Friday, April 29, 2016

14 Important Reasons You Should Not Use Electronic Fencing for Your Cairns

Secure, sturdy fencing keeps your Cairns Safe!


Electronic Fencing:
Fourteen Reasons 
NOT to Use One for a Cairn


Electronic containment systems or "electric fencing" as they are called are big sellers these days to busy families.  They sound like an easy and convenient way to teach your dog to stay in a given space.  Think again.  They are not for all dogs.  In particular, they are NOT for terriers.  


Potential problems of using an electric containment system include:  

1.  They may not work as promised.  Equipment failure or improper use (e.g., collar too loose or tight) can render them ineffective.  Terriers, in particular may burst through the barrier in pursuit of something, willing to endure the consequences, to get to the reward on the other side of the barrier.  The dog may simply learn to tolerate the shock, rendering it ineffective, particularly likely with a terrier breed whose tendencies are to be fearless, pain tolerant and tenacious in their pursuit of that squirrel or rodent.

2.  Most systems correct the dog as he crosses or comes near the barrier no matter which direction.  The result is a dog who doesn’t come back for fear of getting shocked again on his return home.

3.  None of the systems keep anything out, including vicious dogs, wild animals and teasing children.  A small, feisty dog, such as a Cairn, can easily be killed by an aggressive dog. 

4.  Some dogs can be frightened to the degree that it affects their willingness to go into the yard and, most importantly, eliminate in it.  

5. Dogs can develop a fear of anything that remotely resembles a training flag.

6.   As a result of having to be fearful of the affects of something they cannot see, dogs can develop a generalized fear of all unfamiliar places or situations.  An unstable temperament can be the result. 

7. They make some dogs extremely aggressive at the territorial boundary. The dog can’t “get out” but feels vulnerable to a person or animal that can “get in.”  Dogs who are already territorial, such as terriers,  may exhibit an exaggerated response. This aggressiveness can generalize to other situations and places, again contributing to an unstable, untrustworthy or even aggressive companion.

8.  The dog may perceive a person or animal on the other side of the barrier as the source of his discomfort, such as a neighbor or neighbor dog, and direct aggression toward it.  

9.   Because territorial aggression is generally self-rewarding, the dog may learn to use an aggressive response to other stressful situations.

10.The collar can be activated by other equipment on the same frequency, shocking the dog without reason.

11. The collar probes can cause physical injury to the dog’s neck if the collar is left on for long periods of time.

12. Studies reveal that electronic containment systems have been shown to affect dogs in the same way shock treatments affect humans, possibly causing neurological as well as behavioral side affects.

13. The dog may start exhibiting compulsive displacement behaviors such as rubbing its face on the ground to rid himself of the collar or the affects of it.

14. Those who use remote trainers, used primarily with hunting breeds in field work,  may find that an electronic fence may negate their effectiveness by creating a negative “place” response.

There are many alternatives to electronic control systems, even for those who cannot construct a conventional fence.  Ask your breeder or local dog training club or center for suggestions.



Friday's Funnies!

Off the Leash

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Keeping the Relationship Central with Your Cairn

Developing a healthy, loving, respectful relationship must be central to all of our actions and choices involving our Cairns.

"…Solid training skills are actually solid communication skills, and clear communication is critical to a healthy relationship."    Suzanne Clothier

Relationship Centered Training
Key points of keeping the relationship
central to all you do with your dog.

When your approach to training is "relationship based" this means the relationship is always the central & key point of all you do.  At every step, you ask yourself how your goals & actions fit into a healthy, loving relationship, and how any of your choices & actions may affect the relationship between you and your dog.  Offered here are key points that I teach in my seminars, many of which are described in much greater detail in my book, "Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs" (Warner, 2002).

Key Points:

Connection - How much connection do you want?   Need?  Can offer the dog?  You can't give scattered attention, or accept disconnection, and then complain because your dog isn't deeply connected!  Connection must be practiced continually.  Easiest way is to have a 'crush' on your dog - maintain a heightened awareness of where he is and what he's doing when he's with you, and be super sensitive to any shifts in his mood or posture.  Make connecting with you worthwhile.  Be available to the dog with your energy, your smile, your touch, interactions and rewards.

Commitment - Want 100%?  Give 100%!  If problems are due to your limits, skill level, or challenges as a handler, don't expect your dog to compensate for you.  Work on yourself outside of dog training time to become a worthy partner who gives 100%, even under stress.

Empathy - Step into their umwelt*.  Use the 'magic microphone' to interview the dog and get his perspective on the situation.  It may be helpful to have a friend play your role while you play your dog's role.  Think like a dog, meaning draw straight lines from one thing to another; no rationalizations permitted!  Try to be the dog in any given situation & guess at how it may be affecting him.  He'll tell you if you've gotten it right, then adjust your behavior accordingly - the 'right' interpretation & solution will result in an improvement in the dog's response.

Understand That Dog's Behavior = Dog's Best Guess - Know that in any given situation, the dog's behavior tells you what his best guess is as to how to handle the situation.  If you don't like his best guess, it's up to you to find a way to help him find another response.  If you hear yourself saying 'he knows better,' then consider that if that is true, why would he not do it?  He has a reason!

Orchestration - Set the dog up to succeed by considering, evaluating, assessing any given situation, identify possible problems in the situation for your dog, plan how you'll manage or avoid the problems, and remain alert.  Trust in the dog's response in any given situation is possible only when the dog actually has the skills to deal with that situation.  Hoping the dog will handle it well may be a very bad choice.  Here's a terrific goal to set for each outing with your dog: To have it end with all involved feeling good about themselves, about you, about the situation and looking forward to more.  At the very least, plan to exit any situation with your dog feeling as good as possible about what just happened.

Leadership - Earn the respect.  This begins at home.  In this seminar, you can begin rewarding the dog for voluntarily checking in with you - make it worth his while to do so! (See my article on Leadership Basics.)

Respect for Limits & Preferences - Your world is NOT your dog's world.  Your dog may find chasing squirrels more fun than what you'd prefer he do.  A compromise may be possible, but be extremely fair about what you ask from the dog - he is not a volunteer, he's a draftee.

Observation - Really seeing someone else - human or animal - is a sacred act of love.  Bring your attention very deliberately to seeing your dog as if for the first time, as if you had never met him before.  Can you see your dog with clear eyes?  Touch him with your eyes closed?  Smell him?  Listen to him?  Take your dog for a walk, and look closely at what he finds fascinating.  Is he using his nose?  His eyes?  Sense of touch?  Really look at the phone pole he finds intriguing (sniff it if you dare!  It won't kill you.)  Go poke around in the leaves or dirt or grass with him.  Share his interest.  (It's worth it just for the look on your dog's face!)

Response to Response (feedback loop) - Are you really listening to what your dog has to say & really seeing his behavior & body language clearly?  Sometimes, we are so busy looking for what we expect/hope to see that block ourselves from seeing what the dog offers us in response.

Clarity of Intent - What is your motivation?  Is your ego involved?  Is your enjoyment shared by the dog?  Are you trying to prove something to yourself?  To others?  To please someone?  To reach a goal because it will make you look good?  Be careful saying that something is for the dog's good - ask him if that's true!  Be clear about what you expect or want from your dog and why it's so important to you.

Technical Toolbox - Understanding training principles & applying them with skill is important - love alone isn't enough.  Don't drown in technical know-how and forget the heart & soul of the relationship, but also don’t sacrifice good technique for pure emotional involvement.  Balance is important, and technical proficiency can help smooth the way for the kind of profound relationship you want.  Remember, solid training skills are actually solid communication skills, and clear communication is critical to a healthy relationship.

Forgiveness - Be forgiving with yourself & dog; all relationships include mistakes - learn from them, don't repeat them!

Detachment - It's not all about you!  The dog has his own world, his own interests, his own fears or struggles or challenges, his own limitations, his own delights and passions.  Don't take it all so personally when you don't get what you want from the dog.

Generosity - When offering rewards, do it while having a party you'd want to attend!  The dog will tell you if the pay off is worth it to him.  Do not mistake cookie dispensing as generosity.  How many ways can you generously invest yourself in interacting with the dogs?  How much can you achieve without any cookies at all?  Remember, dogs don't run around popping hot dogs at each other.  They invest themselves in the interactions.  Food rewards are great backups, and certainly valuable when trying to make a behavior worthwhile to a dog who might prefer to do something else.  Some stuff is just plain old work, to us and to the dogs; no one has to pay us or our dogs to do that which we are passionate about.

Stretch - Give more than you usually do, even if that means being silly or dramatic for your dog - forget what others around you might think.  It's what your dog thinks that matters!  Remember the farmer in the movie Babe?  When his pig is sick and possibly dying, the usually quiet farmer who had little to say stretched himself to the utmost, singing and dancing for the pig - And it worked!

Cooperation Weighs Nothing - Weight & strength are meaningless when an animal or person cooperates with you; weight & strength are only important when you need to forcibly restrain the dog, or try to force his cooperation or compliance using equipment like leashes, collars, head halters, harnesses.  If you are aware of your dog's strength being used against you, know that this is a sign that something is amiss - he's working against you, not with you.  Could be that in that particular moment, you simply have to hang on, restrain, manage, do what has to be done to keep all safe.  But once the moment has passed, carefully evaluate what happened, why, and what needs to be done in the future.

Buck Naked Training - A relationship based approach does not rely solely on equipment or treats but will work even if you're buck naked on a mountain top in Tibet with your dog.  The relationship is always with you, and the connection possible between us and our dogs is powerful.  Strive for it!


*Umwelt:  The "biological foundations that lie at the very epicenter of the study of both communication and signification in the human [and non-human] animal."

"Copyright © 2013 by Suzanne Clothier. Used by permission of Suzanne Clothier. All rights reserved. For more information about Suzanne please visit SuzanneClothier.com"

Read More Training Tips from Suzanne Clothier:




Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Wacky Wednesday!



Wednesday is the day to be WACKY!  Each week we will showcase a terrierific Cairn picture with an appropriate caption.  If you would like us to consider YOUR picture and caption for an upcoming "Wacky Wednesday" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com!  All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.

A big shout out to Foster Goldenheart and Foster Mentor Lacey Jane for being our Wacky Wednesday models this week!




Sunday, April 24, 2016

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS!  Each week we will showcase the sweeter side of Cairns.  If you have a sweet filled Cairn and would like us to consider YOUR picture for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets!" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.).

Cindel and Macie

Forbes

Foster Sasha Too

Foster Candy

Lexie and Foster Sir. Henry Morgan


Star

Chester fka CP Yancy

Betty

Clementine Rose

Scup

BoBo fka CP Bogedin

Rocky, Gabby, and Tess

Garah

Foster Tater Tot

Thorn

Frosty

Foster Concetta

Beamer fka COP Busy Beaver








Friday, April 22, 2016

Robert Cabral Teaching “Sit!”

Understanding the basics of Balanced Training to teach "Sit!" to your Cairn will help deepen your relationship and keep your dog safe and in your home.


In the following training video, Robert Cabral, founder of Bound Angels, Goofy, his Belgian Malinois, and one of his students, Stella, demonstrate the “Sit!” command, using a luring technique, with food and toys, and clear communication, hallmarks of his  balanced training  approach.  This command is one of the basic tools to help build your relationship with your dog and enhance the entire training process.  Robert also discusses how keeping the training fair and fun, using the dog’s natural drives, will not only speed the training process, but also strengthen your relationship with your dog, keeping your dog safe and happy.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVTV0FegQYE






Robert Cabral Teaching the Power of Playing Tug
https://youtu.be/bF4n9LxaiLE


In this thought provoking video, Robert Cabral speaks at a Symposium at UCLA, giving a clear and insightful explanation of Kennel Syndrome, Barrier Aggression, and the simple but important positive training he is implementing via Bound Angels to help shelters help the dogs in their care, enabling them to find homes when they might otherwise fail in the shelter system.  Great lessons for all who are dedicated to Rescue.


Robert Cabral, Founder and Executive Director of Bound Angels, is an authority on canine behavior and shelter dogs.  His first hand knowledge of shelter behavior, aggression, and dog training is a lifesaver to dogs that have no one to speak for them - Robert speaks for them, sometimes eloquently, oftentimes candidly - but always honestly and always with the intent to make the world a better place for them.  Bound Angels helps animal shelters save more lives through information and knowledge.

More About Bound Angels:
https://boundangels.org/

More About Robert Cabral:

Friday's Funnies!

Off the Leash

Thursday, April 21, 2016

How to Potty Train Your Rescued Cairn!

Teaching proper potty habits takes time, consistency, and patience, but is well worth the effort, and this is true for puppies as well as older Rescued Cairns!

Teaching your Cairn to potty where you want the "business" taken care of can be frustrating, as a puppy or an older Rescued dog.  This video by Zak George demonstrates the basics of training a puppy to potty outside, but these basic steps are perfectly applicable to your Rescued Cairn, whatever their age.  Failure to train a dog to reliably potty outside is one of the leading causes of surrender to a shelter - or worse.  Consistency, clear communication, and patience, coupled with scrupulous control over your dog's environment will give your Rescued Cairn the proper potty habits and give you peace of mind!



This slightly longer video by Zak George demonstrates how to teach your Cairn to be comfortable in a crate and where the potty spot is located, using positive training methods.  There is a spot of advertising by his sponsor, but it does not detract from this really helpful video.  Obviously, the dog is not a Cairn, but everything Zak demonstrates applies perfectly to a Rescued Cairn.  Note his admonitions to control your dog's environment, go slowly, take small steps which you can build on, and set your dog up for success!



Training your Cairn can be Rewarding!



Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Wacky Wednesday!



Wednesday is the day to be WACKY!  Each week we will showcase a terrierific Cairn picture with an appropriate caption.  If you would like us to consider YOUR picture and caption for an upcoming "Wacky Wednesday" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com!  All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.

A big shout out to Carver and Pepper for being our Wacky Wednesday models this week!




Sunday, April 17, 2016

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS!  Each week we will showcase the sweeter side of Cairns.  If you have a sweet filled Cairn and would like us to consider YOUR picture for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets!" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.).

KoKo Blue fka CP Caitrin

Sweet Cindel

Beddie Boop and Bobby

Sami

Sweet James

Foster Buckingham

Bunny fka CP Twitch

Foster Boden

Foster Tribune

Foster Burnell

Tess

Foster Medinah

Buddy

Foster Fritz

Valentine Angel and Clementine Rose

Foster Sasha Too

Rossi and Tartan
Macie Goes for a Romp!