KC Dog Shaman

Quadraclear update

2010-05-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

This product seems to work well. Claude no is longer shaking his head but I clean them daily w the Q tips and apply Quadraclear on my finger. The soreness is going away too so we are both happy. Claude's drive for tug work is better as well.

ear problems

2010-05-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Claude has some kind of ear problem. With ear problems it is hard to tell if it is caused by bacteria,fungus,mites,yeast or grass allergy. I got a product that takes care of them all and promotes ear health by maintaining a natural flora balance in the ear when used weekly. It is called quadraclear. My problem is Claude does not like drops put in his ears. I forced him twice using a hasty muzzle. The first time I thought the fight was on but he seemed so offended that I had to find a less stressful way for both of us. I found a good way to administer the otic solution for cleaning and the medicine by putting it on Q tips which he likes. Go figure.

Rules of engagement-marker training

2010-05-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

I got the 2 DVD set "the power of playing tug with your dog" from Michael Ellis today and am I glad I waited. The main theme here is engagement and Claude is the perfect dog to teach with the tug. I had to order some pocket tugs from the "for dog trainers" link on my website but in the mean time I will make a jute tug of the proper size by having my friend Marianne at www.dogidcollar.com stitch one together from some jute rag I have. This is going to be a gas. Video coming in a couple weeks as I become proficient with the engagement exercise. Claude is already good w targeting on the pillow but I need to be able to hide the tug on me for the engagement work.
Post script; avoid playing tug until you learn these techniques or you risk making your dog possessive of the tug and you will have to retrain him. Do kit right and get a spit second retrieve.

Mr. Stick

2010-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

I introduced Claude to the stick this week. I have a padded leather stick. At first he squinted a bit or closed his eyes but already he is keeping his eyes open while I play tug with him and rub him or strike the bite wedge with it or raise it over my head. My next accessory is a leather agitation harness and a tie out. Then I'll be able to put some back pressure on his bite. He'll love it. I'm very anxious to get the Michael Ellis video,"The power of playing tug with your dog".

K9 fixation

2010-04-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

While I was deciding to get rid of his toy because he fixates on it,Angel chewed it up. Yes,it was apparent Claude was fixated on that particular toy. I think it brought back memories. It is best he get past that. So I can get him new toys more related to working and small enough to conceal. He will work great for a tug so I will get one small enough to conceal and make it magically appear at the perfect time. To that end I have ordered the DVD"the power of playing tug with your dog" from Leerburg video. I need the 3 DVD set but I have to set priorities for now.

Bite pillow

2010-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

I got the bite wedge last monday. Claude loves it. He really enjoys getting his teeth into something and we work out twice a day with it. I'm using the squeeky toy he came w as a reward for obedience and this is working well.

Dominance Dance

2010-04-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'm posting a short video of Angel and Claude doing what I call a dominance dance. I have heard it called a dominance scuffle but dance seems more apropos. Angel is a master of communication and the body language you see here is a perfect example of the secret language of dogs that people are not very aware of. You can see a similar video with a malinois and a golden or lab at youtube by Adam Katz. I like this one. These two have become fast friends and Angel will move from the deck down to the pad to hang out with Claude when he is kenneled. How sweet. I took Claude to the working dog club and he was very interested in the goings on and got several compliments. He didn't show the drive I see at home but I'll work on that when I get my new bite "pillow". I have to wait to get the video but there's stuff I can do in the mean time with him using the bite wedge/pillow. I need an agitation harness too before I can back tie him to do "back pressure" on the bite with Claude. This is all to build his drive. It is a glorified and highly structured game of tug and he loves to play tug so it will seem like a game to him while he develops skills and confidence. He already has inherent courage.

Autonomous Claude

2010-04-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a fascinating experience evaluating Claude. This type of personality is more than most people would want to handle. The more I interact w him the more I realize this. I think Claude was becoming a bit of a bully when he wanted his way. He also has a high level of autonomy but likes his comforts too. When he demands to be let in, it is not because he is lonely or wants company. He is now in the habit of going straight into his crate for the night. Perfectly content to be there till morning. He isn't too interested in being petted or shown affection and although he appreciates being brushed or scratched occasionally he doesn't require affection because of this autonomous nature so to use praise is a challenge in training because it doesn't mean much to him. He requires other motivations. And he can be a bit intense too. When Claude thinks I am trying to leash him to do something he doesn't want to do he barks at me and dares me to try and grab him. He is looking for an excuse to get in a fight with me. I recognized that soon after he got here. I won't fall for that. He likes to do tug work and when I release the rag he jams it back at me to do it again. He growls a bit while playing which signifies confidence and briefly shakes it occasionally. I can incorporate obedience into the training because to get what he wants,which is to continue the game, he has to do stuff for me and he seems to enjoy it. I have been studying operant conditioning and have decided to get the dvd training from Michael Ellis produced by Ed Frawley. It seems dog training has evolved again while I was away from schutzhund. They have a set that includes "the power of playing tug". I had first heard of owners training the bite work to a high degree w/o use of a helper and to prepare a dog for the helper recently from Susan, Claude's breeder. This intrigued me and then there was Michael Ellis videos from Ed Frawley that I saw in the Leerbug newsletter and I was hooked. I should wait till I get the dvd's but I had to try it out w Claude and he took to it like he had done it before. All I had was a jute rag but after the first session I had him setting in front of me and waiting for me to present the rag for a frontal bite. It was awsome and he pinched me accidentally during a session but that's just part of the work. Like Ed Frawley say's" if you can't take the heat, don't get married". Hmmm! Twenty five yrs ago I heard him say"if a picture is worth a thousand words than a video is worth more than a thousand pictures" and that stuck w me. So I'm going to spend the money for the DVD's and get back on the cutting edge. I am sure I will learn some new tug techniques from the Michael Ellis video's because he is on the cutting edge of dog training or he wouldn't be able to open his own school. From what I have already seen from the streaming videos I have been able to extrapolate the methods to a point. I ordered a bite wedge AKA bite pillow through the equipment link on my website cause it was 10$ cheaper. A better deal on the same or similar product than from Leerburg. A bite wedge is going to be more versatile and safer too. I shouldn't introduce him to a soft sleeve until I have worked on targeting with him more but he is ready for it. Claude is already at a level that he and I can get a lot done to prepare him for joining the schutzhund club. I can use it to teach him to target the bite,out, and the recall. Maybe even the bark and hold. No need to start him using the inducement method for a green dog,he is already beyond that. What I think I have done is combine the two philosophies and methods/techniques. Michael Ellis tug philosophy and Gottfried Dildei frontal bite and inducement techniques combined. I wonder how far I can go? I need to get him to return to the heel position before I step out to resume the game using the bite wedge. He doesn't want to recall so this should be a way to fix that I think. I need that wedge. By the way imagine what it is like to raise a jute rag to chest level for him to target. Seeing those teeth coming at you is a rush and the dog bounces off your chest to fight for the rag. At first I would turn as I released the rag but we are both growing in confidence and I'm providing greater degrees of targeting difficulty for us. This has all happened in only four sessions. Neither one of us has ever done this before but it feels right. And it's great exercise for both of us. It's weird though because I have never done this with my own dog and I have only known this dog for less than a month. I called it extrapolation but it seems like genesis. I need to mention that all this would not be possible w/o the superb foundation in obedience his former owner put on him. I decided to try to get him to sit in front of me while I turned my back, took two steps and turned to face him so he would be far enough away to target the rag when I presented it. I added a nod at him when I gave the attack command which will be our secrete signal. This is what I would normally do when working with a handler to give them the signal to release the dog. When I thought of it I didn't think he would do it and was very surprised that he did. He broke from his position the first couple of times but I just started over so he would know that was what he had to do to get me to resume the game. And it worked. I could see those wheels turning in his head too while I made him wait for me to prepare. The second time we did it I added the german command"paaken"(attack) when I presented the rag in front of me almost at face level. I lowered it a bit to help him target as he came up for it. He is very interested in this game and to see what comes next.

Claude the sport dog

2010-04-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make it official. I'm going to keep Claude and try to put a schutzhund title on him. Schutzhund translates to "protection dog". Claude has already got an excellent foundation in obedience and agility. He has great prey drive and has shown me a high degree of willingness to please. Very important and something I have missed for many years with the American Tundra Shepherd breed. Claude also retrieves so I have a head start w him. Yesterday I played tug w him and he is primed and ready to go. I just need to raise the yearly 175$ membership and I can get started. I think he will be impressive. Claude may have been a good police service dog candidate but he should have been started sooner and it would take a year and a half before he would be ready to hit the street. It would also require changing his personality somewhat and I wouldn't want to think of that. Or of him getting shot. So stay tuned for updates on his progress including videos and pics. We're going to have fun. I want to use the Dildei inducement system to start bite work and need to talk to the trainers at the club to see if they are willing to do this. I'm hoping. Oh, and that hand averse thing I mentioned? I like that. It turns out that he prefers not to be touched by strangers.

Clean Claude

2010-04-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

Claude likes to be clean. He doesn't like to poop in the kennel even though I scoop every day. Kennel and yard. He will hold it 2 days if I didn't let him out to use the yard. I was alarmed when I realized he hadn't pooped in 2 days. He was mortified the one time I saw him step in his poo. Otherwise he is acclimating to the kennel well. I've started to let him out into the yard w/o a lead now. I asked him to promise not to jump the fence and run away. He is rambunctious and Angel try's to keep him in line but he doesn't take it too serious. She's a poser and just wants to pose or put her front paws on his back and he just scoots away. She would try to roll him if I let her but I don't let her get that forceful w him. They kind of played a little but Angel views this as her place so naturally she has to assert herself whenever possible. There's a county mountie in Tennessee interested in him as a police service dog. He better get started if he wants to train this dog because Claude is no spring chicken at 3yrs age and should have been started along time ago for that kind of work. I hope they use Gottfried Dildei "inducement" training to start bite work and train the blinds. He would be a joy to start in that manner. They probably never heard of "Inducement" training. That's what I would do. This is more impowering for the dog than the older methods by making him feel in control. Frontal bites just make more sense than runaways and long leads for control are unnecessary in a very short time. The bark and hold is just a simple progression from the frontal bite to the blind. I have done it this way for clients in the past and it's fool proof. No conflict for the dog at all.
I don't know anyone that would do it this way for me but I haven't asked either.
He prefers Angels food (solid gold holistic) and is having good stools.

Claudes personality

2010-03-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have noticed some peculiarities about Claude. He seems to be a bit hand averse. That's not the same as hand shy but he does avoid being touched on the head until he knows I am just going to pet him. Wonder how that happened. Now that I am aware of the problem I can work on getting him used to being just petted. He also uses the "shake my paw,I'm cute" thing to diffuse his nervousness at having to focus on me. This is his way of seeking approval and acceptance. I am his whole world now and I have to fill his needs both physically and emotionally. This dog has never had to focus on just one person. He came from a family situation and was shone affection by many people so although well socialized,being totally focused is a new thing for Claude. He is strong and will overcome his nervousness in time. My mission is to instill the courage,confidence and skills he needs to achieve his potential while both of us have fun doing it. Sounds like I've made a commitment. Claude seems to have the attributes for schutzhund and the athleticism to excel. Luckily there is a schutzhund club w excellent trainers 20 minutes away. How do I know? I've seen a lot of world renown trainers over the years so I know great trainers when I see em!

This is Claude my Beauceron foster dog

2010-03-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Dominant dog cont. 3/27/10

2010-03-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

This dogs name is Claude. He is a 3 yr old Beauceron. I didn't identify him at first because I didn't want to get too close to him. Trying to be clinical is a way of keeping my distance emotionally. It's been a long time since I had a relationship w a high quality male working dog. I'm not sure I am ready for it mostly because of my travel plans for this year. One dog is difficult when in the mountains or desert prospecting. You have to worry about wild animals and water born diseases like giardia. That means you can't let your dog drink from any stream. You have to carry extra water. Not always easy. Anyway that's why I didn't ID Claude before now. Claude and I are learning to trust each other. Consistency in the way I interact w him is the most important part of the equation for me at this point. I have to earn his trust. Also he is insecure enough about his surroundings that he can be defensive if not handled properly. If he thinks I am being too rough w him and or angry he would bite me. So he he has to see that I am fair and not going to bully him. Any stress I put on him could turn out bad for me. That means any activity I engage in w him must be fun and easy. Angel has been keeping him company outside during the day. She stays on the deck mostly while he is down in the dog run. She doesn't interfere when he comes in or out on lead but she did try to put her chin on his neck at the sliding glass door once. He didn't like it and growled but he knows now that she assumes she is the dominant dog. I won't let her dominate him and that means they won't be hanging out in the yard together anytime soon. I know she would try and the fight would be on. So Claude will be on lead whenever she is around as I can control her by voice and keep her away from him. He knows this. By the way Claude seems to prefer being outside in the run at night instead of the crate when it is warm enough. He likes to be brushed so I do it every day. I rub his ears the way he likes every day too. It releases endorphins which is good for our relationship as well. I am thinking about taking him to the Outter limits working dog club to show him off sunday. Did I say he is badass? He reminds me of old photos I have seen of bandoggs. When Angel alerts so does he. Otherwise he is a quiet dog which is a blessing. When he wants something he sounds like a puppy. He isn't complaining about his circumstances anymore and is accepting his fate. It was apparent that he was used to being the center of attention and getting his way. Aren't we all.

Dominance cont.

2010-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

It started snowing at 11pm last night. The dog came in at 10:30. He balked at going in the crate so I did a 360 degree turn and thrust him into it. He's as big as a small Dane. He wasn't interested in eating in the crate so I pulled it and Angel ate his food. She's always willing to help out in that regard. At 3am the dog started scratching at the crate door and I had to get up and take him out. I was about to leave him out in the mini-blizzard when I noticed him circling at the back of the kennel. So I waited and he pooped. Good boy! He got to come back inside. I thought he was being a brat but he just needed to poop. It's good to know that he will let me know when he needs to go out. He slept through the rest of the night in the crate. He got a hug and a hot meal this morning when he went out. 11pm-He had a good day and is showing some real friendliness. I'm starting to like him too. I think he is bad ass. He and Angel are checkin each other out more. No conflict. He is a thinker. I never thought of this breed as a thinking breed as much until now. Interesting. He goes in and out on lead to potty. He is going in the crate on his own now,cool. I take the lead off after he is in and tell him "good boy". He wags. Sure takes steps fast. Crazy snow. Maybe I can get a snow shot of him tomorrow.

Dominance cont.

2010-03-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

On wensday I didn't ask him to sit for his meals. Thought I would give him a break. He seemed to appreciate this and acted glad to see me thursday morning and made eye contact twice. This was a first. Thurs eve he got a steak w his meal. He was happy to see me friday morning and sat w/o being asked. I was giving Angel attention this morning and He barked a couple times to ask for some. He got it. He is definitely happier today and seemed to enjoy being scratched on his chest. More eye contact from him. Great! He sure sits pretty.
I will try to crate him in the house tonight as we are expecting snow.

fostering/rehabing a dominant working dog cont.

2010-03-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have high hopes that this dog will be able to acclimate to a new lifestyle. Last night and today he wagged his tail when I came to see him. He is still not comfortable with me touching him but is not avoiding it completely either. He is eating good but has had some stress diarrhea. Normal under the circumstances. He is still expecting to be rescued from his predicament. This will take time as he has been terribly spoiled all his life. Thank god he is not threatening me anymore though. He knows he is not top dog anymore and will lose his sense of entitlement as time goes by. Angel likes him ok. She seems to want to keep him company. I'll add a 16 strain probiotic to his food tonight. That will help with his stress. It's supposed to get colder this weekend. I plan to bring him in to the house to sleep in a crate. Hope I don't have any problem getting him in it.

what a working dog philosophy means

2010-03-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's a fact of life. Some breeds of dog are meant to work not be pets. At least until retired. There are breeds that tend to display dominant behavior which is expressed eventually on the owner/handler unless care is taken in the raising and training to foster respect and to accept leadership. This must be taught and reinforced daily through out the dogs life. The raw truth is that in extreme cases that can only be accomplished by the manipulation of food and restraint. I believe strongly in the "no free lunch" protocol. AKA-"nothing in life is free". This philosophy must extend to even something as basic as affection. It can be a very hard thing for an amateur working dog owner to accept, that you can only offer affection to your dog when he has earned it, but it is true with a dominant dog. Some animals even refuse affection. American tundra shepherd dogs are generally like that. Most people would not even recognize the early signs that they have this kind of dog. I am fostering a dog that is from a rare working breed right now and I am using every skill I have to change this liability into a dependable working dog candidate. Or see him placed by the breeder into a situation that will take advantage of the potential of this dog. This dog has no other choice. The previous owners loved him dearly but babied and spoiled him into having a sense of entitlement. I don't know for sure but I suspect he had been growling at the owner for sometime before biting her as he is three years old. I say that because when I got him home he was intimidated and growled at me when I was approaching to remove him from the crate. I was wary of invading his space but this was a technique to evaluate his reaction for my safety. I baby talked him and gave him some dog candy and he let me put a lead on him to take him to the kennel. He bucked and balked a bit but ultimately went in. After all he was in a strange place with a strange person and had no idea what to expect. This poor dog had never spent the night alone in a kennel and I expected him to cry all night but he didn't. I respect that. A sign of strength and maturity. I was afraid this dog was dangerous but he isn't. Good sign! But he is a liability until he is in the right situation or if I decide I'm willing to invest in him long term. I would prefer to start w a puppy but maybe this dog is ready made for me as I would like to be involved in schutzhund. I always wanted to be the first person to put a schutzhund title on an American Tundra Shepherd dog but I've only seen one ATS dog w the proper drives in thirty years w the breed. I will be evaluating this dogs willingness to please now. Sunday- The dog sat for his food last night and today. I wasn't expecting that. Good sign. Monday- Today he barked and argued with me and my bitch got to eat his food right in front of him. He couldn't believe it. You should have seen the look on his face. On my second attempt to feed him that afternoon he would not sit and bitched at me again. He has good spirit. but no food. I left it sitting just out of reach at the kennel door. As they say, sometimes the third time is a charm and it was. He sat for me w/o barking at me and he got a "good boy" and his food. Great signs, he is smart too! I'll bet he has never been hungry before. And he isn't really missing any meals now. Just having to earn each one. He let me pat him briefly after I put his food down. He has stopped growling. Excellent!! He is on the road to being a dependable dog. He will even have to earn each "good boy". I sure am glad he's not a prick. He has great potential at this point. When I gave him a hot evening meal I didn't ask him to sit. I greeted him and set his food down to show him I'm not a prick either. I demonstrated mutual respect but that I am in control. I could see the wheels turning in his head. This is what he needs now more than anything if he is to have a bright future. Real leadership.
E

Why dog parks suck-part one

2010-03-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

The first most obvious reason is that lots of people don't pick up their dogs poop. Not only is it rude but more importantly it spreads disease. Parasites mostly. You can always tell its the people that feed cheap food because it's gooey and sticky. They don't care. No matter how careful you are you'll step in some before you leave. You know your dog will. That's how parasites are passed. I can look at poop and tell if your dog is healthy or not. Yeah, I've seen and scooped a lotta poop. High quality food poop crumbles and disintegrates in a few day's. The preservatives in the cheap stuff make the poo indestructable. Your dog can pick up viruses like parvo or herpes and venereal type stuff too. There's always a pond that the runoff of the park ends up in for your dog to drink and swim in. Nice.

These are great places for diseases to mutate into more virulent forms. Of coarse thats just my theory. Look for part two. It gets worse.

ps.don't call me scoop!

Socialization and backward thinking

2010-02-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

After 30 years with wolfdogs,specifically the ATS dog, I've come to the conclusion that people just don't get it when it comes to socializing a new puppy. It is completely misunderstood. Old school methods just don't work and actually cause most behavioral problems. Your puppy's attention should always be focused on the you. Most dogs do not learn this. You must teach it. Most people do not understand this philosophy. Also you must prevent strangers,friends or other dogs from putting your puppy into what some call avoidance but in extreme situations causes a fight or flight instinct to kick in. Never let another puppy or dog beat up or bully your puppy. Don't let anything or anyone scare your puppy. Letting this happen can ruin your puppy's personality for life especially a wolfdog or ATS dog. Some dog breeds may recover somewhat in time but usually the damage is done. These situations are what causes aggression. People and or dog aggression. Always protect your new pup from intimidating situations. Tell your friends to ignore your pup. Don't worry about offending anyone. If someone doesn't take you seriously, they aren't your friend. Anticipate that people will want to walk right up to your puppy. Don't let it happen. Don't let others feed your puppy treats. You want your puppy to pay attention to you not them. Remember you are the pack leader and are responsible for protecting your puppy from anything that might make him nervous. Your puppy will respect and admire you for it.
E

The most important time in a dogs life

2010-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

The most important time in any dogs life is between the age of 6 weeks and 16 weeks. this is when you can teach (not train) your puppy nearly everything he/she needs to know to start off life with a head start. Yes a head start program. No need for a leash or training collar. Just a tag line. And even that is unnecessary. Most importantly,no corrections are required or should even be considered. If you take advantage of this important time your relationship with your dog will be all downhill after that. You are "imprinting" for a life w/o conflict and you can teach so many skills at this time before the hormones kick in and a puppy becomes rebellious. Its called "No leash" training. Don't miss this most important time and opportunity in your dogs life.
E

the 3 most important rules of dog training

2010-02-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

the 3 most important rules of dog training are
1.make it easy
2.make it fun
3.use food
these rules especially pertain to puppy training

Hello welcome to my blog and my first post.

2010-02-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hello,

My name is Earl Newland. The KC Dog Shaman. For more information about me see my website.