If you have the Freedom harness (the one we now include with our classes, it has velvet on belly strap), you can send it to the manufacturer for a quick repair. You just have to pay the shipping.
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That’s what I asked the woman with her 10-week-old Golden X puppy.  I had just left Ahimsa to go get lunch and was about to turn right. Instead, I saw this woman and her young daughter up ahead with a puppy.  Cute! I thought, followed immediately by a mortified, “oh my Dog, did she just hit that puppy?”  She smacked it 3-4 times and then it moved away, and she hit it some more, probably yelling at the same time. 

So I barrelled over there in my car and slammed on the brakes beside her.  “Can you please stop hitting that puppy?” She looked up, slightly embarassed, and tried to excuse the hitting, since the puppy had just jumped up and bitten her child.  I told her that there were lots of great ways to get the puppy to stop biting, and I’d love to show her.  But of course, it’s hard to be receptive when a perfect stranger comes and criticizes you from their car window, so she politely walked off. At least she didn’t yell at me. Read the rest of this entry »

What: Video shoot in Seattle with Grisha Stewart for how to use Behavior Adjustment Training to socialize puppies. Puppies will get a chance to socialize and their humans will learn how to do socialization RIGHT to help prevent aggression and fear. Video footage will be used for seminars, videos, and other how-to demonstrations of BAT.

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Want to know more about how to rehabilitate your dog or clients’ dogs with aggression and fear? Behavior Adjustment Training can probably help!

Tawzer Dog Videos filmed my 90-minute Behavior Adjustment Training seminar in Novato last month, and it’s now available for sale in our online store (click here). We ship orders out on Fridays only, so if you’re looking to get it as soon as possible, then get it from the Tawzer website, when it becomes available.

Here are some clips from the intro of that seminar:

(if that doesn’t work for you, you can view it on YouTube).

We should get copies on Thursday, February 11th, so orders placed this week will *probably* go out on Friday.

As loyal blog readers know, I have developed a technique for dog aggression and fear called Behavior Adjustment Training. I’m giving seminars on BAT around the country and one thing that I really need is a lot of footage of dogs doing BAT, for use in seminars. We can do the filming so your head doesn’t show, if you or your kids don’t want to appear on film.

I could use a lot of volunteers in Seattle. Are you interested? Here’s what I need:

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As I look over research on the effectiveness of various methods for treating dog aggression, one thing that strikes me is that people are not very good at actually doing enough set-ups with their dogs. This is true for any kind of treatment (and actually, it’s true of my physical therapy, even though my back hurts more if I avoid it, but that’s a story for a different day).

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I’m the featured expert of the week on the Rewarding Behaviors Dog Training forum.

Through Sunday, I’ll be discussing BAT for fear and aggression and there have been a lot of great questions! You can read the forum without being a member, but you’ll need to join (quick and free) if you want to post a question or comment. Check it out!

I was helping a client with her cat and dog issues the other day and I was telling her how even her cat can benefit from clicker training. So I went online to find her some proof and came across this great little video from Karen Pryor with Catherine Crawmer. Even if you don’t have a cat, it’s a great video to watch to get the basics of clicker training. If you can deliver food, chances are, your pet can be clicker trained!

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Behavior Adjustment Training isn’t just for fear and aggression in dogs. You can use it with all kinds of behavior problems and all kinds of species, like horses, birds, etc. It’s not perfect for every situation, though, so it’s important to know when and how to use Behavior Adjustment Training.

I just made a handout that you can use with your own dog or that dog trainers can print out for clients. The one requirement is that you leave my contact information on there and do not post it electronically to websites, etc., but you can link to it. Just right-click the link below to copy the URL for your own website.

You can download the Behavior Adjustment Training Handout here.

This morning, as I read the posts on Twitter, I came across Edie Jarolim’s post “2009: It wasn’t so bad for me. How was it for you?” I thought it was a lovely idea for a post, so here’s my answer to Edie’s question. Please answer yourself in the comments or in your own blog!
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I received this from the staff at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital in Seattle, which is near the training center. I thought it’d be a great cause for all dog and cat lovers in the Puget Sound to know about, and possibly support. I like supporting local causes, and maybe some of my readers do, too! Here’s the info…
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I talked my wife into getting a Wii because it would allow us to play tennis in the winter, without even having to go anywhere.  We set it up yesterday and Peanut thought it was fine – just some new kind of DVD player.  Once we started playing tennis and boxing in the living room, though, he decided that we had gone completely crazy. He slumped upstairs to wait for our sanity to return.

That got me to thinking…what a great puppy socialization tool! Too bad I didn’t have this game 7 years ago, when Peanut was a puppy.

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Ok, I love the new toy that Premier pet products featured a new toy at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference this year: the Pogo Plush. I brought home two of them, of course – one for each dog. They were an instant hit! The pogo is a plush toy, but there’s no stuffing (read: no mess), yet it feels like stuffing, because there’s a rubber frame inside. Genius!

The squeaker is free-floating, so even though Peanut is an excellent toy surgeon, the squeaker still works!! Read the rest of this entry »

In my first training class, with Spoon (that’s her, to the left) I was told to lure my dog into a sit and simultaneously say, “Sit.”  Then I was to give her the treat and say, “Good sit!”

I doubt the trainer specifically wanted to teach my dog to only work if food was present, but I was sabotaging my training, and we were on the fast track to teaching her to ignore me if I didn’t have a treat!

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Jeannie Yandel from KUOW in Seattle interviewed me last week. It’s going to play today at 1:06 p.m. on 94.9 FM in Seattle. It’s a personal interview on how and why I transitioned from a mathematician into a dog trainer. You can also listen to it now via the KUOW website.

I had the great opportunity to work with a horse named Levi yesterday. Joey Iversen and I coordinated a Behavior Adjustment Training session with Levi and his human, Laura. We worked on Levi’s fear of tarps on the ground. That’s a big fear among horses, apparently. I’m not a horse person, but armed with knowledge of horse behaviors and BAT, we made excellent progress with Levi.
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Finally! Quoted from the APDT website (my emphasis):

There has been a resurgence in citing “dominance” as a factor in dog behavior and dog-human relationships. This concept is based on outdated wolf studies that have long since been disproven. Contrary to popular belief, research studies of wolves in their natural habitat demonstrate that wolves are not dominated by an “alpha wolf” who is the most aggressive pack member. Rather, wolves operate with a social structure similar to a human family and depend on each other for mutual support to ensure the group’s survival.
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We are now carrying Thundershirts in our online store (and in the little store at the training center). If there was a drug-free way to ease your dog’s fears, would you do it? I would! And the Thundershirt’s a lot less than the Anxiety Wrap (and easier to put on), almost half as expensive. We sell it for just $35.62!

I originally bought a Thundershirt for Peanut’s stress in the car. It helped! I even tried doing a comparison with having it on and off on different trips. 3 times with the Thundershirt – no shaking any of those times. 3 times without – shaking every time. TTouch practioners have known the benefits of anxiety wraps for a long time. Thundershirt is an affordable, attractive way to wrap your dog and reduce stress. Check out this video:
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I just scheduled a seminar for dog trainers and advanced students, to teach a new system for working with behavior problems, called Behavior Adjustment Training, or BAT. The seminar is an hour and a half, Friday January 8th, 2010, from 8-9:30 p.m.

We also have an exciting visit from Patricia McConnell planned for September 12, 2010.

For more information, visit our trainer workshop page.
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I spoke with Kara Main-Hester, Ph.D. of Seattle Animal Control this afternoon and found the real scoop about the “attacks” at Magnuson off-leash park in October. The short version is that no Boxer was harmed in the making of this urban legend. Read on for the confirmed information.

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The November 2009 Whole Dog Journal is out. Get yours today!

• Alternate rewards for when your dog won’t take food
• Easy Riding – tips for calm, safe car rides
• Quick Crate Training Tips
• What to look for in buying treats
• Dancing with Dogs (hint: you don’t have to dance much, your dog is the star!
• Is your dog’s microchip useless?

I love this pit bull video by John Shipe. Great dogs, great music! If they could only have filmed it without those prong collars and choke chains! Don’t they know pit bulls excel with reward-based training?

I’ve been singing it a lot since I saw this video, although I have to admit, I keep making up my own silly lyrics and singing them to my dogs, like “I’m a Pea-nut, I’m a black-furred, black nosed Pea-nut.”

Don’t forget to support the artist! Click here to purchase the single on iTunes.

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We have the latest issue of Whole Dog Journal. If you have a dog that has issues walking by other people, dogs, bikes, etc., you won’t want to miss this issue!

October 2009 articles:

• Good Growling? 5 things to do when your dog growls at you
• Passing Fancy – How to teach your dog to calmly walk on-leash past other people, other dogs, bicyclists, skateboarders — you name it!
• Needing Pain Relief – acupuncture
• Do as I Say, Not as I Do – Even the best-informed owners can make mistakes with their dogs
• Positive Show-Offs – Clickers and treats work as well for training show dogs as they do for the family pet.
• Rally Obedient Dogs – Handlers can encourage and even reward their dogs in the show ring in this very fun sport, “rally obedience”

Order Whole Dog Journal from us online today!

This a mini BAT session for fear/barking that I did with some kids this morning. The video is on my iPhone, which has the opposite orientation of the program I use to process it, so it stretched Peanut out a bit.

Here are some highlights of that video:

• At 0:27, he actually does a nice look away and retreats, and I didn’t notice, because I was fussing with the camera. I called him back and we ’started’ our session, even though he was already starting without me. That’s the cool part about this method, that the dog can train himself after a while!
• 0:36, 0:37, 0:39 he sees the triggers and we push on because we’re not quite at his threshold – we’re working on head turns and this is still a very easy distance.
• 0:39, 0:46 I stop and he looks at me after only a tiny glance at the triggers (kids). I decide that’s not close enough, that he can handle more.
• 0:49 Looks away from trigger, 0:50 big nose lick. I miss this. Another casualty of filming and walking at the same time.  This would’ve been a good place to stop.
• 0:55, solid engagement with the kids, has enough time to look and see what they are up to, then turns to look at me. I mark with Good! and reward him by walking the other way with him, away from the kids. Note how fast he walks in that direction.
• 1:10 – some calming touch. Not necessary, but it’s what Peanut and I do.
• More aware of the kids now. I return to our same spot and do two more trials. During the walk-away on the 2nd trial, the kids follow us, and you’ll see him look back. I like trials 2 and 3 better than trial 1, because it seemed more directed at the environment, rather than an escape into mom’s eyes. I’m more than happy to be his anchor, I’m just glad when he doesn’t need it.

The second video is the use of the Premack Principle to practice heeling. Remember, BAT is not just for aggression & fear, but also for other problem behaviors maintained by the environment, like pulling. The point is to set the dog up to succeed, then reward with what they most want in the moment.
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I will be giving a dog safety presentation at *noon*, particularly how to read dogs and how to avoid and break up dog fights at the park. Come with or without your dog!
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Another title of this post could be “Are you secretly plotting against your dog’s rehabilitation?” Or “Do as I say, not as I do!”

The Seattle positive dog trainers group had a meeting yesterday. It was the first time we’d met in about a year and I was going to see some people I hadn’t seen for even longer. It was at a home in the country, so we could all bring our dogs. Yay!

I love going places with my dog, especially now that he can handle it, most of the time. But sometimes, he can’t. I know he has these limitations, for now, because I haven’t done the work I need to make him more comfortable with, say, small children. He came to me, as a puppy, with a fear of just about everything, from dogs to kids to adults, wheeled things, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s able to be a therapy dog and loves going to meet his fan club at the assisted living facility we go to.

But, and this is important, he’s not fine in all situations, and as his human with the schedule and the car keys, it’s up to me to make sure my dog is kept within his comfort zone until I can make that zone bigger through training.

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[UPDATE] I originally posted this because I thought, as did the people who sent it to me, that it was the same perpetrators and therefore, was good news for the rest of us, since they got a license plate number. My knee jerk reaction was that it was the same people, because their descriptions matched those in Magnuson, but a commenter pointed out that the dogs are DIFFERENT COLORS! These are 2 dogs, black and red (that’s a reddish brown to non-dog folks) and the original 3 dogs were brown, brindle, and white or gray. Maybe someone got their colors off, but it doesn’t seem like it.

While still scary for the person and dog involved, I’m sure, this incident also pales in comparison to the attacks in Magnuson Dog Park. Furthermore, while the people were jerks to the human, they did seem to (at least somewhat) help break up the fights. I’ve considered taking it down, but I’m leaving it here in case you might think you’ve got nothing to worry about if you just avoid Magnuson Dog Park, although it sounds like there was more to fear in Edmonds from the humans than the dogs.

And it could still be the same people, with different dogs. That’s my hope, so that the police can nab them!
[/End of UPDATE]

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Two people appear to be *encouraging* their dogs to fight and kill at the dog park recently. The incidents were at Magnuson Park in Seattle. Three dogs were attacked in two incidents. A Boxer named Gidget was killed and a terrier and a husky were severely injured. The Boxer was killed on 9/25 and the perpetrators came back again on 10/2. Both attacks were on Fridays around noon.

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Here’s another video of BAT in action for dog aggression, from Cassie’s 2nd BAT session. Please read about BAT, watch the first Behavior Adjustment Training video, and then re-watch this video before you try it yourself with a trainer. Dog trainers and advanced students might also want to join our Yahoo Group for BAT and related techniques.

One thing I should mention is that the other dog is kitty-corner across the street, about 40-50 feet away from our first approach distance, maybe a bit more.

After a long break, we are doing her third session today, so stay tuned for video!

There has been such great feedback on Behavior Adjustment Training from other trainers and advanced students that I have decided to make a discussion group for us all.

Click here to join FunctionalRewards, a discussion group and creative space for people interested in BAT and related methods for aggression, fear, and other dog issues.

This is the power of reinforcement. Check out this dog trick/dance video and the skills the dogs are doing! Look fun? Try our Canine Freestyle (dog dancing class) to get started in this fun sport. (This is not a dog trainer from our school in Seattle, but just a sample of what well-trained dogs can do).

Here’s a video from a recent BAT session with a dog-reactive Aussie. For more information about how Behavior Adjustment Training works, read our other blog post.

There are lots of different ways to do BAT, but the main idea is to use what the dog is already working for to pay for a new behavior.

In this case, the dog would bark/lunge at other dogs she doesn’t know in order to increase the distance between her and the other dog. So we do the session far enough away that she can be calmer* and we use ‘permission to walk away’ as the treat for soft eyes, blinks, head turns, etc. We mostly focus on head turns for this session, as that is a nice default behavior.

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If your dog could talk, he would tell you what he’d do anything for. If you could just get it for him, he’d be your adoring fan and do whatever you want. That’s the core of a training philosophy called BAT, or Behavioral Adjustment Training.

If you pay attention, you can figure it out anyway. Those things that you call ‘distractions’ are actually powerful training rewards. Here are some things your dog may already be doing:

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Update: the organizers say they will be carding to avoid having too many dogs! 98117 and 98107 zip codes only!

There will be a fun gathering of dog folks at Ballard Commons on August 23rd. They’ve asked me to sponsor them, so there are three $50 Ahimsa Dog Training gift certificates to be had for their contest.

It’s not a commercial event – no tents, no booths, no microphones, just a gathering of dog folks and some contests with prizes. It’s a good place to go after the Sunday market in Ballard. It’s sponsored by the Seattle Parks Department as a non-commercial event.

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I’ve moved the contents of this post to http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/bat, but I wanted to keep the post so that the great comments people wrote were still available.

Do you use the carrot, or the stick? In it’s regular meaning, the stick is used to prod the donkey forward, so it’s not the kind of method I use for dog training. But sticks can be used as rewards, too. I use sticks to reward my dog, Peanut, for walking politely. I can surprise him with a ‘treat’ without carrying anything on me at all. Surprise rewards are the best kind to use when training your dog.

But are sticks safe for dogs?
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I know some of you just can’t stand that fluffy new puppy who adores you, and want to get rid of her as soon as possible. If you can’t find anyone to take this cute bundle of fur, here’s how you can at least make sure she doesn’t live out her natural life. Unfortunately, most of these also make your neighbors mad at you, but whatever.
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Does your dog pull on leash or not come when called? Do you wish your dog would listen more? Follow our daily plan below to jump-start your dog training. Your dog won’t actually be Lassie yet, but you will have a lot more focus than you do right now. Focus is the essential foundation before you can train anything else.

For this exercise, we use either a clicker or a word, like “yes,” to mark instant that your dog earns a reward. Every time you mark (click or say, “yes,”) you owe a your dog a tangible reward, like a food treat or toy. (Read more about clicker training). When you mark a behavior, give your dog the reward within a few seconds.

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Dreamlist Radio is an excellent website that helps people find the career of their dreams. Melissa Borghorst of Dreamlist Radio interviewed me for the Teen section of the website, and the questions focused on what teens can do to become a dog trainer. The answers, you’ll find, will work for people of any age who are considering becoming dog trainers.

Click to Play Interview

If you have a teen or pre-teen in your home, or are thinking of changing careers, I highly recommend Dreamlist’s main website!

Related Post: How to Become a Dog Trainer in Seattle

A lot of people these days are finding they need to give up their dogs, cats, horses, or other animals because they can’t afford vet care. If you don’t have a pet yet, and are thinking about getting one, please make sure that you take into account the full costs of owning a living, breathing animal before you adopt or buy one. For example, expect a dog to cost $700-$2800 a year, or $10,000-$30,000 over the course of the dog’s lifetime (more info). Not all dogs end up being that expensive, but when we get them, we commit to be their caretakers – in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.

But if you do already have a dog in need and you are thinking of rehoming or euthanizing your beloved family member, here are some organizations around the US (and beyond) that can help.
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Last week, Fred Haney from My Doggie Says Radio Talk show interviewed me (Grisha). The main topic of the interview is the ways that dogs communicate to and train US. Click here to listen.

Once you teach your dog to “Target,” you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.  The behavior here is that your dog touches her nose to a human’s hand, but this also works with a an actual target of some sort, like the Clik Stik pictured here.

I use targeting to move my dog around in space (from one side of the bed to the other, off of the couch, etc.). You can also teach them to heel nicely beside you or even to come to you. It’s great for teaching nervous dogs to go explore something that scares them, by having them touch your hand near the Scary Monster. It’s the foundation of “go say hi.”
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Summer dog event! Come see us at the Summer Muttmixer at Rock Bottom Brewery, 1333 5th Avenue in Seattle. Ahimsa Dog Training will have a little booth set up (I’ll be there!) and the event is FREE.

Your dog is welcome, but do make sure it will be a pleasant experience for him/her. Whenever you attend an event like this, your dog’s mental and physical well-being should be first priority. Even if you have beer.
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There are several brands of retractable leash, including Flexi Leash, Eddie Bauer, Planet Dog (Zip-leash pictured here), and Guardian Gear. I can’t think of another leash with so many opinions about it! I’ll explore the pros and cons of using retractable leashes in this post.
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I have a lovely blog post about fear in dogs that I’d like to share with you. It’s about the author’s experience of finding out that her dog had fear aggression, her search for answers, the simplicity of the Touch cue as an anchor for fearful dogs, and a description of where her dog, Sadie, is today.
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I gave a presentation at a school in West Seattle today and a good question from one of the teachers stuck with me. Can a Dog Sense Fear?

My answer to her was something like, “Yes, dogs do seem to be able to sense fear. But just sensing fear won’t make them decide to bite you if that’s not in their personality.” Thinking on it more, I should have said some things that fearful people do that clues the dogs in and what they can do to appear more confident.
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There’s an article at ConsumerAffairs.com that claims the FDA is looking into claims of several deaths and a lot of sick dogs over the last two years.

However, I went to the Nutro website and they deny that the FDA is looking into their foods. You can read the Nutro website here. I don’t know who’s telling the truth, but if you do feed Nutro, it would be a good idea to look into this. It’s always best to be informed! UPDATE: See video in this post, which says Nutro’s right, there is NO FDA investigation.

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First off, I want to say that I’m all for getting rescue dogs. I have rescue dogs and I probably always will. There are tons of great dogs in Seattle that need forever homes.

There are ways to get a dog that avoid the biggest trouble, be it a purebred puppy or a rescue dog. This story is inspired by two friends of mine, who just adopted a dog for a week on a ‘trial basis.’

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Here’s a quick video of Bo Obama’s intro to the world. I saw several things that they did right, and some that they could’ve done better (of course, can’t we all?)

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If you have a pit bull and are looking for a free way to make your dog a better citizen, here’s the way! Even if you don’t live in Tacoma, this is probably worth the drive.

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(Picture is two Ahimsa clients with their Portuguese Water Dog, Rico.)

Bo Obama, the Portuguese Water Dog, seems to be enjoying his new home in the White House.  The Obama puppy’s big debut is Tuesday (tomorrow) but the press has already leaked his story.

And who wouldn’t enjoy being the First Dog, with two kids to love on you and great parents? When we were there for the inauguration, Jill and I checked out the size of that yard. Any dog in the DC area (heck, even a dog in Seattle) would be happy to have such a big space!

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Our first Teen Dog Play time is April 9th at 5:30. About half of our students have begun to opt for Dream Dog instead of Intermediate Puppy, I want to make sure they’re still getting supervised play.
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One of the skills we teach in our Super Start sessions of Dream Dog is targeting. In the easiest form of targeting, the dog touches your hand with his nose. For shy dogs or dogs that like to play catch-me-if-you-can, this is a great way to get them to come to you.
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If it can’t actually hold your dogs in your yard, or keep trouble out, a fence can do more harm than good. It makes you feel like you have a fence, so you let your guard down. In one of my classes, a student with an aggressive dog said that they had a fenced yard. It turns out there is no gate, just a big gaping hole where the dog can get out!

I snapped this photo on a walk with Peanut in Seattle. There are two problems with this fence. The obvious one is the big hole where panels are missing and the dog can get out or other dogs or children can come in. The other is the height! If Peanut wanted to, he could easily jump over this fence.
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I (Grisha) have decided to join the modern age and try Twitter!

@doggiezen is the more official one with tips and updates about Ahimsa.

@peanutseattle is life from my dog’s perspective.

Experienced folks, can you follow and and let me know if I make any technical or etiquette mistakes?

The Seattle area has had their share of puppy mill busts, including the recent one in Snohomish County that is inundating Seattle with little rescue dogs and some big ones, too.

Tomorrow (March 27) ABC’s Nightline is doing a big expose on puppy mills. I haven’t seen it, but I imagine it’s terrible and gruesome and will make you wonder why animals have put up with us for so long.
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Ever wish you had just the right way to tell young children how to meet a dog? There are some good books out there already, but Seattle artist Wendy Wahman has a great new book out that can help! I have to admit, I haven’t read the book yet, but I’m trying to get a copy so that we can use it as part of our Kids & Dogs training class at Ahimsa in Seattle and Bellevue.
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The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Science has released a pilot study that found that 1/4 of dogs trained with punishment/pinning/growling were likely to respond with aggression, versus almost no aggressive behavior that resulted from methods like the ones we use at Ahimsa.

Yes, you read that correctly. Methods that have the goal of dominating the aggressive dog with force were likely to cause aggression toward the owner and other people or dogs, rather than preventing it.
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Let the Dreams begin! We’re ready a day early and can now take registrations for the new Dream Dog Training Program at Ahimsa in Seattle and Bellevue.  Dream Dog is a revolutionary new way to train your dog, where you can get help and practice exactly what you need.  The skills are award-winning, dog friendly methods that you’ve come to trust, but the way we teach them to you and your dog will make the difference.

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I (Grisha) had a blast being interviewed on the Doggie Chronicles radio show just after New Year’s.  They asked me to talk about the Pooch Puzzler (formerly the “Dog Puzzler”), Kibble Nibble, and other products in our store, as well as the classes at Ahimsa. Click here to see their website and listen to the show! (Or download the MP3 version.)

(See the end of this post for a coupon!)

Why are reward trainers so sure that their methods are the more humane way to train? Because reward-based training works, and it works well, without harming or intimidating the dog.

But to get the best results with rewards, you need to know what you’re doing. The devil’s in the details when it comes to reinforcement. The more you know about training with rewards, the faster and more stress-free learning will be.

Reward trainers who only sort of know what they are doing just give fuel to the myth that training with rewards is somehow inferior. Don’t be that kind of trainer! Come to the Kathy Sdao Get SMART seminar on how to effectively use reinforcement on March 5-6, 2009 in Seattle, Washington.
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“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel

“Positive” dog trainers throughout the Puget Sound can now celebrate a victory of science and learning over sensational TV.

Because Cesar Millan was coming to Seattle for Seattle Dog Winterfest, KOMO’s Problem Solvers began looking into the global controversy surrounding the methods used on the Dog Whisperer TV show. I was fortunate to able coordinate with the reporter and contribute to the story by providing details and Seattle-area contacts. They interviewed me, but my passion had me tongue-tied, so they didn’t end up airing it. Oh well…I have since thought of several quick sound bites!
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The Dog Puzzler is a revolutionary way to feed your dog. It’s got the ease (for the human) of a dog dish with the fun (for the dog) of a dog toy. If possible, all or most of a young dog’s meals should come from a puzzle. Tired dogs are good dogs and make for happy families!
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The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior would like to let you know that Dominance – the idea that we need to overcome our dogs by force, lest they try to take over our homes, is outdated and leads to inhumane training.

Here’s some info from their Position Statement on Dominance issued in December, 2008:

“AVSAB is concerned with the recent re-emergence of dominance theory and forcing dogs and other animals into submission as a means of preventing and correcting behavior problems. For decades, some traditional animal training has relied on dominance theory and has assumed that animals misbehave primarily because they are striving for higher rank. This idea often leads trainers to believe that force or coercion must be used to modify these undesirable behaviors.”
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81-year-old singer Patti Page is my new hero.  You probably know her song, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?”

Well…she’s decided to re-release the song, but has changed the lyrics to reflect the changing times and to promote her book, “This Is My Song.” She’s given the Humane Society of the US permission to use the lyrics to advertise their cause.

Here are the new lyrics, sung, of course, to the same tune of “How Much is that Doggie in the Window?”

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This amazing video was made by a group of clicker trainers in Hungary. Just look at how happy and excited the dogs are.  They are really enjoying themselves! They’re also doing complex tasks from a distance.   

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, if you love dogs, you’ll enjoy watching these well-trained dogs and appreciate the power of clicker training!
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If you see the movie “Marley and Me,” you’ll note that Marley is unruly to say the least. In the Real World, Marley might not have had a happy ending. How could we make him a better fit for a regular family?

Read the following press release from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to learn more about Marley and how his family could benefit from positive dog training.
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I’ve got some ideas for what to do to exercise your dog indoors, for people who cannot exercise their dog because of the puppy’s age, the dog’s aggression, illness, or injury, or other things going on in the household.  I’m writing it all for a book that I’ve titled Rainy Day Dogs.  

I’ll be eking the book out, bit by bit.  When it’s all done, I’ll compile it, yank it off of the web, and publish it.  So you get the first read. Please feel free to comment below with suggestions of any kind.

Here’s the first bit. In case you were wondering, yes, this is copyrighted. Please do not copy!

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If you live in or near Seattle, you know that it snowed in the Puget Sound last night. We woke up to inches of blissful snow!  Almost nobody is driving.  I even saw two buses that are stuck on the road next to my house.

If you have a puppy, you should be especially happy about the snow. If you aren’t off of work because of the snow already, you should go home to take this chance to be with your puppy.

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I hesitated doing this, but I have finally caved in and made an Ahimsa affiliate program.  The program allows non-profit organizations and even regular people or businesses to make some money by referring people to Ahimsa – for both the online dog store and training classes.

Right now, I have the percentage set to 5% (excluding tax and shipping), but I may muck around with that in the future and have all of the money go to charity. See below.

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My soulmate dog, Peanut, went to the vet to have an epulis in his mouth removed last week.  The good news? It’s not cancer! And it was small enough that they could remove it without taking out any teeth, thank dog.  

The bad news? He’s a wreck at the vet and it was a $500 experience.  Dogs are not cheap!

The picture here is Peanut as a baby.  He’s 6 now and I saw at the vet that once dogs turn 7, it’s a time to look for a “rapid decline in the dog’s health.” Wonderful. He’s almost a Senior Dog.

Now is as good as a time as any to say that if your older dog is suddenly aggressive or shows other brand new behaviors, it’s probably health related.

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Did you miss our last photo opportunity?  Here’s another chance to support PAWS and get some fun photos of your dog, to boot!  Last time, Ahimsa students raised a LOT of $$ for PAWs with Alyssa Rose Photography.  The photo above is from that photo shoot.

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Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season can be dangerous for dogs. Cooked bones, especially turkey & chicken, can splinter and cause choking or intestinal problems, even death. While most of us know not to feed it to the dog on purpose, your guests may not know this or your dog may get bones out of the trash.
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Get Your Off-Leash Dog Signs Here!

Different themes: [Nose Picking] [Smoking] [Punch Bowl] [In the Buff] 

I’d like to come up with a long list of analogies for people who walk their dogs off leash in areas that are not designated off-leash parks.

 I’m not saying people shouldn’t let their dogs stretch their legs. I just think it’s important that they don’t ruin anyone else’s walk, either.

I would like a quick way to convey the message that walking their dog up to another dog or person off leash on a trail or sidewalk is impolite. It seems like the gross-out factor would be helpful.

So I’d like your help! Here are some ideas completing the following sentence.  Walking your dog off leash is like…

Walking your dog off leash is like picking your nose, but more dangerous.

Both are something that no one else should have to see you doing.  Okay, it’s not quite the same – dogs LOVE to be off leash, and it’s a lot of fun.  If you know the dog is safe, it’s enjoyable to watch.  But some people are afraid of dogs, some are allergic, and some dogs don’t like other dogs. And picking your nose isn’t against the law. On a trail, when the people you meet don’t know you and your dog, and vice versa, it’s important that leash your dog up as soon as you know they might be in contact with another person.

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Cocoa Mulch, which was sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. It is poisonois for dogs and cats. Cocoa Mulch smells like chocolate and it attracts dogs. They may ingest Cocoa Mulch and if they eat a lot of it, they can die quickly.  Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens!

Your dogs may also find cocoa mulch out on walks, so be careful!

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How do you get your dog to stop pulling? We have the answers! I’ve just made another Silky Leash video, to go along with our classes. I wanted to put it in the same blog post as the last Silky Leash dog training video, so check it out in the other Silky Leash video post.

You can see it on Youtube.

We want our dogs to perform in any kind of situation.  When training their dogs to behave in the face of big distractions, people tend to make a few key errors and throw their dogs in over their heads. A solid understanding of the principles of positive dog training might also help Sarah Palin prepare for interviews.

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How do you teach a dog not to pull on leash, either ahead or behind? There are lots of ways to teach your dog or puppy loose leash walking, but I really like Silky Leash.  This method teaches dogs that a very light pressure on the leash is a “cue” that means to go in the direction of that light pull. The best part of Silky Leash training is that it doesn’t train dogs with pain or pressure, but with positive reinforcement.

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Beverly Hills Chihuahua opened in movie theaters this weekend. Chihuahua lovers everywhere have flocked to see it. People in the dog business have mixed feelings when we see dog movies. The dog-lover part of our personality is glad to see an oh-so-cute dog movie. The part of us that cares about the dogs cringes, because we know that the next thing that will happen is that people will be getting Chihuahuas, Dalmations, etc. for their children and then promptly returning them to the shelter when they turn out to be less fun than the movie actors. Yes, those dogs are actors! Even Chihuahuas can act!

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You might have read some of the traditional training books or watched a certain tv show that talks about training with treats as if it were a sloppy way to train dogs, whereas training with punishment means the dog works with you because they love you. The people who avoid treast just don’t know enough about *how* to train dogs with treats, and I thought I’d write a blog post to give an overview of how to precisely use reinforcers to get reliable dog behavior.
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If you are thinking of getting a dog, but can’t make a full committment yet, or want to test out the waters, fostering is a great way to help a dog in need without committing 10-20 years of your life.

Most area shelters and rescue organizations have a foster program.  One such program is Ginger’s Pet Rescue.  Ginger’s “specializes in Death Row Dogs” and is about to have 80 dogs from a puppy mill bust in the next few weeks.  It seems like every time I hear about Ginger, she’s getting another huge batch of dogs. She needs to mobilize all the foster homes that she can get!

Find out more about Ginger’s a www.GingersPetRescue.org.

Mark your calendar!  The Humane Society for Seattle/King County is hosting a Walk for the Animals event on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9:00 a.m. – Noon at University Village in Seattle. If you have a friendly dog that would enjoy this event, please support the animals.  Click here for more info.

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Is there a middle ground between banning pit bulls in Seattle and ignoring the fact that attacks like the recent awful, terrible, scary mauling of a 71-year-old woman keep happening, by dogs reported to be pit bulls? I think so. It’s not enough to target pit bulls.  We need to prevent aggression from all breeds.   I don’t think we should settle for protecting Seattle against pit bulls. Legislation should apply to all dog breeds, whenever possible, for the most possible protection.

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Come Join Us for the Paws Cafe Grand Opening Celebration this Weekend, August 16 & 17th! Ahimsa Dog Training offers classes at Paws Cafe in Redmond, so we’ll be there helping out during part of the festivities, with free dog training advice. Grisha will be at Paws Cafe giving out tips on August 16th from 12-3 pm.

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My dog was featured in an interview of Ellen Taft, a woman who wants to ban pit bulls and many other breeds as service dogs. My dog has a big head and looks like a pit bull, though she’s actually a Boxer mix, possibly with Greyhound. Ellen Taft definitely has it out for pit bull type dogs, but also mentioned that, among other breeds, Greyhounds shouldn’t be service dogs because, and I quote, “A Greyhound is a very, very stupid dog. It was trained for one purpose, it was trained to run.”

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I recommend that everyone feed their young dogs out of food puzzles, when they aren’t using the food for training their puppies. There are lots of treat-dispensing dog toys on the market, and we even sell some of them, like the Tug-a-Jug and the world-famous Kong Toy. But dogs need variety, just like people, so instead of buying more and more plastic toys, you can make your own! The down-side is that dogs should be supervised with these do-it-yourself dog toys, versus the more indestructible toys, like the Kong. Read the rest of this entry »

I get contacted a lot by people who have fallen in love with dog training and want to know how to become a professional dog trainer. I decided to write this blog post so that I can quickly give a helpful answer.

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Seattle Metropolitan Magazine has an annual Best of the City issue. As the founder of Ahimsa Dog Training, I was featured as the “Trailblazer” in Seattle Met. Fox chose three of the Trailblazers to feature on their morning show and interviewed me with my dogs at the training center in Seattle. (The dogs are Sagan – Boxer mix, Peanut – border collie / whippet, & Spoon – border collie / hound). Click here to see the Fox “Best of the Best” Interview. The video is sometimes broken, and refreshing the Fox website seems to help.

There’s a big 3D picture in the Seattle Metropolitan magazine (page 96). Thanks again to the puppy class students for putting up with the photo shoot!

A group called Families Against Breed Bans that works to block Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in the Seattle area and elsewhere. There has been talk of creating a breed ban in Seattle for pit bulls or “fighting breeds” and I know that this is *not* the answer.
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My dog isn’t dying, at least no more than the rest of us are. But I have joint custody of a lovely, blue-eyed Basset Hound / Border Collie named Spoon that I see only rarely. She normally lives in San Diego, but I have the good fortune of seeing her for 6 weeks while my ex is on vacation. Most people don’t drive from Seattle to San Francisco just to see a dog for 6 weeks, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. I would have gone all the way to Maine, if I had to.
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Hi folks! In May, I’m going to redesign several of the classes, including Puppy & the Basic and Better Manners classes. If you have taken any of those classes and are interested in helping us teach more effectively, I’d love your feedback. I need ideas on what you liked as well as what you didn’t. If you didn’t finish the class, why not? If you continued to the next class, why? Were you happy that you did? Just reply to this email with ideas. Thanks!

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The AKC reported 30 dog thefts for January-March 2008, compared to 10 in the entire year for 2007.

I don’t know the rest of the trend (maybe 2007 was a really low year?) but the AKC is worried and so am I.

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Is your dog a stubborn Donkey Dog? A lot of dogs pull forward on leash, but some dogs and many puppies pull *backward* or refuse to walk. Pulling harder only makes the problem worse, so what should you do? One way is to teach your dog the cue, “Let’s Go!” This is especially useful for puppies and bully breeds.

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From StopCanineObesity.com: “The numbers are startling. Recent studies show that while veterinarians estimate 47% of their canine clients are overweight, only 17% of dog owners believe their dogs fit that description.”

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I’m very happy to announce that the details have finally been hammered out and Ahimsa is going to host a dog trainer workshop by Kathy Sdao in Seattle this summer. The I-Cue seminar is open to professional dog trainers and regular dog owners who have interest in taking their training a big step further. Click for seminar info & registration.

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I just made a quick video of my dog, Peanut, at Magnuson Off Leash Park in Seattle. I have him do the same chain of ten behaviors twice in a row: wait, spin, jump, heel, left turn, right turn, wait, come, sit, and carwash. There are a few dogs that Peanut just met at the dog park, for distraction.

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I’ve been asked by dog training clients several times about my opinion on the Invisible Fence. The short answer is that I really, really don’t like shock fencing; I think it’s inhumane. Watch the video below, which shows some child wearing a shock collar, for an indication of what it might be like for a dog to wear a shock collar. Read the rest of this entry »