Weekly Tidbits - July 7, 2021

On my mind this week and random things from around the web on dogs, behaviour and training. Feeding, Fireworks, and Forest Fires.

Feed for Position?

I first heard the term “feed for position” while taking an agility class almost 20 years ago. As I remember it, the explanation given was that you should reward the dog (i.e., feed them) at the bottom of either a dogwalk or an A-frame to encourage them to stop and wait for their treat. The rationale was that the dog will get into a “habit” of going to the place where the reward is presented. From there all kinds of interesting theories pop up - the dog will retain muscle memory of that physical position and will default to stopping through repetition or that the dog will develop a positive “conditioned emotional response” to the position (i.e., the want to do it because a good thing always happens in that position and place).

As I learned more about reinforcement based training, a different and more logical interpretation of the term “feed for position” was showing up in my reading. It’s a much more simple way to think about it. Where and how you deliver your rewards will have an effect on how easily you will be able to move on to the next try at learning. A great example of this is “Loopy Training”; a training technique I learned about from trainer Alexandra Kurland. The goal of this training is to eliminate any behaviour not related to what is being taught and it uses one simple idea. Deliver your reward at the position where the dog can begin the next repetition of the desired behaviour.

In the case of Loopy Training, the idea of “feed for position” is used to make the process of training more efficient and effective. Loopy Training suggests that you literally “feed in the position you want to start the next repetition.” Probably the biggest advantage of this application of “feed for position” is that the dog doesn’t accidentally confuse any additional behaviours that might happen between one repetition and the next. There is just less to distract the learning process.

To me, this seems like a much more useful interpretation of the term “feed for position” and I think much closer to the intention of the person most often attributed with the phrase, animal trainer Bob Bailey. The goal is not to get the dog to remember a particular position, but to use where and how we reward to enhance the learning process overall. That is a much more powerful idea than hoping “muscle memory” or “habit” will do the training work for us.

These days it’s less important to me to get the reward to my dog as soon as possible. What’s important is that my training process doesn’t include unnecessary resets and behaviours. I try to think ahead and plan how I can enhance teaching a behaviour using my reward delivery and placement. A simple example is tossing the treat while I am teaching a “down.” My dog has to get up to get the treat and so they are ready to go for the next repetition.

There are lots of great applications of this “feed for position” concept. Just be sure to think through what you are hearing and consider whether or not a method or technique makes sense to you. More importantly, make sure it makes sense to you dog!

Things That Go “Boom!”

It’s time for the summer holidays here in North America and that usually means a lot of fireworks. For our dogs it means a lot of unexpected bangs and booms. Some incredibly loud, some more muffled and further away but all of them mysterious, inexplicable, and potentially frightening. To be sure the Internet is full of suggestions on how to help your dog through all of the noise. But there are a few basic things to know about dogs and things that go “boom!”

The first thing you should know is that dogs don’t hear low frequencies so much as they feel them. Those things that we call “whiskers” around the dogs face are actually called vibrissae and they are located above the eyes, on the nose and chin, and along the jaw line. They are incredibly sensitive to changes in air currents such as those caused by sound waves in the air. Vibrissae normally function to tell dogs about objects and potential dangers in their environment. It is understandable how they might find the vibrations from fireworks confusing since they can’t tell where they are coming from!

Another important consideration for the dog is your reaction to all of that noise. Our dogs look to us for cues about what is safe or potentially alarming in their environment. We can be a great comfort to our dogs just by reacting normally to major changes in the environment. All of that banging and booming can be a lot less scary if we seem unbothered by it.

Not every dog responds the same to loud noises. Some of these reactions are due to genetics and some are learned through experience. That means that a naturally nervous dog can be helped with kind, effective training exercises to better tolerate loud noises. But a big part of helping our dogs cope with potentially frightening situations is managing things to make them comfortable.

We have had a few dogs that were very noise sensitive. There were a number of things we found effective. Playing music to mask the sound of fireworks has been effective for us because we often play music all year round. Our dogs are used to it. That familiarity helped our dogs cope. We also close doors and windows to minimize the noise.

If you have tried some of these management strategies and they have not been effective for your dog, go and see your veterinarian. There are several options for short term medications to help your dog through the most difficult of these noisy episodes. It’s also a good idea to see your vet because noise-sensitivity could be a symptom of more complex medical problems. For example, one of our dogs developed noise-sensitivity due to becoming hypo-thyroid. Short term meds would not have been as effective as the correct diagnosis we got and the long term meds we used to help our dog.

The fireworks we have to endure at this time of year may be an annoyance but they give us a unique opportunity to observe some aspects of our dogs’ personality and health. It is a great reminder that our dogs depend on us for their wellbeing and that we have a responsibility to take care of both their physical and emotional needs.

Fiery Fail Safes

July here in British Columbia means “fire season.” Summers here can be hot, dry, and very dangerous because of brush and forest fires. Just last week a wildfire tore through the town of Lytton, BC destroying much of the downtown and residential areas. We had our own experience with a wildfire behind our home 10 years or so ago. It was a great reminder to be prepared for such emergencies.

The moment my wife spotted the smoke behind the house, she directed me to call 9-1-1 while she got the dogs into the car and drove them to a safe distance at a neighbour’s house. We had a plan. Fortunately, our local firefighters were able to contain the fire and there was no damage to our property.

We do several things to make sure our dogs are safe in case of emergency. One of the most important is that we have stickers prominently displayed in our windows indicating to fire and rescue personnel that we have 2 dogs should they be called to our home while we are out. We also have good relationships with our neighbours who we can call on for help in emergencies.

It’s important to know what exit routes are available if you should need to evacuate. Have a kit available with extra leashes, harnesses and collars, food bowls, and first aid supplies with dogs to take with you.

The one thing we learned from our wildfire experience is that things like possessions can be replaced but our dogs cannot. Taking some time to plan for emergencies can help make sure your dogs make it out alive with you.

Here’s hoping you all have a happy and SAFE summer season!

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Have a great week and have fun with your dogs!