TUNALICIOUS!!

It's September.  Summer is over.  The traffic gets heavier.  The days are shorter.  The gutters get plugged with fallen leaves.  Costco has all the Christmas-y things out because Christmas is only 112 days away! (You're welcome.)

OH YEH...and it's back to school for the kids!

I don't have kids, but I'd imagine the conversations that happen between parent and child are pretty much similar, if not the same conversations I have with Kona.  Did you go pooh?  What's in your mouth now? Finished your dinner?  Stop eating dirt!!  

So in the spirit of back to school, I wanted to share with you one of my all time favourite dog treat recipes. Because dogs go back to school too.  Whether you're taking puppy classes this fall or working through reactivity issues with your dog; using food in training is one of the best ways to create positive associations and teach new behaviours in any animal.  Enter TUNA FUDGE, (I did not invent this recipe but I'd like to high five the person who did).  I love this recipe so much because it's simple, cheap, makes bag loads, and requires only 3 ingredients.  These treats are soft and will not crumble between your fingers, which is preferable when trying to get in high rates of reinforcement.  Waiting for a dog to finish chewing his treat between repetitions?  Ain't nobody got time for that!

Nom nom nom nom nom...

This is what you'll need:

Whole wheat flour, 2 cans of flaked tuna, 2 eggs, and some massive pipes for mixing.  OR if you're lazy like me, a stand up mixer is most ideal.  Seriously, folks.  3 ingredients, that's it.  If you want to get all Rachel Ray, you can even add some parmesan to the recipe.  The powdery ghetto kind that sits unrefrigerated on grocery store shelves.  Yum.  

Mix the ingredients up, spread it out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.  Watch the cable guy make Funky Smell Face when he walks through the door to fix your PVR.   

Let the slab of fudge fully cool when it comes out of the oven.  Once it's cool to touch, cut up the slab into treat-sized pieces.  I like to use a meat cleaver for this part because I'm Chinese and Chinese parents buy their children meat cleavers when they move out.   Not sure if that's fact, but mine did anyway.

This recipe makes a Ziplock sandwich bag STUFFED with Tuna Fudge.  You can even freeze batches of it and pull them out of the freezer when you need them.  I do highly recommend keeping these treats stored in the fridge when you are using them during the week.  Since they are soft treats, they do hold moisture and are susceptible to mold if not stored properly.  You have been warned.   

So there you have it!  Treats that are easy to make and won't break the bank.  Your dog(s) will love it and with all the extra money you end up saving, you can put that money towards more dog things your dog really doesn't need because that's what dog people do.

Full recipe below.

HAPPY TRAINING!

Em

Emily Gestrin

Mani Pedi Day

It's mani pedi day in our household.  Dog mani pedi day that is.  I myself have not had a mani pedi since February before our trip to Maui.  It is now mid July and half the summer is over.  I am hoping my other half will read this and surprise gift me a day at the spa while he takes care of all dog and cat poop scoopin' duties while I get pampered.  I am hoping...  

But today is all about the Kona Pants, (her nickname is "Pant Suit Lady".  Don't ask.).  As I grab the nail clippers, Kona knows what's up.  She trots to her bed, lays down, and eagerly anticipates what is to come. Kona used to hate getting her nails clipped.  She dreaded it.  I dreaded it even more.  This sassy 85lb Rottweiler would pull her paws away, lift her lips at me, snarl, and at times she would even snap at me.  Nail clipping is not an option.  It needs to be done.  Something needed to change.  And that something was me. 

Enter SCIENCE and the wonderful process of Desensitization and Counterconditioning (DS/CC). I've included a link here to save me from having to explain the definitions and process in detail. In a nutshell, DS/CC is a powerful technique used in the world of behaviour modification to effectively treat issues such as fear, aggression, and anxiety.  When you change how an animal feels about something, their behavioural response will follow suit.  

Kona had a fear of nail clipping.  I don't blame her.  She has black nails which makes it difficult for me to see the quick.  As a puppy, I once clipped a bit too far and made her bleed. It's like going to the dentist, right?  Maybe your dentist drilled a bit too deep one time and hit a nerve.  Pain rushes over you and you've now made a negative association to the sound of the drill, the smell of the drill, your dentist, his yappy assistant who keeps asking you questions you can't answer because her entire fist is in your mouth.  You despise it all and you give the receptionist stink eye when she asks what your schedule is like 6 months down the road so she can book you in for another appointment.  Hearing the word "dentist" probably makes you cringe as a result.  We go through life making associations all the time and so do our dogs. 

By executing DS/CC correctly, I was able to change how Kona felt about getting her nails clipped by creating positive associations with the routine.  I started by using high value treats such as boiled chicken.  In order for counterconditioning to be successful, it is crucial that the appearance/interaction with the trigger comes FIRST so the trigger becomes the predictor of all good things to come as illustrated by the poster below:

With Kona, I started with the tiniest of steps over multiple short sessions.  The following actions resulted in boiled chicken landing in her mouth every single time:

• appearance of clippers
• touching her paws
• clippers touching her paws
• clippers tapping her nails
• air clipping with no nail contact
• air clipping right beside the nail with slight contact but no nail clip
• clippers making full contact with follow through nail clip

If at any time, Kona decided she had enough and pulled her paws away, she had the freedom to disengage and leave our session.  HOWEVER, that also meant that the boiled chicken disappeared as well.  Kona does not like disappearing chicken.  She WANTS the chicken.  Pretty soon, she started offering behaviours to initiate the start of our sessions again such as:

• targeting the clippers with her muzzle
• pawing at the clippers

Any interaction with the clippers from her part earned her boiled chicken, period.  I never missed an opportunity to reinforce these behaviours.  Over time, she started to associate nail clipping with all good things.  I varied my treats and used cheese, hot dogs wieners, and freeze dried liver.  Eventually, all I had to do was grab the clippers and squeeze them a couple times. The squeaky sound of the clippers would elicit a response along the lines of, "HOLY CRAP, NAILS DAY!!!  WHAT AM I GONNA GET TODAY?!?".  For Kona, nail clipping eventually  became a party in her mouth and she did not want to miss out, not even for a second. 

It's crucial to not rush this process.  Before proceeding, you need to make sure you dog is fine with one step before moving on to the next.  If you find your dog is stressed and pulling away, then you need to take a few steps back to the point where your dog was not exhibiting any fearful responses.  Maybe you can only clip one nail per training session.  THAT'S OK. There is no rule in the book that says, "Thou shall clip ALL the nails before 8pm yoga class". When I started DS/CC nail clipping sessions with Kona, I was able to do maybe 1 or 2 nails a day over the course of a few days.  These days, I can clip everything in one session and I've been able to use just her morning breakfast kibble after every nail clip, (another way to sneak your training sessions in while feeding your dog their breakfast!).  

Do you run into spazzy dog syndrome when it comes to nail trims or other grooming procedures?  Hopefully this post will shed some light on how you can start helping your dog feel comfortable and eventually love being handled.  

Chicken Camp With Terry Ryan | Duncan, B.C. | June 30th - July 3rd

I swear I'm not crazy. 

Chicken Camp.  It exists.  Yes, you can train chickens, but why on earth would you need to train a chicken?  For those of you in the animal and pet care field, you might have heard of Chicken Camp.  These workshops are held world wide and taught by the finest in the animal training industry; most notably Terry Ryan of Legacy Canine Behavior & Training, and Bob Bailey along with his colleague, Parvene Farhoody of Behavior Matters®, Inc. 

So why did I choose to spend 4 days inside an air conditioned dog training facility during one of the hottest weeks of the year?  Ummm...because it was one of the hottest weeks of the year so far and I got to train chickens with Terry Ryan.  Duh.

When it comes to training dogs (or any animal), there are some important aspects to consider during your sessions which can directly affect your results.  We take a look at the animal's physical and mental welfare.  We address the animal's training environment to make sure it is feeling comfortable and as stress free as possible.  We figure out what motivates the animal, what we want the animal to do, what our criteria is, and how we can break down a behaviour in order to shape the finished behaviour we are trying to obtain.  We make sure timing and delivery are spot on and our rate of reinforcement is generous to start when teaching something new.  Dogs are incredibly patient creatures, even when us humans fall short on our end.  Chickens?  Well...  Chickens are quick.  Don't believe me?  Try spilling some food pellets near a hungry chicken and then try sweeping the pellets away from them before they get to peck any.  They are insanely quick.  During your training sessions, if you're not doing it right, or your chicken is stressed, or you start to ask for too much too soon, they will literally fly away from you.  Chickens will take none of your B.S.  I am always looking to improve my mechanical skills when it comes to dog training, so working with a completely different species made total sense to me.

Challenge accepted.  I signed up for a 4 day Chicken Camp Workshop with Terry Ryan, hosted by Cowichan Canine in Duncan, B.C.  Let's start by acknowledging that I have never held a chicken in my life.  Well, actually that's not true.  I've held a few wings and drumsticks between my fingers with a side of mashed potatoes in my time, but I'm talking about a real live squawky chicken here.  I'm not going to lie; I was seriously nervous and had already pictured getting my eyes pecked out as soon as the cage opened.  Thankfully, Terry gave us the run down beforehand on how to properly hold a chicken by giving us a demo on a plush toy beanie chicken.  In a nutshell, you need to secure their wings right snug against their body with both your hands, (at the joints!!!  AT THE JOINTS!!!!).  If possible, secure the chicken snug against your own body and for the love of Elijah Wood in "The Good Son", do not let go.  If they aren't secure, the chicken will surely wing slap your face repeatedly and you will end up with a mouth full of feathers as you scream.

Each person was assigned 2 chickens to work with throughout the entire workshop.  I met some wonderful ladies from all different backgrounds.  Dog trainers, vet assistants, biologists, retired teachers, and pet dog enthusiasts to name a few.  The course layout was fantastic.  We worked in 50 minute increments with 10 minute breaks in between which kept me energized throughout the day.  Over the course of 4 days, we worked on clicker training mechanics, timing and delivery, observation, capturing, shaping, targeting, and discrimination.  We also touched on the importance of record keeping and the principles of TAGteach.  We worked on our coaching skills as we paired up with a partner when we worked the chickens, (thank goodness for extra back up in case I got violently pecked. I was paranoid, ok?).  With the 2 chickens I was assigned to, I worked on targeting and discrimination with one chicken (#9), and the other chicken who was not an ideal candidate for targeting, was taught to walk across a balance beam instead, (how fitting with the name "Double O Seven"). 

Chicken #9 was an all star pecker.  This video was taken on the last day of chicken camp.  #9 is learning to discriminate between coloured poker chips.  Fact: Chickens can see colour.  She has only been reinforced for pecking the red, and continues to do so even when other coloured chips are added.  Note that at :19 of the video, my ninja fast partner Laura took away the red chip and for a few seconds, #9 was looking for the red chip but did not peck any other colour.  Ninja Laura puts the red chip back and #9 immediately pecks the red chip and carries on.  Fact: None of these chickens were previously trained.  The only training they received prior to the start of the workshop was some classical conditioning and desensitization to being in and out of the cages, and to accept human handling.

Pretty darn cool, eh?

OH!  And another cool thing I learned?  Hens with white ears lay white eggs.  Hens with brown or pigmented ears lay brown eggs.  The more you know <insert flying star>.

MIND. BLOWN.

As training camp came to an end, I was sad to leave.  I was sad to leave the group of girls that I had just gotten to know over the course of the week.  I was sad to leave my chickens and made sure I gave them each a nice neck scratch and an encouraging pep talk as they were staying for another week to work with new trainers in the advanced camp, (ok, now you can justifiably call me crazy).  

What a fantastic and one of a kind experience.  I left with a new appreciation for my own dog and realized how muddy criteria and sloppy timing can really throw off our training at times.  Luckily she doesn't have wings or she probably would've wing slapped me multiple times and flown off to "To Heck With You, Lady!" Land. 

Big thanks to Lisbeth Plant and her wonderful staff at Cowichan Canine for providing such a great venue and for the delicious lunches!!  And giant sour keys.  They provided a tub of giant sour keys.  And a bowl of Werther's.  My dentist would also like to thank you as well.

Emily