Breeds: A Double-Edge Sword

Dogs have been a part of human history for... well, most of human history.  Since their domestication by Homo sapiens, dogs have been bred for every size, shape, form, and function that you can think of, and this has led a wide range in form and function.

AKC Great Dane and AKC Pekingese Pages

While there is a range of issues with breeding a dog for a specific trait, breed development was meant to introduce consistency into a species that is hugely variable (see above).  Unfortunately, this has also lead to the assumption that all dogs that look a like must also act alike.  Perhaps it is part of human nature to assume such, but it is a false assumption - one that does not hold in human beings, nor in dogs.  In spite of this, it is an assumption that none-the-less dictates the fate of dogs around the world every day.

Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), laws dictating what breeds of dog a person can or cannot own and/or how they must be handled, are common in North America at the local or state/provincial level, and around the world.  Such laws are implemented under the guise of "protecting the public", but there is little evidence to support any claims of their effectiveness.  The notorious inaccuracy of breed-related bite statistics, as well as the strong correlation between the proportion of bites from a certain breed and that breed's popularity, all both completely disregarded by the implementation the creation of BSL.  Published studies of the topic is often highly biased due to inaccurate or incomplete reporting of bites by victims, and due to being frequently based solely on new reports, which tend to only report bites of breeds viewed as being dangerous by the public.  Not only are people extremely bad at identifying dog breeds (which means that many dogs that bite end up being labelled by the media as a "pit bull" or whatever the public considers to be that year's most dangerous dog breed), but because of the large number of unregistered and mixed breed dogs getting accurate numbers for each breed of dog (or its mixes) is nearly impossible.  This  prevents the number of bite events from being turned into accurate rates as there is no accurate way to determine the denominator, i.e. the total number of dogs of a particular breed.  This is further compounded is compounded by BSL, as dogs that are potentially of BSL-banned breeds or mixes are often not registered or licensed, further throwing off the breed counts and artificially inflating the breed-related bite-rate.

In my view, governments that implement BSL are doing so either because they have their own personal and extreme biases against certain breeds, or because it is an easy way to "do" something without having to hold owners accountable.  Regardless of the breed of the dog, the owner is ultimately responsible for the dog and its actions, and I think it is time that governments start recognizing that fact, instead of punishing entire breeds of dogs for simply existing.

I'm feeling very contemplative

Dogs are genuine and honest.  They will never lie to you and are always clear in what they say (as long as you speak their language).  They always tell you when they're happy or frustrated or sad, and they never pretend to be one while feeling another.  And dogs will not put up with your company if they're not interested in it. Many dogs I've interacted with have had a lasting effect on my life.  Some I only spent a few minutes with.  Some I spent hours with over the course of several weeks at the shelter.  Some I lived (or live) with and/or cared for.

It should be no surprised that it is much easier for me to relate to dogs than to other people.  I am not a people person - I never have been.   I have a hard time knowing who to trust and difficulty interpreting social signals.  Social situations - especially where I don't know (m)any people - fill me with anxiety and are exhausting.

Socializing with people to me often feels like I'm encroaching on other's lives, instead of being invited.  Like I'm invited to the party only because I overheard the popular kids talking about it, and inviting me was only polite.  I'm sure there are many reasons for those feelings that could fill an entire 10 page essay, but what I really wanted to say today is that those feelings are starting to change.   

The people who have entered my life in the past couple of years are really exceptional people, and we even if we're not bosom buddies, we have lots of things in common.  But just as I was starting to feel less like an outsider, I realize that almost all of the all of the smart, talented, ambitious people I know also know each other, and have for years.  It is one of the down sides to not having grown up in the city, for sure, and I'm finding it kind of intimidating.

Additionally, while most of the other people in my graduate program are starting to defend, my defense is at least six months away.  It seems like everything in my life right now is cooperating to give me a wicked case of Impostor Syndrome, and I just generally feel like I am not as smart or accomplished as those around me... like I'm not worthy of their time or ideas.  The worst part is that even though I feel this way, I know rationally that I am.  You don't get into graduate school, get published, get offered jobs without it.  

This past weekend my husband and I hosted a potluck American Thanksgiving for our friends.  It was well attended, but not crowded, and consisted of an interesting blend of people, many of whom did not know each other.  We ate excellent food and played games and generally enjoyed each other's company, and it really made me appreciative of the people that I have in my life.  Even though I often feel inadequate around them, whether they know it or not, they're constantly inspiring me to be a better version of myself, which makes me incredibly thankful to have them in my life.  And just the sheer number of people in my life that inspire me that way makes me feel incredibly grateful and I hope I'll continue to be able to share ideas with them for many years to come.

Happy New Year!

It's that time of year again when everyone sets unrealistic goals that result in us being completely discouraged and eventually giving up, only to try again next January.  Statistically, you won't slim down to your high school weight (sorry), nor will you only eat fruits and vegetables, go jogging five days a week, be more productive at work, quit smoking cold turkey, or whatever it is you've promised yourself you're going to accomplish this year.  Not because you don't want it enough, but simply because our goals and expectations far outstrip our real-world capabilities.  In dog training, this is usually referred to as setting the dog up to fail.  The idea is simple... if you do everything in your power to ensure that the dog actually knows what you want and is capable of doing it, the dog will be more likely to succeed.  Duh.  The same principle is used in all aspects of dog training, although how they are applied may be different.  Teaching a dog to sit, you use luring to get the dog into the position you want.  Resource guarding, you start small - give the dog something very low value, not worth much to the dog, and give him a super duper awesome reward for deciding to give it to you.

So, my wish for you all is that you set yourselves up to succeed at whatever it is you want to accomplish this year.  Keep your goals realistic, and realize that it might take a lot of smaller steps before you run the whole marathon.

As for me... I'm focusing on system-based things this year, rather than results-driven goals, and they say that you're more likely to stick to your resolutions if you share them, so here are mine:

1.  Be more consistent with Snowball's training, especially his reactivity.  2013 was alternately an awesome year and a terrible one - by July, his leash-reactivity was almost completely eliminated.  Then he went to stay with the in-laws while we renovated, and then at the kennel while we were away getting married, and it didn't get worked on regularly for months, and now he's almost back where he started.  Eliminating his reactivity for good will happen when it happens (and it may never happen) - I don't have 100% control over that.  What I do have control over is how often and how much effort I put into working on it.

2.  Work on becoming a  better communicator, both with dogs, and with people.

3.  Drink more water.  Specifically, drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and right before bed every day.

4.  Get at least 30 mins of exercise most days of the week.  (Note to future me: This does not mean that going to the gym for 60 minutes one day counts as the amount for 2 days!)  Thankfully having a dog makes this one easy.

5.  Bake more bread, so that I can get better at it.  Just like dogs, experience is the best teacher.

6.  Spend more time with Snowball.  Specifically, I want to take a beginner agility class, and I plan on going to the off-leash park every chance I get.  With no more courses to take for my degree, there are no excuses!

What are some of your resolutions/goals for the year?

A brief bit on Clicker Training

This week has been a busy week for me!  I am finally finished all of my course work, which means I can 1) catch up on all the thesis projects that I have been putting off and 2) spend more time at the shelter.  I've been a behaviour assistant volunteer for a couple of months now, but I haven't had the time/opportunity to take all of the training available to me, so last night I participated in an instructional session on clicker training with the behavior staff.

If you are not familiar with clicker training, it is a very simple technique based on operant conditioning.  Specifically, it is based on the principle of positive reinforcement, in which adding a positive stimulus (i.e. a reward) encourages repetition of an action or behavior.  Some people confuse the clicker as a replacement for a command, however it is not.  The click is meant to mark the instant when the desired behavior is performed.  It is possible to use "clicker" training without a clicker, and using a marker word (like "yes" or "good") instead, but the clicker has several advantages.  First, unlike a spoken word than can sound different based on a person's mood, the click always sounds the same.  Second, the click is not a sound that the dog would normally hear outside of a training session.  And finally, the click is quite loud and distinct, making it easier for the dog to notice in a high-distraction environment or in which there is a lot of noise that may drown out your voice.  While many people often think incorrectly that clicker training can only use treats and is not useful for dogs with low food drive, but the truth is you can use anything that motivates your dog to clicker train, as the clicker simply marks the correct behavior and indicates that a reward is coming - that reward can be anything that your dog loves, be it food, a game of fetch, petting, or even verbal praise.

Aside from developing a well behaved dog that can do impressive party tricks, clicker training is an awesome way to bond with your dog.  In addition to training tricks and commands though non-physical methods (like those used by a certain famous Mexican trainer), the clicker training can act as positive reinforcement itself, as the dog links spending time with you to getting awesome things like treats, or pets, or a game of tug.

I have worked on clicker training Snowball since we got him, to varying degrees of success.  After the session yesterday, I tried again to teach Snowball a proper "sit pretty".  He's very good at putting his front paws up, but not so good at holding it.  However, after a few times yesterday, he actually held it for a few seconds!  I'm slowly learning how true that old adage is: stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  While some dogs are just slower learners than others, the adage definitely applies to clicker training: if you keep trying to train a trick or behavior in one way, and it is just not working, maybe try switching things up a bit.  This is definitely one of my biggest weaknesses too.

I fully intend to purchase and read Karen Pryor's book: Reaching the Animal Mind, which is all about clicker training and the science behind it.  I highly recommend checking out her website which also has several exercises to start clicker training, as well as just testing out the theories if you don't believe they will work.  A good resource for both beginners and more experienced trainers who might just be stuck is the KikoPup YouTube channel, which you can find here.  Kikopup also has other great tips for making your dog or puppy easy to live with.

The other awesome thing about clicker training?  You can use it on absolutely any animal.  I have even clicker trained my cat to Sit and Shake a Paw.  The same basic principles of clicker training can even be used on humans (although you'll probably get an odd look if you use a clicker!)

Rescues: Only interested in help when they desperately need it.

A few months ago, I contacted a bunch of animal welfare organizations asking about fostering and getting more involved in rescue.  Rescues around here are always putting out pleas for foster homes and volunteers.  I sent out e-mails to about a dozen organizations, including local rescues, two national breed-specific rescues as well as a breed-specific rescue in the USA (as they listed chapters in Canada), and a couple of local breeders hoping they might know who I could contact about getting involved.

Then things got busy with school, and finalizing wedding plans (and getting married), and I kind of put the idea of fostering on hold for a while, at least until the semester was over.  And now that the semester IS over, I realize that I have not had one single reply from any of the organizations that I contacted.  Not. A Single. Reply.

Occasionally, I visit the rescue webpages looking at the dogs that I would love to invite into my home, and tonight I noticed that many of them stat on their homepage that they "are in desperate need of foster homes" and volunteers, and I can't help but feel like the rescues can't be that desperate for volunteers or foster homes, when they do not respond to people who have actually contacted them about getting involved with their organization.  Someone mentioned to me that perhaps when I contacted them they didn't need foster homes, and that the recent spate of spiteful winter has increased their need.  This is a very valid point; like many things, there are "seasons" for animal rescue.  And I would not have been upset if any of the organizations I had contacted had responded stating that they were not currently in need of foster homes, but could I contact them in a few weeks or months... although the responsible thing for them to do would be to set me up, do all the checks, interviews, etc. for me to foster, and then call me when a suitable dog came in.  At the very least, they should acknowledge that someone has offered the help that they so frequently cry out for.  Regardless, a lot of their behavior does nothing to foster a sense of community among animal rescue organizations in this city.

 I really feel like it is important that people get involved in rescue in the area really highlights to me the importance of being involved in an organization that aligns with your values (and I don't mean just the big picture ones). All of the organizations that I contacted are about animal welfare, and giving dogs and cats the perfect home that they didn't have the first time.  I'm talking about the smaller stuff - the organization I currently volunteer at runs a no-kill shelter.  Unfortunately people in other rescue organizations around here believe "no kill" means "euthanasia free", which is simply not the case.  I understand why many people in rescue are upset by the idea of euthanasia; it is not a fun topic to think about.  But the shelter follows the policies that it does for a reason: to help as many animals as possible in the best way that it can.  That means that spending months or years rehabilitating a dog that poses a large bite risk takes time and resources away from a larger number of dogs with less severe problems that can be rehabilitated faster.

For me, personally, since I am not currently fostering (and likely won't be for a while now, I would rather help as many dogs as I can.  Quantity, vs. quality.  And, the organization that I am with does include foster homes....Someday I will have the opportunity to help each individual dog on a much deeper level, but for now, I am content.

The Beginning

Last time I kept a blog, I wasn't very good at it. My updates were sporadic, months apart, rambling... but in spite of the long word counts, I didn't really have anything to say. Sure, I posted recipes and helpful kitchen tips, but there was nothing of real substance, no difference between my blog and my journal. If I kept a journal.
But I realized that like so many of my Gen Y peers, I was just writing a blog to write. Because I could, because I thought I was important enough to make people care, even though there really wasn't anything to care about, and not because I had anything important or interesting to say. (I didn't). But I do now. I have been volunteering at my local animal shelter for over a year now, but recently I became much more involved with the dog program working under the direction of the behaviorists to reduce/eliminate the unfortunate behavioural issues that some dogs have when they arrive. Things like anxiety, fearfulness, lack of impulse control, and even aggression. I am constantly amazed at the difference that the staff and other volunteers make, even in the short space of a week.

I really want to document my experience working with these dogs, to have a record of the things that I am able to teach them, and especially a reminder of what they have taught me. And a place to rant; sometimes I need to blow off some steam and my friends and family are likely already sick of my tirades about the ignorance of people and the treatment of animals, training methods, the definition of a no-kill shelter, and the insanity of rescue agencies. And, most importantly, to share cute pictures of cute puppies.


The cutest one being my own, of course.