Cleveland's Source for Dog Training News and Information
NCD: Official Training and Behavior Company of the Cleveland APL
The Cleveland
APL has contracted North Coast Dogs to lead the development of its new behavior
department. The multi-year plan is aimed at increasing behavioral care of
dogs at the APL and educating adopters about their new canine family members.
This will include behavior screening of dogs as well as addressing behavior
problems prior to adoption. Every adoptable dog entering the APL will get
training before going to a new home. There are also plans to develop Pet
Parenting Classes for adopting families. Long term goals include offering
Puppy Socialization classes and Beginner Manners classes for adolescent
and adult dogs.
A project of this scope in unprecedented at a Cleveland animal shelter.
Organizations like the San Francisco SPCA, The ASPCA in New York,
Rondout Valley Kennels and The Michigan Humane Society have led the way
in behavioral care at animal shelters. North Coast Dogs and the APL will
follow these examples.
Michael Baugh, CPDT will lead the project under the direction of Cynthia
Fant, Director of Animal Services at the APL. The team will rely heavily
on the experience and education of North Coast Dogs' senior trainer, Ginger
Alpine CPDT. She has more than 11 years canine behavior experience as well
as intensive hands-on experience in the area of shelter dog behavior. Melanie
Leonti will anchor the team as the APL's staff canine behavior counselor.
The inclusion of a behavior department is just one of many improvements
at the Cleveland APL. Interim director, Richard Paulson and the Board of
Directors have started a process of change at the shelter which includes
new standards of care and major capital improvements. The Cleveland APL
is raising the bar for animal shelters around the region. The result will
be dogs better suited for a life as a well mannered family pet, and the
APL will continue its mission of strengthening the human-animal bond between
owners and their pets.
Lakewood Dog Park Open
The City of Lakewood's first dog park opened its gates at an official "leash cutting" ceremony June 27th. It opened to the dog-loving public the very next day!
Getting this dog park has been more than a year in the making. The entire community helped make it a reality under the organization of FIDO (Friends of the Ideal Dog park Off leash). FIDO raised more than $15,000 to build the park and FIDO volunteers put in a lot of work along the way.
The Lakewood Dog Park is located on city land next to the water treatment plant and adjacent to the Rocky River Reservation Metropark. It is north of the Lakewood Animal Shelter and just south of the Metropark Marina
North Coast Dogs is proud to have supported the dog park initiative. We'll continue to help educate people about the value and importance of off-leash play at our dog park classes in Lakewood and Brunswick.
Brunswick Dog Park Planned
North Coast Dogs clients and other residents in Brunswick are begging efforts to build a dog park in that city. You can learn more about the Brunswick Dog Park and all of the Cleveland Area Dog Parks online!
Summer Health Warning
Few
things are as fun as watching a water-loving dog take a swim. But
there might be something in the water that could make your dog very sick
or worse.
Hot summer days are ideal for blooming blue-green algae. Health experts have known for quite some time that these single celled plants can produce toxins similar to those found in deadly red-tide. These toxins are especially dangerous to dogs and other small animals.
Blue-green algae. thrives in warm protected waters like ponds. Algae blooms are most common after a stretch of hot weather. They often cause mass fish kills. Dogs can be effected by swimming in the water or eating the dead fish. Symptoms of blue-green algae. poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea and staggering. Severe cases cause convulsions and death.
An algae bloom may result in a thick green muck in the water. But even if the water looks good you might want to think twice about letting your dog swim after a long stretch of hot weather. Other toxins can also get into the water from run-off after a heavy rain. So be cautious.
No matter the swimming hole, it's always a good idea to rinse your dog after after romping in the water.
Source: The Bark Magazine.
2003 Mid-Long Range Success Survey
We'll
pay you for five minutes of your time.
Almost everyone has seen North Coast Dogs' poster boy, Levi (pictured right). We first met him in early 2001. Kristi Foltz has kept up with us and we know Levi is happy in the family's new house with lots of land for romping and roving.
But we want to know how the rest of "our dogs" are doing. So, North Coast Dogs has begun its first-ever mid-long range success survey. We're tracking the efficacy of our training methods, education, coaching and follow up. This is very important to us and to our future clients.
The initial returns are very encouraging. The response rate is above what we projected. And the opinions generally reinforce us for doing a good job. Thank you!
Filling out the survey is simple and fast. You can click directly to it from here or you can find it on our web site bulletin board for the next several weeks. Results are confidential. Your name will NOT be attached to the survey in any way. And we'll compensate you for your time.
North Coast Dogs will publish survey results in a future issue of this newsletter.
Thanks again for your help!
Solutions for Play Biting
Play biting can be a very serious problem. People can really get hurt. And all the dog was doing was playing. So, what's going on here? Why do our dogs hurt us when all either of us want to do is have fun?
Dogs play with their mouths. That's the first thing we need to remember. From your dog's point of view, chomping you on your tricep or giving a few good yanks to your shorts may seem like the perfect way to get the playtime started! And it works sometimes doesn't it? We almost always respond. And the dog really gets into it then! We're in misery and our canine friend is having the time of his life.
Zero
Tolerance
So, the first thing that has to change is our response to the bites, nips and tugs. Everything your dog does well or often is a learned behavior. In other words, he's learned that something good happens when he play bites. This can be confusing because many of us have tried scolding or punishing dogs for the bites. Yet they persist. All this means is your dog finds your response reinforcing or the play he's engaging in is so reinforcing that your response simply doesn't count.
Zero tolerance means ending all the fun with no warning every time your dog uses his mouth with humans in play. Every time! If you are playing retrieve and your dog accidentally bites your hand instead of the squeaky toy -- end the game and walk away. If he ambushes you with a bite to your arm -- end the game and leave the room or yard. If he chomps on your sleeve during a walk -- end the game by stepping on the leash so that he's instantly unable to jump and bite (but not pinned to the ground).
Playing rough with a dog who play bites is never okay. This is such an important point. Many dogs who play bite have learned to play rough with another human being. Please instruct everyone who has interaction with your dog not to wrestle with, bat at, tease or otherwise rough house with him.
Training
All roads lead to sit. If you don't teach your dog anything else, teach him to sit and look at you. Think of all the things he's not doing at that moment. A dog sitting and looking at you is certainly not biting you. This is a great skill to have trained if your dog gets wound up and has that look in his eye. "ah-ah. Sit. Oh, good boy!" You may have just avoided a bite.
Regular learning sessions throughout your dog's day are really your best path to success. Teach sit and down. Teach your dog how to control himself with stop, stay and leave it. Praise and treat your dog for walking nicely on a leash. Teach a few tricks. North Coast Dogs can help you with any of these skills in a class or in-home training session.
Beware this pitfall. Many of us ask our dogs to sit for a treat after a bite. It looks like a very elegant redirection of behavior doesn't it? But some dogs learn that bite leads to sit which leads to treat. That's called back-chaining. It happens with dogs who bark for attention too!
Real Life
Your dog is always learning. So real life training has to be the name of the game from here on out.
Catch your dog doing something right. This is tricky and it will take some heightened awareness. If your dog used to bite you when you tried petting him, be on the look out for the first time he accepts petting peacefully. Calmly but warmly praise him. If your dog use to pounce and bite whenever you had a tennis ball in your hand, be on the look out for the first time he runs to you and sits nicely. Give him and excited bit of praise and throw that ball! If your dog used to bite and tug your sleeve on walks, be on the look out for some proud confident loose-leash walking. Praise and treat generously. Open your eyes and try to catch your dog doing something right. You never know when it might happen. And you never want to take it for granted.
Set your dog up to do something right. This is where your hard work training comes into play. Adding structure to your dog's life can instill a great deal of calm confidence. It will also teach him manners. Figure out all the things your dog really loves in life: his favorite games, favorite treats, favorite activities. Then recall all the things you like to see your dog do for you in life: sit, down, come, settle. Now barter. Ask your dog to "pay" you with something you like (sit) for something he likes (petting). Make this the rule of life with your dog. If he wants something he has to pay. If he does something well you have to pay. Example: Dog sits - you notice it and offer a treat. Example: Dog wants on the couch to cuddle - you ask him to sit first and then invite him up. Many trainers call this the Nothing in Life is Free approach. And that's true. We and our dogs will and should trade pleasantries all of our lives.
Teach appropriate games. We want to play with our dogs. And our dogs need proper mental and physical exercise. The idea here is to teach them games that work with humans. Retrieve is a great one. It involves running, coming when called, drop it and can even include sit and down. It does not include biting. Of course, not all dogs like to retrieve. Some like to tug. This, too, can involve sit or down, drop it and vigorous pulling for physical exercise. Fly ball and Agility are great doggie sports and we offer classes right here at North Coast Dogs. A tricks class might be a fun option too. Dog Park Classes (play groups) are also good for fun, games and exercise.
Bottom Line
If you are having trouble with a dog who plays rough or bites please call us for assistance. We're happy to help. Here are the main points to think about in the meantime.
Jean
Donaldson Workshop in Cleveland
Speed,
accuracy, endurance and fun. That's what the canine sport of 
KoBear
(portrait right) is a success story for so many reasons.