DOGS LOVE SCHOOL! with September Morn Gentle Training for All Ages & Breeds
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DOGS LOVE SCHOOL! with September Morn Gentle Training for All Ages & Breeds
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BRING OUT THE VERY BEST IN YOUR DOG!
September B. Morn, a dog behavior specialist (since 1970) and award-winning dogwriter, is committed to gentle, reward-based, dog-and-owner-friendly teaching methods.
September trains using lure/reward and clicker methods, which are positive and fun for both dogs and handlers. She conducts private in-home training sessions and group classes in and around Shelton, Washington.
September's classes include: Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience & Manners, Agility, Rally-Obedience, Fetch Class, Clickertricks, and Musical Canine Freestyle. Call or e-mail for information on upcoming classes.
Behavior consultations with September are also available by phone (360-432-3633) or e-mail Morndogs@aol.com.
September is the author of a number of dog-related books and writes many articles for dog magazines. September's books include TRAINING YOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER (Barron's Educational Series), and PET OWNER'S GUIDE TO HOUSETRAINING (Howell/Wiley). Her articles appear in national publications such as Dog Fancy, Dogs USA, Puppies USA, the Popular Dogs Series, Clean Run, and Tufts' Your Dog magazine. September also writes the "Ask Dog Fancy" and "Puppy Life" columns in Dog Fancy magazine and "Ask Dogs For Kids" in Dogs For Kids magazine. She is a professional member of the Dog Writers Association of America and has won numerous writing awards.
EVER WONDER...
HOW SMART YOUR DOG IS?
For a FREE COPY of September Morn's PUPPY IQ TEST,
e-mail your request to Morndogs@aol.com
To contact September Morn and Dogs Love School:
Land-mail to:
P.O. Box 850
Shelton, WA 98584
phone: 360-432-3633
e-mail: Morndogs@aol.com
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Try These Games To Improve Your Dog's Manners!
"COME AWAY/ GO PLAY"
This is a cooperation game that will improve your dog's habit of coming when called, even when playing with doggie pals:
1) Have plenty of yummy treats.
2) Tell your dog "go play".
3) Let him enjoy playing with his friend for a short while.
4) Go over to your dog, put a yummy treat right in front of his nose, then wiggle that treat back and forth while moving it away from him, sort of like a fish swimming away.
5) Tell your dog, "Come Away", enticing him to follow the treat.
6) When he starts to move toward you, click and give him the treat.
7) Progress to backing away and having him take a step or two toward you before you click and reward. Gradually increase your distance from him when you call. Eventually wait until he comes all the way to you before you click/reward.
8) Give your dog the treat while holding his collar gently with your other hand. Praise with the informational phrase "Good come away!", to help him learn what the cue "Come away" means while he's getting a reward for doing it.
9) Then tell your dog "Go Play" and release his collar, gently touching his shoulder with a very, VERY slight fingertips-like-feathers push ("like launching a paper boat," is how I can best describe it).
10) Let him socialize for a while with the other pup and then call him "Come Away" again. Click and reward!
Interrupting your dog's play every so often with this game will teach him to quickly come to you whenever you call, regardless of what he's doing at the time.
Tips: Use the cookie-right-on-the-nose technique only until your dog figures out how the game works and starts moving toward you on his own when he hears "Come away." After that, use the treat as a reward but not to lure him to you.
Play this game when your dog is playing with other dogs, socializing with human friends, or sniffing the trail ahead of you on walks.
Note: ALWAYS reward for "Come Away" so your dog enjoys forming this positive habit.
The main point of this game is to teach your dog that when he leaves his fun to come to you, he gets multiple rewards:
1) the treat and praise,
PLUS
2) He gets released to go play again.
This way he doesn't lose ANYTHING by coming away from his fun... in fact, he gets good stuff and then gets to go back to his fun afterwards.
"GO WILD & FREEZE"
This is a GREAT game for energetic dogs that jump on people when overexcited.
This game teaches dogs to sit politely when asked to, even when very wound-up. Go Wild & Freeze becomes even more fun when children are included as players in the game because it teaches the kids a positive way to play with their puppy and manage his behavior.
What to do: First teach Fido to sit for a treat by holding one just above his nose then raising it slightly and moving it toward the back of his head. As the dog reaches upward for the treat, his rear will go to the floor in a sit. Click and give the treat.
Next, teach the kids and other players how to get the dog to sit for treats.
Now you're ready to start the game!
Call "Go Wild!" and have everyone jump around, wiggle, wave arms, and make happy sounds. After a few seconds, call "Freeze!" and have everyone stop and stand tall. When the action stops, the player closest to the dog asks him to sit and rewards with a treat when he does.
Then start another round. Each time wait a little longer before calling "Freeze"... after a few rounds, Fido will automatically be sitting when the players stop and stand tall.
"THANK YOU/TAKE IT"
This game teaches your dog to take an object gently and then release it when asked. The cue words for this game were selected for their polite sound. If you prefer a different cue than "Thank you" (such as "give" or "drop") this game will still work, it just won't sound quite as polite.
What to do: To teach Thank You/Take It, use a toy the pup can hold one end of while you hold the other. A plush toy or knotted rope works well.
First liven up the toy by shaking it to entice your dog to go after it. Then say "Take It" and let your dog grab on. Continue holding the toy while he mouths and plays with it.
To teach your dog to release the toy, say "Thank you" and offer a treat in trade for the toy. Hold one end of the toy and show your pup a treat held in your other hand about six inches away from the side of his mouth. Most pups and dogs will opt for the treat and let go of the toy. Don't move the toy away when your dog lets go, just hold it right where it was so he doesn't think he's lost his toy by giving it up to you.
If your pup is more toy-oriented than treat-oriented, then offer to trade another favorite toy instead of food.
With either method, when your pup lets go, praise "Good Thank You" and give the reward. Then immediately offer the original toy back, saying "Take It!" Praise "Good Take it!" and let your dog play with the toy while you keep ahold of it too.
Repeat this several times, ending with "Take it" and allowing your dog to keep the toy.
Everyone wins in this game!
"TUG OF PEACE"
Once your dog knows Thank you/Take it, you can increase the excitement level and add exercise with this tug game.
NOTE: This is NOT the competitive tug-o-war that behavior experts warn owners not to play. Tug of Peace is energetic, but not competitive and it builds an "off-switch" for doggie excitement.
What to do: Start the game by offering your pup a toy that you'll both be able to hang onto at the same time. Tell the pup "Take it" and encourage him to do so. Then begin tugging gently. Note: Do not shake the toy hard or pull upwards as these movements could hurt a puppy. Tug with a slight give-and-take motion straight ahead, in line with your dog's neck. Pull only as hard as the dog himself pulls. DO NOT try to yank the toy away, and DO resist the temptation to use your true strength. Tugging too roughly can injure a puppy's mouth or neck.
The act of pulling on the toy will encourage the dog to tug. Play this way for a few moments, then stop pulling, but continue holding the toy. Wait a moment for your pup to realize you're not actively tugging, then say "Thank you," and receive the toy from him. Praise and give a treat.
Pause momentarily, then offer the toy back in an exciting way and begin another round of Tug of Peace.
(Check periodically for more games and training tips!)
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Q&A: What IS Clicker Training?
Clicker Training is a totally gentle method that uses a distinct marker signal to let your dog know precisely what he's done right. After the marker signal sounds, a reward is given. The dog learns to enjoy doing the GOOD behaviors that make the click happen--which is just what we want.
This method works for all kinds of animals -- from chickens to Killer Whales... and of course, DOGS! Clicker training was pioneered back in the 1940s by students of B.F. Skinner who trained cats, birds, and other animals to carry out vital war-related tasks for the U.S. Department of Defense. Clicker training started catching on in the dog training world about 15 years ago, and since that time has largely revolutionized this field by adding behavioral science to the art of training.
Clicker training is a pleasant, positive way to train and a great way to engage your dog's happy cooperation.
In clicker training, a distinctive click-sound (or a short word like "Click!") is used to mark the moment the dog performs a desired behavior. A reward, most often a tasty treat, is given immediately after the click. The dog learns the click means a reward is coming.
Because the click "behavior marker" can be sounded at *precisely* the moment the dog does the desired behavior, it sends a very clear message. The dog learns that whatever he was doing at the moment the click sounded will earn a reward. This makes him want to repeat that behavior and earn more.
The better timing you have with the clicker, the quicker your dog will get the right idea. Think of taking a picture of the behavior, with the clicker as your camera shutter. If you snap an action picture at the wrong time, you'll have a blurry image. If you click at the wrong time, your dog will get a blurry idea of what he's done right.
The more accurate information you give your dog, the more easily he'll learn the skills you're trying to teach him.
With this method, training becomes a fun game for the dog as he tries to make the handler click his behavior. Clicker training is low-stress, enjoyable, effective, and highly rewarding for dogs and handlers alike.
Special clickers can be purchased from training supply sources, but usable clickers can also be "found" around most homes... lids from vacuum-bottled beverages and babyfood jars, retractable ballpoint pens, or anything else that makes a click or distinctive sound. Other marker signals can also be used -- a flashlight beam or a gentle touch on the shoulder can work as markers with hearing-impaired dogs.
Clicker training is fun and works great for teaching new behaviors and also for changing unwanted habits. Clicker training never requires forcing dogs to do anything. This allows us to teach very young pups and makes it safe for even young children to safely participate in the family dog's training.
So give it a try!
For more information, see links below to Clicker Solutions (a wonderful website and e-mail group) and to Karen Pryor's clicker training site (which has tons of great info and clicker-related products.)
With Clicker Training we use a lot of treats, so it's important to be sure those treats are a wholesome and healthy addition to our dogs' diet. Here are a couple of recipes for high-quality dog training treats:
PUPPY TRAIL MIX
2 Cups high-quality dry dogfood
1 Cup high-quality dry catfood
1/2 Cup unsweetened dry breakfast cereal (O's, flakes, puffs, or waffle types)
1/4 Cup of your dog's favorite "tasty" treats (broken into pieces same size as the dry dogfood)
Combine these ingredients and store in a covered container overnight. All the food in the container will take on the flavor of the tastiest ingredients.
PIZZA TREATS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Oatmeal (whizzed to flour texture in blender)
˝ tsp. Celery Seeds
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Basil
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Parsley
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Then add these wet ingredients to the dry mixture:
1 Lb. (2 Cups) Ground Beef
1 Cup Cooked Pumpkin (canned or fresh mashed)
˝ Cup Tomato sauce (or pureed fresh tomatoes)
2 Eggs
Mix everything together (using your hands) until consistency is uniform.
Make 2-inch to 2 ˝-inch balls of the dough, then either flatten the balls into quarter-inch thick “cookies” or roll into 1-inch diameter logs.
Bake on cookie sheet at 350˚ for 50 to 60 minutes. When done, treats will be brown and crusty on outside but springy to touch and moist inside.
Cool 20 minutes on wire rack, then put into plastic bags to finish cooling.
Refrigerate or freeze when completely cooled.
(Note: The uncooked dough freezes well, for baking weeks or months later.)
SEPTEMBER'S SUPER SALMON DOGGIE BROWNIES
Cook up 1 C rice & 1 C barley (or 2 C rice if you don't have barley)
Once the grain is cooked, mix together with:
1 (12-16 oz) can of salmon (water drained off)
3 carrots (grated finely)
1 apple (grated finely)
1-4 cloves raw garlic (pressed or grated)
2 pounds zucchini (grated finely)
1 pound pumpkin or yams (canned type or raw grated)
1/2 Cup raw fresh or frozen chopped spinach, kale, or swiss chard
2 eggs
1 tsp molasses (optional)
1 T. dried parsley (or a handful of chopped fresh)
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
1/2 tsp. dried oregano and/or basil
(Mixture will be sloppy at this point)
Blend in enough whole wheat flour (about 2 C) that dough is soft but not wet.
Spread dough about a quarter-inch thick on baking sheets, using your hands or the back of a large spoon. (Use non-stick pans or spray pans with non-stick cooking oil.)
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, then remove from oven and score into 2-inch squares with pizza cutter.
Return to oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes more, or until edges and underside are light brown.)
Remove from oven, lift away from pans with spatula, then let cool to room temperature and separate the brownies. These treats will be moist and chewy.
(If you want crunchy treats, return brownies to oven at 200 degrees for about an hour after they've initially cooled. Check often to get desired texture.)
Once cooked, keep brownies refrigerated. They'll keep fresh about a week this way. Brownies also can be frozen for later use.
The raw dough freezes well too. Portion it into plastic zip bags in convenient amounts and freeze flat. Thaw overnite in fridge and bake as above.
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