Positive Punishment and Negative Reinforcement

I found an interesting article (www.urbandawgs.com/divided_profession.html) by Jean Donaldson that talks about the divisive opinions amongst dog professionals. Indeed, the inside joke goes that the only thing a room full of dog trainers can agree on is that everyone else doesn’t know what they are talking about.

I don’t envy lay owners who get passionate, but conflicting advice how to best raise, train and live with their dog. On one end of the spectrum are the positive reinforcement advocates, on the other positive punishment and negative reinforcement trainers who choose pain and discomfort to stop “bad” behaviors, and to elicit desired ones.

In operant conditioning, positive means to add something and punishment that the behavior decreases. In regards to dogs you see that on TV all the time. The dog growls and is pinned with the goal that pinning stops the dog from growling next time he encounters the trigger that evoked it. Sometimes it works, and often it doesn’t: the dog either growls again, which proves that pinning is pointless for this dog, or he stops growling and bites right away, because he still doesn’t feel any differently about the trigger, just his warning communication signal is oppressed.

So, behaviorally positive punishment is only positive punishment when the behavior actually disappears. If your dog still pulls despite choke collar corrections, or barks on a prong collar, you’re not effective and all you do is nag, and as an unwanted consequence your dog tunes you out.

Negative, in scientific terms, means to take something away and reinforcement that the behavior increases. It is, for example, Koehler’s famous ear pinch to convince the rookie retriever that holding a dumbbell is a good idea. Handler pinches the dog’s ear, which hurts and he opens his mouth, dumbbell is shoved in and the pinching stops. In case you’re not thinking with me, the pain ceasing is the negative and the dog holding the dumbbell on command and for longer periods of time is the increased behavior.

Ear pinching is still done today, but the negative reinforcement tool of choice these days is the shock collar, and its many nicer sounding guises like remote training device, or e-collar. In essence, the dog is fitted with the collar, the handler holds the transmitter and turns on the juice, and makes it die away when he gets immediate and precision accuracy performance. Dogs learn very quickly to come as speedily as their legs allow, or drop into a down anywhere, anytime and around distractions. Shock collar trained dogs’ performances look amazingly impressive, and many owners want that for themselves, and because of that it is a very lucrative business. Anybody can jump on the bandwagon and buy a shock collar training franchise, take a several weeks’ course, and henceforth use that nifty device to teach dogs of all sizes, and puppies, basic obedience, or jolt an unruly pooch into toeing the line.

No problem as long as the dog behaves, right? Wrong! The old adage that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, is spot-on regarding dogs and training. The fallout punitive methods and shocks create are well documented. For example, Murray Sidman’s 1989 book, “Coercion and its Fallout”, refers to studies that showed that shocked rats will be aggressive when a second one is placed in the same box. And not ritualized status aggression or momentary dominance over a resource, but violent attacks followed through to a kill. Furthermore, punished animals did not only redirect aggressively, but were seeking opportunities to be aggressive.

A one-year-long study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania found that aversive and intimidating methods, including the stare down, scruff shake and pinning, do little to correct behavior, but elicit aggression in dogs.

Studies with baboons showed that corrections by a higher ranking member did not create better behaved baboons, but ones that passed on the aggression to even lower ranking monkeys.

A study with Belgian military dogs showed that they performed worse on obedience tasks if their handlers used punishments instead of rewards.

Steve White, K9 cop with 30 years experience, stated in a seminar I attended that tracking dogs have much fewer false positives when trained without punishments.

And a study done by the Departments of Ethology and Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals in Utrecht, Netherlands, showed that shock collar trained German shepherds are more stressed on the training grounds, and the park.

Those findings are congruent with my experiences and don’t surprise me a bit. Negative reinforcement gives the dog only momentary relief when the discomfort ceases, cause the shocks will happen again. They are experienced and anticipated with every training session, and by conditioning cues: the collar, the handler, the training facility, or whatever details, in the dog’s mind, predict the zaps. And that creates anxiety, which will be expressed, because not releasing pressure is biologically impossible.

Not all dogs I see who have gone through that totalitarian style of training, aggress; only some do. But I have yet to meet one who is relaxed, voluntarily attentive, motivated, keen to learn new things, placid, and generally well behaved when not under surveillance. What I see instead are dogs who have a very low stress threshold, are hyperactive, hyper alert and trigger sensitive to stimuli, and express that with barking, mounting, pacing, chasing, avoidance, and/or destructive behaviors, and if those are repressed with more of the same punishments, neurotic behaviors such as obsessive spinning or self-mutilation.

Today’s shock collar trainers claim to be dog friendly and humane, gentle even, and compare the shock with a tap on the shoulder. If that were the case, one would not get the results one can watch on video clips. No dog, no animal, obeys mindlessly and with a yes-master precision, often against his nature, unless they are driven to obtain a much-desired super reward, or to avoid and stop something very unpleasant, and my bet is with the latter.

People sell what is profitable: alcohol to teenagers, substandard food, overpriced medication to the sick, and shock collars for dogs. That is just the way it is, and I get that. Who can blame the trainers who want a piece of a popular pie, or retail stores that sell that stuff? And I certainly don’t expect lay owners to waddle through behavioral laws, studies and their results.

But I do expect influencers like veterinarians, humane societies and dog associations to take an unequivocal stand with a policy against positive punishment and negative reinforcement. Many do, for example the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. But others, who comprehend the damage intimidation, force and deliberately inflicted pain causes, or at least should, don’t and continue to support it, and that is really disappointing.

A Lesson in Resource Control

Will was born feral and raised by dogs, and as Turid Rugaas once said at a seminar: “If dogs raise dogs they get it right”. True enough, Will is very dog savvy, which isn't necessarily the same as dog friendly, but you can bet that her actions are always bang-on. Even so, in public places I don’t allow her to act on her own, because humans often misinterpret a dog who teaches another a valuable lesson with attacking, and good ownership is managing dog and environment in a way that keeps everyone happy.

A different situation in my own living room. I know that Will is accurate and never harms, so when she explains something to a dog, I watch, listen and learn.

The lesson in resource control took place in 2006. At the time Will was 5, and we fostered a 3-month-old Spanish water dog we named Reggae. If you google the breed profile you’ll find out that the SWD’s place of origin is Andalusia, a beautiful region in Southern Spain, where they are predominantly used as herding dogs for sheep, cattle, goats, pigs and even geese. Now, any medium size dog able to boss goats, pigs and geese around has to be tenacious, feisty, courageous and clever, and Reggae was all of that – and very cute. She was nearly the cutest pup, but also one of the most confident ones I ever met. Despite her tender age she seriously tested the boundaries with our seasoned residence dogs, Davie and Will. And it was Will who put, a least temporarily, a stop to it.

Will doesn’t like cow hoofs. In fact, she couldn’t care less about toys and chews other than her hard-rubber red ball that flies far and bounces high, real beef marrowbones, or a chicken-stuffed Kong. So the hoof in the middle of the living room meant nothing to her – but a whole lot to Reggae.

On that particular afternoon she, a busy and easily bored pup with nothing to do, eyeballed it, which did not escape Will’s awareness. Immediately Will got up and placed herself not between Reggae and hoof, but lay down on the opposite side. I guesstimate that each dog was about 3 feet in distance to the hoof. Whenever Reggae attempted to close in, prancing stiffly with a raised body and high tail, Will warned her with a low growl and hard stare not to, and Reggae backed away. That carried on for a little while, with Reggae persisting; first confidently, but eventually lowering her posturing and becoming more fluid, lips drawn a bit and play-bowing. It still didn’t impress Will much. Finally Reggae whined and whimpered, and obnoxiously rolled around in front of the hoof, pawing into Will’s direction with a stupid grin on her face, tongue hanging out. She tried every lowly and submissive puppy behavior she had up her sleeve; wooing Will sweetly in letting her have the prized, contested cow hoof.

That convinced Will that she made the point that who has seniority ought to be treated respectfully and walked away, not wasting another second on that hoof or Reggae. Once Will surrendered the loot to her, she left her in peace to enjoy it.

Smart and dog savvy Will, unlike some owners, acted like an authentic leader, instead of a bully. Bullies take things away forcefully; high status members control access to resources. Human, and canine social rules state that possession is 90% ownership. He who violates that is called a thief. Stealing from another person is against the law, and should be against the moral law regarding dogs. Typically, owners do not manage dog and resources very well, but, in the name of alpha-ism, take away something the pooch snatched, or even was given to a couple of minutes prior. That has profound consequences: it promotes suspicion, confusion and anxiety, and confident dogs are pushed into aggressive resource guarding.

Will’s access control behavior was very interesting to observe, but also surprised me. At the time I was under the impression that such dominance displays take place between two animals who want the same resource at the same time, with the same intensity. That was clearly not the case here. Will did not at all desire that hoof, but obviously recognized Reggae’s competitive and determined nature, and attempted to clarify who’s in charge when she had the chance; when Reggae was still young enough.

Both Will and Davie continued to help us with our beautiful Spaniard who we had for 7 more months. Will, in addition to teaching Reggae to say “pleeeeze”, also educated her in appropriate play behavior, while Davie showered her with attention, mothered and groomed her, and helped her through separation anxiety. Hubby Mike and I taught her the meaning of commands, self-restraint and attention – all alternatives to her aggressive displays. In the end, the cute, but problem-ridden pup became a loyal and beloved companion for a wonderful family, who continued to challenge her mind and body in a positive way.

Back to: Dog School

On their very first day of school German students receive an about foot long, colorful cardboard cone filled with candies to sweeten the entrance into a somber existence that would last, according to my parents, till the day one retires. Indeed, way back when formal learning could be a dreadful time for kids, and it was not any different for dogs. Obedience training rarely began before the pup was about 8 months old, so that the harsh treatment wouldn’t damage him for life.

For most youngsters things have changed; corporal punishment and the rather humorless approach to teaching is not trendy these days. For our rookie pooches alternatives also exist, but are not nearly as universally available, which means that it’s up to the owner to do a little investigating.

And don’t be shy about it. Dog school is not publicly funded. You are paying for group classes out of your own pocket, and that gives you the right to expect certain standards from the instructor.

Competence is obvious. Learning from someone who knows little more than you is senseless. One measure of competence is experience, but it is not the only, or even the best, gauge. Being in business for 20 years can mean ongoing learning, or doing the same thing for 20 years. Dog training has progressed greatly, and someone stuck in a method from 50 years ago might not be as qualified as someone 5 years in, but who is well versed in behavior and learning theories, and open-minded to learn more - from dogs and people.

The method used should never be ambiguous or kept a secret; revealed after you paid. Good training facilities have nothing to conceal, and you should be allowed to observe a session before you sign a no-refund contract. When there, pay attention if the trainer is positive with dogs and all humans. One who treats you and your dog kindly, but yells at her staff creates a tense atmosphere and that hinders learning. Watch what the dogs tell you. Are they relaxed, attentive and enthusiastic? Watch for open mouths and fluid bodies, and where they move – toward the handler, or out the door if given the chance.

Especially for puppies and beginners the priority should be to instill the want to learn. New owners should be given the know-how to raise a well-rounded companion in day-to-day life.

Inquire if you'll have the same instructor for the duration of the course. Although it is not unusual for one trainer to fill in for another, having 3 different instructors within 8 weeks can be confusing for owners, even if they all apply the same method. Consistency is vital for beginner learners – humans and dogs.

An expert instructor is able to accurately assess if behavior is abnormal and will point this out to you. Frankness does not mean putting a judgment label on your dog or the breed you own, belittle you, or expose your dog’s challenges as a bad example in class. I’ve seen it all, and yes, even with positive reinforcement trainers. Humiliation in people school is called bullying. If it happens in dog school, it is bullying too.

And it is a football-field-size red flag if you feel intimidated by your instructor. If you feel queasy in her presence, imagine how your dog feels. Time spend together has to feel good, because it is meant to strengthen the bond, the relationship and increase cooperation. Anything that stresses or worries you, or your dog, does the opposite and is counterproductive to the sole reason why you’re there.

If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right. Give up on that instructor, but never give up on your dog and training.

Said that, training does not have to happen in a facility. It is a misconception that group class participation guarantees model canine behavior for life.

Like a child who can excel in school but still be socially awkward, or inappropriate, a dog, even an obedience titled one, can be dysfunctional in real life situations.

If your dog succeeds in obedience class or dog sport, but you are still having behavioral issues, taking yet another class likely won’t do you any good. You need to deal with the problems where the problems are, and good group trainers are connected to likeminded good private trainers and will refer you.

At least, for these top technical performers more group training won’t do any harm.

But for the stressed and traumatized dog, often coming from rescue, even the friendliest, most positive and conscientious class can be too overwhelming and increase anxiety and resulting expressions, including aggression.

What those pooches need, first and foremost, is a low-key environment where they can decompress, learn to trust again and feel safe. Progressive humane societies often make it mandatory for new adopters to attend a group class, and yes, rescue dogs have a lot to learn, including basic commands, but it can’t be rushed. Success in class only happens if the dog is relaxed enough to learn.

“The Imperial Animal” writes that humans are the only species where the young don’t learn through play, and we are projecting that to our dogs as well. German kids still get their candy cone, many children look forward to recess more than study time, and dog classes intersperse command training with games and tricks to liven things up.

Ideally, there should be no dichotomy between learning and play. For best results, it should be one and the same; learning rewarding in it’s own right. A lofty goal indeed, but at least for our dogs there are facilities in every town and city that strive for exactly that. The clever owner locates one for his dog.

What If You Are Not Calm-Assertive?

Cesar Millan, National Geographic’s famous dog trainer, is touring major Canadian cities to tell people how to become calm-assertive. I’ll bet that tickets to his events sold out in a flash, cause many people want to know exactly that. I know that, because my inbox is regularly peppered with “Dog Whisperer” lingo, like red zone, submissive, pack leader and yes, often the question: “Can you help me to become calm-assertive”? Canadian owners will be thrilled having the chance to hear the real pop-psych for dogs explain them how. If I’d ever meet Cesar Millan, I have a question of my own. What if you are NOT calm-assertive?

Even though Millan claims that everyone must, and can be calm-assertive, in reality most lay owners fall short. Someone who is by nature hesitant, softhearted, a bit unsure, cautious or sensitive, and whose body language reflected that for all her life, cannot switch suddenly and assume a different persona on a dime, even if she visualizes being some strong-minded celebrity.

And faking it for 10 or 15 years, or however long the dog lives, is just not functional – and counterproductive. Imagine you observing someone you live with acting a certain way all day long, and the moment he addresses you he becomes this mock alpha. Would that confuse you? Maybe make you a tad anxious and suspicious?

Never mind the physical aspect. Just recently I had an inquiry from a couple who were convinced that their 16-week-old pup was striving for pack leadership. They wanted my help to demote him a few pegs, cause the lady of the house was already afraid of him, and hubby not very successful. They described this pup, a giant breed who’ll eventually weigh around 150 pounds, as a born 10 on the alpha scale and wanted me to bring him down to an 8. Aside from the fact that their diagnosis was probably inaccurate, it mystifies me why they thought that would do them any good. A male adult livestock guardian dog with big teeth who’s an 8 is still a huge problem, especially if his people set the stage for, or were feeding, a confrontational relationship.

The average owner failing the corporeal aspect of the calm-assertive mantra is typical.

Corrections look so easy when applied by a professional skilled in applying corrections. Things done by experts always look easy, no matter what the field. Dog training isn’t an exception. If one practices for twenty years, one gets very good at it. A punitive dog trainer with decades of experience manhandling dogs is very proficient. That doesn’t mean that you, your grandpappy, or your 10-year-old can mimic that.

I mean, who can do the left-turn leg-thrust while jogging? How do you pin a struggling Great Dane till he capitulates if you’re 5’5”? Or lift him off the floor on his choker?

Millan, and other experienced handlers look good cause wrangling dogs is what they’ve been doing for many years. They are physically skilled to overcome any dog – and don’t mind getting bitten in the process. Chances are you do mind. In fact, for most people a bite is a deal breaker and gets the dog a one-way trip to the veterinarian.

Life’s reality is not someone blustering about with a straight backbone saying “Ssht”. It is normal for people to periodically be tense, frazzled, tired, or anxious. Dogs live in neighborhoods where they are liked by some and feared by others, and looked at even if you tell someone not to. Dogs live in our midst, and naturally experience the colorful palette of people’s personalities, and that is what they should habituate to.

So, quit stressing out if you can’t pull it off like Millan or the punitive trainer near you. Luckily, and unlike a dog who can neither choose how he is treated, nor can he express anything but what he feels, humans have alternatives.

One could, for example, be calm-cognizant. You all have a cerebral cortex, right? So, use that. Rationalize that people and dogs are individuals and learn at different paces. Learn about behavior, communication, positive reinforcement and reframing, conditioning and counter-conditioning, desensitizing and habituation….

And calm-compassionate. Compassion is a human thing, too. It's seeing the world from someone else’s point of view, and offering refuge and safety if that someone is anxious or frightened. It's releasing pressure with the overwhelmed dog, pushing a little less and progressing at the his comfort level, even if it takes time.

How about calm-confident. Cognizance combined with compassion leads to success and success builds confidence. Automatically, without the person having to pretend anything. Failure destroys confidence, so manage and orchestrate situations that set you and your dog up for success.

Static assertive, strong, and physically skilled humans don’t represent the real world. Dogs live with young and old people; physically and emotionally stronger and weaker ones; people who have good and bad days, and not with a charismatic male whose aptitude is to fearlessly overpower dogs.

Your dog understands that. So be yourself when you interact with him cause that is what you do best. But know how to manage space and control resources, how to teach without errors and how to get voluntary attention, and offer safety, and you will still be the leader in your dog’s eyes, even if you can’t knuckle-bite as effectively as Cesar Millan.

Synchronized Group Behavior and Other Stuff

The upcoming communication seminar called for me to finally organize all my dog photos – mine, and many friends and clients sent me over the years.

I was surprised how often they show dogs in the same picture doing the same thing.

Animals in a social group orient their actions to one another – one yawns, eats, stretches, lays down, barks, focuses in a certain direction, and the other(s) follow suit. It happens with dogs that cohabitate, but also ones that are just on a task together.

Real bonded group members also synchronize subconsciously, not one after the other, but at the exact same time lift a paw, speed or slow the pace, pee, open or close the mouth, change directions, tail wag or are still.

We want our dogs to have a strong sense of social belonging, so that they orient and synchronize their actions to us, and that’s why they should:

Sleep where we sleep;

Eat where and when we eat;

Be quietly in close proximity when we work on the computer or watch TV;

Be active when we initiate activity or a walk;

Be part of family outings.

The less the dog experiences those group activities, the less she will coordinate her actions to ours, and the less she will respond to us voluntarily, especially in conflict situations. Group orientation and synchronicity cannot be forced and commanded, but comes naturally when members are truly bonded and/or on task together. Next time you are out and about with your pooch, check if she follows your actions without you giving her any verbal cues.

While I was at it, and because I had a summer lull in the tide, I sorted through notes and scribbles I take whenever I read, see or hear something interesting, or when a thought or idea takes shape in my mind.

This is something I wrote down in 05, right after a herding workshop.

Things I learned:

Dogs learn by observation – even older ones.

Follow through when you say something – or don’t say it.

Find what really floats your dog’s boat and get the best responses and performances.

Sheep are smart – but not as smart as a rookie Australian shepherd.

She who controls space is in charge.

And that is from November 09. Whenever I drive to and from clients I listen to CBC Radio one. One of my favorite programs is Quirks and Quarks, and last November they had a segment on what the brain does when an organism is in fight/flight mode. We already know what the rest of the body does: stress hormones are released, the heart rate goes up, glucose is pumped into muscles, digestion and rational thinking seizes temporarily, pupils dilate and whatnot.

What scientists discovered was that in the brain, when the body is in fight/flight mode, the centers for habit are activated, which means that whatever behaviors happen at that moment can quickly become compulsive. Evolutionary that makes total sense. An animal who subconsciously “remembers” how it got itself out of a tough spot has a greater chance of survival.

What does that mean regarding dogs? Well, maybe that every time a dog feels threatened and behaves in a way humans don’t like, but gets a response that decreases his fear and anxiety, his brain memorizes what actions took the pressure off. And each time that happens, the habit of behaving “badly” is strengthened in the brain.

Another reason to manage an emotional dog’s environment in a way that keeps her below threshold, below fight/flight mode, or at least teach and ensure that the behavior she exhibits at that moment is an acceptable one, for example controlled retreat.

Last but not least, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Blockbuster, the DVD rental place, permits dogs inside. I don’t have time to watch movies very often, but this weekend I do. I like independent stuff, so I got two German ones: The White Ribbon and North Face, and a horror/thriller in English called: The Children.

Today, when we walked in, we saw a sign at the door that said not to leave dogs in the car, but to bring them inside instead, provided they are well behaved, of course. I wondered if it was just for the summer so people wouldn’t leave their pooch in the hot vehicle. But no. New policy. Blockbuster is now pet friendly. At least the one in Truro, Nova Scotia, is.

Complex Dog Communication

Communication is part of every interaction and always a continuous feedback between all parties. One organism sends out a message with the intent to get a response, which, when it comes, it will act on or answer back to, which elicits another response, and so on. Effective communication depends both on the receiver understanding the signals and then corresponding accurately.

Pretty straightforward concept to understand, isn’t it? Indeed it is, and yet many humans seem to have difficulties. There are communication gaps between neighbors and nations, genders and generations – and species, like humans and dogs. Miscommunication is common and happens easily, often unintentionally, but the consequences are profound: passing conflict situations and permanent problem behaviors. A dog who is misunderstood is tense and anxious. If your responses to his signals don’t make sense, he’ll check out; ignore you and act on his own terms. Those are typically the dogs labeled stubborn or dumb.

Methinks that the reason why humans have communication problems is because we love telling others what to do much more than listening to what they’re trying to say.

But even if someone takes an interest in learning canine communication signals, and the dog speaks clearly because he was bred conscientiously and given opportunities to learn his own language, it can still be "Greek" to the average dog owner. That is because our companion dogs live in a complex world that requires complex communication. Signals that look the same can mean different things, depending on the situation. Communication is context specific and dynamic.

Let me illustrate: Our Davie is an exclusive to her social group kinda dog. More often then not, when she averts her head, which would be interpreted by most as an appeasing, submissive signal, what she really says is that she is not granting audience and wishes to be left alone. Turning her head is a very polite, but confident, “get lost” message.

Our Newf Baywolf’s rolling on his back was also not submission, but an active and confident attempt to solicit a tummy rub.

One behavior often misinterpreted is the play bow; the front half of the dog lowered with the butt up in the air. As the term implies, it is an invitation for a romp, but can also signal the opposite: a dog wishing a pause during play if things get a little heated.

A play bow can be just a long stretch, or used by the dog to buy time to assess a novel or uncertain situation he feels conflicted about.

Marking is communication. For scent-oriented dogs, leaving small amounts of smelly body fluid at many strategically important places is imperative. Both males and females do it; neutered or not, and some girls even lift a leg. Urine marking claims real estate, but also adds familiarity to an unfamiliar place or situation and thereby relieves anxiety. A dog might pee to entice another to mark on top, so that more information about the newcomer can be gained without having to get to close to him physically - like the canine version of a phone call or Facebook message. A wolf mating couple announces their union by marking together, and bonded dogs often pee simultaneously. Not one after the other, but at the exact same time. Bonded social group members synchronize their actions.

Mounting is rarely sexual and usually also not status seeking, but the attempt to control and change a situation the dog is annoyed or concerned about. It implies anxiety about a situation without a plan to solve it. Mounting can be either be directed against the perceived problem dog, or redirected against the one who happens to be closest, much like a redirected bite.

Next time your dog yawns, try to determine the motivation. Is he a tad worried and tries to pacify you or another, or submissively seeks acceptance? A yawn after a nap likely has dual purpose; taking in more oxygen to get ready for action, and signaling the other group members to join in. But maybe your pooch is just tired, and the yawn is nothing more than an involuntary body function.

Knowing the fine nuances of your dog’s body language allows you to respond accurately, and that has a powerful effect. Your dog will feel understood and almost immediately feel less anxious and be more attentive.

If you are keen to learn more, and are in Nova Scotia, mark September 18 and 19 on your calendar. Adina MacRae and I will be talking about body language and dog play. It is an one-day, people-only event. In the morning we will be at Happy Hounds on Barrington to analyze a bunch of photos and video footage - all our own material, which means we know the context. In the afternoon we’re all heading to Seaview Park for guided field observation. Because of the field trip, we want a small group and space is very limited to 20 people each day.

For more info and to register, email: seminarswithsilvia@gmail.com

What to Say to Keep Strangers at Bay

Summer was my Newfoundland dog Baywolf’s favorite time of the year. Not for the reason that we took him swimming more often, but because we’d encounter many more humans on the trails and beaches. Baywolf loved summer cause, as a good Newf is supposed to, he loved people, especially young ones. He was the big, hairy, muddy-pawed embodiment of the word gregarious.

In my line of work, dogs who happily socialize with just anybody are the exception. Many of my clients’ dogs are a tad xenophobic; cautious of strangers and timid at best, reactively lunging at worst. What was a pleasurable season for us, creates real problems for the owner of an unsure of people pooch. When school’s out for the summer, and tourists are flocking streets and parks, it can be a real struggle to keep the shy dog at a safe distance away from touchy-feely humans eager to pat, hug or kiss him. It is this time of year, every year, when dog owners ask me what to say to keep people at bay.

Most have already figured out that the terms “aggressive” and “biting” are not part of an ideal explanation. Firstly, some people are not deterred and do approach closer, often assuringly stating that they “know dogs” and don’t mind to get nipped, and secondly, one very quickly gets a reputation of owning a dangerous dog – a label nobody needs who simply enjoys her canine’s companionship on a walk or hike.

Equally ineffective is saying the pooch is shy and fearful. Those are magnet words for folks to close in, maybe with a cookie in an outstretched hand, to “prove” to the pooch that they are a friendly primate. Typically the scaredy dog goes all limbic at that point, barking and bucking on the leash, at which point the “nice” person walks away shaking her head in disbelief why anybody would own a dog that out of control.

I think it was Sue Sternberg, the rescue queen, who recommended telling overzealous greeters that the dog has ringworm. I have never tried it, but am sure it works. People fear nothing more than catching something, and I can visualize how quickly they’d pull their hand and child away from a dog who’s a pesty critter carrier. Even though it probably is very successful, I find it a bit offensive.

My goal is to not only convey to my dogs that I protect them, so that they don’t have take matters into their own paws, but also to use every opportunity to kindly educate the public, especially children, about respecting space and proper socializing.

Unlike our affable Baywolf, the dogs I own now, Davie and Will, don’t care for anyone else but us, and a few selected friends.

When someone asks if she can pet, I praise her for asking first, and follow with a “no” and the explanation that the dogs are being trained to walk politely and attentively on a loose leash. And I demonstrate that with pacing back and forth a bit, the girls happily performing a heel. I never encountered anybody who disrespects a dog in training. Adults usually move on, and children often ask if they can help. The answer to that is yes – by keeping a, comfortable for my dogs, distance while observing us. That way, the kids are on my dogs' radar but they don’t feel threatened and will acclimatize to them, and the children feel good when I compliment them how great of a trainer helper they are. Plus they learn that there is more to do with a dog than hands-on touching and stroking.

A variation of that is asking if they want to see a trick. Teach your dog a bunch of cute behaviors you generously reward him for. Once he loves to perform to elicit your attention and interaction, or a food reward or toy, cue the tricks in the presence of strangers. People he meets on walks, even if they stop, are put in a really positive context. They become part of a game, an associated cue that precedes a known, fun activity. Often, to be able to observe the tricks better, the person backs up a little, and that is doubly reinforcing for the insecure dog. Not only does he get to perform and is rewarded, but the maybe worrisome stranger increases the distance, and that is extra payoff for his calm, non-reactive behavior.

When people ask appropriately if they can approach my dogs, I invest time and effort to create a positive situation even when the answer is no. If someone has the audacity to touch them without asking, and in my experience adults do that more than children, my good manners fly in the ditch. In no uncertain terms, with a stern voice and face, I tell them to back off. And I do not see the need to offer any explanation. I mean, would they give me details why I couldn’t hug their child I never met before?