A story of how a trip to New York City Housing Authority opened my eyes

I was sitting on my blue couch in my living room and going over my notes for a client’s dog and realized something. I would never have known any of this without the studying of dog training.

I know!!! That seems so obvious but I want you to think about it for a second. Some things do actually seem intuitive like if the dog does something wrong you give them a punishment and if they do something right you give them a reward.

But what about how to stop your dog from attacking every black guy they see or an old italian guy. ( I use men because ive never heard of a dog not liking women although im sure they are out there). I remember I was doing dog walking at a time. There was a client in East NY brooklyn in the Pink Houses. The time was 5:45pm and I was schedule for 6pm so I was there early waiting in my car. I just so happen to look up and see a guy walking his pit bull without a leash.

I was curious so I jogged across the street hoping to have a word with him before he went inside his building. As soon as I caught up I told him he had a beautiful dog( black and white medium built). I then asked him how he got his dog so well behaved. Now this answer is definitely not what I wanted to hear nor what Im sure any of you guys want to hear but here it goes

. He said “ He gets a lot of ass whoopings”. I was shocked and amazed at his honesty and also disgusted with his form of training. But you know what? It worked. How can I argue with a man that is showing me proof in front of my face. Of course I can tell him there is a better way, but he would probably resist as he did.

One thing I learned over these years is that people living in urban areas like New York City housing authority do not have the luxury that dog owners in the residential suburbs have. The dogs living in urban areas are always around a lot of people which provide a natural distraction that the dog realizes is just part of life. They walk by people with no issues because they do it every day.

Another important reason why these dogs tend to behave better is because there is less room for error. These dogs are usually quick to get put to sleep if something bad happens. The dogs that live in the suburbs are usually less interactive. They usually have a big backyard that they usually run around in screaming insults at the neighbor’s dog. They become less socialized and have a lot more problems. If these dogs become aggressive the first response by the owner is usually avoidance. They avoid streets where there are a lot of people. They avoid other dogs. They avoid anything that makes the dog act up.

The homeless are another group of people we can learn from. Here in NEW York City I can’t tell you how many times I have exited the train station and seen a homeless guy wrapped in a blanket with a cardboard sign saying we need food or something of that sort. Alongside him is his dog in a sweater and being calm as can be in a crowded dity street.

There are two ways that I feel dog owners can avoid the pitfalls of common behavioral issues.

Become very strict with your dog in the beginning and ease up as they gain your your confidence in them. The dog doesn’t want to be you equal. They want someone who will provide guidance for them. Stop trying to placate your dog and seeking their approval to like you.

Practical examples include

• Dog is not allowed certain areas in house

  Dog can not pull me on walk

  Dog will work for food

  Take your dog places and socialize them. Many dogs only know your backyard so anytime you take them to other areas they act up because it seems so novel. When you go get their dog food from a pet store take them with you.

Places to take your dog

• Pet store when you pic up their dog food or just to train

• Friends house with a dog. You can have a play date

• Walk on crowded streets if you can once you can get your dog’s attention

Hope that helps send any questions in the comments section or @ fraterniyk9@gmail.com

Choose the road less traveled: The lifestyle of a boxer and dog trainer

Many of you may not know but I am a student of the sweet science. I went to several boxing gyms before I found my home at eastern queens boxing gym. I trained hard and ended up with 2 amateur fights. Most people don't know the struggle.

The 2.5 hour workouts for 5 days a week( which is nothing crazy in the boxing world). This included the ab work. Punching until my arms were numb and then keep punching. Focusing on technique and strategy. Eating the blandest food known to man. Going to restaurants sucked because everything had salt or something else I cut out of my diet. I ran every morning.( I hate running!!! But then again what decent human being doesn’t). I would spar a bunch of rounds at least twice a week. I would also do mitt work too. It's like a part time job along with working another job and going to school. No going out drinking with friends( barely). Trying to sleep early because I had to get up the next day to train. But I loved it so I did it.

Dog training is similar in a way. It's very time consuming. It takes a lot of patience and techniques. I love the science behind both. I spend a lot of time working dogs and learning about them. I’ve spent countless hours reading books, watching what other trainers do, and even hiring a dog trainer to see what he would do in a given scenario. When it comes to working with dogs I do many short sessions (5 min max) and I do it frequently(6-8 times a day).

I’ve recently was introduced to the protection dog world after attending MIchael Ellis school in California. I have since came back to New York and have linked up with a guy who has championed a dog and been doing this for a long time. He is teaching me to become a certified decoy in French Ring. As soon as I put on the bulky suit I realized that I wasn’t in shape for this. It like the difference between being in shape and being in fight shape in the boxing world. I had to learn to get accustomed to running, jumping, and pivoting while the dog was coming at me from 25 feet away and being weighed down in the suit. I will add that it is pretty scary the first time a dog is running at you at full speed with full intent to bite you with all of their might. Even if you have the suit on you can still feel the bite. Its like someone took pliers and squeezed them on your leg with as much pressure as they could.

Some people even ask me why I do it because it seems painful. Others tell me I should go back to school and forget this dog training stuff. Some even say that I should go for something with a guaranteed paycheck. I even hear that I’m getting old. (HAHA). I don’t listen to none of it. I choose the road less traveled. I am determine to make my legacy. I challenge you to push past your comfort zone with me. To actually enjoy what you do. To dream and live how you want to live. This is why I do it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

The “WHY” behind your dog barking and lunging at people and other dogs

Reactivity is an issue that I see a lot of in dogs. I even have to constantly work with my own dog and hold him to a certain standard to deal with this issue. I used to wonder why my dog was so unpredictable with his lunging. The reality is he was NOT unpredictable. I just wasn’t paying attention to what he was telling me. He was letting me know that he was uncomfortable but I missed the signs.

These signs are known as cut off cues. A cut off cue or calming signals can be when

• a dog looks away from the trigger,

• starts sniffing the ground profusely

• starts sniffing the air, etc.

• lip licking

• Freezing in place

• yawning

  Cut off cues are important to a dog’s social repertoire. This is the dog’s way of saying I’m not in a social mood. When the dog is lunging or barking it is because somewhere in time they learned that got them what they wanted: SPACE. These are the 3 ways I see it.

1. Dog is aggressive - wants the person or other dog to leave.

2. Dog is fearful - wants to leave

3. Dog is frustrated - combination of both

Without boring you guys with dog training terms, space is used as a functional reinforcer. To make things simple, look at it like this.

Dogs and humans learn to behave a certain way because it gets them what they want.

A dog barks at the mailman, then the mailman leaves and gives the dog what it wants: space. A boy acts out at school and his parents start to scold him or yell at him. He received what he wanted: attention. A woman nags and complains to her husband about getting her car fixed. He complies and she gets what she wants. These are all negative behaviors, but they achieved a goal.

Reasons why dogs stop using cut off cues

Dogs stop using cut off cues when they don’t work. When your dog is signaling a cut off cue like turning away and another dog attacks them, they learn that cut off cues dont work.

Another problem that a lot of people do is punish cut off cues.

Ex: You are walking your dog in the park and you see someone walking their dog. You stop and talk with them for a moment and want the two dogs to meet and sniff because you heard that its important to socialize your dog( your a right by the way). Your dog proceeds to start licking his lips and sniff the ground. Instead of rewarding that behavior and giving the dog space, you try to force your dog to interact with the other dog. This increases the social pressure and makes your dog not trust your judgment.

Another reason dogs won’t give cut off cues is because the dog is too stressed out. When I work with reactive dogs it is important to keep them under threshold. Threshold is the point before a dog explodes and charges at someone or something. In a stressful state a dog can’t think

. Are you afraid of heights? I dare you to climb Mount Everest and say the alphabet backwards. That is a difficult tasks because it is hard to think if you are too stressed out worrying about what will happen if you miss one step.

What we want to teach our dogs is that there are more appropriate ways to express themselves. We want to build their confidence in us to trust that we will handle the situation.

There are a bunch of drills I do that I wont get into here but that helps us earn that trust back. When our dogs are showing positive behavior that we want then we need to reward them. We need to let our dogs know that they did good.

Reactivity is a symptom of a greater problem in your dog. Don’t let it go unchecked or it will get worse. This is just the “why” your dog behaves like that. Be mindful that I have never seen your dog and your dog could be displaying predatory aggression, resource guarding, territorial aggression amongst others issues. We don’t have enough time to go down that rabbit hole but feel free to contact me if you have any issues.

If you guys have any specific questions you can comment or email me at Fraternityk9@gmail.com

5 ways you must know to manage your dog in your home

Bella….. Get over here…… Oh my gosh!!! …..You tore up my new shoes again…. And my phone charger!!!

This is what I witnessed one client saying when I just arrived to do a consultation with them. I was just soaking it all in so that I could see what was fully going on. After walking around their house I noticed that there were several ways that they could of lived with their dog successfully. Here is the list of those things for you guys to get started.

1.Dog proof your home

You should do this immediately when you get that wild crazy puppy or adopted adult dog. What I mean by dog proof is that you shouldn’t have any extension cords, phone chargers, sneakers, etc lying around where the dog can get into trouble. Just like humans, dogs are creatures of habit. If they never learn to chew on those new pair of boots you brought then they will not be accustomed to doing that behavior.

There are benefits to this though. Your home will be less messy. Chewed up objects with dog slob makes your home look destructive and unclean. When guest come over you don’t want them to feel uneasy about coming over because of the mess the dogs created. Of course you don’t want a clean home for your self too.

There is another benefit of this also. If you dog proof your home it is less likely that Bella will chew on something she is not supposed to. This will decrease your chance of a late night visit to one of the emergency animal hospitals such as Blue Pearl in NY. Those visits can be costly believe me.

I witness someone have to spend $3,000 all because their dog received a foreign body from chewing an object which might have been a baby pacifier.

2. Crate your dog

Some people feel bad when they put their dog in a small crate. Im here to tell you that the dog feeds off your energy. If you make a big fuss then so will she. You have to first introduce your dog to the crate.

Start by playing crate games- You throw food inside, the dog runs in and eats the treat then runs back out. It is much better in the beginning to be patient and allow the dog to enter on her free will and enjoy the experience. Do not close the door behind the dog when she enters the crate. Let her have the freedom to go back and forth.

After a while start closing the door behind her for 2 seconds then letting her out. It is important to increase the time over a period of days. Once she is able to stay in there leave her in there periodically as you walk around the house. The last step is to leave the house and keep the dog in the crate. It is important to take this process slow so she doesn’t become a nervous wreck in the crate.

Warning: Do not punish your dog by putting them in the crate if they pooped on the carpet or peed on the living room floor. Doing so turns the crate into a bad place which we aretrying to prevent.

3. Threshold

This just means that every time you and your dog walk through a doorway they have to stop first and acknowledge you. Dogs that are pushy will just run through without paying you much attention. Sometimes a dog needs a prong collar to feel some pressure to stop.( We will go through more about this in the next section.).

The process works like this: You walk up to doorway with dog, dog stops and acknowledges you by looking at you, and you give her the ok to walk through the doorway. This is how it works with training in a perfect world. When you first try this what is likely to happen is: You walk up to the doorway with your dog, she instantly run through before you can say sit, and you are frustrated because she is doing whatever she wants and not listening to you.

To make it simple think about it like this: You don’t give her what she wants until she complies with what you ask.

You might think this is limited to food but it can also be access to outside or another area or a toy. I guarentee that this most likely will not be easy for some of the big powerful breeds, but its worth it. Consistency is key. After a while , she will just realize that this is life and I have to look at my handler for advice.

4. Have your dog on the leash in the home

There is a saying that says, “ if you don’t have mental control of your dog then you need to have physical control”. Most people think of the leash as an outside tool, which it is. But its real purpose is control. I agree with Cesar Millan when he talks about dogs being in a follower state. Sometimes in order to get them there you have to control every thing they do.

This also helps with the previous section of thresholds because it makes YOU relevent in your dog’s mind. This is not necessary to do forever. This is to establish control in your house so that your dog respects you. I would suggest doing this for 3 weeks. After that your dog should get the picture.

I would suggest you use a flat buckle collar or a slip lead. A prong collar is not necessary as your dog should be less stimulated since there are really no distractions at home for the dog. Some dogs will need a prong collar because they are so strong and charged up which makes it difficult for them to listen.

5.Having boundaries

This is very important and often neglected by many dog owners. But not you. Im sure you are going to set up boundaries in your house for your dog. These boundaries include specific areas that the dog is allowed to go in. For instance, my dog has his bed in the hallway. This is his designated area. He is not allowed upstairs or in my room unless he is invited. Certain areas of the house he is never allowed to go in.

The more strict you are with her early one the more freedom you can give her later on without fearing she will take advantage.

This is the learn to earn method. Your dog learns that everything they get must be earned. This is extremely empowering to your dog and gives them control of whether they get what they want.

These 5 are all foundational. You need to be implementing this ASAP. Don’t wait until little bella decides to try your patients. This is just management so that no bad behaviors develop. If you want a well behaved dog you have to not only encourage good behaviors, but also prevent bad behaviors from being created and practiced.

If you have any questions you can email me at Fraternityk9@gmail.com

Why you need a dog trainer

Today I was at EQBC boxing gym and I just finished working on some kinks in my defense when a question came up about dog training. Now I am a dog trainer so I had to ponder this question. The question was “Why do I need a dog trainer”? . I was stumped at first so I had to think about it. I went home, ate a salad(Im trying to get back in shape), and thought. As I reminscien a few thoughts came to my head. There are some main statements that I hear dog owners say that I want to address

Statement #1: I read books on dog training and I watch Cesar Milan theory on dominance on his show so I can train dogs myself.

First off, did you also watch Cesar Milan get bit by a dog. Before you think it can't happen to use remember he is a professional. I have watched his show on tv. In the beginning of the show it is in writing: Warning This is for entertainment purposes only. I mean when I was a kid I used to watch kung fu movies and practice the moves , but I never thought i was a fighter. It was just fun. This stuff is serious business.

Most owners want a puppy so they can raise it to grow with them. The issue is that nobody is perfect. Sooner or later most dog owners tend to slack off after a while and the dog ends up picking up bad habits. You have to constantly stay on top of the dog. They are like a child that never grows up. The training never stops. Most people think that after they go to a 6 week dog obedience class that the dog is trained for life. Not true! They are always learning and its your job to teach them the right things.

Think about this for a moment. Do you work? If so, for how long? Most people work 9-5 or some variation. You might work even more if you have your own business. You also have to count travel time. How long does it take you to get back and forth to work? Also, do you have a strengthous job or a desk job? If you are tired its going to be even harder. Do you have kids? That is also time consuming. All of these things take up your time and even more important it takes up your energy. After a long day most people want to relax.

If you do have all this time ( you don’t work, or you are not in school, etc) then you really don’t need me and you should become a dog trainer yourself.

Another reason is that there are many details to dog training. This is especially true when it comes to a phobia, fear, or aggression. These issues are not so cut and dry or black and white. Its like being a psychologist.

Imagine you went to see a psychologist who read a few books and watched a few dvds. Would you trust them to solve your problems? Or would you go to a professional who studied hard for years and understood psychological problems and how to solve them like the back of her hand.

WHat I have also found is that most owners are part of the reason why their dog behaves this way. They contribute to this behavior yet they dont understand why the dogs act out.

This is simply a communication problem. You have to learn the language fluently if you want to have a full blown conversation, or you hire a translator. I have learned a few words in spanish, but put me with a native speaker who only speak spanish and we would both be totally lost.

When I first started dog training I made a lot of mistakes. I read a lot of books obsessively, but what I learned was that every situation was different. You need someone with a plan to give you piece of mind and assurance. Sort of like a personal .You can read a few books to get in better shape. But then you will get “ i only read a few books results”. Or if you are serious you can hire someone who takes it serious. If you dont know something hire someone who does. I know a lot more now but I am still learning more and growing.

Statement #2: I had dogs all my life and know how to train them.

In my experience these people do know something about dog training and it worked for their dog. That doesn’t mean it can work for their next dog.

Genetics play a huge factor in dogs behavior. Sometimes an owner takes credit for training their dog when the dog just had an easy going personality and a willingness to please. The problem is that even if a dog starts out like this things can change. Environmental factors can cause the dog to display traits outside of its genetic disposition. It's this love affair between nature and nurture.

Now what happens when a dog owner adopts a dog from the shelter and don’t know where the dog came from. The dog starts to exhibit bad behaviors only in certain environments.

What do you do? Do you avoid that environment altogether? But what if you need to go there and it stresses you out because you can’t bring the dog because you know she would freak out. Most people avoid the problem simply because they dont know how to deal with it. This is why a lot of rescue dogs get adopted and then sent back to the shelter. It is a lot of work helping some of these dogs.

Some dog owners received their puppy from a breeder. These days anybody can say they are having a puppy litter. These backyard breeders are the reason why a lot of dogs are in shelters. You should make sure your breeder knows the breed standard for the particular breed of dog you are buying. Find out if they breed dogs seriously or if they are trying to make a quick buck. I am so against the latter type of breeders. They do a disservice to the dogs and the world due to their greed.

I have had clients that say that their current dog is stupid because he doesn’t listen like their last dog. I do my best to explain to them that every dog is different. Just like humans learn differently. Im a hands on guy. A friend of mine is more auditory. This is why he did good in lecture class while we were in school. Some people are visual learners. Dogs don’t quite learn like that but every dog is different. Some dogs you need more patience with. It can be frustrating as an owner to deal with everything else in life and have to figure this dog training stuff out too. If you want piece of mind, hire a dog trainer. It can be fun and open a new world for you.

The attitude you create in your dog goes a long way

When I first learned about dog training, I focused mainly on the technical aspect. I get the dog to sit, I click the clicker, then reward with food. This is a foundation and is important, yet as with anything it becomes more complicated when you go down the rabbit hole. Many dogs I worked with would perform the command I asked but would do it on their own time. They just didn’t care enough about me. I was not meaningful enough for them to pay attention. This was a valuable lesson for me later on. I noticed that many people are excited to teach their dog how to sit, down, stay and all other commands. Let me tell you: If your dog has the wrong attitude it can be the hardest process to teach. On the flipside, when a dog wants what you have and is engaged with you then you have a dog who is easy to teach. There is a process that I teach my clients to proof behavior to reliably get your dog to do it all the time. This is beyond what I am talking about today. What I am talking about is creating a positive attitude in your dog when it comes to training. How does that saying go. “If you love what you are doing you will never have to work a day in your life (something like that). This is true when it comes to training dogs. When I first start training a dog I spend a lot of time working on his motivation levels and creating a dog that wants to learn. Now this is sometimes difficult with clients who want a quicker fix. Some do not seem to understand that if you spend most of the time engaging your dog with you in different locations then he will listen with enthusiasm. Instead they try to force the dog to want to listen to them by shouting commands and giving him a treat when he finally does comply after 7 times of asking for a sit. How do you know when your dog has the right attitude? He/she will be staring at you waiting for you to give them direction. When you ask them to sit, their rear end will hit the ground faster than you can get the treat out. So how do I accomplish this? Engagement.

Training sessions go like this:

Engagement sessions 1-2 minutes

Most people spend 10 -15 minute training sessions which are usually too long for many dogs. I spend 1-2 minutes of keeping the dog motivated. When she starts to show that she is extremely distracted or just not into the activity anymore then I crate them and bottle that energy up. I don’t want a dog going through the motions. You want every repetition to count.

So a day would look like this:

7am

12pm

3pm

6pm

8pm

Now this might not be convenient for someone who works all day so I would do 2 training sessions before and 2 training sessions after work.

7am

8am

6pm

7pm

I want you guys to really focus on your dogs attitude. You will reap the benefits of your investment later on.

An example of why and how of structure and freedom with a dog

I've noticed something with a recent client and their dog. Not only was the dog hyper and unruly, he also did not like it when you told him what to do.

For instance, if the dog jumped on me biting my hand and I told him “no” he would jump even more ferociously. He would have his calm moments after a while but for the most part this was his normal behavior.

Now I am a firm believer in punishing biting by the dog. Some are against this and say that the dog will grow out of it. Some dogs do while others don't. I am not in the business of leaving things to chance.

So that is what I did first. I punished the biting at a correction suitable enough to make the dog not want to bite but not enough to cause the dog pain. It is a tricky balance.

The next thing I did was get the dog to stop taking advantage of the owner, who was a sweet woman. She didn't realize that she was giving the dog way too much freedom. He was allowed access to the whole house and whole yard. One thing always sticks out to me is that dogs with too much freedom can never sit still. They are like kids with adhd. These dogs need duration exercises to teach the dog how to calm down and relax in one place. I had the owner and her family sit still and not engage with the dog. The dog looked lost. He had to be in the grass sniffing, in the garbage sniffing, bothering the owner by biting on her shoes, etc. This dog needed something to do and told what to do. The best way to control is to keep a leash on the dog even in the house. Now it is time to give the dog something to do.

When we are in the house I want the dog to lay quietly on their bed. I will usually put the bed next to the couch where the owners watch tv. This makes it easier and no big deal or effort considering the owner is not doing anything they wouldn't do anyways(watching tv). The dog at first kept trying to get up. This is why the leash is handy. You can keep watching tv and feel if the dog is moving away from their bed by holding the leash.

Structure and limited freedom is the key to get your dog to listen to you without doing obedience.

The above example shows one way to live with your dog in the house. By keeping your dog on its bed for a duration of time, they learn to relax in place.

Another way to add limited freedom is to cut off certain areas to your dog. Areas that are off limits might include the living room, the bathroom, a special room. How do I stop the dogs from entering these areas?

I put up little baby gates that you can get from target the store. If you don't put anything across the doorway and rely on your voice then you'll be screaming a lot of “get out” to the dog. Also the dog is faster than you, so they will be in the room before you can get a word in. If you put up a baby gate the dog will respect the barrier and eventually stop without the barrier there.

A structured walk is also important. On a structured walk the dog is not allowed to sniff, pull, or stare at any dog or person intently. The dog can sniff the ground only when I give the okay command.

It is important that you realize that you don't need obedience if you just want to live peacefully with your dog. Rules and respect make a relationship thrive in the dog world.

Punished dog? To be or not to be

I have really been fascinated with the role of punishment in dog training. Is it effective? How to use it? When to use it? Besides the obvious of why to use it I found myself needing to use it on my oldest male dog. My dog had a problem with lunging at people.

I knew it was fear based and due to the neighborhood we live in. While walking my dog since 6 months old until now (10 years later) we have been in an estimate of 10 fights with stray dogs.

The screaming, growling, and biting still plays over in my mind. This was a horrible dramatic experience for me and my dog even when I carried around a stick and a pet convincer and some other items.

Anybody who knows me knows my dog is like my son/ partner. I was always with him. We ate together. We slept in the same room(not on the same bed). If I could I would of took my dog to parties with me. I did not have the knowledge that I have now when it comes to dogs and wish I did. My dog ended up not having the proper socialization due to these reasons and me being busy.

I while back I invested in a dog trainer who helped me with Fats (my dog). He introduced me to the ecollar. It worked for a time, but I did not have money to continue lessons. Soon I noticed my dog started to revert back to old ways of dog aggression and lunging at people. I then started to dive deep into understanding punishment and its role in dog training. I realize that my dog is old and I don’t want to put undo stress on him. I would like to help others into clarifying the use of punishment with dogs.

Anytime a dog does a behavior you don’t like the result is punishment, whether negative or positive. Negative punishment is the removal of something your dog wants and positive is adding something your dog doesn't like.

Is punishment effective? It definitely is. Punishment is effective in the sense that it stops bad behavior.

This is why so many pet trainers go to using punishment and pressure style training( make the dog do what you say) very quickly. This is because it works. According to Michael Ellis it works 100% of the time and I agree. You can always make a dog do something. Is this good dog training?

Not what I believe. But this is necessary at certain levels of training. The nuances need to be taken into account. I watched my senior citizen of a dog lunge at strangers. When I gave him a punishment, he suppressed this need to lunge at people. He still felt the need to lunge at people because of some fear, but the punishment suppressed him demonstrating this behavior. This is also important for people to understand

Just because a dog doesn’t act out a behavior anymore doesn’t mean the dog is cured. Emotions effect dogs big time and judge what they do. If a dog is very fearful they can’t learn. This is why I focus on a dog’s attitude with my clients.

I want the dog to enjoy training and love it. I especially want puppies to be willing to try things. This is the reason why puppies receive no 1-2 combo from me( because I would never hit a dog and I don't want punishment to suppress their drive).

How to use punishment? High levels of correction. Many people would say that I am being harsh and that I have no heart. They must not understand how dogs learn. I would suggest they read Pamela Reid’s book Xcelerated learning for dogs.

I know you want to be kind and start low with correction and work your way higher until the behavior subsides. There is one main flaw in this mindset that hurts your chances of truly eradicating a problem behavior.

That is the fact that dogs adapt to the pain sensation. If you keep subjecting a dog to the same level correction then eventually they will get used to it and it will lose its potency. On the other hand if you go as high as the mountains then you will only need to do it a few times. Why do you think you don't play around with fire?

I can’t remember where I heard this analogy from but it reasonated with me. Imagine that every time you parked your car in the wrong place, instead of a parking ticket, your car exploded. I bet you never park there again with your next car. Nagging low level punishment is like parking tickets. Sure it might make some people think twice but not the majority.

We can’t just know how to use punishment; we also have to know when. The reason I don't punish puppies is because they don’t know what I am asking of them.

It is very important to be fair to the dog. If I correct a dog that has not demonstrated that they know what I am asking of them then the correction can have a dramatic effect on them.

This is how some dogs develop what is called learned helplessness. The dog will eventually stop trying and just give up. If your dog understands what it needs to do to avoid a harsh correction then best believe they will do it.

An example of this is if I ask my dog to recall(come). If we perform the exercise 1,000 times successfully then I’m sure my dog understands it. Therefore, if I tell him to come and he doesn’t he gets a correction. On the other hand, if we have been working on the recall for 1 week and my dog comes to me sometimes, then I will not punish my dog for not coming.

If we follow these principals to using punishment then I am sure we will have no problem with being fair with our dog. We will build a better relationship with man’s and woman’s best friend

My experience at the Michael Ellis School for dog trainers

Three words described how I felt in that Santa Rosa county for those 2 weeks… I LOVED IT.

I couldn’t imagine that it would be so eventful and relaxed. As soon as I arrived I was welcomed on campus. Everyone was friendly and included me in whatever dog activity they were doing. I was the only one who stayed on campus but wasn’t there for the 17 week immersion program. Everybody else seem to already got acquainted and I was finding my place.

It was a quiet area which was dark at night and the only thing close was a Spanish restaurant across the street. The food was ok, but I had better. The tacos were thin and the meat didn’t have that fresh taste like Don Nico( my favorite spot in queens right now).

As far as my living space, I ended up boarding in a small room in the staff building. Besides the fact I had to walk outside and go about 150 ft to use the bathroom in the next building because the staff building had no bathroom, I enjoyed it. I also had no kitchen. So I had to go to another building to cook and to shower. This was an inconvenience, but being in this building had it’s perks.

I was close to the staff so I would watch the staff as they worked with their dogs for a competition. I would ask questions and take note to what they did. I remember one staff member specifically training for IPO. If you seen my Instagram you will see photos of the staff yard.

You will also see pics of the loner dog I was given named Phoneix. She was a Belgian Malinois and I fell in love with her. At first she really didn’t care for me. I was introduced to her on Tuesday, the second day of class.

On Sunday we were beginning to develop a minor relationship. On the following Tuesday we were beginning to become closer physically and emotionally. She was a lot more engaged with me in the training room. When it was time to leave, I didn’t want to leave her. If I had a lot of space I would of taken her with me, but then reality hits me.

Now for the meat and potatoes. Class time. You ever felt like you was just made to do something and it was effortless to do it? Well that’s how class felt. It wasn’t like sitting in a boring classroom.

The lectures were filled with practical and useful information and the practical helped us dog trainers there bring the imaginative into reality. At first I thought to myself, “how much can we possibly talk about obedience”?

Little did I know that Michael Ellis breaks it down into little tiny details. “If you give a reward with the same hand you can affect a dogs finished behavior” “You are turning your hand too much to the left that’s why the dog is crooked”. These were some of the sentences he would say as he would correct some trainers who thought they were already doing the correct mechanics, but couldn’t figure for the life of them why they weren’t getting good results.

Eventually everyone realized that it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Michael Ellis was easy going and chill. He is a real down to earth person.

Since I spent my labor day here. I might as well tell you how that went.

First we did have dog training class that day. But like I told you already, I love this stuff so I didn’t want to skip class anyway. We ended up having a Barbeque. Bring your own meats and booze! I brought ground beef and a friend bought whiskey. It is safe to say that I did not miss NY at all as I was having a great time.

A couple of shots in and dog training was all we could talk about. We talked about what we were going to do when we got back home and conversed about various dog training topics. Typical signs of obsessive people. I think we performed better after a shot. Many people felt they could relax under the attention of 30 people and Michael Ellis.

Outside of training I felt horrible. No one told me it was cold in Northern California. I bought shorts, tshirts, a couple long sleeve shirts ( I didn't think I would need), 2 pair of jeans, a hoodie, and a light blanket. I was freezing every night. Not to mention my allergies out there were the worst I’ve ever experienced.

I was sneezing and coughing all the time. I thought maybe it was because I had a loner dog in my room but I was feeling like that before I met her. Someone saw me and explained that their allergies were acting up to. Then came the story of a botanist who decided to plant some weird plants in the area causing that area to be the worst place for allergies. Just what I wanted to hear. I just bared the pain and tried to look on the bright side- this was a great opportunity.

Overall I can’t wait to go back to the Michael Ellis school for dog trainers for other courses. If that's the prerequisite course I can’t wait to be in the other classes.

The day I fell in love with a senior dog in a rescue group

Today I woke up and did my morning meditation, stretches, and grounding exercises to get me focus for the day. I wrote in my journal and sent myself some positive information. After getting dressed I headed to a rescue group where I volunteer.

As hot as it was today I knew I was not going to be outside for long. I entered in the rescue, signed in and went immediately to the dog run. As I walked up and down the aisle full of energetic dogs eager to come out and play or attack me, I noticed a dutch shepherd who looked very focused. I love the look of a focused dog.

The first thing I noticed was that he was 7 years old and was a black dog. I thought to myself that this dog is old and I should probably check if he has any medical issues. Once he was cleared I took him to play in the yard. We played fetch with a ball and ran around the yard. He knew the command sit so I asked him to sit each time.

He doesn't really know any other commands, but I see the potential this dog possesses.We will work on that. He would stare at me as if asking what to do next. I thought he would soon run out of energy being that he was older, but quite the opposite happened. We walked and he was full of life. He was my partner for the day. I was excited and it gave me a rush of energy.

We found some shade and sat down and relaxed as if we had just finished working a construction job and was on lunch break. I was always one to say I'd rather a young dog than an old dog, but I'm not so sure that's the case all the time.

Of course a young dog is usually more energetic, but not all the time. It also depends whose adopting the dog. They might not want a dog that's energetic. The older dogs usually have more health problems. They usually have behavioral problems if they are in these situations. They have a shorter life span left.

And with all this in mind, I am now rooting for the underdog. These dogs are a victim of circumstance. They can be great dogs with a dedicated owner.

The crazy thing I find about people that want puppies is that most of the time these are the dogs who later end up being that old dog in a rescue group or shelter. A puppy is a blank slate, but it is also a lot more work. If you mess up you can only blame yourself. 

I don't want to discourage anyone. I'm just saying if you aren't into any dog sports where you need a young healthy dog that you can train then consider an older rescue dog. They are not all the same. Just like humans have diversity, so do dogs. I left the rescue group feeling like I had made a new friend. I just hope I impacted his life as much as he impacted mine.