was a littermate of Cappys. He had been with a family who had returned him to Art and Martha because the familys older Portie and he didnt get along. Martha was looking for a family to rehome him with.

After picking Charlie up, I drove him to my ex-husbands dental office, where I had an appointment scheduled to fix a chipped tooth. I carried Charlies crate into a private room in the back of the office and closed the door. Hed been so quiet in the carI couldnt wait to let him out. As soon as I opened the crate door, Charlie poked his head out. Most dogs need time to adjust after a flight and traveling in a crate, and tend to emerge very hesitant and unsure of their surroundings. Not Charlie. He was as happy as a clam and calm as a cucumber. I attached the leash I had brought for him and took him out to go potty. Back inside, I walked him around the office. He happily stopped to be petted by the staff members. I was worried that the noises of the machines would frighten him, but while I had my tooth fixed, Charlie lay quietly beside me on the floor, enjoying the new chew toy Id bought for him.