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Immersion Training
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The Beginning
Once upon a time we adopted his and her border collies for our first wedding anniversary. We loved the breed and wanted dogs we could have adventures with. Emma came to us missing half her fur, was recently recovered from Parvo, and had a severe case of anxiety. It was two years before Steve could take off his belt facing her due to the severe abuse she had endured. Blue Bear had been neglected so he mostly ignored commands, and had serious dental issues from chewing rocks. These dogs had difficult pasts so we followed the recommendations of the rescue from which we had adopted them, and we signed up for positive only training.
After four classes and years of training we had two fat, reactive dogs who nearly ripped our arms off during walks. But we had done everything right! We did everything we were supposed to do! Obviously something wasn't working so we started exploring other training methodologies. We watched Cesar. We tried dominance. We thought about medication. A funny thing happened along the way. We were introduced to leadership methodology, and learned how to work our dogs. Emma and Blue were now so busy following commands and looking to us for direction, they didn't have time to react to other dogs. When we got them home, our dogs were tired and no longer seemed anxious. Why wasn't everyone teaching this? Why didn't the rescue or the trainers tell us about this instead of having us "distract" our dogs with chicken breast pieces? Eventually Paula started a pet sitting business and got a lot more practice with a lot more dogs. She started to realize just how many reactive dogs there are. Steve got drafted to help, and had to learn training techniques as a means of survival in his own home. That and all small dogs adore him with unending devotion. Don't tell anyone, but it's mutual. |
Where We Are Now
We want to let you know that if you have a reactive dog, you're not alone. We've been there and we can help. If your dog is anxious, neither of you has to suffer any longer. If your dog has bitten someone, it doesn't mean they're tainted for life and have to immediately be put down. If you've scoured the internet trying to find the secret to making your dog behave, and followed every step multiple trainers have given you, but your dog still barks and lunges like they have rabies, there's still hope.
Imagine Dog Training has been created to help people and dogs in the same situation in which we found ourselves. We want to spread the word about leadership training so people know there are other methodologies than positive training. No one methodology applies to every dog and every situation, however, leadership training is severely underutilized. |
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190
dog breeds
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89.7
million dogs
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3.3
millions dogs surrendered each year
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1.6
million dogs adopted each year
anxiety
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I've heard from several clients lately that their dogs have been diagnosed with whipworms. After quickly doing a frantic mental scan to see if any of them had visited my yard, and then an internet scan to see what I had to do if any of then had visited, I then started researching to see how whipworms were cured. Just an FYI whipworm eggs can last in extreme weather conditions for up to 5 years and one of the treatments involves removing 6 inches of topsoil from your back yard and giving your dog drugs for 5 years. I had to resort to several minutes of deep breathing after reading that. Thankfully my calculations indicate my yard was not exposed. I keep looking at the soil and Benny's poop suspiciously anyway.
While researching whipworm drug treatments, I found a really interesting article about how effective current heartworm formulations are. I spend a lot of money every month to protect my dog from heartworms, and apparently it's not protecting him as well as it should be. The only commercially available product which tested 100% effective at preventing heartworms, and which also incidentally protects against whipworms, is Bayer Advantage Multi for dogs. Sadly this is not the product my dog has been using. Guess who's getting switched as soon as his current prescription runs out? The only chemical combination which is proven 100% effective is imidacloprid + moxidectin. Get out your package of heartworm medication and check out the ingredients. If it contains anything but these two ingredients, talk to your veterinarian about changing. I'm sure no one wants their dogs to have heartworms or whipworms. Did I mention the eggs which last 5 years? Gah! |
As I travel around the area visiting all different kinds of people and their dogs, sometimes trends become apparent. Recently I've seen a lot of dog spoiling. Now in the interest of full disclosure, my own dog is a little spoiled. Benny gets to go on bar/restaurant/store outings multiple times a week, always has visiting dogs to play with, and gets to sleep on the bed. So if I spoil my own dog, what's wrong with you spoiling your dog?
Firstly, I don't give Benny treats for every little thing. There are certain behaviors which are simply expected from him as part of his living here. He doesn't get a cookie every time he sits. Positive training has it's place when working with dogs, but as with many treatments there can be undesirable side effects. One of the main ones is pet obesity. It's such a problem Royal Canin started a Pet Obesity Month in 2014 in conjunction with local veterinarians to address the problem. I love this chart which equates some common pet snacks to human donuts. How many of you eat 3 donuts a day? When you look at it that way, do you really feel good about giving your dog treats which amount to that many donuts? Secondly, I spoil him with activities which are good for him and teach him something. Sure, laying around watching television can be fun, but getting off our butts and going outside in the fresh air for a game of ball is better. Both of us get some exercise, and Benny has a glorious time chasing the ball around. We also go out to breweries and restaurants so Benny can practice his people/dog greeting skills. He loves experiencing new places, and the more places/people he meets the less likely to be reactive he is. Lastly, I make Benny pay tolls throughout the day so he feels he's earned his spoiling. For instance, he doesn't get to jump on the bed until he sits, waits, and is given permission. That way getting on the bed becomes a treat he has earned instead of a demanding behavior. Ask any lottery winner, does getting something for free make them happy? We all love the idea of winning it big, but the reality is quite different. "But demanding behavior is so cute!" you say. "I love it when they sit on my foot, lean on me, or put their head in my lap." All of those things are how a dog shows you love right? NO! That's how they work you like a vending machine. To a dog, it's like you're wearing a sign which says "Smack paw here to get your ear scratched." Why is demanding behavior a bad thing? It frequently makes your dog think they're in charge, and that can lead to things like biting, resource guarding, and attacking visitors. It's not guaranteed that one will lead to the other, however, you're significantly increasing the risk. It's like driving your car during rush hour instead of mid-afternoon. You're not guaranteed you'll be in an accident but you're increasing the chances you will be if you drive during heavier traffic. So go ahead and spoil your dog, but do it in a way which benefits them not a way which leads them to bad behavior. Cut back on the treats. Get off the couch. Go do something with your dog. Give them a real treat and not a sugar/fat bomb. Then give yourself the treat of a well behaved, enjoyable pet. |
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