Weight Pull Adventures!!!!!

After attending one of our Weight Pull workshops Ashley and Mike Majetic, out of Paul Anthony’s A & B Canine, attended their first real weight pull!!!!!

They pulled for the W3PO organization. And, even though it was their first one……. Their dog Mya took 2nd place in her weight. And qualified for their national level competition with a pull of 1,628lbs!!!!

This was all based on what they learned at our workshop. And through our coaching from a distance!

Keep your eyes peeled. These guys are putting together their own weight pull club. It will be a great one.

And Mya……. That little dog will be a champion soon!

Just hide and watch.

Micheal Ellis On Relationship

Ellis discusses the importance, and effect of relationship in training.

Focus on relationship. Almost can’t go wrong!

“Useful” Stress

This was posted on Facebook by The Naughty Dogge.

One of the best things I’ve seen! Had to Share:

“As I look around at the kid’s soccer games where no team wins, I wonder what this result will look like in adults. Then I realize I know.

The stress that comes with not-winning is what builds character; though that stress will also come from being benched for most of the game, or not scoring enough goals. Which is a good thing, because this stress is what gives us strength, determination, a desire to work harder, and a mental toughness. And as I raise the most perfect Border Collie ever born and continue to enjoy coasting in mediocrity, one of my mentors forces me to remember this.

Pippa used to struggle immensely with being told “No”. However, this is still a necessary word in her life, to keep her perfect. She cannot be a powerful bitch if someone disagreeing with her sends her on a 48 hour sobbing fest. To teach her how to grow beyond this, she has had a series of ‘lessons’ strategically set up to put her under pressure, then let her win.

Last week was another. It was ‘sit means sit even if you don’t want to’. As she leapt out of her position with glee, she got put back where she needed to be. While this lesson was based on the ‘sit’, that is just the ingredient used to teach the lesson. The lesson is about building mental toughness, determination and strength. By fixing her sit she underwent the same emotions as loosing a soccer game, and learned to work through them.

This is such a difficult concept to put into words, but I think parents with well adjusted children will know what I mean. Putting a dog in bubble wrap is a necessary step in raising a dog, or child. But at some point the bubble wrap must come off, and we must teach them to deal with the stresses of life. If we do not do this, we keep them mentally weak.

A mentally weak dog is going to suffer with anxiety, with change, and lack the ability to problem solve. Their only solution to uncomfortable questions will be teeth, or running away.

So please prepare your dog for the high-school bully, for getting turned down from a job that they desperately want, for being the last picked for a team, for bouncing back when they get laid off from their job etc. Teach your dog mental resilience. Raising a wimp is the easy feel-good road. But it doesn’t feel good for them when they are outside of their comfort zone and they panic, having no clue how to problem solve.

And ultimately dog training is all about honouring the dog, even when we have to consequence them when we would rather not, in order to give them the mental resilience to have a happy, functional adult-hood.

Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC”

Jax Teaches a Kid Tug!

Building and Breaking Trust

Everyone that reads this thing regularly, knows I do a lot of training through game play.

And, not in the surface “Create a reward event to make them work” sort if way.

But, in a profound way. Almost a spiritually fulfilling way. It impacts so many different levels.

Gives activity which is physically healthy.

Gives psychological fulfillment, as the activities let them express their natural drives.

And we’ve always said that it builds relationships. Builds the language we will use. Builds fluency in body language for both dog and handler. All that good stuff. I’ve always thought there was carry over into just living with your dog. Past just the “tired dog is a good dog” line.

Well, now we have a bit of proof!

In this study, they talk about how dogs develop, and LOSE, trust!

Once you read that, you will have a greater understanding of how your “Game” can effect your day to day relationship. When I coach people in play, I constantly use the common phrase “breaking trust” to tell them why not to do certain things. And, on the surface….. It could be about just the game. Like… Giving fair presentations of the toy so they can get it without clipping you. Like moving it enough that they have to “try” but not so much they feel like they “can’t”. Tugging hard enough that they are in the “fight”, and not “overwhelmed……. All that seems to be only Game related.

But this study shows that dogs can learn from how you play and do trivial activities what kind of trust you deserve.

Seems like the Clarity the dogs learn from your Game will effect them in all aspects of your relationship.

A lot of times when I work with a dog, I start with play. And I’ve always felt it wasn’t just “play”. But us really learning one another. Build trust and language, before trying to navigate sticky situations.

Kind of cool when science tells you you’re on the right train of thought!

That’s it.

Go play with your dog!

I Got Cartoonized!

A person that I did a consult with, had this made for me. It was done by Brandon Steen. Amazing.

Quick Reference: Body language

Posted these a while back. But came up at a workshop last week, so I thought I’d repost:

“Is Language Ruining Our Ability To Communicate?”

“Non Verbal Training”

Enjoy!

Break Stick Response

The article I wrote opposed to break sticks is the highest rated post I’ve ever written. And…… It’s because everyone hated it.

I see the pages and posts that refer people to it, and they all think I’m an asshole.

Apparently, the way to unite the wannabe tough guy Pit Bull bro, and the “pibble lover” hippie, is to take away their fucking break sticks.

I stand by every word of that article. I don’t use break sticks. They are inefficient, and make aggression worse.

But, the mistake I made was in not giving the alternative!

Everyone, just kept going back to “If not that, then WHAT?”

I didn’t talk about how TO do it because, telling people HOW to break up a dog fight on the internet is dangerous. Not to mention, it sounds horrible.

That’s because I use the same thing to stop a violent dog, that I use to stop a violent person.

I choke them.

Yeah…… That sounds bad. That’s why the people who know it’s the answer, don’t talk about it. They’re worried about losing public opinion.

Almost every dog professional I have ever met or interacted with online will admit (if pushed) to going up on the collar in an emergency. Google that shit and see how may trainers advocate it out loud.

Fortunately for me, I stopped giving a fuck about what the public thinks when I was a kid.  And….. Apparently, NOT saying is pissing everyone off anyway.

So…… Here you go:

(disclaimer- don’t try any of this without hands on instruction form a qualified trainer. this is for discussion not instruction)

Slip Collar Lift.

(Check out this description from Leerburg.com)

Rear Naked Choke.

It’s done exactly the same way on dogs as it is on people.

And, before you argue it’s efficacy, here’s an example of a 9 year old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student saving a friend using this technique.

What about the “Hind Leg Suspension” AKA “Wheelbarrow” technique? Isn’t it safer?

Yes……. If you have shit dogs. Curs. Chewy frantic re-grippers.  Yes….. That can break them.

If you outnumber the dogs. It can slow them down. I use it when handlers outnumber dogs. But, you still have to break the game dogs grip!

There are ONLY 2 choices.

Break Stick. And Choke. (don’t start with your e-collar bullshit. It won’t work on a game dog unless you go to a level that is quite damaging and dangerous. Same as hitting them. I actually DON’T want to hurt the dog hence these as the only options)

Break Sticks REQUIRE multiple handlers. Or at least some convoluted back-tying. And, they INCREASE drive and frustration. They do NOT change the economics of fighting. No dog gets pried off and thinks….. “Damn….. not sure I want that happening again”.

Chokes can be done done with slip collars on TWO DOGS simultaneously by a SINGLE HANDLER. Rear Naked Chokes must be done one after the other, which sucks…. But is doable alone. And, both versions give serious pause to the dog next time.

It is the ONLY correction that can have THAT deep of an effect……. AND doesn’t ADD adrenaline. Damage The dog. Or damage the relationship.

Period.

And don’t talk to me about safety.  Collar lifts have LESS risk than break sticks. And a Rear Naked Choke risk is no worse. No vital areas exposed. And honestly…… The dogs that make this a necessity aren’t chewy and re-gripping anyway.

Yes…… You should train and handle in a way that makes this unnecessary.

If you have to use this you failed the dog.

This is the “air bag” in your car. You DO NOT want to use it. But…… You will to save a life.

When all has gone wrong and the nightmare has begun……. Chokes are the ONLY thing that works when it’s life or death that doesn’t have serious blowback.

There it is.

The truth.

Flame away.

Jaxxy’s Transition To A Spring Pole

What do I do in a Blizzard?
Transition Jax to Spring Pole!
Lot of people tug. Not that many people use Spring Poles.

The way old school dogmen used them didn’t involve control. Let them at it….. Pry them off. All conditioning and gameness. No control.

But, I think they can be used as an obedience reward. Just like tug. Giving access to this type of activity to folks that can’t get in there and play The Game themselves. Plus it takes HUGE impulse control.
Jaxxy followed my typical process:
Tug. Ball On A String. Flirt Pole. Decoy Tug. Then Spring Pole.
Each progression requires more responsibility and control under higher and higher arousal, so there’s usually a little wobble in self control as they master that test.
The transition to the Spring Pole follows the same ramp up in responsibility.
The toy is kept low so the outs are easier, and I am fairly close, so it doesn’t challenge my area of influence too much.
As he gets cleaner & more crisp, I will raise the toy up, and myself away.
Eventually, He’ll be swinging like the old school pics.

But…. With solid obedience!
No collars. No food.
Only Social Drive and self control overriding Prey Drive.
Here’s Jaxxy’s first session.

And Here’s a follow up 2 days later. It’s his 3rd session:

Faith In Handler Drill

I wrote about this a long time ago. Back then I was calling it “Reverse BAT”.  But, now I call it the Faith In Handler Drill. After that article, a ton of people have asked me to demonstrate it. Here’s a video of me showing to a dog/handler for the first time.