Dog Attacks and our Contribution to behaviour

According to the City of Casey, within a 12 month period there were 215 reported dog attacks - 65 against people and 150 against other animals (Cranbourne Leader October 24, 2017).
Unfortunately in the past month alone, there are been 4 (perhaps more) attacks that have received a lot of coverage in the media due to the injuries caused to humans and more often than not, children in these situations.
The media are very quick to jump to conclusions and breed blaming and shaming, which is an issue in itself. In one of the situations that received higher media attention, the breed of dog was a Boerboel (South African Mastiff) and yet in several news reports on different channels, the images shown to the public were that of Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

BOERBOEL (South African Mastiff)

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS

The reason why I raise this as an issue, is that A) the history of temperament of these two different breeds are quite different, B) the number of Stafford owners who are now concerned their dog is a vicious killer waiting to attack is on the rise (I know this due to the amount of concerned dog owners who have called me in the last fortnight for advice) and C) If we put this into human terms, imagine if we always blamed Blonde people for ALL crimes, even though one situation it was a brunette, one situation is was a redhead - I mean they all have hair, so what's the difference?

You may think it's very different, but it's not. If we talk about Nature VS Nurture for humans, can we not apply this same process to animals and in particular, to our dogs?
Just this morning another very sad dog attack on a child was reported. And this time it was not "a usual suspect". It was a Jack Russell.

JACK RUSSELL

So here is where I ask the media to stop talking about "vicious, aggressive, big dogs" and instead, ask are we open to considering that is the handling, training and discipline of the dogs themselves?

We are becoming a society that is afraid to provide consequence for undesirable/unacceptable behaviour. Consider the younger generations of kids coming through. Parents are told "smacking is abuse", "grounding/isolation is abuse", don't provide criticism as this can effect self esteem, ETC. I must start by saying I do not have children, and please understand I mean no disrespect whatsoever - in all honesty I believe today is the hardest time to try and raise a child. I am so thankful I grew up before smartphones, Wi-Fi, the need for "likes and followers" on Instagram, and schools that don't have cool playground equipment because kids MIGHT just have fun and break a leg in the process.

We have come a long way in some aspects of understanding our dogs needs. Nutritional advice by far is the biggest win. We have discovered dogs do share traits like anxiety and allergies, they get cold outside in winter and need coats, and we have things like dog rehabilitation swimming pools, agility, fly-ball etc.
As with everything where there are gains, this also means we have losses. 
People are forgetting dogs are dogs. And dogs are animals. Not humans. Animals.

Scroll through the internet and look for a dog trainer - you will see many claiming to be "positive only". According to the National Gundog Association: "Positive-only trainers avoid all aversives.  Although all ‘positive-only’ trainers make use of that part of the principles of learning theory concerning rewards, they avoid the use of those principles, which concern punishment or coercion"
To put this in basic terms, reward a dog when they are doing something good to encourage that behaviour to reoccur, and ignore bad behaviour - thus the dog will likely learn to repeat the desired behaviour in order to receive reward and praise.

I personally do not agree with Pure Positive only training methods. I am not saying that Positive Only trainers are bad - It is like some people only want to use herbal medicine and that works for them - others want the real drugs. When I have a migraine, I don't want to take a lot of herbs and plant roots even though it may work -  I believe slipping a Panadol Rapid will do the job effectively and quicker so that would be my recommendation for a friend who called me with a headache.

What I believe in is Balanced Training. Training that is flexible to suit the needs of the dog and the owner who will be responsible for implementing the advice provided by the trainer each day. Another example - if a dog is not motivated by food, why would we (try to) reward the dog with food treats. A Border Collie would learn to use chopsticks to eat if it meant a long game of tug and fetch, whereas the ultimate reward for a Labrador might be cube of cheese. 

So now this brings me to the alleged increase of dog aggression and reactivity in our pets. If we take it right back to basics (the day we bring puppy home), how does our interaction with puppy start?
Puppy school perhaps, but what does that look like? Is that "socialising" where the puppies jump all over one another, or is it puppy learning to be around other dogs, puppies and humans and remaining calm?
When we take doggy for a walk, do we put them on the spongiest most comfortable harness with pretty patterns because it looks nice and we don't want doggy to hurt themselves when they're dragging us down the street, or do we consider an alternative tool like a martingale where we can teach "loose lead walking" and a dog that will not pull at all?
To quote one of my mentors Bob Graham:
"A moment of discomfort prevents a lifetime of regret". 

If a dog understands what the boundaries are, and what is at stake - they are intelligent enough to MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE when it comes to their behaviour.
Example: (From dog perspective) The doorbell rings.. ooh, that means more people are here. I like to jump all over people when they come over. But I have learned that if I jump on people, I am going to be shut in the laundry for 10 minutes without any toys, food or my comfortable bed. I know that if instead, I don't jump and I go and grab my toy and lie on my bed with my toy, I will be allowed to be around these humans which is really important to me.
That sounds simple doesn't it? And yet so many people would instead hear the doorbell, race the dog to the door, hold the dog by the collar and as the dog jumps, apologise profusely before offering two options 1) I'll put doggy outside or 2) he'll calm down in a few minutes.
I know. I used to be one of them.
And you know what? That is okay to be one of those people if you are prepared to do something about it.
If I said to you "if you let your dog jump on visitors, your dog will be KILLED", would that create a higher sense of urgency and purpose?

On behalf of all dog trainers, we do not like having to tell pet owners that their dog is likely to maim, hurt, injure or kill. But we need pet owners to understand they have an ANIMAL with TEETH.. if they feel threatened, like they have no choice or way out, if they are challenged, they will do what is instinctive to protect themselves. 

If you read this and think "yep! I'm calling a trainer tomorrow", that's great. But please be aware that (unless you get a dodgy trainer), a reputable balanced trainer will tell you there is no quick fix. If your dog is growling at you now, one session is not going to "fix" your dog to the point where you can ever leave your baby alone unattended with your dog. Ever.
Training a dog is a life. long. commitment. 

We as dog owners must take some responsibility for the behaviour of our dogs, similarly as your primary school principal would call you in to discuss your child if he/she were a bully. "What's going on at home? "Is your child getting enough stimulation?" "Is your child confident?"

Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Don't fear judgement in admitting you don't know what to do. We will do whatever we can to improve the relationship between you and your dog so that you can share a beautiful, stress-free, loving relationship. A dog you will be proud of. And a dog that will be so thankful for your dedication it will show you nothing but respect and loyalty.
A dog that will not become another unfortunate statistic in surrendering or euthanizing.

Let's do this together.

Kelly Grace.
Director and Head Trainer
K9 Evolution.
www.k9evolution.com.au

Crate Training - Misconceptions of "the cage"

In my experiences as a Trainer, I come across dogs with all sorts of issues - destructive behaviour, separation anxiety, aggression and even injuries that require rehabilitation assistance. To name just a few.
In many of these situations I often ask "is your dog crate trained?" and more often than not, I get a look of horror like I just asked "do you throw your dog in a cupboard all day?" with a curt "No, we don't want to lock our dog in a cage."

I empathise. The first time I went to a friend's house and they had a dog in a crate all I could think was "that poor dog, locked up in that small pen". Until I found out the dog had just undergone major surgery and had to be confined for it's own health. So okay, that is one situation. Here are a few more:

1) You have an extremely hyperactive dog who has not completed obedience successfully (yet), and your friends asks you to babysit their kids tonight. You want to help, but what to do when you know Doggy is going to jump on them and possibly cause injury?
2) Your dog has major separation anxiety. Every time you leave the room, let alone the house, the dog gets into a frenzy and destroys your couch, your bed, your valuable teddy bear that your deceased Nanna gave to you at birth
3) Every time you need to take Doggy in the car to the vet, the kennels, the groomer, he gets into such a frenzy that at some point he will most likely cause you to have a car accident
4) You have introduced excitable little puppy into old boys house. He showing grumpiness as puppy will never leave him alone (and all you can hear is Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon saying "I'm too old for this
sh!t")
 - While I could give more examples, I think (hope) you catch my drift.. there are definite advantages of having a dog that is trained to be comfortable and content to be in a crate for a period of time.

Dogs (being descendants of wolves) often like to have their own space where they can relax - a space that is theirs where they can be left alone. Their hideaway. Their own bedroom/haven so to speak.

If you were to introduce a dog to a crate with POSITIVE experiences the whole way, do you think the dog would still believe it was an evil cage? Hell no! We can create the type of experience the dog associates with that crate, one that is positive, one where they would choose to relax inside, rather than taking over your couch.



So how to we do it? Like with all dog training, with patience and allowing the dog to make the right choice that will benefit them. 
As an example, lets say you hate emptying the dishwasher. Like that is the. worst. job. ever. 
If I gave you $50 bucks every time you emptied the dishwasher, would you do it? Would that make it more appealing than if I gave you absolutely nothing if you sat on the couch? Of course! 
So, if we gave your dog a treat every time he entered the crate, and no treats any other time, do you think that may entice them to go in? I would be willing to bet that $50 on it.

The key is, slow steps. You don't throw a biscuit in the crate, and as soon as the dog enters you shut the door and walk away.. hell no! We introduce it slowly.

When you're ready to introduce your dog and/or puppy to crate training, contact us and we can come and show you a step by step method to success and creating a positive experience for both you and your dog.
We look forward to being a part of your dog's evolution.