mARFa Dog Blog

Dogfighting Images and Robert Steven's First Amendment Rights

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:48:22 -0500

Robert Stevens filmed dogfights and imported Japanese dog fight videos. He sold his videos through his business, “Dogs of Velvet and Steel”. Video titles include, “Catch Dogs and Country Living” and “Pick a Winna”, in which viewers are asked to determine which dog they think will win a fight. He is a pit bull man and I would love to have a copy of his book, “Dogs of Velvet and Steel: Pit Bulldogs: A Manual For Owners” for review and as an addition to my library. The book is reportedly a wealth of information contributed by various dog men on how to select, condition and medically treat injured fighting dogs. It is currently priced on Amazon.com from about $300, used to over $500 dollars, collectible. I won't be buying a copy at those prices.

In 2003, Mr. Stevens was sentenced to 37 months in prison for three counts of trafficking in animal cruelty under a 1999 law designed primarily to, pardon the pun, squash a plethora of sexual fetish videos that depicted women crushing small, live animals with their feet. That law, which dealt with trafficking of images, was struck down in 2008 by a federal appeals court on grounds that it violated the First Amendment. A few days ago, the Supreme Court agreed. Dog lovers everywhere are outraged at the apparent injustice. “What will they allow next? Child pornography?” some asked.

Congratulations! You're a Dog Trainer

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:55:00 -0600

Congratulations! You’re a Dog Trainer

You have a dog, and whether you intended to be one or not, you are now a Dog Trainer. It's true. Whenever you interact with your dog, someone is being trained – it's either you or the dog. And, it’s best if you are training the dog, not the other way around! Learning doesn’t stop just because a scheduled training session is over. Unfortunately, many dog owners don’t realize that they signed up for a fulltime Dog Trainer position when they acquired their dog. When they do realize it, they are understandably unsure of how to do the job. Which book to read? What collar to use? Which training method?

There are hundreds of books about how to train a dog and it's not uncommon for the authors to coin a phrase for a common training technique to make it their own. Although sometimes that helps make a training concept more understandable for some people, it also tends to make the reader think that the author invented the technique and creates a cult following of fans. Some of the best dog trainers are not authors - and some authors are not the best dog trainers. Some people are talented enough to be both.

Goatheads

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:03:00 -0600

“Goatheads” aka Texas sandburs, are the fruit of the puncturevine, Tribulus terrestris L. and are a bane of existence here in the Southwest. The seeds pods are small, nasty, spiky, thorny, painful things that will puncture your sandals or a tire, not to mention your dog’s paws. My dog refuses to walk in unfamiliar grass but she’s not safe on pavement, either. The stickers are blown by the wind and can hitch a ride on the bottom of shoes, pant legs, car tires and animal fur. There’s always an odd few that turn up on sidewalks. Puncturevine is not a native species, so kill it with impunity. Visit www.goatheads.com to learn how to identify the plant and get rid of the little buggers. Your dog will thank you for it.

Snake Avoidance Training

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:40:15 -0500

I was very disappointed in today's Marfa Public Radio KRTS 93.5 FM interview with snake avoidance trainers from "Natural Solutions" (snakeaversiontraining.com) in California. Although the topic was dog training, the major focus of the interview was the muzzled live rattlesnakes in the studio. If there was a dog in the studio, I couldn't tell. But here's a kicker. When asked how to contact the trainers for their training in Alpine tomorrow, listeners were told to call the trainer'' mom! This is rarely if ever a good sign when shopping for a dog trainer! Before dog owners hand over their dog to anyone for training, they should consider the following criteria from the old American Dog Trainers Network website, www.inch.com/~dogs/ reprinted below:

An excellent reputation. Shop around and get recommendations from your vet, the ASPCA, or other city humane societies, other reputable trainers, or your breeder/breed club.

Widespread experience. Inquire about his or her training background, years of experience, and areas of expertise. You deserve to have your questions answered, so don't be timid about asking them.

It's All Tricks - How the Words We Use in Training Can Affect Our Attitude

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:34:06 -0500

Back when I taught group Obedience classes, I noticed a difference in attitude between Obedience students and the students in my Tricks classes. Students in Obedience tended to be more anxious, serious and hypercritical. Students in Tricks classes were more relaxed, laughed more often and were more forgiving of their dogs’ and their own learning curves. I began to include optional tricks as homework assignments for Obedience students but, less than half opted to train any tricks. In later classes, I tried turning Obedience training into games. But, it became apparent to me that many students who were there for “Obedience” were not there for fun and games That was a long time ago and in retrospect, the reason my students were not having fun was in due, in part, to my limited experience as an instructor but also due to semantics.

Our choice of words is important. Traditional obedience training trickled down from military dog training and some of us still use military terms. “Obedience” means strict compliance with orders and submission to rules. “Command” means to issue orders, dominate and control. Those words give us an expectation of immediate, strict compliance and the feeling that we need to dominate our dogs. No wonder we weren’t having as much fun as the Trick classes!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:41:16 -0500

If the best candidates for family pet are being spayed or neutered by responsible dog owners, who is deciding what genes go into the canine gene pool?

Have We Come a Long Way, Baby?

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:43:25 -0500

Somebody on Twitter asked “How did we train dogs before shock, prong and choke collars?” This was “re-tweeted” a few times, insinuating that dog trainers should never use these tools and suggesting that they are relatively new, torture devices. At least, that’s the impression I got. I could be wrong but in any case, I’ve got an answer to the question and a reason to blog. Warning - long blog ahead.

Looking at ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek art and artifacts, dog collars have not changed much in form, only in material. Working dogs wore a strong metal or leather strap around their necks to give handlers control over the animals. Dogs who guarded flocks, or were used to hunt or fight large, powerful animals (including man), wore leather collars studded with sharp nails on the outside to protect the dogs’ necks during battle. Dogs that that pulled wagons or carried equipment wore harnesses suited to the type of work they performed. Dogs were restrained with heavy chains and thick leather straps. Dogs owned by the well-to-do wore fancy collars.

Shelter Dogs Trained for "Will Rogers Follies"

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:27:51 -0500

I was asked to train five shelter dogs to perform in the Theater of the Big Bend production “The Will Rogers Follies” running from June 26 through July 12 at Kokerot Outdoor Theater in Alpine.

Whippet (?) mix Cherry learned to target an object, bow and go to her crate; Shepherd mix Thelma learned to play dead, bow, and recall (come when called; Golden mix Daisy learned to jump on people (also something we usually train dogs NOT to do – don’t worry, it’s on cue) and push an object with her nose and; hound mix Sierra learned to grab and pull a rope.

The fifth dog was adopted before training was completed and could not be in the show. Daisy has been adopted and will go to her new home after the play closes.

Cherry, Thelma and Sierra are available for adoption at Grand Companions Humane Society in Fort Davis but we hope that after people see their performance, they will also be adopted soon. For adoption information, contact Grand Companions Humane Society 432-426-3724 or visit www.grandcompanions.org

Not Just Another Rant About That Guy on TV

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:01:24 -0500

Although veterinarian behaviorists and animal behavior organizations have come out repeatedly with position statements advising pet owners to avoid dominance-based, aversive training methods, the people who produce the popular TV show starring That Guy in Hollywood (you know who I mean) continue to market to a gullible TV audience. Make no mistake, the program is about ENTERTAINMENT. Here are some excerpts from their website.

“A television show wouldn't get very far without its team of producers paving the way,”

“We're partners in a joint venture with MPH Entertainment. MPH/Emery/Sumner Productions.”

“I called Sheila and suggested that Cesar's ideas would make a good television show.”

“Most of the time we can tell pretty quickly whether or not the story is one we're looking for, and whether the case would make a good episode.”

“People need to understand that they're submitting to be on television, and we will need to use their audition video in the episode.”

“In the beginning we were always on set. But as things progressed, there's much more to do now with CMI and all the products, and we've become much more involved in that side of things. But we're still very involved in finding new stories. And it's become difficult, because a lot of our submissions are the same five bad behaviors over and over.”

Animal Communicators aka Pet Psychics

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:34:20 -0500

I have it on good authority that a Marfa animal communicator is peddling her wares in the Big Bend area. I am not impressed. Anyone can be an animal communicator if they quiet their minds. I happen to be a household appliance communicator and my rates are quite reasonable. My specialty is kitchen appliances, but I can do most room varietals, including garage and woodshed appliances.

Concerned Appliance Owner: “Can you tell me why my toaster is depressed?”

Me: “Your toaster is depressed because it feels crumby deep down inside.”

Seriously, a lot of people think their pet can communicate with psychic abilities but when those abilities are put to the test, what's going on is normal not paranormal.

Animal behavior is no secret. Each species has an “ethogram”, a collection of observable behaviors. Ethograms have been published by ethologists (scientists who study animal behavior) for many species. These behaviors are generally organized into categories such as agonistic, appeasement, appetitive, and sexual. When it comes to our pet dogs, cats, horses and birds, there is quite a lot of literature about behaviors and what the behaviors communicate.

Change We Can Believe In

Fri, 01 May 2009 22:30:14 -0500

President Obama's family dog trainer, Dawn Sylia-Stasiewicz, is a fellow IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Professional Member of the APDT. She has done more to get the word out about positive training in just a few weeks than any of us has been able to do in years. Thank you, Dawn!

The Caveman Days of Dog Training

Fri, 01 May 2009 18:37:12 -0500

I'm always surprised when I run into someone who thinks that training their pet (or their client's pet) requires force, punishment and domination. Most of my colleagues who learned to train dogs using a choke chain (slip collar) know exactly what veterinary behaviorist Sophia Yin, DVM means when she refers in her new book to her "caveman days" of training. Those early days of my instruction are far behind me (has it really been 40 years?!) and I can call it "old school". Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything else people do that routinely involves seeking out antiquated technology or technicians.

Most of us seek out a professional who uses the most modern, proven equipment and techniques available. Can you imagine going to a dentist or surgeon who uses 100-year-old techniques and equipment exclusively? How many of us still use a 50 year old TV, washing machine, refrigerator, calculator or car everyday? Why then, I find myself asking, do people continue to use out-dated dog training equipment and methods? For one thing, they just don't know any better.

IAABC Animal Behavior Conference 2009

Fri, 01 May 2009 10:16:09 -0500

This year's conference of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) featured Behavior Analyst, Dr. Susan Friedman and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Pamela Reid along with several IAABC member-speakers, including yours truly. The conference was held at the Doubletree in Houston, TX and sponsored by Premier Pet Prodcucts, Comfort Zone, Kong, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Karen Pryor Academy for Dog Trainers and Austin Cotton.

Susan Friedman is a psychology professor at Utah State University. Over the last decade, she has helped pioneer efforts to apply to animals the scientifically sound teaching technology and ethical standard of Applied Behavior Analysis that is so effective with human learners. Susan is a core member of the US Fish & Wildlife Service's California Condor Recovery Team and has been nominated for the Media Award, given by the International Association of Behavior Analysis, for her efforts to disseminate to pet owners, veterinarians, animal trainers and zookeepers the essential tools they need to empower and enrich the lives of all learners. Susan presented twice at the IAABC conference. Her keynote address, "Beyond Classical and Operant Conditioning - Are There Other Ways Animals Learn" set the tone for the 3-day educational conference. Her second presentation was "A Protocol for the Functional Assessment of Behavior Problems and Intervention Design" I began using Susan's functional assessment model a few years ago after attending one of her talks. I find it extremely valuable in assessing problem behaviors in dogs. It helps me to design an effective behavior-change plan that also fits in with each clients' individual needs, environment and skills. But enough about me.

Expectations

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:49:10 -0500

A desperate call came to my home phone recently and went something like this:

ME: "Hello".

DOG OWNER: "My vet gave me your number. You a behaviorist, right?!

ME: "I'm a.."

DOG OWNER: "Oh thank GOD! I really need one. He's out of control"

ME: "Who? Your vet?"

I called back from my office phone where I could listen, access my computer and my telephone intake form. The main concern was that the 12-week-old golden-doodle puppy refused to walk on the leash when it was time to go back home. He just sat down and refused to move. The owner had to drag him behind or just carry him. Dog-savvy friends had been called in for advice and to help, but he wouldn't walk home for them, either. "Nothing works," the owner said. Not even hot dogs could lure the puppy that last block home. The puppy spent much of his time in the kitchen because he was not reliably house trained and chewed throw rugs and furniture. He also ate rocks, dirt, sticks - and throw rugs. He went outdoors to potty, but otherwise, didn't spend much time outdoors except for the walk. The owner had researched the breed and carefully chose a good breeder. The parents and litter mates had no medical or behavior issues. But this puppy was apparently not right in the head and the owner was beginning to think he would need to be re-homed.