A NC Trooper has been fired after video was taken of him kicking his dog. While the video below shows disturbing footage of abuse that should not be tolerated, there are a few other points that deserve some discussion here.

First, the story indicates that the Trooper was trying to get his dog to release a toy that was provided as a reward during scent detection training. I would question why rewards beyond verbal praise by a handler are being used. This common practice with a lot of Police K9s is entirely unnecessary. A well trained dog that respects its owner/handler will be more than satisfied to work hard for only verbal praise. If that's not the case, then the dog doesn't have the greatest respect for the owner/handler IMO.

That lack of respect can cause a lot of problems when training any dog, but especially working dogs. If this dog wouldn't release a toy, how reliably will it release a suspect that it has taken down? Any Police training that focuses on heightening a dog's drive to attack without concurrently establishing strong control and releases is asking for trouble.

Certainly this Trooper's conduct appears "over the top", but the story also notes this dog was due for retirement (and actually was retired) after this incident. So here we have a dog that's been on the street for any number of years and won't release a toy when the handler tells it to release. Perhaps the NC State Police should reconsider their training practices, as well as acceptable levels of performance and reliability from dogs they have working in the field.

I previously mentioned this S. Korean company that was cloning dogs for scent detection. Now it seems the litter is here and we have some video. I actually watched two separate stories on this. In a different video the reporter indicated that the cloned dogs would save money vs. actually training a dog for scent work. Given the cost of cloning (several hundred thousand $$$) I'm not sure who's doing the math.

I featured the video below because it included actual clips of the pups and a brief interview with the trainer. The trainer describes how the dogs have been trained since birth (whatever that means) and implies the dogs are able to learn better than regular dogs. Well, the cloning issue is interesting if for no other reason than to see (perhaps) just how much of various skills (scenting) are genetics based and how much are learned... Stay tuned!

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.

As with most stories of this nature, we may never know all the details leading up to the actual incident. A large Rottweiler was off leash in a park and killed a 10 lb dachshund. The story points out the local law requires dogs to be leashed.

Regardless, behavior like this in many dogs frequently has common themes. I don't know whether the owners of this attacking dog had more dog than their experience could handle, but given some of the reported details in this story I'm left to wonder. It's not uncommon that some people buy large and powerful breeds for status, not having any clue of the responsibility involved.

If you own a large and powerful breed, early and effective training to develop discipline and respect are an absolute must. Even if the dog is friendly with you, that's no guarantee of good behavior outside the home, with other animals, guests, etc. Training helps to build behavior in which you can have confidence. It develops trust. Without training, your taking a tremendous risk . . .

I had a bit of time over the past week to view the 2 DVD set titled "Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete". The set was about 3 hours long and was very nicely produced. I have to admit that I chose the video over their book because I wanted the visual aspects that training books often lack. I was disappointed to learn (later) that the Monks receive no compensation from the sale of this video. I believe it was originally produced as a documentary for a cable channel. If you choose to research more about the methods used by the Monks, especially if you're not a trainer, the book will likely have more detail and may be of more benefit.

Covering a wealth of topics, The video had marvelous scenery as well as very well organized information. Starting with some basic philosophy and principles, the viewer is then treated to a great deal of information about how much work is involved in everything from raising and caring for these animals, to training.

The 2nd video spent considerable time discussing socialization of puppies. Many people fail to realize that the 1st 14-16 weeks of a dog's life are critical in helping it understand it's world - that's what we're talking about when we speak of puppy socialization. Everything from discovering new places and surfaces, to new sounds, sights, objects, people, places, and things. The more puppies are calmly and reassuringly helped to explore their new world, the less likely they are to develop fears and poor behaviors as they grow into adulthood. This video does a great job of demonstrating these important points for a lay person.

Regarding training, I've pointed out before how the Monks are balanced trainers in that they understand the importance of using corrections as part of training.

"This monastic group in Eastern New York raises and trains dogs as part of their quest for spiritual enlightenment. I think anyone would be hard pressed to call these Men of the Cloth cruel when you watch then work and live with dogs - but they do use corrections as part of their communication with these great creatures."

The video is a great way to see visually a typical example of balanced training. The criticisms so common on Positive Reinforcement training sites against balanced training, don't hold much weight when you take time to understand what balanced training is really all about.

Balanced training using praise, encouragement AND some corrections is nothing more than true understanding and love of dogs. Meeting the needs of your dog, rather than satisfying your own needs, is what love's all about. Dog's need structure and leadership. This video is a shining example of how the Monks live with and love these dogs. Their love includes discipline and corrections for the sake of the dog.... Their words and actions are more eloquent than anything I can blog.

Please spend some time with the Monks if you can...