Shinrin Yoku

Shinrin Yoku

As light mist hovers above the bay

Sweet morning chill greets a new day

A lone loon sings her eerie call

And it echoes through the misty wall

The stillness surrounds me in the morning light

Natures Eros and my soul unite

Surrendering to her gentle embrace

All worries and fears quickly erase

A long lost union and re-connection

Accepts all including imperfection

Sweet serenity now re-ignite

In the quiet morning light

Reinforcing fear?

In the above Youtube video you can see a dog afraid of a storm.  

Over the past few years I have been reading contradicting information on what to do when a dog is fearful such as in the case of thunder storms or fireworks.  Many dogs find these times unbearable and simply want to run and hide.  If you have ever seen a dog frighten during a thunderstorm it can rip your heart out.  They are panting, their ears are alert and pulled back, some show the whites of their eyes and the most notable characteristic, the constant shaking from the fear.  

Some literature states that we shouldn't acknowledge the fear that coddling the dog during that time will reinforce the fear.  They seem to think that providing affection during this time gives the dog the impression that it is right to feel fearful.  The literature states that we should go about our business and take the 'suck it up buttercup' attitude with the dog.  Now being female, this strongly goes against my nurturing instinct and I question how can this be good?

I've also read that we should turn the fearful time into a game, make it a fun time so that in their brain that they switch to this time being fearful to a time of having fun.  Making this negative fearful time something positive.  Now that can work in some areas but others, I don't think it is nearly as effective.  If you have a genuinely frighten dog during a thunder storm it will not want to play tug or fetch!  And trying to turn a thunderstorm into something that is excitingly fun for a dog, just doesn't seem to work very well.  I think it is because you cannot provide sufficient safe distance like what is used when doing counter-conditioning training for lets say fear aggression with other dogs.  During counter-conditioning you keep at the edge of the safe distance for your dog, slowly shrinking that distance but with thunderstorms there is no outer edge of the 'safe zone'.

I recently read a blog Eileen and Dogs and she outlined fear reinforcement issue clearly for me.  It went something like this:

• Behaviours are reinforced
• Emotions cannot be reinforced
• fear is an emotion, not a behaviour
• therefore fear cannot be reinforced

Dogs learn by trying different behaviours to obtain that which they want.  When they find a behaviour that works, they will continue to use it to obtain it.  The emotion isn't a trial and error to obtain something it is more of an instinctual response to something upsetting.

Eileen also had a link to Suzanne Clothier’s video  Calming the Fearful Dog that hit home with me.  This made more sense to me than anything else I have read!  As Suzanne states, in nature when a young animal is afraid, it rushes to its mother.  The mother then comforts the offspring; she doesn't take the "suck it up buttercup" attitude.  Suzanne continues to explain calming signals and the use of them during fearful time.  It is partly a touch but it is also our own energy, our body language and our verbal interactions that can make a difference.  Please watch the video for her insight into calming a fearful dog.

Dogs and the wonderful world of dogs!

A few years ago I adopted a couple of dogs because my spouse wanted dogs as pets.  I was always a cat person because they were more economical to keep and you could retain some independence with cats that you cannot have with dogs.  I could join coworkers for a drink after work or go away for an overnight visit and not need to get up so blessed early to walk the dogs at the beginning of the day.  But regardless I agreed to the dogs provided they were small, medium to low energy dogs.  So I was given the task of finding a pet dog and eventually I found these two rescue mutts.  These two have set me on a very interesting journey over the past four years.

I have been often accused of not doing things half-way; that when I commit to a project that I always give it my best or at least put a damn good effort into doing it right.  These two are no exception to my rule, and I have been spending time learning about these animals and applying what I learned to raising them.  I was fortunate to have been given a list of literature to read by a well respected dog walker and trainer in the Ottawa area and have had (and hope to continue to have) the privilege of training with her as a sort of apprentice relationship.

Since I have been learning so much and have seen how significantly the dog world has changed since the 1980's when I worked as a volunteer at the SPCA, I thought I would share some of this info with anyone interested.  This blog will also work as a record of things I want to remember and have the option to refer back to whether it is terminology, behaviour modification, nutrition, training and anything else canine oriented.  There is so much to learn and today there is so much information at our finger tips!

When it comes to dogs most people immediate thing of the Dog Whisperer.  When Cesar Millan migrated to America his dream was to be the best dog trainer there was.  I believe his heart was in the right place but as someone wisely put it, he ended up under NatGeoWild's thumb instead.  Cesar's techniques remind me of those I was taught in the 80's while working at the SPCA and those reinforced in the late 90's when I took dog obedience courses with my family pet.

I remember a concept that neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux had surmised was: Fear is the easiest thing to condition in an animal and the hardest thing to resolve. And that is why I think old way of training was successful.  Dogs were trained to avoid those things they fear. For example walk them using a prong collar and they don't pull to avoid pain.  Use a choke chain collar and snap it when the dog disobeys... the dog learns what to do to avoid pain.  When I watch Cesar Millan, I see this type of training.  Today, training techniques have changed 180 degrees and the more I learn the more amazed I become and the more I want to emerge myself in THIS world.

I admit, when my current pups came into my life, one of the first books I read was "How to raise the Perfect Puppy" but Cesar Millan (the second one was "Before & After Getting Your Puppy" by Ian Dunbar.  What a difference!).  I picked and chose some of Cesar's theories and techniques and applied them to the puppies in their early days.  I say pick and choose because from day one I knew that I didn't want to build my relationship with them on fear, I wanted to build my relationship with these dogs on trust, respect and affection.  I accepted Cesar's recommendation of exercise, discipline and then affection.  We walked a couple times a day and I indicated what behaviours are not acceptable and when they complied they were rewarded with affection and often treats.  i.e., when they wanted to jump on me I would indicate no but using "Eh! Eh!" (a unique sound that was used only for them) and when they sat I praised them with affection.  I later saw a video by Sophia Yin doing much the same (less the Eh! Eh!) and seeing how highly she is regarded in the dog world, I felt that I was at least somewhat on the right track.

Even though I disagree with Cesar Millan`s training techniques I do recognize the benefits that he has brought to the dog world.  And in light of the witch hunt that was happening with regards to his 'Animal Abuse' case, I think it is important to remember how he has positively contributed to the dog world.  These are what I see as his strengths:

1. Taught us that dogs psychology differs from human psychology
2. He promotes adopting rescued dogs
3. He is one of the biggest advocates for pit bulls (a big plus in my books!)
4. Teaches us dogs are not disposable items
5. Teaches us dogs require training; need to learn what is expected of them when living with us
6. Brings awareness to the issues associated with dog racing and the dog abuse in this industry
7. Has brought awareness to dog fighting and how unacceptable it is and that even these dogs can be rehabilitated
8. Brought awareness to puppy mills and the damage they do
9. Teaches us how our own energy and body language affects how a dog behaves
10. Teaches us that undesirable behaviours in dogs can be changed (though there are ways other than his).

I am sure there are many more benefits but these are a few off the top of my head.

So leaving Cesar Millan's training techniques behind, lets discuss other training options to accomplish what we want from our canine friends...