Training Tools - Harness

How often have we seen dogs wearing this sort of apparatus? A harness. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I went to the dog park this week and saw FOUR dogs wearing one of these! FOUR! And guess what?? They were all small dogs ... one puggle, one pug, one JRT/beagle mix and one beagle.

Most people I know get the harness because their dog pulls which causes it to cough. The people don't want their little poopsie-poo to hurt their itty-bitty-widdle trachea, so they buy a harness. HELLO!? If you train your dog you won't have that problem!

If you are concerned about your dog's trachea, consult your veterinarian. That's what he or she is there for. I cannot stress this enough. I don't care how much experience with the breed you have. YOU ARE NOT A VET. Far too many people do a little research on the internet and act like they know it all. Did you know that your vet went to school for ten years to learn this stuff? It's not something you will learn in 10 minutes.

If your vet does some tests and tells you there are problems, then you need to look for alternatives ... but otherwise, your dog is taking your for a ride. Like it or not, dogs will figure out how they can have their own way ... they will work it.

What am I thinking?! This is not a world where we train our dogs ... it is a world of disposable pets and instant gratification! Of course. Why would I expect people to be responsible?

I have also had people tell me they use it on their pug-type dogs because of the danger of the eyeballs popping out from a normal collar ... again I refer you to your veterinary practitioner. Unless your Vet has specfically recommended that you use a harness, you shouldn't.

Harnesses were developed to make it comfortable for a dog to pull. See the picture to the right? That is what they were designed for.

When you use a harness, you actually teach your dog to pull. Have you ever met a dog on a harness that doesn't pull? Think about it.

Training Tools - Martingale Collar

To me, the martingale collar is an interesting training tool. It is generally made of a combination of nylon and chain.

I've heard the martingale called many things including a hybrid between the flat collar and a choke chain. Many trainers encourage people to use the martingale because of its durability as well as its flexibility.

The collar can be adjusted to the proper size for the dog's neck. Properly fitted, it should sit loose on the dog's neck and you should be able to pull it over his/her head.

As with most other tools, if it is used improperly, it can be a dangerous item. Anything you put around your dog's neck could potentially cause damage if you aren't careful (yes, including the flat collar!) so always be careful.

There are a few things to watch out for with these collars.

Some companies have swapped out the chain portion for fabric. It changes the look of the collar and I can only assume it is because it doesn't look as "mean". This isn't very good though, because the release isn't quick enough. It also isn't as strong and it doesn't make the same sounds.

Some companies have made the chain links rather large. This is more for look than of any benefir to use. Remember when choosing a collar for your dog that the smaller the links, the faster it will adjust itself during use. You want quick-release, so you will want smaller links.

See if you can find one that has non-slip fabric on it. I have found that if you get one that is all nylon, it will automatically adjust its size on you without you realizing it.

I use this type of collar with the foster dogs because I find it works well. I don't like the choke because if your dog is not at the proper angle to you, the release doesn't work well and the chain stays where you tug it. Also, if you use a choke, your dog always has to be on the side you set up the collar - with the martingale, it doesn't matter.

I really like to use positive rewards to train a dog rather than correction because I find most dogs respond better this way. There are some instances, however, where I have found an interruption works best and I have found that the martingale works well for interruption without the need for correction.

Remember that with all training tools, it is just that. You should aim to train your dog to respond to your commands beyond the need for tools.

Have you tried this collar? What are your opinions of it so far?

Training Tools - Leash

It's been a long time since I've posted a Training Tools entry. The last one was about the Prong Collar on December 6. Since it has been so long, I thought I'd remind everyone that Training Tools are just that - a means or "tool" to help you help you teach your dog how to obtain the ultimate goal ... Freedom. You need to train your dog so that you can trust exactly what it will do in any situation. So, today I thought I'd blog about the Leash.

The leash is something that a lot of people forget to consider as a "Tool". They see it as a necessity and something they use every day, but not as a stepping stone to further their dog's education.

The leash is just that. A tool. You use it to train your dog how you would like them to walk with you. You should use your daily walks as an opportunity to teach. It's not only a time for Fido to use the "facilities" so to speak and burn off a bit of energy. What a great opportunity that so many people pass by without blinking.

Why is this so difficult for most dog owners out there?? The first thing you do is teach them to walk with a loose leash. When you have that, you teach them how to Heel. When they can do both these things without you holding on to the leash, you remove the leash and teach them how to do the same exercise without a leash.

The best advice I have ever heard regarding teaching a Heel was this; Talk to your dog! If you were walking with a person and they never spoke to you, how boring would that be? Or how would it feel if they only spoke when you did something wrong?

In my opinion you shouldn't need a leash to walk your dog. Your dog should want to walk with you. I don't mean tearing around off leash and recalling when you call - that's a different and equally important behaviour. I mean properly walking with you as though the leash really were there even if it's not.

As is the case with all training tools, the leash is only a tool and another step towards the ultimate gift an owner can give a dog - Freedom.

Training Tools - Prong Collar

I know I've already posted about the choke chain and this is a variant of that, but I REALLY want to put up a posting about this. For those of you who are not familiar with it, this picture is a prong collar.

The way it fits is it goes around the dog's neck like a choke chain. The martingale will tighten as the dog pulls and the prongs push on the dogs neck. In theory, it is supposed to teach a dog not to pull.

Now, I need to insert a comment here that if your dog wants to be with you, then he wouldn't be spending all his energy trying to run away from you and pulling on leash, would he?? If your dog is pulling on leash then you have other issues underneath the pulling problem and you should start looking at your relationship with the dog.


Many people feel they need to use prong collars for their dogs to keep them under control (especially large breeds). These collars are often used for dogs that pull on the leash. Used properly, I hear they can be a safe and effective training tool. To use properly, the dog must be able to walk on leash without pulling excessively and without lunging. If they do, you risk damaging your dog. (now, if your dog walks on leash without pulling excessively and lunging then why do you need a prong collar??)

If they are not used properly, this can happen. If the dog lunges or pulls or the owner pulls too hard, the prongs have the ability to enter the animal's neck.

Now, this seems a bit like an oxymoron to me ... if you have a dog that pulls too hard, you may want to get a prong collar, but you can't use the prong if the dog pulls too hard otherwise you may harm your dog ... are you confused yet?

In order to use it safely and effectively, the dog needs to be a NON-puller. So then why would you feel that you need to resort to the prong in the first place??

Obviously, this is a tool I have never used and won't, but I wanted to point it out. I do know owners who swear by it. If you can't figure out how to teach your dog to want to be with you, then why would you think that forcing a dog in this way would make it want to do it any more??

Training Tools - The Walk

Wanted to put in a word about walking your dog. Walking is important, but PLEASE use your common sense! We wouldn't want you to get tasered ... read this article to learn what not to do and how to prevent being tasered while walking your dog. Here is another article about the same guy that is a little more ... well, you'll see.

Please look into the laws of the area you live in. If you are not allowed by law to walk around nude, than chances are good that walking your dog nude is not a good idea. There may be ones you aren't even aware of, such as walking your dog in cemetaries. Check out this article for an example of this and what could happen if the laws of your area dictate that you should not have your dog in a cemetary.

That being said, we all have to remember that walking with your dog is good for them. It provides mental and physical stimulation. They take everything in - people, places, dogs, squirrels, cats, cars, sirens - whatever they see and hear. Walking is as important to their physical health as mental health.

The length of the required walk is, of course, dependent upon the individual animal as well as the goals you have set. If you are walking simply to relieve your dog, than perhaps 15 - 30 minutes will suffice, though I don't recommend that that be all the walking your do that day! If you are walking to provide stimulation and exercise for your dog, then longer will likely be required (probably more than an hour depending on the dog).

The physical state of your dog should not be ignored. If your dog is overweight, underweight or has medical conditions, you will have to adjust your walks and exercise to accommodate.

Walking is an important training tool. If your dog is reactive or has other leash issues, then why don't you go somewhere that you can be pretty sure you can walk without too many distractions? What about a quiet parking lot in an industrial area?

Not all dogs can simply put on a leash and walk down the street. That does take training (though not everyone is aware of that). However, that does not mean that you should neglect this basic tool simply because you have to teach your dog how to use it. It is important.

Training Tools - A Tired Dog

I'm going to touch briefly on my mantra of a Tired Dog is a Good Dog. I know that some people know this - but I wonder some days at how many people know it but don't fully understand it.

I'm sure that we can all agree that your dog is a blank slate waiting for you to teach it. Each and every behaviour is a learned one - whether you meant to teach it, it came with your dog, or it was a behaviour that was inadvertantly rewarded without you realizing it.

So, you want to teach your dog something, but he's bouncing all over the place. Maybe you want to teach how to walk on a leash? Or perhaps you want to teach them something else like a cute trick or rally-o or something. Perhaps a soft skill such as not to eat things off the living room table?? Regardless what you want to do with him - you don't have a dog that is ready to learn if he/she is bouncing all over.

True, some dogs have more energy than others and are often classified as "hyper" dogs. Regardless of the energy level, you can tire a dog out if you try, it just takes different things for different dogs. I've seen dogs with more and less energy, but it's all the same ... it is up to the owner to know their dog and be able to provide him or her with the stimulation that he requires.

You wouldn't try to make a child sit down and learn to read when he's in this state, so why would you try to make your dog do this? It is simply setting the dog (and child!) up for failure. Then it is really the owners who fail the dog, not the dog who fails.

Training Tools - Choke Chain

So, how many people out there have been told that their dog should be trained on a choke chain? I was told I should use one for my reactive dog.

I know they work and I know that some people swear by them. Personally, I don't like using them. We are required to use them at the Pound for all the dogs that come in (with no history on the dog, it is difficult to work with anything else), but on my own dogs, I don't. (Once I've worked with a Pound dog for about a week, I will usually switch to a martingale collar, but that is another post!)

I like using positive methods - such as rewards - for proper heels and not pulling on leash. I know a lot of people find that the quick-tug works for their dogs. Although it can work for some dogs, it doesn't for others. Each dog is different and training should be different for each accordingly.

Personally, I have found that the quick-tug doesn't work well for many dogs and have had much more success with more dogs by using positive rewards (toys/treats/etc).

Do you use a choke chain? Have you used one in the past? Would you consider using one if you ended up with a large dog (possibly close to the same weight as you?) that was reactive on leash or would you use something else??

Training Tools - NILIF

So, what is NILIF and why have I listed it as a Training Tool? Well, because I believe it is something that trainers should use (or at least try) and also that it is just as much a Training Tool as a Clicker (follow up post on this later). With NILIF, you may be using food, toys or attention as your rewards, but they are still tools to be used at your (the trainer's) discretion.


NILIF is an acronym for Nothing In Life Is Free. What does this mean? Well, it means that everything the dog receives, eats, everywhere he goes, etc is earned. Here's the basic break down: (if you want details, go to the link above)


- Every time the dog gets a cookie or a meal, he has earned it
- Every time you touch or pat the dog, he has earned it
- Every time the dog wants to go through a doorway or gets up on a piece of furniture he has earned it
- Every time you play with your dog it is because he has earned it


I have seen time and time again how well this training works with rescue dogs and I've also seen it work well with pets people have had from the puppy age. NILIF is a wonderful base that you can build on with most other training.


So many people I know are looking for ways to help them bond with their dogs. People want to feel closer to their dogs and they want to feel that there is a link between them. NILIF is one of the many great ways to do this.


It can teach the dogs that they are important in your eyes and that you are aware of every little thing that they do. It's like the mom who knows when the kids are getting into trouble even when they are in another room ... how does she know what we were doing?!


Some of what I have mentioned in earlier blog posts is that your dog should want to be with you. How do we accomplish this? Why would the dog want to be with you? You teach the dog that it is a good and rewarding thing to be with you, whether that means that they are rewarded with an item or with praise, you still have to teach them that these things are good and that they come from the handler. Remember - behaviours are learned habits and/or reactions.


NILIF can give you a good base or foundation to build your future training routine on (such as those immediate recalls and the building of desire to be with you). If you have already had your dog for a while, you can still introduce NILIF - your dog can and will learn. Sometimes something as simple as NILIF can give a dog enough of a challenge, stimulation and excitement in its day to prevent a few bad behaviours - it's a win-win situation for both you and your dog!


Why don't you give the NILIF a try and see what it does for your dog and you? Do you already use NILIF? What experiences have you had with it? What is your opinion?

Training Tools - Gentle Leader

Ok, so let's look at the Gentle Leader. This device is often used by people trying to teach their dogs to walk beside them. Honestly, I don't think this device is necessary to use while training your dog.

Usually it is used by people who are so busy trying to get to the destination, they are forgetting about the journey. Here's the thing. Big or Small, you can teach your dog to walk beside you. You don't need a fancy head collar.

I know a lot of people talk about how they have to use it for the big dogs because the dog is "SO" much stronger than they are. Uh ... hello? I'm a pretty small person and I have trained some pretty big, pully, scary dogs. When the dog out-weighs you, you need to figure out a better way to train them that DOESN'T involve physical "persuasion".

The thing is that you spend time teaching them how to walk properly on a leash so that by the time you are ready to walk further, then they know what they are doing. You don't need to take your dog to the park in the first two weeks you own it! You don't need to walk it a million miles in the first month if you are spending lots of time (like 15 - 30 minutes every hour you are home) training him or her. Why? Because if you are spending that much time actively training, then your dog won't be bored, will he?

Did you know that I watch a total of 3 hours of TV per week? I have two shows that I watch (after dark) and THAT'S IT! The rest of the time I am outside with my dogs, working around the farm, training the other animals, or spending quality time with my hubby. If you keep your dog stimulated and teach him that he wants to be with you, then why would he ever try to run away when you're walking him?

One of my mantras that I use regularly is - A Tired Dog is a Good Dog. Well did you know that mental fatigue is more tiring than physical fatigue??

Here's an article about the "Not So Gentle Leader"
http://www3.sympatico.ca/tsuro/_articles/gentle_leader.html

Here's a bit about Gentle Leader causing sores on the nose and hair loss
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/Sores-hair-loss-puggle.htm

A few more on Sores and Hair Loss caused by the Gentle Leader
http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/ftopict-21130.html
http://www.prodoggroomingsupplies.com/dog-forums/showthread.php?t=31794

There are many other articles, stories, and instances of people whose dogs end up with sores on their faces after using the Gentle Leader. The sores can occur for a few reasons but the most common is that the device is not properly fitted to the dog. Sometimes people buy one for their 6 month old pup and the dog grows ... the device stays the same.

When I worked at the vet clinic there were many people who came in with dogs with nose sores from the Gentle Leader. Sometimes we could treat the wounds. Sometimes it was permanent. It was very sad when the owner of a 10 month large breed dog was told that their dog would probably have the bald spots for ever ... some would be grief stricken (not to mention guilt ridden!) ... others would opt to euthanize their dogs. All for the sake of a bit of training ...

Always remember - A Tired Dog is a Good Dog.

Have you used the Gentle Leader? What was your experience with it?

Training Tools - Electronic Collars

One of the many training tools out there are electronic collars (commonly referred to as the "shock collar"). I have seen trainers recommend them for dogs thinking that it will resolve the issues. In my opinion, it may resolve that specific problem, but in using such a device, you are actually creating more problems that you will just have to fix later. It does provide the "quick fix" that some people are looking for.

I know some trainers believe that for certain things, this is the best way to teach your dog. Here is one link from a trainer's site that promotes the use of the collar ... thought I'd include it so we look at both sides of the picture here. I had tried to find a few to post, but turns out ... not many trainers seem to make a good enough case for using them! I found quite a few sites that simply state that they use it, but don't suggest where, when or why.

http://www.uwsp.edu/PSYCH/dog/LA/castle3.htm

In my experience, by training with these sorts of devices you aren't teaching your dog to listen to you, pay attention to you or care a smidge what you say - it only teaches them that they shouldn't disobey in certain things. If you want to train recall, why not teach the dog that there is something in it for them and have them WANT to be with you?

Regarding the link above for Dr. P's dog training - I have trained dogs to keep out of the garbage without electronic collars ... among many of the other things listed. If you want to teach your dog not to pull on the leash, why not take the time to teach him how to heel?

There are so many better ways to train your dog. Sure, the electronic collar may seem to work to eliminate an undesired behaviour ... but what are you creating? Why not spend more time with your dog, bond with it some more, and train it fully?

These collars are sometimes used by people to train dogs to do (or not to do) certain things. Some are bark collars that shock the dog each time that the dog barks or makes a loud noise (they can often still whine without a shock). Some are used as training tools and they have a remote control that allows the handler to shock the dog each time the dog does something the handler doesn't want.

So if you're going to put this thing on your dog's neck, why don't you try it out first? So many people I have met that use them have never even tried it, they just buy it and put it around their dog - no adjusting. Here are a few videos of people trying out this collar to see what it feels like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Uyp5CsPUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq996M-zgvU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wU2sfGF1do&feature=related

Make your own decision on whether or not to use this tool, but at least know what you are getting into first! Or know what your are getting your dog into. Personally, I don't use these collars.

It takes years to teach children how to function in the world and to prep them for it, so why do we expect our dogs to learn it in a few days? Training takes time and effort but you will find that the results will be well worth the work!