The Nucleus Theory

Fortunately there is a calmer approach, a kinder way to teach and communicate, and you'll find this methodology in all my writings and in my books. Thank you for visiting the site and letting me help out. Happy tails!

Here are some fine facts about you and your dog.

A noble compliment let me assure you, however, before you can teach your dog anything, you must consider his worldview. Dogs depend on a hierarchy, not a democracy; they don't share opinions or debate issues. It's all about leadership, one leads the others follow. And leadership is based not on who's the toughest, but who will accept responsibility for the group.

Think of our armed forces. General=1, Colonel=2, Captain=3, Lieutenant=4 and so on, down to the lower ranking Privates. This human hierarchy is not based on who's the strongest physically, but on who has the brains, will and determination to lead the rest.

Bottom line, hierarchy, whether we are talking dogs or humans, is based on who organizes space and activities. So… you decide. Do you want your dog to do the job or will you step up to the task? If you labored on that question let me remind you that a dog can't distinguish a road from a field, a stick from a table leg, or a pillow from a stuffed toy. For that matter, your dog can't quite grasp your departures or the food on the counter tops. If you don't take charge, he might just loose his cool… trash the house while you're out or nosh on the dinner meats while your not looking. Confusion canine style. Never a pretty sight.

Are you still with me? You obviously want to reclaim your home. Good for you! Follow my three-step process and you'll be on your way.

1. Learn Doglish
2. Redefine your Space
3. Organize displacement activities

Sounds pretty simple. Now for the in-depth discussion…

1. It's Doglish, Not English
   Imagine aliens have abducted you. They've put you in an unfamiliar environment and left you sitting alone. Poor you. Alien #1 walks in looking odd, hollering gibberish and racing around. Out he goes, leaving you dismayed to say the least. Alien # 2 comes in calmly, lifts his arms in a 'be still' gesture, grunts and leaves. If you had to pick one, which alien would you choose to deal with? Number 2? Me too! How does this relate to you and your dog? Well, dear readers, we humans are somewhat alien to our dogs. Though they willingly accept us, they don't understand English as another human would. To understand and communicate with them you must learn to speak their language: it's Doglish. It consists of:
   • Eye Contact
   • Body Language
   • Tone

   Eye contact- Look at your dog for good behavior! In later chapters I'll give advise on how to handle the naughty stuff, but remember corrections given with eye contact are considered interactive, not discouraging. More on that later!

   Body Language- Act like a calm alien. Stand tall, and stay cool. You're the one to watch! Bending over your dog is often translated as a play posture and will excite not impress.

   Tone- Yelling is barking in Doglish. Don't yell; you'll only stimulate or scare your dog all the while giving yourself laryngitis. Though your dog won't understand much English, she can learn command words if they're use consistently.

   When teaching your dog words, or commands, use a "set the table" tone. Clear, and direct; not angry or apologetic. In the next chapter we'll go over the basics and learn special words to discourage naughty stuff, like "Quiet" for barkers and "Back" for the door-dashing crowd.

   Fact 3: Dogs don't communicate in English they speak Doglish!

   

2. Redefine your space.
   Ask yourself the following questions:
   ___ Does your dog greet people by jumping around like a jellybean?
   ___ Are you constantly racing out the door and down the side walk to keep up with your dog? Would your dog do the door dash if it were left open?
   ___ Do you find yourself navigating around your dog on the stair or on the floor?

   If answer to any, or all, of these questions is yes, well my dear reader you've got reorganizing to do. Before we redefine anything, let's take a look at this from your dog's paws.

   First, the door dashing and blocking your path routine. In Doglish, your tiptoeing around conveys respect for authority. If your dog gets to or out the door first than the house is his. A humbling truth. It's not that your dog wants this responsibility, per say, it's simply that you're not asserting yourself. Before you hide your head in embarrassment, let me assure you, things can be turned around. "Here I come to save the day (trumpet sounding)!"

3. Organize Displacement Activities
   I can hear you already: "What on earth is a displacement activity?"

   It's diversionary tactic to teach your dog other options for dealing with stress. My Border Collie mix, when first rescued from the shelter, thought mauling company was an appropriate greeting. Now she cheerful shows off her latest Frisbee® collection. My Cairn Terrier mix was a sworn bark-aholic when she arrived at my doorstep. Now she barks until the doors open, then takes the opportunity to show her belly off. My creatures, they warm my heart.

   Want some more incite? Let me introduce you to three of my pupils both before and after they learn their displacement activities!

Rascal Before
Rascal is a 7-month-old English Cocker Spaniel, with a sweet marshmallow like personality. He shares his life with three young girls. Needless to say, there's plenty of stimulation! Sometimes Rascal can't resist chewing a doll's head or chasing the girls when they run. Attempt made to scold Rascal reduce him to a groveling frightened puffball. The girls instant empathy and reassurances are truly heartfelt, however, within ten minutes the cycle starts again. UGH!

Peter Pan Before
Peter Pan is a 2 year old neutered husky mix, rescued from the animal shelter, who is frightened when strangers visit the house; especially service men. Though his owner has tried to sooth him, he continues to bark wildly at the door and race toward people when they enter the home. Most perplexing for his owners is his hiding behavior only moments later; what's known in professional circles as the Approach-Avoid conflict. This has been so disruptive he's been confined to the basement where he chews his toes until they bleed.

What do these three dogs have in common? What can be done to help them cope? All three need a displacement activity to help them deal with their anxiety/excitement.

Clicker Happy Training

A cheerful approach to training your dog and resolving problem behavior.

How to Use A Clicker

Clickers are a fun and fast way to speed up your dog's learning process. Though it may seem magical, it relies on behavior shaping principles that mark desired behavior. To start, get ten treats. Click and treat; before you finish your dog will alert to the sound happily. Now use it for training and to encourage good habits.

Teach the Basics

Here are just a few examples!

• Sit - Command "sit," luring your dog into position with a toy or treat if necessary. Click, reward, and praise— Good dog!
• Down - Command "down," luring your dog into position with a toy or treat. Click, reward and praise—Hurray!
• Come - First teach it as a command of closeness. Throughout the day command "come" when your dog's near you. Encourage him to look up by sweeping your hands to your eyes. Click and reward. Gradually extend the distance and increase the distractions, working within a safe environment.

Encourage Good Behavior

Any activity can be encouraged with your clicker.

• Housetraining - When your dog eliminates in the right area, say "get busy." Click the instant your dog finishes, treat and praise warmly.
• Jumping - When your dog jumps, look away. Click, treat and pet once all four paws are on the ground. Four on the Floor—that's a good dog!
• Chewing - Anytime your dog is chewing an appropriate object, click, treat and praise warmly.

  ***Even everyday frustrations can be ironed out with the clicker, e.g. to encourage silence, asking to be let out, positive associateions to kids, etc...

Don't Forget

Follow each click with a treat and praise. Avoid over-clicking. It's too confusing- soon your dog will condition to the sound and not respond as well.

BE CHEERFUL and HAVE FUN!

Point Training

Point training allows you to point your finger to direct your dog! It's invaluable whether you're in the midst of a lesson, around your home or out and about. Your little index finger can make all the difference between your dog feeling lost and undirected and suddenly feeling like he is a part of the team. The target is your finger, and point training can be taught as a game using a toy or treat to begin, once your dog catches on, food isn't necessary. Praising your dog and telling him he is brilliant is a must!

There are three steps to point training, which involve helping your dog follow the point of your finger, here we go;

1. Instant gratification. Hold a goodie in your hand and extend your pointing finger. Initially, exaggerate your pointing finger right in front of your dog's nose. When he hits your finger with his nose, mark the moment (YES or click) and give him the treat immediately. Continue to practice this pointing within close range, until you see that your dog is catching on. Begin to slowly point in different directions. Eventually, point left, right, up, down, behind, and in front - he should follow that hand everywhere! And when he hits the point, treat him immediately.

2. Delayed gratification. Place your goodies in a snack pack or pocket, or on a countertop. Point at close range. When your dog goes to your finger, say YES! and click. Bring the treat from its location. As mentioned, move the location of the point as your dog catches on. You're still treating for every accomplishment, but now the treat is delayed and brought from a secondary location.

3. Mental gratification. Gradually phase out treating your dog for every successful point. Always mark the moment with an enthusiastic YES! GOOD DOG!

Now it's your turn to have fun, point the dog to his bed, use your point to direct your dog up the stairs or off the couch. Guide your dog initially if he is confused. Pointing also works wonders for the obedience work because dogs love direction, and you always have your point handy!

Targeting

Targeting is the latest craze. The goal is to teach your dog to go to a target, which can be anything from a coffee can lid to a book of matches, an index card or a paper plate. Let's use a coffee can lid for our example. Gather up some favorite goodies and practice before a meal. Here's how it works:

1. Place the lid on the ground next to you and wait for your dog to sniff or step on it.

2. Mark the exact moment your dog touches the lid with a sound marker (YES or a click), and instantly give him a treat. Continue as many repetitions as your dog will do enthusiastically. End on a high note.

3. As our dog catches on to your game, gradually move the lid away from you. Continue to work with food, rewarding each successful contact.

Once you know your dog is totally committed to this game, put a word to it, like TARGET. Say it each time your dog goes to the lid. As your dog learns other words, such as WAIT and DOWN, and even some tricks, you can mix them into this exercise. Tell your dog "target-wait-down-roll over." There's no end to the fun!
You may also use your target to help your dog with his lessons. For example, learning how to send your dog to a designated area when you're eating or watching a movie can be very useful. Targeting can travel with you to the veterinarian, during advanced activities like agility and pet therapy, and during stressful situations