of the Dog - Association of Pet Dog Trainers

The APDT 

CHRONICLE 

of the Dog 

November/December 2008 

Introduction to the ASPCA MYM SAFER Assessment by Emily Weiss, PhD, CAAB 

Engaging Owners Fully in Dog Training by Risë VanFleet, PhD 

The Safety Class by Joan B. Guertin

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Ma n a g i n g ed i t o r /co M M u n i c a t i o n s di r e c t o r Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC 

co n t r i b u t i n g ed i t o r s Melissa Bahleda, MAT, CBC, 

Veronica Boutelle, MA, CTC; Terry Long, CPDT; 

Susan Smith, CPDT, CDBC; Nicole Wilde, CPDT; 

Laurie C. Williams, CPDT 

editorial ad V i s o r y co M M i t t e e Teoti Anderson, CPDT; 

Melissa “Mel” Bussey, CPDT, CDBC; Kellyann Conway, CABC; 

Susan Smith, CPDT, CDBC; Richard Spencer 

The APDT Chronicle of the Dog is a bimonthly 

educational publication for the 

APDT’s members. Articles that support the 

APDT’s mission of enhancing the human-dog 

relationship and advocating dog-friendly 

training are encouraged. Letters or articles 

that do not support the Mission Statement 

and/or Code of Ethics of the APDT may not 

be printed at the discretion of the Editorial 

Advisory Committee. 

Submissions 

The APDT Chronicle of the Dog encourages 

the submission of original written materials 

for inclusion in this publication. Please query 

the managing editor for contributor guidelines 

prior to sending manuscripts. Instructions for 

contributors can be found at www.apdt.com 

or by e-mailing newsletter@apdt.com. 

www.APDT.com 

The APDT Chronicle of the Dog 

November/December 2008 

150 Executive Center Drive, Box 35, Greenville, SC 29615 

1-800-PET-DOGS w Information@APDT.com w www.APDT.com 

Logo Usage 

The APDT logo is the property of the APDT 

and, as such, cannot be used without written 

permission. For information on individual 

usage, contact the business office. 

Memberships and Subscriptions 

Please call the APDT business office at 1-800- 

PET-DOGS or go to www.apdt.com. 

Managing Editor 

Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC 

7220 Dingo Court, Las Vegas, NV 89119 

702-606-1831; Fax: 866-770-3018 

newsletter@apdt.com 

Fo u n d e r Ian Dunbar, PhD, MRCVS, CPDT 

Pr e s i d e n t Kellyann Conway, CABC 

Vi c e Pr e s i d e n t Barbara Long, CPDT 

se c r e t a r y Laura Van Dyne, CPDT 

tr e a s u r e r Melissa “Mel” Bussey, CPDT, CDBC 

ex e c u t i V e di r e c t o r Richard Spencer 

Ma n a g e r o F oP e r a t i o n s Rene McKeel 

adMinistratiVe as s i s t a n t Megan Crosby 

Photo Credits: All Agency: Dreamstime.com: cover photo © Photographer: Nikolai Tsvetkov| p. 20: © Photographer: Ngo Thye Aun | p. 32: © Photographer: Joop Snijder | p. 36: © Photographer: Saniphoto | 

p. 48: © Photographer: Barbara Helgason | All Agency: BigStockPhoto.com: p. 23: © Photographer: Alexeys | p. 25: © Photographer: Joop Snijder | p. 34: © Photographer: Global Photographers | 

p. 39: © Photographer: Shatteredlens | p. 47: © Photographer: Myshotz.com | Other Photos: Photos p. 4 courtesy of Richard Spencer; p. 5 courtesy of Kellyann Conway; p. 8 courtesy of Randy Fortunato of 

FortunVista Photography; p. 10 & 11 courtesy of Heather Mohan; p. 17 courtesy of Gail Fisher; p. 43 courtesy of Sue Sternberg. 

Letters to the Editor 

To comment on authors’ work, or to let us 

know what topics you would like to see more 

of, contact our Managing Editor via e-mail at 

newsletter@apdt.com and attach your letter 

as a Microsoft Word or RTF file. Please put 

“APDT Pick of the Letter” in the subject line 

of your e-mail. Please limit your letter to 

250 words or less. Please note, the editor 

reserves the right to edit for length, grammar, 

and clarity. 

Reprints 

Articles in this publication may not be reprinted 

without written permission from the 

APDT. Please contact the Managing Editor in 

writing with your request. Copyright 2008 by 

the APDT. All rights reserved. 

features 

10 Introduction to the ASPCA MYM SAFER Assessment by Emily Weiss, PhD, CAAB 

14 Engaging Owners Fully in Dog Training, Part One by Risë VanFleet, PhD 

20 “Give Me a Break!” by Gail Tamases Fisher 

25 Creative Canine: Original Intentional Canine-to-Human Communication by Audrey Schwartz Rivers, MS 

36 Positive Dog Training in France by Catherine Collignon 

39 Filling the Void - A Trainer’s Perspective by Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT 

42 An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog by Sue Sternberg 

47 What the APDT Web Site Can Do For You by Rene McKeel & Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC 

4 Executive Director’s Report by Richard Spencer 

5 A Message from the President by Kellyann Conway, CABC 

6 Member News 

8 Member Profile: Jo Jacques, CPDT, CDBC 

20 Shelter Strategies by Melissa Bahleda, MAT, CBC 

23 Teaching Classes: The Safety Class by Joan B. Guertin 

32 The Business End of the Leash by Veronica Boutelle, MA, CTC 

38 CCPDT News 

34 A Learning Theory Primer by Susan Smith, CPDT, CDBC 

48 Reviewers’ Corner 

departments 

APDT Vision Statement: All dogs are effectively trained through dog-friendly techniques, and, therefore, are lifelong 

companions in a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. 

APDT Mission Statement: Promoting caring relationships between dogs and people by educating trainers in canine 

behavior and emphasizing professionalism and reward-based training. 

Advertising 

Please contact the Managing Editor to 

obtain a copy of rates, ad specifications, 

format requirements, and deadlines. The 

APDT does not endorse or guarantee any 

products, services, or vendors mentioned 

in The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, nor can 

it be responsible for problems with vendors 

or their products and services. The APDT 

reserves the right to reject, at its discretion, 

any advertising. 

The APDT is a USA-based organization and 

not affiliated with other international APDTs. 

November/December 2008 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 3

I 

am just about to leave for my third APDT Conference. 

The first thing that hits me is “how can it be three 

already?” The second thing that hits me is how much 

the APDT has changed in such a short time span. 

How much has it changed you ask? Well, if you have a 

little time, let me tell you from my perspective. I joined this 

little known to me association that was headquartered in 

Greenville, SC. When I came into the headquarters office 

for my interview, I was somewhat taken aback by the stark 

decor or, better yet, lack of any decor. The pictures on 

the wall were of dogs as you would expect but they were 

really sparse in numbers. The office spaces were piled with 

cartons of files and, for lack of a better word, junk. Now 

remember, I was unaware at that time that the office had 

been established only a short time before and that a staff 

of two was too over worked to worry about how the office 

looked. 

The interview was very professional. Teoti Anderson, 

then President, and Don Hanson, then Vice President, 

did a very good job of giving me their vision for the 

organization that allowed me to completely forget about 

the office decor. It is needless to say that I was offered the 

position and started the job as Executive Director a couple 

of months later. 

Now three years later the office is very professional 

looking and attractive with all the needed office equipment 

and supplies to properly serve the APDT membership. 

The staff has changed and grown professionally and in 

numbers with the addition of Rene McKeel, Manager of 

Operations, Mychelle Blake, Communications Director, 

Megan Crosby, Administrative Assistant, and approval 

to add an Education Director in early 2009. Mychelle is 

continuing as Managing Editor of The APDT Chronicle of 

the Dog as part of her position as Communications Director. 

This is a very professional and hard working staff that I 

enjoy working with on a daily basis. 

What about the vision I mentioned? After three 

years, the APDT has a strategic plan that is well on its 

way to full implementation. Hopefully, you as members 

have experienced or seen the improvements that have 

occurred. 

• Last month I talked about the APDT Web site and its 

success, coupled with the success of the APDT Dog 

Trainer Search. 

• In October you saw the addition of videos on our Web 

site for both our members and the dog owners who 

know so very little about dog training. 

• You have seen the dramatic changes in The APDT 

Chronicle of the Dog, with more improvements to come. 

• The APDT membership registration system has become 

easier and less cumbersome for both the members and 

Executive Director’s Report 

Richard Spencer 

Executive Director 

for the APDT staff. 

• The Board elections are 

now held online and no 

members voted by mail. 

• The APDT Membership 

Directory is online and 

always current. 

• Online survey capabilities 

have allowed us to keep 

our fingers on the pulse of 

the membership. We have 

run four major surveys in 

the last two years. 

• The APDT Conference has significantly grown in 

attendance and value to the members. 

• Membership classes have undergone a major 

modification. 

• Subscription memberships no longer exist and in its 

place is the availability of a subscription to The APDT 

Chronicle of the Dog. 

• The creation of the Professional membership has put 

an emphasis on certification and professionalism. Over 

900 members have joined this year as professional 

members. 

There is so much more that has been changed or added 

over the last three years. I must say that it has been an 

exciting time for the Board and the staff. It is even more 

exciting when I think about what is to come. 

A comprehensive Communication Plan is nearly 

complete that will grow the awareness of the APDT to 

all dog trainers, veterinarians, and those who serve the 

dog supplies and services industry. It will also grow the 

awareness of the necessity of training by qualified trainers 

and the availability of qualified trainers through the APDT 

Dog Trainer Search. This will be accomplished through a 

strong presence in the media reaching the general public, 

dog owners, veterinarians and all other interested parties. 

The APDT will also be present at pertinent trade shows. 

A comprehensive Education Plan will be developed in 

2009 and 2010 that will enable the APDT to accomplish its 

primary mission of providing education to dog trainers 

in a meaningful, effective, and affordable way. We will be 

developing programs and delivery methods to accomplish 

this mission. 

The next three years will make the first three seem easy 

but, when we get there, we will proudly stand out as an 

association for professional dog trainers and those who 

want to become professional dog trainers. 

4 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w November/December 2008 www.APDT.com

A Message From the President ... 

Kellyann Conway, CABC 

President, APDT Board of Directors 

Kellyann and friends Gazoo, Nemo, and Jasper 

Well 

W 

this has been a very exciting year! Before 

I recap a little of what we did I would first like 

to congratulate Gail Fisher, Ali Brown and Mel 

Bussey for winning this year’s Board of Directors Election 

positions. I wish all of them success in continuing the 

dynamic progress that APDT has been experiencing 

for the last few years. These Board members will begin 

serving their terms on the first day of 2009. 

Now, I’d like to give you all a brief overview of some of 

the key things that we accomplished in the past year. 

One of our primary goals of the APDT is to provide you 

with the tools that you will need to be the best trainers and 

successful business persons you can be while you provide 

education and assistance to countless families and dogs. 

This year we have made some wonderful progress in our 

efforts to continue the professionalization of our members, 

our industry and our organization. 

Likely, one of the first changes that you noticed was 

the new full color version of our member magazine, The 

APDT Chronicle of the Dog. With this new look and feel we 

continue to grow and develop what you have ranked as 

your number one member benefit. We know our members 

are always hungry for the most current information 

available to professional dog trainers. To continue meeting 

your expectations, we will continue our progress into next 

year with member access to exclusive online content that 

will compliment the printed issue content. 

Then there is the development of the New APDT 

BarkBoard discussion forum. As I am writing this we 

haven’t launched it to our members yet but, we have 

been testing it. The new APDT BarkBoard has been in the 

test phase for the past couple of months to ensure that it 

is everything our members could want in a discussion 

forum. Now we are *not* getting rid of our original 

discussion group—the APDT list on Yahoogroups. The 

APDT BarkBoard will be an addition to what we offer you. 

Our members told us that you wanted a place to discuss 

*anything* you wanted to—including APDT itself—and we 

have created it for you. This new forum is well organized 

www.APDT.com 

with different threads and topics. In my own testing of this 

new feature I can tell you that I found it to be very helpful. 

I have far too many e-mails to filter through each day and 

this format provided me with the ability to go directly to 

the topics that I found interesting. The APDT BarkBoard 

also lends itself to a lot of potential and growth that Yahoo 

simply does not allow for. 

Next, as you are fully aware, the APDT has always 

stressed that continuing education for our members is 

absolutely fundamental. As a result, each year we strive 

to bring our membership a top notch conference with the 

best speakers in the industry, the latest information about 

animal behavior, and business-related content to help 

ensure that you stay on the cutting edge. Well, what was 

good is about to get better. No longer will our members’ 

education opportunities be limited to just the one conference 

a year. We will be providing our members with access to 

education videos from our past conferences online in our 

members’ only section. The board of directors has also 

approved the hiring of an education director for early 2009. 

This person will oversee and implement new strategies to 

bring our membership the very best continuing education 

in the most accessible and affordable formats possible. This 

won’t be something that replaces our conference but it will 

be a wonderful supplement throughout the year that will 

be exclusive to our APDT members. 

The board of directors also approved a proposal for 

the development of a new 502(c)(3) division of the APDT, 

the APDT Foundation. This foundation will support the 

APDT’s desire to increase advanced scientific knowledge 

regarding canine behavior by providing grants to 

individuals and organizations that have the capability of 

conducting humane and ethical behavioral research and 

the study of canines. In addition, the APDT Foundation 

will also support the development and implementation of 

formal dog training education through communities and 

higher education programs throughout the United States. 

We have also made numerous advances on our web site 

including improvements to the Trainer Search, an online 

membership directory, online videos, and more … By 

the way did you know that if you search the words “dog 

trainer” on the world’s largest search engine (rhymes with 

bugle) APDT will appear first?! The APDT Trainer Search 

keeps you just a click away from your next potential client. 

These improvements are in large part due to our web 

designer and host Chris Lee of Rickter Design. 

The APDT has also strengthened the infrastructure 

of this organization in many ways. Not only have we 

expanded upon the already solid skills of our existing staff 

but we have also filled the new Communications Director 

position. Mychelle Blake, our illustrious Managing Editor 

for The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, is our [continued on next page] 


President’s Message 

new Communication Director and is a welcomed addition 

to our APDT Office staff. Her resume was beyond reproach. 

She was clearly the ideal person to take on this challenging 

position and her history of already working with the 

APDT made her the fantasy selection. I am confident that 

Mychelle will play a key role in the continuing progress 

that the APDT is heading into. Also in early 2009 our office 

staff will grow by one with the addition of the Education 

Director too. 

As you can see we have had a very productive year 

in 2008 and we are looking forward to maintaining that 

momentum in 2009. We can maintain that momentum with 

your help. That is why I am encouraging you to volunteer to 

help make this organization the very best it can be. You can 

help shape the future of the APDT by joining a committee 

or task force. We are looking for volunteers to share their 

skills and be an integral part in the development of the 

APDT. 

You don’t need to run for the Board of Directors right 

off the bat—but you can! My experience has been that 

volunteering for the APDT can be very satisfying. In the 

past, it is my understanding that many of you volunteered 

for altruistic reasons. That’s fine, but there are other 

benefits too! You can learn new skills, make potential 

career contacts and even add to your resume (even if dog 

training isn’t your day job). 

If you decide that you’d like to volunteer for a shorter 

period of time with a bit more intensity then I would 

recommend seeking out a task force. If you are more 

interested in something long term and a little less intense, 

check out our many committees. The exception would be the 

conference committee, which meets *a lot* all year long. In 

short, we want volunteers. Our organization was founded 

by volunteers like yourself and without our members’ 

Annoucing 

the APDT 

BarkBoard! 

contributions we would not be able to accomplish all that 

we need to. Volunteering often includes some element of 

“self-help” but adding your contributions to the work of 

others will help the APDT improve and grow. 

I personally like to volunteer because I feel better when 

I do. The APDT has played a key part in my professional 

education and development over the many years that I 

have been a member. I volunteer in an effort to try to give 

back to the organization that has given me so much. This is 

your organization just as much as this is my organization. 

We are the APDT! We possess the power and knowledge 

that can make our profession all that it can be. 

Finally, I would like to thank all of my fellow board 

members for a very productive year and for all that they 

have taught me while I served on the board these last 

six years. It is with mixed emotions that I am leaving the 

Board of Directors at the end of this year. I have been 

truly honored to serve as your President this year and 

as an APDT Board Member for the last six years. This 

organization was very different when I first came on 

to this Board and we have accomplished an incredible 

amount in a relatively short period of time. I am looking 

forward to continuing in some volunteer capacity for the 

APDT because I admire the vision and the depth that 

this organization represents for our industry and all of 

the potential that it is only beginning to approach. I am 

confident that the representatives you have chosen for the 

Board will continue to drive the mission and vision of the 

APDT so that it can remain the very best organization for 

professional trainers to join. So, in closing I would like to 

wish you and your family (human and furry) a happy and 

safe holiday season and a very successful new year. 

Member News 

The APDT BarkBoard is a full-featured discussion board currently under development and 

will become a permanent feature for the APDT Membership. It will be located inside the APDT 

Web site Members Area and available to all APDT members in good standing. 

The APDT BarkBoard will allow APDT members to communicate with each other, post messages, subscribe to topics, 

and manage various communication options. Similar to the APDT Yahoo Groups discussion list, the APDT BarkBoard 

will allow for a variety of e-mail notification options. The APDT BarkBoard also allows for a subscription to RSS feeds of 

various topics. Pleaste note, the APDT Yahoo Groups will still be available for members who want to use it. 

Various topics will be available such as “Training and Behavior,” “Business and 

Marketing,” and “Events and Seminars.” APDT members may join in discussions, 

post messages and replies, and participate one-on-one in a private conversation 

with another APDT member. 

Members may each manage their own BarkBoard account that contains e-mail, 

private messages, buddy lists, personal photos, avatars, and other personalization 

features. 

We are excited about this member benefit and hope to debut the APDT BarkBoard 

before the end of the year. Stay tuned for more details! 


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Jo Jacques, CDBC, CPDT 

Jo & Viking 

How long have you been in business and what types of 

services do you provide? 

I have been training professionally for approximately 

five years, part-time. Currently, I provide individual 

instruction to my training and behavior clients, but I’ve 

also taught group classes. I specialize in clicker training, 

and working with the so-called “hard to train” breeds. I 

have a particular interest in discovering and using a dog’s 

breed-specific drives and behavioral patterns to help train 

common cues. I also help disabled owners train their dogs 

to perform various assistance tasks. 

How did you get started? 

I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have all 

sorts of animals around. I intended to pursue a career 

in veterinary medicine, but life intervened! However, 

I always maintained a strong interest in working with 

animals, and became fascinated with behavior and 

learning after obtaining our first Seppala Siberian Husky 

(a rare branch representing the foundation of what we now 

know as the Siberian Husky). After a lot of research into 

what kind of education was available, I started attending 

seminars, taking classes, and I enrolled in James O'Heare's 

Companion Animal Sciences Institute to further my 

education in the science of canine learning and behavior. 

How do you get your business? 

Most of my referrals come from veterinarians, current/ 

prior clients and the Internet—links from positive dog 

training sites, Google searches, Better Business Bureau, 

etc. 

What do you believe are the three most important things 

to teach a dog? 

First and foremost is self-control! While all dogs are 

impulsive at times, some can be downright obnoxious if 

not taught to be otherwise—that’s just not acceptable, when 

one can teach a dog to slow down and think. Second is a 

8 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w November/December 2008 

Member Profile 

Editor Nicole Wilde, CPDT 

Business Name: Jo Jacques, CDBC, CPDT 

Location: Salem, Massachusetts 

Phone: 978-771-4962 

E-mail: jo@wigglebums.com 

Web Site: www.wigglebums.com 

Years in Business: Five 

Personal Training Philosophy: My goal is to show 

clients that you can have a wonderfully behaved, reliable 

dog using science-based, positive, coercion-free methods. 

tie between a really reliable recall and instant attention/ 

eye contact in response to name. Attention to name is an 

easy, proactive way to keep a dog out of trouble, and the 

first step in achieving a strong recall. Third, I’d have to 

say, is a “place” cue (go to your mat, kennel, etc). A good 

“place” cue can keep most dogs out of trouble and away 

from temptation! 

What types of cases do you find most challenging and 

why? What techniques or philosophies have you found 

helpful in dealing with those cases? 

I find leash aggression/reactivity to be one of my most 

challenging types of cases. In my area, many owners 

misinterpret their dog’s behavior and can be as reluctant 

to work with it as they were to contact me in the beginning. 

Some see this behavior as their dog being “protective” of 

them, and seem to have a difficult time accepting it as a 

problem. Leash reactivity is also difficult to manage in 

an urban/suburban setting because most people have to 

walk their dogs, usually in places where other people are 

walking themselves or their dogs as well—and many of 

these other people are quick to hand out poor advice to 

someone who is working on desensitizing their dog. 

What advice would you give other trainers about 

working with dogs and their owners? 

Listen—carefully—to what the owners are saying, 

and how they are saying it. On my intake forms, I ask the 

question, “What do you like most about your dog?” I have 

found that the answer to this question is very telling in 

regards to the type of relationship the owner wants to 

have with their dog. 

What would you say are the top three things you have 

personally learned as a trainer? 

1. I’ve learned to always take into consideration my 

initial “gut” reaction to a situation, whether or not I choose 

to act upon it at the time. > 

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FREE SAMPLE ISSUE! 

2. I have learned that sometimes, people need 

to “percolate” a concept for quite some time before 

acceptance. 

3. Actions do speak louder than words—the most 

adamant nay-sayers can see things in a new light after 

watching how you behave around their dog and the effect 

that it has on the dog’s behavior. 

What was the last training-related seminar you attended? 

If you haven’t attended a seminar lately, what was the 

last dog-related book or DVD you read/viewed? 

“Introduction to Psychotropic Drug Therapy for Dog 

Trainers” given by Dr. Amy Marder. I learned about which 

drug families were most commonly used with certain 

behavioral issues, and what side effects we may see in our 

client’s dogs. 

Photo Credits: Photo of Jo and Viking of Sepp-Alta is by Randy 

Fortunato of FortunVista Photography. 

“Member Profile” editor Nicole Wilde, CPDT is the author of 

six books, including So You Want to be a Dog Trainer, It’s 

Not the Dogs, It’s the People: A Dog Trainer’s Guide to 

Training Humans, One on One: A Dog Trainer’s Guide to 

Private Lessons, and Help for Your Fearful Dog. She presents 

seminars domestically and internationally, and is on the faculty 

and advisory board of the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. 

Nicole’s latest releases are The Dog Trainer’s Business Kit - a 

CD-ROM of contracts, forms and handouts for dog trainers, and 

her new book, Getting a Grip on Aggression Cases: Practical 

Considerations for Dog Trainers, both available from www. 

phantompub.com. Nicole can be reached at phantmwlf@aol. 

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November/December 2008 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 9 

Member Profile

Introduction to 

the ASPCA MYM 

SAFER Assessment 

Emily Weiss, PhD, CAAB 

What is the ASPCA MYM SAFER Assessment? 

SAFER is an assessment designed to help identify 

potential aggression. The tool is used in shelters and by 

dog trainers to collect information about a dog’s behavior. 

Why Should a Shelter Assess for Aggression? 

Shelters that employ MYM SAFER or other research 

based behavior assessments report fewer aggression 

complaints, more adoptions, and better client interactions. 

Simply put, they are able to more accurately communicate 

to the adopter about what they should expect, and how to 

best manage a dog in their home. 

Some of the Research Behind the Assessment 

One focus of my graduate career was on the selection 

of service dogs from shelters. My research, which was 

conducted at the Kansas Humane Society of Wichita 

(KHS), focused specifically on developing a set of 

assessment items that would better predict service dog 

potential in dogs selected from shelters. This work was 

published in The Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour and 

the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science (1997, 2002). 

During the data collection period, the KHS expressed an 

interest in having a research based assessment to help 

identify potential aggression. They had a high number of 

reports of aggression from their adopted dogs. Several of 

the assessment items researched for the service dog work 

focused on arousal, fear, and other potential issues, making 

a good base for a potential aggression assessment. 

The sample was derived from intake from KHS. All 

dogs were randomly assigned a number as they entered 

the facility. If the number was odd, the dog was placed in 

Group 1, if the number was even, the dog was placed in 

Group 2. All dogs that entered without a bite report and 

were considered by the facility to be healthy were included 

in the study. 

Group 1 

These dogs were assessed using SAFER and 

received “1’s” and “2’s” on the assessment. 

Group 2 

These dogs were not assessed using SAFER; rather 

they were given a thorough health exam. If they 

aggressed during the exam, they were not included 

in the study. 

There were a total of 141 dogs in the sample: 66 in 

Group 1, and 75 in Group 2. The groups are not equal due 

to issues beyond the study’s control (illness, overcrowding 

etc.). 

Note: At the time of the research, KHS was struggling 

(as many facilities do) with too many animals and not 

enough resources to support them. They very often needed 

to euthanize for space. During the study period, seven of 

the study dogs were euthanized for space—those with the 

longest stay (by the hour and minute) pulled. Eight dogs 

were euthanized for health reasons. Twelve dogs were 

euthanized for behavior reasons—eight from Group 2 and 

four from Group 1. 

Results of the study were encouraging. 

• 22 dogs were adopted and returned (no aggression 

reported in returns) 

• 91 dogs were adopted 

Adopters were called after the dogs were in their homes for 

more than two weeks and were asked a series of questions 

regarding observed aggression. 

Replication of data in different environments is one 

way to prove the strength of an experiment. To this end, a 

similar study of SAFER was recently conducted (2006) at 

the County of Riverside Department of Animal Services > 


(Riverside, CA) comparing 50 assessed and 50 unassessed 

dogs. Adopters reported incidents of growling in 14 of the 

unassessed dogs and only three of the assessed dogs; five 

of the unassessed and one assessed dog bit but did not 

break the skin; and two unassessed dogs bit someone and 

broke the skin. 

Many facilities can benefit from an assessment tool that 

can help identify safety at intake. The use of MYM SAFER 

at intake was originally researched at the Wisconsin 

Humane Society in 2006. 41 owner-relinquished dogs 

were assessed at intake. Twenty one of the dogs scored 

“1’s” and “2’s” on the assessment at intake. Of those, 18 of 

those scored “1’s” and “2’s” when assessed after staying 

in the facility approximately 24- 72 hours. In other words, 

86% of the dogs that scored “1’s” and “2’s” at intake scored 

the same after being housed in the facility for 1 3 days. 

Twenty dogs scored at least one “3,” “4” or “5.“ These 

dogs were also then housed in the shelter for 1 3 days and 

then reassessed. Two-thirds of these dogs scored the same 

after being housed in the shelter, while one-third had either 

a decreased level of potential aggression, or a behavior 

(such as food aggression) that was easily modifiable. Future 

research will focus on these modest changes in behavior. 

How Does the Scoring Work? 

When a dog scores “1’s” and “2’s” on his assessment, he 

is less likely to bite under ordinary living situations when 

handled in a mildly stressful or moderately awkward 

manner than dogs who score “3s’,” “4’s” and “5’s.” Dogs that 

score “3’s” may be safe and inhibit their bite, but they could 

be made safer by putting them on a behavior modification 

program. Dogs that score “4’s” may have serious issues and 

should either receive behavior modification training and 

then be reassessed or only be adopted out to experienced 

adopters ready to manage the dog’s issues. Dogs whose 

behavior during one of the first four assessment items 

score a “5” have the highest probability to be a serious 

danger to staff, volunteers and visitors to the facility. They 

should only be handled by the shelter’s most experienced 

staff until their disposition is determined. These dogs may 

respond well to behavior modification or they may not. 

It’s important to note that the assessment should be 

only one of many tools to help identify a dog’s potential 

for aggression. Owner relinquish information is vital to 

collect whenever available. Also be sure to collect behavior 

observations from the finder, animal control officer, 

veterinarian, kennel staff etc. [see table on page 12] 

www.APDT.com 

Behavior observed in home 

Number of reports in 

Assessed group (Group 1) 

How We Support Consistency in Assessments 

The certification program is an important part of 

SAFER. Certification was developed in 2005. The MYM 

SAFER assessment is a tool that requires strong handling 

skills, body awareness, and a keen understanding of and 

the ability to objectively observe canine behavior. When 

the assessment was first introduced on a national level, 

there was no certification process. Over time it became 

apparent that a certification process was necessary to 

insure that Assessors have the skills to conduct the 

assessment correctly. Certification is achieved when an 

ASPCA MYM SAFER reviewer validates an Assessor’s 

skill in properly handling dogs and accurately scoring 

the appropriate behavior exhibited by the dog. This is 

accomplished through careful observation of assessments 

submitted on video and review of the corresponding 

SAFER worksheets. The certification is valid for one year 

after which recertification is required. To learn more about 

the certification go to www.aspcapro.org and click on the 

Meet Your Match® link. 

MYM SAFER certification does [continued on next page] 

Number of reports in 

Unassessed group (Group 2) 

Nipping 4 14 

Food aggression 1 5 

Aggression around toys 2 5 

Growling at a human 1 10 


Introduction to the ASPCA MYM SAFER Assessment

Introduction to the ASPCA MYM SAFER Assessment 

not certify the organization that the person is employed 

by; rather it is certification of an individual to show that he 

or she has the skills necessary to conduct the assessment. 

Interestingly, we have noted several instances where 

shelter behavior job descriptions included a requirement 

of SAFER certification. 

Certification helps ensure that an Assessor has the 

knowledge and skills to maintain her safety when 

handling a potentially aggressive dog. Improper handling 

and technique makes the Assessor vulnerable to a bite 

should the dog choose to aggress. Equally as important, 

proper handling ensures that the dog is exhibiting 

behavior that is more likely predictive of future behavior. 

Inappropriate handling can provoke responses that are 

not reliable, resulting in potential inappropriate choices 

regarding placement of the animal. 

So We Assessed the Dog and there are Some 

Concerns – Now What? 

Once a dog is assessed and his behavior responses 

noted, the assessment team should review his SAFER 

worksheet. If any of the behaviors displayed were reason 

for concern, the team should first review the video of the 

dog’s assessment to ensure there was nothing improper in 

the way the assessment was conducted or the way the dog 

was handled by the Assessor that attributed to the dog’s 

particular response. Simply put, sometimes mistakes can 

happen during the assessment that might affect the dog’s 

behavior. If all was done correctly, the dog’s assessment 

should be brought to the attention of the Animal Behavior 

or Animal Care Supervisor to determine next steps. 

Videotaping is a vital piece of the SAFER assessment. 

Each and every assessment should be videotaped to 

help ensure consistency, increase safety, and assist with 

behavior modification progress assessment. 

The behavior identified in the assessment should be 

repeatable and connected to context. Minimally, the behavior 

team should cross-check the information gathered from 

other sources (owner relinquishment information, etc.) 

before a decision regarding adoptability is made. As each 

shelter is unique and has different resources available, 

next steps will vary from shelter to shelter. The MYM 

SAFER aggression assessment may help supervisors 

make euthanasia decisions, but the assessment alone 

should never be the only input considered. Relinquishment 

surveys done at intake, veterinary reports from the health 

check, and input from animal care technicians, volunteers, 

and foster parents should also be considered whenever a 

life or death decision must be made. 

For shelters that have the resources, staff and have 

already supported the medically challenged and other 

at-risk populations of animals in their care, behavior 

modification for identified behavior can be a great tool. In 

my next article, I will be writing about some of the behavior 

modification programs we have developed to help support 

dogs with identified issues—including our research on a 

food aggression behavior modification program. 

To learn more about the ASPCA Meet Your Match 

SAFER program, visit www.aspcapro.org and click on the 

Meet Your Match link. 

Photos courtesy of Heather Mohan. 

Dr. Emily Weiss is a Master of Science, Ph.D. and Certified 

Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). Her expertise includes the 

selection of service dogs from shelters, the welfare of animals 

in zoos, and equine behavior and training. In addition, Dr. Weiss 

has developed the highly acclaimed adoption program ASPCA 

Meet Your Match® which includes SAFER. These programs 

are making lifesaving differences for dogs, cats and puppies 

in shelters all over the United States and beyond. Dr. Weiss 

makes frequent media appearances and is the ASPCA Senior 

Director of Shelter Research and Development. 


www.APDT.com 


Engaging Owners Fully 

in Dog Training: 

Attitudes and Skills That Work 

(Part 1 of 2) 

As my work developing canine-assisted play therapy 

has intensified in recent years, I have tried to improve 

my skills in aversive-free dog training and handling. 

My membership in the APDT has been most helpful. 

Conversations with many dog training professionals have 

revealed great enthusiasm and knowledge about dogs 

and their behavior. It’s common, also, to hear about their 

frustrations with dog owners and how things would go 

so much better “if only the owner would ...” My primary 

occupation as a child and family psychologist has given 

me considerable experience with the clinical counterpart 

of owners—that is, parents. The process of training 

and encouraging parents to change their attitudes and 

behaviors vis à vis their children is virtually identical 

to that of the work that dog training professionals try to 

accomplish with owners. Often, parents and owners are 

one and the same! 

Approaches that are effective with parents also seem 

to work well when training dog owners. APDT presenters 

have offered many excellent ideas about applying behavioral 

principles to owners and using a fun climate to put them at 

ease, and there are a few good books available on the topic 

as well. In this two-part series, I hope to add some practical 

ideas to the mix. This first article asks canine professionals 

to look inward at their attitudes and assumptions about 

owners, and offers suggestions about how to shift 

thoughts and attitudes in ways that improve the working 

relationship. The second article to be published in the next 

issue focuses on practical interpersonal and behavioral 

skills that trainers can use to help owners participate in 

dog training more enthusiastically and successfully. 

Dog training professionals know that owners play a 

key role in the success of any training program. Without 

collaborative and productive relationships with owners, 

dog trainers can see their finest work with the dogs 

unravel. Human relationships are complex, influenced 

by each person’s individual characteristics, experiences, 

attitudes, and social interactions. Just as with human 

therapy professionals, it is valuable for dog training 

professionals periodically to evaluate their internal 

attitudes about their human clients. This is especially true 

about the more challenging owners. Although it’s normal 

and understandable, sometimes unproductive attitudes 

sneak in. 

Risë VanFleet, PhD 

Exploring Our Internal Attitudes 

Consider the following actual conversation: 

Owner: My dog doesn’t sit or stay, and she jumps up on 

people all the time with her muddy paws. It’s awful and it has 

to stop! 

Trainer: What types of training have you done with her? 

Owner: None, really. I just thought that she’d behave better 

than this by now. 

Trainer: ???? 

This would probably be enough to exasperate most dog 

professionals. It is hard to believe that so many people 

expect their dogs to just “get it.” This conversation suggests 

hard work ahead for the trainer, with the owner’s resistance 

and/or unrealistic expectations and/or unwillingness to 

devote time to the pet representing potential obstacles. 

The way trainers think about their human clients and 

their relationships with them can make a huge difference. 

It’s perhaps the only aspect of the process that is completely 

within the trainer’s control. It would be a rare trainer indeed 

who hasn’t scratched his or her head at something an owner 

has said or done, thinking “I can’t believe they thought the 

dog would train itself.” or “Why on earth did they ever get 

a dog in the first place?” or “If only they’d follow through, 

they wouldn’t have all these problems.” Teaching owners 

often is the most challenging aspect of dog training, and it 

is easy to develop a cynical view of them, or at least of some 

of the individuals who are chronically frustrating. Such 

thoughts are normal, given some of the situations trainers 

face. Even so, when trainers continue to feel frustrated and 

think in rather judgmental terms, it can dampen the training 

climate, create tension in the trainer-owner relationship, 

and hamper problem-solving and progress. 

Shifting Negative Reactions to Create Collaborative 

Training Relationships 

Trainers can take several internal steps to ensure > 


they adopt the attitudes that yield the most productive 

relationships possible with all owners. (The external steps, 

or skills and interactions, are covered in part 2 of this 

article in the next issue.) The five suggestions that follow 

help create a mindset that engages the human clients in 

the process fully and overcomes many forms of owner 

resistance that can occur. 

First, remember that people are the way they are for a reason. 

This is one of the simplest, yet most profound things I 

learned from my mentor in graduate school. Trainers 

know little of each owner’s upbringing, prior animal 

experiences, life struggles, emotional “baggage,” strengths, 

and resilience. It’s not the trainer’s job, of course, to delve 

into such things, but acknowledging this fact can increase 

trainers’ patience and understanding. For example, “know 

it all” clients are often quite insecure. They may have 

been raised by critical parents, and the “superiority” is 

actually a defense against further criticism. This is not an 

excuse, and knowing it doesn’t reduce the unpleasantness 

of their arrogance, but when we remind ourselves that 

owners have been shaped by genetic and environmental 

factors, just as their dogs have been, it can soften our own 

tendency to judge. It may seem crazy to trainers, with 

all their expertise and experience with dogs, to hear that 

an owner thought the dog would “just behave” without 

training, but to the owner who has not had dog experience 

and has never learned any different, it’s not so crazy at all. 

They never even thought about it. 

Recently I took my therapy dog to a dog-friendly store. 

As I entered, a couple came out with their undisciplined 

dog on a tight leash. Their dog lunged and was leash 

reactive when it saw my dog. I stepped to the side and 

cued my dog to sit. The couple stood blocking the doorway 

while their dog carried on, and I had nowhere to go. My 

immediate internal reaction was, “How stupid can these 

people be? Just move—get out of our way!” On second 

thought, though, they were not standing there simply to 

cause my dog and me distress. They clearly didn’t know 

what to do and probably thought they were doing the 

right thing—holding their dog tightly so it wouldn’t attack. 

Once I gained this perspective, I simply asked them to 

keep walking away and to loosen their leash once they got 

past us. 

Second, realize that resistance is normal when people learn 

something new or try to change. When people learn or 

attempt change, they naturally question and struggle with 

new concepts. In essence they are “trying on” the new 

ideas, and they don’t quite fit immediately. Psychological 

research and common sense suggest that it is important 

for people to feel in control of their lives. When control 

is not possible, predictability helps people cope and 

adapt to situations. Owners can feel vulnerable as they 

wrestle with their rambunctious dog and try complex new 

behaviors to manage it. They feel out of control, and they 

don’t know what will come next. That is a situation ripe 

for defensiveness, and defensiveness must be reduced in 

order for people to remain open to learning. Most of the 

difficulties that trainers face with their human clients 

stem from owners’ lack of knowledge, lack of experience, 

www.APDT.com 

and anxiety. Resistance should be viewed as a sign of 

active learning and/or a reflection of anxiety. Both deserve 

patience and understanding by the trainer. 

An owner of a Doberman met with his dog trainer for the 

first time. His one-year-old dog wore a prong collar. When 

the trainer explained that she didn’t use prong collars and 

preferred other equipment, the owner argued, “But these 

collars don’t hurt! I even put on the rubber tips! They just 

help control the dog. A dog like this needs to be under 

control!” On the surface, the owner’s objections sound like 

pure stubbornness. Why did he come for training if he 

didn’t want advice? What is more likely, however, is that the 

owner felt vulnerable and at a loss as to how to control his 

dog. His security was wrapped up in the prong collar, and 

he had not yet learned any alternatives. When the trainer 

suggested other equipment, he may have felt vulnerable 

because he didn’t know how to control the dog otherwise 

(loss of control), he did not yet know that the trainer’s 

options would probably work (loss of predictability), and 

because he had made a “mistake” in the trainer’s eyes and 

felt embarrassed. He wasn’t stubborn—he was anxious, 

and it would be difficult for him to absorb new information 

until his anxiety was alleviated. Being aware of humans’ 

need for control, especially when learning new things, can 

increase trainers’ sensitivity and likelihood of doing the 

most helpful things. 

Third, try to defer negative first impressions until you know 

the person better. Studies suggest that most of us form 

impressions of new people in less than a minute. When dog 

owners attend training sessions, their anxiety can bring 

out their less flattering characteristics. Anxiety usually 

dissipates as they get to know the trainer and become more 

involved in the activities, and a different impression is 

likely to emerge. 

Fourth, avoid thinking of resistance as an all-or-nothing 

phenomenon. Even frustrating owners have their strengths. 

Rather than mentally labeling someone as “resistant,” or a 

“jerk,” or as “lazy,” it is better for trainers to reframe their 

thoughts in the following way. Think about and look for 

things each person is doing well at the same time making 

note of things they struggle with. This reduces the all-ornothing 

thinking that can lock in a negative attitude. 

For example, one trainer found himself becoming 

increasingly irritated with an owner who talked incessantly 

to her dog in an annoying squeaky voice. She seemed unable 

to stop even when asked. He caught himself thinking 

she was a bit “ditzy” and then forced himself to look for 

areas where she did do as asked. He noticed that her hand 

gestures were done well, and he felt more hopeful about her 

possibilities. He then praised her consistent use of gestures 

and successfully redirected her energies to her nonverbal 

communication. 

Fifth, think of the training role as that of a teacher and partner 

rather than expert. Trainers have tremendous expertise 

to share, but when they think of themselves as experts 

in relation to their human clients, hidden expectations 

can detract from the relationship. Owners can expect 

the “expert” trainer to have all the [continued on next page] 


Engaging Owners Fully in Dog Training

Engaging Owners Fully in Dog Training 

answers, and “expert” trainers can expect owners to 

follow their guidance without question—these attitudes 

are somewhat inherent in that role. Instead, the process 

is better considered as a two-way street. Dog trainers 

know far more about dog behavior and effective training 

methods than owners typically do. Owners, on the other 

hand, know more about the rhythms and textures of their 

lives, and understand more fully the context in which the 

dog and family live. It is the joining of these two areas 

of expertise that creates successful outcomes. Training 

must be embedded in the context if it is to be successful. 

Furthermore, a partnership implies shared roles and helps 

place the responsibility for change where it belongs—on 

the owner rather than the trainer. 

Acquiring these mental attitudes creates openness 

and humility in trainers, characteristics that are likely to 

facilitate comfortable, productive relationships with pet 

dog owners. The right attitude, however, is only part of the 

picture of the well-rounded trainer. Part 2 of this article 

will cover interpersonal and behavioral skills that lead to 

satisfactory training experiences for owners and trainers 

alike. 

Risë VanFleet, Ph.D., is a child/family psychologist, registered 

play therapist/supervisor, past president of the Association 

for Play Therapy, and APDT member from Boiling Springs, 

Pennsylvania. Through her Playful Pooch Program, she works 

with children and trains professionals in Canine Assisted Play 

Therapy, and volunteers as a trainer at a local dog rescue. 

She is a CGC evaluator and author of Play Therapy with Kids 

& Canines (2008). She lives with her husband, four dogs, and 

two cats. She can be reached at www.playfulpooch.org or 

Risevanfleet@aol.com. 

Get Your APDT Rally Signs! 

APDT Rally is fun and exciting for dogs and their handlers! If you’re a 

Rally Trial Host, you need signs for your handlers to navigate the Rally 

Courses. APDT now has weatherproof, laminated Rally signs available 

for purchase online on the APDT web site for Levels 1 through 3. 


“Give Me a Break!” 

Recently, a bunch of us enjoyed a “Girls’ Day at the 

Lake,” paddling around in the waters of beautiful 

Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. As a 

business owner, it’s not easy to get away, so even this 

short, one-day respite had me energized, reminding me of 

the importance of taking a break—not just for us, but for 

our dogs and our students, as well. 

Regardless of training approach, both dogs and trainers 

benefit from taking breaks. Breaks will help with any 

training method, but as a clicker trainer, my focus is on 

their importance with the clicker. 

The shaping process engages the dog’s brain, which 

can be tiring, especially when the dog is first learning 

a behavior. Asking a dog to think, rather than simply 

to follow a lure, or to allow himself to be placed in 

position, is mentally taxing. This is especially true for an 

inexperienced dog just starting training, or a crossover 

dog that is accustomed to being lured or physically placed. 

Working in short time frames with frequent breaks allows 

the dog to clear his mind and refresh, helping to keep him 

sharp and better able to learn. 

What Constitutes A Break? 

A break can be as short as a few-second, brain-clearing 

floor sniff, or as simple as moving to a different spot in 

the room or training area. It can be a trip to the bathroom 

(for either of you), going to the kitchen for more treats, 

www.APDT.com 

or ending for the day. While many trainers think of 

playing tug o’war or retrieving a toy as taking a break, 

such interactive play is a reinforcer rather than a mindclearing 

breather. The most beneficial training break is to 

simply let the dog relax, to “veg-out,” uninvolved with any 

specific activity or directive—after which you can return 

to working on the previous behavior or start a new one. 

When To Break 

By Gail Tamases Fisher 

Taking short breaks is beneficial whether training a new 

puppy, or an experienced, highly engaged dog. Ideally, it 

is best to take a break before the dog demonstrates that 

she needs one. Think of it like athletic strength training 

to build endurance—resting between repetitions as you 

increase difficulty, accustoming the muscles to greater 

output, rather than continuing to exhaustion, risking 

injury and requiring longer recuperation before being able 

to work out again. 

An easy way to program enforced breaks into a training 

session is to count out the number of treats for how many 

repetitions you want to do before taking a break. A general 

rule of thumb is five to 10 repetitions of a behavior, then 

take a break. Some dogs, especially crossover dogs, older 

dogs, or those with short attention spans, may benefit from 

a breather after just one or two repetitions. Judge by the 

quality of the behavior rather than sticking unerringly 

to a specific number of responses. [continued on next page] 


“Give Me a Break!” 

For example, if the third repetition of a behavior is a 

particularly good one, mark it, reward and take a break. 

Assess your dog’s demeanor; you may even take a break 

after one good rep, focusing on success. 

It is human nature, when we achieve success, to go for 

“just one more.” But more often than not, that’s one too 

many. End with a good rep and take a break. Decide then 

whether this is a good time to end your session, or return 

to training after the break. 

“Listen” To Your Dog 

All learning involves some stress, but you can minimize 

it for your dog. Watch for the subtle signs that indicate 

when a dog is reaching his limit. Especially with a naïve 

dog just starting training and with a crossover dog, when 

you see signs of stress, take a break or end your training 

session. Consider the dog’s mental well-being. 

Here are just a few signs to watch for that can indicate 

the dog could use a break: 

• Turning or looking away 

• Sniffing the floor or ground 

• Scratching 

• Lip licking 

• Panting, especially with corners of the mouth 

pulled back 

Trainers often think a dog is distracted, disengaged or 

disrespectful when he turns away from the task at hand. 

Often, he’s simply communicating that he needs to take a 

break. When the dog suddenly starts sniffing the floor, looks 

off into the distance at nothing in particular, or scratches 

an itch, she’s likely saying she needs to take a moment. (See 

photo and caption). 

Some methods of training advocate that whenever 

a dog disengages, the trainer should refocus the dog 

with a food lure (in lure-reward training) or correct him 

(in compulsion-praise training). Repeatedly resorting 

to luring in an attempt to refocus the dog that has 

disengaged, for whatever reason, can lead to an unintended 

consequence—a dog that stops thinking, that learns to 

disengage or appear to be “helpless.” Likewise, correcting 

a dog for disengaging is not helpful, and is unfair at best. 

Regardless of training approach, when a dog 

disengages, consider possible reasons, recognizing that it 

may simply be that the dog needs to take a breather. Dogs, 

like people, are often better able to perform when they have 

an opportunity to clear their heads for a moment, and can 

then re-focus to give full attention to the task at hand. 

When the dog does disengage, you may try to re-focus 

him to the task with a nose tease (see photos on page 19). If 

this does not motivate the dog, consider why. It may be that 

the dog is not sufficiently motivated by the reinforcement. 

But more often than not when a dog disengages, it is to 

give himself a break, briefly—just for a few seconds—and 

then he’s ready to continue training. Rather than trying 

to eliminate or overcome such disconnection, recognize it 

In the middle of a training session when this picture was taken, there was 

no distraction in the yard. Could the dog’s message have been any clearer? 

She saying, “I need a break!” Note the trainer’s reaction—delighting in this 

communication. After the dog went to the bathroom, she was back on track. 

for what it likely is—the dog just “taking a moment.” It’s 

not a sign of disrespect or dominance, and it doesn’t mean 

the dog is purposefully snubbing you. He’s simply giving 

himself a break. 

How To Take A Break 

Giving the dog a break from training means letting her 

know you’re not asking for, nor reinforcing, any behaviors 

at the moment. Don’t just stop training and walk away. 

Communicate with a smile and a cue that signifies “take 

a break,” such as “all done.” And be sure to take up any 

props such as targets or other objects that your dog has 

been interacting with. Convey the break cue as a good 

thing so she won’t construe it as punishment—that is, the 

removal of your attention. 

Gratuitous interruptions and removing your attention 

and focus constitute punishment. Answering the phone, 

suddenly thinking of something you needed to do—any 

non-emergency that takes your focus away from your 

training should be avoided. 

OK, that’s not realistic. Things happen, and chances are 

you will be interrupted at some point. Recognize, however, 

that training is cooperative. Your dog is cooperating: 

working, thinking, trying to figure out what behavior you 

are reinforcing. Out of respect for your training partner 

and the effort she’s making, communicate when you need 

to stop training. If, for example you need to answer the 

phone, give your dog a cue that tells her she’s off the clock; 

that you’re “all done.” 

Whether it’s an interruption, to take a planned break, 

or to end your training session, make it clear to your 

dog. When your cue tells her she’s on her own, she may 

continue performing the behavior she was working on. 

For example, if she wants to lie down, that’s fine; but your 

“all done” cue says you will no longer click and reward it 

at this time. To refocus her, show her a treat or nose-tease 

to jumpstart the session again, sending the message, > 


“We’re back on. This is for you when you get me to click.” 

This strategy for letting the dog know when she’s off 

the clock and back on again makes it easier for the dog 

to maintain focus and lets her know that you’re watching 

out for her best interests, giving her a chance to take a 

break. It is analogous to your mental attitude and ability 

to concentrate and maintain focus at a seminar when you 

know there’s a short break coming soon, versus when 

there is no planned break in a long session. Further, just 

as we build duration in training for various behaviors, 

teaching the dichotomy between concentration and 

mental relaxation—and that you’ll enable the latter—can 

help build duration of focus and concentration. 

Taking A Break In Class 

Taking breaks in a class environment is equally 

important. The dogs in class get a mental break when the 

instructor is giving instructions to the students. Then, 

when they’re practicing a behavior in class, we instruct 

students to give their dogs a short, brain-clearing break 

after a certain number of repetitions, teaching them how 

to take breaks at home during their practice sessions. After 

a few repetitions, they give the dog a chance to sniff the 

floor, get a drink, or simply look around. 

Because we have several classes taking place at the 

same time, we find that letting the dogs look around, 

perhaps to check out the dogs in the next ring running 

over an agility obstacle, allows them to focus better when 

their handlers ask for it. About mid-way through the hour, 

the entire class takes a break so students can take their 

dogs outside, eliminating “accidents,” and giving both 

dogs and humans a mental break. 

Ending The Training Session 

The ultimate break, of course, is ending a training 

session. How you take this break can aid the dog’s learning. 

End with success. Smile and say “all done.” Don’t rev your 

dog up with strenuous play. Let him rest quietly to chew 

www.APDT.com 

1 2 3 

After a break, a nose-tease can reengage the dog. Briefly waft a treat under the dog’s nose (1), then put it out of sight (2). The nose-tease is not a lure; it’s an inducement 

to offer behavior—in this case, lie down (3). 

a bone, relax, or do whatever he’d like. He’s earned it. 

If you miss the opportunity to end with success, and 

your dog stops offering the behaviors you want, smile 

nonetheless and give your “all done” cue. It’s not your 

dog’s fault that you trained beyond the dog’s ability to 

focus. Consider what signals you missed that indicated 

your dog was finished, and try to end on a better note the 

next time. 

It is often difficult for trainers to stop training—to not 

drill just one more, or ask for just one additional repetition 

of a behavior—but often not training, including taking 

breaks, stopping for the day, providing an opportunity for 

latent learning, can provide the greatest benefit for those at 

both ends of the leash. 

Portions of this article are from Gail’s soon-to-be-published 

book, TRAINING A THINKING DOG, The Complete 

Crossover Guide to Clicker Training, coming this fall from 

Dogwise Publishing. 

An award-winning author and international lecturer, Gail 

pioneered the first university course for obedience instructors, 

a two-year program she developed and taught at the University 

of New Hampshire. She owns and operates All Dogs Gym in 

Manchester, NH, www.alldogsgym.com, the largest training 

facility in New England. Called the “trainer of trainers,” Gail 

had gone through two previous training incarnations before 

discovering clicker training 11 years ago. 

Photographs courtesy of Gail Tamases Fisher. 


“Give Me a Break!”

I with dogs, but I happen to be married to a man 

who moves around a lot, and as a “traveling 

trainer,” I have had the opportunity to meet 

and work with all types of dogs from all over 

the world. Carolina dogs in coastal Carolina, 

Pothounds in Grenada, and hounds in the 

Appalachian Highlands ... it doesn’t get much 

more exciting than that! 

Iam a dog trainer. Some people may not think 

that a dog trainer would lead a very exciting 

life, apart from the joy they get from working Shelter Strategies 

I also specialize in working with abused and 

abandoned dogs, so therefore, much of my time is 

spent working with shelter dogs. I spend a great 

deal of my time fostering, training, assessing, 

rehabilitating, rescuing and just generally 

hanging out with shelter dogs. I also work 

with and provide training for shelter staff and 

volunteers, so as you can imagine, most of my 

work takes place in a shelter setting. Therefore, 

every time I move, I must establish a relationship 

with a new shelter. 

While this can be a difficult and time 

consuming task, I have also found it is always 

worth the effort. I have had the opportunity to 

work in some of the best facilities, with some of 

the most interesting dogs and most wonderful 

people in the animal welfare world. I have 

also come to understand how beneficial the 

relationship between trainers and shelters is 

on so many different levels, and have learned 

to recognize what shelters need and want from 

trainers in their community, and vice versa. 

Therefore, my goal in writing this article, and in 

establishing the Shelter Strategies series, is to help 

you either establish or broaden your relationships 

with the animal shelters and animal welfare 

organizations in your community. 

Benefits-A-Plenty 

Although I didn’t become certified as a Canine 

Trainer and Behavior Counselor until 2000, I 

have worked with dogs, mostly shelter dogs, 

since the early 1980s. I was “animal crazy,” and 

at an early age evidently indicated I wanted to 

be veterinarian, so my parents thought it would 

be a good idea to enlist me as a volunteer at our 

local animal shelter. I started off socializing 

puppies and grooming dogs, but once the shelter 

staff realized that I would actually show up 

when I said I would (a highly esteemed quality 

in any volunteer), I was quickly enlisted to help 

exercise the dogs at the shelter. This dog walking 

experience was one of my first insights into 

canine behavior. Whenever a dog insisted on 

dragging me across the shelter yard, I wondered 

both why the dog engaged in this behavior, 

and what I could do to modify the behavior. > 

Getting a Foot in the Door: 

Establishing Shelter Relationships 

Melissa Bahleda, MAT, CBC 


Hence, an uncertified but enthusiastic Canine Trainer and 

Behavior Counselor was born. 

That was many years ago, and I have since moved on 

to fostering, rescuing and providing training for shelter 

staff and volunteers so they can walk and work with their 

shelter’s dogs, but one thing has remained consistent and 

is an essential aspect of my knowledge base as a trainer: 

There is no better place in the world to work with and 

study canine behavior than in the shelter in your own 

community! 

The longer I worked as a shelter volunteer, the more 

varieties of behavior I had the opportunity to observe, 

and the better I got at helping to modify inappropriate 

behaviors and helping homeless dogs learn the skills 

they all need to eventually learn if they are to become a 

valued member of someone’s family. From simple training 

issues, to anxiety and aggression, or any of the many other 

behavioral issues that tend to surface in a shelter setting, 

I have had the opportunity to witness—and learn from 

—thousands of various behaviors in thousands of dogs, 

many of whom were in need of my help, or at the very 

least, the attention and affection I gave them as part of my 

shelter volunteer experience. Without the assistance of 

these wonderful dogs, many of whom made it out of the 

shelters, some of whom did not, I can say with confidence 

that I would not be the Canine Trainer and Behavior 

Counselor I am today. 

Of course, another benefit of having a good working 

relationship with my local shelters has been referrals. 

Many adopters are new dog owners, and as such, are often 

the segment of the population most in need of training 

and behavior services. I have found that once I have 

established a relationship with shelter staff, they will often 

start referring me to adopters even before I have a chance 

to suggest they do so! With this in mind, I now offer free 

initial phone and e-mail consultations for anyone who 

adopts a dog from one of our local shelters. I do this for 

a variety of reasons: It helps me establish contact with 

new dog owners in the community, allows me to prevent 

minor, easily-modifiable behavior issues from becoming a 

reason for returning the dog to the shelter, and it provides 

adopters with a valuable resource—me—that can help 

them become better, more educated dog owners, which 

in turn leads to more happy, satisfied families and doghuman 

partnerships in my community. This achievement 

should be a goal of any good dog trainer. It is also extremely 

rewarding. 

Another benefit of the shelter-trainer relationship 

belongs to the shelter itself. Whether they will acknowledge 

it or not, most shelters are in need of guidance and 

support from a professional trainer, or at least someone 

who understands canine behavior and knows some basic 

training techniques based on praise and reward. Although 

they often desire to spend more time with the animals in 

their care, most shelter staff are already overworked and 

overtaxed with the responsibilities involved in the daily 

basic care of the animals, and many simply do not have the 

background in training or behavior to effectively work with 

www.APDT.com 

the dogs in their shelter, even if their time does permit. As 

a volunteer, you can fulfill the role of “canine professional” 

that is so needed, and often neglected, in many shelters. 

Your offer of assistance, when it is sincere and based on 

experience and a basic understanding of dog behavior, is 

likely to be welcomed by shelter staff, especially if your 

experience means that you can assist with dogs who are 

anxious, depressed or otherwise not adjusting well in the 

shelter setting. Because they work with, and therefore also 

become attached to, the dogs in their shelter, anything you 

can provide to help heal a hurting dog, such as exercise, 

basic training, appropriate stimulation and socialization, 

will be met with genuine gratitude from the folks who 

care for them. Which leads me to my next point ... 

Perhaps the greatest benefactors of a healthy trainershelter 

relationship are the dogs themselves. I have 

worked as a volunteer in some shelters where other 

volunteers were either non-existent or were very few and 

far between. It is in these shelters where my experiences 

were often the most rewarding. For these dogs, my arrival 

at the shelter brought joy, the promise of affection, and 

most importantly, exercise, which they all badly needed. 

Whether I could give just a few hours of my time a couple 

days a month or was able to visit several times a week, 

there was no doubt I was needed. It is this—the utter joy 

and gratitude I receive from the dogs I take the time to 

help, know, or simply take for a walk—that led to my 

lifelong passion to work with and assist homeless dogs 

from around the world. 

First, Visit 

As with any new task, your first prerogatives are to 

simply show up and show an interest. One of the best 

things you can do to establish a relationship with your 

local shelter is visit the shelter, look around, introduce 

yourself and ask a few questions. While it’s a good idea 

to call ahead or at least check the shelter’s web site for 

hours of operation, a personal appearance is always best, 

and will give you the opportunity to check the situation 

out, see first-hand what areas the shelter may need help 

with, and meet the people you will be working with as 

a volunteer. Please note that shelters are often very busy 

on Mondays and Saturdays, so a visit in the middle of the 

week might be best. If you call before visiting, simply ask 

the receptionist when it might be a good time to drop by. 

While visiting the shelter, ask a member of the staff 

whom you will need to talk to regarding volunteering. 

This is important, even if you have visited or worked 

with the shelter before. Many shelters have a Volunteer 

Coordinator, and this person is often responsible for 

the registration, training and legal issues surrounding 

volunteers. Some shelters provide one-on-one or group 

training, so find out if and when the training will be held 

next, and plan to attend. These sessions are often mandatory 

for new volunteers, and will help you understand what 

the facility’s volunteer policies and procedures are. 

Always take business cards with you, as well as any 

helpful materials that will let the staff [continued on next page] 


Shelter Strategies

Shelter Strategies 

familiarize themselves with your experience, qualifications 

and training techniques. If the Volunteer Coordinator or 

other staff members you wish to speak with are busy, leave 

your card for them, but always be prepared to contact that 

person yourself. As I have experienced first-hand, many 

shelter staff have well-meaning intentions of getting in 

touch with you, but often their daily chores and other 

numerous responsibilities give them little time to do so. 

Therefore, it is important that you be willing to reach out 

and establish contacts initially. It is likely that others have 

probably shown up in the past with offers of assistance 

only to disappear and disappoint, so if you take the time 

to show that you are serious in your offer to help, the staff 

will likely sit up and take notice of you. 

Regardless, scheduling an appointment with the 

Volunteer Coordinator or other member of management, 

whether on your initial visit or follow-up phone call, is 

the first step toward establishing a healthy relationship 

that will benefit you, the shelter, your community and the 

homeless dogs within your community. Be prepared to 

let the person know what it is you would like to do for 

them. Do you simply want to exercise dogs? (Regardless 

of your other goals, you may need to start here in order to 

establish yourself as a reliable volunteer and demonstrate 

your dog handling skills.) Or are you willing to provide 

basic leash and obedience training for them? Can you train 

staff and other volunteers how to walk and exercise dogs 

appropriately? Perhaps you might be willing to conduct 

obedience classes that would financially benefit the 

shelter? Make sure you have taken the time to think about 

your skills and qualifications realistically, as well as your 

schedule and what it is you enjoy doing most, and then 

communicate that effectively to the member of the shelter 

staff you meet with. Having something on paper that 

you can leave with them will also be helpful, as this will 

reinforce your offer and will leave them with no doubt as 

to what you are willing to do for them. This will also help 

prevent you from being forced into performing a task you 

are either not comfortable with or not capable of doing. 

Perhaps most importantly, once you have introduced 

yourself and have communicated your desire to volunteer, 

be sure to ask what it is that you can do for them. Most 

shelters will be very pleased just to have someone ask 

this question! The last thing shelter staff want to hear is 

that you’re another person with yet another great idea 

that will only create more work for them. If you can prove 

that your involvement will help them, and will not simply 

create more work, will help the dogs in their facility, and 

will provide adopters with a valuable resource that can 

potentially help them keep their new pets in their home for 

life, you will be well on your way, not to just getting your 

foot in the door, but to establishing a positive, mutually 

beneficial relationship that will be a blessing to everyone 

involved. 

In the next issue of Shelter Strategies, we will continue 

our discussion on working with shelter staff, and will 

provide ideas on how you as a trainer can help your local 

shelter improve adoption rates, educate shelter staff and 

establish fundraising and outreach programs. 

Melissa Bahleda, MAT, CB, has been training, fostering and 

working with shelter dogs for over 20 years. In 2001, she 

combined her background in education with her love for dogs, 

receiving her certification in Canine Training and Behavior 

Counseling from the Animal Behavior Center of New York. 

Melissa and her three adopted “canine partners,” Madison, LuLu 

and Mona, travel extensively, their goal being to teach other 

human-canine partnerships how to build life-long relationships 

based on compassion, education and mutual understanding. 

She currently lives in Shenandoah, VA, and offers obedience 

training, foster training and other shelter-related services in 

conjunction with the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA. Her 

articles have been published internationally. She was recently 

selected as one of Glamour Magazine’s and Toyota’s “Women 

of the Year,” receiving the 2007 Mountain Mover Award for her 

work with animals. 

Now Available! 

The Dog Trainer’s Resource 2 - The 

APDT Chronicle of the Dog Collection 

And still available! 

The Dog Trainer’s Resource 

Available from Dogwise Publishing, 

www.dogwise.com. 


Teaching Classes 

Safety First 

Joan B. Guertin 

It Iis hard to believe that it was just a few months over 50 

years ago when I, a well-meaning but inexperienced pet 

owner, blundered into the chaos that was my first dog 

training class. 

Kadee, the first of our German Shepherds who would 

live with us over a period of 18 years, was, at 4 , extremely 

well behaved compared to the rest of the dogs at the city 

park in Phoenix, that first night. But, having been raised 

with dogs, and already being the mother of one active little 

girl and with a second child due imminently, I apparently 

was the only one on the field who understood that children 

and dogs should mind their manners, and that ultimately, 

I was the pack leader! 

Thirteen weeks later, with diploma in hand and 

an invitation to return to the Grand Canyon German 

Shepherd Dog Club as an apprentice trainer, little did I 

know that the die was cast for the rest of my life. 

While turning out well-behaved dogs was always the 

primary goal of the many classes I taught over the years,. I 

discovered that the sentence wasn’t complete until I added 

“in a safe environment.” Today, when I monitor classes, 

the first thing I note is just how safe is that environment. 

By the mid-1980s I became aware that students were 

arriving at classes with more behavior issues and fewer 

skills to deal with them and less experience with the 

animals that they had invited into their lives. I deduced 

that our more transient life styles which changed 

drastically following the Second World War, had led 

to more gravitation from the farm and/or small town 

living, to the big cities and our city dwellers often grew 

up in apartments and hadn’t been raised with dogs. 

Thus, inherent skills no longer existed. In addition their 

education in dog behavior was generally gained through 

watching Lassie and Rin Tin Tin on TV. 

This is when I began formulating my plan for 

conducting safe classes for students with little or no 

practical experience in dealing with an animal on four legs 

with teeth, and all too often convinced that Rover, Fifi or 

Bruiser were just children with a fur or hair coat. 

At first, my training team and apprentices, were skeptical 

of the need for safety drills. The majority of the classes were 

held in parks in sunny Northern California. There was 

lots of space so we could keep dogs a safe distance apart. 

However, during any class period, invariably students 

would group closely so they could chat! Then, there were 

those who were convinced that Rover, attentive at home, 

would continue to respond as well in the open park, so 

they would show up with the dog off leash. Add to that 

those who would show up with unruly children vying 

for the parents’ undivided attention. It all was obviously 

a recipe for disaster. It was time to apply the same sort of 

order in the open air class room that I would employ in a 

school class room. It seemed to be the best way to avoid 

fights and bites! 

And, unfortunately, working outdoors in open areas, 

there was always a risk of loose dogs. We had to develop 

strategies to keep the classes safe regardless of the situation. 

As a result, we established the Saturday morning meeting 

ritual. 

Following the classes we would meet for 30 to 45 

minutes to review our day. It became the ideal time to 

develop and work on some strategies should there become 

a “worse case scenario.” At first the team really thought 

I was being an alarmist! Later, they understood my 

reasoning as the “worst case scenario” became reality! 

A woman brought her Bull Terrier to class so that we 

could do an evaluation. She was to arrive after the class 

with dog properly leashed. I even took the time to explain 

that both leash and collar should be on the dog prior to 

leaving home so that she would have a secure hold on the 

dog. I also requested that she leave the dog in the car until 

the field was clear. However, the dog spotted the class upon 

arrival and when she opened her door, he pushed past her. 

He had no leash and no collar. And made a beeline for my 

class group with eyes glued to a small Dachshund! 

All I said was “loose dog” and immediately all three of 

my trainers (each with their own group and an assistant), 

gave a group Stay which meant the assistant took charge 

of the class. The trainers converged on my class, with the 

lone male focused on the freight-train of a Bull Terrier 

who was determined to have a “weenie dog” for lunch. 

My trainer closed in on the rear end of the terrier, grabbed 

his hind legs and lifted them off the ground. He held 

him suspended there until the owner joined us and put 

collar and leash on the dog and returned him to the car. 

The entire incident took place in about five minutes. My 

team worked quietly, no hysterics, no yelling. The majority 

of the classes had no idea what had taken place. And the 

team never again scoffed at my request for “worst-casescenario” 

drills! 

I cannot stress enough, the importance of drills. You 

may never have to implement the action. However, you 

will not be taken by surprise if you drill in advance and 

have your basic strategy worked out. It allows the trainer 

and anyone else working with the class to remain calm! 

Most disasters are born out of the panic that can surround 

an incident. Preparedness allows those on site to deal with 

such incidents calmly and thus with little or no tragedies. 

Later when I moved to the Midwest and was training in 

smaller venues with dogs and handlers in closer proximity, 

it was necessary to institute some additional safety 

practices. I firmly believe that providing students a safe 

environment in which to learn is every bit as important 

as getting them into class in the first place. Following are 

ideas that we employed to keep both [continued on next page] 

www.APDT.com 23 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w November/December 2008

Teachihg Classes 

dogs and humans safe in a training environment. 

Invite students to come to class with safe equipment. 

Collars that are too big or too loose can lead to disaster if 

the dog is over-stimulated at the first class. My preference 

became The Premier Collar: an adjustable fabric collar 

with two rings, so that a dog with a narrow head can’t do a 

duck/flip to escape. The leash should be comfortable in the 

students hands. We always had loaners available to assist 

those who showed up with “dangerous or inadequate” 

equipment. 

At registration either have students leave the dog in the 

car while they enroll or, when interviewing over the phone, 

get an e-mail or address and forward a registration form 

they can fill out and return along with proof of shots. 

Once enrolled, ask students to position themselves 

around the training area with at least 1-½ dog lengths 

between each dog. Small, nervous dogs were placed away 

from the larger dogs in the beginning. 

Teach focus and attention first. This is simple using the 

food lure to teach the dogs to pay attention to the owners 

who are keepers of the rewards. Stress the fact that preventing 

the dogs from making eye contact will prevent confrontations. 

Each week remind the students to position themselves 

and the dog in a different spot in the training area. Dogs 

have shown me that three times in the same spot or corner 

of the training space translates to ownership for the dog. 

We humans are creatures of habit—we will gravitate to 

the same spot class after class. The dog then defends that 

spot. 

With volatile or nervous dogs, the barrier of a blanket 

or sheet draped over chairs or an X-pen, will prevent eye 

contact. It doesn’t take long to get focus and attention and 

then the barrier can be removed! I also, teach students to 

move backward and have the dog facing them so that they 

are not focused on a neighbor. 

I never begin moving exercises until the owners have 

the undivided attention of the dog. This includes such 

focusing/control exercises as watch me and leave it! 

In the event that a dog exhibits strong dog aggression and 

we are working in a large space or outdoors with enough 

room to keep the dog at a distance from the regular class, 

I will have the insecure dog and owner work at a distance 

at which the dog is relaxed. Once the dog has learned to 

respect the owners’ leadership, I will have the team begin 

moving closer in toward the rest of the class. It only takes 

a few weeks before the dog is comfortable working within 

the class and around the other dogs. 

Children have always been welcome in my classes, 

however I insist on rules. If they are working with the 

parents, they remain with the parents. If the parents 

are working with the dog, the children are expected to 

remain on the sidelines and out of the training area. I 

suggest they bring chairs or a ground cover when working 

outdoors. When I had the training building I provided a 

small table and chairs with colors and coloring books for 

younger children. I also taught all the children the sit/stay 

command! Which always works well when coming from 

the class leader. I was also the leader of the “kid-pack.” 

What worked was that I always issued directions with a 

smile! And when we were done with class I would spend 

some quality time with the kids and their dogs so they felt 

included as well. 

Maintain a sense of humor and stay calm. There is 

never a guarantee that all classes will be perfect and stress 

free. I always remain calm in a class situation. When the 

dogs and people are gone, then is when I vent. Never in 

front of a class! 

And, if you can’t do the above, it may be that the class 

environment is not for you—it isn’t everyone’s cup of 

tea. My daughter, the groomer, is a wonderful trainer! 

However, she does not enjoy working with the people! 

As a groomer, she can focus on the dogs and that is her 

niche. 

Mom, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoys watching 

the relationship develop between dog and owner or family. 

I continue to train with hopes that more dogs will remain 

safely in their home and not end up relegated to the yard 

or worse yet, a shelter or on the street! 

Just keep in mind that we, as trainers, have an obligation 

to provide a safe working environment for our students. 

When people and dogs are put together, anything is 

happen and, sometimes does! 

APDT charter member (#46) Joan B. Guertin resides in rural 

East Texas with 7 Corgis & a 3-legged long-haired Chihuahua. 

Even though semi-retired, she remains busy with a few 

training classes and lots of private work in both obedience 

and conformation. Showing the Corgis is still a passion, along 

with presenting Responsible Dog Ownership and Dog Safety 

programs for area school children. Still admits that she will 

never quit training as long as she can educate humans in 

order to help keep dogs in happy home. She’s a member of 

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America and Dog Writers 

Assoc. of America where her work has been honored with three 

Maxwells. 


Creative Canine: 

Original Intentional 

Canine- 

to- 

Human 

Communication 

This is the second part of a series on canine-to-human 

communication research. The first part “If A Dog Smiles” 

appeared in the May/June issue and provided an overview of 

current research in canine communication. 

My 

M 

Sheltie Kayla adores tummy rubs. She rolls 

onto her back exposing her pink underside 

in solicitation and purrs like a cat when her 

humans comply. Often, we do not adequately satisfy her 

craving, so she invented a unique strategy to request extra 

massages: She puts both front paws together and waves 

them vigorously in the air, an action we immediately 

understood to say “more, please.” 

I never trained Kayla to offer this “more” signal nor 

any similar gesture. She seemingly devised her “more” 

motion as a creative way to request a specific action from 

me. Soon, I realized Kayla expressed many desires with 

distinctive, usually non-vocal signals. On walks, she sat 

to emphasize a desire to head in a different direction than 

the one I intended. To solicit fetch, she glanced at me, then 

her ball, while prancing on her front paws. A hard stare 

with a sit necessitated a potty break and a howl meant 

urgent. 

Canines and humans share closer bonds than perhaps 

any other species. Dogs live in a human world. Humans 

bred wild canines for both utility and affiliation, and 

we continue to fine-tune our dogs’ phenotype to our 

fancy. The human family became the dog’s pack, human 

society its environmental niche. 1 Dogs and human culture 

entwined and co-evolved. 2 

Dogs have been selected for adaptations to human 

social life, and these adaptations have led to marked 

changes in their communicative, social, cooperative and 

attachment behaviours towards humans. 3 

Vilmos Csányi, author of If Dogs Could Talk 4 and 

ethologist at the Loránd Eőtvős University in Hungary, 

suggests that this joint culture allowed our canine 

www.APDT.com 

Audrey Schwartz Rivers, MS 

companions to acquire “a remarkable number of mental 

traits that closely resemble our own” which include 

“remarkable interspecies communications skills.” Csányi 

notes, “... they can predict social events, they provide and 

request information, obey rules of conduct, and are able 

to cooperate and imitate human actions ... This is not a 

little thing because they must pay attention to the person’s 

actions, remember them, and then apply them to their 

own body ... No other animal could do this” 5 

Experiments by Csányi and his colleagues demonstrated 

that dogs developed a complex two-way communications 

system with humans: 6 

Dogs are sensitive to human gestural communication, 

and they are able to use different types of human 

directional gestures (pointing, bowing, nodding, head 

turning, and glancing gestures) as cues. In addition, it 

was revealed that dogs are also capable of intentional, 

functionally referential communications with owners. 7 

Humans also understand dog vocalizations and even 

non-dog people can identify various emotional inflections 

in specific dog barks. In addition, dogs combine various 

actions particularly vocalizations, gestures and gaze, for 

their communications with humans. 8 

I suspected other dog people experienced similar 

interspecies communiqués from their canine companions. 

I wondered if dogs also created, non-trained behaviors to 

communicate specific intent to their humans and, if so, 

how their humans interpreted these distinctive signals. 

So, armed with curiosity and naiveté, I decided to conduct 

a survey about creative and intentional canine-to-human 

communications. 

Methodology 

I posted my research survey questions on an Internet 

web site from January through March 2007. 9 Participants 

were recruited with announcements on 12 dog-related 

news groups and I encouraged them to spread the word. 

The survey involved three sections. Two of the sections 

asked multiple choice questions about general information 

about the dog and owner. The third section provided two 

open-ended questions for the respondent to elaborate 

on the creative communication behavior of the dog10 and 

what the person believed the dog’s message 11 to mean. 

(For a copy of the survey, you can e-mail the author at the 

address provided at the end of this article.) 

I reviewed each behavior essay response and assigned 

each a behavior category. I did the same for the message 

essays assigning each a message category. I based these 

categories on two ethograms—a fancy term for a list 

of categories and their definitions. Figure 1 shows the 

behavior ethogram and Figure 2 the message ethogram. I 

counted each of the behavior and message categories, then 

calculated the averages for each. 12 Those averages became 

the behavior average (Figure 3) and message average (Figure 

4) for comparative analysis. From the multiple choice 

answers, I came up with a list of variables for the dog and 

the human13 . I calculated the behavior [continued on next page] 


Creative Canine: Original Intentional Canine-to-Human Communication 

and message percentages for each variable to compare with 

the behavior and message baselines. 

When calculating survey results, I applied no statistical 

smoothing, no appropriate algorithms, no scientific controls 

nor any other mathematical rigor besides basic arithmetic, 

a calculator and many erasers. Therefore, I likely made 

some hopefully minor calculation errors, but I believe the 

effects of such remain for the most part negligible. The 

limited sample size of some of the data probably had more 

negative impact. For example, one owner with a toy breed 

and two hound owners responded resulting in less than 

ideal representation for these groups. 

Because this study relies on anecdotal contributions 

by mostly lay observers with little understanding of 

animal behavior complexities, anthropomorphism can 

rear its disputed head. Many scientists discount anecdotal 

information due to anthropomorphic concerns, the obvious 

lack of laboratory distance and controlled conditions. 

Ethologist Marc Bekoff believes that anthropomorphism 

while unavoidable, can be scientifically valid with proper 

considerations, and can help make the animal world more 

accessible to both scientists and lay people. 14 

Csányi and his fellow researchers found that lay 

observers could accurately explain an animal’s behavior 

without anthropomorphic bias when describing the 

animal’s actual activity. They also noted that owners tended 

to report only on situations that happened repeatedly 

which increased the veracity of the data. 15 As Csányi 

proposed, the behavior descriptions for this study appeared 

rather straightforward; however, human-interpreted 

messages tended to be much more subjective and emotional 

as would be expected. 

Results 

The on-line survey received a total 112 responses 

with 89 of those applicable. Incomplete surveys were not 

counted. Some respondents participated more than once 

and each survey response was counted separately. For this 

paper, I decided to summarize the highlights and the most 

interesting observations. Academics, please don’t take 

umbrage! 

Behavior Categories (Figure 3) 

Respondents reported more vocal behavior than 

any other. This result should not surprise as humans 

rely on speech to communicate with each other. We 

constantly talk to our pets as if they understand us, so 

participants likely attune to vocalizations more than 

other transmissions. 16 Likewise, humans tend to be highly 

aware of their dogs’ often obnoxious pawing or nudging. 

These gesture behaviors ranked second highest for overall 

communication behaviors. Action behaviors involving 

more elaborate movements came in next. 

Complex and modeling appeared to be more inventive 

and combined several behavior categories. Perhaps 

anthropomorphism counted for these categories fairly 

high scores. However, these behaviors produced some 

Figure 1: Behavior Ethogram 

Behaviors Definition 

Action change of position, location or activity to convey message (i.e. 

sit, down, movement) 

Complex combination of two or more behaviors to communicate 

message (does not include modeling) 

Gaze eye movements including stare, glance or look at a specific 

person or in specific direction 

Gesture singular body movement in limited space (pawing, nudging, 

scratching) 

Modeling imitation of human-like behavior or action; or the manipulation 

of objects not normally associated with canine activities 

Touch a single use of paw or nose to contact a specific person or 

object 

Vocal vocalization or other natural dog-made sounds (growling, 

barking, whimpering) to communicate to a specific human but 

not to a stranger or unknown situation 

Figure 2: Message Ethogram 

Message Definition 

Potty dog communication interpreted by human to mean a dog!s 

need to go outside to eliminate 

Request interpretation that dog requests the human to perform an 

activity or service for the dog other than related to elimination 

Affection/Empathy human interprets behavior as an expression of affection or 

empathy for a particular person 

Alert Behavior interpreted as a specific warning to its human (not 

directed to a stranger), an announcement, an attempt to 

protect human or a non-threatening notification of a situation 

of which the human should be aware 

Attention Human interprets the dog seeks human attention for reasons 

not otherwise listed 

Avoidance Human interprets behavior as dog!s desire not to be involved 

with an activity, behavior or situation 

Beg Human interprets behavior as a request for food or other 

resource currently possessed by human 

Greet Human interprets behavior as a pleasurable welcome for a 

known human 

Permit Behavior interpreted as seeking human!s approval for a 

specific action or behavior to be performed by dog 

Play Behavior interpreted as a an invitation by the dog to the 

human to engage in play-related activities 

Pleasure-other Behavior interpreted by human as dog seeking other 

pleasurable action by human not mentioned elsewhere 

Other Behavior interpreted as dog communication not mentioned 

elsewhere 

unexpected results. Two of the poorest scoring behaviors 

in the overall results ranked extremely high in these areas. 

For example, gaze equaled only 8% of the behaviors but 

a huge 29% of those included in the complex category, a 

particularly interesting result as researchers cite gaze as > 

26 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w November/December 2008 www.APDT.com 

Value Title 

100% 

75% 

50% 

25% 

0% 

Figure 3: Behavior Mean Baseline 

29% 

3% 

11% 

20% 

8% 

12% 

17% 

Behavior Baseline 

Vocal (29%) 

Touch (3%) 

Modeling (11%) 

Gesture (20%) 

Gaze (8%) 

Complex (12%) 

Action (17%)

Value Title 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Figure 6: Message Behaviors 

a major dog communication method with both cospecifics 

and humans. 17 Similarly, touch was the overall lowest 

ranking behavior at a measly 3% but 26% of the behaviors 

making up the modeling category and 13% of the complex. 

The most popular behavior, vocal, was totally absent from 

reported modeling behaviors. Instead action behaviors 

topped the modeling mix. 

Message Categories (Figure 4) 

General requests (i.e. walks, help) topped the humaninterpreted 

messages closely followed by attention seeking 

and the inevitable potty urges. Affection and alert messages 

closely matched. Seemingly less popular messages were 

those for play, avoidance, and greet with permission seeking 

and beg the least popular. In Figure 6, I summarize each 

message’s most frequent and less frequent behaviors as 

well as behaviors not used for specific messages. Potty 

and general requests produced the most varied behavior 

assortment. Dogs in this survey preferred action behaviors 

www.APDT.com 

Figure 4: Message Mean Baseline 

4% 

5% 

3% 

5% 

2% 

5% 

18% 

11% 

10% 

21% 

14% 

Message Baseline 

Other (4%) 

Play (5%) 

Permission (3%) 

Greet (5%) 

Beg (2%) 

Avoidance (5%) 

Attention (18%) 

Alert (11%) 

Affection (10%) 

Request (21%) 

Potty (14%) 

Message Most Frequent Behavior(s) Less Frequent Behavior(s) No Behavior(s) in Message 

Potty vocal, modeling, touch, action, 

gesture 

complex gaze 

Request modeling, action, complex vocal, touch, gaze all represented 

Affection vocal gesture, action complex, gaze, modeling, touch 

Alert complex vocal, action, gaze modeling. gesture, touch 

Attention vocal, gesture complex action, gaze, modeling, touch 

Avoidance action gesture, modeling complex, gaze, touch, vocal 

Beg gesture none all others 

Greet vocal none all others 

Permission gaze gesture action, complex, modeling, 

touch, vocal 

Play action gaze complex, gesture, modelling, 

touch, vocal 

Other modeling gaze, vocal action, complex, gesture, touch 

to request play while gaze was the behavior of choice 

when they sought permission and gesture for a beg. Dogs 

used mostly vocal behaviors such as purring, low growls, 

moans, sighs and other soft sounds to indicate affection. 

Alert messages involved complex behaviors, such as vocal, 

action, gaze, and gestures. Humans identified most alerts 

not as warnings but as announcing visitors or identifying 

specific situations. 

Variable Summary 

AKC Groups 

Herding dogs represented 40% of the groups so their 

behavior results closely matched both the overall behavior 

and message categories. Only sporting and herding breeds 

included all seven behavior categories while the hound 

and toy groups had the least, most likely due to their 

limited sample size. 

Action behaviors produced a few surprises. Hounds, 

non-sporting and sporting breeds posted the most action 

behaviors, but the normally feisty terriers scored no action 

responses nor did the working dogs with high-energy 

herding dogs only above the baseline. True to their digging 

acumen, terriers proved king of gestures. Working breeds 

and mixes gestured just above the baseline. Non-sporting 

dogs showed no gesture behaviors. Sporting dog scored 

considerably and, surprisingly, below the gesture baseline 

yet these breeds along with herding dogs displayed at 

least twice the touch baseline behaviors. 

Hounds obviously proved their vocal mettle but the 

diverse non-sporting breeds matched them with 50% of 

their behaviors as vocal and the terriers followed close 

behind. Sporting breeds seemed the least vocal which may 

relate to their need stay quiet in the field. Non-sporting 

dogs also used their eyes to signal the most, three times 

above the gaze baseline. Sporting dogs and working dogs 

gazed half as much as the non-sporting breeds. However, 

Border Collies may feel slighted since herding dogs used 

gaze only 3% of the time. 

Working and sporting dogs excelled at the more complex 

behaviors. Terriers and the sample-limited toys and 

hounds demonstrated no complex behaviors in this survey. 

However, terriers mastered modeling behaviors at a rate 

well above average compared to other breed groups in the 

survey. Working, mixed, and sporting breeds came close 

to the average, while non-sporting breeds demonstrated 

no complex or modeling behaviors. 

As the owner of a quick-witted Sheltie and hyperactive 

Malinois, I thought herding dogs would rank higher for 

the more complicated or action-oriented behaviors. They 

ranked close to the average for modeling and below for 

complex behaviors, with their action score only slightly 

higher than the category average. Herding dogs also were 

one of two groups to show avoidance and beg messages, 

both slightly above the average. Herding dogs scored 

lowest in affection messages. Working dogs sent the most 

Valentines (nearly four times the average) with sporting 

and mixes cuddling up with average [continued on next page] 


Creative Canine: Original Intentional Canine-to-Human Communication


scores. Only non-sporting dogs and terriers (along with 

the limited sample of hounds and toy) showed no affection 

messages according to their “heartbroken” humans. 

Sporting dogs sent more avoidance messages and terriers 

attempted to scrounge at 10 times the beg average. Only 

sporting dogs, bred for obedience to field cues, and mixes 

asked for permission. Terriers and mixes seemed to have the 

weakest bladders with potty messages well above category 

average. Terriers and mixes (most likely those with terrier 

genes!) sent alerts at twice the average. Herding dogs 

issued alerts equal to the baseline with sporting dogs to a 

less extent. Only mixes and herding dogs displayed greet 

messages and only herding dogs and toys wanted to play. 

Gender and Age 

Males made up the majority of dog subjects: 57% 

to females 43%. Most showed their reported creative 

communication behaviors at very young ages. As far as 

behaviors used for communications, both genders rated 

very close to the category average. Males tended to use 

slightly more gestures, actions and vocal behaviors while 

females liked gaze, touch and modeling behaviors. Genders 

eschewed stereotypes, though. Females gave more alert 

messages than males while guys signaled their softer side 

by ranking above gals for affection. Males also liked to greet 

more. Males wanted to go potty (or possible marking?) more 

frequently than either the average or females. Females 

preferred to elicit attention and permission. Both showed 

similar avoidance messages. 

Frisky puppies obviously demonstrated the most action, 

touch and vocal behaviors but, surprisingly, also the most 

complex behaviors second only to those with unknown 

behavior ages. Pups showed significantly lower gesture 

behaviors to the average. However, gesture along with vocal 

increasingly became the communication tools of choice 

as dogs aged, especially for with dogs aged three to five 

years who preferred to gesture twice as much as any other 

behavior. While pups equaled the baseline for gaze, dogs 

one to two years olds showed no gaze behaviors. The sole 

senior dog relied on gaze exclusively, probably because 

he was too tired to move! An interesting note, older dogs 

showed more modeling behaviors while younger dogs more 

complex ones. Older dogs also sought permission the most 

often. 

Of course, puppies expressed the most potty urges and 

ranked highest for play. Pups, though, did not solicit as 

much for affection or attention as older dogs. Their avoidance 

and permission messages came close to the average but 

showed no beg behavior. Dogs age one to two years did beg 

the most and dogs age three to five years sought the most 

affection and attention. 

Acquisition 18 

Most owners acquired their dogs from either professional 

breeders or shelters/rescue groups. Family, friends or their 

own dog’s litter were the next largest sources, then from 

strangers, and backyard breeders, or they were found as 

strays. The rest obtained their dog from other sources. 

Behaviors of dogs acquired from professional breeders 

closely resembled the averages of the survey. Dogs from 

people known to their humans—family, friends or their 

owner’s own litters—ranked higher on action behaviors. 

Dogs acquired from professional breeders, rescue groups 

and shelters showed the most variety of communicative 

behaviors. Dogs from rescues did not touch and shelter 

dogs did not touch nor gaze. Shelter dogs offered more 

gestures than average but less than half of action behaviors. 

Shelter and rescue dogs as well as professionally bred 

dogs showed the most modeling behaviors. Note, dogs from 

backyard breeders ranked highest for complex behaviors. 

Both strays and stranger-provided dogs were the most 

vocal, almost twice the average. Former strays also gestured 

more than other dogs. Dogs acquired from strangers or 

backyard breeders relied on gaze significantly more as a 

communication tool, perhaps due to excessive kenneling. 

Dogs whelped in their own homes offered equal beg, 

greet, avoidance, alert and request messages. In fact, these 

dogs seemed to beg 10 times the average and to send greet 

or avoidance messages four times the average. Also high 

on avoidance were shelter and rescue dogs. Former strays 

maintained their scavenging wiles with 50% of their 

messages pegged as begs compared to the 2% average. 

Emotion-laden messages ranked higher with some 

acquisition groups. In the baseline, dogs offered only 

6% play messages compared to 10% by those acquired 

from professional breeders, 17% for dogs from backyard 

breeders, and a whopping 35% for dogs from family and 

friends. Not surprisingly, humans believed their strays 

expressed affection five times the average and those with 

rescue dogs twice as much. Whether or not rescued 

dogs truly manifest such prodigious gratitude or their 

good Samaritans unconsciously crave anthropomorphic 

appreciation may provide an intriguing topic for future 

research. 

Other Pets 

Most dogs lived with another canine or other pets while 

16% were “home alone.” Those loners preferred gesture 

behaviors, double the average. Typically, dogs living alone 

or without other dogs craved the most attention. Loners 

also gave alert and affection signals more often than other 

groups. As one might expect, dogs residing only with 

another dog offered the most vocal and action behaviors 

as well as more avoidance, greet and play messages. Dogs 

cohabiting with both dogs and other pets showed the 

highest modeling behaviors 

Dogs who lived only with non-canid pets presented the 

most intriguing results of the entire study. They displayed 

no vocal or action behaviors. These guys chose complex, gaze 

or gesture to get their point across. In addition, these dogs 

living with non-canine pets exhibited the most unusual 

message pattern of any variable group. The dogs showed 

significantly high avoidance, permission and play messages. 19 

They gave no affection signals. Compared to the dogs 

without cospecific pets, dogs who lived with other dogs > 


plus other species evinced a message pattern closer to the 

category average. Based on these results, canine signals 

may be influenced by living with non-canine animals and 

this effect may prove a fascinating future research topic! 

Owners and Trainers 

The majority of respondents owned dogs for at least 

four years and identified themselves as trainers with more 

than 70% working part-time. About half the respondents 

noted additional experience with dogs such as veterinary 

technician, professional groomer or sitter, animal welfare 

volunteer, as well as handler for therapy work and 

ring sports. A dozen participants failed to list type of 

ownership. 

New owners (three or less years) cited vocal and gesture 

more than any other behavior and well above average, an 

expected response as humans innately attune to verbal 

and nonverbal language. 20 Experienced owners tracked 

close to average while those with unknown background 

listed more modeling, complex and touch and considerably 

less gesture than average. The majority of new owners 

thought their pets craved attention but (a surprise) no play, 

affection, alert or potty messages (why accidents happen?). 

Experienced owners noticed much less attention seeking 

but slightly above average play, alert, greet and avoidance 

messages. For them, affection also dipped below average. 

Those with unknown background saw potty, request 

and affection messages equally and higher than average 

permission. 

Full-time trainers’ acumen for canine nuance showed. 

They reported considerably less vocal and action behaviors 

but more complicated modeling and complex behaviors 

which scored nearly three times the average. Full-time 

trainers noted higher than average gestures. Full-time 

trainers’ canines offered no permission, avoidance, beg or 

play messages. Their dogs sought both attention and other 

requests in one-third of their messages. And, their dogs 

showed affection and greet slightly above average. 

Part-time trainers proved more interesting. The vocal 

responses topped the average and almost equaled that of 

new owners. They also reported less than average gestures 

and modeling but higher touch and gaze. A reason may be 

that some experienced owners or others such as shelter 

volunteers considered themselves part-time trainers 

although they lacked requisite knowledge and experience. 

However, those mentioning “additional” experience 

scored close to average. Part-time trainers’ dogs seem a 

bit less mannered than those of their full-time peers. Parttimers 

reported their pets offered avoidance, beg, permission, 

affection messages equal to average but fewer attention 

appeals. Their pups also asked to potty more than the their 

peers and for higher than average general requests 

At least three part-time trainers may have misidentified 

calming signals as another message. One said the dog’s 

tongue flick and sneeze marked impatience with a 

training lull (instead of insecurity with the training 

itself?). Another owner viewed yawns as a potty request or 

beg, while the other correctly noted the dog’s tongue flicks 

www.APDT.com 

as likely avoidance. 

Class Attendance 

A majority of respondents either graduated from 

(39%) or were currently enrolled (18%) in a dog training 

class; the rest did not specify any class participation. 

Current students reported six times the action behaviors 

of graduates, but slightly less vocal behaviors than grads or 

the mean. A note to trainers, your classes help—the current 

students, who most likely are new owners, reported almost 

half the vocal communications of general new owners and 

reported more action, complex and gaze behaviors. Current 

students, though, indicated much less modeling and 

gestures than newbies, graduates or non-students. Grads 

tracked closely to both the baseline and the responses of 

experienced owners. Non-students listed the most vocal 

and modeling behaviors but fewer gaze or gesture behaviors 

than the student groups or average. 

Current students interpreted the most attention 

messages, but far less than the 60% identified by general 

new owners. Current students also led in play and affection 

messages, both twice the average, and in permission. Nonstudents 

tracked highest in avoidance. Grads noted double 

permission seeking than either the average or experienced 

owners, perhaps due to insights gained during classes. 

Other Activities 

Our respondent-dog teams participated in 10 different 

activities with agility the most popular followed by 

obedience, conformation, and therapy. Herding and Rally 

sports teams reported the most complicated behaviors 

with herders five times the average for complex and Rally 

four times the average modeling scores. Herders also ranked 

highest in action and led in alert messages with show and 

therapy dogs next. Herders sought play four times more 

than average followed by SAR dogs, who, surprisingly, 

ranked well over average for avoidance. Show dogs also 

ranked above baseline for avoidance and beg. Show and 

herder dogs asked for potty breaks most often. 

Therapy dogs obviously showed the highest affection 

messages (followed by obedience) but, ironically, gave 

the most vocal behaviors, a reaction they should not offer 

during visits. SAR and Rally activities also produced very 

high vocal scores. Agility and therapy dogs also gestured 

most often with conformation and agility tied for second. 

Service dogs had very above average rates for touch and 

gaze behaviors as well as permission messages. Rally led in 

attention with obedience and agility close behind. 

Interesting Examples 

If, as Marc Bekoff asserts, “anecdotes are data,” 21 then 

the stories related by participants in their essay responses 

may reveal more about canines creative communications 

than any statistical data. 

Complicated complex and modeling behaviors produced 

imaginative, non-trained communiqués. One Collie 

imitated humans by ringing a [continued on next page] 




doorbell to come inside. Another enterprising puppy 

soiled inside, then covered the mess with newspapers, a 

definite avoidance message. Dogs learned to juggle objects 

such as collars, keys, or other tools to obtain needed potty 

breaks. A Cocker Spaniel retrieves seasonally appropriate 

socks or mittens to request walks. A lab mix clangs the 

trash can lid repeatedly until someone refills her empty 

water bowl. A more independent Newfie turns door knobs 

to be near her humans and turns on the outside hose for 

a drink. One Belgian uses objects to bully her humans, 

“When my dog wants me to give her a treat, she ’threatens’ 

to do something I don’t like [such as] paw next to a full 

ashtray and act as if she’ll knock it over.” 22 

Vocalizations also illicit original messages. Several 

respondents report their dogs employ specific utterances 

exclusively for favorite people. A Border Collie always 

greets one spouse with a “woo-woo” and a lab has a 

special “Marilyn” bark. One dog gives a distinctive bark 

for each different critter who invades the yard and another 

predictably alerts its 9 p.m. bedtime. Two respondents, 

both trainers, insist their dogs speak actual English 

words. One husky says “outside,” “I’m hungry,” and “I 

love you” albeit with a canine accent. A senior mix began 

greeting with a “harrow” sound, but never on cue. Several 

humans reported that their dogs’ alerts “tattle” on other 

misbehaving pets: 

“She only vocalizes this tone/manner when my other 

dog or cat are doing something wrong. She is telling 

on them ... if I’m upstairs in the office and the other 

dog gets into the garbage ... she will come upstairs, get 

between me and the keyboard and vocalize that there 

is something wrong … She doesn’t vocalize in this 

same way if she just wants me to pay her attention ... 

just when the dog or cat is doing something that they 

would get a correction for if I were in the room.” 23 

Dogs also gesture with inspired intent. Witnesses 

attest that a sleep-deprived Terv nudges his humans 

until they roll over, thus stopping their snores. In the 

morning an enterprising mix becomes a snooze alarm 

clock by thumping her tail progressively louder on the 

floor until her owner wakes up. Another action-oriented 

and empathetic lab brings her tired master slippers and a 

pillow after work. 

Conclusion - Implications for Trainers 

I sought with this survey to discover whether dogs 

utilize original and creative behaviors to communicate 

specific messages to their human companions and how 

their humans interpreted these messages. The results 

suggest that not only can dogs intentionally devise unique 

non-trained signals to communicate with their humans, 

but that these behaviors vary based on the dog’s breed, 

demographics, origin, activities as well as other pets in 

the homes where they live. The study results also suggest 

that the humans’ level of experience and training with 

dogs influenced their success at identifying these varied 

messages. 

Although basic and nonscientific, these intriguing results 

support the need for future formal , and appropriately 

sampled, research in creative canine-to-human 

communications and the impacts of variables, particularly 

those based on breed, training, place of acquisition, other 

pets in the home, as well as the humans’ experience as 

professionals or owners. Controlled studies must utilize 

impartial observers to limit anthropomorphism, to 

standardize behavior identifications, and to negate the 

owners’ tendencies to interpret their dogs’ actions to fulfill 

their own emotional agendas. However, such formalized 

research criteria present other difficulties. For example, 

the behaviors reported are non-cued and often occur only 

in relation to a specific place or person. 

Thanks to domestication and close bonds, dogs 

developed complex communication systems with humans. 

In fact, dogs seem to learn “how to speak human” better 

than we learn their language. As family members, these 

four-legged sponges absorb both our verbal and nonverbal 

signals, then flexibly use human signals including novel 

ones, to talk to us. 24 Therefore, dogs use observational and 

social learning, usually when we are unaware of it. 25 

Interspecies social learning rarely happens in nature 

and never encompasses the animals instinctive behavior. 

The unparalleled human-canine bond nurtures such 

learning and dogs learn by observation without any food 

or other reinforcers found in operant conditioning. 26 

Despite this, social learning seldom finds its rightful 

place in the dog training curriculum. Many trainers 

currently advocate operant methods, deem all learning 

as conditioned, and thus discount social learning as a 

legitimate training alternative. 27 This study, as well as the 

work of noted canine researchers such as Vilmos Csányi 

and Ádám Miklósi, suggest that dogs are much more 

aware of our intentions and language as well as uniquely 

adept at inventing creative ways to communicate with us 

which, as trainers, we can no longer ignore. 

Acknowledgment 

My thanks to Mychelle Blake for her outstanding 

patience and support of this project. 

Audrey Schwartz Rivers, MS, directs the nonprofit PetShare 

which provides animal-assisted programs for at-risk youth. A 

featured speaker on human-animal interactions at national 

conferences, Audrey’s writings have been published in the 

New York Times, Seventeen, Change, Chronicle of the Dog and 

in the book Dog Trainer’s Resource. Audrey holds a master’s 

degree in human sciences and bachelor’s in journalism. Prior 

to founding PetShare, Audrey handled strategic planning and 

public affairs for the NASA Johnson Space Center. This summer, 

Audrey served as a research apprentice at the Chimpanzee and 

Human Communication Institute, home of the chimpanzees 

who communicate to humans and each other via American 

Sign Language. She also studied primate communication and 

behavior with National Geographic researcher Jill Pruetz. For 

more information about this study, please contact Audrey at 

asrivers@petshare.org. 

> 


Endotes 

1. Miklósi, Á., Topál, J., Virányi, Z., “Comparative social 

cognition: what can dogs teach us?,” Animal Behavior 67 

(2004): 995-1004. 

2. Hare, Brian and Tomasello, Michael, “Human-like social 

skills in dogs?,” Trends Cognitive Science 9.9 (September 

2005): 439-444. 

3. Miklósi, Á., Topál, J., Virányi, Z., op, cit. 

4. Csányi, Vilmos, If Dogs Could Talk (New York: North 

Point Press, 2000) 

5. Woodard, Colin, “Clever Canines: Did Domestication 

Make Dogs Smarter?” The Chronicle of Higher Education 

Research, (April 15, 2005): A12. 

6. Miklósi, Á, The Chronicle of Higher Education, on-line chat, 

April 14, 2005, 2 p.m. EDT, Rich Monastersky, moderator. 

(http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2005/04/dogs/); and 

Soproni, K. and Miklósi, Á,, “Comprehension of Human 

Communicative Signs in Pet Dogs (Canis familiaris), 

Journal of Comparative Psychology 115:2 (2001) 122-126. 

7. Soproni, K. and Miklósi, Á, ibid. 

8. Pongrácz, Péter, Molnár, Csaba, Miklósi, Ádám, 

“Acoustic parameters of dog barks carry emotional 

information for humans,” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 

100.3-4 (2006): 228-240; and Miklósi, Á, Polgárdi, R., Topál, 

J., Csányi, V, “Intentional behaviour in dog-human 

communication: an experimental analysis of “showing” 

behaviour in the dog,” Animal Cognition 3 (2000): 159-166. 

9. Survey Monkey http://www.surveymonkey.com/ ( 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=HkCWgzYo_2bN5P 

4n_2blq1SlMQ_3d_3d). 

10. The essay question on behavior read, “Please describe 

in detail the intentional original behavior your dog created to 

communicate a specific message to you. This should NOT be a 

behavior that you or someone else taught your dog to do.” 

11. The essay question about messages read, ““What message 

do you think your dog wants to communicate to you by this 

special behavior? Does your dog display this behavior at any 

other time?” 

12. Equation for baseline calculations: (#individual response/ 

total responses x 100 = mean % baseline). 

13. Variables: AKC group, age, gender, other pets, how acquired, 

owner and trainer, class attendance, activities. 

14. Bekoff, Marc, Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues: 

Reflections on Redecorating Nature (Philadelphia: Temple 

University Press, 2006) 24-27. 

15. Pongrácz, Péter, Miklósi Ádám, Csányi, Vilmos, 

“Owner’s beliefs on the ability of their pet dogs to 

understand human verbal communication: A case of social 

www.APDT.com 

understanding.” Current Psychology of Cognition (2001) 20 

(1-2) 87-107. 

16. Pongrácz, ibid. 

17. Miklósi, Ádám, Kubinyi, Enikö, Topál, József,Gácsi, 

Márta , Virányi, Zsófia & Csányi, Vilmos, “A Simple Reason 

for a Big Difference: Wolves Do Not Look Back at Humans, 

but Dogs do,” Current Biology 13 (April 29, 2003): 763-766. 

18. Multiple choice options were used for acquisition 

responses. However, respondents may not have accurately 

cited from where they acquired their dogs. For example, 

some may have considered a “professional breeder” to be 

one who sells pets in a parking lot. 

19. Baseline: avoidance (5%), permission (3%), play (6%). Dogs 

with non-candid pets: avoidance, permission, play 13% each. 

20. Soproni, op. cit. 

21. Bekoff, op. cit. 

22. Survey Respondent 1-56. 

23. Survey respondent #1-17. 

24. Virányi, Zsófia, Topál, József, Gácsi, Márta, Miklósi, 

Ádám, Csányi, Vilmos, “Dogs respond appropriately to 

cues of humans’ attentional focus,” Behavioral Processes 

66 (2004): 161-172. and Miklósi, Á., Topál, J., Virányi, Z., 

“Comparative social cognition: what can dogs teach us?,” 

Animal Behavior 67 (2004): 995-1004. 

25. Pongrácz, Péter, Miklósi Ádám, Kubinyi, Enikö,Topál, 

József, Csányi, Vilmos, “Interaction between individual 

experience and social learning in dogs,” Animal Behaviour 

65 (2003): 595-603; and Pongrácz, Péter, Miklósi, Ádám, 

Timár-Geng and Csányi, Vilmos, “Vocal Attention Getting 

as a Key Factor in Social Learning Between Dog (Canis 

familiaris) and Human”, Journal of Comparative Psychology 

118:4 (2004): 375-383; and Kubinyi, Enikö, Miklósi Ádám, 

Topál, József, Csányi, Vilmos “Dogs (Canis familiaris) Learn 

From Their Owners via Observation in a Manipulation 

Task”, Journal of Comparative Psychology 117:2 (2003): 156- 

165. 

26. Pongrácz, Ibid; and Kubinyi , Ibid; and Range, 

Friederike, Viranyi, Zsófia, Huber, Ludwig, “Selective 

Imitation in Domestic Dogs”, Current Biology 17 (May 15, 

2007). 

27. Miklósi, on-line chat, op.cit. 



You’re Worth It 

M 

Most of us are dog lovers first, trainers second, and 

business men and women dead last. A number 

of challenges arise from this reality, including 

a pervasive sense of guilt about charging money for 

what we do. This guilt is then alleviated with chronic 

undercharging, the result of which is an income level 

that keeps many trainers in perpetual hobby or part-time 

status, drives others back to “real jobs,” or creates longterm 

financial strain for those managing to train fulltime. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. Charging what you’re 

worth—and you are worth it—is a win for you and for the 

dogs. 

Getting Over the Guilt 

Trainers hold an invaluable and specialized skill and 

knowledge set. If you’re reading this you most likely 

have spent time and money attending a school for dog 

trainers and have used innumerable hours practicing 

your craft on your own and with the guidance of mentors 

and colleagues. You’ve probably attended a long list of 

seminars, conferences, and workshops, and have read and 

watched every book and DVD you could get your hands 

on. Many of you have studied for and taken certification 

exams as well. Because although you may love your work 

well enough to enjoy it whether or not it’s paid, it’s still 

work—highly skilled work that requires a good deal of 

study and practice. 

Training is also work that helps people and their dogs. 

You have the capacity to change the lives of the clients and 

canines you work with. Surely this is worth paying for. 

And though everyone loves to get something for free, we 

don’t generally expect free professional services. If training 

is to become a full-fledged profession we need to keep this 

in mind. Also important to remember is that people value 

what they pay for, and generally in our culture we value 

more that which costs more. During my time as Director 

of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA we 

raised our adoption rates, to the dismay of many who 

predicted adoption rates would fall. They didn’t. What did 

drop off was returns. Many trainers experience a similar 

phenomenon when they raise their rates—not only does 

business not go down, it often goes up (because committed 

owners want the best) and so does client compliance. 

Clients who have paid more for a service are more likely to 

try to get the most from it. 

There’s another reason to leave the guilt behind. 

Financial stress and underpayment are major components 

of trainer burn-out and business failure. And every 

talented, skilled, compassionate trainer who quits due 

to exhaustion or the need to take a job with a paycheck 

means owners and dogs who will never experience the 

benefit of her services. The longer you stay in the game the 

more dogs and people you can help. To stay in the game 

Veronica Boutelle, MA, CTC 

The 

Business 

End 

of the 

Leash 

you need a successful business. And to have a successful 

business you need to charge what you’re worth. 

Setting Your Rates 

Trainers often look at what others charge when setting 

their own rates. While it’s important to know what the 

trends in your area are, you shouldn’t feel compelled 

to do exactly what everyone else does. Here are several 

additional considerations. 

Take into account your services—how is what you are 

doing different, what sort of niche are you filling, what do 

you offer that others don’t? What are the demographics 

in your area—the socioeconomic levels, average incomes, 

kinds of work most commonly done? Factor in also your 

needs, both financial and psychological. What do you need 

to earn for your business to provide a solid, safe living? 

What hourly rate makes you feel professional, makes you 

feel you’re being truly compensated for your skills? 

As a final and central factor, recognize that your rates 

are part of your marketing plan and that rates carry subtle 

messages about you and your business. If, for example, 

part of your image is that you are the local go-to expert 

(whether you already are or would like to be!) having 

lower rates than your local colleagues will undermine 

that message. Again, Americans tend to equate cost with 

value. Pricing yourself low sends a message of not being 

as good as others whose rates are higher. > 


There’s often a belief that lower prices will lead to 

higher volume. For plastic goods this may be so, but in 

professional fields this approach can backfire. First of all, 

you’ll see more bargain hunting clients rather than those 

looking for the best possible service for their dog, and if 

you’ve been training for any length of time, you know the 

difference this can mean in terms of owner compliance 

and commitment. Secondly, training is not a volume field. 

You can only train so many hours per week, you can only 

accommodate a finite number of clients at a time. Given 

this, volume is not the key to success. Instead, you want to 

get the most revenue possible from your billable hours. 

If you offer packages (which I do hope you do—see “It’s 

All in the Packaging,” The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, Jan/ 

Feb 2008), you probably offer discounted rates for larger 

numbers of sessions. Keep two things in mind when 

structuring your pricing. One, the savings don’t have to be 

large to be effective. Five to ten dollars per hour is plenty 

to help clients feel like they’re getting a good break. And 

second, be sure to price yourself so that your lowest rate is 

what you actually want to be paid per hour. For example, 

if you want to make $100 per training hour, you might set 

your rate at $110 and offer discounted packages based on 

$105 and $100. If you want to make $100 but offer discounts 

at $95 and $90, you’ll be making less than you wanted. 

If You Still Feel Guilty… 

I may have convinced you it makes sense to charge 

what you’re worth. Does this mean trainers should avail 

themselves only to the wealthy? Absolutely not. It does 

mean you should be able to make a living. Families of 

average means who take their responsibility to their 

animals seriously will choose a trainer based on an 

impression of their effectiveness and professionalism. 

A large part of this impression will be made by your 

marketing, and pricing is one part of that. 

Still, for many trainers a business plan that prices 

you higher will exclude populations you wish to serve 

by putting your services out of their range. If this is the 

case, there are several ways to make yourself more widely 

available. You might, for example, offer regular Ask the 

Trainer volunteer hours to a local shelter. Though you 

will not be able in most cases to offer a full training plan, 

this triage focused on management can help to take the 

edge off many situations. If you prefer a more hands-on 

approach, try providing a shelter or rescue group pro 

bono case time. Just be sure to put boundaries around this 

work, for example specifying the number of clients you 

can handle at a time. It’s best to do pro bono work through 

another agency to keep it from impacting your business. A 

reputation for taking on unpaid cases can make it difficult 

to get paid ones. 

Sales Anxiety? 

If you’re one of the rare trainers who feels no guilt 

charging for your very needed and valuable services, or 

if I’ve convinced you to give up that bad habit, perhaps 

you suffer from sales anxiety. You know you’re worth it, 

www.APDT.com 

but how do you ask for it? How do you communicate your 

services and their worth to potential clients? And how do 

you answer that dreaded question: “What do you charge?” 

Not to worry—we’ll tackle sales in the next column. 

Veronica Boutelle, MA,CTC is the author of How To Run a 

Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart 

Is. She founded and runs dogTEC, whose business is to help 

yours succeed. If you’d like help making what you’re worth 

e-mail info@dogtec.org or visit www.dogtec.org to learn about 

dogTEC’s business and marketing consulting and other business 

support tools and services. 

Comfort Trainer Head Halter 

The Cadillac of Head Halters 

Dogs acclimate faster to Comfort Trainer than any 

other head halter. Just put it on and start training. No 

adjustment period needed. No muzzle abrasion. No eye 

irritation. No jaw clamp. 

Available 24/7 at www.comforttrainer.net 

or call: 434-946-5464, 8 am-8 pm, EST 

Retail, Wholesale and Distributor lots 


The Business End of the Leash

The 

Stages of 

Learning 

A Learning Theory Primer 

by Susan Smith, CPDT, CDBC 

A 

concept that is particularly useful for trainers is what 

we call the stages of learning: acquisition, fluency, 

generalization and maintenance. Familiarity with 

these stages of learning will help you be a more efficient 

trainer because you will have a deeper understanding of 

the learning process. 

Acquisition is a term for the change that takes place 

when learning happens. This is a little tricky, because 

you can certainly argue that change (and consequently 

learning) is taking place during all of the stages of learning. 

However, when trainers refer to acquisition, they are 

talking about the beginning stages of an animal learning 

a new behavior—the time during which the animal begins 

to understand that certain antecedents predict certain 

consequences for a particular behavior. 

Chance (Learning & Behavior, 5th ed., pg 36-37) prefers the 

word “change” to acquisition because he feels that learning 

doesn’t always require the acquisition of something. 

Chance uses the example of the pecking order in a flock of 

chickens. He asserts that by pecking at the other chickens 

in the flock you establish your position within the flock; 

once you’ve established your position, you give up pecking 

at the higher ranking chickens. Perhaps one could argue 

that the chicken has acquired the knowledge that pecking at 

higher ranking chickens is futile and possibly dangerous. 

Regardless, in training, acquisition is a very commonly 

used term and one we should understand. 

The next stage of learning is fluency. “Fluency is a 

combination of errors and rate; it is the number correct per 

minute.” (Chance, Learning & Behavior, 5th Ed., pg 46) 

Fluency tells you how well the animal can perform the 

behavior under given circumstances. For trainers, this is 

where record keeping comes in very handy, as you can 

always determine the fluency of a behavior by taking a 

rate-per-minute measurement. The work of Breland and 

Bailey informs us that the optimum time to raise criteria 

is when you have an 80% fluency rate. 

So let’s do a “case study.” Your dog, Fido, has been 

acquiring the “rollover” behavior under the following 

circumstances: 

trained by you 

What this tells you is that your dog is fairly fluent in 

“rollover” at your house in the morning, somewhat fluent 

in the evening, and not fluent at your father-in-law’s 

house. 

“Generalization is the tendency for a learned behavior to 

occur in the presence of stimuli that were not present during 

training.” (Chance, Learning & Behavior, 5th Ed., pg 451) 

Fluency is closely related to generalization. Fluency 

will tell you how well generalized the behavior is. From 

the above example with Fido, we know that Fido is fluent 

in the behavior at 8:30 a.m. in your living room, somewhat 

fluent at 5:00 p.m. in your living room, and not fluent at 

6:00 p.m. in your father-in-law’s living room. 

Wbat’s different about each of these situations? Well, 

let’s analyze it: 

Out of six variables, three are constant—you as the 

trainer, the stimulus for the behavior and the reinforcement 

for the behavior. > 


• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

hot dogs for reinforcement 

trained 7 days in a row 

trained in your living room 

trained every morning between 8:30 and 8:45 

trained with low-to-no distraction (i.e., no people, no 

other pets, etc. in the room) 

current criteria = trainer in upright position, stimulus 

is a circling motion with the index finger pointing 

out, compliance within 2 seconds of stimulus 

One evening you go to dinner at your in-law’s house 

and decide to take Fido so you can show off the new trick. 

Just before leaving, you do a few practice rollovers with 

Fido, while your wife waits patiently. Below is a chart 

showing Fido’s fluency under the various circumstances. 

Scenario #1 

Rate Per Minute 

Your Living 

Room 

8:30 a.m. 

Scenario #2 


Your Living 

Room 

5:00 p.m. 

Scenario #3 


Father-in-Law’s 

Living Room 

6:00 p.m. 

8 4 0 

Scenario #1 Scenario #2 Scenario #3 

Trainer You You You 

Stimulus Circle motion 

with pointed 

finger 

Circle motion 

with pointed 

finger 

Circle motion 

with pointed 

finger 

Reinforcer Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Dog 

Time 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 

Location Your Living 

Room 

Your Living 

Room 

Father-In- 

Law’s Living 

Room

One variable—location—is the same in Scenario #1 and 

Scenario #2. 

Two variables are different in every scenario—time and 

outside stimuli. We could probably come up with a lot more 

outside stimuli, but these are the obvious ones, so we’ll stop 

with them to keep it simple. 

Fido performed best in Scenario #1, which is the scenario 

under which the acquisition stage and most of his training 

took place, and under which he is most familiar with the 

behavior. He does reasonably well in Scenario #2, where the 

only differences are the presence of the wife and the time 

of day. In Scenario #3, he pretty much falls apart—different 

location, different time of day and lots of distraction. 

By measuring Fido’s fluency in each scenario, we can 

determine how well generalized he is in the rollover 

behavior. Ideally, you will “re-train” Fido under each new 

scenario; as he learns the behavior under new circumstances, 

it will begin to generalize, and he’ll learn to perform the 

behavior on cue regardless of circumstances. Once he’s 

generalized the behavior, he should be reliable under a 

variety of circumstances—familiar and new. 

This does not mean that he will be reliable under all 

circumstances—there will always be situations that are too 

distracting. However, we can train for many circumstances, 

and certainly for the circumstances to which our dogs are 

most often exposed. 

Last, but not least, the behavior must be maintained. 

“Maintenance is the continuation of the conditions that 

www.APDT.com 

generated a performance. The analysis of maintained performance, 

as a subject matter, is different from but not incompatible with 

that of acquisition (e.g., many experiments concerned with 

effects of schedule parameters on performance do not really begin 

until acquisition has been completed).” (University of South 

Florida Behavior Analysis Glossary, www.coedu.usf.edu/ 

abaglossary/glossarymain.asp?AID=5&ID=2238) 

All behavior must be maintained. Remember – behavior 

has function. We behave for a reason, and if there is no 

consequence to our behavior, it’s going to extinguish. If, 

after the debacle at your in-law’s house, you don’t ask Fido 

to rollover for six months, chances are, when you do ask 

him to rollover (even under Scenario #1), he won’t perform. 

His behavior has not been maintained. It shouldn’t be as 

hard to elicit the behavior as it was originally, because he 

has already learned it, but it will still take some of practice 

to get it to fluency. 

Susan Smith’s business, Raising Canine, www.raisingcanine.com, 

provides remote education opportunities for animal behavior 

consultants, as well as business and marketing products to help 

their businesses. Sue is also the co-author of the book Positive 

Gun Dogs: Clicker Training for Sporting Breeds. Sue is 

certified through CCPDT, IAABC and the SFSPCA. She is on the 

CCPDT Board, a professional member of the APDT, former Chair 

of the APDT Member Relations & Communications Committee, 

moderates the APDT list discussion group, and was named APDT 

Member of the Year in 2004. 


A Learning Theory Primer

36 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w November/December 2008 

Positive Dog Training 

In France 

Catherine Collignon 

W 

hat’s going on with positive dog training in 

France? A lot ! 

I started to study animal behavior in 1993 and 

to practice as a professional dog trainer in 1997. At that 

time, dog training in France was reserved most for sport 

competitors in kennel clubs. Owners didn’t have the 

opportunity, or the idea, to go to courses to train their dogs 

to be good citizen dogs. Professional dog trainers weren’t 

very fashionable either. 

At that time, being a dog wasn’t much fun. Yelling, 

beating, or using force was the way people understood dog 

training, and the only reward was sometimes a paddle. 

Then came a time when everyone realized that behind 

every dog, a wolf was hiding. A long period started of 

understanding dog behavior through wolf behavior. This 

meant dogs had to eat after their owners, must not sit on 

the sofa, or lie down in the middle of the way. If a dog 

showed the slighest initiative, he was considered either a 

disobedient or a dominant dog. 

It’s not difficult to see how it wasn’t very easy to be 

accepted as a trainer when you were female, had two dogs 

with no specific breed, no experience in dog training, used 

food rewards, and when what you enjoyed sharing most 

with them was to play, run, walk, and lie down with them. 

I owe thanks to my parents, who had no goals when it came 

to dog training and so naturally let me be the way I was 

with our dogs when I was a child. 

It got so difficult at some point though that I started to 

realize that maybe I was wrong and I thought of giving up 

being a professional dog trainer and behaviorist. 

And then a friend told me about the APDT conferences. 

I decided my last move, before stopping to train dogs (and 

their owners) altogether, was to go overseas to see what was 

going on in dog training in the United States. 

It was 1999 in San Diego and I didn’t have a lot of 

money, but I was there to attend the APDT conference. 

What a shock it was! So many trainers were present and so 

many well -trained, happy dogs. There were so many nice 

people who were all ready to help you and ready to discuss 

training with you. I couldn’t believe it! The best part was the 

lectures, the workshops with Dr. Ian Dunbar, and trainers 

clicker training chickens. I was so shy and felt so small but 

my eyes and ears were wide open—just like a kid meeting 

Santa Claus for the first time. 

Thanks to the APDT, trainers from all over the world 

were given the opportunity to listen and learn from 

speakers such as John Rogerson, Donna Duford, Roger 

Abrantes, Jean Donaldson and many more. 

During the conferences I had the chance to meet a > 

www.APDT.com

woman named Fawn, who said to me, “You must meet 

Ian Dunbar, he’s so cool and he’s the best.” I was very 

impressed so she called Ian and said, “Ian, she came all 

the way from France to the APDT conference, can you 

believe it?” I discussed a little bit of the situation in France 

with Ian and he understood I needed some support. So 

he said to me, “Don’t worry, keep going, don’t give up, 

this is the right way.” Believe me, a little sentence can give 

you enough strength for years! I went back to France, and 

anytime I got discouraged, and felt unsure of myself, I 

always heard Ian speak to me with this simple sentence, 

“Don’t worry, keep going, don’t give up, this is the right 

way.” Because, after all, back in France everything had to 

be done and it was very difficult to find a way to start. 

The kennel clubs in France did a lot in a few years with 

the introduction of puppy schools and the lure and reward 

method. It was revolutionary for French trainers and they 

started to promote positive training and early puppyhood 

training. Still, there was always constant arguing over the 

use of food rewards in training instead of looking at the 

changes in their dogs’ motivation. 

Because after all, it was not only about dog training, 

but about how to change the way people understand dog 

behavior and how to make owners and trainers realize 

that dogs can think, feel and demand without being 

disobedient or dominant. 

One technique could change everything: fast shaping 

with clicker training. Why? I believe when you see a 

dog practice shaping with clicker training, what is there 

to argue with? You cannot see dogs as you used to see 

them—their behavior “talks” for them. Well, it was time 

for French trainers to think and realize this. 

After a few years of hard work, filled with a lot of 

discussions, workshops, more and more trainers learned 

about and used clicker and positive training. This was a 

big challenge but we are so grateful after all our work. 

So where are we now, in 2008, in positive dog training 

in France? A lot has changed since 1999. 

• Everyone has heard about positive dog training and 

clicker training. Many trainers and owners now 

practice training this way and we there are very 

good trainers in France. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Puppy schools are encouraged for all professional 

and non-professional classes. 

New sports like dog dancing are taking place. 

A national dog training school now exists. 

Discussions with the government about “dangerous 

dogs” are ongoing. 

Shelters are using professional and positive training 

to rehabilitate dogs. 

Many people in France now want to become positive 

dog trainers and we being a professional dog trainer 

is now fashionable. 

And far away from that point in 1999, Ian and I 

www.APDT.com 

founded MFEC (Mouvement professionnel francophone 

des éducateurs de chiens de compagnie or Francophone 

Professional Pet Dog Trainers Movement). The MFEC has 

the same goals as the American APDT. We promote positive 

dog training and the work of professional dog trainers. 

We organize a conference every year and our third one 

occured in 2008. We issue a newsletter and promote the 

APDT in France. 

For the past three conferences, we have had the pleasure 

to welcome Dr. Ian Dunbar for a three-day conference 

at the Paris National Veterinary school. Donna Duford, 

Roger Abrantes, Kelly Gorman, Turid Rugaas, and French 

and European veterinarians and French professional dog 

trainers were in attendance. 

What is next in 2009 in France? One piece of good news 

is a new invention by Dr. Dunbar: the four-day K9 Games. 

Our next conference will have new lectures on scientific 

topics, training methods, clicker training, and workshops 

with veterinarians. Many projects will take place with 

MFEC, such as professional commitments between breeder 

s and MFEC dog trainers. 

Above all, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is only 

one way to train and treat dogs he right way. There are 

many ways to do this well, and if we keep this in mind, we 

will all do good job for us and for dogs. 

For more information on MFEC, visit its web site at www. 

mfec.fr. 

Catherine Collignon is a professional dog trainer in France with 

a specialization in behavioral rehabilitation. In 1993, she studied 

psychology at the Center of Study, Research and Formation 

in Applied Psychology in Nice with a special interest in canine 

social behavior and aggression. She is the founder and owner of 

ANIMALIN (www.animalin.net), the School of Clicker Training, 

Dog Training, and Animal Behavior. ANIMALIN was the first 

training school in France with a specialization in clicker training. 

Since 2001, she has taught dog training methods and clicker 

training to the Toulouse National Vet School students. In 2003, 

she started her collaboration with the Toulouse Guiding Dogs 

School, and she advises on the further education of the French 

Federation of the Guiding Dogs Associations. In 2004, she 

produced her first DVD, The Clicker Upside Down. In May 

2006, she founded MFEC with Dr. Ian Dunbar. Currently she is 

the manager of a new publishing company, Les éditions du Génie 

Canin. She writes articles for the following French magazines: 

Rottweiler News, Molosses News and Cyno Mag. In 2007, 

Catherine will also introduce, as a dog-training teacher, one of 

the first French high schools preparing future professional dog 

trainers with government certification. Says Catherine: “Along 

all these years, my education has been mostly built close to 

dogs, and I would like to thank all the dogs I have met, they 

will remain my Masters as far as animal behavior is concerned. 

And I won’t forget my own dogs, who taught me that this whole 

story is just about communication.” 


Positive Dog Training in France

CCPDT News 

CCPDT’s Marketing Push 

It’s important that the CPDT means something outside 

the dog training world. To that end, the Council has 

developed a marketing plan. There are 5 Ps in marketing 

and this article describes each of those P’s and how the 

CCPDT plans to use them to increase awareness of the 

certification. 

Marketing Plan 

Positioning – This is knowing exactly what we’re 

marketing and selling and who we’re selling it to. 

Positioning revolves around a core marketing message 

that clearly states who we work with, what problems we 

solve, what solutions we provide, what benefits we offer, 

what results we produce, what guarantee we give and 

what is unique and special about our particular service 

or product. Positioning is the foundation upon which we 

build the rest of our marketing. 

Packaging – This is taking our positioning strategy 

and putting it into words, both verbally and in the written 

form. Our web site, brochures, and marketing materials 

are tangible ways we package ourselves. Until we have that 

together, we’re going to have a hard time communicating 

to people why we’re the answer for them. 

Packaging is the tangible side of Positioning. It’s taking 

our core marketing message and making it real. Packaging 

is about crystal-clear communication. It needs to transmit 

directly why our certification is valuable, as well as generate 

attention, interest, desire, and action from our prospective 

clients. 

Promotion – The purpose of promotion is to get the 

phone ringing (or e-mail boxes full) with highly qualified 

prospective clients on the line. Once we know what we’re 

selling and it’s in a form people can understand, we can 

start getting the word out. 

Promotion is all about visibility and credibility. People 

like to do business with organizations that are familiar to 

them. No matter what methods we use, we need to ask if 

we have enough ongoing visibility to build that feeling of 

familiarity and trust. If we’re invisible, no one is thinking 

of us, let alone contacting us. 

Persuasion – Persuasion turns prospects who have 

responded to our materials into clients (in our case, either 

people interested in obtaining certification or people 

interested in hiring a certified trainer). Persuasion isn’t so 

much about convincing people how great we are; that’s 

more the job of packaging and promotion. Persuasion 

starts when people call us in response to our marketing. 

Persuasion is mastering the art of listening and focusing 

on the needs and objectives of our prospects. Then it’s 

finding creative ways to meet those needs and objectives 

in a way that’s agreeable to both parties. 

Performance – Performance comes last, but it’s 

definitely not least. If we don’t perform, meet client 

expectations, go the extra mile and ultimately create 

raving fans, we’re not going to have much luck growing 

the certification(s). It’s word-of-mouth marketing that will 

determine our success or failure. So our job is to deliver 

the goods and keep those referrals coming in. 

Performance is much more than getting the job done 

at a high level. It’s about paying attention to every single 

thing that impacts the client relationship. Performance is 

about perception—the perception of the client and their 

expectations. When we understand those perceptions and 

expectations and can deliver what they truly want, then 

we’ve mastered performance. 

Related Projects 

Web Site Redesign – The CCPDT has contracted 

with a web site designer to create a new, improved, and 

redesigned web site. We’ll be using our marketing plan to 

help create a more user-friendly and informative web site 

for both certified trainers and for our target markets. Our 

target markets include: veterinarians, dog owners, AKC 

members and breeders, trainers (certified and not-yetcertified), 

and other professions related to dog training. 

Logo – The council also decided the current logo could 

be improved. We’ve selected the graphic designer and will 

start the process in the coming months. 

Stay tuned for more updates – it’s an exciting time to be 

a Certified Pet Dog Trainer! 

CCPDT is an independent organization and is not affiliated 

with or related to any association, organization, or school. 


At Afirst glance, the dog appeared young; maybe an 

adolescent. The human at the other end of the very 

taut leash didn’t look much older than a teenager 

herself—a disheveled, exhausted one, no less, that also 

looked like an unwilling participant in some crazy doggie 

extreme sport! She was having a difficult time hanging on 

to her young buck of a dog as he pulled toward the door 

exposing muscles through his taught skin as he dug in to 

get more traction. 

The two of them were a visually taxing mix, and hard 

to watch as they moved closer to where I was waiting. It 

was a beguiling tête-à-tête--a doggie X-Game contest, if 

Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT 

you will, which had suddenly gone awry, and this chaotic 

team sport was headed right toward me as I entered the 

woman’s home to meet them for a private consultation. 

The ongoing competition between this dog and his 

human was the reason for the consultation. She was 

hoping to get her beautiful and wildly aroused lab mix 

“under control.” 

The woman’s questionnaire read, “Pulls, lunges and is 

wild on leash, and jumps on people-- !!!.” That was what 

was written in the section labeled “describe the behavior 

problem” portion of my behavior questionnaire. The 

additional explanation points and sad face were clearly the 

owner’s expression of her feelings about her dog. 

“No! Sit,” the young woman said with warning and 

www.APDT.com 

anger as Buster jumped on me hard enough to cause 

a colorful bruise on my upper arm later that day. She 

countered his movement by jerking the dog back with 

enough force to give me one of those Crime Scene 

Investigations mental pictures of small muscles and 

organic fibers tearing under the force of the collar as the 

woman yanked her dog off his feet, and slammed his butt 

onto the ground. “See, this is what I’m talking about,” she 

said with disgust, as Buster quickly arose, never missing a 

beat in their twisted dance and went right back to pulling 

her along. 

I encouraged the owner to move away with Buster and 

Filling the Void - 

A Trainer’s Perspective 

quickly directed her to sit down on the couch. 

It is an interesting take, that of watching humans and 

their dogs in relationship with one another. It’s truly a real 

life drama unfolding each time I witness these interactions, 

especially since no one can inform the dog about his or 

her role in what must often seem like utter madness living 

with humans at times. 

The players are all different, and the dogs are mostly 

confused and/or stressed, but there is love, although it 

is often buried deep under anger or frustration. Helping 

draw out and finding that love again is what I try to do. 

I instructed the owner to remove Buster’s leash from his 

collar to give the dog more freedom, as well as to liberate 

the owner from the social pressure of [continued on next page] 


Filling the Void - A Trainer’s Perspective 

having to manage her dog. This owner, like so many before 

her was embarrassed by her dog, and it was amplified by 

fear of judgment, that somehow, her dog was worse than 

any I might have seen before her, or that she had failed her 

dog. 

Now that Buster was free to roam, I tried to get a few 

solid minutes of observation in before I began to engage 

either the dog or the human. It wasn’t easy since the woman 

and the dog both looked frazzled despite my efforts to do 

some obvious deep breathing to add calm to situation, all 

the while encouraging the owner to do the same. 

Okay, it’s important to just let him relax, I suggested 

several times, as she tried to explain how she couldn’t go 

anywhere with Buster. We will go over all of that, I told 

her, and again suggested she sit back on the couch and 

take a few deep breaths. My words seemed to float around 

the room and fall unanswered like bubbles from a child’s 

bubble wand, hitting the floor and disappearing. 

I tried again by saying, it’s important for you to relax 

and let Buster get used to me, so go ahead and sit back and 

take a nice deep breath. She finally leaned back and, for 

the first time, looked toward me, and away from Buster. 

This took the pressure off Buster just long enough to 

allow him to direct his focus away from his human for 

a few seconds. It wasn’t much, but that little moment of 

sanity gave me a quick thumbnail glance at what might be 

going on with Buster. 

Observing the dog is something I do with all my clients’ 

dogs, and in doing so, I can eventually explain to the pet 

parent how to “read” their dog, which serves to initiate 

some needed communication between them. As I watch 

the dog, I try to be subtle for both the dog’s sake and to 

relieve the strain from the human while their dog settles 

in—or not. Which is exactly the information I need to 

know: How long does it take the dog to show any signs of 

relaxing, can the dog take a treat in the beginning, what is 

the owner doing, and is the owner even breathing? These 

are all indicators for the direction and counsel needed to 

help each dog fit better with the humans in his or her life. 

I have always considered this observing similar to 

scrutinizing works of art, at least for me. I find that I have 

to look deep into the subjects to find the subtle and variable 

layers that create the whole picture, and these intricacies 

are laced together with time and daily interactions that 

cover a canvas known as life with a dog. Sometimes it’s a 

beautiful work of art, straight forward with imagery that 

is akin to a Master, merely needing some better light cast 

upon it; other times it’s deep and dark, complex and even 

maniacal and needs a full renovation to restore it to a state 

that can be properly displayed once again. 

I look deep and quick because it’s the first few minutes 

of watching the dog and human together that provides the 

most usable information. It’s during what is often chaos 

that reveals the most information since it’s in a raw state 

at that point. The interactions and personalities are not 

shrouded or transformed into what people think I want to 

see or hear in those first few minutes. 

From the humans I look for things that might include, 

(but are not limited to) fear, anger and embarrassment 

about or toward their dog. I listen for their words, for their 

breathing and whether or not they talk to their dog, for 

their dog, or at their dog. I watch to see if they reach out 

and touch their dog and whether they have an awareness 

of how their touch affects their dog. How heavy the hand 

on the dog is, as well as how fast the movements are? 

And, I query my own thoughts as I watch and gather 

information about how much might the owner be adding 

to the problem with their own feelings and emotions about 

what their dog is doing that displeases them? Is it because 

their dog is not Lassie? Could social pressure from friends, 

family or neighbors have forced this meeting, or is the 

owner adding unrealistic demands on the dog via a lack 

of understanding dog behavior? 

These are some of the things I try to discern early in 

my observations and conversations with the owner. I want 

to get as much in the first two to five minutes as I can— 

before the owner becomes defensive or apologetic about 

his or her dog’s behavior. Many believe they have “tried 

everything,” others confess, “I know I should have done 

more.” 

As I watch the dog, I usually see confusion and often, 

low-tolerance thresholds in the beginning, then quickly 

the learned behaviors start to manifest as the dog relaxes— 

if the dog can relax. I look for the dog’s ability to resolve 

the conflict of dealing with the owner and me, and how 

long it takes for him or her to relax enough to eat food 

treats or make any friendly gestures toward me. There is 

a mountain of information in those first few minutes, all 

of which can help the dog if I can successfully relay the 

information to the owner. 

Lead by example is what I tell people about helping their 

dogs, and I take my own advice to seize the moment and 

take in several deep breaths while tossing food treats on 

the floor for Buster to find so I can glean more information 

about the relationship between Buster and his human. 

Herein lies the art of it; learning to craft the skills 

allowing me to watch both the dog and human during 

those first few minutes as I ask the owner more questions, 

attempting to fill in the gaps left from my extensive 

questionnaire, (despite complaints that it takes “forever” 

to fill out). 

What are the components I’m looking for? Sometimes 

it’s hard to say, but I know it when I see it! That’s vague, but 

it is the exact message I try to get across to distraught pet 

parents when trying to teach them to watch for the things 

that only the dog is able to “tell” them. “Believe the dog” 

is my credo, and while that may seem a bit New Age in 

its message, the dog always has the correct answers to the 

queries from the pet parent and me. 

Through many years of working with thousands of 

dogs, I find the majority of those answers in the voids of 

communication between dog and human. Not, “Sit down 

and have a conversation, or telecommunicate with the 

dog,” but the gaps created by two different types of > 


animals that are trying to co-exist. 

I try to look deep into those gorges, to see how 

I can augment training and strengthen relationships 

between all those that I come to visit. The intention is to 

fill those crevasses, and it is somewhere in the exploration 

where I find most of the answers. Whether or not the pet 

parents choose to follow my suggestions or not, is another 

subject, as it often requires a leap of faith into a world as 

foreign as traveling to Mars for some. 

There was an enormous emptiness between Buster’s 

behaviors and what his owner expected; this, according 

to the questionnaire, this, according to her distain, and 

this, according to the dog’s behavior. 

Sometimes it is simple denial on the part of the human, 

sometimes it is clearly misguided expectations about what 

the dog “should know,” and sometimes “it” (whatever “it” 

is) can be found steeped in a deep physiological fissure 

that is often filled with muck and mire from an on-going 

“at-odds” relationship with the owners’ husband or wife, 

parents, children, friends or siblings about how to best 

“raise a dog.” 

It is societal pressure that often makes pet parents feel 

like a failure when his or her dog is not behaving. It’s 

personal for many pet parents, and whatever the thought 

process, the dog is regularly the casualty of these deficits. 

And, yes, sometimes, it is the dog, burdened with 

genetics that exasperates the miscommunications 

between canine and humans. Yet, this is somehow easier 

to identify and treat since people are more accepting that 

the dog might have been born “that way.” 

Buster was cautious while sniffing at the cubes of 

chicken and pieces of diced cheese on the floor. He didn’t 

(couldn’t) eat right away, but he kept his head down and 

occasionally glanced at his owner as we talked about 

Buster’s history. Each time he looked toward his owner, 

Buster would lick his lips; avert his eyes and turn quickly 

away to continue his sniffing. If the dog and owner made 

eye contact, or the owner reached out to touch Buster, he 

would jump on her and endeavor to climb up in her lap—a 

pointless struggle since the owner quickly pushed him 

away and said, “No, get off!” 

It was at that point that I came to Buster’s aide and told 

the owner to just ignore that behavior and to not talk to 

Buster right then. When you make eye contact or touch 

Buster, you are actually inviting him to interact with you, 

so if he jumps up, I explained, just gently stand up, and 

allow him to slide off you. I also instructed her to turn your 

head and avert your eyes from Buster. This, I clarified, will 

tell Buster, in his own language, to relax and calm down 

and that it is not time to interact. I also encouraged her, 

once again, to breathe—deep, cleansing breaths. 

As I directed the owner in what to do, I kept tabs on 

the number of times these behaviors happened and how 

long until Buster could actually eat one of the treats. In 

between, we talked and I took many deep breaths and 

avoided making direct eye contact with Buster. I was 

showing Buster how to be calm, and after about five 

www.APDT.com 

minutes, he began to eat the treats on the floor, which I 

quietly pointed out to the owner. 

She didn’t seem impressed; after all, he was just eating, 

but that skepticism was to be expected so early in the 

consultation. I had a long way to go in explaining how 

understanding stress is important, how training is simply 

a form of communication, and that the control she was 

seeking was really an illusion. 

I explain this to people all the time and, more often 

than not, receive deer-in-the-headlights stares as people 

allow that to swim around their brains and struggle to 

find a place for it to land as they consider what that means 

in terms of their life with their own dog. Eventually, 

however, they seem relived that if they learn to fill the 

voids with positive associations, learn just a little bit about 

dog behavior, and teach their dogs skills that will help 

him or her to relax, their relationship will grow and their 

will dogs calm down. 

Through all of my observations, I have learned 

that most dogs, Buster included, are pure in their 

communications—easy to read most of the time, and 

luckily, compliant when given clear instruction and 

guidance, and it’s my joy to bring this message to pet 

parents. 

The exploration of all of these things helps my clients 

travel a path to a calmer, more relaxed dog, which, in 

turn, brings the love that might have been buried under 

the frustration back to the surface where they and their 

dog’s relationship can grow as they share in this dance 

called life with a dog. 

Buster’s pet parent, excused herself to get a notebook to 

take some notes; a good sign. Buster lay down at her feet. 

Together, they had started to fill the void and step onto a 

new path to a calmer and happier relationship. 

Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT, KPA Certified Trainer has been 

involved in the behavior and training field for more than 14 

years with dogs and over 18 with cats, and has a deep belief 

that her mission is to help pet parents and their animals 

understand and communicate clearly with one another using 

the science of behavior and training. Her business, Whole Dog 

Training, www.wholedogtraining.com, offers private in-home 

lessons, lectures and group classes. Nan has a forthcoming 

book: Relax your Dog, Exercises to Calm your Canine 

(Dog Wise Publishing). 


Filling the Void - A Trainer’s Perspective

An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog Sue Sternberg 

In 

I 

testing thousands of shelter dogs using Assess-A-Pet , 

I have amassed a collection of behaviors and behavior 

patterns that commonly occur during testing. These 

occur most frequently and obviously during sociability 

testing. But the behaviors described in this article are 

useful for any dog professional to be able to identify and 

observe. And they can be seen in any dogs, from puppies 

to seniors, owned pets to feral dogs, problems dogs as well 

as problem-free companions. Being able to observe these 

behaviors helps gives us all an objective and clearer way to 

interact with dogs, helps keep our emotional attachments 

from clouding our actions, and ultimately can help us make 

better decisions for training, handling, and re-homing. 

The unique quality of doing any testing with shelter dogs, 

is that they are a population of dogs that are all in the same 

basic environment (kennels), essentially detached from 

any owners, and are available in large numbers. Testing 

for sociability is the first part of Assess-A-Pet , and takes 

about two minutes. The behaviors listed in this article can 

be used with any type of assessment, whether it’s a trainer 

in someone’s home, a breed rescuer in someone’s home, a 

veterinary technician in the exam room, or a shelter staffperson 

or volunteer. I have listed these behaviors here in 

alphabetical order, with a general description of each one. 

I will share my observations and interpretations of 

some of these behaviors later on in this article. Some of 

these behaviors I commonly witness in clusters, and have 

seen correlations between some responses and other parts 

of Assess-A-Pet . I can also share which behaviors occur 

more in dogs that ultimately pass Assess-A-Pet and which 

behaviors are seen more often in dogs who end up failing 

one or more parts of the test. 

Behaviors 

Aligned: 

When the dog’s eyes, head and spine are in alignment 

when interacting with a human or another dog. 

Sit on shoe with anus 

Anal Swipe: 

When the dog’s anus makes fleeting contact or brushes 

past an object, any part of the human, or another dog. 

Sit on shoe with anus not touching 

Anus Touch: 

When the dog’s anus makes distinct, prolonged contact 

with a human or object, and contact lasts one second or 

longer. Usually seen when the dog sits on a human’s shoe 

and ends up with his anus on top of the shoe. If the dog 

sits on the human’s lap, sometimes the anus will plant on 

a different part of the human. 

Bow: 

When the dog lowers his front end, elbows close to or 

touching the ground, while keeping his back end up. 

Chin High with Throat Exposed: 

When the dog raises and/or holds his head in a position 

with his head high, his chin up, and exposes his throat. 

> 

Bow Chin high with throat exposed 


Face Diving: 

When the dog repeatedly leaps upward at the human’s 

face, in an intrusive way, usually causing the human to 

draw back away from the dog. 

Flying Shoulder Rub: 

When the dog leaps into the air with his front or all four 

feet and touches his shoulder to the tester. 

Forearm Licking: 

When the dog licks the tester’s forearms so that the 

tongue leaves a sticky trail that can be felt by the tester 

minutes after the licking. Possibly done by the very back 

of the dog’s tongue (where there is sticky saliva). Licking 

may occur on other parts of the tester if tester is wearing 

long sleeves. 

Freeze: 

When the dog ceases all movement for a brief moment. 

A freeze includes a tensing up of the muscles. 

Freeze With Head Turn: 

When the dog ceases all body movement and turns his 

head toward a human or another dog. 

Front Paw Jab: 

When the dog’s front paw (usually, but not always, the 

right paw) reaches out past the plane of the dog’s nose and 

withdraws in a pulling motion. 

Frontal Body Orientation: 

When the dog positions himself pointing his head and 

body directly in front of the human. It almost always occurs 

with alignment. It is almost as precise as a perfect score for 

the recall-to-front position in obedience competition. 

Hard Eye: 

When the dog’s eyes are open, round, with the tapetum 

visible. The tapetum is the reflective layer of the choroid of 

the eye, which gives the hard eye its characteristic marblelike, 

glowing quality. The brow is usually, but not always 

furrowed/tense. 

Hard Stare: 

When the dog makes sustained eye contact lasting two 

seconds or longer, blinking less than every two seconds. 

Head Whip: 

When the dog moves his head abruptly and rapidly 

to aim at someone or something that makes contact with 

him. 

www.APDT.com 

Jump Up Contoured: 

When the dog jumps up and places his front paws on 

a human and makes flush or contoured physical contact; 

usually lasts two seconds or longer. 

Jump with Clasp: 

When the dog bends 

his wrists while jumping 

up on a human. The dog’s 

front paws may or may not 

wrap around the human. 

Leash Bop: 

When the dog reaches 

around and pokes or 

nudges the leash with his 

nose. 

Leash Grab: 

When the dog grabs the leash into his mouth and 

clamps down or begins tugging. 

Leg Lift: 

When the dog (male or female) lifts one rear leg (or 

uncommonly both rear legs, usually seen in terrier type 

small dogs) to urinate. Which leg is lifted should be noted. 

Angle of height of lifted leg should be noted. 

Lunge Away: 

When the dog pulls so hard on leash away from the 

tester as to have his front feet come off the ground or 

almost come off the ground. 

Lunge away 

Jump with clasp 

Nose Bop: 

When the dog’s nose makes brief, poking physical 

contact (with no sniffing) with the human or another dog. 

Penis Poke: 

When the dog touches another dog’s penis with his 

nose or mouth. 

[continued on next page] 


An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog

An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog 

High poop marking 

Poop Marking: 

When the dog lifts one leg just prior to and sometimes 

during defecation, and then directs his anus high and the 

poop ends up falling/brushing past or landing on a high 

object. 

Pounce Off: 

When the dog jumps up and pushes his front paws up 

against a human and re-bounds off. The dog is pouncing 

off the human. Contact is fleeting. 

Shake Off: 

When the dog shakes himself off, starting with his head 

and shaking back from there. 

Examples of shoulder rubs 

Shoulder Rub: 

When the dog rubs against a human or object and starts 

with the neck region and follows with a smear down his 

body. 

Shoulder Stance: 

When the dog stands 

obliquely in front of the tester 

with his shoulder touching or 

almost touching the tester. 

Sniffing - Intense: 

When the dog sniffs 

something in the room or on 

the tester (clothes, leash, skin, 

Intense sniffing 

rug, floor, furniture, etc) for three seconds or longer. If the 

dog sniffs an area but licks up or chews something within 

the three seconds, this is usually food scavenging, and not 

counted as intense sniffing. 

Sociability: 

Two seconds or longer of gentle, physical contact made 

by the dog while orienting toward the tester. Mounting 

and sniffing are excluded. 

Soft Eye: 

When the dog squints his eyes while relaxing his 

brow. The dog keeps or moves his ears back during soft 

eye contact. Blinking occurs more than once every two 

seconds during soft eye contact. Commissures (corners 

of the mouth) are often retracted or curled up during soft 

eye. 

Tail Carriage: 

Where the dog positions the base of his tail. 

• High Tail Carriage: 

A high tail carriage is when the 

dog’s tail is above the plane of the dog’s back. 

• Level Tail Carriage: 

Level tail carriage is when the dog 

carries his tail along the same plane as the dog’s 

back. 

• Low Tail Carriage: A low tail carriage is when the tail 

is below the plane of the dog’s back. 

Tucked Tail: A tucked tail is when the tip is between 

the dog’s rear legs. 


• 

Teeth Clack: 

When the dog opens and shuts his mouth and the force 

of his teeth coming together makes an audible sound. 

Teeth Touch: 

When the dog’s teeth (canines, incisors, pre-molars or 

molars) come into brief, fleeting and light physical contact 

with a human. 

Urine Mark: 

When the dog (male or female) urinates with a stream 

lasting less than five seconds. Usually preceded by 

sniffing. 

Whale Eye: 

When the whites of 

the dog’s eye shows. 

The dog’s head moves 

slightly ahead of the 

eyeball, causing the 

corner to show white. 

> 

Whale eye

Wide Panting: 

When the dog’s mouth is parted extra wide, without 

having his lips retracted while he breathes with his mouth 

open. 

Yawn, no teeth 

Yawn — Regular: 

When the dog yawns. 

Yawn With Teeth Exposed: 

When the dog yawns and flashes all or most of the teeth 

in his mouth during the widest part of the yawn. 

Common Clusters of Behaviors: 

The Scent Marking Cluster: 

I frequently see Shoulder Rubbing, Flying Shoulder 

Rubs, Shoulder Stance and all the Anal Touching/Swiping 

behaviors occurring together. These behaviors tend to 

occur in the least sociable dogs, and commonly in dogs 

who fail one or more portions of the test. I interpret these 

behaviors as a form of scent marking. 

Anus Behaviors: 

Initially, I began to notice merely that some dogs would 

sit on my shoe during testing. Then I would notice that 

sometimes this would “gross me out” or disgust me, which 

I found interesting since I am usually not in any way 

disgusted by dogs. I then noticed that the dogs who sat 

on my shoe and disgusted me would position themselves 

in such a way that I could feel their anus on the top of my 

shoes. Other dogs, with whom I was not disgusted, would 

position their tails or rear legs in such a way that they could 

sit on my shoe without their anus making contact. It had 

nothing to do with tail set, tail type, or tail carriage. Then 

I began to notice that the dogs whose anuses made contact 

were typically the least sociable dogs who commonly failed 

one or more parts of the full assessment. The most sociable 

dogs hardly ever touched their anuses to me or any other 

place in the testing environment. Anal glands are known 

for scent marking in dogs, and it seems to me that a dog 

who swipes his anus all over the tester and furniture in the 

testing room, could, like graffiti, be tagging his signature, 

claiming ownership of all these things. 

www.APDT.com 

I was recently watching an episode of Meerkat Manor 

on Animal Planet, and was thrilled and astounded to 

see the first reference in any mammal, to anal marking. 

It was described as an “attack” and considered part of a 

dominance take-over by one meerkat to her injured sister. 

Although there was no biting or actual injury, the one 

meerkat repeatedly anal-swiped and shoulder rubbed all 

over the other meerkat. 

Scent Marking and Resource Guarding: 

I also see a strong correlation between these “scentmarking” 

behaviors and dogs who fail the resource 

guarding portions and sometimes the stranger tests. 

It seems to me that whether it is a human-to-human 

relationship or a dog-to-human relationship, the healthiest 

and least risky relationships are ones based significantly 

on respect, friendship, love, shared joy, etc. and the most 

risky, least healthy relationships are ones where the 

majority of the relationship is based on treating the other 

as property, or as if the other is “owned.” I wonder if, when 

a dog shows no sociability, but scent marks the tester and 

the furniture in the testing room throughout, whether he 

is claiming these as his own property, tagging them as 

resources to guard. 

Most Dangerous Profile: 

I consider the large, muscular, non—sociable dog 

who shows many “scent marking” behaviors as the 

most dangerous type of dog. I believe dogs that are both 

physically large and strong, as well as show no attachment 

to humans, but rub on them with their shoulders and 

anus, have the most potential for harm. To me, these are 

not in any way “pet” or “companion” dogs, but rather 

predators. I also believe that it is, in part sociability (along 

with training, relationship, bonding, and bite-inhibition 

training) that helps a dog inhibit his bite if and when the 

dog was to get aggressive. 

Pediatric Spay/Neuters: 

As a very new observation, one that I am still just a 

spectator of, is I see an abundance of what I consider 

“scent marking” behaviors in adolescent and adult dogs 

suspected of, or known to have been, a pediatric spay or 

neuter. Pediatric spay and neuter I define as sterilization 

performed before six months of age. I haven’t seen enough 

suspected or known pediatric spay/neuters to really amass 

enough observations, except that I have, so far, been pretty 

consistently making these observations on the ones I do 

see. 

Intense Sniffing and Dog-to-Dog Aggression: 

I have noted that dogs who sniff one spot for three 

seconds or longer and do so more than once during 

testing, are more likely have dog-to-dog aggression issues. 

I have noticed during behavior consultations as well that 

dogs who have issues with other dogs are most likely to 

come into the consultation room and [continued on next page] 


An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog

An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog 

intensely sniff the floors, rugs and furniture. The same 

holds true of the outdoor environment. These dogs will 

also sniff outside the consultation room, grass, trees, fence 

posts, etc. 

It makes sense that dogs with issues with other dogs, 

whether they’re fear-based or based in anything else, 

would want to gather as much information about the other 

dogs that were in the environment before them. 

Leash Grabbing and Resource Guarding: 

I have noticed a correlation from dogs who grab and tug 

the leash during the sociability testing and who later go on 

to fail resource guarding. I’m not sure why this is except 

that leaning down to pet the dog along his back is also 

inadvertently approaching the dog’s leash, if that’s indeed 

what he’s guarding, or maybe he’s guarding his body and 

wants to deny access to himself. This type of leash tugging 

most often has a very different quality to it than a fun game 

of tug with a pet dog. The shelter dog’s tugging is more 

intense, jerky, violent, reckless, with more hectic chomping 

and re-gripping, and often includes climbing up the leash 

towards the tester’s hands. It usually feels quite unsafe, 

and indeed it is unsafe, since the leash is the only point of 

control between dog and handler. 

Behaviors I’ve Listed that are Observed from Outside 

Assess-A-Pet Testing: 

A couple of the behaviors listed I see outside of the 

testing environment, but wanted to include them anyway. 

Once a behavior is pointed out to someone, he or she will 

see it everywhere, so it’s always of interest to point out to 

dog professionals behaviors so that we might all share in a 

discussion of when they occur, in what context, and throw 

around interpretations. 

One of the behaviors I observe in some dogs are two 

different kinds of yawns: one without revealing any teeth, 

and the other yawn in which at some point in the event, 

all the teeth show (incisors, canines and premolars). Since 

they are two distinct types of yawns, I can’t help but 

wonder that they mean different things. I have noticed 

that the yawn-with-teeth occurs most often when one of 

my dogs is close to me and my other dogs approach or are 

already close. 

Poop and Urine Marking usually occur outside the 

Assess-A-Pet test, but are observed during the normal 

course of caretaking of shelter dogs, and certainly regularly 

observed by owners and professionals. 

In Conclusion 

The more I assess shelter dogs, the more I videotape, 

the more I review the footage, the more I see. I discover 

new observations and behaviors all the time, even though 

with some familiar clips it feels like it’s not possible to see 

anything more. Once I observe something new, I can then 

easily identify it everywhere, and then I wonder how I 

could possibly have ever missed it! 

The benefits to breaking down behaviors into tiny, 

observable parts is that it takes the personal responsibility 

out of describing dogs—instead of “that dog gave me a 

funny feeling” or “that dog scared me to death”—the 

description becomes “that dog froze, hard stared, blinked 

less than once every two seconds” or “the raised his tail 

while making frontal, aligned contact with me.” These 

behaviors are undeniably observable by anyone, and 

therefore there’s less room for blame and excuses. 

Note: This article was also published simultaneously in the 

Australian APDT Newsletter. 

Sue Sternberg is a lecturer, shelter owner, trainer, author, and 

creator of the infamous “Assess-A-Hand.” She can be reached at 

Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, 4628 Route 209, Accord, 

NY 12404, or at sue@suesternberg.com. Her Web sites are 

www.greatdogproductions.com and www.suesternberg.com. 

DOG DOG 

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What the APDT Web Site Can Do For You 

Members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 

have at their fingertips a wealth of information. 

The APDT web site can be a great tool for trainers 

and pet owners. These are just a few of the things that the 

APDT Web Site can do for you. 

Currently the APDT web site is ranked #1 in Google 

and Yahoo under the search terms “Dog Trainer” and “Dog 

Trainers.” Traffic on the APDT web site has increased on 

average 15,000 more visitors per month than in the same 

time period last year. 

Trainer Search 

Professional and Full members of the Association of Pet 

Dog Trainers have the option of listing their information in 

the APDT Trainer Search. The Trainer Search has recently 

been redesigned, and is a great tool for pet owners who are 

looking for a trainer in their area. We have upgraded the 

Trainer Search to allow searches to be conducted within the 

United States and internationally. Searches in the United 

States can be done using a 5, 10, 25 and/or 50 mile radius, or 

by city, state, or ZIP code. Advanced searches can be sorted 

by services offered, certifications, and location, as well as 

by a trainer’s last name. The APDT office receives calls on 

a daily basis from pet owners searching for a trainer. Our 

staff provides the caller with the name, phone number 

and area of the trainers listed. As an APDT member, the 

Trainer Search is a free advertising and marketing tool for 

you. 

The new Trainer Search feature allows you to customize 

your listing to provide consumers with more information 

on the types of services offered and allows room for 

more detailed descriptions. If you haven’t been to the site 

recently, please log in to the Members Only section to use 

this valuable tool to better promote your business. 

Educational Events – Hosting and Participating 

APDT members have a specialized area to post 

educational events they are hosting. This marketing tool 

is also highlighted on the APDT home page with teaser 

ads and links back to the events listed. Members hosting 

or teaching an event can list the details and registration 

information. The APDT office formats each of the events, 

adding logos, web site links and PDF files when available 

to better assist visiting APDT members who are looking 

for educational events. 

If you are searching for an educational event in your 

area you may sort the events by date, city, or event title. 

Many of the events listed offer Continuing Education 

Units (CEUs) for those trainers who are certified or in the 

process of obtaining certification. Contact information and 

registration information is available for the events. 

www.APDT.com 

Rene McKeel & Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC 

Information on how to apply for CEUs for events you 

are hosting is listed in the submission area. If you have an 

educational event to list, you will find that the online form 

is easy to use and quick to upload to the APDT web site. 

APDT Rally 

APDT Rally is a fun and exciting team sport for dogs 

and their handlers! Rally trials and classes are posted on 

the Rally section of the APDT web site with information 

on how to register your team to participate in Rally or 

contact a trainer. If you are a Rally Host you can now 

purchase the Rally Exercise signs on the APDT web site. 

Our Rally section also contains a complete reference of 

Rules and Judging Guidelines, the Annual APDT Rally 

National Ranking Awards, registration forms, application 

documents, information on how to register and PDF 

documents you can download for your own Rally Trials! 

Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show 

Each year APDT hosts an educational conference and 

trade show. Registration is now available online for the 

conference, room share, ride share and hotel reservations. 

If you missed a conference you can purchase the CDs from 

the APDT web site. 

Member Information 

Members have access to past Monthly News Bulletins, 

Board meeting minutes, committee member lists and 

volunteer opportunities. An employment section is 

available for members to post and to find job and internship 

placements. All of the APDT’s position statements on 

various dog-related legislation and our proposed Model 

Dog Law can also be downloaded from the site. 

The Future 

We have big plans in 

the works for 2009 and 

beyond to expand the 

offerings for members 

and for dog owners on 

the APDT web site. Two 

upcoming developments 

coming before the end 

of the year are the APDT 

BarkBoard (see page 6) 

and the online member 

directory. We hope to 

continue to make the site 

a valuable resource for 

all of you. Stay tuned for 

more details! 


Reviewers’ 

Corner 

Getting a Grip on Aggression Cases - Practical 

Considerations for Dog Trainers 

by Nicole Wilde 

Phantom Publishing, 224 pages, 2008, $21.95 

Available from www.phantompub.com 

(Reviewer’s Note: The author of this review is quoted in the 

book on page 184 regarding a description of board and train 

services. The quote was for informational purposes only.) 

Nicole 

N 

Wilde is an internationally recognized author 

and lecturer. Additionally Nicole is an Instructor 

and on the Advisory Board for the Companion 

Animal Sciences Institute (the educational branch for the 

International Institute for Applied Companion Animal 

Behavior) as well as a popular speaker at national and 

international conferences. Nicole also operates her own 

training/behavior business, Gentle Guidance Dog Training, 

in Southern California. 

This is Nicole’s seventh book and as Trish King writes on 

the cover, “Nicole has done it again … (this is) an excellent 

resource for trainers.” The book is a glossy, slightly oversized 

paperback with an eye-catching photo on the cover 

of a German Shepherd snarling at the end of a leash. Just 

the sight every dog trainer longs to encounter as they enter 

the home of a prospective client! The text inside is clearly 

written and enhanced by shaded areas which stress specific 

points. Chapter headings aptly describe the subject matter 

within (e.g., “What to Wear, What to Bring;” “What Do I 

Do If I Am Bitten During A Session?”). Just looking at the 

table of contents gives the reader a clear outline of what to 

expect, as it is delineated in bold type, shaded headings 

and italic subheadings. There are also occasional black and 

white photographs scattered throughout the book. 

This book is an excellent resource for trainers who 

want to begin working with aggression cases, but who 

are unsure about many of the aspects they will have to 

face. Beginning with Chapter 1, “What is Aggression,” 

the author starts out by making it clear how careful one 

must be when labeling a dog as “aggressive.” For example, 

“a dog who lunges at a person ... and sinks his teeth 

repeatedly into the person’s leg is most certainly displaying 

aggression ... A dog who knocks children over during play, 

jumps on visitors, nips when excited ... is surely in need 

of training—but the behavior is not actually aggressive.” 

Nicole goes on to describe levels of aggression and types 

of aggression (dog/dog, aggression towards people, 

resource guarding; territorial, predatory, handling issues, 

redirected aggression, and medically-related aggression). 

Chapter 4, “Case Selection & Education” is especially 

important as it emphasizes the fact that new trainers 

should recognize their own abilities before accepting a case 

involving aggression. “Which cases you accept should be 

based on your knowledge and comfort level in handling 

the specific type of aggression, and the intensity of the 

behavior … Referring a client to another professional is not 

an admission of failure!” This chapter goes on to specify 

*how* to gain experience, and what facets of learning will 

be helpful to become more knowledgeable. 

I wish I would have had access to a book such as 

this when I first began training! The book contains 

overviews of topics such as: legal considerations, sample 

questionnaires, how to avoid burn-out, and much more. 

It also includes detailed discussions of “What to Wear, 

What to Bring” and “What to Do if I Have an Aggressive 

Dog in My Group Class?” and more. Nicole includes in 

detail those subjects that new trainers really want to know, 

such as how to “make an entrance” into the home of an 

aggressive dog: (use) “non-threatening body language;” 

“crouching, bending down or sitting at the dog’s level is 

unwise when working with a dog who might potentially 

bite;” “…use your peripheral vision;” to treat or not to 

treat?; where should the dog be when you enter the home, 

etc. 

Throughout the book the author cautions not to take on 

more than you can handle; that your work may end up as 

a life or death decision for this dog and owner. And best 

of all, Nicole writes with such a truly funny twist at times. 

One of my favorites: “That’s when I … saw the whites 

of Thor’s eyes and heard that growl that conveyed in no 

uncertain terms, “That’s mine.” ... this type of behavior 

falls into a category I like to call “Things that Could Have 

been Mentioned.” 

The book contains a list of resources in the back, and 

Nicole ends the text with her Three Wishes for those who 

have read the book. I found these Wishes very insightful, 

and important. However, you’ll have to read the book to 

find out what they are! 

I would recommend this book for all who are learning 

to train dogs and who have an interest in working with 

aggression as well as for those who are already working 

with aggressive cases—just to make sure they are covering 

all of the bases. 

Valerie Pollard has been training dogs professionally since the 

last 1970s and has always been interested in understanding 

and working with behavior issues. Valerie Is a professional 

charter member of the APDT; endorsed by NADOI and also a 

Certified member of the IAABC. She has titled her own dogs 

in AKC obedience and attained the Schutzhund III title with 

her beloved German Shepherd “Bodie.” Currently Valerie lives 

in Southern California with her family, horses, two pugs and 

“Chester,” a German Shepherd. 


>

Crate Games for Self Control and Motivation 

by Susan Garrett 

Say Yes Dog Training, Inc., www.clickerdogs.com, 

DVD, Running Time: 85 minutes, $29.95 

Acclaimed 

A 

Canadian dog trainer and accomplished 

agility competitor Susan Garrett has given us the 

best thing since the creation of crates and Kongs. 

Crate Games proves that crates need not be limited to their 

historical roles in housetraining and management. Rather, 

crates can fulfill their real potential as opportunities for 

reinforcement. Very affordably priced, this 85-minute DVD 

should be a stocking stuffer for every new puppy owner. 

The “self control and motivation” part of the DVD’s 

title captures the essence of Garrett’s message. By shaping 

a dog’s desire to go into the crate and not come out until 

verbally released, owners hone their training skills in 

applying clear criterion to a training exercise while the 

dog practices self control. Practiced according to the rules 

of Crate Games, owners produce a dog who is also quite 

motivated to get back into the crate. 

From an agility trainer’s perspective it is the combination 

of self control and motivation that makes this DVD a 

winner. Garrett believes that a team’s ability to master 

the various elements outlined in Crate Games is a strong 

predictor of that team’s ability to adhere to criterion for 

two-on-two-off contact obstacle performance. If that’s not 

motivation enough for an agility trainer, I don’t know what 

is! 

Garrett starts by listing 20 benefits to training Crate 

Games. About half apply to pet owners and the other half 

focus on performance dogs. The DVD is broken into four 

main stages of training: 

Stage 1, I Love My Crate: Covers the basics of reinforcing 

the dog for being in the crate 

Stage 2, Are You a Gambler?: Presents the dog with 

choices in order to reinforce correct choices and give 

feedback about incorrect ones. 

Stage 3, Yer Out – Yer In: Tests the dog’s love of the crate 

by releasing him from the crate and waiting to see if he 

will go back in. 

Stage 4, Scholarly Elements: Covers adding a cue, adding 

distance, how to use the crate to do motivational recalls, 

adding distractions, and how to apply the lessons learned 

to other situations (e.g., agility start lines). 

My only criticism with Crate Games was that the only 

footage dedicated to shaping a dog to go into the crate 

initially was buried way back in the Troubleshooting 

section under the chapter about overcoming fear. The only 

reference to it didn’t come until the very end of the DVD. 

Demonstrating the shaping process in an earlier section 

would avoid people pushing and prodding their dogs, and 

would help them learn about the art of shaping, the core 

training technique used in the DVD. 

The theme of Crate Games is training should create 

www.APDT.com 

“value” for what you are teaching and good training 

provides the dog choices. The tone is upbeat throughout 

and it’s clear from the great variety and number of dogs 

used to demonstrate the concepts that the dogs are having 

a great time. Whether someone is an agility trainer looking 

for fun ways to create self control as well as build drive 

(yes, it can be done!) or a pet owner looking to train a dog 

to willingly go into their crate at bedtime, Crate Games 

delivers. 

Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, dog trainer, and behavior counselor 

in Long Beach, CA. In addition to teaching clients how to prevent 

or modify problem behaviors, she teaches seven agility classes 

a week and writes Dog World’s “About Agility” column. Crate 

Games is part of the core curriculum in her Foundation Skills 

for the Performance Team class. 

Visiting the Dog Park 

by Cheryl S. Smith 

Dogwise Publishing, 128 pages, 2007, $11.95 

Many 

M 

of the mistakes and mishaps that occur at the 

dog park are firmly rooted in a lack of knowledge 

and preparation. Many dog owners tend to rely 

on the “expertise” of other owners at the park, and may 

even fall into the trap of peer pressure when they don’t 

have enough knowledge to know what is appropriate for 

off-leash play. 

Thanks to Cheryl S. Smith’s book, Visiting the Dog Park, 

dog owners can now enter the dog park, or choose not to, 

with confidence. This easy to read, easy to understand 

handbook answers all of the questions that dog owners 

have, while also pointing out issues that many might not 

have considered. 

In the first chapter, Cheryl gets right to one of the most 

important question about which dogs are right for the dog 

park environment and which dogs might not be suitable. 

With so many people thinking that all dogs should be able 

to play off-leash with other dogs, and an equal number 

who assume that all dogs will enjoy this, it’s appropriate 

to have this issue addressed immediately. 

Once owners have assessed their dog’s suitability for 

dog park play, they learn how to choose the right dog park 

for them and their dog. Cheryl discusses the pros and cons 

of various dog park designs, layouts and rules in order to 

help dog owners make informed decisions about where 

their dogs will play. 

My favorite part of the book, of course, is the training 

chapter. Surprisingly, many dog owners don’t understand 

the importance of training when it comes to off-leash 

play. But Cheryl explains exactly what a dog should know 

before they are put in such a stimulating environment. If 

every dog park attendee read only this section of the book, 

I believe we would have much safer, more enjoyable dog 

parks across the country! 

In addition to all of this, dog owners are given 

information on canine observational [continued on next page] 


Reviewers’ Corner

Reviewers’ Corner 

skills, conflict resolution and appropriate dog park behavior 

for both humans and canines. Readers can practice their 

skills by reading various scenarios and deciding what they 

think is going on between the dogs, honing their skills 

before leaving the house. Cheryl even gives advice on what 

to wear, entering and exiting the dog park, and what to do 

while you’re there. 

What I enjoyed most about this book is its sense of 

balance. Readers are often reminded that they are part of 

the equation when it comes to dog park enjoyment and 

safety. Rather than an opinion-laden commentary on dog 

parks, Cheryl offers a common sense, straightforward 

and amazingly complete description of the pros and cons, 

choices, considerations and all-important preparation 

involved in taking one’s dog to play off leash at the park. 

Cindy Bruckart owns and operates The Puppy Playhouse Dog 

Daycare & Training Center in Sherwood, OR. She is a Certified 

Pet Dog Trainer, and a member of both the Association of 

Pet Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal 

Behavior Consultants. She is also a certified Canine Good 

Citizen evaluator and provides CGC testing to Project POOCH, a 

program that pairs homeless dogs with incarcerated youth. Her 

regular blog contributions can be read at Dog Star Daily, www. 

dogstardaily.com. Cindy lives in Oregon with her husband, five 

dogs and four cats. 

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide 

by Brenda Aloff 

Dogwise Publishing, 370 pages, 2005, $39.95 

Aloff 

A 

has written one of the first really comprehensive 

books on dog body language. She is building 

nicely on the foundations laid by experts such as 

Abrantes and Rugaas. I would say this book is going to be 

of particular interest to owners, dog professionals such as 

groomers and pet sitters, and novice trainers. 

I like the overall layout of the book and the fact that 

Aloff uses a lot of pictures to demonstrate her points. I 

particularly admire her ambition in undertaking such 

a daunting project! This is a timely topic and, to my 

knowledge, there was no other book on the market that 

could even come close to this at the time it was published. 

It has a lot of very useful information, and is a useful book 

for reference. 

There are many ways a book on body language can 

be ordered; the order Aloff has chosen is a useful guide 

for most people interested in dog body language. She has 

categorized the various body language signals into six 

sections: Expressions of an Emotional State, Calming & 

Negotiation Signals, Neutral & Friendly, Space Invaders, 

Predation, and Play. She has a final section named 

“Quiz,” in which the reader can test and improve their 

knowledge. 

Each section begins with commentary. She uses plenty 

of actual photographs to demonstrate the postures she 

is discussing, and most photos have a useful list of the 

specific body language features that make up the overall 

posture. Unfortunately, the photographs are of mediocre 

quality, at best—many of them are not even useful. To be 

fair, some of the photos are really great; however, in a book 

demonstrating body language, all of the photos should 

be good enough that the features being discussed can be 

seen. 

Within the sections she also has a variety of tips, which 

are enclosed in a box. She categorizes the tips according 

to their purpose. Many of the tips are useful and serve 

as clarification for the actual postures. My preference 

would have been to stick with the “paradigm tips” and 

leave out the “training tips.” This is not a training book, 

but a book on body language, and the training tips are not 

comprehensive enough to be of much use. 

Unfortunately, the editing of this book was very poor. 

Aloff uses capitalization very inappropriately; I understand 

that she is trying to emphasize certain concepts, but the 

capital letters disrupt the flow of reading to the detriment 

of the book. A good editor would have pointed this out. 

Additionally, there is awkward phrasing, unfinished 

sentences, mis-numbering of photos, inconsistency of 

formatting, and text overflow away from the photo which 

is unnecessary. I hope that these niggling problems are 

corrected in the next edition of this book. 

A glaring omission is that there is either no mention or 

just a brief mention in passing with little to no explanation 

of numerous important behaviors which dog owners and 

professionals should be aware of. Some of those missing 

behaviors are: mounting, T-position, agonistic pucker, 

grab and hold, muzzle punches, piloerection, and others. 

In the play section, there’s a picture of a dog mounting 

another dog; this would have been a perfect opportunity 

to mention mounting, but it is completely skipped over 

with a comment about the dog taking the “predator role.” 

To my knowledge, mounting is not a part of the predation 

sequence, at all! 

Aloff’s writing style is free-flowing and light. It’s 

amusing to read her descriptions of the interactions between 

the dogs, and makes for a very pleasant and fun read. I 

do, however, wish she had refrained from interpreting 

the dogs’ intentions and thoughts. I am a proponent of 

describing the behavior rather than intention. Behavior, 

all by itself, speaks volumes! She also liberally uses a term 

that has come into vogue lately—“hind brain”—which I’ve 

also heard described as “the dog is not operant.” Aloff, like 

many others, falls into the trap of using a neuro-explanation 

which is far more complex than this usage indicates and 

doesn’t really add to the book or our understanding of the 

behavior. 

This book has a lot of really great qualities and a few 

problems. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and recommend it. I 

would love to see Aloff revise the book for the next edition 

—correct the editing problems, replace the unacceptable 

photos, leave out the subjective commentary, add some 

behaviors and turn this into a more scientific endeavor. 

Susan Smith’s business, Raising Canine, www.raisingcanine. 

com, provides remote education opportunities for animal > 


ehavior consultants, as well as business and marketing products 

to help their businesses. Sue is also the co-author of the book 

Positive Gun Dogs: Clicker Training for Sporting Breeds. 

Sue is certified through CCPDT, IAABC and the SFSPCA. She 

is on the CCPDT Board, a professional member of the APDT, 

former Chair of the APDT Member Relations & Communications 

Committee, moderates the APDT list discussion group, and was 

named APDT Member of the Year in 2004. 

The Puppy Whisperer 

by Paul Owens and Terence Cranendonk with 

Norma Eckroate 

Adams Media, an F&W Publications Company, 

285 pages, 2007, $14.95 

Available from www.raisewithpraise.com 

I 

have never said this before but in this case I’m just going 

to say it: for its genre, this is basically a “perfect book.” 

There are three authors, Paul Owens, who is known as 

the “original dog whisperer,” author of The Dog Whisperer, 

and is a leading proponent of nonviolent dog training; 

Terence Cranendonk, who apprenticed with Mr. Owens 

and now is both a CPDT and CDBC, and Norma Eckroate, 

who writes on the holistic care of humans and animals. 

The book explains itself as “A Compassionate, Nonviolent 

Guide to Early Training and Care,” and “everything you 

need to raise a happy, healthy, well-behaved puppy!” And 

that’s exactly what it is. 

The Puppy Whisperer is a medium-sized paperback with 

glossy covers and an eye-catching color photograph of a 

row of adorable puppies staring out at you on the front 

cover. Inside the pages are basically plain with bold black 

headings and cute little doggy bones used as bullets. 

There are several black and white photographs which are 

well-chosen in depicting what is being discussed. A little 

color within the book could have “spiced it up” a bit and 

perhaps made it just a tad more “reader friendly” for those 

who might have trouble reading a lot of text—however I 

don’t see this as a significant issue at all. 

The book says that it will be a “compassionate stepby-step 

guide to all things puppy,” including how to: 

evaluate temperament; choose the right pup; monitor diet, 

play and exercise; train and problem solve; provide early 

socialization and positive training; potty train; and ensure 

safety and health care. The authors start right off asking, 

“Are you ready for a puppy?” and go on to explain that, 

along with how wonderful it is to get a new puppy, there 

will also be those difficult moments and the necessity of 

changing your lifestyle to accommodate the new family 

member. The authors state, “These early growth stages can 

get to be a tad stressful for the typical family, so … consider 

your financial situation, your physical capabilities, the size 

of your home, how physically active you are … the size, 

age, and temperaments of your children.” So true, and so 

important. 

What amazed me about this book is how detailed and 

complete it is, in every aspect. I can’t emphasize enough 

that this book includes nearly every detail that a new 

www.APDT.com 

owner should consider and learn before they get a new 

puppy and how to raise that little individual once he is 

home. The only caveat I must mention is that the authors 

are using clicker training and that might put off some 

owners—however the techniques and philosophy stand 

alone whether using a clicker or not. In just the first 

few pages the authors cover: how to evaluate puppies; 

temperament tests; hypoallergenic breeds; breeds and 

mixed breeds; size considerations; climate considerations; 

exercise needs; where to get your puppy (shelters, rescues, 

breeders, pet stores); breed-specific legislation and more! 

The book goes on to cover all aspects of socialization; 

getting the puppy to be okay alone; beginning obedience 

commands; exercise; fears (getting the puppy used to the 

vacuum, for example—something so many owners have 

trouble with); and a detailed guide to diet and nutrition. 

Near the end the book covers teaching basic command 

exercises, and does so in an easy-to-understand format. 

It breaks down an exercise into “kindergarten level” and 

“grade school” level—making it easy for the owner to grasp 

what the puppy should be able to do at each juncture. The 

exercises are divided into clear steps, and each section 

includes a “Having Problems?” set of questions that cover 

nearly anything that could go wrong when teaching a 

behavior. 

I would strongly recommend this book to all beginning 

trainers and as a guide to families who are considering 

getting a new puppy—with this knowledge there should 

be many more well-adjusted canine companions and far 

fewer dogs being relinquished to shelters. This book is an 

admirable accomplishment. 

Valerie Pollard has been training dogs professionally since the last 

1970s and has always been interested in understanding and working with 

behavior issues. Valerie Is a professional charter member of the APDT; 

endorsed by NADOI and also a Certified member of the IAABC. She has 

titled her own dogs in AKC obedience and attained the Schutzhund III 

title with her beloved German Shepherd “Bodie.” Currently Valerie lives 

in Southern California with her family, horses, two pugs and “Chester,” 

a German Shepherd. 

Attention APDT Members! Dogwise gives 

active APDT members a discount. Go to 

www.dogwise.com for more details! 


Reviewers’ Corner

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