Several months ago I posted an entry regarding a CD titled "Through a Dog's Ear Volume 1 - Music to Calm Your Canine Companion". My initial entry commented on many favorable comments I had heard from other canine professionals. I'm happy to report that my own experience with the CD has been very positive.

"Shep", one of my own dogs adopted at 6 months of age, has always disliked our patio room. The room sometimes creaks and makes noises with temperature changes. Because Shep was poorly socialized to noises as a pup, he is very anxious in this room. When I took Shep in the room and played the CD, his normal anxiety subsided quickly. How quickly? By track 3 he was laying down, his breathing slowed, and his normal trembling stopped. By track 5 he moved over to his mat and lay down again, this time laying on his side, resting comfortably. WOW - impressive! NOTE: For best results follow the instructions included with the CD for introducing your dog to the music under non-stressful conditions first.

Today I'd like to share news received from Lisa Spector (the pianist on the CD), of this group's "Shelter Program". This "Shelter Program" makes this great music available to Shelters and Rescues who are willing to participate in a study. The study is geared to track the effectiveness of this music in improving adoption successes - a very noble cause. If you're affiliated with a Shelter or Rescue I strongly urge you to spend a few minutes reading about this program. More info is available at: http://throughadogsear.com/shelter_program.htm

I sincerely wish this group great success. I believe their music can really make a difference in many homes, and I applaud their new program focused on helping those dogs who still need a home. I hope to share more news about yet another project from this group very soon - stay tuned!

Every May the 3rd Week is designated "Dog Bite Awareness Week". The Centers for Disease Control estimate that there are nearly 5 million dog bites each year, 800,000 requiring medical attention. Every day reports of dog attacks find owners saying; "he's such a sweet dog", "we've never had any problems before", or "we can't believe this". There are many resources on the Internet that focus on ways people can protect themselves from unfriendly dogs, but dogs that bite or attack usually provide “warning signs” long before that first incident. To address dog aggression at a preventive level, owners need to understand and look for these “warning signs” in their own pets.

Here are some common items that suggest an aggression problem may be brewing:

• Food or Toy Possessiveness - Dogs that growl or snap at people while eating or playing with toys are likely to graduate to biting and other problems. Isolating the dog during mealtime or ignoring such problems is not a solution, and usually makes matters much worse.
• Dogs that Don't Listen to Their Owners – These dogs generally lack respect for their owners, are poorly controlled, and may make poor decisions that result in injuries.
• Play biting - Common in puppies, this should be corrected early. Dogs over 3-4 months old that continue this behavior don't understand that placing teeth on people is wrong.
• Fears or Phobias – Anxiety can result in a dog that bites out of fear. Many fears can be resolved or minimized, reducing the likelihood of a bite.
• Dogs that Don't Like People or Other Animals - These dogs may suffer from a variety of issues, but they can all lead to bites or aggression.
• Previous Bite History - Any dog that has bitten once is more likely to repeat the act. Subsequent bites often increase in severity, so any bite should be cause for concern.
• Dogs that are Controlling or Dominating - Frequently dogs like this may growl, nip or even challenge owners. They require firm and experienced direction or things can get out of hand very quickly.
• Prey Kills - Many owners think nothing of a dog that kills a squirrel or rabbit. But these kills can increase a dog's prey drive, and frequently precede attacks on larger animals including people.
• Dogs that Enjoy Roaming – Whether allowed or by accident, when dogs roam (especially with other dogs), they can quickly develop high prey drives. This behavior is a common theme in many news accounts of attacks on children and the elderly.

You'll notice that none of these warning signs are specific to any breed!

While this list is not all inclusive, it describes some trends that should raise suspicion of a potential problem. If your own dog has displayed any of these behaviors, assistance from a canine professional can reduce the chances of more serious trouble down the line. Dealing early with any problem behaviors can help you enjoy your dog's company and live a good life together.

Cincinnati officials have been under pressure to address a growing problem with Pit Bull attacks and issues in several area neighborhoods. The City has had legislation for decades (1984) regarding this issue, but the problem continues.

It seems the most recent attempt to improve the problem is to get several police officers trained to recognize Pit Bulls. The officers would then be able to remove the dogs from owners that have not registered and/or insured their dog per the City's laws.

Cincinnati may feel improving Pit Bull identification is a solution, but it's not an easy thing to do. Check this link to see how well you can "find the Pit Bull". Additionally, breed specific laws unfairly penalize responsible owners and increase burdens on shelters - read more here.

Getting serious about vicious dogs means getting serious about the cause - irresponsible people breeding or raising problem dogs. Yes, laws can help, but only when they target the source instead of the symptoms.

This sad story out of Alaska begs a number of questions. According to this story, a 1-1/2 year old toddler went across a street to a neighbor's house, into the backyard, and was killed by a Husky mix that was eating. While this is tragic, it does bring up several points for discussion.

First, of course, toddlers need close supervision - it's hard to comprehend how one could go such a distance before anyone noticed. Beyond supervision, parents must realize that toddlers move in strange and unpredictable ways that many dogs may find threatening. Never assume a dog will respond favorably to your toddler.

As a dog owner, is your dog left out in the yard? Is your yard fenced? Does your dog show any aggression issues around children or while eating? Dog ownership is a responsibility, and part of that responsibility means protecting your dog from potential problem situations. It also means supervising your dog in new or unusual circumstances, making sure your dog is well behaved, and teaching your dog to understand that you're in charge. These things are particularly important with large breeds.

I had the opportunity last evening to watch 2 episodes of Victoria Stilwell's "It's Me or the Dog" on The Animal Planet Channel. Both episodes involved her working with families that had adopted terrier mixes. Both dogs were very poorly behaved in the home, on leash, and off leash.

If nothing else, I will say that Ms. Stilwell's show gives a great glimpse of PR (Positive Reinforcement) training. As those who read this blog regularly know, I'm not a big fan of that approach when working with dogs. In the past I've discussed programs featuring BT (Balanced Training, for example, Cesar Millan "The Dog Whisperer") methods, so I thought this would provide a good opportunity to discuss a television program featuring PR training.

As I watched the show I realized that I was actually growing very uncomfortable . The biggest reason was that Ms. Stilwell uses some of the same terminology and explanations I would use with clients, but her meanings were obviously far different from mine. For example, she discusses the need for leadership and structure in the home and the need to correct the dog for some bad behaviors. These are all things with which I would normally agree. Unfortunately, I saw nothing during the program to indicate to me these things were occurring.

As an example, for one dog that was routinely jumping on the owners, her "correction" was nothing more than turning away from the dog and ignoring it - this is NOT a correction. After she or the owners would turn to ignore the dog several times, the dog would stop jumping up momentarily out of confusion. At that point she would give the dog some very uninspired praise and give the impression the problem was fixed. I'd had been more impressed if the dog had been "proofed" - trying a set-up that would previously illicit the bad behavior to see whether the dog intentionally chooses the correct behavior instead.

Otherwise, most of her methods involved addressing problem behaviors by getting the dog more interested in something else - lures, treats or redirection. The show implies that the bad behaviors are fixed or improved each time, but again, these changes are never really proofed during the show. Such methods may be good ways to initiate some training, but they don't offer substantial long-term solutions. Some examples....

One dog had a problem running off while off leash. Ms Stilwell's solution was to put the dog on a long line while waving rubber toys, then blowing a whistle when the dog turned toward her. On a re-visit to the homes a few weeks later, the dogs were still on long lines and the owners were still needing to "lure" the dog to them on recalls. Not a good sign that the dog is really learning "come means come". In fact, even when SHE was working the dog, the dog was more interested in running circles around her (playing) than actually coming (obedience).

Another dog was charging other dogs while on leash walks. Her diagnosis was that the dog was fearful due to it's excited whimpering. Hard to say in a few seconds of video, but the dog didn't impress me as having any fear issues, rather just poor manners and an unwillingness to listen to the owner. Her solution involved re-directing (luring) the dog with a tug toy when other dogs were in the area. Again, maybe a short term method to gain initial attention, but the owners were still needing to carry a toy on walks weeks later. Playing with the dog when it wants to charge other dogs is not leadership. Toys or treats shouldn't be required crutches for more than a short time.

An effective training approach establishes communication, leadership, and structure. Long term use of treats or lures to keep a dog's attention actually demonstrates a lack of these things. In such cases the dog typically sees the owner as servant and subordinate. That's not a healthy human/dog relationship. I hope owners can appreciate the difference, and realize they can expect more from their dogs than this show offers.

As I've mentioned in the past, owners need to decide how they want to work with their own dogs. I respect any owner's decision, but I do feel owners should be able to make informed decisions. I felt "It's Me or the Dog", while giving a good glimpse of PR training, was more telling in what it didn't show.